I have just been informed that today is World Goth Day.
Goth Prom: that's me in the middle, in 1991, with my friend Hannah and my date Bob (he's on the right- yes, that's a boy).
I wore this black leather skirt with garters for about two years straight in my teens:
I always consider this the Goth song that won the most hearts to the Cause. (I personally witnessed three conversions.) If you are on the line- to goth or not to goth?- maybe you should have a listen.
You know what they say- once a goth, always a goth.
Kevin Ayers is a slippery character in 1970s musical history. Even his Wikipedia entry definitively states that: "every time he seemed on the point of success, he would take off for some sunny spot where good wine and food were easily found".
The official word from his last.fm page is that "Kevin Ayers has written and recorded some of the wittiest and most poignant songs imaginable and has produced more banana related lyrics than anyone ever dreamed possible".
Yes, bananas.
If you are going to start somewhere (and I am still at the beginning of my own Kevin Ayers journey), the albums Joy of a Toy and Bananamour do me right.
What I really love about Kevin Ayers is that he is one of those non-serious philosophers. The kind you want to have a drink with. Or too many drinks with. He doesn't make light of things, but he strives to make them lighter.
Here are some of my favorite songs (the Youtube-able ones, anyway)- I hope I make a convert out of one of you. Enjoy!
My dear friend Tammy just purchased this collection of ties from Astral Boutique- here she is in one of her new ties, looking extremely dapper, dashing, and dandy:
Yes, that is a wind-up ladybug.
Some of you might remember Tammy as the creator/writer/producer/director/star of the Astral Boutique "commercial".
Tammy is also one of my favorite musicians in the known universe- her band Excuses For Skipping is playing some big shows in San Francisco this Spring, so catch them if you are in town. This music video was made by Tammy and even features a little bit of yours truly, rolling up a flight of stairs and hiding behind trees:
The last time I was in the Bay Area, I went to a great show at a commune in Oakland (yes, a true commune smack dab in the middle of the city!) where there were a multitude of wonderful people assembled under the roof of the "art barn" as Larkin Grimm and Faun Fables ripped it up on the little wooden stage:
The woman running the Tarot table looked so familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place her face. Later the mystery was unraveled, and I realized that she was none other than Etsy's The Tarot Woman, aka Janina Angel Bath.
Janina just opened a Boutique in Berkeley (3140 MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA), and next time I am down I am definitely going for a visit. Meanwhile, I discovered that she is a musician herself, and I am head over heels in love with her tranced out, dreamy, drone-y songs. You can check out her music website here, and here is a fabulous song off of her last album, Gypsy Woman:
I love all of the Bay Area nature in her videos and photos- all of that magical fog and ocean and rolling hills. That's the mystical maritime world that I grew up in!
Janina is currently working on a new album, and rumor has it that there will be a tour... maybe even up to the foothills. Hooray!
When I first heard this song by First Aid Kit, I literally could not believe that they were from Sweden- I mean, their country twang is perfect. This is a really sweet song pining away for a love that's like Emmylou (Parsons) and Graham (Nash) or Johnny (Cash) and June (Carter). Sigh...
The thing that puts it over the top is the strong, bell-clear voices- holy wow, those Swedish cowgirls can sing!
Our household has a new band- Mt. Whateverest! That's my hunny Chris front and center, shredding on the guitar; and our friends Jonah on drums, Steven on the keys, and Jacob on the bass. I am the big ham in the hippie dress, playing tambourine and singing back-up. Enjoy!
I just heard the news that Etta James passed. The world has lost one of its major musical talents.
I discovered Etta James in my 20s, working a job that I hated with every cell of my being, which involved doing laundry and ironing and washing fancy flatware from shmoozy dinner parties for two very creepy yuppies (one of whom was a real lech). I worked alone in their house for part of the day, and I'd discovered a stack of CDs in the rec room covered in years of dust, which contained a lot of crap and, somehow, miraculously, a collection of early Etta James. I would blast the CD their BOSE stereo in the kitchen while shaking a tail feather like nobody's business, feeling like I was Myself again.
If anyone doubts that art can save lives- or at least turn a mood around in the face of all obstacles, they just need to listen to some real music. Godspeed, Etta.
Today me and Chris went up the hill to do some photos of the guitars that he's listing in his Etsy shop, Cosmic Yardsale. Here are some of my favorites:
This one is called the Feathercaster- it looks good and sounds awesome! The feathers were done by a good friend of ours. Electronics upgraded by Chris.
My dress is from Jessica at Brightest Star- it's one of my favorite pieces in my closet! Sparrrkley...
My favorite part of this photo shoot was my headpiece, which I threw together right before we walked up the hill. Thanks to Sadie Rose from Lost Boys and Lovers for gifting me this vintage mesh bow that served as the base!
