God, it's been a week since I posted anything and here I am, repeating myself. Again. Oh well, I'll blame it on the Papin sisters. Here's my gal, Amy, with my favorite song of hers.
I'm going to Athens tomorrow and am terribly excited about it. I *may* get to see Eds, which will be the first time since my birthday blowout. Way damn too long, I'd say. But the real reason I'm going is that I'm bringing Miss Vanessa Briscoe her way overdue Girl Scout cookie order. I haven't seen Van in much longer than Eds, probably since last year's GS cookie delivery. That sucks. As you all know, for a while Athens was totally off limits to me. What a horrible time that was. But now it's safe for me to go again. I'm so glad that's over now. I'm happy as a pig in slop that it's over, to tell you the truth. These are two of my favorite people in the world, by the way:
Van, an old pic stolen from her Myspace:
See what happens when you blog needlessly? I'll stop now and go write more on my murder article. In fact, in my next entry I will include a portion of my article. Woohoo! You lucky readers!
I adore this woman. Please indulge me and watch the clip. I aspire to her flirting skills, and can only hope to ever be as forthright as she is.
I swear the guy says "'Thee-o' lonious" after she mentions Monk. He doesn't deserve this job, whatever it is. But what's our girl got against Billie Holiday???
"So when you write a song, who's the first person you play it for?" Her expression after that one is priceless.
Anyway, on to other things. I'm going to be real pithy here, and say that life sure is funny. My world has taken a 180 in the last week. I'm happy. Not just 'happy' but some word that's much bigger than that. It's like the sun came out or something. More later, cause right now I'm kind of speechless, which makes writing a blog entry kind of futile.
I found this on YouTube and have no idea what it is. It seems to be some wacky British t.v. show, like the kind we DON'T have here. Sadly. We need more pop culture humor.
Who knew Amy was such a cockney, or so bleedin' funny???
I am here to stick up for Amy Winehouse, because America is trying to make her into some character in an imaginary intervention reality show, and it's pissing me off. Watch this video and tell me she's not right on fucking target:
She's Aretha, Gladys, and Sarah rolled into one. She put out the album EVERYONE should have put out last year. She's making music that's completely unlike anything else at the moment. I know what you're thinking...But Julie! What about all those other blues-y soul-y female singers...Joss Stone, Grace Potter, etc? Puhleeze! Amy has more talent in one hair on that bouffanted head than all those gals put together. They're doing the same old thing, lending their admittedly strong voices to the exact same style of music that's been coming out for years. Amy, on the other hand, has incorporated blues, 50's girl bands, ska, reggae, and rock and made a sound that's completely her own. She is in a league of her own, doing it ALL differently. Just look at her backup singers. Anyone who puts those handsome, nattily-dressed gogo dancers behind her is cool beyond belief.
But for some reason the public focuses on her personal strife, letting it overshadow her talent. Yes, she's a mess, yes her teeth are falling out, but in the long run I don't give a shit if she's in AA or snorting coke onstage, if her hair looks like shit or if she cleans up her act, she's the epitome of 'it' at the moment, and should be recognized for her talent. She is not some tattooed Brittney, some poster child for rehab, she's a kick ass musician with her finger on the pulse of something very new.
Any singer cool enough to choose that band, to be that retro but still fully in the 21st century, to sing those songs with that voice should get nothing but praise. Modern whomp? Um, Taylor, Amy already did it while you were asleep.
Well, I've fallen into a hole. I can't stop listening to this song. It's not just that the lyrics are so right on target, or the imagery is so perfect. The beauty of this song is that everything -melody, voice, instruments, rhythm - does exactly what it's supposed to do at exactly the right time. I've already slathered my Myspace page with it, now it's my blog's turn.
Amy Winehouse, Love is a Losing Game
For you I was a flame, Love is a losing game Five story fire as you came, Love is losing game
One I wish I never played, Oh, what a mess we made And now the final frame, Love is a losing game
Played out by the band, Love is a losing hand More than I could stand, Love is a losing hand
Self professed profound Til' the chips were down Know you’re a gambling man Love is a losing hand
Though I battled blind, Love is a fate resigned Memories mar my mind, Love is a fate resigned
Over futile odds, And laughed at by the gods And now the final frame, Love is a losing game.
Yes, I've arrived late to the Winehouse party, but I'm here. And the timing couldn't be better, for me, anyway. I've downloaded about five songs off her last album, and am in newfound favorite heaven. Just wanted to share.
