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jawnbcI'm trying to reinvigorate my cultural consumption--high and low, narrow and wide--including all mannter of texts. I feel myself gearing up to do some academic writing--journal articles, to be precise--so part of the reading will be research oriented. Though feeding my intellect certain feeds my spirit. Or often does. Anyhooo
Music: It's Eurovision season, so I've already acquired all this year's submissions via download. As in most years, there's a few turds, a few gems, and a surprisingly good number of quality pop songs. [BTW 'tis a pop song contest, check your music snobbery at the door]. 36 entrants this year, including first timers Albania, Lithaunia, Belarus and Andorra, with Monaco participating for the first time in over 20 years. My early pick, taking into account song, performers' "look", regionalism, and how their live preview performances read on telly: Lithuania, Malta and Cyprus. The contest is 12-15 May in Istanbul, and will be broadcast live throughout Europe and Australia. And perhaps on TV5
In Les invasions barbares, the music of Francoise Hardy plays a small, but integral part. I've heard of her, knew she'd charted in England (singing in English), and was one of the ya-ya girls of mid-60s French music. Supermodel and pop star. Wow, lovely voice, wrote many of her own songs, some cheerful, some not. I heartily recommend the "best of" Verve collection released a few years ago. Suede et chaud comme un nid . . .Recommended
Books: A few weeks ago I tried (again) to read Brick Lane by Monica Ali. It's set in the ex-pat Bengali community in London (in Brick Lane). A few years ago Arundahti Roy's The God of Small Things won the Booker and a whole host of awards--quite the feat for a a first novel. Ali was nominated for lots (currently the Orange Prize), but this is twice it's failed to grab me. Hrm.
Now Eugenides' Middlesex grabbed me. And the Pulitzer committee last year: it won the fiction prize for 2003. It's an (appropriately) epic tale of Cal, a Greek-American lidho's finding puberty very troubling. Detroit in the 60s and 70s, cultural issues, and not quite feeling right--and falling in love with your best friend--are all elements, but it's a great story. Eugenides's Cal is clever, an insightful judge of character, and intersex--in Cal's case due to a genetic defect inherited from intermarriage. Both Cal and the book kept my attention for a fortnight of bedtime reading. Recommended.
Currently: Reading Amsterdam, for which Ian McEwan won the Booker in 1998 (very good so far), spinning various disks.
Music: It's Eurovision season, so I've already acquired all this year's submissions via download. As in most years, there's a few turds, a few gems, and a surprisingly good number of quality pop songs. [BTW 'tis a pop song contest, check your music snobbery at the door]. 36 entrants this year, including first timers Albania, Lithaunia, Belarus and Andorra, with Monaco participating for the first time in over 20 years. My early pick, taking into account song, performers' "look", regionalism, and how their live preview performances read on telly: Lithuania, Malta and Cyprus. The contest is 12-15 May in Istanbul, and will be broadcast live throughout Europe and Australia. And perhaps on TV5
In Les invasions barbares, the music of Francoise Hardy plays a small, but integral part. I've heard of her, knew she'd charted in England (singing in English), and was one of the ya-ya girls of mid-60s French music. Supermodel and pop star. Wow, lovely voice, wrote many of her own songs, some cheerful, some not. I heartily recommend the "best of" Verve collection released a few years ago. Suede et chaud comme un nid . . .Recommended
Books: A few weeks ago I tried (again) to read Brick Lane by Monica Ali. It's set in the ex-pat Bengali community in London (in Brick Lane). A few years ago Arundahti Roy's The God of Small Things won the Booker and a whole host of awards--quite the feat for a a first novel. Ali was nominated for lots (currently the Orange Prize), but this is twice it's failed to grab me. Hrm.
Now Eugenides' Middlesex grabbed me. And the Pulitzer committee last year: it won the fiction prize for 2003. It's an (appropriately) epic tale of Cal, a Greek-American lidho's finding puberty very troubling. Detroit in the 60s and 70s, cultural issues, and not quite feeling right--and falling in love with your best friend--are all elements, but it's a great story. Eugenides's Cal is clever, an insightful judge of character, and intersex--in Cal's case due to a genetic defect inherited from intermarriage. Both Cal and the book kept my attention for a fortnight of bedtime reading. Recommended.
Currently: Reading Amsterdam, for which Ian McEwan won the Booker in 1998 (very good so far), spinning various disks.
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 05:13 pm (UTC)Though last year Lynne Chiricop was awful. Not UK Jemini null points awful, but awful.
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Date: 2004-04-15 05:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 05:18 pm (UTC)One of the reasons it's so fascinating (to me) is it moves very, very quickly--24 songs 3 minutes or less each with 1 minute between and only one break between 12 and 13 (halfway). So the performances are done in just over 90 minutes, then another 30-40 as each country gives its votes live via satellite. It's quite normal that the winner is determined by the last televote reported: last year the winner won by 2 points, with 3rd place only another vote behind.
It is shown live over the net (around 3pm Seattle time) on 15 May, at www.eurovision.tv . I was in Vancouver last year when it was on, so watched it there.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 05:53 am (UTC)I am looking forward to seeing "Les Invasions barbares" at some point. I have been looking forward to seeing it for what feels like a year now. Today's screening time is dedicated to Robson Green and Take Me," as it is already overdue for review publication (ouch).
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Date: 2004-04-15 05:21 pm (UTC)mmmmm....Robson Green
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Date: 2004-04-15 05:34 pm (UTC)We picked up a couple of DVDs last year, after getting hooked on Raab's New Year's special...Best of TV Total Vol 1 & 2. One includes an Ozzie duo who do tricks with thier cocks on stage. Does this ring a bell?
Eurovision brought us ABBA. And, while I am on memory lane, there was a chanteuse for Monaco who won in 1970 or 1971 (the first year I was living in Germany).
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Date: 2004-04-15 06:08 pm (UTC)1971 was Severine for Monaco "Un banc, un arbre, une rue," which is one of my favourites.
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Date: 2004-04-15 06:32 pm (UTC)It was a private treasure of mine, the 45 I mean, until a now ex (evil as these types can sometimes be), pinched it from me.
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Date: 2004-04-15 07:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 07:11 pm (UTC)curator@bearhistory.com
Thank *you*!
no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 11:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-15 05:21 pm (UTC)Quand je me tourne vers mes souvenirs
Date: 2004-04-15 04:34 pm (UTC)I'm afraid to say that I've been a fan of Francoise Hardy since studying French at high school in the 70s, she's sooooo cool, I have a number of her albums (on vinyl!) and can "shower-sing" several of her hits, in French. To me, she doesn't sound right in English.
il me reviene, des tants des choses, ..... ou sont les roses, dans le jardins? La, ou vivait des arbres, maintenant, la ville est la...
Re: Quand je me tourne vers mes souvenirs
Date: 2004-04-15 05:22 pm (UTC)Re: Quand je me tourne vers mes souvenirs
Date: 2004-04-15 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-16 07:18 am (UTC)Eurovision is waaaaaaay cooler than the San Remo festival. Where else can you hear those fabulous Norse country western songs?
And those of us who remember hearing Miss Hardy back when her albums first came out wouldn't quite label her as ya-ya, thank you. Am listening to "il n'y a pas d'amour heureux" as I type...
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Date: 2004-04-16 07:45 am (UTC)Hardy sang for Monaco in 64 methinks, Il s'en va, and finished 4th. That year France Gall won for Luxembourg singing Serge Gainsbourg's Poupee de cire, poupee de son--a scathing indictment of pop music "factories."
None of the ya-ya girls like the label, But Francoise, fairly or not, was considered la reigne la-bas. :)
[And of course Ireland's the all time champ, 7 wins: 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1996]
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Date: 2004-04-16 07:49 am (UTC)I'm not sure I'm a great fan of the Irish wins , having seen their evil spawn Riverdance.
Hmm, January, 1997, Dublin. Interviewing with American Airlines for management position in their Euro res offices, I stopped in at the George. A sign on the men's room wall advertised for more step dancers...not the usual advert one sees scrawled on men's room walls in gay pubs.