Sinister: I wanna be your joey ramone

[James Gilmer]

I really do wanna be your Joey Ramone.

Hullo Sinister children, I hope all is well in sinisterland.

Michelle R went and said: "Mr. Jim mentioned Black Box Recorder"

Which is funny because I've been called Mr Jim three or four times this
week, and I haven't heard that in ages. It makes me smile because it was one
of my nicknames as a kid.

If you guessed the source of the subject line, give yourself a cookie. It
comes, of course, from Sleater-Kinney's 'Call the Doctor' album and is the
title of my favorite song of that album. It's brilliant, though I'm afraid
it's not for some twee sinister folk. Long live the riot grrrls, I want to
marry Corin Tucker...well, not really, but she does make brilliant music.

Joey Ramone is gone of course, cancer took him a few weeks ago. *sigh* Was
it that long ago I was standing on the top of a car screaming the words to
'We're a happy family'? I tried to get 'The KKK Took my Baby Away' as the
senior class song, and if you knew the small michigan town I grew up in
you'd see why it was appropriate. We ended up with a Garth Brooks song as
the class song, you can be assured I was not pleased.

I'm listening to Sleater-Kinney far too loud as I type this and I'm wishing
I hadn't sold my electric guitar, then I look at my beloved 12-string and
I'm happy again. I must get another electric one of these days.

Ahh, Joey and the other Ramones were one of those things that helped keep me
sane growing up. I feel as if I've just outted myself to the list. Yes
folks, I lean much more towards the punky side of the 'indie' scene. Don't
hold it against me, I love the sad bastard bands as much as I love the angry
bastard bands and the happy bastard bands, it's just that I was much more
the punky Clash and Sex Pistols kid than the Smiths and Morrissey kid, as I
matter of fact, I really don't care for the smiths all that much (put down
the knives my friends, it's just a personal opinion).

Of course, I could never really get into the *scene* like others did. Didn't
wear leather of have tattoos or five foot mohawks (because I've always
thought mohawks a bit daft) and generally just wore what I wanted. The
closest I got was short, spikey plum hair and a Clash or John Lennon (who
wasn't punk, but whose t-shirt got me called a commie by some redneck in
11th grade, so close enough) t-shirt.

I have to laugh at some of the punky kids nowadays in their Hot Topic
clothes and borrowed attitude. Though if I was honest I'd admit there were
plenty like that when I was growing up. Sometimes I think I must be getting
old, but no, I don't feel old at all. I don't care much for *kewl* kids who
get so into the scene and the spectacle, just give me the music please. The
punk music, the indie music, the ska music, the blues, the electronic music,
that's all I want, thank you.

I've mellowed with age (ohhh, my bones are creaking as my 25th b-day looms a
few months away). Mojave 3 follows S-K into the cd player and it makes me
want to lay back under a shady tree somewhere.

I wish I collected vinyl, I've always said I was going to start my
collection, but I also realized that if I started, my I would quickly
bankrupt myself. I do so love the sound of a record. One of these days I'll
begin my collection. Or I'll just cheat and find a girl who has a record
collection and marry her and her collection will become our collection...I
rather like that idea.

Has anyone heard the new AIR album? I hadn't realized it was out already and
I think I must buy it soon. If you haven't heard the VIRGIN SUICIDES
soundtrack, you should go buy it and listen to it, and then read the book,
and then watch the movie. You will thank me, because they are all wonderful.

Otherwise, your recommended music is "Winners Never Quit" by Pedro the Lion
and "Orange Ryhming Dictionary" by Jets to Brazil.

Recommended reading is Philip Pullman's DARK MATERIALS trilogy (Golden
Compass, Subtle Knife, and Amber Spyglass) because they are brilliant
fantasy novels that I read and shared with my twelve year old niece, and we
both loved them. They're light years ahead of Mr. Potter's adventures
(nothing wrong with Harry though) and they even outshine poor Frodo and his
ring.

It's finally sank in that I'm leaving the states for six weeks on sunday to
travel around the UK and Europe and see Belle and Sebastian live and now I
am filled with mad energy. This should prove to be a brilliant summer.

If anyone needs to get ahold of me whilst I'm gone, I can be reached at
jgilmer2001 at yahoo.com

Hope to see some of you at the shows.

Be Sinister...

Jim



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