Peaches is a Canadian performance artist & musician. Her sound is fun electroclash that is hard to label – punk, raw, touch of emo & disco, never overly slick. Lyrically she is directly sexual, challenging any gender norms & fearless. I have, as stand-alone: The Teaches of Peaches (2000), Fatherfucker (2003), Impeach My Bush (2006) & as mp3 I Feel Cream (2009) w the band Sweet Machine.
There’s a homemade feel to many of her tracks & even as she uses studio more the sound retains that sensibility – sort of a garage-band electro – which I enjoy. Videos of her live work reveal her to be a performance artist as opposed to a static vocalist. Her voice itself is pleasant enough & she’s a good a vocalist as say Katy Perry but clearly not interested in compromising her sound for crossover appeal. Possibly an acquired taste mind you so try her out on Youtube before investing in a couple of her releases.
Next on the shelf & completely different is People In Planes, a straight ahead rock band out of Wales. These guys are in the U2 mold of rock. I have stand-clones As Far As The Eye Can See (2006), Beyond The Horizon (2008), both of which are excellent if lacking in distinctiveness. I bought the first when I read they were from Wales & was not disappointed. The second continues their sound. The band is no longer together thanks to the usual struggle for fame & internal conflicts.
Not that I’m a patriot but I have added some groups to my collection because they are Welsh & some, like Superfurry Animals, even rock out in Welsh. One way to revive an almost lost language is to take it out of quaint folk music & into rock. I even have a fine, sung in Welsh, electro dance collection by Clinigol, which is excellent.
The Wings Of St. Martinia
Last night Hank Grebly did me the great honour & pleasure of taking me to the Maple Valley Rialto Cinema – it is a shame that this fine building is now only opened on weekends for our film going pleasures.
I can remember a time when it would be busy seven days a week, offering us the finest in Hollywood films and fresh roasted peaches or tasty caramel bark corn.
Every time I enter the Rialto I am taken back to a distant era – the mirror balls in the ceiling reflect the many spot lights around the floor. The zig-zag carpeting & lame seat coverings make me long for simpler times.
The film Hank took me to was “The Wings Of St. Martinia.” Many of you are familiar with the local tales of St. Martinia & the font at St. Sufferer’s. Those are her blood spattered wings holding the baptismal tub in the centre of the nave. Not her actual wings, but representations. Not many angels would have had five sets of wings.
Like the Rialto this film is also a relic of another time. Recently discovered in the vaults at College of Arts and Reconstructionist Designers, we were first treated to a lecture by Rudgar Quartz, the Professor of Cinema Studies there, who gave the history of both the film, St, Martinia and the Rialto itself. A very educational evening, leavened by the delightful film itself.
The story is a simple one of suffering and repentance through suffering. Martinia, born out of wed-lock to the daughter of silver smith and troupe of travelling carnival workers, had to face the disgrace of her family and neighbours all through her life.
She saved her fellow orphans from the rain of comets in 1879 by waking each and every child, and leading them to safety. Sadly she wasn’t able to get back to rescue any of her teachers. She comforted the children, as they heard the screams of the staff, who had been trapped in locked rooms in the upper quarters of the orphanage.
In leading the children through the swamps to safety she also rescued Button, a Labrador retriever and her recent litter of puppies. This is why the suckling Labrador retriever has become the representation for St Martinia. When they say, she of the many teats, they are referring to Button and not to St Martinia.
A fact that I was not aware of either.
The movie follows her travails in the garment trade, being abducted by pirates and finally her mission to Mongolia where she single handedly brought the word of good to those unhappy and dirty mountain people. Her attempts to show them the joys of washing brought tears of joy to my eyes.
If you have a chance to, get in to see this delightful movie. Tell them Dolly sent you, and you may get an extra dash of moose mustard on your red hots.
TOpoet 