Walking, Midtown And Thereabouts...
Times Square, Herald Square and
Port Authority all remain the same.
The sky, however, is ever changing...
Alison Goldfrapp - Flux (2025)
Yellow Vinyl LP, Cassette, CD & Signed Print.
These beautiful items arrived at my door from the UK recently. I’ve been eagerly awaiting Alison’s second solo album and have been streaming it regularly since its release a short time ago. I first encountered Alison’s artistry (as many other fans did) with her band Goldfrapp’s Felt Mountain LP, which I bought without hearing a note of it. I had read an interview with her in a British magazine where she discussed her influences and was intrigued by the journalist’s description of her voice as that of a 1930s cinematic chanteuse. That album and those that followed continued to enrapture me with their diversity and lush sounds. I was lucky enough to see Goldfrapp on three occasions in three very different venues (Radio City, Hammerstein Ballroom and Brooklyn Steel) with differing presentations of their music. At the third, I was very fortunate to not only make a few new nice friends but also meet Alison and her bandmate Will Young after the show. Seeing how engaging, lovely and gracious she was with myself and others was a delight. In the ensuing years, Alison’s two solo albums have kept me intrigued with their future disco sounds and stunning vocals. You’ve done it again, Alison! Thanks for everything.
YEAR 26... LET'S DO THIS!
Shout out to my friend and colleague Kristen, with whom I had the epic honor of seeing Prince in concert (among others). Fun Fact: Kristen is partially responsible for an event we call The Best Thing That Ever Happened… Ever. This involves a video of us singing “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle in the record room of Yellow Tag Thrift. Incidentally, my nickname for Kristen is Food Fail. I love nothing more than sending her photos of random foods I find lying on the ground in public places with the caption “I got you a snack. You’re welcome.”
26 August 1985 • 40 Years Ago:
The Cure released their heavenly pop foray called The Head On The Door. This album spawned three unforgettable singles: Close To Me, In Between Days and A Night Like This. Two of these would end up on the Quadpus EP, which like the In Between Days single, boasted some unforgettable B-sides. Close To Me was my first exposure to The Cure on UHF Video Channel U68 in New York. I remember thinking “That guy is whimper singing but it’s kinda cool.” That was the start of my 40 years (and counting) of Cure fandom. Fun Fact: In high school I had a t-shirt with the dayglo faces of the band from the In Between Days single artwork on it. I wore it while horseback riding in The Poconos and was never able to fully get the smell of horses out of it no matter how many times I washed it, so I eventually trashed it. I should look for a replacement.
I finally got around to reading this and it was enjoyable. Boy George's Karma is actually his second autobiography, which starts by going a bit deeper into themes covered by his 1995 memoir Take It Like A Man (which was released in tandem with his album Cheapness And Beauty, a personal favorite of mine). Beyond that, George speaks of his life as a solo artist, DJ, producer, his early 2000s relapse into drug use and his work on Broadway with Taboo! (as well as its fallout). He also goes into his arrest, prison sentence for assault, recovery as a member of NA, spirituality and personal and professional rebirth. The Culture Club reunion, lawsuit with former bandmate (and ex-lover) Jon Moss and the complex financial settlement get covered here as well. The death of George’s parents, his body image issues and determination to stay healthy, creative and vital in the face of a changing cultural landscape are all chronicled here as well as a generous dose of dishy gossip and his outspoken viewpoints on number of topics. It’s nice to hear him speak about mended relationships and the reasons why some fell apart. Along the way, he takes responsibility for what went wrong (where applicable) and how he was able to heal some hurts and make them right. The tone is conversational and insightful but not offhand. Based on what he put down on paper, it sounds as though in his sixties, Boy George is comfortable being a celebrity on the stage and streets while maintaining his identity as George O’Dowd from Eltham. It’s a fun read. Equal parts karma and drama. I recommend it.
This moment of self reflection felt like a good opportunity to shoot a
new portrait. Here’s to forward movement for all of us.
I hope you have all enjoyed this break from the dystopian doom scroll.
