#Be Your Own Pet S/T LP

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: Be Your Own Pet Returns from 15-Year Hiatus with a Roar

New Video: Be Your Own Pet Returns from 15-Year Hiatus with a Roar @byopband @grandstandhq @jaclynulman

Nashville-based punk outfit Be Your Own Pet — Jemina Pearl Abegg (vocals), Jonas Stein (guitar), Nathan Vasquez (bass) and John Eatherly (drums) — originally formed back in 2004 while its original lineup — Pearl, Stein, Vasquez, Eatherly and JEFF The Brotherhood‘s Jamin Orrall — were all attending Nashville School of the Arts. The then-quintet honed a spastic-yet poppy sound playing house shows…

[prehistoricsounds]

This weeks arrivals!

Again, as you see, a whole bunch of restocks, with a whole bunch headed for the Mill Markets in Geelong!

New releases from AC/DC "PWR UP", Actress "Karma & Desire", Belphegor "Necrodaemon Terrorsathan", Josh Teskey / Ash Grunwald "Push The Blues Away", Juice WRLD "Legends Never Die", Kylie Minogue "Disco", Machine Gun Kelly "Tickets To My Downfall".

Recent releases from DMA's "The Glow" and Vika & Linda "Sunday (The Gospel According To Iso)" are finally in stock.

Reissues and legacy releases from Beastie Boys, Boy & Bear, Booker T. & The MG's, Brian Eno, Flaming Lips, They Might Be Giants to name a few.

Plus much more!

AC/DC - PWR UP (Deluxe Lightbox) [CD]

AC/DC - PWR UP (Pic Disc) [LP] (sold)

AC/DC - PWR UP [CD]

AC/DC - PWR UP [LP]

Actress - Karma & Desire [2LP]

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black [LP]

Archie Roach - The Songs Of Charcoal Lane [CD]

Ariana Grande - Sweetener [2LP]

Basement - Colourmeinkindness [LP]

Beastie Boys - Beastie Boys Music [2LP]

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two [2LP]

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication [LP]

Beastie Boys - In Sound From The Way Out [LP]

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique [LP]

Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs [LP]

Beck - Odelay [LP]

Beck - Sea Change [2LP]

Belphegor - Necrodaemon Terrorsathan [LP]

Benediction - Scriptures [2LP]

Black Crowes - Amorica [2LP]

Black Crowes - Shake Your Money Maker [LP]

Blink 182 - Enema Of The State [LP] (sold)

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Uprising [LP]

Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet [LP]

Booker T. & The M.G.'s - McLemore Ave [LP]

Boy & Bear - With Emperor Antarctica [LP]

Brian Eno - Discreet Music [LP]

Brian Eno - Music For Films [LP]

Brockhampton - Saturation 1 [2LP]

Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You [2LP] (sold, more soon)

Charles Mingus - Black Saint And The Sinner Lady [LP]

Clutch - Blast Tyrant [2LP] (sold)

Clutch - Earth Rocker [LP] (sold)

Creedence Clearwater Revival - Willy And The Poor Boys [LP]

Crowded House - The Very Very Best Of Crowded House [2LP]

Death Grips - Money Store [LP] (sold)

Def Leppard - High N Dry [LP]

Def Leppard - On Through The Night [LP]

DMA's - The Glow [LP]

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella At The Shrine [LP]

Elvis Costello - Hey Clockface [LP]

Enslaved - Utgard [CD] (sold)

Eric Clapton - Unplugged [2LP]

Finntroll - Vredesvavd [CD] (sold)

Flaming Lips - Transmissions From The Satellite Heart (Grey) [LP]

Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits [LP]

Frank Zappa - Sheik Yerbouti [2LP] (sold)

Gang Of Youths - MTV Unplugged: Live In Melbourne (Sea Glass) [2LP+DVD] (sold)

George Harrison - Cloud Nine [LP]

Gil Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Be Televised [LP]

Gorillaz - Presents Song Machine, Season 1 (Orange) [LP]

Greta Van Fleet - Anthem Of The Peaceful Army [LP]

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction [LP]

Iggy Pop - The Idiot [LP]

J. Cole - KOD [LP]

Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced [LP]

John Coltrane - Blue Train [LP]

Josh Teskey / Ash Grunwald - Push The Blues Away (Cream) [LP]

Josh Teskey / Ash Grunwald - Push The Blues Away [CD]

Juice Wrld - Legends Never Die [2LP]

Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.D City [2LP]

Kylie Minogue - Disco (Blue) [LP]

Kylie Minogue - Disco (Turqouise) [LP]

L.A. Guns - Renegades (Purple) [LP]

Lany - Lany [2LP] (sold)

Lany - Malibu Nights (Clear) [LP] (sold)

Lenny Kravitz - Greatest Hits [2LP]

Machine Gun Kelly - Tickets To My Downfall [LP]

Maggie Rogers - Heard It In A Past Life [LP] (sold)

Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos [LP]

Mastodon - Emperor Of Sand [2LP]

Mastodon - Medium Rarities (Pink) [2LP]

Matt Berninger - Serpentine Prison [LP]

Metallica - Garage Inc. [3LP]

MF Doom - Operation Doomsday [2LP]

Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells [LP]

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton [LP]

Nina Simone - Fodder On My Wings [LP]

Nina Simone - High Priestess Of Soul [LP]

Nina Simone - Let It All Out [LP]

Nina Simone - Pastel Blues [LP]

Nirvana - From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah [2LP]

Nirvana - Live At Reading [2LP]

Opeth - In Cauda Venenum [2LP]

Pearl Jam - Live At Easy Street [LP]

Pearl Jam - Ten [LP] (sold)

Post Malone - Stoney [2LP]

Powderfinger - Odyssey Number Five [LP]

Queen - Innuendo [LP]

Queen - News Of The World [LP]

Ramones - Rocket To Russia [LP]

Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed [LP]

Rory Gallagher - Top Priority [LP]

Shawn Mendes - Illuminate [LP] (sold)

Skegss - My Own Mess [LP]

Small Faces - From The Beginning [LP]

Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle [2LP]

Snoop Doggy Dogg - Tha Doggfather [2LP]

Sonic Youth - Dirty [2LP]

Soundgarden - Louder Than Love [LP]

Spacey Jane - Sunlight [LP] (sold)

Sugar Ray & The Bluetones - Too Far From The Bar [CD] (sold)

Suicidal Tendencies - 1982 Demos [LP]

T. Rex - Electric Warrior [LP]

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds [LP]

The Beatles - 1962—1966 'Red Album' [2LP]

The Beatles - 1967—1970 'Blue Album' [2LP]

The Beatles - Live At The Hollywood Bowl [LP]

The Beatles - Love [2LP]

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017 New Stereo Remix) [LP]

The Beatles - Yellow Submarine Songtrack [LP]

The Doors - Waiting For The Sun [LP]

The Mothers (Zappa) - We're Only In It For The Money [LP]

The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request [LP]

The Slits - Cut [LP]

The Teskey Brothers - Live At The Forum (Blue) [2LP]

The Teskey Brothers - Run Home Slow [LP]

The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico [LP]

The Who - My Generation [LP]

They Might Be Giants - Lincoln (Red) [LP]

Various - O Brother Where Art Thou [2LP] (sold)

Various: Guardians Of The Galaxy - Awesome Mix Vol. 2 [LP]

Vika & Linda - Sunday (The Gospel According To Iso) [LP]

Wednesday 13 - Necrophaze [CD] (sold)

Weezer - Pinkerton [LP]

Weezer - Weezer (Green Album) [LP]

Whiskeytown - Strangers Almanac [2LP] (sold)

Wolfmother - Wolfmother [2LP]

[mrjeremydylan]

My Favorite Album #214 - Meet Me In The Bathroom author Lizzy Goodman on Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'Fever to Tell'(2003), why Karen O is a true rock star, the magic of 'Maps' and more

Rock journalist and author of the definitive oral history of the New York rock revival 'Meet Me in the Bathroom', Lizzy Goodman, joins me to talk about one of the seminal albums of that era - the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' debut LP 'Fever to Tell'.

We talk about why Karen O is the truest rock star of her era, what makes 'Maps' such a special song and how it influenced mainstream pop, the contrast between the band's offstage awkwardness and their high-octane music, why being a woman can't be politically neutral in rock and the world in general, why it's silly to pretend clothes don't matter and why Lorde made Lizzy excited about the next wave of New York music.

Plus we delve into the writing process of 'Meet Me in the Bathroom', 2017's best music book, and why she will never undertake a similar project again.

Listen in the player above or download the episode by clicking here.

Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts here or in other podcasting apps by searching ‘My Favorite Album’ or copying/pasting our RSS feed -http://myfavoritealbum.libsyn.com/rss

My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it’s influenced them. Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia who has worked in the music industry since 2007. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos.

If you’ve got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.

LINKS

- Lizzy Goodman on Twitter and Instagram. Buy ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ here.

- Other profile pieces by Lizzy I reference in the show: What if Lorde was one of us? Audrey Gelman's The Wing Is the Feminist Answer to Co-Working Spaces Get Yer Yeah Yeah Yeahs Out

- Buy 'Fever to Tell’ wherever you can. It’s currently not available on iTunes in Australia, but you may have better luck elsewhere. Or go to a records store maybe.

- Jeremy Dylan’s website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page.

- Like the podcast on Facebook here.

- If you dig the show, please leave a rating or review of the show on iTunes here.

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER EPISODES

213. JAY-Z biographer Zack O'Malley Greenburg on JAY-Z ‘Reasonable Doubt’ (1996) 212. #BeatlesMonth Wall Street Journal’s Allan Kozinn on how ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ broke the Beatles in America and the anatomy of an iconic hit 211. #BeatlesMonth Conan’s Jimmy Vivino on the Sgt Pepper remixes and recreating the intricacies of the Beatles with the Fab Faux 210.  #BeatlesMonth Heartbreaker Benmont Tench on playing with Ringo, the Beatles RnB roots and the genius of ‘No Reply’ 209. #BeatlesMonth Ken Levine on ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (1967) 208. All Our Exes Live In Texas on Rufus Wainwright ‘Want’ (2004) 207. Eilish Gilligan on Counting Crows ‘August and Everthing After’ (1993) 206. Katie Brianna on Rilo Kiley ‘Under the Blacklight’ (2007) 205. Pegi Young on her biggest influences, from Janis to Joni, Clapton to the Dead 204. Margaret Glaspy on Bjork ‘Vespertine’ (2001) 203. Iluka on Marvin Gaye ‘What’s Going On’ (1971) 202. Veronica Milsom (triple J) on The Shins ‘Wincing the Night Away’ (2007) 201. Charles Esten on Bruce Springsteen ‘Born to Run’ (1975) 200. What’s Your Favorite Aussie Music? with Benmont Tench, Duglas T Stewart, Natalie Prass, Sam Palladio and Jeff Greenstein 199. Showrunner Jeff Lieber on Gregory Alan Isakov ‘The Weatherman’ and how music fuels his writing process 198. Jack Colwell on Tori Amos ‘Boys for Pele’ (1996) 197. Benmont Tench on playing with Bob Dylan, Jenny Lewis and Ryan Adams and the worst advice he’s received 196. Ella Thompson (Dorsal Fins, GL) on Renee Geyer ‘Moving On’ 195. The Shires on Lady Antebellum ‘Own the Night’ (2011) 194. Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits) on Beach Boys ‘Love You’ (1977) 193. Dan Soder on Queens of the Stone Age ‘Like Clockwork’ (2013) 192. Kingswood on The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ (1967) 191. Comedian Becky Lucas on Michael Jackson ‘Bad’ (1987) 190. PVT on Brian Eno ‘Another Green World’ (1975) 189. Middle Kids on My Brightest Diamond ‘Bring Me The Workhorse’ (2006) 188. The Bitter Script Reader on Tom Hanks ‘That Thing You Do’ (1996) 187. Carly Rae Jepsen ‘Emotion’ (2015) with CRJ Dream Team Roundtable 186. Sarah Belkner on Peter Gabriel ‘So’ (1986) 185. Mark Hart (Crowded House, Supertramp) on XTC ‘Drums and Wires’ (1979) 184. Emma Swift on Marianne Faithfull ‘Broken English’ (1974) 183. Owen Rabbit on Kate Bush ‘Hounds of Love’ (1985) 182. Robyn Hitchcock on Bob Dylan ‘Blonde on Blonde’ (1966) 181. Dave Mudie (Courtney Barnett) on Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ (1991) 180. Brian Koppelman on Bruce Springsteen ‘Nebraska’ (1982) 179. Nicholas Allbrook (POND) on OutKast ‘The Love Below’ (2003) 178. 2016 in Review: What the hell? ft Jeff Greenstein, Rob Draper & Cookin on 3 Burners, Melody Pool, Lisa Mitchell, Emma Swift, Brian Koppelman, Mark Hart (Crowded House), Davey Lane and Alex Lahey 177. Harper Simon on The Beatles ‘White Album’ (1968) 176. Andrew P Street on Models ‘Pleasure of Your Company’ (1983) 175. Matt Farley (Motern Media) on why The Beach Boys ‘Love You’ is better than ‘Pet Sounds’ 174. Lisa Mitchell on Regina Spektor ‘Begin to Hope’ (2006) and her favorite albums of 2016 173. Peter Bibby on Sleep ‘Dopesmoker’ (2003) 172. Slate’s Jack Hamilton on Stevie Wonder ‘Innervisions’ (1973) 171. Showrunner Blake Masters on Drive-By Truckers ‘The Dirty South’ (2004) 170. Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) on on their new album ‘We’re All Gonna Die’, loving LA and the albums that inspire him 169. Sadler Vaden on The Rolling Stones ‘Goats Head Soup’ (1973) 168. Guy Clark biographer Tamara Saviano on ‘Dublin Blues’, Guy’s songwriting process and his musical legacy 167. What does Trump mean for music? 166. A Tribute to Sir George Martin, The Fifth Beatle with Davey Lane and Brett Wolfie 165. John Oates on Joni Mitchell ‘Blue’ (1971) 164. Jimmy Vivino on the birth of the Max Weinberg 7, his relationship with Conan O’Brien, country music and the future of rock’n’roll 163. DJ Alix Brown on Transformer (1972) by Lou Reed 162. Taylor Locke on Doolittle (1989) by the Pixies, the album that inspired 90s alt-rock 161. Harts on Around the World in a Day (1985) by Prince and jamming with Prince at Paisley Park 160. Mark McKinnon (The Circus) on Kristofferson and programming the President’s iPod 159. Alan Brough on A Walk Across the Rooftops (1984) by The Blue Nile 158. Peter Cooper on Pretty Close to the Truth (1994) and why we need Americana music 157. Will Colvin (Hedge Fund) on One of the Boys by Katy Perry (2008) 156. Julia Jacklin on Extraordinary Machine by Fiona Apple (2005) 155. Japanese Wallpaper on Currents by Tame Impala (2015) 154. Montaigne on her album Glorious Heights (2016) and its inspirations 153. Alex Lahey on Hot Fuss by the Killers (2004) 152. Jack Moffitt (The Preatures) on Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin (1975) 151. Mike Bloom on Axis Bold As Love by Jimi Hendrix (1968) 150. Hey Geronimo on Drowning in the Fountain of Youth by Dan Kelly (2006) 149. Mickey Raphael on Teatro by Willie Nelson (1998) 148. Jack Ladder on Suicide by Suicide 147. Rusty Anderson on Hot Rats by Frank Zappa 146. Kenny Aronoff on The Beatles 145. Bob Evans on A Grand Don’t Come for Free by The Streets 144. Chris Hewitt (Empire) on New Adventues in Hi-Fi by REM 143. Dr Warren Zanes on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 142. Dr Mark Kermode (Wittertainment) on Sleep No More by the Comsat Angels 141. Van Dyke Parks on Randy Newman by Randy Newman 140. Imogen Clark on Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams 139. Jesse Thorn on Fresh by Sly and the Family Stone 138. Stephen Tobolowsky on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie 137. Ben Blacker on Blood and Chocolate on Elvis Costello & the Attractions 136. Jonny Fritz on West by Lucinda Williams 135. Adam Busch on A River Ain’t Too Much to Love by Smog 134. Kelsea Ballerini on Blue Neighbourhood by Troye Sivan 133. Natalie Prass on Presenting Dionne Warwick 132. Josh Pyke on Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden 131. Kip Moore on Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen 130. Koi Child on Voodoo by D’Angelo 129. The Cadillac Three on Wildflowers by Tom Petty 128. Julian McCullough on Appetite for Destruction by Guns n Roses 127. Danny Clinch on Greetings from Ashbury Park NJ by Bruce Springsteen 126. Sam Palladio (Nashville) on October Road by James Taylor 125. Steve Mandel on Blood and Chocolate by Elvis Costello 124. Brian Koppelman on The History of the Eagles 123. Benmont Tench on Beggars Banquet by the Rolling Stones 122. Jimmy Vivino (Basic Cable Band) on Super Session by Al Kooper, Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills 121. Holiday Sidewinder on Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid by Bob Dylan 120. Ben Blacker on Aladdin Sane by David Bowie 119. EZTV on The Toms by The Toms 118. Jess Ribeiro on Transformer by Lou Reed 117. Whitney Rose on Keith Whitley Greatest Hits 116. Best Albums of 2015 with Danny Yau ft. Jason Isbell, Dan Kelly, Shane Nicholson, Tim Rogers, Will Hoge and Julien Barbagallo (Tame Impala) 115. Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You with Jaime Lewis 114. Xmas Music ft. Kristian Bush, Lee Brice, Corb Lund and Tim Byron 113. Sam Outlaw on Pieces of the Sky by Emmylou Harris 112. Jason Isbell on Sticky Fingers by the Rolling Stones 111. Ash Naylor (Even) on Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin 110. Burke Reid (Gerling) on Dirty by Sonic Youth 109. Lance Ferguson (The Bamboos) on Kind of Blue by Miles Davis 108. Lindsay ‘The Doctor’ McDougall (Frenzal Rhomb) on Curses! by Future of the Left 107. Julien Barbagallo (Tame Impala) on Chrominance Decoder by April March 106. Melody Pool on Blue by Joni Mitchell 105. Rusty Hopkinson (You Am I) on ‘Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era’ 104. Jeff Greenstein on A Quick One (Happy Jack) by The Who 103. Dave Cobb on Revolver by the Beatles 102. Justin Melkmann (World War IX) on Coney Island Baby by Lou Reed 101. Kacey Musgraves on John Prine by John Prine 100. Does the album have a future? 99. Corb Lund on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs by Marty Robbins 98. Bad Dreems on Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division 97. Davey Lane (You Am I) on Abbey Road by the Beatles 96. Dan Kelly on There’s A Riot Goin’ On by Sly and the Family Stone 95. Ash Grunwald on Mule Variations by Tom Waits 94. Stella Angelico on The Shangrilas 93. Eves the Behavior on Blue by Joni Mitchell 92. Troy Cassar-Daley on Willie Nelson’s Greatest Hits 91. Lydia Loveless on Pleased to Meet Me by the Replacements 90. Gena Rose Bruce on The Boatman’s Call by Nick Cave 89. Kitty Daisy and Lewis on A Swingin’ Safari by Bert Kaempfert 88. Will Hoge on Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music by Ray Charles 87. Shane Nicholson on 52nd St by Billy Joel 86 - Tired Lion on Takk��� by Sigur Ros 85 - Whispering Bob Harris on Forever Changes by Love 84 - Jake Stone (Bluejuice) on Ben Folds Five by Ben Folds Five 83 - Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Imposters) on Are You Experienced? by the Jimi Hendrix Experience 82 - Dom Alessio on OK Computer by Radiohead 81 - Anthony Albanese MP on The Good Son by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 80 - John Waters on Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience 79 - Jim DeRogatis (Sound Opinions) on Clouds Taste Metallic by The Flaming Lips 78 - Montaigne on The Haunted Man by Bat for Lashes 77 - Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd) on Quadrophenia by The Who 76 - Homer Steinweiss (Dap Kings) on Inspiration Information by Shuggie Otis 75 - Best of 2015 (So Far) ft. Danny Yau, Montaigne, Harts, Joelistics, Rose Elinor Dougall and Burke Reid 74 - Matt Farley (Motern Media) on RAM by Paul McCartney BONUS - Neil Finn on The Beatles, Neil Young, David Bowie and Radiohead 73 - Grace Farriss (Burn Antares) on All Things Must Pass by George Harrison 72 - Katie Noonan on Blue by Joni Mitchell 71 - Harts on Band of Gypsys by Jimi Hendrix 70 - Tim Rogers (You Am I) on Bring the Family by John Hiatt 69 - Mark Seymour (Hunters and Collectors) on The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen 68 - Jeremy Neale on Graceland by Paul Simon 67 - Joelistics on Graceland by Paul Simon 66 - Brian Nankervis (RocKwiz) on Astral Weeks by Van Morrison 65 - ILUKA on Pastel Blues by Nina Simone 64 - Rose Elinor Dougall on Tender Buttons by Broadcast 63 - Sarah McLeod (The Superjesus) on Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins 62 - Keyone Starr on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 61 - Chase Bryant on Defying Gravity by Keith Urban 60 - Brian Koppelman on Southeastern by Jason Isbell 59 - Michael Carpenter on The Beatles White Album Side 4 58 - Pete Kilroy (Hey Geronimo) on The Beatles White Album Side 3 57 - Mark Wells on The Beatles White Album Side 2 56 - Jeff Greenstein on Colossal Youth by Young Marble Giants 55 - Laura Bell Bundy on Shania Twain, Otis Redding and Bright Eyes 54 - Jake Clemons on Surfacing by Sarah McLachlan 53 - Kristian Bush (Sugarland) on The Joshua Tree by U2 52 - Kevin Bennett (The Flood) on Willis Alan Ramsey by Willis Alan Ramsey 51 - Lee Brice on Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars 50 - Davey Lane (You Am I) on the White Album (Side 1) by The Beatles 49 - Joe Camilleri on The Rolling Stones by The Rolling Stones 48 - Russell Morris on The Rolling Stones by The Rolling Stones 47 - Mike Rudd (Spectrum) on England’s Newest Hitmakers by The Rolling Stones 46 - Henry Wagons on Harvest by Neil Young 45 - Megan Washington on Poses by Rufus Wainwright 44 - Andrew Hansen (The Chaser) on Armchair Theatre by Jeff Lynne 43 - She Rex on BlakRoc by The Black Keys 42 - Catherine Britt on Living with Ghosts by Patty Griffin 41 - Robyn Hitchcock on Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon 40 - Gideon Bensen (The Preatures) on Transformer by Lou Reed 39 - Harry Hookey on Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan 38 - Rob Draper on Faith by George Michael 37 - Best of 2014 ft. Danny Yau, Andrew Hansen, Gideon Bensen (The Preatures) and Mike Carr 36 - Doug Pettibone on Wrecking Ball by Emmylou Harris 35 - Ross Ryan on Late for the Sky by Jackson Browne 34 - Michael Carpenter on Hard Promises by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers 33 - Davey Lane (You Am I) on Jesus of Cool by Nick Lowe 32 - Zane Carney on Smokin’ at the Half Note by Wes Montgomery 31 - Tony Buchen on Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles 30 - Simon Relf (The Tambourine Girls) on On the Beach by Neil Young 29 - Peter Cooper on In Search of a Song by Tom T Hall 28 - Thelma Plum on Stolen Apples by Paul Kelly 27 - James House on Rubber Soul by the Beatles 26 - Ella Hooper on Let England Shake by PJ Harvey 25 - Abbey Road Special 24 - Alyssa Bonagura on Room for Squares by John Mayer 23 - Luke Davison (The Preatures) on Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs 22 - Neil Finn on Hunky Dory by David Bowie and In Rainbows by Radiohead 21 - Neil Finn on Beatles for Sale by the Beatles and After the Goldrush by Neil Young 20 - Morgan Evans on Diorama by Silverchair 19 - Emma Swift on Car Wheels On A Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams 18 - Danny Yau on Hourly Daily by You Am I 17 - J Robert Youngtown and Jon Auer (The Posies) on Hi Fi Way by You Am I 16 - Lester the Fierce on Hounds of Love by Kate Bush 15 - Luke Davison on Green Onions by Booker T and the MGs 14 - Jeff Cripps on Wheels of Fire by Cream 13 - Mark Holden on Blue by Joni Mitchell (Part 2) 12 - Mark Holden on Blue by Joni Mitchell (Part 1) 11 - Gossling on O by Damien Rice 10 - Matt Fell on Temple of Low Men by Crowded House 9 - Pete Thomas on Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix (Part 2) 8 - Pete Thomas on Are You Experienced? by Jimi Hendrix (Part 1) 7 - Sam Hawksley on A Few Small Repairs by Shawn Colvin 6 - Jim Lauderdale on Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons 5 - Mark Moffatt on Blues Breakers by John Mayall and Eric Clapton 4 - Darren Carr on Ten Easy Pieces by Jimmy Webb 3 - Mark Wells on Revolver by The Beatles 2 - Mike Carr on Arrival by ABBA 1 - Rob Draper on Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan

[throwingideasatthewall]

Clone Wars    Kidnapped

Also, yeah how do you   follow up an episode like that?

    Also isn’t this like the     second kidnapped episode?

Oh

You know we actually needed the levity so that I am completely OK with the saving a   thing plot,

  Gives time to breathe-

Ho-nest,      This place looks pretty     neat,

[Though they still knowingly enabled     Tox be    hav-ior]

This is the equivalent of someone ditch    -ing productivity,      And att      -em       pt       Ing          To     Go     Straight         To     creat-iv-ity        Before      anything’s       set up,]

And I should really be careful   not   to get distracted by the pretty lights,

Wa-     rr    ior-

Well least      tox

  Whe         lp,       In-        Sti        gators       ,    Fe      ck,      -      Oh hey that   war we enabl     -ed

 Whelp

Okay, seriously who is that guy?         (Normally I wouldn’t be so nervous        (but the last few episodes                 Not Krell          The under water                   One)       Introduced a guy of a   random species that we have never heard or seen of    and he died before we ever did,

            So,

             I’m                   a                  Little                Nervous                    ,     (I like different   species,)

His design       seems      nice          ...    Neu       tral.

Yet we won’t assume the amount of   accoun-   tability necessary to     enforce it       Don’t get      me wrong;     I don’t want an  infinity war

  But if you enable, be prepared for the consequences and/or to push it back, (what      ever        You       Left,)         Whenever        it comes for your life,         For the rest of it,  (Or until you snap and       hold it accountable,)

      Pro-tection

Usual spiel    but it works.

You know that would’ve worked really well with overinvolved     positivity,

  Though at this point it’s pretty clear they are going for the clear-cut        Jedi- are      Posit         Ive          Ly         Over-          Involv        e               -d-            (Sith - negative)

  And more so         general   “everyone is a     shithead,”         Kinda         Vibe.

   Which is perfectly fine,

    Why?

   That’s a lot

 [also never mind with the     - warning - or get into lines,]

  Obi-Wan looks really young-er      in the scene for some reason

     -His face

         -it’s too smooth

           - and are his eyes a bit bigger?

  10

  Also yeah they specifically told us not to get involved and that they were going to do it on their own       I-n.       Ia        tiv        e

   But screw that

  “Let’s   escalate the situation!”

   Despite that being literally what the dude       fears and probably        his nightmares

                              [screw respecting other adult’(s) initia     tive]

    I know Dooku is implied to be really feckin tox also

   But talk means nothing

   Dude has to have the actions       Attempt it on himself and decide what to do for        himself,

     He’s decided to enable,          Ain’t nothing       that can be done         about that,

[What    was that look?

   [also did Obi-Wan not ask what happened               down there?]

               Great

                Time for   warfare

                 For the Jedi that can’t take a   “no,”             For an   an   -swer

 Gr      -e         a-t        -       ?       Voice    -act         -ing       -       People        Shield             -               What,          I’ve-         Watch          -ed             The     Watton           Boar         -         Arc-           -      -Battle

   Yeah but it’s      -also      pretty     bullshit          - (when have the separatist ever respected the Gen       eva convention?)

    Rex-        Has a           Feck’in            Point

   I

(Also that doesn’t tell them anything this could be    basic    clankers    when no   in fact they are commando droids              )

Ana       Kin’s         Voice      De-eper?

Com       -man                  do-

       [I have a feeling they’re really trying to contest           the we have no fig           -h-ters)

         Lin                  e-             -             A-g                  ain-

        O-h                           Sir,           Oh,           ,           Also, how?

     But also         ok that            guy,

               Surprisingly,     calm        ly      spoken-

    So this could make a great scene    contrasting Obi- won’s I believe   moral nature,       With another strategist that seems to be believing some kind of     chivalry

   [Also, OH SHIT,   is that where they’re keeping the     pris    oners,

  Whelp

   Anakin is a         dick to        holograms,

Seriously      you could’ve      just turned it off,

     [if you had news       or opinion to share        ?)- 

Ok, where the    fuck?

    [Don’t, get me wrong I know Anakin,         was an ex slave,           Everything else             is new..  .  

 Including his    rage towards it,

      Me,

 Hey, they’re being smart    about this,         -                        Up-   s-   et-

Yes,   thank you,   did I miss     something?

P-ast

Doesn’t     justify any of this     bullshit. .

I     mean,

Literally no one     is smarter   than anyone else

 So       Ana        Kin,      ,      OK but that’s a whole different species     and/or a group - -           this is not “past”    this is I just hate feck     -ing    sl-av        er s              -                       And possibly un-vented            anger at trauma-         -                          Either way pretty damn           va                 -lid                  -                         Dis-              trust                 -              Whe-  

Oka-y         ,          I don’t- 

  Also is that an animal or     sentient?            - A game      I find myself playing           to no         One         ‘s      Cha        -grin-         -,         Oh

    Arro         gan      -c-          e

    Ah- tak        e?          ,            Also he has a    non-evil       pet           -            That’s kinda          cute

       But also kinda sad,            Hint,ing          at the fact              Dude was probably intended to be some kind of   animal      focus        (Someone who works around or just generally likes animals - special             ity)

       Before he went     corrupt

            (Showing some    interest in keeping them out of the battlefield,                    And                  Fond-ness)

       Or this could just be a short han     d-e        d symbolism                 For              slavery          and   grooming          -          Both    -work           -             Do        -Tell           -          [oh yeah         dude totally gave away his plan,]

     Despite Obi-Wan almost clearly not being          in earshot

     Nice interaction         * introduction

   Also     ,doesn’t he         already know,            Holo-gra       -m    -         Formal     in-         tro         duc-          tions            -                Are           Nice,             -              Er-

    Seriously what is up with         these two            people?

     Also why did dude           growl?

    For people that look like cats      they sure act like dogs              (Bor- d       -er)        (Nothing wrong with that-        just-         curious-             “      -i

    How?

    Also they’re just really shout-ing their      plans out here      aren’t they?

    S-u        -rr          en-          der-            -           Obi- won    still playing        along..     ——           W-help            -           He       gave        him            a         chance             -         Whelp-

    O-k

  Honestly he’s acting pretty calm and      diff-erent-ly characterized,             The Kenobi we know wouldn’t raise             a hand to help even himself                   (In ani.)             Also            I’m surprised Aniken hasn’t stumbled across anything by           now,

       Thought that would be the        crutch            of the narr-ative tension in the          office,

       But          Aight           ,         Calling the chips early is completely fine I will never have an issue with chara-     ter     -(s-     acting slightly smarter than expected,

Though wish Anakin had shown some kind of      initia-       tive-

 Like the stories telling us that he’s really      pumped up   “about      the     whole      slave      thing,”          . . .         But has just found          nada when it comes down to      rescuing the slaves,         Or just finding any hints about this    oper     -ation      in general,

To summarize;     What the heck has Aniken been doing the last minute      and a half             ~              ?            No-thing

[like if everyone had told him to chill due to his       clear aggression     believe he caused some harm      in his rage,

   And sent         Ahsoka         in-stead

         That would make a lot    more sense,

  [and make up Obi- wan look like less of a              Irrational Dick        By sh(ar-ing) Anakin‘s backstory         without any permission       or reason,

    While there    he might have to explain to       Ahsoka    why he’s sending her      and not Anakin,]

  Just-        Writer       Th-       ough   -t-         -      Treat-        ment          -    “ You have broken        through my         defenses,”

   Emotionally             or            ...      physically?             . .           Never           mind-

        Would’ve              been nice      if someone actually took him up on that          offer               -              (Like some villain(/enabler) is like you know what my job sucks,    my boss sucks, I could really use an       nap...

    Sure]     ..     They were just standing there          ...      doing nothing,

     Like,      Dude literally just said       there were bombs planted all over the city,

  And, no one’s in a ru-sh            to fix that-

       Or use them to find the           kidnapped people..

[I   mean      fair       ...    but      geez.

   Colo      -nists,

     Again,      where are they?            . . .             You supposedly sent Anakin to find       - them but we haven’t seen anything           -               Also yeah the dude is totally going to give up    his only bargaining     chip         . . .           After being          out gunn        -ed-            -            Well             -           Also you have one button that only activate(s     one mine?

          Like did you, set that up just for the purpose of    in-timi     dating people

   Also congrats    you likely threw away    your only bargaining chip                 -      because from his point of view     the explosion already went off-                        -       And he doesn’t know that you had one     specific button just for that      one mine-             -      (Like it   doesn’t sound that loud but he could’ve gotten     hear-ing probl-em (s-) from the      near- by      explosions,     )

  We-         ll-

   “Col-on-ists,”

  Oh     good thing you told him after you destroy-ed the       thing-

   And he didn’t go into attack mode and you have a light saber press-ed to your throat-

   dumb

I’m sorry but that’s just so adorable

   Look         at            it;

   Man like(s soft squishy things and    he doesn’t seem to be      hurt          ing-           -it,

      Like,           How               ?

        Also, did       no one check               for               that               shit?

Like,      No-

Me-      dic

 Wh-       el        p-

  Bo-

 Several people      -just died           And he         comforts the    robot.. .

   Dick

Also, Maybe       It’s be       cause         Cody         is     Obi-Wan’s        Gen.       (Generation          or      General)            Doesn’t     make much         of a        dif-ference?            -         That          this        flies?      (I mean I can        understand him not giving       too much of a heck,       Due to this being a war      caused by this guys’             Gen,         But     seriously,)

     Also yeah            kinda          ,dick             ,          Screw         medical     attention,

      Well,

     That’s a lot of faith          for a whole              lot a          nothing,

     Also let’s go do the thing       we were supposed to be doing            this entire time,

   (I think)

  My brain started going numb and I half paid    attention            -         Oh, wait 

now we’re getting into the back      story?

 After they’re on the planet

  Without any       pre-emption?

 -Er

My brain      cells      are    asleep,        -        Al        -ive         -           Seriously, what is up with the   -bird     thing,

   (I really hope     it factors into his character)

   Or is brought up

  Frust-      trat-      Ion

“Zy,”

  Dude they’re slave traders    I really don’t think     you want to do that          (Just           a       thought)

Also maybe     suggest     trading        him some       exotic animals,

   Dude seems to have a pen      -chant

   And he seems to treat them    re-     lati       vely       well,

   (There   are some in cages but that just seems to be for      transport,                         ) -  no I thought you should ever take animals        out of a pre-         ferr              ed         Safe  climate

       But he could have one set up            abet a smaller one,

        Wha?             (The      voice acting           there           was         weird,)

       Also, really?

    That’s the     competition?

 (Is there ever a tradition..   

    That isn’t fighting?)

  Also, okay,

 but is it like some kind of style of fighting?

     (I swear he you challenges him to sword fighting.)

   Then again Zy-         ger-          Ian-       fighting-

  Dif-ferent rules   could be interesting

   Possibly establish           Obi-Wan                 as                a          well traveled              man,

                   (So long as he isn’t allowed to use his                         feck -in light saber,                             -) (Which     Anakin      hasn’t        been       doing         at all,

 Also lower      ed risks     are nice,

Again, not saying anything about     deactivating em,

Also what the fuck is with that guy’s facial   expressions,

  Like ever since that moment       it has gone     insane,       (As in I can’t for my life     read what they’re trying to express,       And that is the closest     translation;       I can come up with,

Never   mind      -   he’s an asshole      -    Even th-

  Screw         It

  (The       logic         is not on        the high setting           with this one.”

       Any way,              Per-

        That’s

         [do you know how back when I was revie-       wing the movie I thought about how the escalation one from         1 to 10 and the characterization switched on a dime?

               -Not to   insult,

    But this is starting to feel a lot like   that-

 My brain already very checked out at this   point-

Because I     really   don’t    need      it for     this-      -   W-

  Constant      Characteri-zation?!

   What-  

[Excuse me while I sit over here drinking my       ‘wtf just happened,’          juice

   You know      when I was reviewing (Earlier) scenes       like this;           I used to give it somewhat of a pass    saying;              (Some        thing       along           the          lines            of)

       Well people change on a dime,

  Which I’m starting to realize    getting further into this;        Is that you need some kind of sentiment       Or pre-       -empt         To        Connect          Those           Thoughts      -             The           eyes             need              to           narrow                 -               The             body          language            needs              to             change                 -      The     music       (perhaps)        a subtle       change in tone;         -        It can’t change on    that much of a dime        -

            I               don’t               need                   a                  lot;                 Just some kind of indication about what the      feck just happened,     -             Because otherwise it’s just    spaghetti      -         Like I’m sorry     but it’s true-              -      The expressions before were completely unreadable      and down          right-        unhuman,

      There was no word      ,cues to indicate anything

      And the music     which could’ve been a brief    Cue,        Of whether this is supposed to be        abrupt or         instigated,             Well I don’t,     think there is any,   

                        Fix scen;                                    e

                     This guy smirks, possibly chuckling, the bird leaving his           arm-, possibly pre-facing it with, “ well then,  let’s          be-gin,” or a body posture is simply leaning in before     pouncing,

      Telling me    this is part of the plan,

        And that’s Zygrians value a more wild style of fighting with the element of surprise      being      emphasiz       ed-

    Which makes sense considering what seems to be a      hunting         focus,

    With snark following up either confirming or     denying,  

    That as true           (Or          False)

     That his actions were        prec-        edent-        ed         or        not,

      As it stands,  

   There was no      Cue

    And I’m        completely          lost.              . . .           Whel            -p

                           Well that was a bunch of nothing                                                                                  .  .  .                               Which is a shame because it had a lot of good     subjects to focus on, Slavery, the difference between Wild and Order, tam-ing, groom-       Ing,      Cap-       tivity              -         The concept of an invasive species,

     Unfortunately the writing is so inconsistent,      And generally        poor,         That it can’t carry a beat for longer than a few     min-utes

        Well I’ve noticeably praised the attempt to take on a higher intensity material

         That doesn’t give an     excuse for the apparent drop in quality

          Often; i’ve said that            stupid villains are fine

        However       the thing that often irritates me         in those episodes;           Isn’t that the villain’s            Stupid   

          It’s the lack of          self-awareness             (Not in the poking            fun of one’s                 self                 way)

  Is that it isn’t        framed that way,

  (No snark,    very little realistic the consequences without drawing attention to it,        And very little change       except the     villain is now Stupider          Though it attempts to keep the same dramatic tension          and stakes)

   In sum        -mary:

    While I think this episode had a lot of interesting concepts to work with they will unfortunately             Wasted                   By the episode lack of commitment, consistency, and constant characterization,

      Most        notably;

     - Anakin’s resent             -ment                    Of          slavery             (His care of it turns off and on like a light switch and his intensity             varies)

         Functioning less like a Berzerk/.              accountability button                  (Mild               Responsibility)  

               And                 more                  like                   an                excuse            to have him             flip his lid,

             Make                   odd                 facial            expressions,  

             And generally put, shout  put emphasis In a nonsensical bordering on                  inhumane way

                What seems to be a disturbing trend (with the characters       ;)

               Specifically the                  Zygarian                     here

                 And                      Ani             

              -The                 difference               between            wild and tamed;                   Along with a constant theme of slavery,                  It’s paired with the constant imagery                 of animals in cages

             Which would be fine if it was actually presented as an               excessive detail,

             But the focus is put on it and nothing ever seems to come of it

            (Almost as if it’s expected that just by having      it there, the motif comes with it)

             Which no

             Animals in cages and...            What?

             Like, I have an idea         what they’re trying to hint at,

             But until           the story commits;

             “These animals           are very much like you,”

               Then it remains in                        limbo,

 As wasted time          And wasted     emphasis,            -

      The Zy-             Gar            Ian             (s)          backstory;           Note      this works off another point         about captivity,

        Now, from the little bits,  I could get from the conversation;

        The Republic                inter                   fer                  r                   e                  d,                   Note; this seems to be a pretty big deal

   The antagonist      esp          ecially             affec               t-                e-d

           By                  It,

  But we never learn much about it      or him        (How it affected)

    Yeah he re-peats           Some          po-ints;            But it’s never elaborate-         d on

         What exactly       hap-pened to him?

          What exactly       hap-pened with the conflict?

           How?

            To be more                  precise;                     This presents the idea of a rather fas-       cin-        at        ing      conflict about the over- involve-ment of an outside species into              a           Nother’s            Planet          -           And I don’t think it really       utilizes it

       Drop      ping it almost instantly,          For an almost emotion-    less        fi-        gh          t,        Where are dude repeats ‘they were happy,        And generally everything except “I”             (How he was affected)                 Or any authentic emotion

       Just unread         able        inhumane       expressions            . . .       Not much in the way of themes,        motifs,            Or anything of         real        sub-      stance-         -       Sub      Category;           The clones got injured in an            attack;             This is not treated with any sort of        heaviness              -             Or even note             (Nor to the status/            theme of captiv-               ity- or                Sta              Tus                In               The              Empire-)

            Or         represen-tation               of             order,

           (And is quite point blank pointless)

           Not to speak of the ending where the Anakin is         almost point-blank informed                  That the captives are being held on                    Ty-                    Ger                        ia/                        By the Ty-                       ger-ians

                Po-int being;                      This is pretty subst                  antless                          Sn                            -ack,                             That lacks any kind of consis          tence

       - And isn’t.          worth the                watch,

           (With             nothing              set up)

          (Might’ve wanted to go with an                 R2-D2/ (CpO?) episode)                   Work on that tone                first

               Before trying anything serious,                   With that robots scream of absolute terror                  upon its death..

[underachievers-please-try-harder]

Interview // Tracey Thorn

I interviewed Tracey Thorn for 7digital.

When did you begin work on Record?

Around a year ago. I got to the point where I had enough songs to think it was worth booking a couple of days in the studio to do some demos, and once I’d got that time booked I actually started writing more. So I went in [to the studio] with Ewan [Pearson], the producer, in February 2017 and we put down some really simple versions of the songs, and then just started talking about what direction we might take it all in. 

Do you write all the time, or were you consciously amassing songs with an album in mind?

No. I have long gaps sometimes when I don’t write at all. I think a couple of the songs for this record had actually been around for a year or two, and then once I decided I was doing a record I got a bit more focused on it and wrote a few at once. But I’m a bit all or nothing: either the songs come really easily when I’m on a roll, or then it all goes quiet again for a while. And you need that just to have thoughts sifting around in the back of your mind.

It’s not a constant, which is why I now do have breaks in-between making music, and during those periods I drift off and do other things. But the thing pleases me is that it comes back, and when it does come back it’s as strong as it ever was. Once I started this record and got the idea for it, I was absolutely passionate about it, and really enjoyed making it. I love that feeling where you’re working on a project and you have those long days of just being focused on getting a synth part right or something. I just think it’s so much fun.

And I know there’s a ceiling on what I’m going to achieve. I’m not touring any more so I’m playing it all on my own terms, and I actually feel really comfortable with that. It feels like I’m in the driving seat now in what I do and don’t want to do.

Tell us about your long-standing creative relationship with Ewan Pearson.

When I first started working with him, about 10 years ago, I thought of him as someone who was an electronic producer, a remixer, and a DJ, so I thought, “Ok, this is the kind of the music I’ll do with him.” When I actually met him and started working with him I realised he was really versatile with broad taste, and equally at home with recording acoustic instruments. So actually we’ve ended up doing all sorts of different kinds of recording together. This record is the most electronic thing we’ve done together. It just seemed like I ought to make the most of his real strengths, which are as an electronic producer.

Shura and Corinne Bailey Rae appear on Record. Are there any other guests?

Yeah, those two both do featured vocals on a track, and then Stella [Mozgawa] and Jenny [Lee Lindberg] from Warpaint played drums and bass on a lot of the tracks while they were over in the UK for Glastonbury. And Jono Ma from Jagwar Ma plays guitar on a couple. On ‘Sister’ especially, we had Stella and Jenny and Jono all playing live together, which is how that long groove came about – that breakdown, and building it back up again.

The soundbite “feminist bangers” is following you around in the press. Are you regretting coining that phrase yet?

(Laughs) No, because in a press release you have to say something to catch people’s attention a bit, and if it made people smile at the same time as alerting to the fact that there is at least a nugget of truth in that, then that’s fine. I definitely wanted to make a really mostly upbeat, uptempo record. So although they might not be nine bangers, the motivation was to make a record that was heading in that direction.

Did you have any reference points for that sound?

I’m listening to new stuff all the time but on the other hand, Ewan and I both share a love of New Order and the Pet Shop Boys and stuff from that era which, again, I haven’t really referenced before. Back in Everything But The Girl, we were experimenting in the early days with drum and bass stuff and then the house remixes, but actually talking to Ewan I realised there’s this certain style of electronic arrangement that I hadn’t really explored before. So we definitely used a bit of influence from that era as well.

In the time since your last LP-proper, Love and its Opposite, you’ve become a bestselling author and a newspaper columnist. How has your work as writer influenced your lyrical process?

It’s made me aware that they’re very different processes. When you come to write lyrics again it really strikes you what a compact art form it is. You have to really drill down to try and say something in as concise a form as possible. But, actually, writing the column has been quite helpful in that sense because I’ve got very good at editing my own writing, aiming for brevity and minimalism. So I think I’ve got even better at just getting straight to the point, which has helped when it comes to writing [lyrics].

Lyrically, Record feels even less guarded.

Yeah, there’s lots of bits there that are quite autobiographical. I’ve always thought that when you do go into quite a lot of detail – and make a scene really vivid – people listening to it seem to connect with it even more. In some places it’s not me strictly – it’s a creative character – but I never think that matters as long as you make it feel like an actual real thing that people can actually picture happening.

You come away from songs like ‘Smoke’ and ‘Sister’ thinking that you’re from a lineage of very strong women. Is that right?

Yeah. I mean, I lost my mother a few years ago and as I get older and move into her shoes a bit, I feel I identify more with her. It’s comforting, and it gives you greater insight, because all those things that I thought that were frustrating about her I now completely understand. So those figures in your life become even more important as you get older. And on ‘Sister’ I’m talking partly about my theoretical sisters, but also my actual sister. I like blurring that distinction between those different forms of sisterhood.

On ‘Air’ you discuss not conforming to standards of femininity or beauty. Can you tell us about the impetus behind those feelings of defiance?

Yeah, I was trying to mark these marker points in a woman’s life. I think one of those for a lot of women comes in those teenage years when you’re emerging out of childhood, into that period where you’ve got to try to define yourself. At that point, all those gender stereotypes kick in, and they can be so suffocating. I remember the feeling of both trying to fit in and then also feeling quite defiant about it and angry about it, and thinking, “I absolutely don’t want to try to fit in – I want to be the person I am.” So the song ends up in a point of defiance, because that’s the only way to achieve freedom really; to ignore expectations and try to shake it off.

‘Babies’ is particularly powerful. What made you want to tackle the subject of female reproductive health?

Well, I don’t think it gets talked about that much in pop music and I’m all for just bringing fresh subjects into songs. I can’t write endless love songs, or break-up songs, because that’s not my life anymore, so I’m often just looking for other stories to tell and other ways to engage with people. And it just struck me that the experience of having kids made me even more aware of the importance of being pro-choice, how much of an impact it had on my life having had that freedom to decide when I had my kids, and how much I enjoyed it because I’d been able to make the decision to have kids.

The subject feels especially pertinent right now, particularly in countries like the USA where they’re forever amending or attempting to amend the law around reproductive health.

Yeah, I mean it’s so shocking to me that we could ever take backwards steps on that issue. And it seems to me so clearly an issue about control and reducing women’s freedom in the world, and their ability to function on an equal level. It’s shocking. And you watch something like ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and that reminds you again of what it actually means to completely control women and their fertility and their access to their own body. So, yeah, it just seemed really important to me.

‘Sister’ provides an amazing, space-disco centrepiece to the record, while discussing domestic violence and the importance of sisterhood and solidarity. Where did the spark of inspiration come from?

It was going on the Women’s March in London, last January. Before I went on that I was feeling fired up and angry and p*ssed off about the fact that we seem to still be stuck in the same place and having the same conversations. But on the march I felt that surge of positivity that you get when you’re in the company of thousands of people all feeling the same. All these women – and men too – were out there with these banners, and I saw, “Fight like a girl,” on a couple of those banners, which is such a powerful slogan. That idea of reclaiming a phrase that is used to belittle women, and to fling it back in the face of people and say, “Yep, ok we’re going to fight like girls but look how many of us there are, and look how powerful that can be.”

So, I wanted to write something that captured that real sense of frustration that we’re still arguing the same old s**t but also the strength that comes in thinking, “Yeah, but I’m not fighting alone.” There’s a bitter humour in that stuff. And we all know it. You speak to other women and they all will just shake their heads knowingly, going, “Yeah, I can’t believe it either, but here we are.” That’s where we are so you’ve just got to keep going.

Do you feel hopeful for the future, particularly in the light of movements like #TimesUp and #MeToo?

I do. And I do think ultimately we inch forward all the time, even though there are backlashes and we get pushed back. You know, if you look at things that are on the statute books now as part of our legislation, compared to 40 years ago when I was a teenager, we have made massive progress. And then I look at the younger generation and what they’re like and what their expectations are, and I think there’s no way that progress won’t continue. There’s no way they’re going to give up the rights that have been won for them. So I do think ultimately we’ll carry on making progress, I just hope it’s not too slow. (Laughs)

And yet it’s become fashionable in the press to criticise young people.

Of course! Because they’re quite progressive thinkers, as young people tend to be. But young people get castigated for being self-obsessed and lazy and I don’t think anything could be further from the truth.

[hammerofthezods]

Movie Review - Big Trouble in Little China

Okay, so this movie is pretty much unmatched in its shear level of badassery. My suggestion is that you watch this movie daily and take many notes.

What happens is that there’s this guy named Jack Burton who wears jeans tucked into some sweet moccasin boots and he also wears a tucked in sleeveless t-shirt. Right away his choice of attire screams “Hey ladies, get at me for hot times and tender loving”. Jack is played by none other than the ultra-male Kurt Russell who, as you might recall, once pushed Goldie Hawn off of a boat and then kidnapped her to live with him and his hillbilly kids. Anyway, Jack drives a tractor trailer and when he’s on break he also plays weird Chinese gambling games and chops up bottles with a knife. This knife is pretty important to the overall plot. So, Jack is just going about his everyday business of being a badass and sending ladies into heat when his Chinese friend, Wang (haha, right?), go to the airport to pick up Wang’s girlfriend. At the airport, this totally 80’s style Chinese gang steals the girlfriend and Jack’s all like “Nope”. Jack gets in his rig and chases the 80’s gang through the streets of San Francisco. Jack finally thinks he has the gang cornered and is getting ready to throw down when this other gang rolls up and is all like “Hey, first gang, we’re ready to battle in this alley. You down?” The first gang is like “Shit yeah, we’re down”. So these two gangs start to rumble and beat the shit out of each other plus they both have their own little hand signs which is obviously way cool in a gang fight. So, during the battle these three Level 9 badass Chinese guys parachute onto the scene and start crush-killing everyone in their path. Of course Jack thinks this is pretty badass, but you just know that secretly he’s thinking “Yeah, but no way these clowns pull as much tail as old Jack Burton”. Who really knows if they do, but they probably do all right. So anyway, in the middle of all this, another boss level guy shows up, but this guy is like ten feet tall and is dressed like some old drag queen. Turns out that his name is Lo-Pan and he’s actually some witch from China. Lo-Pan can do all kinds of trick fighting shit like disappear and shoot lasers out of his eyes (alternate theory is that he’s a robot like Van Damme was in that cyborg movie). Jack tries to run Lo-Pan over with his truck, but Lo-Pan is like “Hahaha, try again lame-ass. I’m Lo-Pan and your truck is now mine”. Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to tell you is that Lo-Pan’s first name is David. This is kind of lame and weird because David seems like a pretty weak name for a powerful witch drag queen. So, finally the fighting ends and Jack and Wang (hah) are back at some Chinese diner telling their friends how they were kicking so much ass in this fight.

They then realize that Wang’s girlfriend is still missing and is probably being held in a brothel. They decide to go and rescue her and they also bring along these other two chicks probably because those girls wouldn’t leave them alone as Jack is seriously a lady magnet. Jack goes into the brothel disguised as some normal business dude looking for a lady for the night. The head girl at the brothel totally sees right through the disguise because Jack cannot even begin to hide his shear masculinity and badassness. Right before the brothel girl calls bullshit, the three Level 9 guys from the gang fight parachute in again and steal Wang’s girlfriend to take her back to David LP’s house. Jack and Wang of course have to go there now to save her. They infiltrate David LP’s house by totally fooling the idiot guards into thinking that they were there to fix the telephones. Once inside, they get captured and beat up by the three parachuting guys. So then Lo-Pan shows up in a wheel chair and is now a frail old man with totally gross skin and hair. Jack thinks this is way hilarious so he talks major shit. Old man Lo-Pan is having none of this so he pouts and wheels himself away. Jack and Wang find out that Lo-Pan needs the girl because if he has sex with her (gross, right?) he won’t be a drag queen witch anymore. While all this is happening the two white girls that were hanging around earlier come to try and save Jack because they probably want to have his babies. One of the girls gets kidnapped by a miniature Rancor monster, but luckily Jack gets away.

So now, Jack and Wang are all like “Shit, David keeps stealing all our women” and they want to go back and show the bad guys that they won’t stand for this. This time however, they recruit one of the gangs from the alley fight to help them. Jack is obviously the new leader of this gang. Before they go back to David LP’s house they drink something that probably has PCP in it so they’ll be invincible. Anyway, now they’re at the house again and are successfully battling foes left and right. While the fighting is going on, Jack decides that he wants to teach his new gang to be more self-reliant so he pretends that he got knocked out so his boys will have to kick ass without him. Jack then says, “Okay, you guys did pretty good. I’ll come help out now.” This is obviously a total boss move and all gang leaders should use this as an example of how to motivate people. So now Jack chases down Lo-Pan who is about to make it with the stolen girls. Jack is like “No chance old man.” and he takes his trusty knife and plants it in Lo-Pan’s head from about 50 feet away. As soon as he does this he says “It’s all in the reflexes” which is obviously the most perfect thing to say after knife-spearing your witch drag queen rival right in the face.

So now everyone is safely back at the diner telling Jack how much they love him and want to have sex with him. Jack thinks it would be unfair to bed down all these women so he says that some of them should have babies with his friends Wang (hah) and some other guys. Jack thinks about hanging around to lead his gang some more, but decides that he wants to drive his truck again. As he’s driving off we see that he has picked up the miniature Rancor monster as a pet.

This is probably the best movie ever made and is also a good source of historical knowledge on Chinese culture and witchery. You can probably even pick up some karate fighting tips by watching it many times. Finally, when you watch this, you will no doubt make every attempt to model your life after Jack Burton. I highly encourage this.