Wednesday Music: damn it feels good to be a gangsta, and be descended from gangstas

So I’m a few days behind – on account of being too busy living and working to blog – but I wanted to point out that the flat I am staying in here in Moscow belonged to the wonderful woman to whom this essay was dedicated. She loved me very much, and she loved my mother, and that love still goes on, somewhere. She was also kind of gangsta. In ways I couldn’t begin to describe.

Since I also can’t begin to describe what I’ve been up to, especially since I am exhausted to the point of glassy-eyed giggling, here is some music. Starting with Ian Brown, at whose concert I was waving my beer around the other night like a damn fool, thanks, once again, to the undeserved kindness of wonderful people.

F.E.A.R. – Ian Brown
Don’t Let Me Down – The Beatles
Find Me Somebody to Love – Queen
Dirty Mind – the Pipettes
Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta – Geto Boys
Kuinya – Ivan Kupala
Agora – Rovo
Black Sunday Afternoon – Anna Ternheim
Thorn-torn Lips – Robert Berkman

Since I haven’t forgotten where I’m from (in case you’re wondering), I thought it would be cool to include a video by Perkalaba, shot in Western Ukraine, with the participation of my cousin Solomia and my friend Rusya (they are the beautiful women running around/covered in food):

And yes, I realize, the following is kind of a cliche for those in the know, but I couldn’t care less right now:

Oh, Moscow. Oh. 😉

Monday music: “you’re like a car crash I can see but I just can’t avoid”

It’s weird that I’ve been doing this Monday music thing for a while now – but haven’t really talked much about my favourite songs. Well, “Like a Friend” by Pulp is one of such songs. I like the shift from slow and melancholy to fast and melancholy, and how a sense of irony keeps the entire thing in check.

When I first started listening to this song, I was still a kid, and it had no bearing on my daily life whatsoever. It has bearing on my daily life now, and you’d think that would be weird and uncool, but it’s actually the opposite of that. Music like this is a light in dark places, when all other lights go out.

But I’m not really in a dark place right now, ya’ll. It’s nice to be able to say that.

Like a Friend – Pulp
Lost on Cahuenga – David Lynch
Give – Tori Amos
Теплые Коты – Fleur
Lady Madonna – the Beatles
Andromeda (Prelude to the Future) – Meanderthals
You’re a Big Girl Now – Bob Dylan
Fuck You I’m Drunk – Bondo
Hit the Road to Dreamland – Betty Hutton
Rocky Top – Loretta Lynn

I’m kind of in the mood for this video right now, as well. Just the way it’s filmed alone is already kind of spectacular.

“And I’m going to be drunk ’till the next time I’m drunk.”