SOUNDTRACK: PUSS N BOOTS-“Jesus, Etc.” (from WILCOvered, UNCUT Magazine November 2019).
The November 2019 issue of UNCUT magazine had a cover story about Wilco. It included a 17 track CD of bands covering Wilco (called WILcovered or WILCOvered). I really enjoyed this collection and knew most of the artists on it already, so I’m going through the songs one at a time.
This was my introduction to Puss N Boots, a group consisting of Catherine Popper, Sasha Dobson and …Norah Jones? They’ve been getting some buzz lately (of course) and it’s interesting to have my first exposure to them through this cover of one of my favorite Wilco songs.
This has a great slow rocking sound. It’s got minimal instrumentation (no drums), just electric guitars and bass. The women harmonize really nicely.
I really like this version, although whoever is singing lead (Catherine or Sasha) has that weird thing that singers seem to be doing now where it almost sounds like a speech impediment on the letter r. The way she sing skyscrapers so it almost sounds like skyskwrapers. And cry sounds like cwry.
It’s a thing that I’ve heard a lot lately and I can’t quite wrap my heard around it. It’s not an accent, but what is it?
Regardless, I do like this version. The opening electric guitar is great and their voices work very well together.
[READ: February 19, 2020] Princeless: Volume Two
I like the artwork y in this book so much better than the first. I feel like Emily Martin brings a whole new level of greatness to this series. The coloring is also much more vibrant. It’s possible that the printing I had for book 1 wasn’t very good, but this book is fantastic.
The book opens with Adrienne’s father speaking to the bravest knights of the land: Sir Rocks the Mighty; Sir Gahiji the Hunter (who wears a wolf head on his head); Sir Raphael the Handsome (a poet and a vampire); Sir Walsh the Braggart; Sir Zachary the Pure (who serves the gods); and The Black Knight, the king’s fiercest of friends. They have been summoned to kill the knight who made off with Adrienne’s head and bring the head of her dragon. Whoever can do so will win his daughter’s hand in marriage. (Which daughter? someone whispers).
Devon is angry that his dad is doing this so he goes to talk to his mom. But she has plans–she is leaving and going to visit her parents. He can’t believe she is running away too.
Back to our heroines. We see them flying on Sparky, with Bedelia hanging from a rope and swiping food from the cart of a thief who stole the food in the first place. But Sparky isn’t the most coordinated of fliers and soon enough, Bedelia and Adrienne wind up in a tree. Again.
They manage to regroup and are sitting near a fire eating their plunder when a dandy prince shows up. His name is Roderick Lovelorn and he is a poet. He calls her fair lady and i love that there’s a running joke that she is not fair–fair means pale and she is not pale, she has brown skin (and kinky hair) thank you very much. He is heading home to his muse. The lady whom all seek to see but none dare to touch.
As he goes on like this, Adrienne gets annoyed because she realizes that he is talking about…her sister Angelica.
Book two opens with the Black Knight. Like a Black Knight, he is up to no good (and may just be turning on his friend the King).
Back at the kingdom, a guard has come to report that the Queen is in danger–she has been captured. He says the Black Knight is responsible and that her carriage was burnt to the ground. Worse yet one of the wolves of the forest was in on the attack. The King heads to the forest for answers He encounters some wolves who can shape shift onto humans and he demands an explanation.
They discuss the treaty–elves stay to the North of the forest, wolves stay to the South and human stay on the path. Kira one of the wolves says that she was on the path because of the fire. She saw the Black Knight carry a bundle away and she was sure she could smell the queen but there as no woman there.
Meanwhile, our heroines have awakened with some embarrassing hair issues. Bedelia has grown a mustache (it’s very common among dwarfs) and Adrienne’s hair has frizzed out on her. They don’t know why they need to pretty themselves up for a boy, particularly one they don’t even really like, but they do nonetheless.
Then they head out, with Adrienne giving the poet a really hard time:
If something really inspires you to be passionate, you shouldn’t have to train to do it.
Well then isn’t everybody a poet?
Well, they could be. I’m just saying either something is so great that you don;t have to be a poet to write a poem about it or poets are just phonies.
The eventually wind up in the village that surrounds the tower that Angelica is trapped in: The Princess Angelica Artist Village. Everything created in the village was done so because she has inspired them.
Adrienne is furious and she immediately uses a grappling hook to climb the tower. But it turns out Angelica is not in the tower, nor does she seem in danger. She actually seems to be reveling in the attention and adoration (imagine that).
While Adrienne is storming around very annoyed by all of this, a guy with a wolf’s head on his head (Sir Gahiji the Hunter) enters the picture and throws a spear at her. They fight and he is really quite impressive. Adrienne gets knocked down but manages to grab Angelica. Unfortunately, Angelica has been cursed. If someone touches her, her guardian comes to protect her. And her guardian is 70 foot lion that is made of lightning.
Book 3 opens with a little family tree and details about each sister (told from Angelica). Alize is the oldest, she’s like a second mother; Antonia and Andrea are twins and are totally spoiled; Angoisse, the middle child, who never got enough attention always needs a boyfriend; Angelica is burdened with being beautiful; Adrienne, the weird one and Appalonia, the baby, isn’t she cute.
The rest of the book is mostly the fight with Angelica’s guardian (artists are good for something after all). In the end, Angelica does not want to leave her adoration, but she does show some respect for Adrienne, which is a small victory.
So our heroines move on two Angoisse who seems to have a vampire right behind her!
This book includes chapter one of book 3. I fee like it looks a llittle different than the actual book 3, bit maybe not, I may have to double check though.
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