Monday 15 February 2010

Listen, Watch, Read

I often feel that I am behind the eight ball when it comes to pop culture. I blame this on motherhood most of the time, but really I didn't give these things a lot of time even before kids. I'd like to though.

But where to start when your this far behind? Where do the people in the know get their know?

Today I decide to blog about what I am currently reading watching and listening to but please note I am, as usual, behind the eight ball.

Listening:
My external hard drive died a week or so ago so at the moment I am stuck listening to the few things that I popped on my iPod pre its death. Luckily they were my all time favourites and the few new albums I downloaded recently
- Portishead, Dummy
- Kate Miller-Heidke, Curiouser
- The Cure, Greatest Hits
- Clouds, Octopus
- Emilana Torrini, Fisherman's Woman
- Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Live Art

Watching:
The one good thing about the death of the external hard drive is that the kids movies are also currently unavailable. This means that we are both having to watch less kids TV but also looking at the video store again for kids movies and therefore adult movies/shows as well.
- House (Season 3), the first two episodes were fresh but I have to wonder if that was all the new stuff the show had for us this season.
- Howl's Moving Castle & Spirited Away, these are both brilliant and I'm loving how much both of the kids are loving them as well.
- Buffy (Season 7), an oldie but a goodie I love having something light, trashy and familiar to watch after I have woken up
- Dollshouse (Season 2), I lost the first few episodes that I had downloaded in the hard drive crash of 2010 but luckily it is playing on Foxtel.
-The Vampire Diaries, as with Dollshouse I have lost a few episodes but I'm now back up to where I was thanks to Foxtel
- 10,000 BC, so crap I turned it off after 1/2 hour cause I just didn't care.
- Big Love (Season 3)
- Lastly I have Defying Gravity and some Mystery Theatre 2000 to watch when times are tight. I'm so excited to watch them but I really need some quiet kid free time so I can pay attention to them.

Reading:
I am trying some new things this year. Firstly I'm trying to catch up on some classics. Secondly I'm trying to get into some of the comics I have been wondering about. Both of which are lots of fun. The following are just the books I currently have on my bedside table.
- Sandman comics
- The Books of Magic comics
- Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monster
- Wonders of a Godless World
- We Need to Talk about Kevin
- American Gods

So that's my last week in a very large nutshell. What are you L/W/R? Anything your loving that I don't know about? Come on people in the know, share the knowing :)

5 comments:

Catriona said...

I share the knowing all the time!

I admit, I really disliked the Miyazaki version of Howl's Moving Castle. It was beautiful, yes. But it was so unfaithful to the book. And I know a straight book-to-film transfer is impossible, but the changes they made were (firstly) so unnecessary , even for the process of adaptation, and (secondly) so often ridiculous.

(I mean, why, if he needs to sneak into the king's castle, would Howl's take the form of the ruling monarch? Why? That's the daftest thing I've ever seen.)

I just love the book so very much, that I really couldn't warm to the film, even if animated Howl is distinctly sexy.

As for Mystery Science Theater 3000, if you want to be really cool, you just call it MST3K. (This has the added advantage of being quicker to type.)

Then, when you've actually watched some, you can call yourself a MiSTie.

Unknown said...

Hey babe so... I can totally relate i'm kind of stuck with my Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell and then world music, so can't help you there but I love Kate M-H too and have that album, some good lyrics but not that melodic don't you think? anyway i'd love to go see her in concert one day if you're up for it?

Watching - I love studio Gibli we have "Spirited Away" (my all time fav) but I also recommend " Kiki's Delivery service" and "Ponyo" which is the latest one - beautiful!! xx

Buffy Stun-Hers said...

Yes Treen you do share the knowing. I just need to remember to write things down :) I understand what you mean about Howl not being true to the book. I think the thing that I really liked (apart from how damn sexy howl is) is that the story line is more meaty than you usual kids movie and the kids really got into that. Plus I loved the book but its not one of my favs.

Sarit thanks so much for the recommendations we are loving Kiki at the moment. I agree with you about Kate MH except the song 'caught in the crowd?' i think thats what its called it makes me cry every time i hear it. None of her stuff is particularly melodic but her lyrics are funny/quirky. have you seen her facebook song on youtube its pretty funny.

Nick said...

Just read your recent blog post about listening/watching/reading and tried to reply but I can't do it from work - so here is the reply I would have posted.

I'll focus on the listening part...

1) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Really hard music to pigeonhole. Sounds like it's 70's folk rock but is only a few years old.

Ray Lamontagne - Trouble

Saw this guy on Live at the Abbey the other night. He looks exactly like a homeless man that lives in just outside the building I work in. Lovely smokey voice and touching lyrics.

Radiohead - Hail to the Thief

Search YouTube for 'There There live in paris'. Enough said.

The Shins - Oh, Inverted World

2 Standout songs (New Slang & Caring is Creepy). Was heavily featured in the Zack Braff movie Garden State, as Natalie Portman is a fan and apparently insisted they were used.

The Audreys - Between Last Night & Us

I have seen these guys in concert a few times in Adelaide (they are a local band) and loved it. The singer is incredibly elegant - search YouTube for RockWiz Taasha Coates.

Elliott Smith - XO

This might be just something that I do, but the iTunes store contains a lot of 'Celebrity Playlists' where musicians choose their favourite songs of the moment. Elliott Smith features on a lot of lists. Unfortunately he committed suicide a few years ago (stabbed himself to death). Have a listen to Waltz #1 and Waltz #2.

Leigh (and maybe treen - not too sure of your tastes these days), I almost guarantee you would like these albums.

Buffy Stun-Hers said...

Hey Nick, I have to say that it spins me out how similar our music taste still is.

Fleet Foxes - Already have it love it!
Ray Lamontagne - Sounds good will give it a listen
Radiohead - Got it :)
The Shin - I actually have the garden state soundtrack (you know how i love a soundtrack)
The Audreys - will give them a listen
Elliott Smith - Have it on your recommendation

Your a legend thanks for the ideas :) xx

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