Mientras esperamos que se publique el nuvo trabajo podemos disfrutar de los nuevos temas de la banda.

if you like the cure and their lyrical catalogue the likes of bats for lashes, indian jewlerry and xiu xiu are doing a charity compilation of covered tracks

Dieses Klischee wollen Black Kids dann aber doch nicht erfüllen. Die kreieren lieber einen gut gelaunten, fröhlichen, fast naiven Indierocksound mit smarten Lyrics. Eine Kombi, mit der die Black Kids im letzten Jahr die Ohren der Myspace-Jünger eroberten und sich so einen Plattenvertrag mit einem Major-Label erspielten. Auch nichts Neues in Zeiten des Web 2.0, wo der User die A&R Manager ersetzt. Der Sound der Black Kids wird dann sogar dem Hype gerecht. Reggie und Co. sind nicht eine weitere "Sesamstraßenindierockband", wie die Arctic Monkeys oder The Rascals, sondern spielen erfrischenden Indierock, der nicht weniger will, als jeden Muskel im Körper in Tanzlaune zu versetzen. Damit dass mit dem Tanzen auch funktioniert, haben die Black Kids eine große Portion Beat gefrühstückt und mischen den Humor eines Jarvis Cocker mit dem Synthie-Sound von The Cure und machen aus Beach Boys-Sounds stampfende Discorocker. Das alles jedoch nie ohne eigene Elemente und so schleicht sich statt langweiliger wiedergekäuter Retrosounds eine erfrischend jugendliche Mischung in die Ohren und Hirnwindungen, um sich dort über Tage parasitär als Ohrwurm festzusetzen. So sind die Black Kids eher so etwas wie die Muppets unter den Sesamstraßenindierockbands. Ob sie das Potential für mehr als einen Sommer haben, müssen sie nun selbst beweisen, aber für diesen Sommer dürfen sie sich feiern lassen.

Myspace der Band

Iain WhiteTapes

and an oldie but goodie, in between days

and here is the most recent info about the new album - it's being delayed a month! :(

OCTOBER 13TH... ALBUM!!!

IS THE LATEST RELEASE DATE OF OUR

(AS YET UNTITLED)

NEW ALBUM...

AUGUST 13TH WILL SEE THE RELEASE OF OUR 4TH 'MIX 13' SINGLE
'THE PERFECT BOY'
B/W ANOTHER 'NOT ON THE ALBUM' SONG
'WITHOUT YOU'

SEPTEMBER 13TH WILL SEE THE RELEASE OF AN EP
COMPRISING THE FIRST 4 SINGLES
'THE ONLY ONE' / 'FREAKSHOW' / 'SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD' / 'THE PERFECT BOY'
REMIXED BY...
*SURPRISE REMIXERS*!!!
(sighs... remembers those pre-web golden days of surprise... )

ALL ROYALTIES FROM THIS EP RELEASE
(EVEN THOSE DUE THE MIGHTY 'U' WE HOPE!)
WILL GO TO...
WELL WE HAVEN'T QUITE DECIDED YET!

SINCE WE GOT BACK FROM AMERICA
I HAVE BEEN MIXING PARIS
AND CHARLOTTE
AND NYC SHOWS FOR TV/DVD

AND I NEED A BIT MORE TIME
TO PUT THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE ALBUM...
TO DECIDE ON WHAT SONGS MAKE THE FINAL CUT...
AND IN WHAT ORDER...
(frowns... wonders if a 17 song 80 minute album is a double... ?)

SO...
OCTOBER 13TH IT IS THEN...

UNTIL THE NEXT POSTPONEMENT?
HA!!!
RSX

80′lerden 500 Yabancı Hit. Bölüm#3
Bölüm#3 içerisinde sanatçı isimleri S-Z arası 107 adet şarkı mp3leri bulabilirsiniz.

500 80’s Pop&Wave Songs Part#3
Part#3 contains Artist name S - Z   107 mp3 Songs

.

Mis bandas favoritas son inglesas, quien sabe por que.

El sabado regresaba de un sepelio y prendi la TV. Telehit. Ocho en punto. Especiales. Una morra de nombre Yatzil entrevista a Robert Smith, desvelado, carismatico, ensimismado, taciturno.

Con su voz lenta, su mirada cavilante, su movimiento inquieto de manos. Las palabras que me gusta oir. Sus reflexiones sobre la fama, sobre politica, sobre los punks, sobre Mexico, sobre el mezcal.

El rostro abotargado de alguien que nunca temio ponerse labial y playeras de Betty Bop.Su inconfundible peinado. Las prendas negras.Su sonrisa sincera.

Amo a The Cure por tantas cosas. Por sus paradojas, por sus letras luminosas.Por Kafka y por Camus. Por los disfraces y el bailecito de Why cant I be you. Por los mariachis, los niños de Boys dont cry,el escenario cambiante de Friday Im in love, la casa que se derrumba, el closet que cae, el amor de gatos, por Robert egocentrico, por Robert taciturno, por Robert reflexivo.

Do you like the 80s? Are lyrics that neither make much sense nor rhyme that well not that big of a deal for you? Would you enjoy the yodelings of a youngish Robert Smith, up half an octave? Well then I have the band for you! Black Kids are neither black nor children, but they're going to be your new favorite band whether you like it or not.

Partie Traumatic begins with "Hit the Heartbreaks," which busts out with a full on 80s synth blast and a knock knock joke, giving the listener a taste of the surreal mix of puns and retro pop that pervades the entire album. Lead singer Reggie Youngblood's voice slides and dips through the synthetic soundscapes, the result and eerie premonition of what Robert Smith might've sounded like had The Cure come out of Florida instead of England.

First single "I'm Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" offers a pretty standard watching the girl of your dreams from afar-type scenario, but with another infectious synth hook, more nonsense lyrics ("You are the girl/that I've been dreaming of/ever since I was a little girl") and Justice-like kid choruses shouting "Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!" - and you can't really help but oblige their command.

Overall, Partie Traumatic is the perfect album for the summertime - light, fun, and occasionally witty synth pop from five pun-loving non-black kids. It was released in the US on July 22.

1983 New Order Power, Corruption, & Lies

Sadly, 1983, an incredible year for births, was not a great year for music. This album was a hands down choice, which is more of a reflection of its competition than the role it's played in my life. I've still listened to it a ton, but there was never a time where this was the only album I listened to or anything like that. In 1983, smack in the middle of their incredible 1979-86 run, XTC released the thoroughly ordinary Mummer, which impacted this pick, as well as the fact that I'm not into any of the other highly acclaimed releases from this year.

Rate Your Music 1983

1984 Prince Purple Rain

With apologies to Double Nickels on the Dime, this was an easy decision. "Computer Blue" is the only song on Purple Rain that I don't absolutely love (I dislike it). I always say things like "I wish I were alive during . . . .", and since I was alive when Prince and Michael Jackson ruled the world, I have to merely wish I had developed a consciousness in time to appreciate how awesome 1984 was.

Rate Your Music 1984

1985 Celtic Frost To Mega Therion

1985, as far as my tastes go, was pretty similar to 1983. I almost picked Rain Dogs, but I gave the edge to this album because I like Celtic Frost better than Tom Waits overall. (Celtic Frost also has the greatest band name of all time.) I've been on a metal kick lately, but I've liked Celtic Frost for years, so this pick isn't colored by what I happen to be listening to right at this moment.

Rate Your Music 1985

1986 The Smiths The Queen Is Dead

Picking this over Skylarking was an extremely difficult decision. Skylarking doesn't have a momentum-derailing song like "Never Had No One Ever," and it's much more coherent overall, but The Queen Is Dead is basically a greatest hits album. Case closed.

Rate Your Music 1986

1987 Prince Sign O' the Times

Congrats to Prince for becoming our first multiple award winner! He didn't have much competition for this one.

Rate Your Music 1987

1988 Sonic Youth Daydream Nation

A predictable choice, to be sure, but who am I to argue?

Rate Your Music 1988

1989 The Cure Disintegration

A very easy choice. The best thing I can say about this album from a personal standpoint is that when I'm driving long distances I prefer to listen to long albums. I take Disintegration with me every single time I make a roadtrip. I just love the fact that Robert Smith went all out to make the biggest, best album he possibly could and completely succeeded.

Rate Your Music 1989

1990 Fugazi Repeater

One thing I discovered while writing this post was that there are barely any albums from 1990 that I really like. I mean, just look at what finished first in Rate Your Music's list. Holy crap. 1990 definitely had some high quality hip-hop albums, but none I've fallen in love with. That said, I'm glad Fugazi has a spot on this list. Repeater isn't my favorite album of theirs, but it is the first one I bought, so it definitely has personal significance. Plus, "Blueprint" is one of the sickest songs ever.

Rate Your Music 1990

1991 Pearl Jam Ten

I can't remember the last time I listened to this album all the way through. I never, ever have the urge to. But I would be lying to myself if I put any other album here. That's how much I loved Ten when I was in fourth grade. I still feel a strange surge of energy when I see the album cover, and when I'm on my deathbed, I'll probably want this album to be playing in the background.

Rate Your Music 1991

1992 Pavement Slanted and Enchanted

In the never-ending Slanted and Enchanted vs. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain debate, I side emphatically with the former. Yes, Crooked Rain's songs are more ready-made for Guitar Hero, but I just think S&E is way more unique. "Summer Babe" might be my favorite album opener ever, and "Zurich Is Stained" might be my favorite Pavement song ever.

Rate Your Music 1992

1993 The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream

(Before we begin, I want to apologize to the sublime Clouds Taste Metallic, one of the handful of albums that truly defined a period of my life. Why couldn't you have been released three years earlier?) Siamese Dream has become a musical artifiact from rock's final moments as a true cultural force, thank God, and that's why most people like it even though they probably hate everything else Billy Corgan has ever done. Well I like Siamese Dream so much because it was made just for me. I don't care if it turned the Pumpkins one of the biggest bands in the world at the time. Billy had my future music tastes in mind the entire time he was making it, so all I can do is say thank you, Billy. No one ever did it better. Except for you in years to come.

Rate Your Music 1993

1994 Weezer Weezer

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that nowadays when Weezer is standing in front of a brightly colored background with only themselves and their name in the picture it's cause to run screaming in the opposite direction. The fact of the matter is that this album hasn't aged one single day, and it never will. You take your car to work. I'll take my board.

Rate Your Music 1994

1995 The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

My favorite Pumpkins album simply because it has the most songs. It's also probably my favorite album ever simply because it has the most Pumpkins songs. Sure, there's some filler, but there's also "1979." And I should mention that, even though I don't like it much anymore, I've never loved a song more than first time I heard "Bullet With Butterfly Wings."

Rate Your Music 1995

1996 Weezer Pinkerton

Pinkerton is probably responsible for more bad than good. Just think of all the horrendous emo bands who were inspired to release their filth to the world after spending their formative years crying to this album. It also caused Rivers Cuomo to lose his mind, and he still hasn't recovered. Was it worth it? Uh, yes, by miles and miles.

Rate Your Music 1996

1997 Daft Punk Homework

I've slowly come to accept the fact that I'll never hear any other dance music that I like as much as Daft Punk. I spent years searching, and no one could top them. All hail Daft Punk.

Rate Your Music 1997

1998 The Smashing Pumpkins Adore

Another Pumpkins album, another slam dunk choice, even though Adore completely put an axe to their world-beating popularity. Just goes to show you how stupid people are, especially ones that buy music.

Rate Your Music 1998

1999 The Dismemberment Plan Emergency & I

Toughest decision of all. I basically had to sleep on whether to pick this one or Apple Venus Vol. 1, my favorite XTC album. Messrs. Partridge and Moulding, I'm sorry. Apple Venus is an album I love, but it has nothing to do with my life, whereas Emergency & I would have to go in the Ross time capsule. My decision shouldn't have been impacted by the fact that my favorite concert I've ever been to was a Plan show before they broke up in 2003, but I couldn't separate the album from that extremely, extremely fun night.

Rate Your Music 1999

2000 The Avalanches Since I Left You

It took one of my all time favorite albums, an album that forever altered my musical tastes, to save me from embarrassing myself and picking Machina, a universally reviled album, as my favorite album from 2000. Good God, I could write a 33 1/3 book about this album, so I'll stop here before I get carried away.

Rate Your Music 2000

2001 Daft Punk Discovery

Why, speaking of albums I've listened a billion times and somehow still haven't gotten sick of, it's Discovery! I don't even care that many of the best parts of this album were straight jacked. I don't even care that Daft Punk may never again release another album that isn't a total cashgrab. It's called permanent immunity. Ask Antwaan Randle El and Hines Ward about it if you don't understand.

Rate Your Music 2001

2002 Clipse Lord Willin'

I'll freely admit that Lord Willin' isn't a great album in the traditional sense. But an album full of babies crying on airplanes would be incredible so long as you threw "Grindin'", "When the Last Time", and "Cot Damn" in there somewhere. This album introduced the world to the Brothers Thornton, so it falls somewhere between the Mona Lisa and man's first cave drawings in terms of historically significant works of art.

Rate Your Music 2002

2003 Prefuse 73 One Word Extinguisher

I have to say, I've listened to this album so many times that I'm pretty much sick of it now, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when determining all-time favorites. Plus, look at that RYM list. 2003 wasn't exactly an exemplary year for music.

Rate Your Music 2003

2004 Ghostface The Pretty Toney Album

So many wonderful memories. Not only is this one of my favorite albums ever, but it plays so coherently to me that it's also one of my favorite books. And what's more, the first track isn't merely just the greatest rap skit ever. It's the greatest thing ever.

Rate Your Music 2004

2005 Clipse We Got It 4 Cheap Vol. 2

This is the last album that I became uncontrollably obsessed with, the soundtrack of countless walks around campus during the second semester of my junior year of college. As soon as I heard about it, I expected greatness. Somehow, it completely destroyed my loftiest expectations. (I realized that every sentence is now neck deep in hyperbole, but I am writing about my favorite albums ever, after all.) Hell Hath No Fury was pretty awesome, but this was too much for it to live up to.

Rate Your Music 2005

2006 Grizzly Bear Yellow House

Not the strongest selection on this list, but I do have an affinity for this album because I feel like Grizzly Bear are one of "my" bands. I'm not the type who finds out about the hot new bands before everyone else; I'm perfectly happy to be a year behind everyone else. But I did latch onto the largely ignored Horn of Plenty early enough that I eagerly anticipated Yellow House months before its release, expecting a fuller realization of songs like "Deep Sea Diver." I'm still smarting over the fact that I missed the show Grizzly Bear played in Pittsburgh ON MY BIRTHDAY because I only found out about it a day beforehand and it had already sold out. But I'll be seeing them open for Radiohead in Cleveland in two weeks. Cheyeah.

Rate Your Music 2006

2007 High On Fire Death Is This Communion

I'm still figuring out my favorite album of 2007, but this is on top of the list right now. This is one of those rare albums where every track is awesome on its own merit, while everything still flows together in a natural order, so I think its position is pretty safe for now. Plus, just look at that cover. Another Pittsburgh show I hate myself for missing.

Rate Your Music 2007

a bit better than

Monday

but a lot worse than

Thursday

and

Friday

I´m in love

College, I remember getting all this free money. Money here, money there. Only thing is, no one told me I had to pay all this back. So many years later I get the tab for it. dang! In the end of our journey in life I believe we're all gonna get a tab. Some will be clean, others well...It's part of it. The journey is just as important or even more so then the destination. I think the fray said best, "sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same"...

-fuser+

Min äldre syster brukar berätta hur hon en gång kom på mig med att sitta och leka med mina dockor och med belåten, gravallvarlig stämma sa: 'Han visste att hästen skulle dö dagen därpå, men han kunde ingenting göra.' Detta följdes av en njutningsfull suck.

Så tragik är en fäbless jag har. En del gillar skräck; jag gillar när det hemskt. Ju värre desto bättre faktiskt. Ge mig barn som dör av TBC, unga förälskade män som slits i bitar av minor i Flandern 1916 eller stackars Jane Grey som halshuggs efter nio dagar som drottning. Yummy! Så när mina ögon föll på boken 'I Hate Myself and Want To Die - the 52 Most Depressing Songs You've ever Heard' så blev jag förstås lycklig.

Vad Tom Reynolds har gjort är att han har valt ut vad han anser vara de 52 mest deprimerande låtarna, delat in dem i kategorier som 'I'm Trying to be Profound and Touching, But Really Suck At It', 'Horrifying Remakes of Already Depressing Songs' och 'I Hate Myself and Want to Die'. Därefter har han analyserat varför de är så fruktansvärt deprimerande, både vad gäller ljud och musik. Och sorgligt räcker inte. Sorgligt kan vara upplyftande.

Nä, här gäller artärskärande, dunka-huvudet-i-väggen, jag-har-nu-helt-tappat-lusten-att-andas-deprimerande. Hardcore depp, helt enkelt.

Vissa artister är liksom självklara i sammanhanget.

The Cure t.ex. Som Reynolds skriver: 'Selecting the most depressing Cure song is like choosing your favourite locust in a locust storm: You pretty much have your pick, but does it really make any difference?' Ja, Cure är deprimerande. Reynolds själv verkar nästan ha dukat under efter att ha lyssnat igenom deras samlade verk: 'I'd never heard more nightmarishly fucked-up music in my life and came away convinced that front man Robert Smith sleeps in a coffin surrounded by empty absinthe bottles and the drained corpses of young virgins.' Och då ska vi komma ihåg att Reynolds antagligen inte ens sett hur Robert Smith ser ut nuförtiden.

Så har vi 'One' med Metallica. Ja. Den gillade ju mitt X. Han drog historien om hur den handlar om en stackars soldat utan armar och ben (och tunga eller varför kan han inte prata?) som ligger i en säng och mår dåligt (ni hör ju själva varför den platsar). Så jag lyssnade på hur James Hetfield ylar ut sin smärta 'hold my breath as I wish for tea'. Shit, tänkte jag. Killen måste vara jättetörstig. Så jag tänkte mig den unge soldaten, liggandes i sängen, helt uttorkad, i tebegärets onda grepp, och så kan han inte be om det. Så jävla taskigt. Tänkte jag. Varpå fanskapet (mitt X, alltså) daskade mig i bakhuvudet och sa: "Men pucko, han sjunger 'hold my breath as I wish for death". Så okej, det gör han, men jag tycker min version är rätt deprimerande också (nästan mer på ett sorts hopplöst sätt). Och nästa gång - lyssna. Kan ni svära på att det inte är te han sjunger?

bild: BrittneyBush (some rights reserved)

Så har vi ju min personliga favorit, Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), som Reynolds beskriver som 'the lord of despair, the guru of doom, the avatar of alienation, yay for him.' Man får hålla med, Trent är liksom inte en av Guds naturliga små muntergökar. Vi snackar om kille som Tim Leary beskrivit som 'the most miserable, depressed human being I've ever met'. Trent själv uttrycker saken lite mer kliniskt: "My doctor says: 'You've got one of the hardest ones to treat because it's not bipolar, it's not up and down, you're always just about a quart low in the mood department." Reynolds sammanfattar det så här: "if I wanted to be lazy, I would've devoted this entire book to Reznor's songs because, let's face it, they're all depressing." Men faktum är att han nöjer sig med 'Hurt' (som placerar sig som den åttonde mest deprimerande låten i världen).

Hm. Här börjar jag och Tom driva åt olika håll. Jag menar, jag finner den sången rätt upplyftande... (men med tanke på att den innehåller raderna: 'i wear my crown of shit/upon my liar's chair' och följer upp med 'i will let you down/i will make you hurt' så kanske det säger mer om mig än Tom Reynolds?)

bild: Destinys Agent (some rights reserved)

Dessutom finns det låtar som helt enkelt inte platsar alls, som 'Tell Laura I Love Her'. Om jag stod på en bro, beredd att hoppa och nån körde den, skulle jag nog få tillbaka livslusten. Jag har suttit i ösregnet i en bil utanför en kyrkogård på Allhelgona med blommor åt en nyligen avliden anhörig och skrattat mig blå åt den. 'Tell Laura I Love Her' är helt enkelt en av de roligaste låtarna i världen. Och 'All By Myself' ylad av allas vår Celine Dion fyller mig alltid med livslust, om inte annat för att jag inte är en fransk-kanadensisk hysterisk sopran. Sen får den mig alltid att komma ihåg att jag gillar att vara ensam. Jämför att vara ensam med... Låt oss inte gå dit. Låt oss bara säga att många människor är väldigt överskattade. 'Aaalll byyyy myyseeelf; I so wanna be aaalll byyy myyseeelf...'

bild: dannyman (some rights reserved)

Men sen finns det också låtar, hemska låtar, såna som får mig att vilja sluta andas helt enkelt som Tom Reynolds helt har missat. En del är ursäktliga därför att de är svenska och Tom inte rimligen kan förstå precis hur hemsk t.ex. 'Briggen Bluebird' är. Andra kan man bara förklara med att även Tom Reynolds har vissa försvarsmekanismer som gör att han aktivt trängt bort existensen av de styckensom bara är FÖR outhärdligt fruktansvärda för att man ska kunna stå ut med dem utan tung medicinering.

Men jag, älskaren av smärta, förlust och lidande, jag ska gå dit Tom Reynolds inte törs (eller inte kan för att han inte fattar svenska, stackars liten). Jag ska ge mig in i de djupaste avgrunderna och fira varje måndag (vilket ju liksom är den enda dagen som riktigt passar för depression) med en djuplodande analys av ännu ett litet stycke helvete.

Do you dare to join me?

/agneta

F*cking My Bloody Valentine!

F*cking Ian Brown! (I thought he was already dead)

(More interesting notes beyond the cut)

OMG.

So does Summer Sonic. Such a killer lineup! (Dunno where to begin. There's Justice, The Jesus and Mary Chain, 311, The Kooks, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, The Prodigy, Band of Horses, The Verve, Devo, Polysics!)

Gah! Philippines, anuba?! Kahit Justice lang!

I only have the money for Hong Kong or Singapore. *le sigh*

One day, folks. One day.

x x x

Just bumped into The Cure's website tonight:

A new album! This is a silent release; or maybe I haven't been in on The Cure loop for news on new releases. It's been a while since their last eponymous album back in 2004 (and I must say I haven't listened to the entire album intently. It's a throwback to older, darker notes of The Cure, but kinda misses the hook.)

x x x

Since I have a knack for citing lookalikes here, might as well do this:

Who's more sinister and darker, eh? Nyaheeeheeeheeee!

It's a tight fight between the two, both donning messy hair, whitish foundation, red lipstick and dark eyeliner.

(Mad props to thecure.com, aussiehunks.com and double-whammy.com for the photos)

En un EP exclusivo para iTunes, la actriz interpretó "Boys Don't Cry", uno de los clásicos de la banda británica.

Después de animarse con parte del repertorio de Tom Waits en su disco Anywhere I Lay My Head, Scarlett Johansson se metió con de The Cure. "Boys Don't Cry" fue el tema de la banda de Robert Smith que la actriz preferida de Woody Allen interpretó para Live Session, un nuevo EP que sólo se puede conseguir de manera digital.

Grabado en directo, Live Session cuenta con siete pistas, entre las que aparecen cinco del álbum debut de Scarlett y una versión de otro tema de Waits ("Innocent When You Dream") que no fue incluida en el trabajo editado hace unos meses. El cover del infalible clásico de The Cure cierra este EP exclusivo para iTunes que se puede descargar acá.

La lista de temas de Live Session de Scarlett Johansson:

1- Anywhere I Lay My Head
2- Innocent When You Dream
3- Falling Down
4- I Wish I Was in New Orleans
5- Green Grass
6- Who Are You?
7- Boys Don´t Cry

:D

Searching the web just now, however, I couldn't find any reference to this. Hence, I'm putting up both videos here to prove a point. NB:

1. The Rifles definitely draw inspiration from the Cure - apparently they've covered their 'In Between Days' before (for BBC Radio 1 in 2004)
2. While I haven't followed The Cure's musical output since their 'Wish' album, they have created some fucking amazing, timeless songs, of which Just Like Heaven is only one (Just Like Heaven has been covered numerous times, including a great version by Dinosaur Jr, for those in the know :P )

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

The Rifles - Local Boy

       I am pleased to be with you at Darlinghurst today, and I warmly greet all those taking part in the "Alive" programme, as well as the staff who run it. I pray that you will all benefit from the assistance offered by the Archdiocese of Sydney's Social Services Agency, and that the good work being done here will continue long into the future.

       The name of the programme you are following prompts us to ask the question: what does it really mean to be "alive", to live life to the full? This is what all of us want, especially when we are young, and it is what Christ wants for us. In fact, he said: "I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10). The most basic instinct of all living things is to stay alive, to grow, to flourish, and to pass on the gift of life to others. So it is only natural that we should ask how best to do this.

       For the people of the Old Testament, this question was just as urgent as it is for us today. No doubt they listened attentively when Moses said to them: "I set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life, then, so that you and your descendants may live in the love of the Lord your God, obeying his voice, clinging to him - for in this your life consists" (Dt 30:19-20). It was clear what they had to do: they had to turn away from other gods and worship the true God who had revealed himself to Moses - and they had to obey his commandments. You might think that in today's world, people are unlikely to start worshipping other gods. But sometimes people worship "other gods" without realizing it. False "gods", whatever name, shape or form we give them, are nearly always associated with the worship of three things: material possessions, possessive love, or power. Let me explain what I mean.

       Material possessions, in themselves, are good. We would not survive for long without money, clothing and shelter. We must eat in order to stay alive. Yet if we are greedy, if we refuse to share what we have with the hungry and the poor, then we make our possessions into a false god. How many voices in our materialist society tell us that happiness is to be found by acquiring as many possessions and luxuries as we can! But this is to make possessions into a false god. Instead of bringing life, they bring death.

       Authentic love is obviously something good. Without it, life would hardly be worth living. It fulfils our deepest need, and when we love, we become most fully ourselves, most fully human. But how easily it can be made into a false god! People often think they are being loving when actually they are being possessive or manipulative. People sometimes treat others as objects to satisfy their own needs rather than as persons to be loved and cherished. How easy it is to be deceived by the many voices in our society that advocate a permissive approach to sexuality, without regard for modesty, self-respect or the moral values that bring quality to human relationships! This is worship of a false god. Instead of bringing life, it brings death.

       The power God has given us to shape the world around us is obviously something good. Used properly and responsibly, it enables us to transform people's lives. Every community needs good leaders. Yet how tempting it can be to grasp at power for its own sake, to seek to dominate others or to exploit the natural environment for selfish purposes! This is to make power into a false god. Instead of bringing life, it brings death.

       The cult of material possessions, the cult of possessive love and the cult of power often lead people to attempt to "play God": to try to seize total control, with no regard for the wisdom or the commandments that God has made known to us. This is the path that leads towards death. By contrast, worship of the one true God means recognizing in him the source of all goodness, entrusting ourselves to him, opening ourselves to the healing power of his grace and obeying his commandments: that is the way to choose life.

       A vivid illustration of what it means to turn back from the path of death onto the path of life is found in a Gospel story that I am sure you all know well: the parable of the prodigal son. When that young man left his father's house at the beginning of the story, he was seeking the illusory pleasures promised by false "gods". He squandered his inheritance on a life of indulgence, and ended up in abject poverty and misery. When he reached the very lowest point, hungry and abandoned, he realized how foolish he had been to leave his loving father. Humbly, he returned and asked forgiveness. Joyfully his father embraced him and exclaimed: "This son of mine was dead, and has come back to life; he was lost, and is found" (Lk 15:24).

       Many of you must have had personal experience of what that young man went through. Perhaps you have made choices that you now regret, choices that led you down a path which, however attractive it appeared at the time, only led you deeper into misery and abandonment. The choice to abuse drugs or alcohol, to engage in criminal activity or self-harm, may have seemed at the time to offer a way out of a difficult or confusing situation. You now know that, instead of bringing life, it brings death. I wish to acknowledge your courage in choosing to turn back onto the path of life, just like the young man in the parable. You have accepted help - from friends or family, from the staff who run the "Alive" programme: from people who care deeply for your well-being and happiness.

       Dear friends, I see you as ambassadors of hope to others in similar situations. You can convince them of the need to choose the path of life and shun the path of death, because you speak from experience. All through the Gospels, it was those who had taken wrong turnings who were particularly loved by Jesus, because once they recognized their mistake, they were all the more open to his healing message. Indeed, Jesus was often criticized by self-righteous members of society for spending so much time with such people. "Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?", they asked. He responded: "It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick ... I did not come to call the virtuous but sinners" (cf. Mt 9:11-13). It was those who were willing to rebuild their lives who were most ready to listen to Jesus and become his disciples. You can follow in their footsteps, you too can grow particularly close to Jesus because you have chosen to turn back towards him. You can be sure that, just like the Father in the story of the prodigal son, Jesus welcomes you with open arms. He offers you unconditional love - and it is in loving friendship with him that the fullness of life is to be found.

       I mentioned earlier that when we love we are fulfilling our deepest need and becoming most fully ourselves, most fully human. Loving is what we are programmed to do, what we were designed for by our Creator. Naturally, I am not talking about fleeting, shallow relationships, I am talking about real love, the very heart of Jesus' moral teaching: "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" and "You must love your neighbour as yourself" (cf. Mk 12:30-31). This, if you like, is the programme that is hard-wired into every human person, if only we had the wisdom and generosity to live by it, if only we were ready to sacrifice our own preferences so as to be of service to others, to give our lives for the good of others, and above all for Jesus, who loved us and gave his life for us. That is what human beings are called to do, that is what it means to be truly alive.

       Dear young friends, my message to you today is the same one that Moses proposed all those years ago. "Choose life, so that you and your descendants may live in the love of the Lord your God". Let his Spirit guide you onto the path of life, so that you obey his commandments, follow his teachings, leave behind the wrong turnings that lead only to death, and commit yourselves to a lifelong friendship with Jesus Christ. In the power of the Holy Spirit, choose life and choose love, and bear witness before the world to the joy that it brings. That is my prayer for each one of you this World Youth Day. May God bless you all.

[01113-02.02] [Original text: English] Vatican Information Service

awwww! 2007 BC (before christensen). good times! :)

conor oberst (the lead singer of bright eyes) has a new single out called danny callahan. you can download the free mp3 here.

new cure singles sleep when i'm dead and down under. down under reminds me of taking off from their last album and sleep when i'm dead actually sounds better recorded than it does live!

speaking of the cure, scarlett did an itunes live session and she covered their song boys don't cry. hate it or love it? i for one am not a fan.

feist does a cute new version of 1234 for sesame street! click here for the video.

crackney love accuses billy corgan of making frances bean cry. click here for the sob story.

watch and learn about radiohead's camera-less, 3d buzzed about new video for house of cards here.

there is a neat athens, ga music scene doc on pitchfork. you can watch it here.

La obcecación con esta cifra desprestigiada es tal, que Robert Smith y compañía vienen publicando el 13 de cada mes un single de Dream Thirteenth. Hasta ahora han visto la luz (o quién sabe si la oscuridad) The only one, Freakshow y  Sleep when I’m dead'. El próximo 13 de agosto se publicará el cuarto y último sencillo, The Perfect boy. Y el 13 de septiembre saldrá un EP que incluirá los cuatro singles.

Robert Smith comenta en la web que necesita un poco más de tiempo para dar el toque final al nuevo disco y decidir qué canciones pasarán su corte y el orden de éstas. También está barajando si será o no un álbum doble.

Os dejo el vídeo de The Perfect Boy grabado en el concierto del pasado 6 de junio en el Madison Square Garden de Nueva York, retransmitido por Fuse TV.

A non-Pharmaceutical Ted Leo does the NPR thing. All things considered, it was most likely an excellent show.

Gossip Girl: "Mind-blowingly inappropriate," says the Parents Television Council. Um, have you read the books? This show is kid stuff. The guys at Gawker, who give Blair, Nate, Chuck, and the others more press than possibly every other media outlet combined, have the story on the new ad campaign.

Santogold and Diplo made a little mixtape. Enjoy one result here:

mp3: "Starstruck (Diplo Remix)" - Santogold

Conor Oberst's self-titled SOLO ALBUM is coming out soon! It's funny, since I thought he always was solo, and "Bright Eyes" was just a stage name. Whatevs, guess not. Here's one of the new songs:

mp3: "Danny Callahan" - Conor Oberst

Fotos dos bofinhos; meninos caracterizados:

Vi aqui.

sleep when im dead

Antes versionó a Tom Waits en su disco debut Anywhere I Lay My Head; ahora, Scarlett Johansson se atreve con The Cure y su celebérrimo tema Boys Don’t Cry. La musa de Woody Allen interpretó esta canción para Live Session, un EP que sólo se puede conseguir de momento a través de la tienda iTunes estadounidense.

Grabado en directo, Live Session cuenta con siete temas, entre los que aparecen cinco del álbum debut de Scarlett y otra nueva versión de Waits (Innocent When You Dream). 

Lista de temas de Live Session de Scarlett Johansson:

1. Anywhere I Lay My Head
2. Innocent When You Dream
3. Falling Down
4. I Wish I Was in New Orleans
5. Green Grass
6. Who Are You?
7. Boys Don´t Cry

Y como postre, el vídeo de Falling Down, tema incluido en Anywhere I Lay My Head, uno de los dos cortes que interpreta en su ópera prima junto con David Bowie (la otra es Fanning’ Street). El suertudo que la besa en el cuello es el escritor Salman Rushdie (Los versos satánicos)

Está claro que Scarlett se lo ha montado muy bien para entrar con buen pie en la música, al rodearse, de distintas formas, de nombres ilustres en el mundo de la cultura: Waits, Bowie, The Cure y Rushdie. Un gran efecto llamada el ampararse en los mejores, lo que se une al buen momento por el que pasa la actriz y a su fama, merecida, de sex symbol. ¿Quién dijo que las rubias son tontas?