Every time I hear the new LCD Soundsystem song Drunk Girls I think of the theme from Hang Time.

Coincidence?  Hmm…

Alright, alright, alright.  I wanted a Jedward Easter Egg.  I really did.  And I was very VERY excited to receive one.  Now though, 2 and a bit weeks later I am 100% over it.  I knew it when I saw this video.

Good Christ.

Louise xoxo

I’m at my aunt and uncle’s house tonight which is always lovely because:

A) They are good people

B) My aunt makes PHENOMENAL dinners

C) My cousins are GAS.

This evening I checked their homework with them and for the most part it was stellar.  Tom who is 8 had some issues with his.  Part of his spelling homework is to use the words in sentences, which he got started on at after school club this afternoon.  When he broke them out I had to really stifle the laughter.  Check out number 1.

Fabulous.  I later overheard this as well…

Tom (8, responsible for sentences) to Jack (10) “why would there ever be a chance in hell Jack? That’s a bad saying. It should be a chance in heaven.”

He’s obviously going through a theological phase.

Honestly.  First of all, because it is a 3 year old crying which will get me every time.  And secondly, because Justin Bieber is involved.

What is WITH this Bieber kid?  Why are girls so obsessed with him?  I don’t understand!  However, I do understand that this video sends the cute factor through the roof.

Fair play to him.  But I think Cody is the one who really comes out the hero in this.

Louise xoxo

We’ve all been there.  You’re outside, enjoying the sun, a few beverages and some live music…when all of a sudden your flip flops are just too much for you.

GAS.

Probably not.  However you may recognize a song she recorded with 3LW back in the year 2000.

It was pretty catchy, and they had a little success, but not enough.  So, they lost a member and morphed into “The Cheetah Girls”.  Think Hannah Montana meets Josie and the Pussycats.  They were innocent young women fond of music, dancing, and good clean fun.

That was then.  This is now.  Kiely is attempting to launch a solo career and her latest single “Spectacular” is, well, shocking.  Clearly she is attempting to lose the squeaky clean image but surely a song about being so drunk she can’t remember the sex she had with a random is not the way to go.  I mean, it sounds like a song about rape.

Leaving the fact that the song is rubbish (rhyming “I hope he used a rubber, else I’m gonna be in trouble”) aside, the lyrics and message are disgusting.  I’m not the first person to comment on this, so she responded via youtube video.

Oh shut up Kiely.  Take responsibility for the tripe you’ve put out into the world.  No one is confused.  Everyone is clear.  You don’t know what you’re talking about; you have equated having potentially unprotected sex with a random stranger while too drunk to even realize what was happening with spectacular sex.  How can that experience be spectacular?

Any guy who has sex with a girl who is so drunk that she doesn’t know what is going on is a rapist.  That’s it.  It’s not ok, even if some dumbass girl who doesn’t even realize what she’s doing has recorded a song about it.

Love,

Louise xoxo

P.S. Use a condom. 🙂

Wowza.

How bout that volcano eh?  It is disrupting things left right and centre, and while I know it’s small fry, I’m really disappointed not to be heading to Tripod tonight to see LCD Soundsystem.  However, I know things could be infinitely worse so let’s focus on the positives.  Like, for example, eventful trips to the shop!

Guess what, you can get squeezable cheese now!

AND, it’s got REAL smoked ham in it.  Amazing.  Also amazing, 3kg of pasta.

I mean, that is a LOT of pasta in one bag.  Phew.  Less exciting, and more puzzling though…non-alcoholic Bavaria.  I mean, WHY?

The aim of this shopping trip was to collect victuals for my friend Sarah’s birthday dinner.  I made a cake, and we celebrated by eating lots of pasta. (We didn’t need the 3kg bag though…not even 1o people require that much pasta.  Shocking.)

Worthy of note was Jenny’s contribution to the present for Sarah, she crocheted Sarah some emoticons so she need never use actual facial expressions again!  Truly wonderful.

In other news, I went to see Stornoway on Saturday night.  They refused to be kept down by the man (aka the volcano), and put on a blinder of a show.

If you like folky music you should definitely check them out, you’ll have a chance to at Electric Picnic this year.

Other than that, nothing to report, however I have come across some interesting things on the “interweb” over the last few days which I will share shortly.

One love.

Louise xoxo

Ha!  See what I did there?  Because music notes are the yokes on the page that tell musicians what to do and these are notes on music!  Eh?  EH?!?

Ahem.

Anywho, just wanted to jot down a few lines about the music in my life over the last 24 hours or so.

First of all, HOW GOOD WAS CONOR O’BRIEN ON JOOLS HOLLAND?  Holy Moses, I swear to God Villagers were the performance of the night.  You can stick your Marina and your Hot Chip as far as I’m concerned.  Heard from him this morning, he said the whole thing was incredibly surreal.  I bet it was!  Anywho, if you somehow missed it, check it out here:

I honestly just can’t stop watching it.

Also of note is the fact that we are hearing new things from Scissor Sisters .  I like this song, which is a sneak preview from their new album out at the end of June.  It feels a little bit more grown up than their previous releases.  Can’t wait to hear more.

Otherwise over the last 24 hours I’ve been listening to a lot of Jónsi.  He is the guitarist and vocalist for Sigur Rós who are currently on an indefinite hiatus during which he is focusing on solo stuff.  You can stream his whole album here.  It’s well worth it.  Also streaming?  The new LCD Soundsystem, which I hopped on straight away as I am counting the days til I see them live in Dublin next week.  Thus far, the album hasn’t really grabbed me in the way Sounds of Silver did but I’m going to give it another few goes before I make a final decision.

Now for a classic.  Last night before we headed out the girls and I got neck deep into a nostalgia session.  It was all coming out:  Boyzone, Westlife, 5ive, B*witched – the whole gang was there!  But one song stood out.  All Saints – War of Nerves.  WHAT a TUNE.

God dammit but they were feckin’ cool in their combats and all.  I was lucky enough to see them perform in Wembley when I was 16.  It was like a dream – a friend whose dad worked in the music industry rang me up at around 4 in the afternoon and asked if I wanted to go.  I said “DOES A BEAR SHIT IN THE WOODS?”  Well in reality I probably said something like, “Yeah, I well want to go!” (The year in England had a funny effect on my accent and slang.)  She said, “Ok, I’ll be there in half an hour, we’re going in a limo.”  Thought I was going to die.  If Rachel Zoe had been there she would have been “Dead…on the floor…”  Anywho we went, we were in the 3rd row, and who was in front of us?  Only bleedin’ Emma Bunton and Mel B!  It was 100% completely amazeballs.  Anyway, back to business.

To this evening!  I’m heading to the Roisin Dubh to see Hypnotic Brass Ensemble which I am very very excited about.  They are a Chicago based group of 8 brothers who play funk and soul covers on brass instruments.  Very cool.  They can be heard most recently on Gorillaz “Plastic Beach”.

So, thar she be.  Off to enjoy some sun now!

Louise xoxo

To be honest, it’s easy to be bitter and angry at the moment.  Losing your job is never easy, and losing it suddenly and not because you weren’t performing is extra difficult.  However, I’m trying to focus on the silver lining.  And it is bountiful.  Perhaps the best thing to come out of this situation is a renewed connection with my passion for what I do, and that comes down to you, the people who have sent me messages over the last week.

Sometimes they have been hard to read.  Some people are angry, and feel they were deceived by the way we left the station.  Some people are just kind and wish me well.  And some people are beautifully honest about hard times, and how listening to someone being a bit of an idiot on the radio has made things a little bit easier for them.  Thank you so much.  So much.  Because I think I had forgotten why my job is important, and that it is important at all.  Now I’ve remembered, I have a renewed commitment to it which is exactly what I needed because in a situation like this it’s easy to get down on yourself.  Confidence is low at times, as any of you who have been in this situation will understand.  But the next time I’m feeling like I’m useless I will reread the messages you have sent and remember that there is a purpose, and that I have a purpose and that I need to persevere!  Someone needs to rap on the radio!  There just isn’t enough of that these days…

So, that’s that for the serious talk today, but thanks again.  I have always been honest with you on the show, and will continue to be honest with you here.

Enjoy standing cat.

BIG MASSIVE HUMONGOUS LOVE.

Louise xoxo