The Unrescuable Schizo
Normally I loathe and despise mainstream pop - es#pecially anything labelled 'pop' or ''aor' (is tht term still used?) but recently I've been listening a lot to.... gasp... Amy Winehouse.
I didn't mean to, honest, I mean all I knew about her was that she was the obnoxious, unpleasant drunken drug addict on Buzzcocks and I knew damn well I'd hate her crap pop music with a vengeance.
And then...
I turned on the telly the other night and the BBC Sessions programme was on, and - I was flabbergasted.
Obnoxious she may be, but Jesus, she can't half sing. And her songs are bloody great. She really is staggeringly good - and you''ve no idea how much it pains me to say that.
So I went to mp3stor, or mp3fiesta, or mp3million, or one of those - can't remember which - and grabbed a few tracks. And the next day I ordered both her albums from Amazon (honest, I download MP3s but I also buy the albums if I think they're good). And this despite the pleas to boycott her albums - sorry, I think she's very good and I want to buy her records. If she chooses to wreck her life with the royalties, that's not my business or fault. Just make another couple of albums first, eh?
If, like me, you've been avoiding Amy Winehouse because she's crap, just the latest in a long line of talentless pop singers, WAKE UP. AMY WINEHOUSE IS F*CKING STUPENDOUS.
On the other hand...
(/side tryp)
I've also been listening to the Dresden Dolls a lot recently, another bunch that I'd dismissed out of hand as being part of the modern day goth/industrial genre.
Wrong again. They're often labelled as 'dark cabaret' or 'the punk brecht/weill' but that don't do them no justice. They can be intense, but they can also be incredibly tender, or sad, or tragic, and they can make the most impressive racket this side of Jack Off Jill (especially considering they're a only a duo - vocal/piano and drums).
Wonderful.
Here's a little sampler - hope they don't mind me posting these tracks but my intention is to get you to GO BUY THEIR ALBUMS.
Like I did.
Oh - and thanks, Lydia ;-)
Dresden Dolls - a little sampler
1 - Coin Operated Boy (live) - from A Is For Accident (2001-2003)
2 - Christopher Lydon - from A Is For Accident (2001-2003)
3 - Jeep Song - from Dresden Dolls (2003)
4 - Half Jack - from Dresden Dolls (2003)
5 - Delilah - from Yes Virginia (2006)
6 - Dirty Business - from Yes Virginia (2006)
posted by Witchseason at 12:59 pm
6 Comments:
Welcome back maestro, actually my mum has been going on about Amy for a while..harar
mind you she was big on Motorhead too. Always surprises me, her being 74 an all.
I agree with every word you said about Amy.I was even kind of disappointed she was so good. But good she is. Brilliant, in fact.
Amy is great -- but let's also remember, she's standing on the shoulders of giants. Her songs, her delivery, the whole sonic affect of the production, all are very much redolent of Motown and Atlantic R&B from the 60s.
This isn't to detract from her -- in fact, I'd say she gets credit for being literate in this older musical canon. But still, she's clearly working in a particular tradition, giving it a bit of a post-fem twist, but generally remaining quite faithful to the source.
Hoping you get over your post holiday depression soon and post something good again, we miss you!
Dresden Dolls are the real China! HMV here I come!
I've heard a few of Amy's songs that I like, but she's just a mess!
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