Technicolor Dreams

This picture makes me so happy by the way, I just LOVE this watch

  

  I've been freaking out lately due to school and whatnot, so I figured I'd vent in a blog post. As you all know, I hate the American education system, and think it's highly flawed. So I've been spending a ridiculously large amount of time on the internet lately in an attempt to calm myself down. In doing so I found a band on Spotify (follow mine here :) called Sweet that were dominant in the mid-seventies glam scene. They sound like an offspring of Cheap Trick and the Bay City Rollers to me, and I really like them. Plus, look at their outfits:

They're so glamtastic, it hurts.

 

  Seriously, who can't love these guys and their outfits? I really like their sound, and especially their look. It got me thinking about how much I love sixties and seventies technicolor (even though in the seventies technicolor wasn't being used as much, when it was used, it was FAB), so here's a tribute to the songs and images that've inspired me within the past 24 hours.

1. "Ballroom Blitz" by Sweet
2. "I Only Wanna Be With You" by the Bay City Rollers
3. "Just Got Back" by Cheap Trick
4. "Hi Hi Hi" by Paul McCartney & Wings
5. "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers
6. "Fox on the Run" by Sweet
7. "Blister in the Sun" by the Violent Femmes
8. "Float On" by Modest Mouse
9. "No Sugar Tonight" by the Guess Who
10. "Ashes to Ashes" by David Bowie

Friday on My Mind

Hello everyone! My spring break officially starts on this Friday at 2:17, when school gets out. (By the way, I feel SO weird calling it "spring break," I usually just call it "April Vacation.") That being said, I have Friday on my mind. This post doesn't really have a point, actually; I just thought I'd use it as an excuse to tell you guys that I'm excited for a break from school, and that I'd share some pictures with you. These pictures have no real theme; Most of them are from Rookie or Tumblr. If you want a specific source from one just let me know and I can find it. Anyway, enjoy it.

 
  Since I was too lazy to make a playlist and upload it here this morning on my personal computer (mainly because I didn't know what my blogpost would be about), here is another manual one. I'm sorry I don't have the files on a site like 8tracks :( I've also included a playlist from playlist.com, I'm not sure how I like it yet. I'd appreciate feedback! I miss 8tracks so much, agh.

1. "Friday on My Mind" by The Easybeats
2. "I Wanna Be With You" by The Raspberries
3. "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse
4. "The Sun Ain't Shining No More" by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
5. "I Want You" by Bob Dylan
6. "Humanoid Boogie" by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
7. "Hurdy Gurdy Man" by Donovan
8. "Peaches En Regalia" by Frank Zappa
9. "Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar)" by The Doors

OH! And this is my hair, for those of you who asked. K BYE HAVE A NICE DAY

Penny Lane is in My Ears

  For those of you who love classic rock and haven't seen 2000's Almost Famous, I highly recommend you go see it. To be honest, the main reason I liked this film so much was the music and the sense of nostalgia it gave me. I wasn't a big fan of the plot, or many of the characters, to be honest. But it's definitely a must-see for classic rock fans.

  One of the characters in it includes the infamous groupie Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson. Penny has the BEST sense of style. Seriously, I wish I could go to school dressed as her every day. She wears large poofy fur jackets, seriously my favorite boots ever (in the picture directly below), flowy shirts, mini skirts, and amaaaazing round glasses, a la John Lennon. I think Penny definitely rocks the groupie look, I wish I could rock it like she does.

Some more groupie fashion

My Polyvore

Since 8tracks is now blocked on my school computer, I decided I'd just do this playlist by hand. So enjoy these groupie/Penny songs!

1. "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones
2. "No More Mr. Nice Guy" by Alice Cooper
3. "Custard Pie" by Led Zeppelin
4. "Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)" by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
5. "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash
6. "She's a Woman" by The Beatles
7. "Foxy Lady" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
8. "Star, Star" by The Rolling Stones
9. "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin
10. "Penny Lane" by The Beatles

Awaiting My Own Summer of Love

  Although it's not quite summer yet, I can only dream. I work at an ice cream place and we've just recently opened up for the season after closing in December. This can only signal the start of both spring and summer, as well as a much warmer season. Yesterday it was 62°F here (which is pretty fucking warm for MA), the warmest it's been since probably September. This season had been ridiculously cold; I've had six snow days. Thankfully the snow is all melting and the air is becoming less crisp.

From Rookie; I can only wish I could go on a road trip as beautiful as this during the summer.

  For me, summer reminds me of psychedelia. I long to live in a place like San Francisco where every day is summer. I know San Francisco isn't the same as it was c. 1967, but I'm sure it's a much better place to live than the dark and gloomy state of Massachusetts. It's always freezing here. In winter, the average is about 10° (which isn't all that cold, I'm just a wuss), in spring around 40-50° (although it's been much colder due to the SIX SNOW DAYS), and in summer, it can be anywhere from 65 to 100°. It really depends on the air's mood, I guess.

Screencap from Harold and Maude, 1970. Seeing Harold playing banjo in the warm summer air only makes me miss it more!

  But yes, for me, summer represents psychedelia, and vice versa. If you think about it, summer is when all the concerts are, all those fun vacations with friends and families, all the fun memories (well, for me at least.) I remember last summer I went to more concerts than I'd ever been to before, ranging from Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band to Aerosmith. This summer I'm planning on seeing The Beach Boys and if I can afford it, Paul McCartney. But enough about me. Summer = psychedelia in my mind.

I'm sorry, I forgot the source; Anyways, this image is a perfect example of trippy photography from the late sixties. And just check out their pants! Fashion inspirations.

  If you look at psychedelic posters and photographs from the late sixties, you'll see they often have one common theme; usually bright-colored, chunky font, and groovy clothing. Oh, how I wish I could be a 1967 poster! Just take a look at them and see, I guarantee you'll fall in love with the summer of love.

1970 Music Connection poster

Spock! Check out those groovy colors.

Source Unknown, Swimming Pool c. late sixties, future home inspiration

Found on Google Images; I seriously NEED these shoes. I have a soft spot for red, yellow, and blue together in basic yet bold patterns.

From Rookie. Gotta love the trippy font!

There's Something Happening Here. from itsamodmodworld on 8tracks Radio.

Songs in bold are my personal favorites from this playlist. (Although I must admit this playlist was hard to pick just five from, I love them all!)

1. "For What it's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield
2. "Strange Brew" by Cream
3. "Season of the Witch" by Donovan
4. "2000 Light Years From Home" by The Rolling Stones
5. "She Just Satisfies" by Jimmy Page
6. "Do You Believe in Magic?" by The Lovin' Spoonful
7. "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie
8. "Good Vibrations" by The Beach Boys
9. "Technicolour Dreams" by Status Quo
10. "Beck's Bolero" by Jeff Beck

Glamorama

David Bowie's famous Aladdin Sane makeup.

  Glam rock is something often overlooked in the world of classic rock. Whereas classic rock fans usually keep their focus on anything from The British Invasion to hard rock, glam rock is a musical genre not many of them focus on. Of course everyone knows David Bowie; and we all love him. We also know him as one of the original glam rock musicians, and therefore one of the kings of glam. But what about those other glam groups and individuals we often see past?
(All images below are from Tumblr, and are not mine.)

Ah, David Bowie. The "King" of glam. He is most know for his outrageous outfits and wild personas during the 1970's.

Marc Bolan of T. Rex! Another "King" of glam in my books. Slightly more glam in my opinion than Bowie.

Bolan jamming out behind the T. Rex logo.

Bowie backstage applying makeup.

Bowie as the infamous Ziggy Stardust.

Bowie and Bolan, a glorious sight!

Star Magazine, a popular groupie magazine during the mid to late seventies. Lori Maddox and Sabel Starr are just a few to jumpstart their careers as groupies through this magazine.

Debbie Harry of Blondie. Although Blondie are more new wave than glam, Debbie did have a little glitz in her.

Joan Jett during the early 1980's. Although Joan's 80's career wasn't glam, she went on to become one of the leaders of glam/hard rock in the 80's, as well as the whole hair band movement, which I won't get into.

The Runaways (minus Cherie Currie) c. 1977. Queens of noise.

Bowie-inspired. Source.

Some groupies c. 1974. Check out the outrageous platform boots, worn by the men!

Marc and Mickey of T. Rex. Absolutely love the colors in this. 

I made this Polyvore of glam related things I enjoyed. :) Link here

Glamorama from itsamodmodworld on 8tracks Radio.

1. "Atomic" by Blondie
2. "Fame" by David Bowie
3. "Ride a White Swan" by T. Rex
4. "Cherry Bomb" by The Runaways
5. "Rebel Rebel" by David Bowie
6. "20th Century Boy" by T. Rex
7. "Bad Reputation" by Joan Jett
8. "I'm Sick of You" by Iggy Pop

If you liked this post, check out:

Bowiemas by Rookiemag

My posts on How to Dress Glam

and David Bowie's Wardrobe

Those Were the Days - Music Review #1

Illustration by Kendra

  Unfortunately with today's vast musical library, many songs, especially songs from the past, have been overlooked. But fear not! For I have come today to give you an inside look at a few very overlooked songs that I personally love.

"Picture Book" by The Kinks
The Village Green Preservation Society, 1969
 The Kinks have forever been an overlooked and underrated band in the world of classic rock. In the early to mid-1960's, the British Invasion propelled many bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who over to America. However, since The Kinks were slightly more British sounding, their popularity in the United States never quite rose like other popular bands at the time. The Kinks' lead singer Ray Davies mainly focused on the British class system, (which I have based many of my posts about) which meant that many Kinks songs did, too. An album that particularly highlights this is 1968's The Village Green Preservation Society, a concept album telling tales of the British class system and its supposedly preserved and safe society. One of my favorite songs on this album has to be "Picture Book," telling about looking through an old book of photographs and remembering times of past. With the usual Kinks twist, this song gives off heartfelt memories with a sixties rock n' roll feel. If you're a Kinks fan, a nostalgia fan, a UK fan, or just a fan of the sixties at all, "Picture Book" is definitely a song worth listening to.

"Intuition" by John Lennon
Mind Games, 1973
  Of course, John Lennon is one of the most respectful and well-known musicians from the 20th century. Unfortunately many of us do not know his music outside of the Beatles or his famed solo song, "Imagine." On the well put together 1973 album Mind Games, Intuition kicks off side two with a calm, cool, somewhat tropical beat. For anyone wanting to take a break from Lennon's sometimes harsh and rough vocals and cynical lyrics, "Intuition" will definitely calm your musical taste buds. Every time I listen to this song I imagine floating down a river as a gentle breeze blows through the tropical air. This is the perfect song for both summer and just days where you'd like to relax and take a break from life.

"Pisces Apple Lady" by Leon Russell
Leon Russell, 1970
  I had first heard about Leon Russell while reading Chris O'Dell's wonderful autobiography Miss O'Dell. (which I highly recommend to everyone!) Chris had dated Leon in the late sixties, and he had written this raunchy, bluesy, soulful all-in-one tune, "Pisces Apple Lady" for her. Leon, known as an excellent piano player throughout the sixties and seventies, was known for his unique style. "Pisces Apple Lady" starts off with a somewhat-calm piano riff, booming into a wonderful piece that is, well, quite difficult to explain. I guess you could say its one of those songs you just have to listen to for yourself in order to fully understand. This is also one of those songs that by just listening to you can't define into a decade, because both Leon's soulful, raspy voice and intense piano playing just don't fit anywhere else. Even if you aren't a fan of blues or soul, I recommend this song for anyone looking for a new song that wants to have a good time.

"Go All the Way" by The Raspberries
Raspberries, 1972
  This song is probably the song that got me into the seventies. Before I heard this song, I had been mainly focused in the eighties (a fifth and sixth grade stage I quickly wanted to forget) and had been listening to one of those decades musical channels on TV with my dad. As soon as 1972's "Go All the Way" came on, my eyes instantly darted to the TV to find out where the hell such a wonderful song was coming from. Starting off with an intense and raunch-filled (I know I've used raunchy many times before during these reviews, but each song I describe it with really is raunchy!) guitar riff, this song is the definition of kick-ass. It starts off very intense, slowing down for the verses and chorus, then booming back up again. Although The Raspberries were slight one-hit-wonders, this song is definitely a gem and if I had to pick one song to be known for, I would definitely pick this one. (Note to all of you who saw the 2012 movie Dark Shadows, this song was covered by The Killers for the ending credits.)

"Listen to Me" by The Hollies
A 1968 single
  I hadn't used Pandora radio much until this year, and before I did, I knew who The Hollies were due to my obsessive interest in the British Invasion. I had put The Kinks in as my artist for this playlist, but when 1968's "Listen to Me" came on, I had forgotten to write it down and had this song stuck in my head for days. It's wonderful use of repetitive lyrics and smooth vocals (not to mention the chirpy backing vocals) made this song virtually impossible to get out of my head, and I searched long and hard trying to find this song again. When I finally found it again I realized I was in love with it, and it still remains a favorite of mine to this day. The Hollies themselves are like a one-of-a-kind crossbreed between The Beatles and The Kinks, taking on a very British yet poppy personality. If you haven't heard this song, as well as haven't heard of The Hollies, I think you should definitely take a listen.

"Eight Miles High" by The Byrds
Fifth Dimension, 1966
  When everyone thinks "The Byrds," they automatically think of 1967 acid-infused surf rock. Although with many later Byrds hits, 1966's "Eight Miles High" was just as rough and heavy as their latest hits. "Eight Miles High" is often overlooked for more popular and later hits such as "Turn! Turn! Turn! (There is a Season)" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." However, if you're ever in a groovy summer pre-summer of love mood, "Eight Miles High" is the song for you. This song combines psychedelia, heavy guitars, and haunting vocals. Although I don't have much to say about this song, I would definitely recommend you give this song a listen.

"Those Were the Days" by Mary Hopkin
A 1968 single
  Oh, how do I declare my love for Mary Hopkin? She started off her career on The Beatle's infamous Apple Corps, and I believe she was the label's first (and only) female artist to produce any success from them. Unfortunately Mary Hopkin isn't a household name today, which I find a shame. Her raw talent and stunning vocals make her an instantly likable musician, and what better way to showcase her talent than her first single, 1968's "Those Were the Days"? When I first heard this song, I went gaga over the Balalaika, a unique instrument that's so hard to explain, I'd rather you listen to the song itself in order to understand. The song gives off a klezmer feel, making it seem like you're in the clucky countryside rather than your own home listening to it. It is by far the prettiest and most calming song on this list, so I suggest you take a listen.