slang

She's not getting "critical acclaim" for it, but various media are taking the video as serious and not cringeworthy. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/video-latest-lana-del-rey-722366 http://www.complex.com/music/2014/07/lana-del-rey-ultraviolence-video http://www.nme.com/news/lana-del-rey/78871 http://www.underthegunreview.net/2014/07/30/watch-lana-del-rey-prepare-for-her-wedding-day-in-the-official-video-for-ultraviolence/ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/lana-del-rey-plays-a-bride-without-a-groom-in-ultraviolence-video-20140730

Her diversity in video style is pretty large (not unlike her songs,when you include unreleased). She has splurged on past videos, like Tropico which is a (numeric) failure, but only in comparison to her more epic successes, which obviously had good budgets too. It really is an assumption that she had any money at all to do anything, and if she didn't have any money, what she did really wasn't that bad. If it's a faint for something better later on (I'm still hopeful about that), I don't think she'd divulge anything (I mean why would she, when all she's gonna get are endless "is it finished yet?" questions). So what other videos did she mention might be produced? Also you got to love the way she's jacked Lorde's "anti-popstar" position (i.e., produced by iPhone, she brags), while remaining true to her dark sense of humor and kinky weirdness. The media soundbites on the video are also taking it seriously (they just describe the premise of the video, and usually fairly well, e.g. Rollingstone's). They are curiously non-opinionated (aka haven't slammed it yet). So what gives? Anybody hear any highly negative review from a music industry pundit about this?

I thought maybe she was trying to make a video to illustrate the idea that nobody gets her (and/or can predict her) not even her fans, but upon scratching my head further (on a nearby rock), I decided this would be a self-defeating observation. The thoughts "nothing ventured nothing gained" also occurred, which means it will be interesting to see what the viewcounts look like in a years time. She's done minimal stuff before as in the Bel Air colored smoke video (inspiring Lorde's Tennis Court video? that has 44 million views). Whatever... she looks really nice and I still like the song.

No May Jailer appreciation, specifically, but there's this: http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/2084-sirens-discussion-thread/?p=57952 http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/1669-sirens-vs-lana-del-ray-aka-lizzy-grant/?p=43789 http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/21-sirens-what-are-your-favourite-songs/&do=findComment&comment=121 I do wish she'd do something with her Sirens songs. This one (a fan favorite, I think) could be a reference to that label exec she had a long term fling with, idk. I've commented about Sirens before, but here I want to comment on possible Birds of a Feather artists to May Jailer. May Jailer is usually compared to early Jewel (Pieces of You), and maybe this is more true of the most recent May Jailer leaks (From the End or Young like Me), which I still find beautiful. However, I think a case could be made for comparing her to this guy as well, at least on the music side. BTW Sting has covered him with a full album, including this song. In darkness let me dwell; the ground shall sorrow be, The roof despair, to bar all cheerful light from me; The walls of marble black, that moist'ned still shall weep; My music, hellish jarring sounds, to banish friendly sleep. Thus, wedded to my woes, and bedded in my tomb, O let me dying live, till death doth come, till death doth come. In darkness let me dwell And if you think that was dark, here's my new May Jailer-esque crush. I wonder what Dowland would of thought of her, as she's much much darker than him, and makes LDR look like Taylor Swift (or perhaps Carmen Miranda is a more appropriate reference). However, I think her penchant for dark themes doesn't reflect a general sadness in her life as Dowland's might have.

At least here you're stating your position in terms of a prediction, i.e., what she said could be "dumb" because negative consequences *may* occur. We just have to wait and see if events you describe actually come to pass, although I think Perry and Swift might avoid LDR for other reasons than LDR's promiscuity. Dan is the interesting case. I can see him being pissed if LDR divulged something that really did happen or if she was seeming to divulge something that *never* actually happened. I think the interview was interesting by leaving it unresolved but suggestive (and surely sex isn't the only way to be physical, they described their relationship as both "butting heads" and "dancing to the music" at the end of the day). If I were Dan, I would just remain silent about it.

I'm certainly not "everybody", but that is a perspective I thought reasonable enough to have (and where are the feminists when you need them?). It is also a hypothesis for how she views herself, at least partially.

For me, I can explain her promiscuity, at least as it exists now, by just thinking about her the same way I would a male rock superstar. Her libido historically is at least referred to in her pre-fame songs, though you have the option of just thinking about these as character studies. Nobody forces an artistic interpretation on anyone.

Hollywood's Dead may depend on subjective factors for interpretation. So, for instance, how does one takes the phrase "sickeningly beautiful"? I.E. you were beautiful and now it's sickening that you are gone is how I take it. I would tend to give her the benefit of the doubt that she's sad and not attracted in any morbid sense to the death of such amazing talent (and Lennon didn't even die by his own hand, and I think he's referenced in the song). One interesting case is Pinup Galore. I mean she sings "I wanta die, I wanta die...", but the context of the rest of the song (that lyric following the "Disco Ball Mind" and the "I have become someone") would seem to suggest one could spin other interpretations (such as being about self-actualization, or becoming a different better person). I would not call the song depressive in character. I mean death is on her mind, for sure, but I don't think she overdoes it.

I think she did really well in this interview, at worst coming off as someone who says odd things or just speaks her mind (no news there). At 7 hours maybe outtakes will be published later. Any references to leaks in interviews are really important to me. Half of these seemed instigated by the interviewer; half by LDR. The problem with the leaks/unreleased is that you don't really know LDR without knowing them, which raises an interesting conumdrum if in fact she thinks of them as a private expressions. But that's too simplistic an interpretation. Trash Magic (one of the leaks LDR mentions), has one of her best early live performances on youtube. It is hardly private now and was hardly private when she gave the performance. I just wish there would be an interview more exclusively about the leaks/unreleased and AKA and what their future and their status is for her. At least, if she evaded that topic, there'd would be more talk about her future projects (which is *woefully* lacking here). Most inspiring thing said: After talking about "losing her car", she reveals that the desire to become a singer is what motivated her to cure her alcoholism, but I don't suppose there's going to be very many Internet echoes of "Music sobers up LDR", like there were for the "I wish I were dead" or "feminism is uninteresting". The end meltdown is her best statement about what bugs her about the media and should gain her sympathy. I understand LDR getting especially frosty about the idea that it's her lack of confidence wrt the media as opposed to a lack of respect from the media that is the root cause (I mean she just said it and they just forgot it).

It's hard for me to conceive of May Jailer tarnishing anything, tbh, but if by "aesthetic" you mean music, I don't think it's that simple, because UV breaks the aesthetic of BTD. So she broke her aesthetic once, why should she be concerned about doing it some more by being associated with different past musical styles. If you mean her older stuff is somehow raunchier or more politically incorrect than her officially released stuff, maybe you could argue this for a few songs (though I couldn't), but there are still a lot of songs left over after that. It can't be an argument about the quality of her released vs. unreleased as I'm sure nobody could agree on this (so, for instance, I think Disco exceeds PWYC and Pin-up Galore exceeds Sad Girl, which is not to say I dislike either UV song). Her physicality (how she looks and portrays herself in magazines) stayed roughly the same from BTD to UV (with "normal" variation in hairstyle and dress for female stars at least). So I don't know that if she put out her version of a "bubble-gum pop" album made from her leaked/unreleased catalog that she'd have to change her look any. We also know such an album would still be very distinguishable from others in the genre.

I don't know how unpopular, but: LDRAKALG is a better title than just LDR or Nevada because it spookily forecasts all the authenticity issues that plagued her. If she re-releases it, she should keep that title. As to whether AKA is a step up or down from her current work (I really think it's a step sideways), this doesn't address the issue of whether it is a step up or down from works like Artpop, Prism, or Red. If AKA adds to the diversity of pop (and increases its overall quality), then it should be re-released. Ditto for Sirens and The Leaked Sessions vol. 1 - 6.

I still see this as uncertain, as if it's possible she is mainly referring to the Nowels leaks (e.g. Hollywood, JFK, AFFA, Starry Eyed) plus the fact that Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight and Behind Closed Doors Final (both leaked prior to UV) were speculated as being on UV. But yeah, somebody really needs to nail her stance regarding her unreleased and associated issues (like why the singers she wrote for didn't carry through, which I still find implausible). Her history on how she views the leaks is inconsistent. There was a radio interview where the interviewer mentioned liking "Puppy Love" or "Marilyn Monroe" and LDR responded that a "leaked sessions" CD might not be a bad idea. Still, the fact that she may not like Hollywood or JFK is depressing, although she obviously liked them while she was producing them, otherwise they wouldn't be finished products. P.S. There was a thread on the Leaked Sessions idea. http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/2875-the-leaked-sessions/?p=90846 also thank God for tumblr archives: http://lananews.tumblr.com/post/52243016635/an-amazing-interview-with-lana-on-102-1fm-the-edge from re-listening just now: Her reaction to Puppy Love being liked was positive, and the leaked sessions idea was actually LDR's.

Probably off topic, but I like to think there is a parallel-universe Disney cartoon with both "Maha Maha" and "Strange Love" in it.

It's always interesting to me when artists review other artists, so there's this place call thetalkhouse.com where that happens in an unpredictable and unsolicited way (I guess). So here's a review of Ultraviolence by the lead singer of White Lung. All in all not a terrible review, but LDR divides, and people often have different and widely ranging opinions on specific songs (even on LB). So she talks about her ups and downs with LDR and UV. I think the artist-review-artist idea balances things out, as they already have musical pundits review artists (with what kind of credentials, really?), and general public reviews of artists (e.g. Amazon). http://music.thetalkhouse.com/talks/mish-way-white-lung-talks-lana-del-reys-ultraviolence/ At the same place Lou Reed did a review of Yeezus (highly positive). St. Vincent did a quirky (positive) review of Reflektor. To my knowledge BTD was not reviewed there, but Sadie Dupuis reviewed the Tropico video (negatively, though she may have liked the songs).

She doesn't conceive of it as a "persona" but a name change. I remember her recent interviews having her say it's not an "act" that she gets into in order to entertain but more related to how she visually/sonically sees herself. The other thing I remember her saying (or at least myself interpreting) is that LDR and Lizzy Grant are one; they have the same personality/character. Maybe the video styles of the LG and LDR eras differ, but their difference could be owing to not having the resources to tell stories like the LDR-era ones can. I think the real issue with "thought pieces" and LDR is one of exploitation. They are jacking her persona (which isn't a persona) and using it to promote their opinion about what's wrong with the world, or what particular problems the world has and that they are afraid of. It is exactly the same process as LDR wearing some recognized brand of clothing and having the clothing manufacturer use that to sell their clothes. Hence, LDR wears cut off jeans and Hollywood caps to prevent that. Unfortunately, she can't do the same kind of thing with the personality/character she has.

It's a variant illuminati rant. The conventional illuminati (e.g. Mark Dice) see her as the devil's spokesperson. These people want to use her as a (positive?) symbol of what they fear, so LDR is kind of like a symptom of "it's all going to hell" or a symbol for a "wake up call". Of course, LDR is simply an expressive artist and has no agenda, but these people are using her as such. I imagine LDR's reaction to this would be WTF. This is also kind of disturbing and related: https://twitter.com/robgrantdotcom/statuses/486934865481183232

Is there a place on LB that addresses the timeline for Hollywood, JFK, AFFA, Starry Eyed, and possibly Black Beauty? I got the idea that they were "outtakes" from Paradise, but couldn't they all have been the start of an album that fell by the wayside when they were leaked? That was definitely true of Black Beauty. What I'm trying to get at is whether she actually did have writer's block after Paradise. Regardless, it's amazing to me that she got the blueprint for UV so fast.

On LDR male "birds of a feather": I know people are fixating on physical characteristics, though characteristics needn't always be physical. They can also be musical or tactical (i.e., how famous people get media exposure). Anyway, the guys below strike me as much a male analogy to LDR (wrt physical dimensions) as James Dean, but they are also (damn good) musicians. LDR was referred to as Chris Isaak's granddaughter in France. Although I can't give receipts for this, this reference is what caused me to pay attention to CI (and I'm glad I did). Jeff Buckley might also have had the same kind of dark soul (not sure). Jimmy Gnecco. Rufus Wainwright. And how could I not mention Kurt Cobain (more physical than musical similarity, I mean they could be siblings). Oh my God, Axl Rose! LDR loves male analogues of herself (excepting Rufus who loves LDR)! Just try "google images" on these guys and draw your own conclusions. Bowie is interesting in that he had a relatively hard time getting launched (i.e., had to show his talent in many diverse ways before getting famous). Bowie also jerked the media around famously (the issue being his sexuality). These are recollections from having read the Mark Spitz biography. LDR also had a diverse beginning and a difficult time, and whether she does it intentionally or not, she definitely jerks the media around the same way (e.g., depression, feminism).

Triple J is there: Retweeted by Lana Del Rey Online: (1st link gets you to the 2nd one). https://twitter.com/LanaNow/statuses/485730141554098177 https://m.soundcloud.com/lindzydelrey/lana-del-rey-interview-on-triple-j-radio-july-62014 I thought it was interesting particularly when they talked about Brooklyn Baby. I didn't notice the time of it (midway thru?) and anyway I was perplexed at the interface, which didn't allow me to skip around. The talk *suggested* (to me, at least) ambiguities about Barrie. Maybe they signal a true divide or maybe it was just slyly orchestrated to seem ambiguous. Anyway, still rooting for Barrie, in the sense of wanting collaborations from him and LDR in the future.

He's a giant and quite a large piece of rock history. He is also part of a larger song-writing entity with lyricist Bernie Taupin. I wonder how the song writing process goes for him. Does he wait for the lyrics before writing music, or does he send musical ideas to BT first, or was it both? Who decided topics for songs? His earlier period was every bit as cinematic as well ... cinema. He often employed large orchestra and sang on character driven topics, where the characters were at the margin of society (not himself). Check out Tumbleweed Connection, Mad Man Across the Water. How this later developed into glam rock is mysterious to me (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) and that there are large autobiograhical statements following/within the glam rock period which are equally fabulous (Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Blue Moves). There's a lengthy middle period where he's adapting continuously to what's in vogue in the 80s and 90s and manages a fair number of hits. His most recent stuff (The Diving Board, The Union), with that older golden baritone, is unapolegetically reactionary (e.g., piano blues and New Orleans brassy sound). He's kind of like craggy old rocks in a rushing river of pop vapidity. The broadway and movie stuff of his is also impressive. One hidden gem among all that is the song score for The Road to Eldorado (which he performs). This has the quality of a better middle-period album for me.

I know people like full translations, but synopses of the new info are also useful and appreciated too. So yeah, the title shows either she has fallen off the wagon (which would be big news) or the Germans just have a conventional view of her (and they have not researched her past).

Well I don't know, death is kind of a big deal, so why not write about it if one wants to? The point about her glamorizing it or it being about herself would be irrelevant if everybody had the mindset that no matter what she says on the topic, the choice will always be yours to interpret her songs as fiction or character studies. Also didn't somebody ask her about "Die Young" tattoo, and didn't she come up with some kind of politically correct answer for it? http://popdirt.com/lana-del-rey-on-die-young-tattoo-lizzy-grant-name-change/112217/ @@evilentity: "And that's just BTD. I could go on all day with her other albums and unreleased material." Her leaks and unreleased don't seem saturated with self-death imagery to me. Other death imagery (aka tragedy) maybe, but that is not a controversial thing in art. In LDRAKALG there's "Jump", which is probably the most explicit on suicide, but it's just one song, and I still think it has a right to exist as a song. I mean isn't Hollywood's Dead a great song on the topic of death emphasizing tragedy over glamor?

It's fair to say that nobody knows LDR better than Barrie, so when he says it's not over it has some weight. The only thing I didn't like was his possible comment on LDR's alleged death wish being a publicity stunt.* Whether it was or not, he'll probably catch some shit from LDR on that. Even so, I hope their studio stuff comes to light someday. I'm also wondering about the album he said he was recording and whether LDR is involved. *Here's what I heard: "That's just pathos man, you know it's just .... She's got an album to sell man". I actually understand Barrie better than the interviewer who seems a bit uncomprehending of Barrie's response.

The more I think about her, the less I think of her as being depressed, but of just not knowing and therefore changing her mind frequently, but only about certain things. So in a lot of interviews she says she's happy, but in others she says she's not. This is just another aspect of "I'm going to re-release AKA; I'm not going to release AKA" ; "The album (UV) is finished; let's redo the album"; "I derive strength from my audiences; I feel guilty that I don't care as much as my audiences". "I'm engaged; "we're friends". I'm tempted to view the whole leaks/unreleased phenomenon in similar terms. I mean why bother to have a "final version" of Behind Closed Doors, if you're not going to release it? She must have changed her mind. While I think she has stable core principles or values (e.g. family, human rights, artistic aesthetics), the phrase "strange weather" would seem to apply as much to herself as anyone she has ever sung about. There is also the question of balance and bias. If she says the right thing (such as the mention of her community outreach interest in the Guardian interview) it will be buried in the print; if she says the wrong thing it will be a headline. I don't think it's a given that journalists are obligated to use the most shocking sound bite as the "news", especially if other articles contradict it (i.e., doesn't she say in an earlier interview dead artists aren't very useful? Doesn't she also like living artists?). From what I can tell, the interviewer's attempts to get her to rebut or even clarify her answer were lame. Instead of asking her about family or her art for reasons to go on in the land of the living, he asks her about live shows and adoring (if sometimes annoying) fans. But we all know she's often uncomfortable with performing. If the interviewer had said something like, "well, but what if I were to use 'I wish I were dead already' as the title for this interview? Would that be accurate?", do we believe LDR would have simply said yes, or would she have back pedaled furiously? If you're going to treat the headline as "news" and not just LDR saying something stupid, then that's the kind of probing you have to do. But the interviewer clearly quit while he was ahead (at least in the 2 min excerpt I heard).

She talks about her belief in God in this article. It's not inconsistent with what she says to NPR. Also what she says is pretty scarey. http://lanaboards.com/index.php?/topic/1385-original-sin-an-interview-with-lana-del-rey-john-calvert-october-4th-2011-0707/?p=34637 here's the excerpt: You also told Pitchfork that God has saved your life a million times, which strikes me as in opposition to your music. Because, in films based in small town America, religion is frequently a patriarchal, repressive and evil presence, with the archetype you portray acting as a force in subverting it. LDR: I think there’s a division of organised religion similar to what you’ve described. But where I’m concerned, my understanding of God has come from my own personal experiences… because I was in trouble so many times in New York that if you were me, you would believe in God too. When things get bad enough, your only resort is to lie in bed and start praying. I dunno about congregating once a week in a church and all that, but when I heard there is a divine power you can call on, I did. I suppose my approach to religion is like my approach to music - I take what I want and leave the rest. What kind of ‘trouble’? LDR: Any and all. When I was in New York I had nowhere to live, and I was trying to find a way to be a musician… Just trying to survive, which is fucking hard by the way. So I got myself into a lot of situations I didn’t plan on. [Pauses] I think what I was going for was something beautiful, but I kinda got myself into trouble along the way. Sorry, that’s pretty vague.