Sound of The Voice

5 CDs a Week, week 8

2010-12-07T22:21:00.002-05:00

The randomly generated list o'the week:
1. The Frames, Set List
2. Blur, 13
3. Joe Logic presents: We Run Philly
4. Gavin DeGraw, Chariot
5. The Bird and the Bee Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future

So, this is the late late late post, one that I hope to not repeat if I can help it! There are lots of crazy and exciting things going on at work, and it sucked me in with the load of things that are now on my plate. I'm hoping to never have to take a week hiatus like that again, at least not for work's sake! It was a well-needed rest for me, and I'm glad to be back again, listening to things that needed to be listened to. My batteries survived week 8, amazingly! Will the story change with week 9? We shall see!

Time for the music? YES, YES IT IS!

I first heard of The Frames in 2004. I saw them open for Damien Rice at the Tower Theater, and I was blown away by their performance. They have this way of crafting their live show so they can flow seamlessly from their songs into a a verse or verse and a chorus of a cover, then right back to their songs. It's not something they do for every song in a live show, of course--that would get gimmicky way too fast, but it does make for an enjoyable surprise here or there in their set. Set List was recorded at a live performance in Dublin in 2002, and it captures the quintessential Frames show: great music, songs interspersed with moments of covers, and some fantastic stories and talk sets. There are so many great tracks on the CD--if I had to pick three, I'd go with "Star Star', "Lay Me Down", and "Fitzcarraldo". The first I love for the brilliant break in of "Pure Imagination", the second for a couple reasons: the crowd is really into the song, which I think adds a lot to the performance, and secondly for the effortless way they transition in and out of "Ring of Fire". And, well, "Fitzcarraldo" is just a beautiful, beautiful song. Something I always loved about the band was that they incorporate the violin into their music with great success, and I think "Fitzcarraldo" is a prime example of that merger. Listening to this CD reminds me, once again, how much I love their live shows, and I'm practically kicking myself for missing them while they were in Philadelphia only a couple weeks ago. D'oh!

Blur's 13 is an album that I can say I may have not given enough credit to. Then again, after another listen, I'm still not sure exactly how much credit I can give. Some people say this is a masterpiece by Blur. I say, "I bought it because I really liked 'Tender' and 'Coffee & TV', which also had a really cool and adorable video." Does that make me a horrible person? I doubt it. Even as I listened to the CD, I couldn't quite get "into" it. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe if I give it another listen and really take it in, I'll get it. What it is, who knows? I may try to give the album another spin. It was just so-so this time around, but I know that sometimes there are CDs that don't seem as awesome as they are on the first, second, or even third listen. Sometimes it takes a while to begin to get into the intricacies of the songs and how they're crafted. Then again, maybe the only thing I could come away with is the fact that I just don't get why other people love it so much. Time will tell.

Gavin DeGraw's Chariot is a finely-crafted album of 11 pop songs. I got this CD not long after I started interning at the studio, aka, "the time when I used a majority of my small disposable income on CDs". Listening to it again, I was reminded how much I remembered of most of the songs on the CD. They had good enough hooks, good enough sounds, and easy-enough to remember lyrics that I found myself singing along with most of the CD while I listened to it at work. I was trying to remember how many of the songs actually came out as singles. It feels like they all could have, although I'm sure that's not the case. I remember that many of the songs were showcased on various tv shows that either used them over a scene or with him playing the song as part of a scene. Whoever was handling his publicity for his first album did a pretty good job on getting him out there. Since then, he's floated into my "where are they now?" pile. Seems like in addition to putting out more music, he's gotten very much into philanthropy. Not too bad. If you're in need of a solid album of pop-rock songs to coast you through an afternoon, pop in Chariot and go along for the ride.

My good friend Joe Logic worked his butt off on the We Run Philly Project, and boy, does it show! The collection of songs he produced is incredibly danceable! Right from the get-go, the track with artist Aime comes out swinging with a great beat that samples from the Jackson 5--hard to go wrong there. The track that I can't stop listening to is "Get Down", the collaboration with Teff that really does make me want to get down. I heard the song while the album was being worked on (because, yeah, I also work with Joe), and I kept telling him I wanted to play it for my friends for when we're getting ready to go out dancing. Hell, I'd probably try to get it in the hand of some DJs too. The rest of the CD is stacked with tracks from Chill Moody, 5 Grand, and Schooly D, among others. The project was started to raise awareness for Students Run Philly Style, a mentoring program designed to help students in Philadelphia develop goals, discipline, and diligence through distance and marathon training. It's a great cause, and now it has a great soundtrack! For a full listen, check out the We Run Philly site yourself!

Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future by The Bird and the Bee is just an overall great pop album. While O and I were listening to this in the car over the weekend I realized that a great concert pairing would be The Bird and the Bee and The Cardigans. They have very similar brands of pop, and Inara George's vocals have a light airy quality to them, something that in my mind seems comparable to Nina Persson's singing. My favorite song on the album is the one that caused me to pick it up in the first place, "Love letter to Japan". I can thank Chuck for turning me on to them in the first place, although when I brought that up a while back he told me he forgot about that, and thought that I told him about them. Then I found out that they covered Hall & Oates for an entire album and had their own version of "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees. That sealed the deal for me with this group--YES, in the good way! I just love what they do! Most of their songs are rather relaxing in tempo, but it's perfect to put on to enjoy some good pop music while you unwind. I picked this up sometime within the past year, making it one of the most recent CD purchases I've made, and I'm definitely satisfied with it.

That wraps up week 8! Due to everything being so late (again, a thousand apologies), I'm going to be working on getting week 9 up in the next two days. It's another good week of music, I swear! Until then, happy listening!

Battery tally: still 4 sets, but for how much longer?!?!?

Executive Decision

2010-11-30T18:46:00.001-05:00

I normally give myself a Tuesday night deadline to get my 5 CDs a Week project up for all to see. I won't go to bed until it's finished if it comes to it. Lately I've been okay--I still post it late in the evening, but before my normal bed time. However, my workload at my job just got a ton bigger this week, and while I sort it all out, I'm going to go easy on myself and post week 8 when I can. A sleep-deprived Pattae would not do well to get through everything that needs to be done in the coming week work-wise--I need my head on straight! Plus I want to make sure I put out a really solid assessment of my week of listening, and I don't want to make it feel rushed. Last week's post felt that way to me just a little bit, and I think I'd be doing myself a disservice to keep that trend going.

That said, I will still post week 8, and with luck post week 9 by my normal deadline. Procrastination will not be a regular thing, goshdarnit!

To tide you over until the post is up, have yourself a listen to some of the tracks on a CD on my list this week, courtesy of Joe Logic. Stay tuned!

5 CDs a Week, week 7

2010-11-23T23:38:00.000-05:00

The randomly-picked list of the week:

1. Beck, Midnite Vultures
2. Prince, Purple Rain
3. Beastie Boys, Hello Nasty
4. Radio 4, Stealing of a Nation
5. Aria Decline, Moving

Once again, another week goes by, and the batteries I have in the portable keep on kicking! I can't complain about that. I'm just surprised at this point. Go batteries, go! The other thing I've noticed is that if I put the headphones plug all the way into the jack, I only get one channel coming into the speakers. If I keep it part-way out, I get the stereo signal--very weird. I'll have to see if I can tool around with that to fix the problem.

It's music time!

Out of all the Beck albums I own, Midnite Vultures is definitely my favorite. There are so many fantastic songs on the album. There's "Sexx Laws", "Peaches & Cream", "Nicotine & Gravy", "Milk & Honey", and of course my favorite favorite track, "Debra". Most of these tracks got played often when Kathleen and I would have dance parties in our apartment--those were the days! There are a bunch of songs I associate with those fun nighttime impromptu dancing sessions, but the songs from Midnite Vultures feature prominently. These songs make me bounce and dance and just want to party. It's so feel-good you'd think it'd hurt, but it doesn't!

When I met Karl in the city one day a few years ago, the first thing he did was give me a copy of Purple Rain. I gave him a copy of an article I found on vintage amps--personally, I'm betting I got the better end of that exchange. Now, the reason he gave the CD to me was because I told him that, at the time, I didn't have anything by Prince. Apparently, that was musical blasphemy in his eyes. So, I took CD home after our afternoon traipsing around the city, and put it on shortly thereafter. Right away, I knew that I knew about half the songs on the album already, but after listening to it as a whole, I can safely say that this album rocks. For a few years I've thought of "Let's Go Crazy" as one of my theme songs, and anyone who knows me well knows that I can perform the spoken opening to the song with perfect inflection from memory. The first couple weeks after I got the CD, I was listening to it every day on my walks to and from work and practically jumping while I walked because I was so energized. It's got a great feel for putting some pep in my step when I need it, or even when I don't and I still want to continue the good vibe I'm already on. I think my favorite line in all the songs is from "Baby I'm a Star": "Hey, I ain't got no money, but honey I'm rich on personality!" All the happy, bouncy energy is brought to a close with the title track, powerful in itself but with a more subdued energy from the rest. So thanks for the gift, Karl.

Hello Nasty is the only Beastie Boys album I own. Maybe I misspoke; it's the only one I own on CD. It's another good CD for moving around. Hell, it's got a song called "Body Movin'", you'd hope at least that song would do it! It's been quite a while since I've listened to the CD, and I found as I listened to it that I remembered more songs than I thought I did. I started singing along wth "Super Disco Breakin'", "Just a Test", and of course "Intergalactic". It's always surprising to see how much information my head can hold, and how at any given point just one little trigger whips out all this information, be it song lyrics or a product jingle from some toy in the 80s. Sometimes it really does seem like it comes out of nowhere. I'm sure it can be explained--there are enough people studying neuro-science these days--but I think the self-realizations of what one's brain can do are, for a lack of better words, mind-blowing.

This must've been the week for good albums to dance to. I think Radio 4's Stealing of a Nation fits the bill quite nicely along with the others in this list. I think I like "Shake the Foundation" the best. Interestingly enough, the only lyrics included with the CD are the ones to the "Nation" (where the title of the album comes from), and reading them over just now, they feel very appropriate for the political climate of the past year, even though this came out in 2004. Then again, the political climate wasn't much different back then, aside from the guy who was heading up the Executive Branch. Funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same, huh?

I went to see Aria Decline play at some bar in Upper Darby with one (or more) of my sisters and other friends. I can't remember too much about the night, except for some reason it comes to my mind the the bar was awash in the color red. I don't remember any of the other bands that played that night, but I know it was a good time, and I enjoyed myself. We wound up talking to members of the band after their set, and I picked up a copy of their EP, Moving. I also picked up a number of stickers from them, which I found when I was going through and doing some cleaning a few weeks ago. I signed up for their mailing list too, because that's what I wind up doing at shows when I like a band, and then when the e-mails actually start rolling in, I decide whether or not it was worth it. Funnily enough, I think one of the first e-mails I got from them was one that said they were changing their name. I have no idea what it is now, or if the band is even playing together anymore. Those stickers I found could be considered collectors' items now, I guess--if something like band stickers held much of any value. Oh well--their poppy rock was enjoyed on a night out with some friends, and the EP was enjoyed tonight. It wasn't mind-blowingly great, but it was a good way to start winding down the evening.

That wraps up this week. I know it might be a little bit shorter than some of the others I've put up on this project. I'm a bit tired tonight, and I wanted to keep up with the consistency of the current formula I have going, so length was sacrificed. I hope you can understand, dear readers.

Until next week, happy listening! And if you're in the US, I hope you all have a very happy and filling Thanksgiving Day!

Battery tally: still 4 sets. Woohoo!

Something in the air?

2010-11-22T19:29:00.001-05:00

There have been more than a few times in my life when I've thought about a person who I haven't seen in quite some time, and within roughly a week, I will hear from said person. While I'm always surprised that the turn of events actually happens, I'm usually not shocked. The person that pops into my head is usually a good friend, and because of things like work and general busy-ness in life, is someone I don't get to talk to as often as I would like.

Today, I was shocked.

Back when I worked at the bank, there was a women who frequented who also happened to work at a studio, and she and I chatted a bunch about working in a studio environment, and her words were very inspirational, making me believe that I could "make it" if I pushed myself enough and stuck it out. So far, so good.

I happened to think about her over the weekend and how I hadn't talked to her in years, and how it was sad that I lost that connection. I'd love to pick her brain about at least a dozen things if given the chance, and I didn't think I'd get one.

Until about 40 minutes ago. She just so happened to call the studio. When I told her who she was talking to, she screamed out, "YOU'RE STILL THERE!" It was a very awesome feeling. Of course, we had to talk some business, but I hope I'll get to talk to her again soon.

I know stranger things have happened in the world, but still, when these things keep happening, it makes me think again about how powerful thought can sometimes be. Maybe if we all focus on some positive thoughts, some great things can happen. At the very least, we could hope for some reconnections.

5 CDs a Week, week 6

2010-11-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

This week's list, randomly as always:

1. Ben Fold Five, Whatever and Ever, Amen
2. Jamiroquai, Travelling Without Moving
3. DJ Shadow, Preemptive Strike
4. Filter, Title of Record
5. SGR, Atomic Pony

Disclosure for this week: When I pulled SGR's CD out of my pile, I already knew the disc was not in the case. I went into a panicked search this morning to try to find it, it no avail. HOWEVER, it just so happens that SGR recorded their album at the studio, so I did a little search and happened to find a copy on CD around that I could pop in and listen to. So, while the copy isn't mine, it is on CD, and hence, will be listened to! I hope I can find my copy, though!

Now, on to the musical stylings of the week!

The one song I really knew from Filter's Title of Record was "Take My Picture", which was likely the reason I got the CD in the first place. It's definitely my favorite track on the album. I think, in these days, I probably would've downloaded just that track and let the rest just be. Many of the other songs are a bit harder rock, which isn't a personal preference of mine. I'd probably give some of these tracks another go round, but I'd have to be in the mood for it.

Something I'm always in the mood for is Jamiroquai's Travelling Without Moving. That's right, another week, another Jamiroquai album (don't worry, this can only happen two more times!). Yes, it's the album that made them popular in the US because of "Virtual Insanity", aka, the song with the cool moving-couches video, but I think it's their best overall album. Stylistically, it runs the gamut--there's R&B, funk, soul, some cool rockin' didgeridoo. I don't know that I could pick a favorite track from the album. I think the whole album is my favorite.

This was my first Jamiroquai purchase. I was fifteen or sixteen when I got it, and it's one of the first 10 cds I owned. I know this because I got a CD case from my sister for my birthday one year that held 8 CDs, and I think I was able to put most, if not all, of my collection in it. I listened to this CD a lot in 1997--I remember putting it on while I was in the van on the way up to (and later coming back from) the Summer College program at Ithaca. Being that those two weeks were some of the most formative for me, listening to any of the music I associate from that time always brings a smile to my face, but this CD especially. It was a bit of a departure from what I had listened to before, and I think it helped me a lot in expanding the genres of music I'd be open to listening to. Plus, it's a great album to dance to, and anyone who knows me knows I love to dance!

Another CD in my early collection was Ben Folds Five's Whatever and Ever, Amen. I have really strong memories of sitting on my bed (the top bunk, no less!), listening to this CD and reading Agatha Christie plays from a book that I had to get for one play for English class. The album has the up, the down, the all around fun emotionally. There's the super-happy "Kate", and the all-too-crushing "Brick". The anger and need for revenge in "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces" is counterbalanced by the mellow "Missing the War". The cooling relationship of "Selfless, Cold, and Composed" goes against the wild breakup of "Song For the Dumped". All in all, it was perfect for my mood for during my sophomore year of high school. I was up and down so much that year; for the second half, mostly down. I don't know exactly what caused it, but I was definitely depressed for the better part of the second semester, and I always turned to music in those times. It wasn't to quote every single line of every depressing song I heard--that's not my thing. Just listening to music and sort of being inside my thoughts, at the time, was what I thought I needed. Yeah, there was some poetry in there too, and not all of it good, but there was always music, and I know this album was definitely part of that time. I don't really feel the same feelings I felt when I listened to it back then, but I think that's a good thing. If I was still holding on to the same emotions I had thirteen years ago, there is something seriously holding up my progress in life.

SGR's EP, Atomic Pony was a project I actually got to see happen. It's a great little ska and rock record that has some fantastically fun tunes. Matt Skoufalos and friends came in to the studio looking to rework some songs they had, and they spent a fair amount of time there making them sound great. It's hard to pick a favorite song on this one; that may be because I got to know all the songs so well as they were being recorded and mixed. "Constellation", with the help of Freedie "DJ-3D" Weaver's additional vocals, is a perfectly danceable ska song, and it definitely gets me in the mood to jump around and, eventually, to catch my breath at the end. Every time I listen to "Potter's Field" I'm inclined to start belting it out. It may just be five songs long, but it's incredibly fun to listen to.

I first heard DJ Shadow in 2003, after I was given a mix (and yes, I'll write about that here, too) by someone who was great for expanding both my creativity and my musical knowledge, but not so great in nearly every other way for me. It's interesting how those people come into your life; with luck it's never a long stay. Regardless, every time I listen to Preemptive Strike, I'm taken back to the city, hanging around Temple. There's something about the CD that, to me, sounds like the city. I love all four parts of "What Does Your Soul Look Like", "High Noon", and "Organ Donor". This is a great album all around. I think there's a darkness to it that keeps me on edge and draws me in at the same time. It makes me think back to the writing I was doing at the time--experimental for me at the time, although now, when I do get around to writing some poetry, still greatly influences how I write today. Maybe I should put this album on more often, or put it on as I'm walking around the city, and see what I can come up with. I'll have to try this out sometime soon, maybe on a day when the weather is nice and I have a few hours to kill.

And another week is done. I love that every week I'm still pulling out CDs and getting really excited to listen to them. There's definitely something to be said for holding a CD in your hand, pouring through the liner notes, or just looking through the artwork. With an mp3, you can't hold it, unless it's on an iPod or similar device, and I don't think that feeling is the same. Just today, Apple announced that the Beatles catalog is being added to the iTunes library. That really wasn't the unforgettable announcement I was hoping for. Personally, if I'm going to buy a Beatles album, I'd prefer to get the CD version. This project is making me realize the impact having something tactile like a CD versus the data files of mp3's, AAC's and the like that I can't hold on to. I would put more value in a CD than I would in mp3 downloads any day. Every week is giving me a few more good reasons why.

Until next week, happy listening!

Battery Tally: Still 4 sets! Those rechargeables are MONSTERS...Actually, they literally are Monster Batteries. I highly recommend the brand.

How about that?

2010-11-12T11:52:00.001-05:00

So, I love the webcomic Kawaii Not, but this comic is all too appropriate for my project.

Seriously, when is the last time you hugged your CDs?

They miss you.

Coincidence...

2010-11-10T14:37:00.000-05:00

...or Chopper 4???

But seriously...

I've been listening to Pandora occasionally at work, and while it often surprises me with songs I haven't heard in ages, since I've started my 5 CDs a Week project, there have been several occasions where Pandora's played a song that was on one of the CDs on my listening list for that week's post. Often it's been something on a CD I haven't even begun listening to! Now, I know I've said before that I think Pandora is in cahoots with the music collection on my computer, but to be in cahoots with the CDs I'm picking at random is a bit, okay maybe a lot, weird. Am I being watched on some small camera by Pandora's algorithm? Who knows? If this keeps happening I'm going to get a little freaked out...okay more freaked out than I am already!

5 CDs a Week, week 5

2010-11-10T00:25:00.003-05:00

This week's list:

1. Matt Pond PA, Winter Songs
2. Pat McGee Band, Shine
3. Jamiroquai, Emergency on Planet Earth
4. Maroon 5, Songs About Jane
5. Rooney, Rooney

This seemed the be the week of the busted jewel cases. A couple of the cases had the bottom latch broken off, so as soon as I opened them up, the top of the case just came right off. I know I have a handful of cases that are like that, and I wish I knew exactly how that happened. I thought it interesting that I got multiple cases like that in one week. On top of that, I still haven't had to replace the batteries in the portable player. I'll admit, I didn't use it a lot this week, but I did use it multiple days, and the batteries are still kickin'. Good job, portable!

And now, the music!

Emergency on Planet Earth, the other half of the double-disc set I picked up in college, is probably my least favorite of Jamiroquai's albums, but that doesn't mean that I don't still really like it. I think when I listen to it I get the vibe that I should be watching some episodes of The Cosby Show. There's just something to the early 90s funkiness of it that makes me thing that the Coz would be a fan of listening to the album while wearing a crazy sweater and enjoying a Jell-O Pudding Pop (Lord I miss those things, especially the swirl!). It's got some great songs, my favorite of which is "Blow Your Mind", but when I compare it to the other Jamiroquai albums I own, it doesn't quite match up. I'm still happy that I got it when I did, and I do listen to songs from it periodically, but it's rare for me to listen to the whole album.

I remember when I first heard Rooney back in 2003 or 2004, my initial thought after listening to their first single, "Blue Side", was, "Oh my God, they're the unholy love child of Weezer and the Beach Boys!" Listening to the entire album only amplified those feelings. They nail the sound of California rock, and the lyrics to the songs all deal with relationships in a way that reminds me ever so slightly of Pinkerton. I used to listen to this on the portable all the time on my commute to the studio back in the days of my internship. Back when I was taking the train every day pre-iPod, I brought along with me a small case with five or six CDs, so I'd cycle through a group every week or so, but I'd usually wind up listening to the same CD multiple times in that period. I have really strong memories of smiling while listening to this CD as I watched Philadelphia go by on the train, and I always thought it was great for sunny days. The music is super poppy and just perfect for a day when the sun is out in force.

Perfect for a day when you want to curl up with a blanket on a cold day is Matt Pond PA's Winter Songs, a collection of original and cover songs that really could be the soundtrack to the days when there's a chill in the air and some snow on the ground. The EP has covers of songs by Lindsey Buckingham, Neil Young, and even Neutral Milk Hotel. I love that they covered "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"--it's one of my favorite Neutral Milk Hotel songs, and what the band did with it was fantastic. I think that was one of the reasons I bought the CD in the first place.

I remember listening to Songs About Jane when I first got it and thinking, "Eh, it's alright." It wasn't one of the albums that I fell in love with right out of the gate. It took a few spins in the CD player for me to get into it at all, and slowly I began to think that it was a little bit better than my first impressions let on. Of course, there were a few radio hits from the album -- "Harder to Breathe" and "This Love" became pretty popular in 2004, and, from the tales I've heard, were actually the last two songs added to the album. I think my favorite of the album became "Sunday Morning", which I know I added to a mix CD or two I made for friends, because I loved the upbeat vibe of it, and it made me want to dance around. When I was listening to the album at work, I found myself singing along to the songs under my breath--something that happened a few times this week. Again, I'm amazed by how, while it may have been a while between times I've listened to an album, I can still recall and start singing along with 85-90% of the songs I hear. It's funny how much recall for music is in your head, only to be brought out at the time when the song triggers the memory.

I saved the best story for last. I was happy when I pulled out Pat McGee's Shine, because the couple autographs on the cover reminded me of the day that I got those autographs. First, a little backstory: The first time I heard the Pat McGee Band was in 2000 while I was DJing on 92 WICB, and "Runaway" was on my playlist for one of my shows. One of the other DJs was in the room at the time and said he thought the band was going to go somewhere. I thought so too--there's a good mix of solid Southern rock and great harmonies in the songs on the album, and "Runaway" was just the right poppy tune to put out first. I thought my friend Meg would be into the band too, so as a way to celebrate her birthday I bought tickets for the Pat McGee Band's concert at the TLA. We got down there in time to hear the opener, a little band out of Richmond called Carbon Leaf (which you'll see plenty about in the future, *wink*), and we quickly fell in love with their sound. When Pat and Band got on, though, the crowd was bigger, and we wound up getting a decent place to stand and watch everything only a few rows of people back from the stage. They played a lot of songs off the album, and some from earlier ones I didn't know--seemed like there was a lot of people in the crowd who must've gone to see them a lot. Anyway, after the set the band came out to play an encore, and, to my delight, they decided to play "Rebecca", the second track on the album, which was also my favorite song. In the middle of the song the band started jamming out, and Pat and the sax player left the stage. Meg and I weren't quite sure where they went but figured they were heading into the crowd. What we weren't expecting was for them to go out into the crowd...right behind us! We turned around, and there they were. Suddenly everyone who was in front of us facing the stage were now behind us and trying to rush the performers. We didn't want to get pushed into Pat while he played, clearly, so we had to go along with the people around us who were jumping up and down. Somehow I managed to hook my arms onto the shoulders on a couple people around us and tried to jump in time with them so I wouldn't get knocked over. I'm pretty sure that I must've jumped on someone's foot. Meg got knocked in the head with somebody's arm. Even still, after they went back up on stage, Meg and I looked at each other and said, "THAT was cool!" It definitely made the night memorable, and following the show we were able to get some autographs from the band members hanging out in the vestibule--not such a bad way to end a good night!

That wraps up another week. I wanted to thank everyone who's been reading so far. I've gotten a lot of positive support over the past five weeks, which is great because it keeps me going. I hope it's been enjoyable to read so far, and I'm excited to see what happens in the coming weeks. Until next week, happy listening!

Total battery sets used: Still 4! Awesome!

5 CDs a Week, week 4

2010-11-03T01:03:00.000-04:00

CDs of the Week, in no particular order:

1. Fathead, Boundless
2. Moxy Fruvous, Live Noise
3. "Barney's Get Psyched Mix: How I Met Your Corona, August 12,2008" by Christine Wilson
4. Santana, Supernatural
5. "Priceless Jazz Collection: Louis Armstrong"

I was grabbing CDs as I needed this week, so of course, I had to pick a couple last night to make sure I got through the week--I'm such a slacker! The one thing that I was incredibly surprised about this week's listening was that I did not have to change the batteries in my portable player once. I was using it every day for my walks to work, and by the time I got home tonight, it was still going strong. Good job, rechargeable batteries!

On to the music!

I first got into Fathead around my sophomore year in college. Being up in Ithaca, I'm sure, contributed to my love of their mix of progressive rock, jazz, and rap with a twist of socially conscious lyrics. On top of that, their track "I'd Rather Be" wound up on Y100's Philly File CD. Boundless was their third studio album, but it was the one that came out just after I got into the band, so I swooped down and picked that up pretty quickly. I think my favorite track on the album is "Trees", mostly for the long jazzy instrumental middle with gradually increasing sound effects of the city--cars driving by, people on the street, and the gentle wind that seems to blow along the trees on the sides of the street. Some of their other tracks have catchy lyrical hooks that you'll find yourself randomly singing along to after a listen or two. "I'd Rather Be" will probably get stuck in my head for the next week, guaranteed.

"Barney's Get Psyched Mix: How I Met Your Corona..." was a mix put together by my sister Christine for my sister Sharon's birthday. The inspiration for the mix was, of course, How I Met Your Mother's "Get Psyched" mix by character Barney Stinson, with the goal of having a mix that was "all-rise". Chris managed to look up all the tracks used on the mix made for the show. On it, you'll find such great pump-you-up songs like "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", and The Scorpion's "Rock You Like a Hurricane". I was listening to this on my walk into work today, and there was some so utterly awesome about going the pace I was going and hearing Joe Esposito belt out "You're the best, AROUND! Nothin's gonna ever keep you down!" The best part of these mixes, I should add, is that Chris doctors the photos on the cover of the mixes, routinely taking the faces of friends and family and superimposing them on the faces of characters in the pictures for the shows or movies she used. It's sheer brilliance at every turn, and I'm glad I got a copy!

I got the Louis Armstrong CD when I was still in high school. I remember this because I know that I was using songs from the CD on mixtapes I made for a trip Meg and I took up to New England to see her extended family and visit colleges. I used to listed to WPRB out of Princeton on the weekends, Sundays to be exact, and I would sit in my room and listen to the jazz show. I can't remember the name of the DJ that was there, but he had the voice of someone you knew knew jazz. He had just the right mix of age and rasp in is voice to keep you interested without worrying here or there, "What did he just say?" I listened to him a lot while I sat and wrote in my purple notebook or just looked out the window of my room to the porch outside and the yard beyond that. I knew that it might be a wise decision to actually purchase a jazz CD, and somehow I knew that I should start with a classic voice--Louis Armstrong. It's a great CD, full of his notable songs--"La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World", as well as duets with Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. A few years ago I thought I had scratched it up, maybe because of how some of the songs transferred to my computer--really, I'm not quite sure why I thought it was scratched up, because as I listened to it today at work, it seemed to be playing smoothly. Maybe it was a fluke and I should check it again, or maybe my thoughts of a scratch were mistaken. Either way, it was nice to be reminded of all the great songs on the CD once more.

Here's the thought process I've imagined when Carlos Santana thought about making Supernatural: Hmm, it's about time I made a multi-platinum album. What's the best way to do that? Oh! I know! I'll collaborate with every artist in the Top 40! The best of the bunch make the album, I'll get lots of radio play because even if people don't know, or remember me that well, they'll definitely know the people I'm playing with, and they'll be sure to buy the album! I'll admit, there are a lot of good songs on the album, but it feels like a majority of them are featuring a big name or two from 1998. If he didn't have the collaborations, would the album stand on its own? Probably, but I doubt it would be platinum 15 times over. The one thing I will say about listening to it this time around was that I didn't realize before that Cee-Lo was on one of the tracks. I didn't know much of him prior to his days in Gnarls Barkley, but it was cool to go back to something I've listened to what seems like ages ago and feel like I've discovered another layer, if only because I'm paying better attention this time around. I think that's going to happen more than a few times as I go through this project.

I can't remember exactly when I got Moxy Fruvous' Live Noise, but it's been an album I always love listening to. I think I first remember listening to Fruvous with Meg in her car, either in her car or on a trip, and I really dug their sound. It was a shame that I didn't get into them before they broke up, because I know from stories of a few friends that they put on an awesome show. Many of my college friends were also into the band, and that only encouraged my love. There is one good story I'm reminded of every time I listen to this album, and it's a little bittersweet.

One of the songs on the album, "Fly", is about that point in time when you realize that the person you're with, someone you truly care about and love, just isn't right for you anymore. A couple weeks after I graduated from college, Bill came down for a visit before he was to start working at a summer camp. It was a little strange that he came down, since we had broken up over a year before, but he wanted to get out and do something before working all summer, and I said, "Sure, come on down for a visit!" One of the days he was here we went to see A Mighty Wind at the movie theater (a great movie in itself, if you haven't seen it yet). He happened to have Live Noise on in his car, and on our way back to my parents' house, "Fly" came on. Without much talking, we both listened quietly to the song at first, and then started belting out the chorus, "Hold on tight. Let's get it just right. We'll take our last flight, you and I." To me, that moment was perfect. I felt like it summed us up. We didn't have to talk about us, what went on in the past between us, or what was going to happen next for either one of us. We were there, together, in that moment, and it almost felt like that was our goodbye. I didn't know when or if I'd see him again, and I knew, I knew, that I wouldn't have a moment quite like that with him again, possibly ever. It's hard to let that first love go, but to have that moment when you know you can and you'll be okay, you'll really be okay, is beyond words.

Oddly enough, I'm not as tired as I was last week when I was writing about everything, but I think it's because I was a little jazzed up with all the political talk today. Current events and elections seem to really get my blood pumping. But that's for another entry for another time. I'm just happy I've been sticking to my deadlines! Until next week, happy listening!

Battery tally: Still 4 sets! Woohoo!

5 CDs a Week, week 3

2010-10-27T00:41:00.002-04:00

CDs of the week, in no particular order:

1. Travis, The Invisible Band
2. Beck, Odelay
3. The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
4. Rilo Kiley, More Adventurous
5. Modjo, "Chillin'" single

I tried something a little different this week with the picking--I let O pick the last CD. Now, the way I've been picking is basically reaching in the drawer with most of my CDs while looking away and grabbing one at a time, or going to a pile in another room and closing my eyes and picking one. This time I thought it might be interesting to see what Oliver picked out. His approach was to look through and find one that he thought "would have a good story," so he picked out Beck's Odelay. Funny thing is, I don't really thing I have a story for it. Nothing too memorable, anyway. That's not to say that it wasn't a fantastic album. With "The New Pollution", "Where It's At", and "Devil's Haircut", that's a fact that's hard to deny. Plus there are a lot of other great tracks on the album. But I have no real memories, no crazy stories associated with it. I loved listening to it again (and again), but I thought it almost weird that there was nothing that I felt like I HAD to write about Odelay. I guess that, in itself, is a story. We make all sorts of associations with songs, albums, sounds and smells and tastes with some time in the past, but then there are things that just don't really do much to jog a memory. Is that a bad thing? I don't necessarily think so. There are still memories to be created, and even though a album came out 14 years ago, that doesn't mean it couldn't create new memories. Also, holy cow! Odelay came out 14 years ago?!?!? I had just finished my first year of high school! I think I need a minute to get over how old I'm feeling right now...

...Okay, that's better. Onward we go!

The Crane Wife was an album I picked up at Repo Records on South Street one summer weekend, I believe while I was hanging out with the lovely Heather when she graced the city of Brotherly Love with her presence one weekend. Both of us being music connoisseurs (albeit maybe with slightly different tastes), we HAD to stop in any record store we came across on our journey up and down the street where all the hippest meet. I don't even think I was going to get anything, but I happened upon the CD in the racks, and it was shortly after it was released, so with every purchase they were giving out posters promoting The Crane Wife. Who's going to pass up a free poster, right? It just sweetened the pot for me. I made the purchase and then had to deal with carrying the poster around for the rest of the afternoon without it getting wrinkled or torn. There's a downside to everything. The CD itself is, in my opinion, some of their better material. It's definitely better-produced than their previous works, and I feel that they better explored the melding of old-world sea shanty-esque stories with modern music. My favorites are probably "Sons & Daughters", "O, Valencia", and "The Perfect Crime". Listening to it a few times this past week reminded me how much I enjoyed listening to it in the first place as well as how many songs on the album I really like. Sometimes, that kind of reminder is needed, and appreciated. Oh, and the poster? Still never put it up on the wall, but I do still have it!

Another South Street buy was Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous. No, I didn't get it at the same time as The Crane Wife, but I remember being in a small record store looking through shelf upon shelf of CDs and finding that. I can't remember exactly why I wanted to get it--I don't know what song it was that I had heard and the reasons I wanted to get it, but I was happy I picked it up. The song I keep finding myself belting out is "Does He Love You?"--it's catchy enough on the first listen to find youself singing it afterward. Also, I couldn't believe that two of the band members were one of the girls from Troop Beverly Hills and the guy who played Pinsky in Salute Your Shorts.

I picked up Travis' The Invisible Band not on South Street, but on Haight Street in San Francisco. I wandered over to Amoeba Records with Jonah one of the days I was there and grabbed a few CDs--their used CD section is stellar. There were a few songs on The Invisible Band I was familiar with, most notably "Sing" and "Slide", and overall I think this whole album is pretty solid. The video for "Sing" was pretty memorable for me, watching a room full of upper crusters getting into a food fight, complete with a monkey dancing around! That's my kind of dinner party!

Sometime when I was home from a break in college my freshman year, I was up late watching MTV (maybe MTV 2, when either one of them were still playing videos), and I saw the video for French duo Modjo's "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)". I loved the sound of it, and I hadn't heard of the group before, so I thought I'd check out Best Buy next time I was there to look for their album. But lo, they didn't have it. Weeks later, no dice. A year might have passed, and while I wasn't obsessed with it, I still checked whenever I went into a CD store, just in case I could find it. Fast forward to the summer of 2001, and Becky and I took a day trip to New York City just to walk around and enjoy ourselves when we strolled into an HMV store, and I thought about checking, just one more time, to see if they might have anything by Modjo, and BINGO! They had CD singles for both "Lady" and "Chillin'", another song that I had heard by then. I was so giddy and bouncing around about the find. Those songs are so great to put on when you want to dance a little or need a little pump-you-up music. Both singles also have acoustic loungy versions of the songs, you know, for those moments you want to chill out instead of dance.

This post is going up a little later than I normally plan for, and I'm a bit tired tonight, so hopefully there aren't too many typos on the original posting--I'll make any edits in the morning when I'm more awake and my eyes are refreshed. Until next week, happy listening!

Battery Tally: Only one set this week. Total for project: 4 sets.

5 CDs a Week, week 2

2010-10-19T23:41:00.000-04:00

CDs of the week, but not in listening order:

1. Jamiroquai, The Return of the Space Cowboy
2. They Might Be Giants, Here Come the ABCs
3. The Cardigans, First Band on the Moon
4. Snow Patrol, Final Straw
5. The Bro Code, disc 1, as read by Neil Patrick Harris

I was really excited when I pulled out this week's CDs. And then I opened up the Jamiroquai case...and the wrong CD was in there.

Back in the day I had a nasty habit of taking CDs out of my player and putting them into the cases of the ones that were replacing them. This made for a very disorganized collection. I don't think it ever got too far out of hand, but I did spend some time one day trying to rearrange everything and get them in the proper cases. Of course, it wasn't a completely thorough job, as I found out last week. It was about 11:30 at night when this happened, and that's about the magical time that if I'm on a mission, I turn incredibly stubborn and become determined to see it through before I go to bed. I went through every single case in the largest pile of CDs in my apartment in hopes of finding the disc...to no avail. O went to bed in the middle of my search--he wasn't about to get involved in telling me to go to bed and give it up for another day, because I probably would've growled (or whined) at him that I'd find it soon. At least he knows me well enough. I eventually became really frustrated and really tired, and tired won out, so I sadly crawled into bed and left the mission of finding the CD for another day. The thing that I hadn't checked that night was a collection of discs that reside under the bed -- there isn't enough room in the living room for them, unless I want to make the place look incredibly cluttered. So I moved some things out of the way, took out the zippered case that holds the CDs, and just grabbed a handful to start through. Luckily for me, case #2 had the CD! Sweet joyful day! I probably would've taken some time to dance around a bit, but I had to get ready for work.

The one thing I'm noticing about listening to the CDs on my portable player: I have to keep turning the volume down. Whenever I've had to switch batteries, or whenever I put in a new CD, the volume level automatically starts at 10 (out of 20, I believe). I usually have to turn it down to 5 or 6 before it feels comfortable coming through the headphones. All the CDs I've listened to on the portable thus far have been actual albums and not burns or mixes, but I'm curious as to whether or not I'll have to turn the volume up on those.

I should say that for all the parents or parents-to-be out there, TMBG's Here Come the ABCs would be a great addition to any kids music collection. The songs were all catchy, informative, and above all else, fun. My favorite is still "L M N O", a funky quirky song to remind kids that L M N and O are four letters, not one. Simple enough, but I kept finding that it gets stuck in my head--not really a bad thing in this regard. While it's perfect for the kids, I think the adults would also find it entertaining.

I got The Cardigans First Band on the Moon not too long after my family first got a CD player stereo (and a computer with a CD-ROM drive). I distinctively remember listening to it on the computer the night I got it being asked immediately by my brother, "Why are you listening to THAT?" Clearly, we had some differences of opinion when it came to musical choices (This also popped up with Jamiroquai--go figure), but I didn't really care about his opinion, though--I liked the music. Of course, the most popular track is "Lovefool" due to the juggernaut of a soundtrack to the mid-90s film version of Romeo and Juliet, but I think there are a few other gems on the album. "Your New Cuckoo" and "Great Divide" are two of my favorites. As I was telling O when we were listening to this over the weekend, I love the fact that the music is so poppy, yet the lyrics tell a different story, one that says, basically, "You're psychologically ruining me!" It's so easy to sing along happily and then have to check yourself when belt loudly, "Baby I was your whore." Whooops. Then the hook brings you back in and you don't care anymore. That's what I always felt, anyway.

The Bro Code spawned from one of my current favorite sitcoms, How I Met Your Mother. Written from the perspective of Neil Patrick Harris' character Barney, this is a collection of rules for "bros". For example: "Article 34: Bros cannot make eye contact during a devil's three-way (two dudes)." It's actually pretty funny to hear it being read out loud. The Bro Code is referenced often in the show, and I'm glad they actually produced a book (and an audio version!) to put all the rules in one place at one time. I was a little late coming to HIMYM, but I think it's very creative in how much they've done outside of the show, including both the audio book and a slew of websites created just because they were mentioned in passing by one of the characters on the show. And, you know, I love the story of the show and the characters created. If you're into some humorous audio books, this one is worth a listen.

I picked up a double-CD set of Jamiroquai's Emergency on Planet Earth and The Return of the Space Cowboy my junior year in college at the semi-annual record and CD sale in Ithaca held at the Holiday Inn. I had just purchased A Funk Odyssey a few weeks before, so finding the double-album box was like finding the diamond in the rough. I nearly flipped my lid! With that purchase, I had in my possession all five Jamiroquai albums (at the time). I believe it was in October of that year when I got it, and I remember going back and hanging out at Isaac's apartment on Cayuga being extremely contented with my find. Sometime that semester I used both of the CDs from the box in an assignment for Advanced Audio in which I analyzed their sound. I love the instrumentation on Space Cowboy. It's a great album to listen to when you want to mellow out, need something a little funky, or have just a slight hankering for some didgeridoo. Listening to it today reminded me of listening to it the October I got it 9 years ago. I can even remember the smells of my dorm room, and how quiet it was on my floor during fall break, aside from the group of friends who also stuck around. It's amazing how a sound, a taste, a smell can trigger so many other sensory memories and instantly transport you to somewhere else. I'm fascinated by it every time and always do what I can to take in the moment, and hope the memory doesn't fade away too easily.

I was thinking today on my walk to work that Snow Patrol's Final Straw seemed to be a perfect fall album. The music starts off very poppy--sunny and happy and hopeful, and as the album progresses it takes a darker, slower, somber turn. Nothing too dark, mind you, but still something there to make you think it's progressing just like the fall--going from warm to cool in a manner that seems to naturally flow. I've always liked listening to the album and remember having it on many times as I stood at the train station waiting to catch the R5 to work in the mornings--it's a funny memory since because I've been getting to work earlier these days, my walk has taken me by the station around the time that the train I used to take is pulling in. Again, I'm being driven by the memories!

I'm beginning to realize that's going to happen a lot during the course of this project. I'm traveling back in time to encounter things I've left long ago. Yes, I'm listening to my CDs, but I'm also bringing back to the front of my mind everything that was going on around me when I had those CDs playing more often. Of course it won't be the same for all of them, but there are plenty in my collection that will jog some pretty interesting memories for me. I'm enjoying delving into it all, and I can't wait to see where next week will find me.

Happy Listening!

Battery tally: Two sets put in this week. One died rather quickly when I found out they were in an incorrect charger to start. That problem's been fixed. Total tally for the projet: 3 sets of rechargeable batteries.

5 CDs a Week, week 1

2010-10-09T14:28:00.006-04:00

CD List of the Week:

1. Modest Mouse, The Moon & Antarctica
2. Music from the Motion Picture The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. Padraic, My Playlist, a mix by John Vettese
4. Mother Redcap, All This Nothing
5. Live, Throwing Copper

My blind grabbing of CDs for this week turned up a few I was excited to listen to again, along with one that, I'll admit, I hadn't yet listened to. I even tore through one of the rooms in my apartment looking for my portable CD player. Yeah, that's right, I'm giving the iPod a periodic break and going old school for this project. I probably won't be carrying it around every day, but I'll bring it with me for my walk to work more often now, so I can get more listening done. I should keep track of how often I go through the rechargeable batteries I'm using too. I really can't remember how often they need to be changed with this thing. I won't be using the portable player exclusively, but I'll still keep a tally going of battery changes for my own amusement.

The first CD I popped in was Modest Mouse's The Moon & Antarctica, which made me so incredibly happy to pick out first among my entire collection. It also must've been one of the last CDs I listened to on the portable before it got locked in the closet prison, because it auto-recalled to track 15 when I turned it on--fun to note. I got into Modest Mouse not too long after I started interning at the studio, and so listening to this album is a bit of a time-traveling event for me. Not all of it was happy memories, though. Even though I was starting up something really truly awesome, I was terribly lonely, dealing with moving back home from college and having virtually none of my friends in the area anymore--some were still up in Ithaca, others across the country with new jobs or starting grad school, so I had a lot of fish out of water moments. But I also remember being up at the front desk at the studio listening to different Modest Mouse songs with Matt and really liking what I heard. Around the same time I got "Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" on a mix, and I knew even more that I liked the band's style. This was before "Float On", before the band had so many of their songs showcased in commercials, before they were getting a ton of radio airplay (at least on major stations). There's something about catching a band just before they blow up big that's just so...neat to be a part of. Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to be of the mentality of "Ohhh, I knew this band before they got big," but more of "Oh, I know this band, and they're getting big--cool!" I loved the sound of the album, from the cool mellow of "Gravity Rides Everything" to the driving strings on "The Stars Are Projectors". I think a lot of these songs really stand up years after I first heard them, and it was refreshing to get another listen.

The next CD I popped in was the soundtrack to The Talented Mr. Ripley. I remember watching the movie and loving the jazz songs that played throughout, but the pieces composed by Gabriel Yared were haunting, taking you to places of beauty but with a sense of unease. While I was listening to some of this on my walk home last night, it was easy to imagine myself as someone in a film being followed by a suspicious man. Thankfully, that wasn't actually happening, but I love that the music could take me to that place and let my imagination run wild. On top of all that, there were also some great vocal performances. Sinead O'Connor's performance on "Lullaby For Cain" gave me chills, and John Martyn's singing on "You Don't Know What Love Is" is slow, sad, and about as close to what the human voice can do to combine howling and singing. I'd go out on a limb to say that in the past, he convinced me that I didn't know what love is. Then again, maybe I didn't.

"Padriac, My Playlist", was a great mix put together by my friend John. He had an iTunes gift card and didn't know what to spend it on, so he decided to ask his friends to suggest songs that he didn't already own, and, in the order of the suggestion, he'd put them together on one CD. I thought this was a great idea, so I made my own suggestion of "At Last" by Etta James, which made it in at track #3. I love the fact that 20 people were able to suggest such diverse songs, and I think it turned out as a very successful mix; John did as well, because he did it one more time (and you might see me write about that in the near future). For some examples of diversity: Mark Mothersbaugh to Big & Rich, Harry Nilsson to 2Pac and Dr. Dre. It really spanned the gamut and was worth another spin.

"Selling the Drama", "I Alone", "White, Discussion", "Lightning Crashes", "All Over You"--five great songs on one great album. Listening to Throwing Copper took me back to eighth grade, and it was nice to step back into '94-'95, thankfully only for a short time. Sometimes you listen to an album and you forget how many good songs come from it. I don't think I need to be reminded twice with this one.

I had to unwrap Mother Redcap's All This Nothing--I won't lie about it. Sometimes I get CDs fresh from clients who have recorded them, bring them home, and then promptly forget to open them up and give them a listen. Bad Pattae! I wasn't sure exactly what I was in for--I'd only heard bits and pieces of it over the course of the many months that the guys were in the studio working on it, but I was surprised. There were a few good tracks on it--the Jersey guys can do rock alright, and I think their hard work showed.

That wraps up my first week of listening. I'm sure as I go through this project I may change up format, decide I want to post about every CD on a different day (which will get me to post more often BUT will likely be shorter than this one), or figure out a way to do this better, but I'm going to continue. I've been getting a lot of positive feedback already, and I hope that I can live up to the hype. Then again, I want to do this for myself. With luck, others will find this just as entertaining. So, until next week, happy listening!

Battery Tally: 1 set of rechargeables went out this morning on my way into work. Set 2 will start tomorrow.

A Challenge

2010-10-04T22:55:00.004-04:00

As I sit here watching O destroy zombies with terrible might, I decide it's about time to make good on the idea that's been floating around in my head the past couple weeks. It's probably not a unique idea, but I think it could be good for both my listening development and hopefully my writing--with luck, it would be in tandem.

My challenge to myself is to listen to every single CD I own.

Sure, on the face of it, that's no hard feat. I probably have somewhere in the neighborhood of, oh, we'll say 200 discs lying around in various places in my apartment, with a small few still at the Ranch (which I'll pick up next time I go home--I know how much my parents love it when I take more of my stuff out of their house).

I could just throw some into the changer at home every night and spin a few discs while I do things around the apartment, but I want to delve a little bit deeper than passive listening. I know it would be hard to go through in detail about every CD I own (and hell, I already know that, at least with some of them, I don't really WANT to), but I want to take the time give each CD its moment to caress my ears, and let it either teach me something I didn't already know, or remind me of a story that I could relay in this space.

So what I'm going to do is this: each week, I will select 5 CDs at semi-random (semi-random because, as I've mentioned, not all of my discs are in one location) and give them a spin. There will likely be multiple spins of the same disc in one week. And in each group I will find something to write about, be it the music, the lyrics, a fond (or not so fond) memory I've associated with the music, or just my general thoughts on what I've listened to that week. Hell, I may get inspired to write a poem, and I'll use that week's entry to post it here! At the top I'll list every CD I've listened to in that week, along with whatever comes with it. Mix CDs WILL be included because often times those brought with them their own memories, ideas, and stories. I'm sure I'll be embarrassed by some of the previous musical choices I've made (at least I'm happy my Color Me Bad album was on cassette and will NOT be part of this project!), but I think I'll wind up stumbling on some musical diamond in the rough that I've let sit by for far too long.

I started my CD collection in the summer of 1996. Since then, I've gone on buying sprees, buying droughts, and almost given up the CDs in favor of those nifty downloadable files everyone seems to have these days. I've picked up CDs at shows, been given discs by performers and friends alike, and I think it's high time I give them all just a little bit of time to play their hearts out for my ears. Maybe I'll even jog some memories for someone else. Either way, it should be a fun and musical time.

The Meaning of It All

2010-08-30T22:51:00.005-04:00

It has been QUITE some time since I last wrote anything I felt remotely post-worthy on this here blog, but I guess I've been getting bit by the writing bug lately. I don't necessarily expect to have a big audience for the things I post, but that really isn't my goal anyway. I want to use this spot as a way to voice my thoughts and opinions on what I'm observing from the world, the things I'm learning and how I'm trying to apply that knowledge, and tidbits I find worth sharing with anyone who cares to read. My goal is to make myself get in the habit of writing more, because, as I've realized in the past few weeks, it's something I definitely have missed doing. I have a new poem that I wrote, but I won't post it until I've had the opportunity to give a hand-written copy to the person I wrote it for. Perhaps before then I'll have something new to post anyway.

On to some other things...

I've taken more of an interest in cooking lately. A large part of the reason why has to do with a personal quest to have a more personal connection to the food I'm eating. Back when I first moved out on my own, my freezer was stacked high with Lean Cuisines perfect for popping in the microwave at the end of a long day of work while I watched whatever version of Law & Order was currently airing on NBC that night. While they might have been a step in the right direction as far as portion control and getting more vegetables in my diet were concerned, thinking about the ingredient list and the amount of sodium contained in those little dishes had me thinking twice about going back to my grocer's freezer aisle.

Over time, I've let my grocery-buying habits evolve to include more fruits and vegetables and get myself motivated to consume them before they go bad. Sometimes it's not as easy as it looks! You know you should have some healthier-for-you snacks, but goshdarnit it's hard to resist the lure of Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Combos when they're sitting RIGHT there! And then, before you know it, your peppers have gone bad, the grapes are sour and squishy, and you don't even want to guess what the technical name is for what's growing on the strawberries. Nevertheless, I persisted, more aware of what I was buying and how long it'd last, and perhaps taking more time between trips to the store for Combos. It's really amazing how all the little steps add up over time until you realize that you're definitely not eating the same crap every day. I feel guilty some days for not having enough of my fruits or veggies now, and I try to make them a big part of every dinner I cook now. A dinner of all starch and fats is no longer my ideal meal. For anyone who knew me when I was a young Pattae, that's HUGE.

Lately, I've been going even more in-depth to try to find the healthy balance of buying locally-produced, organic, and conventional produce. I read up on what's suggested buying organic over conventional, and just this weekend I went to one of the local farmers' markets in the area to see what people from area farms are selling. I like having a better idea of what the growing seasons for various fruits and vegetables are around here. It makes me think a little bit more about what I might see stocked in the grocery store in six months' time and where that's actually coming from. But as far as the market is concerned, I picked up some local tomatoes, some fresh-baked bread, and some farmhouse cheddar. I haven't tried the cheddar just yet, but tonight I tried my hand at making a homemade bruschetta, and I think I had a successful run. It was fairly easy to prepare, and the taste was so fresh and delightful. I definitely plan on doing it again in the near future. I hope to post more about recipes I'm trying out with a little more detail in coming posts.

I haven't even gone on to talk about all the martial arts training I've been involved with over the past year and a half, but I guess I'll get to that next time, hopefully with some good examples of things I've been working on. Until then, goodnight!

Oh, hi there.

2009-10-22T13:08:00.000-04:00

I've disappeared from the ether for far too long. While I don't have a lot of time in the current moment, I'd like to tell you about a couple fun things.

1. The Philles won the National League Championship last night, and I firmly believe that, future dynasty or not, the people of Philadelphia are in the midst of a truly amazing and special team. I hope that they are about to be successful in defending their World Series title against whichever team they wind up playing--part of me is hoping for a match-up with the Yankees, but only after losing a couple games to the Angels. Let's give the Phils a few days of rest.

2. The studio has started up a great website to help artists raise funds for their projects called Feed The Muse. Currently still in the early stages and with some cool changes on the way, the site has already helped people raise over $15,000 in our first three months. We're all really proud.

3. Speaking of great sites, I recommend you check out The 61. Seriously, go there now. If you love music, especially of the independent variety, go there NOW. It's a fantastic site, and I could go on and on about some of it's features here, but I think I will save that for its own dedicated post. If you decide to sign up, tell them pattae sent you. Let me know when/if you sign up, and I'll be your first subscriber!

4. It's October, and we've hit one of my favorite times of year. There isn't too much special about posting that--I just thought it needed to be said.

There's more where this came from. Seriously. I promise.

How to be a bibliophile and still save money!

2009-04-29T23:25:00.001-04:00

These days, it seems like it's not too hard to find a large chain bookstore within a short drive, with thousands of books sitting, waiting, asking for the taking. Coupled with low prices or reasonable discounts, it's pretty easy to see why people would flock to those stores. It's always better to get something on sale.

There's just one slight little issue that could creep up if you're not careful...

You might run out of space.

Looking around my apartment, I realize that I have a lot of books. Not tons, but a fair share. I also know that I don't have a large space to store things, and I certainly don't have enough space for the infinite number of books I'd get if money were no object. And with times being what they are, it's better to try to save money wherever you can.

But what's a girl to do when she wants to read something new but doesn't want to spend the money to buy the book?

It may be a revolutionary idea, I know, but I do have a suggestion.

Here it is.

Are you ready?

Okay.

My grand suggestion is...go to your local library.

This should really be an easy one to explain. First off, if you live in the municipality, libraries are generally free. Granted, it's a book loan, but that could even make the pot sweeter for you. You sign a book out, read it, and then just give it back when you're done, or your loan time is up, whichever comes first. And most libraries let you renew your book loan if you're not done with the book. Some library systems even have online reservation capabilities. Want to call dibs on a book when it gets returned? Hop online and reserve it--when it gets back to the library, it's your turn! Not sure if the library has a book and don't want to drive all the way there to find out? Chances are good that you'll be able to check from the comfort of your own home if and where a book is available. What's not to love about that?

A few weeks ago, I happened to pass my local library on the way to my sister's house. I'd been living in this town with the library within walking distance of where I live, work, and hang out for over 4 years, and I still didn't have a library card. So I walked in, filled out the information they needed, received a nice-sized packet explaining the township system, and walked away the newest resident with a library card. It felt good, and I plan on using my membership to the fullest extent. I hope some other people out there will join me.

Finger on the Pulse

2009-04-23T12:24:00.004-04:00

If you like finding out about new music and what songs and artists people have been talking about on the internet, check out We Are Hunted. Seriously, go there now.

It's still in Beta, but I like the design of the site PLUS the fact that you can click on a song and listen to the whole thing. Clicking on an artist or group takes you to a page with updated articles on them, as well as related artists and "charted tunes", so you can listen to some more tracks that have made it on the site. You can look at what's popular by song or artist and for the day, week, and month. It gives you an idea of what people are really talking about vs. what people are kinda talking about, and if you felt so inclined, you could chart and see how things escalate or decline.

All in all, I think it's good stuff, and if you like hearing about new music or knowing what people are talking about--check it out!

Also, if you go, please please PLEASE check out The Kills "Cheap and Cheerful (SebastiAn Remix)"--it's delightfully delicious!

Why you probably won't find me on Twitter

2009-03-06T15:16:00.003-05:00

I've noticed that a number of my friends are absolutely raving about Twitter, and while I think the site can be useful to some people, I don't think it's for me.

The basic premise of Twitter is, "What are you doing?" And, you know what?--from time to time, I'll feel like I'm doing something interesting. But, often times, I don't think that my every thought is worth following. If you read this blog, you can see how often I do (or don't) post. I don't feel the need to let everyone know what I'm doing all the time. Most of it would likely wind up being filler with the occasional tidbit of useful information. I prefer to go with quality over quantity.

Also, Twitter mentions that with the service, you "can stay hyper-connected with friends." Great. I'll know everything my friends are up to so I'll never actually have to talk to them. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but sometimes I enjoy not knowing every single detail of my friends' lives. That way, I feel like I could e-mail, call, or hell, even see them in person and find out some new information on their lives that can't be searched for on the Internet--and with details!

That's the other thing about Twitter that bothers me: entries are limited to 140 characters. So yes, you'll know what your friends are up to, but briefly. To expound on what was said, they'll have to do another entry. If you have a question or a direct response, you do an @username with your "tweet". But still, it's only 140 characters. So, your response has to either be really concise or you have to bastardize the English language to get your whole thought across. Srsly? That's not 4 me, U know? But how does writing such short entries affect broader writing in general? Granted, I know Twitter was initially based off text messages, and texting's effect on grammar is one that is still being debated in different forums, but I'm going to put myself in the camp of thought that the brief and abbreviated communications put a strain or limitation on expanded thought. If you're constantly posting short entries about topics, would you ever be inclined to post something more in-depth?

I don't want to paint a picture that Twitter is all bad. In fact, I don't think that. It could be useful in telling a bunch of friends about a happening going on, or in quickly communicating about plans or a change thereof. And I know that there are some people out there who are using the medium to create "micro-fiction", stories essentially told line by line, and I admire the efforts. My good friend Matt Lydon has been working on such a story about a character called Matthew Tweet, and I suggest you check it out if you can. I always enjoy his writing and have been excited to see where his story goes, although I usually wait for an aggregation so I can read multiple posts at once and catch up on the story.

Still, as this post might seem to suggest, I think I'm doing my best work when I'm writing more than a few lines of text. Maybe it'll take me longer to get it out, but I know by the end it's quite likely that it's thought out pretty well (as I have a habit of going over my work several times before posting) and I know that I'm communicating the way that I want to. And maybe that's the biggest difference between me and the many Twitter users out there: they're happy to communicate in such a terse manner, and that's just not my thing. I like to write, and I don't want to be stifled by the character limitations. I don't need to let everyone know what's going on in my life all the time, and I don't need them to do the same. So while so many others out there in the ether tweet, I'm content to let that one part of Web 2.0 pass me by. I'm just fine and dandy with my blog--K thnx bi!

Really? REALLY???

2009-01-30T10:02:00.004-05:00

So, Scarlett Johansson covered "Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley, one of my favorite songs of all time.

WHO LET THIS HAPPEN??? WHO??? I WANT TO KNOW!!!! GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Okay, okay, I'm breathing, I'm calming down. I got a little out of control there, and I apologize. But, really, why? It's her vocals and a piano, the song length is almost cut in half, and it seems to have a rather lounge-y feel to it (which in that particular case, my favorite lounged-up version of a song is Ben Folds Five covering "She Don't Use Jelly" by The Flaming Lips, and I hold that as my high standard).

The original version of the song evoked so much emotion--it wouldn't be uncommon for me to well up a little bit when Buckley starts belting "Kiss me, please kiss me. Kiss me out of desire, babe, and not consolation." She barely emotes at all there. It's almost like she's yawning when she sings those lines. Oh, sure, she brings it up a notch or two in emotion with the following line, but it's unconvincing. Maybe she didn't even try with those lines because she doesn't quite have the vocal chops to carry it off without her voice cracking in an unflattering way. I'm only speculating, of course, but I heard a song or two when she tried covering Tom Waits, and it seems like, for all she's tried, she's either picking the wrong songs for her range, or, well, she just shouldn't be trying to record and sell music. However, if she tried to write and record some of her own material sometime, I'd probably give it a whirl, just to see what she could come up with.

For the time being, I'm going to pass judgment and say that her interpretation of this great song is far inferior to the original, and it makes me wonder why she made the attempt in the first place.

One thing I want to see out of my current technology

2009-01-29T17:41:00.003-05:00

I got to wondering today...why hasn't Apple developed an iPod with an SD slot?

Let's think about this for a few seconds, shall we?

Yes, the iPod memory is flash technology, and SD cards are also flash-based--wouldn't that be like doubling up on the same technology in one device? Well, yeah, but what's so wrong about that?

Think about it in this sense: You purchase an album on an SD card (some people out there think that might be a good route to go), and you want to put it on your iPod without having to go through the middle man of your computer and iTunes. Well, right now, it doesn't seem like you'd be able to do it (I welcome comments from anyone telling me I can, and how to accomplish that without cracking open my iPod). How awesome would it be to take that SD card you just bought and put it right into your iPod to give the new songs a (metaphorical) spin? Yes, at some point, if you want to transfer the album to your iPod for good, you can go through your computer and have it now in two spots. It could also offer the opportunity to "share" the music with someone else and possibly avoid all the copyright infringing--much like lending a CD to a friend (and, you know, assuming they aren't borrowing it to rip it). The same would work for videos, and would allow a person the chance to pop a card in and watch a video on their iPod and not have to worry about taking up precious space usually reserved for music (I know I try to keep my iPod for mostly music, maybe I'm an anomaly in that sense--I just don't know).

All I'm saying is that I think that this is a missed opportunity right now, and if Apple put an SD slot on an iPod, it could make the machines even more versatile, and could very possibly make my life even a little easier.

What are your thoughts? And what would you like to seen done to the iPod?

Oh hey, it's Christmas!

2008-12-25T13:11:00.003-05:00

I've been a busy girl lately, but that usually happens this time of year. I'll be doing my best to hustle and bustle and post a bit more in 2009...and maybe next week, if I can get around to it.

Whatever winter holiday you celebrate, I hope you have an fantastic time celebrating it! I myself get in on the Christmas festivities, and so far it's been pretty enjoyable. This whole week has seemed to be one long weekend...aside from the one day I worked. No, I'm not complaining...I'm just not used to it.

A very Merry Thursday to you all! And to all, a good night!

Question of the day

2008-12-05T09:49:00.002-05:00

Is it possible to be cynical about specific situations yet optimistic about the overall picture at the same time?

Mobius Band--my indie electro rock love

2008-11-21T11:35:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago (the day the Phillies won the World Series, to be exact), I happened to be in the City of Brotherly Love to attend a concert for a couple great indie-rock acts: Tokyo Police Club and Mobius Band. Really, I wouldn't have thought to go to the show until I heard that Mobius Band was added to the bill. My first exposure to them was probably the song "Starts Off With A Bang" off their City Vs. Country EP about a year, possibly a year and a half ago, and I really dug their sound. They seem to do nearly everything right when it comes to creating perfectly catchy, yet musically good, electro-rock. And I have to say, I'm hooked. Their full-length album, "Heaven", has been in heavy rotation on my iPod lately, and I was thrilled I got to see them live. They look like they're just having a lot of fun up on stage, and that's what I consider an ideal live performance: a band having a great time playing and drawing the audience into that, creating a really great positive environment for enjoying the music. There were definitely people dancing and bopping around at the show during their set, and that made me really happy. The only thing that disappointed me was that I didn't get a chance to talk to any of the band members hanging around during the TPC set to personally give them my thumbs up. I'm considering this my way of making up for it. Thanks for playing Philly, guys. Can't wait to see you again!

Check out their video for "Friends Like These"--it's one of my favorite songs by them.

Rave about a new Google Gadget

2008-11-11T22:40:00.003-05:00

About two weeks ago, it appears, Google made public a new gadget for adding a Google Calendar to the Gmail side nav bar. I decided to try it out, since I'm a frequent user of both Gmail and Google Calendar.

I have to say...I am a fan of that little gadget! It seems like it was pretty well thought-out. It gives you a day agenda view, and when a scheduled event ends, it is faded in the calendar. Also, clicking on an event will take you automatically to the details of that event, which is something I'm disappointed about with the normal Google Calendar, where you have to double-click to get to event details and it takes you away from the rest of the monthly calendar to a new page. Sometimes that seems to take longer than it should, and the gadget makes that transition nice and quick.

Normally, a month loads at a time, but if you scroll down to the end of the month, it will load the next month, and if you scroll to the end of that month, it will load another, and so on. There is also an option to load a mini monthly calendar, and that allows you the ability to quickly jump to a date by clicking on the date in the monthly calendar, rather than scrolling through all the dates, as well as letting you go back in time to view dates that have already passed (that was a concern of mine when I was testing it out earlier this week, and I'm glad that there is a way to time-travel...on the calendar).

I haven't noticed any major problems or glitches yet with the gadget. My only complaint would be that adding details to a new event leads you to a new window or tab (browser-dependent), and ideally I'd love for it to merely expand the new event box that pops up when you click on "add". Then again, the same thing happens in the original Google Calendar. At least they're being consistent. I'm just happy I don't have to keep two tabs open for these two applications now. It's nice to have it all in one spot.

There is also a gadget for Google Docs, which I also added, but as it's not yet something I use often, I won't go on raving about how awesome it is. Again, though, it's still neat to keep everything on one page. If you use any of the applications, I highly recommend trying your hand with the new gadgets.

This is...sand?

2008-10-16T11:02:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I found a site called thisissand.com, and it's one of the coolest flash sites I've seen in a while. Plus, it allows the user a lot of creativity in making sand art, and the graphics and sound used in the functions are just about spot on. I'm a fan, and imagine that this will consume a good bit of my time in the near future.

Check out their gallery to see what people have come up with. This is one of my submissions.

Epitome of delicious

2008-09-10T11:46:00.004-04:00

I'll freely admit that as a child I had very poor eating habits. It's really no fault of my parents--I made the wrong choices when given options of what to eat. And to paraphrase Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, I chose...poorly.

Thankfully by the time I got to college I worked on changing things around, and have only gotten better about it since then. Nowadays, I live a short walk away from a farmers' market that usually has some pretty tasty produce, and I've been getting in the habit of going there once a week to pick up some fresh fruit and veggies. I always get bell peppers. Usually, I pick up one red, one green, and one orange pepper. I'll cut parts of each to use in salads or fry up in a pan as part of dinner. A couple weeks ago I was at a different farmers' market in the city and procured myself a few peppers, unsure of exactly what I'd do with them. At least, I didn't think I'd do anything out of the ordinary.

Then my friend Matt suggested that I try roasting them. He gave me instructions on how he normally does it, and it didn't seem to be that hard of a thing to accomplish if you have the time to do it. Roasting peppers isn't a difficult task, but it does take a long time. I spent a rainy afternoon giving it my first go with a red pepper and parts of a green pepper, and while it wasn't perfect (I wasn't expecting perfection on the first go-round anyway), it was amazingly delicious. I've always been a fan of roasted peppers, but I think with most cooking, the taste of the fruits of your own labor winds up being that much better than anything you could just buy at a store. I ate everything I roasted in one sitting (along with a couple pierogies) without a complaint from my stomach. Yum!

I tried again last night with another green and a yellow pepper (yes, I gave in and bought a yellow!), this time with a better idea of what I was doing, and I have to say I was definitely satisfied with the final results. I only ate parts of each last night--cut in strips and thrown into a salad topped with chicken coated in an awesome mixture I made and pan fried up. My mouth loved every bit of it!

I'm really enjoying the foods I've been making for myself lately. Nothing has been too drastic a taste change for me, nor has it added significant difficulty to food I had already had a formula for, but I think the slight experimentation has been paying off. I'll be trying to keep up with the healthier eating, more fresh fruit and veggies, and posting any good finds here.

What are people smoking in St. Paul?

2008-09-04T13:12:00.002-04:00

I've taken time to watch a little bit of the Republican National Convention the past two nights, and I have to say, I'm really not impressed. Palin's speech last night was all style and very little substance. A few of the things she said have already been challenged and fact-checked. We're going to get our energy independence by drilling for more oil? How long will that last us--a couple weeks?

For all that the DNC last week in Denver was about bringing people together, this convention seems to have shades of wanting to do the opposite--keeping us divided, driving people into more debt, and preventing us from really exploring what all our scientists can do to make us energy independent at a lower environmental cost. I was repeatedly getting angry listening to some of the speeches the past two nights. I didn't watch them all, granted, but I think if I had I might have gotten even angrier. I was trying to be as unbiased as possible when listening to what some of the speakers had to say, but it was nearly driving me insane to do it. I don't know if it's my rational side getting the better of me or...no, forget it. I just don't think like a conservative Republican. And I'm thankfully okay with that.*

The one other thing I wanted to bring up was the fashion I saw the past two nights. Now, I'm wishing I had paid a little bit more attention to what the Democratic delegates were wearing, but I'll tell you something, I'm pretty sure the Republican delegates have a hold on tacky. From American flag-tiled blazers to the sea of cowboy hats, many of them emblazoned with more buttons than I thought would even fit on a cowboy hat (then again, in my mind, that number is usually zero), most of the outfits I saw just seemed so gaudy. There were a lot of people dressed in a more professional manner, with suits and ties, dresses, skirts and blouses and the like, but I really think that at best, it canceled out some of the fashion mistakes that were shown so prominently on CSPAN.**

*This is a VERY brief synopsis of my feelings. I wanted to make a post about it, but with limited time, this is what I can get out for now. Future ramblings more than likely will occur.

**I know that fashion has very little to do with the convention, but hell, I had to say something about it.

Filler or Filling?

2008-08-21T15:21:00.002-04:00

It has to be said because, well, I've been moved to say it.

I...love...peanut butter!!!

I'm not about to slather any consumable with it. Not by any means. I know someone who eats a breakfast sandwich consisting of an english muffin, peanut butter, and a scrambled egg. For that person's sake, I'm not naming names, but I find the concept a bit disgusting. So, I have my limits with the spreadable peanut form, by my oh my, do I find peanut butter delicious.

And no, I don't mix the deliciousness with jelly or jam of any kind. That's just a travesty. You take away room for more peanut butter when you do that.

This has been your latest installment of Filler or Filling. Thanks, and have a full day!

Meebo Me!

2008-08-12T11:40:00.006-04:00

For the past year and change, I've been using Meebo as my chat client while I'm away from home (read:at work). I think it's a great service, and I love the fact that it has a chat archiving option. That way, I can log on at home if I needed to go back to a conversation for, well, anything I wanted to look at again. That has come in handy for me a few times.

Meebo has also developed a widget for websites called "Meebo Me". I knew about this a while ago, because my sister has used it on her site for some time, but I never got to experimenting with that myself. Well, those days have changed! As you can see on the main sidebar, I have added the Meebo me widget. If you see me on, drop a line and say hello. I'd love to get some feedback on future posts, which will be coming, gosh darnit! I'm determined to make something of this blog, and I have a few posts lined up. Now, I just need to motivate myself to sit in front of a computer long enough to type them out.

If you have a site and use the Meebo Me widget, what do you think of it?

The Facebook Redesign, from a German's perspective

2008-08-07T16:38:00.000-04:00

Transcript here.

I was amused, at least by the initial comment.

Promises, promises (aka Excuses, excuses)

2008-07-09T16:55:00.002-04:00

I've been quite the busy lady lately. As I remarked to a friend of mine the other day, normally you think about the summer as a time of relaxation. I've been bouncing around like an ADD pinball on Red Bull and cocaine. At the same time, I've been having equal amounts of stress and fun. Okay, perhaps more fun, but the stress always comes first and can take a while to get over.

What the heck is the point of all this explaining, you ask?

As you can tell, my post count is still pretty low. I do intend to do something about this. But as I'll be away for the next few days, I can't guarantee any uptick in posting until at least next week. From there, I'll be working on a few topics I have lined up in my queue. Everyone will be happier for it.

Justice

2008-06-30T09:11:00.002-04:00

Justice is definitely one of my new favorite bands. This song is probably one of their most addictive, and the video is just freakin' cool. Watch, be amazed, and D-A-N-C-E!

Excuse me while I barf.

2008-06-16T12:37:00.001-04:00

Who in their right mind would name Chris Martin, of all people, a rock god???

I don't mind much of Coldplay's music (though for me, it seems to be "the earlier, the better" in my book), but for the love of anything holy, don't dub Martin or the band any kind of rock royalty for their ability to sell records and fill stadiums. They're following the formula, not experimenting and trying to change it.

I get this sinking feeling that Coldplay's trying to be U2 on top of all that. Please, we only need one of those around. Really.

I think I need to go to the bathroom and lose my breakfast now.

Cue Eerily Good Music

2008-05-15T11:56:00.005-04:00

I'm convinced that somewhere out there in the ether, my iTunes at home and at least one of my Pandora stations are in cahoots. I kept thinking it was coincidental when I would hear a song at home, and then while I was at work that day the same song would come on. But the frequency of such happenings has increased drastically over the past month or so. It's happened several times this week already. They're out to get me. All of them!

I could see it making sense if it was a very narrowly broad station, and hearing the artist or group in the morning spurs me to play the niche station when I get to work, but I usually have my iTunes on shuffle mode, and this particular Pandora station is almost like a shuffle mode player too. There are thousands of tracks on my iTunes, and the range of songs played at work is extremely broad. I could be listening to Daft Punk one minute, Frank Sinatra the next, and The Police after that. What can I say, I enjoy variety!

So I'm thinking that my iTunes and Pandora are either subtly trying to give me a theme for my day by playing the same songs, or there's a conspiracy afoot!

Thankfully, the repeated songs are all ones I have absolutely loved. That's something.

Recycling CFLs

2008-05-13T12:43:00.004-04:00

I found a great little article on recycling CFLs that may be relevant for anyone out there using them--and I highly recommend switching to them if you haven't already. They're certainly more efficient than incandescents and they last a lot longer. I put a few in some lamps when I moved into my current apartment two years ago, and they still haven't blown out. *knock on wood!*

Granted, because of their long life, I think it may be a while before people will need to start looking for places to recycle the old bulbs, but I think having an idea or two of where to go when the bulbs do blow out is always some handy information. And I had no idea that Ikea recycled them. It's nice that there are two locations in my area, and that I have a nice healthy addiction to the place!

Kathleen and I purchased a new and sexy TV stand, and after having it for a week and a half, I've nearly finished putting it together. Once it's done I'll post some pictures of the finished product and finished look of our living room space. Well, we may get another chair to fill some space, from Ikea, of course. Sometimes it's like they read our minds there.

To summarize: Buy CFLs, and recycle them when they burn out. Also, Ikea is awesome. That is all.

First attempt at not failing

2008-05-11T23:30:00.001-04:00

I should really beat myself over the head for not heeding my own blogging demands, but I might hurt myself too badly and not be able to post for a while. And then we go back to square one...oh, what a good show that was!

Alright, enough of digressions.

At the end of April I went out to The Fire with Schwenkenstein to see a band out of Toronto highly recommended by Chuckles called Woodhands. We found out upon our arrival that the show was starting even later than originally thought but used the time wisely and thoroughly enjoyed some lagers and watched the Sixers drop a playoff game to the Pistons--something we didn't care too much about; we just happened to be sitting in front of a couple of TV screens. I also saw a friend from college who I will forever remember as ICES Andy, and he told me he was playing first with his group, The Sea Trio. It's always neat to run into people you know and haven't seen in a while.

I'm digressing again.

POINT IS, Woodhands rocked the crap out of the massive[ly small] crowd! I honestly wasn't sure how the act would translate live, but they blew me away. I talked with Paul briefly after the show, and they said they'd be back in the States again in September. I'm wholeheartedly looking forward to seeing them again, and plan on bringing at least a [half-]dozen friends with me. I think if the room had been a little more crowded, some of the folks might have been a little less self-conscious and more dancing would have taken place. I was a victim, too, I'll admit, but about half-way through their set, I was moving around a bit more. The lager helped too. I didn't care about getting home massively late for a Sunday; I went to bed a happy woman.

Consider it your homework to check out Woodhands and give 'em a whirl. If they don't make you bounce around a little bit, you don't have a pulse!

------------------------------------------------------------

I'm honestly making an effort to post in this blog more often. I have a few more ideas I'll be writing about in the next week or two. I hope you stick around to enjoy. Please, invite some friends, start some chatter, or laugh at my attempts to communicate.

Boo Me!

2008-04-09T11:44:00.002-04:00

I've decided that I'm going to do more with this blog. By that, I mean that I'm going to showcase more poetry (when I write it), I'm going to start writing my own brand of reviews (which I think I'll title "I Command You To Hear This", although that may change), and I may even get news-relevant. I've lost focus, a lot, and I'm trying to gain some ground now. I think if I motivate myself enough, I can have some very post-worthy topics on here.

I have another spot for my personal posts, and I think I'm going to keep it that way, for now.

The challenge for me at current moment is to post at least once a week. Depending on a number of factors, I may increase that base requirement of myself. Starting light is probably the best option for me.

So you'll be hearing from me again soon...very soon. Well, okay...keep your fingers crossed.

Productivity on a Saturday night?

2007-06-25T00:43:00.000-04:00

I went out with the ever-lovely Joleen Saturday night, and while she was outside having a cigarette, I felt compelled to write. So I grabbed the nearest paper product, which happened to be the envelope containing the receipt of my PECO payment, and came up with this:

Kickin' it on a Saturday night
Everything's alright
Alright
The beer is fine
The talk is mine
And it's sailing like a
Paper glider
Man, I wish I had a cider
Put my hair up and
Think of another line
To make it fine fine
Fine
I wish I could go over and talk to you
But the words won't come out,
So I sit
And write this instead
The music of my
Past invades my
Present, while I wish that you were in my
Future, some way, some how
Isn't it amazing how a
Saturday night got me to
Start writing again
In a bar
While I sip on a beer
And keep my eyes peeled in your direction
Why don't you come over and say hello?

I don't know if I want to make any changes to it. It was really an exercise to get me playing with a little pen and paper again.

6/25 - I made one minor change for clarity's sake, but I think I'm keeping the rest of it the way it is.

Guess what you'll find

2007-04-26T15:13:00.000-04:00

This is going to be the new home of my Ministry of Doom page, formerly know as "Sound of the Voice". I'm still thinking about tinkering with the title, so any and all suggestions are gladly welcome.

Why am I doing this? (Well, if you're asking, you must be a new reader, so welcome!) I'm doing this because my former site's incarnation is fast approaching five years old. While in human years, that's barely kindergarten level, around the 'net, it's a creepy old man with a cane offering you hard candies to suck on...Take that metaphor for what you will. I wanted change, something fresh, a new start. As change and new directions seem to be the theme for my year, I figure it should certainly include my site. With the help of another awesome minister, I'll be changing around what I've got to what I want, and in the end, everybody wins! (Hooray!)

My goal with the latest incarnation is still a little bit up in the air, but I'd like to continue with my somewhat humorous postings, work on my craft a little bit, and perhaps make it a bit of a column format. There will likely be commentary on current event goings-on from time to time as well. The poetry, of course, will still continue...as long as I keep writing it...which I'm planning to! I hope everyone will stick around for the ride, and perhaps bring some new friends.

Boo-yah

2007-04-19T18:25:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I got nothin'. This will change.