Cult Canadian musician Mary Margaret O’Hara only ever produced one album, Miss America, in 1988. Since then she has since composed soundtracks and acted in films, but no other album has been forthcoming, and it’s said she’s reclusive. Outside Canada it’s probably not known that she’s the sister of comic actor Catherine O’Hara. Tom Waits has said she’s his muse; pax Tom, I’ll only say I’m quite sure she’s her own muse. Her fans include Morrissey, Radiohead and Rickie Lee Jones. My favourite song by MMOH (can’t bring myself to call her M2OH, the way her acolytes do), is actually Year In Song, but since the only youtube video of the song contains no moving pictures I didn’t embed it above. There’s a rare newspaper interview with her here in the Guardian.

Quotes:

“My Brass Rule: Treat others better than you treat yourself until they screw you, then apologize to them.”
“I have a long history of being told I have no rhythm, and of people saying ‘I’ve heard chickens sing better than that’.”

The strange, familiar oppressiveness of falling cherry blossoms in Vancouver.

Video is by my friend Geoffrey. (Sorry about the quality – I wish YouTube wouldn’t automatically upsize small frames – this is meant to be a small image.)

OK GO’s ‘This Too Shall Pass” was, I think, made for me. Thanks again to Jessica, via booooooom. See previous posts about marble runs on this blog here and here. I think the cocktail one may actually have influenced OK GO’s marble run.

Happy Valentine’s Day to my valentine and to all the valentines, nuns, freaks, backup singers, everyone.

.

David Bowie and Marianne Faithfull singing live in 1973 on the US variety show The Midnight Special. I Got You Babe was written by Sonny Bono in 1965.

Rita Pavone.

Thanks, Keith.

(more…)

Thanks to @gebgdc.