they’re gonna eat me alive

help, i’m alive
my heart keeps beating like a hammer
hard to be soft, tough to be tender

After yet another argument heated discussion with my family, I realised it was time to continue with this blog.  My sister had a great point when she accused me of not taking any action regarding the things I’m passionate about, so hopefully resurrecting this dusty old thing will shut her up (and I mean that in the nicest possible way!).

Rebirth necessitates change, hence the new blog title.  Yes, I’ve already changed it three times.  No, I don’t care.  For the record, this will be the last time, because I think I’ve finally found a title (and song) that perfectly sums up not only myself, but also the (intended) content of this blog.  ‘Nuff said?  Good.

The title, of course, comes from the Metric song of the same name.  It’s the debut single from the album Fantasies, which was probably my favourite album of 2009.  There’s no denying it’s a little more “mainstream”/”radio-friendly” than their previous efforts (probably intentionally so), but the songs are well-constructed and Emily Haines‘ vocals are gorgeous, so it still works well as both a great Metric album as well as an awesome indie/pop/rock album in its own right.

“Help I’m Alive” is a brilliant album-opener, and it also exists in an acoustic version that gives a whole new perspective to the song.  The situation is reminiscent of Emily Haines‘ reworking of an early Metric song, “Dr. Blind”, for her solo album Knives Don’t Have Your Back – what began as something poppy and upbeat became dark and brooding.  It’s an interesting experiment, and if Emily chose to do an entire album of acoustic Metric songs, it would undoubtedly be a completely different listening experience compared to the original work (hint, hint, Ms. Haines).

• mp3:  Metric – Help I’m Alive
• mp3:  Metric – Help I’m Alive [acoustic]
• mp3:  Metric – Dr. Blind
• mp3:  Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton – Doctor Blind

• mp4 video:  Metric – Help I’m Alive
• mp4 video:  Metric – Help I’m Alive [acoustic]
• mov video:  Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton – Doctor Blind

down on your luck

well.  looks like the Joanna Newsom/Bill Callahan gig at Auckland’s Hopetoun Alpha is sold out.  and guess who hadn’t gotten his ticket yet…  <sniff>  so, while i wallow in self-pity, i thought i’d share some of Bill’s most gloriously depressing songs.

• mp3:  Smog – It’s Rough  (from Wild Love)
• mp3:  Smog – To Be of Use  (from Red Apple Falls)
• mp3:  Smog – All Your Women Things  (from The Doctor Came at Dawn)

i was a teenage smog

ah, the new year.  a time for reflection, for resolution, for top ten lists…

well, maybe if it wasn’t already nearly February – i think my vacation went on a bit long…

not to worry – as far as top tens go, Shots Ring Out decided to out-do everybody, and compile the top 56 music videos of 2006.  while they may not be the best songs of the past year, they definitely are (some of) the best videos.  the clips are available in different formats depending on your downloading needs, so you have no excuse not to check out the ones you haven’t seen – your New Favourite Band may be lurking in there somewhere.

as for resolutions…  well, i’m not gonna list them, so i can avoid the inevitable embarrassment come 2008 when i realise i haven’t stuck to any of them.  one resolution i will share, with blog as my witness, is that i will write more this year.  i’m the lamest excuse for a writer, ever (well, maybe apart from Poppy Z. Brite – would you like some cheese with your blood?).  anyway, in order to mark this momentous occasion, this blog has undergone yet another name change.  (it may also have something to do with the fact that there are already two blogs titled the bitter pill – i have no idea how google missed them six months ago when i was checking if the name was already being used).  so, welcome to the new and improved sewn to the sky.  i am humbly borrowing the name from Smog‘s debut album, a noisy lo-fi affair that (along with Forgotten Foundation) is a poor represtation of the genius that is Smog/(smog)/Bill Callahan.  with his dry humour and gravelly voice over acoustic guitar, he is often compared to the equally genius Leonard Cohen.  and the man is finally playing a concert here next month.  okay, it’s technically (his girlfriend) Joanna Newsom‘s gig, but he’s the opening act and will most likely accompany her during her set.  so what better time to try to create some new Smog fans?  over the next few weeks, i’ll be posting some videos and mp3s to try to give you some idea of how dark and beautiful and poetic and funny and heart-wrenchingly depressing this man can be – all in one song, if he so chooses.

to start with, here’s a track that fits a couple of those categories from his 1999 album Knock Knock.  just to clarify, it’s actually the last line from this song that inspired the new blog name – Bill makes a lyrical reference back to his debut album in the track “Teenage Spaceship”.  one of my all-time favourite songs, it’s hard for me to describe it as anything but sublimely beautiful.  Smog manages to capture the loneliness and longing of the awkward teenage years; the feeling that no one understands – or even sees – the ‘real you’…

• mp3:  Smog – Teenage Spaceship

then the clouds will open for me

the last sunset of 2006, over Auckland.  (photo by Adam)

• mp3:  Placebo – Then the Clouds Will Open for Me

we follow mr santa to the end

i wanted to squeeze in another post before this year is over, so, being christmas and all, i thought i’d join the hordes of other mp3 blogs in posting this festive remix of the Knife’s “Reindeer” from their self-titled album (although technically, it was recorded before the album version, so i guess that makes this the original?).  now, why can’t all christmas songs be this cool?  (if you go to the official Knife site, you can download a cd cover in pdf format).

oh, and merry christmas to my loyal reader(s).  ;)

• mp3:  the Knife – Christmas Reindeer