Burning Books...

"Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen."
--Heinrich Heine

["Where people burn books, they also, in the end, will burn human beings."]

Let the Devolution Begin!

Okay, so I sort of devolved a little yesterday. It's all the fault of Record Store Day. I picked up two vinyl LPs, the classic "Temple of Low Men" by Crowded House and the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away." Apparently the planets were all aligned properly, there was a little money in the wallet to burn, and I wanted to support Record Store Day and my local independent record store, Budget Music in Grand Forks, ND.

Let me be clear: this DOES NOT mean I've forsaken CDs or digital music--I've just expanded my options.

There certainly is something about opening a new LP's cellophane wrapper and seeing the large glorious artwork. Now I need to hook up the ol' turntable to really hear if the sound is so much warmer. One thing I do not miss about listening to LPs is the wow, flutter, and dust pops. We'll see if that prevents me from purchasing more vinyl...

"We Have Their Bones to Comb Our Hair..."

So I got my hands on a copy of "Hungry Bird," the new CD by Clem Snide. I wasn't expecting to hear another CD from Clem Snide, as I had read last year they were breaking up. That was further supported by last year's solo record by the band's leading creative force Eef Barzelay. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to find this, what I understand to be, final capstone record.

"Hungry Bird" is full of the literate, melodic word pictures I've come to expect from the group. Clem Snide makes the kind of music I gravitate to: folkish, beautiful, sometimes delicate, but confident and often haunting, with a streak of irony and darkness. This CD is less overtly rocking than Barzelay's solo work of last year (which gave "Could Be Worse," one of may top 120 songs of 2008), but that's okay. This music has an calm urgency all its own. The tunes are evocative and raise the question of why this music isn't a part of some moving indie-type film--it would be perfect!

While songs like "Our Time Will Come," "Beard of Bees," and "With All My Heart" are right up there and ready for repeated listens, the first track "Me No" is instantly captivating. I've listened to it now about 15 times, and I've had the CD only a couple days. That track has a strong undercurrent of irony and a darkly subversive, almost apocalyptic tone. Still, it's simply arresting, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's on my 2009 list of favorite songs.

Thank you, Clem Snide, for releasing another set of excellent songs. Those of you looking for something for a hungry mind that you can sink your musical teeth into, look no further. Check out "Hungry Bird."

When?

So, when does history officially arrive? When do we get to hear professors extol the golden age of the G.W.Busch administration and the utopia the sprang forth from that "great leader's great leadership"? I'm curious! I'm waiting! Oh, that's right, we need to hit the undo button a few thousand times before we can progress.

President Obama, in my humble opinion, is moving us back toward a certain kind of sanity we haven't seen in eight years. How? Here are a few first steps he's taken: calling corporate bailout recipients on their lack of sensitivity in buying jets while receiving public funds; recognizing the Islamic world while attempting to refocus their attentiveness away from the "great achievements" of the few terrorists among them; moving toward equality for all citizens regardless of race or sexual orientation; reestablishing a policy that more fully acknowledges science and scientific inquiry; encouraging a respect and civility among divided parties in the hope of working together; appointing well qualified cabinet members and surrounding himself with the best and the brightest; making strides in lessening the influence of corporate lobbyists; speaking with eloquence and, well, acting presidential.

I look forward to seeing where we can go as a country under his leadership. Imagine what could have been done immediately if these initial steps hadn't been stifled by the "great achievements" of G.W. and his cronies.

When? Starting now!

120 for 2008

After reviewing my various lists (you know, those half-made lists mostly circling around in my head) I came up with my favorite songs of 2008. I had originally only had 108 when I first posted but forgot a few good ones, so this is the revised list (as of 1/18/09). It was a good year for music in my opinion; this is reinforced by the fact that I can't seem to stick with just 108. (And I meant it when I said every song on "Furr" is good. I think I included 12 songs here including some EP stuff of theirs.)

001. "Furr" Blitzen Trapper
002. "As Tall As Cliffs" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
003. "The One I Love" Greg Laswell
004. "Lost Coastlines" Okkervil River
005. "Hometime" One eskimO
006. "Orphans" Beck
007. "Acid Tongue" Jenny Lewis
008. "I'm Not Over" Carolina Liar
009. "Right Hand On My Heart" the Whigs
010. "Love And Doubt" Slow Runner
011. "Supernatural Superserious" R.E.M.
012. "Gift Of Screws" Lindsey Buckingham
013. "All I Need" Radiohead
014. "Oxford Comma" Vampire Weekend
015. "Raise The Dead" Phantom Planet
016. "Two Ways Out" Darker My Love
017. "Five Years Time" Noah and the Whale
018. "Hard To Tell You" Dirty on Purpose
019. "New Years Eve" Wild Light
020. "God + Suicide" Blitzen Trapper

021. "Simon Courage Flees the Coop" Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground
022. "Magick" Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
023. "Rocky Took A Lover" Bell X1
024. "Gamma Ray" Beck
025. "He Doesn't Know Why" Fleet Foxes
026. "Sour Milk" Wild Sweet Orange
027. "Broadripple Is Burning" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
028. "Stolen Shoes + A Rifle" Blitzen Trapper
029. "Bruises" Chairlift
030. "Around The Bend" The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
031. "Great DJ" the Ting Tings
032. "You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" the Submarines
033. "Eighties Movies" the Billionaires
034. "You Don't Know Me" Ben Folds with Regina Spektor
035. "The Beginning Of The Twist" the Futureheads
036. "Good Old Days" Lodger
037. "Pop Lie" Okkervil River
038. "Land Of No Return" Wild Sweet Orange
039. "Biko" Bloc Party
040. "Big Black Bird" Blitzen Trapper

041. "How The Day Sounds" Greg Laswell
042. "Time To Pretend" MGMT
043. "Man-Sized Wreath" R.E.M.
044. "Giving Tree" the Epochs
045. "House Of Cards" Radiohead
046. "Freeway" Aimee Mann
047. "Don't Do Anything" Sam Phillips
048. "Gumdrops" the Smittens
049. "The Wake Up Song" the Submarines
050. "Lost!" Coldplay
051. "Not Your Lover" Blitzen Trapper
052. "Carry The Weight" Denison Witmer
053. "Fashionable People" the Joel Plaskett Emergency
054. "The Right Place To Fade" Lindsey Buckingham
055. "Good Days Bad Days" Kaiser Chiefs
056. "Gather To The Chapel" Liam Finn
057. "I Am A Lightning Rod" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
058. "Starry Stairs" Okkervil River
059. "Call It A Ritual" Wolf Parade
060. "Heath" Arizona

061. "Do The Panic" Phantom Planet
062. "Shut Up And Let Me Go" the Ting Tings
063. "Crimewave" Crystal Castles (vs. Health)
064. "Bad News" Dear and the Headlights
065. "That It Moves" Greg Laswell
066. "My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
067. "Paper Float" Cassettes Won't Listen
068. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" the Helio Sequence
069. "Signs" Bloc Party
070. "Naked And Red" Colour Revolt
071. "Bodysnatchers" Radiohead
072. "Dancing Choose" TV on the Radio
073. "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)" Black Kids
074. "Angels And Weathermen" the Mommyheads
075. "Cape Fear" the Rosebuds
076. "Saturday Nite" Blitzen Trapper
077. "Last Words" Travis
078. "Black Fur" Fredrik
079. "White Winter Hymnal" Fleet Foxes
080. "On Our Way Home" the Silent Years

081. "Willow Tree" Chad Van Gaalen
082. "Silver Moon" Blitzen Trapper
083. "Violet Hill" Coldplay
084. "Mr. Richards" R.E.M.
085. "Lolita" Throw Me the Statue
086. "I'm Amazed" My Morning Jacket
087. "Gold For Bread" Blitzen Trapper
088. "Coast Of Carolina" Telekinesis!
089. "Crushing The Wheat" Blitzen Trapper
090. "Take Back The City" Snow Patrol
091. "Moody Motorcycle" Human Highway
092. "Go On, Say It" Blind Pilot
093. "On The Chin" the Gray Race
094. "Outside" the Secret Life of Sofia
095. "Could Be Worse" Eef Barzelay
096. "Singer Songwriter" Okkervil River
097. "Big Mistake" Tim Fite
098. "Inside A Boy" My Brightest Diamond
099. "Golden Age" TV on the Radio
100. "Color Of A Lonely Heart Is Blue" the Old 97's

101. "Going Down" Blitzen Trapper
102. "Troublemaker" Weezer
103. "The Usual Chords" Slow Runner
104. "Hollow Man" R.E.M.
105. "Paint Or Pollen" Blind Pilot
106. "Second Chance" Liam Finn
107. "I Will Possess Your Heart" Death Cab for Cutie
108. "Relief" Cold War Kids
109. "Cheap And Cheerful" the Kills
110. "Sleepytime In The Western World" Blitzen Trapper
111. "It's A Lot" the 88
112. "Quarantine" Phantom Planet
113. "A-Punk" Vampire Weekend
114. "Enemy Within" Frida Hyvonen
115. "Seeing And Believeing" Wild Sweet Orange
116. "War On Machines" Blitzen Trapper
117. "Heaven" the Swimmers
118. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" Fleet Foxes
119. "Love Dog" TV on the Radio
120. "I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?" Dear and the Headlights

Beards-a-plenty!

So I revisited, reviewed, revised (slightly) my list of favorite albums of 2008. I also expanded it to 21; we'll refer to this as "list bloat." Here's the definitive list. Congratulations, Blitzen Trapper! EVERY song on "Furr" is approved.:

1. "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper
2. "The Stand Ins" by Okkervil River
3. "Fleet Foxes" by Fleet Foxes
4. "Accelerate" by R.E.M.
5. "We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" by Wild Sweet Orange
6. "Three Flights from Alto Nido" by Greg Laswell
7. "Gift of Screws" by Lindsey Buckingham
8. "Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground" by Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground*
9. "Animal/Not Animal" by Margo and the Nuclear So and So's
10. "The Quantum Explorers" by Hello Dragon*
11. "I'll Be Lightning" by Liam Finn
12. "Oracular Spectacular" by MGMT*
13. "Dear Science" by TV on the Radio
14. "We Started Nothing" by the Ting Tings
15. "Glowing Bird" by Arizona
16. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead*
17. "Vampire Weekend" by Vampire Weekend
18. "Modern Guilt" by Beck
19. "Mermaids" by Slow Runner
20. "The Seldom Seen Kid" by Elbow
21. "Only By the Night" by Kings of Leon
*tracks released digitally in 2007, CD and/or vinyl released in 2008

A few things I noticed...

Lots and lots of beards:
Blitzen Trapper - 4 beards, 1 goatee out of 6 members
Okkervil River - 3 beards out of 6 members
Fleet Foxes - 4 beards out of 5 members
Wild Sweet Orange - 1 beard out of 4 members
Greg Laswell - 1 beard
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - difficult to get a definitive, but looks like 3 beards, 1 goatee out of 8 members
Liam Finn - 1 beard
MGMT - 1 beard out of 2 members
TV on the Radio - 1 beard, 1 goatee, 1 moustache out of 5 members
Kings of Leon - at least 1 beardish thing out of 4 members

Lots of men. It's not that I'm not found of female singers or musicians (see the Ting Tings, the Rosebuds). If/when I get to a posting of favorite single tracks, we'll see some.

Mostly melodic, lyrical, pop-rocky, folkie stuff. Mostly. What can I say? It's what I'm drawn to...

You can never get a true consensus of what's the best, because everyone has his or her own tastes, but that's kind of the fun of these lists. Ah listy goodness!

The Joy of Laundromats

Since I've moved into my new house in June, I've yet to purchase a washer and dryer. That means every two weeks I load up the truck and make an exodus to the local laundromat.

At first, it seemed to be a bit of an annoyance to have to gather everything, load it in the truck, drive to the laundromat, unload the truck and do the washing. I've come to see the beauty of the process, however--especially if I make an early Saturday morning run. At that time I nearly have the place to myself. I can run 4 or 5 loads simultaneously and have nearly endless options for dryers. What used to take all night or afternoon, now can be done in about an hour and a half.

Thank you, laundromat! I may put off buying that washer and dryer indefinitely...

Top 12 Albums of 2008 (so far)

Okay, so my previous post go me thinking about the top albums of 2008 (I'll do a top 12 because there are 12 months in the year...and because they're my rules). Here they are, with the full realization that there are still 2 months to go:

1. "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper
2. "The Stand Ins" by Okkervil River
3. "Fleet Foxes" by Fleet Foxes
4. "Accelerate" by R.E.M.
5. "We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" by Wild Sweet Orange
6. "Three Flights from Alto Nido" by Greg Laswell
7. "Gift of Screws" by Lindsey Buckingham
8. "Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground" by Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
9. "I'll be Lightning" by Liam Finn
10. "Oracular Spectacular" by MGMT
11. "Life Like" by the Rosebuds
12. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead
(okay, Radiohead released their album digitally in 2007, but the CD came out in 2008, and I didn't count them in 2007 because of that. Sorry, but, again, my rules...)

Album of the Year (so far): "FURR"

For the past month the album "Furr" by Portland, Oregon's Blitzen Trapper has been ceaselessly playing in my home, in my truck, on my computer, and in my head. It's become my favorite album of 2008. This was only further reinforced by a chance to see them live in Fargo, North Dakota, on Oct. 28. They were awesomely excellent!

I had downloaded a free promo mp3 of the title track in early September from the SubPop website, and that song immediately floated to the top of my singles list for the year. But when I got a chance to listen to the whole album, it seemed to me like this one would be an instant classic. Each track was better than the last. I have had a hard time finding a song on it that I don't like, and that's an accomplishment.

There are traces of Dylan, Neil Young, Pavement, 70s classic rock, a flourish of synth, a few electronic burbles, some neo-folk, even a Lynyrd Skynyrd lick here and there.

Of the songs, "Furr" and "God + Suicide" are my top two, but "Gold for Bread," "Sleepytime in the Western World," "Fire + Fast Bullets," and "Saturday Nite" are worthy as well...and then there's "Not Your Lover" and "Lady on the Water" too. Like I said, of the 13 songs it's been hard to find a song I don't like... And with each listen to the entire CD, I like all of them more and discover additional touches of interest.

Buy the album! Go see them live! You won't be disappointed.
www.myspace.com/blitzentrapper

Okkervil River might change your life (or not)

Last night I had the grand opportunity to see great live music in Fargo, North Dakota. It's not often that this part of the world gets to welcome a nifty cool emerging band like Okkervil River, so when I read they were performing only an hour from home, I alerted a couple guys I know who appreciate that kind of thing. We met for grub and beverages beforehand and got to the venue, the Aquarium, downtown Fargo, in plenty of time to see June Panic's Wife (i'm not too sure if that's the wife of June Panic or if June Panic's Wife is actually the name of the band, but I digress...)

Shortly after 8 p.m. the members of Okkervil River took to the stage and played a very nice set that lasted nearly two hours. They band just released a new album, so many of the songs were new material, but they played plenty from the album "The Stage Names," which was on several discerning reviewers' best of 2007 lists (including mine). My one disappointment: they didn't play my favorite, "Plus Ones."
Otherwise, it was a wonderful, swaggering rock-and-roll-alterna-country-folk affair.

The band has a sound all its own, but you can hear influences/similarities the likes of the Shins, Dylan, R.E.M., and the BoDeans. Great show!

Favorite albums - year by year

A challenge: listing a favorite album for each year of your life. Rather than select albums for the years when I was but a wee lad, I chose instead to list a favorite album (or albums in some cases where I just couldn't decide) for the years I actually purchased LPs or CDs. So here's a list for each year from 1980 on. Keep in mind these are favorites, albums I just kept (and keep) coming back to...

1980 - "Autoamerican" Blondie
1981 - "Time" E.L.O.
1982 - "The Golden Age of Wireless" Thomas Dolby
1983 - "Listen" A Flock of Seagulls
1984 - "Go Insane" Lindsey Buckingham
1984 - "Purple Rain" Prince
1985 - "Crush" O.M.D.
1986 - "Life's Rich Pageant" R.E.M.
1986 - "Revenge" Eurythmics
1987 - "Sign o' the Times" Prince
1988 - "Temple of Low Men" Crowded House
1988 - "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart" Camper Van Beethoven
1989 - "March" Michael Penn
1989 - "Dolittle" the Pixies
1990 - "Flood" They Might Be Giants
1991 - "Woodface" Crowded House
1991 - "Out of Time" R.E.M.
1991 - "Fear" Toad the Wet Sprocket
1992 - "Automatic for the People" R.E.M.
1992 - "It's a Shame About Ray" the Lemonheads
1993 - "Zooropa" U2
1993 - "Star" Belly
1994 - "Martinis and Bikinis" Sam Phillips
1995 - "The Bends" Radiohead
1996 - "Fountains of Wayne" Fountains of Wayne
1996 - "Odelay" Beck
1997 - "OK Computer" Radiohead
1998 - "El Oso" Soul Coughing
1999 - "Magnolia" Soundtrack feat. Aimee Mann
1999 - "Summerteeth" Wilco
2000 - "The Man Who" Travis
2000 - "Discovery of a World Inside the Moon" Apples in Stereo
2001 - "Get Ready" New Order
2002 - "This Side" Nickel Creek
2003 - "Michigan" Sufjan Stevens
2003 - "Chutes Too Narrow" the Shins
2003 - "Long Gone Before Daylight" the Cardigans
2004 - "More Adventurous" Rilo Kiley
2005 - "Warnings/Promises" Idlewild
2006 - "The Dust of Retreat" Margo & the Nuclear So & So's
2006 - "The Trials of Van Occupanther" Midlake
2007 - "Twelve Stops and Home" the Feeling
2008 - "Fleet Foxes" Fleet Foxes
2008 - "Furr" Blitzen Trapper

Back in Minnesota

Back in Minnesota and working for the U of M, Crookston again. Feeling good about that decision, but missing a dear friend back in Colorado. That is all for now. More soon, I hope. Weird how life goes sometimes.

Good Advice...

"Live and let this whole thing go... One-hundred years from now it won't matter anyway." --Frank Orrall of Poi Dog Pondering

FOUR

So it HAS been a while since I posted. I've been busy, what can I say. To get back into this, I'm posting a short meme I got. Four things...

Four Jobs I have had in my life:

Marketing Director
Webmaster
Admissions Counselor
Farm Hand

Four Movies I could watch over and over:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Star Wars - the Empire Strikes Back
The Accidental Tourist
American Beauty

Four Places I have lived:

Lowry, Minnesota
Crookston, Minnesota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Longmont, Colorado

Four people I talk with on the phone regularly:

My Mom
My Friend Karl
My Friend Chris
My Friends Alex and Holly

Four TV Shows I watch regularly:

Lost
Battlestar Galactica
The Riches
The Office

Four Songs I'm listenting to:

"Eighties Movies" the Billionaires
"You, Me and the Bourgeoisie" the Submarines
"Supernatural Superserious" R.E.M.
"Giving Tree" the Epochs

Four Favorite Foods:

Pizza
Spaghetti
Chili
Strawberries

Four Places I have visited:

Nova Scotia
Montana
Germany
North Carolina

Top 40 Favorite Songs of 2007

For some reason a list of my 40 favorite songs is a magic number. (Although, I do have a list of 100 that fits nicely onto 5 CDs). Here are my favorite songs of 2007 in relative order...

01. Phantom Limb – the Shins
02. Sewn – the Feeling
03. Plus Ones – Okkervil River
04. Hey Momma – Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
05. Dirt and the Body – Hello Dragon
06. You Bring Me Down – Travis
07. Kookaburra – John Vanderslice
08. Chariot – Page France
09. Boyscout’n – Menomena
10. 1234 – Feist
11. The One – Trabant
12. Red Rabbits – the Shins
13. It’s Not True – William Fitzsimmons
14. Sing Like the Sun – Rotary Downs
15. Home – Great Northern
16. Die Alone – Ingrid Michaelson
17. Colors That Lie – Meowskers
18. Heart It Races – Architecture in Helsinki
19. Ghosts – Siobahn Donaghy
20. The End of the World – Hello Dragon
21. Halloweenhead – Ryan Adams
22. Broken Arm – Winterpills
23. Fire It Up – Modest Mouse
24. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs
25. No Cars Go – Arcade Fire
26. Challengers – the New Pornographers
27. Fool That I Am – Kula Shaker
28. Wild Mountain Nation – Blitzen Trapper
29. Typical – Mutemath
30. Good Night – La Rocca
31. How Low – Jose Gonzales
32. Dark Matter – Andrew Bird
33. Strange – the Feeling
34. Candylion – Gruff Rhys
35. Stephen Hawking – Hello Dragon
36. July – Winterpills
37. Rotten Hell – Menomena
38. X’s Are Forever – Scissors for Lefty
39. Slow Show – the National
40. Sugar – Dan Wilson with Sheryl Crow

Greetings from Colorado

Well, if you didn’t already know, I’ve moved to Colorado. I got a chance to take a job at the University of Colorado at Boulder and decided to jump at that opportunity. I have always wanted to live in the Centennial State.

Backing up a bit, September and October 2007 were months of sweeping change for me.

In a matter of a couple of weeks I:

1)…moved to Colorado – I packed up all my stuff Sept. 20-27, loaded it up into a moving van and drove to Colorado from Sioux Falls.

2)…gained a roommate – Joe is my roommate. He owns a home about 15 miles outside of Boulder, and I rent from him. He’s a great guy and a good friend and has been working on renovating the house, so he gave me a good deal on rent. It hasn’t been too hard readjusting to sharing living space, but after living alone for so long, there was a little adjusting to be done…like remembering to turn off lights, etc.

3)…fractured my elbow – As I was loading stuff into a storage unit here in Longmont, I lost my balance and fell, with most of my weight on my right arm. After a 3 hour wait in the emergency room, it was confirmed that I had fractured my elbow. I wore a sling for about 6 weeks and am now finally getting back to close to the range of movement I had before the accident.

4)…started a new job serving as the assistant to the director of an NSF funded project – it’s been a good change.

5)…gained a four-legged roommate – in October, Joe brought home Noodle, who was an 8-week-old Jack Russell Terrier. She quickly took over the house and we now exist only to serve her. She’s actually a very smart and fun little pup—too smart for here own good, but a good little companion, nonetheless.

6)…started riding the bus rather than driving to work. The rush hour drive to Boulder from Longmont can take 40 minutes on your own, so I’ve made use of the free bus pass given to all University of Colorado employees and ride to and from work. It takes a little longer, but I haven’t bought a tank of gasoline since mid-October!

So, there you have it. I’m enjoying Colorado and the new job. I look forward to spring when I can explore the mountains and go panning for gold and other things.

More (almost) apocalyptic lyrics...

In this song the world really doesn't come to an end, but the author thinks about what it might be like in his situation and almost yearns for it.

The Temptation of Adam
by Josh Ritter
from the album The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

If this was the Cold War we could keep each other warm
I said on the first occasion that I met Marie
We were crawling through the hatch that was the missile silo door
And I don't think that she really thought that much of me

I never had to learn to love her like I learned to love the Bomb
She just came along and started to ignore me
But as we waited for the Big One
I started singing her my songs
And I think she started feeling something for me

We passed the time with crosswords that she thought to bring inside
What five letters spell "apocalypse" she asked me
I won her over singing "W.W.I.I.I."
She smiled and we both knew that she'd misjudged me

Oh Marie it was so easy to fall in love with you
It felt almost like a home of sorts or something
And you would keep the warhead missile silo good as new
And I'd watch you with my thumb above the button

Then one night you found me in my army issue cot
And you told me of your flash of inspiration
You said fusion was the broken heart that's lonely's only thought
And all night long you drove me wild with your equations

Oh Marie do you remember all the time we used to take
We'd make our love and then ransack the rations
I think about you leaving now and the avalanche cascades
And my eyes get washed away in chain reactions

Oh Marie if you would stay then we could stick pins in the map
Of all the places where you thought that love would be found
But I would only need one pin to show where my heart's at
In a top secret location three hundred feet under the ground

We could hold each other close and stay up every night
Looking up into the dark like it's the night sky
And pretend this giant missile is an old oak tree instead
And carve our name in hearts into the warhead

Oh Marie there's something tells me things just won't work out above
That our love would live a half-life on the surface
So at night while you are sleeping
I hold you closer just because
As our time grows short I get a little nervous

I think about the Big One, W.W.I.I.I.
Would we ever really care the world had ended
You could hold me here forever like you're holding me tonight
I look at that great big red button and I'm tempted

Lyrics of the moment...almost like the end of the world

The song "Kookaburra" by John Vanderslice is amazing, if not more than a bit apocalyptic. Picked up his new CD this past week and played this particular song about 30 times.

"Kookaburra"
by John Vanderslice

Lightning shot from the sky
It breathed life into every, every living thing
It made you, it made me
It gave us the kookaburra
It gave us frangipane tree

From dusk to dawn and dawn to dusk
The sky will fill
with vaporized dust, raining
White on white, like streamers of dirty confetti
White on white, the Chrysler Tower had disappeared
White on white, the capitol dome was invisible
White on white, the hoisted flag had disappeared

It can't be stopped
Thunder clouds are tightening
In the sky tonight
We can't be saved
Electricity will scribble out
Your name

Lightning shot from the sky
It gives, it takes away from
Every living thing
It made you, it made me
It gave us the terrabyte
It gave us 117V

From dusk to dawn and dawn to dusk
The sky will fill
with vaporized dust, raining
White on white, like streamers of dirty confetti
White on white, the looming spire had disappeared
White on white, and the Bundestag was invisible
White on white, the hoisted flag had disappeared

White phosphor rain
And blackout bombs
Are falling out the sky tonight
We can't be saved
Electricity is crossing out
Your family name

It made you, it made me
It gave us the kookaburra
It gave us frangipane tree

Bands of the moment: A to Z

I'm feeling alphabetical, so here are my favorite bands/artists of the moment A to Z along with the album/music I'm currently listening to...with apologies to O, U, & X. (there are more B's, C's, M's, and S's, but only one per letter)

Adams, Ryan - "Easy Tiger"
Bad Plus, the - "Prog"
Crowded House - "Time on Earth"
Donaghy, Siobhan - "Ghosts" (single)
Eagle*Seagull - new stuff on MySpace
Fitzsimmons, William - "It's Not True" (single)
Guster - "Satellite" (EP)
Hello Dragon - new stuff on MySpace
Iron & Wine - "Boy with a Coin" (EP)
Junior Boys - "So This Is Goodbye"
Kaiser Chiefs - "Yours Truly, Angry Mob"
Lowery, David - new stuff on MySpace
Menomena - "Friend and Foe"
New Young Pony Club - "Ice Cream" (single)
O
Procession, the - "Musique Magnifique"
Queens of the Stone Age - "Era Vulgaris"
Rosebuds - "Night of the Furies"
Scissors for Lefty - "Underhanded Romance"
Travis - "The Boy with No Name"
U
Veirs, Larua - "Saltbreakers"
White Stripes, the - "Icky Thump"
X
Young Knives, the - "Voices of Animals and Men"
Zutons, the - "Tired of Hanging Around"

Fourth of July 2007 - We should all be so proud...

Happy Independence Day 2007! It's a day we celebrate in memory of throwing off the non-representational rule of a monarchy. Hmmm. Here we are in the year 2007 celebrating, and here's why we should all be so proud of our country and our current presidential administration (note sarcastic tone):

• Where once the U.S. was a nation of laws that applied, more or less, equally to all, we now have a nation where the cronies of G.W. Bush (read Scooter Libby) have their criminal sentences commuted or dismissed - it's great that we have a double standard that applies to G.W. and his ilk!
• Where once the U.S. was respected by most countries around the world because it upheld the Geneva Conventions and worked as a true partner, we now face scorn from even our closest allies because of our unilateral disregard for the Kyoto Protocals, our incursion into Iraq, and our waterboarding and other "not really torture" methods at Guantonamo Bay and Abu Grabe. Thank you, W. and company!
• Where once (read at the end of President Clinton's term) the U.S. was on its way to balancing a budget and having an actual surplus, we now face a national debt of several TRILLIONS of dollars.
• Where once there was a fairly distinct line separating church and state that allowed most people freedom of and from religion based on their individual beliefs, we now have a system of faith-based initiatives and further church-state erosions that give a distinct impression that evangelical Christianity is unofficially the official religion of the U.S. - people of many diverse faiths or none at all are now forced through taxation to underwrite evangelical Christians' religious activities.
• Where once the scientific acumen of the U.S. was second to none, we now face funding cuts and assaults on true science from advocates of the belief (not theory) of Intelligent Design.
• Where once we had three branches of government with an elaborate check and balance system, we now have a Decider-in-Chief who apparently has no regard for either the Legislatve Branch nor the Judicial Branch, as well as an extremely secretive vice president who claims accountability to none becaues he's not officially part of the Executive Branch.
• Where once we had the protection of habeus corpus to ensure fair treatment, we now have the potential to have that suspended if someone in the government even thinks you might have some vague tie to some "enemy combatant".
• Where once the U.S. was moving on a track to become an environmentally responsible world citizen, we now have taken a backward step, perhaps 40 years, via repealed or more lax environmental policies, partly because the administration still doesn't believe the more than 95% of real scientists who say global warming is reality and is not a good thing.
• Where once we had a media corps that actually questioned the veracity and motives of the government and corporate sectors, we now have a "fair and balanced" corporate media arm that pushes the agenda of its owner Rupert Murdoch and engages in what can only be called smear tactics of candidates not marching to its far-right conservative bent.

Okay, it's not all doom and gloom; we have made strides in equity for various minorities based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. And don't forget that we have the iPhone! But we DO have our work cut out for us. Let's get going, America. Happy Independence Day!