Work Day + Music

As most of you surely know, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. For many Americans, this means a day off from work or school, and consequently time spent away from the computer monitor. However, for people who reside outside of the United States, or for people who reside in the United States and are employed by racists, it is unfortunately a Monday like any other... - BikeSnobNYC

yeah, I'm at work. good coffee, but not good enough to help get me through this Monday without being a little bored and a little stressed...

but then BSNYC goes on to say this:
This means that you may have commuted to work today, and you may even have used a bicycle to do so. One of the best things about bicycle commuting is that it can mitigate the displeasure of having to go to work. It's the rare and fortunate person who looks forward to his or her workday, so if you're not one of them you can at least sandwich the misery between two slices of pleasure by riding your bike there. Actually enjoying your commute can infuse an otherwise dreary day with some joy. 

True dat.
--
Oh yeah, this weekend I borrowed a copy of The Slits' "Cuts" album from the library. I remembered their song "Typical Girls" from an old punk compilation. Some of their songs sound kind of like Crass. I found this video on an internet search and it was crackin me up. Enjoy:

The Slits - Typical Girl

Rab | MySpace Video

broke down, fix up

got a new computer! our old one bit the dust and i decided the a little extra money would get us a lot more goodness. after spending so much time not on the internet, i don't know what to do with myself when i'm there. so for now, here's this. i haven't listened to any of it, but found it when i was trying to listen to the "girls just wanna fix up" mash up i blogged about a minute ago... this mix-tape is from the guys who did that. bed for now...
The Hood Internet - The Mixtape Volume One by hoodinternet

at work

i am useless today
--
in other news, the newest converge album, axe to fall, is "more than awe-some. She's awe-quite-a-bit; she's awe-a-whole-lot..." That's from How I Met Your Mother.

"Goood ENOUGHFFFFFF!"
--
Oh yeah, watching Cleveland Cavaliers play is great.
And so is Columbus Brewing Company's 90 Shilling Ale.
--
Added a Surly rear rack to the Cross Check yesterday. It's more heavy duty than I imagined.
--
Oh yeah, Christmas is coming up. Where did 2009 go?

Drums, Break Up

After hearing White Rabbit's crappy song, cryptically named "Percussion Gun," I was going nuts trying to think of where they bit that drum part... after some super-sleuthing, a clever gent posted this comment for the song on Lastfm.com: "C30, C60, C90, Go!"

C30, C60, C90 Go - Bow Wow Wow

Hell yeah! The Bow Wow Wow song. So good. When I was in high school I had this on my "Best Punk Album in the World... Ever!" compilation, alongside X-Ray Spex, Iggy Pop, The Buzzcocks, XTC... Devo? This is also the group that sings "I Want Candy."

Similarly, C was trying to figure out what was sampled for Mario's "Break Up"--which I contend might very well be the best song of 2009.

She claims it was from Beyonce's "Diva"... tawlk amongst yuhselves

Dirge: the merge

It looks like Myspace bought out imeem--which was my internet source for accessing music on command as of late. Effin' balls. Wonder if this will be any good, compared with the imeem I had grown to love and appreciate--the way real love should be.

good stuff

from http://theselvedgeyard.files.wordpress.com

Album hunting

C and I biked to get some lunch this afternoon and ended up at Half Price Books today (for you not yet in-the-know, it's a used book/record store) were I was delighted, and a little sad, to see that some kid sold her whole collection of punk cds. There were 3 Bane albums, The Casualties, Dead Kennedy's, The Exploited, With Honor, Comeback Kid, Norma Jean, Bad Religion, The Damned, 7 Seconds, Evergreen Terrace... and every Punk-O-Rama compilation ever released... and a bunch more. I went home with the Minor Threat discography and "I Love You, Man" on dvd. Freakin 'ay. I think I'm gonna go back and get the Shai Hulud album with their demo, some live tracks, and a bunch of unreleased stuff that was priced at $4. Seriously.

I'm chuggin some dark roast coffee right now; the sun is shining. Bouts to transfer a lot of our downloaded music to our external drive for safekeeping.

Last night C and I drove to Cincy for a big, homemade rib dinner at my dad's house with all my siblings. Fun times...

My head is spinning right now. Everything is all good. Much love

Musnacks

Three albums you listen to:

Saves the Day - Can't Slow Down

Weezer - Pinkerton

Passion Pit - Manners

I was rockin these out on Saturday morning--around the time I installed a garage door opener by myself. BAM!

More music! fifteen: "lucky"

Pretty different, not what comes to mind when you think of punk music, but probably the most radical music I've ever heard. When I was in high school I decided my future life would be like what these songs were about. This album was super influential and helped form a lot of my ideas about family, jobs, land/small farms/gardening, cars, the environment, pollution... Crazy revolutionary. One song ("My Congressmen") even describes, step-by-step, how to sterilize a needle so an addict can avoid contracting/spreading disease in areas without needle exchange programs. Say what? Holy crap. This band is what's up.
If you've ever heard this band, write a comment about them (did you experience such an influence? did you hate it?). If this is the first time you are listening to it, what do you think? Leave a comment.
(P.S. To listen to each full song, click on the link "Lucky" at the top left corner--this will open up a new window where you can listen to the full songs for the whole album)

Lucky

Anniversary

Hopefully you don't mind all the music I've been posting. Not too many new thoughts, just enjoying the sounds. Here's a blast from the past: The Anniversary. Saw them a bunch when I was in high school. Really struck my heart strings back then. And now too, I guess. Hopefully you have access to this, if not I recommend signing up for an Imeem account. Damn. "D in Detroit" is my jam. All of these tracks are good. And what about that breakdown in "Perfectly"?

Designing A Nervous Breakdown
Lately I've been listening to the radio, especially the local "alternative" music station. I've been hearing stuff like old Pearl Jam and Nirvana. Stuff like that brings me back to when I was around 13 years old and starting to carve an identity for myself. Finding music, experimenting with what I was wearing (as lame as that sounds it was part of my evolving identity and a way to press my limits, etc). Skateboarding. Trying new things. I feel like that was the purest time in my life. It was hard, no doubt; confusing. But damn if I didn't learn so much about myself and the world, open new doors and all that. At the same time, I didn't have much of a care in the world. It's always fun to re-live good times.

wild things

i haven't checked this out much yet, but i suspect it will be pretty good. all done by karen o of the yeahyeahyeahs...

Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Funny song I remembered

Bitchin Camero - The Dead Milkmen

Girls Just Wanna Fix Up

OMG. Brandi Lee posted up the best mash up ever: Dizzie Rascal's "Fix Up Look Sharp" over Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." I reblogged it over at the Pete Swain tumblr (dstr.tumblr.com).

Freaking love long holiday weekends. Like a snow day with warm weather.

Got some stuff done today including planting more lettuce, spinach, and cilantro. c made pizza with homemade pizza sauce, fresh tomatoes, and homegrown basil. earlier i made salsa with fresh tomatoes, homegrown hot peppers, and fresh cilantro.

Bought a rack for the back of my bike (Fuji) yesterday morning. Hoping to buy some panniers for each side to aid in aspirational grocery runs.

That's all for now. Much love, good life

Movies--yeah, that's right, plural

So, you know that a weekend is all about relaxing when you watch two movies in one day, where one of those is a matinee at the theater. We never go to the theater.

First one up: Away We Go, starring John Krazinskisifksi (The Office) and Maya Rudolf (SNL). Thumbs up for this movie--a romantic comedy that drags you along the bizarre and bumpy travels of the two protagonists as they struggle to start a new life for themselves. Seriously, some of the parts had me R.O.T.F.L.M.A.O.-ing, or as much as possible considering we were in a theater at 10 in the morning. But I was laughing so hard I was crying at least at one point. No joke. Although it really mellos out at the end, it's a feel-good type movie, where you leave with the sublime feeling of love and understanding, though you also wish there was some more closure to put all your questions to rest. It's really easy to fall in love with both characters and it made me feel really lovey-dovey afterwards. Like, wanting to one-up Krazinski's unconventional charm, unquestionable loyalty, and hilarious attempts at chivalry. The characters are quirky and exagerrated, and fortunately the irony is a little more understated than comparable film, Juno. The soundtrack throughout is mostly music of a guy named Alexi Murdoch (who I easily mistook for Nick Drake)... just listen to his music to get an idea of the mood of the film.

In keeping with the NBC celebrity comedian theme, we then rented Dan In Real Life, starring Steve Carell (The Office). Nevermind the fact that I was drinking wine while watching this--I'm classy--but I thought this was a great movie. Great. What a great choice. It was painfully romantic and well done throughout: the story, the acting... At no point did I feel like anything was over the top, with the exception of the turning point towards the end. Bam! Gut-wrenching romance in your face. You totally absorb Carell's character and you fall in love with the French woman... was she French? No? Oh well. She was French to me. I highly recommend some microwave popcorn and a tall glass of wine with this one. Haha, holy ish--who do I sound like?

sleepyhead

reblogged from pacing the panic room

Salad Days

Nothing marks the beginning of summer better than Minor Threat's Complete Discography on a warm and sunny day. It reminds me of driving to Short Vine in a metallic gold 1986 Honda Prelude, windows down, wearing Chuck Taylor All-Stars with my bare toes peaking out between the rubber toe cap and faded black canvas--I probably had my skateboard in the trunk and was wearing a maroon beanie despite Cincinnati's sweltering smog, prepared for some underage consumption of a terribly cheap 40-oz and circle-pitting to lots of music at the basement of one of a few local punk houses
Link: Minor Threat

Maybe because it's Friday

and the ambient temperature of central Ohio is climbing toward 80-degrees and it's sunny and I had coffee this morning... or maybe because this music is amazing, I feel great. I feel greatness down into my bones it's so great.

In one of my meandering excursions through the world-wide inter-web, I stumbled upon this gem: the debut album of Menahan Street Band of Dunham Records, Make the Road by Walking. I can't wait to buy this album. Jazz/soul/funk/afro-beat... once you hear it, you can't live without it.

I would go buy a turntable just to have the LP.

Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be Alright

Happy Birthday Bob

Saves the Day - Through Being Cool

Great GREAT album.
"Best song?" you ask.
"You Vandal" I reply without hesitation.
(Crap, then I remember "Do You Know What I Love The Most")
If anyone has this album, please send me a copy. I lost mine a long time ago

Through Being Cool on IMEEM

You Vandal:
Last night I dreamt you called from Costa Rica
The place you've been for the last two weeks
You said, "I miss you, oh sweet boy," and "Will you come on down?"
I woke up to my cold sheets and the smell of New Jersey
When do I get to wake up to you?
Today I can't forget that I've got these open wounds
It's such a drag
I can't forget you've gone
My ribs have parted ways
They said, "We're not going to protect this heart you have."
Oh no, what can I do?
My lungs are breathing open air
And my spleen is dripping from my pants
You've left me here in the cold
And I miss you
You never told me it would be this hard
I think my body's saying so
When you're not here, it's leaving me
But I hope that you're o.k.
Even though I'm dying
I hope that you're still trying to have a killer time
Go see the volcanoes
Go see the rainforests
I'll be fine by myself
I'll be fine without these bones.

Cat Power Jukebox

Just checked out Cat Power's Jukebox from the library. Really great stuff--mello, bluesy, power jam.