The Pillow Queens; a ramble

So The Pillow Queens are a cool Irish lesbian punk band, which is why I was having the below conversation at LO:

I’ve mentioned how years ago (early-mid 90’s) I lived with a bi chick. She had lots of friends in the gay community, and worked inna Rt. 66 store (leather goods) that, because we lived in Boys Town (an actual name of the ‘hood), hadda backroom of fetish stuff.

Anywhat, we went to gay bars (at that time anyway lesbians in Chi went to gay bars, gay men to lesbian bars not so much) and so I met a lot of her friends and acquaintances, and about half the lesbians looked like that singer – which kinda makes sense if ya think about it.

FWIW, more than once there was an odd sense of competition with such a person and myself, and not just over my gurrl.

I always larf to recall one of ’em calling her fem bottom, “Cupcake”.

And all the jokes about “flipping”.

Then there is the time we were in a gay bar and one of the guys at the table we were at stripped to his jock and danced for me …  

But I digress … and shall continue to:

In Chi, fem lesbians are sometimes called “lipstick lesbians” if they are traditionally attractive.

At that time, LGBTQ was just becoming known as a designation, IME the trans stayed away from the females, for whatever reason.

There’s a well-known band called My Life With The Thrill Kill Cult and my gurrl and actually my then bassist were friends with the trans guy in that band – he was totally a jackass, very aggressive altho’ I only ever saw him drinking. At one point we knew each other’s names.

Then there was my friend Scotty whom I only ever saw drinking in a famous dance club called Neo (the bouncer, Kimble, was famous for wearing a real samurai sword at the door, which was in an alley) at a time when I had made some money and was unemployed and just tryna be a rock star, and in the bars 5 nights a week.  Scotty was a kept boy, supposedly, lived in a highrise on LSD but would come out late at night to play. He liked his drugs and my singer was a dealer and so I got to know him and he was fun – looked like a cross between Ian Astbury (The Cult) and the guy from Dead or Alive.  All of a sudden, he stopped coming out, and some months later I learned he died of AIDs, mebbe in ’94 or ’95.

But I wouldn’t see those masculine lesbians in the dance clubs, for whatever reason, only in the gay or lesbian bars. Altho’ a few came to my gigs a few times, because of my gurrl.

Finally, I was in a band for a short period of time that had a male drummer who was older, and a hot model/singer/writer/acoustic guitarist, and a masculine bassist and a schleppy keyboardist – all of whom were lesbians.  They actually booked a gig atta famous lesbian retreat up in MI – a kinda famous woman’s festival where like Sara McLaughlin and Indigo Girls and such played, can’t recall the name  – and me and the drummer couldn’t go. That was a weird time, and that singer was hot; but I think they all hated me.  They kicked me out after about 3 months and no gigs, and then had the temerity to ask to use one of my songs – I said, “fuck, no” when I learned that they replaced me with two male guitarists – because I knew one from a prior band.

Anywhat, I’m bored and killing time, and I hope if ya read that ya weren’t but are.

A cuppla short movie reviews, one TV series

Jason Statham is aiight in Homefront about a retired cop who kills a buncha people, what coulda been a Steven Segall movie mebbe 10 years ago – Mare Winningham looks very different. 2.4/5 olives

Jason Statham is really good in a most unusual movie redemption, where, as a addicted veteran he falls in love with a nun and kills a buncha people. Most unusually, there’s a actually decent (if imperfect) plot, dialogue and acting. 3.5/5 olives

Ava is another chick hitman flick where jessica Chastain also has a drinking problem and Colin Farrell is completely immoral with a really bad mustache and dye job. John Malkovich steals the show, what was fun. 3.5/5 olives

Ripper Street was actually a Brit TV series, and it was awesome, a police procedural /soap taking place around the time Jack was active. Great acting, mysteries, and plot twists where good guys become bad guys, are redeemed, and go bad again and mebbe get redeemed, and bad guys are redeemed or die. Awesome stage sets and costumes, and a second lead from TGOT, and The Elephant Man. 5/5 olives

SILVLAY: *2020 Wasn’t Funny ( e.p.)*

1. Bye Bye, 45 04:25
2. Pardon Me 03:34
3. 2020 03:14
4. Stay Out of My Card Game 04:07
5. Yer Momma’s Number 03:28

Truth be told, 2016 through 2020 weren’t funny, even when ridiculous. We wish better forthcoming years for all, except those clowns accountable.

released January 21, 2021

Silv: Guitars, drums, keys, upright bass, backing vox, wrote: “Pardon Me”, “Bye Bye, 45” and “Stay Out of My Card Game”, derranged “2020”
Vlayman: Bass, acoustic guitar, vox, wrote: “2020”, “Yer Momma’s Number”

Recorded and mixed at The Silversmith Barn, Commanda, Ontario (Silv)
Recorded and masturded at FetaCentralRecordin g DDL, Chgo., IL (Vlay)

Fartwork: Jose Jones

all rights reserved

https://vlayman.bandcamp.com/album/2020-wasnt-funny-a-e-p

Ep. 1: “When not drinking I like to cook or both”

Ep. 1 in my  new series: “When not drinking I like to cook or both”

Aiight, so today’s epicurean post is on a kinda collateral thing in cooking – texture. I propose ya experiment; let’s use eggage.

Me, I love one with this shite innit:
2 large eggs + 1tsp.water, beaten
2 large mushrooms, chopped
2-3 slices med. onion, chopped
3/4 handful spinach, chopped
Feta -I use a little less than 1/4 cup, chopped

1. Low heat, clarifry the onions, then add the other veg.  When spinach is wilted, remove vegs, pour in eggs. When top is just slick add veg and then feta, fold.

2. *Very* low heat, clarifry the onions, then add the other veg.  When spinach is wilted, add eggs, and stir as scrambled eggs, adding Feta 1/2 through cooking.

3. *Very* low heat, clarifry the onions, then add the other veg.  When spinach is wilted, add eggs, and stir as scrambled eggs, adding Feta 1/2 through cooking, *keep chopping* all in pan until cooked.

Pro tip 1: if prepping ahead, use plastic knife to chop spinach to prevent wilting
Pro tip 2: use a silicon spatula

Books

I read so much history and politics, for now, on the ‘net, I read fiction for fun.

Since in Dec I have finished the new John Connolly, the new Michael Connelly (2 in the last year!) and am working the 4th Berserker after finishing the second of LeCarre’s Smiley books.

Also reading (in the can) Jeff Tweedy’s, How to Write Just One Song. – a fascinating exploration of his creative process that will teach you how to.  Not to brag, but I’ve now written well over 1K songs, but I still learned some thought-experiment stuff – a fun book.

Gun Club: *Lucky Jim*

yep, so it’s sometimes like the guitar is Robert Cray, and sometimes weirdly like James Blood Ulmer, but more out of tune.

And Jeffery Lee was not God’s gift to pitch.

But damn, great songs and sincerity make for a cool listening experience – this is the GC I keep coming back to.

3/5 olives

Rootage

I digitized and posted these in November, the oldest is now 30+ years young. I am old.

1989 Power-trio Punk funk:

1990 Power-trio Alt:

1994-95 Quartet Alt: