Where Is My Mind? - Notoriously Bad or Notoriously Good?

Miley: notoriously underdressed and boring.

 Notorious: Bad Or Good?

by Jo Michelmore

Look, here's the thing. It was a few weeks ago now and while it was kind of amusing at the time, the Miley twerking VMA thing? Boooring. Every now and then I turn on a commercial radio station in the car and there it is again, someone talking about Miley. So she stuck her tongue out? So she wore very few clothes, it's not like she's the first pop star to do that. Whatever. At the gig I went to last week, even Amanda Palmer spoke about her. It took some impressive(?) marketing to come up with the whole VMA routine and it's going to take some impressive marketing to shake the whole VMA routine. However, one of the good things about the whole Miley thing is that it's had people talking about pop music and that can't be a bad thing, right? It's also had people talking about other pop stars and the controversial things they've got up to and since we left on Notorious B.I.G. last week, I thought we should look at some other notorious moments in music this week, sometimes good, sometimes bad...

Britney, Madonna. Christina (and Missy Elliot was there too!)

This one is hilarious. You can't tell me no one saw this coming when it happened? It was so ridiculous and while Madonna is notorious for all sorts of things, this incident was perfect marketing at the time for her single at the time 'Hollywood'. You know what I find more controversial about this? No one seems to get upset Madonna kissed Christina as well and you know what else? Missy Elliot was there! Missy was there! No one ever remembers that bit. Notoriously: good.

Courtney Love vs Madonna

This was just bizarre, in the way Courtney Love was best. Madonna is in the middle of an interview, looking all pretty like Madonna does, then Courtney interrupted by throwing her compact at Madonna and things got weird. Old Courtney, notorious was her middle name for a few minutes there and I kind of loved it. This was just bizarre and awkward TV and it was ultimately really, really weird. If you have a spare seven minutes to waste, press play and watch the mess, go for it. Notoriously: good.

Kurt Cobain, just in general

Of course, you can't mention Courtney without mentioning Kurt and he created his fair share of notoriety in his day. Notoriously miserable and slightly painful to work with, I guess they're the things that make great rock stars. After all, I can't imagine a go-getting, energetic and happy rock star writing 'Come As You Are', right? Do you hear him at the start of this? "Can we get on with this, we're like an hour late". Well, you're probably an hour late 'cause you were busy being notoriously difficult, Kurt. R.I.P. Notoriously: good.

Ozzy Osborne and the ants

So, if you're going to talk about rock stars and their notoriety, then you've got to mention Ozzy, who is most famous for biting the head off an animal on stage (a bat? chicken? I can't remember, just go with me) but my favourite story is about him being so intoxicated he challenged another rock star (someone from Aerosmith? Motley Crue? I can't remember, just go with me) to an intoxication challenge, to see who would be 'most extreme' with their substance. Ozzy took things one step further than rock had probably ever been, snorting ants. 'Crazy Train'? Yes, he's on it and he ain't ever getting off. Notoriously: bad.

L7

Speaking of weird stage antics and the crazy train, that brings me to L7, who were notorious for all sorts of horrible things, probably the most famous being the tampon throwing incident at Reading in 1992. I don't need to say much more about that, do I? The name of the incident should say it all. I'll just say it belonged to a member of the band and it had been used. Notorious for being gross? Yes, hello L7. Notoriously: bad.

Haim

Let's go from a notoriously bad girl group and finish on one that hasn't had time to be notorious yet. This is where is MY mind, so I get to do that. This is a girl band I'm liking more and more and hoping they end up doing something controversial that will make them notoriously: good. Whose to say? I just wanted an excuse to listen to this song again.

It's All Coming Back To Me Now - It's My Party, I'll Invite Who I Want To

Courtney Love...the life of the party?

My Hottest 100 Party Is Hotter Than Your Hottest 100 Party

by Jo Michelmore

What are you doing on Saturday? No, it’s not an invitation, I’ve got plans. I was just wondering. Chances are, if you’re Australian, or you’ve lived in Australia, or you know someone Australian or maybe you just know where Australia is and you’ve found yourself on our blog, then you would have heard of the JJJ Hottest 100. (No? Who are you? Welcome, but who are you?) The JJJ Hottest 100 is an interesting countdown, sometimes controversial, sometimes dull, sometimes awesome, sometimes thought provoking (but generally not) and its counted every year as it has been  since 1993.

This means there’s been all sorts of songs involved, 1900 of them to be specific and that’s not even counting the ‘all time’ countdowns. See my maths there? Hot. Anyway, I figure, a lot of people are going to have the traditional hottest 100 party, and with any party, you have to be careful who you invite. No one wants any weird guests hanging around in dark corners and no one wants Mr Boring to show up. You want people who will drag everyone onto the make shift dance floor, or you want someone completely crackers, so you can talk about that amazing party years from now.  If the hottest 100 countdown was a party, which songs would you invite and which ones would you close the door on if they knocked? Let’s see….

Not Invited

Denis Leary - Asshole
 Number 1, 1992

The source of all truth and information, Wikipedia, says this about Dennis Leary’s song;

“The word "asshole" is said at least 28 times….the word "fuck" is said four times and also "piss" is used three times. "Goddamn" is also uttered.”

Um, no one wants assholes at their party. Denis, you’re not invited.

Invited
Radiohead - Creep
Number 2, 1992

Even though in combination with Denis Leary’s Asshole, it seems 1992 had a lot of self esteem issues, this song definitely would get an invite, because everyone loves to sing along “but I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here” and really, everyone is a bit of a creep every now and then, aren’t they? Every good party needs a good creep.

Not Invited

The Offspring- Pretty Fly For A White Guy
Number 1, 1998

This is the year I stopped thinking the Hottest 100 was a real actual voted countdown. This is the year I decided it had to have been industry pushed and bought and rigged, because I couldn’t accept that the JJJ voting public would possibly vote this song as number one. Oh, how naive I was. Yes, sometimes, people like really crap music and anyone who likes really crap music would not be invited to my party. Offspring? No, you’re not welcome at my party.

Invited

Hole - Celebrity Skin
Number 4, 1998

 

Now this song, this song would be the absolute life of my party. Who wouldn’t invite Courtney and Co. to scream “heeeeeeeey, glad that you could make it” in their lounge room? After they were done screaming that they’d start screaming obscenities at all your guests and the party would become one of those stories told years from now; “Remember that party Courtney went crackers in the backyard?” Yep, this song would be would definitely be invited.

Not Invited

Alex Lloyd - Amazing
Number 1, 2001

The funniest part about this song is that it just wasn’t amazing. It was average. Incredibly average. In fact, I challenge you to remember the last time you played it. You haven’t have you? Not since 2001. Amazing, you’d be that weirdo sitting in the corner, drinking on your own and stealing everyone’s chips. EVERYONE'S chips. You'd probably double dip too. Alex Lloyd, you are not invited.

Invited

Basement Jaxx - Where’s your Head At?
Number 4, 2001

Basement Jaxx, I really have no idea where you’ve been or what else you did, so you’d be invited to my party, as that crazy guest; no one really knows where you came from or who invited you and even though you’re stealing everyone else’s drinks, you’re so damn funny and you dance so well everyone likes you anyway.

Not Invited, Ever

Kings Of Leon- Sex On Fire
Number 1, 2008

and

Kings Of Leon- Use Somebody
Number 3, 2008

 

Kings Of Leon, no matter how many times you appear in the top 10, you will never be invited to my party. You would be the most boring party guest to have ever been invited, excluding Coldplay. You are responsible for possibly the tackiest and worst rhyme in all modern music; “and you, your sex is on fire, consumed with what's to transpire” which is completely unforgivable. No invite for you.

Invited, Twice

The Presets - Talk Like That
Number 6, 2008

and

The Presets - This Boy’s In Love
Number 8, 2008

 

I’d invite either of these songs to my party. They’re so darn catchy, everyone would love them.  They wouldn’t even have to bring anything, just themselves. Any party, any time, The Presets are more than welcome. Yep.



Wherever you are in the world, if you're having a hottest 100 party, I hope only your favourite songs attend. Mine? I'll be happy if 360 and Lana Del Rey don't come, but I just know they're going to try and gatecrash. 

It's All Coming Back To Me Now - Baby, I Go Crazy

Britney: The Queen... of the pop-star meltdown?

Baby, I Go Crazy

by Jo Michelmore

Hey! Hi! How are you? So, I’ve been gone for a week or so; yeah, you missed me didn’t you? Where have I been, you ask. Perhaps I was off gallivanting across continents in search of the greatest ice cream known to humanity. Maybe I was on an island sunning my pale Irish skin. Perhaps I was in a bar somewhere, listening to some amazing bands you don’t know yet with Johnny Depp serving me drinks (we’ve already discussed this, Johnny appears in all my fantasies. Shut up.) Maybe I was checked into that sex addiction clinic somewhere in central USA (we’ve already discussed this, I always end up in a treatment facility in Matt’s alternate world. Don’t ask.) Maybe I had a complete breakdown and couldn’t cope with the pressures of all the free stuff and the fame and fortune that comes with writing for It’s My Kind Of Scene. Maybe I spent a week wandering the streets looking for the world’s greatest handbag but discovered crack cocaine instead. What? No, I’m not Courtney Love, but maybe I had a breakdown like Courtney seems to have perfected the art of having. She’s good at ‘em. No, I haven’t had one, yet. I just didn’t write for a week, alright? Why are you hassling me? No, everything’s fine. Yeah, it’s fine I tell you. Stop telling me how to live my life! No, I don’t need anything. I don’t need to talk. Don’t look at me. Shut up. Yes, I do love Minaj AND Pearl Jam at the same time, alright? Leave me alone! Leave Britney alone! What? See, wouldn’t it be great to just snap one day? Sometimes I fantasise about the complete breakdown. Who wouldn’t love to swear lots, tell everyone where to go and throw something on the floor, out the window, off a balcony. I’ve gotten close.


Maybe I should take some p’s and q’s from the book of Jim Morrison from The Doors, who had one of my favourite meltdowns. At a gig, in 1969, in front of an audience of almost 14,000 people he cracked it, in more ways than one. He sang randomly, chatted to the audience, “Maybe you love getting your face stuck in the shit.....You're all a bunch of slaves…..What are you gonna do about it?” and when an audience member jumped on stage and doused him in champagne (who doesn’t want to be doused in champagne?) he started stripping while screaming “You didn't come here for music did you? You came for something more, didn't you? You didn't come to rock'n'roll, you came for something else didn't you….WHAT IS IT? You want to see my cock, don't you?" Now, I don’t know how many people went to that gig to see Jim Morrison’s cock, but you know, if a rock star is going to show you, you’re not going to turn away are you?

10 and 1 - Hell Hath No Fury

L7 and Joan Jett... women who rock!

Where have all the angry women in music gone? Yeah, no... P!nk is not angry. No, no... neither is Avril Lavigne. In fact, even the two of them are a whole lot less 'angry' than they used to be. Av-Lav lost the emo-tude, the ability to play the guitar and is happy to dwell in the land of catchy-yet-dumb pop. P!nk went from being sorta/kinda angry in the most forced pop star way to being the kind of angry that makes the over-forties singles feel a bit naughty. "It's just U + Ur Hand tonight. Ha! What a riot!" So ladies, take note... here are some acts to bring out the Shiva within! Since it's a '10 and 1' we of course have to offer a counter to these 10 angry ladies, so we're just going with one lady that makes us angry. And not in a good way.
  

THE 10:

Alanis Morissette

It's a scientifically proven fact that if you ask someone to name an angry female rocker, 98.4% of people will say Alanis Morissette. With immortal lines like, "are you thinking of me when you f*ck her?" it's easy to understand why. She may have mellowed out, but we'll always be able to scream along to the ultimate angry break-up song, 'You Oughta Know.' 

Courtney Love

Poor Courtney... that is all. 

Countdown: Women Who Rock - #4, Courtney Love

#4 - Courtney Love

of Hole

Courtney Love claimed today that she had sex with Kate Moss sometime in the 90s. Two weeks ago she told Howard Stern that she had an affair with former Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, husband of Gwen Stefani. She's lost and regained custody of daughter Frances Bean enough times that most people have stopped counting. At one time she was the most hated woman in music since Yoko Ono. These days it would appear that she's the most pitied, as the world watches her desperately try to cling to whatever lingering threads of fame she has left. Public feuds have dominated her life in the past decade, notably with Billy Corgan, Dave Grohl, Fred Durst and current enemy numero uno, Twitter.

Pissing all over Kurt Cobain's legacy would appear to be one of her favourite hobbies. Love made a neat $50 million in 2006 when she carelessly sold a quarter of Nirvana's publishing catalogue, much to the disgust of Dave Grohl. She allowed her daughter to have a suicide themed party for her 16th birthday. I will repeat that, she allowed her daughter, KURT COBAIN'S DAUGHTER, to have a suicide themed party for her 16th birthday. Apparently one of the games at the party was who can look the most dead. You stay classy Frances Bean. Stints in rehab are almost like a yearly vacation for Love, oops sorry Michelle, that's Courtney Michelle. Because that Courtney Love part of her life is just over. No, wait. She wants to be called Courtney Love again.

I could go on for quite some time about everything that's wrong with Courtney's life but that's not the point of this countdown is it. This countdown is celebrating 20 of the most amazing women who rock. Women who captivate us with their attitude, style, music and passion for it. Take away all of the crap that Courtney Love has become associated with other than her music and it should be quite easy to see that she belongs here. A talented songwriter and musician with kick ass vocals made her one of the most amazing women to ever front a band. That band of course, was Hole.

Hole released three studio album throughout the 90s, Pretty on the Inside, Live Through This and Celebrity Skin. Last month, Nobody's Daughter was released with Love the last original member still standing. All four albums offer a different sound and have been received positively, with only Nobody's Daughter attracting some major critical reviews. Live Through This, released only days after Cobain's suicide, is the standout album of the bunch. It's pure 90s rock, combining elements of grunge with pop. Celebrity Skin contained more of a pop rock sound and went on the become the bands most commercially successful album. Love would release a solo, America's Sweetheart, a commercial and critical failure. Lead single 'Mono' was pretty amazing though.

Love won a legion of fans with her crazy onstage antics and don't give a flying f*** attitude. She spent most of the 1999 Big Day Out flashing the crowd and taunting co-headliner Marilyn Manson and everyone loved her for it. 'Celebrity Skin' would place at #4 on the 1999 JJJ Hottest 100. Courtney was even a critically acclaimed actress for awhile, with her role in The People vs. Larry Flynt garnering her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In the late 90s everything seemed so promising for Courtney Love. The first decade of the 2000s saw her undo everything and her reputation now lies in tatters. Let's hope she spends the next decade rebuilding it to its former glory.

Fun Fact: Rolling Stone named her the most controversial women in the history of music.

Key Tracks: 'Teenage Whore' (Pretty on the Inside), 'Violet,' 'Miss World,' 'Doll Parts,' 'Jennifer's Body' and 'I Think That I Would Die' (Live Through This), 'Celebrity Skin,' 'Malibu,' 'Awful,' 'Hit So Hard' and 'Playing Your Song' (Celebrity Skin), 'Mono,' 'Hold On To Me' and 'Never Gonna Be the Same' (America's Sweetheart), 'Skinny Little Bitch' and 'Samantha' (Nobody's Daughter).