"A little bit of this. A little bit of that. A pot, a pan, a broom, a hat. . ."—Anatevka, "Fiddler on the Roof." This is a blog about everything and nothing. A little parenting, a little humor, some poetry, news, essays, a lot of music. I don't want to waste your time, just send positive vibes into the blogosphere. Oh, yeah, my name is Sarah Torribio. Enough about me, how are you?
Sunday, December 12, 2021
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
Random musing: #squadgoals
Your bucket list includes dining in Paris. My bucket list includes dancing with a girl gang in an aggressively provocative manner to set boundaries and reject misogyny. We are not the same.
Monday, September 20, 2021
Song of the Day: "This Enchanted" by Hatchie
This is some lovely shoegaze electro-pop. What an elegant wall-of-sound! Unraveling the countless threads of melody and noise in this song would be like trying to diffuse a bomb while dreaming. My song of the day is "This Enchantment" by Hatchie.
Hatchie, Wikipedia tells me, is the stage name of Harriette Pilbeam, an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. There is, by the way, a lot of great new music coming by way of Australia and sister island New Zealand.
As is so often the case, I came across this song on my favorite music sharing/promoting site letsloop, which offers a wealth of musical gems to discover and rediscover.
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Song of the Day: "Gigantic" by the Pixies
"Gigantic"--with its contagious bassline and sweet, breathy vocals by bassist Kim Deal, is pretty much sex on wheels. The Pixies, one of the most driving, furious and curious bands to emerge in the late '80s are not universally known. Their fans, though, are avid.
At least I'm avid. I consider The Pixies to among the best rock bands to come out of the United States, and their catalogue is the gift that keeps on giving.
sweet, breathy vocals by bassist Pixies Kim Deal, is pretty much sex on wheels. The Pixies--one of the most driving, furious and curious bands to emerge in the late '80s--are not universally known, but their fans are avid.
At least, I'm avid. I think the Pixies is one of the best bands to come out of these United States, and their catalogue is the gift that keeps on giving.
Sunday, September 5, 2021
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Song of the Day: "Lately" by Porches
My song of the day is "Lately" by Porches, which Wikipedia tells me is "an American synth-pop project of New York-based musician Aaron Maine."
This tune is angst on-repeat. There's an aggression between its richly produced, hypnotically repetitive surface that is the very definition of rock 'n roll. Also, everyone likes a singer with an Iggy Pop stare and a working class British accent, innit?
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Song of the Day: "Quiet Town" by The Killers
"Quiet Town" by The Killers is gut-wrenching. I can't tell you how many people I've met with fresh wounds from a young adult child dying from overdose of opioids and/or other prescription drugs.
This is Bruce Springsteen-level balladry by the Killers and in fact Brandon Flowers and Bruce Springsteen share a duet in recent release "A Dustland Fairtytale." It's off the band's latest album, Pressure Machine.
Saturday, August 7, 2021
Friday, August 6, 2021
Book Review: "What Happened, Miss Simone?"
What Happened, Miss Simone?: A Biography by Alan LightMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
"What Happened Miss Simone" is an interesting biography of a fiercely talented, and fierce, woman. The same unflinching honesty and raging sorrow that made Nina Simone iconic and indispensable to the times--writing, for instance, the searing "Mississippi Goddamn" after the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four young girls--often rendered Simone's personal life chaotic and miserable.
The book, written by Alan Light, was inspired by the Netflix documentary of the same name. This is not a book not for fans who want this pioneering black pianist and performer placed on a pedestal, to be admired and dusted from time to time. It's a book about a real person, striving, earthy, sexual, insecure and sometimes unhinged, who shot for the stars and in the process became one.
One of the coolest things about Simone, aside from her larger-than-life stage presence and political prescience, is she always knew her own worth as a musician. She would never start singing until the audience was hushed. This is a book that leaves the reader hushed.
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Monday, July 26, 2021
Song of the Day: "One Foot in Front of the Other"
It's not only guys who get pressed into moving furniture, but it's mainly guys. I know I'm a wonder at packing up china and stuff, gossiping all the while, but when it comes to lifting and angling couches and hutches and TVs, I fade into the background like Homer Simpson--you know the meme, where he disappears into the hedge!
Anyhow, next time your buddy guilts you into helping him move house, I dare you to set the tone by playing this song, off the soundtrack of "Revenge of the Nerds." If motivation is slow to come, you can put it on repeat. The internet tells me it's by a getup called Bone Symphony.
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Sunday, July 11, 2021
Song of the Day: "Sway" by Bic Runga
Who remembers this adorable one-hit wonder? Wikipedia tells me Bic Runga, who climbed charts in 1999 with her indie-pop hit "Sway," is a highly-awarded singer/songwriter from New Zealand This, my song of the day, made it onto the "American Pie" soundtrack.
It was the era, long about 2000 to 2010, where many movies--even some forgettable ones--had lots of hits randomly pressed into them. There are also a couple winners on the soundtrack of "Loser," a 2000 rom com meant to serve as a vehicle for newly-hot "American Pie" actors Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari. These include the dance-floor earworm "Blue" by Euro-pop group Eiffel 65 as well as Wheatus' endearing "Teenage Dirtbag."
Thursday, July 8, 2021
Song of the Day: "Summer Never Dies" by the Foxies
>>new song
This song needed to happen. My song of the day, "Summer Never Dies" by the Foxies, is buoyant indie pop rock warbled by a woman with confidence and cotton candy hair. Lead singer Julia Bullock's voice, hiccup-y and cute as a half-shirt, bears a resemblance to that of Gwen Stefani, but still feels fresh and effervescent as a can of 7-Up.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
Song of the Day: "Plastic Door" by Kenny Hoopla
I just found about this guy KennyHoopla and I am so into him. What a mood!
It's funny. I constantly complain to myself (in my mind) about how difficult my life is. We're talking about bemoaning taking out the trash and stuff. What can I say? I whine, therefore I am.
However, there is a saving grace to my mopery. It's that life is interesting. Take people, like you. I never know what they're going to say. We all think so differently. I bet you're smarter than me in a dozen ways.
And then there's music. There's so much of it right now and so much of it is good. There are potentially a thousand songs out there to which I will learn the lyrics.
This particular song is of the dark-tinged alt-rock ilk. I like the guy's delivery, which is a combination of Kid Cudi and Bloc Party's Kele Okereke. Actually, the latter band has collaborated with Kenny Hoopla, according to the internet.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Song of the Day: "Our Lips Are Sealed" by the Go-Go's
This country needs the kind of healing that can only be provided by the Go-Go's. My song of the day is their 1981 hit "Our Lips Are Sealed" off the Beauty and the Beat album.
Song of the Day: "So Sympatico" by Villagers
My song of the Day is "So Sympatico" by Villagers. Wikipedia tells me Villagers "are an Irish indie folk band from Dublin, founded in 2008." You had me at Irish indie folk band.
Anyhoo, this song, preternaturally smooth and soothing, is a quiet masterpiece and so is the accompanying video. The latter may do more to rehabilitate the image of the clown than Stephen King's "It," Ronald McDonald's soulless grin and a certain cross-dressing (think polka-dots and over-sized shoes) did to tarnish the profession.
It reminds me of an old joke from my time in the circus.
"What do you call a sad clown smiling?"
"A happy clown!"
Tuesday, June 29, 2021
Song of the Day: "The Fall" by ELO
<<last song
I'm so old, THIS is my breakup song. I kid, but I honestly think "The Fall" by ELO is deeply underrated.
Unless you are Xanadu-or-dies like Tommie Vaughn and I, you may consider Xanadu cheesy. If you're young enough, you may have never seen the movie "Xanadu," starring Olivia Newton-John and Michael Beck.
Incidentally, I've got a true Hollywood story for you regarding Michael Beck, a wildly handsome young man. It's almost eerie how much he looks like Heath Ledger, if you think about it, but I digress.
Returning to my show biz anecdote.
(places a candy cigarette in a long cigarette holder and lights it)
I read a wry quote in an article about Michael Beck, who was fresh off a starring role in '70s cult classic "The Warriors" when he laced up his skates to star alongside Olivia. The actor said, "'The Warriors opened a lot of doors for me, which 'Xanadu' promptly closed."
That's a shame, but I'm sure a talented guy like him made a recovery. For all I know, he spent 9 seasons on "LA" Law or some other TV show I never watched.
Back to the song below, "The Fall" by ELO. Many people who think "Xanadu" is cheesy also remember the soundtrack as being cheesy. In fact, though, I submit this is easily ELO's best song.
The dynamics are amazing, using a sonic technique that, in the right hands, makes for anthemic rock: loud, quiet, loud. (There's actually a music documentary about the band The Pixies with that very name, "Loud, Quiet, Loud.")
The song is from 1980, but the synths are anachronous. They'd read well in the late '80s and they read well now. If I ever return to making music, even just jamming, I'd like to cover this song. Only I'd change the driving synth beat quietly moving the song along to a rhythmic bass riff.
Finally, though both "Xanadu" and "ELO" are associated--wrongly so--with disco, "The Fall" is instead a rock anthem on a par with any by more contemporary acts like The Killers. We're talking epic wistfullness.
I also appreciate the song's intricate and polished production and the complexity of the songwriting. There are four distinct passages, each disparate and unexpected but all working in concert. Let me put that in plainer English.
There is a slowly building intro and a verse, delivered so tentatively our protagonist seems like a broken man. Life without his lost love feels both hollow and surreal.
Then, pow, a bridge that in its certainty and emotive delivery: "It's a lie/I don't believe its so." This man's languid delivery has fooled us. He's not resigned to the breakup.
Then there's the chorus. It's a blatant admission of love and need. It's vulnerable. And why not? It's the singer's last stand.
I may be bringing my own baggage to the situation, but I feel like the tune's protagonist is all or nothing. He is raging against the dying of the light. And if his last stand is unsuccessful, he's out of there. To go from passion to the "friend zone" is impossible. The fourth element is an instrumental passage.
Who else loves this song? Or who now does, now that I've shared this emotional testimonial.
Sunday, June 27, 2021
Sarah Torribio: A Brief History of Mine
Sarah Torribio is a writer with an educational and career background in journalism. Her writing has been published in the Reno Gazette Journal's Best Bets entertainment magazine, the Claremont Courier newspaper and Music Connection, among others.
The Reno Gazette job was great because it allowed allowed her to interview many interesting people, a number of them famous (Mike Tyson is a name I drop), albeit over the phone. It's also let her speak to two musical heroes in particular, Parry Farrell of Jane's Addiction and Adam Ant of. .Adam Ant.
Along with being a fangirl, Ms. Torribio writes news and feature stories, screenplays, poems, epigrams and flash fiction. She also writes songs, plays guitar and bass and is an aspiring artist and designer. In other words, she's a creative type and a chaotic mess. She tries to keep things as grounded as possible for the sake of her family and her sanity.
GETTING REAL
Okay, I'm going to drop this ruse. Sarah Torribio is me. I am writing about me. I lost a journalism job and started a blog. I lost another journalism job and rededicated myself to my blog. That blog is the one you are reading now, Battlestar Eclectica. I gave it that name because it sounds cool.
The content of my longrunning blog is, as the name would indicate, eclectic, from words of wisdom to foolish frippery and from music gushing to random musing. I hope it will find its way someday and be good. I always think of the improvement over time in the animation and characterization of beloved characters like The Simpsons, The Peanuts, Mickey and the Disney gang and Bugs Bunny.
Most recently I am a ghostwriter for StoryTerrace. I'm just wrapping up my first project for the company, an autobiography of fascinating 80-year-woman. I'm also sprinting towards finishing my second screenplay.
But enough about me. What are you up to?
Random facts:
*I grew up in West Covina, California, attending attended Grovecenter Elementary School, Traweek Junior High and Covina High School. I graduated in 1992.
*I'm a mum of two children, ages 12 and 7. I love the word mum but it sounds pretentious when I use it because I am not English.
* My first independent record purchase was a 12" single of Madonna's "Holiday" at the Music Plus record store.
* I have worn many journalistic hats. One of the most interesting was spending five years as an obituary writer. That'll give you some perspective, I can assure you.
*In my aforementioned phone interview with Mike Tyson, he used this tradmark phrase at least 3 times. At one point, he said of his participation in Cartoon Network's "Mike Tyson Mysteries, "It's marvelous, I can assure you."
Saturday, June 26, 2021
Song of the Day: "As Is, " by Ani Difranco
Ani DiFranco is an intelligent, passionate and skillful writer. She knows how to tell a story. She knows when a song needs to be lightened by a colloquialism, pun or dark joke. She knows how to make lines pretty and she knows how to make them gritty.
The she has to go and play guitar with this percussive, self-taught virtuosity. And then there's her voice, soft and cute but scored with the Brillo pad of vocal fry.
My song of the day is "As Is" off her 1998 album Little Plastic Castles.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Song of the Day: "Ohio" by Wild Pink ft. Samia
My song of the day is "Ohio" by Wild Pink ft. Samia. It's pretty indie rock, part orchestral and part ambient. It's a modern sound, but occasionally a synth riff walks down a lane tread by New Wave bands--say OMD.
According to Wikipedia, Wild Pink is an indie rock band from the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. As someone who's lived on the West Coast and now in the Southwest, I have no idea what a borough is. It sounds kind of dope, though.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
Song of the Day: 'Jumping Someone Else's Train" by The Cure
>>last song
I need this energy. Two matchless and eternally recognizable guitar riffs within the first 26 seconds. Then-drummer Lol Tolhurst labors mightily to achieve steam engine precision. And then there's Robert Smith's working class British accent, satisfying as an evening pint. As far as his mood, it's hard to quantify.
Is the frontman for The Cure sad? Resolved? Raging? Scornful? Or just narrating our collective angst.
I only just now feel confident enough to admit this. When I was in high school I thought I'd like to have a goth-style clothing store called "The Fashion Cure" with the word cure written in The Cure's swirly trademark font. For some reason, I pictured the store being two levels, with a slide gong from the second floor to the first.
Monday, May 3, 2021
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Song of the Day: "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" by The Postal Service
It's been too long since I listened to my song of the day, "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight." It's off the collaborative 2003 album with the inspirational title Give Up.
Vis-a-vis this particular tune, I love the weird sense of disaffection, the singer's kafka-esque unfamiliarity and the orchestral sweep of the electronic mix. Then, wait for it, the beat speeds up and the song takes on the momentum of a brisk game of pong played at five times the normal speed.
Give up was a unique and landmark album that lived in my CD player nearly two-decades ago. The Postal Service is a collaboration between Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, producer Jimmy Tamborello and vocalist Jenny Lewis. (I had no idea about the latter musician's participation until consulting Wikipedia, the worlds most distrusted yet most consulted source.)
The lyrics on songs like this and "Such Great Heights" feature Gibbard's trademark image-rich and metaphor-drenched poetry. His tendency toward melancholic introspection, however, is buoyed by riff-heavy guitar and keys, brisk beats and the creative chaos of collaboration.
Monday, April 19, 2021
Song of the Day: "I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" by Morrissey
Is there any better album that Morrissey's solo debut Viva Hate? What an explosion of energy, defiance and wit. I'm currently listening to some of the B-sides off the album, courtesy of YouTube for the first time in like 15 years.
"I Don't Mind If You Forget Me" was a favorite when I was young and holds up wonderfully. I love the wasp-like guitar, the fast trotting drums and, as per se, the words of singer/songwriter Morrissey, who is my personal patronus. There's something liberating and healing about the final refrain: "Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel."
Sunday, April 18, 2021
Song of the Day: "Eating Me Alive" by Alkaline Trio
I am so into the synths in my song of the day, "Eating Me Alive" by Alkaline Trio, off the band's album 2010 album This Addiction. I am easily seduced by darkwave power pop/pop-punk because I'm both happy and sad and find satisfaction in four-chord rock songs that weave together melodies in both major and minor keys.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
Song of the Day: "Out of Sight" by The Beths
My song of the day, "Out of Sight" by The Beths, is some lovely alt-rock. I like the romantic keys, the guitars that jangle, chime, buzz and build and the smart, melodic introversion of vocalist Elizabeth Stokes.
The song is off the band's new album, Jump Rope Gazers.
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Song of the Day: "Even Flow' by Pearl Jam
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Song of the Day: 'Cheer Up Baby' by Inhaler
Don't get me wrong. These guys aren't derivative. But Inhaler has the sophistication of the Strokes.
My song of the day, their "Cheer Up Baby," is pure and masterful rock--the kind that cleans out your head like a sonic Q-tip. The guitar riff is easy and abbreviated in manner of punk, which contrasts with a wall of sound so dense I have to listen hard to find the bass. And I play bass!
P.S.--I had the impulse to note that Inhaler's lead singer sounded like Bono of U2, but then I second-guessed myself. Come to find out, guitarist Eliza Hewson is none other than Bono's son.
Monday, March 15, 2021
Song of the Day: "Husavik (My Hometown") by Molly Sanden
I can't get the song that serves as the climax to the fine Netflix film "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" out of my head.
Rachel McAdams interprets the hell out of "Husavik (My Hometown)" by Molly Sanden, and Will Farrell chews the scenery even during his most subdued performance.
I keep listening to it and I keep singing it. The only thing is I'm at an impasse with the Icelandic parts. I'm gonna need to find a good immersive school, perhaps in ReykjavÃk.
While I'm at it, I'll also learn German to master the German versions of Nena's "99 Luftballoon" and Falco's "Der Kommissar."
PS-In another note I think the line, "Where the whales can live, 'cause they're gentle people in my hometown. . ." has nearly cleared me of my longstanding phobia of whales/whalesong.
PPS-Spoiler/cautionary note. When the final note hits, you might want to put down that fragile champagne flute.
PPSS-If this song doesn't win an Oscar for best song I'm gonna pull a Kanye and get up on stage saying, "Really? Really, y'all can't tell this is the best song ever?!"
--Sarah Torribio
Saturday, March 6, 2021
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