I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie

There are days when outside your window

I see my reflection as I slowly pass

And I long for this mirrored perspective

When we'll be lovers, lovers at last

All You Need is Love, Love the One You're With, Love Will Keep Us Together, Love is Everywhere, Beware! 

When things work out and align love is a magical force. Two people meet and somehow figure out a way to not only coexist but actually enjoy each others company. Despite different upbringings, tastes, beliefs and habits. If all goes to plan, the couple can take the strengths of each other, adapt some of those better qualities into themselves while also remaining independent and self sufficient. Sounds easy right? Of course not! There's a reason why the divorce rate is close to 45%. Most of the time love can be messy. Someone likes someone more than the other. Someone changes and doesn't find connection with their partner. Sometimes people are assholes. Sometimes you had a partner that really got into the swing music revival in the late 90's! Like most, I've been on all ends of these sceneries. All can be quite challenging (well not the swing music of the 90's, but I did flirt with ska music during that time. Hey, nobody's perfect!)

While the first three songs are great and what we all want, since it's the spooky season let’s dive into the theme of the last tune written by Mr. Tweedy. While we all hope to have a Hallmark love affair often times things go sideways. To help us cope, Hollywood and songwriters put a magnifying glass on these everyday people issues which sometimes makes us feel better about our lives. We're all a bit crazy but hey, at least we’re not THAT crazy!

Since it's been a bit (wow a year) here's three songs to add to your spooky playlist, and three movies that deal with relationships gone wrong.  This first title from Death Cab for Cutie should be self explanatory. I included the album version with the 4 plus minute instrumental intro (as a Cure fan I applaud a long opening) As the music builds I feel it projects the narrators building anger and frustration about his object of desire. There's a radio edit if that's not your jam. I originally saw this video on MTV when this album came out. I know they kind of broke out earlier with some tunes featured in the OC, but I was a little older when that show came out. I'm more fluent in 90210 with a minor in Dawson's Creek.

As for the second song, I may be misinterpreting, but it does give me the "trapped in a well, it puts the lotion on its skin" vibe. I saw Cigarettes After Sex open for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds years back and became an instant fan. Great album to spin on a rainy afternoon. Not all of the songs are about locking up loved ones.

Lastly, I threw in a War on Drugs song about moving on, heartache, and taking the healthier approach to loss. (aka, not locking up a loved one in a well) Working through all the things, cocooning a bit and then hopefully reemerging as a better version of oneself. That screenplay perhaps would be a better late 90's early 2000's indie flick and a rather dull thriller. It's all about balance people. (Side note, if you are going through some things I recommend their 2017 A Deeper Understanding album by the band for some cheap therapy)

As for the three movies, let's stick to the themes of the first two songs. Up first, a young Clint Eastwood is a radio DJ in Santa Barbara and ends up sleeping with one of his fans. While he thought it was more of a casual fling, she thought differently...and she's not too pleased with his decision.

Next up is a trashy film (I mean that as a compliment) from the late 90's starring Mark Walhberg when he was still more Marky than Mark. The good girl falls for the bad boy and well, he turns out to be bad. I remember anticipation for this film coming out and a bunch of us going opening night when I was in high school. It's 90's a-fuck also staring future America's Sweetheart and book club guru, Reese Witherspoon as well as my childhood crush, (Samanta!) Alyssa Milano as the rebellious best friend. Also features multiple songs by Bush. Great movie to watch with a group. Nicole 4 Eva...IYKYK.

Lastly, sometimes new friends can be creepy too! Having roommates can be terrifying (I had one in college that would throw his chicken skins on the carpet?!) but at least he didn't start wearing my clothes, get the same haircut as me or kill my dog..spoiler alert)

Happy Halloween season everyone. I plan on posting more spooky suggestions over the coming week.

Opera House - Cigarettes After Sex

 I've got a love for you I just can't escape

All of my love for you cuts me like barbed wire

Harmonia's Dream (Live) The War On Drugs

Summer comes and rain gets in

It's like lookin' through the glass on the other side

I'm not trying to make you wait

Play Misty For Me (Trailer)

 

Fear - Trailer

 

Single White Female - (Trailer)

 

Burn In Hell - Twister Sister

 

Hear no evil, don't you speak no evil

Don't you lay no evil down on me"

Happy Halloween! One of the first tapes I ever bought was Stay Hungry by Twisted Sister. For a period of time they were my favorite band. I was 6 or 7 when it came out and the videos for We're Not Gonna Take It and I Wanna Rock were playing ad nauseam on MTV.  I was just starting to develop my personal "taste" in music. Before TS, my favorite band was the Monkees. I loved the tv show and received their greatest hits record from Time Life Music. We had to call in and order the album and back then it would take like three years for stuff to come in the mail (well it was more like 6-8 weeks but that still seemed like a long time. What was the deal with that anyway!?) And before The Monkees my favorite recording artists were Bert and Ernie. Below is a pic of the actual album which I still own (my parents didn't throw away much)

I was too young to see my makeup wearing, spandex clad, rock n roll heroes live so all's I had were the videos and tapes. Although when I went to the theater to see Pee Wee's Big Adventure I was thrilled to see my favorite band in my then favorite movie singing today's featured banger. Needless to say my young mind was blown seeing both worlds collide.  

Stay Hungry ended up being Twisted's biggest album and they didn't really have much commercial success after. Fast forward about 20 years and I had just moved to Richmond VA. After searching for the Howard Stern Show (apparently he was pulled from the local station for indecency years before) I discovered that Dee Snider had a syndicated morning radio show. The only two markets for the show were Hartford Connecticut (where he lived at the time) and Richmond, VA. Why Richmond? I have no idea. 

Well, the positive thing about having a presence in Richmond was that Dee and his band (not Twisted Sister) were coming down to Richmond to play a show. I finally got to see my hero from the 80's live! He didn't sport the signature make up and shoulder pads that I had hoped for instead he appeared wearing leather pants and a leather vest.(no shirt underneath of course) I know if someone is in all denim it's called a Canadian tuxedo, I wonder what county would be a leather tuxedo? Germany?  Anyway, despite being costume-less, Dee and his band played all the Twisted classics so I left content. 

Fast forward another year and Dee was coming back to Richmond...this time with Twisted Sister! Despite a thunder storm delay myself and a few buddies witnessed the full costumed Twisted Sister in a grass field within an office park just a few miles from my apartment (sounds kind of depressing but it really was awesome) It was at a place called Innsbrook Office Park and the weekly summer series was dubbed Innsbrook After Hours. Since I was in my 20's at the time it was a sweet spot to see bands from my child hood that were perhaps a little down on their luck. Since CD sales were still going strong, ticket prices weren't outrageous, so I was seeing these nostalgic bands for around $30 or less. During those couple years besides Twisted, I saw David Lee Roth, Poison, REO Speedwagon, Huey Lewis and the News and Weird Al Yankovic...all for dirt cheap. How the times have changed!

The picture above is me dressed up as my 7 year old hero back in Halloween 2005. Yes, I did my own makeup. I remember I had to work the next day and after getting out of the shower despite my best efforts, the blue eye shadow I put on the night before wouldn't completely come off. Without a wig and other parts of the costume, needless to say I looked pretty damn creepy. This was a customer facing job too so it was quite embarrassing. Luckily it was a Sunday so I didn't have to see too many people but the ones I did, probably looked at me a little differently going forward.

For todays movie recommendations I figured we hit on movies where heavy metal was going to destroy the youth. Metal was under heavy scrutiny in the 80's. Big names like Ozzy Osbourne and Judas Priest were being sued and getting blamed for putting subliminal messages in their work and causing kids to commit crimes and suicide. The satanic panic was in full swing and the government was moving forward with Parental Advisory Stickers on albums they deemed inappropriate.(At this time Dee famously testified against censorship in front of Congress) Well, leave it to horror movies to capitalize on the fears of the day. Not exactly best picture nominees but these nuggets are enjoyable nonetheless. Here's two movies where our Metal heroes go bad and start causing havoc on the helpless teenagers.

Since we're celebrating Dee, I'd also recommend his 1998 horror movie that he wrote and starred in. It has some "borrowed" elements from A Nightmare on Elm Street but set in the "Modern Primitive" subculture (google it) Till next time. Happy Halloween!