http://pretendingtobejapanese.com The only blog you'll ever need. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:07:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en So, I guess I feel like I don't have enough to do; between being a mother, writing my thesis, selling the apartment, moving to a house and all the rest of life's lovely assignments; that I need a new project of some sorts. Well, here it is. I'm going to go ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2010/03/the-record-collection-mixtapes-part-1/ Holy crap! A year ago I wrote a post about Courtney Love and Hole here, about longing for her upcoming Nobody's Daughter that was scheduled to come out that spring - but surprise, surprise didn't - and fondly remembering the past. Well, folks, the new album is now finally here! ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2010/03/courtney-is-on/ I just came back from Paris. As usual, I brought a size-of-a-playing-card copy of PTBJ logo with me and took a lot of useless pictures out and about in Paris. While waiting to finish choosing the most ridiculous ones to put in the next post.. here's something parisien, just to get in ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/10/pre-paris/ Before losing my "teenage status" in the mid 90's, I had the chance to live a few years in probably the worst ranked decade of the XX century, at least in music reviews. Before becoming a shoegazer, before wishing to be Kim Deal's husband (and PJ Harvey's lover), before playing ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/10/theres-er-norway-to-say-goodbye/ I often talk about electronic music with Dino (London-based sardinian friend of mine). I know so little about it; Dino (aka Home Alone), on the other hand, loves it and produces it. A few months ago I asked him: "Who do you think is gonna be the next electronic/dance/disco/techno big ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/10/yes-the-bloody-beetroots-are-italian/ Last year Friendly Fires' "Jump in the pool" gained a post here on PTBJ, and I decided it also deserved a place among my own personal best singles of 2008 (here's the unmissable and marvellous post about it. Still wonder why they didn't give me the Pulitzer for it). Last Christmas ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/10/friendly-fires-ready-for-stardom/ I feel kinda embarassed.. Guided by Voices - Smothered in hugs (1994) (video by rockynotgoon) http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/09/it-was-only-a-kiss-it-was-only-a-kiss/ On the last night in Bruxelles (see post), we had a few rounds of local beer in a charming pub in the Grand Place (Grote Markt): warm and relaxed atmosphere, dim lights, and.. I'm not a beer fan (I'm far way more the wine type), but the unexpected flavours of ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/09/aluminium-pipes-never-shined-so-bright/ New baby in town! Former PretendingToBeJapanese contributor Jenny from Malmoe, Sweden, has become a mother! As you can read and see by yourself in Jenny's own blog, the baby boy's name is Alvin, and he's, in a word, bellissimo. Porno for Pyros - Pets (1993) http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/09/indie-baby-boy/ In the beginning was London, then comes Berlin, and, last April, Ireland. And.. a couple of weeks ago, as I advertised in the previous post, PTBJ logo went to Belgium. Bruxelles/Brussels and Bruges are such lovely cities, full of spots that deserve a photo, welcoming you with charming ... http://pretendingtobejapanese.com/2009/09/ptbj-logo-in-belgium-the-complete-shocking-meraviglioso-and-utterly-useless-footage/