Sometimes I think about how much more content this blog would have if it was more of a collective, with multiple contributers, rather than just me but eh– you wouldn’t get “the full JP experience” (Are you experienced?) this way. Ha. Doesn’t matter now. Here’s another music/video dump: this time — stuff from October that I’ve had on lock for a bit, but haven’t gotten around to posting on here. I’m hoping that you’ll get fresh November content within this month. So here we go. This is my October Isht.

George Michael’s “Freedom ‘90″.
I remember watching this on MTV, and then later on VH1. I remember watching the Pop Up Video episode that this was on. I know every single word, and I can still do a pretty good imitation of Naomi’s dance with combat boots and headphones on.  I pretend to be Cindy Crawford when I crawl out of the shower. I still kinda want Linda Evangelista’s haircut. 4:36-5:35 is my favorite part. Clearly, I can name every single supermodel in this video– god I love this song.

Frente’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”.
It’s so simple. While this cover is a stripped down bare bones version of New Order’s single, it really works.

Earlimart’s “Unintentional Tape Manipulatoins”.
Fuzzy is sexy.

Bishop Allen’s “True or False”.
This video was selected purely on its visual elements, as it’s a little twee for me to be honest. But man do I have such a wide-on* for those fringe dresses. And I really want a lace minidress because I secretly want to be gothic version of Nancy Sinatra — so would that make me Anita Pallenberg?

The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”.
One of the few Beatles songs I actually really enjoy. Just listen to it and let the sense of yearning and urgency roll over you like waves.

The Stone’s “Sister Morphine”.

My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow”.

Young Love’s “One to Ten”.
Another vid pick where the actual tunez are a little whack, but the visuals are so good. Broken glass, blood everywhere– ah! It’s like a Dario Argento softcore film, or a Skinimax snuff film.Yes, I realize I’ve got a sick sense of humor and turn ons that I’m sure only Eli Roth would enjoy. Sue me.

Marvin Gaye’s “Sunny”.
Probably another cover that I prefer over the German disco original.

Holy Ghost!’s “I Will Come Back”.

Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald”.

Pentagram’s “Sign of the Wolf”.

And that’s been it mostly. I know you’re like wait– what about the Halloween jams? I listen to that year round. And I think I posted some great stuff from last year. What? You want at least one Halloween jam? Well here you go:

KXVO’s “Pumpkin Dance”.

Enjoy.

* Wide-on’s been a term that I’ve been borrowing/trying on from Ned of Boner Party. I’m still trying to see if it sticks, and whether or not I like it.

Ohno Bakufu.
“Chrysanthemum (Yellow and White)”, (1950).
Woodblock.
10 1/4″x 15 1/4″

In floriography, the Chinese Chrysanthemum stands for cheerfulness under adversity. I’m trying to take this to heart right now.

Haven’t done one of these in a while. As usual I can’t sleep– and the hits keep on coming. I survived my first round of layoffs at work, and had my hours cut. I’m probably going to be applying for food stamps sometime this week, as I qualify and I’ve decided to move past my pride, and accept things for what they are. I foresee eating better than I do now in my future and becoming somewhat of a food stamp foodie.

So there’s that. Here’s what I’ve been listening to the last month and a half or so. Rest assured there will be an October, and a Halloween music dump to follow soon.

Moloko’s “The Time is Now”.

Takako Minekawa’s “Fantastic Cat”.

Soulwax’s “NY Excuse”.
There’s been a lot of 90s nostalgia resurfacing in my music lately. Followed by more slower, psych-rock/metal. Judging by my taste in music, you’d think I was a huge pothead– but no — I just happen to really like a lot of downtempo stoner rock. I need constant white noise that I can headbang softly too, and that just happens to fit the bill. Also my taste in metal is doing its usual seasonal shift where I transition from really yelpy, heavy on the falsettos type of metal to sludge and then it hits full on black metal during winter time.

Dead Meadow’s “What Needs Must Be.”

Sleep’s “Holy Mountain.”

Weedeater’s “Bull”.

Miike Snow’s “Animal.”
So infectious! And it’s kind of scary how dark some of the lyrics are: “I change shapes to hide in this place/but I’m still an animal”.

Opal’s “Rocket Machine”.

Royksopp’s “Sparks”.
This just makes me think of driving my car out of the suburbs and onto the highway during the fall.

Imogen Heap’s “Come Here Boy”.
And the O.C.

Lovage’s “Stroker Ace”.

French Kicks “Close to Modern”.

Escort’s “All Thorough the Night”.

The Zombies’ “She’s Not There”.
Seriously, The Zombies need to stop sound all hot and sexy–

Wham’s “Everything She Wants”.
I think I drive my roommate nuts with the amount of Wham that I listen to on a weekly basis.

Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music”.
The dance that he does in the beginning of the video? Killer.

Just found out that the besto is having a girl. She’s still working on a name, though last time we talked she was almost sure about “Emma”. Who knows? If this is the future– I’ve got to say it looks pretty awesome.

I’m going to make it rain with some Hello Kitty merch though on my niece.
–
Picture courtesy of Caves of Lilith or you know a time machine.

Alex Gross, an alumni and faculty member of the Pasadena-based Art Center College of Design creates incredibly loaded surrealist paintings inhabited by Gene Simmons, Medusa, asian ladies of all persuasions, icecream and Frederick Douglass. Some of my favorites:

“The Last Judgment”, (2007).
Oil on Canvas.
58″x72″.

“Hierophant”, (2008).
Oil on Canvas.
62″x53″.

“Videotape”, (2008).
Mixed Media on Oil Panel.
24″x24″.

To see more of his work, you click here for his website.
First spotted on Beautiful Decay.

My father will be in town. Does anyone know where outside of Yankees Stadium I can merch? He’s been adamant over both the phone, and e-mail as to getting more t-shirts, hats, and mugs for both him and my mother. People think I kid about my father being put at ease that I live in somewhat close proximity to the Yanks– he calls it the “motherland”, but I’m not. My parents put me on hold during one of the games because they love the Yankees more than me.

Images courtesy of A Time to Get.

If someone just happens to have 15,000 dollars on them and they don’t happen to have any plans on Halloween I think you should head to Stevens Auction Company and purchase yourself (by that I mean me) an authentic “Vampire Killing Kit”. Why the extremely high mark-up? Simple. Last year, another went for $14,850. And seriously, can you put a price on cleavers, silver daggers, wooden stakes, a pistol with silver bulletrs, holy water, and a looking glass. Did I mention that the bullets come in an ornate wooden case?

This is the real deal. It appeals to both my Catholic upbringing (hahaha) and my natural attraction to the occult. Plus hey, seasonal post. WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT.

From the desk of Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol:

Found out last week that best friend number two flew to Vegas for a quickie elopement. After I took a shower, and contemplated my mortality, the two of us later met for brunch (how New York), where we talked for hours in the restaurant, walking around the East Village, and later on a park bench outside of Union Square watching the sunset. She arrived home with a promise from me that I’d be a bridesmaid yet again, since she and her husband/fiance decided to have an actual ceremony next summer, while I caught another cold. Seriously, New York cut it out. How long is it going to take my body to acclimate to all the weather changes.

What this does mean is that I’ve spending all my time not at work, at home drinking tea, juice, water, and soup. God, I miss coffee. But hey– it means more time blogging. And it also means I get to start harassing the future bride with obnoxious suggestions. Remember, when I said M was getting married in a castle– and I asked whether or not there was going to be turkey legs, and whether or not I should wear chainmail to the wedding.

Oh it’s on. I just e-mailed E with the suggestion that she and her husband should photoshop their heads onto this cereal box for their Save the Date mail invites.

And that this should be the in-house entertainment:

Oh it’s on.

I thought this was supposed to happen in my mid-twenties. But that’s me, always getting a head start on the next big thing. Next stop, Babytown, USA. And damn it, I’m going to have some with it, this time around.

Does anyone actually read Archies anymore? I know people purchase them as I ring an inordinate amount on any given day, but does anyone actually read them? Even as a kid, I never found them funny or clever. I was bored with the one-note performances of the characters: Betty’s sweet, Veronica’s rich, Jughead’s hungry, and most of all Archie Andrews is indecisive– in fact, his inability to choose between two women who are nearly indistinguishable from the neck down thanks to cartoonist Dan DeCarlo’s pencils.

Alright, so about seventy years since its inception Archie Comics decides to shake things up by having Archie finally decide that post-high school he’s going to marry uptight and snobbish Veronica Lodge, and by default break poor, sweet Betty’s heart. Blech. Currently, we’re about 2 issues into the story arc– and really I couldn’t care less. Thank you Mark Joseph Mulroney — I ran into his website about a week and a half ago, and in addition to cartoon clippings, murals, and his rich and varied personal library, Mulroney makes mixed media art featuring nearly all of the Riverdale gang in very compromising and not at all work safe positions. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Smut underneath the cut: