D.E.V.O.

Well hello there. Long time no post. I just had the best day EVER. Jane suggested I blog. So blog I shall.

I'm staring down the barrel of a week from HELL. Long story short: My boss is away for the next week (he's going to have a ball, I'm very excited for him.) It's magazine publishing week (the one week a month where I usually work 16 hour days, or until the job is done.) We've sold more advertising than usual, which equals AWESOME - but, 8 more pages of writing. On a week when I'm on my own. And none of the technology is working for the other part of my job. There's no polite way to say this: It's going to freakin' suck.

My intention when I left work on Friday was to work on Sunday to get a head start. But I just couldn't. It was SUCH a beautiful day. I needed to consciously NOT work. Step away from my laptop and cell phone. Step away from my To Do List From Hell, and just indulge myself a bit! I think I will be far more productive this week now that I've had some me time.

So I popped myself on the bus and headed to my Auckland happy place. Devonport. Delicious Devonport.


Best. Brunch. Ever.
Eggs, hollandaise, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms. YUM.

The only thing better than a good Eggs Benny, is a Coffee Supreme Fair trade Organic Flat White. And a new Paolo Coelho book. Oh the joys!

Then I went to my Ultimate Happy Place: few other places in the wider Auckland region (with perhaps the only exception of the Titirangi/Matakana Farmers Markets) give me as much pleasure. Mmm. Booky wooks.

I got lots of treats! I *was* planning on picking up some books I've been on the look out for, as well as some Bukowski & Kerouac - following up on some "to do" recommended reading. However, I got sucked in to the Plays & Poetry corner (again) and managed to pick up a Tennessee Williams anthology (Stellaaaaa!) a Tom Stoppard play I haven't read, a Sinead Morrissey book that was SIGNED (for only $8, an absolute steal!) and another that kinda just took my fancy when I was curled up in the reading room.

I still haven't found what I'm looking for. Ethan Hawke's second novel Ash Wednesday and Cynthia Voigt's A Solitary Blue. Although a quick google in anticipation of writing that sentence might have solved that problem; I've been looking for it in the "Judy Blume" section. That might account for some of the difficulty I've had finding it. Haha! When I was very young, I received a poetry prize at for my poem based on A Solitary Blue I remember it really touched me at the time, and I'd love to read it again.

After an hour in the bookstore, I wandered down the road, in the rain, and remembered that when I came here with Mum in the summertime the little gift shop in the ferry terminal had Umbrellas to die for. You think an umbrella's an umbrella? You're wrong, my friend. WAY wrong.

Behold The Awesomeness! Is this not the most superior umbrella you have ever seen?! (Humour me.)

Here is where my plan for having a cheap and cheerful second-hand book shopping not-too-indulgent day went out the window. I was just going to look at the candle shop. Honest. Look and smell. Ok look and smell and maybe just buy one thing. Ah who am I kidding that place is like catnip to me! The black board outside should have been my first clue "50% Off All Ecoya Products" - Oh, they're just my favourite thing in the world! They're amazing soy-based organic candles that have fragrances that don't make me sneezy/wheezy. Things that smell nice that I'm NOT allergic to. So rare. So lovely. So expensive. But 50% OFF!!! So I brought lots. Look at them. All pretty and vanilla-y... Mmmm....

And then I came home*. Poorer and richer all at the same time. Loved every minute of it. This week doesn't look so scary to me now.






*I might not have come straight home. I might have done groceries in Milford first. Which might have involved going to get a coffee from my favourite barista. You know, the one I've dragged many of you to see, to make you look at him and bask in his gorgeousness. The one that looks like a slightly less drug addled Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The one I've been drooling over for 6 months. Yeah that one. The one who was finishing his shift as I arrived tonight. The same one who made himself a coffee and came and sat down with me. And introduced himself to me. And asked me about my day, my books and my job. And then asked me out for a wine next week. Yeah that one. *Spazz hands!* I shall have to learn how to call him by his real name in my imagination. Up until now he's just been "Your Highness!"

Jade Goody, and the death of Reality Television

This is a short novel in response to Phill's blog about Jade Goody.

Firstly, for an interesting counterpoint, I found Russell Brand’s comments about Jade both heart warming (at the end of the day, she was just a person, a daughter, a mother) and pointed (at the media, and those who over indulge on it.)

As sad as I find her story, I personally wonder (and hope, if good is to be found in tragic circumstances) if Jade Goody's death will historically be viewed as symbolic of something bigger? Will we see a cultural shift, a turning point, in the places we seek entertainment, who we seek it from, and what we want to get out of it?

I don't believe we have benefited at all from this perverse look at "reality" and I sense a genuine dissatisfaction with it from many quarters… My hope is that we'll see a return to genuinely good story telling and great comedy - far better for humanity than a perverse caricatured "reality" that seeks to make the ugliest parts of us uglier, and the prettiest parts, prettier than they really are. I think in these difficult times, people are seeking a change. Quality entertainment is going to become a priority again.

So, my predictions for the year ahead:

1. Musicians don’t have a president to complain about anymore, and I genuinely believe music will become a lot more hopeful, and happy. Think about the Great Depression and the fantastically uplifting swing music and stuff that emerged to lift people’s spirits… I think it will happen, I honestly do. Some great genre will pop up, from somewhere, that will really inspire and make a lot of people happy.

2. I think we’ll see a decline in reality television. Reality’s freakin rough at the moment; people young and old are craving ESCAPISM. (As an aside, OH MY GOSH have you seen the trailer for Where The Wild Things Are? It made me cry big fat happy tears of excitement!)



3. I reckon a lot of great comedy will come out of this age too… Who doesn’t need a laugh right now?

The creative community have historically stepped up to the plate and provided these wonderful things for humanity, I look ahead to the future of my industry, with genuine hope and excitement to see who will step up to the plate, and with what!?

Top 10 songs... EVER.

Phill was doing it.. So I thought I might give it a bash. Much like Phill, I'm all about the emotion a song evokes, but I'm also a lyric junkie, these songs all captured me one way or the other. And this list will probably change tomorrow, such is my fickleness!

10. You Do Something To Me - Paul Weller

Dancing through the fire, just to catch a flame...



9. Anna Begins - Counting Crows

Everytime she sneezes I believe it's love, and Oh Lord, I'm not ready for this sort of thing



8. Don't - Gramsci

I'm on your side, when everything put together falls apart.



7. Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays

This version in particular blew my mind. I held my breathe for an indeterminate amount of time when he got to "and the lesson today is how to die" and realised what he'd sung.



6. Glory Box - Portishead

Give me a reason to love you



5. Oceans - Pearl Jam

Ah, my funeral song.

Know somethings left, and we're all allowed to dream of the next time we touch.



4. Bloodstream - Stateless

A new entry, but I song I love enough to have in the Top 5. This album was woefully overlooked last year, it's absolutely stunning.

I think I might have inhaled you..



3. Into Temptation - Crowded House

The sentence is all my own, the price is to watch it fail...



2. Gravity - John Mayer

My tattoo song...

Just keep me where the light is...



1. Heart Of Gold - Neil Young

I named my blog this for a reason. As the seasons change, this one is constant. My number one, all time, favourite song EVER. I think it's perfect.

Ryan Adams, Live @ The Powestation 4th Feb 2009

Wow. What an incredible night. I've been at a bit of a loss for words about this gig. The setlist was AMAZING, the band were on fire, and Ryan seemed so much healthier and happier than he was last time he was here, just over a year ago. Mandy Moore must have medicinal super powers, as well as super-human hotness!

The Cardinals really do seem to be a real "band" now, this is not so much Ryan and his backing band, as a band, fully realised, and totally in tune with each other and their songs. Neil Casal even got to take the mic for a couple of songs he'd written, which was really special. It was fun to see Ryan just jam out with the rest of the band.

The change in demeanor in Ryan is phenominal. Last time when heckled by the crowd, he really let loose with strings of frustrated profanity. Especially memorable was his angry response to a request for "Come Pick Me Up."

I would rather shoot myself in the head than to ever ask that person to ever come pick me up ever again. Stop asking. It's not going to happen

Woah. So it was BIG surprise and thrill to see that on the setlist alongside "When The Stars Go Blue" & "Wonderwall" which was also absent from previous shows I've been to.

It was an incredibly special night. The crowd was full of love and respect, and the band looked like they genuinely had fun - they played for just over 3 hours!



How awesome is THAT setlist! "I See Monsters" was an amazing start and "Easy Plateau" into "Bartering Lines" to finish was tear inducingly special. (Riders at the gates.. Was a "Hobbit" reference, coz noone does that when they come to NZ ;-))

2008, in summary.

With thanks to the lovely Jane Yee for the survey..

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Negotiated a payrise & (unrelated) drunk whiskey - which I've taken a real liking to!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?No, I've stopped making them. I do really really want to make my trip overseas happen this year. So saving money, I suppose, could count as a resolution.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My girl Samuela - to the delicious and most handsome (coz if we keep calling him beautiful he's going to hate us when he grows up) Jeremy.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. But this year's going to be shit.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just NZ in 2008. But 2009 should see Germany, Italy, Ireland and America on the list!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Money. Love. Thinness. What a greedy bitch!


7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
9th January 2008



and November 4th... (5th, in NZ..)



8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Churning out an edition of "Reverb" every month without it *actually* killing me.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Letting my ass get out of control.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yeah... A few niggly things all year.. Never quite healthy, never quite sick.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
A trip to Christchurch to see Jeremy.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
Barack Obama.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
The people who killed their babies.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, food, entertainment… just the usual

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?Neil Young announcing he was coming!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?"Sex On Fire" King Of Leon

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:a) happier or sadder?
About the same

b) thinner or fatter?
Fatter

c) richer or poorer?
About the same. Not good!

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Relaxing

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressing, eating! Stress eating!

20. How did you spend Christmas?
With my family in Timaru, it was special and sad, and stressful and wonderful all at the same time.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?No.

22. What was your favourite TV program?
Gossip Girl, Dexter, House, Californication. Maybe this is explanation for my outta control ass!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Not hate, just could live without!

24. What was the best book you read?
"Eat, Pray, Love" - By Elizabeth Gilbert. Highly, highly recommended.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
The Kinks. (Oh shush! I only discovered them this year!)

26. What did you want and get?
A pay rise.

27. What did you want and not get?
That boy. Dammit!

28. What was your favourite film of this year?
Once. It was just perfect. And on the Blockbuster tip, Iron Man was deadly, as was Twilight!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I hung out with my friends & whanau in Wellington. I turned 30 - with far less stress and pressure than expected, 29 was much worse!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
An ability to save, and stop eating. So, more discipline I guess.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Cheap and cheerful.

32. What kept you sane?
Mum. Music.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Same as always - Ethan Hawke, Jonathan Rhys Meyers & Danny Bhoy!





Still loving Mayer, but fancy is not the right word.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The American Election.

The New Zealand one made me the angriest!

35. Who did you miss?
Uncle Derek.

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Laura :-)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Bad people will get what's coming to them, eventually. And, YES WE CAN!




38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"I want you to want me..."

Bwahahah! Lame, yet true.

Feel free to show me yours. (oooh!)

Better Late Than Never

Circumstances didn't allow me to do my usual "Top Albums of 2008" in December, forgive my tardiness, things kind of got out of hand in the real world... But for those who are interested - my top 5:

1.Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night

I really didn't want to make this my number one. I didn't want to be yet another person to waffle on about how amazing this album is, and how, if you haven't yet, you really must listen to it. It's honestly the most sexy album I've heard in YEARS.



Have a feeling he's not really singing about kissing thighs in the second verse, but I'm not the ONLY one who thought he was... And thighs are hotter than stars anyway!

2.Martha Wainwright – I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too

This album just broke my heart. I love it, it's probably my most listened to album of the whole year. I love how she can just slash a hot language vein and pour out her soul, but never seems emo or contrived. Just a mad, passionate woman, who's been a bad bad girl.



3.The Black Seeds – Solid Ground

Any year with a new Seeds album is going to be just a little brighter. This will be the soundtrack to my summer :-) Can't wait to see them rock the Big Day Out!




4.Once – Original Soundtrack (Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova)

Favourite film, favourite soundtrack. Glen's band The Frames have been a favourite of mine since I spent that lovely year in Ireland. Seeing him finally get recognition internationally is so exciting for me. I totally believe in him & Mar - this movie was intimate, and touching, and breathtaking, and simple all at once. Pure and lovely - I have watched it so many times now! A movie about musicians (as opposed to a musical, it's a subtle difference!) and a movie about good hearts making good decisions.


5. Grace Jones – Hurricane

This album is FIERCE! Grace Jones scares the shit out of me, but this album is HOT! Tricky's production makes this as funky as it is sexy - it definately has a Massive Attack "Mezzanine" feeling about it, so if you did enjoy that record, or Portishead's "Third" (an also ran in my favourite albums of the year) then do DO check this out - it's hot hot hot.



So just a top 5 for now.. I also enjoyed Fleet Foxes, Ray LaMontagne, Monkey, Duffy, Turin Brakes, Dave Dobbyn and Rocco DeLuca...

Blur Vs Oasis

Ahh remember the old days when there was so much good music around you could afford to hate a good band just because it was fun?! I will concede That What's The Story (Morning Glory) and Definitely Maybe were great. Good. Fun. Poptastic. But Oasis, were never EVER better than Blur.

What I loved about the whole debate was asking "Well who would you compare Blur to?" and people would um and ahhh and have to admit, if they weren't completely pig headed, that in fact, Blur were quite innovative and had an incredibly ORIGINAL sound. No one could accuse Oasis of that. Ever! Oasis, for all intents and purposes seem quite happy to admit that they wear their creative inspirations on their sleeves. I read a track-by-track done with the band for their recent pile of poop, sorry, album where they pretty much said things like "And this one is our John Lennon track", "This is a bit Sergent Peppers", "And this is the Pink Floyd track." So I'm not saying anything they don't say about themselves. If they had proven themselves capable of a single original thought, I wouldn't mind so much, everyone has influences, and there is nothing new under the sun, but Oasis just seem to be taking the mickey! I don't have a lot of respect for that. Also. That one time I went to see them and the brothers had a barney and walked off the stage after 20 minutes was not a good use of my time or money.

ANYWAY!

On to the topic of my utmost affection, BLUR. A band who I ADORED as a kid, and still absolutely love. The announcement of their reunion got me so excited I could barely contain myself. I phoned a few friends and squealed "I HAVE TO WIN LOTTO - BLUR ARE DOING A GIG ... ALBARN & COXON & JAMES & ROWNTREE - TOGETHER AGAIN!!!" and well, no one cared as much as me. I'm OK with that. Blur fans were always the minority. We were also right. Oh come on! It's true! I have enjoyed Graham Coxon’s solo work - but not as much as I unequivocally ADORE Damon Albarn’s every musical breath. From Gorillaz, to The Good The Bad And The Queen, to the recent and utterly fabulous Monkey: Journey To The West - it's all been brimming with good humour, amazing melodies, sexy sexy beats, occasional dark undertones, and just plain, ORIGINALITY. I do adore him, and I'm prayin' for a lotto miracle to get me to the Blur reunion show!*

Exhibit A: Parklife


Exhibit B: Country House. (I'm a professional cynic but my hearts not in it!


Exhibit C: Boys & Girls


Exhibit D: Charmless Man


Exhibit E: The Universal


Exhibit F: Tender. Perhaps my favourite.


Magical. I'm so excited about this, and hoping against hope that this is the start of something new from Blur, a studio album would be a massive event for me!










*I tried to hyperlink the CRAP outta that paragraph, but totally couldn't get them to work, so get googling - and I'll get more practice at getting more HTML-y.