It’s no secret that I like Placebo. I first heard them when I was 12 I think, and I definitely didn’t like them. The Pure Morning video played on MTV Russia daily at a certain point in time.
I didn’t like it then; however two years later love appeared.
I found a year-old post with this meme. You pick a performer and answer the following questions using only their songs. Then see what happens.
Are you a male or female:
Slackerbitch
Your last relationship:
Meds
Your fear:
Scared of Girls
What is the best advice you have to give:
Ask for Answers
Thought for the Day:
Taste in Men
How I would like to die:
Haemoglobin (esp first line…)
My soul’s present condition:
Because I Want You
My motto:
Hang On To Your IQ
Describe Yourself:
Special K
How do you feel:
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Describe where you currently live:
Brick Shithouse
If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Twenty Years
Your favorite food is:
Bubblegum
Your best friend is:
Lady of the Flowers
You and your best friends…
Every You and Every Me
What’s the weather like:
Battle for the Sun
Favorite time of day:
Pure Morning
If your life was a TV show, what would it be called:
Days Before You Came
I made a promise to myself (masochistic in some sense) that I will top the number of blog entries written last year in December. I’ve to write about 14 more entries. Seriously, you want to hear about this? I can expose a lot more than one can normally allow a public blog which gets visited by grandmas and censored men in China.
Oh, okay, today Toronto’s Twitter and Facebook exploded in a flurry of snow pan-accolades. There was minuscule, FAKE snow falling down and melting before touching the mother Earth. I tweeted, “Must we resort to yelping ‘Snow!’ at the sight of extremely temporary nanosnowflakes? The ground is still gray.” As long as the ground is gray and defiled by the autumn, there is no salvation. But keep waiting, I’ll be the first to write an Ode to snow. God knows I wrote one to the stock market in 2005.
Last weekend was a great eventful deal of foreign speakers, preventative medicine, karaoke (I do a great rendition of Downtown, Purple Rain and Torn) and dancing till the wee hours of the night when all our energy broke apart the speakers (figuratively, but perhaps not, speaking). Faktory night on Queen & Noble was fantastic except for the $10 PBR, which we prudently shared like our ancestors might have back in the fields of Portugal or Russia (I like how our countries’ initials are neighbors in the alphabet too! ‘Tis important, it is, trust me). Anyway, I did my 75 minutes of dancing. Doing all that cardio in the gym does pay off when it comes to having to wiggle on the dirty warehouse dancefloor with all you’ve got. I’ve way too much energy, and I revel in that fact. Eat it.
OK, go listen to António Variações here to make yourself more cultured: Dar e Receber
I had the privilege of laughing my butt and brain off whilst reading this superb analysis of Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance video by my Italian sci-fi-obsessed, Harvard-throttling friend of friends, Ainge. Her livejournal (holy crap, old school!) is friends-only, so you are missing on a lot of entertainment and a drastic increase in sci-fi writing compared to her political science days. Nevertheless! See below, a minute-by-minute commentary.
can i just fucking talk about how fucking sweet lady gaga’s BAD ROMANCE video is? 0:10 – that coat = coatgasm. the fucking glasses! she is on some klaus nomi shit right here.
0:12 – why didn’t i think of having fucking metallic mesh just hanging on my nails like that? i love you, woman. watching the video in real time, that device she hits looked like some security business. pausing it, i see it’s some kind of stereo control. eh. maybe she is trying to be deep by likening a stereo to a doomsday device. you go, gaga.
0:17 – nemiroff vodka. this is why i decide the dude in this is russian. omg, i could totally spoiler you about him right now but i won’t.
0:23 – cyborg coffin pods, omg. if i ever get a thule ski rack (lol what am i gonna be, some kind of suv-drivin vermonter) i am going to spray paint it to look like one of these.
0:29 – bath haus. hot.
0:40 – spiky latex people. do want. i honestly did not know this about myself until seeing this badass lady gaga video.
0:48 – i do believe she just gave herself anime eyes. lady gaga, you are a vision in soft peaches and cool greys. i do not know whether to find you cute or repulsive. i like this about you.
0:52 – that spazzy fingertapping. hot.
0:59ish – the spiky latex people are amazing dancers. it’s like a creepy german new wave broadway musical.
1:05 – first crotchgrab. lady gaga, you are so naughty!
1:23 – rape chic motif begins. i wonder whether i could possibly be critical of lady gaga.
1:32 – see what i mean, latex and jazz hands.
1:50 – lady gaga is being forcibly drugged with what i am assuming is nemiroff vodka, out of a glass that looks lucite. she looks italian in her close-ups.
1:59 – oh, androgyny, you get me every time.
2:03 – lady gaga is wearing the most amazing shit i’ve seen since morrigan in dragon age. she is covered in a diamond chainmail of sorts. it is equal parts baroque and outer space and i am quite taken with it. it is the living dream of every girl who looked up at a chandelier in some italian house and was all “i want a dress and coordinating mask made out of that shit.”
2:15 – lady gaga is emaciated and in prison.
2:17 – but look at that glittering rose epaulet right there.
2:20 – i think this is nemiroff. i wish viggo mortensen was playing his role, but sadly he would never be in a lady gaga video.
2:22 – work it, gaga.
2:26 – i believe she just tugged some air wang, also known as the beataff gesture.
2:33 – seriously, someone’s nonna has her entire headpiece as a fruit bowl somewhere in burnaby, st-leonard, woodbridge, etc.
2:37 – holy fuck it’s not nemiroff, it’s darth malak! and gaga is going to get on his junk.
2:40 – gaga apparently also shakes it in prison.
2:42 – HAIRLESS CAT WITH METAL TEETH. cute and horrifying, much like la gaga. the best villain pet, ever.
2:45 – oh shit he just turned on LOTS OF LAPTOPS. which look a lot like my shitty hp. lady gaga has been sold, presumably on the russian internet.
2:58 – i am not going to shit up this glorious dance sequence with pithy commentary.
3:04 – lady gaga is being presented in an ethereal cage of fishing line and lucite diamonds to the gayest, hottest-looking russian mafia ever. note rosary shoutout at 3:03.
3:06 – PRESS PAUSE AND LOOK AT THOSE SWEET SHOES. all the villain ladies in the next major sci fi series must be issued these shoes.
3:15 – oh, hey there cross. and hello sign of the cross inspired dance move at 3:18. yes, she went to catholic school. she appears to be picking up where madonna left off on that front.
3:21 – that is the most badass lingerie ever in the most badass lingerie fabric ever: metal.
3:25 – don’t you just wanna bronze her for posterity? also, shoes.
3:32 – and now gaga is on some vivienne westwood maria-from-metropolis shit. she is positively encrusted in rhinestones and those shoes are so absurd-hot. i think this is the point where the haters get all “lady gaga looks like a drag queen” because they can’t deal with the fact lady gaga likes to deal in gender superlatives.
3:45 – bearskin train. with head. i have a good feeling about this. this gaga is going to avenge all the alternate futuristic implied sexual slavery gagas.
3:50 – looks like darth malak nemiroff (a hunting man) is ready to play. his vodka on the rocks is like 90% rocks. douche. oh ho ho, gaga’s gonna get him.
4:03 – the dance sequence is as slick as the glossy parkade it’s being filmed in. i like the part where she pounds the ground with her fists.
4:13 – i wish they got a hotter guy for this.
4:15 – yeah, press pause. gaga, pg-13 naked, and those two taxidermies.
4:17 – lights on. lady gaga is the closest thing i’m ever going to get to hot sci fi porn.
4:18 – YES SHE’S SETTING HIS PLACE ON FIRE. guess what my favourite part of waiting to exhale was?
4:25 – how fabulous is that red thing?
4:26 – enjoy your moment, gaga. revel in it.
4:29 – my point about the german new wave broadway musical stands.
4:41 – saint gaga, posing with her handiwork. press pause, print this out, and just worship it.
4:50 – the mood seems more festive now that malak has been defeated.
5:00 – post coital, except she gets her kicks setting the dude on fire. she then enjoys a cigarette and the sparks emitted by her nipples.
Placebo is the best band in the world in my opinion, and it’s one of the most underrated ones. I’ve been an ardent fan of theirs since about 2000, if not earlier (maybe not as long as No Doubt’s, but I stopped loving No Doubt the moment Gwen started whoring herself out). Not only is Brian Molko a handsome fox, but he’s also got quite a big mouth. Oh yeah, and did I tell you he wears make up since 12? A man open about his sexuality, quite a novel, especially back in 1994.
I missed their concert in Vancouver back in 2003, and that made me incredibly sad. But I won’t miss any more concerts, especially since their 7th studio album, Battle For The Sun, is set for release on June 8, 2009! Go download the title track for free, right here or straight from this post. Now I would like to shut up and instead share my favorite Placebo tracks with you. Even if you never listened to this British band before, now is your chance. Click on the link, and you’ll be able to download directly from MediaFire.
Special K – the slow, acoustic version. Special K is also my nickname. I could barely find the mp3 second time my computer died, and I have since then copied this track in many locations so as to never lose it again.
Haemoglobin – first sentence: “I was hanging from a tree / Unaccustomed to such violence / Jesus looking down on me/ I’m prepared for one big silence”
Slackerbitch – I used to really love screaming “fag hag whore, looks real cute, her lips are sore” during this song
Running Up That Hill (Kate Bush cover) – simply beautiful, just as good as the original!
Twenty Years – I’d say this is the song that marks the shift to more grown up material
Protect Me From What I Want – really a sad song; I’ve grown to think that it has to do with a craving for drugs, thanks to this song painting a bleak vision of our world… or some part of it.
Nancy Boy – a Placebo classic! Eyeholes in a paper bag /Greatest lay I ever had Kind of guy who mates for life / Gotta help him find a wife
English Summer Rain – poor L-town. It’s a fun track when you’re on the run or hating Londinium
Meds – it features VV of The Kills, not that I’m familiar with those, but nevertheless. “Babyyyy, did you forget to take your meds?”
Blind – I find this song pretty romantic, poignant and utterly emotional… Sob sob sob
Pure Morning – ok, this is on here because that’s the first Placebo video I’ve ever watched and my first comments were, “wtf, what a weird girl!” Then I inquired further, and everything changed.
Perhaps the years of Russian schooling taught me to love classical music. I’d like to think it’s the fact that in grade 6 we listened to, discussed and thoroughly studied Grieg’s Peer Gynt, the fate-knocking-on-your-door Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 and the like. I can appreciate any instrumental music (unless it’s downright whack, nonsensical and devoid of all talent), and am particularly fond of the violin.
Couple of weeks ago it struck me as odd that I haven’t been to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since I moved to Toronto. Two weeks ago I had a wonderful opportunity to see Midori in action, thanks to TSO’s affiliation with our League of Kickass Under 30. Her performance was mesmerizing, a performance that reminded me of a swan in agony or a very skillful 80′s dancer. Her body was part of the violin, the notes sending shocks all over her, making her move to the sound of music. Powerful. We then had an opportunity to talk to the conductor Jun Maerkl at the Lexus Lounge.
Immediately after the performance, I signed up for TSO’s Soundcheck program, which offers discounted (and I mean, discounted – $12) tickets for any seat in the house, provided you are under 29! The guy next to you paid $100+ for his ticket, while you’re enjoying a $12 deal. Jeremy and I went to see The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz, conducted be Dutoit, last Thursday. A showstopper it was – skillful orchestra, and divine choir, as well as the doubly divine children’s choir, not to mention the powerful voices of Faust and Mephistopheles got me hooked. I am already planning my purchases of Mahler’s Symphony No 6, Prokofiev and Ravel, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Bartok and Strauss. now the ears of my earsawake andnowthe eyes of my eyes are opened (ee cummings)
“…And that’s the way it is. That’s what I wanted to say.” 1 2 3 4 by Miss Kittin & The Hacker (download the MP3). I’ve grown increasingly annoyed with my wardrobe, as I still possessed 4-5 year old items that I would never wear again, despite my stubborn belief that I might use them. Last month I donated 2 garbage bags full of clothes, and I’m not done yet. My current wardrobe seemed disappointing too, as it represented a cool, eccentric university student look too much; the jackets, winter boots and sweaters were becoming a too old or too cute for my liking. So I decided to buy new pieces in line with the hip, sophisticated young woman image.
On a mission to sync my wardrobe with my new attitude and lifestyle, I randomly stumbled on a Henrik Vibskov unisex black crinkle trenchcoat at Delphic (they’ve got amazing stuff). Luckily it was on sale. I love its lightweight and interesting paper-like texture, metallic tone, and waterproof and windproof features. My interpretation is on the right (the belt makes all the difference), pardon the poor photo quality.
I also found a perfect elongated cardigan online, since the stores had either incredibly expensive goods (Henrik Vibskov yet again), or plain cardigans in boring colors. I found a Grey Ant knit cardigan ($352) at 75% off. More Henrik Vibskov – black stretch twill pant, originally priced at $236, and reduced to $59. If that isn’t great value for wardrobe defying pieces, then I don’t know what is. Can’t wait for them to arrive. Can’t wait for Jeffrey Campbell biz bootie – a perfect flat bootie with buckle detail, – to show up in the inventory, too.
Here is how it is: I laugh at the audience of preadolescent gals – or adolescent? Heck, let’s just say, tweens, – frenzying it up for some teenage vampires. Oh, and I don’t even know what the movie is about, and what sort of hilarity we are destined to see. And hilarious it is. Except that on the 55th minute you rapidly start swaying towards the gentlemanly Edward Cullen. Later on, one clues in that no 17- or 25-year old would ever act so nobly; it takes approximately 100 years to figure out how to treat a woman (girl in this case) right.
And yes, I remember how I used to love, love, love Anne Rice’s novels (that, last time I checked, still held the top of mind place in consumers’ minds), and vampire Lestat, and vampire Armand. I gave up on all of that. Ad then True Blood sucked me back into it. And so did the Lancome Piha Black lipgloss over their red lipstick a la Louboutin sole of a shoe.
And then this Twilight thing came out. I don’t mind admitting that I appreciate Robert Pattinson’s exterior, thank God for our same-agedness. If he was a tad bit younger, I would have to reconsider. All right, Edward Cullen, take me away! I am, too, a fan of Debussy’s.
PS. This review made me laugh so hard, I nearly had to rush to the washroom. Bagels, doom, and proletarian demands. I say, get them while they’re young!
Just because I haven’t had the time to update does not mean that I haven’t been enjoying things.
My midterms and cases reap solid results, and I am happy. I’ve got some more projects and assignments coming up, but I am happy about them.
This Friday Dave, Darren, Jon, Eric and I are going to New York, because the first two are playing at the Palms Out party. If you’re in NY, come see Egyptrixx and Alias play the Whiskey party at the 205 bar (205 Chrystie @ Stanton, Lower East Side). I am happy to show my friends my New York and all the quality places that I approved In the past, I used to go there for a person, now I am going for myself and to have a great time with friends. It’s going to be a blast!. The picture on the left was taken in February 2007 (lower east side, btw).
D and I went to the awesome Full Moon Vegetarian restaurant on Dundas & Denison in Toronto. I was quite impressed by the quality of their food, and especially the “mock duck/pork/beef/etc”. Great options there.
PS. Kid Kudi is not bad. Grab his Day N Nite.
PPS. Please, also subscribe to The Economist. I am addicted myself. And student rates are fabu.
Just like the white winged dove…
Sings a song…
Sounds like she’s singing…
Whoo… whoo… whoo…
Just like the white winged dove…
Sings a song…
Sounds like she’s singing…
Ooo baby… ooo… said ooo
And the days go by…
Like a strand in the wind…
In the web that is my own…
I begin again
Said to my friend, baby…
Nothin’ else mattered
He was no more… than a baby then
Well he… seemed broken hearted…
Something within him
But the moment… that I first laid…
Eyes… on… him… all alone…
On the edge of… seventeen Continue reading →
Placebo is the best band in the world in my opinion, and it’s one of the most underrated ones. I’ve been an ardent fan of theirs since about 2000, if not earlier (maybe not as long as No Doubt’s, but I stopped loving No Doubt the moment Gwen started whoring herself out). Not only is Brian Molko a handsome fox, but he’s also got quite a big mouth. Oh yeah, and did I tell you he wears make up since 12? A man open about his sexuality, quite a novel, especially back in 1994.
In the past, I used to go there for a person, now I am going for myself and to have a great time with friends. It’s going to be a blast!. The picture on the left was taken in February 2007 (lower east side, btw).
