tell me something good, tell me that you like it

I had fully intended on blogging last week, but the very sudden and shocking death of one of my favourite musical artists left me simply too distraught. The irony of a day that I have dreaded for years (the day of Michael Jackson's death) coinciding with a day that I have excitedly anticipated for years (my 18th birthday) would have been comical had it not been so devastating. I don't really feel like doing a long tribute to MJ, as I can't imagine what I could possibly add to the many tributes done by casual fans.

Instead I will celebrate my birthday and graduation with an old Ashcan Rantings favourite - the songs that have been rockin' my world the hardest the past little while.

10 Songs I'm Into At the Moment

1. "If I'm In Luck, I Might Get Picked Up" by Betty Davis
Betty Davis is a bad mama-jama...I've fawned over her and her pure awesomeness before, but she continues to surprise me with her all-killer, no-filler albums. I got her self-titled debut for my birthday (thanks, Nicola!), completing my Betty Davis collection. This is the track I can't stop listening to.
"So all you lady haters, don't be cruel to me/Ah, don'tcha crush my velvet, don'tcha ruffle my feathers neither/I said I'm crazy, I'm wild/I said I'm nasty"

2. "Red Hot Mama" by Funkadelic
It's the spoken word introduction, first high-speed then screwed, that makes me turn this song on, but it's the heavy, badass guitar work (does Eddie Hazel ever let you down?) that keeps me from turning it off once the music drops.
"A luscious bitch she is, true/But it's not nice to fool Mother Nature/The proud Mother of God, like all ho's, is jealous of her own shadow"

3. "Worried Dream" by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac
I'll emphasize once again that this is very different from Stevie Nicks' Fleetwood Mac - it's blues and this is a B.B. King cover. Anguished guitar and beautiful vocals, it's probably moved up to be one of my absolute favourite Fleetwood Mac songs. Listen to the version linked above rather than the one in the playlist - or, you know, both!

"It may sound silly to you, woman/Baby, but tell me my dream was not true"

4. "The Glamorous Life" by Sheila E.
It's no secret that I love Prince, and I love most of the music he's written for protegées, but this one in particular is a favourite. Sheila E stands out among his protegées as a strong woman who is actually talented (!) - she's a kickass drummer. Vocally, she's just mediocre, but, as with most pop music, it's all about the production.
"She said, I need a man's man, baby/Diamonds and furs/Love would only conquer my head"

5. "Respect My Conglomerate" by Busta Rhymes feat. Lil' Wayne and Jadakiss
I love Busta Rhymes, I love Lil' Wayne and I love any collaboration they make together.

"It's Bus Rhyyyymes, and I'm back/with the crack, and the thugs, and the drugs/ Nigga BLACK"

6. "If Tha Mood" by Esthero
Filthy and taunting and wicked - how could I do anything but love it?
"She won't fuck you like I do/She's not into that wild shit"

7. "Cherry Red" by Earthless
I know...I'm all over the place. But I love heavy, hard rock, and this band does not disappoint. You like Sabbath? Check 'em out.

8. "Give It to Me Right" by Melanie Fiona
You know, from the fact that it dares to sample the Zombie's immortal "Time of the Seasons", I assumed I was going to hate this song. I ended up really digging it, probably because I love this chick's voice. I think the sample was tastefully done and where I'm at right now, I'd rather be listening to this than the Zombies version! Blasphemy, yes, but I cannot tell a lie.
"I'm not, I'm not trying to run your life/That's why, that's why I'm nobody's wife/But when I want and when I want it, you gotta be ready"

9. "Tell Me Something Good" by Rufus
Not gonna lie - this song makes me think of That 70's Show, but really, that's not a bad thing. It's so purely joyful and, I must say, Kayla Hyne-esque. I can't get into most 70's funk bands because they all pale so profoundly when compared to P-Funk, but this song has definitely been sung by me on multiple occasions in the past month, often in public.
"Tell me something good!/Tell me that you like it, yeahh"

10. "My Dick" by Mickey Avalon feat. Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy
"My dick...nuff said"

july 2/09

she did the freak, never missing a beat

"They still call it the White House
But that's a temporary condition, too."
-"Chocolate City" by Parliament

Tomorrow is a beautiful day.

Last week, I did a post about 20 men I admire. It was a really fun post and there's tons of men I admire, but I would now love to invent a similar meme about 20 women I admire. Most of these women, I have already done a post or two dedicated to them, so I'll link to that if there is one. I will tag 9 people (Keith [the originator of the 20 men meme], Libby, Maya, Mimi, Miss Karen, Jill, copperoranges, twenty.seven.cents and this wheel's on fire) to get it going, but I'm not going to say you have to tag people because, let's face it, that kind of pressure is annoying.

20 Women I Admire:

1. Grace Slick

2. Catherine James

3. Pattie Boyd

4. Anita Pallenberg

5. Eloise

6. Chan Marshall

7. Betty Davis

8. Elaine Benes

9. Erykah Badu

10. Sharon Tate

11. Courtney Brooke

12. Marianne Faithfull

13. Stevie Nicks

14. Pink

15. Fiona Apple

16. Pamela Des Barres

17. Gail Zappa

18. Zooey Deschanel

19. Kathy Griffin

20. Kate Hudson

you used to love it, to ride my broom, honey

I know I've been advising you for over a year to buy your vintage from my friend Nicola (BUY YOUR VINTAGE FROM NICOLA, and while you're at it, add her store on Myspace) but, as you might be aware, there are other places to buy vintage clothes. One such store I feel deserves a mention is Nasty Gal Vintage.

Hmm, catchy name, where did they get it?

Oh, yes, I think I've mentioned a certain Betty Davis before. So, there was obviously an immediate attraction there.
Though her shop is mostly 80's and I'm more of a 60's type of person, I still found items I really liked. Here are some of my favourites:

I'd wear this when I was in a Cory Kennedy mood.
Oh, how my groupie heart weeps for these boots.
Maybe this amazing dress could teach me to slouch as nicely as this model.
Nicola sent me this picture saying it was something the GTO's would wear and she's so right.
I STILL NEED A LEATHER JACKET.
This is Nicola's favourite item.

You can find Nasty Gal Vintage at their official website, or on Myspace.

P.S. Oh, and just for the record, I hate it when people comment me saying "oh, hey, let's link up" and then don't. I rarely use my blogroll, but whenever people ask to link up, I always make an effort to add them, so enough with the empty link invitations.
P.P.S. And if you're going to link me, please get it right. I understand for some of you, "psychedelic" is a tricky word to spell, but there's Ctrl+C for a reason right? (/bitchiness)

look at me, i know im fly, look at me, you wish you could be fly like i

Ten songs I can't stop listening to, and where you can listen to them for yourself:
1. "Call Tyrone" by Erykah Badu

I know I just posted this link, but in case you missed it, watch a kickass live performance here. You've got to love a song that starts out with "I'm gettin' tired of yo' shit/You don't never buy me nothing" and an almost as killer ending.

2. "Don't Run Our Hearts Around" by Black Mountain

I get really stoked when I find a newer band that I like, because I feel like I can hear them in their prime. A lot of my favourite acts are no longer around or wayy past their glory days. I very recently discovered this song and I can't wait to dig a little deeper. I love the tone of the video, it made me want to road trip through California/Nevada/New Mexico even more.

3. "Cosmic Slop" by Funkadelic
You knew I wasn't gonna let you get away without some P-Funk on the list! You can hear a savage, guitar-heavy live version featuring Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton here, the super-tight studio version here or a trippy promo video with a clip from the song here. This is one of those songs that is so uplifting but if you listen closely, has the most depressing lyrics. I know I've never danced so hard to a song about a woman prostituting herself for her five children.

4. "Like Me" by Girlicious
This picture made me think of this Facebook group, and I have to say, the feminist in me is suicidal over how often I watch this video. The lyrics are so cliched, it almost seems like a parody. But, hey, I could be listening to worse stuff, right? Actually, no, probably not...

5. "Mary Jane" by Rick James
I have to say, I feel like Rick James has really been cheapened by two things: "U Can't Touch This" and the (admittedly awesome) Chappelle Show sketch. This song, however, is so sacred. Nobody would miss the stoner reference, but who cares? I confess, it's my deepest desire to hear a psychedelic rock band cover this, so I've been pressuring my friend's boyfriend to get his band to cover it. I'll let you know if my nagging is successful.

6. "You Sure Love to Ball" by Marvin Gaye
Uhh, I don't think he meant shoot baskets either.

7. "4+20" by Crosby, Stills Nash & Young

You can never have too many stoner songs, can you? I'm so excited to see them live in June and really hope they do this one.

8. "(You Caught Me) Smilin'" by Sly & the Family Stone

Sly & the Family Stone is where my love of 60's psychedelic rock and 70's funk meets. This isn't my favourite of theirs, nor is it close to being their best. It's just been one that's been warming my heart lately.

9. "The Lone Ranger" by Betty Davis

I've also seen this one called "I Will Take that Ride". It's definitely her at her most sultry and easily my most favourite of her slower songs. My favourite part is the last minute or so.

10. "Since I've Been Loving You" by Led Zeppelin
This song never fails to slay me.