Music Monday: Q&A with Louise

Louise, whose fab blog, Nekomentsu, I discovered recently after she commented here, is my guest today.  I loved her teenage escapades as a King Adora fan, and her description of The Smashing Pumpkins sums up Billy Corgan's music better than anything else I've ever read!  Anyway, over to Louise...

What was the first gig you went to?
This is the second time I’m having to make this confession this month…it was Peter Andre…and my local ice arena…he was supported by Steps. My relatives bought me tickets for my 14^th birthday after being reliably informed by their children that all young girls loved Peter Andre.  Except I didn’t. I loved Nirvana, and Guns n’ Roses. And Peter Andre was pretty much my worst nightmare.

So I spent the entire concert sulking and facing the back of the room, and not looking at Peter Andre even once.

What song reminds you of being a teenager?

King Adora songs remind me of being a late teenager. I was completely obsessed with the band, and followed them around constantly with my friend, we became really friendly with them and would always join them backstage where we would get up to all sorts of antics (not the sexy kind, more like fire extinguisher fights, smoking and drinking 20/20), although I did snog Robbie (which was massively disappointing, he was a horrible kisser) and was then deeply offended that I a) wouldn’t share my lambrini with him and b) go back to his van…

What song will always get you on the dance floor?
I love dancing to anything really. I’m a bit of a stupid dancer, which did lead to a bonding session during freshers week at uni as I met kindred spirits to chicken dance with. I think my favourite thing to dance to has to be The Cure – The Love Cats, which in the past has led to some comparisons to Angela’s dancing in Green Wing – “she dances like a wolf”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kQL2rQ6NI4

What song makes you cry?
Beck’s cover of Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime from Eternal Sunshine leaves me wobbly-lipped every time. The Beautiful South’s Blackbird on the Wire has such personal connections for me that I can barely listen to it, because every time I do it leads to such uncontrollable floods of tears.

What are your top five favourite bands/artists of all time?

In no particular order...

1. The Smashing Pumpkins. I’ve been in love with their music since hearing Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness. I think the thing I love the most about them is just how juvenile their music is, it’s the equivalent of stomping up to your room in a huff and then hugging your knees for 4 hours wondering when you can go back downstairs. It’s self-indulgent, occasionally a bit whiney and magnificent.

2. PJ Harvey. I admire everything about this woman. I absolute abhore the term ‘girl crush’ because it’s so often used by straight women to describe a women that they admire, and I think it’s a shame that women feel the need to sexualise their feelings of admiration. So, when my friend told me she had a ‘girl crush’ on PJ Harvey I wanted to simultaneously high-five her, and slap her. I find it incredibly weird that such a frivolous term can be used alongside a women full of passion, and with the guts to sing freely about feminism, politics and the unpretty, fierce side of love. But, all the same I was pleased my boyband-loving friend had finally developed a better taste in music.

3. Goldfrapp. I’ve been a fan of Goldfrapp since the day of Felt Mountain, and I’ve followed them ever since. I love the way that their music progresses, grows and changes with each album drifting from ethereal wailing to disco-pop. I think Alison Goldfrapp is the quintessential front woman, with strong vocals, a great sense of style (especially during the Black Cherry era) and a real enigmatic star quality. The Oompa Radar song still freaks me out though (weird phobia of fairground music….don’t ask).

4. Nina Simone. Nina Simone is an odd addition to my iTunes, and I often skip past her songs when using shuffle, because they just don’t fit in with any of the other music on there. But there’s something so,so magical about her. The gorgeous, creamy voice and the jazzy accompaniment. Sinnerman is a wonderful song, all 10 minutes of it. There’s something luxurious about putting her music on, lighting a cigarette and igniting your inner diva.

5. I’m cheating this one a little bit – sorry. It’s not so much a band or artist, but a collaboration. It has to be Sparklehorse, Danger Mouse, David Lynch and others’ work on Dark Night of the Soul. It’s just the perfect album, it has guest artists such as Gruff Rhys, Iggy Pop, Justin Lytle and Suzanne Vega, and is something of a concept album. Each song is wonderful by itself, but it’s such a powerful piece of work when you listen to the album in context. I honestly believe everyone should hear this.

Do you have any guilty pleasures when it comes to music?

I love JPop. I do, very much. It’s not my usual sort of thing at all. I haven’t listened to pop in many years, and the sugary sweetness of JPop would normally leave me cold. But, there’s just something so happy about it, you just can’t help but like it. I’m a particular fan of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, a singer-turned model who makes the barmiest videos I’ve ever seen and the rockier Anna Tsuchiya.

If you could sum yourself up in one song or lyric, what would it be?
It HAS to be The Smiths – Big Mouth Strikes Again.

“Bigmouth strikes again
And I've got no right to take my place
With the human race”