Au

A poor man’s Animal Collective? You decide.

Au – RR  vs. D
Au – Are Animals

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Big Turkeys and glasses of wine…

Thanksgiving is next week. I have been losing weight steadily for the past two weeks. Going to the gym again. Great. Now, I have to eat a shit ton of food. It’s not that I don’t want to. Believe me… I want to eat my weight in mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, turkey, corn, pigs in a blanket, broccoli soufflé and various other food delights. I love it. But, it sucks that it comes with a price.

A price I will gladly pay!

I’m a food-lover and a glutton for Turkey Day!

Bring on the treats!

Grillo- Winter Wake Up
The Stone Roses- So Young
Coal Beautiere- Shipwrekk’d (I’ve been holding onto this song for awhile now… I can’t hold it any longer… I had to drop it off the ledge)
Geoff Bastow- Powerama 1

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Get out of my system

There are a handful of songs which have made their way onto almost every mix CD I put together over the last few years. I realize this is because I really dig those songs and have a burning desire to share them with the ones I love. HOWEVER, I also think it’s kind of lame of me to recycle song combos. I’d like to think I’m capable of making unique mixes for all of the unique individuals who have graced my life. Like snowflakes, you are. I certainly have enough music to keep ’em fresh. I figure if I post them on the internet, I’ll shame myself into not including these songs on future mixes. Then you can call me out and be all, “hey, I have that song already – you posted it on your shmorgesblorg! Way to be unoriginal, loser.” (could you try being a little less harsh? i’m sensitive.)

The Broadway Hush – Tonight You Belong To Me
Broken Social Scene – Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl
Xiu Xiu – I Love The Valley OH
Cass McCombs – That’s That
Tucky Buzzard – Time Will Be Your Doctor
Velvet Underground – After Hours

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Love IS All

Love Is All – Wishing Well

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Matters of the heart

Well put.

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December(ists) in November

The Decemberists – November 5, 2008 – Terminal 5. I’ve never seen so many 30-something, sweater-vested, bespectacled men gathered in one place before. My own little slice of heaven. Colin Meloy started the night by saying he was going to put on a very special show for New York City and Terminal 5. Apparently they had flaked on an earlier appearance and felt the need to make up for it. Setting expectations high right from the get-go…bold move, Decemberists. I’d say they delivered. They played a nice long set and hit pretty much every song I wanted to hear (the ones I knew the words to — which allowed me to sing along with all the die-hards and feel like I was a part of something — slightly reminiscent of the night before, but not nearly as cool).

There was a heavy dose of theatrics and audience interaction. For the most part, it was welcome, like when Jenny Conlee sent a cardboard cut-out of Barack Obama into the audience, so he could crowd surf. Or when Meloy channeled Sarah Palin to play Chimbley Sweep and then channeled Bristol Palin’s unborn fetus to ‘kill’ a behind the head guitar solo, before segueing into a powerful and poignant 16 Military Wives. And when he shredded on his electric guitar with a peacock feather plucked from an audience member. But I could’ve done without some of the nerd-turned-rock-star power trip. He was a little aggressive with the call and response requests. At first the “yes we can” call, followed by the “yes we did” response was fun, but you have to know when to stop and just play your music. At times he sounded like a Bar Mitzvah DJ trying to energize a bunch of thirteen year-olds…”c’mon, you guys, is that all you got?!” “I can’t hear you!” “A little bit softer now…a little bit softer now….a little bit louder now…a little bit louder now….”  All of that stuff aside, they sounded great and the energy in the room was really positive (we were all still on a high from election night). Except for when the guy behind my friend Sarah ‘shushed’ us. Who ‘shushes’ at a rock concert?! I wanted to punch him in the neck, but I took the high road and carefully positioned my body to obstruct his view.

The Decemberists – Chimbley Sweep
The Decemberists – 16 Military Wives

Loch Lomond – A Field Report (band that opened for The Decmeberists — unfortunately I walked in just as they were finishing their last song)

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Strawberry Daiquiri in A Blue Cup

Circle (feat. Verde)- Gerde

Sylvia Love- Instant Love

The Moody Blues- Question

Djamel Allam- Samarkande

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Proud to be an American today…

Seriously. I am. I’ve never felt this kind of pride for my country before. I guess you could call it patriotism. Yeah, that’s right, I said it, I am feeling patriotic. It’s a new feeling for me. Last night was incredible. After watching Obama’s victory speech, I headed out into the street with my friends — to get a better sense of the city’s reaction. We followed the sound of people chanting, “yes we can,” and a steady stream of bubbles floating through the sky, to the corner of St. Marks and First Ave. A group of East Village revelers gathered in the middle of the street to hug, chant, throw glitter, block traffic, dance, bang on pots & pans, blow horns and jump on top of moving buses and taxis. It was one of those strangers-becoming-instant-best-friends-because-we’re-all-so-damn-happy nights. The kind of night where you have an almost primal urge to be around as many people as possible, to share in your collective joy. After some respectful coercion from the NYPD to move onto the sidewalk, we walked up to St. Marks and Avenue A, where someone was blasting dance music from their fire escape. St. Marks Pl. turned into a spontaneous dance party. Tompkins Square Park is only one block away and we could have easily gathered there without disturbing traffic or residents, but there’s something kind of fun about a gentle breaking of the law. Even the cops got into it — we spotted one officer taking pictures. At one point, the music stopped and we all started singing The Star Spangled Banner. I don’t even know all the words, but I made up some lyrics and just rolled with it. So proud! So proud!****

How I’m feeling this morning:
The Poppy Family – Happy Island
New Buffalo – Cheer Me Up Thank You

A little cliché but topical:
Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A-Changin’
Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA

Video of my Spangled Banner experience:

****PRIDE REDACTED: My pride for this country has been seriously marred by the fact that Proposition 8 passed in the State of California, along with other gay-marriage bans in Florida and Arizona. My friend Kaitlin sent a call to action to her friends today — I’d like to share some of her words with you:

On a day where we gained so much, we lost a critical battle here in California. This loss must be a call to action. This is not a democratic or republican issue. It is not even a gay issue. It is a human rights issue. I know we have a long way to go. So I am asking you, my family and friends, to join me in fighting this last acceptable prejudice. What can we do? For now…BE MORE VISIBLE. SPEAK UP AGAINST PREJUDICE. BE MORE VOCAL ABOUT YOUR SUPPORT FOR EQUALITY.

Public Enemy – Fight The Power

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_yeah, it’s monday…now, walk it out_

stretch. roll the head. sip from your mug. slowly begin by tapping the heel of your foot.

breathe.

…..and walk it out.

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