Paul Schiernecker

Category: Other

  • Music Jar – week 20

    Each week, I take an artist from a pickle jar on my bar caddy and try to indulge in their discography for a week. What with one thing and another, this sometimes proves slightly difficult and my brain is unable to process at the best of times. 
    This week was the turn of Roberta Joan “Joni” Mitchell.

    What I Knew Before: I was likely introduced to JM by the soundtrack to Almost Famous, which is responsible for any number of my hot musical takes. The song River, which appears on Blue, not only makes the soundtrack but the cover of the album also features as young William lovingly strokes his sister’s vinyl collection while their mother declares that Simon & Garfunkel are on drugs. 
    I also know that a Joni Mitchell album is not an appropriate present for your wife after you’ve bought that tramp in the office a hideous and overpriced necklace. 
    What I Know Now: Joni Mitchell may just be a prophet. Her wide collection of albums are sombre and sad. She leaves a legacy that was uncompromisingly her own and she garnered so much respect for that. If anything, I wish I had more time to sit with her music and understand it. The project forces me to press on but Mitchell is in my heart.
    It’s clear she’s been an influence on ,many artists I have now come to love including Laura Marling, Rufus Wainwright and of course, Taylor Swift. 
    Favourite song(s): River, Big Yellow Taxi, Both Sides Now and California. 
    Favourite album(s): There’s no question about it right. Everyone has a favourite Joni Mitchell album. It’s the same Joni Mitchell album. It’s Blue. 

    Spotify my favourite songs from this project.

  • Music Jar – week 18

    Every week, I listen to an artist that I’ve never taken the time with before. This week was the turn of Gloucestershire’s own FKA twigs.

    What I Knew Before: I was aware of FKA twigs (and yes, that’s lowercase on purpose) more for her amazing performance in Honey Boy and her relationship with Robert Pattinson, where from what I can tell, she helped make him a lot cooler. As a result of her performance in Honey Boy, I mistakenly assumed she was American.
    What I Know Now: twigs is a bit of a powerhouse. She’s one of those incredible people who seems capable of turning her hand to anything and to do it on her own terms. She put her own EP out on Bandcamp and then made videos for each of the tracks. She’s trained as a dancer. She can act.
    Her musical style is a combination of electronica, R&B and hip-hop. Her vocals reminded me slightly of Bat For Lashes, but that’s because my understanding of the genre is so limited.
    Favourite song(s): cellophane, mary magdalene, Hours.
    Favourite album: It’s a tough call between LP1 and MAGDALENE but I think the former takes it.

  • Music Jar – week 14

    At the start of the year, I put the names of 52 artists into a jar. Each week, I take one out and focus on that musician, singer or band. This week I had the absolute pleasure of listening to Memphis’s own, soul sen-goddamn-sation, Aretha Franklin!

    What I Knew Before: It’s pretty hard not to at least be familiar with Aretha. The woman was (I’ve found out this week that she’s dead) a powerhouse performer with a legacy of songs that are a force to be reckoned with. I knew her best for her performance of Think in Blues Brothers and unfortunately from the version of Respect in Blues Brothers 2000.
    What I Know Now: There are a lot more Aretha songs that I knew and didn’t necessarily associate with her. Her version of Son of a Preacher Man is something else.
    I also watched Amazing Grace, the 2018 documentary show of her 1972 show at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

    Favourite song(s): All the big hitters I suppose; I Say A Little Prayer, Respect, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Think, Preacher Man, Chain of Fools, You Send Me.
    Favourite album(s): Everything from The Electrifying Aretha Franklin through to Runnin’ Out of Fools is damn near perfect.

    This is unprecedented in the fourteen weeks I’ve been posting my music jar listens, but please, watch this. Everything about it is incredible. What a woman.

     

  • Music Jar – week 12

    It’s been a strange week and I’ve not really taken the opportunity to really delve into the music on offer from this week’s artist. As my wonderful friend Elisa put it, Jessie Ware probably isn’t my bag anyway.

    What I Knew Before: Jessie is short for Jessica.
    What I Know Now: Jessie Ware has three albums.
    Favourite song(s): Spotify recommends Say You Love Me, Spotlight, Selfish Love and Alone. I’ll go with those.
    Favourite album: Glasshouse.

  • Music Jar – week 9

    Names go into jar. Hand goes into jar. One winner appears (each week).
    This week was the turn of the real (Canadian) People’s Princess, Alanis Morissette.

    What I Knew Before: I knew Jagged Little Pill very well. I could shout a lot of the lyrics at you when drunk. I also knew that people like to pick Ironic apart like they know better
    What I Know Now: There is a lot more to Alanis than the album that I knew and loved. I’d never dipped in any further and it just so happens that her new single, Smiling came out at the start of the week. It’s her live performances that really take the biscuit though – Live At Montreux 2012 and Unplugged are another level entirely.
    Favourite song(s): Front Row, All I Really Want, Hand In My Pocket, You Learn, 21 Things I Want in a Lover,
    Favourite album: JLP, every time.

    Oh, I’ve also learnt to spell Morissette.

  • Music Jar – week 8

    Inspired by The Larson House, I put 52 bands/artists in a pickle jar. Each week I take a name out and focus on listening to them.
    This week was the turn of empirical sad girl, Lana Del Rey.

    What I Knew Before: Lana Del Rey is a mystical and beautiful beast who has a significant number of albums I hadn’t heard. I associated her music with a girl I was seeing for a while. There are memories around her first album, but they aren’t necessarily negative.
    What I Know Now: I’m in the same mind but aware I have been missing out on everything Lana has done since I was into Born To Die.
    Favourite song(s): Video Games will always have a special place in my heart but I also really like Venice Bitch, Summertime Sadness, Shades Of Cool and Fuck it I love you.
    Favourite album: Born To Die but with a special commendation to Norman Fucking Rockwell.

  • Music Jar – Week 7

    After reading about a project by The Larson House, I put the names of 52 bands/artists in a pickle jar. Each week I listen to one in the hope of finding new favourites and eventually, the leap home.
    This week was the turn of the thinking woman’s crumpet, Guy Garvey, and his sticky wicket band, Elbow.

    What I Knew Before: I have seen Elbow. I’ve been in their presence. At a Muse show in 2002 (approx), they were the support group. In a review I wrote for my student paper, I described the lead singer as “Samwise Gamgee with a capo”. That certainly hasn’t changed. I also think they played at Glastonbury for one of the years I was there. I don’t know if I saw them, which says a lot.
    I knew all the big songs. The ones that get played at festivals stuck in a perpetual sunset. The big choruses that everyone sings and that bit that goes BAAUUU BAAAU BUM BUM BAAA BAAAU BUM.
    I also remembered that they did an M&S version of Golden Slumbers that people got really mad about but which I quite enjoyed.
    What I Know Now: In the words of Talking Heads, I suppose it’s the same as it ever was. I enjoyed the earlier stuff more, almost found it to be diminishing returns as far as albums go. Saying that, Giants Of All Sizes (2019) sees something wonderful back in the fray.
    Favourite song(s): Anyone who says their favourite Elbow song isn’t Grounds For Divorce needs their head examined.
    Favourite album: I hate to say, I was into this band before they were cool but Asleep In The Back is probably the most interesting album they’ve put out. My opinion isn’t going to diminish the astounding career that they’ve had, it’s just not 100% my cup of grease.

  • Music Jar – Week 3

    Every week, I open up a pickle jar, take out a slip of paper and listen to that artist.
    This week it was the turn of Brighton Rock rockers, Black Honey.

    What I Knew Before: I knew the two words separately, but I don’t believe I had seem them working together.
    What I Know Now: Black Honey are a four-piece rock group from Brighton, England. The band is composed of lead singer and guitarist Izzy Baxter Phillips, guitarist Chris Ostler, bassist Tommy Taylor, and drummer Tom Dewhurst (thanks Wikipedia, here’s $5).
    Favourite Song(s): Corrine, I Only Hurt The Ones I Love and Midnight.
    Favourite Album: Black Honey were a recommendation from my friend Sarah at work. A lot of the other artists I have gone for are legacy and have a wealthy discography. Black Honey have one album, just one, it’s self-titled and it’s available as a (Deluxe) edition of 21 songs. That, my friend, is my favourite.

  • My big commitment.

    In 2019, I committed myself in a way that I had never done before. I paid in advance for a Odeon Limitless card for the year. This meant that I could watch as many films as possible for one fixed fee.
    I don’t know if it’s of any interest to anyone else but I watched:
    1. Bumblebee
    2. Aquaman
    3. Ralph Breaks The Internet
    4. Mary Poppins Returns
    5. Stan & Ollie
    6. Mary Queen of Scots
    7. Glass
    8. Vice
    9. If Beale Street Could Talk
    10. Spider-Man: Homecoming
    11. How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
    12. Green Book
    13. A Star Is Born
    14. The Kid Who Would Be King
    15. Happy Death Day 2U
    16. The Lego Movie: The Second Part
    17. On The Basis of Sex
    18. Alita: Battle Angel
    19. Alien
    20. Captain Marvel
    21. Fighting With My Family
    22. What Men Want
    23. Fisherman’s Friends
    24. Us
    25. Pet Sematary
    26. Missing Link
    27. Avengers: Endgame
    28. Long Shot
    29. Rocketman
    30. Dark Phoenix
    31. Aladdin
    32. Toy Story 4
    33. Yesterday
    34. Midsommar
    35. Spider-Man: Far from Home
    36. The Lion King
    37. Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans
    38. Blinded By The Light
    39. Playmobil: The Movie
    40. One Upon A Time… in Hollywood
    41. Crawl
    42. It Chapter Two
    43. Hustlers
    44. Ad Astra
    45. Ready or Not
    46. Dora and the Lost City of Gold
    47. Judy
    48. Joker
    49. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
    50. Zombieland: Double Tap
    51. Terminator: Dark Fate
    52. Doctor Sleep
    53. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
    54. Le Mans ’66
    55. Last Christmas
    56. Knives Out
    57. Frozen II
    58. Jumanji: The Next Level
    59. Home Alone
    60. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
    61. Cats
    62. Little Women

    I think that works out to £2.64 a film. It’s without a doubt one of the best things I did in 2019 and I’m going to renew in a matter of days,
    Go and support cinemas.
    Support smaller films.
    Experience it properly and appreciate it fully.

  • NaNoWriMo 19

    It’s 18th November, 2019. I have finished the first draft of my National Novel Writing Month project. It’s been an interesting two and a half weeks where I’ve had to carry my laptop with me at all times, desperately squirreling away when I get some time to myself to work. This was the first time that I had worked using Dan Harmon’s Story Circles and I found it such a useful tool to get to grips with what my protagonist wanted.

     This in conjunction with my ability to put the blinkers on and focus on the sole task of making word count for the day. The fact that I’ve managed to write 55,000 words (exactly) in eighteen days means that I was going above the daily wordcount of 1,667 substantially. The rebooted website (which is not without its bugs) says that I’ve averaged 3,055 words a day.

    Knowing that I can’t look at the words I have written for at least a month, and not having anything better to do with my time, I think it’s important to tell you all that I have immediately started on another project. In October I posted a poll to social media with three different ideas for stories. The detective story I have just finished was the winner by a nose, so I think it’s only fair I write up the second idea – a coming of age story told through a series of letters to a cultural icon. I’ve always been interested in the nature of teenagerhood, and the awkwardness that comes across children as they bloom into the people that they are due to become. As ever, it’s an opportunity for me to process a lot of things that I went through at that time and to try and understand how it made me who I am.

     

    I can’t promise that I’ll get another 50k done, but my god I’m willing to try.