♥

before departure

obviously i'm a huge pj harvey fan... i read these lyrics a while back & they're sticking with me.


I don't need much
and the older I become
I realize
my friendships
will carry me over
any cause of distance
any cause of sorrow
The friends that last
Will dance one more time with me.
I don't need much,
but this, I need.

uh huh...

I just don't get sick of this song. So good.

Thinking of music

I was thinking about this album (White Chalk) tonight. I love PJ Harvey, as most people know. She's my favorite, and this album was just amazing. Once I start You Tubing videos, it's hard to stop!


Dear Darkness:

Silence:

Polly's Photos

I've been listening to the new PJ Harvey album a lot. It has so grown on me. I love the songs & they're going over again in my head throughout the day (currently 'On Battleship Hill' and 'In The Dark Places'). I guess something has to be said for that. She'll be at Coachella this year & I'm so so so annoyed I can't go b/c they don't sell single day passes.

I was just going through my Diana F+ pictures, and with the songs stuck in my head & thinking about photography, I thought of some pictures I saw of her that I really liked. Like this one of her that I found on Maria Mochnacz's website. It was the original cover idea for 'Stories'.

Photo: Maria Mochnacz


A current one taken for the new album/promos, I believe by Seamus Murphy since he's been so involved with the new album:

Photo: Seamus Murphy

There is this whole feather thing going on. I'm guessing the symbolism as the head dress representing culture & war, but I reckon it's just my opinion. Seamus Murphy has also shot 12 videos for each song off her new album. There are many of them out now & can be seen on YouTube. Links for both photographers below.

http://www.mariamochnacz.co.uk/pjharvey/17pjharvey.asp
http://seamusmurphy.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/letenglandshake

More more more

I just can't stop. My blog is quickly evolving into a PJ Harvey blog. Ha ha... Anyway, her new record was released today in the States & NPR has a really interesting interview with her on their website. It's more in depth than the other ones I've been hearing lately, almost 30 minutes long, so a great listen if you're interested.

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=133749985&m=133749991

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/15/133749985/pj-harvey-on-war-and-the-new-england?&f=13&sc=tw&cc=freshair

Polly's Valentine

PJ Harvey will be performing a live broadcast of her new album, starting in 1 minute!
http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/PJ_Harvey_a_la_Maroquinerie/

*As a post concert note, I am super annoyed that my internet could not handle this webcast. It would play beautifully then kept freezing up. I was very annoyed. This is what I get for paying for the cheap internet. Hopefully it's put up somewhere to watch again. I have to say I really like the new album the more I hear it. It completely infuriates me when I see the occasional comment that her new stuff is horrible. It's progression people. As an artist she keeps pushing her boundaries. If you want the same thing over & over, start listening to different musicians.

"Harry, I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange."

This weekend is looking to be really exciting! I got to work on a scripted show today, going to a party tomorrow night, going to a reception before that for a Twin Peaks themed art show and going to a book signing on Sunday. All compiled with seeing great friends, getting a couple Valentine's in the mail & a special Valentine's day live web broadcast by PJ Harvey, performing her entire new album. I officially have a smile on my face.

http://www.twinpeaks20.com/details/

Oh! And Underworld is scoring Danny Boyle's Frankenstein play. Um, awesome! I think I have to see this.

http://www.borndirty.org/2011/02/underworld-scores-danny-boyles-frankenstein-play/

And finally, you can get a bunch of free downloads from this year's SXSW artists.
http://www.spinner.com/2011/02/09/sxsw-2011-free-songs/

NPR First Listen - Let England Shake

NPR is currently streaming PJ Harvey's new album, Let England Shake in its entirety. The single "The Words That Maketh Murder" comes out today. (Must go get that 7" soon!) The album comes out in the States on the 15th.

Maybe I'll do a proper review sometime but so far my favorite track has to be All and Everyone. It's really jumped out at me, however there are just really interesting and catchy songs all over the album.

I am dying that she's coming to Coachella this year, on my day off & I have no way to go thanks to Coachella no longer selling one day passes. She's playing San Francisco the Thursday before, which I'd be more than happy to drive up to see, but working freelance means there's no way I can take a day off, a night in my case, or two for Coachella. So my wish to throw out into the world is someone somewhere please grant me a day pass to see PJ Harvey at Coachella. Please?

NPR - First Listen PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

http://www.pjharvey.net/tour.asp

The Words That Maketh Murder

NME just released a two part interview with PJ Harvey regarding her new album. Very very interesting look into the album's process & it's remarks on war and human relations.

NME PJ Harvey Interview Part 1

NME PJ Harvey Interview Part 2

Shh...

Spending too much time on You Tube listening to PJ Harvey rarities. Some good links below for such things. I'm not posting a rare song, but I like this one a lot & since it's so quiet (how'd it get to be 1:30 in the morning again?), seems fitting.




SILENCE

All those places
where I recall
the memories that grip me
and pin me down.
I go to these places
pretending to think
I can think of nothing,
but anticipate
that youll
find me there.
That by some miracle
youd be aware.

Id risen
this morning
determined to break
the spell of my longing,
and not to think.
I freed myself from my family,
I freed myself from work,
I freed myself,
and remained alone...
and in my thinking
steal you away.
Though you never
wanted me anyway.

SILENCE

http://www.youtube.com/user/kikkiokioli#p/u/31/s3peJiCgWf8
http://www.youtube.com/user/ZZqezza#p/u
http://www.youtube.com/user/CapitanJet#p/c/C2DFC84841887B32

Coachella

Man, what's a girl to do? I've never bothered going to Coachella. There was only one year I really really wanted to go & didn't b/c it was just after I moved to L.A. Well, PJ Harvey is playing there this year & of course I'm dying to go see her! And she's playing a day I'm supposed to be off from work. Now I'm afraid she'll play a show in town as well & I will miss it b/c of work. Dilemma! Coachella is an expensive mess. How can I go for free?

PJ Harvey has been releasing new videos by Seamus Murphy with each new song that comes out from her new album. The new sound is very weird and different from her other works, thus her point. She spent two years writing lyrics before even touching music. I'm not sure how I'll like it yet, but I'm sure it'll be amazing.

www.coachella.com
www.youtube.com/user/letenglandshake

Exciting!

Very very excited... news soon on the release of yet another PJ Harvey album. Here's the cover art!


www.pjharvey.net | www.letenglandshake.com

Don't marry uh huh her... EVOL

Well neither of these were the song I had in my head when I decided to go YouTubing... but here we are.

Lights

I haven't felt much like writing since I started work back up. I had a birthday, watched some fireworks, took some pictures. I've been snapping away at my new Diana F+ however I haven't gotten anything developed yet. I'm waiting until my current roll is finished. I'm pretty excited to see the results. So many times have I forgotten to correct my settings so it'll be interesting to see the results. I'm also waiting on some photos I took a while back. Sometimes things just don't come together. In the meantime, enjoy these.

Interpol has a new video which I downloaded a couple weeks ago but had just watched the other day. Someone loaded it to YouTube so enjoy this too. I love some of the shots (and the song of course!).




PJ Harvey has guest designed the summer issue of Zoetrope: All-Story, which is a quarterly magazine that Francis Ford Coppola puts out. It contains some of her original drawings & photographs, as well as a collection of short stories by several authors. Wood Allen has one in this issue. It was released a few weeks ago & I had been waiting for it to come out. Of course as soon as I started work I forgot about it. I ordered a copy though so I'm pretty stoked to see it. I'm sure it's available locally somewhere... The magazine also has a short fiction contest open right now - submit people!

www.all-story.com
www.pjharvey.net
www.interpolnyc.com

Let England Shake

Miss Harvey is at it again. She's already performing new songs. Not sure how I feel about them yet but excited to hear some new things b/c that always means touring. I don't know what to think of the outfit though. That may be a few too many feathers even for me. Usually I can admire her style but this time I'm just confused. Also read today that she'll be guest designing Francis Ford Coppola's summer issue of Zoetrope: All Story magazine. It'll feature some artwork, drawings & sculptures of hers. I need to get that!

Interview:


Let England Shake:


The Last Living Rose:


www.all-story.com
www.pjharvey.net

I can't help it

There's a reason I love her so much. Listened to The Dancer today & wow that song is so good. Sends me straight back to where I want to be. Added a live version of It's You just b/c I love her outfits... ♥

Missed.

I was never any good with words.

Pirate Vinyl

I've seen a couple vinyl records floating around on ebay lately - PJ Harvey B-Sides which I know she nor Island or even Too Pure put out. Someone took a bunch of her B-Sides, used photos from 'A Place Called Home' & 'This Is Love' & pressed some vinyl. Both records look identical. They took the lipstick picture from Dry for the label. There's no release info. I'm really curious as to who put these out. The sound quality isn't that great but the songs are actually on there. I have somehow become obsessed with collecting all of her vinyl so how could I resist.

Can I Tell You A Story?

I can't believe how fortunate I am to have seen my all time favorite artist perform on the night of my birthday. It's very surreal. Every time I see PJ Harvey in concert it's something new, something different, even if I'm hearing the same material. She has a unique gift to make the same song feel & look completely different given what mood she wants to convey to the audience. I've been listening quite a lot to her latest album, a second album she's collaborated with John Parish. Parish, who wrote all the music & PJ, who provided all the lyrics are especially talented people who have created yet another fantastic album. I highly suggest you check it out. I suppose however that one should keep an open mind b/c although the music could be appreciated by many people, I'm not sure that the average person would really get PJ Harvey's lyrics or vocal choices. If you're interested in something different & something that doesn't conform to the norm, than this album is definitely for you.





So back to the concert. I will spend absurd amounts of money to see her, which is I'm sure far less money than other people have spent for much bigger acts. I was able to get pit tickets & although I wasn't able to get to the very front, I was just a few people behind the front & had a pretty great view. I really love taking photographs & videos at shows (yes I'm the annoying girl holding up my camera every 2 seconds...) but I really try to take in the show & enjoy it as much as possible. Rarely do I ever tape a full song. Photography is a hobby of mine & so even though I have just a digital point & shoot, I really make the effort to try to take some lovely photos when possible. On this particular night however I wasn't really thinking & my memory card had gotten full up of course exactly at the point where I wanted to film the tail end of a lovely song (Cracks In The Canvas), where Polly sings the lyrics "Polly, go to sleep... You have no one to wait for...", which on the album are sung underneath other lyrics of the song. So, hearing it live is really beautiful & the only chance to clearly hear that part of the song.





I saw Parish & Harvey perform just this past March & this time around the energy was much more mellow but also this sort of dreamy, emotional performance. At one point during "The Crows Knows Where All The Little Children Go" Polly is twirling around stage - twirling & twirling & twirling & then running off stage & looping back around again. I kind of imagine this alternate world where one lives in one's own head, a live daydream, expressing the joys of childhood & freedom & love of music all rolled up into one twirl. A few times while recording parts of songs, I found myself losing my frame b/c she's so close to where I'm standing that I can't possibly pay attention to my silly camera b/c I am mesmerized that she is directly in front of me. They certainly commanded a lot of applause, soaking all that clapping in & enjoying every minute of it multiple times throughout the show & the excessive noise the audience made demanding an encore, even though encores have become somewhat standard these days, this time around an encore was well deserved. I fully enjoyed the show & hope that it won't be too long before I get to see Miss Polly Jean again.





Here are a couple snippets of songs I recorded. The first one, the entire theater was pitch black except for a couple strobe light effects as they started the song. Talk about setting the mood! Enjoy!


"Taut"



"A Woman A Man Walked By"



Dance Hall At Louse Point - John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey
A Woman A Man Walked By - PJ Harvey & John Parish