I Love Those Slags: One Fan Explains Her Obsession With The Mighty Boosh

By Noreen Sobczyk

A few years ago I was ill and staying at my parents’ home in the wonderful land of superfluous cable channels. While stirring around under the covers, feverish, I stumbled upon a British program that was surreal and involved an alternate universe and a cab ride with Death himself, but I could find no information regarding the show. It was so wondrous that I thought it may have been a dream.

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Top Five Female Television Characters

By Noreen Sobczyk

1. Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in The Avengers, 1965 – 1968

When I was younger I wanted to be Emma Peel. Who am I kidding? I still want to be Emma Peel. She has a killer ’60s wardrobe, and for my money is the best dressed female character in television history. She’s intelligent, self assured, sharp, and sexy; a woman who can take care of herself, often rescuing her male partner John Steed. Using her wits as well as her martial arts skills, she solves crimes and fights villains, a great feminist character. (Earlier and later seasons of The Avengers held no interest for me as they did not feature Emma Peel.)
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Thank You PBS For Giving Us The BBC

By Noreen Sobczyk

As a child I often tuned into PBS, where shows like Sesame Street, Electric Company, and Zoom taught me my letters and numbers. However, during the evening hours PBS brought me the wonderful world of the BBC where I learned about the decadence and treachery of history through vehicles like I, Claudius and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. There was also the mind-expanding science fiction of Doctor Who. But the most enduring impact was made by British comedies.
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Morphine, At Your Service

By Noreen Sobczyk

Morphine’s music is like a steamy, illicit affair in a slightly dodgy hotel room. It’s dark and smoky and might take you someplace you oughtn’t go, but you are compelled to travel none the less.
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The Accidental Terrorist: Scary Songs Which Aren’t Meant To Be Scary

Idea by Matt Keeley
With contributions by. . .

In our last Halloween issue, we discussed morbid melodies and the music of the scares. But what of songs which horrify us accidentally? Some argue that songwriters who pair dark lyrics and bright melodies know exactly what they’re doing, but what about words and music which cause fright when they were only intended to delight?

For example, a few of our readers noted that “Mama” by Genesis was a bit squicky, but it’s unclear whether that creepiness was intentional or not. However, I think we can all assume that “Beep Beep” by The Playmates was probably not meant to panic small children, although it obviously has, judging on some of the replies we received.

Here are some examples of the various tunes that terrify. . .
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I Was A Teenage Vampire Lover

By Noreen Sobczyk

Nope, it’s not coming to a drive-in near you. Nor is it a juicy tell-all about my steamy copulations with the undead. And truth be told, this one sided love affair lasted well beyond my teens. Yes, it’s true: I’m a vamp-a-holic.
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Tinted Windows, S/T

By Less Lee Moore and Noreen Sobczyk

A band with Bun E. Carlos and Taylor Hanson probably sounds strange (and horrifying) to those who think Cheap Trick has nothing in common with Hanson. As a fan of both bands, we were excited about hearing this album. Having James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins) and Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne) as part of the mix could have rendered the whole affair nothing more than a poorly executed publicity stunt, but it really works.

So here is a track-by-track review. . .
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Black Moth Super Rainbow, Eating Us

By Noreen Sobczyk

When you visit the Black Moth Super Rainbow website, you’ll find that their new album Eating Us is available in a limited “hairy summer jacket” version. Well if that doesn’t say it all, what does? Hopefully this review will help elaborate on this, at least a bit, because a lot of the beauty of Black Moth Super Rainbow is that the music must be experienced and can’t be fully explained in text. Does that sound pretentious? It’s not, I promise. Take a tab of BMSR and you’re guaranteed not to have a bad trip.
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Various Artists, Music Inspired By the Film Scott Walker: 30 Century Man

By Noreen Sobczyk

This compilation is culled from covers of the many high quality songs in the Scott Walker catalog. If one wants an emotive, theatrical, “over the top” vocal, inherent to Scott Walker’s delivery—they would do better with the genuine article. On the flip side, if Walker’s show-tune-meets-cabaret delivery is too dramatic for your liking, then this compilation is an excellent way to enjoy these beautiful songs.
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How Long Until We Have Smell-O-Vision?

By Noreen Sobczyk

Certain sensory things trigger memories instantly. At one time or another each of us has probably heard a song play and been immediately transported through time to some place or person from their past without any conscious effort. Well, scents can do the same thing. Maybe it’s that pot roast and gravy that smells just like the one your Grandma made that gets you feeling all warm and nostalgic? Or mulled cider that reminds you of Halloween? Or maybe it’s something that smells like the Love’s Baby Soft worn by the bitchy popular girl who tortured you at the sleep over? Or the smell of a boys junior high locker room’s socks n’jocks and you think about being laughed at for not being able to climb the rope in gym class? Everyone must have some smell that is unique to themselves and their own past memories, but we must share some in our collective memory banks. Take a look at the list below and see if anything rings a bell.
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