I submit the following Radio Choices for your consideration. Assume that the other presets were playing commercials, because they were.
Station 1: "Tears In Heaven" - Eric Clapton
Station 2: "All My Love" - Led Zeppelin
And, go.
Showing posts with label aural fixation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aural fixation. Show all posts
Tuesday
Friday
Success!!
Today I received a call from my niece, officially inviting me to her birthday party.
In the course of the conversation, she told me that she wanted me to make her a mix CD, like I have previously done. Because she listens to those, and the Beatles CD I got her, all the time. She knows all the words to all the songs. She thinks I have amazing taste.
I am so pleased with myself right now. I can't remember if I wrote about it here or not, but it had been my intent to introduce her to better music than the Z100 crap she favored. ... Thereby saving her life through art and making sure she doesn't become an insipid and unmindful and jaded person. Pretentious? Yes. Jerky? Maybe. But whatever because PHASE ONE COMPLETE.
... She also made a list of songs she wants included. Apparently her favorite song right now is "If U Seek Amy." Which, I mean, I'd object, but let's just say that would involve a certain amount of hypocrisy.
Later in the conversation she informed me of her plans to become a forensic investigator, and told me she looks up to me because I don't need a man to complete my life.
She will be 11.
In the course of the conversation, she told me that she wanted me to make her a mix CD, like I have previously done. Because she listens to those, and the Beatles CD I got her, all the time. She knows all the words to all the songs. She thinks I have amazing taste.
I am so pleased with myself right now. I can't remember if I wrote about it here or not, but it had been my intent to introduce her to better music than the Z100 crap she favored. ... Thereby saving her life through art and making sure she doesn't become an insipid and unmindful and jaded person. Pretentious? Yes. Jerky? Maybe. But whatever because PHASE ONE COMPLETE.
... She also made a list of songs she wants included. Apparently her favorite song right now is "If U Seek Amy." Which, I mean, I'd object, but let's just say that would involve a certain amount of hypocrisy.
Later in the conversation she informed me of her plans to become a forensic investigator, and told me she looks up to me because I don't need a man to complete my life.
She will be 11.
Wednesday
Radio woes.
Do you remember the last time I talked about radio? It turns out it was almost a year ago. But I still listen when I drive in my car! Which means that I listen to the radio at least three days a week, often more!
Here is my tale of woe: I may have to break up with WRXP. I may have to do this because WRXP may be turning into K-Rock.
Now, the last time I talked about K-Rock was here. At the time I was very pleased with it. Although I didn't expressly mention it, that turned out to be very short-lived. When I was in high school, I referred to K-Rock almost exclusively as "Douche Rock." On the surface I did this to annoy my guy friends who were enamored of it. In reality, it was so called because the entire station was nothing but a cesspool of bad music, casual misogyny, and obnoxious djs designed to appeal exclusively to the young male in extended adolescence. Actually, I can sum it up in two words: Howard Stern.
It was entertaining for a while, as described in my previous entry. Then they decided to trumpet their resurgence with a new ad campaign that featured mostly naked girls, inviting listeners to check out the station's online galleries, where they could surf until their hands cramped. And they expanded their 90s-based repertoire with whiny screamo.
But no matter, for I had my new radio boyfriend, WRXP, New York's Rock Experience.
Fast forward to ... I don't know, last month, maybe? K-Rock is off the air! I know! It has been replaced with a station where I can listen to all those new Britney Spears songs and actually find out what Lady GaGa sounds like, if I so choose. On the surface, this should be, if not positive news, then at least neutral-leaning-towards-positive news. I mean, I only ever listened to it if all the other stations were simultaneously playing commercials and/or U2. (Update on that, incidentally: They never fucking stopped rhapsodizing about U2, so I actually do kind of hate them now.)
But about two weeks ago, I was driving towards my home, and an ad came on, aimed at former K-Rock listeners. It promised them a new home at WRXP, as well as a familiar voice: one of the K-Rock djs would join the station, and do a ridiculously long shift in the afternoon/early-evening. Ugh. ... Ugh. I was already mildly angry from a few days prior when they had played a song by Fall Out Boy. (I think, anyway; I don't actually know what song it was, but it was whiny.)
But never let it be said that I don't give things a fair optimistic chance before deciding that I loathe them. I mean, I expected Twilight to be good. It took almost two weeks for me to write this entry.
I still don't know his name, but Christ, he's awful. The sort that thinks things are funnier when he shouts them. The sort that thinks he is desperately funny, and laughs at his own jokes to further that impression. The sort that addresses callers as "dude" and "my man." I was hoping it would abate with time and he would fit in with the tone of the other djs at the station.
Today he was giving away free tickets, in the manner that radio stations sometimes do. A woman called in, and he greeted her by saying: "Oh, a lovely female caller, hello." After telling her that she was the winner, he mimicked her excitement in an overwrought falsetto. He then told her that she was getting the tickets on a "five-finger discount" to which he then added: "That's Ebonics for 'free'." After I put my jaw back in place, I changed the station, because I'd heard enough.
I feel like I should write to the station to complain, but I don't know what to say. I hate to be one of those people who only comments to complain. But on the other hand, ever since they arrived on the airwaves, they've been billing themselves as a refreshing change from all the terrible radio New York has to offer. And up until now, they were. But there's a reason that people were looking for a change from stations like K-Rock, and dare I say, a reason K-Rock is now off the air. I am most displeased.
To make matter worse, I just saw one of those spiders in my bedroom and now I don't know where it is and it's probably going to bite me in my sleep. ... I know that part has nothing to do with radio, but COME ON. ETA: I met my enemy for a second time and succeeded in slaughtering the foul beast. Other problem still stands.
Here is my tale of woe: I may have to break up with WRXP. I may have to do this because WRXP may be turning into K-Rock.
Now, the last time I talked about K-Rock was here. At the time I was very pleased with it. Although I didn't expressly mention it, that turned out to be very short-lived. When I was in high school, I referred to K-Rock almost exclusively as "Douche Rock." On the surface I did this to annoy my guy friends who were enamored of it. In reality, it was so called because the entire station was nothing but a cesspool of bad music, casual misogyny, and obnoxious djs designed to appeal exclusively to the young male in extended adolescence. Actually, I can sum it up in two words: Howard Stern.
It was entertaining for a while, as described in my previous entry. Then they decided to trumpet their resurgence with a new ad campaign that featured mostly naked girls, inviting listeners to check out the station's online galleries, where they could surf until their hands cramped. And they expanded their 90s-based repertoire with whiny screamo.
But no matter, for I had my new radio boyfriend, WRXP, New York's Rock Experience.
Fast forward to ... I don't know, last month, maybe? K-Rock is off the air! I know! It has been replaced with a station where I can listen to all those new Britney Spears songs and actually find out what Lady GaGa sounds like, if I so choose. On the surface, this should be, if not positive news, then at least neutral-leaning-towards-positive news. I mean, I only ever listened to it if all the other stations were simultaneously playing commercials and/or U2. (Update on that, incidentally: They never fucking stopped rhapsodizing about U2, so I actually do kind of hate them now.)
But about two weeks ago, I was driving towards my home, and an ad came on, aimed at former K-Rock listeners. It promised them a new home at WRXP, as well as a familiar voice: one of the K-Rock djs would join the station, and do a ridiculously long shift in the afternoon/early-evening. Ugh. ... Ugh. I was already mildly angry from a few days prior when they had played a song by Fall Out Boy. (I think, anyway; I don't actually know what song it was, but it was whiny.)
But never let it be said that I don't give things a fair optimistic chance before deciding that I loathe them. I mean, I expected Twilight to be good. It took almost two weeks for me to write this entry.
I still don't know his name, but Christ, he's awful. The sort that thinks things are funnier when he shouts them. The sort that thinks he is desperately funny, and laughs at his own jokes to further that impression. The sort that addresses callers as "dude" and "my man." I was hoping it would abate with time and he would fit in with the tone of the other djs at the station.
Today he was giving away free tickets, in the manner that radio stations sometimes do. A woman called in, and he greeted her by saying: "Oh, a lovely female caller, hello." After telling her that she was the winner, he mimicked her excitement in an overwrought falsetto. He then told her that she was getting the tickets on a "five-finger discount" to which he then added: "That's Ebonics for 'free'." After I put my jaw back in place, I changed the station, because I'd heard enough.
I feel like I should write to the station to complain, but I don't know what to say. I hate to be one of those people who only comments to complain. But on the other hand, ever since they arrived on the airwaves, they've been billing themselves as a refreshing change from all the terrible radio New York has to offer. And up until now, they were. But there's a reason that people were looking for a change from stations like K-Rock, and dare I say, a reason K-Rock is now off the air. I am most displeased.
Sunday
Local girl survives weekend in freezing woods; subsisted on cookies, she says.
There is an article about Neko Case in this week's edition of the New York Times Magazine. MY SPHERES ARE INTERSECTING AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS. And unlike in most instances where I say that and I really mean, "My feelings about this matter lean towards the negative," this time I really don't know! I mean, on one hand there's yay, but on the other hand there's a lot of ???.
In other news, I sprained my ankle and it's still impressively swollen and there's some bruising. But I can walk okay. Also, I discovered that 280 East has a lot of things in common with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
But aside from that, I had a nice weekend. And there were cookies!
In other news, I sprained my ankle and it's still impressively swollen and there's some bruising. But I can walk okay. Also, I discovered that 280 East has a lot of things in common with Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
But aside from that, I had a nice weekend. And there were cookies!
Saturday
Ol' Spirituals.
So, I've been checking out some new music lately. I've discovered two artists that, on their own, probably wouldn't rate an entry, but together have enough coincidence that I think, "Hey, I should blog about this."
Functionally, musically, the two artists have little in common. But they do have two notable similarities: First, they both use the word "Spirit" in their band names. The first, out of the UK, is "The Duke Spirit". The second, out of (I think) California, is called "Delta Spirit" -- but that's as indicative of their sound as it is of their location. ... I don't really get what they were going for.
Anyway, the second thing they have in common is that I checked them out because they sound like music I already listen to, or, at least, their front-persons do.
The lead singer of The Duke Spirit sounds just like Milla Jovovich. Even though she isn't. I checked. The lead singer of Delta Spirit sounds just like Alex Greenwald, lead singer of Phantom Planet. I mean, with the voice breaks and everything. He's not, though. I checked.
The Duke Spirit is old-school moody rock. You know the kind that manages to sound angry and anesthetized at the same time? It works for them sometimes, but their big problem is one of my top musical peeves: many of their songs sound exactly the same. Ugh. Still, I granted 5 songs from their album "Neptune" for iPod status. I liked "The Step And The Walk" enough that I corrected the shoddy lyrics floating around the internet; that and "Wooden Heart" are my favorites.
Delta Spirit doesn't have that problem. All their songs on "Ode To Sunshine" sound pretty different, which is awesome, because apparently that's harder to accomplish than I thought. Their problem, though is in their lyrics. They seem to like singing about The State Of Things and unfortunately they aren't as poignant and affecting as they probably think they are. It's like they're trying to mix earnest 60s idealism with self-aware hipsterism, and it's just annoying. You'll hear them start going on about "this world" in pretty much every song. It's okay when they're laying down some solid rock to back it up, which they do on several songs (one such being "People C'mon"). But generally, just ... no. I also synched 5 of their songs up to the pod, though I was probably being generous, because three of those are really great. One of them is a song called "Trashcan," in which the percussion is provided by - wait for it - a trashcan.
And that's it for this episode.
Functionally, musically, the two artists have little in common. But they do have two notable similarities: First, they both use the word "Spirit" in their band names. The first, out of the UK, is "The Duke Spirit". The second, out of (I think) California, is called "Delta Spirit" -- but that's as indicative of their sound as it is of their location. ... I don't really get what they were going for.
Anyway, the second thing they have in common is that I checked them out because they sound like music I already listen to, or, at least, their front-persons do.
The lead singer of The Duke Spirit sounds just like Milla Jovovich. Even though she isn't. I checked. The lead singer of Delta Spirit sounds just like Alex Greenwald, lead singer of Phantom Planet. I mean, with the voice breaks and everything. He's not, though. I checked.
The Duke Spirit is old-school moody rock. You know the kind that manages to sound angry and anesthetized at the same time? It works for them sometimes, but their big problem is one of my top musical peeves: many of their songs sound exactly the same. Ugh. Still, I granted 5 songs from their album "Neptune" for iPod status. I liked "The Step And The Walk" enough that I corrected the shoddy lyrics floating around the internet; that and "Wooden Heart" are my favorites.
Delta Spirit doesn't have that problem. All their songs on "Ode To Sunshine" sound pretty different, which is awesome, because apparently that's harder to accomplish than I thought. Their problem, though is in their lyrics. They seem to like singing about The State Of Things and unfortunately they aren't as poignant and affecting as they probably think they are. It's like they're trying to mix earnest 60s idealism with self-aware hipsterism, and it's just annoying. You'll hear them start going on about "this world" in pretty much every song. It's okay when they're laying down some solid rock to back it up, which they do on several songs (one such being "People C'mon"). But generally, just ... no. I also synched 5 of their songs up to the pod, though I was probably being generous, because three of those are really great. One of them is a song called "Trashcan," in which the percussion is provided by - wait for it - a trashcan.
And that's it for this episode.
Monday
You know what I like? Music.
Music is like the opposite of getting fourteen mosquito bites in an afternoon in which you didn't even leave the house. That is, it's a thing I greatly enjoy. It's also the opposite of falling down several stairs. Several brick stairs. In shorts. Onto concrete. Basically, it's a good time all around.
Depending on the music, of course. Some music is shit. Or some neutral substance.
Yes, both those things happened today.
So let's get this party started. For your mental clarity, I'm trying to select the album that I would have selected at that general point in time, not necessarily what I would choose now.
1983 - It's kind of a lie to include this as a year I was alive, actually. I was only around for 3 fifty-secondths of it. Boy this is off to a bad start.
1984 - Um. Going solely by Wikipedia's listings ... nothing, seriously.
1985 - ... Nothing.
1986 - All right, here's the thing, I spent my earliest years listening to a lot of ABBA, Johnny Cash, Celtic music, Zeppelin, and cassettes of Rainbow Brite or Sesame Street.
1987 - Out Of The Blue by Debbie Gibson. YES I JUST DID THAT.
1988 - New Jersey by Bon Jovi.
1989 - Like A Prayer by Madonna.
1990 - Wilson Phillips by Wilson Phillips. (Narrowly beating out NKOTB.)
1991 - Time Passes By by Kathy Mattea.
1992 - This year and the next are the years I became officially aware of popular music. So whereas the previous years I either had one clear choice, or was struggling to find something, I now have a Cambrian Explosion of options. That said, America's Least Wanted by Ugly Kid Joe.
1993 - Tuesday Night Music Club by Sheryl Crow. (The first CD I ever bought myself.)
1994 - Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer.
1995 - New Beginning by Tracy Chapman.
1996 - Tidal by Fiona Apple.
1997 - Either/Or by Elliott Smith. (A bit of a cheat, because I didn't start listening to Elliott Smith until a few years later. However, the nearest competitors would be Erykah Badu, Savage Garden, or the Spice Girls, all of which would have been equally hedging on truthfulness. I spent half this year crippled, so I read a lot.)
1998 - If You Forget Me... by Devics.
1999 - Fly by The Dixie Chicks (This year was really slim for some reason. Maybe because everyone though we were going to die?)
2000 - Ghost Stories by Amanda Ghost.
2001 - The Tyranny Of Distance by Ted Leo And The Pharmacists.
2002 - Castaways And Cutouts by The Decemberists.
2003 - Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie.
2004 - More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley.
2005 - The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird.
2006 - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case.
2007 - Made Of Bricks by Kate Nash.
2008 - Stop Drop And Roll!!! by The Foxboro Hot Tubs.
On Jenny's blog, I said, "I'm interested to see the progression from endearingly overproduced to insufferably hipster." -- I think I've done my work here.
Depending on the music, of course. Some music is shit. Or some neutral substance.
Yes, both those things happened today.
So let's get this party started. For your mental clarity, I'm trying to select the album that I would have selected at that general point in time, not necessarily what I would choose now.
1983 - It's kind of a lie to include this as a year I was alive, actually. I was only around for 3 fifty-secondths of it. Boy this is off to a bad start.
1984 - Um. Going solely by Wikipedia's listings ... nothing, seriously.
1985 - ... Nothing.
1986 - All right, here's the thing, I spent my earliest years listening to a lot of ABBA, Johnny Cash, Celtic music, Zeppelin, and cassettes of Rainbow Brite or Sesame Street.
1987 - Out Of The Blue by Debbie Gibson. YES I JUST DID THAT.
1988 - New Jersey by Bon Jovi.
1989 - Like A Prayer by Madonna.
1990 - Wilson Phillips by Wilson Phillips. (Narrowly beating out NKOTB.)
1991 - Time Passes By by Kathy Mattea.
1992 - This year and the next are the years I became officially aware of popular music. So whereas the previous years I either had one clear choice, or was struggling to find something, I now have a Cambrian Explosion of options. That said, America's Least Wanted by Ugly Kid Joe.
1993 - Tuesday Night Music Club by Sheryl Crow. (The first CD I ever bought myself.)
1994 - Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer.
1995 - New Beginning by Tracy Chapman.
1996 - Tidal by Fiona Apple.
1997 - Either/Or by Elliott Smith. (A bit of a cheat, because I didn't start listening to Elliott Smith until a few years later. However, the nearest competitors would be Erykah Badu, Savage Garden, or the Spice Girls, all of which would have been equally hedging on truthfulness. I spent half this year crippled, so I read a lot.)
1998 - If You Forget Me... by Devics.
1999 - Fly by The Dixie Chicks (This year was really slim for some reason. Maybe because everyone though we were going to die?)
2000 - Ghost Stories by Amanda Ghost.
2001 - The Tyranny Of Distance by Ted Leo And The Pharmacists.
2002 - Castaways And Cutouts by The Decemberists.
2003 - Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie.
2004 - More Adventurous by Rilo Kiley.
2005 - The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird.
2006 - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood by Neko Case.
2007 - Made Of Bricks by Kate Nash.
2008 - Stop Drop And Roll!!! by The Foxboro Hot Tubs.
On Jenny's blog, I said, "I'm interested to see the progression from endearingly overproduced to insufferably hipster." -- I think I've done my work here.
Saturday
"When it's my time, then I will let you know."
Good news, everyone! I'm not a zombie anymore!
In case you missed the memo, the world ended, again, yesterday. I didn't do so well this year. Neither did the poor SPISH! Oh well. I think of it as being like, we were the stars from the original apocalypse, and we got called back for the sequel to lend it some gravitas, and then we got killed off for shock value, but it's okay because you know the third outing would totally blow and we'd feel lucky to not be involved with that mess anyway.
Anyway, in addition to BLITE, O(t)W! yesterday's post was also brought you by my listening to "The Pedestrian" by the Foxboro Hot Tubs on repeat, and by my playing five straight hours of Snood. Yeah, that game! Still! I have an unregistered version ($19.99? Pfft! I'm not made of money!) but for the day they were letting people try out all the registered features, so I finally got to die at Hexagon City. Good times.
Oh right, that song. I love that song! It's whence this entry's title comes as well as, incidentally, yesterday's. Yes, that was "It's my time to go." put through Babelfish in Zombie. I should point out that the title, and, like, five other words are the only things that I was intentionally trying to write. Any other things that turned into actual words, and the fact that I managed to name-drop God and Jaws is completely coincidental.
It was actually my hope that I would get more actual words in there. But unconsciously, you know? Like a Ouija board? Didn't really happen. But Pat paid me the best compliment ever. Finnegan's Wake as written by zombies was exactly what I was going for. I mean, it was clearly a lazier effort than last year, but there was some amount of story behind it.
Anyway, after the zombie invasion, I got my weekly dose of aliens and robots, and then I read some more crappy vampire fanfiction, so the panoply of monsters got fully rounded out.
I really wanted to make a post about the latest episode of Robots, but the output probably would have been nearly as insensate as my last post. It was so awesome. I was so impressed that I proselytized to several people afterwards. Really. Do you watch Robots? Have you seen Robots? You should. Do it. Yeah, those unfortunate developments from last year still happened, but ... it's good anyway.
I've been in a blogging mood lately, so hold your breath* for a slew of upcoming exciting** posts. ... Unless my mood changes, ... which it very well might.
*don't
**non-
In case you missed the memo, the world ended, again, yesterday. I didn't do so well this year. Neither did the poor SPISH! Oh well. I think of it as being like, we were the stars from the original apocalypse, and we got called back for the sequel to lend it some gravitas, and then we got killed off for shock value, but it's okay because you know the third outing would totally blow and we'd feel lucky to not be involved with that mess anyway.
Anyway, in addition to BLITE, O(t)W! yesterday's post was also brought you by my listening to "The Pedestrian" by the Foxboro Hot Tubs on repeat, and by my playing five straight hours of Snood. Yeah, that game! Still! I have an unregistered version ($19.99? Pfft! I'm not made of money!) but for the day they were letting people try out all the registered features, so I finally got to die at Hexagon City. Good times.
Oh right, that song. I love that song! It's whence this entry's title comes as well as, incidentally, yesterday's. Yes, that was "It's my time to go." put through Babelfish in Zombie. I should point out that the title, and, like, five other words are the only things that I was intentionally trying to write. Any other things that turned into actual words, and the fact that I managed to name-drop God and Jaws is completely coincidental.
It was actually my hope that I would get more actual words in there. But unconsciously, you know? Like a Ouija board? Didn't really happen. But Pat paid me the best compliment ever. Finnegan's Wake as written by zombies was exactly what I was going for. I mean, it was clearly a lazier effort than last year, but there was some amount of story behind it.
Anyway, after the zombie invasion, I got my weekly dose of aliens and robots, and then I read some more crappy vampire fanfiction, so the panoply of monsters got fully rounded out.
I really wanted to make a post about the latest episode of Robots, but the output probably would have been nearly as insensate as my last post. It was so awesome. I was so impressed that I proselytized to several people afterwards. Really. Do you watch Robots? Have you seen Robots? You should. Do it. Yeah, those unfortunate developments from last year still happened, but ... it's good anyway.
I've been in a blogging mood lately, so hold your breath* for a slew of upcoming exciting** posts. ... Unless my mood changes, ... which it very well might.
*don't
**non-
Monday
Radio Update.
So, I've been listening to the radio when I drive in my car. Which I do now at least three days a week. My life is so on the edge, I know.
I have become very enamored of WRXP, 101.9, the erstwhile smooth jazz station. Now The Rock Experience!
Today I heard Death Cab For Cutie on the radio for the first time ever. That's right! First time ever. Also, the White Stripes. And! They played a U2 song that I don't think I've heard before, and it made me not hate U2 for a little while.
(About that, I don't actually hate U2. But have you noticed how everyone is all about U2 all of a sudden? And about how they're apparently the greatest band in the history of the world forever in the whole world? It's driving me crazy. Because - no. You're overdoing the praise. Having "In The Name Of Love" be the only song you ever play does not help. See also: Van Halen.)
The DJs actually talk about the music and concerts that they went to and stuff like that. BUT. Importantly, they do it quickly, keep it to around a minute, and then get back to playing music. Except today one of them was talking about his divorce, and it was really awkward.
Also, someone in that studio is in love with the song "Time To Pretend" by MGMT. I hear it all the freaking time. (My history with that song: I got it free off a music website and decided I didn't really care for it. Then, later, A. sent it to me along with another of their songs. Because he didn't know! The second song made the first one sound a lot better. Ugh. But! Now that I keep hearing it, I don't mind it. It's everywhere, though! Moonlight used a lyric for an episode title. Speaking of which - [single cold tear for Moonlight].)
I have become very enamored of WRXP, 101.9, the erstwhile smooth jazz station. Now The Rock Experience!
Today I heard Death Cab For Cutie on the radio for the first time ever. That's right! First time ever. Also, the White Stripes. And! They played a U2 song that I don't think I've heard before, and it made me not hate U2 for a little while.
(About that, I don't actually hate U2. But have you noticed how everyone is all about U2 all of a sudden? And about how they're apparently the greatest band in the history of the world forever in the whole world? It's driving me crazy. Because - no. You're overdoing the praise. Having "In The Name Of Love" be the only song you ever play does not help. See also: Van Halen.)
The DJs actually talk about the music and concerts that they went to and stuff like that. BUT. Importantly, they do it quickly, keep it to around a minute, and then get back to playing music. Except today one of them was talking about his divorce, and it was really awkward.
Also, someone in that studio is in love with the song "Time To Pretend" by MGMT. I hear it all the freaking time. (My history with that song: I got it free off a music website and decided I didn't really care for it. Then, later, A. sent it to me along with another of their songs. Because he didn't know! The second song made the first one sound a lot better. Ugh. But! Now that I keep hearing it, I don't mind it. It's everywhere, though! Moonlight used a lyric for an episode title. Speaking of which - [single cold tear for Moonlight].)
Thursday
Here are some observations about insignificant and unentertaining minutiae.
So, yesterday I engaged in some foreign activities. I listened to the radio. While I was driving. On the Parkway. I can't even tell you about the time I passed someone utilizing the left lane. COULD YOU HANDLE IT?
The radio station I was listening to was 101.9, which you may remember me mentioning was a hated smooth jazz station. But wait! It has changed, and is now WRXP: The Rock Experience. See what they did there? It's actually pretty good. As I was driving in my car (!) listening to the radio (!) I heard a song on this station that I've totally never heard before. (!) I was intrigued because it lifted a lyric from a Fleetwood Mac song: "When I talk to God I knew he'd understand/He said stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand." (The new rhythm of the line caused me to realize that I'd been mondegreening that as "I'll be your God in hand" - which, come on, that's a lot better.) Then, as I was listening, it suddenly occurred to me, "Wait a minute! Is this The Clash??"
Well, sort of. Turns out the song was "Why Do Men Fight?" a new single by Carbon/Silicon, a band comprised of Mick Jones of The Clash, and Tony James of Generation X. It's not bad. I bought it off iTunes.
In tangentially related news, I'd like to show you the Best Shirt Ever.
Speaking of new and exciting things: I just went through a drive-thru for the first time ever. Well, as a driver. Naturally. I mean, this is America. I've been to a few drive-up ATMs, so I figured I was ready for this bold next step. I went to McDonald's to get a big-ass thing of their new sweet tea. Sweet tea is exactly my brand of heroin [/hates Twilight]. And, just as I'd planned, they asked me if I wanted anything else, other than a beverage, and I was totally like, "Nope!" Just the tea, thanks! I managed it well, even gave exact change, but I still don't like anything that involves me reaching out of my car for things. I don't think it'd be so bad if it weren't for my congenital shortness.
And now, here are some vignettes of domestic envy:
- My Swiss neighbors have a Dyson. Not the purple one, the yellow one, but, a Dyson nonetheless. I still don't have one, and I still want one.
- My next-door neighbor has been going to the gym, and I think she's definitely skinnier than I am now. Also, her husband looks just like the Chief.
Oh, and apropos of having to go get that picture from IMDb, I've always thought Prince Caspian was a douchebag. Always.
Guys, I haven't decided what I'll be having for lunch yet, but I'll totally let you know!
The radio station I was listening to was 101.9, which you may remember me mentioning was a hated smooth jazz station. But wait! It has changed, and is now WRXP: The Rock Experience. See what they did there? It's actually pretty good. As I was driving in my car (!) listening to the radio (!) I heard a song on this station that I've totally never heard before. (!) I was intrigued because it lifted a lyric from a Fleetwood Mac song: "When I talk to God I knew he'd understand/He said stick by me and I'll be your guiding hand." (The new rhythm of the line caused me to realize that I'd been mondegreening that as "I'll be your God in hand" - which, come on, that's a lot better.) Then, as I was listening, it suddenly occurred to me, "Wait a minute! Is this The Clash??"
Well, sort of. Turns out the song was "Why Do Men Fight?" a new single by Carbon/Silicon, a band comprised of Mick Jones of The Clash, and Tony James of Generation X. It's not bad. I bought it off iTunes.
In tangentially related news, I'd like to show you the Best Shirt Ever.
Speaking of new and exciting things: I just went through a drive-thru for the first time ever. Well, as a driver. Naturally. I mean, this is America. I've been to a few drive-up ATMs, so I figured I was ready for this bold next step. I went to McDonald's to get a big-ass thing of their new sweet tea. Sweet tea is exactly my brand of heroin [/hates Twilight]. And, just as I'd planned, they asked me if I wanted anything else, other than a beverage, and I was totally like, "Nope!" Just the tea, thanks! I managed it well, even gave exact change, but I still don't like anything that involves me reaching out of my car for things. I don't think it'd be so bad if it weren't for my congenital shortness.
And now, here are some vignettes of domestic envy:
- My Swiss neighbors have a Dyson. Not the purple one, the yellow one, but, a Dyson nonetheless. I still don't have one, and I still want one.
- My next-door neighbor has been going to the gym, and I think she's definitely skinnier than I am now. Also, her husband looks just like the Chief.
Oh, and apropos of having to go get that picture from IMDb, I've always thought Prince Caspian was a douchebag. Always.
Guys, I haven't decided what I'll be having for lunch yet, but I'll totally let you know!
Monday
Post like you meme it.
Pat came up with this. And because it is great, I am promulgating it. Do it!
Steps:
1) Go to this site and you can find out what song was #1 (according to Billboard Magazine) on the US Charts on any particular week in history.
2) Look up your birthday.
3) List the #1 songs that have occurred on your birthday throughout the years you've been alive.
4) Cringe at how bad music was, and how bad it is now!
Thing:
1983 - "Say, Say, Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
1984 - "Out of Touch" by Daryl Hall and John Oates
1985 - "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister
1986 - "The Next Time I Fall" by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
1987 - "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle (Hooray! I love this song!)
1988 - "Look Away" by Chicago
1989 - "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel (And the number of times I heard this song around that time was ... a lot.)
1990 - "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" by Stevie B (Umm. What?)
1991 - "Black Or White" by Michael Jackson (Yes.)
1992 - "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
1993 - "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf
1994 - "On Bended Knee" Boyz II Men
1995 - "One Sweet Day" Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
1996 - "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton (My birthday is like the showcase for the Ultimate 90s Playlist)
1997 - "Something About The Way You Look Tonight/Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John (Really? Was there a medley I was unaware of?)
1998 - "I'm Your Angel" by Celine Dion and R. Kelly (If this were a list of "Songs I Hate With A Fiery Passion," this song would be at the top. Jesus Christ I hate this song so much.)
1999 - "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
2000 - "Independent Women Part I" by Destiny's Child (I'm surprised it's not still "Smooth," actually.)
2001 - "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige
2002 - "Lose Yourself" by Eminem (Is this the one that won the Oscar? [It won the Oscar, right?] I've still never actually heard it except in clips.)
2003 - "Stand Up" by Ludacris featuring Shawna (Who and what now?)
2004 - "My Boo" by Usher and Alicia Keys (Hehehehehe. I haven't heard this one either, but that just sounds embarrasing.)
2005 - "Run It!" by Chris Brown (... Nope.)
2006 - "I Wanna Love You" by Akon featuring Snoop Dogg (Really?)
2007 - "No One" by Alicia Keys (This one I've totally heard.)
It's pretty craptastical. However, I have to say that the weirdest part was how many fucking years there were. Seriously! They just keep going! Especially towards the end there. There just keep being more years.
Steps:
1) Go to this site and you can find out what song was #1 (according to Billboard Magazine) on the US Charts on any particular week in history.
2) Look up your birthday.
3) List the #1 songs that have occurred on your birthday throughout the years you've been alive.
4) Cringe at how bad music was, and how bad it is now!
Thing:
1983 - "Say, Say, Say" by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
1984 - "Out of Touch" by Daryl Hall and John Oates
1985 - "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister
1986 - "The Next Time I Fall" by Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
1987 - "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" by Belinda Carlisle (Hooray! I love this song!)
1988 - "Look Away" by Chicago
1989 - "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel (And the number of times I heard this song around that time was ... a lot.)
1990 - "Because I Love You (The Postman Song)" by Stevie B (Umm. What?)
1991 - "Black Or White" by Michael Jackson (Yes.)
1992 - "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
1993 - "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meat Loaf
1994 - "On Bended Knee" Boyz II Men
1995 - "One Sweet Day" Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
1996 - "Unbreak My Heart" by Toni Braxton (My birthday is like the showcase for the Ultimate 90s Playlist)
1997 - "Something About The Way You Look Tonight/Candle In The Wind 1997" by Elton John (Really? Was there a medley I was unaware of?)
1998 - "I'm Your Angel" by Celine Dion and R. Kelly (If this were a list of "Songs I Hate With A Fiery Passion," this song would be at the top. Jesus Christ I hate this song so much.)
1999 - "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
2000 - "Independent Women Part I" by Destiny's Child (I'm surprised it's not still "Smooth," actually.)
2001 - "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige
2002 - "Lose Yourself" by Eminem (Is this the one that won the Oscar? [It won the Oscar, right?] I've still never actually heard it except in clips.)
2003 - "Stand Up" by Ludacris featuring Shawna (Who and what now?)
2004 - "My Boo" by Usher and Alicia Keys (Hehehehehe. I haven't heard this one either, but that just sounds embarrasing.)
2005 - "Run It!" by Chris Brown (... Nope.)
2006 - "I Wanna Love You" by Akon featuring Snoop Dogg (Really?)
2007 - "No One" by Alicia Keys (This one I've totally heard.)
It's pretty craptastical. However, I have to say that the weirdest part was how many fucking years there were. Seriously! They just keep going! Especially towards the end there. There just keep being more years.
Saturday
Addendum.
To my previous post.
I feel that it is necessary to clarify my position on the band Death Cab For Cutie. I do not dislike Death Cab For Cutie. I figured the fact that they appear not once, but twice, on the list of songs I listen to most often would have made that evident. Apparently not, though, guys! I like them and I listen to them often!
However.
On the whole, Death Cab For Cutie is rather ... morose and maudlin. If you've listened to them, you know, so don't even say anything. (I was using "emo" as a shorthand reference for this. I appreciate Stephanie's point that labels tend to impede your listening enjoyment. This is true. I wasn't really trying, though, to debate the merits, or lack thereof, of emo.) I felt that their over-representation on the list acted as an intensifier to the idea that my listening habits of late have been morose and maudlin. This is what my dismay was all about! It was not a commentary on the quality of the music. I was actually equally as upset that the only Decemberists song on the list was "The Engine Driver" - for the same reasons. And you know how much I like the Decemberists! And that song is great, but still. Still. Of course, the Decemberists are usually a bit more upbeat, so my reaction in that case was more, "Oh, this song." instead of "Oh, this band."
In conclusion, I like Death Cab For Cutie, and listen to them often. Sorry about any misunderstandings.
I feel that it is necessary to clarify my position on the band Death Cab For Cutie. I do not dislike Death Cab For Cutie. I figured the fact that they appear not once, but twice, on the list of songs I listen to most often would have made that evident. Apparently not, though, guys! I like them and I listen to them often!
However.
On the whole, Death Cab For Cutie is rather ... morose and maudlin. If you've listened to them, you know, so don't even say anything. (I was using "emo" as a shorthand reference for this. I appreciate Stephanie's point that labels tend to impede your listening enjoyment. This is true. I wasn't really trying, though, to debate the merits, or lack thereof, of emo.) I felt that their over-representation on the list acted as an intensifier to the idea that my listening habits of late have been morose and maudlin. This is what my dismay was all about! It was not a commentary on the quality of the music. I was actually equally as upset that the only Decemberists song on the list was "The Engine Driver" - for the same reasons. And you know how much I like the Decemberists! And that song is great, but still. Still. Of course, the Decemberists are usually a bit more upbeat, so my reaction in that case was more, "Oh, this song." instead of "Oh, this band."
In conclusion, I like Death Cab For Cutie, and listen to them often. Sorry about any misunderstandings.
Wednesday
iPod introspection.
So, I've been spending a lot of time out of my house lately, which has led me to exploring some of the functions on my iPod. Turns out that iTunes will automatically compile a playlist of the songs that you listen to most often ... so that you can listen to them more often.
I checked out my list. And it was odd. It's not an entirely accurate system. Turns out that if you take a song off your iPod and then put it back on, it will reset the count. Ditto if you change the file name. Also, it counts a "play" as reaching the end of the track, and sometimes I will skip back to the beginning of a song if I want to hear it again, so songs with long fade outs are under-represented. And a whole bunch of other explanations and excuses.
Anyway, as it stands, these are the songs I've played the most, on my iPod:
Love Song To My Guru - Katell Keineg with The Floors
(Fair. I've listened to this a million times.)
That's All Right, Mama - Arthur Crudup
(Really? It's catchy, but this is a surprise showing.)
Pistol - Dustin Krensue
(Fair. I love this song.)
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
(Fair. Embarrassingly enough.)
Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley
(True story: I didn't like this song at all when I first heard it, and then something clicked, and I listened to it all the time.)
Challengers - The New Pornographers
(Neko Case sing so pretty.)
All That I Want - The Weepies
(I haven't listened to this since Christmastide. This list is out of date!)
Endless Sleep - Jody Reynolds
(Surprising!)
From Where I'm Standing - Schuyler Fisk
(Jenny's right, she has a really pretty voice.)
Freedom Is Only A Hippogriff Away - The Mudbloods
(The only Wizard Rock song on the list! Seriously though, this is an excellent song even if you don't know Harry Potter from a hole in the ground.)
All The Old Showstoppers - The New Pornographers
(Hee! I just talked about this! I suspect stuffed ballots.)
Backwater Blues - Dave Van Ronk
(Again, really? Then again, there was a playlist that I had to listen to for a while because I was MAKING A CD FOR SOMEONE, and this was on it.)
Someday You Will Be Loved - Death Cab For Cutie
(Oy. In my defense, this would make a great fan video that I'll never make.)
Hiding In Plain Sight - Lauren Hoffman
(I'm surprised she's not better represented - I listened to her A LOT a while back.)
We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives - Los Campesinos!
(Hee!)
Paperweight - Schuyler Fisk and ... some dude.
(No really, she sings pretty.)
Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites
(Again, hee!)
Australia - The Shins
(Yup. Totally fair.)
I've Just Seen A Face - The Beatles
(Really?)
Both Hands - Ani DiFranco
(Utterly fair.)
Expectations - Belle And Sebastian
(Fair.)
The Engine Driver - The Decemberists
(I guess? Although I've listened to "Yankee Bayonet" so many more times, I think.)
1234 - Feist
(Really?)
So Long - Guster
(I guess so!)
Diggin' My Potatoes - Lonnie Donegan
(Hee! Hee! Hee!)
Um. So, geez. What this playlist tells me is that I'm really fucking maudlin. And that I may have the Blues. What the hell?
I checked out my list. And it was odd. It's not an entirely accurate system. Turns out that if you take a song off your iPod and then put it back on, it will reset the count. Ditto if you change the file name. Also, it counts a "play" as reaching the end of the track, and sometimes I will skip back to the beginning of a song if I want to hear it again, so songs with long fade outs are under-represented. And a whole bunch of other explanations and excuses.
Anyway, as it stands, these are the songs I've played the most, on my iPod:
Love Song To My Guru - Katell Keineg with The Floors
(Fair. I've listened to this a million times.)
That's All Right, Mama - Arthur Crudup
(Really? It's catchy, but this is a surprise showing.)
Pistol - Dustin Krensue
(Fair. I love this song.)
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
(Fair. Embarrassingly enough.)
Portions For Foxes - Rilo Kiley
(True story: I didn't like this song at all when I first heard it, and then something clicked, and I listened to it all the time.)
Challengers - The New Pornographers
(Neko Case sing so pretty.)
All That I Want - The Weepies
(I haven't listened to this since Christmastide. This list is out of date!)
Endless Sleep - Jody Reynolds
(Surprising!)
From Where I'm Standing - Schuyler Fisk
(Jenny's right, she has a really pretty voice.)
Freedom Is Only A Hippogriff Away - The Mudbloods
(The only Wizard Rock song on the list! Seriously though, this is an excellent song even if you don't know Harry Potter from a hole in the ground.)
All The Old Showstoppers - The New Pornographers
(Hee! I just talked about this! I suspect stuffed ballots.)
Backwater Blues - Dave Van Ronk
(Again, really? Then again, there was a playlist that I had to listen to for a while because I was MAKING A CD FOR SOMEONE, and this was on it.)
Someday You Will Be Loved - Death Cab For Cutie
(Oy. In my defense, this would make a great fan video that I'll never make.)
Hiding In Plain Sight - Lauren Hoffman
(I'm surprised she's not better represented - I listened to her A LOT a while back.)
We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives - Los Campesinos!
(Hee!)
Paperweight - Schuyler Fisk and ... some dude.
(No really, she sings pretty.)
Keep On The Sunny Side - The Whites
(Again, hee!)
Australia - The Shins
(Yup. Totally fair.)
I've Just Seen A Face - The Beatles
(Really?)
Both Hands - Ani DiFranco
(Utterly fair.)
Expectations - Belle And Sebastian
(Fair.)
The Engine Driver - The Decemberists
(I guess? Although I've listened to "Yankee Bayonet" so many more times, I think.)
1234 - Feist
(Really?)
So Long - Guster
(I guess so!)
Diggin' My Potatoes - Lonnie Donegan
(Hee! Hee! Hee!)
Um. So, geez. What this playlist tells me is that I'm really fucking maudlin. And that I may have the Blues. What the hell?
Sunday
A narrowly defined genre.
A while back, Annika wrote in her blog an entry that I thought was truly cool. Really! I'm still talking about it! I'm sad that it didn't get more replies.
Today I discovered that I have liked a narrowly defined genre of music without even realizing it. (Though, to be fair, the boy pointed this out to me about a month ago.) It turns out that if you write a song about St. John the Divine, I will probably like it and listen to it a lot. It also turns out that this applies to a lot more songs than you would suspect!
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - St. John the Divine (not technically a song about the man himself, for the most part)
Neko Case - John Saw That Number (even though she name drops John the Baptist, this song is actually about the guy who wrote Revelations)
Son House - John the Revelator (best bluesman ever)
The New Pornographers - All The Old Showstoppers (took me a while to discover this one, but there you go - same dude)
I'm sure there are more! I don't know what to make of this! Besides imaginary fanvids about Locke!
Today I discovered that I have liked a narrowly defined genre of music without even realizing it. (Though, to be fair, the boy pointed this out to me about a month ago.) It turns out that if you write a song about St. John the Divine, I will probably like it and listen to it a lot. It also turns out that this applies to a lot more songs than you would suspect!
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - St. John the Divine (not technically a song about the man himself, for the most part)
Neko Case - John Saw That Number (even though she name drops John the Baptist, this song is actually about the guy who wrote Revelations)
Son House - John the Revelator (best bluesman ever)
The New Pornographers - All The Old Showstoppers (took me a while to discover this one, but there you go - same dude)
I'm sure there are more! I don't know what to make of this! Besides imaginary fanvids about Locke!
Wednesday
Because Pat has better ideas for blogging than I do.
Here’s what happened when I seek/scanned through the radio stations in my car. My car’s a little old, and the seeker only works up, not down. It stopped on a lot of stations that were just static, too, which I have included for thoroughness rather than prudence.
This list was transcribed starting at approximately 6:30 PM, after I arrived home from driving. Yes, when I arrived home. I should note that I only recently started listening to the radio, and even then only very tentatively. But I’ve also started driving a lot more, so it balances out. Still, though, I know very little about what’s on the radio. Just that it’s usually crap.
This took longer and is longer than I originally thought it was going to be.
87.7 – There’s a song playing that sounds like an extended dance remix of the Rolling Stones. Really? Oh, apparently this is a new song by Mick Jagger! And apparently this is “The Pulse of New York.”
88.3 – Jazz
89.3 – Static. Thanks, seek.
89.5 – A song is on. What is this? Slipknot? This sounds like Slipknot. Skip.
89.7 – Static.
89.9 – Jazz again, only this time with more sax. Ugh. I think the saxophone is the only instrument I really dislike.
90.1 – A song is playing. What is this, reggae? Hip-hop? Reggae hip-hop? Okay, apparently, this is “New York’s Cabbie Flavor.” I’M NOT KIDDING.
90.7 – A song is playing. Soft rock or something. Maybe emo. I can’t really make out the lyrics, so I’m giving this a skip.
91.1 – WFMU [Preset 1]. Here’s the deal with this station. I’ve recently been talking with Sarah from the WD, and she’s a real big fan of WFMU. My the boy also claims that he told me about it months ago, which may or may not be true. They’re an ad-less “freeform” music station. And they are frequented by Local-Boy-Made-Good Love of My Life, Ted Leo. Should be great! Unfortunately, most of the time I listen to it, someone is talking. And talking. You really have to cross your fingers to even hope to hear music, and then it’s pretty hit or miss. Right now, they’re playing some kind of world music that I have no hope of identifying. Skip.
91.5 – Some dude is talking about Hitler. Um, in a historical way. Not a Neo-Nazi way. Now he’s talking about German-American saboteurs? Tempting, but, no. Skip.
92.3 – K-Rock! [Preset 4] I find myself listening to K-Rock the most out of any station these days. Time was, they sucked big time. But now they have all these gimmicks that have made it both more musically satisfactory, and more entertaining (Pat would probably enjoy it). Like their “March Bracket Brawl” and how every Monday, they play listener-submitted playlists, exclusively. The weird side effect of this is that the station sounds like it’s being broadcast out of the 90s. I don’t mean that it sounds like they’re “playing 90s music”. It’s not like “The Best Mix of the 90s!” I mean that it sounds like radio sounded about a decade ago. It’s seriously like everything stopped updating after 1996. Not that that’s a bad thing. Right now the English dude is on. I don’t know who he is yet, but he sounds like a young Londoner transposed to Manhattan, and his name is Ian. So radio DJ is probably really what he’s best qualified for. He’s talking about … something. The Raconteurs’ new album, I believe. Oh! And now, as if to prove my point, they’re playing “Basket Case” by Green Day.
92.7 – Spanish music.
93.1 – More Spanish music.
93.9 – Some dude talking about our war expenditures. Oh wait, now they’re playing music. Oh, no, sorry, that was just their theme music. He’s now talking about something I’m too bored to listen to.
94.7 – Classical music. It’s choral right now.
95.5 – PLJ. This is my sister’s favorite radio station. They’re alright. They play new music, but the kind that’s just new and popular enough to make someone who was young in the 80s feel with it, but bland enough that they won’t get freaked out and alienated by it. Ahem.
96.3 – More classical music. And I think this is the station my clock radio is set to. Or maybe not any more. I have no idea what it’s set to, really. It used to be loud static. Woo boy, that’ll wake you up. Anyway, that was the King Arthur Suite by Elgar.
96.5 – Hip-hop, and ads! At the same time! Genius!
96.7 – More FM talk radio, but this time in Spanish.
97.1 – A song is playing. Won’t someone please show this poor fellow the way? Because the devil is trying to break him down. I don’t know what this song is, even though I probably ought to; I’ve heard it enough times. It was on the commercial for a movie that ran all the time a while back, but I forget which one.
97.5 – Dude. This sounds like reggae gospel. That’s fucking awesome!
97.9 – Some dude is speaking very loudly and emphatically in Spanish. … And now some more people are laughing very loudly and emphatically. (In Spanish?)
98.3 – Celine Dion is telling me that I was her strength when she was weak. I have no idea what this station is.
98.5 – Static.
98.7 – A commercial for PNC Bank. I have no idea what this station is.
98.9 – Static.
99.1 – I am being told that this is “Star 99.1.” What is this? OH!! This is Christian rock. Skip.
99.5 – Someone is talking about Halliburton and oil and today’s war protests. Now they have an audio clip of an 18-year-old girl who was picked up at one. Um, by the police, I mean. Lord. She should … not talk.
99.9 – There’s an ad for a record store on, ironically. Or maybe a club? I don’t know what this station is, but I have a feeling I won’t like it.
100.1 – static.
100.3 – Z100. My niece, who will be ten in May, loves Z100. It’s totally her favorite station. Z100 also used to be my favorite station … when I was ten. Then one day I decided that the music had just started to suck too much and I more or less gave up radio all together. Z100 was, and I believe still is, the biggest radio station in New York. However, I’ve recently wondered if it isn’t just the sort of enterprise that’s only cool if you’re ten. Right now, someone seems to be singing in Spanish? All I can make out is the word “marshmallows.” Skip.
100.5 – Static plus carry-over from Z100.
100.9 – More of the same. Told you they were big. They broadcast from the top of the Empire State Building.
101.1 – CBS FM. This used to be the station that my father listened to all the time, because they played “oldies” by which they meant doo wop. Then a few years ago, they redefined “oldies” to mean “the 70s.” I’m not sure what changes they’ve since undergone, but right now they’re playing "96 Tears" by Question Mark & the Mysterians.
101.3 – Static.
101.5 – I have no idea what station this is, but right now they’re having the traffic report. There’s lots of pockets of traffic on Westbound 80. And also lots of traffic in general. It’s been raining all day, you see. Oooh, an overturned tractor-trailer! … I’ve just now realized how many times I’ve heard that phrase in my life. Probably more than is seemly?
101.7 – Static.
101.9 – I feel sure that this is a real station of some sort, but I don’t know what it is, and right now they have a Jeep commercial on. Oh wait, that’s right. This is CD 101.9. They play smooth jazz. God bless Jeep.
102.1 – Static.
102.5 – More Spanish music, but far more peppy than the other ones!
102.7 – “Fresh” 102.7. This is the brand new “Fresh” light music station. As opposed to the old light music station that we’ll encounter later on in our program. Right now they’re playing commercials.
102.9 – Static.
103.1 – Staticy Bible talk!
103.5 – KTU, “The Beat Of New York”. Right now some chick from Brooklyn is OMGing over something. Oh, she’s going to St. Lucia, courtesy of the radio station. That’s certainly nice of them. … I believe we’ve all just witnessed the best thing about KTU. Let’s move on.
103.7 – Static.
104.1 – Static.
104.3 – Q104, “New York’s Only Classic Rock Station”. [Preset 2] Q104 is pretty much my default station. They tend to play the same songs over and over again, but at least I know them all. Unfortunately though, they’ve recently decided that Nirvana and Pearl Jam fall under the purview of classic rock, and I don’t truck with that bullshit. Also, not to tattle, but one time they played Nickelback. Hand to God. Anyway, right now they are playing the tail end of “Layla”, so of course now I’m thinking about Goodfellas.
104.5 – Static and bits of Layla.
104.7 – Calypso!
104.9 – Static.
105.1 – I don’t know what station this is, but right now they’re playing a Rachael Ray/Dunkin Donuts commercial, so I’m already biased against it. (NB: I don’t hate Rachael Ray because everyone else hates her. I hate her because she pops up everywhere just like Jaslene on America’s Next Top Model . JASLENE’d! That shit makes me crazy.)
105.5 – Fat bottomed girls make the rockin’ world go ‘round! Woo hoo! I have no idea what this station is! But I’d like to go inside soon, so I’m moving on!
105.9 – Ads in Spanish.
106.3 – A song is playing. About a girl named Carrie Ann? Not the Hollies song. Oh, maybe it’s “carry on”? The singer really wants me to carry on. Is this the Used? This sounds like the Used. Skip.
106.5 – Static.
106.7 – Lite FM. I’m not saying that to be deprecatory, that’s really the name of the station. This is the Old School Lite Station that “Fresh” is rebelling against. However, right now, David Bowie is entreating me to dance in my red shoes, so, advantage to the Old School.
107.1 – The Who are goin’ mobile!! I seriously have no idea what this station is! But maybe I’ll check it out again later.
107.5 – A Honda commercial.
107.9 – [Preset 6*] I recently discovered that this is “We Be 108**” (which must be their call letters), and it’s broadcast out of Connecticut. Connecticut!! They play “Connecticut’s Best Music Mix.” I don’t know if that’s true, but I preset them because one day when nothing else was on they were playing Love Shack. Sometimes it’s just that easy, people. I wouldn’t say that they play light music, but I wouldn’t say they play good music, either. Mostly, they play songs that I don’t hate. Like right now, when everyone else has commercials on, they are playing “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” I’m okay with that.
*You may have noticed that I have no presets at 3 or 5. … Deal with it.
** I find it interesting that both Pat’s and my stations at 107.9 tout themselves as “108.” Radio stations and horseshoes, eh?
This list was transcribed starting at approximately 6:30 PM, after I arrived home from driving. Yes, when I arrived home. I should note that I only recently started listening to the radio, and even then only very tentatively. But I’ve also started driving a lot more, so it balances out. Still, though, I know very little about what’s on the radio. Just that it’s usually crap.
This took longer and is longer than I originally thought it was going to be.
87.7 – There’s a song playing that sounds like an extended dance remix of the Rolling Stones. Really? Oh, apparently this is a new song by Mick Jagger! And apparently this is “The Pulse of New York.”
88.3 – Jazz
89.3 – Static. Thanks, seek.
89.5 – A song is on. What is this? Slipknot? This sounds like Slipknot. Skip.
89.7 – Static.
89.9 – Jazz again, only this time with more sax. Ugh. I think the saxophone is the only instrument I really dislike.
90.1 – A song is playing. What is this, reggae? Hip-hop? Reggae hip-hop? Okay, apparently, this is “New York’s Cabbie Flavor.” I’M NOT KIDDING.
90.7 – A song is playing. Soft rock or something. Maybe emo. I can’t really make out the lyrics, so I’m giving this a skip.
91.1 – WFMU [Preset 1]. Here’s the deal with this station. I’ve recently been talking with Sarah from the WD, and she’s a real big fan of WFMU. My the boy also claims that he told me about it months ago, which may or may not be true. They’re an ad-less “freeform” music station. And they are frequented by Local-Boy-Made-Good Love of My Life, Ted Leo. Should be great! Unfortunately, most of the time I listen to it, someone is talking. And talking. You really have to cross your fingers to even hope to hear music, and then it’s pretty hit or miss. Right now, they’re playing some kind of world music that I have no hope of identifying. Skip.
91.5 – Some dude is talking about Hitler. Um, in a historical way. Not a Neo-Nazi way. Now he’s talking about German-American saboteurs? Tempting, but, no. Skip.
92.3 – K-Rock! [Preset 4] I find myself listening to K-Rock the most out of any station these days. Time was, they sucked big time. But now they have all these gimmicks that have made it both more musically satisfactory, and more entertaining (Pat would probably enjoy it). Like their “March Bracket Brawl” and how every Monday, they play listener-submitted playlists, exclusively. The weird side effect of this is that the station sounds like it’s being broadcast out of the 90s. I don’t mean that it sounds like they’re “playing 90s music”. It’s not like “The Best Mix of the 90s!” I mean that it sounds like radio sounded about a decade ago. It’s seriously like everything stopped updating after 1996. Not that that’s a bad thing. Right now the English dude is on. I don’t know who he is yet, but he sounds like a young Londoner transposed to Manhattan, and his name is Ian. So radio DJ is probably really what he’s best qualified for. He’s talking about … something. The Raconteurs’ new album, I believe. Oh! And now, as if to prove my point, they’re playing “Basket Case” by Green Day.
92.7 – Spanish music.
93.1 – More Spanish music.
93.9 – Some dude talking about our war expenditures. Oh wait, now they’re playing music. Oh, no, sorry, that was just their theme music. He’s now talking about something I’m too bored to listen to.
94.7 – Classical music. It’s choral right now.
95.5 – PLJ. This is my sister’s favorite radio station. They’re alright. They play new music, but the kind that’s just new and popular enough to make someone who was young in the 80s feel with it, but bland enough that they won’t get freaked out and alienated by it. Ahem.
96.3 – More classical music. And I think this is the station my clock radio is set to. Or maybe not any more. I have no idea what it’s set to, really. It used to be loud static. Woo boy, that’ll wake you up. Anyway, that was the King Arthur Suite by Elgar.
96.5 – Hip-hop, and ads! At the same time! Genius!
96.7 – More FM talk radio, but this time in Spanish.
97.1 – A song is playing. Won’t someone please show this poor fellow the way? Because the devil is trying to break him down. I don’t know what this song is, even though I probably ought to; I’ve heard it enough times. It was on the commercial for a movie that ran all the time a while back, but I forget which one.
97.5 – Dude. This sounds like reggae gospel. That’s fucking awesome!
97.9 – Some dude is speaking very loudly and emphatically in Spanish. … And now some more people are laughing very loudly and emphatically. (In Spanish?)
98.3 – Celine Dion is telling me that I was her strength when she was weak. I have no idea what this station is.
98.5 – Static.
98.7 – A commercial for PNC Bank. I have no idea what this station is.
98.9 – Static.
99.1 – I am being told that this is “Star 99.1.” What is this? OH!! This is Christian rock. Skip.
99.5 – Someone is talking about Halliburton and oil and today’s war protests. Now they have an audio clip of an 18-year-old girl who was picked up at one. Um, by the police, I mean. Lord. She should … not talk.
99.9 – There’s an ad for a record store on, ironically. Or maybe a club? I don’t know what this station is, but I have a feeling I won’t like it.
100.1 – static.
100.3 – Z100. My niece, who will be ten in May, loves Z100. It’s totally her favorite station. Z100 also used to be my favorite station … when I was ten. Then one day I decided that the music had just started to suck too much and I more or less gave up radio all together. Z100 was, and I believe still is, the biggest radio station in New York. However, I’ve recently wondered if it isn’t just the sort of enterprise that’s only cool if you’re ten. Right now, someone seems to be singing in Spanish? All I can make out is the word “marshmallows.” Skip.
100.5 – Static plus carry-over from Z100.
100.9 – More of the same. Told you they were big. They broadcast from the top of the Empire State Building.
101.1 – CBS FM. This used to be the station that my father listened to all the time, because they played “oldies” by which they meant doo wop. Then a few years ago, they redefined “oldies” to mean “the 70s.” I’m not sure what changes they’ve since undergone, but right now they’re playing "96 Tears" by Question Mark & the Mysterians.
101.3 – Static.
101.5 – I have no idea what station this is, but right now they’re having the traffic report. There’s lots of pockets of traffic on Westbound 80. And also lots of traffic in general. It’s been raining all day, you see. Oooh, an overturned tractor-trailer! … I’ve just now realized how many times I’ve heard that phrase in my life. Probably more than is seemly?
101.7 – Static.
101.9 – I feel sure that this is a real station of some sort, but I don’t know what it is, and right now they have a Jeep commercial on. Oh wait, that’s right. This is CD 101.9. They play smooth jazz. God bless Jeep.
102.1 – Static.
102.5 – More Spanish music, but far more peppy than the other ones!
102.7 – “Fresh” 102.7. This is the brand new “Fresh” light music station. As opposed to the old light music station that we’ll encounter later on in our program. Right now they’re playing commercials.
102.9 – Static.
103.1 – Staticy Bible talk!
103.5 – KTU, “The Beat Of New York”. Right now some chick from Brooklyn is OMGing over something. Oh, she’s going to St. Lucia, courtesy of the radio station. That’s certainly nice of them. … I believe we’ve all just witnessed the best thing about KTU. Let’s move on.
103.7 – Static.
104.1 – Static.
104.3 – Q104, “New York’s Only Classic Rock Station”. [Preset 2] Q104 is pretty much my default station. They tend to play the same songs over and over again, but at least I know them all. Unfortunately though, they’ve recently decided that Nirvana and Pearl Jam fall under the purview of classic rock, and I don’t truck with that bullshit. Also, not to tattle, but one time they played Nickelback. Hand to God. Anyway, right now they are playing the tail end of “Layla”, so of course now I’m thinking about Goodfellas.
104.5 – Static and bits of Layla.
104.7 – Calypso!
104.9 – Static.
105.1 – I don’t know what station this is, but right now they’re playing a Rachael Ray/Dunkin Donuts commercial, so I’m already biased against it. (NB: I don’t hate Rachael Ray because everyone else hates her. I hate her because she pops up everywhere just like Jaslene on America’s Next Top Model . JASLENE’d! That shit makes me crazy.)
105.5 – Fat bottomed girls make the rockin’ world go ‘round! Woo hoo! I have no idea what this station is! But I’d like to go inside soon, so I’m moving on!
105.9 – Ads in Spanish.
106.3 – A song is playing. About a girl named Carrie Ann? Not the Hollies song. Oh, maybe it’s “carry on”? The singer really wants me to carry on. Is this the Used? This sounds like the Used. Skip.
106.5 – Static.
106.7 – Lite FM. I’m not saying that to be deprecatory, that’s really the name of the station. This is the Old School Lite Station that “Fresh” is rebelling against. However, right now, David Bowie is entreating me to dance in my red shoes, so, advantage to the Old School.
107.1 – The Who are goin’ mobile!! I seriously have no idea what this station is! But maybe I’ll check it out again later.
107.5 – A Honda commercial.
107.9 – [Preset 6*] I recently discovered that this is “We Be 108**” (which must be their call letters), and it’s broadcast out of Connecticut. Connecticut!! They play “Connecticut’s Best Music Mix.” I don’t know if that’s true, but I preset them because one day when nothing else was on they were playing Love Shack. Sometimes it’s just that easy, people. I wouldn’t say that they play light music, but I wouldn’t say they play good music, either. Mostly, they play songs that I don’t hate. Like right now, when everyone else has commercials on, they are playing “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” I’m okay with that.
*You may have noticed that I have no presets at 3 or 5. … Deal with it.
** I find it interesting that both Pat’s and my stations at 107.9 tout themselves as “108.” Radio stations and horseshoes, eh?
Tuesday
At least it was technically free.
This is one of at least three blog posts that I plan on writing today. Right now. With only breaks to get more apple juice and maybe dinner, depending on how late this goes.
Okay, so, what this post is about is, see, I recently picked up and read Twilight, the first in the eponymous book series by author Stephenie Meyer. I would like to talk about that.
Fair warning, if you have any interest in reading this series, you probably shouldn't read any more, because I really don't know if I can be bothered to use spoiler tags. Maybe, though! We'll see.
Twilight has recently been heavily pimped by the Harry Potter podcasts I listen to. Prior to that, I don't think I'd heard of it. The Potter geeks are interested because a movie version is in the process of being made, and the male lead is to be played by Robert "at least three 't's HOTTT" Pattinson, better known to most of us as the late, lamented, Cedric Diggory. After some cursory research, I found that the film will also include a few more people whom I register on the neutral/positive spectrum: Kristen Stewart, whom I greatly enjoyed in Panic Room, wherein she played a character who was essentially Lauren (though I've so far not managed to see her in anything else), and Michael Welch, who was wonderful as Amber Tamblyn's brother on "Joan Of Arcadia."
Variety of title style is getting a workout in this entry.
So, anyway, after they'd mentioned this a few times, I decided to try it out. I was promised sexy times, action adventure, and vampires. Seriously, odds are it was up my alley.
I went to the library to try to snag it there, but for the third time in a row, the book was listed as being in the library, but it was not on the shelf. So, either my public library has a large problem with theft, or they can't catalogue for shit. I wound up picking it up at the Barnes & Noble because I found a gift card I had for $30. I also finally picked up the last Ted Leo album.
The book is about 500 pages, and I finished it in less than 24 hours, gross time, even with doing other actual activities. This book bothered me greatly. Why, you may ask? It is a resplendent example of why I'm scared to write a novel: because I worry that this is the sort of story I would produce. Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I didn't like it. I did, after all, just pay it the high compliment of saying that I could see myself writing it.[/hubris] I'm saying that it wasn't any good.
I checked out the author's website, and I read some of her background on her writing. (This is her first novel.) Among the things that quirked my lip corners: She got the idea for this story from a dream. Also, she obsesses mainly over the details of the characters. And she looks a lot like Charisma Carpenter. That last point is just for color.
She takes an awful amount of pages to say not very much. There's no plot to speak of, except towards the end where the characters passively happen to fall into a weak and contrived scenario. There's no active decision making that I can remember at all. The writing is painfully repetitive. The human girl's vampire boyfriend is very pretty. The author mentions this in every sentence in which he is described. Which happens 5-10 times for every scene that he's in. ... Which is pretty much every scene. Also, the human girlfriend is clumsy. Vampires are pale. She loves her vampire boyfriend. Her breath catches. Her heart beats erratically. Et cetera. Also, the vampire boyfriend has some sort of issue where he'll go from laughing to scowling and angry to smiling every other sentence. In a few years, if you're ever flipping through the premium channels and you catch Mr. Pattinson and he's doing this - he's not insane. He's in character.
The secondary vampire characters are all fairly ridiculous and not worth mentioning. They attend high school for Chrissakes. Listen, if you were a hundred years old, would you go back to high school? On purpose? Even if people left you alone and you aced all your tests and occasionally got a human girlfriend? No. You would not. There are a variety of subplots that wind up never having anything to do with anything. And of course there's the usual dilemma. You know, the vampire boyfriend totally loves the human girlfriend and they want to be with each other forever, but of course he doesn't want to make her a vampire. Except, see, in the mythology created by this book, and in the context of this story, this makes no effing sense. Seriously. As written, every single objection is discounted or can be worked around. So the dilemma comes across as preposterously artificial, and I was instantly tired with the whole thing as soon as we got there. Because I've read this before. Innumerable times. And it's been done. Better.
Of course, they don't really address the question of whether or not vampires have souls. I'm going to have to come down on the side of "no" though, because of one exchange. The vampire boyfriend claims that he likes music from the 50s and the 80s, but not the 60s or the 70s. And I can't. freaking. understand that! He must be evil, because that's a completely soulless thing to say. Furthermore, it doesn't make any sense. Most of the music in the 80s was a direct derivative of the music they were playing in the 70s, except for the teeny pop, which was based on the music of the early 60s. THAT SHIT MAKES NO SENSE. Get me a flow chart. What is he saying? That he would rather hear Tiffany than the Jackson 5? He would rather listen to Billy Joel than Bob Dylan? Poison is better than the Zep? Is he seriously saying that he prefers WHAM! to the Beatles? Human girlfriend: dump his stupid evil ass.
Of course, the author listed some of her musical preferences on her website, and she's got shit taste, too, so this perhaps explains it.
So, wait, what was my point? Oh yes. I worry that I would write something like this. I mean, obviously, my taste in music is better, and I would like to believe that my writing skills are better, but about the meandering plotless vacuum with excessive focus on character thing. About vampires or something like that. What's baffling, though, is that this series seems to have a large cult following. It's mostly teenage girls OMGing about romance and hot boys, but still. It was a NY Times bestseller. It's gotten all sorts of good reviews from various sources. Is it me? Are people just not that discriminating anymore? And ... I don't know, could that conceivably work to my advantage?
I'm not as keyed up about it as the entry probably sounds, though I have all these issues. Again, I didn't dislike it. I'm a sucker for vamp angst. It's like chicken. Even if it's not the greatest, I'll probably eat it. It's one of the few things I enjoy. But I definitely won't be getting the follow-up books. Especially as I'm given to understand that a werewolf storyline gets introduced, and man, I just don't have the time. The book collectively took less than 6 hours of my life, but I just do not have the time for that.
Okay, so, what this post is about is, see, I recently picked up and read Twilight, the first in the eponymous book series by author Stephenie Meyer. I would like to talk about that.
Fair warning, if you have any interest in reading this series, you probably shouldn't read any more, because I really don't know if I can be bothered to use spoiler tags. Maybe, though! We'll see.
Twilight has recently been heavily pimped by the Harry Potter podcasts I listen to. Prior to that, I don't think I'd heard of it. The Potter geeks are interested because a movie version is in the process of being made, and the male lead is to be played by Robert "at least three 't's HOTTT" Pattinson, better known to most of us as the late, lamented, Cedric Diggory. After some cursory research, I found that the film will also include a few more people whom I register on the neutral/positive spectrum: Kristen Stewart, whom I greatly enjoyed in Panic Room, wherein she played a character who was essentially Lauren (though I've so far not managed to see her in anything else), and Michael Welch, who was wonderful as Amber Tamblyn's brother on "Joan Of Arcadia."
Variety of title style is getting a workout in this entry.
So, anyway, after they'd mentioned this a few times, I decided to try it out. I was promised sexy times, action adventure, and vampires. Seriously, odds are it was up my alley.
I went to the library to try to snag it there, but for the third time in a row, the book was listed as being in the library, but it was not on the shelf. So, either my public library has a large problem with theft, or they can't catalogue for shit. I wound up picking it up at the Barnes & Noble because I found a gift card I had for $30. I also finally picked up the last Ted Leo album.
The book is about 500 pages, and I finished it in less than 24 hours, gross time, even with doing other actual activities. This book bothered me greatly. Why, you may ask? It is a resplendent example of why I'm scared to write a novel: because I worry that this is the sort of story I would produce. Now, don't misunderstand. I'm not saying I didn't like it. I did, after all, just pay it the high compliment of saying that I could see myself writing it.[/hubris] I'm saying that it wasn't any good.
I checked out the author's website, and I read some of her background on her writing. (This is her first novel.) Among the things that quirked my lip corners: She got the idea for this story from a dream. Also, she obsesses mainly over the details of the characters. And she looks a lot like Charisma Carpenter. That last point is just for color.
She takes an awful amount of pages to say not very much. There's no plot to speak of, except towards the end where the characters passively happen to fall into a weak and contrived scenario. There's no active decision making that I can remember at all. The writing is painfully repetitive. The human girl's vampire boyfriend is very pretty. The author mentions this in every sentence in which he is described. Which happens 5-10 times for every scene that he's in. ... Which is pretty much every scene. Also, the human girlfriend is clumsy. Vampires are pale. She loves her vampire boyfriend. Her breath catches. Her heart beats erratically. Et cetera. Also, the vampire boyfriend has some sort of issue where he'll go from laughing to scowling and angry to smiling every other sentence. In a few years, if you're ever flipping through the premium channels and you catch Mr. Pattinson and he's doing this - he's not insane. He's in character.
The secondary vampire characters are all fairly ridiculous and not worth mentioning. They attend high school for Chrissakes. Listen, if you were a hundred years old, would you go back to high school? On purpose? Even if people left you alone and you aced all your tests and occasionally got a human girlfriend? No. You would not. There are a variety of subplots that wind up never having anything to do with anything. And of course there's the usual dilemma. You know, the vampire boyfriend totally loves the human girlfriend and they want to be with each other forever, but of course he doesn't want to make her a vampire. Except, see, in the mythology created by this book, and in the context of this story, this makes no effing sense. Seriously. As written, every single objection is discounted or can be worked around. So the dilemma comes across as preposterously artificial, and I was instantly tired with the whole thing as soon as we got there. Because I've read this before. Innumerable times. And it's been done. Better.
Of course, they don't really address the question of whether or not vampires have souls. I'm going to have to come down on the side of "no" though, because of one exchange. The vampire boyfriend claims that he likes music from the 50s and the 80s, but not the 60s or the 70s. And I can't. freaking. understand that! He must be evil, because that's a completely soulless thing to say. Furthermore, it doesn't make any sense. Most of the music in the 80s was a direct derivative of the music they were playing in the 70s, except for the teeny pop, which was based on the music of the early 60s. THAT SHIT MAKES NO SENSE. Get me a flow chart. What is he saying? That he would rather hear Tiffany than the Jackson 5? He would rather listen to Billy Joel than Bob Dylan? Poison is better than the Zep? Is he seriously saying that he prefers WHAM! to the Beatles? Human girlfriend: dump his stupid evil ass.
Of course, the author listed some of her musical preferences on her website, and she's got shit taste, too, so this perhaps explains it.
So, wait, what was my point? Oh yes. I worry that I would write something like this. I mean, obviously, my taste in music is better, and I would like to believe that my writing skills are better, but about the meandering plotless vacuum with excessive focus on character thing. About vampires or something like that. What's baffling, though, is that this series seems to have a large cult following. It's mostly teenage girls OMGing about romance and hot boys, but still. It was a NY Times bestseller. It's gotten all sorts of good reviews from various sources. Is it me? Are people just not that discriminating anymore? And ... I don't know, could that conceivably work to my advantage?
I'm not as keyed up about it as the entry probably sounds, though I have all these issues. Again, I didn't dislike it. I'm a sucker for vamp angst. It's like chicken. Even if it's not the greatest, I'll probably eat it. It's one of the few things I enjoy. But I definitely won't be getting the follow-up books. Especially as I'm given to understand that a werewolf storyline gets introduced, and man, I just don't have the time. The book collectively took less than 6 hours of my life, but I just do not have the time for that.
Monday
In which I look totally fucking emo.
Backstory: This coming Saturday there's an audition in town that I was considering going to. Even though I would have to get there late, because my Business Venture ties me up for a good chunk of my Saturdays. I can't let that stop me! Plus, I think I would be well-suited to that one role. No, not the sax player. I am not in the slightest bit emo, but I have range. Although, ironically, and for the first time ever, I may be too tall.
Of course, if you read all the small print, winning the audition would include not simply playing an emo character, but ... becoming part of an actual emo band. And while I would love to play a character and/or be in a band, there are certain lines that cannot be crossed. Which lead me to my decision of "no."
But!! Not until I had already tarted myself up emo-style to prove to myself I could. And took pictures. For the record, this is generally what my awesome new hair looks like. It looks even better when I'm not wearing all black and lipstick for eyeliner.
Emo!
Emo!!
Emo!!!
I feel the strange urge to get a MySpace.
Of course, if you read all the small print, winning the audition would include not simply playing an emo character, but ... becoming part of an actual emo band. And while I would love to play a character and/or be in a band, there are certain lines that cannot be crossed. Which lead me to my decision of "no."
But!! Not until I had already tarted myself up emo-style to prove to myself I could. And took pictures. For the record, this is generally what my awesome new hair looks like. It looks even better when I'm not wearing all black and lipstick for eyeliner.
Emo!
Emo!!
Emo!!!
I feel the strange urge to get a MySpace.
Labels:
art and craft,
aural fixation,
cagey answers,
picture book,
sick,
solipsism,
the bees knees
Tuesday
I got my hair cut.
It's pretty hot.
Unfortunately, since I can't seem to take a picture of it worth a damn, you'll just have to take my word for it. It's still ridiculously long, but now it has layers, and bangs that half fall in my eyes on purpose.
Not I'm going to go bop around to "Endless Sleep" by Jody Reynolds with my attractive hair. That's the kind of hot I mean.
Unfortunately, since I can't seem to take a picture of it worth a damn, you'll just have to take my word for it. It's still ridiculously long, but now it has layers, and bangs that half fall in my eyes on purpose.
Not I'm going to go bop around to "Endless Sleep" by Jody Reynolds with my attractive hair. That's the kind of hot I mean.
Monday
Et tu, Andrew Bird?
What is the deal with music in commercials these days? It's pretty common practice for advertisers to invoke some old standard, or some song that you kinda remember but never thought about how easily it could be tailored to a message of commercialism. That's the thing, though, the music was "pre-used," let's say. Whatever the song, it had its day, however long or brief, it retired to obscurity (or not) then got to make its ignoble comeback in a 30-second spot about blenders. Or more likely cars.
I'm not writing this with the assumption that it will be a revelation to anyone. More I'm just hoping for an ... open dialogue? Something to alleviate my confusion? I don't know. Something.
More and more, I am hearing music on commercials that I've never heard before. WHAT'S MORE, it's music that I would not be averse to hearing again.
Seriously, what is the deal with this? Is it really the case that advertisement has suddenly become a venue for musical discovery? I don't even listen to the radio. If I discover new music, it's because I found it through the internet, or a tiny publication, or on a friend's recommendation, or because I saw them in person. I'm not trying to puff myself up like this is cool or anything, but ... oh, come on guys, it totally is. If this isn't cool then there's no such thing. This is the way the snobs get their music, isn't it?
Meanwhile, television commercials are the epitome of all that I, as a young, self-aware, socially-conscious, filthy pinko must despise, aren't they?
It's okay, calm down. I actually don't care at all in the way I'm pretending to. All I really care about is that I found some music that I like. Whatever I may claim from time to time, I'll listen to music if I like it. It doesn't have to meet any standard; it doesn't even have to be good. I mean, within this very year, I have listened to Debbie Gibson's Out Of The Blue, and I am completely comfortable with telling you that.
But I would be lying if I claimed that this weren't fucking with my Weltanschauung just a bit. It's ... it's freaking my establishment, people.
There are levels to this. It is multi-tiered. There's that terrible song by Vanessa Carlton with the treacly piano that's everywhere, and that's okay, I don't care about that. That song was out for a while prior, and she's in the dominion of pop anyway. Then, and this is true, I was in the waiting room at a doctor's office when I heard from the background television noise what I'm pretty sure was "Banking On A Myth." True story. I actually looked up and muttered, "Seriously?" before I could stop myself. (When I'm in public I usually try to pretend that I don't have any emotions.) Then, of course, there's my central problem: the songs that I've never heard before. The ones that make me look up and say, "Hey, this song's not bad. I have no idea what it is, but it's not bad." Are these people sell-outs? And ... don't I have to know who you are before you can sell out? I mean, really. There must be a before-career before there can be an after-career. But wait. Does that mean that I am a mass-market consumer?? HOLY SHIT!
This entry was spurred by the fact that this evening I made a playlist on my iPod entitled "Music I Heard On Commercials." I've acquired enough that I felt I needed to make a statement about it. A pitfall of many successful gimmicks, though, even though I latched onto the songs pretty well, I can't for the life of me remember what they were advertising. Although, of course, if I said "iPods," I'd probably be right at least half the time. Oh well, it's another thing I can blame Steve Jobs for, I guess.
Some samples from that list:
"Dance With Me" by The Sounds
"1234" by Feist
"Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg (he basically sounds just like Rufus Wainwright - I don't know if that makes me like him less, or more)
"All That I Want" by The Weepies
I'm not writing this with the assumption that it will be a revelation to anyone. More I'm just hoping for an ... open dialogue? Something to alleviate my confusion? I don't know. Something.
More and more, I am hearing music on commercials that I've never heard before. WHAT'S MORE, it's music that I would not be averse to hearing again.
Seriously, what is the deal with this? Is it really the case that advertisement has suddenly become a venue for musical discovery? I don't even listen to the radio. If I discover new music, it's because I found it through the internet, or a tiny publication, or on a friend's recommendation, or because I saw them in person. I'm not trying to puff myself up like this is cool or anything, but ... oh, come on guys, it totally is. If this isn't cool then there's no such thing. This is the way the snobs get their music, isn't it?
Meanwhile, television commercials are the epitome of all that I, as a young, self-aware, socially-conscious, filthy pinko must despise, aren't they?
It's okay, calm down. I actually don't care at all in the way I'm pretending to. All I really care about is that I found some music that I like. Whatever I may claim from time to time, I'll listen to music if I like it. It doesn't have to meet any standard; it doesn't even have to be good. I mean, within this very year, I have listened to Debbie Gibson's Out Of The Blue, and I am completely comfortable with telling you that.
But I would be lying if I claimed that this weren't fucking with my Weltanschauung just a bit. It's ... it's freaking my establishment, people.
There are levels to this. It is multi-tiered. There's that terrible song by Vanessa Carlton with the treacly piano that's everywhere, and that's okay, I don't care about that. That song was out for a while prior, and she's in the dominion of pop anyway. Then, and this is true, I was in the waiting room at a doctor's office when I heard from the background television noise what I'm pretty sure was "Banking On A Myth." True story. I actually looked up and muttered, "Seriously?" before I could stop myself. (When I'm in public I usually try to pretend that I don't have any emotions.) Then, of course, there's my central problem: the songs that I've never heard before. The ones that make me look up and say, "Hey, this song's not bad. I have no idea what it is, but it's not bad." Are these people sell-outs? And ... don't I have to know who you are before you can sell out? I mean, really. There must be a before-career before there can be an after-career. But wait. Does that mean that I am a mass-market consumer?? HOLY SHIT!
This entry was spurred by the fact that this evening I made a playlist on my iPod entitled "Music I Heard On Commercials." I've acquired enough that I felt I needed to make a statement about it. A pitfall of many successful gimmicks, though, even though I latched onto the songs pretty well, I can't for the life of me remember what they were advertising. Although, of course, if I said "iPods," I'd probably be right at least half the time. Oh well, it's another thing I can blame Steve Jobs for, I guess.
Some samples from that list:
"Dance With Me" by The Sounds
"1234" by Feist
"Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop" by Landon Pigg (he basically sounds just like Rufus Wainwright - I don't know if that makes me like him less, or more)
"All That I Want" by The Weepies
Tuesday
But never mind all that now!
Oh, it's my blog! So, um, I did a whole bunch of stuff last month. No time to dwell on it! Also, I had a devil of a time coming up with something to blog about that didn't take too long and make me get tired and bored and stop. So instead, let me tell you about
Fan Videos I've Never Made, Part 2.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Warrior, by Scandal (or Skandal. Kirk: I'm still not sure.)
First, let me tell you that I cannot believe I forgot to mention this one last time. This is the song that first brought the idea of actually making fan videos to my mind. One, because it's for Buffy, the fandom that introduced me to fanvids. Two, guys, seriously, you have no idea. Aside from being totally perfect for Buffy in every way, the song also name-drops or overtly references at least 5 different episode titles.
Well isn't love primitive?
A wild gift that you wanna give
Break out of captivity
And follow me you stereo jungle child
Love is the kill
Your heart's still wild
Harry Potter - My Body Is A Cage, Arcade Fire
I recently got a chance to listen to Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. It was okay, but not great. The songs tended to mumble and run together, and while I almost liked several of them, it was, as I quipped to the boy, like trying to decide which was your favorite shade of blue. My favorite shade turned out to be the song above. The sound is dark, moody, and epic, and yet it's somehow also adolescent and kinda gay. Hence, Harry Potter. It would probably work better after the next two films come out, and there's more material to work with.
I'm living in an age
Whose name I don't know
Though the fear keeps me moving
Still my heart beats so slow
Lord of the Rings (Battle of the Pelennor Fields) - All Along The Watchtower, Bob Dylan
Now, don't get me wrong. I realize that "All Along The Watchtower" has been used for everything ever. However, I would use the actual Dylan version, and that makes me better than most people. Furthermore, how many of those things that feature this song have an actual watchtower, with actual princes all along it? That's what I thought, bitches.
You don't need lyrics, right?
Thanks for reading! Tune in next time.
Fan Videos I've Never Made, Part 2.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Warrior, by Scandal (or Skandal. Kirk: I'm still not sure.)
First, let me tell you that I cannot believe I forgot to mention this one last time. This is the song that first brought the idea of actually making fan videos to my mind. One, because it's for Buffy, the fandom that introduced me to fanvids. Two, guys, seriously, you have no idea. Aside from being totally perfect for Buffy in every way, the song also name-drops or overtly references at least 5 different episode titles.
Well isn't love primitive?
A wild gift that you wanna give
Break out of captivity
And follow me you stereo jungle child
Love is the kill
Your heart's still wild
Harry Potter - My Body Is A Cage, Arcade Fire
I recently got a chance to listen to Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. It was okay, but not great. The songs tended to mumble and run together, and while I almost liked several of them, it was, as I quipped to the boy, like trying to decide which was your favorite shade of blue. My favorite shade turned out to be the song above. The sound is dark, moody, and epic, and yet it's somehow also adolescent and kinda gay. Hence, Harry Potter. It would probably work better after the next two films come out, and there's more material to work with.
I'm living in an age
Whose name I don't know
Though the fear keeps me moving
Still my heart beats so slow
Lord of the Rings (Battle of the Pelennor Fields) - All Along The Watchtower, Bob Dylan
Now, don't get me wrong. I realize that "All Along The Watchtower" has been used for everything ever. However, I would use the actual Dylan version, and that makes me better than most people. Furthermore, how many of those things that feature this song have an actual watchtower, with actual princes all along it? That's what I thought, bitches.
You don't need lyrics, right?
Thanks for reading! Tune in next time.
Wednesday
I was listening to a lot of Bon Jovi last night.
So, now I'm going to do that thing where a lot of stuff has actually happened to me recently, but I'm not going to talk about it. Instead! Here are some quiz results that will amuse only Jenny, when she eventually reads this.
Bwah!! Seriously, guys, I really don't care about the Major Deegan.
You Are 69% New Jersey!
You are definitely Jersey. Well done, my friend. You are most likely from this great state, and you fit right in. Odds are, you love being Jersey!
How New Jersey Are You?
Make Your Own Quiz
You Are 87% North Jersey
You are totally North Jersey! You really know the area and have Jersey pride. Chances are you just got back from being down the shore! Unless you're taking this test in wintertime in which case you just got back from Christmas shopping in Paramus. Unless it's Sunday, in which case... Hey how come I didn't see you in church today? =P
The Ultimate North Jersey Quiz
Create Your Own Quiz
You are 56% Southern Jerseyan
Just because you moved here full time doesn't make you a local. No matter how hard you try you'll never truly be Southern Jerseyan so I would not abandon those Pennsylvania, New York, or Northern Jersey roots. Cause we can tell.
South Jersey Quiz
Bwah!! Seriously, guys, I really don't care about the Major Deegan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
