27 heaven

Yeah, kurt/burt sang in a raspy bluesy voice, which hey, I like Tom Waits, I can't knock a raspy voice, but that wasn't kurt's modus operandi. jimi rapping? no. jim and janis rapping together? again, no, please god no. And the whole "sly" references to the musicians' work -- the jim character singing about "the snake" instead of a lizard, jimi playing a harpocaster (technical aside, if you're going to have a jimi character, do try to tell your guitarist to try to play stylistically -- even if your point is to transcend idol worship or whatever, jimi's sound is his sound for a fucking reason; even if his point is that you need your own sound, he's not going to throw his own away. It's not like you can anyway.)

Otherwise, not so bad. Good company (heretofore referred to as "The Good Witch") made it bareable, though I wish I'd had wine. If only I hadn't been driving. As a gesture, Tai-tai came through in spades, she's a fucking gem of a person.

Also, although I've always been into really disparate sounds, low low low basses and high trebles, playing The Good Witch's guitar with the missing strings really drove that home and made me think about re-fingering chords differently. In standard tuning it was hard to tie both the bass and the high strings, but maybe in vestapol or open G tuning it'd work better. I really must try this. It sounded kinda like a banjo and I had totally forgotten how much fun a nylon string guitar can be, even if they sound like shit with a slide.

and I know I won't shut up about 'em, but there's a video for "Sing" by the Dresden Dolls:

xiu xiu

"Loneliness isn't being alone, it's when someone loves you/ And you don't have it in you to love them back." Xiu Xiu, "The Wig Master"

Except I couldn't find a video or other streaming for "The Wig Master", so you get other Xiu Xiu. They're a bit emo and melodramatic, but they do have a streak of cheap comedy in 'em, as evidenced by this interview with Pitchfork:

Pitchfork: Are you currently dating anyone?

Xiu Xiu: I am the mayor of shyberg when it comes to the first move. It's a wonder I've ever dated anyone. I am so single. Please give my number to anyone you know.

Xiu Xiu: Boy Soprano, probably my most recent favourite.


Xiu Xiu: Muppet Face


Xiu Xiu: Clowne Towne (live)

Back at the ranch

The quick and dirty version: dad might lose a kidney, loneliness is my new best friend, sunny's leaving, i am writing songs much easier than before but am weirdly having problems with lyrics now, naples was boring but calming, mills is back in my life which is cool, i have new friends that are kind and loving and surprising, thanksgiving sucked but i have a lot to be thankful for. I wanted to go to Alabama w/ Dad & Miriam but the prospect of a 12-hour drive with them did not fill me with a burning desire to go. I still have to write that industrial song for Xristophr ("she'll bring you down to your face" quote unquote).

This week's postsecret includes a bit about meeting people anonymously by going to the movies alone with a white hat. The idea that you might meet, if not a familiar stranger, but someone who is emotionally analogous to a familiar stranger is neat.

I got weirdly emotional and forgiving and sappy during the holidays, but I wound up just going to sleep instead of making phone calls that will lead to nothing but grief and heartache.

Shell smashed, juices flowing. Don't get sentimental, it always ends up drivel:

One day, I am going to grow wings, a chemical reaction.

And last night, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me:

Take me anywhere, i don't care, i don't care

A ukelele rendition of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"



So unbelievably pretty that I can't say anything more.

He is REAL!

RAMEN!

Why do you do what you do?

I just ran across Why Do You Do What You Do?. It's beautiful.

All Hallow's Eve: The King In Yellow

So I just found out that one of my favorite horror books is actually freely available as an audiobook online: LibriVox » The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers

Hallowe'en comes quick, kids.

Reviewing Mike Judge's Idiocracy. By Reihan Salam - Slate Magazine

Of course it's not going to be popular. The truth rarely is, even in farce.

Whatever: How to Make a Schadenfreude Pie

Whatever: How to Make a Schadenfreude Pie

Gotta love it. Gotta love it.

Even the rain bows down, let us pray

Tori performing "Cruel" live on Jools Holland.


I ran into this surfing. I first heard Tori listening to WVUM on the way to waste time somewhere. I don't remember much about it, just that it was on Bird Rd. and the song was "God" and I fell in love with the feedback guitars and the sweet and ethereal bitch-voice. I loved Tori from then on, and she remains probably the only musical act I've seen more than once (others being Tool and Smashing Pumpkins). Tori's the reason I'm good friends with LauraChikon; I posted on usenet's rec.music.tori-amos asking for a bootleg of the first show I'd seen (from '96's "Boys for Pele" tour) and she answered. We've been friends over ten years now. That show was the first time I met Cecie, one of the three times that music so touched me that I felt completely numb and the first time I saw girls kissing in public. I can still remember the girl a few rows in front of me, shaking and screaming "can you believe it? sick! sick!" during "Precious Things". And the guy dressed as a priest. Who showed up at the next show. I started losing interest in Tori's music after she got a half-assed band and started wandering. Maybe I got too serious for the music. Whatever. "From the Choirgirl Hotel" is possibly the last album I enjoyed, and I barely like half of it ... "Spark", "She's Your Cocaine", some of the b-sides ("Purple People") and this song, "Cruel". At the time I remember not getting it; I just didn't feel it, I guess. So I ran into this link for "Cruel" and I didn't even know what album that song was on but I listened to it and goddamn but I felt it. I can be cruel. A well-intentioned friend trying to fix a broken glass called me, cajoling me into trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. quote-unquote: "I think you're being stupidly hard-headed about this". And I'm not just being spiteful, although that's there too. I don't feel it anymore. I don't want it anymore. The poison worked it's way in. The cynic inside wants me to say that Sterling just wants a peace accord so that things will be better, back to where they were. But I'm not being spiteful for the sake of it and I'm not going to be a chump either, and I have so far resisted temptation to be cruel even though I want to very, very badly. I'm done with having my friendship wasted and returned with feigned concern. I was lied to, lied about and hurt...and in the bullshit insincere apology, lied to again. I mean c'mon: Too bad, so sad. No rancor...I mean, would you blame a dog for biting you? That's just what a dumb animal does. You try to heal yourself, and maybe heel it (ha ha, only serious), but all crows under heaven are black, after all.

So don’t give me respect / don’t give me a piece of your preciousness
Flaunt all she’s got in our old neighbourhood / I’m sure she’ll make a few friends
Even the rain bows down let us pray / as you cock-cock-cock your mane
No cigarettes only peeled havanas for you

I can be cruel / I don’t know why
Why can’t my balloon stay up in a perfectly windy sky
I can be cruel / I don’t know why

Dance with the sufis celebrate your top ten in the charts of pain
Lover brother bogenvilla my vine twists around your need
Even the rain is sharp like today as you sh-sh-shock me sane
No cigarettes only peeled havanas for you

off your cross, son

So. I was recently very hurt, and got the opportunity to speak to the person-impersonator who did the hurt. She said, seemingly apropos of nothing, "I found my soul".

What. The. Fuck?

i have no mouth and i must scream

So, one of the most famous paintings in the world, Edvard Munch's "The Scream" has finally been recovered.

I don't want to like that painting, but you know, there's something comforting about knowing that even a long time ago, someone somewhere was feeling like that. There's a bit of solace in being able to say "yes, this is Not Fun, but it's completely normal."

I think that people are the greatest fun

Arthur Lee of Love passes.

Sadly, unless you were around in the late 60's or you're a music obsessive (like me) then you've probably never heard the greatest psychedelic album of all time, Love's "Forever Changes".



Rock, flamenco, pop, folk, soul and funk all mixed into one. Here's a good song-by-song dissection. The whole album is gold, and that's rare enough these days, but those first three songs, "Alone Again Or", "A House Is Not A Motel" and "Andmoreagain" are, simply put, genius.

RIP, Arthur Lee.

in your blue eyes, in your sly smile

Ever miss something you've never experienced? Then you'll probably enjoy Iron & Wine's "Your Blue Eyes", here, courtesy of passing afternoon.com.