so like…

I swear to God I’ve been thinking about this blog. Like when I’d hike to my babysitting job every morning until that stint ended this past Thursday. I would have tried to write a post at the house where I’ve been babysitting, but once when I sat at the computer glued to Etsy for 20 minutes, the toddler I watched had gotten into the baby powder and poofed it all over the upstairs, in mommy and daddy’s room. Okay, so there’s my summer in a nutshell. Sorry, I felt the need to explain myself. Also, I’m hoping that if I ramble a little, I’ll remember at least one of the dozen or so ideas that have been floating through my head…nothing’s coming…

I have to second Jordan’s Scarlet bashing. Who the hell does she think she is, covering Tom Waits? And what is with these hipsters buying into it? If you actually like music, you would just buy some Tom Waits albums and actually enjoy his music the way it’s meant to sound- the jagged, gravelly voice of a deranged pianist, not some actress singing from the bottom of a tin can, or a toilet. There’s a reason they had Scarlet singing karaoke in Lost in Translation. It was karaoke. She isn’t a real singer. Get over it.

I guess I’m only partially surprised that the album hasn’t flopped completely. Scarlet is Woody Allen’s new muse, apparently. And before that, she starred in the aforementioned Lost in Translation, so she had that working in her favor.

(Unless we mention The Perfect Score…but I guess hipsters forgive her?)

Honestly, the carelessness of indie music is starting to bother some people (i.e. my boyfriend, Alex, who argued with me about the state of indie music for 45 minutes the other night). I figured that I could segue way into this since I think it’s safe to say that Scarlet is not a classically-trained singer, unless we map her progress from Obama’s “Yes We Can” video in which she made an appearance. But I digress…

Position 1: I stumbled upon MGMT and The Black Kids recently. I don’t really think it’s music to live your life by, but I think it’s fun to dance to.

Position 2: Alex thinks that this careless attitude has started to infiltrate a lot of the music that is a part of the whole indie genre, and that it instills this sort of hipster attitude in you if you listen to it.

I agree with Alex’s first point in his position, not only because I understand that Alex comes from a musician’s perspective (he goes to school for Music Therapy, with a concentration in guitar), but because I can honestly say that there isn’t a hell of a lot of spectacular talent in a lot of indie genre bands. I used to like Tilly and the Wall, and it’s still a fun idea, but the only thing setting them apart at all is, well, tap-dancing. This whole shouting thing on the other thing, a la Black Kids “DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!” has become sort of a trademark (at least in what I’ve heard) and annoyingly non-musical.

But! I am not inclined to go around wearing day glo kerchiefs and sweatbands screaming “DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!” to people on the street. I like to think that my musical taste has some integrity. (Hence preferring Tom Waits, to backtrack a little bit. I’m not trying to toot my own horn here because I would hope that everyone would prefer Tom Waits). But c’mon, I worshipped Zeppelin when I was eleven!!!

I don’t even know, guys. I’m still confused about the exact definitions of the indie genre. I know that indie (as in on independent labels, THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED) artists should be set apart not only for innovation, but for their talent (in my opinion, Joanna Newsom, Cocorosie, Deerhoof, Neutral Milk Hotel). Obviously, you can argue my tastes. I’m just a confused, artsy little gal who is attracted to the indie movement, but frustrated by its definitions. I won’t even really get into the other aspects of the indie movement, like fashion (BIRD TATTOOS, BIRD TATTOOS, BIRD TATTOOS) and the minimalist (silhouetted) artwork

that keeps showing up as prints or on shirts (that makes my panties a little wet). I’m just gonna end this by saying that, you can’t entirely define a culture when you’re in the midst of it, and it’s still going on. Do you really think people would have worn leggings and headbands in the 80s if they had actually thought about or understood the culture of the time?

Oops.

Just a quick rant.. of a shameful release.

So just some scattered thoughts today dear readers. Mainly this will be about how offended and opposed I am to the Scarlett Johannsen CD entitled “Anywhere I Lay My Head”. STAY AWAY. Even with the collaboraters that this cd has to offer, ( Dave Sitek from TVOTR, Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and David Freakin’ Bowie) Scarlett’s sour, garbeled, intepretation of what pitch should be CANNOT compete with Tom Waits’s glorious growl. And all the critics that I until recently trusted are drooling at the sight of this cd. (Notice I said sight, and not what was/is heard).

Even Scarlet’ herself has said the cd is a homage to Tom Waits, this is important to known considering these are not covers, as I hear more of this cd, I will rant more on this post. But so far, falling down is atrocious. The most sour chorus I have heard, with a lot of dissonance. Granted Tom Waits hasn’t exactly been known to have standard singing with his raspy voice, but nonetheless you can feel his passion with all of his music. You can easily hear how deeply he is into it.  Scarlett’s lackluster, nonchalant approach, takes these songs, to lows they haven’t seen before. Just because you are good looking, doesn’t mean you can be a singer Scarlet…

Funny graphic coming soon..

You all have been warned,

Jordan