Archive for September, 2006
Top 1: Albums that haven’t grabbed me.. at all.
The new “TV on the Radio.” I got it for free, so there isn’t any pressure.. but I listen to it and.. Zzzzzzzzz….. not getting into it. It is like they missed a final step in mixing it.. and they forgot the parts that make you care about the songs. Maybe I’m in another music mood right now (see post about my AWESOME MIXTAPE), but I’m going to have to give this album another week, then give it away, if it doesn’t slap me across the face with radness.
The title of the album is pretty awesome, though. It makes me think of my favorite videogame of all time.. Super Mario World!
Presents: New Hobby!
Wow.. I’d blog more often, but I have an awesome new hobby.. DRIFTING! It’s a new kind of racing, the backends are light, and you drift everywhere. This is important, because I usually race in San Francisco and the back streets of Milan, Italy. You can only get through these streets by DRIFTING! Drifting is so hot right now, I can’t get enough drifting. I bet you wonder if I drift on my Vespa. You are a FOOL! You can’t drift on a Vespa.. yet! Me and a couple friends gutted my Geo Metro and put an awesome new engine, transmission, and NOS in it. We also painted it with a really professional paint job. It took about 12 hours total, but now I have one of the hottest drifter cars in Los Angeles. When I see a corner.. I don’t slow down, I pop the emergency brake, hit the throttle and DRIFT around the corner. It’s totally bad ass. One time, me and my homey were out cruising for ladies, and we saw a couple ladies in a DRIFTER car, just sitting in the middle of this cul-de-sac. What did I do? I DRIFTED around them in circles, over and over again.. until I stopped inches from their driver’s side door. What did I get? Drifter digits.
Anyway.. I gotta run, I have to drift my way to work. It’s a new kind of racing, called drifting. It’s really awesome right now and it takes up all my time.
Last 5: Albums I Bought
Hi! So, I worked at the record store today to help out with the shortage of people who now work there, and I picked up some albums! I also picked up a little something extra… a $.17/hour raise!!!!! You may now refer to my money drunk post and DOUBLE the wonderful things I was going to buy. That means a diamond and PLATINUM encrusted iPod nano. Here are the last five albums I bought:
1. Blackalicious – the Craft
Paid: 1 dolla bill!
I’m listening to this right now.. and I really like it. But I’m only on track 3, so the complete verdict isn’t in.
2. Elliot Smith – From a Basement on a Hill
Paid: 1 Georgey O’ Greenback
I had to pick up the swan song, but I’ve sort of been over Elliot Smith for a few years. But it will always be there for me to listen to, when I need it.
3. New Order – Substance
Paid: Pennies!
I had to pick up the BMG double disc set that came in the double CD case, instead of two single cases. Classic New Order, and the re-recording of Temptation… oh hot damn. Reminds me of Senior Prom, waking up in Jaxon’s living room watching Trainspotting.
4. Captain Beefheart – Mirror Man Sessions
Paid: A couple coppers
Haven’t listened yet, I’m still digesting “Hot Head – Introducing Captain Beefheart.” Reminds me a lot of Devandra Banhart and Tom Waits, which is funny since those are two artists influenced by Captain Beefheart, not the other way around! BOING!
5. Daniel Johnston – Hi, How Are You?
Paid: 7 bucks
So I bought this cassette off Daniel Johnston’s old manager, who still has his back catalog and dubs it onto tapes. He has a lot of stuff, and is still in contact with Daniel Johnston. I emailed back and forth with him today, and he was a really nice guy. I should get my tape pretty soon. You can get them too, if you Google for “stress records.”
Meegle Reagle, baggle tim tamble!
Presents: No Shame!
I have no shame! I used to, I suppose. Not anymore.. I think all my concepts of shame went out the window when I saw my dad, naked, peeing outside of his garage as some poor unsuspecting neighbor drove by. We were living in a motor home at the time because our house was being built, and my mom and dad slept in the garage on their water bed. I guess my dad really had to go. Anyway.. here are a few things that I really like and have no shame about.
1. Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs.
Ooooooh… jealousy! (Na na na, na na). Yeah, I like Natalie Merchant, and I even own some 10,000 Maniacs albums. Her voice is great, and the songs are really catchy. I’m listening to some Natalie Merchant right now!
2. She’s All That
Yeah, I sort of like this movie. There is a pretty good dance sequence in it, and I like that funny hat the main girl wears at her fast-food job. Was it a falafel? I don’t remember.. time to rent!
3. Hairy toes
Some people have hairy toes! I do! I don’t mind them, and I don’t feel the need to trim them. Trim my hairy toes. Hey! A new tattoo idea!
4. Kicking unruly dogs
Oh.. is that your dog? Ha! He seems excited to see me! WOW! He is jumping up on me now! Get down, fella! Ha ha! No? You won’t get down? I guess I’ll knee you hard in the chest. Thanks, now my t-shirt has poopy paw prints on it. Poopy paw prints! ANOTHER TATTOO!
5. Videogames
Some people think videogames are soooo below them! Oh! They are so confusing, I only like the NES! Videogames are a waste of time! Better go watch that Desperate Housewives! Listen, I may not be the best at newer videogames, but I still enjoy them in a social setting! And the old games, too.. if my Nintendo hadn’t of broke.
READERS! What are some things you have no shame about?
Top 5: Things I Enjoy About My Commute
I’m a commuter! I commute every morning and evening. I’m always commuting, everyday. I commute this way and that. I don’t hate my commute yet. And just when I’m getting tired of my commute, I’ll most likely be moving into another apartment, for a whole different commute! Here are the top five things I like about my commute. (Now with commute commenting!)
1. Playlists – I always put a commute album on my iPod, and so far they have all been an excellent choice to commute to. So far it has been The Black Keys, Belle and Sebastian, Pavement, and of course Guided by Voices.
2. Traffic – WHAT?!? Traffic, you say? What kind of L.A. commuter are you? I’m a scooter commuter! That means I zip up the middle of the lane and around slow cars with fun and ease. Actually, the more traffic there is, the safer I feel. Traffic moves really slow when it is congested, which makes the lanes free up for motorcycle riders to go right past it and into the open road.
3. Airport – I drive right by the airport every morning, and there is one stretch that parallels a runway. The planes come in for landings and it looks like they are going to land on the road. If I time it just right, I pass right under the plane at its lowest non-runway point, and it feels like I can reach right up and grab on to the landing gear. It is awesome. Commute.
4. Tunnel – There is a large tunnel I go under that is a runway on top, I believe. Anyway, the tunnel is really long and deafening. The wind and car noise makes it feel like I’m in an action movie. Then, coming out of the tunnel, it feels just like birth. Just kidding about that last part.
5. Waving – Other scooter people and SOME motorcycle riders wave at me, like we have some sort of weird bond because we all choose to not drive cars. It’s pretty cheesy, but also kind of nice. I also like pulling up next to all those single people in their big cars, and they look fucking miserable. I have fun everytime I commute.. so that’s a plus.
The #1 thing I don’t like about my commute: CUCUMBERS! I had to relate this post to the picture somehow.
Commenting Fixed!
I know you were all dying to comment on my wonderful posts! Well, when I deleted my old blog, I deleted the old settings. Whoops! Soooo… now commenting is back to normal. Sorry about that. So silly of me. Feel free to help inflate my self-worth by commenting on older posts! Burf!
You know what I hear calling? Hint: it has to do w…
You know what I hear calling? Hint: it has to do with flags! DOUBLE HINT: More than five flags. Can you guess?
It is time!
Rant: Money Drunk!
Thats right, dear readers.. I’m drunk! But not from alcohol.. no no. I got a new job, which has made me drunk with the thoughts of what I’m going to spend it all on! Here are a few things I’ve thought about:
1. Diamond Encrusted iPod Nano
I don’t really have an iPod yet, because they just don’t do it for me. I just wouldn’t feel that special whipping out an iPod Nano when everyone else has one, too. With a diamond encrusted iPod, I would be sure to turn some heads! And I wouldn’t just save this for parties or the workplace, I’d whip it out everywhere! Dark alleys, Hollywood at 3 A.M., at the Mugger’s Convention. I would really stand out! Only $12,495.
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy my Vespa. It gets plenty of comments and looks around town. But maybe not enough to satisfy my hunger for attention whoring! That is where a 24k Gold Delorean comes in. I’m sure to get at least 30% of the attention of the guy who shows up across from the bar at Diddy Riese’s. You know the guy, who shows up with a Lamborghini and an Italian shirt, hoping to score with some naive college girls. I’m past the scoring part, all I want is recognition for my extremely awesome (golden) styled automobile.
3. Ever mounting Credit Card and Student Loan Debt
There is a certain amount of dignity in putting yourself through college without the help of your parents. Those months of rent barely being made, those days of scraping together enough money to pay your electricity bill. There is a wonderful bohemian feel about the whole thing, until you graduate and realize you owe over 2,500 dollars to various credit cards. Whoopsie Daisy! Anyway.. that new income could really help toward that ever avalanching debt. Is it fun? No… but I suppose it feels good paying off 2 years worth of sketchy decisions. Plus… first round on me!
So there it is.. my only three options on the use of my new income. Which one will I choose? Well, hopefully it will be the Delorean, because you know how I feel about the iPods. The third option is just way too responsible. Cheers, readers!
Top 5: Good Albums You Can Buy for PENNIES!
Digital downloading is all the rage, isn’t? Why.. for only 9.99, you can get a compressed, shitty sounding copy of that hip Garden State soundtrack delivered right to your computer so you can listen to it through those speakers that came with your computer, which are probably branded “ComputerTek” or something like that. What a wonderful listening experience.
Alas, there are still wonderful listening options out there called CDs! And the wonderful thing about the internet is that there are approximately a bajillion people out there trying to sell theirs, some for a mere PENNY! Here are five albums I own and love, and you can too for the price of a Double-Double (Animal Style).
1. Garageland – Last Exit to Garageland
Currently selling used for: $0.08
This is a New Zealand band that sounds like a cross between Pavement and the Pixies. I first heard them on a CMJ sampler in 1996, and I loved their “Fingerpops” song. I finally picked up this reissue a few months ago, and it’s really good. This is the original release (linked) with 14 songs, but the reissue has 22.
Currently selling used for: $0.15
Either you love or hate the B-52’s, and that is probably due to Fred Schneider’s half speak/half yell “singing.” If you find yourself in the latter group, don’t get this album. But if you love the B-52’s earlier surf-punk pop songs, then you might like “Just Fred.”
Currently selling used for: $0.01
This has the distinction of being one of REM’s most commercial albums, but also its most dismissed. Sure, it’s a “concept” album, and sure, the concept is rock. But it does rock. Peter Buck puts down the sitar and acoustic and uses vibrato guitar to give REM’s ninth album a super textured sound. Michael Stipe messes with the late 90’s “is he or isn’t he gay” rumors with songs like “I Don’t Sleep, I Dream” and “Tongue.” I love this album.. essential!
Currently selling used for: $0.01
Oh mid-nineties! I traded a small television for this album (plus about 10 others) in high school. Hits and misses, but mostly hits. “Rare” tracks from Beck, Nirvana, Teenage Fanclub, Sonic Youth, and even a pretty good track from the Counting Crows. If you listened to these bands in the nineties, you probably have this album already.
Currently selling used for: $0.50
This was The Clash’s most commercially successful, but uneven album (we don’t count Cut the Crap). We’ve all heard Should I Stay Or Should I Go? and Rock the Casbah, but there are some other good tracks on here that sort of sound like Sandinista! Lite. Car Jamming and Straight to Hell are probably the most known of the unknown, but Overpowered by Funk definitely has the same feel that leaked into Mick Jones’ Big Audio Dynamite projects.
So there you have it.. five albums that you can get for a couple bucks each. If only the were free shipping.. you could probably double your CD collection in a matter of days! AND.. they all sound better than mp3’s! Bonus!
Presents: The (Art of the) Mixtape
Ahh, the mixtape. What a wonderful, precarious tool. Wonderful because you are essentially using someone else’s words and music to express how you (potentially) feel about someone. Precarious because you are essentially using someone else’s words and music to express how you (probably) feel about someone. This is what makes the mixtape so touchy. Be careful with the mixtape.. and know your mixtapes.. don’t give the wrong one! Let’s examine the types:
1. The Music Sampler Mixtape
This is the most innocuous mixtape. This is simply given to someone with a smattering of songs on it that you enjoy, and you think they may enjoy as well. This is simply sharing music the “old fashioned” way. This type of mixtape has mostly been replaced with filesharing and iPod parties.
2. The Novelty Mixtape
This mixtape is the most fun to make. This could be an entire tape with songs about dogs, or an entire tape full of songs that talk about human feces. It could be a Side A/Side B compilation, with covers on one side and the originals on the other. This is my favorite type of mixtape, and they should be made and traded often.
3. The Unspoken Intentions Mixtape
This is the most dangerous mixtape. What you include in this could spark an amazing bond between you and the receiver of such tape. But, if you screw it up, they just think you have bad taste in music.. which means you probably shouldn’t hang out in the first place. This mixtape is usually carefully planned, and even though CDs have replaced the traditional tape format, you can still usually use a combination of A and B, giving each “side” a different theme. USE CAUTION! Treat this mixtape like it is a magical tale of wonderful discovery.. where the listener will hear new favorites from old bands, or new stuff all together! Stay away from standards, and never put anything on you don’t feel 100% behind!
I bring up mixtapes, dear reader, because I am in the process of making a mixtape. I have made many mixtapes over many years. This one has been EXTRA difficult, for the following reasons. First off, I didn’t act fast enough to give the first mixtape, which makes the mixtape I’m making the reciprocating mixtape. As an extra added difficulty, the mixtape I received is the best mixtape ever.. in the universe.. at this time… ever. I feel humbled at the awesomeness of this mixtape, and now feel like I need to work extra hard to come up to the level of this mixtape. Secondly.. this isn’t a mixtape! It’s a mix CD! And I have to work within the limitations of my CD collection, rather than use my records which have some great tracks on them.
Lo, it will be a difficult journey, but I feel like I’m really going to grow on this mixtape! Start out strong (Bryan Ferry’s “In Crowd”), but don’t be afraid to take it down a notch a few songs later (Devandra Banhart’s “Some People Ride the Wave”). Create a bookend of awesomeness with two songs from the same band (Wire’s “Map Ref” and “In Vivo”) and always include an obscure cover. We’ll see how it is received!
P.S. – Welcome back to my blog! Thanks for reading, friends!
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