Its OK They Know Me Here

Forget network television; I'll take the Ovation channel any day of the week.  However, my favorite day is Monday, the performances.  I sit writing this as Bathroom Divas is on.  As I'm sure all of you know it is a show that make these people opera singers.  Yes let me repeat that, opera singers.  American Idol has nothing on this show.  The start with auditions and pick 6 singers to live in this very stately home to go this opera boot camp and the winner gets to fully orchestrated performance in a massive hall.  This one guy, Paul, is in one world amazing. And of course it never huts that he is not bad to look at ether. What can I say I fairly sure it has something to do with the suit.  I have a thing for guys in suits. 

In other news I'm getting to the point where I'm recognizing film score composers just by hearing there work.  I don't think this needs any further elaboration is needed on my point. Admitting this is enough.

Also, I just saw a preview for a documentary in there American Revolutionaries series over Martha Graham.  Sweet!  Its on this Wednesday at 7 and 10 pm  and just in case you miss it, its back on twice Friday and then again July 30th.  I know I will be watching at least once and I cannot promise it wont happen again.  If you don't watch it; you are no longer my friend.

Now that I have firmly taken residence in the land of Geekdom, I wonder if there is a rehab center for this. Not that I need one, of course, it would just be nice to know its there.

Now You Owe Me

Whenever someone ask me to something nice for them, I usually do it.  Not out of some idea that it would help better the world or any new age b.s., but I do like that now that person owes me.  Whether big or small, its nice to know that when the time arises I could call in the favor.  Mainly this relates to my dad, however, other authoritative figures also come in handy.  I like to fallow and comment give with something like, "just remember this the next time I...

• ... call you at 3:00 in the morning.
• ... the next fine, ticket, or penalty I get.
• ... when I need $$$ to get my hair done.

Need less to say the list goes on.  It is kind of like how the Mob operates.  Although I don't have "direct" knowledge of how they work; I did grow up in the family that I did and that really is all the training that one would need.

It's Kicks Ass

I have noticed that this blog has taken somewhat of a darker pessimistic tone so I have decided to share some of my recent accomplishments, with captions;

• I found the source of the smell in my apt and removed it, lets just say it was once something editable
• I returned my library books, yes they were a week late but that just go to show that it is cheaper for me in the long run to just buy them
•  I managed to put my brace o this morning with my eyes closed, wasn't quite ready to say good morning to the world
• I also got my car inspected the the oil changed, it did however take me getting a ticket for it though.

In other new I stubbled on a album by Joby Talbot in iTunes. He is this kick ass composer who is currently blowing my mind.   In general I like two types of classical music;

1. Modern, very clean melodic lines, and the darker the better.
2. Strongly jazz influenced, whimsical, and sounds like something you would hear in cartoons. 

I bought The Dying Swan- Music for One to Seven Player is word of word how I like music for the first type to be, that you just need to buy the album yourself.  It is a musical experience.  To back track a bit let me explain that I first came upon him through his work on the score of Son of Rambow.  It was a bit repetitive for my liking but it did interest me enough to look into his work.  Thats how I found his Dying Swan CD this morning. Fast forward to moments ago I worked my way over to his web site and found that he had worded on an re-imagined CD based on Jack White/ the White Stripes called Aluminium.  Now I try to not buy more then one CD in any given week, but an exception had to be made in this case.  It's just that good.  It is hard core my second type of classical music and very much like his work in Son of Rambow. I usually think that classical artist who over popular songs are sell outs and void of any original ideas, but not with him and not with this CD.  I strongly suggest if you have heard "Astro" to play his version, or at least sample it for crying out loud.  It's kicks ass.

My Hero

Note:  I first wrote this give or take a week ago and delayed publishing it until I devolved some film of a picture that I felt was appropriate for this piece.  Also it should be noted that I wrote this after watching too many "Grey's Anatomy" episodes; so please excuse the particular tone due to this and the reference to the BBC comedy with the title.

There is this idea, or even stronger an idealized life plan thanks to fairy tales and Disney, that all little girls will grow up find the love of their lives, marry, then live happily ever after. Now if you please, take a moment to think of the fallacy of this;

All little girls will grow up find the love of their lives, marry, and live happily ever after.

Is there any truth in this?  Can any one say that, yes this is true and thats how it happened to me? For those who's parents are still together then there is really no point for you to read beyond this point, but for those who's parent aren't, what real life example do we have? Its would be a complete jump in logic to assume that this could happen to us. My mom left right after both my brother and I left home, in fact I was told this only a week before my 21st birthday, and although they have been divorced for year my mom is still contesting it.  I often wonder if they would have been together even that long if it hadn't been for my dad being away from home for work so often. Even my grandparent, every single one of them have been divorced and remarried. Growing up that was cool to have so many sets, but once I was old enough to release why that was so,  the nostalgia is bittersweet. 

I don't want happened to my parent to happen to me, I want to find the love of my life, marry, and live happily ever after. I really do, but what real life examples do I have to use as source material?  My brother and I were raised with the same examples and he is across the country with a kid who's mom wont let him even be alone with is own child. I haven't even been in a relationship little less a successful one.  I honestly don't know how to be in one.  Could it be that these issues are just my own personal insecurities? My brother is sleeping with anything with two legs and two X chromosomes; while I'm to scared to even let anything get to the point of intimacy. 

  

Are we simply products of our environment or is there a way to break the cycle?

Completely Blown Away

Every once in a while I'll shuffle through songs  in iTunes or on my iPod and will be completely blown away by a song that I hadn't heard before.  I will find just a kick ass song  that is so good and wonder why I hadn't been playing it every single day. Sense I have been working at home, I don't have the bandwidth to stream music and run all of the programs that  I need to at the same time, I have been coming across these mind blowing songs off of my iPod more often.  So I though I would share a few that I have managed to mark and highly recommend.

• "Park Avenue"  The A-Sides
• "I.C.E" Antibalas
• "All the Truth" Bear is Driving
• Tears from a gun" The Black Ghost
• "Veloso Odeio" Caetano Veloso
• "Love Me in the Morning" Clare Burson
• "The Satisfier" Eli 'Paperboy' Reed
• "Captain Captain" Haley Bonar
• "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe" Okkervil River
• "Fear" Paddy Casey
• "Tonight I Have to Leave It" Shout Out Louds
• "When you Were Young" Astrid Swam
• "Friday Night at the Drive-In Bingo" Jens Lekman
• "Let's Try This Again" Sara Gazarek
• "Jade Like Wine" Six Organs of Admittance
• "Passages" Passages
• "71943676_75b9ec81" Unknown artist

The last two are all the information that I have. "Passages" is smooth jazz, which I don't usually like, but has this nice blues twist.  The last one is a fantastic version of Death Cab for Cutie's, "I Will Flollow You into the Dark," but done with a piano and a female voice. 

Some have asked where I get my music from, so here are the the places my digital music come from (all very legal mind you);

• iTunes- both the free weekly songs, make sure you find the discover tune which is usually next to the free regular song in the "free on iTunes" box at the bottom of the home page, and paid for
• 7digital.com- I get all of my European music here that hasn't been released in the states for whatever reason. I pay for them, but its in pounds so you'll have to pay the exchange rate and what ever fee you bank charges you to do it.  This usually makes out for what ever I buy to be about twice as much as if I would have bought it form iTunes. Great for those artist who you have bought their American stuff and want that song that wasn't included but is on the European on or those Canadian artist who don't release there stuff here but do in other countries. Although they do have stuff for free if want to be on the artist' mailing list.
• linktvstore.org- part of the uber liberal cable channel Link TV, which if you have it you should be watching they have some fantastic documentaries. But back to the music, there store basically supplements there global music show. They have stuff for free and stuff you can buy.  I have done both, but for whatever reason cannot download stuff from them onto my Mac.  PC has always worked though. Great music ever sing time, exceptionally if it doesn't really matter to you if it is in english.
• wxpn.blogspot.com- From a fantastic NPR station, great to play during the day.  They play the stuff that wouldn't necessarily be played on normal radio but should be on it plus with a nice mix of the older stuff that isn't really genre focused. . The music can be found under "My Morning Download" (a shameless take on My Morning Jacket.)  I have always found there stuff to be just ahead of the curve with music and ever song just as good as the last. And its free so even if you don't like the song, you're not out anything and you add to you play count.