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Spotlight: Thank You

9 Dec

December 9, 2011

One of the pleasures of Mob Week has been that I have been able to sit back and read my own blog as a fan. When I contacted the amazing people who I hoped would participate (and I had not a single no), I knew that each one had a specialty or special talent, but I didn’t know what they would send. Just as you opened the page every day without knowing what the topic would be, so did I open my email. I am proud to say that I was thrilled each and every time. Did I expect to feature a trio of artists, a pair of musicians, and a diverse group that included professional writers and actors? While I had hopes, I really didn’t expect it. Did I expect to feature a treatise on the meaning of pulp? A scholarly argument against the TSA? Viennese legends? The Simpsons? And my very own installment of A Spot of Bother?

No I did not.

And to the readers, and to everyone who commented, I thank you especially, because not only did I accomplish one thing I set out to do- create a sense of community- but I accomplished something I didn’t expect. I got to personally see through a friend’s eyes how much your likes and comments touched her and made her happy. She’d never experienced that level of engagement before. I’d gotten a bit jaded by obsessively checking the stats all day. I’d forgotten how it felt to get that first feeling of acceptance. I’m glad I got that reminder.

On the surface, this week must have seemed like an easy ride for me. After all, I wasn’t worried about coming up with a topic and writing a blog everyday. I had people doing the work for me. Sweet scam, right?

Wrong. The truth is that I worked harder for Mob Week than any week of Imponderables ofrmonth of Saturday Comics. I won’t bore you with the details but this was a lot- a lot!- more behind the scenes work than I anticipated. And suffice it to say that every Mob Week contributor had the patience of a saint for answering all of my emails.

However, I started out talking about pleasure. Dare I say, “But I digress?” I found that besides just reading the posts, I had the unexpected pleasure of writing the intros. Some were longer than others, but all were from the heart and every word was true. I didn’t expect to love writing them as much as I did.

Am I jealous of Jeff Lynch?
Of course I am.

Is Mac of BIOnighT the most interesting man in the world?
Yes.

Does Joe McTee’s scholarship put me to shame?
Sadly, it does.

Would I make a deal with an evil spirit to write like Matt Cowan?
Where do I sign?

Is Mike Mongello the Number One pin-up artist around?
You’ve seen them, and he is.

Is Nutty Nuchtchas entwined in the world wide web in a way I only dream of?
Big time.

Do I really think Ingrid Prohaska should be required reading and listening?
Totally!

Does Threedayfish put my mental movie database to shame?
In a big way.

Do I have a spot in my heart for the mysterious Savage Opopanax?
Seriously, we all do.

Should all of you run to Relic Radio and talk to Jim in his forums?
Yes! NOW!

Could I ever hope to out-act or out-entertain Peter Church?
I won’t even try.

And did Jessica May really move me?
Absolutely.

Do I owe all of them a debt of gratitude?
And do I owe all of you who visited this site a huge thank you?
Yes I do.

Thank You.

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Spotlight: Jessica May

8 Dec

December 8, 2011.

Wow.

As the special Mob Week three weeks comes to an end, I look back and find that, without exception, I am very happy and proud of every single thing I posted. You’ll read my profuse and heart-felt thank you’s tomorrow, but right now I have to single someone out.

I am touched, truly touched by this song. Oh, it isn’t because of the lyrics, which you will recognize, but because I know the effort that went into it. I know how hard it was to carve time out of an already hectic schedule to do this. I know the trouble that went on behind the scenes getting it to sound just right. I feel honored and I feel proud and I feel happy that the lovely Jessica May went to such lengths to do this for me when (and I told her this) I totally understood if she didn’t participate. I feel good inside when I listen.

Every single person who sent me their efforts this week worked hard. Every single one deserves and has a special place in my heart, but I dare say that no one has touched me quite like Jessica May has. No one has written me a song before.

And in that vein, I find that I cannot write about it. It is no surprise, as I have said it many times before, that my musical vocabulary is lacking. I know what I like, but I don’t have the knowledge. I can appreciate the music on a certain level, but that’s not enough. So I turned to my good friend and musician Mac of BIOnighT, who generously wrote up this review of Jessica May’s version of New York, New York.

When I started listening I thought, “What the heck is this?” and “Couldn’t she just mix her voice in with the music?” Then I shifted my thinking from “conventional” to “unconventional” and I finally got it. If the voice had just been regularly mixed with the music, it would’ve been yet another karaoke-style recording of yet another would be singer. This is different: this has got personality and is simply brilliant! It isn’t just a song, it’s a picture. It’s not difficult at all to close your eyes and imagine this girl all alone in some motel room or some small, poor house, listening to the radio and singing to herself. Lots of clues are included within the thunderstorm to figure out where she is: cars, trains, crickets. This place where she is dreaming of New York is no big city, no excitement for her here. You can even imagine her hairdo and clothes, the pictures on the walls, the furniture. She is sad, and you can’t help wondering what the reason is, what she wishes she could change in her life.

 Jessica May’s voice is very nice, with a wide range and very good intonation (only a good voice can afford to keep the music so far back in the mix, otherwise the result would be horrifying to say the least).

Thanks Mac.

Jessica May says of her song, My inspiration is old, but with a new spin. The song you will know, but the atmosphere is kinda like if a sad hobo lady was travelling by way of a New Orleans funeral procession to New York. haha. I hope that makes SOME sense.

She’s one of the Flash Pulp folks, a better trio you’ll never find.
You can find her music at www.MayTunes.com

Please listen and enjoy.

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