Holy Shit
It turns out I don’t “need” the internet as much as first thought. Of course, it’s certainly something to stem boredom, or in most cases to stem the tide of work that I should be doing. Lately I’ve been substituting internet addiction with GTA3 addiction (or supplementing, or both), which is fitting in just fine since I’ve also been substituting Coca Cola with NoDoz, and clean crockery and cutlery with empty pizza boxes and sharp sticks.
Last night, hepped up on NoDoz and ice-cream, Garth and I achieved the impossible — we cleaned the dishes. Considering we had run out of every kind of dish in the house, and were using such ridiculous substitutes as a sugar bowl instead of a bowl of any normal description, the cleaning was a step in the right direction. It’s also led us to the creation of new rules —
- if there’s a dish in the sink that is perhaps suited to your current dish-needing situation, rinse and use it rather than dirty a new one
- Always cover dishes that go into the microwave
- Do not let Richie eat anything while he is in the house. Not only does he devour things that do not belong to him and that were strictly off-limits (case in point: Lee’s apple strudel), he also never finishes anything, leaving a bite or two in the dish because of some strange neuroses of his
I also washed my clothes, which I had run out of. I was roaming the streets of Joondalup in a wet towel most days, and frequently went to work wrapped in my doona. If I had an important engagement I’d put on my good shoes and just go naked. It seemed like the best option, really. Now that everything is washed, I’ve decided to stick with the naked thing... mostly because it has been raining and raining and raining since the day I put the washing on the clothesline, so “dryness” isn’t really something I have in large amounts. NB: The preceeding paragraph is a damn lie. While I did wash my clothes, no excessive nudity was indulged.
I’ve revised the list, making additions and subtractions, perhaps even explaining certain choices. It’s still entirely impossible to define an order, though. I assure you that it cannot be done. If I were required to build a Top 10 punk songs, or Top 10 songs featuring the lyrical stylings of Joe Pesci then it’d be an easier job, but trying to order your 10 favourite songs of all time, from “worst” greatest song to “greatest” greatest song is a ridiculous and unachievable feat. So here’s the digs, ordered alphabetically
- the Beatsteaks: We have to figure it out tonight
Love songs normally shit me because they’re so cheesy and nobody seems to be able to write anything new concerning love. This song is somewhat different, the lyrics are a little abstract and the vocals are fantastic. I’ve always had a thing for unique vocals, and the layering that they’ve done here makes me wet every time. It’s also barely two minutes long, even though it’s not a typically fast punk song. I dig it, obviously. - Garbage: Parade
Garbage are one of my favourite bands of all time. They pre-date all other musical trends in my life, and are enormously inventive. I suppose it helps to have two extremely qualified, multitalented producers in the band, but I think Shirley has always been the drawcard for me. I dig redheads, and I dig Scots. Parade is quite possibly the best (and thankfully unreleased) track from beautifulgarbage. I don’t know whether it’s the punk ethic kicking in, or whether it’s just that I don’t like to share — but songs are more or less ruined for me when they hit the Top 30 on the radio. The thought of people I hate (read: most people) listening to music I love isn’t a particularly pleasant one. I think Pete sums that one up best. - Jewel: Amen
Though I’m deeply irreligious, religion is always a topic I relish. Whether it’s a discussion over beer and pizza, or in a song such as this, I like talking about religion. Jewel is also fantastic (read: she's a poet and a songwriter and also plays her guitar very well, making her a cut above any other pop singer I care to name) and I needed to include something. Amen just happens to be my favourite track from Pieces of You - Massive Attack: Dissolved Girl
The progression of sounds in this song is too great to be ignored, and Massive Attack is always to be admired for their production values. I still don’t know why I only really like the songs with the chick singing in them... maybe I just don’t like the sound of the guy. Who knows. - NOFX: Love Story
Again with the unconventional love songs, and again with the very fast punk rockin’. There are too many “favourite” NOFX songs to mention and some of them are even “better” than this one, but none of them give me the strange tingly sensation such as this. - No Use for a Name: On the outside
OK, I’m noticing a pattern here. Love songs with deep and profound feeling, written in a way that is unexpected and completely out of place when compared to “normal”, radio-ready love songs. I don’t know, maybe I’m just a big softie. - Propaghandi: Purina Hall of Fame
This is where the real rockin’ comes out. This song is both brilliant and beautiful, and (in true Propaghandi style) choc-full of political and social diatribe. - Sarah McLachlan: Possession
Again with the love songs, although not punk. I first heard this song on Due South, which was a damn good show. That’s all I care to say on the topic - Tool: Triad
It may be an instrumental track, but I really think that’s what gives Triad the edge. All the energy, all the creativity, all the art is focussed squarely on the music. No sacrifice of musical integrity just to make the lyrics fit, or just because “we needed another chorus”, just great, great music. - VAST: Touched
There are few things in this world I respect more than someone doing everything themselves and doing it right. I also really like chants, which is why I like Enigma so much, and I like hard-rockelectro stuff, the fusion of styles. Oh yeah, kind of a love song.