#title from johnny come last by the fratellis

[pollencoveredman]

green is the colour (but don’t it fade fast?)

eleven p.m., on a saturday. 

dee sits at her desk, head in her hands as she racks her brain, trying to squeeze out anything she can remember about this trigonometry bullshit. it’s not a particularly difficult topic, per sé, but she’d slept through most of the last lesson and copied her answers off the girl next to her, whose name she could never seem to remember.

she taps her pen on her desk, in time with stacey q’s two of hearts blaring from her cheap CD player. it’s not really her favourite, but she’ll play it while she can while dennis is out, before he inevitably “borrows” it from her for god knows how long.

her train of thought is interrupted by a knock at her bedroom door, and she’s a little grateful, because she’s not getting anywhere with her stupid homework and needs an excuse to take a break.

“come in, mom,” she calls, trying to look busy. 

the door creaks open, and dee does a double take when she sees her brother standing in the doorway.

“hey,” she says incredulously. “i thought you were staying at maureen’s tonight.”

dennis opens his mouth to speak, but dee cuts him off before he can get anything out.

“anyways, do you know how to do this trig shit?” she asks as he takes a seat on the edge of her bed. “i kind of didn’t pay attention in class the other week and i’m, like, totally lost, and—”

“she dumped me.”

dee blinks slowly. “what?”

“maureen; she— she broke up with me.” it’s only now that dee takes a good look at him and notices how red his nose and eyes are, the dried mascara streaked down his cheeks.

“again? what is that, the fourth time, now?” she sets her things down on her desk and pauses the music, moving over to the bed to sit with dennis as he rubs at his eyes. “god, you guys are so on-and-off, it’s so annoying. i can’t keep up; you should just move on already.”

dennis stays silent, but the way his face crumples up and the shakiness of his breath tells dee a lot more than whatever mess of words is inside his head.

“oh, hey, come on,” she says softly, as hot tears start streaming down her brother’s face. “it’s alright. you didn’t even like her that much, right? i thought you were just dating her to make mom happy.”

dennis nods, trying to catch his breath. “i was, but…” he sniffles, running a finger under his nose. “she broke up with me. if it was the other way around, then it’d be different.”

dee raises an eyebrow. she’s not sure whether she can keep up with the drama in her brother’s romantic life, and she’s not sure if she really cares, but she knows this whole mess is her mom’s fault. as if she needs another reason to despise her. they’re only sixteen, and dee already knows her mother has royally fucked up both of them for good.

“so…” she starts, trying to be careful with her words. “if you’d broken up with her instead, you wouldn’t be so upset?”

“i don’t know, dee, i just… i thought she really liked me.” dennis mutters in between sobs. “she said i was handsome, and— and she always said hi to me in the hallways, and… i don’t know. i guess i just want everyone to think i’m cool, or good-looking, or whatever. even if it’s people i don’t really like.”

dee nods. “yeah, i get it.” she doesn’t really, but he’s upset and she just wants to help.

“i just don’t know why she would be the one to break it off.” dennis sighs heavily, shifting around restlessly on the duvet.

dee frowns, picking up the tissue box from her nightstand and setting it down next to dennis. “did she tell you why?”

he shakes his head, plucking out a handful to gently dab at his nose and eyes. “wasn’t really listening. something about how she doesn’t like those quote-on-quote ‘losers’ i hang out with, i don’t know.”

there’s a beat of uncomfortable semi-silence, as dennis sniffles pathetically into his wad of tissues while dee fidgets with her necklace.

“sorry if i’m being annoying,” dennis blurts out suddenly. “i would’ve talked to mom about this, but she’s, like, out cold on the couch. wine all over the floor and everything.”

“hey, no, it’s totally fine,” dee assures him. “i doubt she would’ve been that helpful anyways.”

dennis nods slowly. “yeah. probably just, i don’t know, say it’s ‘cause i’m not good enough anymore or something. she keeps telling me i’m growing out of my looks.”

“bitch,” dee hisses. she’s mad. she’s mad that their mother would say these kind of things to her own son, that she treats them both so badly in such different ways. and of course their dad couldn’t give a shit. he’s never around; only cares about making money and banging chicks, something their mom’s fully aware of. not that she cares — that’d be hypocritical.

she wishes her parents loved each other. other times, she wishes they were both dead.

it’s something their little group is built around. mac’s mom barely pays attention to him, and dee’s pretty sure his dad’s a criminal. charlie doesn’t even know his dad, and his mom has a new guy over every other day of the week, though he seems to be oblivious to the implications of such a thing. sometimes she wishes she was as painfully ignorant as he was; so unbelievably childish and carefree.

she snaps out of her haze as she glances over at dennis, face flushed and breath uneven. dee hasn’t seen him cry like this in years.

“you want a hug?”

dennis nods, curling into her side as she wraps an arm tight around his waist. he’s always been weird about physical touch, especially these last two or so years, but he appreciates moments like these; when he knows he’s safe. 

“thank you,” he chokes out, voice wavering and barely a whisper as tears spill onto dee’s shirt.

“you’re gonna be okay, den,” she whispers, massaging little circles into his hand, the way he always does to himself when he needs to calm down. 

it’s something she’s always noticed about him, even when he hardly even realises he’s doing it. he does it a lot whenever they pass the school library, or even just at a brief mention of ms klinsky’s name. she never brings it up, though. he’s fragile about that type of thing.

“deep breaths, alright? you’re gonna make yourself sick.”

dennis nods, trying to follow her suggestion, pulling away to recollect himself. dee keeps a loose grip on his hand all the while, frowning slightly at how shaky he is.

“hey, why don’t you lay down?” she asks gently. “i’m gonna go grab you something. i’ll be really quick, promise.”

he does so wordlessly, curling up into the fetal position and picking at a loose thread on the duvet. he brushes off the tissues littering the bed into the little trash can on the side — even if he’s sad, that’s no excuse to leave a mess.

dee comes back after a minute, dennis’s stuffed elephant in her hands. she sits down next to him, presenting it to him with a grin.

“mr. tibbs!” he sits up a little, propping himself up on his elbow, a smile spreading across his face. he holds it tightly in his arms, rubbing his cheek against the soft fabric. dee can’t help but feel a little proud of herself. she knows how much dennis loves that thing, how many sick days it’s gotten him through, how many nights it’s spent cradled in his arms as he cried himself to sleep.

“feeling better now?” she whispers, as she moves her pens and papers over to the bed.

“yeah,” dennis mumbles. “you’re a good sister.”

dee smiles and squeezes his hand, distantly noting how much calmer he seems now. “i’m a great big sister.”

“hey, that’s not fair,” he whines. “you’re, like, fifteen minutes older.”

“whatever.”

“it’s cosine, by the way. not tangent.” dennis says, gesturing to dee’s notebook. he’s met with a raised eyebrow and a confused half-smirk. “on your homework, question six. you’re using the wrong ratio; that’s why your calculator’s acting all weird.”

dee snorts. “okay, nerd.”

“just trying to help my big sister,” he says through a yawn, stretching out his arms behind him. “can i sleep in here tonight?”

“yeah, go for it,” she mutters, not looking away from her homework. normally, she’d object, but he’s had a rough night, and as much as she hates to admit it, she really does like looking after him like this.

she’s the best older-by-fifteen-minutes sister ever.

#cw ms klinsky mention #title from johnny come last by the fratellis #trash twins <3 #i heart them #dennis reynolds #dee reynolds #fanfic #iasip #it’s always sunny in philadelphia #based off that one line in the book #you know the one i mean

[surveys-r-us]

anotha one

Shuffle survey, answer with song titles (from bzoink)

What will each day of this week be like for you?: Sunday: Cruel - Snakehips and ZAYN Monday: Budapest - George Ezra Tuesday: Missed the Boat - Modest Mouse Wednesday: Georgia - Vance Joy Thursday: Stockholm - Judah & the Lion Friday: Someday - Sugar Ray Saturday: Heaven - Khalid

Questions About Next Week (Continue to answer in songs) Will you accomplish something?: Roll On - Kid Rock Will you get in trouble for anything?: Mono - Courtney Love Will you hang out with your friends?: All That You Are - The Goo Goo Dolls Will you kiss anyone?: Make You Feel My Love - Adele Will you go on a date?: Everything Is Everything - Phoenix Will a secret admirer come forward?: With A Little Help From My Friends - The Beatles Will you get a compliment? What will it be about?: How to Fight Loneliness - Wilco Will you get a good grade on a test?: blushing! - BETWEEN FRIENDS What will your relationship status be like?: Gold - Chet Faker How will you get along with your parents / family?: Dirty Laundry - All Time Low Will you learn anything new?: My Kinda Party - Jason Aldean What will be your greatest challenge?: Stupid Boy - Cassadee Pope What are you looking forward to?: Fans - Kings of Leon What is the most exciting thing that will happen?: Summertime Sadness - Lana Del Rey What is the worst thing that will happen?: It’s The Same Old Song - Four Tops Will you meet anyone new?: Say You’ll Be There - Spice Girls Will you spend time with a person you love?: Angela - The Lumineers Does that person feel the same way about you?: Kings & Queens - Mat Kearney What will you do next weekend?: Tidal Waves - All Time Low Will it be an overall good week for you? No Diggity - Chet Faker

The Farther Future What type of career will you hold?: Confessions Part II - Usher Will you find true love?: Don’t Come Around Here No More - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Will you get married?: Froot - MARINA Will you have kids?: Moshi Moshi - Poppy What song will you name your child after?: When You Were Young - The Killers Will you ever have a problem with drugs / alcohol?: Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls Will you make lots of money?: Why Can’t We Be Friends? - The Academic Will you attend college?: Rock N Roll Will Break Your Heart - The Fratellis Where will you live?: No Future - blink-182 Will you travel a lot?: Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey What kind of pets will you have?: Emoji of a Wave - John Mayer If you started a band, it’d be called: 1996 - The Wombats If you started a fashion label, it’d be called: Golden Trunks - Arctic Monkeys If you wrote a book, it’d be called: Play with Fire - The Rolling Stones If you started a business, it’d be called: Teenage Dirtbag - Wheatus Will you become famous?: I Want The One I Can’t Have - The Smiths What will you be most known for?: King of the Clouds - Panic! at the Disco What will be your life’s greatest accomplishment?: Cecilia - Simon & Garfunkel What will be your life’s greatest failure?: Smooth - Santana feat. Rob Thomas How will you die?: Saturday Nights - Khalid Will you die happy?: Long Distance Runner - Matt Nathanson What will be written on your gravestone?: I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) - Four Tops

How do these people currently feel about you? Your lover: Over My Head (Cable Car) - A Day to Remember (lol this is actually ironic) Your friends: Sunday Best - Augustana Your mom: Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones Your dad: Strangers Again - Alexander Wren Your sibling(s): TALK ME DOWN - Troye Sivan Your teachers: (Ghost) Riders in the Sky - Johnny Cash Your exes: Walking Away - Mat Kearney Your enemies: What You’re Thinking - Passenger feat. Josh Pyke Your secret admirer: If You Want to Sing, Sing Out - Cat Stevens Random strangers: When I’m Gone - 3 Doors Down

Misc. What SHOULD you be doing right now?: All My Love - Led Zeppelin What is your current relationship status?: Guess I’m Doing Fine - Beck What type of people are you attracted to?: Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey - The Beatles What do you look for in a friend?: Who Are You - The Who What phrase describes you?: Just In Love - Joe Jonas feat. Lil Wayne What do you consider to be your best feature?: Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies What do other people consider to be your best feature?: With You - Jessica Simpson What do you look like?: What’s The Frequency, Kenneth? - R.E.M. How would you describe your style?: Roll To Me - Del Amitri Describe your last kiss: 2:AM - Anthony Russo What are your favorite hobbies?: Give Yourself a Try - The 1975 What is your greatest strength?: I Need Your Love - Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding What is your greatest weakness?: Your Body is A Wonderland - John Mayer How do you feel about life right now?: I. The Worst Guys - Childish Gambino and Chance the Rapper What makes you extremely happy?: Outsider - The Daylights What makes you extremely UNhappy?: Unbreakable - Jamie Scott What’s on your mind right now?: (Don’t Fear) The Reaper - Blue Öyster Cult If someone told you to say anything right now, what would you say?: Stay - Florida Georgia Line (actually lol)

[zieggla]

Montreux Jazz kicked off a bit more than a week ago. The 52d edition is inaugurating a House of Jazz placed within the Petit Palais premises facing the entrance of Montreux Palace. I had the privilege to experience three massive pop-art performances by Charlotte Gainsbourg, Massive Attack and Etienne Daho. Before the Breton singer, there’s another gigantic name on the bill at the world famous Stravinski Hall, He is to step on the stage. Paolo Conte, a former notary in northern Italy. He brought over the decades the italian jazz to an international playground. I’d like to talk about that very respectable singer to begin with. He is a real maestro and Montreux Jazz Festival is home for him, like Leonard Cohen or David Bowie were when they were with us. 

A light in night in the city of Montreux, the famous logo shines everywhere.

First keys hit on the piano and here’s a shock: “Azzurro” pops out and goes straight to my ears. It is genuine, straight forward, vibrant… patriotic in a very romantic way. This is indeed an hymn for Italians from all over the world, a sort of alternative “Fratelli d’Italia”, that a large group of vocal italian-speaking members of the audience sing along with their heart out. Chills in the backbone and shivers all along the skin, that song reaches its goal, it is moving, comfortably reassuring, a “crowdpleaser”. The title was written by Vito Palavicini to go along with music made by Paolo Conte.

Paolo Conte, from the stage at the Stravinski Hall, courtesy of Paolo Conte official

In their professional generosity, the title will be actually popularized by a star of the Italian cantautori Adriano Celentano. Paolo Conte uses his piano skills, not only for the usic purpose, but also to set the tune of a warm summernight tale. His fingers walk his board on the white and black keys. The jazzman marks with his rocky voice every single piece of lyrics of his rich repertoire. That “jazz standard” written for Adriano Celentano is also his after all. We have the impression of a nice mix of Leonard Cohen, for the low voice, Serge Gainsbourg for the originality and Louis Armstrong for the pop dramaturgy of his jazz pieces.

While Conte sings, Montreux Palace facing the House of Jazz enlighted

The singer is very inspired by the gestures and the performances of his musicians on stage. The accordionist moves his two hands like a ballet dancer would move his legs gently first, then with some kind of sudden madness, as if a tango competition was taking place in a crowded milonga from Buenos Aires. Conte worships his musicians and pushes forward every little shot of happiness, clouds of lightness, drops of rhythms to storm into a song, meaning to massage the eardrum in the mist of trumpet sound waves… Conte is the mastermind of a plot where something special always happens. The magnetic Piedmontese octogenarian is here for the show and also for a communion with both his fellow musicians and his audience. A sort of pope of emo-jazz, a melting-pop conductor, a “gentile” speaker of very few words coming out of his deeply low mouth in between songs. The overflowing respect of the demanding mentor transpires all over.

“Via con me” is being played, the famous “It’s wonderful…”, another moment of fusion in awe, while the audience asks for more (for one of the greatest standards “Un Gelato Al Limon” many times, for instance). The classical guitarist that is in charge of multiple soli is ecstatic. He trips on a very catchy riff while the crazy violinist seems to reach the nirvana. It is a music night, it is the opening night of Montreux Jazz Festival and Daho is on deck. The once pop superstar of the French charts came back last year with a brilliant new electro-rock LP called “Blitz” but we’ll talk about it a bit later. Let us move on to the most spectacular drummer in sight Monday night. Charlotte Gainsbourg’s drumbanger sets the tempo and it is magic.

Drummer in the dark, using his sticks to beat the drum as a metronome, well done!

This is the moment at the Montreux Jazz Lab, last Monday night, that Charlotte Gainsbourg shows that she is really moved. She starts “Charlotte Forever” as a tribute to her highly admired father. Serge is here with us with that song being played. She also goes on with a very pure and ethereal hommage to her sister Kate Barry who died in 2013, a song that was written fir “Rest”, her latest album. Plunging the audience into an early-night nostalgia for the past and delivering a pleasant and sweet snapshot of the present. An hour with Charlotte is precious, a sort of musical romance that comes and goes with a selection of inventive songs inviting electro beats, sepulchral vocals, fragile chorus close to the bone, a sophisticated machinery.

The group around Charlotte brings an orchestral grandeur to the very intimate lyrics in both French and English, gathered in his latest LP co-written and produced with electro french-touch reference SebastiAn, with the help of guests like Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo from Daft Punk, Dangermouse, Connan Mockasin, Paul McCartney or the poet Sylvia Plath. The visual part of the show with large neon back and white frames (something that Charlotte shares with her once duo partner Daho) strikes the eyes as if it was a stroboscobic night in a mininal techno club somewhere in an old Berlin neighborhood in the 1990’s. I loved the set and I loved the light show, a bit like I did for Etienne Daho three nights prior.

Daho, stealing the show with new songs from his rockier than ever LP “Blitz”

The pop veteran Daho shares with Charlotte Gainsbourg more than a futuristic decorum on stage. He also managed to transform “Bleu comme toi”, “Week-end à Rome” into all new gigantic electro-rock pieces, helped in that respect by long-time music-production partner Jean-Louis Pierot (from the French pop duet Les Valentins) who knows Etienne’s dreams by heart. They also share the same sensation when it comes to propel a certain idea of France on a much anglosaxon background. Daho is very much indeed a british influenced rock n’pop French representative. Rennes, his hometown is also the capital city of indie pop music in France. And there is a whole new cycle of old-timers of the Rennes’ rock scene reuniting these days, Daho with his fans to begin with and Marquis de Sade, a band that will be on tour these coming months to the pleasure of many fans who were left to wait alone with weaker projects from the members of the band somewhere between 1981 and 2017. Maybe one day, Niagara will come out of the darkness too, who knows?

Daho, let’s talk about this man, always very generous, warm in his relationship with his fans, also warm with that very peculiar voice that seemed barely upfront in old records. Production from back in the days did not know the old emphasized sound of a voice take “à la Abbey Road”. With the years passing, Daho learnt how to play with his natural organ. It completely changed for an all-over-the-place “low” way of singing, something really touching as Daho is happy to hold the microphone to take over his shyness. Nothing is tamed in his live show, his new approach is much noisier, in your face. The voice is compressed by the technological means, the guitars are struggling with one aim: to reach a form of wall of sound, Smoke, lights, everything is here to impress the guests. The melodies of the 1980’s are rejuvenated, the recent hits like “Le Premier Jour” are rougher and groovier. Daho renewed himself and seems fighting fit to fill up big arenas. Some Johnny Halliday’s fans that I know were here, convinced. For them, Daho succeeded in galvanizing Montreux.

  Daho, music partner Jean-Louis Pierot in white shirt and the rest of the band

Last but not least, the wonderful comeback of Massive Attack struck me as a real epitomy of my Montreux experience in 2018. 3D (Robert Del Naja) and Daddy G (Grantley Evan Marshall) are still rolling around the world, more politically conscious than ever about their responsability as human beings, contradicting obscurantism with peaceful anthems that are still resonating as chants for unification of torn appart societies. “Safe From Harm”, “Unfinished Sympathy”, “Blue Lines”, “Protection”, “Karmacoma”, “Angel”, “Teardrop”… the list of songs that turned people’s ears’ on from all over the world remains impressive. The visual show projects news agencies feeds in French about the migrants or the populist crisis that hits Europe. The slogans about the world controlled by its population, the pictures of desperate people who left their villages to risk their lives across northern african places and the mediterrean sea push the audience to step out of their comfort zone and think. And as Phil Collins said in a song, “it ‘s another day in paradise for you and me” and it is another day safe from harm for the Montreux Jazz attendance. The British trip-hop moguls display an unselfish carreer helping the poorest and the most people at stake within their country and all around the world, Something that the Queen of England or the newcomers in the international political stage Salvini or Kurz would never do. Just for that, I want to say thank you, let me vote for you whenever you decide to found your own political party.

By David Glaser.

    FUTURISTIC POP & ITALIAN PRESTIGE Montreux Jazz kicked off a bit more than a week ago. The 52d edition is inaugurating a House of Jazz placed within the Petit Palais premises facing the entrance of Montreux Palace.

#charlotte gainsbourg #etienne daho #massive attack #montreux jazz #paolo conte