Skye Friday Leftovers Edition

Thanks to a last-minute video patch-in from the 2004 parade, televised crisis was narrowly averted. Skye Sweetnam could not be found for comment.

I find myself at a crossroads on this most blustery Skye Friday (somebody tie down Piglet pronto)...I seem to be running out of content for this site. Sure, we've learned a few things, had a few laughs, enjoyed watching both the decline of the current administration and the rise of rock superstar rebel wannabes on college campuses across the northeast.

It's about that time of year (the end) when I start reevaluating my general worth in the world, and by extension the general worth of my current blog. I gauge this blog's usefulness somewhere between "occassionally clever but pretty much useless" and "useless." Barring a massive pledge drive, I think Bedbugs is soon to be kaput.

If you're still interested in all things Skye, the following sites are pretty dependable:

Skye's Official Website is still your source for the most up-to-date news. Her message board is a great source of info, music, pictures, and -- most importantly -- ongoing gospel from Ms. Sweetnam herself. You want the straight talk, don't bother with Teen People (or whatever), they all support Nazis these days, anyway.

Skye's Myspace isn't updated too regularly, but the pics and blog entries are great. And don't forget to read the picture comments.

Clouded-senses.org is a nice fan site, but I can't seem to find it anymore. Where'd y'all go? Fixing design glitches? Sued? Bored?

That's about all from the Isle of Skye. I may update this again if my interview comes through, to post the stuff that couldn't be published elsewhere. Right now Skye is recording her new album in L.A., and probably having a blast. I'll take comfort in that (until Barbie Diaries arrives) and until we meet again, this is the Skye Captain wishing you all a very happy Skye Friday.


Better to burn out than fade away?

YOU COULD WIN A MILLION DOLLARS!

...IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ME WITH A FULL MP3 COPY OF THE SONG "BUSH WAS RIGHT" BY THE RIGHT BROTHERS (HA!) WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT! I UNDERSTAND THE IRONY IN PAYING SOMEONE ELSE A MILLION DOLLARS FOR A SONG I COULD HAVE FOR TWO DOLLARS! IRONY IS GREAT! SO IS THIS SONG!!!

Stream "Bush Was Right" Clip

Vote for "Bush Was Right" on TRL

Support the Right Brothers Ironically

Support the Right Brothers Unironically

PS - hello to my TWO NEW key demographics: impulsive lottery fiends (that post title's gonna cost me some spam!) and right-wing pop-punkers!

Bratz Packz

My favorite new band is better than your favorite new band

A quick post on an emerging obsession: I had no idea that the Bratz line had a full CD of material available. I was tipped off by a short piece in the Voice a few weeks ago, and got around to some light snooping when articles for Buzzsaw fell through. I'm doing a brief overview of "manufactured" bands, and will try to distinguish between maligned artists lumped into this category unfairly (Lindsay Lohan, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff) and genuinely manufactured acts who make no claim to authorship (Bratz, Zetta Bytes, Crazy Frog).

My argument is that distinction between the former and latter category, though frequently ignored as an excuse to dismiss (predominately female, hm) artists, is essentially a moot point. The level of "manufacturedness" inherent in an artist's or group's output is, like aesthetic criticism, a subjective judgement -- even presupposing that the word "manufactured" itself doesn't need to be more adequately defined, which it does.

This is a pretty simple argument, and one that seems to be ignored by most of the people who challenge my (admittedly quick) change of heart in musical taste. To explain that transition specifically:

1) don't act like you know me, jerkz, maybe I always loved this kind of music and was living a lie or overcompensating for my nerdishness during adolescence (not quite true, but I'll throw it out there);

2) there is no ideological social, political, or economic ground anyone could stand on to bash, say, Ashlee Simpson and defend the latest indie heatseeking Sub Pop artist (who falls under the SAME corporate umbrella as everyone else on Warner Records) -- let's admit this is an argument about aesthetics (not lip synching, "authenticity" in performance or songwriting, or the nature of art); and

3) if I didn't listen to that boring Wolf Parade/Decemberists/Bloc Party album enough to explain WHY I'd rather kick myself in the teeth than listen to it all the way through again (OK, I'm exaggerating), I wouldn't bring the point up in conversation. ESPECIALLY as a means to mock or dismiss someone else's opinion via an unsolicited personal attack. Just sayin'.

Wow, that felt good. Anyway, back to Bratz. From what I've heard of it, which is very little (thank you iTunes store, you stupid stupid piece of stupid stupid inaccessible shit), I like it a lot. The ballads remind me of the first half of Pixel Perfect, and the more upbeat rock reminds me of the metal-gum teen pop I like (some of the new Ashlee falls into this category, sort of, as do the two songs from Into the Rush that don't make me angry). Wait, did I just coin the phrase metal-gum (a.k.a. bubblecore, heavy bubble, gummy metal, nu-bubble, diabetic-comacore)? Eat your heart out, freak-folk!



Bratz fun fact courtesy of Kiley: Bratz PEZ dispensers have torsoes, adolescent bosom included. Is there any precedent for this? I was pretty sure PEZ had a strict no-torso policy for precisely these kinds of underage T&A-related reasons...

More on all of this later. Any suggestions for overlooked "manufactured" acts who are not necessarily baby-killing dog rapists because they didn't write their own songs? Use the comments, that's what they're for!!

Also, site counter update: Aly and AJ fans are quickly surpassing actual bedbug sufferers as my key demographic. HEY EVERYBODY, YOUR FAVORITE BAND SUCKS AND THOSE BITES AREN'T GOING AWAY FOR A WHILE!

QUESTION OF THE DAY:



Why is this baby's midriff exposed, and why is she wearing so much makeup?

Age of Raisins (Impromptu Sunday Post)

It turns out Kermit the Frog is 50 years old, but actually only looks 22 years old, which is my favorite number! From Disney Insider:

It's not easy being green - but it does have certain compensations. For one, Kermit the Frog, who turns 50 this year, doesn't look a day over 22.

It turns out Ashlee Simpson will also be 22 next year (Oct. 3)! This means we were born in the same year! That year was 1984!



It turns out Ashlee Simpson is more talented than her older sister, Jessica Simpson, who is 25! Also, Ashlee is smarter and cooler than her older sister! And probably less religious!

Ever since I was a young girl singing has always been an act of worship. I can't even remember it being about the beauty of the melody. The beauty lies in the heart of the voice. When I sing it is from the depths of my soul. People always ask, "How does that voice come out of you?" I answer, "It's not my voice you're hearing. I am just the instrument being played. The Lord directs my every move. It is in him [sic] I trust." [...]No matter where this record takes my career, the song in my heart stays with my God and Savior Jesus Christ. Thank you for my gifts, I am equipped, use me.

Whoa! That is some hot hot worship action! Or (to use a pun that never got published), she's no poseur, she's just piouser!



Alex Kapranos was born in 1972! He has been compared to Ashlee Simpson, except that Ashlee's new album is better than Alex's new album! Do you see the resemblance? Turns out they're cousins! Musically!


SONGS BY SIMPSONS WHO AREN'T JESSICA SIMPSON!

Ashlee - Boyfriend

SONGS BY PEOPLE WHO WISH THEY HAD A GREAT VOICE LIKE ASHLEE SIMPSON (ALSO, THAT LIP SYNCH FIASCO WAS LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO SO LET IT GO ALREADY)

Franz - The Fallen

THE HALF-CENTURY KERMIE SPECTACULARE!

Kermie - Bein' Green

SKYE ON SUNDAYS

Skye - Wayside High Theme

Check out the video at Teletoon!

And be on the lookout for Skye's vocal stylings on Barbie Diaries, due out in January!


Ashlee was probably watching this show at the same time I was!

A Somber Skye Friday to All...

Libby, Rove, Cheney, Miers, Alito, Frist, DeLay, Lindsay, Lynx, and Lamb...what do we do when such darkness surrounds us?



Get out the geek specs (awesome) and chill with our co-pilot. Skye has James R. (pictured above in a rare photo-op...he's as pale as me, gotta get out of that basement, man!), but to whom can we turn? Lindsay Lohan would probably say Jesus, or possibly Jesus. Lynx and Lamb would suggest any of their various "skinhead boi's." Judy Miller would point to Libby and Rove after going to jail for 85 days, and that's just fine for her.

But for me these questions can be more difficult. I once turned to film, but can't seem to really enjoy any of them lately -- absorb, analyze, appreciate, yes, but enjoy? Ah, more growing pains.

Then there's music. I admit there's always good music out there somewhere, but do I have the patience and energy to sort through it all? Sometimes you can make a serendipitous find or two (hence Skye Fridays), but pretty soon you're going to have to really work for what you love.

Which is where I find myself now as the unavoidable (for me) list-making season creeps up. What incentive do I have to separate the wheat from the chaff this year? Or the superwheat from the wheat? I feel comfortable with about five 2005 records at the moment, and could list maybe twenty others I've enjoyed. I suppose that's a fair number, but my relationship with all of this music has never felt weaker.

So on that somber note, let's kick November into happy mode with a brand new SKYE FRIDAY! POP QUIZ!

Q: What will Skye cover next?

Point of comparison: Superstar (S.H.E. cover)

A) Datarock - I Used to Dance with My Daddy (note: to be played opening for Lindsay...too soon?)

B) The Chiffons - I Have a Boyfriend (note: the "boyfriend" in this scenario will likely be a metaphor for Skye's relationship to her MUSIC.)

C) Excelsior Spring - Happy Miranda

D) Harry Nilsson - Think About Your Troubles

E) Devo - Praying Hands

F) Tina Tott - Burning in the Background of My Mind

Please place your answers in the comment box below by NEXT FRIDAY at NOON.

Oh, and the correct answer to the previous SKYE FRIDAY! POP QUIZ! was B) Dismemberment Plan - Following Through. Skye could totally dominate that song. The Crystals cover could work, too...half credit if that was your response.

Now that's scary

Time to post this Lindsay Lohan video. Just want to say that I've recently converted to Lohanschaft myself (waiting for Wikipedia to pick that one up as we speak), so I don't intend to be too snarky about this but...well, this one's problematic.

Background info: Lohan directed the video herself. It's based on her own personal experiences with her father, who is currently in prison for various charges, including attempted assault. The younger girl in the video is Lohan's younger sister, ostensibly portraying Lindsay -- though if you include the bathroom in the general space of the house, it would make sense that both girls are playing themselves.

I don't need to go into why this is unsettling at a visceral level, but I question its usefulness. This did actually happen (or some variation of it, I guess), but does that justify the handling of abuse in the video? It's manipulative, but to what end? Spreading awareness about domestic abuse (how does it do this)? Everclear-style self-pity? Ultimately, this is more perplexing than anything else -- a good way to remember the unpleasant taste of October (which saw Manson, Cheney, and the Hitler Twins on the blog) before moving on to greener (greyer) pastures.

Enough babbling, check it out for yourself.

Stream "Confessions..." (Windows Media, one week only)

EDIT: OK, other bizarre/disturbing points of interest: the cross/rosary bead imagery (for both daughters); the meta opening vignette, where the father gets angry watching himself on the news; the "interlude" with a poorly adlibbed fight; the wind machine glamor shot after the shattering of the glass...I'm very interested in the general MTV audience response to this, so away I go. Maybe another edit later.

EDIT 2: Hm, MTV is kinda freaky these days. NB: This video is currently #4 after Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy, and Ashlee Simpson.