np: "float on" - modest mouse
yeah, i'd think i would be all on some hyped up good mood shit tonight, what with the dramacity of a an all new OC tonight and brand new Modest Mouse spinning on the player - but no. one of those long weeks that you can literally feel sucking the life right out of you. work is crazy as hell right now, which isn't really a bad thing, it just leaves me drained as fuck at the end of the day. i was hoping this whole new running program of mine would help increase my energy and just help ease some of these shitty days, but i suppose that doesn't happen on the days you don't actually do it. and yeah, apparently getting all excited about the six month mark with the girlfriend jinxed it or something. i'll spare y'all the boring details, but let me just offer a word of advice. don't try to squeeze someone out of your life on that whole "passive" tip. just because it's easier for you to sit back and let things go without saying anything about it, that doesn't make it any better for the other person. you may think you're "letting them down easy", but you aren't in the least. maybe i'm misreading things lately and she's just stressed as fuck - but i'd like to think that after 6 months i'd at least deserve to know something's up. so, i guess my words of wisdom for the night are to make sure that person you love knows that you do love them. and if you don't, let them know something. don't just leave them hanging.
Mar 24, 2004
Mar 19, 2004
np: "he-war" - cat power
no witty insights on this one tonight, just happens to be what's crankin' out of the ol' 100-disc changer at the moment. nothing much exciting going on this friday, so i'm just relaxing and recovering from the week. just got back from Tower where, thanks to the new batch of Matador Mid-Price Classics, i picked up Yo La Tengo's I Can Heat the Heart Beating as One and Mogwai's Come On Die Young for 20 bucks. yeah, i know i should already have both of those - but actually the YLT was a replacement for one that got jacked from me back in college. it's currently in the hands of an evil ex or one of my old roommate's not sure which. although if it was the ex who had it, it's most likely been recycled back into another collection via some used shop somewhere.
so Kid Rock, huh? it was a fucking excellent show. he pulled out every single rock and roll cliche in the book, but managed to pull most of them off. it was quite the interesting crowd, i'd estimate the average age to have been about 30-35. i've never seen so many West Coast Choppers t-shirts in one building at one time. apparently there's few concert options for the Harley riding crowd these days, so Rock's recent turn towards Southern Rock has gathered them up by their collective mullets. i knew we were in for an exciting night when that song about "play me... mountain music" came on and 85% of the crowd started drunkenly singing along. Kid Rock was in excellent form though, working the crowd for all they were worth - yelling "Chicago!" at every chance he had to grab the cheap pops (copyright Mick Foley). no surprises, he played all the hits and a couple new tunes - one was a downhome blues jam finding Rock listing what he would do if he were president (turn the churches into strip clubs and play Skynyrd on every station, for those that wondered). minus points from me for the "fuck Clay Aiken and a Radiohead" line though. don't compare the two, please, but it did get huge cheers from the crowd. including the drunken "woo-hoo" guy behind me that added his commentary, "yeah... fuck Radiohead! Woooooooo!". two things really grabbed my attention during the course of the show - Rock's instrumental prowess and Steffanie Eulenberg's vocal skills. Steff is the moster drummer behind the kit, who was bashing away like a motherfuck the entire night. but the big shock was when it came time for Rock to slow things down for the baby mammas and sing his mega-hit, "Picture". since Sheryl Crow was nowhere near the Allstate Arena, the female vocals were turned over to Eulenberg - and she sang the fuck out of that song. much, much better than the Crow version methinks. during an extended jam, Mr. Ritchie did the rock star trick of taking a turn at every instrument on the stage for a solo. but this wasn't your typical "watch me fumble a few chords out of this thing" solo, he actually played each one very well - particularly the slide guitar and the keys. he followed this up by kicking it old school and hopping behind Uncle Kracker's turntables to rock the steel wheels. overall, it was a fun experience. pure unadulterated, visceral, aimed at the groin, redneck, loud as fuck, rock and roll fun. note to hipsters: the irony level was off the fucking heazie at this show.
no witty insights on this one tonight, just happens to be what's crankin' out of the ol' 100-disc changer at the moment. nothing much exciting going on this friday, so i'm just relaxing and recovering from the week. just got back from Tower where, thanks to the new batch of Matador Mid-Price Classics, i picked up Yo La Tengo's I Can Heat the Heart Beating as One and Mogwai's Come On Die Young for 20 bucks. yeah, i know i should already have both of those - but actually the YLT was a replacement for one that got jacked from me back in college. it's currently in the hands of an evil ex or one of my old roommate's not sure which. although if it was the ex who had it, it's most likely been recycled back into another collection via some used shop somewhere.
so Kid Rock, huh? it was a fucking excellent show. he pulled out every single rock and roll cliche in the book, but managed to pull most of them off. it was quite the interesting crowd, i'd estimate the average age to have been about 30-35. i've never seen so many West Coast Choppers t-shirts in one building at one time. apparently there's few concert options for the Harley riding crowd these days, so Rock's recent turn towards Southern Rock has gathered them up by their collective mullets. i knew we were in for an exciting night when that song about "play me... mountain music" came on and 85% of the crowd started drunkenly singing along. Kid Rock was in excellent form though, working the crowd for all they were worth - yelling "Chicago!" at every chance he had to grab the cheap pops (copyright Mick Foley). no surprises, he played all the hits and a couple new tunes - one was a downhome blues jam finding Rock listing what he would do if he were president (turn the churches into strip clubs and play Skynyrd on every station, for those that wondered). minus points from me for the "fuck Clay Aiken and a Radiohead" line though. don't compare the two, please, but it did get huge cheers from the crowd. including the drunken "woo-hoo" guy behind me that added his commentary, "yeah... fuck Radiohead! Woooooooo!". two things really grabbed my attention during the course of the show - Rock's instrumental prowess and Steffanie Eulenberg's vocal skills. Steff is the moster drummer behind the kit, who was bashing away like a motherfuck the entire night. but the big shock was when it came time for Rock to slow things down for the baby mammas and sing his mega-hit, "Picture". since Sheryl Crow was nowhere near the Allstate Arena, the female vocals were turned over to Eulenberg - and she sang the fuck out of that song. much, much better than the Crow version methinks. during an extended jam, Mr. Ritchie did the rock star trick of taking a turn at every instrument on the stage for a solo. but this wasn't your typical "watch me fumble a few chords out of this thing" solo, he actually played each one very well - particularly the slide guitar and the keys. he followed this up by kicking it old school and hopping behind Uncle Kracker's turntables to rock the steel wheels. overall, it was a fun experience. pure unadulterated, visceral, aimed at the groin, redneck, loud as fuck, rock and roll fun. note to hipsters: the irony level was off the fucking heazie at this show.
Mar 9, 2004
np: "no distance left to run" - blur
shit, this song comes close to choking me up every single time i hear it. its not one of those tracks that i associate with a certain time or event in my life, but somehow this song almost always makes me a little sad. speaking of sad, sorry to neglect you my poor little blog, i swear there's not another. it's just that sometimes i need a break. it's not that i don't love you anymore, i just need to concentrate on some "me" time now and then. i think it only makes us stronger, dig?
this month's excuse is my new training program, if it can be called that. one of my (belated) new year's resolutions was to run a 5K sometime before the summer is over. i needed some strong goal in mind to get my lazy ass up off the couch and working out again on a more frequent basis. so i found this "Couch Potato to 5K" running program and i dove right in. three times a week i run/walk for 30 minutes, with each successive week increasing the amount of time spent actually running. it must be working rather well, since i've not grown sick of it yet nor have i given up in frustration. granted its only been 4 weeks so far, but thats longer than i've lasted in a lot of other "programs". in fact, i downright look forward to my workouts - it really is a stress-reliever.
and stress relief is something i've really been needing lately, as work is gearing up to go all hectic stylee in the next couple of weeks. its good though, because i'm getting put in charge of a decent sized project. i've been involved in the design from the very start and i'm looking forward to seeing it through to completion. i hope i don't jinx it though, as its not exactly a done deal at this point. but not to worry, there are several more good projects coming down the pipeline.
i'm looking forward to Friday night, as it will see me rocking the fuck out to that long-haired son of Detroit, Kid Rock. laugh if you must, but i have a feeling he's going to put on one hell of a motherfucking show. i'll let y'all know, so you don't lose any sleep wondering. heh.
in other semi-big news, the girlfriend and i hit the six month mark last week. that may not be much to most people, but given my dating history, its a pretty significant landmark for me. and i couldn't be happier.
shit, this song comes close to choking me up every single time i hear it. its not one of those tracks that i associate with a certain time or event in my life, but somehow this song almost always makes me a little sad. speaking of sad, sorry to neglect you my poor little blog, i swear there's not another. it's just that sometimes i need a break. it's not that i don't love you anymore, i just need to concentrate on some "me" time now and then. i think it only makes us stronger, dig?
this month's excuse is my new training program, if it can be called that. one of my (belated) new year's resolutions was to run a 5K sometime before the summer is over. i needed some strong goal in mind to get my lazy ass up off the couch and working out again on a more frequent basis. so i found this "Couch Potato to 5K" running program and i dove right in. three times a week i run/walk for 30 minutes, with each successive week increasing the amount of time spent actually running. it must be working rather well, since i've not grown sick of it yet nor have i given up in frustration. granted its only been 4 weeks so far, but thats longer than i've lasted in a lot of other "programs". in fact, i downright look forward to my workouts - it really is a stress-reliever.
and stress relief is something i've really been needing lately, as work is gearing up to go all hectic stylee in the next couple of weeks. its good though, because i'm getting put in charge of a decent sized project. i've been involved in the design from the very start and i'm looking forward to seeing it through to completion. i hope i don't jinx it though, as its not exactly a done deal at this point. but not to worry, there are several more good projects coming down the pipeline.
i'm looking forward to Friday night, as it will see me rocking the fuck out to that long-haired son of Detroit, Kid Rock. laugh if you must, but i have a feeling he's going to put on one hell of a motherfucking show. i'll let y'all know, so you don't lose any sleep wondering. heh.
in other semi-big news, the girlfriend and i hit the six month mark last week. that may not be much to most people, but given my dating history, its a pretty significant landmark for me. and i couldn't be happier.
Feb 25, 2004
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.
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.
Feb 4, 2004
np: "cherry blossom" - air
yes, Project AZ continues tonight with lots of AFI and some decent undie/backpacker hip-hop courtesy of my man Aesop Rock.
speaking of Aes, i picked up the new issue of Spin last night - the one with the mega-awesome picture of Justin Hawkins of The Darkness on the cover. it was the annual "bands to watch" issue, with a pretty decent list that contained some of the bands i've just been discovering lately - Franz Ferdinand, My Chemical Romance, and Snow Patrol (lots of good bands coming over from the UK these days). but the thing that pissed me off was the huge feature on undie rappers like Slug of Atmosphere, Aes, Sage Francis, and Busdriver. it was a decent article and props to Spin for bringing attention to some very worthy rappers. but why in the fuck did they have to introduce it with a huge splash-page introducing it as "emo rap"? seriously. does everything have to fit into some neat little marketing niche for them? i can just imagine how many people were turned off to that article just by seeing "emo" splashed all over it. way to fuck up an interesting feature.
yes, Project AZ continues tonight with lots of AFI and some decent undie/backpacker hip-hop courtesy of my man Aesop Rock.
speaking of Aes, i picked up the new issue of Spin last night - the one with the mega-awesome picture of Justin Hawkins of The Darkness on the cover. it was the annual "bands to watch" issue, with a pretty decent list that contained some of the bands i've just been discovering lately - Franz Ferdinand, My Chemical Romance, and Snow Patrol (lots of good bands coming over from the UK these days). but the thing that pissed me off was the huge feature on undie rappers like Slug of Atmosphere, Aes, Sage Francis, and Busdriver. it was a decent article and props to Spin for bringing attention to some very worthy rappers. but why in the fuck did they have to introduce it with a huge splash-page introducing it as "emo rap"? seriously. does everything have to fit into some neat little marketing niche for them? i can just imagine how many people were turned off to that article just by seeing "emo" splashed all over it. way to fuck up an interesting feature.
Feb 3, 2004
np: "hole in my soul" - aerosmith
why am i listening to this pretty unremarkable in any way song? well, it's part of my new project for the new year. Project AZ as i like to call it. after hearing person after person tell me that i probably have more music than i can possible ever listen to, i decided to find out just how accurate that is. well no, because i know i really don't have THAT much music. i just decided it was time to go through my collection and listen to everything, from A to Z. it's not going to be a straight through, listen to nothing else until i'm done kind of thing though. i'll still spin my new purchases and listen to other things now and then, but for the majority of the time i will be working my way through my collection in order.
today was day 1, and i learned a couple of things. first of all, does anyone ever need to listen to two Bryan Adams albums back to back? i think not, not even when one of those is the greatest hits collection. to be fair, getting through those two was not as painful as i thought it was going to be. he's held up surprisingly well compared to some of the other '80s male singer/songwriter types. but 18 Til I Die was a clunker, on the real. it was fun to follow him up with Ryan Adams though. seriously, Ryan should give up his issues and go ahead and start covering some Bryan tunes. especially since "This House is Not For Sale" has a guitar lick that sounds suspiciously like something off of Bryan's "Let's Make A Night to Remember". very interesting.
other than the duelling Adamses, today has been filled up with !!! and more Aerosmith than any person should have to hear in one day. i've got a weak spot for the boys, but small doses work much better.
this should prove to be an interesting project, so i'll continue with updates as i go along. although i'm starting to really wish i hadn't gone through such a huge Black Crowes phase several years ago, those couple of days are going to drag.
why am i listening to this pretty unremarkable in any way song? well, it's part of my new project for the new year. Project AZ as i like to call it. after hearing person after person tell me that i probably have more music than i can possible ever listen to, i decided to find out just how accurate that is. well no, because i know i really don't have THAT much music. i just decided it was time to go through my collection and listen to everything, from A to Z. it's not going to be a straight through, listen to nothing else until i'm done kind of thing though. i'll still spin my new purchases and listen to other things now and then, but for the majority of the time i will be working my way through my collection in order.
today was day 1, and i learned a couple of things. first of all, does anyone ever need to listen to two Bryan Adams albums back to back? i think not, not even when one of those is the greatest hits collection. to be fair, getting through those two was not as painful as i thought it was going to be. he's held up surprisingly well compared to some of the other '80s male singer/songwriter types. but 18 Til I Die was a clunker, on the real. it was fun to follow him up with Ryan Adams though. seriously, Ryan should give up his issues and go ahead and start covering some Bryan tunes. especially since "This House is Not For Sale" has a guitar lick that sounds suspiciously like something off of Bryan's "Let's Make A Night to Remember". very interesting.
other than the duelling Adamses, today has been filled up with !!! and more Aerosmith than any person should have to hear in one day. i've got a weak spot for the boys, but small doses work much better.
this should prove to be an interesting project, so i'll continue with updates as i go along. although i'm starting to really wish i hadn't gone through such a huge Black Crowes phase several years ago, those couple of days are going to drag.
Jan 28, 2004
np: "take me out" - franz ferdinand
some pretty good garagish rock out of the UK, think a little louder version of Interpol. at least that's my feeling after a quick listen. worth a look if you are into Strokes, Stills, Interpol, or any of that new wave of NY rock.
so tonight i was standing at Tower trying to decide between picking up the new Twista album or the new Elbow album. i've been digging what i've heard of Twista's jawn so far and the Elbow has me quite intrigued. so which did i choose? neither. i went old-school style and picked up the reissue of Echo and the Bunnymen's classic Ocean Rain. i've always loved "The Killing Moon", especially since the excellent use of it in Donnie Darko. so i decided to take a chance on this reissue, filled with 8 bonus tracks. why not? haven't gotten a chance to listen to it yet, but i'm looking forward to checking it out.
i also finally got around to picking up that Spike Jonze Director's Series video, and damn is that thing awesome. loads of classic videos including some i had forgotten that Spike had made (Pharcyde, Breeders). took my right back to 94-95 when i was watching MTV all the fucking time. it's well worth the price of admission. besides the plethora of his videos it also includes several short films, interviews, and a beautiful booklet containing more interviews and some of Jonze's conceptual drawings and writings.
so the Super Bowl is this weekend, huh? nearly forgot. seriously, i think this is the least i've ever cared for a game in years. yeah, i'll be watching, but probably more for the commercials than the actual game itself.
some pretty good garagish rock out of the UK, think a little louder version of Interpol. at least that's my feeling after a quick listen. worth a look if you are into Strokes, Stills, Interpol, or any of that new wave of NY rock.
so tonight i was standing at Tower trying to decide between picking up the new Twista album or the new Elbow album. i've been digging what i've heard of Twista's jawn so far and the Elbow has me quite intrigued. so which did i choose? neither. i went old-school style and picked up the reissue of Echo and the Bunnymen's classic Ocean Rain. i've always loved "The Killing Moon", especially since the excellent use of it in Donnie Darko. so i decided to take a chance on this reissue, filled with 8 bonus tracks. why not? haven't gotten a chance to listen to it yet, but i'm looking forward to checking it out.
i also finally got around to picking up that Spike Jonze Director's Series video, and damn is that thing awesome. loads of classic videos including some i had forgotten that Spike had made (Pharcyde, Breeders). took my right back to 94-95 when i was watching MTV all the fucking time. it's well worth the price of admission. besides the plethora of his videos it also includes several short films, interviews, and a beautiful booklet containing more interviews and some of Jonze's conceptual drawings and writings.
so the Super Bowl is this weekend, huh? nearly forgot. seriously, i think this is the least i've ever cared for a game in years. yeah, i'll be watching, but probably more for the commercials than the actual game itself.
Jan 26, 2004
np: "jezebel" - iron & wine
according to the tracklisting on Pitchfork, this isn't a track on the new album. apparently there are two different versions of the album to be called Our Endless Numbered Days floating around out there right now. rumor has it that one is actually stuff left over from the first album and EP home-recording sessions that may someday see release. let's hope so, it's good stuff and i'd love to see it as an official release.
i've really been digging on the new Phantom Planet album today, it's growing on me more and more with every listen. these aren't the kind of melodies that jump up and smack you across the face, but rather subtlely let you know they are there and then crawl into your brain. after the first listen i wasn't digging it as much as i did The Guest, but the more i listen to more i like it. it sounds like the boys went back to the garage and cranked the amps to 11 to prepare for this one.
according to the tracklisting on Pitchfork, this isn't a track on the new album. apparently there are two different versions of the album to be called Our Endless Numbered Days floating around out there right now. rumor has it that one is actually stuff left over from the first album and EP home-recording sessions that may someday see release. let's hope so, it's good stuff and i'd love to see it as an official release.
i've really been digging on the new Phantom Planet album today, it's growing on me more and more with every listen. these aren't the kind of melodies that jump up and smack you across the face, but rather subtlely let you know they are there and then crawl into your brain. after the first listen i wasn't digging it as much as i did The Guest, but the more i listen to more i like it. it sounds like the boys went back to the garage and cranked the amps to 11 to prepare for this one.
np: "self conscious" - kanye west
hip-hop album of 2004 right hurr. at least if it's released in this current form. i guess all the samples haven't been cleared yet, so its possible there some changes before it actually hits the streets. which includes the awesome L-Boogie sample on this song, it works wonders. probably about the only good thing that's come out of that atrocious Unplugged set of hers. this kid has got some mad flows though, in addition to his top-notch production. check out the Def Poetry Slam acapella version of this song for further proof of his lyrical skills.
in other news the new D-12 jawn is supposed to drop sometime this spring, complete with guest spots from G-Unit, 50 Cent, Obie Trice and production work from Em, Dre, and the Neptunes. sounds promising, and hopefully it can build on the somewhat shaky foundation of the first D-12 album. that was a really spotty album with a few excellent moments, but i don't think it was quite as bad as some people make it out to be.
2004 is less than a month strong, and in addition to The Fall i've already been introduced to another outstanding band that i wish i had checked out before. a friend hooked me up with the first album from Orange Juice this weekend and i've been enjoying the hell out of that album, especially lead-off track "Falling and Laughter". its somewhat refreshing to hear a little optimism coming out of the dark post-punk early 1980s. it's a very strong album overall that leaves me hungry for more from this band.
hip-hop album of 2004 right hurr. at least if it's released in this current form. i guess all the samples haven't been cleared yet, so its possible there some changes before it actually hits the streets. which includes the awesome L-Boogie sample on this song, it works wonders. probably about the only good thing that's come out of that atrocious Unplugged set of hers. this kid has got some mad flows though, in addition to his top-notch production. check out the Def Poetry Slam acapella version of this song for further proof of his lyrical skills.
in other news the new D-12 jawn is supposed to drop sometime this spring, complete with guest spots from G-Unit, 50 Cent, Obie Trice and production work from Em, Dre, and the Neptunes. sounds promising, and hopefully it can build on the somewhat shaky foundation of the first D-12 album. that was a really spotty album with a few excellent moments, but i don't think it was quite as bad as some people make it out to be.
2004 is less than a month strong, and in addition to The Fall i've already been introduced to another outstanding band that i wish i had checked out before. a friend hooked me up with the first album from Orange Juice this weekend and i've been enjoying the hell out of that album, especially lead-off track "Falling and Laughter". its somewhat refreshing to hear a little optimism coming out of the dark post-punk early 1980s. it's a very strong album overall that leaves me hungry for more from this band.
Jan 24, 2004
np: "rich" - yeah yeah yeahs
it's snowing outside again today. winter in chicago has finally decided to kick into full gear over the past week or so, going from extreme cold to a solid day of snowing yesterday. thing is, we maybe got two inches during all that, but it was still enough to turn my 35 minute drive home into an epic three hour plus journey. christ. and now tonight i'm supposed to be heading into the city to a party, but i don't know if i'm even going to be able to park by my friend's house or not. which would mean a 20 minute drive, followed by a 45 minute El ride, topped off with a 20 walk to the apartment. the things we do in the quest for socialization and alcohol. but it's friends i haven't seen in ages, so i'm looking forward to going.
so i've decided 2004 is going to be the year that i try and get into some bands that i've always meant to, but never gotten around to checking out. and the first name on my list was The Fall. i've been a Pavement fan since Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain came out, so i've heard and read plenty of references to Mark E. Smith's band. the question was, just where in the fuck to start? Tower only had about 15 different albums from all phases of thier career. great. then i stumbled across Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology in the import section. $20 for a two-disc overview of supposedly the band's most fertile period, according to AMG. i figured it was a decent starting point. so far i've only listened to disc one, and i'm somewhat impressed. being a fan of bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement, and other slightly off-kilter bands has somewhat jaded me i suppose, as i'm not totally blown away by it. it's not exactly something that hasn't been tried before. but as is often the case in music, historical context has to be taken into account. when i stop to think that this anthology covers the very early 1980's, it puts a whole new spin on what i'm hearing. must have been pretty impressive to folks on the Fall tip back in the day. Smith's cynical delivery takes some getting used to, but it works when put up against the constantly shifting music behind him. i don't know if this is going to turn me into a rabid Fall fan or not, but i'm certainly not regretting the Monopoly colored Jackson i shelled out for it.
the new turntable is definately having an effect on my music buying habits, as could be seen by my recent trip to Record Breakers. seeing as they were both cheaper and cooler to look at, i picked up Do Make Say Think's Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn and Explosions in the Sky's Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die Those Who Tell the Trust Shall Live Forever. for some reason that epic post-rock stuff sounds much better on vinyl that compact disc, or maybe that's just me wanting it to sound better. regardless, much props go out to the folks at Constellation Records for all the hard work they put in to make beautiful packaging for their releases. i'll definately be ordering more from them in the future. while i was at the Breakers, i also picked up Ride the Skies and Wonderful Rainbow by Lightning Bolt, great shit right there.
it's snowing outside again today. winter in chicago has finally decided to kick into full gear over the past week or so, going from extreme cold to a solid day of snowing yesterday. thing is, we maybe got two inches during all that, but it was still enough to turn my 35 minute drive home into an epic three hour plus journey. christ. and now tonight i'm supposed to be heading into the city to a party, but i don't know if i'm even going to be able to park by my friend's house or not. which would mean a 20 minute drive, followed by a 45 minute El ride, topped off with a 20 walk to the apartment. the things we do in the quest for socialization and alcohol. but it's friends i haven't seen in ages, so i'm looking forward to going.
so i've decided 2004 is going to be the year that i try and get into some bands that i've always meant to, but never gotten around to checking out. and the first name on my list was The Fall. i've been a Pavement fan since Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain came out, so i've heard and read plenty of references to Mark E. Smith's band. the question was, just where in the fuck to start? Tower only had about 15 different albums from all phases of thier career. great. then i stumbled across Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Anthology in the import section. $20 for a two-disc overview of supposedly the band's most fertile period, according to AMG. i figured it was a decent starting point. so far i've only listened to disc one, and i'm somewhat impressed. being a fan of bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement, and other slightly off-kilter bands has somewhat jaded me i suppose, as i'm not totally blown away by it. it's not exactly something that hasn't been tried before. but as is often the case in music, historical context has to be taken into account. when i stop to think that this anthology covers the very early 1980's, it puts a whole new spin on what i'm hearing. must have been pretty impressive to folks on the Fall tip back in the day. Smith's cynical delivery takes some getting used to, but it works when put up against the constantly shifting music behind him. i don't know if this is going to turn me into a rabid Fall fan or not, but i'm certainly not regretting the Monopoly colored Jackson i shelled out for it.
the new turntable is definately having an effect on my music buying habits, as could be seen by my recent trip to Record Breakers. seeing as they were both cheaper and cooler to look at, i picked up Do Make Say Think's Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn and Explosions in the Sky's Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die Those Who Tell the Trust Shall Live Forever. for some reason that epic post-rock stuff sounds much better on vinyl that compact disc, or maybe that's just me wanting it to sound better. regardless, much props go out to the folks at Constellation Records for all the hard work they put in to make beautiful packaging for their releases. i'll definately be ordering more from them in the future. while i was at the Breakers, i also picked up Ride the Skies and Wonderful Rainbow by Lightning Bolt, great shit right there.
Jan 11, 2004
np: "english girls approximately" - ryan adams
i know i've talked about my love for this man, but i have to re-iterate it after reading Pitchfork's latest bashing of the man in the Love is Hell EPs review. no it's not Heartbreaker, we all know this. and we know he's probably not going to ever come up with another one to top that album's sense of brooding drunkeness at three in the morning. and i'm fine with that. i enjoyed the hell out of Gold, that one ended up in my top 5 for 2001. Demolition was pretty solid for what it was, leftovers and outtakes. lloR N kcoR was another solid album that captured Ryan at his full-on wannabe a rockstar best. yes it was derivative as hell. but so are The Darkness, The Rapture, and a whole slew of the latest indie-approved rockers. but apparently it's only cool if it's derivative to the point of being ironic. there's no irony in Adams' unabashed love for rock and roll in all its' forms. dude just wants to rock sometimes, and if it sounds that good i'll allow it.
i know i've talked about my love for this man, but i have to re-iterate it after reading Pitchfork's latest bashing of the man in the Love is Hell EPs review. no it's not Heartbreaker, we all know this. and we know he's probably not going to ever come up with another one to top that album's sense of brooding drunkeness at three in the morning. and i'm fine with that. i enjoyed the hell out of Gold, that one ended up in my top 5 for 2001. Demolition was pretty solid for what it was, leftovers and outtakes. lloR N kcoR was another solid album that captured Ryan at his full-on wannabe a rockstar best. yes it was derivative as hell. but so are The Darkness, The Rapture, and a whole slew of the latest indie-approved rockers. but apparently it's only cool if it's derivative to the point of being ironic. there's no irony in Adams' unabashed love for rock and roll in all its' forms. dude just wants to rock sometimes, and if it sounds that good i'll allow it.
Jan 9, 2004
np: "jabberjaw" - phantom planet
it's really a shame that right now this band is only known by the masses for The O.C. theme song and for the Rushmore star/drummer. because this is one of the better pop-influenced rock bands out there right now. it's the timeless kind of garage rock that doesn't fit in with any recent kind of trend, and that's a very good thing. upbeat without relying on pop-punk conventions, songs about love without being emo, and hip without even trying - this is a band that deserves Strokes level success. sure, i've heard the whining that they're just a bunch of rich models and actors, but when the music is this good who gives a toss? like Julian Casablancas didn't come from the world of privilege. anyway, the new self-title album hit stores this week, check it out. they've also got a new live DVD out, but i didn't have the extra scratch to toss that in my basket this time.
i've also been doing a bit of garage-rocking lately, of the early 1990s variety, courtesy of Mono Men and The Mummies. i first got wind of The Mummies thanks to this review over at the underrated Stylus site. sounded quite intriguing to me and some quick investigation into the band led me to the Estrus Records page. this looks like THE place to go to check out some more recent garage rock, and i'm wondering how i've managed to avoid it this long. anyway, if you are at all interested in checking out either of these bands, i'd have to suggest seeking out "Stronger Than Dirt" by The Mummies and Mono Men's cover of "You're Gonna Miss Me" - both great songs.
it's really a shame that right now this band is only known by the masses for The O.C. theme song and for the Rushmore star/drummer. because this is one of the better pop-influenced rock bands out there right now. it's the timeless kind of garage rock that doesn't fit in with any recent kind of trend, and that's a very good thing. upbeat without relying on pop-punk conventions, songs about love without being emo, and hip without even trying - this is a band that deserves Strokes level success. sure, i've heard the whining that they're just a bunch of rich models and actors, but when the music is this good who gives a toss? like Julian Casablancas didn't come from the world of privilege. anyway, the new self-title album hit stores this week, check it out. they've also got a new live DVD out, but i didn't have the extra scratch to toss that in my basket this time.
i've also been doing a bit of garage-rocking lately, of the early 1990s variety, courtesy of Mono Men and The Mummies. i first got wind of The Mummies thanks to this review over at the underrated Stylus site. sounded quite intriguing to me and some quick investigation into the band led me to the Estrus Records page. this looks like THE place to go to check out some more recent garage rock, and i'm wondering how i've managed to avoid it this long. anyway, if you are at all interested in checking out either of these bands, i'd have to suggest seeking out "Stronger Than Dirt" by The Mummies and Mono Men's cover of "You're Gonna Miss Me" - both great songs.
Jan 7, 2004
np: "eruption" - van halen
sometimes you just gotta rock out and air guitar like a motherfucker, know what i'm sayin'? hell yeah. and before that it was The Cars debut album on my now fully functional turntable. how excited am i about that? turns out that in addition to a new needle, the player was also missing the counterweight to keep the arm up. so i ended up having to pull a MacGeyver and tape some random sockets from my tool set onto the arm to get the thing working properly. love my ghetto style. but it works, and right now that's all that matters.
in other news, i wanna give a mad shout-out to Star*Like Collision, a very fun band from here in the Chicago burbs. full disclosure time though, i used to date the bass player and i'm friends with everyone else in the band - so make of this what you will. i caught them this past weekend and they put on the best show i've seen so far. lots of energy and some great new songs, courtesy of Justine. if you like upbeat rock with female vocals, ala The Repuation, give these guys a look. there's two songs available to download on the site, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. anyway, if you happen to be in the Chicago area and see a flyer for them, check it out, they'll show you a good time.
alright, short update tonight, i gotta go work on my air solos. peace.
sometimes you just gotta rock out and air guitar like a motherfucker, know what i'm sayin'? hell yeah. and before that it was The Cars debut album on my now fully functional turntable. how excited am i about that? turns out that in addition to a new needle, the player was also missing the counterweight to keep the arm up. so i ended up having to pull a MacGeyver and tape some random sockets from my tool set onto the arm to get the thing working properly. love my ghetto style. but it works, and right now that's all that matters.
in other news, i wanna give a mad shout-out to Star*Like Collision, a very fun band from here in the Chicago burbs. full disclosure time though, i used to date the bass player and i'm friends with everyone else in the band - so make of this what you will. i caught them this past weekend and they put on the best show i've seen so far. lots of energy and some great new songs, courtesy of Justine. if you like upbeat rock with female vocals, ala The Repuation, give these guys a look. there's two songs available to download on the site, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. anyway, if you happen to be in the Chicago area and see a flyer for them, check it out, they'll show you a good time.
alright, short update tonight, i gotta go work on my air solos. peace.
Jan 2, 2004
np: "the new year" - death cab for cutie
happy new year folks. let's hope the double-0 quattro brings nothing but joy, happiness, and a Bush free White House for us all.
the new year so far has been recovering from a nasty hangover - damn you Sam Adams, damn you and your Winter Lager to hell. i've spent the day eating a nasty, greasy omelette and watching about 3 hours of Living Colour eps on FX. damn that shit was funny, and it's not nearly as dated as i thought it would be. except for the clothing, what the fuck was up with the neon fashion statements in the early '90s? but seriously, i haven't seen that show since it was originally on the air and it was a nice diversion from the dueling bass drums in my head.
last night was one of those rarities in the post-college world, a drama-free party where everyone seemed to have a good time. no fighting meatheads, no crying girls, no couples arguing - just plain drunken fun. and not to get too Velveeta here, but being able to kiss the only person in the world i wanted to be with at midnight made it a perfect night. 4 months and she's not sick of me yet. holla.
actually the last week has been damn good, on nearly every front. i had my annual review at work, which went very well and ended up with me getting a raise. not to mention the relationship front, let's just say that those three little words were exchanged. and no, i didn't pull a Ryan from O.C. and respond with a "uh, thanks?". it's just been so fucking long since i've heard that from someone who actually meant it.
so i raise my cup of water to you all (rehydrating and shit) and wish you all a most excellent 2004.
happy new year folks. let's hope the double-0 quattro brings nothing but joy, happiness, and a Bush free White House for us all.
the new year so far has been recovering from a nasty hangover - damn you Sam Adams, damn you and your Winter Lager to hell. i've spent the day eating a nasty, greasy omelette and watching about 3 hours of Living Colour eps on FX. damn that shit was funny, and it's not nearly as dated as i thought it would be. except for the clothing, what the fuck was up with the neon fashion statements in the early '90s? but seriously, i haven't seen that show since it was originally on the air and it was a nice diversion from the dueling bass drums in my head.
last night was one of those rarities in the post-college world, a drama-free party where everyone seemed to have a good time. no fighting meatheads, no crying girls, no couples arguing - just plain drunken fun. and not to get too Velveeta here, but being able to kiss the only person in the world i wanted to be with at midnight made it a perfect night. 4 months and she's not sick of me yet. holla.
actually the last week has been damn good, on nearly every front. i had my annual review at work, which went very well and ended up with me getting a raise. not to mention the relationship front, let's just say that those three little words were exchanged. and no, i didn't pull a Ryan from O.C. and respond with a "uh, thanks?". it's just been so fucking long since i've heard that from someone who actually meant it.
so i raise my cup of water to you all (rehydrating and shit) and wish you all a most excellent 2004.
Dec 30, 2003
np: "leave the biker" - fountains of wayne
it's been awhile since i've pulled out the debut by these guys, and it's only gotten stronger in the downtime - if that's even possible. FoW really know thier way around a hook, and i really consider them to be my favorite pop band ever. i discovered them shortly before the debut came out, thanks mostly to my Pumpkins obsession being in high gear in the mid-90s. i had read that James and D'arcy were putting a label together, Scratchie Records, to distribute some of the bands they wanted to get out there. FoW, along with Fulflej and the Chainsaw Kittens, were among the first albums released on the imprint. being the obsessive that i am, and having a hook-up at a local record shop, i was able to pick up all three albums around the time they first came out. Fulflej's Wack Ass Tuba Riff at least got the wack part correct and Chainsaw Kittens really didn't hold my attention all that long. but i loved Fountains of Wayne from the first moment "Radiation Vibe" came flowing out of my headphones. fucking pop bliss. which was odd for me at the time to enjoy because in addition to the Pumpkins, i had recently discovered June of 44, Rachel's, Rodan, and the glories of the Touch and Go/Quarterstick post-rock thing going on. pop was the last thing i was looking for at the time. but when something is that damn good, you don't fight it. you just enjoy. i'll never forget the mornings walking to class with "Survival Car" and "Joe Ray" blaring through my headphones.
on another FoW tip, i had the weirdest thing happen to me when i left work. i had a certain line from "Hey Julie" bouncing around in my head all day and it would not go away no matter how hard i tried. sure enough i leave work, get in my car, turn on the radio, and that exact same line came back at me immediately. "no i'll never make it through without you around". that's great pop music right there folks.
it's been awhile since i've pulled out the debut by these guys, and it's only gotten stronger in the downtime - if that's even possible. FoW really know thier way around a hook, and i really consider them to be my favorite pop band ever. i discovered them shortly before the debut came out, thanks mostly to my Pumpkins obsession being in high gear in the mid-90s. i had read that James and D'arcy were putting a label together, Scratchie Records, to distribute some of the bands they wanted to get out there. FoW, along with Fulflej and the Chainsaw Kittens, were among the first albums released on the imprint. being the obsessive that i am, and having a hook-up at a local record shop, i was able to pick up all three albums around the time they first came out. Fulflej's Wack Ass Tuba Riff at least got the wack part correct and Chainsaw Kittens really didn't hold my attention all that long. but i loved Fountains of Wayne from the first moment "Radiation Vibe" came flowing out of my headphones. fucking pop bliss. which was odd for me at the time to enjoy because in addition to the Pumpkins, i had recently discovered June of 44, Rachel's, Rodan, and the glories of the Touch and Go/Quarterstick post-rock thing going on. pop was the last thing i was looking for at the time. but when something is that damn good, you don't fight it. you just enjoy. i'll never forget the mornings walking to class with "Survival Car" and "Joe Ray" blaring through my headphones.
on another FoW tip, i had the weirdest thing happen to me when i left work. i had a certain line from "Hey Julie" bouncing around in my head all day and it would not go away no matter how hard i tried. sure enough i leave work, get in my car, turn on the radio, and that exact same line came back at me immediately. "no i'll never make it through without you around". that's great pop music right there folks.
Dec 28, 2003
np: "hold and it will happen anyway" - liars
three highly anticipated releases for early 2004 have been leaked online, and i've been enjoying all three of them today - Xiu Xiu's Fabolous Muscles, Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned, and The Walkmen's Bows and Arrows. The Walkmen album is my favorite so far, it hit me from the first listen on a level that the debut album didn't. that one took me some time to get into, but Bows had me hooked from song one. the Liars album is also fucking excellent, more of the post-punk madness that we've grown to love from the band. "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids" is a stand-out, but the whole album is excellent.
on the Christmas front, it was a pretty good year for gifts. i finally got a turntable, but the needle was so worn down that i have to track down a new one before i can actually use it. so if anyone knows where i can pick up a needle for a Pioneer turntable, hook a brother up in the comments section. i also picked up the GBV box set with some Best Buy gift cards, and i'm enjoying the shit out of that. i haven't had time to watch the DVD yet, but all of the music included is excellent. speaking of DVDs, i'm going to be watching those for the next several weeks and still not get through everything i received. in addition to the previously mentioned Ben Stiller Show, i also got The Sopranos Season 4, Mr. Show Seasons 1-3, X-Men 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean. yeah, that one.. i fucking loved Johnny Depp's performance. the best summer blockbuster of the past couple years by a longshot.
anyway, i hope y'all enjoyed your holidays and have a happy and safe New Year's Eve.
three highly anticipated releases for early 2004 have been leaked online, and i've been enjoying all three of them today - Xiu Xiu's Fabolous Muscles, Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned, and The Walkmen's Bows and Arrows. The Walkmen album is my favorite so far, it hit me from the first listen on a level that the debut album didn't. that one took me some time to get into, but Bows had me hooked from song one. the Liars album is also fucking excellent, more of the post-punk madness that we've grown to love from the band. "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids" is a stand-out, but the whole album is excellent.
on the Christmas front, it was a pretty good year for gifts. i finally got a turntable, but the needle was so worn down that i have to track down a new one before i can actually use it. so if anyone knows where i can pick up a needle for a Pioneer turntable, hook a brother up in the comments section. i also picked up the GBV box set with some Best Buy gift cards, and i'm enjoying the shit out of that. i haven't had time to watch the DVD yet, but all of the music included is excellent. speaking of DVDs, i'm going to be watching those for the next several weeks and still not get through everything i received. in addition to the previously mentioned Ben Stiller Show, i also got The Sopranos Season 4, Mr. Show Seasons 1-3, X-Men 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean. yeah, that one.. i fucking loved Johnny Depp's performance. the best summer blockbuster of the past couple years by a longshot.
anyway, i hope y'all enjoyed your holidays and have a happy and safe New Year's Eve.
Dec 24, 2003
oh, and as an addendum to that last post. the Sufjan Stevens was one of the two albums in the Pitchfork Top Ten that i hadn't heard, not out of the whole list. there's a lot more i hadn't heard in the lower ranks of the list. for those of you curious, the other top tenner i haven't heard is The Lemon of Pink. and unless someone can give me a convincing argument for it, i don't plan on it any time soon. i just wasn't feeling Thought for Food at all last year, and i don't see my opinion of The Books changing any time soon.
np: "say yes! to michigan" - sufjan stevens
this album was one of the two albums in the Pitchfork Top 50 that i hadn't heard, so i figured i would give it a listen. that and the fact that a person from a messageboard i frequent, whom i madly respect when it comes to music, was hyping it to no end. i'm liking the sound of it so far, but i can tell its one of those albums i'm going to want to sit down and spend some quality time with. i enjoy records like that from time to time. and i gotta admire the guy's plan to record one of these albums for every state in the union. take that, 69 Love Songs.
speaking of Pitchfork, the latest year-end list has done its job and managed to stir up quite a bit of talk throughout the net - a good deal of it for the choice of album of the year, but more for what's lacking from list. the White Stripes were a quite noticeable omission, until you check back and see the 6.9 score the reviewer gave it. more striking was the fact that quite a few favorably reviewed albums failed to make the cut - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and the New Pornos to name a few off the top of my head. as far as The Rapture snagging album of the year - i don't agree with it being considered the best of the year, but at the same time i can almost see the reasoning behind it. Echoes was definately a major indication of the swing towards danceable indie rock that has been going down in the past few years, and thanks to "House of Jealous Lovers" it was also the most high-profile. i have a feeling that it's going to be one of those albums that is looked back upon as a touchstone in the shifting of the indie rock gears, for better or for worse. but when it all comes down to it i can't back it up as album of the year because, let's face it, there were some downright less than mediocre songs on there. and imho, several kick ass tracks and several weak tracks don't make for the best thing of any given year. just my two cents.
and with that, i'm out for the next couple of days. so i wanna wish y'all a happy holiday, whatever one you choose to celebrate. and even if you choose to celebrate none at all, enjoy your time off of work you heathen.
this album was one of the two albums in the Pitchfork Top 50 that i hadn't heard, so i figured i would give it a listen. that and the fact that a person from a messageboard i frequent, whom i madly respect when it comes to music, was hyping it to no end. i'm liking the sound of it so far, but i can tell its one of those albums i'm going to want to sit down and spend some quality time with. i enjoy records like that from time to time. and i gotta admire the guy's plan to record one of these albums for every state in the union. take that, 69 Love Songs.
speaking of Pitchfork, the latest year-end list has done its job and managed to stir up quite a bit of talk throughout the net - a good deal of it for the choice of album of the year, but more for what's lacking from list. the White Stripes were a quite noticeable omission, until you check back and see the 6.9 score the reviewer gave it. more striking was the fact that quite a few favorably reviewed albums failed to make the cut - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and the New Pornos to name a few off the top of my head. as far as The Rapture snagging album of the year - i don't agree with it being considered the best of the year, but at the same time i can almost see the reasoning behind it. Echoes was definately a major indication of the swing towards danceable indie rock that has been going down in the past few years, and thanks to "House of Jealous Lovers" it was also the most high-profile. i have a feeling that it's going to be one of those albums that is looked back upon as a touchstone in the shifting of the indie rock gears, for better or for worse. but when it all comes down to it i can't back it up as album of the year because, let's face it, there were some downright less than mediocre songs on there. and imho, several kick ass tracks and several weak tracks don't make for the best thing of any given year. just my two cents.
and with that, i'm out for the next couple of days. so i wanna wish y'all a happy holiday, whatever one you choose to celebrate. and even if you choose to celebrate none at all, enjoy your time off of work you heathen.
Dec 23, 2003
np: "the bear" - my morning jacket
my Christmas spirit is rapidly fading away tonight. i sat down to enjoy my annual viewing of Christmas Vacation, when it was spoiled about halfway through by my neighbors upstairs blasting bass and rattling my shit enough to keep knocking my already loose A/V connection out. fuckers. and it's not so much just the bass that's annoying me, it's the constantly pounding on the floor and bouncing a ball on the kitchen floor. it's not a good start, everytime they start up with this noise level it goes on until 3 or 4 in the morning. some of us do have to work on Christmas Eve actually. and complaining is no use, the last time i tried to nicely ask them to keep it down they pretended not to speak English and shut the door in my face. fuck, i hate to sound like a boring old fart... but there's a reason i moved away from a college campus.
oh well, one half of a work day to survive through and my insanely busy Christmas celebration begins. i'll have to rush out to my grandmother's house for dinner, followed by a gift exchange at my dad. then Christmas morning i have to get up early and head over to my mom's for a quick brunch and then on to my girlfriend's parents' for dinner. not to complain though, it's kinda nice to have so much to do on the holiday rather than just sit around with annoying relatives for hours on end. just a wee bit nervous about meeting her parents though.
so what did i ask for from Santa this year? well an IPod would be the shit, but i'm not holding my breath on that one. i'll just be happy to finally get a working turntable, since that was the main gift i've been hinting at for months. other than that, there's not a whole lot i've been looking for. those so inclined to learn a little more about what a boy like me wants, you can check out my wishlist.
alright, it just got even louder upstairs. i'm going to go shove my head in the closet and slam the door several times.
my Christmas spirit is rapidly fading away tonight. i sat down to enjoy my annual viewing of Christmas Vacation, when it was spoiled about halfway through by my neighbors upstairs blasting bass and rattling my shit enough to keep knocking my already loose A/V connection out. fuckers. and it's not so much just the bass that's annoying me, it's the constantly pounding on the floor and bouncing a ball on the kitchen floor. it's not a good start, everytime they start up with this noise level it goes on until 3 or 4 in the morning. some of us do have to work on Christmas Eve actually. and complaining is no use, the last time i tried to nicely ask them to keep it down they pretended not to speak English and shut the door in my face. fuck, i hate to sound like a boring old fart... but there's a reason i moved away from a college campus.
oh well, one half of a work day to survive through and my insanely busy Christmas celebration begins. i'll have to rush out to my grandmother's house for dinner, followed by a gift exchange at my dad. then Christmas morning i have to get up early and head over to my mom's for a quick brunch and then on to my girlfriend's parents' for dinner. not to complain though, it's kinda nice to have so much to do on the holiday rather than just sit around with annoying relatives for hours on end. just a wee bit nervous about meeting her parents though.
so what did i ask for from Santa this year? well an IPod would be the shit, but i'm not holding my breath on that one. i'll just be happy to finally get a working turntable, since that was the main gift i've been hinting at for months. other than that, there's not a whole lot i've been looking for. those so inclined to learn a little more about what a boy like me wants, you can check out my wishlist.
alright, it just got even louder upstairs. i'm going to go shove my head in the closet and slam the door several times.
Dec 22, 2003
np: "losing my edge" - lcd soundsystem
so i broke out the hipster dancing shoes and picked up DFA Compilation #1 last night. some really cool shit on there that i'd not heard, including this LCD song that probably has the best lyrics ever on any of the disco-p(h)unk songs yet.
i'm so hyped for Christmas now, i don't know what has pushed me over the edge over the last week, but something did. i think the kick-ass presents from the girlfriend over the weekend helped quite a bit - tickets to a Chicago Wolves game and The Ben Stiller Show DVD. that shit is classic. i saw one episode back when it originally aired and always wondered how it disappeared so quickly. stupid television executives. how could you go wrong with a cast of Andy Dick, Stiller, Bob Odenkirk, and Janeane Garofalo? not to mention David Cross on the writing team. or the cameos from Todd Bridges, Run-DMC, Bobcat Goldthwait, Flea, Dennis Miller, and Garry Shandling. or U2: The Early Years. or Amish Studs. because really, what's funnier than comedy skits involving the Amish? nothing.
so i broke out the hipster dancing shoes and picked up DFA Compilation #1 last night. some really cool shit on there that i'd not heard, including this LCD song that probably has the best lyrics ever on any of the disco-p(h)unk songs yet.
i'm so hyped for Christmas now, i don't know what has pushed me over the edge over the last week, but something did. i think the kick-ass presents from the girlfriend over the weekend helped quite a bit - tickets to a Chicago Wolves game and The Ben Stiller Show DVD. that shit is classic. i saw one episode back when it originally aired and always wondered how it disappeared so quickly. stupid television executives. how could you go wrong with a cast of Andy Dick, Stiller, Bob Odenkirk, and Janeane Garofalo? not to mention David Cross on the writing team. or the cameos from Todd Bridges, Run-DMC, Bobcat Goldthwait, Flea, Dennis Miller, and Garry Shandling. or U2: The Early Years. or Amish Studs. because really, what's funnier than comedy skits involving the Amish? nothing.
