It doesn’t matter times I listen to Neko Case sing certain songs, I still get chills. I could listen to her sing “Ghost Wiring” or “Furnace Room Lullaby” a hundred times (especially with Kelly Hogan singing harmony), so I’m glad they’re both on her new Live From Austin disc. If you don’t have it, get it. If you haven’t seen her perform live, see it.
[tags]neko case, live from austin[/tags]
My latest obsession: Shelfari. I’m slowly inputting my collection. The best part is how it shows you how many other people have the same books as you, and lets you browse their collections (or even chat with them) for recommendations. I told my brother about it too, and he’s got a shelf or two of his own.
Hat tip: Duarte.
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I’ve finally finished watching loudQUIETloud (imdb | rotten tomatoes) after squeezing bits of it into many lunch hours. It was great to see that even bands who have as massive an impact on music as The Pixies did are made up of screwy individuals. David Lovering and his metal detector? Frank Black and his self-help tapes? Joey Santiago not recognizing his own baby? Kim Deal…full stop? Awesome, all of it; it reminded me that dorky people can be influential too.
By the way, I swear I have a different favourite Pixies song every day, depending on which one I heard last. Today it’s “Caribou”.
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Google Reader has added user stats, which is piles o’ fun for a geek like me. Apparently in the last 30 days I’ve read 11,672 news items, or 389 a day. That’s probably a bit less than I’d usually do as there were a few days over the holidays when I didn’t read any, and just had to blow the items away. 400 a day sounds about right. I don’t read all of those, obviously; I skim the headlines and mark the ones I want to read.
[EDIT] That 400 doesn’t include the 300 or so I read for work each day.
[tags]shelfari, loudquietloud, pixies, google reader[/tags]
I’ve listened to “Intervention” by the Arcade Fire a dozen times in the past few weeks. I could listen a dozen more. Can the rest of Neon Bible be that good?
God help us if it is.
[UPDATE] “Black Mirror”, another song from Neon Bible, is damn good; while not quite as good as “Intervention”, it makes the score 2 for 2. Hear it for yourself.
[tags]arcade fire, neon bible[/tags]
Back in November I was worried that the rock and roll hall of fame would induct a bunch of (in my opinion) questionable bands. It may still happen, but not this year.
“Van Halen, R.E.M. and Patti Smith will be inducted into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the hall announced on Monday. Also to be inducted in a ceremony in March are Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the first rap act ever to make the cut, and 1960s girl group the Ronettes.”
[from the CBC]
[tags]rock and roll hall of fame, van halen, rem, patti smith, grandmaster flash, patti smith[/tags]
My wife often falls prey to “impulse” displays at checkout counters, and usually gets cravings for whatever food commercial just aired on TV (even for food she doesn’t normally like). I suppose this makes her normal; advertisers wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t a market for it.
I’m not affected by ads, but music gets me every time. If I hear a good song in a movie, or see the title written somewhere, I’m on a mission to listen to that song as soon as possible. For example, in a recent Gaping Void post Hugh talked about “Sister Ray” by The Velvet Underground. Within 30 seconds I’d pulled out my Nomad, found the song and cranked up the volume.
Of course, the problem with “Sister Ray” is that I’m tired of the song by the sixth minute, and I still have eleven to go. The other problem is that “Sister Ray” reminds me of the movie Brick, which I’ll now have to go buy on DVD. Dammit.
[tags]impulse buying, gaping void, velvet underground, sister ray, brick[/tags]
Yeah yeah yeah, I’ll change my mind in 3 months, but for now here it is. Not ranked this year, just ordered alphabetically; no one stood out as a clear winner.
[tags]best music of 2006[/tags]
I’m trapped in the doctor’s office waiting room, and this Christmas music is killing me. I just heard a jive version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. Up next: Anne Murray singing “Away In A Manger”.
He’p me, Jesus. He’p me.
[UPDATE] Now it’s “Mary’s Boy Child” by Boney M. Hallelujah.
[UPDATE2] Michael Buble followed immediately by Mariah Carey. I’m praying for death.
[tags]bad xmas music[/tags]
There was snow this morning for the first time. Not a lot, just a little bit in the air. Now that it’s December and there’s a bit of snow in the air, I’ll allow myself to feel like Christmas is getting close. T-Bone and I were talking yesterday about how we’re feeling stressed, like we’ve left gift shopping and decorating far too late because the merchants have been decked out for the season since Nov 1…or earlier, if you’re The Bay.
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Speaking of Christmas-overload: the Globe and Mail discusses the now-ubiquitous Christmas Musak. I suppose it’s not fair to pick on yuletide Musak though; it’s awful all year round. Instead, what worries me is that I’ll have to hear the same shit Christmas music every day for the next month; “Wonderful Christmas Time” by Wings, anyone?
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Met M2, KP and DI for some food & drink last night at the Rebel House. I haven’t seen them in a long time, so it was good to catch up and have a few laughs.
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If you liked Shaun Of The Dead, you’ll be as excited about Hot Fuzz as I am. Check out the trailer(s). Bonus points for excellent use of an Eels song too.
[tags]snow, christmas season, musak, rebel house, shaun of the dead, hot fuzz, eels[/tags]
The radio was on in the store when I went down there at 2:00, and I’ve had “Electric Avenue” stuck in my head since then. NOT cool.
[tags]eddy grant, electric avenue[/tags]
We had dinner at Volo tonight with my university friend Farmboy and his wife. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm…pasta n’ beer. I’m sad, though; they no longer carry the delirium tremens.
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Kristen Bell: even hotter in high definition. Hooray for technology.
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It would seem that …And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead might be self-destructing. I’m glad I saw them when I had the chance.
[tags]bar volo, kristen bell, and you will know us by the trail of dead[/tags]
Skirl | Dan Dickinson 