Can’t Speak French #3

The current UK Number one has a French name. But can she speak French? Only time, and dodgy babelfish usage, will tell.

Interestingly, this song doesn’t have a bridge as such, so we’ll just take the second verse

Before:
I won’t let you turn around,
And tell me now, I’m much too proud
To walk away from something when it’s dead
Do do do your dirty words
Come out to play when you are hurt
There’s certain things that should be
Left unsaid
Tick tick tick tick on the watch
Life’s too short for me to stop
Oh baby, your time is running out
I won’t let you turn around
And tell me now, I’m much too proud
All you do is fill be up with doubt

This time baby
I’ll be Bulletproof

During:

I won’t vous a laissé tourner autour, I’ll le vous indiquent maintenant, I’m beaucoup trop fier
de marcher à partir de quelque chose quand it’s les morts
font font votre plus mauvais sale
Sorti pour jouer quand vous êtes blessé
There’s certaines choses de qui devraient être laissées inexprimées
Coutil de coutil de coutil de coutil sur la montre
Life’s trop court pour que j’arrête
Oh le bébé, votre temps s’épuise
I won’t vous a laissé tourner autour
Et dites-moi maintenant, I’ m beaucoup trop fier
Tout que vous faites est suffisance soit vers le haut avec le doute
Ce bébé de temps I’ll le soit à l’épreuve des balles

After:
I won’t let to you turn around, I’ll indicate to you now,
I’ m too much proud to go from something when it’s deaths
make make your worse dirty Left to play when you are wounded
There’s certain things of which should be left unexpressed
Drill of drill of drill of drill on the watch
Life’s too short so that j’ stop
Oh the baby, your time s’ exhaust
I won’t let to you turn around
And say maintaining to me, I’ m too much proud
Very that you made is sufficiency that is to say upwards with the doubt
This baby of time, is it with test of the balls.

Do we concur? La Roux: Can’t Speak French.

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A

Technologik

I’ve been having a difficult day so far. The only things that show signs of helping to abate this are, luckily, my two favourite things.

1. Animals
I’ve been google imaging ‘puppies on parade’ frantically. The results have not been displeasing.

2. Gadgets
Katie-Lilga and I both recieved a Slendertone (O HAI 1999) in the post the other day. My only memories of the Slendertone were these two girls that I met at band camp when I was about 14. They had, literally, abs that were as hard as concrete, mixed with steel. I’m very excited.I have images of myself watching ‘Come Dine With Me’, whirring and beeping away.

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A

P.S. Picture is of the Cat Bus from My Neighbour Totoro- a fine combination of both animals, and gadgets.

I Love You Always Forever

o hai soni erikszon. can i haz mirrorfone?

I love my new phone. It’s the stupidest thing ever. Like a really small pet. It actually looks a bit like a tamagotchi. My fingers are too fat to type on it, but that doesn’t really matter. Do you know why? Because every five minutes the phone gets tired and TURNS INTO A MIRROR. Not only that, but it has a game called ‘Quadrapop’. Which is Tetris in all but copyright infringement, and it uses happy smiling musical notation instead of blocks.

AILBHE + DISNEYPHONE 4EVZ.

ABC

I’m in the middle of writing my dissertation. To say that it’s tedious would be a massive understatement. So, to make it more amusing, I’m trying to fit as many song lyrics/band names into it as possible. Kind of like this but less obvious.

So, I give you, Tennesse Williams meets Top of the Pops.

1. Rather than conveying pomp and circumstance, Stanley describes a tawdry, faded affair:
This Tawdry Affair

2. However, the past is a grotesque animal in A Streetcar Named Desire.
The Past Is A Grotesque Animal

3. And in a Streetcar Named Desire, the past is something better best forgotten,
Better Best Forgotten

.

Only 5,000 more words. Who else will feature?
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Ailbhe

Darling Don’t You Go And Cut Your Hair

Bit of a hair-crush going on over here. Elly Jackson, where have you BEEN all my life?

I think I’d probably need some wax and/or hairspray, but I think this could totes be the beginning of something beautiful. Elly and Ben Langmaid a.k.a. La Roux play support to Lily Allen in the Academy in Dublin on the 16th of March. If you can’t make it, sign up to their mailing list to download La Roux’s debut single for frees, or, watch the follow-up on the fake iphone gadget they’ve got going on over at their Myspace.
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The Living Dolls

My Granny has a fur coat. Actually, both my Grannys have a fur coat [plural of Granny- Grannys or Grannies?]. One each like. Not one to share. Obv. I’ve had my eye on these coats for a while. Alas, I’m at the bottom end of The Will on both sides, so the odds are not in my favour.

The other day I was wearing a big fake fur hat that I found in my dressing up box (see smug looking photo above, taken by the adorable Loreana Rushe.) Someone came up to me, and asked ‘Are we allowed wear real fur now?’ Firstly, I pointed out that my chapeau was, in fact, made from old carpets/teddy bears, then I answered that I didn’t have a problem with wearing vintage fur at all at all. I’m sure it sounds callous, but the animal is dead already. And has been dead for at least 20 years. If I was an animal that had become a fur coat, the least I’d want would be some longevity.

It seems that protesting against fur is an easy cop-out, like vegetarians who eat fish. I understand that there is massive amounts of cruelty to animals in the fur industry, but, equally, there are very strict sanctions in place also- especially in Ireland. Here’s the rub, it’s a business, like everything else. Just as there are battery hens, and organic chickens, there are good furriers, and bad furriers. I honestly don’t know how I feel about wearing a brand-new, freshly-killed mink coat, but I do know that it’s unfair and ignorant to slam an entire industry while still wearing leather shoes (like the protesters outside Barnardo Furs the other day).

x
Ailbhe

BTW, can’t wait for the comments to this. ‘OMG UR so INSEnsitive. H8 u and ur blg will nvr read it agn…’ Let the backlash begin.

Let’s Get This Party Started Right

Unlike some people, there is nothing, nothing, nothing that Katie-Lilga and I like more than free stuff. We love love love free stuff. We love free mp3s. We love free brunches. We love free invites to gigs, and plays, and art shows. Love them. No really. We might marry them. Not right now, but when we’re both old enough to support them and a family. Best not to rush into these things.

Naturlich, the launch of the restaurant in the Dylan Hotel last night was right up our alley. There was champagne. And oysters. And silly canapés (tomato mush served in a spoon?). But, most importantly, there were crap Irish celebrities. Here’s a list of those that we’re pretty sure we spotted.

1. Glenda Gilson. Looks like a giraffe that’s just fallen out of a tanning booth and into River Island. She is very very tall.

2. A Rugby Player. We don’t know his name. Or even if he plays rugby. But he was stocky, and people were taking his photo.

3. A Crowd of Girls Who Were Either in Glenroe or Fair City. We could tell this because they had very voluminous hair, and necks and ears that sparkled.

A big thank you to Elevate for inviting us. If you’d like, we’ll make you a cup of tea next time you’re in the area.

xxx
Ailbhe

Rust Never Sleeps

I suppose this only really applies to our UK readers, but hop skip and jump over to BBC4’s iplayer and re-watch their smashing smashing supergood Neil Young documentary. [Unfortunately iplayer is only availbe to those living in the UK, which is incredibly irritating, at best.] If you don’t live across the waves, or you missed the original screening last night, here are some of the condensed highlights.

1. When asked about his relationship with music, Young responded: ‘I only care about the music. It’s sad. But if you can’t see that about me, you can’t understand me.’ Throughout his career, he let friendships fall to the wayside, for better to serve his creative muse. He didn’t see it as a selfish thing, more as an imperative. It wasn’t about him, it was about the music.

2. In the ’70’s, he collaborated on a feature film with Devo- in which they played nuclear waste workers. Devo used to call Young ‘grandpa granola’. Lolz. They also had abitofajam- which resulted in the Neil Young and Crazy Horse track- ‘My My Hey Hey’. The album that track is from- ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ takes its title from a Devo promotional t-shirt.

3. Young’s 1980’s record- Trans- was a brave foray in the world of electronica, leading to mixed results. What was interesting though, was how open Young was, and is, to all new music. From the outbreak of punk rock in 1977, to the rise of electronica in the 80’s, he was always willing to follow the music, as it were. The genre didn’t really matter- just the content. These guys were one of his favourites:

Apparently, the beeb have a new Neil Young website up and running, that may well have some kind of offcuts from the documentary. Here’s fingers crossed.

Songs They Don’t Play On The Radio Anymore

I’m lifting this thread from Ciarán. Why isn’t this played more often? She says ‘Shucks’ in the chorus, and there’s an awesome vocal pedal note in the middle 8. Also some nice early 1990’s mild bondage evoked in the verses. Always a treat.

Yes Yes Oh Yay

It’s the 3rd Saturday of the Month. That means Swop Shop time! We’ve got some lovely lovely treats in store for yiz all.

I’ve yet to get around to distributing the stuff from the last Swop Shop, but I assure you, it won’t be long. Also, the gold top is still knocking about. If you’d like it, holla.

The rules are simple:
We’ll put up some things that we’d like to swop. You comment, saying what you want and what you’re willing to swop for it. Everyone’s happy. Result.

This month we have:

1. White and Yellow Vintage Check and Horseshoe Shirt. Size S-M. still available.

2. Green and White Vintage Pussy-Bow Blouse. Size S. still available.

3. Prom Dress. Size M-L. on hold.

4. Black and Green Rose Print Tea Dress. Size M. still available.

5. Sweetheart Vintage Charms Necklace and Bracelet Set. swopped!

6. I Heart You Screw On Vintage Charm Earrings. on hold.

If you want any more photos, measurements or general details just comment and if we’re feeling particularly generous we might just provide you with such information.

ailbhe and katie-lilga