The haircut took almost all the money I had in my wallet.  It was way more than I am used to paying in the U.S.   But since I didn’t have the kids with me I took the opportunity to stop in the local music store and check it out, and more specifically see if they had the latest Mummers cd “Mink Hollow Road.”

I have checked other music stores in London and not had any luck, but somehow hadn’t looked in my local one yet!

When “Mink Hollow Road” came out months ago I of course wanted to buy it right away, but it wasn’t available in the U.S. and it was more than I wanted to spend to import it.   Plus by then we were already well aware that we might have the opportunity to buy it in the U.K. if we moved here this summer.

The cd was there, and since its a 6 track EP, it was just 5 pounds.   I felt just like I did when I was in college (or “at University” ) as I looked through my wallet and found that if I counted out all my change I had just enough for the cd.   I was totally grinning while I handed over my coins for a new cd and walked home rocking the new hair cut.

In that video they are kind of silly and joking around, and perhaps you don’t get the total picture of just how good they are (but I really wanted you to experience them just the way I did). But their website http://www.konnexionbalkon.com/ gives links to hear their music on itunes, amazon and other youtube clips.

I suggest if you are in the mood for something kind of different, very German, and happy then give these guys a try. I am betting that my kids love them too.

I don’t have a car, and I used to LOVE music in the car because you can concentrate and listen so much closer (and louder when the kids are not with you).

I don’t have any of my stereo, music playing devices other than my computer and my i phone.  The first week or so I was a snob and didn’t listen to much music because I didn’t want to if it wasnt on good speakers.  Then I got desperate, and now i’m very happy to just have my phone playing a tune in whatever room I am in.  No more snotty here.

Also, I have not had decent enough internet access most of the time to even try and listen to new things.   I have felt a little stifled.

Last Saturday we were celebrating my daughters 13th birthday in Covent Garden and doing a bit of shopping.  While she and I were in a posh shoe store, I found myself being much more interested in the song that was playing than the beautiful shoes that surrounded me.  I got brave, and asked the clerk if he could find out who the band was, and he did, and they are called Stornoway.  I still have the cute little card that he wrote the band name on for me.

My internet connection was so bad that I couldn’t really get a good chance at listening to them.  But I waited all week, and tonight I was rewarded.  I’n pretty sure that this is the song we were listening to:

They are a British band, named after an Irish town. They sound like everything that is wonderful and that I love about England so far. Check out Stornoway’s cool website and be sure to watch the video for “I Saw You Blink” because the drummer is using a lopped off human head for a drum and it’s quite amusing, and the music is good too (lets not forget that, right?)

Now I just have to figure out we are doing our music purchasing here in the UK and I wil be listening to their album Beachcomber’s Windowsill in no time. Yay for good music!

Perhaps you may have guessed….the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing! That lasted all of a few songs, and then it started to sound under water or maybe its just that bad. Either way we turned it off.

Thankfully my husband figured out the wi-fi and our withdrawals have started to subside and we are able to play our own music.

I have posted about them before, they do an amazing version of New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle.”

With all the leaving the country craziness (we are 1/2 way there btw; we have packed up and are visiting family) I never did write about “You Are Here.”  It is a mello album, and I have to pay attention or I drift, but so far we have enjoyed it.  We listened to it all the way home from Grand View, ID (my home town) and I listened to it a lot while driving from WA to ID last week.  I like listening  to music while driving when the kids are quiet, it gives me an opportunity to really listen and hear it closely.

I want to leave you with song 10 “Soul Receivers” before I get back to my sweet neice.

ok, once again for fun…

Technically I can still listen to them whenever I want, so I guess I miss the thrill of new music from Blur. They are one of THE best bands to come out of the 90′s…I’m saying. The song Bugman from the album “13″ is one of my favorites. It really makes me happy when I can play it as loud as I want. Yesterday was a bit of downer for me, but this song was a bright spot in my day for sure.

Also, it reminds me of my brothers who worked for pest control companies when they were younger. They were “bugmen” of sorts.

Whenever I make a mixed cd for a friend, I’m always tempted to put this song on it. But I’ve gotten strange responses usually and have come to the conclusion that perhaps not as many like “Bugman” as much as they should. So, if you have received a mixed cd from me without this song: here is your second chance to love it.

The very last seconds of the song remind me of the band Boston a little bit, since I’m already associating classic rock here.

Thin Lizzy: Dancing In the Moonlight (side note: Billy Corgan does a sweet cover of this song)

There is something very similar to my mind about Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy and Julian Casablancas, some of it could even be an image/attitude/wearing sunglasses a lot sort of thing.

That first song; “Machu Picchu” is so so good. I was left wanting more when I parked the car and went to try and fly a kite. (BTW: do any of you know what kind of kite is relatively cheap and easy to fly? Our dragon kite from Costco is not logging much airtime, mostly it just crashes.)

I have listened to Angles quite a few times by now. I really like it. I’m still trying to get to know some of the songs in the middle though.

My favorite things about this album are pretty much the same as in their other albums, Julian’s voice and the guitars and their own special blend of putting it all together. The keyboard, especially in Machu Picchu, is so 80′s. I of course love it, that was one of the best parts about the 80′s I think. I’m so happy the keyboard didn’t die with shoulder pads.

My sweet 9 year old son was helping me lay out fabric for a denim quilt I plan to start sewing any day now, when “X.Y.U.” from the iconic album “Melloncollie and the Infinite Sadness” started playing. I was deep in concentration and not really paying close attention to the song (otherwise I would have skipped it, because its not terribly appropriate for kids).

He made the simplest observation a few minutes into the song: ” this is an angry song.”

Good thing he got my attention when he did, because there was soon to be a need for precision coughing. From what I can tell that is the most effective way to edit a song when you can’t reach the skip button in time.

Mostly I just thought it was profound and adorable that he was able to so matter of factly pinpoint the emotion in that song. Kids notice so much of what is going on around them.

I thought about it a lot the rest of St. Patrick’s Day, especially when the song “Soma” was playing.

-and really as a side note if you are reading this from facebook you should click over to the real post so you can listen to this amazing song and as a bonus see Billy with hair-

The level of emotion needed to have written songs like that is a double edged sword. It fuels artists like Van Gough to cut off their own ear. In another way it inspired Billy Corgan to create Soma. So much beauty and depth seems to some how spring from deep (sometimes painful or hurting or angry) emotions. I think about this a lot, actually. On the one hand, I love what is created so much, and I am really happy to have it in my life as it enriches and inspires me. On the other hand, this work of beauty and art was paid so often with a high price on the artist’s behalf.

These days Billy is happy. His music has been greatly affected by it, and not all in positive ways. Except for (and I have to remind myself of this often): he is happy. He said something not too long ago about making the fans happy or him happy, but it was difficult to do both. It should be his turn, I’m glad he chose him. Now I enjoy some of the new stuff more than others, but its mostly lacking that core emotion. Its still really good, just….

Really, I’m just so glad I got/get to LOVE and BREATHE and LIVE to his beautiful music.

I am getting a little spoiled as of late, seeing lots of my favorite bands live. I kind of figured that The Strokes would tour through Seattle and was telling my 12 yr. old daughter that her mum was most likely going to see The Strokes live in the next few months. She got pretty crabby with me, because she wanted to go too! I am proud of her for having such good taste in music, she is very discerning. I still wouldn’t have let her come with me though. Turns out it doesn’t matter, they are not coming here.

She does get teased a lot by her friends at school because she doesn’t listen to the same mass fed garbage that they all do. Sometimes they say some pretty hurtful things like: “Every normal girl in America listens to this” with bratty emphasis on the “normal” ….except wait…. oh yah, not all of us want to be just like them, so in reality they are complimenting her. But, when you are 12 and trying to make it through your days of middle school, sometimes its hard to see how that is a compliment and not just another daily insult to the music that she likes.

I admire my daughter, and I also feel sorry for her because none of her friends will realize just how amazingly cool she is for many more years to come. Until then, we are just going to enjoy another fabulous Strokes album.