for whatever reason, christmas songs remind me of my time in london during the holiday season. why, i’m not exactly sure, considering i was only in the UK for five months and have spent almost every other christmas stateside. but here’s a list of tunes that particularly brings back the memories of oxford street and piccadilly circus:
“christmas wrapping” by the waitresses
“wonderful christmas time” by paul mccartney
“do they know it’s christmas time” by band aid
“happy christmas (war is over)” by john lennon and yoko ono
“last christmas” by wham!
(yeah, so 4 of the 5 songs are by british artists, so that could explain the anglo nostalgia just a bit.)
15 December 2009
yesterday in the bathtub, “it’s never quite what it seems” from over the rhine popped in my head. a soft, folksy ballad that i haven’t heard in a couple years, though back then was in heavy rotation. i saw over the rhine once at schubas back in chicago and loved every minute of that show. karin bergquist’s voice, musicality and emotion are simply remarkable recorded, and even moreso live. what’s more remarkable, though, is how i became introduced to the band in the first place and how vividly i recall that girl’s voice.
the girl i’m referring to is a tall, lovely women by the name of jesse/jessie. obviously, the spelling of her first name is a blur, her last name completely escapes me, and our relationship was short-lived as coworkers at a former independent bookstore in st. louis.
she was shy, so when word circulated that she had a band, was a brilliant guitarist and an outstanding singer, i was somewhat surprised, but also very intrigued. this was the time in my life when i attempted to put my college graduation present to good use —an acoustic guitar that sits minus one string in the corner of our current apartment—and frequented a karaoke bar exhausting my pipes to no doubt’s “spiderwebs.” instead of just feigning my own musical prowess, i had to see firsthand what true talent looked like.
jesse had a few solo gigs at a coffee shop downtown, so i was happy to sit with a cup of tea, talk amongst friends and ultimately be wowed by her performance. i can’t recall if she sang any original songs, but among her lineup was the aforementioned “it’s never quite what it seems” and then a rousing rendition of “faithfully dangerous.” holy crap. it may be safe to say i had a slight girl crush on her after the performance, or at least a slant towards fangirl status.
i wish i could say that her skills as singer/guitarist inspired me to play harder and longer on my own guitar. but alas, i hit a plateau several times in my self teaching, and i was never able to transcend to an acceptable playing level. and as for singing while playing? forget about it. i can pat my head and rub my tummy simultaneously, but singing and strumming confounds me.
and jesse. i tried googling her, but without a last name and not being completely sure of her whereabouts (this was about 10 years ago after all), i couldn’t track her down. not that i would contact her anyway. it was really more a curiosity to see if she kept up with her music and if she was succeeding in the industry.
i may not remember jesse’s last name, but i can still hear her voice and see her powerful guitar playing. and karin bergquist still lives in my itunes for times like these, when i’m feeling nostalgic.
29 October 2009
naz turned me on to a man named bon iver only just recently, saying he wanted to avoid the initial hype. i was introduced to him three days ago, and now i’m hooked.
this morning, i turned on “skinny love” and “the wolves” and “blindsided” (ok, so really every track is a gem), and i felt inspired to write. and when i say “write,” i mean some poetic prose or verse, the type of scribble that inundated my journals and hard drives back in college, and not the random reflections i write today. but when i opened a text document to start “writing,” the same drivel that i was known to produce came out.
so instead, i dug up a piece from 2001 or thereabouts that i honestly believe, to this day, is one of the better specimen. but, i couldn’t tell you who i was thinking about or what ordeal i was “suffering” from when i wrote it.
suppose i fell victim to lies and disregard
and petitioned my own deceptive rage?
to blame the likes of you would be certain,
and yes, iron walls come crashing down.
but behind I hear faint stutters, too blatant,
that prove me to be true.
companions as we shan’t cower in fear
from exposing thin skins—
bounding in lies proves a sheer netting.
makes for soon departures
the exchange of caresses done with no hesitation,
though ignorance pervades to a simple question.
i suppose your loves are brought to you by wind
blown in from the sea, only to wander back again.
make no mistake, others are sure to follow
to keep your ration steady.
i rank not myself with other such fleeting affairs
and shame on me for trying to stifle
your belittlement of faiths so true.
doubts remain of faiths to you
and more certainly yours to mine
masking innocence with devious endeavours
and playing parts of villainous creatures—
all too easy with abandon of values instilled—
used only in revenge,
though its potency will go undetected.
to continue the façade will lead only
to early demise
and i already know it is unfitting.
the beast does not come when i call, so
perhaps trickery will be left to you.
22 August 2008
