Tuesday, October 26, 2004
If this blog is rockin’, don’t bother knockin’
Stuff unrelated to the title first. Bad news, good news. Bad news is the election is a week away, and I haven’t been able to justify a vote for either of these morons. I so want new blood in the White House, but could Kerry and Edwards be any more underwhelming? Kudos to Bush for being unelectable and STILL looking to be the best bet. Yuck. But, I am voting Democrat, and here’s why; do I want Bush and his same flaws for another 4 years, or do I want to give the other side a chance to do good, and bring new flaws to the nation? Bush’s flaws have been complicated by world events that have become complicated as well, but ignored environmental concerns, horrible international relations, no great innovations in health care (I do not buy that this Medicare Card program is a good fix, not for 4 years work), and over 1000 soldiers dead (on OUR side alone) are bad flaws indeed. If Kerry is worse than that, then things will definitely be a mess under him. But I want to be an optimist, and hope new blood can turn some things around.
Good news comes in twos today. Little Carlo grew up! He no longer looks like an onigiri/ladybug. He now stands on two feet, has a huge head, and looks like Kamen Rider (a Japanese super hero). Instead of bread for meals and candy for a snack, he now enjoys pizza and corndogs. And instead of singing and dancing, I catch him sitting with his back to me while he watches TV. Must be a teenager. The other good news is that Adult Swim is going to start showing Super Milk Chan Show! This is one of the weirdest and funniest Japanese cartoons ever. It reminds me of Ren and Stimpy in it’s very early days. It starts on November 7th, so be sure to tune in! Okay, on to the blog.
I know I may have talked about music a lot lately, but it is a phase I have been going through. Anyone who knows me knows that music is a huge part of my life. While I cringe when people say “I’m into all kinds of music,” I really am into a pretty diverse selection of music. My favorites are punk, soul, and true alternative music. Here’s a little insider secret; if we’ve been friends for a while, and I have made you a mix CD, I think a lot of you. I’ve decided to share my most passionate songs with you, which is like an encoded glimpse into my mind, heart, and soul.
Music in my life often amounts to more just songs I “like,” it often holds some deeper connection and meaning. So today, I am going to blog a little bit about some special music to me (which I was reminded of as I work on two new mix CDs). I’ve done this before, and I’ll do it again. :)
#1 - Some of you may remember Jamiroquai. They are still around, but they sort of peaked with the songs “Alright” and “Virtual Insanity.” Well, I have always bought their music the week it has come out, and I have been in love with their soul/disco sounds. In 2001, I was anxiously awaiting the release of their album “A Funk Odyssey.” It was slated for a Tuesday release, and I was going to bolt straight to the mall (right after general chemistry at IWCC). Well, as we all know, September 11th was a morning that was unlike any other.
We were all unsure of what had happened. I mean, we saw the video, and heard the reports, but there was so much uncertainty, and so much shock. Even as we discussed it in classes, we were all just trying to piece it together. After class, I walked through the mall, and everything was “dead.” No chatter, no music, hardly any shoppers. I bought the CD as planned, and got back in my car. It cheered me up to listen to it; Jamiroquai is always so positive and upbeat (had I bought a Smiths CD, I may have killed myself). But yet I sat in the parking lot, listening to the CD, crying my eyes out. To this day, I have mixed feelings about that album, but strong feelings nonetheless.
#2 – There was one time in the last year when I felt like I was ready to throw my life away, and start over from scratch. You don’t need to know too many more details than that… but it was a rough time for me. It was during this time that I first listened to The New Pornographers. They were a perfect blend of nonsense and clever, punky pop music. Not that the music is punk rock at all, beyond its attitude. I started to cycle The New Pornographers and Polyphonic Spree nonstop through my radio. The giddy, bubblegum nature of the music softened my mood. At that time in my life, the mixture of such great music and two “new” friendships that I desperately needed saved me from making a series of horrible choices. It is sad that I need audio Zoloft like I do, but hey, it helps me cope.
#3 – Growing up, I had very little in common with my dad. The things we did do together have long exited my life… hunting, shooting, and going to gun shows. See a theme? But one thing my dad did instill in me was a love for The Doors. He had a bulky stereo with a reel-to-reel player in our basement, and when we both would seek refuge down there to do guy-stuff (he worked with reloading equipment, and I played with my Star Wars figures), he would blast his music until you couldn’t even hear mom yelling down the stairs that supper was ready. He played Willie Nelson, CCR, and Hank Williams Jr., but my favorite was the Doors. He had a reel-to-reel copy of LA Woman that he had bought in Vietnam, and it sounded great. When Riders on the Storm or LA Woman came on, he would just stop, and listen. To this day, I do the same thing with certain songs. To him, he was just getting lost in the music… feeling the soul of the song, perhaps even remembering something he had tied to that music. What are my stop and listen songs? I’ll save that for a more intimate discussion, or at least another blog. To summarize, my dad made me a Doors fan for life. While some classic rock has just been overplayed (i.e. Led Zepplin), I can still hear any Doors song and be totally excited and pleased.
Well, there are three examples. That is enough for now. I think I mentioned in previous blogs already about some of my soul music. If not, here is a short list… The Talking Heads (anything), The Smiths (anything), Bright Eyes “Fevers and Mirrors,” Lou Reed “Rock and Roll Animal,” Adam Again “Dig,” Nation of Ulysses (anything), Dead Milkmen (anything), Pixies “Come On Pilgrim,” and Steely Dan (anything). And that isn’t even considering Scaterd Few, Fishbone, Sade, Kyuss, Bjork, Van Halen, Breakfast With Amy, QOTSA, De La Soul, Radiohead, or Portishead!
Oh, and the two most underrated albums in my collection are Sincerely Paul’s “Grieve” and Painted Orange’s debut album.
See ya! And rock on.
Good news comes in twos today. Little Carlo grew up! He no longer looks like an onigiri/ladybug. He now stands on two feet, has a huge head, and looks like Kamen Rider (a Japanese super hero). Instead of bread for meals and candy for a snack, he now enjoys pizza and corndogs. And instead of singing and dancing, I catch him sitting with his back to me while he watches TV. Must be a teenager. The other good news is that Adult Swim is going to start showing Super Milk Chan Show! This is one of the weirdest and funniest Japanese cartoons ever. It reminds me of Ren and Stimpy in it’s very early days. It starts on November 7th, so be sure to tune in! Okay, on to the blog.
I know I may have talked about music a lot lately, but it is a phase I have been going through. Anyone who knows me knows that music is a huge part of my life. While I cringe when people say “I’m into all kinds of music,” I really am into a pretty diverse selection of music. My favorites are punk, soul, and true alternative music. Here’s a little insider secret; if we’ve been friends for a while, and I have made you a mix CD, I think a lot of you. I’ve decided to share my most passionate songs with you, which is like an encoded glimpse into my mind, heart, and soul.
Music in my life often amounts to more just songs I “like,” it often holds some deeper connection and meaning. So today, I am going to blog a little bit about some special music to me (which I was reminded of as I work on two new mix CDs). I’ve done this before, and I’ll do it again. :)
#1 - Some of you may remember Jamiroquai. They are still around, but they sort of peaked with the songs “Alright” and “Virtual Insanity.” Well, I have always bought their music the week it has come out, and I have been in love with their soul/disco sounds. In 2001, I was anxiously awaiting the release of their album “A Funk Odyssey.” It was slated for a Tuesday release, and I was going to bolt straight to the mall (right after general chemistry at IWCC). Well, as we all know, September 11th was a morning that was unlike any other.
We were all unsure of what had happened. I mean, we saw the video, and heard the reports, but there was so much uncertainty, and so much shock. Even as we discussed it in classes, we were all just trying to piece it together. After class, I walked through the mall, and everything was “dead.” No chatter, no music, hardly any shoppers. I bought the CD as planned, and got back in my car. It cheered me up to listen to it; Jamiroquai is always so positive and upbeat (had I bought a Smiths CD, I may have killed myself). But yet I sat in the parking lot, listening to the CD, crying my eyes out. To this day, I have mixed feelings about that album, but strong feelings nonetheless.
#2 – There was one time in the last year when I felt like I was ready to throw my life away, and start over from scratch. You don’t need to know too many more details than that… but it was a rough time for me. It was during this time that I first listened to The New Pornographers. They were a perfect blend of nonsense and clever, punky pop music. Not that the music is punk rock at all, beyond its attitude. I started to cycle The New Pornographers and Polyphonic Spree nonstop through my radio. The giddy, bubblegum nature of the music softened my mood. At that time in my life, the mixture of such great music and two “new” friendships that I desperately needed saved me from making a series of horrible choices. It is sad that I need audio Zoloft like I do, but hey, it helps me cope.
#3 – Growing up, I had very little in common with my dad. The things we did do together have long exited my life… hunting, shooting, and going to gun shows. See a theme? But one thing my dad did instill in me was a love for The Doors. He had a bulky stereo with a reel-to-reel player in our basement, and when we both would seek refuge down there to do guy-stuff (he worked with reloading equipment, and I played with my Star Wars figures), he would blast his music until you couldn’t even hear mom yelling down the stairs that supper was ready. He played Willie Nelson, CCR, and Hank Williams Jr., but my favorite was the Doors. He had a reel-to-reel copy of LA Woman that he had bought in Vietnam, and it sounded great. When Riders on the Storm or LA Woman came on, he would just stop, and listen. To this day, I do the same thing with certain songs. To him, he was just getting lost in the music… feeling the soul of the song, perhaps even remembering something he had tied to that music. What are my stop and listen songs? I’ll save that for a more intimate discussion, or at least another blog. To summarize, my dad made me a Doors fan for life. While some classic rock has just been overplayed (i.e. Led Zepplin), I can still hear any Doors song and be totally excited and pleased.
Well, there are three examples. That is enough for now. I think I mentioned in previous blogs already about some of my soul music. If not, here is a short list… The Talking Heads (anything), The Smiths (anything), Bright Eyes “Fevers and Mirrors,” Lou Reed “Rock and Roll Animal,” Adam Again “Dig,” Nation of Ulysses (anything), Dead Milkmen (anything), Pixies “Come On Pilgrim,” and Steely Dan (anything). And that isn’t even considering Scaterd Few, Fishbone, Sade, Kyuss, Bjork, Van Halen, Breakfast With Amy, QOTSA, De La Soul, Radiohead, or Portishead!
Oh, and the two most underrated albums in my collection are Sincerely Paul’s “Grieve” and Painted Orange’s debut album.
See ya! And rock on.
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