I've always been a big Patrick Wolf fan. Ever since I borrowed a mix tape from a friend with "Don't Say No" on it, I've been constantly inspired by his seemingly boundless creativity and extravagance, as well as his faithfulness to the DIY aesthetic (Not to mention the fact that I owe him for getting my arm into The New York Times ...I'm the pointer).
So of course I'm excited about the TWO new albums he's bringing out this year, "The Bachelor" and "The Conquerer". Recently, he put up a video of his performance of new track "Who Will" from the former release, and apart from the elaborately popped collar and lyrics about 'penetrating the tightening muscle' it's a winner in my book. Also available on his MySpace is a 'MEGAMIX' with snippets from The Bachelor. This rather jarring amalgam is not really enough to get a sense of the album as a whole, but it definitely sounds different, and that's usually not a bad thing.
Patrick Wolf - "The Bachelor" MEGAMIX
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Honest to Blog.
What's the point of blogs? I've been asking myself this recently, and I always end up with the same conclusion: narcissism.
We all like to show off to others in one way or another, beit through what we wear, what posters we put up, which movies we see, who we choose to date. It's only natural. When asked the time, why would I check it on my watch when I could be using it as an excuse to flash my new iPhone? What's the point of going to sleep on a busy train when I could be watching art house movies on my laptop in full view of the other passengers? It's only the same as, say, a peacock flaunting its plumage, or maybe that stuff narwhals do (although no-one really knows about that one).
To me, a blog is just another way to satisfy our hunger for self-promotion. People claim to use blogs as diaries, only to be read by themselves. But if you want a private diary, why not write in a notebook you can hide under your bed? Why use the the least private of all creative mediums - the internet? Other people say they keep mp3 blogs to selflessly promote bands they like in order to give them a leg-up in the music industry. But with so many professional review sites out there offering miriad links to MySpace, Last.fm and all other mp3 sources, don't most bands have enough stairs they can climb without needing the helping hand of a lone blogger?
In starting this blog, therefore, I prefer to take Kanye's lead and begin posting with unashamed conceitedness, embracing the inherent narcissism of the blogesphere and using it to share the things I enjoy. And like the peacock, I hope anyone who reads this blog will accept its self-indulgence as a necessary means for showing off something beautiful.
We all like to show off to others in one way or another, beit through what we wear, what posters we put up, which movies we see, who we choose to date. It's only natural. When asked the time, why would I check it on my watch when I could be using it as an excuse to flash my new iPhone? What's the point of going to sleep on a busy train when I could be watching art house movies on my laptop in full view of the other passengers? It's only the same as, say, a peacock flaunting its plumage, or maybe that stuff narwhals do (although no-one really knows about that one).
To me, a blog is just another way to satisfy our hunger for self-promotion. People claim to use blogs as diaries, only to be read by themselves. But if you want a private diary, why not write in a notebook you can hide under your bed? Why use the the least private of all creative mediums - the internet? Other people say they keep mp3 blogs to selflessly promote bands they like in order to give them a leg-up in the music industry. But with so many professional review sites out there offering miriad links to MySpace, Last.fm and all other mp3 sources, don't most bands have enough stairs they can climb without needing the helping hand of a lone blogger?
In starting this blog, therefore, I prefer to take Kanye's lead and begin posting with unashamed conceitedness, embracing the inherent narcissism of the blogesphere and using it to share the things I enjoy. And like the peacock, I hope anyone who reads this blog will accept its self-indulgence as a necessary means for showing off something beautiful.
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