Reading reports that Bear Grylls from Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild staged scenes and spent nights in a motel while all the time leading viewers to believe he was roughing it killed a little bit of me today. The feeling of a little part of my insides dying was almost exactly the same as when I watched Mark McGwire's congressional testimony from 2005.
Before this, who else was cooler and more all-around badass than Bear Grylls. Look at his name! His first name is Bear, and his last name is Grylls! With a Y! Don't you wish your name were that cool?
And sure, the comments from people about how this makes Grylls all the more insane and impressive because he drank juice out of elephant shit or his own urine when he could have turned off the cameras and walked over to the catering table are worth something, but come on. This brings him down to just a level above the guys from Jackass who do that kind of stuff for kicks and giggles. I never thought it was just him out there alone because of the camera angles make it obvious, but I imagined Bear was all that more badass because as he kicked the Earth in the balls, he had to watch as fat guys holding boom mics and cameras got bottled water and Big Macs. I thought he withstood that torment for me, the viewer, even when he knew he could kill them and take their supplies by making some endangered snake spit venom in their eyes. I thought we had something Bear. What happened to that?
EDIT: I just read that Bear named his son Marmaduke. If it is true, and I completely believe it is, I don't feel as sad about the whole faking thing. Because naming your son Marmaduke is either 1) the coolest thing you could possibly do, 2) the funniest thing you could, or 3) something that requires larger balls than anyone in the world can contest. Bear Grylls deserves some Chuck Norris-esque jokes about him.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
We Laughed In a Way People Don't Much Laugh Anymore
My seven day challenge in poetry went very well. I was both surprised and delighted with the way things rolled out. I didn't have any guidelines, besides finish one poem each day, and I'm sure the freedom from that helped me churn some out that didn't require as much work, but still, I finished. A couple of ones came out of this past week that I think are definite keepers. I am at a point that I feel excited about those two, but I don't feel like they are solidified yet - I haven't had someone come in and rip the shit out of them. I still need that. I think I'll take this coming week off from a challenge like that, but starting on the 5th, I want to pull another seven day stretch with some strict guidelines passed along from a friend. Should be much more difficult and probably more interesting in the end. I'll be writing in a place I've never written before that week because I'll be at the coast.
Then it is back to Chapel Hill.
I think I might take a stab at reviewing the new Minus the Bear album this week as well. Take care.
Then it is back to Chapel Hill.
I think I might take a stab at reviewing the new Minus the Bear album this week as well. Take care.
Friday, July 27, 2007
No one belongs here more than you.
I think I love Miranda July. I know she's considerably older than I am, but still. Just look at her. And even before I saw her stunningly beautiful photo (above) staring out from the inside-back sleeve of her first book, No one belongs here more than you, when I had only read the first few stories, I knew it. Miranda July can write and I love her for it.
Billed as a filmmaker, writer, and performing artist, July is best known for writing, directing, and starring in the 2005 film You, Me, and Everyone We Know. I haven't seen the movie except for a couple scenes, but I feel compelled to watch it now after reading her stories. The stories in No one belongs here more than you. are burdened by an overarching sadness that extends beyond the characters being down on their luck or in the middle of hard times. July's characters are crippled by a sadness that flows from within, and is coupled by irreparable breaks with the people closest to them. The mood is only deepened when, in many stories, a recognition scene of sorts is realized by the parties involved, and characters see and accept a doomed fate well before they act upon it.
Triumphs are short-lived and often questionably executed, like making money through giving personal fantasy sessions in the back of adult sex shops in Something That Needs Nothing, or connecting with a soul mate even if it means that person is a mentally challenged 14-year old student of yours in Making Love in 2003. The character's positive moments are rarely positive for any reason other than any human connection is a step forward. July's writing makes a strong argument that to be utterly alone is somehow better than to be in society but practically isolated. The latter offers the opportunity for torture - watching the world spin perfectly the same without your own input on it.
Almost all stories in July's compilation contain a theme of sex and sexuality. A 15-year old narrator is raped nightly by a 'dark shape' that is best summed up as a glowing orb. Best friends are lovers only when one is wearing a wig. In Majesty, a woman has reoccurring dreams of Prince William having sex with her at a party where low ceilings force attendees to crawl on all fours. However, the feeling of sadness and sex are never pried apart. While intercourse and sexual feelings may be euphoric to certain characters, it is never divorced from the relationship, from human emotion, and most importantly, from the situation in the story once the sex is finished.
July has supportive quotes on the back cover from two higher profile figures, Dave Eggers and David Byrne, and she is affiliated with the McSweeney's crew, I believe. She should have no problem getting any boost she needs to write. July's emotionally hurt yet fully open style is beautiful. Her stories, especially the longer ones, can really hit home, and can bring pains in the most terrible ways, making the heart and stomach feel bruised and vulnerable. Easily, this is the best fiction I've read this year.
The Books
I've been a reading machine recently. I leave one book in each room or place I frequent, and read only that while there. The basement is the domain of Freakonomics. Miranda July's No One Belongs Here More Than You: Stories is for the bedroom. So is Kay Ryan's Say Uncle. Driving to work is for Moby Dick, and while at work it is How the Mind Works by Steven Pinker. Those last two are accomplished through audiobooks. Herman Melville's classic is easy to follow as I drive down the freeway, but I find it difficult to follow where Pinker goes while I work. I haven't studied psychology at all, and it doesn't help that Pinker's work asks a lot of attention out of the audience when they can read through it with visuals at their own pace. Look for reviews when I finish these books.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Shit! Think! Shit! Think! Shit! Quick put me in the closet!
Pretty much the best news I could have gotten this week: R. Kelly is planning on releasing another 10 chapters of Trapped in the Closet. Hopefully we can learn more about all the characters of Kelly's hip-hopera. I have audio of all twelve previous chapters ripped to my iPod. I spent one night in the library last semester on the evening of an exam watching TitC instead of studying.
I can't wait for more lines like the title of this post, and another personal favorite, "A tear fell up out my eye." Hopefully there can be more of the midget as well.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The More You Try to Erase Me, the More that I Appear
Last night, I watched a documentary on Radiohead from right around the release of Kid A that featured a sit down running commentary/interview between Thom Yorke and a British journalist. Yorke was his usual self, which is to say, unusual. The journalist, whose name I did not catch, commented on Yorke's relative obscurity when compared with front men of other similar (i use that term loosely) bands like U2 and R.E.M. The comment went something like,
If Bono or Michael Stipe released a solo album right now, almost everyone would know who they were. However, people don't know who Thom Yorke is, and you would really have to do a lot more work to sell records of your solo album than the lead singer of U2 or R.E.M. would.
I totally agree with what the journalist was getting at, even though Thom Yorke probably cares (or makes it seem like he does) less about moving units than Bono or Stipe. It got me thinking on a somewhat different subject - what effect does an artist's work with a group have on the way critiques are given to that artist's solo output? More importantly, what effect did Thom Yorke's career with Radiohead have on how his solo album from 2006, The Eraser, was perceived?
I feel that Radiohead have only released one album that wasn't any good. Their debut, Pablo Honey, is largely forgettable, except for that one song. So, after that, the guys have released five albums that have been great albums, with OK Computer and Kid A being next to perfect. To many, Thom Yorke is a deity. Radiohead may be the only band with underground credibility that can sell millions and millions of records (and they will whenever LP7 drops). I can't think of any other band to sell records like that and not lose their stripes with the scene, although how important those stripes are is debatable. But the truth of it still is, Thom Yorke can do no wrong in the eyes of the Radiohead super fans. Just got to the message boards at Ateaseweb or Mortigi Tiempo to find that out.
How did The Eraser start? A mysterious website surfaced called The eraser with strange art and odd sounds. Radiohead fans that found the link on a Radiohead blog looked up the IP address and found that it was registered to a man who was generally associated with Radiohead, either producer Nigel Godrich or artist Stanley Donwood. Usually, any Radiohead news is enough to make fans foam at the mouth, but it had been three years since the last band release, so any news was big news in the Summer of 2006. Let it sink in that the fans of Radiohead are so obsessed, they track down the owners of IP addresses for websites they only have vague hunches about. A few days after the website was running, news of what The Eraser was started to spread. In a matter of a couple weeks, the album had leaked, and in less than a month, the album was out proper on July 11, 2006.
And it got mixed reviews.
Yorke's The Eraser wasn't polarizing. We aren't talking In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 'best record ever!'/'piece of garbage' here. But some thought it was a contender for album of the year (Shortlist) and some just thought it was an album released that year (Pitchfork). I tended towards the Pitchfork side of things, while the person I discussed the album with the most saw it as one of the top releases. I was a little disappointed with the production when I first listened to the album. Expecting the same crispness from Godrich and Yorke that was delivered on all the band albums, Yorke's solo excursion lacks dynamics for the most part. Even more crippling than that, from start to finish it sounds flat and compressed. Live versions of songs sound strikingly better than studio versions, as evidenced by Yorke's acoustic strip-down of "The Clock" from the Henry Rollins Show. Live versions should not sound better than studio version if you're working with a glitch record.
Even for the album's faults, it debuted at number 2 in the United States and sold a total of 90,000 copies worldwide. At least that many were probably leaked. Of course, people were picking up the record simply because it was the lead singer from Radiohead. How else would a debut album with no "Creep" to call its own shoot that high? I think the same people who were running out to pick up The Eraser for that reason were largely the people who gave it such glowing reviews (like the majority of British critics did) when there were equally worthy or even better albums recorded in the same year like Islands' Return to the Sea, Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope, Joanna Newsom's Ys, the Blow's Paper Television, and some would say TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain. All those albums were better than Yorke's, and they sold less. Not only that, but you could make a case that Spektor's album and The Blow's record were both easily more mainstream and accessible than The Eraser. I can't help but feel that most of Yorke's success is due to riding the coattails of his band. I enjoyed the album, to be sure. However, I am bugged by the feeling that Thom Yorke's album stole the spotlight from more deserving works. I know he didn't want this to be a big deal. But in the end, it was, at least to me.
The release and hype over The Eraser can be seen as a sort of predicament to music fans - how do you fairly evaluate the music when you are familiar and opinionated about the artist's previous work? Of course, writing reviews is never unbiased, but what if that the bias ends up changing the entire discussion of music for the year? I hope someone can give me some insight about this, or just general thoughts about The Eraser and the subject at hand.
And it got mixed reviews.
Yorke's The Eraser wasn't polarizing. We aren't talking In the Aeroplane Over the Sea 'best record ever!'/'piece of garbage' here. But some thought it was a contender for album of the year (Shortlist) and some just thought it was an album released that year (Pitchfork). I tended towards the Pitchfork side of things, while the person I discussed the album with the most saw it as one of the top releases. I was a little disappointed with the production when I first listened to the album. Expecting the same crispness from Godrich and Yorke that was delivered on all the band albums, Yorke's solo excursion lacks dynamics for the most part. Even more crippling than that, from start to finish it sounds flat and compressed. Live versions of songs sound strikingly better than studio versions, as evidenced by Yorke's acoustic strip-down of "The Clock" from the Henry Rollins Show. Live versions should not sound better than studio version if you're working with a glitch record.
Even for the album's faults, it debuted at number 2 in the United States and sold a total of 90,000 copies worldwide. At least that many were probably leaked. Of course, people were picking up the record simply because it was the lead singer from Radiohead. How else would a debut album with no "Creep" to call its own shoot that high? I think the same people who were running out to pick up The Eraser for that reason were largely the people who gave it such glowing reviews (like the majority of British critics did) when there were equally worthy or even better albums recorded in the same year like Islands' Return to the Sea, Regina Spektor's Begin to Hope, Joanna Newsom's Ys, the Blow's Paper Television, and some would say TV on the Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain. All those albums were better than Yorke's, and they sold less. Not only that, but you could make a case that Spektor's album and The Blow's record were both easily more mainstream and accessible than The Eraser. I can't help but feel that most of Yorke's success is due to riding the coattails of his band. I enjoyed the album, to be sure. However, I am bugged by the feeling that Thom Yorke's album stole the spotlight from more deserving works. I know he didn't want this to be a big deal. But in the end, it was, at least to me.
The release and hype over The Eraser can be seen as a sort of predicament to music fans - how do you fairly evaluate the music when you are familiar and opinionated about the artist's previous work? Of course, writing reviews is never unbiased, but what if that the bias ends up changing the entire discussion of music for the year? I hope someone can give me some insight about this, or just general thoughts about The Eraser and the subject at hand.
Jumping the Shark
Sadly, I think the lolcats craze might have jumped the shark in the past couple weeks. It is quite a shame - I loved those things, but I realize that they have just about reached that level of saturation where they just aren't as funny any more because they are so ubiquitous. The sneaking suspicion has been pretty much confirmed by the cultural commentators that are Drew and Natalie Dee of Married to the Sea/Toothpaste for Dinner/Natalie Dee fame. This really is a sad day for me. I'll just have to wait until the next viral sensation comes along the road we call 'internet' and replaces lolcats and dramatic chipmunk.
I also think that the phrase 'jumped the shark' is in the last days/weeks before it, in one of the more ironic moments ever, well, jumps the shark. I will have a good laugh on that day.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Musicwatch - September
It is always fun to look ahead to upcoming shows, and the month of September is making me drool. Really, it is redonkulous. Here is a quick fly through. The crazy part is, this will probably have to be updated since it is still over a month away.
5th -- Midlake
6th -- The Mountain Goats
11th -- Peter, Bjorn & John
12th -- Andrew Bird
13th -- Al Green
15th -- The Avett Brothers
25th -- Magnolia Electric w/ the Watson Twins
26th -- The Sea and Cake
28th -- The Everybodyfields/Of Montreal
The question about the 28th is can I possibly figure out how to attend the two shows within a one minute walk of each other in the same night? Odds look against me at the moment with both shows featuring an opening act and having start times that are only 30 minutes apart. But shows at the Local 506 where the Everybodyfields are playing generally start on time, and you never know what kind of...preparation Of Montreal might need to take care of before going on stage.
I think I might have to get a job as a medical research test subject for the medical school just to pay for these gigs.
5th -- Midlake
6th -- The Mountain Goats
11th -- Peter, Bjorn & John
12th -- Andrew Bird
13th -- Al Green
15th -- The Avett Brothers
25th -- Magnolia Electric w/ the Watson Twins
26th -- The Sea and Cake
28th -- The Everybodyfields/Of Montreal
The question about the 28th is can I possibly figure out how to attend the two shows within a one minute walk of each other in the same night? Odds look against me at the moment with both shows featuring an opening act and having start times that are only 30 minutes apart. But shows at the Local 506 where the Everybodyfields are playing generally start on time, and you never know what kind of...preparation Of Montreal might need to take care of before going on stage.
I think I might have to get a job as a medical research test subject for the medical school just to pay for these gigs.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Mimes, Bombs, and Rock n' Roll
Clap If You're Confused and Autopassion at the Werehouse
Last night was the first time I'd been to The Werehouse since Halloween of 2005, and the changes made there in the past two years are astounding. Altogether, The Werehouse contains an art gallery, indoor performance area, outdoor performance area, coffee shop, bar, and has living space for artists. On Saturday mornings, it is also the host to a local farmer's market. The place has grown from a hole in the wall kind of dive to possibly one of the better places to be in Winston-Salem. I think the indoor performance area, as small as it is, is my favorite of all the clubs in town. It gets a slight edge over The Garage for having a lending library where you can take and leave books. Last night, The Werehouse was so much cleaner and less-smokey than before.
The lineup for the show, scheduled to start at 9:30, was Autopassion, Clap If You're Confused, and Brother Reade. In true form, Autopassion hopped on stage sometime after 10PM, and played to a truly excited crowd. This band never ceases to puzzle me when I see them. I wonder how they play what seems to be Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem only without completely exhausting their fans. Autopassion is fun, but from what I can tell, they don't bring new material to every show. Last night, they redeemed themselves for me a bit - I had seen them a few months before at a free show at NCSA and it was not a good show for them at all. The band seemed tighter last night, and the crowd responded. I am always struck by just how talented Autopassion drummer Lee Hinshaw is. He is the type of drummer that makes you say, "I want to play music with that guy." Little guy just flails, and it is a lot of fun to watch and listen to. Guitarist Tim Poovey and Hinshaw were great together last night, and I had a lot of fun watching the two. I would talk about what songs they played, but I wasn't able to understand a majority of the words Andy Siebert sang. It could have possibly been the PA system, but at any rate, he was difficult to comprehend.
After Autopassion finished their set, most people moved to the outdoors performance space to catch Clap If You're Confused's piece, 'Taxidermy Journey.' I came into this with about as open a mind as possible - I had seen one member perform in a dance company a year ago, but nothing besides that. The piece started off with a humorous and melodramatic video of two dolls, one lamenting over a lover, one plotting to blow up a train. After the video ended, the music changed and two mimes (in the above picture) perform on a fixture that was one part box, one part monkey-bars. The partnered work between the two of them with pieces of fabric was a lot of fun to watch. I'd say more, but I don't know anything about dance, so I would most likely sound foolish. The live performance between the two mimes shadowed the humorous video, and for a while it was more serious than the video. Music choices for the piece hopped genres from classical, country-western, jazz, and rock n' roll. The performance took place all around the seats. I think the part I enjoyed more than anything was when the good mime danced as she ate dinner and drank wine on top of a table. After that though, things kinda went downhill. As more characters were introduced, starting with a train, the show got farcical. As the bad mime, plotted to blow up the train tracks, there was a struggle for an over sized, comical bomb between the two mimes and the train. As the bomb "exploded," symbolized by a long piece of red fabric that was pulled out of the black ball, the mimes were draped with the red fabric, and the music ended. Show over, right? Wrong. Then, three demons marched out on stage, joined by a preacher. The preacher and demons then raised the mimes from the dead, and all involved started into a punk rock song, with the demons on drums, guitar, and bass and the preacher leading in vocals. The Mimes and musicians danced through the crowd as demons played Bad Religion-esque music for roughly ten minutes.
I watched the piece with a group of dancers (some collegiate, a couple professional) and I was much more entertained by the piece than they were. Needless to say, the second half of the piece lacked the artistic integrity I think they were hoping for. It was comical, not terribly serious, and admittedly, not terribly artistic either. So, I concede that point. However, it was fun, and I'd go back to watch something Clap If You're Confused does again. It was late by the time the performance art piece finished, and I didn't have it in me to stay for the final band, Brother Reade. Overall, last night's show made for a good weekend.
Twin City Action
I just returned from a night out in Winston-Salem. The Werehouse has definitely made some leaps and bounds in the past two years. It actually feels like a clean and organized venue now. I saw Autopassion open for a performance art crew called Clap If You're Confused. I'll give a review of sorts when the sun comes back out.
Today (Sunday), I am starting a seven-day challenge in writing. I plan to write a complete poem each day this week. Not having deadlines has killed all my productivity that I left the spring semester with. Hopefully placing and enforcing rules upon my writing habits will help to generate some decent work.
Side note of interest: a friend told me yesterday that they had spent $2300 on alcohol in the past year at college. I find this hard to believe, but this person isn't one to exaggerate. I know I didn't spend $2300 on all luxuries combined last year. Spending $2300 on alcohol in a year seems like a major problem, or just poor consumer practices. Needs to learn a bit about the art of obtaining free beer.
Today (Sunday), I am starting a seven-day challenge in writing. I plan to write a complete poem each day this week. Not having deadlines has killed all my productivity that I left the spring semester with. Hopefully placing and enforcing rules upon my writing habits will help to generate some decent work.
Side note of interest: a friend told me yesterday that they had spent $2300 on alcohol in the past year at college. I find this hard to believe, but this person isn't one to exaggerate. I know I didn't spend $2300 on all luxuries combined last year. Spending $2300 on alcohol in a year seems like a major problem, or just poor consumer practices. Needs to learn a bit about the art of obtaining free beer.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Francold
The Braves claimed Julio Franco off of wavers yesterday. The amount of happiness this gives me falls just short of Smoltz cementing his spot in the Hall of Fame this year and how I would feel if Altanta got a ring in 2007. Really. Sure, he is set to turn 49 in August, but you can't not like Julio Franco. Best of all, I got the news from The Dugout, a site everyone needs to check daily.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
A Short History of Nearly Everything
As someone who was a chemistry major for a semester and a half, I have a healthy respect for the sciences. I have a decent grasp of basic chem, as well as biology from working in a cancer biology lab for a year. On top of that, I have a fairly good grasp of basic physics and the other major sciences. I like science, I appreciate science. So it should come as no surprise that Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything was a good read for me. The title doesn't lie. Bryson does a good job of giving a crash course in more fields of study than you would think there possibly could be.
Divided by scientific subject and focusing largely on how each field plays into what we experience in regular life, Bryson's book attempts to delve into the epistemology of the sciences, how do we know what we know, the corresponding history of such events, and above all, to create a book about science for everyone that was turned off by the density and sterility of grade school textbooks. Bryson's stories and historical biographical notes of researchers and fieldworkers tend to be humorous (especially if they worked during the 18th and 19th century), and the facts presented are generally astounding. The reader might have heard that Yellowstone National Park is really a volcano, but Bryson's research states much more than a big boom: we're talking death to everyone between the Mississippi and Pacific. Bryson entertains with recountings of strange botanist that preferred to do fieldwork while in the nude, university custodians who penned essays on particle physics that rivaled Einstein, and countless revolutionary ideas that went unnoticed for decades. One special ability of Bryson's that more educators need to pick up on is the ability to inflate the microscopic into terms that are understandable on a real world level. Bringing the cell or atom up to fathomable size is more difficult than one would expect. The same goes for doing the opposite and putting astronomical values like the distance between planets and solar systems on a human level.
A Short History of Nearly Everything faltered in a few places for me though. I found that areas I had already studied to a collegiate level of understanding, like the cell, photosynthesis, or molecular theory were tiresome. The book is not a quick read by any means, at a length of over 500 pages and often consisting of dense material (see particle physics/subatomic particles). I would have enjoyed it more if the material I already knew went down a little easier. Sections on biology, geology, and oceanography felt rather heavy handed, which isn't surprising since geology and oceanography are known to be two of the lesser sciences in academia. Also, for some reason, Bryson ends a book full of amazing theories and facts with a rather dour chapter on all the species humans have helped usher out the door since our arrival. Bryson eschews the style of presenting solid and jaw-dropping information (which was entirely possible to pull of here), and instead goes for a more leaden prose. The result is more than a tad bit disappointing and mostly gloomy.
Even though it is significant, the final chapter is the only one that altogether fails. Otherwise, there are 470 pages that will more than likely captivate the reader while teaching them (sometimes useless) facts. I would warn anyone who had more than an amateur interest in the sciences to read this for pleasure -- professors would probably gag at what they read about their own line of work. But for the general reader, Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is entertaining and thought-provoking. I never knew so much about astrophysics or why a species' move from being quadrupeds to bipeds is so risky (pelvis and hips must become weight-bearing, birth canal narrows, means pain for mom in child birth and babies born without fully formed brains, lack self-sufficiency at early age). I recommend that readers give this one a shot, and dump it if it isn't for you.
I'm reading a handful of books right now, including some poems by Frank O'Hara, the famous Freakonomics book, and a biography of Charles Bukowski by Barry Miles. Look for reviews when I finish.
The Waiting Game
The waiting game, which is not at all related to The Crying Game, thankfully, is what I am currently in the middle of in regards to publication. Getting a piece of writing accepted, not even thinking about printed, takes a very long time, especially when life is otherwise moving at college-paced speed.
An estimated response time of 90 days doesn't really seem that bad on day one or two, but after month two or three, you can't help but wonder if the mail got lost, or the email address was wrong. It has been recommended before the have at least five pieces out at all times, but it is an odd feeling when you can't really remember what those five pieces are at any given time. That last fact is probably a testament to my slack revision discipline, but it doesn't change the fact that the literary world moves at a pace all its own. No other part of society, besides government, can give them run for their money. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough though.
On a similar note, one poem that I have floating around somewhere was sent in to the fine peoples at AntiMuse. I just looked at their site, and they are now closed for submissions for a few months. I haven't heard back from them to see if they are taking the poem, but the fact that they are closed to submissions puts me in more doubt about an acceptance than I already was in. Any words of wisdom out there?
An estimated response time of 90 days doesn't really seem that bad on day one or two, but after month two or three, you can't help but wonder if the mail got lost, or the email address was wrong. It has been recommended before the have at least five pieces out at all times, but it is an odd feeling when you can't really remember what those five pieces are at any given time. That last fact is probably a testament to my slack revision discipline, but it doesn't change the fact that the literary world moves at a pace all its own. No other part of society, besides government, can give them run for their money. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon enough though.
On a similar note, one poem that I have floating around somewhere was sent in to the fine peoples at AntiMuse. I just looked at their site, and they are now closed for submissions for a few months. I haven't heard back from them to see if they are taking the poem, but the fact that they are closed to submissions puts me in more doubt about an acceptance than I already was in. Any words of wisdom out there?
Sunday, July 15, 2007
What, No Prince?
Today is my birthday, and someone sent me the link to a site that catalogs the #1 Song On This Date In History.
Mine? "Alone" by Heart. Oh, and the top album on that day was Whitney Houston's Whitney. Here are the lyrics to Heart's chart-topper:
I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it won't end though
Alone
Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
you don't know how long i have wanted
to touch your lips and hold you tight
You don't know how long I have waited
and I was going to tell you tonight
But the secret is still my own
and my love for you is still unknown
Alone
Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
Alone, alone
I am quite saddened that there isn't a Prince song in that chart position.
Mine? "Alone" by Heart. Oh, and the top album on that day was Whitney Houston's Whitney. Here are the lyrics to Heart's chart-topper:
I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone
And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it won't end though
Alone
Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
you don't know how long i have wanted
to touch your lips and hold you tight
You don't know how long I have waited
and I was going to tell you tonight
But the secret is still my own
and my love for you is still unknown
Alone
Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
How do I get you alone
Alone, alone
I am quite saddened that there isn't a Prince song in that chart position.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
WTFMLB? Part II
I caught the first of what I assume are multiple commercials this evening during the All-Star game for the Major League Baseball playoffs that featured Dane Cook. I said a day or two ago that I expected terrible jokes, but I was completely wrong. It was just terrible, and there were no jokes. What happens when very funny white dudes with shallow comedic acts go serious on you? The Guardian happens.
I don't care if someone does a hack job on the coast guard. Please don't do it to baseball though. ESPN has done enough embarrassing with The Bronx is Burning for all of us. And I'm not even a Yankees fan.
I don't care if someone does a hack job on the coast guard. Please don't do it to baseball though. ESPN has done enough embarrassing with The Bronx is Burning for all of us. And I'm not even a Yankees fan.
Young Folks
As my friends know, I am the only person under the age of 40 who works in my office. I am the only male as well. This makes for some interesting conversations generally.
The radio here is almost always tuned to either 99.5 FM Magic, which plays the best of Michael Bolton and the Bee Gees, or 104.1 WTQR, the contemporary country station that focuses on duets between Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. I make sure to have my iPod fully charged for the eight hours of music I want to block out.
But today during my lunchbreak, I caught the sounds of a familiar whistled melody and went to check it out. Sure enough, the radio was playing Peter, Bjorn, & John's "Young Folks."
Are they mocking me, or is there really hope for society yet?
*EDIT: After I posted this, PB&J was replaced with a Creed song. Can my coworkers possibly be toying with my sanity?
The radio here is almost always tuned to either 99.5 FM Magic, which plays the best of Michael Bolton and the Bee Gees, or 104.1 WTQR, the contemporary country station that focuses on duets between Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. I make sure to have my iPod fully charged for the eight hours of music I want to block out.
But today during my lunchbreak, I caught the sounds of a familiar whistled melody and went to check it out. Sure enough, the radio was playing Peter, Bjorn, & John's "Young Folks."
Are they mocking me, or is there really hope for society yet?
*EDIT: After I posted this, PB&J was replaced with a Creed song. Can my coworkers possibly be toying with my sanity?
Monday, July 9, 2007
WTF, MLB?
Major League Baseball announced that Dane Cook will be the face of the 2007 MLB Playoffs. Apparently, not enough males in the 13-26 age group watch baseball.
This seems like a very dumb decision if the MLB and Fox are attempting to gain viewership from demographics that aren't loyally glued to the television for playoff baseball in the first place. And if they didn't care about expanding the audience, why not go with someone who is actually tied to the game of baseball? At this rate, I bet a series between the Padres/Brewers and Red Sox/Angels would compete with 2007's NBA Finals for broadcasted event that no one cared about.
What are the chances of Cook making a joke about the name of a Cardinals' first baseman, regardless of that team being in the postseason or not?
This seems like a very dumb decision if the MLB and Fox are attempting to gain viewership from demographics that aren't loyally glued to the television for playoff baseball in the first place. And if they didn't care about expanding the audience, why not go with someone who is actually tied to the game of baseball? At this rate, I bet a series between the Padres/Brewers and Red Sox/Angels would compete with 2007's NBA Finals for broadcasted event that no one cared about.
What are the chances of Cook making a joke about the name of a Cardinals' first baseman, regardless of that team being in the postseason or not?
Sunday, July 8, 2007
10 Songs for Friends
Often, songs get tied by people to times and places and they become impossible to separate afterwards. That one song, you know, that one, will always be about the time you drove through the country after it flooded. I just got a new car, and when I first turned on the stereo, I heard, I know who will want to take me home, take me home. From then on, a solid song had much more to it-- a time and a place.
Likewise, we can connect specific people in our lives to specific tunes. Each of these songs I associate with a specific friend. See if you can guess if you made the list.
1. "Buckets of Rain" - Bob Dylan. Dylan sings, "Friends will arise, friends will disappear. If you want me, honey babe I'll be here." I think that pretty much sums up this person for me.
2. "Sadie" - Joanna Newsom. This song snuck up on me. I didn't think it was one of the top songs from Milk-Eyed Mender for quite some time, but I think seeing Joanna Newsom live and hearing this song made the jump for me. That is what a good live song should do. "Sadie" is the name of a dog in this song. More songs should have dogs in them.
3. "Land and Water" - Elliot. I remember five years ago, thinking Greensboro was a long ways away, and after going to the glorious little hole in the wall of Ace's Basement to watch bands I am too embarrassed to admit to, we'd put this record on for the drive home, at least after stopping at the Taco Bell. I can even remember the day I got the cd, Song in the Air from this person. Ninth grade wasn't so bad now that I think about in those terms.
4. "Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo" - Minus the Bear. I spent a day riding around Winston-Salem, going to the yogurt shop and picking up a check with this person, listening to this song. He got pissed because I left my wrapper from Subway in his Blazer. It was Summer and the whole car smelled like pastrami and vinegar. I just hope that there's another chance for it to happen again.
5. "Wagon Wheel" - Old Crow Medicine Show. A song I associate with many, many people? Oh yes. Here is what you should do: sing some other songs for a couple hours to warm up for this one (because all songs are made to warm up for this one), get drunk to the point that all you can do is sing and play loudly, gather around in a circle, and sing. In fact, after the last chorus, just do a couple of verses again. Then, you will love the people around as much as I do at that point.
6. "Figaro" - Madvillain. You know how you can tie a song to someone? If the only way you would know about the song is from that person, look no further. Madvillain is the only hip hop artist I listen to. Thanks man. I owe you some good music.
7. "Lisa" - The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers. Perry Wright, the songwriter behind the long moniker 'Prayers & Tears' is a really cool guy and good songwriter. Without this person to drive me to Raleigh one February night to catch the Mountain Goats, I wouldn't have ever heard this band, and subsequently the rest of the Bu_Hanan crew. That means no David Karsten Daniels, no Physics of Meaning, and no Prayers & Tears. Would have been a damn shame.
8. "Jumper" - Third Eye Blind. Another drunk singalong. I nominate this person for best interpretive dance of me being an idiot drunk with a ukulele ever.
9. "Yellow Submarine" - The Beatles. Remember that time this person and I threw a party? Remember when there were fifteen people in my room, singing this song, and my residence advisor came in to sing along? Best moment of living with this person.
10. "Carry On My Wayward Son" - Kansas. I strongly dislike Kansas, especially this song. It sounds like they took all the spare riffs and fragments they had after they recorded the album, threw them into a hat, and called it a song. Terrible song that is far too long. However, a couple people from my graduating class in high school will be forever tied to this song, making it a palatable song to me. The idea to make it our graduation song, however, is no less of a poor decision.
Likewise, we can connect specific people in our lives to specific tunes. Each of these songs I associate with a specific friend. See if you can guess if you made the list.
1. "Buckets of Rain" - Bob Dylan. Dylan sings, "Friends will arise, friends will disappear. If you want me, honey babe I'll be here." I think that pretty much sums up this person for me.
2. "Sadie" - Joanna Newsom. This song snuck up on me. I didn't think it was one of the top songs from Milk-Eyed Mender for quite some time, but I think seeing Joanna Newsom live and hearing this song made the jump for me. That is what a good live song should do. "Sadie" is the name of a dog in this song. More songs should have dogs in them.
3. "Land and Water" - Elliot. I remember five years ago, thinking Greensboro was a long ways away, and after going to the glorious little hole in the wall of Ace's Basement to watch bands I am too embarrassed to admit to, we'd put this record on for the drive home, at least after stopping at the Taco Bell. I can even remember the day I got the cd, Song in the Air from this person. Ninth grade wasn't so bad now that I think about in those terms.
4. "Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo" - Minus the Bear. I spent a day riding around Winston-Salem, going to the yogurt shop and picking up a check with this person, listening to this song. He got pissed because I left my wrapper from Subway in his Blazer. It was Summer and the whole car smelled like pastrami and vinegar. I just hope that there's another chance for it to happen again.
5. "Wagon Wheel" - Old Crow Medicine Show. A song I associate with many, many people? Oh yes. Here is what you should do: sing some other songs for a couple hours to warm up for this one (because all songs are made to warm up for this one), get drunk to the point that all you can do is sing and play loudly, gather around in a circle, and sing. In fact, after the last chorus, just do a couple of verses again. Then, you will love the people around as much as I do at that point.
6. "Figaro" - Madvillain. You know how you can tie a song to someone? If the only way you would know about the song is from that person, look no further. Madvillain is the only hip hop artist I listen to. Thanks man. I owe you some good music.
7. "Lisa" - The Prayers & Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers. Perry Wright, the songwriter behind the long moniker 'Prayers & Tears' is a really cool guy and good songwriter. Without this person to drive me to Raleigh one February night to catch the Mountain Goats, I wouldn't have ever heard this band, and subsequently the rest of the Bu_Hanan crew. That means no David Karsten Daniels, no Physics of Meaning, and no Prayers & Tears. Would have been a damn shame.
8. "Jumper" - Third Eye Blind. Another drunk singalong. I nominate this person for best interpretive dance of me being an idiot drunk with a ukulele ever.
9. "Yellow Submarine" - The Beatles. Remember that time this person and I threw a party? Remember when there were fifteen people in my room, singing this song, and my residence advisor came in to sing along? Best moment of living with this person.
10. "Carry On My Wayward Son" - Kansas. I strongly dislike Kansas, especially this song. It sounds like they took all the spare riffs and fragments they had after they recorded the album, threw them into a hat, and called it a song. Terrible song that is far too long. However, a couple people from my graduating class in high school will be forever tied to this song, making it a palatable song to me. The idea to make it our graduation song, however, is no less of a poor decision.
Friday, July 6, 2007
10 Songs You Probably Haven't Heard but Should Immediately
Note: The following was first posted here on 30 June 2007.
Isn't it a wonderful experience to hear a great song for the first time? The whole jaw-dropping experience where you realize you will listen to this one song until you know every word, until your significant other starts pleading not to hear it again. I love it, and the feeling I get from hearing a new gem is the reason I listen constantly. Below, I've compiled ten songs that don't seem to register when talking about music, but I have dreams that someday they will. Some of the artists are relative unknowns, some are completely knowns. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment.
1. My Oldest Memory – the Bowerbirds. Unless you follow the Raleigh-based Bowerbirds, I’m fairly sure you have not had this song pass through your ears. “My Oldest Memory” is the sixth track to the Bowerbirds’ debut, Hymns for a Dark Horse, and these fellows haven’t really gotten a lot of pre-release hype just yet for the album, which comes out July 10. John Darnielle is endorsing the album, so that is probably going to change. Pitchfork recently gushed over it, so I am hoping everyone will know about it before long. But you should run over the www.bowerbirds.org and stream the track a few times over. Make sure to listen to the chorus multiple times as well – definitely the centerpiece of the song with its sing along style. Bowerbirds are the perfect example of how jam-packed the Triangle music scene is right now with talent. The group is worthy of as much praise as any critic can generate, and from what I remember, they got next to nothing from Independent Weekly or the Daily Tar Heel this past year. Really, the Triangle market is so tough to compete in with acts like the Rosebuds and the Bu_Hanan groups stealing the spotlight, as well as the Old Ceremony. All those acts deserve their great reviews, but the Bowerbirds do not deserve this neglect. So go listen to the Bowerbirds, pick up their album, and take in the indie-folk guitars, quirky lyrics, accordions, and pristine home recording.
2. Epilogue – David Karsten Daniels. This fellow is another staple of our wonderful scene in Chapel Hill, and I hate that most people haven’t listened to him. Unlike the Bowerbirds, DKD did get some hype before his release of Sharp Teeth this spring, which is probably going to be on of the top albums of 2007. Yet, even the alpha and omega of pushing unknowns into the spotlight, Pitchfork, couldn’t make it happen for David. “Epilogue” is the ‘secret track’ tagged onto the end of David Karsten Daniels’ previous release, Angles. The man can write some rather depressing music, but “Epilogue” really has a good feeling bounce to it, at least in the guitar line. Perhaps that is why it was the secret song and not a listed track – it sounded too happy. David describes the song as, “Sometime, around town, you see the car your ex-lover used to drive. For a moment you flip out or your stomach kind of sinks. Then you realize it’s a stranger with the same make/model of vehicle. At that point you know you’re not as far away from things as you hoped you were.” That description came from where you should go to get the song, for free: Daytrotter. David’s Daytrotter Session featured a version of “Epilogue” that is well worth having, especially if you need an intro to the wonders of DKD. Make sure to pick up the three great songs above it as well. http://www.daytrotter.com/article/775/free-songs-david-karsten-daniels
3. Basketball Shoes – Hide and Seek. This song is 48 seconds long. The only way you could have it is if a band member gave you a CD-R copy. I’m pretty sure only my girlfriend and I still listen to this song. Hide and Seek was definitely the best spazz-punk/no-wave band out of Winston-Salem, and their live sets are dearly missed. Maybe if everyone goes to http://www.myspace.com/hideandseekwillkillyou and downloads “Jehovah All Over Yah” and then writes to Devin, Zach, and Savannah, we can get a reunion. I’d be there. I make it a point to put “Basketball Shoes” on each and every mix I make for people so they can enjoy the chorus of “You can play basketball in those shoes! / I can do anything in these shoes! / Recognize.”
4. Everything Reminds Me – Le Chevre. I really don’t know a whole lot about the guy that goes by the stage name Le Chevre. I was given a burned CD-R of a home made, self-titled release with 8 tracks on it way back in 2004 by this fellow. I think I remember he is out of somewhere down in South Carolina. Obviously, a bit obscure. The important part is, the music is for real, especially this track. I would describe Le Chevre as Postal Service that relies heavily on acoustic guitars, and a bit more kitsch in the synthscapes. The intro comes in like a good pop rocker, and the guitar work is actually pretty deft for what one would expect out of this genre. What pulls “Everything Reminds Me” together? The great hook of a chorus – “Nothing’s gonna get better until you pick up and start / Images don’t create themselves, but everything falls apart. / Everything in the world reminds me.” Yeah, makes no sense to me either. Sounds great though. I don’t know if this fellow even has a website, but if you feel like doing some investigative work, I suggest trying to find this material. I keep looking for Le Chevre to pop up in the ‘hot new act’ section of magazines like Alternative Press, right next to the flavor of the month.
5. Grendel’s Mother – The Mountain Goats. “Grendel’s Mother” is the odd case of a lesser-known song by a better known artist. Why is it lesser known? It stretches back to Zopilote Machine, John Darnielle’s 1994 release that was recorded on a Panasonic boombox. Couple the poor recording by most standards with being towards the end of an out of print record, and your make your case for inaccessibility. I’m a sucker for literary allusions in song, and no songwriter today does that better than John (he majored in English literature). Darnielle flips the perspective on us – we are not hearing of the triumphant Beowulf anymore, but instead the vengeful mother of a slain son. The usual quite Mountain Goats rage is there still in the chorus – you can run, but I will carry you home in my teeth.
6. Controversy – Prince. People should all know this song by heart and there should be a choreographed dance to go along. It just seems to get lost because it was released in that pre-Purple Rain period when people were still trying to figure out whom this fellow was. The whole purpose of the song is to bring to mind all these taboo or controversial subjects. In the opening lines, “Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay?” The first chorus, which kicks major ass – “Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?” It isn’t often that you find existential musings being dropped over a beat your parents would have really enjoyed wearing spandex to. What is really the most controversial part of the song? A bridge that consists of the purple one reciting the Lord’s Prayer over that insistent beat. Also, this song is seven minutes long, which gets points in my book for being an extended jam.
7. Julianne – Wood & Steel. Wood & Steel is a bluegrass band from the triad area. Not ‘nugrass.’ Not that quasi-imitation bluegrass that has been perfected by the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show and gets a crossover indie crowd. There is no outlaw aspect here, no rough edges. When these guys play live, it is a suit and tie affair. Just some seriously talented musicians playing insanely difficult music. “Julianne,” the third track from their release The Old Ones are the Best Ones, was written by mandolin player Joey Lemons. It is fast, it is good, there are tight harmonies, and it is best when played loudly while driving down two lane blacktop. If you woman ever leaves you at home because you are no fun, listen to the pleading lyrics of “Julianne” and use them to get her to stay home with you. You won’t regret it.
8. Dooley – The Dillards. People get confused when I try to explain who the Dillards were. The Dillards were occasionally characters on the Andy Griffith Show from years ago, where they played themselves, but weren’t called the Dillards. They were called the Darlins. So the Darlins were the Dillards being the Dillards. Got it? Good. I’ve never heard such amazing banjo playing as done by the guy who pulls of notes here. Never before has anyone played so fast, continuously. The lyrics are great – this song is about a local moonshiner who is the town hero, though no one will admit it. Well, the song is just about the moonshiner. It is amazing to hear where bluegrass was in the sixties, and the Dillards must have been one of the best groups of the decade. The best bet for finding this track will be looking on the net for an anthology or best of work. Just make sure to stay away from their late-career albums. Pure trash when compared to the likes of “Dooley.”
9. Quit – Hey Mercedes. Hey Mercedes’ debut album, Everynight Fire Works, was the album that I listened to non-stop from eighth grade until I finished high school. Most older kids thought they were mediocre or worse because they grew up on Braid, and were loyal to that band. I remember being sixteen and standing outside MSU skatepark in Kernersville and having a discussion with a member of a now well known band that thought Everynight Fire Works was terrible because it sounded like a Braid ripoff. However, no Braid album had “Quit” on it, did it? This is a behemoth track that I think was the best indie rock song ever written. There’s the guitars! The guitars! And Bob Nanna. Go get this, find it wherever you can now that they’ve broken up and were on a tiny label. Even if you don’t like that original brand of emo from the nineties, go pick this album up and stare at the cover for as long as you can. Yeah, amazing, I know.
10. Don’t Turn Around – The Everybodyfields. This is the first track to leak from the Everybodyfields’ third album, Nothing is Okay, which is set to make some noise towards the back end of August. I must say, it is quite a treat to see the ‘fields employ a full band, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. While recent live sets have featured strings, pedal steel, electric guitar, and keys, the drums really do fill this track out. Sung by male half of the band, Don’t Turn Around brings a shinier feel to the waltz tempos of the first two Everybodyfields albums. “Don’t Turn Around” holds all the great aspects of old songs by these guys, but the larger instrumentation does a great job of supporting Sam’s country warble. Be ready for the great guitar solo in the middle, and think about how this track could be a sign of everyone not being sad that Songs:Ohia isn’t what it used to be. Go to http://songsillinoismp3.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-track-from-everybodyfields-ramseur.html for the download.
Isn't it a wonderful experience to hear a great song for the first time? The whole jaw-dropping experience where you realize you will listen to this one song until you know every word, until your significant other starts pleading not to hear it again. I love it, and the feeling I get from hearing a new gem is the reason I listen constantly. Below, I've compiled ten songs that don't seem to register when talking about music, but I have dreams that someday they will. Some of the artists are relative unknowns, some are completely knowns. I hope you enjoy, and feel free to comment.
1. My Oldest Memory – the Bowerbirds. Unless you follow the Raleigh-based Bowerbirds, I’m fairly sure you have not had this song pass through your ears. “My Oldest Memory” is the sixth track to the Bowerbirds’ debut, Hymns for a Dark Horse, and these fellows haven’t really gotten a lot of pre-release hype just yet for the album, which comes out July 10. John Darnielle is endorsing the album, so that is probably going to change. Pitchfork recently gushed over it, so I am hoping everyone will know about it before long. But you should run over the www.bowerbirds.org and stream the track a few times over. Make sure to listen to the chorus multiple times as well – definitely the centerpiece of the song with its sing along style. Bowerbirds are the perfect example of how jam-packed the Triangle music scene is right now with talent. The group is worthy of as much praise as any critic can generate, and from what I remember, they got next to nothing from Independent Weekly or the Daily Tar Heel this past year. Really, the Triangle market is so tough to compete in with acts like the Rosebuds and the Bu_Hanan groups stealing the spotlight, as well as the Old Ceremony. All those acts deserve their great reviews, but the Bowerbirds do not deserve this neglect. So go listen to the Bowerbirds, pick up their album, and take in the indie-folk guitars, quirky lyrics, accordions, and pristine home recording.
2. Epilogue – David Karsten Daniels. This fellow is another staple of our wonderful scene in Chapel Hill, and I hate that most people haven’t listened to him. Unlike the Bowerbirds, DKD did get some hype before his release of Sharp Teeth this spring, which is probably going to be on of the top albums of 2007. Yet, even the alpha and omega of pushing unknowns into the spotlight, Pitchfork, couldn’t make it happen for David. “Epilogue” is the ‘secret track’ tagged onto the end of David Karsten Daniels’ previous release, Angles. The man can write some rather depressing music, but “Epilogue” really has a good feeling bounce to it, at least in the guitar line. Perhaps that is why it was the secret song and not a listed track – it sounded too happy. David describes the song as, “Sometime, around town, you see the car your ex-lover used to drive. For a moment you flip out or your stomach kind of sinks. Then you realize it’s a stranger with the same make/model of vehicle. At that point you know you’re not as far away from things as you hoped you were.” That description came from where you should go to get the song, for free: Daytrotter. David’s Daytrotter Session featured a version of “Epilogue” that is well worth having, especially if you need an intro to the wonders of DKD. Make sure to pick up the three great songs above it as well. http://www.daytrotter.com/article/775/free-songs-david-karsten-daniels
3. Basketball Shoes – Hide and Seek. This song is 48 seconds long. The only way you could have it is if a band member gave you a CD-R copy. I’m pretty sure only my girlfriend and I still listen to this song. Hide and Seek was definitely the best spazz-punk/no-wave band out of Winston-Salem, and their live sets are dearly missed. Maybe if everyone goes to http://www.myspace.com/hideandseekwillkillyou and downloads “Jehovah All Over Yah” and then writes to Devin, Zach, and Savannah, we can get a reunion. I’d be there. I make it a point to put “Basketball Shoes” on each and every mix I make for people so they can enjoy the chorus of “You can play basketball in those shoes! / I can do anything in these shoes! / Recognize.”
4. Everything Reminds Me – Le Chevre. I really don’t know a whole lot about the guy that goes by the stage name Le Chevre. I was given a burned CD-R of a home made, self-titled release with 8 tracks on it way back in 2004 by this fellow. I think I remember he is out of somewhere down in South Carolina. Obviously, a bit obscure. The important part is, the music is for real, especially this track. I would describe Le Chevre as Postal Service that relies heavily on acoustic guitars, and a bit more kitsch in the synthscapes. The intro comes in like a good pop rocker, and the guitar work is actually pretty deft for what one would expect out of this genre. What pulls “Everything Reminds Me” together? The great hook of a chorus – “Nothing’s gonna get better until you pick up and start / Images don’t create themselves, but everything falls apart. / Everything in the world reminds me.” Yeah, makes no sense to me either. Sounds great though. I don’t know if this fellow even has a website, but if you feel like doing some investigative work, I suggest trying to find this material. I keep looking for Le Chevre to pop up in the ‘hot new act’ section of magazines like Alternative Press, right next to the flavor of the month.
5. Grendel’s Mother – The Mountain Goats. “Grendel’s Mother” is the odd case of a lesser-known song by a better known artist. Why is it lesser known? It stretches back to Zopilote Machine, John Darnielle’s 1994 release that was recorded on a Panasonic boombox. Couple the poor recording by most standards with being towards the end of an out of print record, and your make your case for inaccessibility. I’m a sucker for literary allusions in song, and no songwriter today does that better than John (he majored in English literature). Darnielle flips the perspective on us – we are not hearing of the triumphant Beowulf anymore, but instead the vengeful mother of a slain son. The usual quite Mountain Goats rage is there still in the chorus – you can run, but I will carry you home in my teeth.
6. Controversy – Prince. People should all know this song by heart and there should be a choreographed dance to go along. It just seems to get lost because it was released in that pre-Purple Rain period when people were still trying to figure out whom this fellow was. The whole purpose of the song is to bring to mind all these taboo or controversial subjects. In the opening lines, “Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay?” The first chorus, which kicks major ass – “Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?” It isn’t often that you find existential musings being dropped over a beat your parents would have really enjoyed wearing spandex to. What is really the most controversial part of the song? A bridge that consists of the purple one reciting the Lord’s Prayer over that insistent beat. Also, this song is seven minutes long, which gets points in my book for being an extended jam.
7. Julianne – Wood & Steel. Wood & Steel is a bluegrass band from the triad area. Not ‘nugrass.’ Not that quasi-imitation bluegrass that has been perfected by the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show and gets a crossover indie crowd. There is no outlaw aspect here, no rough edges. When these guys play live, it is a suit and tie affair. Just some seriously talented musicians playing insanely difficult music. “Julianne,” the third track from their release The Old Ones are the Best Ones, was written by mandolin player Joey Lemons. It is fast, it is good, there are tight harmonies, and it is best when played loudly while driving down two lane blacktop. If you woman ever leaves you at home because you are no fun, listen to the pleading lyrics of “Julianne” and use them to get her to stay home with you. You won’t regret it.
8. Dooley – The Dillards. People get confused when I try to explain who the Dillards were. The Dillards were occasionally characters on the Andy Griffith Show from years ago, where they played themselves, but weren’t called the Dillards. They were called the Darlins. So the Darlins were the Dillards being the Dillards. Got it? Good. I’ve never heard such amazing banjo playing as done by the guy who pulls of notes here. Never before has anyone played so fast, continuously. The lyrics are great – this song is about a local moonshiner who is the town hero, though no one will admit it. Well, the song is just about the moonshiner. It is amazing to hear where bluegrass was in the sixties, and the Dillards must have been one of the best groups of the decade. The best bet for finding this track will be looking on the net for an anthology or best of work. Just make sure to stay away from their late-career albums. Pure trash when compared to the likes of “Dooley.”
9. Quit – Hey Mercedes. Hey Mercedes’ debut album, Everynight Fire Works, was the album that I listened to non-stop from eighth grade until I finished high school. Most older kids thought they were mediocre or worse because they grew up on Braid, and were loyal to that band. I remember being sixteen and standing outside MSU skatepark in Kernersville and having a discussion with a member of a now well known band that thought Everynight Fire Works was terrible because it sounded like a Braid ripoff. However, no Braid album had “Quit” on it, did it? This is a behemoth track that I think was the best indie rock song ever written. There’s the guitars! The guitars! And Bob Nanna. Go get this, find it wherever you can now that they’ve broken up and were on a tiny label. Even if you don’t like that original brand of emo from the nineties, go pick this album up and stare at the cover for as long as you can. Yeah, amazing, I know.
10. Don’t Turn Around – The Everybodyfields. This is the first track to leak from the Everybodyfields’ third album, Nothing is Okay, which is set to make some noise towards the back end of August. I must say, it is quite a treat to see the ‘fields employ a full band, and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album. While recent live sets have featured strings, pedal steel, electric guitar, and keys, the drums really do fill this track out. Sung by male half of the band, Don’t Turn Around brings a shinier feel to the waltz tempos of the first two Everybodyfields albums. “Don’t Turn Around” holds all the great aspects of old songs by these guys, but the larger instrumentation does a great job of supporting Sam’s country warble. Be ready for the great guitar solo in the middle, and think about how this track could be a sign of everyone not being sad that Songs:Ohia isn’t what it used to be. Go to http://songsillinoismp3.blogspot.com/2007/06/new-track-from-everybodyfields-ramseur.html for the download.
10 Songs for Chilling Out
Note: The following was originally featured here on 22 June 2007.
1. St. Augustine - Band of Horses. The final track from Band of Horses' 2006 debut, Everything All The Time, this track might roll along, but it definitely calms you down. The vocal harmonies are loose and don't feel forced. The sparse arrangement - a warm fingerpicked acoustic that moves from the main progression only slightly, is even better than hearing the guys from Charleston sing about a pretty place in Florida. Such a shame they don't include this one in the live set anymore.
2. Boots of Spanish Leather - Bob Dylan. When I listen to this song, I imagine Bob and a phantom woman singing the story out as a duet. Joan Baez probably filled that phantom spot at some point, but I don't really care that much for her so I pretend like that would have been impossible. Boots, from The Times They Are A-Changin', is so sad. Dylan makes you think there is so much hope to have for the sea-separated couple, but it all fades away in the end. Still, the song is so sonically smooth, I generally use it as my alarm clock. "Boots of Spanish Leather" is about the time I consider Dylan's voice to have been at its best, with the reedy, sax-like tenor moving up and down over his fingerwork. Lovely song.
3. 1/1 - Brian Eno. This is a no-brainer. The lead track from Ambient 1: Music for Airports, 1/1 was composed with the intention to calm people down without them knowing it at all. Eno's 1/1 was piped into airport terminals, first in Seattle, to calm down people who were forced to deal with the not-so-great service that airline companies historically provide. The warmth in the synths is the key to this track, and it is probably the most calming one I know of. Clocking in at over 17 minutes, the true testament to this one is that as you listen, you actually forget you are listening to anything at all. 1/1 should be piped into every place possible, especially today's airports. I suggest playing this in doctor's offices instead of Michael Bolton.
4. Radio War - Iron & Wine. I have no clue what instrument Sam Beam is strumming here. Is it dulcimer? Ukulele? Mandolin? A guitar in the high register? Who cares. This song makes me want to rock a baby to sleep, gently. Someone recently referred to Iron & WIne as sad-bastard music, and I can't really argue that one, but that sad-bastard wrote a damn good one here. Sam Beam tracks his voice over top of himself so many times, you think it would be a bit much (take note, Chris Martin), but it always takes me a minute or two to realize, "Oh shit, that dude has four part harmony going on right now and all I was thinking about was one voice." Really controls the mood.
5. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley. Not a whole lot one can say about this track. Sure it is the definitive reading of the Leonard Cohen song. Just to warn: if you've fallen in love with Jeff's version, don't go digging around for any other version, including Cohen's. They are all inferior. I really wish there could be a rule that no one could play this song live or in studio any more, so we wouldn't have to hear Dave Matthews or that guy from Something Corporate butcher and steal the Buckley version. Jeff Buckley's version from Grace is actually multiple takes spliced together - he couldn't do it all in one take to a satisfactory level, which isn't surprising since it takes about 7 minutes and with all those banjo rolls towards the end. The calming effect, sonically, comes from what great production there is here. The guitar notes sound like chiming bells, and the voice is drenched in reverb. On the side, this recording is probably the best ever laid to tape by anyone, anywhere.
6. Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie - Joanna Newsom. The composition classes Newsom took at Mills College when she was just starting her higher education shine through in her folk work. Take your pick of which version of this song you want, both The Milk-Eyed Mender and Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band takes are stellar. The placement of a minimalist track like this at the end of the record blows every bit of you away. It takes a massive pair of ovaries for Newsom to have her debut album's finale, an album characterized by African-harp rhythms, dense chords, and times changes be a song that features none of those attributes. While Milk-Eyed Mender isn't as frantic and chaotic as Ys or the recent EP, the final track settles everything, definitively.
7. Summer in the City - Regina Spektor - This song possesses even more sadness than the Dylan song above, which isn't an easy feat to accomplish. The whole track is reigned in a bit, feeling like it wants to move a bit faster, but it never breaks through. Like Newsom's track above, the fairly simple chord voicings help it with warmth and space. Spektor's voice here has the quaver that makes the track feel so delicate, and the drawl of a gospel singer, which is odd since she has the whole Russian/Jewish/New York background, but is completely comforting to me. Listen to the very end for the angelic choir entry.
8. Untitled 1 - Sigur Ros. I always wish I could go back to the time that I didn't know about Sigur Ros and hear this song again for the first time. There is a bit of density there, but they somehow find out how to make the arrangement feel more simple than it really is. Like most Sigur Ros, especially ( ), this track plods like nothing you can imagine. We are talking too slow for slow dancing here. The extended fourth beat throughout is great for slowing down your heart rate and creating that floating feeling. Forget drugs. Just listen to enough Sigur Ros. In fact, I remember when these guys first got big stateside, People were passing out at the shows because they got really high expecting some Pink Floyd type shit, but were so mellowed out from lack of stimulation, they went limp on the floor like noodles. That is pretty calming.
9. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Julie Doiron. This cover version that Doiron put up on teh interweb for free last year is nothing like the Paul Simon version, which is pretty much exquisite. Imagine how much fun Simon's original is, then imagine if it was still that much fun, chill as could be, only a fingerpicked guitar, and a beautiful girl's voice singing. I like to pretend that Doiron goes to local kindergarten classes wherever she lives (probably Canada) and sings this to children before the start nap time. I haven't seen many pictures, but I also like to imagine that Julie Doiron is really hot. I think there is more of a chance of the latter than the former, but I would give her lots of respect for going to the schools if she did. You should hunt around and find this version, then listen to it before taking a nap.
10. Down to the River to Pray - Allison Krauss. I often have a lot of problems with Krauss' voice. It is a lot like eating sugar cubes coated in cool whip. This problem often comes up when she does something besides sing bluegrass or folkish music. Listen to that recording of her singing the Star-Spangled Banner that everyone raves about at Nascar events for reference. But when she does some mountain music, it can perfect. I don't know who the choir is that backs her here, but they should just follow her around while she goes about daily errands, because it is beautiful. Think about what a great thing it would be if you were working at McDonald's and Krauss with her giant choir ordered an egg mcmuffin from you. I know, amazing! This song has all the triads worked out perfectly, and the way the parts build in upon each other with each verse really hits hard. By the time the basses come in, around two minutes in, you feel so relaxed and in love with this recording. Stick to it Allison.
1. St. Augustine - Band of Horses. The final track from Band of Horses' 2006 debut, Everything All The Time, this track might roll along, but it definitely calms you down. The vocal harmonies are loose and don't feel forced. The sparse arrangement - a warm fingerpicked acoustic that moves from the main progression only slightly, is even better than hearing the guys from Charleston sing about a pretty place in Florida. Such a shame they don't include this one in the live set anymore.
2. Boots of Spanish Leather - Bob Dylan. When I listen to this song, I imagine Bob and a phantom woman singing the story out as a duet. Joan Baez probably filled that phantom spot at some point, but I don't really care that much for her so I pretend like that would have been impossible. Boots, from The Times They Are A-Changin', is so sad. Dylan makes you think there is so much hope to have for the sea-separated couple, but it all fades away in the end. Still, the song is so sonically smooth, I generally use it as my alarm clock. "Boots of Spanish Leather" is about the time I consider Dylan's voice to have been at its best, with the reedy, sax-like tenor moving up and down over his fingerwork. Lovely song.
3. 1/1 - Brian Eno. This is a no-brainer. The lead track from Ambient 1: Music for Airports, 1/1 was composed with the intention to calm people down without them knowing it at all. Eno's 1/1 was piped into airport terminals, first in Seattle, to calm down people who were forced to deal with the not-so-great service that airline companies historically provide. The warmth in the synths is the key to this track, and it is probably the most calming one I know of. Clocking in at over 17 minutes, the true testament to this one is that as you listen, you actually forget you are listening to anything at all. 1/1 should be piped into every place possible, especially today's airports. I suggest playing this in doctor's offices instead of Michael Bolton.
4. Radio War - Iron & Wine. I have no clue what instrument Sam Beam is strumming here. Is it dulcimer? Ukulele? Mandolin? A guitar in the high register? Who cares. This song makes me want to rock a baby to sleep, gently. Someone recently referred to Iron & WIne as sad-bastard music, and I can't really argue that one, but that sad-bastard wrote a damn good one here. Sam Beam tracks his voice over top of himself so many times, you think it would be a bit much (take note, Chris Martin), but it always takes me a minute or two to realize, "Oh shit, that dude has four part harmony going on right now and all I was thinking about was one voice." Really controls the mood.
5. Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley. Not a whole lot one can say about this track. Sure it is the definitive reading of the Leonard Cohen song. Just to warn: if you've fallen in love with Jeff's version, don't go digging around for any other version, including Cohen's. They are all inferior. I really wish there could be a rule that no one could play this song live or in studio any more, so we wouldn't have to hear Dave Matthews or that guy from Something Corporate butcher and steal the Buckley version. Jeff Buckley's version from Grace is actually multiple takes spliced together - he couldn't do it all in one take to a satisfactory level, which isn't surprising since it takes about 7 minutes and with all those banjo rolls towards the end. The calming effect, sonically, comes from what great production there is here. The guitar notes sound like chiming bells, and the voice is drenched in reverb. On the side, this recording is probably the best ever laid to tape by anyone, anywhere.
6. Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie - Joanna Newsom. The composition classes Newsom took at Mills College when she was just starting her higher education shine through in her folk work. Take your pick of which version of this song you want, both The Milk-Eyed Mender and Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band takes are stellar. The placement of a minimalist track like this at the end of the record blows every bit of you away. It takes a massive pair of ovaries for Newsom to have her debut album's finale, an album characterized by African-harp rhythms, dense chords, and times changes be a song that features none of those attributes. While Milk-Eyed Mender isn't as frantic and chaotic as Ys or the recent EP, the final track settles everything, definitively.
7. Summer in the City - Regina Spektor - This song possesses even more sadness than the Dylan song above, which isn't an easy feat to accomplish. The whole track is reigned in a bit, feeling like it wants to move a bit faster, but it never breaks through. Like Newsom's track above, the fairly simple chord voicings help it with warmth and space. Spektor's voice here has the quaver that makes the track feel so delicate, and the drawl of a gospel singer, which is odd since she has the whole Russian/Jewish/New York background, but is completely comforting to me. Listen to the very end for the angelic choir entry.
8. Untitled 1 - Sigur Ros. I always wish I could go back to the time that I didn't know about Sigur Ros and hear this song again for the first time. There is a bit of density there, but they somehow find out how to make the arrangement feel more simple than it really is. Like most Sigur Ros, especially ( ), this track plods like nothing you can imagine. We are talking too slow for slow dancing here. The extended fourth beat throughout is great for slowing down your heart rate and creating that floating feeling. Forget drugs. Just listen to enough Sigur Ros. In fact, I remember when these guys first got big stateside, People were passing out at the shows because they got really high expecting some Pink Floyd type shit, but were so mellowed out from lack of stimulation, they went limp on the floor like noodles. That is pretty calming.
9. Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard - Julie Doiron. This cover version that Doiron put up on teh interweb for free last year is nothing like the Paul Simon version, which is pretty much exquisite. Imagine how much fun Simon's original is, then imagine if it was still that much fun, chill as could be, only a fingerpicked guitar, and a beautiful girl's voice singing. I like to pretend that Doiron goes to local kindergarten classes wherever she lives (probably Canada) and sings this to children before the start nap time. I haven't seen many pictures, but I also like to imagine that Julie Doiron is really hot. I think there is more of a chance of the latter than the former, but I would give her lots of respect for going to the schools if she did. You should hunt around and find this version, then listen to it before taking a nap.
10. Down to the River to Pray - Allison Krauss. I often have a lot of problems with Krauss' voice. It is a lot like eating sugar cubes coated in cool whip. This problem often comes up when she does something besides sing bluegrass or folkish music. Listen to that recording of her singing the Star-Spangled Banner that everyone raves about at Nascar events for reference. But when she does some mountain music, it can perfect. I don't know who the choir is that backs her here, but they should just follow her around while she goes about daily errands, because it is beautiful. Think about what a great thing it would be if you were working at McDonald's and Krauss with her giant choir ordered an egg mcmuffin from you. I know, amazing! This song has all the triads worked out perfectly, and the way the parts build in upon each other with each verse really hits hard. By the time the basses come in, around two minutes in, you feel so relaxed and in love with this recording. Stick to it Allison.
Stop if the car is going "clunk." / Don't answer emails when you're drunk.
I decided to move my writing from the Livejournal because the site setup over there didn't allow for everything I was hoping to do. Also, this white background is prettier. Look for writings on whatever interests me at the moment.* Discussion is welcomed.
*What interests me will probably be music, baseball, literature, and humor.
*What interests me will probably be music, baseball, literature, and humor.
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