Ten Things I Should Probably Do Before I Die:
(in no particular order)
10> Travel to Australia and New Zealand
09> Visit my ancestral homeland, the Czech Republic
08> Swim in a tropical ocean (including scuba diving)
07> Complete a painting I really feel good about
06> Run a marathon...or something
05> Tour a cave where various crystals grow right in the walls
04> Design the ultimate comic book super hero team
03> Listen to every song -- in its entirety -- on every CD I own
02> Tell all the special people in my life what they mean to me
01> Love someone and be loved by that same someone
Ten Things I Might Do If I Had More Courage:
10> Address negative people more directly
09> Continue work on a master's degree
08> Wear an authentic kilt
07> Get laser eye surgery so I wouldn't have to wear glasses
06> Write a blog entry sharing ten things I'd do if I had more courage
05> Be more actively political
04> Be more open to people
03> Skydive
02> Be more creative
01> Move someplace new
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
"...Dancing about architecture"
"Writing about music is like dancing about architecture"
This quote has been attributed to Elvis Costello, although it's said that Frank Zappa and Laurie Anderson have uttered similar statements. It's an interesting concept. I most recently heard it on a video link on the Shins' website where lead singer and writer James Mercer says it in the hilarious video segment called "The Interview". In the clip Mercer's alter ego then asks him to compare his latest album to a building, in this case "the Empire State Building", and subsequently to "dance" that building... Nice. Fun and funny.
To cap off the week of the release of the new Shins album, below are the lyrics to my new favorite song on that album--more cryptically beautiful poetry.
"Red Rabbits"
by the Shins
from the album "Wincing the Night Away"
Hurled to the center of the Earth again,
The place where it's hot, love,
You know, it hurts to breathe in,
And the watershed you balance on is begging it,
Well did he ever know,
Will he ever know?
The trees in the moonshine are a dark lattice,
So you catalogue every angle you notice,
In a vacuum you are charged to record this,
So you won't make it easy on me.
I can't go into this no more,
It puts too many thorns on my mind,
And the necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor,
We've pissed on far too many sprites,
And they're all standing up for their rights.
Born on a desert floor, you've the deepest thirst,
And you came to my sweet shore to indulge it,
With the wan and drilling eyes of an orphan,
But there is not enough,
There is not enough.
Out of a gunnysack fall red rabbits,
Into the crucible to be rendered an emulsion,
And we can't allow a chance they'd restore themselves,
So we can't make it easy on you.
Undaunted, you bathed in hollow cries,
The boys with swollen, sunburnt eyes,
A reward for letting nothing under their skin,
So help me, I don't know, I might
Just give the old dark side a try.
Don't cast your whirling eyes on the shore,
'til we even the score.
I still owe you for the hole in the floor
And the ghost in the hall.
Who decides who paddles over the falls?
Yeah, who makes the call,
Who makes the call?
Well, I know there's an eventual release
From every scale of crime,
But the necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor,
We've pissed on far too many good intentions held by clever sprites,
And they're all standing up for their rights.
This quote has been attributed to Elvis Costello, although it's said that Frank Zappa and Laurie Anderson have uttered similar statements. It's an interesting concept. I most recently heard it on a video link on the Shins' website where lead singer and writer James Mercer says it in the hilarious video segment called "The Interview". In the clip Mercer's alter ego then asks him to compare his latest album to a building, in this case "the Empire State Building", and subsequently to "dance" that building... Nice. Fun and funny.
To cap off the week of the release of the new Shins album, below are the lyrics to my new favorite song on that album--more cryptically beautiful poetry.
"Red Rabbits"
by the Shins
from the album "Wincing the Night Away"
Hurled to the center of the Earth again,
The place where it's hot, love,
You know, it hurts to breathe in,
And the watershed you balance on is begging it,
Well did he ever know,
Will he ever know?
The trees in the moonshine are a dark lattice,
So you catalogue every angle you notice,
In a vacuum you are charged to record this,
So you won't make it easy on me.
I can't go into this no more,
It puts too many thorns on my mind,
And the necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor,
We've pissed on far too many sprites,
And they're all standing up for their rights.
Born on a desert floor, you've the deepest thirst,
And you came to my sweet shore to indulge it,
With the wan and drilling eyes of an orphan,
But there is not enough,
There is not enough.
Out of a gunnysack fall red rabbits,
Into the crucible to be rendered an emulsion,
And we can't allow a chance they'd restore themselves,
So we can't make it easy on you.
Undaunted, you bathed in hollow cries,
The boys with swollen, sunburnt eyes,
A reward for letting nothing under their skin,
So help me, I don't know, I might
Just give the old dark side a try.
Don't cast your whirling eyes on the shore,
'til we even the score.
I still owe you for the hole in the floor
And the ghost in the hall.
Who decides who paddles over the falls?
Yeah, who makes the call,
Who makes the call?
Well, I know there's an eventual release
From every scale of crime,
But the necessary balloon lies a corpse on the floor,
We've pissed on far too many good intentions held by clever sprites,
And they're all standing up for their rights.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
3 for 3 with 3 more days...
And so Tuesday is the day the new album by the Shins is released, and I'm waiting in eager anticipation... The song below was released as a CD single in late December, and they have performed this on SNL and Letterman. Of course it's difficult to get concrete meaining from these somewhat cryptic lyrics, but it hints at overcoming superficiality and looking for connections...If it's any indication, the album will be wonderful!
"Phantom Limb"
by the Shins
from the album "Wincing the Night Away"
Foals in winter coats,
White girls of the North
File past one five and one,
The are the fabled lambs,
of Sunday ham,
The EHS norm.
And they could float above the grass,
In circles if they tried,
A latent power I know they hide,
To keep some hope alive,
That a girl like I could ever try,
Could ever try.
So we just skirt the hallway sides,
A phantom and a fly
Follow the lines and wonder why
There's no connection.
A week of rolling eyes,
And cheap shots from the trite,
And we're off to Nemarca's porch again,
Another afternoon with the goat-head tunes,
And pilfered booze.
We wander through her mama's house,
And the milk from the window lights
Family portrait circa '95,
This is that foreign land
With the sprayed on tans,
And it all feels fine,
Be it silk or slime.
So when they tap our Monday heads
Two zombies walk in our stead,
This town seems hardly worth the time
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our climb,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky,
With no connection.
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
So when they tap our Sunday heads
Two zombies walk in our stead,
This town seems hardly worth our time
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our crime,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky
With no connection
"Phantom Limb"
by the Shins
from the album "Wincing the Night Away"
Foals in winter coats,
White girls of the North
File past one five and one,
The are the fabled lambs,
of Sunday ham,
The EHS norm.
And they could float above the grass,
In circles if they tried,
A latent power I know they hide,
To keep some hope alive,
That a girl like I could ever try,
Could ever try.
So we just skirt the hallway sides,
A phantom and a fly
Follow the lines and wonder why
There's no connection.
A week of rolling eyes,
And cheap shots from the trite,
And we're off to Nemarca's porch again,
Another afternoon with the goat-head tunes,
And pilfered booze.
We wander through her mama's house,
And the milk from the window lights
Family portrait circa '95,
This is that foreign land
With the sprayed on tans,
And it all feels fine,
Be it silk or slime.
So when they tap our Monday heads
Two zombies walk in our stead,
This town seems hardly worth the time
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our climb,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky,
With no connection.
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
Oh whoa oh whoa oh
So when they tap our Sunday heads
Two zombies walk in our stead,
This town seems hardly worth our time
And we'll no longer memorize or rhyme,
Too far along in our crime,
Stepping over what now towers to the sky
With no connection
Monday, January 15, 2007
Shins-mania continues
Another great song with beautifully poetic lyrics from the Shins is "Pink Bullets". I think this is my favorite song from their second album, "Chutes Too Narrow". I love the imagery of the kites...I've read that it suggests two people so inextricably linked (literally tied by knots) that when it came time to break up, the only way was to sever their ties completely. Of course, the song has a hint of melancholy, like so many of their songs, but in this case the memories provide "warm light on a winter day".
"Pink Bullets"
by the Shins
from the album "Chutes Too Narrow"
I was just bony hands as cold as a winter pole
You held a warm stone out new flowing blood to hold
Oh what a contrast you were
To the brutes in the halls
My timid young fingers held a decent animal.
Over the ramparts you tossed
The scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
Tied to a brick
Sweet as a song
The years have been short but the days were long.
Cool of a temperate breeze from dark skies to wet grass
We fell in a field it seems now a thousand summers passed
When our kite lines first crossed
We tied them into knots
And to finally fly apart
We had to cut them off.
Since then it's been a book you read in reverse
So you understand less as the pages turn
Or a movie so crass
And awkardly cast
That even I could be the star.
I don't look back much as a rule
And all this way before murder was cool
But your memory is here and I'd like it to stay
Warm light on a winter's day.
Over the ramparts you tossed
The scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
Tied to a brick
Sweet as a song
The years have been short but the days go slowly by
Two loose kites falling from the sky
Drawn to the ground and an end to flight.
"Pink Bullets"
by the Shins
from the album "Chutes Too Narrow"
I was just bony hands as cold as a winter pole
You held a warm stone out new flowing blood to hold
Oh what a contrast you were
To the brutes in the halls
My timid young fingers held a decent animal.
Over the ramparts you tossed
The scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
Tied to a brick
Sweet as a song
The years have been short but the days were long.
Cool of a temperate breeze from dark skies to wet grass
We fell in a field it seems now a thousand summers passed
When our kite lines first crossed
We tied them into knots
And to finally fly apart
We had to cut them off.
Since then it's been a book you read in reverse
So you understand less as the pages turn
Or a movie so crass
And awkardly cast
That even I could be the star.
I don't look back much as a rule
And all this way before murder was cool
But your memory is here and I'd like it to stay
Warm light on a winter's day.
Over the ramparts you tossed
The scent of your skin and some foreign flowers
Tied to a brick
Sweet as a song
The years have been short but the days go slowly by
Two loose kites falling from the sky
Drawn to the ground and an end to flight.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Countdown to Jan. 23...
I saw the Shins perform last night on Saturday Night Live. They performed their new single "Phantom Limb" and, later, their classic "New Slang". I had picked up the CD single for "Phantom Limb" a few weeks ago, and the song has grown on me. I only have two weeks 'til the new CD "Wincing the Night Away" is released. I cannot wait! Back to "New Slang"... I think it's a truly beautiful song with poetically oblique lyrics. See below...
New Slang
by the Shins
from the album "Oh Inverted World"
Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.
Only, I don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet that I was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.
And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd 'a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would'a fared well.
New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and I'm lonely.
And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd 'a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would'a fared well.
God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'til they melt away.
I'm looking in on the good life I might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am I too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well I'd 'a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would'a fared well.
New Slang
by the Shins
from the album "Oh Inverted World"
Gold teeth and a curse for this town were all in my mouth.
Only, I don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet that I was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.
And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd 'a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would'a fared well.
New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and I'm lonely.
And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd 'a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would'a fared well.
God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'til they melt away.
I'm looking in on the good life I might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am I too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well I'd 'a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would'a fared well.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Lyrics of the moment: Needles in My Eyes
A recent rediscovery that just got lodged in my head this past two weeks...
Needles In My Eyes
by the Beta Band
Last night it was so good
I felt like crying, I felt crying
Last night though you looked so cold
I felt like smiling, smiling while I'm dying
Last night looked so good
Felt like crying, felt like crying
Last night though you looked so old
I felt like smiling, smiling while I'm dying
You left me cold, you left me cold
You left me cold, you left me cold
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Last night I dropped my heart and
I never wanna see it again
Getting tighter with you all the time
I think I'm gonna my buckle my spine
I crept in and I stole your mind
I think I'm having trouble with mine
Crept in and I stole your mind
I think I'm having trouble with mine
You left me cold, you left me cold
You left me cold, you left me cold
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Needles In My Eyes
by the Beta Band
Last night it was so good
I felt like crying, I felt crying
Last night though you looked so cold
I felt like smiling, smiling while I'm dying
Last night looked so good
Felt like crying, felt like crying
Last night though you looked so old
I felt like smiling, smiling while I'm dying
You left me cold, you left me cold
You left me cold, you left me cold
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Last night I dropped my heart and
I never wanna see it again
Getting tighter with you all the time
I think I'm gonna my buckle my spine
I crept in and I stole your mind
I think I'm having trouble with mine
Crept in and I stole your mind
I think I'm having trouble with mine
You left me cold, you left me cold
You left me cold, you left me cold
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Needles in my eyes won't cripple me tonight alright
Twisting up my mind please pull me through the light alright
Friday, December 29, 2006
101 Songs of 2006
Here they are: my 101 favorite songs, in roughly the order they fell on my "like-o-meter".
1 "Skeleton Key" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
2 "Young Bride" Midlake
3 "Samson" Regina Spektor
4 "Chapters" Commuter
5 "You Only Live Once" the Strokes
6 "Young Folks" Peter, Bjorn and John
7 "Don't Be Afraid" Howie Beck
8 "Dart for My Sweetheart" Archie Bronson Outfit
9 "Night Drive" Jimmy Eat World
10 "That Time" Regina Spektor
11 "When You Were Young" the Killers
12 "Amsterdam" Peter, Bjorn and John
13 "On a Freezing Chicago Street" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
14 "God Is Going to Get Sick of Me" Aberdeen City
15 "The Escape Artist" Mountain Con
16 "Settle Down" Breaks Co-op
17 "Obstacles" Syd Matters
18 "I Need Some Fine Wine…" the Cardigans
19 "Let's Call It Off" Peter, Bjorn and John
20 "Roscoe" Midlake
21 "Valerie" the Zutons
22 "Break Your Mama's Back" Slow Runner
23 "Dive" Babybird
24 "Plans" Grizzly Bear
25 "Number 1" Goldfrapp
26 "Gold Lion" Yeah Yeah Yeahs
27 "17 Devils" Starlight Mints
28 "The Otherside" Breaks Co-op
29 "On the Other Side" the Strokes
30 "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" Jet
31 "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)" the Rakes
32 "Loughborough Suicide" the Young Knives
33 "Chinese Translation" M. Ward
34 "Timebomb" the Format
35 "Better" Regina Spektor
36 "The Killer" Starlight Mints
37 "Dead Funny" Archie Bronson Outfit
38 "Show You How" Lindsey Buckingham
39 "For Us" Pete Yorn
40 "Taking Chances" Platinum Weird
41 "You Could Be Happy" Snow Patrol
42 "Ever Thought of Coming Back" Kelley Stoltz
43 "Not Going Home" the Elected
44 "Go" OSI
45 "No Complaints" Beck
46 "Knights of Cydonia" Muse
47 "Over and Over" Hot Chip
48 "9 Crimes" Damien Rice
49 "Into the Open" Heartless Bastards
50 "The W.A.N.D." the Flaming Lips
51 "The Charging Sky" Jenny Lewis
52 "The Bird" Shawn Colvin
53 "Stand Up" Jet
54 "Skip to the End" the Futureheads
55 "Nothing Left to Lose" Mat Kearney
56 "Oh Shoplifter" the Stills
57 "Crooked Teeth" Death Cab for Cutie
58 "Monsters" Band of Horses
59 "I Should Get Up" Teddy Thompson
60 "Olé Tarantula" Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3
61 "Dress Me Like a Clown" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
62 "Level" the Raconteurs
63 "Wolf Like Me" TV on the Radio
64 "Wolves" Josh Ritter
65 "Stromata" Charlotte Martin
66 "Cuckoo" Archie Bronson Outfit
67 "Hideaway" Rock Kills Kid
68 "Hang Me Up to Dry" Cold War Kids
69 "How We Operate" Gomez
70 "Coming Home" the 88
71 "Steady as She Goes" the Raconteurs
72 "Think I'm in Love" Beck
73 "Rusted Guns of Milan" Art Brut
74 "Here It Goes Again" OK Go
75 "Radiate" AverageSuperstar
76 "Little Black Cloud" the Cardigans
77 "Golden Star" My Brightest Diamond
78 "Someday Sometimes" Syd Matters
79 "Falling by the Wayside" People in Planes
80 "A Method" TV on the Radio
81 "Lowlife" Scanners
82 "The Illiad" Tapes 'n Tapes
83 "Flying Low" Willard Grant Conspiracy
84 "Dirty Knife" Neko Case
85 "Down on Rodeo" Lindsey Buckingham
86 "The Funeral" Band of Horses
87 "Bandits" Midlake
88 "Read My Mind" the Killers
89 "Pills in My Pocket" Fink
90 "Apocalyptic" Mountain Con
91 "Painted by Numbers" the Sounds
92 "As Four" the Concretes
93 "The Blues Are Still Blue" Belle and Sebastian
94 "Vision Valley" the Vines
95 "You Said It Before" Mojave 3
96 "Supermassive Black Hole" Muse
97 "Tchaparian" Hot Chip
98 "On a Neck, on a Spit" Grizzly Bear
99 "O Valencia" the Decemberists
100 "Joker & the Thief" Wolfmother
101 "Shores of California" The Dresden Dolls
1 "Skeleton Key" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
2 "Young Bride" Midlake
3 "Samson" Regina Spektor
4 "Chapters" Commuter
5 "You Only Live Once" the Strokes
6 "Young Folks" Peter, Bjorn and John
7 "Don't Be Afraid" Howie Beck
8 "Dart for My Sweetheart" Archie Bronson Outfit
9 "Night Drive" Jimmy Eat World
10 "That Time" Regina Spektor
11 "When You Were Young" the Killers
12 "Amsterdam" Peter, Bjorn and John
13 "On a Freezing Chicago Street" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
14 "God Is Going to Get Sick of Me" Aberdeen City
15 "The Escape Artist" Mountain Con
16 "Settle Down" Breaks Co-op
17 "Obstacles" Syd Matters
18 "I Need Some Fine Wine…" the Cardigans
19 "Let's Call It Off" Peter, Bjorn and John
20 "Roscoe" Midlake
21 "Valerie" the Zutons
22 "Break Your Mama's Back" Slow Runner
23 "Dive" Babybird
24 "Plans" Grizzly Bear
25 "Number 1" Goldfrapp
26 "Gold Lion" Yeah Yeah Yeahs
27 "17 Devils" Starlight Mints
28 "The Otherside" Breaks Co-op
29 "On the Other Side" the Strokes
30 "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" Jet
31 "Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep)" the Rakes
32 "Loughborough Suicide" the Young Knives
33 "Chinese Translation" M. Ward
34 "Timebomb" the Format
35 "Better" Regina Spektor
36 "The Killer" Starlight Mints
37 "Dead Funny" Archie Bronson Outfit
38 "Show You How" Lindsey Buckingham
39 "For Us" Pete Yorn
40 "Taking Chances" Platinum Weird
41 "You Could Be Happy" Snow Patrol
42 "Ever Thought of Coming Back" Kelley Stoltz
43 "Not Going Home" the Elected
44 "Go" OSI
45 "No Complaints" Beck
46 "Knights of Cydonia" Muse
47 "Over and Over" Hot Chip
48 "9 Crimes" Damien Rice
49 "Into the Open" Heartless Bastards
50 "The W.A.N.D." the Flaming Lips
51 "The Charging Sky" Jenny Lewis
52 "The Bird" Shawn Colvin
53 "Stand Up" Jet
54 "Skip to the End" the Futureheads
55 "Nothing Left to Lose" Mat Kearney
56 "Oh Shoplifter" the Stills
57 "Crooked Teeth" Death Cab for Cutie
58 "Monsters" Band of Horses
59 "I Should Get Up" Teddy Thompson
60 "Olé Tarantula" Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3
61 "Dress Me Like a Clown" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
62 "Level" the Raconteurs
63 "Wolf Like Me" TV on the Radio
64 "Wolves" Josh Ritter
65 "Stromata" Charlotte Martin
66 "Cuckoo" Archie Bronson Outfit
67 "Hideaway" Rock Kills Kid
68 "Hang Me Up to Dry" Cold War Kids
69 "How We Operate" Gomez
70 "Coming Home" the 88
71 "Steady as She Goes" the Raconteurs
72 "Think I'm in Love" Beck
73 "Rusted Guns of Milan" Art Brut
74 "Here It Goes Again" OK Go
75 "Radiate" AverageSuperstar
76 "Little Black Cloud" the Cardigans
77 "Golden Star" My Brightest Diamond
78 "Someday Sometimes" Syd Matters
79 "Falling by the Wayside" People in Planes
80 "A Method" TV on the Radio
81 "Lowlife" Scanners
82 "The Illiad" Tapes 'n Tapes
83 "Flying Low" Willard Grant Conspiracy
84 "Dirty Knife" Neko Case
85 "Down on Rodeo" Lindsey Buckingham
86 "The Funeral" Band of Horses
87 "Bandits" Midlake
88 "Read My Mind" the Killers
89 "Pills in My Pocket" Fink
90 "Apocalyptic" Mountain Con
91 "Painted by Numbers" the Sounds
92 "As Four" the Concretes
93 "The Blues Are Still Blue" Belle and Sebastian
94 "Vision Valley" the Vines
95 "You Said It Before" Mojave 3
96 "Supermassive Black Hole" Muse
97 "Tchaparian" Hot Chip
98 "On a Neck, on a Spit" Grizzly Bear
99 "O Valencia" the Decemberists
100 "Joker & the Thief" Wolfmother
101 "Shores of California" The Dresden Dolls
Sunday, December 10, 2006
...and this brings it to 21
Okay, I've been thinking more about it and here are 10 more (with no explanations) to add to the list of best or favorite albums of 2006.
#12 - "Return to Cookie Mountain" - TV on the Radio
#13 - "Rabbit Fur Coat" -Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
#14 - "First Impressions of Earth" - the Strokes
#15 - "Syd Matters" - Syd Matters
#16 - "Are You Nervous?" - Rock Kills Kid
#17 - "Black Holes and Revelations" - Muse
#18 - "Without Feathers" - the Stills
#19 - "Supernature" - Goldfrapp
#20 - "The Warning" - Hot Chip
#21 - "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" - Neko Case
#12 - "Return to Cookie Mountain" - TV on the Radio
#13 - "Rabbit Fur Coat" -Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
#14 - "First Impressions of Earth" - the Strokes
#15 - "Syd Matters" - Syd Matters
#16 - "Are You Nervous?" - Rock Kills Kid
#17 - "Black Holes and Revelations" - Muse
#18 - "Without Feathers" - the Stills
#19 - "Supernature" - Goldfrapp
#20 - "The Warning" - Hot Chip
#21 - "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood" - Neko Case
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
My 11 Favorite CDs of 2006
Why eleven? Because we always want just one more, don't we? Why now? Because looking ahead at the new releases, don't expect anything too wonderful between now and January 1, 2007. That said, here are my favorite albums of 2006.
#11 - "Under the Skin" by Lindsey Buckingham
It took several years to release this, his most recent solo disc, and it was worth the wait. It's somewhat sparse, but full of life. Favorite track: "Down on Rodeo"
#10 - "The Information" by Beck
He continues to defy categorization and to meld genres into the new post-rock. Bonus points for the cool customizable cover concept! Favorite track: "No Complaints"
#9 - "Yellow House" by Grizzly Bear
Dreamy and a little dark, this is a complex album that expands with each subsequent listen. Favorite track: "Plans"
#8 - "Writer's Block" by Peter, Bjorn and John
Interesting harmonies, edgy and yet simultaneously retro, this Scandinavian group's release (available as an import here in the US) is insanely catchy. Favorite track: "Amsterdam"
#7 - "Everything All the Time" by Band of Horses
Five of the ten tracks on this release are top-top-notch! One even features my favorite alt-rock instrument: the banjo! Favorite track: "Monsters"
#6 - "Begin to Hope" by Regina Spektor
Left-of-center and highly literate rock for those of us who love melody and smart lyrics. Favorite tracks: "Samson" and "That Time"
#5 - "The Trials of Van Occupanther" by Midlake
What if 1977-era Fleetwood Mac was actually an alternative rock band that often sang about country life in the 1800s? They might sound like this. Favorite tracks: "Roscoe" and "Young Bride"
#4 - "The Sound Inside" by Breaks Co-op
This New Zealand trio creates extremely well-crafted post-pop with soulful vocals and occasional Crosby, Stills & Nash-y harmonies... It's available as an import. Favorite tracks: "Settle Down" and "The Otherside"
#3 - "Derdang Derdang" by the Archie Bronson Outfit
I would call this alt-twang-folk-punk, and I really like it. Favorite tracks: "Dart for My Sweetheart" and "Dead Funny"
#2 - "Sancho Panza" by Mountain Con
More genre-blending, this time with a little bit of hip-hop (and a little bit is more than enough). Favorite tracks: "The Escape Artist" and "Apocalyptic"
#1 - "The Dust of Retreat" by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
I was a little disappointed in this alt-pop classic at first, but over the period of two weeks of increasingly frequent listening, I came to love nearly every song! I love when that kind of thing happens. Favorite tracks: "Skeleton Key", "Paper Kitten Nightmare", "Jen Is Bringin' the Drugs" and "On a Freezing Chicago Street"
#11 - "Under the Skin" by Lindsey Buckingham
It took several years to release this, his most recent solo disc, and it was worth the wait. It's somewhat sparse, but full of life. Favorite track: "Down on Rodeo"
#10 - "The Information" by Beck
He continues to defy categorization and to meld genres into the new post-rock. Bonus points for the cool customizable cover concept! Favorite track: "No Complaints"
#9 - "Yellow House" by Grizzly Bear
Dreamy and a little dark, this is a complex album that expands with each subsequent listen. Favorite track: "Plans"
#8 - "Writer's Block" by Peter, Bjorn and John
Interesting harmonies, edgy and yet simultaneously retro, this Scandinavian group's release (available as an import here in the US) is insanely catchy. Favorite track: "Amsterdam"
#7 - "Everything All the Time" by Band of Horses
Five of the ten tracks on this release are top-top-notch! One even features my favorite alt-rock instrument: the banjo! Favorite track: "Monsters"
#6 - "Begin to Hope" by Regina Spektor
Left-of-center and highly literate rock for those of us who love melody and smart lyrics. Favorite tracks: "Samson" and "That Time"
#5 - "The Trials of Van Occupanther" by Midlake
What if 1977-era Fleetwood Mac was actually an alternative rock band that often sang about country life in the 1800s? They might sound like this. Favorite tracks: "Roscoe" and "Young Bride"
#4 - "The Sound Inside" by Breaks Co-op
This New Zealand trio creates extremely well-crafted post-pop with soulful vocals and occasional Crosby, Stills & Nash-y harmonies... It's available as an import. Favorite tracks: "Settle Down" and "The Otherside"
#3 - "Derdang Derdang" by the Archie Bronson Outfit
I would call this alt-twang-folk-punk, and I really like it. Favorite tracks: "Dart for My Sweetheart" and "Dead Funny"
#2 - "Sancho Panza" by Mountain Con
More genre-blending, this time with a little bit of hip-hop (and a little bit is more than enough). Favorite tracks: "The Escape Artist" and "Apocalyptic"
#1 - "The Dust of Retreat" by Margot & the Nuclear So and So's
I was a little disappointed in this alt-pop classic at first, but over the period of two weeks of increasingly frequent listening, I came to love nearly every song! I love when that kind of thing happens. Favorite tracks: "Skeleton Key", "Paper Kitten Nightmare", "Jen Is Bringin' the Drugs" and "On a Freezing Chicago Street"
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Incommunicado
I have to apologize to my friends. Lately I've been incommunicado... This weekend, for example, I turned off my cell phone and just spent the weekend alone. I went out Saturday afternoon for lunch and stopped at Barnes & Noble, but otherwise I stayed at home, cleaned the garage and truck, and slept a lot.
I'm still adjusting to going off daylight savings time and that makes me just want to sleep. That and work has been so demanding. I sometime feel that I'm always put in the position of being in the middle of something. It's very draining sometimes. I know I had a couple of voice mail messages, but I was just not in the mood to talk to anyone. So I'm sorry for that. Be patient with me?
That and watching all the Sunday morning political shows has me in a very concerned and pensive mood. America cannot continue down the road 'king W. and his neocon cronies have led us. It verges on totalitarianism. I recall 'king W. said he was "a uniter not a divider", but all I see is him dividing and dividing, criticizing his critics, questioning the patriotism of anyone who disagrees with him, and telling half truths in order to manipulate the masses. I sure hope the masses of voters in America have opened their eyes and that they vote for change this Tuesday. Please!
I'm still adjusting to going off daylight savings time and that makes me just want to sleep. That and work has been so demanding. I sometime feel that I'm always put in the position of being in the middle of something. It's very draining sometimes. I know I had a couple of voice mail messages, but I was just not in the mood to talk to anyone. So I'm sorry for that. Be patient with me?
That and watching all the Sunday morning political shows has me in a very concerned and pensive mood. America cannot continue down the road 'king W. and his neocon cronies have led us. It verges on totalitarianism. I recall 'king W. said he was "a uniter not a divider", but all I see is him dividing and dividing, criticizing his critics, questioning the patriotism of anyone who disagrees with him, and telling half truths in order to manipulate the masses. I sure hope the masses of voters in America have opened their eyes and that they vote for change this Tuesday. Please!
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Halloween 2006
"Halloween, strange things seen, ghosts may walk, skeletons talk...on Halloween"
I remember that line from a song back in grade school. Can't remember any more than that much, though.
This year Halloween is, again, quiet. That's fine. Back in my other life up north I used to host a huge Halloween party for adults. Funny how people eventually got into it. It sort of brought out the kid in everyone. I miss being that big dorky host!
So tomorrow is November 1, or as we Catholics know it, "All Saints Day", followed on Nov. 2 by "All Souls Day". It's also the time for the Mexican Day of the Dead, to celebrate the memory of loved ones who have died. Actually, although some see this as sort of morbid, it's a nice way to commemorate those we love and have lost in the past year. May our memory of them endure.
It's a nice day for a white wedding, it's a nice day to start again! (with apologies to Billy Idol)
I remember that line from a song back in grade school. Can't remember any more than that much, though.
This year Halloween is, again, quiet. That's fine. Back in my other life up north I used to host a huge Halloween party for adults. Funny how people eventually got into it. It sort of brought out the kid in everyone. I miss being that big dorky host!
So tomorrow is November 1, or as we Catholics know it, "All Saints Day", followed on Nov. 2 by "All Souls Day". It's also the time for the Mexican Day of the Dead, to celebrate the memory of loved ones who have died. Actually, although some see this as sort of morbid, it's a nice way to commemorate those we love and have lost in the past year. May our memory of them endure.
It's a nice day for a white wedding, it's a nice day to start again! (with apologies to Billy Idol)
Monday, October 30, 2006
Lyrics of the moment...Night Drive
I don't exactly know why this song resonates. It's from 2004 and I came across it as a "rediscovery" I guess. Hmmmm. "...You pierce my heart like a willing arm..."
"Night Drive"
By Jimmy Eat World
From the album Futures
(note: it plays on their main web page)
Lay back baby and we'll do this right
There's blankets in back we can use
I'll start the car, but we'll stay in park
The cold can kill us before fumes
Now's the right time for a good song
Got something to say what I can't
Do you feel bad, like I feel bad?
We'll pour us a road, we'll both drink and drive
Kiss me with your cherry lipstick
Never wash you off my face
Hit me I can take your cheap shots
Leave you with the love we made
Come alive on the driver's side
So close I taste your breath
Your lips go dry, but they're sweet inside
Wine must go right to your head
It'd be easy if you get mad
But three fingers point back to you
We could stay here
Stay out all night
No one will know, us and the moonlight
Kiss me with your cherry lipstick
Never wash you off my face
Hit me, I can take your cheap shots
Leave you with the love we made
I set my watch by a street-side clock
A needle in echo groove
You pierce my heart like a willing arm
Your ticking makes my blood move
There's no way out this fade out
Be happy to get what you do
Make him notice with both fists
Cause quitting alone will never get you dry
Never get you dry
Give me everything you've got now
I don't feel a single thing
Drag me out into the cold rain
Let it hover over me
Kiss me with your cherry lipstick
Never wash you off my face
Hit me, I can take your cheap shots
Leave you with the love we made
Hit me, I can take your cheap shot
Leave you with the love we made
Hit me, I can take your cheap shot
Leave you with the love we made
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
...yep, still here...
So, according to my mother, I arrived into this world at about 10 minutes to 9 a.m. 40 years ago on October 25, 1966. Now, 40 years later on the eve of this milestone (having trouble typing this without smirking), I am still here. Okay, whatever. They say these decade birthdays are full of retrospection, introspection and any other kind of -ospection you can name. Probably true, but I do that all the time anyway. I have absolutely nothing profound rolling around in my head at the moment, but that's also not particularly earth-shattering to hear...
..yep, I'm still here...
..yep, I'm still here...
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Lyrics of the Moment...
I wonder who the leader is with the gun and "a bible in one hand" and who says "everything is safe"...
God is Going to Get Sick of Me
by Aberdeen City
Caught, caught in the way
In the way of a bus
The lease is up. The lease is up.
They break our legs to prove a point
The lease is up. The lease is over
A bible in one hand, he makes decisions
The lease is up
Ordered his gun and its done and its done and done
An Hysteric at the top
Saying everything is safe
Ordered his gun and its done and its done
Ordered his gun and its done and
God is Going to get sick of me
And the accident
That takes the beat from my heart
Will look like it was my fault
Spend one more day backed into a corner
The lease is up
Impossible to lose support gets stronger
Each time something frightens them
You'll set it right
I know I know
God is Going to get sick of me
And the accident
That takes the beat from my heart
Will look like his
You said I get it, i get it, i get it all right
And that nothing can be taken and that nothing can be taken from me
After I've stopped waiting for an ambulance to come and get me
God is Going to get sick of me
And the accident
That takes the beat from my heart
Will look like it was my fault
Monday, October 16, 2006
Countdown to 40...
T-minus 9 days and counting and yours truly will turn the big 4-0. I can't say I'll be able to make an entry each day before then, so I'll offer this as the first installment in a series of personal revelations.
I am only days away from being a forty-year-old man and...
...I still read super hero comic books and watch cartoons.
...the kind of car I drive means nothing to me, as long as it works.
...I don't have a bald spot on the top of my head yet.
...$50 is a lot of money to me.
...one of my favorite foods is still pizza.
...opening a new CD and listenting to it is important.
...I'm not sad that I don't have any children.
...life for the next 10-20 years will be considered "middle age".
...I'm in better physical condition than when I was 25 thanks to lifting weights (but I could still stand to lose 10-20 pounds).
...my brother and sisters are all in their mid-50s.
...1982's "Tainted Love" is still my all-time favorite song.
...I'm glad I'm not a high schooler in today's world.
...even though I believe in God, I believe there should be a VERY STRICT separation between church and state.
...I still haven't found what I'm looking for (okay, U2 said it better).
...my expectation is that I will never be able to afford to retire.
...I'm still waiting for that special someone.
More to come (maybe).
I am only days away from being a forty-year-old man and...
...I still read super hero comic books and watch cartoons.
...the kind of car I drive means nothing to me, as long as it works.
...I don't have a bald spot on the top of my head yet.
...$50 is a lot of money to me.
...one of my favorite foods is still pizza.
...opening a new CD and listenting to it is important.
...I'm not sad that I don't have any children.
...life for the next 10-20 years will be considered "middle age".
...I'm in better physical condition than when I was 25 thanks to lifting weights (but I could still stand to lose 10-20 pounds).
...my brother and sisters are all in their mid-50s.
...1982's "Tainted Love" is still my all-time favorite song.
...I'm glad I'm not a high schooler in today's world.
...even though I believe in God, I believe there should be a VERY STRICT separation between church and state.
...I still haven't found what I'm looking for (okay, U2 said it better).
...my expectation is that I will never be able to afford to retire.
...I'm still waiting for that special someone.
More to come (maybe).
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Lyrics of the moment..
I attended the funeral of my Aunt Marianne today. It was sad. She was a very giving person. Sadder, still, was seeing all the sadness of her children and grandchildren, family and friends. Fortunately, she left a very positive legacy.
These lyrics seem appropriate for the moment.
These lyrics seem appropriate for the moment.
Do You Realize?
by the Flaming Lips
Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize - we're floating in space
Do You Realize - that happiness makes you cry
Do You Realize - that everyone you know someday will die
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round
Do You Realize - Oh - Oh - Oh
Do You Realize - that everyone you know
Someday will die...
And instead of saying all of your goodbyes - let them know
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round
Do You Realize - that you have the most beautiful face
Do You Realize?
Sunday, October 08, 2006
A new hero
Yep, it's official: Keith Olbermann is my new hero, joining Jon Stewart in that hallowed pantheon. What an eloquent journalistic commentary (along with a second by Stewart, an able satirist)! Follow this link http://www.bushflash.com/ and find the Oct. 6 entry, "Two Wonderful Moments in American Television". Both segments are awesomely timed and capture my feelings better than I can myself. How can any sane person disagree with what both Olbermann and Stewart pesent here?
Thursday, September 28, 2006
What am I?
"...I'm not what I was or what I will be..." -Psapp, from the song Upstairs
The other thought for the moment is that I've grown to really hate being on the receiving end of mixed messages. Really.
That is all for now.
The other thought for the moment is that I've grown to really hate being on the receiving end of mixed messages. Really.
That is all for now.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Awaiting new L.B.
Am very eagerly anticipating "Under the Skin", the new CD by Lindsey Buckingham. Check out some of the songs at his website. "Down on Rodeo" is exceptional, and "Show You How" is too!
October 3 is going to be an expensive new music week for me...not only new L.B. but also new releases from the Killers, Beck, Jet, the Decemberists, and Robyn Hitchcock.
October 3 is going to be an expensive new music week for me...not only new L.B. but also new releases from the Killers, Beck, Jet, the Decemberists, and Robyn Hitchcock.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
We are what we are...
I came across a quote that I love today while surfing various websites:
"We are constantly invited to be what we are" -- Henry David Thoreau
I have always loved this quote. While it may seem somewhat fatalistic at first glance, it is not. The quote is beautiful in its simplicity. In my humble opinion it implies choice: we can choose to be what we are or we can pretend we are something we are not. At the same time, the observation in the quote doesn't limit us from trying to change and grow. It does imply that there are ways or "invitations" for us to grow that lie within our authentic selves. Things tend to work out to a kind of equilibrium of that same authentic self versus any false facade we might create.
Every day I see Thoreau's observation in action. I'm as guilty as the next person of occasionally pretending to be something other than what I am. But it seems that pretense tends to dissolve (often quite quickly, sometimes painfully), unless it fits with our authentic self and whatever joys, sorrows or limitations that entails. It seems those who are happiest have embraced who and what they are and continue to build their world around that.
"We are constantly invited to be what we are" -- Henry David Thoreau
I have always loved this quote. While it may seem somewhat fatalistic at first glance, it is not. The quote is beautiful in its simplicity. In my humble opinion it implies choice: we can choose to be what we are or we can pretend we are something we are not. At the same time, the observation in the quote doesn't limit us from trying to change and grow. It does imply that there are ways or "invitations" for us to grow that lie within our authentic selves. Things tend to work out to a kind of equilibrium of that same authentic self versus any false facade we might create.
Every day I see Thoreau's observation in action. I'm as guilty as the next person of occasionally pretending to be something other than what I am. But it seems that pretense tends to dissolve (often quite quickly, sometimes painfully), unless it fits with our authentic self and whatever joys, sorrows or limitations that entails. It seems those who are happiest have embraced who and what they are and continue to build their world around that.
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