Headphones

I’ve got lots to write about, but I’m tired and don’t have enough time to cover anything of substance this morning. So instead I’m going to give you a glimpse into what I’ve been spinning lately. While we’re on the topic of music and being tired, I should probably mention that I was not drunk blogging a few days ago. I was pretty much goofy from tiredness and just thought I’d throw the Bailey’s in there for effect. I actually did have some Irish Cream that night, but it wasn’t Bailey’s and it was less than a drink.

Here we go…

Fiona Apple – “Extraordinary Machine” (Jon Brion Bootleg)

I mean…I am not in possession of the leaked origional recording of this album, but if I were I would love the album. It might focus more on Fiona’s voice and piano with some great string accompaniment. I might enjoy it more than the official release even though that is also a very nice (and really verry similar) album The link will give you the back story and original track list. The highlight song has to be “Not About Love” which
has some great energy and amazing raw vocals. Here’s a great line from “Red Red Red”:

I don’t understand about
Diamonds and why men buy them
What’s so impressive about a diamond
Except the mining

Ah, there are girls who agree with me about diamonds. Thanks, Fiona. Moving on…

José González – “Veneer“

Fuzz Dawg picked this album up somewhere and played it for a few of us at the Dawg Haüs. It’s really nice and relaxing. It took me a few weeks to put two and two together and realize that this was the same artist who’s featured in the Sony Bravia commercial that I’ve been raving about. “Heartbeats” is definately the highlight of the album for me, can’t get it out of my head, and I’ll go ahead and suggest “Deadweight on Velveteen” too, but it’s all good.

Ten days of perfect tunes
The colors red and blue
We had a promise made
We were in love

Wolf Parade – “Apologies to the Queen Mary“

This was a bit of a random find for me. One day I decided “Hey, iTunes makes all these musical suggestions for me, maybe I should check one of them out instead of just clicking on the ones I already own.” This album was the one I listened to. The first track “You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son” is my favorite track (another one I can’t get out of my head). They’ve got a little bit of a Modest Mouse thing going on, so it may take a few listens if you’re not used to a slightly weird sound. Check out “Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts” too. I’m a fan of these folks.

I’ll draw three figures on your heart
One of them will be me as a boy
One of them will be me
One of them will be me watching you run

Wilco – “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot“

I just started to get into Wilco this year. It took some getting used to, but I’m really enjoying their stuff. I’m not sure how I want to describe their sound. It’s light-ish, not produced-sounding…just listen. If you’re not used to Wilco, I might suggest “I’m the Man Who Loves You” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” but really I like most of the songs on the album a lot.

All I can see is black and white
and white and pink with blades of blue
that lay between the words I think
on a page I was meaning to send

In related news, it’s been a few hours short of a week that I’ve had my new 1GB iPod nano. I love that little guy. He’s so easy to slip into my pocket and carry around. I know things will change though. As Matt put it, this is my rebound iPod. This is the iPod to tide me ovver until my old iPod is either repaired or replaced (it wasn’t the iPod’s fault man…) I know the nano isn’t the right iPod for me, but it’s a good “right now” iPod. Well, I’m off to class and more paper writing. Enjoy!

~Typo

Dialogue

::It’s dark. I’m lying peacefully in my bed::

Brain: Psst…
Me: …
Brain: Psst….hey
Me: …
Brain: Hey!
Me: mmm….what?
Brain: I’ve got an idea.
Me: huh?
Brain: I’ve got an idea. Let’s not go to sleep.
Me: What? No.
Brain: C’mon. Let’s think about stuff.
Me: No, it’s too late.
Brain: Really, I think we should think about stuff. I wanna do something.
Me: [glares]
guh….

Oh, Rapture!

Zounds! I’m in love! Head over heels! And the lady’s name is music. What joy and excitement. What moments of intimacy and expression. O that I would embrace her, but she eludes my touch.

::This moment of english romanticism brought to you by the time 1:30 am, several hours of listening to Fiona Apple and Sufjan Stevens, Masterpieces of Western Civilization II, and Bailey’s Irish Cream. Thank you::

Alright one more, but then it’s off to bed

I’m having some trouble getting to sleep so I’m gonna hang with you guys for a few minutes. I watched the movie Saved! tonight. I really like it. Maybe that’s part of the reason I can’t sleep right now. It got me thinking and feeling so now my mind wants to just stay awake.

Do you ever have those moments where you all of a sudden realize that you’re really not a kid anymore? I remember over the summer I went into Chicago to visit my friend Chad in his new apartment. He had just finished his masters and was out on his own in the real world. We hung out for a while and watched a Marx Brothers flick on his iMac (the one with the swivel screen). In the morning we went out furnature shopping. He needed a table. As we were shopping I realized that I was getting excited about the idea of picking out some cool furnature that goes together and works in a room the way you want it to. To have a place customized to fit your needs and personality.

Yes…I was excited about furnature shopping. The activity that every little kid dreads being dragging into by their parents. I realize right now that I think I would have a blast if I had my own space (more than a bedroom) along with the time and money to do with it what I wished. Right now, I wish I had a work space. A desk, bookshelves, my computer, stuff hung up on the walls, notes scribbled everywhere, half-completed projects strewn about…sounds fun to me.

But now I’m just rambling. Everyone go checkout the iMix I put together and vote for it. It’s made up of 16 great cover songs. There were origionally 25, but a lot of them aren’t available in the iTunes Music Store. Check it out anyway.

Talk back to me, there are more coherent thoughts to come…

-Typo

::sidenote – the lyrics in the last post are from “No Phone” by Cake::

Late Night Outburst

i’ve been on fire
yet i still stay frozen
so deep in the night
my smooth contemplations will always be broken
my deepest concerns will stay buried and unspoken

Random web stuff that’s oh so awesome

Sony Bravia:
A girl in my Moving Image class showed me a really sweet video last week. Here’s a link to the high-res extended version. The loading time is worth the wait. Just a note: This was not computer-generated.
ooooh, pretty!

On a related note, a guy in that same class showed me this. Cutest. Kid. Ever.

More stuff that I can take no creative credit for:
Study: Dolphins Not So Intelligent On Land

And a highlight from bash.org…

#608240 +(518)- [X]

cherrybomb1739: why are there hot chicks at church ?
marredduck: why is the good liquor always on the top shelf?
marredduck: the same reason

Memorial Staduim Gets an Upgrade

U of I is renovating memorial stadium. They’re actually lowering the capacity and added some more expensive sections for business groups and such. The renovations are supposed to maintain the design and architecture of the stadium while improving handicap access and providing more luxuries to the fans or to people who wish to spend some money and attract wealthy patrons interested in a luxury game-watching experience.

After this project is completed, the university has plans to renovate the football team in an attempt to attract fans who enjoy watching football.

-Typo

I Knew We Should’ve Just Run The Far Side

I’m sure everyone has heard tons about the who Danish cartoon fiasco. Well, folks at my university have been able to hear a whole lot more about it since out student newspaper decided to reprint six of the offending cartoons. The editor-in-chief says he did so out a responsibility to inform the people and to create a dialogue. The next day, the headline read: “Cartoon Sparks Debate in CU”Yeah, no crap man. The editorial staff “broke ranks” and took sides (not having been involved in the decision to print the cartoons), guest columnists were brought in, letters were printed, apologies were given, positions were defended. Some folks praised the ballsy decision as a strong and much-needed move in the defense of free speech. Some were appalled and offended that the Daily Illini would do this. The jobs of two editors were called for.

My take? I think that we need to protect a forum for discussion of the issues that the comics raised. This is a big and confusing issue that needs to be questioned, mulled over, and theorized on. HOWEVER, the problem here is that depicting an image of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed are extremely offensive and hurtful to many members of that religion. Plus people have been killed in the riots that followed their printing. Now I think the riots are completely unexcusable and morally worse than the printing or reprinting of the comics, but I think it was a dumb thing to do to reprint the comics in the DI. You can report the story without doing something offensive. You can describe the comics, you can provide a weblink to readers so that they can choose to view the comics. Do they have the legal right? Yeah, but I still think it was wrong.

I think the DI needs to run a story about child pornography and print some uncensored pictures so that we can finally end the fears and cover-ups surround this important issue…or something.

-Typo

And Now…A List

This is all I have the energy to think of:

• Dick Cheney, Jon Stewart=funny
• lighter fluid
• Björk?
• Duck Hunt
• apple sauce
• Rolling Rock
• iPod
• bike
• laptop
• bathtub
• dream
• cheese cake
• pine tree
• actors
• pants
• seven

So Many Laurens

I’ve been too busy or tired to update much, but I’ve got lots in the que.  I got to hang out with a good friend of mine who was in town tonight as well as some other folk.  It was good times and great pie.  Let me tell you.

Sam: I have no idea what’s going on
Ben: Neither do I
Sam: Just like old times…