I  can’t recall when I first heard of this indie band from the UK. I am Kloot were formed in Manchester to be precise.  I love lead singer John Bramwell’s distinctive voice and their moody and heart wrenching lyrics go straight to centre of my dark and twisty side.

While they have been around since the early 2,000′s, their latest effort – Sky at Night – was nominated for the Mercury Prize (Industry voted top Brit/Irish Albums). This song is not only my favourite off of that album, I am also a fan of the complete and total simplicity of this video. I think the guy in it is from Dr Who?

Irregardless, enjoy!

No words or explanation needed. Except to say that I am heartbroken that I will not be seeing Bon Iver when they tour Vancouver in the Fall. Mother fuck is all I have to say. One day. One day.

A few months ago, one of my very good friends (who sadly lives across the other side of the country) sent me a link to concert that was coming up here in Vancouver. That band was The Civil Wars and the concert was last weekend. And it was awesome.

Indie, folky, southern fusion. Great chemistry. Great stories. Kept me totally entertained for the whole show. They only have one full length album thus far, so that gave them the chance to throw in a few covers. I think even MJ would approve of this:

I have a confession to make…… I too was groped by Donald Duck at Disneyland. Honestly. I was there with my then BFF (although the expression BFF had not been coined then) and when we went in for a photo with the strangely pantsless cartoon character his over-sized hands went directly to our asses. 

Unlike April Magalon, I have no intention of suing Disneyland or the 16 year old kid that copped a cheap feel. Unlike April Magalon, I did not suffer and trauma from this incident and had no side effects like flashbacks, insomnia, nightmares, nausea……. Unlike April Magalon, I am not asking for $50,000 for all of these alleged side effects.

Now that I think about it, I did develop an irrational fear of pantsless Ducks since the incident. Where is the number to my lawyer again?

I know I don’t know you in real life, but you seem like a cool person. Not at all like one of those pervy freaks who lurk on the interwebs looking for vulnerable girls to take advantage of.

I may need a teensy little favour in the next few months. See I have this problem. I thought I had it under control, but I was wrong. I just can’t stop. I have tried, but I can’t help myself. Because of this, there is a distinct possibility I may get kicked out of my apartment. I know. I know. You would think that I would be able to exert a modicum of self control? It’s not like I haven’t fallen of this wagon before.

It just makes me feel so good that I can’t stop. It really is what keeps me going and I don’t know how I can I can give it up. It is worth the price I may have to pay….. right?

It starts with Vampire Weekend, Beach House & The Dum Dum Girls on August 27th….

Next is Ray LaMontagne & David Gray……Matt & Kim…… Phoenix……. Scissor Sisters…… The National……. She & Him…….. Frightened Rabbit…….Mumford & Sons…… Roger Waters.

10 concerts so far from now until December. That is totally reasonable right? 

Fuck Me. Music is most definitely my boyfriend, but he is wearing me out! And I love it.

PS: can I sleep on your couch?

I have a good friend who is going through a rough time right now. Like really really really rough. 

I want to help.

I wish I was able to take away the hurt and pain he is in. But I can’t.

I wish I had the perfect sentence that would make it a little less horrible. But there are no words.

I could tell him that he will get through it.

I could tell him that life will continue.

This new life will be different from before, but it will go on.

I could tell him that he will smile again, will laugh again, will have fun again.

But he won’t believe me. 

Right now he doesn’t know how he will get through this.

He is drowning in the pain and the anger and the fear.

He doesn’t think life will ever be normal again.

And there is nothing I can do.

If you know me in real life, you know that I have a teeny tiny problem with shoes. And bags. But this is about shoes. I also have a teeny tiny problem with some credit card debt, so I am trying really hard to curb my shoe fetish. I haven’t bought shoes since April. Which is a really long time for someone who has shoe buying issues. I was doing so well. Until this weekend.

This weekend I finally bought a pair of shoes I had wanted for a really long time. A pair of Toms. Hands down, instantly the most comfy pair of shoes I own. If I die tomorrow, please bury me in them, cause as I am dancing as fast as I can in Hell (assuming of course there is a Hell), my feet would be fine in these for at least a few days.

Super simple shoes. And how did I justify lifting my shoe embargo? For every pair of Toms you buy, they give a pair to a child without shoes. Let me say that again. You buy a pair of Toms, they give a pair to a child in need. This is their marketing strategy - One for One. How awesome is that? So awesome, I am prolly gonna buy another pair this week……

Love them.

In the summer of 1993 or 1994 I worked in a sock factory. Literally. I worked at the Scallywag Sock Factory in the finishing department. It was pretty brainless work. Super close to where I was living and was an excuse to stay away from my mom’s place where there was lots of dramarama going on with my brother and his ex-wife.

It also allowed me to spend quality time with my then BF without the roommates interrupting and destroying the mood. 

That summer, our favourite guilty pleasure was watching Melrose Place. Yes, our guilty pleasure. Although he would never admit it to his buddies, the BF loved Melrose almost as much as I did. He had a huge hard on for Allison (Courtney Thorne Smith) - I think it was the needy sweetness that sucked him in cause fuck knows that was not me. I relate more to Amanda (Heather Locklear) or maybe Jo (Daphne Zuniga).

Me? My Hello Salty goodness cast member was Jake (Grant Show). He was hawt.

Why the trip down memory lane? I have Season’s 1-4 of Melrose Place on DVD and have spent much of the weekend catching up on all the drama. It has brought back the fun times of that summer.

Like when the BF stole our massively awesome Christmas Tree from a cemetery. Which sounds way worse than it was. It wasn’t off someones grave or anything. It was from the grounds of the cemetery. I will never forget the grin on his face when I opened the door and all I could see was tree. Best Christmas Tree ever.

You think stealing from a cemetery is bad? The next year, my BFF’s and I took our Christmas Tree from a primary school. We were completely hammered and ran down the street with this fucking huge tree in our arms. Super fun memory. Before you judge me even further, school was out for the summer so the tree was destined for the trash before we got there. 

I know I know, if there is a Hell, I am going there. 

This is when I think about you.

Only now.

This is the one day I allow myself to dwell.

Only today.

To wallow in the guilt and sorrow.

One day to contemplate what could have been.

What WE could have been.

How different life would have been if you were here.

If you had been allowed to be here.

The notion of that moniker.

Of being in that exclusive club.

Of having someone that was completely mine.

That perfect unconditional love.

Everything would have been different.

Know that I did not choose this.

I was terrified and uncertain.

But you were wanted.

In one violent instant, you were gone.

In his rage, for what, I don’t remember.

My life was irrevocably changed.

Your potential was destroyed.

He took you away before you even had a chance

The hard thing to admit.

The thought that makes me hate myself.

Makes me feel like I am a horrible person.

I am quietly glad it happened.

I was not ready.

I was too young.

I was not capable of taking care of someone else

I could barely take care of myself.

I’m sorry that you were never given a chance.

I’m sorry that he took that away from you.

I ‘m sorry that I allowed him to do that to you.

I’m sorry I didn’t leave until it was too late.

Today I remember.

Today I grieve.

I mourn what could have been.

What you would have been.

But only today.

Tomorrow, I live.

This video is a whole lot of awesome…….