Week One Hundred and Eight: Material Issue - "Very First Lie" - International Pop Overthrow

When I posted about Eve's Plum and The Indians, I mentioned that I attended EdgeFest #3 back in 1994 at Starplex Amphitheater. Another band that was part of that year's lineup was Material Issue. Now, if you were at that show, then you probably recall the barrage of plastic cups that went flying through the air during their set. You may also recall how pissed the band members became at the audience once the plastic cups started to make their way onstage. 

Material Issue was yet another band who met a tragic fate, and I'll let Wikipedia fill you in:

"Throughout the remainder of 1995 and into 1996, Material Issue had recorded a set of new songs with the intention of shopping them to a new label. However, the band came to a tragic and sudden end when Ellison committed suicide on June 20, 1996 by carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage. No one knows for sure what compelled Ellison to end his life but the loss of their record label in 1995 as well as an end to a long term relationship on his 32nd birthday (April 18, 1996) are likely contributors to his decision to commit suicide. A suicide note was found by police, but the contents of that note remain known only to Ellison's family."

Jim Ellison was their lead singer, as well as the guitarist. I was so terribly sad when I heard the news because I really, really liked this band.

A few years ago, I went on Amazon.com to purchase a copy of International Pop Overthrow, and you can only imagine my complete surprise when what arrived in the mail was an autographed copy of the CD (pictured below):

I will also include "Valerie Loves Me" and "International Pop Overthrow"...but don't stop there; check out some of their other tunes, as well!!!

I'd like to wake up with you early in the morning

Or stay up late, just playin' records on your phonograph

I'd like to get to know your mother and your father

Maybe just once, pretend to be somebody's better half

And I would like to tell the very first lie

I'd like to ignore all my friends

And spend my time with you

Maybe shake your tambourine

I'd like to do the sorts of things

That you and I could do

We could 'most anything

And I would like to tell the very first lie

I'd like to get to know

Your family and friends you know

Maybe pick you up from work

I'd like to do the sorts of things

That you and I could do 'til it hurts

I'd like to wake up with you early in the morning

Or stay up late, just playin' records on your phonograph

I'd like to get to know your mother and your father

Maybe just once, pretend to be somebody's better half

And I would like to tell the very first lie

Week One Hundred and Seven: The Stone Roses - "Elephant Stone" - The Stone Roses

Okay, I am making one additional change to my blog, and this will be it for awhile.  I am moving my posting day from what I had originally referred to as "Music Monday" to what will now be known as "Soundtrack Sunday"...

Any time I am ever fortunate enough to meet someone who knows of the band The Stone Roses, and we begin talking about their music, we inevitably end up talking about our favorite songs. Of course, most people name "I Wanna Be Adored" or "Fools Gold", both excellent songs and both included below, but they always seem to offer me a puzzled look when I state that "Elephant Stone" is my all-time fave song by The Stone Roses. How can more people not know about this song?!?! It is the epitome of coolness....

Here's what Wikipedia has to say:

"'Elephant Stone' is the third single by The Stone Roses and their first release on Silvertone Records. Originally released in October 1988, it showcased the group's growing confidence and incorporation of dance rhythms. It was produced by New Order bassist Peter Hook in his own studio initially for release on Rough Trade Records and remixed by John Leckie following a deal with Silvertone Records."

"John Squire on the hidden meaning of 'Elephant Stone', 'What is about? Love and Death... War and Peace... Morecambe and Wise...' Squire also said about 'Elephant Stone', 'It's about a girl... Who I don't see any more....'"

And as I have often encouraged you before, please do not stop at just these three songs that I am offering you today...go out and explore more songs by The Stone Roses.  You won't regret it!!!

Burst into heaven

Kissing the cotton clouds

Arctic sheets and fields of wheat

I can’t stop coming down

Your shrunken head

Looking down on me above

Send me home like an elephant stone

To smash my dream of love

Dreaming til the sun goes down

And night turns into day

Rooms are empty I've got plenty

You could move in right away

It seems like there’s a hole

In my dreams

In my dreams

In my dreams

Down through the heavens

Choke on the cotton clouds

Arctic sheets and fields of wheat

I can’t stop coming down

Your shrunken head

Looking down on me above

Send me home like an elephant stone

To smash my dream of love

Did your bed and bookshelf go

And run run run away

These four walls saw the rise and fall

And your midnight getaway

Seems like there’s a hole

In my dreams

Or so it seems

Yet nothing means anything

Anymore

Week One Hundred and Six: Opus III - "It's A Fine Day" - Mind Fruit

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my blog over the past two years. I hope it has opened your mind and your ears to all of the great music that is out there.

Secondly, I want to inform you that I have embarked upon writing a book series. It has been a dream of mine for awhile now to tackle this series that has been floating around in my mind for years and years. Of course, it is centered on music --- time travel and a jukebox, to be more specific. However, in order to be able to devote enough time to my book series, I have will have to cut back on my blog posts.

I will begin posting once a week, on what I now refer to as Music Monday...but before you get too sad about the latest news that I have sprung upon you, just think about all of the random new musical treasures that I will be able to offer you, like today's gem by Opus III, that I was never able to fit into a weekly theme in the past... And remember: "It's going to be a fine night tonight; It's going to be a fine day tomorrow..."

Also, I'll leave you with another one of their hits called "I Talk to the Wind", and I'll see you in a week...

Tonight..

fine night tonight

fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's a fine day,

people open windows.

they leave the houses,

just for a short walk.

it's a fine day,

people open windows.

they leave the houses,

just for a short walk.

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's a fine day,

people open windows.

they leave the houses,

just for a short walk.

they walk by the grass

they look at the sky

they walk by the grass

and they look at the grass

they look at the sky

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

look at the sky

look at the sky

look at the sky

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine day tomorrow

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

it's going to be a fine night tonight

Week One Hundred and Five: Happy Second Birthday to The Soundtrack of a Heartbreak Beat: Most Viewed Post #1

That's right, folks! My sweet little blog turned two years old on Sunday, May 4th. To celebrate this stellar event, I'm going to take this week off, and instead, I will offer the top four most viewed posts over the course of these past two years.

~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~

Coming in at Number 1, with 574 individual pageviews, is the post I did on 7/21/12 over Amy Winehouse's cover of "Our Day Will Come". I initially posted this around the first anniversary of her death, and it got a few hits here and there. However, on the second anniversary of her death, this particular post got almost 200 pageviews over night. I still, to this day, do not know how or even why, but it continues to be my most frequently viewed post. It seems that people access it to look at her tattoos and their placement, but I'm not 100% sure about that...

Most Viewed Post #1 - Amy Winehouse - "Our Day Will Come"

There are a plethora of reasons as to why I chose Amy Winehouse for my week twelve artist.  First and foremost, the world will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of her passing on Monday, July 23rd.  Secondly, I just finished reading the book that was penned by her father, Mitch Winehouse, called Amy, My Daughter, which was a very touching and heartwarming account of her life.  Finally, Elvis week segues nicely into Amy week since she was a fan of his, especially since Blake was a fan of his.  In fact, I read somewhere that the lightning bolt tattoo on her right inner wrist was her tribute to Elvis.  The lightning bolt was the symbol used for his TCB trademark.  However, I believe that Amy got that tattoo long before she met the Elvis-obsessed Blake; so it could have been more of an "afterthought" explanation for her because I also read somewhere else that the lightning bolt was symbolic of her "harsher" side and the corresponding feather, on the other inner wrist area, was symbolic of her "softer" side:

Shortly after her passing, when the web and news broadcasts blew up with reports about Amy, my father pointed out to me that Amy and I possessed many striking similarities.  She was very close to both her father and her paternal grandmother.  I am very close to my father and was very close to my paternal grandmother.  She mentored Dionne Bromfield; I mentor a young African-American girl.  She was of Russian ancestry; I am of Russian ancestry.  She loved 1960s Girl Groups; I love 1960s Girl Groups.  She was in an abusive relationship that destroyed her; I was in an abusive relationship that nearly destroyed me.  Her drink of choice was Vodka; my drink of choice was Vodka.  Where our similarities clearly end is that at the age she passed away, I was already a year into my sobriety.

I will not claim to have been a huge Amy fan while she was alive.  I always appreciated the unique nature of her work, and I never made fun of her for her issues.  Why would I?  I know what a struggle it was for her to battle her demons - I cannot imagine having to fight them while being scrutinized by the public eye.  I also know that you eventually have to put all that negativity behind you, and as long as she was expected to continue to sing about Blake and all of that heartbreak, she did not have a fighting chance.

I love her cover of "Our Day Will Come" which was originally by Ruby and the Romantics.  I just realized the other day that this song is playing very faintly while they are in the bowling alley the first time in Grease 2, while they are returning the shoes and right before Stephanie kisses Michael as he is coming through the entrance.  I know that Amy was a huge fan of the Grease films, so I wonder if that had any impact on her choice to cover this song.

 Our day will come (Our day will come)
And we'll have everything
We'll share the joy
Falling in love can bring

No one can tell me
That I'm too young to know
I love you so
And you love me

Our day will come (Our day will come)
If we just wait a while
No tears for us
Think love and wear a smile

Our dreams have magic

Because we'll always stay
In love this way
Our day will come

[Instrumental break]

Our dreams have magic

Because we'll always stay
In love this way

Our day will come

Our day will come

Our day will come

Our day....will come

Our day will come

Week One Hundred and Five: Happy Second Birthday to The Soundtrack of a Heartbreak Beat: Most Viewed Post #2

That's right, folks! My sweet little blog turned two years old on Sunday, May 4th. To celebrate this stellar event, I'm going to take this week off, and instead, I will offer the top four most viewed posts over the course of these past two years.

~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~

Coming in at Number 2, with 148 individual pageviews, is the post I did on 10/31/12 over Ministry's spooky tune called "Everyday is Halloween". It's rather interesting how I get a lot of my traffic on this post. If you ever read it, you may recall that I included a pictorial history of my oh-so-gothic days, and I had one photo of my hair braided like Casey Niccoli. Now, if you do a Google image search on Casey Niccoli, my photo pops up within the first three rows --- I've circled it for you below:

So, yes, it appears that, in the process of looking for Casey Niccoli photos, people happen upon this post...

Most Viewed Post #2 - Ministry - "Everyday is Halloween"

In honor of All Hallow's Eve, better known as Halloween, Week Twenty-Six

will be full of Spooky Tunes

<@><@><@><@><@><@><@><@><@>

Trick or treat!!  Happy Halloween, and boy, do I have some treats for you today!  I love this song, "Everyday Is Halloween," by Ministry because, for the longest time, every day truly was like Halloween for me.  I went through a super-uber-goth phase from about the ages of 15 to 26 - if you can actually call that a phase.

My parents attempted to be good sports about it, but they were none too pleased - especially since they spent thousands upon thousands of dollars to send me to Catholic school for most of my young life and to shield me from the very type of people that I turned into.  My dad would somewhat jokingly/somewhat seriously say to me: "Sweetheart, you can either walk five feet in front of me or five feet behind me, but you are not walking beside me!" My mom would always introduce me as her "artsy child". Deep down, they were both asking themselves, "Where did we go so wrong?"

I'm not even sure why I was so attracted to that whole lifestyle. I think that part of me simply thrived on the shock value.  The other part of me felt that people can be so idiotic and shallow and judgmental, and it was an incredibly easy way for me to weed out individuals with whom I wished to have absolutely no contact, exactly as this song suggests.

So, I am offering you, my dear blogland following, a pictorial history of some of the highlights of my super-uber-goth days...and for everyone who told me that I would look back on that period of my life with regret, I'm here to say: "You could not have been more wrong about that! I'm very proud of it, and best of all, I had a blast!!"  Happy Halloween!!!!

This was taken around 1996 (at the age of 19) in my dorm room at Bruce Hall (University of North Texas).  You would think I was dressed up to go out somewhere special, but this was just a typical day for me.  Yes, we were allowed to smoke in our dorm room; that was the whole point of living in Bruce Hall.

Here's one of me and my best friend, Cecilia, during Christmas break after our first semester of college in December of 1996 (at the age of 19).  I think we did actually make it out to the club that night.

This was my very first apartment that I rented in 1997 (right before turning 20), also referred to as "the den of death," by some of my closest friends.  It was about the size of a closet and was decorated with Siouxsie , The Smiths, & Cure posters and lots & lots of black - notice the skull lights above the curtain thing that created my bedroom and the skeleton cut-out in the window - epic!!

This is a picture of me and my younger sister cheesin' for the camera at my parent's house around 1997 (at the age of 20).  She never understood why I looked the way I did.  In fact, she grew up loving rap, pop, and hip hop - figures, right? Hey, Stef, look... it's a fishnet shirt under the dress --- that's a reference that only she would understand!!!

Now, this one is actually from a fashion show that I walked in around 1997 (at the age of 20) for a UNT designer that was held at the Club Clearview complex.  When he needed someone with an edge to pull off this dark look, he did not have to go too far.

Inspired by Casey Niccoli (Perry Farrell's love interest for many years), I used to braid my hair up all fancy-like.  This was taken in 2003 (right before I turned 26) by my older brother's friend for a black-and-white photography project he had to do for an art class.  It's a shame it is not in color because you would have been able to see how lovely the purple braids actually were!

Last, but definitely not least, just in case you missed it in the Book of Love - "Witchcraft" post, since I added it a few days after I actually published the post, this was my sophomore year high school yearbook picture, taken in 1993 (at the age of 15).  This is, hands down, my all-time favorite photo... ever!!!!!

And now... here's Ministry... this is not the official video, but it does have super-cool horror film clips incorporated with the music... I am also including my other favorite Ministry tune, "Revenge," below the lyrics...

well, I live with snakes and lizards 
and other things that go bump in the night 
'cuz to me everyday is Halloween 
I have given up hiding and started to fight
I have started to fight 
well any time, any place, anywhere that I go 
all the people seem to stop and stare 

they say 'why are you dressed like it's Halloween?
you look so absurd, you look so obscene' 
oh, why can't I live a life for me? 
why should I take the abuse that's served? 
why can't they see they're just like me? 
it's the same, it's the same in the whole wide world 

well, I let their teenie minds think 
that they're dealing with someone who is over the brink 
and I dress this way just to keep them at bay
'cuz Halloween is everyday, hey
it's everyday, hey

oh, why can't I live a life for me?
why should I take the abuse that's served? 
why can't they see they're just like me? 
it's the same, it's the same in the whole wide world 

(interlude)

oh, why can't I live a life for me? 
why should I take the abuse that's served? 
why can't they see they're just like me? 
I'm not the one that's so absurd

why hide it?
why fight it? 
hurt feelings 
best to stop feeling 
hurt from denials 
reprisals
it's the same, it's the same in the whole wide world

it's the same, it's the same in the whole wide
it's the same, it's the same in the whole wide, oh
(fade out) it's the same, it's the same in the whole wide

Week One Hundred and Five: Happy Second Birthday to The Soundtrack of a Heartbreak Beat: Most Viewed Post #3

That's right, folks! My sweet little blog turned two years old on Sunday, May 4th. To celebrate this stellar event, I'm going to take this week off, and instead, I will offer the top four most viewed posts over the course of these past two years.

~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~

Coming in at Number 3, with 107 individual pageviews, is the post I did on 12/2/12 over Sunglasses & Sugar's holiday tune called "Tinsel Tree". I cannot take credit for most of these pageviews because I received a lot of traffic from their social media sites regarding this one. I did realize that I made a comparison to ABC's tune, "The Look of Love", but I did not bother to offer you a YouTube clip of that one, so I will include it for you today:

I also mentioned another Sunglasses & Sugar called "(It's A) Snow Day", but I did not post that YouTube Clip either...so here you go:

Most Viewed Post #3 - Sunglasses & Sugar - "Tinsel Tree"

Sunglasses & Sugar has quickly become one of my favorite new bands from 2012, and luckily, they released this track, "Tinsel Tree", just in time for the holiday season (and just in time to make it into Holiday Tunes week). I really dig their throwback sound but feel that they still generate their own unique twist to easily appeal to modern listeners.

Although I love the rocking nature of the tune itself, I'd have to say that the spoken aside is what really makes the song. It is very reminiscent of Martin Fry's spoken aside in the ABC hit, "The Look of Love". Interestingly enough, it was David Bowie who suggested to Martin Fry that he do that. Apparently, Bowie stopped by the studio on the day of the recording and told Fry that what the song was missing was the equivalent of an answer phone message... and voila! - Martin did just that - remember that whole --- "And though my friends just might ask me... They say: 'Martin, maybe one day you'll find true love...'" bit???

Okay, so back to Sunglasses & Sugar... If I am not mistaken, they treated us to a preview of the other two songs on the maxi-single, "Totally Ridic" & "Storytime", at their November show at The Barley House. Wow! So that means that they gave out candy, covered Costello, Morrissey, The Smiths, and The Beach Boys, and let us have a sneak peek at these two new tunes --- that's setting the bar awfully high for one of their first shows... I'd be interested to see how they plan to top that in the future --- petit fours and wrapped gifts, maybe?!?!? ;-D

If you get a chance, you should also check out their other Winter-inspired tune, "(It's A) Snow Day", from VuVuZuelas. Any teacher who values the virtue of honesty will tell you that we appreciate a Snow Day just as much as (well, actually, probably more than) the students. I'm totally hoping for a Snow Day this year! Technically, four or five Snow Days would be preferred like that one year not too long ago --- as long as we don't have to make them up in June!!!

3 A.M., Saturday morning, it’s after Halloween, November is falling, leaves are down, 

Christmas is coming, browns and golds, I’ve been told that Rudolph’s nose is glowing red and

 Rachael Ray’s cooking on my telly, I’m browsing Skymall to get shopping done early, a string of multicoloured lights from Walgreen’s, stocking hung by my fridge and there’s petit fours on my counter

Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, with a string of lights glowing on thee

Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, may God bless us all this Christmas day and eve

Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, exchanging all the presents piled beneath thee

Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, Tinsel Tree, may God’s grace shine on you and me this eve

A time to forgive, of hope and caring, couples shopping, and families laughing

cheery silver bells to ring in your heartstrings

white elephant gift exchange, secret santa, secret names and

Hazy shade of winter great Bangles cover, I’m strumming my Gretsch Chet Atkins for my lover

gorgeous snowflakes are falling upon us

snowmen and fun snowball fights, snow angels, sleigh ride tonight and

[spoken part]

“It’s Christmas, my favourite time of the year. Seeing old friends and family near. Holiday greetings all of us share. Raise your glass to hopes and dreams this coming year.”

Week One Hundred and Five: Happy Second Birthday to The Soundtrack of a Heartbreak Beat: Most Viewed Post #4

That's right, folks! My sweet little blog turned two years old on Sunday, May 4th. To celebrate this stellar event, I'm going to take this week off, and instead, I will offer the top four most viewed posts over the course of these past two years.

~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~o0o~~

Coming in at Number 4, with 72 individual pageviews, is the post I did on 12/25/12 over Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me". If you ever viewed that one, you may recall that, since I could not locate my Poison ticket stub, I offered you Christmas presents in the form of photos of me with Gerardo, as well as the lead singer of Color Me Badd. Well, for today's post, I was able to locate more photos --- one with another member of Color Me Badd and one with Tara Kemp (and my brother) --- and the ticket stub from the Club MTV concert that I mentioned:

Most Viewed Post #4 - Poison - "Talk Dirty to Me"

That's right, my dearest blogland companions, you're getting a week's worth of leftovers... If you ever got around to reading the Introduction to this blog, you might remember that I mentioned that I had a precursory blog to The Soundtrack of a Heartbreak Beat that I was indirectly forced to shut down by my employer. However, I still have lots of fun posts on that one that are kind of hanging in limbo, so I'm transferring a few of them over for your viewing pleasure. Don't worry, though, I'll be back with more fun & fresh posts in 2013!!!

~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating!!! --- Christmas presents are included below (well, sort of, but don't peek ahead - you must read the whole thing for it to make sense)...

When I was in the 6th grade and everyone still owned a land line, I was lucky enough to possess the phone with the fastest speed dial in all of Dallas. I say that because I won so many prizes off of Y95 & later Power95 – 94.9 on the dial – that they got sick of seeing my dad at the station when he went to pick up my goodies. This was obviously before I made the switch to 94.5, The EDGE.

Most notably, I won tickets for Madonna, and the Club MTV Concert (along with backstage passes to meet Color Me Badd, Gerardo, Tara Kemp, and C&C Music Factory), and finally, I won Poison tickets (along with opening act, Warrant, of “Cherry Pie” fame).

I will never understand why my parents dropped two twelve-year-olds off at Reunion Arena to see this show, but I imagine that they were probably so overwhelmed with life that they did not notice that there were people running around with pants that said “F*CK” and that glowed in the dark.

The only other way to sum up the evening is to say that the two ladies next to us offered us what I thought, at the time, were cigarettes, but I learned a few years later that they were “magical” cigarettes. Don't worry! We politely declined!! (No, really, we declined... seriously, we really declined!)



And since, I could not, for the life of me, locate my Poison ticket stub, I am going to offer you something even better --- and, um yeah, you can consider this one a Christmas present!!! Behold --- photographic evidence that I was in the presence of Mr. Rico Suave himself - Gerardo - it even says so on his jacket :D ---

And photographic evidence that I was also in the presence of the lead singer of Color Me Badd --- (remember him from that dirty, little tune - "I Wanna Sex You Up"???). I look a bit more starstruck (or psycho) in this one ---

But, seriously, check out that awful 6th grade fashion faux pas that would be called bangs --- those things were huge and fuzzy (I think that might be the last time I ever had my natural hair color)... I'm fairly certain that I'm also rockin' some shoulder pads in that fancy get-up that I'm wearing because I don't recall having such broad, football player shoulders... thank heavens I came to my fashion & musical senses by 7th grade!!!

You know I never

I never seen you look so good

You never act the way you should

But I like it

And I know you like it too

The way that I want you

I gotta have you

Oh yes, I do

I never
I never ever stay out late

You know that I can hardly wait

Just to see you

And I know you cannot wait

Wait to see me too

I gotta touch you

Chorus:

Cause baby we'll be

At the drive-in

In the old man's Ford

behind the bushes

until I'm screamin' for more

Down the basement

lock the cellar door

And baby

Talk dirty to me

You know I call you

I call you on the telephone

I'm only hoping that you're home

So I can hear you

When you say those words to me

And whisper so softly

I gotta hear you

Chorus

C.C. pick up that guitar and talk to me