Today the sun is shining. The palest shade of gray has been replaced by a rejuvenating blue and yellow glow. It makes me want to go out side and run around, drink with friends on a porch, and sing along with so many of my favorite songs. Big Star. Cheap Trick. The Raspberries.
Loudly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3KuIoOc7pI
Friday, April 17, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Terror of Knowing What This World Is About
Tonight my wife and I were coming home from Hoagies and we had the radio on. The beginning of one of my favorite songs started and I got really excited. She pointed out that I should not have gotten excited until I knew that it wasn't that "other song." She was right.
The song?
"Under Pressure."
She had a good point.
The song?
"Under Pressure."
She had a good point.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Life's Not Made of Gold
What a dreary, unremarkable day. Every time I look out the window I see the most pale shade of gray I have ever seen in my life. To make matters worse, work has been even more frustrating than usual. It is days like these that the world needs Nick Drake songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2jxjv0HkwM
Not my favorite Nick Drake song, but one that really sums the day up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2jxjv0HkwM
Not my favorite Nick Drake song, but one that really sums the day up.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The Power of Rock
Do you remember what you were doing on August 26, 1998? I do. I attended my Grandfather's funeral. It was one of the saddest days of my life. After the funeral ended, I got in a car and rode to Cleveland to see one of my favorite bands. Pearl Jam. It was the second time I would be seeing them, the first coming the week before in Indy.
I've seen Pearl Jam a bunch since then, but this one will always stick in my mind. I had quit the only job I had ever had shortly before, and then quit my new job after a week because it was horrible and they made me feel guilty about asking off for my Grandfather's funeral. I was jobless, sad, and incredibly tired. The concert seemed a million miles from where I was, but I went because we had bought tickets and I thought it would have been good to get my mind off things.
It was one of the most transcendent nights of my life. We were in about the tenth or so row. The band was incredible. They played "Footsteps" and "Baba O'Riley." I left the concert still feeling sad, yet uplifted by the power of one band playing music so powerful that you forget your surroundings and just left go. Enjoy the moment. It was one of the most magical performances I had ever seen.
Tonight I sit listening to those recordings, over a decade later, and I can still feel the electricity. It may have been over a decade ago, but it is so close in my mind.
I've seen Pearl Jam a bunch since then, but this one will always stick in my mind. I had quit the only job I had ever had shortly before, and then quit my new job after a week because it was horrible and they made me feel guilty about asking off for my Grandfather's funeral. I was jobless, sad, and incredibly tired. The concert seemed a million miles from where I was, but I went because we had bought tickets and I thought it would have been good to get my mind off things.
It was one of the most transcendent nights of my life. We were in about the tenth or so row. The band was incredible. They played "Footsteps" and "Baba O'Riley." I left the concert still feeling sad, yet uplifted by the power of one band playing music so powerful that you forget your surroundings and just left go. Enjoy the moment. It was one of the most magical performances I had ever seen.
Tonight I sit listening to those recordings, over a decade later, and I can still feel the electricity. It may have been over a decade ago, but it is so close in my mind.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Me and My Arrow
We watched The Point last night, and I thought it was great. After watching it, I now want to name our first dog Arrow. My wife and I had decided on the name Wilco for our first dog, but I may push for that to be the second name. I will probably lose this battle, but I can dream right? While I am dreaming, I want Arrow to be blue.
I was looking through a CD booklet today and I was struck by two things. First, I don't think I can ever make the full transition to digital music. It is fine with things that are out of print or single songs, but for full albums I really like having the album art work and linear notes. Second, I desperately wish I had a larger creative space in my apartment. Right now I have all of five square feet it seems, and for every creative act I have prep work. For example, if I want to record a song on my 4-track, I have to unplug other items and re-arrange furniture to get a guitar part down. To record vocals, I then have to move all my equipment into a different room and unplug even more items. That is a lot of work for a song that usually lasts 90 seconds.
I also want to start a record label and call it Stumbling Through the Weekend Records. Sound cool? Maybe I can put out the strange tape I found in the park last week as the first release!
I was looking through a CD booklet today and I was struck by two things. First, I don't think I can ever make the full transition to digital music. It is fine with things that are out of print or single songs, but for full albums I really like having the album art work and linear notes. Second, I desperately wish I had a larger creative space in my apartment. Right now I have all of five square feet it seems, and for every creative act I have prep work. For example, if I want to record a song on my 4-track, I have to unplug other items and re-arrange furniture to get a guitar part down. To record vocals, I then have to move all my equipment into a different room and unplug even more items. That is a lot of work for a song that usually lasts 90 seconds.
I also want to start a record label and call it Stumbling Through the Weekend Records. Sound cool? Maybe I can put out the strange tape I found in the park last week as the first release!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tony Perez on First
Michigan State finally ran out of gas last night. I was pulling for them but it just wasn't meant to be. Baseball season is here, but it seems like every year I get less and less excited about it. I find myself just wanting to check out the 1975 World Series on DVD and watching that. Go Big Red Machine!
I have nothing really to say today. Instead, I will post my favorite Talking Heads songs. That seems all the rage these days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdMc6wGtU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhQU3fgCMXA
I have nothing really to say today. Instead, I will post my favorite Talking Heads songs. That seems all the rage these days.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zNdMc6wGtU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhQU3fgCMXA
Monday, April 6, 2009
This Tornado Loves You
I was going to write yesterday but my wife had homework and I never really got to get on the computer. I had a great walk yesterday and listened to Amon Duul II's wonderful Phallus Dei and Ornette Coleman's Free Jazz. The title track of the first album is all kinds of fantastic noise rock bliss. Check it out if you can; it's twenty minutes and every second is worth the ride.
I got my walk in yesterday before we had all the tornado warnings around here. When I was about eight or nine, on vacation of all times, a tornado hit Sandusky. My siblings and my mom had to hide in the closet of this small cabin as the wind destroyed every tree in our area. Other than being scared out of my mind, I remember two things about this: The next day there were literally thousands of sticks on the ground and the storm had knocked out the Sohio gas station sign. Instead it read ohio, and I thought that was awesome for some reason.
In honor of this, I give you Neko Case and a live version of one of her fantastic new songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RNYYwRtXU
I got my walk in yesterday before we had all the tornado warnings around here. When I was about eight or nine, on vacation of all times, a tornado hit Sandusky. My siblings and my mom had to hide in the closet of this small cabin as the wind destroyed every tree in our area. Other than being scared out of my mind, I remember two things about this: The next day there were literally thousands of sticks on the ground and the storm had knocked out the Sohio gas station sign. Instead it read ohio, and I thought that was awesome for some reason.
In honor of this, I give you Neko Case and a live version of one of her fantastic new songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6RNYYwRtXU
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