Griff says; We're all at SEA!

Those of you who enjoyed our recent Indonesian twee-pop recommendation 'Brilliant At Breakfast' should hopefully be overjoyed at today's offering; it's the latest compilation from Southeast Asia Indie (Sea Indie) named 'Brilliant sight of sounds (Singapore Indie Scene)'.

The idea for Sea Indie came to Isarapan Boonyaso in December of 2008 after he realised that the Southeast Asian region was becoming a hotbed of indiepop talent. Isarapan's first compilation was made for fun just to share with his friends but he subsequently realised that there was a much wider, indeed world-wide interest, in the music and the Sea Indie label was officially formed in 2009. Sea Indie uses compilations as its main device in raising awareness of the growing indie scenes in Southeast Asian countries and has released two previous free compilations: 'Day To Embrace (Indonesia Indiepop Scene)' released on October 01, 2009 and 'Summers Daydream' released on January 08, 2010. Isarapan is keen to stress the supportive and friendly community nature of the Sea Indie set-up and the label has a simple mission statement;

"To unite and promote the great indie scenes in the Southeast Asian Region; Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. We release only digital and free mp3 compilations that include indie tracks from these regions."

This latest free compilation features a charming array of pop talent and features guitar-based indiepop, indie-rock, and acoustic sounds. All in all, there should be something here to please most palates. Personally, I enjoyed the beatiful, chiming, guitar work of Serenaide on 'The Girl From Katong', the clever shifting time-signatures employed by The Groovys on 'Whisper me Love', the sweet and winning vocal harmonies of Bobsy on 'The End of April', the laid-back and jazzy 'Midnight Sky and Glue' by My Writes and the ever-so-slightly ramshackle, pure, mid-80's style twee-pop of paddlePOP with their contribution; "Phil" in the blanks.

Here's the complete track listing:

To get your hands on this compilation for free visit the Sea Indie blog or download it directly from here or here. Remember, if you do enjoy this then please continue to support Sea Indie and all of the bands who have made the music available.

Griff

xx

My Weekend Crush

And now, for a love story. My crushes are normally on people, sometimes on concepts, rarely on things. I choose who captivated me, what moved me in any given week from the silly to sublime. But today my crush is on words. Not so much the putting together and pulling apart of them, even though their placement is impeccable here. No, this crush is all about the feeling behind them. The emotions, the memories, the unstoppable force. While the words are unique to their writer, we have all been there.

Yesterday morning I awoke to find an email from a friend recommending a story in the New York Times. In the hustle and bustle of getting ready for work I put it on my mental “To Do” list. Then the office was a mad rush of hurried phone calls and scribbled Post-Its. Just before leaving my desk for the day, I rediscovered her email. Wanting something to unwind with, and knowing my friend’s unwavering good taste (thanks, Scribegrrrl & Scribegrrrl’s girl), I clicked the link. The link led me to the Times’ Modern Love collection, a weekly essay ruminating on matters of the heart published from reader submissions. But really, what it was was a gift.

Because what I read, in part, was this:

She was a poet living in a castle-like apartment flooded with plants and books I’d never heard of. The details of her exotic childhood, I learned, included an organic farm in rural Texas and a private girls’ school. She did origami and left it hidden for strangers to find, knew the secrets of library basements and overgrown alleyways, and wore vintage hats covered in rusty brooches. She was into queer theory. She got her clothes from the Goodwill Dumpster. She was everything I’d dreamed of but never knew existed.

So now I want to pass that gift on to you. It should take you 5 minutes, no more than 10. Please read “A Kite That Couldn’t Be Tied Down” by Lisa Ruth Brunner. Enjoy. I’ll be waiting.

Her story, a love story, is gorgeous beyond adjectives. We all have that girl, the first, the one. She may not have worn thrift store cast-offs or left delicate paper sculptures in her wake, but she was how we knew. We probably didn’t travel to the Gobi Desert or Moscow or even Pittsburg with her, but she opened us to a wider world. The girl we will always think is pretty. The girl who will always make us catch our breath. She might be sitting right beside you. She might be only moments in time. Still this story, these words, brought her rushing back sweetly into that small space you forgot was empty. Thank you, Lisa. Happy weekend, all.

To be self evident

I want to say something eloquent, moving, powerful about the yesterday’s overruling of Proposition 8. I want to convey the importance of the decision, the giant step forward this signifies for equality, the long road still ahead until all men and women truly have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I want this moment in history to be remembered as the beginning of something bigger than ourselves. I want this to be the train that cannot be stopped.

But, to be honest, mostly I just want to squeal. Squeal with joy. Squeal with relief. Squeal with every gay fiber in my body.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

We won, finally, we won. After so many defeats, so many bitter rejections, so much heartache and so much needless hate, the simple truth won out. Our love is no different. Our love is not wrong. Our love deserves protection. Our love is just love.

Of course, the fight is far from over. This ruling is not the last we will hear of Proposition 8, nor is it the last our country will grapple with what it means to have truths we hold self-evident, yet do not follow. This case could and probably should make it all the way to the Supreme Court. While I fear the new conservatism of the bench, I hope against hope that those words declaring us all created equal will prevail.

Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker certainly understood that, ruling in his conclusion:

Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples. Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

In fact, the entire ruling is filled with amazing, thoughtful, decisive language that says in no uncertain terms that to discriminate against gay couples’ right to marry is wrong, the arguments presented by the Prop. 8 backers were baseless and that our relationships are no different from straight relationships. One doesn’t often get choked up reading 138 pages of dense legal documents. But I did, I really did.

Some highlights (read the whole thing here):

“Moral disapproval alone is an improper basis on which to deny rights to gay men and women.”

“Same-sex couples are identical to opposite-sex couples in the characteristics relevant to the ability to form successful marital unions.”

“The sexual orientation of an individual does not determine whether that individual can be a good parent.”

“Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals.”

“That the majority of California voters supported Proposition 8 is irrelevant, as ‘fundamental rights may not be submitted to [a] vote; they depend on the outcome of no elections.’”

And then, perhaps the most satisfying part of his whole decision was the last four words: IT IS SO ORDERED.

Judge Walker, just so you know, you’ll never have to buy a drink in a gay bar ever again.

Yesterday was a good day. With hard work and perseverance, it will be the first of many more. Oh, and one more thing: Suck it, Prop. 8. Suck it hard.

The safety of objects

Women. They are gorgeous, certainly. But just as gorgeous can be their capacity for good. And when they bring their gorgeousness and their goodness together for one project, well, that’s when you have to sit back and admire the view. Now right now I bet you’re looking for a for instance. And boy do I ever have one. The amazing Emma Thompson has proven even more amazing by launching the new website Safe for her upcoming book by the same name. The project shows famous, and in the future unfamous, women photographed in the places they feel most safe. It is a benefit for the Helen Bamber Foundation, a UK human rights group dedicated to helping victims and survivors of human trafficking. Emma has long been an advocate for the group and spoken out against sex trafficking. All sales of the book will go toward the foundation and, as Emma writes, “will help those for whom no safe place exists.”

The pictures are pretty, but the purpose is beautiful. A sneak peek.

The preview also features Vanessa Paradis, Keira Knightley, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Uma Thurman, Julie Christie, Sharon Stone, Minnie Driver, Emily Blunt, Charlotte Rampling, Rosamund Pike, Demi Moore and the entire Richardson clan (including, touchingly, Natasha). Also included in the book will be such heavy hitters as Angelina Jolie, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Oprah, Catherine Deneuve, Gong Li, Tilda Swinton, Queen Latifah…I could go on and on (check the “see who else is invited” link in the credits). And she wants you. The site solicits submissions from us about the places we feel the safest. To make it into the book, which publishes in the spring, they must be sent by October.

Really, you should just click through the preview and experience it yourself. It is lovely, moving, brilliant. Just be sure to click all the way through past the end of the credits. There’s one last surprise that, while NSFW, is well worth the wait. Now that’s a grand finale. Like I was saying, gorgeous.

UPDATE: The site appears to be temporarily down. So be sure to check back later. (OK, I think it is back up, but if it goes down again, patience. It is worth it.)

Tank Top Tuesday

So the dog days are definitely here. July threw down a sweltering gauntlet and I’ve never known August as a month to back down from a challenge. I expect sun. I expect warmth. Basically, I expect to sweat. So, then, what’s a gal – like poor, sweaty, sticky, glistening Gillian Anderson – supposed to do to beat the heat? Well, for one, a tank top helps. But I’m sure I can do better in the helpful advice department. What can I say? I’m a giver.

Emily DeschanelSpending a day at the beach is always a cool option.

Ashley GreenePulling at one’s clothing will help unstick them from your body.

Helen MirrenSitting near an open window will help you catch a breeze.

Katee Sackhoff & Tricia HelferRiding a motorcycle will really help you catch a breeze.

Michelle Rodriguez & companionSharing a cold beverage with a friend will cool down your core.

BeyoncéWearing short-shorts will cool your lower body.

Sigourney WeaverWearing just your skivvies will cool your whole body.

Carla Gugino

Jumping into the pool will bring down your temperature instantly.

Ashleigh Sumner, Cathy DeBuono & Jill BennettWhen all else fails, just make things hotter.
[Via “And Then Came Lola.”]

So, there you have it. Some simple, fool-proof ways to keep cool this August. Or was that hot? Either way, always wear a tank top.

Stealth bomb(shells)

So last week during the TCAs one of the big “reveals” was that Sara Gilbert is gay. Of course, it wasn’t really a reveal. She’s been quietly out for years. She has a partner, they have kids, the whole nine. So it’s kind of a duh. But in another way, it’s also a reminder. Sara is one of those stars I always blank on the fact that they’re gay. She’s a stealth gay. Not that she is being stealthy about it, not in the least. But for whatever reason I always forget, at first, that she is family. There are actually quite a few celebrities that fall into that category for me. And that means I don’t write about them that often. Well, no more. I’ve taken my Ginkgo Biloba, so let’s celebrate at the stealth celesbians among us.

Sara Gilbert, The TalkI’m not sure if I’ll watch her new all-mom talk show, but I do think she is one cool mom.

Kirsten Vangsness, Criminal MindsI’m actually kind of mad at Kristen because she is going to be on both Criminal Minds and the new Criminal Minds:Suspect Behavior. Which means, because I love little punky Penelope Garcia so much, I’ll have to add yet another show to my overflowing schedule.

Jasika Nicole, FringeHer character is so cute with Walter. Seriously, they could do a whole sitcom together.

Heather MatarazzoSome think of her as the Merkin, but she’ll always be Weinerdog to me. But either way, she sure looks good with her fiancée (or is it wife now, anyone know?)

Tracy ChapmanI hear she’s been stealth dating Guinevere Turner, too. Sneaky, sneaky.

Saffron Burrows, Law & Order: Criminal IntentSpeaking of stealthy, I don’t know if she is still with Fiona Shaw, but I certainly hope so.

~Kitten Wine~#13: Flipper's Guitar

As Oscar Wilde once said "There is only one thing in the world better than Scottish Indie-pop music from the 1980s, and that is Scottish Indie-pop music from the 1980s being eulogised in song by a pair of besotted Japanese musicians trading under the name of Flipper's Guitar!"
Okay so it's not one of his most memorable quotes but it is one of his most accurate.

Flipper's Guitar were a Pop duo comprising Keigo Oyamada and Kenji Ozawa who hailed from Tokyo and were inspired mostly by British, and even more, Scottish Pop music. Their main love appeared to be the whole Postcard scene as well as Aztec Camera, Teenage Fanclub and The Pastels. What I like about the duo is their lack of snobbery, for they also openly admit a love for and cite as an influence bands like Haircut 100, The Style Council and The Colourfield. In Britain we'd all be too snobby to admit EVER liking those bands.

Our reason for choosing to feature Flipper's Guitar is their wonderful single 'Goodbye Our Pastels Badges'(from 1989 no less, Hooray!!). This is a wonderful, vibrant, energetic piece of sparkling Pure Pop which is as infectious as hell and features a litany of Scottish Indie Pop references in the lyrics....have a read and see:

" Bye! Goodbye our Pastels badges
But it means some kind of happy birthday
Hey, beatnik boys! all you Blue Boys!
Teenage kicks can't die
A Postcard from Scotland says it's still raining hard in the highlands
Though there's nothing going on
I hear the truck and train now
Let's have our fringes cut just like James Kirk did long ago
But our hairdresser should be a boy
And he should have three wishes in his heart
Take, take off the badges from our anoraks
Put, put them into the drawers
And we swear we'll never forget that feeling
So goodbye, goodbye
On the subway sometimes so sad
But a razor appears and cuts
Yes, our lollipops were something pure
So let's take off our favorite shirts"

(You'll have to take my word for it, the track below DOES feature music, it just doesn't start till about 20 seconds in)


If you're trying to figure out the references, here they are in order; The Pastels, Altered Images(Happy Birthday), Orange Juice(Blue Boy), The Undertones(Teenage Kicks[yes, I know they're not Scottish]), Postcard Records, Aztec Camera(High Land Hard Rain), The Pastels again(Truck Train Tractor), Orange Juice again(a reference to guitarist James Kirk's fringe), Teenage Fanclub(The Fannies were originally called The Boy Hairdressers), Subway Records, Razorcuts(again not Scottish), and finally the not-Scottish Haircut 100(Favourite Shirts).


Flipper's Guitar released three albums from 1989 to 1993 when they split up. They are 'Three Cheers for Our Side!'(from which this track was taken), 'Camera Talk' and 'Doctor Head's World Tower', plus a live album 'On Pleasure Bent'. All albums are pretty tricky to track down now should you be interested in pursuing them.
Here is the live version of the song:


A fine tribute to Scottish Pop Music by two guys who really worshipped at it's altar.

Put simply, if you don't like this track then you really don't like music!

Ye Gods, we're simply thrilled!!

~Gordon~