Skins Vs. Gossip Girl

Been a while, sorry.


To be honest with you, I’m not a terrible fan of mainstream things. The Jonas Brothers annoy the hell out of me, I think MTV should just go away and never come back, and don’t get me started on Hannah Montana. I don’t dislike them because others like them, I merely dislike them because I think they are stupid. So, as I’m sure you can imagine, after hearing about the television show, Gossip Girl, that aired in America sometime last year, I quickly wrote it of as annoying and never watched an episode.

This may be a close minded way to look at things, but have you read the story line for that thing? I hate High School and all the bitchy-ness that goes along with it as it is, I don’t need to come home and watch it on television as well.

Now, when Skins came out, I was immediately hooked on the show. To be honest I’m not a big television watcher, but I wanted to see the programme. It was different and caught my attention. I was expecting a Holly Oaks type, mediocre, but still entertaining soap opera, I was wrong.

Skins, much to my surprise, isn’t about a load of bitchy, immature but cocky teenagers with an agenda, its about a load of immature, and still cocky teenagers, who don’t have an agenda, and that’s just half the problem.

The characters don’t purposely hurt each other, there’s no big scheme to ruin someone’s reputation for personal gain. It’s about a group of college kids in England that all have personal issues and teenage angst, yet the characters raunchy sense of humour keep it a funny show to watch. Each character has some issue going on that their best friends may or may not know about. There’s something that makes them tick, and something that fuels their; sometimes stupid, sometimes daring and sometimes brave actions.

Now, back to Gossip Girl. I watched my first episode the other night, and I actually quite liked it. Although there is by no means any comparison to the Skins storyline. The characters aren’t very deep, except for Chuck Bass, but more on him in a moment. Mainly its interesting because of the stunts the characters pull, the clothes they wear, the fabulous lives they lead, and lets not forget the gossip. Its not beautifully written and doesn’t dive into the teenage psyche and stay a while. You will think about the characters as you sit through an episode, but the only thing you may be left thinking about a few hours later is Blair’s dress.

Alright, now its Bass time. First of all, he is an interesting character, maybe my favourite thus far. The whole thing about his personality maybe or maybe not being affected by the fact that he might have, or might have not “killed” his mother as she gave birth to him, is quite interesting. But why does he always show his ankles? For God’s sake, cover up, this is the CW. Okay, not really, but he’s meant to be loaded, can’t he buy some socks? And my other issue with him, he
always looks annoyed, I get its part of the character, but honestly he needs to drop the entire monotone act, or he may not be my favourite for very long. When ever he talks to someone, it seems as if he’s thinking “What do you want, you disgusting mortal? I’ve got people to kill,” and it’s getting a bit boring. He needs to hit someone, or have a breakdown or something, because no one wants to watch a moody statue for an hour every week. I still thinks he has potential though.

In the battle between Skins and Gossip Girl, Skins wins single handedly. Gossip Girl is an interesting programme, and I do regret that I didn’t watch it sooner, but its nothing to rave about, its an interesting programme and should just be taken for what it is, a controversial, teenage television show.

Crystal Castles: Say Hello to Your New gods.

If you asked me a week ago what first comes to mind when I hear the word Canada I would have said hockey, beer and snow. If you were to asked me today I'd say, what with all of these questions about Canada? While on the subject of Canada I'd bring up the Canadian electronic band Crystal Castles. I found this Toronto based band on Youtube and heard their Bloc Party remix of Hunting For Witches, it was bewitching to say the least. (play on words anyone?)

They are made up of one bloke and one woman who apparently met during community service. I think its quite edgy and much more exciting way to start a band. Much better than meeting at a school, or a library or at a park, even better than meeting in a public bathroom. The list could go on really, but it won't, because I want people to actually read this blog.

Anyway, Alice Practice is one of their best songs in my opinion, along with Knights. Their Bloc Party remix also tickles my fancy. Each song is completely different from the next, and they all sound more likely to be heard in an arcade in the 90's rather than on the radio. Which is another benefit, because who doesn't want to be reminded of their childhood while listening to electronic infused thrash music?

"If vomit could sing” is how Ethan Kath describes Crystal Castles sound. The band has been reported saying it annoys them when they are compared to video games, but their songs do sound like video games. If video games had lyrics, vocals and drums.

Their lyrics are touching, and their music is creative. Not like anything I've ever heard before. I think if the Sex Pistols had been a female fronted band, with access to myspace and perhaps a laptop, they'd sound a lot similar to this band. So if you like the idea of a futuristic Sex Pistols, being reminded of your child hood and electronic music then you're in luck my friend, heres a link to their myspace page.
www.myspace.com/crystalcastles

So go on and take a gander, then go watch a marathon of the Rugrats and maybe order yourself and Ahh! Real Monsters lunch box, off ebay. You deserve to treat yourself once in a while, ay?

-kirstie x

She puts the O in photo.

Good news kiddies, if you like all of the lovely photgraphs on this blog, then you'll be happy to find out that the photographer Danni has a new myspace made specially for those pictures.

here it is-





Now you'll be able to drop out of school, quit your job, forget your aspirations, stay home all day and look at these wonderful pieces of art. Your parents won't be too impressed, but who cares? You can be the bum you've always wanted to be.

Alright not really, but the pictures are quite good. They are all live shots of bands like Bring Me te Horizon, (I kid you not) The Devil Wears Prada, and Dance Gavin Dance. The list goes on!

So what are you waiting for? Go go go.

-kirstie x

Hadouken!

Its neon colours, violent synths and cheeky lyrics all the way when it comes to Hadouken, and that's just how I like it. And just how everyone else seems to like it judging the bands myspace friends.

They create a cool electronic sounds and a few of their lyrics are sure to make you laugh. In my opinion their best songs are

The Prayer


That Boy That Girl


Tuning In


Dance Lessons


Liquid Lives




The band members
James, Alice, Pilau,and Nick instantly attract a lot of attention by their brightly coloured, quirky dress sense.

Hadouken are a good, electronica band. Their music is wicked and their image is cool. If you'd like to add a bit of neon to your a grey life, then pull on your skinny jeans and head off to one of their gigs. If that doesn't do it for you then buy their cd as well, you're sure to enjoy it.
-Kirstie x

Bros before Hoes?

Thus far every post in this blog has been a positive one, but thanks to recent events, this is about to change.

What better band to help we with that than the Jonas brothers? None. When I first heard this band a year or so ago, I thought they where a cute, poppy band. They were on Disney channel singing a song about a girl, who I think was called Mandy, and that was that. I really just forgot about them.

Until about a few months ago, when they seemed to have exploded into the media. All of a sudden they were on every television programme, every radio station, and every mypace pop-up add. Its a bit ridiculous.

I really hate mainstream things, therefore I really hate The Jonas brothers, because they are about as mainstream as you can get. From lunch boxes to glasses cases sold in Claire's, they are everywhere, and its bothering me.

It bothers me because although they may have good singing voices, the talent obviously ends there. I have only ever seen them play a guitar and a tambourine on stage, other important instruments, such as bass and the drums are played by men hidden on stage by dark lighting. But Ryan Seacrest did compare them to the Beatles, which leads me to believe that most of the American media is on crack.

To me they come across cocky and I think that Nick Jonas is really the only member of the band with talent that is worth the hype they are all getting. The Jonas Brothers are an over credited, disney channel, money making machine. I just want to know how long it will be until they are on Dancing With the Stars, or Celebrity Rehab.

-kirstie x

Glamour For Better

You know when it happens, you're listening to the radio or you're on Youtube, mindlessly sitting their, or perhaps standing, maybe dancing, you could even be knitting. Then it happens, a song comes on that you instantly connect with. You love every aspect of it, the lyrics the melodies the chorus. You anxiously look for the bands myspace page, your heart is turning with antisipation, your mind is racing, and you can't think of anything else. Your skin is itchy and your sight blurs, you need that song and you need it now damnit! "There must be a youtube video, and old demo, anything!" you think to yourself, your about ready to tear your fingernails out when there it is, the bands myspace pops up. "Fucking underscores" you mutter. Its alright though, you've found the page and your cat is still alive. This isn't called Music Junkie for nothing.

Well this happened to me the other day, although I'm afraid I was not knitting. I found Glamour For Better on Youtube and I instantly loved them. Their lyrics are amazing and their sound is just wicked.

They are playing a few shows with Party Shank and I Haunt Wizards. When I heard this I was contemplating flying down to Reading on the 14th. But when I looked into my purse and only saw a measly tenner I knew I'd have to sit that show out.

Nevertheless Glamour For Better are my new favourite band (and I don't through that term around loosely.) They provide listeners with a cool electro sound and good lyrics. Have a look at their myspace page if you want your ears to skip through fields of flowers, to cry tears of joy and to fall in love again (metaphorically of course)

find happiness here



Its a secret that I had to share with you, its Glamour For Better and its good.

-Kirstie x

And I Told Dance Gavin Dance That I Invented Times New Roman

Although we were still nackered after Warped Tour last Monday, Danni, Lindsay and myself soldiered on down to Xtreme Wheels for our intense love of the music scene. Dance Gavin Dance was the band playing so we arrived two hours early to get in font, which was a big bloody waste of time because the turn out was disappointing. Anywhere from 30 to 50 scene kids were present throughout the show, but most of them were just skateboarding.

Small turn out or not, the show was still wicked. The opening bands where good, although a little loud. Us three even got a song dedicated to us from a band called Four Letter Lie in order to make us smile.

Dance Gavin Dance finally took the stage at nine and made the two extra hours we stood waiting outside worth it. Lemon Meringue Tie was the best song, but they all where quite good. The lead singer even handed the mic over to a kid stood next to me for a bit.

Although the band has endured a lot of internal problems and gone through a lot of changes the past few years they still put on an immense show, and came back on stage a second time after the small audience demanded and cheered for another song.

-Kirstie x

(pc- Danni Millar- www.myspace.com/d4nn194)