The Island Takes a Break

I think I'm in a Lou Reed gloom. It's always a little hard to tell if it's a Lou Reed gloom or if I need more coffee; there's a fine line between under-caffeinated and existential dread. If you're not familiar with the concept of a Lou Reed gloom, here's a quick primer: on various episodes of Gilmore Girls, Rory and Lane would use musicians to describe their gloomy behavior. Lou Reed was a common descriptor. Back in 2012 (that was so long ago), I expanded the list to include:

1. Lou Reed gloom - encapsulated by the song "Perfect Day" in which Lou has a perfect day with a person that clearly just keeps him around for no reason. I also like the way he says "sangria" in this song. There's hurt and love and gloom. There's a sub-category of LRG called Velvet Underground Gloom which is perfectly displayed in many songs, most notably "Venus in Furs" (yes, I know the history of the novel of the same name - it's also super gloomy), but even better in "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'". 
2. Johnny Cash gloom - Have you heard his version of "Hurt"? Even before that there was always a little gloom in his songs - regret, longing, violence, bad behavior.
3. The Smiths/Morrisssey gloom - Do I have to explain this one? Just because you put an 80s pop beat to a song doesn't make it peppy. Loneliness, despair, angst, judgement, and a little loathing abound.
4. Hank Williams gloom - "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" just about sums it up. There are plenty of peppy Hank Williams songs too but most of his songs are about loss and being used (story of his life). That yodel was a cry for help, my friends.
5. Radiohead gloom - This particular kind of gloom also involves paranoia. Whenever I listen to Radiohead I immediately think "At least I'm not Thom Yorke."

There are probably some additions for 2021, but we can talk about them some other time. I had one of those weeks, culminating in yesterday where I could just feel the gloom, despite being very productive at work, keeping up with my embroidery project, and "celebrating" Mardi Gras earlier in the week. In years past, I would have mixed up a batch of homemade marshmallows to get me out of my Lou Reed gloom. I don't need an entire batch of marshmallows personally, and since I don't see anyone that often, it seemed like a silly thing to do. So instead, I watched a virtual Patti Smith show (her 50th anniversary with Lenny Kaye) and drank some wine. Patti told a story about the first time she met Lou Reed was in an elevator and they talked about poetry (because of course they did). They, Patti and Lenny, sang "Ghost Dance," which is one of my top five favorite Patti Smith songs. So maybe the cure to a Lou Reed gloom is actually listening to Patti Smith tell stories. I don't make the rules.

Anyway, I was thinking about the Island during this entire Lou Reed gloom (which may still be going on), and I realized I need to take a break from writing this blog for a bit. I'm basically doing that anyway, but never officially said anything. I launched my An Embroidery a Day project in January, and it takes up a lot of my time since I create and post daily. I wanted to keep both blogs going, but for now, I need to focus my attention on one.

So the Island is going on vacation for a bit. I hope to be back in the late spring/early summer. Maybe by then, I can write about movies, pop culture, and Keely and not feel weird about it. If you're interested in my embroidery project, come visit  An Embroidery a Day. 

Until the Island returns, be good citizens, employ Old Lady Concert rules in everyday situations, enjoy some Lazy Movie Weekends (or Tuesdays if you prefer), and don't forget to Answer Your Cat's Questions!