Ironic Twist
seeking irony, because sarcasm clashes with my outfit
Tuesday, April 03, 2007 :::
In case the barren past few months didn't tip you off, I just haven't been motivated to post lately. I've been DJing, going to shows, listening to new bands, dancing, reading, going to the movies and of course watching too much TV. But somehow none of that made it onto here.
During the time I haven't posted, Hej Hej returned with a vengeance. Lots of actual Scandinavians showed up at our January party. Tall, blond, gorgeous Scandinavians. In February, I was invited to DJ at Taint, one of my favorite dance nights. I've gone to some great shows -- Scissor Sisters at the 9:30 Club (thanks, Kyle), Datarock at The Empty Bottle and Loney, Dear at Schubas. I went to a disappointing show -- The Raveonettes at Rock & Roll Hotel. I love The Raveonettes but, sadly, the energy was just off... I visited my brother in Chicago, where I soaked up some Swedish culture (and pancakes). MG and I helped the Embassy of Sweden promote two sold-out Ane Brun performances at the House of Sweden. But like I said, none of that made into onto here.
I started Seeking Irony after getting out of college and realizing that a 9-5 leaves one with a lot of time to stare at a computer screen. In addition to filling some of that time, this little blog led me to new friends, new bands, and great opportunities. If you've enjoyed reading Seeking Irony, and especially if you liked reading about new Scandinavian music, please add Hej Hej to your MySpace friends. And if you don't have a MySpace account, send an e-mail to hejhejdc at gmail dot com and I will keep you posted about Hej Hej events.
Of course, I wouldn't leave you without a plug for the next Hej Hej:
Plus, the House of Sweden is hosting another concert this month:
Sofia Jannok is from the north of Sweden, and writes most of her lyrics in Sami, her native language. She mixes jazz, pop and yoik influences. Yoik? It's a traditional Sami form of song that's very hard to describe in just a few words, except maybe as chanting. You can listen to some bits on her site. It can be quite pretty, actually, but probably a bit difficult to get into if you're not Sami, or at least Swedish.
I'm loving "Punkdrömmar" in particular. Many of the Swedish bands I come across are lo-fi and/or twee, but this [ingenting] track sounds like The Bravery decided to record a song in Swedish. Labrador is giving away the song along with two remixes here.
And speaking of Labrador bands, the label is releasing a 4 CD box set to celebrate 10 years and 100 releases. The box set will have one song from each release and a booklet with interviews, comments about the songs, and more. As someone who's addicted to Labrador releases, I have to warn you that the 22 Euros you spend on this box set will end up costing you much more once you start buying the albums from which the tracks come.
I swear, I'm not actually searching the Internets for ABBA-related items. But maybe if I study really, really hard, some day I too can be "highly respected ABBA historian."
Via IMDb: Streep To Star in Film Version of 'Mamma Mia!' Academy Award winner Meryl Streep is putting her vocal talents to the test in the Hollywood adaptation of ABBA musical Mamma Mia! The Devil Wears Prada star, 57, is set to play Donna, whose daughter Sophie is due to be married when she embarks on a journey to discover the identity of her father. It will be Streep's first musical. The film's producer, Judy Craymer, says, "(Streep) was always at the top of our wish list. She encapsulates the spirit and energy and has the powerhouse qualities that character requires." The movie features ABBA songwriters Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson as executive producers, while the picture will be produced by Tom Hanks' production company Playtone. Mamma Mia! will begin shooting later this year in London and Greece, and reports suggest the film's release will coincide with the musical's 10th anniversary in 2009.
ABBA Star Ordered To Pay $2.1 Million In Tax Former ABBA star Bjorn Ulvaeus has been order to pay 16 million kronor ($2.1 million) in undeclared royalties by Swedish tax officials. The "Dancing Queen" hitmaker is accused of tax evasion, with officials believing Ulvaeus siphoned his royalty payments into a Netherlands-based construction company. Victor Palm, a spokesperson for the country's tax office, says, "He is paying less tax than he should." Last year, Swedish authorities presented Ulvaeus with a 90 million kronor ($13.1 million) bill for backdated taxes, fees and interest rates prior to 1984, when he moved to the UK. ABBA enjoyed chart success in the 1970s and 1980s, selling 370 million albums across the world.
I will resist ending this post with a quote from my dad's favorite ABBA song "Money, Money, Money."
Wednesday, January 03, 2007 :::
A giant thank you to everyone who made our final bluestate a huge success. The crowd was fantastic from the time doors opened to the moment Kyle's last song ended. It was the best ending I could have imagined, and I'm still finding blue confetti in the strangest places. My photos are up, and setlists will be up as soon as I get them from my fellow DJs.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006 :::
How adorable is this flyer?
The music will be equally adorable, I'm sure. I'm off to a DCFUD gathering tonight, but will try to stop by. It helps that I can now turn my head to the right.
Friday, December 15, 2006 :::
On Wednesday, I celebrated St. Lucia Day with The Cricklewood Massive, playing some songs and wearing a crown of (battery-operated) candles for a bit. My iPod Jukebox set:
The Hard Tomorrows - "Teenage Kicks" (download here) Maximo Park - "Isolation" Brett Anderson (The Donnas) - "California Sun" (from Brats On The Beat) Franz Ferdinand - "Well That Was Easy" Mika - "Relax" (MP3)
If I'd stayed a bit later, I would have broken out the Christmas set I had prepared:
The Raveonettes - "The Christmas Song" Le Sport, Montt Mardié & Mr. Suitcase - "Last Christmas" (download here) Middle Distance Runner - "XMas Party" (MP3) The Ramones - "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)"
Tonight: a Hanukkah party at MFG and BV's, then off to the Black Cat for the New Order vs. Duran Duran dance party to celebrate David's birthday. Happy birthday, David!
And oh yeah, I forgot about Sunday: Aberdeen City opening for Rasputina at the 9:30 Club. I've never been to a seated show at the 9:30 Club before. I understand sitting for a band with cellos, but how does one rock out to Aberdeen City while sitting down?
01/05: Taint and Bliss present INFAMY, 9:30 Club
01/10: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, 9:30 Club
01/19: Benjy Ferree, Meredith Bragg and the Terminals, Greenland, Black Cat 01/24: Hej Hej, Cafe Saint-Ex
