Friday Music

Here we go again:

and I have been watching HBO’s The Wire on DVD, and have been very impressed. A complex and compelling crime drama set in Baltimore — the main theme is a Tom Waits gospel-infused blues song. Each season, it is performed by a different artist (apparently Season Two features Waits’ original version). The first season, which we just got finished watching, uses this version: Blind Boys of Alabama – “Way Down In The Hole.”

Speaking of great music on HBO series, a couple of weeks ago, The Sopranos closed with this number, which really grabbed my attention and led me on a quest to track it down. Turns out that it’s a UK punk-scene track from 1980: John Cooper Clarke – “Evidently Chickentown.”

Tori Amos has a brand new album coming out, American Doll Posse. The first single has hit the net, and I like it. It’s moved away from the god-awful “adult easy listening” sound of her recent work, and back to the more Kate-Bush-esque sound that I’ve always liked from her: Tori Amos – “Bouncing Off Clouds.”

Here’s a track that I was introduced to by earlier this week. I like it quite a bit. It’s a new UK group (named after a political science book from the 1930s), and this is their debut single: The Strange Death of Liberal England – “A Day Another Day.”

Another UK group, albeit one that I just discovered. I’ll fully admit to being lured into listening to this track on the basis of its title alone: The Clientele – “Bookshop Casanova.”

The Irish community in NY is very political, especially with regards to Irish Republicanism. It’s not unusual to see “26+6=1” bumper stickers, or hear “A Nation Once Again” being sung in the crowd during the Saint Patrick’s Day parade (a song which I remember my grandmother singing on more than one occasion). NYC is also the home of hip-hop. “Fenian” is a slur for an Irish republican, somewhere near to the “N-word” in power. Which brings us to this track, a rebellious reclamation of the word, performed by the side-project of one of the members of NYC-area band Black 47. Seanchai & the Unity Squad – “Fenians.”

Lastly, a wonderfully geeky mash-up of the Chemical Brothers “Galvanize” and John Williams’ “Imperial March” — PartyBen – “Galvanize The Empire.”

There ya go.

Planet Comicon

Last post, then I’m back to work. SwearTaGawd.

The first weekend in May is Planet ComiCon at the Overland Park International Trade Center at 115th & Metcalf. Check out the site — looks like it’ll be pretty cool.

Any of my fellow gay porn superhero fans want to go?

S’il Vous Plait Tuez-moi Maintenant.

Sitting here in the Union, working on the novel. A couple of guys sit down near me and start studying between classes.

One of them brays out the following: “Doo Eskuh Two Vains?”

WTF? What language is that — apparently his friend knew, and mumbled some response.

Again, the first guy twangs: “Doo Eskuh Two Vains?”

It took me a minute to realize that he was trying to say (and horribly butchering) “D’où est-ce que tu viens?” (Where do you come from)

Good Lord.