The Rich Girls Are Weeping

23 March 2006

I'm horrible with time management. Well, maybe not super-horrible, because I do get things done, but I could be better at it. I'm always looking for suggestions for tactics that work, so if you have any pointers, I'm all ears. For all my effectiveness, I spend a lot of time spinning my wheels and wasting time, and I really need to stop doing that. Seriously.

Around this time last year -- well, actually it was in early March 2005, before SXSW, I was in London for about ten days. I planned to go to only one show whilst I was there -- Ted Leo and The Pharmacists and Help She Can't Swim at The Garage. The morning of the date in question, I woke up at 7am to a searing allergy attack (I guess it was from the mold -- I'm so dreadfully allergic to everything...) and a snowstorm outside. The neighborhood outlet of Boots didn't open until 9am, so I trundled around in the snow, sniffling and sneezing, watching parents drop their children off at creches and little old ladies to their morning shopping. When the Boots finally opened, I dithered for about 30 minutes over the selection of decongestants; I'd forgotten that over-the-counter drugs are marketed under different names abroad. I was very excited to buy something with paracetamol in it, only to be told upon my return to the house that that's just the UK name for Tylenol. Such a letdown! Anyway, after some quality time with a kleenex steeped in Olbas oil (man, that stuff works!) draped over my offending nose, I got to feeling better, but ended up having to skip the show because I wasn't at 100% -- I was closer to 75%, truth be told. I was totally bummed about that because I'd emailed Ted telling him I'd be there, and I do so hate to let people down. I was also grumpy about missing Help She Can't Swim -- I was really looking forward to taking in their screamy, cacophonous dance-punk in person as they hadn't, at that point, ever played in the US. (And even now, I'm not sure they ever have...)

The reason I'm telling you this story is that Help She Can't Swim has a new 7", Midnight Garden, out in the UK now and full-length album on the way later this year.

Help She Can't Swim -- Midnight Garden


Speaking of 7" releases, in anticipation of the new Final Fantasy album also due out later this year from Tomlab (which is, btw, home of another TRGAW fave and one-man band, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone), Owen Pallett (he is Final Fantasy) has released a limited 7" (500 copies), Young Canadian Mothers, with new versions of "This Is The Dream of Win & Regine," now titled "This Is The Dream Of Emma & Cam," and "The Sea," now titled "The Sea (Tenderizer)." The wee platter also includes "Spell For A Weak Heart" and that brilliant cover of Joanna Newsom's "Peach, Plum, Pear."

Final Fantasy -- This Is The Dream Of Emma & Cam
Final Fantasy -- Spell For A Weak Heart


Bonus: Final Fantasy -- "Illusion Song" (live)

(I Guess I'm Floating also posted these tracks today, that's what I get for not checking to see if anyone else had posted them! To make that up to you, here's "The Sea (Tenderizer)" for you as well.

2 Comments:

Blogger Pinkie von Bloom said...

I'm ignoring the profound dirtiness of the statement "he is Final Fantasy" after the whole "I'll be your final fantasy, bitch" debacle. This makes me laugh.

Thursday, March 23, 2006 4:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yeeeeeeee you are my hero! thank you thank you thank you

Thursday, March 23, 2006 10:25:00 PM  

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