"The vocalist is starting to look more like Dr. House the older he gets. Great song." - Scavneck
Found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE
Saturday, August 29, 2009
blow up some stars
I've really grown to love Steven Delopoulos' album Straightjacket.
It's a really quixotic art/singer-songwriter affair. The music is largely one-man-and-a-guitar based but adds in all kinds of orchestration. There's even a kind of off-broadway chanted theatrical number. In fact, in many ways, I could see the album being the music to a really, really cool and engaging modern dance concert. The lyrics aren't obscure, but they're not obvious, either. If you don't think about it, you largley get what he's trying to say. If you think about it, it doesn't all make a lot of sense. Impressionistic, then, I guess. But not in a Michael Stipe kind of way. More in a Bob Dylan meets Leo Kottke kind of way, if that makes any sense at all. Poetic, rather than lyrical, but with the quirky honesty of someone who knows what it means to wear out his shoes from walking.
So, I leave you with the official video for the first track from Straightjacket. It's a slightly different mix than the album version and the video's not as good as the song, but that's not really news these days, is it? Enjoy the song.
It's a really quixotic art/singer-songwriter affair. The music is largely one-man-and-a-guitar based but adds in all kinds of orchestration. There's even a kind of off-broadway chanted theatrical number. In fact, in many ways, I could see the album being the music to a really, really cool and engaging modern dance concert. The lyrics aren't obscure, but they're not obvious, either. If you don't think about it, you largley get what he's trying to say. If you think about it, it doesn't all make a lot of sense. Impressionistic, then, I guess. But not in a Michael Stipe kind of way. More in a Bob Dylan meets Leo Kottke kind of way, if that makes any sense at all. Poetic, rather than lyrical, but with the quirky honesty of someone who knows what it means to wear out his shoes from walking.
So, I leave you with the official video for the first track from Straightjacket. It's a slightly different mix than the album version and the video's not as good as the song, but that's not really news these days, is it? Enjoy the song.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Winner!!
Apparently Bob Dylan wants to settle in Jersey
This is hilarious and makes Bob Dylan an undisputed winner. I can completely see this. Kinda nice to know that he's not the cheeky punk he once was when it comes to authority.
That reminds me of an interview by some guy on 60 minutes who alternately asks good and stupid questions of Bob. Throughout Dylan shows the patience of a man who is used to suffering fools.
This is hilarious and makes Bob Dylan an undisputed winner. I can completely see this. Kinda nice to know that he's not the cheeky punk he once was when it comes to authority.
That reminds me of an interview by some guy on 60 minutes who alternately asks good and stupid questions of Bob. Throughout Dylan shows the patience of a man who is used to suffering fools.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Although I don't know what other people think about this, tonight I'm grateful that Jesus broke his body and shed his blood for me. I'm grateful that I can remember that through the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine (or juice or, water if it's handy). Though it cost him everything, it bought me everything. Forgiveness, restoration, healing, freedom, reconciliation, and the knowledge of being loved, all at the same time. Peace, maybe you could call it.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
The Blue Bird of Happiness
I enjoy Pandora radio quite a bit while I'm on the 'net. In both the sense that I listen to Pandora quite a bit when I'm online, and that when I do, I quite enjoy myself. Most of the time. There is always the very quirky inability of their analyzing system to understand what I enjoy about certain bands. For instance, if you're listening to Ric Hordinski, do you really want to hear some typical alt. pop rocker? Does that make any sense at all?
Pandora really tried to sell me on Joshua Radin for awhile. And I'm sorry, but if I can consider Sufjan a one-trick pony ( I really should revise that because, in all honesty, it's not fair), then J. Radin is a pony with three legs. I do like the song "Someone Else's Life", but it seriously smells like what I would expect from Jose Gonzalez covering Elliot Smith.
Speaking of which, they're playing "Rose Parade" just now. Gosh, I enjoy this guy's music, but between Elliot and Thom Yorke, I'm not sure how some of my friends managed to stay alive through the late 90's, let alone upbeat, esp. considering how many also weaned themselves on "Ten", Soundgarden, and Cobain's untimely death.
Speaking of which, a bluebird just landed on the tree outside my window. There used to be a phrase, popular for songsmiths, actually: "the bluebird of happiness". Isn't that odd? Is that some kind of ironic joke? Who comes up with this stuff?
Pandora really tried to sell me on Joshua Radin for awhile. And I'm sorry, but if I can consider Sufjan a one-trick pony ( I really should revise that because, in all honesty, it's not fair), then J. Radin is a pony with three legs. I do like the song "Someone Else's Life", but it seriously smells like what I would expect from Jose Gonzalez covering Elliot Smith.
Speaking of which, they're playing "Rose Parade" just now. Gosh, I enjoy this guy's music, but between Elliot and Thom Yorke, I'm not sure how some of my friends managed to stay alive through the late 90's, let alone upbeat, esp. considering how many also weaned themselves on "Ten", Soundgarden, and Cobain's untimely death.
Speaking of which, a bluebird just landed on the tree outside my window. There used to be a phrase, popular for songsmiths, actually: "the bluebird of happiness". Isn't that odd? Is that some kind of ironic joke? Who comes up with this stuff?
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Hello, I hope your porch looks okay
Today was my last day with College Pro Painting. I'm, frankly, relieved. There's nothing like working for salesmen as a painter to wish you were doing work you could be proud of. Ack.
I'm really grateful for the work because it got me back on my feet. But, man... that's no way to paint. I just couldn't do it, so I'm glad I don't have to anymore. I have a huge aversion to doing work I can't be proud of. Especially regarding someone's home. I wish my bosses the best of luck and I really hope they get out of this company. There's just no reason to be involved in something like that. You'd be better off in Amway or Cutco or Quixtar. Then at least you'd be clear with yourself and the customers about the situation. Maybe that's not true, but the point is, sales is sales, painting is painting.
My older brother sent me a link to a company near me that might be hiring, so we'll see what we can manage.
I'm really grateful for the work because it got me back on my feet. But, man... that's no way to paint. I just couldn't do it, so I'm glad I don't have to anymore. I have a huge aversion to doing work I can't be proud of. Especially regarding someone's home. I wish my bosses the best of luck and I really hope they get out of this company. There's just no reason to be involved in something like that. You'd be better off in Amway or Cutco or Quixtar. Then at least you'd be clear with yourself and the customers about the situation. Maybe that's not true, but the point is, sales is sales, painting is painting.
My older brother sent me a link to a company near me that might be hiring, so we'll see what we can manage.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Necessary for Living
I read an article today about a woman who died from drinking too much water in a radio show contest. I'm, of course, saddened by this, but all the more so because I have some experience with drinking too much water.
When I was a freshmen at Kent State, I was a voice major. In an attempt to take care of my voice, I started carrying a gallon of water with me to class and around the dorms. I would drink some between classes and throughout the day. After some time of this, I had started to drink 1.5 to 2 gallons of water per day. Thankfully, I was taking an introductory biology course at the time that covered the urinary system, including electrolyte balance within the body, in which the professor talked about potentially depleting yourself of electrolytes due to excessive water consumption. It crossed my mind to question whether I was drinking too much water, but I figured too much water was many, many gallons. A few days later I was eating some of the cafeterias ridiculously salty french fries. I hate overly salty food. And these fries were perpetually over-salted. On this particular day, however, those fries tasted like a slice of heaven. As I bought and ate a second helping, I mused over what would cause such an intense (pardoning the phrase, please) gut-level attraction to these ridiculously salty fries. And I remembered my professors lecture. It gave me pause, so I started backing off on the amount of water I was consuming. A few months later, I was getting an exam at the doctor and asked him if one could drink too much water. "Oh yes," he said "but you'd have to be drinking quite a lot." I asked what "quite a lot" was. "Oh, if you were drinking, say, 1.5 to 2 gallons a day that would be too much." You can imagine my instant, but internal, response.
"Doh!"
I stopped carrying around the water jug after that.
When I was a freshmen at Kent State, I was a voice major. In an attempt to take care of my voice, I started carrying a gallon of water with me to class and around the dorms. I would drink some between classes and throughout the day. After some time of this, I had started to drink 1.5 to 2 gallons of water per day. Thankfully, I was taking an introductory biology course at the time that covered the urinary system, including electrolyte balance within the body, in which the professor talked about potentially depleting yourself of electrolytes due to excessive water consumption. It crossed my mind to question whether I was drinking too much water, but I figured too much water was many, many gallons. A few days later I was eating some of the cafeterias ridiculously salty french fries. I hate overly salty food. And these fries were perpetually over-salted. On this particular day, however, those fries tasted like a slice of heaven. As I bought and ate a second helping, I mused over what would cause such an intense (pardoning the phrase, please) gut-level attraction to these ridiculously salty fries. And I remembered my professors lecture. It gave me pause, so I started backing off on the amount of water I was consuming. A few months later, I was getting an exam at the doctor and asked him if one could drink too much water. "Oh yes," he said "but you'd have to be drinking quite a lot." I asked what "quite a lot" was. "Oh, if you were drinking, say, 1.5 to 2 gallons a day that would be too much." You can imagine my instant, but internal, response.
"Doh!"
I stopped carrying around the water jug after that.
Jon Stewart: the new Walter Cronkite
I thought this was an interesting article. I'm pretty excited that Jon Stewart is interested in real discussion. I'm pretty excited that anyone in the media is interested in real discussion.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
I think I might like to go to the show
There's one band I really want to see right now. U2.
I know that's terribly cliche and obvious and such, but they're onto something special right now. Musically and... spiritually... at their shows. I've been watching some of the coverage from the Europe leg of the tour and there's something happening. I'm not so sure it's the band but more a synergy between the band and the audience right now. The band has stretched out a little and the audiences have followed.
Check this response to the recent Poland show by Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol, the opening act.
Bono's voice is wearing a little from age some nights, but he's got something in it that was missing for awhile. They sound like they mean what they're saying again. It's brilliant.
I'll leave you with this fantastically shot video from u2006.com's youtube channel. Go ahead and search through some of the other video's they've shot from the rest of the tour. Barcelona was really cool, both nights. In Poland, at Chorzow... and without a doubt, the two Zagreb shows which just happened today and yesterday. They'll be up soon, no doubt.
I know that's terribly cliche and obvious and such, but they're onto something special right now. Musically and... spiritually... at their shows. I've been watching some of the coverage from the Europe leg of the tour and there's something happening. I'm not so sure it's the band but more a synergy between the band and the audience right now. The band has stretched out a little and the audiences have followed.
Check this response to the recent Poland show by Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol, the opening act.
Bono's voice is wearing a little from age some nights, but he's got something in it that was missing for awhile. They sound like they mean what they're saying again. It's brilliant.
I'll leave you with this fantastically shot video from u2006.com's youtube channel. Go ahead and search through some of the other video's they've shot from the rest of the tour. Barcelona was really cool, both nights. In Poland, at Chorzow... and without a doubt, the two Zagreb shows which just happened today and yesterday. They'll be up soon, no doubt.
Who's got the herd?
I really love that picture of "The Lee Harvey Oswald Band" rocking Dallas. On some level that's a really sad picture and not funny at all, because in some way it mocks the murder of someone, and murder is tragic, not funny. What makes it hilarious to me is that it turns something sad and awful into something humourous and fun. It works because the expressions and body angles work so well. I love the way Oswald looks like he's screaming into the microphone on a final chord and the way the gunman looks like he's swooping in for one last final lick.
Anyway...
I found a couple articles today that I thought were awesome. This one reflects on a rather interesting way of responding to a potential breakup. Pretty awesome. And here we find out that redheads are statistically more likely to require greater amounts of anesthesia than ordinary mortals.
Milk has apparently taken a hit on the local market. Last week, at Aldi, the grocer of choice for anyone who has need to appreciate the value of a dollar, I paid $1.89 for a gallon of 2% (the balance point of health and flavor). This week, 2% milk was wooing customers for a mere $1.49/gal., a 21% decrease in price over a 7 day period. In these lean-ish economic times (I won't overestimate this recession by full use of the word lean. I knew people who lived through truly lean economic times, aka, The Great Depression), it's always good to celebrate the silver linings.
When I (eventually) build a house for myself and my (eventually) lovely family (aka 20 cats and dogs), I'm using brick siding. I would be happy to never have to scrap another house ever, not to mention the benefits of just never having to paint. Limited stylistic choices, but that's not a problem for such a maven of fashion as myself. I make everything look good, baby... lol
Anyway...
I found a couple articles today that I thought were awesome. This one reflects on a rather interesting way of responding to a potential breakup. Pretty awesome. And here we find out that redheads are statistically more likely to require greater amounts of anesthesia than ordinary mortals.
Milk has apparently taken a hit on the local market. Last week, at Aldi, the grocer of choice for anyone who has need to appreciate the value of a dollar, I paid $1.89 for a gallon of 2% (the balance point of health and flavor). This week, 2% milk was wooing customers for a mere $1.49/gal., a 21% decrease in price over a 7 day period. In these lean-ish economic times (I won't overestimate this recession by full use of the word lean. I knew people who lived through truly lean economic times, aka, The Great Depression), it's always good to celebrate the silver linings.
When I (eventually) build a house for myself and my (eventually) lovely family (aka 20 cats and dogs), I'm using brick siding. I would be happy to never have to scrap another house ever, not to mention the benefits of just never having to paint. Limited stylistic choices, but that's not a problem for such a maven of fashion as myself. I make everything look good, baby... lol
Friday, August 7, 2009
Thursday, August 6, 2009
It's 5:46 am and I woke up because I was cold from lack of adequate covers and an open window. Oh the things we do for fresh air.
Then I heard some kids out on the golf course. I wanted to go tell them that at 4am it's probably not a socially wise thing to be chilling at the golf course, making noise, but then I remembered that when I was, you know, under the age of 30, that was pretty much exactly what I thought was a totally great idea. Is anybody really scared of the cops busting you for trespassing on the golf course? So, I hauled my old-man-yelling-get-off-my-lawn ass back into the house. Seriously, I'm, like, 75. Arrrr... pirates.
J Tillman, people. I'm tellin' ya. Crooked Roof is an all-time fave.
Now it's almost six and I have to be up in half an hour to get ready for work, but I want to sleep for a couple hours, now that I've gotten good and tired again. Again, I'm, like, 75.
I've started a couple songs recently that might be worth something. That's cool, I think.
Turns out the people I work for, College Pro Painters, are... perhaps not savory. The local franchise manager is an alright dude, I think, and better than a lot of FMs, but, oi, you know, the parent company pretty much uses college students as fodder. It's what I will call a "capital scheme", by which I do not mean, "great idea, governor", but rather that CPP offers a "franchise opportunity" to folks who then raise their own capital to actually run the business, all the while paying ridiculous fees and purchases to the parent company. So, really it's a funnel scheme. The parent company funnels money from the consumer through the franchisee while guaranteeing an income stream from the franchise fees. I suppose that's the normal franchise thing, but in this case, you gain nothing by associating with the franchise. That is, after all, the point of franchising. That they will benefit you in by name recognition, capital expenses, or business acumen, in a way you could not without that association. In this case, you'd be better off just starting up your own painting business.
The upshot is that I'm not sure how long I want to work for these folks. I don't like working for bloodsuckers. If my local franchise manager wasn't a reasonable guy, I'd have already made like a tree.
How does everybody feel about CAD M179s versus a typical small diaphragm condenser for recording guitars? I've heard good things and I'd like to maybe buy one...someday...
Then I heard some kids out on the golf course. I wanted to go tell them that at 4am it's probably not a socially wise thing to be chilling at the golf course, making noise, but then I remembered that when I was, you know, under the age of 30, that was pretty much exactly what I thought was a totally great idea. Is anybody really scared of the cops busting you for trespassing on the golf course? So, I hauled my old-man-yelling-get-off-my-lawn ass back into the house. Seriously, I'm, like, 75. Arrrr... pirates.
J Tillman, people. I'm tellin' ya. Crooked Roof is an all-time fave.
Now it's almost six and I have to be up in half an hour to get ready for work, but I want to sleep for a couple hours, now that I've gotten good and tired again. Again, I'm, like, 75.
I've started a couple songs recently that might be worth something. That's cool, I think.
Turns out the people I work for, College Pro Painters, are... perhaps not savory. The local franchise manager is an alright dude, I think, and better than a lot of FMs, but, oi, you know, the parent company pretty much uses college students as fodder. It's what I will call a "capital scheme", by which I do not mean, "great idea, governor", but rather that CPP offers a "franchise opportunity" to folks who then raise their own capital to actually run the business, all the while paying ridiculous fees and purchases to the parent company. So, really it's a funnel scheme. The parent company funnels money from the consumer through the franchisee while guaranteeing an income stream from the franchise fees. I suppose that's the normal franchise thing, but in this case, you gain nothing by associating with the franchise. That is, after all, the point of franchising. That they will benefit you in by name recognition, capital expenses, or business acumen, in a way you could not without that association. In this case, you'd be better off just starting up your own painting business.
The upshot is that I'm not sure how long I want to work for these folks. I don't like working for bloodsuckers. If my local franchise manager wasn't a reasonable guy, I'd have already made like a tree.
How does everybody feel about CAD M179s versus a typical small diaphragm condenser for recording guitars? I've heard good things and I'd like to maybe buy one...someday...
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
To Recreate Us
The Faces were the best thing Rod Stewart ever did. Why, why, why did he ever think he could be better than that band?!? Not that I don't like "Forever Young" and "Young Turks" and "Downtown Train", but seriously, you can't argue with, say, "If I'm on the Late Side".
Sufjan Stevens is really pretty special. I shied away from him for awhile for various reasons, not the least of which was how much everyone seems to swoon over him, but credit and love is due. A bit of a one trick pony (look who's talking, right? :), but special nonetheless. He makes my stomach do somersaults of longing. Never a bad thing.
Denison Witmer is also something special. Again with the one trick, but he seems more honest and more interested in exploration. I dig his simpleness and his honesty. What can I say... Denison defines "diary songwriter" to me, and that's not a bad thing.
Iron and Wine: another rave fave. I like, but frankly, he scares me. Like a just-getting-over-being-shy, really introverted "Goldfly"-era Guster. The music is either soothing or seething, and I'm not sure how to trust that.
I just now, this instant, found out about Alexi Murdoch, and yes, yes.
I'm pretty happy about Phish getting back together, unlike most other people that like song-based music. They really don't get their due from the regular music folks, but whatever, I guess when you can pull in a city sized amount of people for a two day fest of which you are the only act, I guess you probably don't worry about the naysayers. Still, can they age effectively? Not many bands can. Even U2's latest, which is great, is slighter shades of their former greatness. As long as they don't hire Tchad Blake, we'll probably be okay.
Inquiring minds want to know... will Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore do anything musical together? That would be weird, but possibly also really good.
Scientists are like musicians: some are doing great stuff, some are doing... less than great stuff.
Your ideologies will kill you. Remember that.
Sufjan Stevens is really pretty special. I shied away from him for awhile for various reasons, not the least of which was how much everyone seems to swoon over him, but credit and love is due. A bit of a one trick pony (look who's talking, right? :), but special nonetheless. He makes my stomach do somersaults of longing. Never a bad thing.
Denison Witmer is also something special. Again with the one trick, but he seems more honest and more interested in exploration. I dig his simpleness and his honesty. What can I say... Denison defines "diary songwriter" to me, and that's not a bad thing.
Iron and Wine: another rave fave. I like, but frankly, he scares me. Like a just-getting-over-being-shy, really introverted "Goldfly"-era Guster. The music is either soothing or seething, and I'm not sure how to trust that.
I just now, this instant, found out about Alexi Murdoch, and yes, yes.
I'm pretty happy about Phish getting back together, unlike most other people that like song-based music. They really don't get their due from the regular music folks, but whatever, I guess when you can pull in a city sized amount of people for a two day fest of which you are the only act, I guess you probably don't worry about the naysayers. Still, can they age effectively? Not many bands can. Even U2's latest, which is great, is slighter shades of their former greatness. As long as they don't hire Tchad Blake, we'll probably be okay.
Inquiring minds want to know... will Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore do anything musical together? That would be weird, but possibly also really good.
Scientists are like musicians: some are doing great stuff, some are doing... less than great stuff.
Your ideologies will kill you. Remember that.
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