Friday, May 28, 2010

Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms



Monday, May 31 is Memorial Day here in the US.

I'm posting Dire Straits' haunting song and video from 1985 in honor of the dead and the injured (physically as well as mentally) men and women.

Note: just yesterday, the 1000th US soldier was listed as having been killed in Afghanistan.

I wrote this poem in 2004:

THE VALKYRIE

In a desert far from America
A bullet tears into young flesh
Skin caressed by his lover back home
He longs for her touch to take away the pain
He tastes his own blood and closes his eyes

In a desert far from America
Strong arms lifts a young body
The smell of her hair reminds him of home
She holds him gently in the saddle
As they ride past the dead and the wounded

Friday, May 14, 2010

Susanne Sundfør: The Brothel



Stunning, dreamlike song from 24-year-old Norwegian singer-songwriter Susanne Sundfør who on her MySpace page lists some of her influences as 16th century Renaissance composer Palestrina, Georg Friedrich Händel, Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Philip Glass, and Taylor Swift. Her Wikipedia entry mentions Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, Fleetwood Mac as well as fellow Norwegians Ane Brun and Thomas Dybdahl.

http://www.myspace.com/susannesundfoer

The cover artwork for her 2010 album (also named "The Brothel") with its crystal ceiling lamp and shadowy birds is some of the most haunting I've seen to date.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Miranda Lambert: White Liar/ Blake Shelton: Home

Congrats to Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton on their engagement. Looks like Miranda picked the right guy in the end - just like in the "White Liar" video.