Making: Quilting friendship star blocks. Knitting socks.
Reading: Reading a multiple-movie-references book “Don’t Make a Scene” by Valerie Block. Looks like chick lit from the outside, but rises above it. Enjoying it!
Watching: Heroes season 1 on DVD (wow I like it so much better than I liked it when I tried to watch it in real-time last year. what’s up with that). And the only show that’s premiered so far (on my list anyway): K-Ville.
Listening: New stuff I bought yesterday and stuff I bought last week and stuff I bought in Belgium and Common who I’m going to see tomorrow night and The National who I’m going to see Saturday night…I’ve got a crazy mix of things going on right now.
Category Archives: Tunes
“1973” you say?
And though time goes by, / I will always be / in a club with you / in 1973.
I’d be willing to bet significant dollars that I’m older than James Blunt. And if I’m right (I’m pretty sure I’m right), then the only “clubs” he would have gone to in 1973 would have had names like “Gymboree” or “Mommy and Me.”
Pretty enjoyable song, nonetheless.
And song #2 “One of the Brightest Stars” = soooo BeeGees, particularly the vocals during the chorus. Love it!
Last Night on iTunes.
Purchased:
- James Blunt “All the Lost Souls”
- Hard Fi “Once Upon a Time in the World”
- Eddie Vedder “Into the Wild” (soundtrack)
Considered, Sampled, But Ultimately Not Purchased:
- KT Tunstall “Drastic Fantastic”
- Aline Simone “Placelessness”
- Jesca Hoop “Kismet”
I was (clearly) all about the boys last night.
À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…
Making: Focusing on Friendship Star blocks this week. With the hope of maybe possibly finishing those before I die…
Reading: I’m sorta lazily reading a magical mystery “Storm Front” by Jim Butcher while I am also devouring the trade paperbacks of the Runaways comics (just in time to read the new ones being written by Joss Whedon!)… I’ve read a lot of great books recently, I wanted a little breather while I am still running over them in my mind…
Watching: Summer season finales (The Closer, yay; Rescue Me, starting to bore me; Saving Grace, so much better than people realize; Damages, I don’t love it that much) and obsessing over Season 1 of Friday Night Lights (yeah NOW I’m obsessing. Before? That was nothing!) before the season 2 premiere on October 5. Now I actually have a happy reason to be home on Friday nights. Yay!
Listening: Lots of new stuff on my plate, but also really on a “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter” kick today. He’s bringing all sorts of other folk to mind (first song Bob Dylan, “Right Moves” makes me think of Bob Seger [especially the chorus!], some songs Bruce Springsteen, some Leonard Cohen)… Rollicking, good humored, meandering… I’m enjoying it.
Album: Kanye West “Graduation”
I really like this, I think there are some quality songs I will be listening to for a while… BUT. But.
Ou est the joy, Kanye? The thing I really, really loved about his previous albums was the FUN. The sense that he was smiling the entire time he was rapping. When I saw him in concert, I thought “damn this kid is HAPPY.” I mean, maybe not as crazily silly-ily happy as, say, Lupe Fiasco, but still. There was a real joie de vivre about the whole thing.
On this record, even on the songs with positive, peppy lyrics, I feel like he’s got this “I am very purposeful” look on his face. A “hey, this is serious, I’m not joking around” tone. Like he’s just not having as much fun. 🙁 I know he feels like he’s got something to prove; there’s the “who will sell more” battle with 50, and the reviews that all say “he gives his best stuff away! his albums aren’t as good as the stuff he does for other people!” … but maybe he needs to not care about that, you know.
I still like it, I’m still listening. But I don’t LOVE it the way I did the previous two.
In Concert: Midlake
I’ve talked about this band a few times (here, here…) Really enjoyable show. Dense, thick, layered, atmospheric sound, with layered vocals on top. On some songs all five dudes were singing at once! Smooooooth, seductive and sometimes shimmery. Loved all the stuff from the current album, and the new song, think they’ve really found their groove with multiple vocals and a ’70s feel; didn’t like the ‘older’ stuff as much.
The vocals have a very CSNY feel, but with more piano, more atmosphere in the background. T. was reminded of the Eagles, but I don’t think there’s as much twang, and Midlake’s harmonies are much better (as were CSNY’s as well). These guys do NOT sound like they are from Texas…
First Impression of the new Rogue Wave!
Rogue Wave: “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate”.
Um hello = LOVE IT. Listened straight through twice so far. Can’t even be bothered to try the other albums I bought last night, because this sooooo pleasing. Oui, ça me plaît beaucoup. Love it.
Last Night’s iTunes Purchases
Albums:
- Kanye West “Graduation”
- Rogue Wave “Asleep at Heaven’s Gate”
- Meiko (thanks to Byron for the recommendation…see 9/6 entry)
- Tricot Machine (if Alison‘s listening to it, it must be good…)
Singles:
- Shiny Toy Guns “Le Disko” (you’ve heard this on a commercial, where they throw their cell phones at each other and the cell phones cut through their clothes…)
In Concert: Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
What an amazing show. Blew me away. Can’t really put it into words. Ben Harper’s amazing voice, and his truly remarkable guitar skills, and his completely awe-striking mastery of so many musical styles… His band is polished and professional but can still rip it up. There were loud rocking moments, and rollicking funky moments, and Marvin Gaye sexy moments, and quiet heartbreakingly beautiful moments. They’re promoting their new album “Lifeline” (with possibly the most lovely title song of any album in recent history) and I think it may be their best one yet. Highly recommended, both the album and the show.
Best of August.
The best movie I saw in August was also the only movie I saw in August (pathetic!): Stardust. Lucky for me, I quite enjoyed it.
The best book I read in August was a tie between “Run” by Ann Patchett and “Seven Types of Ambiguity” by Elliot Perlman. The former is relatively short, concise, but emotionally overwhelming, family drama. The latter is long, meandering, stream of conscious from various narrators, personal relationship drama. Both were highly enjoyable.
The best concert I went to in August was a three-way tie: the Lollapalooza performances by The Polyphonic Spree, Lupe Fiasco and Ben Harper.
My favorite tunes in August were: Matt Nathanson!!! both his new album “Some Mad Hope” and his live album “At the Point” are totally awesome. Awesome!!; Okkervil River “The Stage Names”; and Earlimart “Mentor Tormentor” (hypnotic! entrancing!). And I’m still listening to the stuff I bought in Belgium en français…right now I really like David Hallyday, MC Solaar’s “Chapitre 7” and Kaolin’s “Mélanger Les Couleurs”.
Random personal highlights: Lollapalooza! Trip to Belgium! Plus some quiet days with the Fam up in MN.
Lowlights? Tired out. Two weeks off really throws you for a loop when you return to normal. Need a vacation to recover from my vacation.