i'm a huge fan of the film blade runner. this halloween i'm dressing up as the roxie hart to my best friend's velma kelly, but next year i'm being pris.
"i've seen things you people wouldn't believe. attack ships on fire off the shoulder of orion. i watched c-beams glitter in the dark near tan hauser gate. all those moments will be lost in time ... like tears in rain. time to die."
"and why are you so firmly and triumphantly certain that only what is normal and positive - in short, only well-being - is good for man ? is reason mistaken about what is good ? after all, perhaps prosperity isn't the only thing that pleases mankind, perhaps he is just as attracted to suffering .. whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, smashing things is also sometimes very pleasant. i am not here standing up for suffering, or for well-being either. i am standing out for my own caprices and for having them guaranteed when necessary."
i'm reading a fantastic book at the moment called hey ! nietzsche ! leave them kids alone !, which is all about alternative music's roots in 19th century romanticism. it name-drops some fabulous artists: the smiths and morrissey, bowie, siouxsie and the banshees, the cure, the birthday party .... you name it. apart from some passages gushing over my chemical romance, it's fabulous. i'm try to read several books at the moment, actually. i'm more than halfway through persepolis, only part of the way through haunted by chuck palahniuk and i'm struggling through the great gatsby too.
i can't believe i've only just discovered this glamorous pair of scottish new-wavers. sporting a look that wouldn't be out of place among ~scene kids~ today, jill and rose produced excellent synth-pop between '81 and '86, but are more or less unheard of these days. even among pop aficionados they are generally remembered as one hit wonders ~ "since yesterday", a sweet slice of sixties inspired bubblegum pop, was their only single to chart in the uk top 50 and they would sink without a trace not long after.
strawberry switchblade's style was a mish-mash of colour and texture, their siouxsie sioux-meets-strawberry shortcake dress sense predating even madonna's gloriously tacky lace and leather era. polkadot ra-ra skirts and multiple ribbons in all different colours and patterns were their trademarks, mixing kitschy accessories with gothic staples and topping it all off with bold eyeliner and their long, thick hair wrapped in messy bouffants held in place with oversized bows.
they might not be remembered for subtlety, but while strawberry switchblade may have fallen through the cracks of 1980s popular music, their songs are near-perfect pop, harmony-laden and ridiculously catchy. have a listen to their biggest hits and decide for yourself ~
