Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Stuff I Got For Christmas.

I'm always conflicted when it comes to digital. The iPod has made it all too easy to carry an entire library of music everywhere. As far as I know, it's still allowed on airplanes, even transatlantic flights. My New Year's resolution a couple of years ago was to abstain from buying any digital music for a year, and was consecrated in blood with my friend David. I bought only vinyl only with a preference for new albums that came with a free mp3 download (legal under the guidelines of our pact since we were actually paying for the record and getting a download for free). Since then, I've only bought a few CD's and fewer records. A large part of it has to do with me being broke as I am unable to afford luxuries these days. Such is the life of a student at a major public university. Nonetheless, I have downloaded more albums in the past year than I had ever downloaded in my entire life. They are considerably less expensive and I decided after my last move that the last thing I need is another object that will need to be packed up in a box and carried up and down flights of stairs. As impure as I feel digital is (and I wouldn't even call myself an audiophile, I just like having an actual object after buying something) there are times when I feel convenience trumps reality such as when your favorite band gives away their new album for free via download, or when your brother gives you a christmas gift.

Decibully finally released their album World Travels Fast just in time for the holidays. The best part is, they released it for free on the internet. A high-quality vinyl version is also available for purchase for a very reasonable price. Go here: http://store.listeningpartyrecords.com/album/world-travels-fast-2

Not only is the album free, but it is easily my favorite album of 2009 and one of my favorites of the decade. Decibully is everything I want a band to be, especially when there are as many as 9 guys up on stage. You can tell that their music has soul in a world where soul has gone the way of betamax.

my brother gave me an iTunes gift card for christmas. At first I was unsure what to do with it as it was merely a link in an email. Fortunately for me, clicking the link was all that was required of me. One note on shopping the iTunes store: It's not the same as shopping at a record store. If you're browsing, it's a real pain because you have a load of sub genres so you have to guess which one an artist you might be interested would be under. I was surprised to see the Boss listed under the "singer songwriter" sub genre.

Anyway, I was able to get a bunch for not a lot of money. I think I made some good picks.

Unwed Sailor "little wars"
Jack PeƱate "everything is new"
Lassie Foundation "three wheels" ep
A Tribe Called Quest "anthology"

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Best American Song Ever

I'm going to start compiling a list of songs in search of the Greatest American Song of all freaking time (233 years). The basic criteria is that the person that wrote the song is/was a native born American and not someone who became a citizen later on. The song does not need to be patriotic, although Americans do tend to get overtly sentimental when paying homage to our country through song.

This is an open call to everyone and anyone to submit specific songs they would like to have considered for the Greatest American Song of all 233 years that America has been around.

If I had to pick one today, it'd probably be a Bruce Springsteen song, but I don't want to name it lest it influence submissions.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Shopping Adventure

Damn blasted Target! They've made it so a fella can't spend a few hours shopping in their stores wearing pleated khakis and a fashionable red polo without people assuming you work there and then they throw a fit when you tell them to solve their own problems.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Additions to Subversions.

My asymptotic life can't be a failure if no goals are properly defined. Desire can always be justified and more often than not is held unaccountable. Such as Mitchell writes, "The nation-state is merely human nature inflated to monstrous proportions." And why not? Isn't this one supposedly for the people, of the people and by the people? Is it so unreasonable to fight tooth and nail rather than examine what gains are to be had from having everything we want?

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Election Day Revisited

The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously declared that Al Franken is entitled to the long-disputed Senate seat making Norm Coleman's fight for democracy the biggest waste of time since reality TV.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Michelle Bachmann Bugs Me

Michelle Bachmann, U.S. Representative from Minnesota's 6th district, expressed concerns that members of Congress may hold "un-American" views, yet this month told Fox News that she would not answer all of the questions on the Census, a violation punishable by up to $5,000.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Solo Projects

Leslie, of the three of them, I like Amy's the best.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Bendy Line

I've bent my arms back until the blades tickle, used my belly as a pogo, and taken gulps from here all the way to new lungs.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

A Weekend of Melody

Other than a woman, is there anything better to love than music?

Monday, June 15, 2009

Pressures of the Game

The Scrabble game came to an untimely end when the playing board was over turned and sobs of "'Fubsy' is to a word!" were heard long into the night.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Haiku #1

Two men climb a hill
That only one returns from
At dusk on Sunday.

In Which I Decide That the Title May Contain as Many Sentences as I Please. I Just Can't Think Of Any.

They were, and perhaps still are, delightful distractions to keep us from examining ourselves: I thought I saw vividly with the wool pulled over my eyes.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Choice Words: Life Lesson #2

I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

These Friend of Mine

These friends of mine, it's as though they think they're a Pixies song.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Dream a Little Dream #1

Behind the burger joint, where the cooks wear white shirts and paper hats, inside the children's bookstore, there is a small yet lavish theater where adaptations are acted out; or, like on the night I dreamt of it, songs are sung and danced to in unison.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Pattern Is Movement/ St. Vincent Concert Review

Pattern Is Movement has the second most interestingest drummer that side of the Mississippi that I've heard in all my days; that being that, sometimes, free admission just isn't worth it.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Tongues of Fire

Articulately, the words can be perfect yet still the wrong thing to say; Granny called them "swears".

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Tire Pressure: Life Lesson #1

Yesterday, Carissa taught me that, while it may not mend broken hearts, proper tire pressure can do wonders for the effort to distance ratio. 

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

This blog is, indeed, named after the album by Decibully, one of the best American bands making music today.

Paying Dues

Failure to invest fails to pay dividends.