Monday, November 29, 2010

Holland lotta love

Since tomorrow I'll be in Amsterdam, I'd like to write something about bands / artists from Holland.
But.. er.. I found none.
Uh, unless you want me to talk about... the Vengaboys!
No, joking: I found some (The Ex, Gone Bald, etc..), but I've honestly never heard of them.
To sum up: there is only one Dutch band I somehow like and could write about, and it's Bettie Serveert.
I happened to listen to something from their first album, "Palomine" (1992), ages ago.
Never been one of their fans, but hidden corners of my 90s heart still need things like the warm simplicity of "Tom boy" and its video.

Bettie Serveert - Tomboy (1992)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Not only flannel

Hello there!
I'm Sergio, I’m still stuck in the 90s, my heart’s age still ends with “-teen”, and this is my first post here.
I would have liked to write a flamboyant introduction to it, about what it felt like to live in the 90s and live the 90s.
But even if my English was less crap than it actually is, I wouldn't make it anyway.
Because to define the 90s is not as easy as MTV specials like "So 90s" would have us believe.
You should have been there to thoroughly comprehend it (but I think it’s the same answer you’d get if you asked your dad “how did it feel living in the 60s?”. To each his decade).
It’s not just Vanilla Ice, Meg Ryan’s haircut “French kiss” era, checked flannel shirts, Jeremy speaking in class today, thinking that nothing was cooler than Windows 95 interface, girls trying to look like Winona, Mc Hammer’s trousers or Brenda Walsh’s embarassing bluejeans.
No, no and no.

Anyway...
Let’s start with something carefreely brilliantly pop!
You don't know The Bluetones?
Shame, shame on you!

The Bluetones - Slight return (1995)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

riot grrrl herstory

i started reading sara marcus' book girls to the front: the true story of the riot grrrl revolution the other day, and though i haven't gotten very far yet, i can still already say that i like it.

for me, riot grrrl was always about music - bikini kill mostly, and sleater-kinney, and heavens to betsy - but even music that's technically not riot grrrl at all, just angry somewhat feminist punk and rock n' roll. for the teenager me it wasn't really that important what it was called, just that it made me feel right, made me able to relate and that really shaped me into who i am. for that i can never not love them.

in reality, riot grrrl was so much more than that. they actually lived feminism, they didn't just play and sing it. they had a real cultural impact. i'll tell you more when i've finished the book.