Thursday, February 5, 2009

My New Pants

Forgive the indulgence but I want to speak for a moment, if I may, about some trousers I bought last week in a popular Swedish High Street chain of affordable fashion-mongers. They confuse me a little. You see I'm not quite whether they make me look like I'm trying to be an achingly cool young snowboarder or an aching hipped old golfer but, nevertheless, I'm really rather enjoying wearing them.

They may be a strange blue/grey tweed check type of combat pant. They may be something like trousers I used to wear when I was young enough to know better. They may be, frankly, ridiculous. I may well stop wearing them forever in about another week.

However. I can't quite think of anything else to put on at present. I want to make them fit with all my shirts, jumpers, t-shirts and shoes. I want them to be right for any occasion and I feel really rather oddly good wearing them.

And, you know, I get like that with music sometimes too. Like, for instance, at the moments I just can't stop listening to an album that was out midway through last year by The Gaslight Anthem. It sounds like the Killers doing Springsteen covers at a Jim Steinman convention. It's called The '59 Sound. And I'm hooked.

Its the only record that goes on at the moment, even though I know it probably wont last out the winter. There are other albums screaming for attention but not receiving it. I know that I shall probably never listen to it again after another week or two and yet, right now, its all that matters. This has happened to me before, of course, often with those more (cough) commercially manufactured of bands (coughFallOutBoycoughPigeonDetectivescoughsplutter), so maybe I'm just a sucker. But when it feels this good, who cares?


So, does this ever happen to you? What bands or albums could be described as YOUR - for want of a better phrase - blue-tweed-baggy-checked-goon-pants? Do tell.

20 comments:

snadfrod said...

And yes, before you mention it, I DID get my dad's legs and yes you CAN drive a bus through that gap. If I were a foot shorter and a stone lighter I'd have been the best jockey going.

C'est la...

Anonymous said...

No I like them. But what shoes do you wear with them? I'd be a bit stumped. My baggy blue checked album of the moment is Joni's Travelogue. I just can't get enough of it. Somehow I don't think I'll be abandoning it all that quickly either....

Anonymous said...

Legs confirmed, but still no beard in sight (Happy New Year Mr. Frod).

Anonymous said...

I had a bit of a do with Damien Rice and 'O' but I'm over it now and I probably only like 3 tracks. Phew.

steenbeck said...

Swanky, Snadrod. Pure swank.

I'm not really conflicted about this, but I can't stop listening to it.
http://www.last.fm/music/Uncle+Tupelo/_/I+Wanna+Be+Your+Dog+%281991+Longview+Farm+acoustic+demo%29?autostart

tincanman said...

I'm addicted to pockets. Coats, pants, shirts .... the more pockets, the better.

I always think you can never have enough so you can really get yourself sorted and not be poullin g out house keys when you want to advance a tune on your iPod, etc. And in theory, it works brill. In reality, I have so many pockets going that I can't remember what I put in which and it costs me time not saves me time because every time I need change or keys or bus ticket or wallet or iPod I do a Columbo shuffle.

---
On 59 Sound, I am in complete agreement. In the old days of vinyl, I would have been on my second copy by now. They're just terrrific, end of.
(yes, terrific enough to warrant 3 r's in terrrific)

ejaydee said...

I had an obsession with that Uncle Tupelo version (it's this version though: http://www.last.fm/music/Uncle+Tupelo/_/I+Wanna+Be+Your+Dog?autostart ), but I can't find it anywhere else.

I'm concerned about the shoes too, is that why you're not showing your feet, you haven't made up your mind yet?

Blimpy said...

Lily Allen - when her demos first came up online (LDN, SMile, Nan, etc), I gleefully played the shit outta them. Then she released a single and became all famous and played out. I had dropped her before then - that's pop music folks!

snadfrod said...

FP, steen, shoey - thankyou for your sartorial support. The beard (such as it is at present) sets it off rather nicely...

Tinny - if I had a pound for every time I lose receipts/notes/small essays by pulling them out of a pocket with keys/phone etc then I would be marginally wealthy. Pockets are the way forward, I see this now.

Blimpy - there seems to be no shame there. Hipster points bothj ways, no? I will also confess to about three and a half weeks of battering the first Panic! at the Disco album. Again, not clever but...

And so to the main issue - shoes.

EJ/FP - the socks are there, so you can sense I am undecided. I have a fairly standard pair of grey/black all-weather Nikes that go ok, and a pair of blue/white classics that sort of work, but it is a bit tricky.

So, instead, I yesterday tried a pink jumper and my bright green/black Nikes just to see what happened. The result was pleasingly haphazard. Tomorrow I may break out a spat, since I'm feeling giddy.

steenbeck said...

Ejay--you have to do that control-click thing, and it's the version I linked to, but try this. I do like how they start to get punky at the end of this one...
http://mp3realm.org/url?R=3972966&X=03ad3de0eeb7a100ad89a777091b5a5b&Y=ae9a166b4f23e8eadb9641bb17a370de

Blimpy said...

And now to lose my hipsterpoints: I bought and gleefully played for 2 weeks both Tatu's album and also "Funhouse" by P!nk cos I really liked that song "Trouble" she did (written by the guy outta Rancid, selloutfans!) ---shame the rest if the record was over diluted and over produced guff. That's pop music folks!

ejaydee said...

Thanks Steenbeck, I think it'll satisfy me for now, but there's something about the sound in the one I posted that I find beautifully haunting.

saneshane said...

blue-tweed-baggy-checked-goon-pants album:

70 per cent of my collection possibly fits.. but my fav has to be GISLI (the Icelander-there's two)

I so loved his album and he supported the beta band on their final tour.. twas me and the dog on string that watched his band.. oh well.. I really like the album still and I got a t-shirt..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeGrog57GbY

steenbeck said...

Try this, Ejaydee...
http://3ack.blogspot.com/2008/04/uncle-tupelo-89-93-anthology.html
But you have to do Megaupload, rapidshare isn't there any more.

Anonymous said...

Oh blimey mate, too many to mention over the years ...

... from within my normal taste expectancy - JJ Burnel's pub rock Purple Helmets, for example ...

... and outside of it - Gloria Estefan, anyone? Thought not.

But shoes? Now you're talking. What you need for themthar keks, melad, is a pair of Adidas Gazelles in Plum/Peacock.

Ta-ra everyone; see you in a fortnight.

snadfrod said...

DsD - Plum/Peacock sounds good to me. Gentlemanly. Plus, I'll see your Gloria Estefan and raise you Paula Abdul. Enjoy the mouse, sir...

Also, coming back to me through the murk, I remember playing the Junior Senior album quite a lot for about ten days once. One. Good. Song.

snadfrod said...

@blimpoz - look at us both being accurate with our exclamation points. P!nk and Panic! WILL be pleased...

Blimpy said...

@snad - i actually have P!nk here with me now, and believe you me - she is VERY pleased....

ejaydee said...

Thank you so much Steenbeck, how did you know it was the right version?

steenbeck said...

Last FM tells you which album it's from. You're right--it is haunting, and I can't stop listening to it. I wanted to like the rest of the album more than I did. It's convenient, though, because my brother likes the Stooges and Uncle Tupelo and has never heard that song, so I'm burning him the album as a temporary birthday present because his actual present didn't arrive on time.