Last week there was the horrible lady berating a Dunkin’ Donuts employee over an alleged receipt oversight, and now there’s this fire-breathing dickwad berating a Wendy’s drive-thru employee over a hamburger. You see, he didn’t want cheese on his hamburger so his response is… totally reasonable!
Like I’ve said before in prior posts, I’ve worked in the customer service industry and minimum wage is simply not enough to endure this particular breed of asshole. There’s no excuse for this stuff. No need to believe in a concept like “karma” to wish that his fast food purchases forevermore be spit upon by those he mistreats.
Shambush! theater troupe gathered 300 volunteers in Stanmer Park, Brighton, England, on Saturday to re-enact Kate Bush’s pop promo “Wuthering Heights.”
The event called “The Ultimate Kate Bush Experience,” was part of the Brighton Festival Fringe, where Shambush! aimed to set a new world record for the number of Kate Bush look-a-likes performing the hit song in one place.
...a ludicrous troupe of performers. Shambush! specialise in creating immersive, theatrical encounters, performance spaces and nonsensical events.
Brighton’s main newspaper The Argus reported on the event:
The bizarre sight of hundreds of men and women in red dresses, long black wigs and bright lipstick took many visitors to Stanmer Park on Saturday by surprise.
The Fringe event, organised by performance group Shambush, saw fans of the 80s icon spend the sunny afternoon practicing the dance moves before breaking the record.
Who sunbathes in socks? Morrissey sunbathes in socks. He is immune to tanlines because his body rejects sunlight
Screaming over what sounds like a soundcheck in the background, Moz and his interviewer do their darndest to get through the spot without completely losing composure. He may have jumped the gun foretelling the end of music videos (and thank heavens, since they provided some truly wonderful examples of his weird dancing), but you have to admire that moody Mancunian’s trademark negativity!
Today’s dose of dance music silliness comes via Belgium, and New Beat act The Beat Club, with the video for their 1989 track “Acid Train”. It’s catchy, it’s fun and the video looks like it was made on a hijacked porno set. Come to think of it, the lingerie models were probably thrown in as part of the deal.
The tinny lead synth riff isn’t even the real ear worm here, that award goes to the uptight train conductor shouting before his head dissolves into a 3D smiley face button.
In spite of Ike Turner… well, being a bastard, Ike and Tina are one of my favorite duos of all time (Fool in Love, anyone?). It’s a pity amazing albums like this (and their super-subversive artwork) are overshadowed by… you know… him being such a piece of shit human being. This biting little piece of minstrelsy satire is from the 1968 album Outta Season. It’s rumored that the album art was created as a response to the ongoing capitalization on black artists by white music industry honchos (That’s probably more than a rumor!)
Their skill at using startling images was only surpassed by their startling performances. My favorite track is Tina’s version of “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” and while the album version is fantastic, what they did with it live was absolutely insane. Here’s a 1971 live version with some of the most explicit (and in hindsight, very disturbing) dirty talk I have ever heard in a song—or at least a good song.
Just forget that he’s a wife-beater for a brief moment and enjoy the subversive imagery and pornographic bridge!
I thought Ira Glass giving love advice was the cutest thing on Rookie, a frank website by and for teen girls. However, Thom Yorke (alongside producer Nigel Godrich) answering questions about debilitating shyness has completely lapped him (Of course he’s answering questions about debilitating shyness—they really cater the questions to the guests!)
All very sound, reassuring advice, without condescending to the kids, although I have to wonder if the summary would have highlighted their new project, Atoms For Peace, if this weren’t aimed at young teens—I’m pretty sure they could have put “Radiohead frontman” and the girls would have gotten the reference just fine.
It’s a pleasure and privilege to present the world premiere of “Until the Morning,” the new video from Akron/Family. Directed by Brian Sowell.
The yearning that turns a song into prayer winds itself around a luscious hook in “Until the Morning.” As a longtime follower of Akron/Family, I’m seduced by the uncluttered purity of this tune. Fuck art, let’s romance.
From the album Sub Verses, which will be released on April 29 in the UK and the following day in the USA. Sub Verses was recorded in El Paso and Seattle with Randall Dunn. Akron/Family are touring this spring to support the album.
The Swans’ Michael Gira, wrote the liner notes. Among his stream of consciousness:
“Grizzled Beach Boys, fully bearded and flea infested willfully surrendering to the lysergic gas attack. Hold your shriveled ego and watch it unfold like a purple meat-flower in your grubby hand.”
When The Pretenders appeared on the scene in 1978, Chrissie Hynde was as fully-formed a rock star as any of the great front men that came before her. She knew exactly what she was doing, bringing some powerful female mojo to a predominately male terrain and leveling the playing field. She kicked ass. Still does. And does it with such flash-free finesse that you won’t know what hit you until it’s too late. Her lyrics, attitude and look oozes classic coolness while bringing some of punk’s “fuck you” vibe to the mix. With a voice that can achieve crescendos of girl group sublimity and then shift effortlessly into a sarcastic snarl, Hynde works every angle, from lovely to lethal, with the supple toughness of well-worn leather. A chick who can sling words as well as a guitar and tambourine, she’s the whole fucking package.
The Pretenders were not Hynde alone by a long shot. The original line-up of Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Martin Chambers and Pete Farndon possessed an alchemical magic that subsequent versions of The Pretenders never quite duplicated. The loss of Farndon and Honeyman-Scott to drugs shifted the focus totally in the direction of Hynde, who could hold it, but the sense of The Pretenders being a “band” band was pretty much over. The strength of her songwriting, performance and partnership with Chambers keep the vibe alive, but that first incarnation (two albums) was a real monster.
Here’s a collection of videos that cover 25 years of The Pretenders history. An amazing legacy and one that continues still.
Song list:
Talk Of The Town (Top Of The Pops, 1980)
The Adultress (Fridays, 1981)
The Wait (Alright Now, 1980)
Hollywood Perfume (Later with Jools Holland, 1994)
Brass In Pocket (Top Of The Pops, 1979)
977 (Later with Jools Holland, 1994)
Never Do That (Wogan, 1990)
Thumbelina (The New Show, 1984)
2000 Miles (Pebble Mill, 1995)
Night In My Veins (Top Of The Pops, 1994)
My City Was Gone (Phoenix, AZ, 1994)
Tattooed Love Boys (Alright Now, 1980)
Middle Of The Road (MTV, 1984)
Don’t Get Me Wrong (Top Of The Pops, 1986)
Criminal (Pebble Mill, 1995)
Roomful Of Mirrors (Montreaux Jazz Festival, 2003)
Louie Louie (Fridays, 1981)
Stop Your Sobbing (Top Of The Pops, 1979)
Tattooed Love Boys/Up The Neck (Old Grey Whistle Test, 1980)
, if this weren’t aimed at young teens—I’m pretty sure they could have put “Radiohead frontman” and the girls would have gotten the reference just fine.
, which will be released on April 29 in the UK and the following day in the USA. 