Wednesday, March 24, 2004
(4:48 AM) | Anonymous:
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Today's trip to the Wharehouse of Music was eternally better than last week's. This week I found success in finding Iron & Wine's "Our Endless Numbered Days". I've listened to it about 5 times since then, including falling asleep to it once. I had a bit of an issue with his earlier stuff..it seemed obviously talent-filled, but missing a certain something to take it from "really good" to brilliant. It could have been something as simple as me downloading at 128 bits, instead of my normally mandatory 192, or it could have been with the music itself, I'm not sure. Whatever the problem was, it wasn't enough to keep me from moving Iron & Wine up to the "have to buy it to keep a good conscience, since I know I'll enjoy it immensely" list. It was a good choice, it's one of the more beautiful records I've ever heard. So relaxing, so peaceful, it'd fit both a fantastically sunny day and a first snowfall type day easily. While more produced than the past 2 albums I've heard, this doesn't lose the "back porch of a florida swamp house" feel at all either. I think I'm in love, like the Jessica Simpson song.I also renewed acquaintences with the manager, I think last tuesday he was a bit hesitant to talk, minus that one brief discussion over the style of Sufjan. This may have been because it'd been about 3 months since I'd been in, mainly because no one on my list of "need to buy, not "obtain"" had released anything. This week he was much more talkative, reccomending I check out Kings of Convenience if I like Iron & Wine, being sure to point out that their first album was the best. He also looks like the lead singer of Staind, so that's always somewhat quizically funny to me. Hopefully between these two weeks in a row, and the fact I'll have to be back 2 weeks from today to get the new Modest Mouse and Ben Kweller will bring a renewal in my "regular" status. I'd hate to be irregular. Ew.
I finally got my CD player working. I jiggled the wire just right after about 15 minutes this morning, and was rewarded with an end to all frustration. Thank God. There is no better radio station than OKC's 105.3 the spy, so I could almost have lived without a CD player..except that from 5-6:00 they always do New Wave Happy Hour. I love the new wave as much as the next guy, I think, but I can't stand more than 2 songs in a row of it. As a nice balance to the general "indie pop" and rock which 105.3 the spy plays, it's great, ecstatic, all the go..but if you're going to play a straight hour of people with deep voices singing depressing lyrics with a poppy beat over casio keyboard tones combined with jangly guitars..why do it when everyone's driving home and thus all but forced to listen? Why do it every day of the week? Maybe one needs to understand the goodness of The Spy at other times to understand the full let down of New Wave Happy Hour... On my way to school this morning, I heard Rilo Kiley first, then Radio 4's "Dance To The Underground", then some Royksopp, followed by The Smiths, then The Shins, The White Stripes and Placebo. On my way from school to work in the mid afternoon, I heard Supergrass, then Nirvana, then The Sounds, followed by THe Clash, The White Stripes, The Kills and The Starlight Mints. It was brilliant. I finally, then, got in the car to go home after enduring my 3-4 hours of work, only to hear ..you know..Joy Division..followed by New Order..followed by some Depeche Mode..and then some ..you know some Other Two..Monaco..Electronic..and on and on and on. Even one "New Wave" band without an English accent would be good, but I don't think any exist really. So, all that to say, thank God my CD player is back up and running after a much needed week off.
I'm posting a lot about music of late, and to some extent I apologize about that. I've been sort of catching up on "classic" movies I missed because I didn't watch many movies at all until senior year of high school. So, I doubt anyone would want to read about Pulp Fiction (yeah..hadn't seen it till just tonight), or True Romance, or the like. Eventually I'll get back to the more recent stuff, the "independent", the "thought provoking" and so on. I was supposed to go see Fog of War last sunday, but I didn't. As far as books, I've only read the two I talked about last time in recent weeks. But once I finish off a book for class, I will start The Ticklish Subject, so that might provide some post material. Outside of media..my classes this semester have been pretty uninspiring as far as anything deeply intellectual. I still don't really know anyone in Oklahoma City, a couple guys at work, couple guys at church..but, no one seems to ever want to go out and..you know, actually do stuff. So, all I have is music pretty much right now given me any sort of "inspiration" or interesting stuff to write about. There are a few childhood stories to dish out here..though I try to save them for the most desperate of times..I might have to bust one out soon though. Really, it's pretty frustrating, cause I have some thoughts throughout the day, contrary to all evidence..but by the time I drive home from work and finish my homework, I can't ever remember what they were. Perhaps a notepad shall have to be carried with me from now on. If only I could have the seemingly free flowing, first thing to pop into mind style of a Kamala..sigh. Until I get a life, though, feel free to keep reading the never-ending fount of beautiful prose and essay, The Adam Kotsko, the greatest mind of our generation.
As a final note..did anyone know Sixpence None The Richer broke up a month ago, and Steve Taylor is no longer affiliated with his own dream, Squint Records. It's basically just another CCM label eaten by Word Records now..strange and sad..especially if that means Steve's new solo album and his numerous movie productions won't get made.
However, in trying to find more about this, I did come across this page which told me Sixpence was the devil. Perhaps it is a blessing of God's triumph over evil that God has brought them to break up. At least they don't have to put up with this sort of crap from Christians any more. However, in my book, that's one big minus to the scattering remnant of good christian bands left.
