I was at a party last night and had an argument with a girl about drum and bass. I think I told her it was rubbish. I said, snootily and rather too loudly, that I'd always preferred hi-hat and treble. I said, waving my beer bottle in the air, that I like drums, I like bass, I like trumpets, I like guitars and handclaps and songs about tigers. She said I didn't understand and it's about more than just drums and bass. I said it was a stupid name then, and all labels were silly because the best bands should defy expectations. She called me something offensive. It might have been "you twat". It probably was. Today with a headache and not a penny in my pockets I sat inside watching telly. And I figured that last night I had been a bit of a twat. I'd overstepped the mark. I think my views on whether it is good or bad to be considered twee follow similar lines of thought to that argument about drum and bass. I don't think that labels ever really fit what they're applied to. And people always have different opinions on what they mean. People ask me what music I like and I find it difficult to reply. I could say 'indie' I suppose, but people would form the wrong impressions. My problem with 'twee' is that it's an affectation. I like to hear songs about love and loneliness, girlfriends who run off with postmen, freckles, tigers and sex on the carpet. I don't think a word as shallow as twee really sums that up. If you want to put your hair in pigtails, go on. It makes you look cute, but it's not why I love you. I think what I'm most embarrassed about in my argument with that girl is that I was accusing her of being narrowminded but I was being narrowminded myself. I mean, she can dance to shite music if she wants to, but it's not like she's sticking pins in hampsters. I'll tell myself that because she says she doesn't listen to song lyrics that makes her shallow, but that doesn't have to be true. That's the problem with labels: they make us focus on the wrapper and not what's inside. Last night someone called me a four-letter word beginning with 't'. I hope that's the last time. :: :: :: A taxi driver parked his taxi at the end of my street because smoke was coming from the engine. He had his radio turned up really loud and I couldn't concentrate on my book. He flipped up the bonnet and stood holding his chin in one hand with the other on his hip. A song called 'Stay Loose' came on the radio. I can't remember who it was by but I rather liked it. robin x ps: the aislers set kick ass. they blow me away. there isn't a word in the dictionary to sum that up. pps: put your wand away ian. always getting it out at the smallest excuse ;) _________________________________________________________________ Stay in touch with absent friends - get MSN Messenger http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+