I'm so sorry, little blog (Friday Videos on Monday)

I've ignored you. It's not my fault - I've been busy writing over at Switched.com. They are good to me there, and you are good to me too, but things come first, you know? So to make up for it, I'm going to show you a couple of my favorite songs to listen to to get into the mood for spring. Ok? I'm glad we can agree.

Love,
Leila

Because, don't we all want to be adored? I love the droney rhythm guitar in this. Stone Roses paved the way for so many nineties bands: Pulp, Oasis, um...Bush? It's a really poignant song. With a simple message.

Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
Uploaded by jesus_lizard.

An amazingly classic find. This is early 808 State doing some crazy minimal acid house with a wacky guitar solo. Why can't we have parties with people just filming random people swaying in warehouses anymore? 1990 was so cool. Everything was so excessive and baggy.




I would like to point out Tom Hingley's gnarly teeth. Only in England...this is a great sing-along song. And I wouldn't really include it, because it isn't groundbreaking music, but the Michel Gondry video is rather lovely. Early, I believe...



A bit later in their career..but I've always liked this The Fall song because it kind of reminds me of something rockabilly. And Marc doesn't have that super dull, typical-talk voice, and I kind of like him all squealy.





Can you guess the theme of my videos? The correct post gets a prize!

Friday Afternoon Videos :: HALLOWEEN VERSION

Everyone's favorite day to party is upon us, and it couldn't be nicer in New York.


Enjoy my favorite scary tunes:




"Everyday is Halloween" - Ministry




"Night of the Living Dead" - The Misfits (Danzig-era)




"Halloween" - Siouxsie and the Banshees




"Cryptorchid" - Marilyn Manson (Sidenote: This video provided the theme for our eighth grade haunted house, which I acted as creative director and included themes such as damnation and salvation, torture and redemption. It would have been a poignant commentary on modern teenage suffering, but there was an asbestos leak in the basement.)




This is pretty self-explanatory, and crucial (of course).

Friday Videos

The Cramps "Garbage Man"
If its wrong to love The Cramps, I don't want to be right. I just don't love those people who are make loving The Cramps a part of their identity. This is such a good/crappy quality video. When I get really upset at work, I listen to this album. Therefore, my theme for this week is creepy and wonderful front peoples and how music is only improved by personality.


Ministry "Same Old Madness"
This is that weird era that spawned "Everyday is Halloween" where Ministry was flirting with the dark side but still had pop sensibility. And its incredible. I love AJ's dominator/cop/latex costume. Man, I want this now. I want this to be my now.


Fleetwood Mac "The Chain"
It was recently pointed out to me that "The Chain" is the first appearance of post-punk. You have that amazing bass breakdown that occurs in 1977, two years before Joy Division started making the exact same noises in Manchester.


Ice Cube "Good Day"
I didn't have to shoot my AK. Today was a good day.

Friday Music Videos - Madonna ed.

Sometimes I really love Madonna. Yes, she's totally crazy and probably a little scary, but as an icon, as a visual force, she is undeniable. You can track trends by tracing her professional trajectory. And her videos have ALWAYS been a tour de force. So today, I get a little gay for Madonna:





"Rain" - a personal favorite of mine. That hair is incredible, and so perfectly mid-90s. (Also, a Mark Romanoff vid)





"Justify My Love" - What is going on in this video? I don't care, its so bloody sexy.






"Open Your Heart" - There is a reason that the cone bra is so epic. And that reason is tassles.






"Express Yourself" - An early David Fincher directed this pre-Alien III vid.






I know "Get Together" is a little late 2000's rave, but I kind of love this song. It reminds me of a Sunday, drinking a mojito on a rooftop. But the relaxing way, not the cheesy way.




You really cannot deny the Madge.

FRIDAY VIDEOS

Ok, ok - it just turned Friday in Chicago, but I know that I want have nearly enough time tomorrow to post a proper video tribute to Lolla, so I'm doing it right now.



The band I'm most psyched about:





NIN - "Hurt" (live)




Cat Power - He War




Grizzly Bear - "Knife"




Radiohead - "Paranoid Android"




Battles - "Tonto"

Is anyone going?
If so, they should buy me a mojito.

On another note, while I don't think I can ever see myself committing fully to this city in the near future, I miss the hell out of it, and its really quite a beautiful city.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON VIDEOS

Seven days to Lolla

I have a random assortment of old faves, including the video my brother worked on and the song my mother adopted as our family's anthem one jobless Labor Day.





DHS - "House of God"







Kate Bush - "Hounds of Love"







Nico - "My Only Child" from Philippe Garrel's La Cicatrice Intérieure







KLF -"3AM Eternal"







Nirvana - "Negative Creep"



It's a dark playlist today. I'm feeling restless.