Friday Roundup


I’ve been grievously neglecting Duran Duran over the past few months, so I’m happy to announce that Duranalysis will resume next week and (hopefully) continue on a more or less regular schedule through the end of the year. First up: 1993’s “Too Much Information”, a video bursting at the seams with gleeful forays into tonsorial madness. Look for my analysis to be posted on Thursday or thereabouts. In the meantime, to get back into the Duranalysis spirit, what’s your preference: John’s cherry red coiffure, or Nick’s purple (sorry, Nick, lilac) locks? Discuss in the comments below.

There’s a wonderful old Italian bakery, La Guli, in my neighborhood here in Queens famous for its Mousse Mouse, which, as the name suggests, is a moist chocolate cake filled with mousse and adorned with a chocolate mouse. Almost too adorable to eat:


I'm a sucker for a good rodent-themed dessert.

This is going to be a short roundup, because I’m feeling a little battered and disheartened. I’m probably not alone in that, right? It’s been an unprecedentedly grim and ugly (albeit fascinating) month on the U.S. political front; we’re not even halfway through October, and I’ve already used up my monthly allotment of free online New York Times and Washington Post articles. It’ll probably get worse before it’ll get better (…it’s going to get better at some point, right?), but in the meantime, for a bit of giddy escapism, I’m leaving you with the New Wave playlist for your own personal twenty-minute dance party. When election news starts eating at your soul too much, pull the curtains, blast these at full volume, and bop around your living room until you feel better about the world. That’s my plan of attack:

John Foxx, “Dancing Like a Gun”:



Simple Minds, “Love Song”:



Billy Idol, “Dancing With Myself”:



Alphaville, “Dance With Me”:




Hang in there. We’re all in this together.

Comments

DKoren said…
Alphaville! I adore Alphaville. I didn't branch out much from Duran Duran back in the day, but Alphaville was one of the few bands whose music I really loved.

Lilac-haired Nick, all the way. Somehow he makes it look like the most natural color, whereas John isn't rocking his red.

And that is the cutest dessert! I'll bet it is yummy too.
Nonny Maus said…
So apparently there was a Duran Duran comic, here's the link:

http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics313.html

Just a few panels are shown and the guy doing the critiquing clearly isn't a fan, but still...wish I could find the whole comic, it looks entertainingly cheesy (I know Andy eventually had a wine bar, but I doubt he was planning it as a wee lad).
Ingrid Richter said…
I'm going for John's Ronald McDonald Red, just because *nobody* can rock that look unless you're preternaturally beautiful to begin with. Nick looks great in lilac, but John rocks it in red.

BTW, love Hanif Kureshi's Buddha of Suburbia novel, where he dishes all sorts of dirt on Billy Idol (who was, quite frankly, one of my 80's idols).

And I freakin' adore Marion Gold from Alphaville, who was gorgeous in the 80's and had this recent (awesome) concert in Russia: Alphaville Discoteka 80 Moscow 2013 Forever Young Big In Japan

Love that guy (both Billy and Marion)...
Anonymous said…
i feel like the lilac is the obvious one to pick as Best Unnatural Hair Color, just because time has been kind to nick's choice of a shade of purple. there are so many alternative-culture-type things now that have purple (okay, really lavender, but lilac isn't much of a stretch) hair in them! i think neon red hasn't made a major resurgence for a reason - while john manages to get by on his looks, i can't really say the red is doing anything to enhance them, or what he's wearing. (alternatively, depending on how you feel about hipsters and/or japanese fashion, this may mean john wins by default.)

also, based on the comments, i've pressed play on alphaville. i don't like "forever young", but i like this!
Morgan Richter said…
For the record, I prefer Nick's lilac locks, but my pro-Nick bias is well known, so that's hardly a surprise.

DKoren: Alphaville, man. I still love Alphaville. They are still together and recording and performing! They have a 2010 single, "Song For No One", that I love almost as much as their eighties stuff.

Nonny Maus: That Duran Duran comic is a great find! Thanks so much for posting the link. I'm fascinated by this...

Ingrid: Believe it or not, I still haven't read Buddha of Suburbia, much as I love Hanif Kureishi (I watched My Beautiful Laundrette, Sammy & Rosie Get Laid, and London Kills Me in film school and was crazy about them all). Must rectify that.

Mousie: Oh, Alphaville is fabulous. "Forever Young" got a lot of play at various proms and homecoming dances I went to in the late eighties/early nineties, and it's fine, but It's all about "Big in Japan", which is one of the all-time greatest new wave songs.
Unknown said…
You seemed a little glum from your Twitter post. Hang in there; this awful year is almost over. And your shirt was totally cool!

I'm not normally a fan of unnatural hair colors, but I think I have to go with Nick's purple hair here; the angle and style of John's hair makes me think Raggedy Andy, and that's just not cool.

That chocolate mouse is adorable. I remember one year we had a cookie contest for the employees at the paper, and someone made the cutest mice out of Hershey kisses and cherries. Tasted pretty good, too.
Morgan Richter said…
Thanks, Illesdan! All is well (but yeah, this year has been a weird and awful one thus far, right?).

Chocolate and cherries is an unbeatable combination. Your coworker's mouse sounds awesome.

And I'm all about Nick's purple hair. John has the bone structure to pull off the red, but the purple is nicer.