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Life / Words / Song That Chilling Moment When a Song’s Lyrics Smack You Right in the Feelings

Posted by Megan Seling on Mon, Jun 17, 2013 at 3:22 PM

“I never learned to swim, and I’m tired of holding my breath.” —“Monster in Montauk,” Hounds of the Wild Hunt

Several months ago I watched a woman end her life. Sort of. Maybe. It’s still unclear what exactly happened. See, back in October my husband and I were in New York City—visiting friends, eating everything on Momofuku Milk Bar's menu, and riding public transportation that isn't worthless—and one night we decided to take the Roosevelt Island Tramway over the East River to Roosevelt Island to gaze at the city’s skyline from across the water. It was a dark, chilly October night, the perfect fall night for a walk. It was just a few days before Halloween and, no fucking joke, we saw a person in a Grim Reaper costume walk past us and disappear down an escalator to get on the subway. The Grim Reaper had a scythe. It was spooky and funny at the time, but now it's just spooky.

While strolling down the sidewalk that follows along the river, a man who we didn't know was behind us, started yelling at us. He was shouting something about the police and a woman and the river. He ran towards us, he didn’t speak English very well, and kept insisting we call the police. After 15 seconds, maybe 30, I don't know, we realized what was happening.

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Life / Drugs / Celeb / Loud / I'm Still a Virgin / Gossip / Shit Talk / History / #1 Fan This is Awesome - Iggy Pop: "I Don't Like Punk"

Posted by Mike Nipper on Thu, May 30, 2013 at 3:25 PM

Nearly EVERY pop star concedes to the notion of their "brand." It's gross and sad, but it's what the biz does to market and SELL it's commodities. If I was a wanna-be I guess I'd understand and comply; like, since there is SUCH a glut of waiting POP hopefuls, if you're tapped as an up-and-comer you gotta let do/be what the press agents say to do/be. Thankfully tho', there are REAL motherfuckers like Iggy Pop who ain't needing to be marketed and can be honest and open about how the marketing is just a lot of bullshit.

The Stooges frontman is often referred to as the godfather of punk but, in an interview with Classic Rock, he said he was not a fan of the title and found it "tedious."

"They have to have a place to put me to reference in the whole thing," he said of industry figures who use the accolade. "And they think they have to explain that to an audience of people who are similarly lacking in intelligence or education. So you get that. It's okay.
But it's tedious."

Tho' I haven't much cared for the Stooges recent recordings or any of Iggy's solo records since, gosh, New Values, it's always refreshing to hear him talk and here he obviously calls bullshit on the "industry figures" while calling out the kid's ignorance! Heh. Unlike a lot of old rock guys who have a certain air of self-reverential arrogance, he seems like he's mostly the same guy he was in 1968; he knows how lucky he was to get out of that fucking trailer park. As for the "I don't like punk" quote...

“We hadn’t sold out one of the shows, so the promoter wanted me to go on the radio. So I said: ‘Alright, I’ll do an interview.’ Well, then that wasn’t enough. They wanted me to talk about five punk songs. And I told them: ‘I don’t like punk.’”

I wonder what five punk songs they had hoped he'd comment on; I can't think of anything contemporary that'd make the grade. Also I found this source kinda funny - it's an interview from Classic Rock magazine?! I'd never consider the Stooges "Classic Rock." EVER. In context with say a generic KNOWN classic rock band, like Kansas, the Stooges would be on the other end of the spectrum.

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Life / Booze / Sasquatch Would You Take This Bottle of Jack Daniels From a Honey Bucket?

Posted by Kelly O on Tue, May 28, 2013 at 2:51 PM

Slog tipper Aaron sends this photo and says he couldn't bring himself to touch, nor take, this opened-but-mostly-full-bottle of Jack Daniels from the floor of a Honey Bucket over the weekend... What would YOU have done?

aaron

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Life / Lists Songs About Moving

Posted by Anna Minard on Thu, May 23, 2013 at 4:50 PM

I've been moving for the last week or so, and after all the boxes had been lugged away, I remembered this little song by the Weakerthans about moving. I played it quietly to myself in the empty room (song starts at about 0:50):

Now that the furniture's returning to its Goodwill home
With dishes and last week's paper
Rumors and elections
Crosswords, our unending wars
The black on our fingers smeared the ink on every door pulled shut
Now that the last month's rent is scheming with the damage deposit...

There are so many songs about moving on, about moving on up, about looking for a home, about kicking your cheating boyfriend out of the house, about one's house, about coming home.

But are there any others about the mundaneness of packing, about boxes and tape and the solemn emptiness of rooms, about the bareness of walls and ghosts of posters, the wistful sagging venetian blinds, the loneliness/hopefulness combo, the end-of-an-era feeling? The internet isn't finding any for me.

Sun in an empty room:

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Life RIP George Jones

Posted by Emily Nokes on Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 9:41 AM

Country Music Hall of Famer and member of the Grand Ole Opry, legendary country singer George Jones passed away today at the age of 81. Read more here. RIP, Possum.

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Life Happy Almost Birthday, Dave Segal!

Posted by Emily Nokes on Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 3:15 PM

Tomorrow is Dave Segal's birthday, and I couldn't decide which color of noise he'd prefer to listen to for 10 hours, so I went with sweeping pink. Oh and here's Segal's least-favorite human covered in spaghetti.

Happy almost birthday, Dave!

Joels hammy tough-guy delivery makes me want to use his fugly mug as speedbag till the end of time. -DS

"Joel's hammy tough-guy delivery makes me want to use his fugly mug as speedbag till the end of time." -DS

See DJ Veins on his birthday tomorrow (which is also just so happens to be Record Store Day) spinning all the non-hit hits at 11am at Everyday Music!

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Life / Very Great / Love / Video Thom Yorke Gives Advice for Teen Girls About Teen Boys

Posted by Anna Minard on Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 1:14 PM

Rookie Mag does it again! The newest edition of their Ask a Grown Man video series is Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich. They give advice to teen girls on asking boys out, how you know if you like someone ("Those little electrical impulses are the best bit," says Yorke), what it means when you want to have sex with someone who isn't your boyfriend, and more.

ENJOY:

(Link here). Dan doesn't have to give up his day job or anything, but this is fucking adorable.

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Life / Drugs / Staying In Wisdom Tooth Weekend: Songs For Percocet and Pain

Posted by Megan Seling on Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 10:33 AM

UUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH. On Wednesday I have to get my wisdom teeth pulled and I am NOT excited about it. I've never had a tooth pulled before. I hate going to the dentist. I'm terrified.

Thankfully I have a very radical husband who'll help take care of me by making sure the house is stocked with frozen yogurt and pain meds, and I suppose I could look at the bright side and be stoked about the fact that I can catch up on my Netflix queue (it's excusable, ney, preferable to watch shit like Bridalplasty when high on percocet, right?), but until it's time for naps and drugs, I'm filled with anxiety. What if my teeth don't come out? What if ALL my teeth come out?* What if my whole jaw comes off? What if I wake up during the surgery? WHAT IF I DON'T WAKE UP AT ALL!?

Along with the crippling anxiety, I have also had this song stuck in my head for the past week:

Are there any other wisdom tooth tips and/or songs I should know about? I'll make a playlist to listen to when I get tired of watching crappy TV!

*Seriously. I've had nightmares about this.

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Life / Fashion / 206 Purse Thursdayz: Hannah

Posted by Radjaw on Thu, Apr 4, 2013 at 5:29 PM

G. Smith
Hannah, 42. 9:32pm. Hazlewood.

I was happy to see Hannah out at my monthly Ballard gig, The Worst. She had had a few glasses of white wine already and the timing for peeking into her purse was perfect. Hannah has been working in the Seattle music scene for years and is working with SIFF this year doing a "Face the Music" series. Currently, she has been running Hothouse Promotions and has her Seek & Destroy radio show Saturday nights on KEXP. She's got a great show with Lord Dying coming up on April 6th at The Sunset, but before she had a fourth and fifth glass of wine I made her dump her shit on the table next to the DJ booth.

What kind of purse is that?
I don't know... It says it's a Crochet Sak. Seriously, S-A-K, sack.

Where did you get it?
Up at the Goodwill on 65th.

Is it your everyday purse?
Yeah, pretty much. In the summer, I tend to switch it up more for outfits. I'm trying to be better about it. This is a great purse to have because you don't have to worry about someone spilling a drink all over it. The crochet makes it ok!

Let's see what is inside!

• Grey hat
• Leather wallet
• American Spirits
• Notebook

This was so sweet, my grandmother bought me a "reporter notebook" and I keep trying to use it. I opened it up for the Soundgarden show but it was too dark. Once again, had to take notes on the iPhone.

• Random show flyer
• Engraved silver pen
• Horses Cut Shop keychain
• Legal document

If you caught me when I didnt have a boyfriend...

G. Smith
"If you caught me when I didn't have a boyfriend..."

What's that for?!?
Let's just say it's a legal document, ok?

• Eye cream
• Checkbook with therapist notes
• Sunglasses
• Taco Time receipt
• Keys with ZZ Top keychain

Billy Gibbons actually gave me that!! I fucking love it.

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Life / Fashion / 206 Purse Thursdayz - Rachel

Posted by Radjaw on Thu, Mar 28, 2013 at 1:14 PM

Rachel, 31. Taupe leather purse. 10:03am. Joe Bar.

G. Smith
Rachel, 31. Taupe leather purse. 10:03am. Joe Bar.

This morning, like many other mornings, I found myself with a cup of coffee and a magical crepe at one of my favorite hideaways, Joe Bar. With two lovely ladies working the counter, I hoped I could persuade them to stop what they were doing and dump out their bags. Rachel, a volunteer for NW Film Forum, was glad to open up even though she feared it might be kind of boring. I didn't care and tried my best not to hold up the line. Sorry, Ms. Behindme, you're gonna have to wait 5-10 minutes for your cup o' drip because I have important shit to do!

What kind of purse is that?
It's Chocolat Blu from Nordstrom? I got it like two or three years ago.

You use it everyday?
Pretty much... unless I'm biking that day.

Do you love it?
Well, I got it because it can fit my laptop and I needed it for travel. It's pretty cool because it can also be converted into a backpack.

Yeah!?
Yeah, but sadly I don't have those straps on me.

Bummer. What's in there?

• Hobo International brown wallet
• Always maxi pad
• 2 blue pens
• Fingerless gloves
• Sunglasses
• Keychain with USB and multiple Honda keys

Do you have more than one car?
Actually, no! I have had so many people break-in to my car that I now have a different key for each every keyhole on it!

• Moleskin day planner
• iPod shuffle
• Jane Criedale lipstick
• Nordstrom perfume sample
• 5 quarters
• Mardi Gras mark
• Toothbrush

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Life / Dust Bin / #1 Fan Dirty Girls

Posted by Kelly O on Mon, Mar 11, 2013 at 12:35 PM

Unearthed last week: check out this amateur documentary about teenage riot grrls in Los Angeles, shot in 1996, by then high-school kid Michael Lucid.

It's almost twenty years later, and 'zines are probably dead forever, but the core "dirty girls" message still rings true...

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Life / Hardcore / Cats Dogs Are Better Than Cats

Posted by Kelly O on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 12:05 PM

I'm sorry, they just are.

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Life / Fashion / 206 Purse Thursdayz: Melina

Posted by Radjaw on Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 11:35 AM

Welcome to Purse Thursdayz! Every week, I'll be looking into the purses, bags, and satchels of some of Seattle's finest women—seeing exactly what they are carrying around all day. Catching purses in their natural environment is very important, so these ladies do not know they are going to be interviewed. Shall we?

Melina, 28. Pleather bag. 11:20pm. Via Tribunali.

Mary Kalhor
Melina, 28. Pleather bag. 11:20pm. Via Tribunali.

I interviewed Melina and her purse a while back and I was so completely moved by my time with her purse that it had to be shared with you. Melina is a good friend of my lady and cracks me up whenever I see her. She is currently back in school and working on some new business endeavors that I cannot discuss. She is an avid traveller that loves froyo almost as much as I do. I mean who doesn't love froyo? Onto the purse!

Where did you get the purse?
It's from an H & M in Zurich, Switzerland.
Is this your favorite purse?
It is my everyday, shove all my shit in there, purse.
This is beautiful! What is that? Velvet??
Pleather.
Oh. Okay, well what is in this thing?!

• N Green bus transfer with gum on it
• Feather hair extension thingy
• 20 Francs (20 Francs is like 20 dollars)
• Headphones with gum stuck to the cords
• Earrings, gum coated
• Lip gloss, covered in gum
• $5 in five, single dollar bills
• Set of keys with Prince Harry keychain

Swoon!!
Everything is coated in bubble gum because they are yet to invent gum that doesn't stick to other shit. It's ridiculous!

• Coconut bar wrapper
• Junk
• Paper
• Random coins that cannot be determined due to the amount of gum on each piece

"Everything is coated in bubble gum because they are yet to invent gum that doesn't stick to other shit. It's ridiculous!"

My change is not really money anymore. It's gum.
It's anything but money. Anything left in there?
[Pulls out a piece of paper.] Oh my god! This is a secret letter. A secret hate letter to my ex-coworker who got fired a while ago. She's a bitch and I never gave it to her. [Pulls out another stack of papers.] This is my dissertation paper.
What's your dissertation about?
Science and shit. It's still a work in progress. [Yet another piece of paper.] This is another secret hate letter I wrote to my ex-coworker that I never gave to her.
Is that everything?
Yup! That looks like all of it.

(I then reach my hand inside the purse to check. The walls are insulated with what feels like old gum. Everything feels like soft rubber white pencil erasers. It's like petting a a dried up whale. My arm is communicating with me to get the hell out of there.)
That's enough of that. Thanks for your time, Melina!

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Life / Sort of News / ??!! What's In A Name, Gucci Mane?

Posted by Kelly O on Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 12:05 PM

Gucci Mane announced that his new name would be "GUWOP" yesterday, but immediately had to change it back, 'cause so many of his fans freaked out on Twitter.

Rightfully so? What the fuck is a Guwop? To me, it sounds a bland hamburger+ red sauce+pasta dish, that we had to eat twice a week when I was a kid, because we were poor.

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Life / Fashion / 206 Purse Thursdayz: Sharlese

Posted by Radjaw on Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 3:39 PM

Welcome to Purse Thursdayz! Every week, I'll be looking into the purses, bags, and satchels of some of Seattle's finest women—seeing exactly what they are carrying around all day. Catching purses in their natural environment is very important, so these ladies do not know they are going to be interviewed. Shall we?

Sharlese Sharlese, 34. Big leather carryall. 10:32pm. Barboza

Sharlese Sharlese, 34. Big leather carryall. 10:32pm. Barboza

Sharlese was strutting her sassy self throughout town last night. She left work late, enjoyed a live show with drinks and friends, then devoured a slice of pizza before calling it a night. Homegirl has been working for KEXP for years as an on-air personality, and kills it on her own show, Audioasis. She was having a grand ol' time at the Master Musicians of Bukkake show and wondered why she had such a big bag with her.

Where did you get the purse?
Red Light, about a year ago. No a year and a half. No! Two years ago.
What kind of purse it?
I don't fucking know... a leather one?
It's kinda big for a night out.
I use this bag when I'm in need of a travel-size bag, but one I can take to the club. You never know what will happen!
What brings you to the Master Musicians of Bukkake show?
I just love these guys. It's just so good isn't it?
I liked the openers, MTNS, they were good. Very fucking loud, but good.
Yeah they are cool, but I like these guys better.
Would you consider yourself a master of bukkake?
Most definitely. We all have our own means of marking our territory. Musically speaking, it's basically just decorating things with your friends.
OK, enough jibber jabber, what's in there?
Be warned. I have some problems in here.

• 6 pack multi-colored pens
• W-9 tax form
• Skull Candy brown headphones
• Swedish Fish
• Pair of black leather gloves
• Zebra wallet
• USB
• White lighter
• Blue lighter

Two lighters?
Sometimes you need two!! What if I'm digging through this purse and I can't find one?

• $.63 in change
• Lip gloss
• Lotion
• Keys
• Moisture lotion
• Fisherman's Cough Suppressant
• Pile of cough drops

"I have some problems in here."

What happened?
This is a major problem I was telling you about. These damn cough drops were open and spilled all over the inside of my bag. At least you're giving me a reason to clean out this damn thing.

• Emergen-C packet
• Altoids container filled with goodies
• Dollar bill
• Garbage
• Crumpled paper
• Bus transfer
• Gold iPod
• Black iPod touch

Two iPods?
A girl can never have enough music. Especially with what I do, I always need music in my life.

Damn.. I actually thought your purse was going to be a lot juicier. Your problems are meh.
I'm sorry. Kinda boring huh? No, but it has been with me through thick and thin. This thing has been through some shit with me, I can tell you that.

Does your purse smoke weed?
Luckily, no. It's just a good friend who holds my pot cookies.

Too bad you don't have any with you now.
Stupid purse.

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Life / Fashion / 206 Purse Thursdayz: Megan

Posted by Radjaw on Thu, Feb 21, 2013 at 2:46 PM

Welcome to Purse Thursdayz! Every week, I'll be looking into the purses, bags, and satchels of some of Seattle's finest women—seeing exactly what they are carrying around all day. Catching purses in their natural environment is very important, so these ladies do not know they are going to be interviewed. Shall we?

Megan is the marketing coordinator at Neumos and loves where she works. She is an early-morning go-getter that fully embraces the music scene. I ran into her at the Mercury for a Nightmare Fortress show and she was as happy as can be. The ferocious lights provided by the band illuminated her bag and I had to know what was inside such a tiny accessory. Her nose ring never butted in to the conversation.

Megan, 22. Small Coach purse. 12:53am. The Mercury.

Megan, 22. Small Coach purse. 12:53am. The Mercury.

Where did you get the purse?
I bought it.
What kind of purse it?
It's Coach.
Bootleg?
No. Not at all, it's real Coach.
Open it for me.
There's not much. I took all the shit out of my earlier bag and just brought this little thing.
What's in it?

• White iPhone 5
• Paystub
• Note for Jason L.
• Elf the musical ticket

I loved the musical. It was so fucking good, almost as good as the movie.
Really? Jesus.

My purse isnt goth enough for this show.

"My purse isn't goth enough for this show."

• Coach tag
• Set of keys attached to a UW Husky lanyard
• Chapstick with ripped off label
• Lip gloss
• Lipstick

So having good lips is important to you?
Well…
What's in this pocket of the purse?
You don't need to know! This is going to be in the Stranger, I cannot tell you that.
Don't worry, it's only the Weekly, nobody reads that.
That's true.

• $80 cash
• Oddfellows receipt
• BOA receipt
• Bobby pins
• Coin purse

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Life / Fashion / 206 Purse Thursdayz: Sarah

Posted by Radjaw on Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 3:26 PM

Welcome to Purse Thursdayz! Every week, I'll be looking into the purses, bags, and satchels of some of Seattle's finest women—seeing exactly what they are carrying around all day. Catching purses in their natural environment is very important, so these ladies do not know they are going to be interviewed. Shall we?

After a most delicious lunch at Salumi with a good friend, I found myself in Lower Queen Anne and decided to bum rush Sarah's office immediately upon walking past it. Sarah is the Director of Development and Community Relations at SAMA by day and an avid Cam'ron supporter by night. She is co-founder of Cafe Society, an ex-DJ that likes making her own earrings, and is one half of Christmas rap duo Holigang. After she finished a taste test for the new Lays' potato chip, she gladly started to pull things out of her bag.

Sarah, 38. Yellow leather tote, 3:30pm, office building.

Sarah, 38. Yellow leather tote. 3:30pm. Office building.

Where did you get the purse?
My mom got it at a fake market in Shanghai. She decided it wasn't good for carrying her laptop and had too many pockets. She gave it to me in November after she kept losing things inside of it. It happens.
What kind of purse is it?
By looking at the imprinted tree logo on the inside I can tell that it is 100% Mulberry knock-off.
Is this your everyday go to purse?
I use it everyday, but mainly just for work. This thing is way too big to take out at night.
It looks pretty big for a night out on the town.
It has huge pockets!! I think I mainly use it for work because I can use it for grocery shopping after. Don't nobody want to be paying for paper bags these days.
Can we take a look inside?
Sure!

• Loaf of Country Buttermilk bread
• Trader Joe's peanut butter
• Keys
• Mom's car keys
• Red Louis Vuitton wallet

Is that real Louis?
No! It's also a knock-off. Another gift from Shanghai given to me as a part of an employee incentive. Oh shit, I can hear my friends now, "I always knew you were bootleg, Sarah. This just confirms it!"

• Two iPhone wall chargers
• Three tampons

Are those Mardi Gras tampons? The packaging is so festively colored.
It's funny you say that! They come in this sleek black box and are all pinks and purples. My boyfriend always makes fun of me saying these are my clubbin' tampons.

"Are those Mardi Gras tampons?"

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Life / Celeb / Fashion / Fashion Tunnel™ / Hellevant / Party! / Gossip The Only 2013 Grammys Synopsis You Need!

Posted by Bree McKenna on Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 12:16 PM

By the time the actual Grammys rolled around, I felt a little partied out from all the weird stuff happening that weekend (also, the Odd Future crew had been making a rowdy party music video in a room on our hotel floor until really late). The whole thing starts early, and it felt sillly getting sequined-up in the early afternoon.

The Grammys are held in the Staples Center, which feels like any sporting event stadium, except it's crawling with people in black-tie dress code standing next to corporate hamburger spots and nacho stands. But those places are closed and no actual food is available during the (REALLY, REALLY LONG) show and apparently people passing out is not all that uncommon. When I sat down in my plastic stadium chair, it crossed my mind that the invention of the clutch purse is a cruel joke... you can barely fit a phone in them! Worthless!

Important notes from the 2013 Grammys:

*Taylor Swift opened up the show with an elaborate all-white nightmare production of "We Are Never Getting Back Together," complete with dancing clowns. Meanwhile, her ex John Mayer was dressed like a game-show host in the audience with his new girlfriend Katy Perry.

*Katy Perry consoled those who didn't take home the best new artist award by saying, "Don't feel bad if you didn't win. I never won this and I have my own eyelash line. Take that, Bon Iver."

*There were 20 performances this year—a record number. I was kind of bummed the speeches didn't run longer though, I kind of like babblers.

*Boring tribute medleys happened every five minutes.

* Jack White brought both his female and male band for two songs and completely slayed. His losing album of the year to Mumford and Sons made me so angry that I started yelling at the guy next me like a crazy sports dude, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? THIS IS TOTAL FUCKING BULLSHIT!" (But seriously, Mumford?! Clean out your ears, Academy.)

*During commercial breaks, everyone on stage kept commenting on what a great job the host LL Cool J was doing in this really paternal way, as if he were a small child we were supposed to be cheering on during a play.

*There were zero obligatory cheers when Chris Brown's nomination was listed off.

*The best new artist award went to the band Fun. who ruin spin class for me several times a month.

*Goyte won album of the year, and still looks like Gary from Partman Parthorse.

*The Black Keys (perhaps most famous in Seattle for their alleged TP-ing of Stranger writer Derek Erdman's house) partnered up for a performance with Dr. John and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

*Justin Bieber was rumored to have been conspicuously absent because he felt sad about not being nominated.

*Between the new dress code that basically only targets women from dressing too slutty, and Chris Brown being honored with performance spots last year, I'm hoping the 2014 Grammys don't include another surprise anti-feminist diss.

*All in all, every performance was a lot like watching the film Con Air... so much crazy action that you almost start get bored when the 15th climax point rolls around. It's the musical equivalent to an amazing motorcycle chase after a plane crash.

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