I Need A Lover

It's all just too much sometimes. I came across the Hamilton Leithauser cover of John Cougar's "I Need a Lover,"and just had to laugh. Not because the cover is no good, but because it reminded me so much of an ex that used to send my heart racing. I laughed because for the first time in years about this man; and even wished we still knew each other because I think he would have gotten a kick out of this and I wanted to share it.

Leithauser is the former lead singer of The Walkmen, who I was introduced to sometime in 2006/7 by the aforementioned ex. As John Cougar (Melloncamp)/Leithauser sings, "I need a lover who won't drive me crazy," I just got it, man. This former lover drove me crazy; but he also gave me orgasms I can (still) hardly shake off, songs I always sing along to, and enough cringe-worthy, mid-twenties angst to make a 90's Rom-Com from my diary entries alone. If only he hadn't broken my heart in that process, I might hunt him down and share this madness.

Oh well, I guess it's just for you.

Personal Pop Culture Hell

If I were to end up in Hell, which is likely, considering I am a heathen who abandoned my Catholic faith, and has "sinned" unceremoniously for many, many years, my Personal Pop Culture version (as inspired by The A.V. Club) would include one of the following:

People talking loudly during a movie that I have been really excited about seeing in the theater, and/or at a concert that I'm trying to enjoy. I mean, seriously, why did you bother coming to this darkened room with a projection screen/live performance just to catch up about your ex boyfriend's stupidity? Go get drunk at home and talk about your problems with a nice, uninterrupted iTunes session or Netflix rerun. I will give you the sideways stare, or shush you with no regrets. If the Devil exists and has as little mercy as suspected, I wouldn't be able to even do that.  

[SoftD] - 'Would?' - Alice in Chains

Today's Song of the Day (SoftD) is brought to you by Alice in Chains. Inspired by The AV Club's coverage of Jar of Flies, I brought 'Would?' back out of its sleepy place in my brain for today. This dramatic, hypnotic, and dare-I-say-sexy song closes Alice in Chains 1992 album, Dirt.

I was completely preoccupied with the rest of the grunge scene, listening to Nirvana and Pearl Jam mostly, and not quite into this kind of metal yet, so it took the movie Singles to get 'Would?' into my heart. I had seen Alice in Chains on MTV before Cameron Crowe forever implanted them in my canon, but the truth is, without that movie, I never would have explored them further. I have owned Singles on VHS and DVD, as well as the soundtrack on tape and CD - worn out and purchased again on both occasions. Truly a musical awaking for me.

Anyway, between Singles and Reality Bites, my precocious, romantic heart couldn't wait to get into my 20s and find my own true love. Seeing Steve and Linda meet at a truly amazing show in Seattle was like the coolest thing that could ever happen. I knew that was my destiny. That or marry Ethan Hawke. Note: Neither happened. Oh well.

This is a terrible pick up, but it makes Steve all the more adorable later when he and Linda fall in love. Plus,  we get to see amazing insight into Cliff's character. Please enjoy.

Hate Song

The A.V. Club has this brilliant feature called Hate Song in which they "ask our favorite musicians, writers, comedians, actors, and so forth to expound on the one song they hate most in the world." Yeah, I know, right? And it is just as amazing as masturbating to a hate fuck fantasy in which you are the one who is hated.   

I have a multitude of Hate Songs (far fewer hate fucks, thankfully), but there is one song that I literally want to run screaming from the room every time it comes on. And that is Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance". I can't even. 

I don't remember the first time I heard it, but I know that when I lived in Asheville, NC and regularly attended 80's Night on Wednesdays at Broadways that I always left the dance floor when this horse shit came on. It makes me angry to even think about. 

I didn't even know most of the lyrics until just now when I looked them up. This dude is actually kind of funny - a complete misogynist, but funny. Seriously, the sound of this song immediately draws a scowl to my face and I can't help but send a stink eye to whence it came.

If I ever get married and have a DJ at the party, if he played this song (or anything by The Jackson Five), I would probably rip the very expensive veil out of my hair and choke him with it.