Sunday, February 27, 2005

Pumpkin

I flagged going to the outdoor NZ short film screening, Frugal Pleasures, last night. Instead, went to Aro Video and got out Pumpkin. Man, what a waste of time. I don't often push the stop button part way through a film - but really, there just was no choice. It was that or vomit. I just checked the listing on Rotten Tomoatoes to see what other people thought. It definitely get the Rotten rating, but I must take note of the reviewers who liked it and never never trust their judgement. I wonder why the hell Christina Ricci took the part. I imagine her career is taking a dive.

Thursday, February 24, 2005

The Shins

Listening to: The Shins, Chutes too narrow

Oh, well, what can I say? It was head-swimmingly wonderful. Shame about Julia Deans who supported. I never really liked her in Fur Patrol, and I definitely disliked her solo. I think it is usual to match a support act to the main act. Like John White with Cat Power. What a shame I didn't time it so we missed her. But it didn't ruin the night - all was forgotten when The Shins started up with their big jangly chords and the beatific tones of James Mercer. I'm really crap at writing any sort of music reviews, so I won't try - Stephen does a good one if you wanna read about the gig. Suffice to say, a very good night was had and my ears sure rung a lot when I got home. Gigs like that though, remind me of how old I'm getting. It's not 'cos there were young people everywhere - of course there were going to be - it was an Orientation gig for the uni students. I couldn't give a shit about my age - it's just that your body doesn't put up with quite as much punishment as it once did. Standing in one spot for three to four hours in the sweltering heat now takes its toll. Aching ankles, sore lower back. It's not like it used to be... Will I still be able to do it at 50? I hope so. Maybe it's a sign I need to do some exercise...

Anyway, next on the music calendar is this:

I realised today that I'm bloody not going to be able to go - one of my kids has glandular fever and I'm having to do her office cleaning job for her. Grrr. Oh well, I really have been going out way too much lately and tomorrow night I want to go to CafeX the MediaTheatre at the Film Archive which will be fun.

Bad eighties decorating

I really do love this new house I'm renting, but it's such a pity about the bad wallpaper. Probably the height of suburban sophistication in the 80s, it's not really stood the test of time. No, when I sat on the stairs while I was on the phone the other day and noticed that I could see three different wallpapers all in one go, I knew it was really too much. Especially the matching friezes. They suck. But I've kinda got attached to the big dark rosy floral number. I almost like it. In the upstairs bathroom they got into the entire matching gig - the tiles have a matching motif to the blinds. Eugh!

Thursday, February 17, 2005

Yay, The Shins

Listening: Low, The Great Destroyer

Got my Shins ticket - very happy about that. Of course, since I was in Real Groovy, I just HAD to buy a CD. I had a $20 voucher and was gonna buy one CD, but then I found three that I liked and just couldn't decide. Got Low, The Great Destoyer, The Handsome Family, singing bones and Bonnie Prince Billy, I see a darkness.

Fatso

Listening to: Postal Service, Give Up

Recently I subscribed to Fatso - an online DVD library. I bought Hell Pizza over the net for the kids one night and received a trial offer for a three week subscription. Of course, it's one of those subscriptions where, if you don't get around to cancelling, it will continue on a basis where you are charged. But I reckon I will keep it up, maybe not at the trial rate of three disks, but maybe two at at time. So far I've watched Truffaut's 400 Blows and The Son's Room. 400 Blows was great. Truffaut is on my list of directors whose films I need to see more of. SOD got me 1001 Movies you must see before you die last christmas (another one marked down) and it says that Truffaut revealed some time after the film was made that "he boosted the intensity of the 15-year-old's performance by joining him in a private conspiracy against the rest of the cast and crew". All in the name of art eh, François?

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Cat Power

Had the best Valentine's Day - not that I really go for that kind of crap, but hey, it was nice to actually do something authentically celebratory. None of those red roses... but we did eat a couple of heart-shaped chocolates on our picnic. Yes, a picnic with some nice bubbly by the sea and then on to see Cat Power. She was much as I imagined she'd be - shy and nervous and odd, and the music was exquisite. It was great to see it in a theatre. I can't imagine how she would manage singing in a bar situation. The support act of John White was really sympathetic to her music. I've just found out he has a new album that came out in 2004 - definitely got to lay my hands on that.

And still, no Shins tickets! Victoria University is organising this and they are obviously woefully disorganised. The gig is less than a week away and no tickets are yet available through Real Groovy. Grrr! I hope they still have some for the general public - I'm worried that they'll sell out really fast since they'll only have a limited amount available after the students get theirs.

Holly Golightly is coming to NZ soon - could be worth a look, although I only know of her through that song she did with the White Stripes. Must do some research.

Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Such abundance!

I'm feeling a music glut is going on. Just saw The Handsome Family, and have The Shins coming up (very very excited about that), and today I just spotted a poster telling me that Cat Power will be here on Monday! How good is that!? So I got myself tickets for CP on Monday night - Valentines Day, so am heading off to the gig with SOD. Should be a goodie. It's on at the Paramount Theatre. I saw Kristin Hersch there and really like it. The fact that it isn't a pub means that I'll actually get to hear the music instead of people's chatter.

Got loads and loads of work on at the moment. Missed out on the contract for the Consumer magazine, but it was down to five people, so I did pretty well. Not too worries - I think if I had won the contract I would have go myself in the poop. Too much work, not enough time. I already find that most days anyway, so it would have been pretty scary. Probably would have had to hire someone and I'm really not into being an employer. Boring.

Sunday, February 06, 2005

Myers-Briggs types

I've been spending some time again looking at my Myers-Briggs personality type. For anyone who's never looked into this, try this online test. I'm an ENFJ - about 5% of the population. We're nice, but I reckon we must have a bit of a martyr thing going on - always trying to help other people. I'd really like to get a book about it and maybe do a more comprehensive test - 72 questions doesn't seem enough. For a personality quiz, though, it's pretty spot-on, but I'd just like to know more. Last time I took it I think my results were a bit more extreme. I must be mellowing with age. Or having an off day. Being moderate sounds awfully dull.

Friday, February 04, 2005

My other blog

I seem to be spending more time updating my Wellington Street Art blog than this one lately. It's fun finding little treasures of art down alleyways. There have been a few on the footpath lately too.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Had to happen

Just couldn't help myself. Went in to Real Groovy to get tickets for tomorrow night to hear The Handsome Family and just HAD to buy a couple of CDs. I've had a credit note slowly getting more and more crumpled at the bottom of my purse and thought it was high time it was used. (At the end of last year I'd had a bit of a cleanout of the CD collection and took a few items in to get rid of. Real Groovy is handy like that. Of course, it has to be in okay condition and something that someone might wanna buy.) Because Handsome Family are playing at Indigo I thought about the last time I went to a great gig there, and that has to be Will Oldham, so I bought Bonnie Prince Billie - "master and everyone" and "ease down the road". Got the first one on the player now. mmm mmm. so good. You'll note there's no hyper links here. Can't be bothered. If it interests you, then Google!!