via//chicago

np: "the ocean's nerves" - songs: ohia

first and foremost, i apologize for the lapse in posting. i was out of town for most of last week, but that really doesn't account for missing almost the entire month of February. a quick few things that are on my mind.

i spent a good chunk of last week at a work conference in Madison, Wisconsin. decent enough little college town, i really liked the way the campus actually interacted with the downtown area rather than shunning it. such a huge change from the "we don't belong here" notion of the U of Illinois campus. great record shops down on State Street, specifically Ear Wax and B-Side. the latter of which i picked up the new Oneida, Sufjan Stevens, and the Pyramid Electric Co vinyl at. tiny store, but great selection and some of the better prices i've seen at an indie store in a long time. check it out if you are ever in the area.

Project AZ is continuing in full force, despite the little break tonight. this week so far has been all about the Beasties and the Beatles.

the new Liars album is fan-fucking-tastic. don't let the morons at Spin (F) or Rolling Stone (1 star) tell you any differently. i'm especially enjoying "Hold Hands and it Will Happen Anyway", "We Fenced Other Gardens with the Bones of Our Own", and "Broken Witch". well worth a spin or three.

my mom is hooking up my brother, sister, and i with Bulls tickets for this weekend so we can celebrate the bro's big 1-5 (shit, he's gonna be driving soon). unfortunately we're missing LeBron by one game, and instead we'll have to settle for watching them take on Golden State. at least there's a fair chance we'll get to see them win. i haven't been to a Bulls game since the dreadful 12 win season, so at least things can't possibly be worse than that time. won't be half as dope as getting to see Jordan's return game in Indy after the first retirement though. that was pure luck, and one of the most exciting games i've ever seen.

recognize my bowling skills. at least in the tenth frame. two games last weekend at Diversey River Bowl resulted in six strikes for me - all six in the 10th frame of both games. apparently i've only got game under pressure. that night was also notable for the first time i've ever see anyone bowl a full 10 frame game and end up with a 15. i didn't think it was possible.

a belated shout-out to USA for that excellent Traffic miniseries. shit was tight.

the last three days have also been witness to me seeing movies at the opposite ends of the cultural spectrum. Eurotrip on Saturday night and My Architect last night. Eurotrip was about 10 times funnier than expected, despite (or due to) nailing every European stereotype in the book. and you've got to give at least a little credit to a film not afraid to shy away from Hitler and Pope gags. My Architect was phenomenal, with some breath-taking shots of Louis Kahn's work and some excellent interviews with people brought to tears over his life's work. think architecture can't do that to people? talk to some of the people behind the Bangladesh capital, Kahn provided them with the best tribute to new-found democracy they could've asked for. it was also a treat to have the director on hand for a q & a afterwards. best of luck to you at the Oscars Nathaniel.

with that, i'm off to bed. gotta rest up for The OC tomorrow night.