itsnotaboutyouitsaboutus

So Long

2006-11-19T16:41:00.000-05:00

Since this space has been dormant for a good six months or so it is being laid to rest. If you know me and still check this blog i am sorry. if you stumble across it come on over to my better blog by clicking here.

Zombies!

2006-04-20T13:25:00.000-04:00

I am missing the Boston Zombie March" because of stupid teaching. I would totally get all zombied out and march through Somerville and Cambridge.

Baseball!

2006-04-20T13:12:00.000-04:00

At the start of this baseball season I promised myself I would not do three things.

1. Engage in Fantasy Baseball

2. Post on this Blog about the Red Sox or baseball in general

3. Post a comment on a Red Sox Blog.

I have already done two of those things so I guess its all out the window. I am ridiculous for the Red Sox right now, more than I have ever been. Before 2004 it was about winning the World Series, now I want sheer, unabashed domination. Here are the things I am most excited about.

Jonathan Papelbon, I have been gaga over him since last season and now he is killing it as our closer.

Curt Schilling, I cant stand listening to him talk, but he's 4-0 and striking people out in the 6th on 95 mph heat.

Josh Beckett, lunatic plain and simple. I hope I see him someday in person just so he can tell me to go fuck myself.

David Ortiz is special in such a special way that it can only be called special, by the way I am holding back tears just typing that.

Depth at every position

Coco Crisp, Jonny Damon may have broken my heart but Coco is gonna steal it back.

My Father, he said he doesn't really get too into the season until June, two nights ago he told me I would have to dose his Red Sox flames because he was so excited. He also bought a Yaz jersey signed by yaz himself.

Everything else, especially May 1st when the Spankees come to Fenway

Xylophones

2006-04-19T08:34:00.000-04:00

I am looking into buying a Xylophone. I have been really into them lately, mainly because I have done some Music class subbing and in the free time I play Xylophones, the recorder seems a bit too nostalgic. I had no idea how many different kinds and how expensive Xylophones are. I'll be on the starter end for sure.

New Stooges Album

2006-04-19T08:26:00.000-04:00

The reunion of the Stooges is cool and all but a new album seems like a bad idea, seeing as how Iggy thought Sum 41 were good collaborators for his last solo record.

Oh My Goodness.

2006-04-12T13:41:00.000-04:00

"The Start of Something" by Voxtrot is incredible. I don't feel all that much for their other songs, good stuff for sure, but this song is impossibly catchy. YIKES!

Xiu Xiu Interview

2006-04-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

I can't stand interviews of bands that don't ask real questions, especially when that band makes complicated and exciting music like Xiu Xiu. It was nice to read this good interview.

Arab Strap, Knitting Factory NYC, 4.8.06

2006-04-11T11:24:00.000-04:00

This was indeed much better than the boston show. Same exact set as Boston but tighter and crisper. The sound in the Knitting Factory was leaps and bounds above that of Great Scott. the encore consisted of my two favorite songs from Monday at the Hug and Pint, "The Shy Retirer" and "Serenade". They were both played acoustically, just Aidan and Malcolm, and at first I was dissapointed because part of the reason I like those songs so much is that they are dance songs. About half way through "The Shy Retirer" I realized that I like them not because of their beats but because of their mood, the melancholy hidden behind the beats and the melodies. Their success as song writers is that the can convey those moods and textures with just acoustic guitars or enitre scores of instruments, it comes down to just the songs in the end.

Arab Strap, Great Scott Boston 4.6.06

2006-04-07T08:19:00.000-04:00

Last night was my first ever Arab Strap show. I was tired and not as enthused as I should have been to see one of my all time favorite bands. It was very good. I will not go into too many details because I am seeing them at The Knitting Factory in New York this weekend, which promises to be a better show soundwise. I do wish I could have seen them earler in their career because the more I listen to The Last Romance I like it less and less. It is good but I cannot listen to it without skipping some songs unlike The Red Thread, Elephant Shoe, and Philophobia. They did play two of my favorite songs and the new songs sound great live. I am very excited for the NYC show and will have pictures to follow.

Ah Jeez

2006-04-07T08:15:00.000-04:00

Here is one of the better conversations i have heard in my tenure as private school substitute extraordinaire.

Student One: You're just as rich as anyone else.

Student Two: No I'm not

Student One: Your Mom drives a Porsche

Student Two: Yeah but she leases it.

Snakes Snakes Snakes

2006-04-06T13:50:00.000-04:00

This Snakes on a Plane is hilarious, on many levels. Check out Snakes on a Blog for the good stuff.

The Amazing Adventures of Joakim and Klay

2006-04-06T13:40:00.000-04:00

Michael Chabon had a speaking engagement cancelled due to Florida's involvement in the NCAA finals.

Windows on Apples

2006-04-05T13:05:00.000-04:00

And so it is. Apple has released Bootcamp which will allow Windows XP to run on Intel based Apples. Bootcamp will be included on Leopard, the next version of Apple's OS X.

What does this mean for the future of the two companies? Time will tell I suppose. I certainly hope that Microsoft does not purchase Apple in the future, as one commentator discusses.

Legos

2006-04-05T12:04:00.000-04:00

The New York Times technology section has an article today discussing Web 2.0. It refers to the concepts of Web 2.0 as the "Lego era" referencing the interconnectivity of new software. It also does a nice job of discussing the economic impact of it all, from Goliaths like Microsofts to the bedroom programmers and developers.

Whoa!

2006-04-05T07:59:00.000-04:00

The New York Times website has undergone a re-design. I avoided the site yesterday because the Yankees had won their first game and I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid the sports section. The Times new look is very current in terms of web design, soft blue for the links, more streamlined organization and layout. It certainly conveys a more modern web feel, in league with the conservative and boring, in my opinion, design a lot of blogs and online magazines use these days.

Boston Violence

2006-04-04T11:03:00.000-04:00

It's hard to live in or around Boston and not be puzzled by the increasing gun violence in the city. I remember during the 90's Boston was applauded for making gun violence, which is predominantly perpetrated by young people, almost non-existent. This weekend five people were shot, all survived. It has gotten to the point where shootings are now just a part of the news. I hope that city officials and community leaders can make a difference again. I continually feel that the lauded idea of the "New Boston" is creating an ignorance to the cities real problems. It is wonderful that we have young and multi-cultural people trying to lead, but there are a few neighborhoods that are being left behind, and shooting eacother as a result.

Myspace and Money

2006-04-04T10:57:00.000-04:00

The Guardian has a short piece that sums up social networking sites and commerece nicely, focussing specifically on Murdoch and Myspace. The final paragraph lays it out:

Nobody doubts that Murdoch wants to make money from the site. But, considering the facts on the ground, surely the question is not "is this possible" but "why does anyone think he knows how to do it".

Being a Britsih news source the author notes that Britain hasn't had any Myspace Killed My Daughter! headlines yet.

Define Objectionable

2006-04-02T23:52:00.000-04:00

Myspace has deleted 200,000 profiles for objectionable content (more). Which apparently doesn't matter because 250,000 new accounts are created everyday. I would like to know what is objectionable. Is it actual profane content? Or is it the awful design choices people make when "customizing" their page? Is it having to listen to the Black Eyed Peas and James Blunt when I want to send someone a message? I object to those things, and that is simply the iceberg's tip. Oh well, it is a wicked thing isn't it?

New York Hack

2006-04-02T23:36:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for some good reading, New York Hack is a nice fellow Blogger blog that was the blog of note tonight. It's done by a taxi driver from NYC taking pictures and telling stories.

sidenote: whilst listening to last.fm Sonic Youth is by far the most easily identifiable band I know of.

White Teeth

2006-03-30T22:28:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to be a fan of a writer without having read a word she has written? Well I have been a fan of Zadie Smith since I first read an interview with her, and its only now that I have gotten around to reading her first novel White Teeth. I am enjoying it tremendously, great characters, great story, but it also is speaking to the British history student in me. She does such a wonderful job of illustrating the racism and prejudices that post-colonial white Britons had towards their new darker skinned neighbors. She slips in subtle jabs at not just white Britons, but East Indian, and Southern-Asian Britons as well. It is like reading Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies publications without the Marxism, and, you know, it's funny.

You nailed the interview but those darn binge drinking photos on Myspace.

2006-03-30T09:09:00.000-05:00

The Boston Globe has an interesting article about employers searching blogs and social networking sites for information on job applicants. It seems this has become an increasing practice. I list my blog on my resume and emphasized it on my grad school application. I would not however point someone to my Myspace profile, simply because it is silly not incriminating. It is funny to think of a human resources manager scrolling through Facebook and Myspace to see what an applicant is really like.

Long Time

2006-03-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

I was told to put anything up here so here is some stuff.

Go here to see pictures from SXSW this year.

Jim has a blog now.

I'll be going to graduate school at The New School next fall.

Monday officially begins the Red Sox season.

My friend Eli is a director.

It's hard to admit but I agree with our president in some facets of Immigration reform.

That's all for now. More later. I will get back into this. March was hectic, so is April.

Cacheflowe

2006-03-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

My friend Justin makes great music under the moniker Cacheflowe. He has an album out, and now you can listen to his songs on XLR8R's website. Way to go Justin!

Ted Leo/RX and The Duke Spirit.

2006-03-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

Ted and the pharmacists performed last night at Toad's Place in New Haven CT. Two other bands played, one from New Haven and the other from Spain, thats about all they warrant. The Duke Spirit won me over. I enjoyed their first album but they were leaps and bounds better live, which is always a great thing. Ted was Ted. It was a "spirited" set. To apply that adjective to a Ted Leo show, which are always spirited, should give you a good idea of the energy level. He played some new songs which have no tricks or riffs, they're just killers. Also the RX drummer is now known as "Professor Percussion" because I said so. A few more photos can be seen on my flickr.

Mount Eerie

2006-02-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well well well. Mount Eerie is touring, and they are actually playing in the US, in Cambridge no less. Works for me since I have listened to 11 old songs of Mount Eerie close to 100 times this week.

04.29.06 - Cambridge, MA - YWCA
04.29.06 - Cambridge, MA - The Brattle Theater (midnight!)
04.30.06 - Western Massachusetts - TBA (a haunted house/barn, somewhere!)

last.fm

2006-02-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

I added my playlist feature from last.fm in the sidebar because I am on a bit of a rampage in terms of this blog. Also because last.fm is great. I typed in that I would like to hear similar artists to Liars and I get to hear one of those awful Wire songs from Manscape. You know where you kind of like the song you just wish Wire had written another 154 instead.

Thoughts while reading.

2006-02-27T20:26:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading Mediated by Thomas De Zengotita. It is good so far, perhaps a little too tounge in cheek at times, which is the point anyway. It has gotten me thinking, especially passages like this:

If the performance of one's everyday life is the most comprehensive manifestation of the mediated self's centrality, it is also the subtlest, the most diluted. Something more obvious was needed. All that was lacking were the means.
Until recently.

In my ongoing fascination with Myspace this one hit me. Seriously, "All that was lacking were the means." should be Myspace's motto. This passage is a part of his book where De Zengotita reflects upon the need for individual celebrity for all of us. It was the new tools offered by the web and expansion of tv programming, i.e. Current TV, that allowed for each of us to become a celebrity of sorts, we want to be looked at, we want to be celebrated.

Ryan McGinness-Mildly Subversive

2006-02-24T15:27:00.000-05:00

As if Beverly MA wasn't cool enough. Montserrat College of Art is hosting the first ever New England show of Ryan McGinness. The show is accompanied by an artist's lecture tonight at 5:30. Montserrat's site has all the info.

Arab Strap U.S. Dates

2006-02-24T15:21:00.000-05:00

Malcolm, Aidan and Co, are jumping across the pond for a tour in support of their newest album The Last Romance. It seems they won't be playing SXSW, alas. I will be seeing them in Boston and NYC.

Mar 23 Knitting Factory Los Angeles, CA
Mar 24 Café Du Nord San Francisco, CA
Mar 25 Café Du Nord San Francisco, CA
Mar 27 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
Mar 28 Neumo's Seattle, WA
Mar 29 The Media Club Vancouver, BC
Mar 31 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
Apr 01 Empty Bottle Chicago, IL
Apr 02 Kraftbrau Brewery Kalamazoo, MI
Apr 03 St. Andrew's Hall Detroit, MI
Apr 04 Lee's Palace Toronto, ON
Apr 05 Le Tulipe Montreal, QC
Apr 06 Great Scott Boston, MA
Apr 07 South Paw Brooklyn, NY
Apr 08 Knitting Factory NY, NY
Apr 09 The Khyber Philadelphia, PA
Apr 10 Iota Washington, DC
Apr 11 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
Apr 12 The Earl Atlanta, GA

"Not When You're Carlos D"

2006-02-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

This is hilarious on many levels.

Harold Hunter R.I.P

2006-02-23T13:33:00.000-05:00

Harold Hunter died on 2.17. When I was a kid and skateboarding my friends and I worshipped Harold and the original Zoo York skaters. Go here for more info.

Wristbands!!!!!

2006-02-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

Just got my wristband, or my girlfriend in Austin did, for SXSW. This has been ridiculous. SMS messages in the night, rumors, panic! It seems that there will be some dissapointed folks this year. But I've got mine. Hooray!

photo from Show Gazer

SXSW Shows Listed

2006-02-17T11:39:00.000-05:00

The showcases,dates, and locations have been posted here. You can get free mp3's from most bands as well.

2.14.06

2006-02-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

New York magazine has bloggers all aflutter with this article.

The Boston Globe had a two day special report on Wikipedia, its founders, its users, its volunteers, and its standing in the Academic world.

The truck pictured is taking equipment from Fenway Park to Ft. Myers florida. Which can mean only one thing.

I launched my own website this weekend. It has a link back to this Blog and to my flickr profile. It will have more soon, I suppose.

Sigur Ros

2006-02-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

I attended Sigur Ros' Boston show last night at The Orpheum Theater. It was my first time seeing the group, and I had heard from many folks that their live show is above and beyond normal musical experiences. It was very very good, but fell short of being great. I ascribe this to the fact that the majority of songs they played were from Takk, which is a very very good album, but not great. I am much more a fan of the near perfect ( ), off which they only played three songs.

As a live band they are truly captivating, opening the set with Glosoli played behind a silk screen where the members appeared as skewed and elongated silhouettes. My friend asked me if I thought they would play the whole show like that, they did not. They raised the screen and propelled for over an hour through their songs, with little sound experiments being played in between. They had a wonderful aesthetic, with synced lights and a large screen, directly behind the band, displaying abstract video and image montages. The treat was the encore. The silk screen was dropped again and they played my favorite song Untitled 8. The lights went haywire and the images on the screen were flashing at a breakneck frames per second. Then it was silent, perhaps the most perfect moment of the show, and true compliment to the power of their sound, for a near full five seconds after the last note, all you could hear was the hum of an amp, then roaring applause.

How Does It Sound?

2006-02-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

Belle and Sebastian's new album The Life Pursuit has been garnering a good deal of praise, best evidenced by this Salon review note: you have to watch a brief ad to get access to the site. What is missing in a lot of the reviews, and in music reviews in general is a discussion of music. Much of the to-do about The Life Pursuit is that it was made in L.A. with a big name producer. The reviews ask questions about Belle and Sebastians place in the pop canon, and the fanaticism of their fan base. Few tell me, a fan, what the songs actually sound like.

I feel that the majority of music critiquing these days relies heavily upon gossip and social context, as well as historical context. Sometimes I don't care what a band is all about, I only want to know what the songs are all about.

Song Bird

2006-02-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

Boing Boing has a post about Song Bird which is essentially an open source music player and search engine, at least in theory. I couldn't download because I am teaching and the Song Bird Site is overloaded.
One reason that digital media is so exciting to me is that I think of something that I need, i.e. something to scour the internet for free downloads, and bang there it is. Of course it is only available for Windows so all of us in the other worlds must wait a little while.

Anniversary!

2006-02-02T10:17:00.000-05:00

Unbeknownst to me. Today is actually the one year anniversary of my first post on this blog. I essentially ignored it for months after that first post, but here's to milestones anyway.

Trivial

2006-02-02T09:57:00.000-05:00

I am currently reading Haunted Weather by David Toop . It is an excellent study of sound and technology. I feel I cannot do it justice until I am finished reading it. Whilst reading last night I came across a quote from Atom Egoyan. He was commenting on Samuel Beckett's monologue Krapp's Last Tape.

Beckett is able to express the central paradox of personal archiving technology; its ability simultaneously to enhance and trivialise experience.

This struck me immediately as a comment that could be applied to blogging and new media as a whole. Those of us who blog often feel compelled to immediately chronicle meaningful aspects of our lives, whether personal, intellectual or otherwise. This is even evidenced by my blogging of this quote. I did, however, continue reading the book instead of running to my computer and posting about it right away. Chris touched on this a while back, taking extended breaks from the Internet. It is hard to "unplug" oneself and take something for what it is worth. To participate in activities without the bias of wanting to archive it in somehow. I suppose that is the test of new media and personal media, to know when to detach ourselves.

Daniel Brown

2006-01-30T22:26:00.000-05:00

This is fun and instantly gratifying. It is an interactive Flash application by Daniel Brown.

Bookish

2006-01-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

There is a solo recording from Nick Zammuto of The Books at lovelymedia.org. Which in and of itself is a nice site. Their archives only go back one month and their content is limited but they seem to have a wide scope and large ambition.

The recording is a sound piece that illuminates aspects of The Books sound. Quite nice.

It Has Begun

2006-01-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks have been full of official announcements and hype for SXSW this year. The fest is definitely going to be the biggest yet and I cannot wait. Arab Strap and Xiu Xiu are playing, The Matador showcase is officially out of control and now to add to all that. LIFETIME ARE REUNITING AND PLAYING SXSW!!!!! Lifetime is a "hardcore" band from way back in the 90's who when I think of them these words come to mind: Innovative, Influential, Unbelievable. They are playing with some crap bands but i could care less. Links for SXSW to follow, i will probably be posting more and more about it as it approaches as well.

UPDATE
So Lifetime have already reunited. I am just unaware of the going on's within hardcore these days. Ah well it will still be nice to catch their set at SXSW

net.art

2006-01-13T12:43:00.000-05:00

The newest issue of The Believer has an outstanding piece on the history, relevance, and challenges of Internet based art. Chock full of historical comparisons and insights and an analysis of the battle between "legitimate" art and net.art, the article really illustrates the possibilites of a collective and open art world that isn't based solely upon galleries and bottom lines. The entire issue is full of nice pieces and full color artwork.

Foreshadow Press

2006-01-12T20:22:00.000-05:00

In a move to shamelessly plug one of my all time favorite people. My girlfriend has just launched the website for her design and screenprinting company Foreshadow Press. So if you're getting married or putting out a record or need anything screenprinted give her a shout. If you're really nice maybe she'll make you a belt.

Internet and Indie Rock

2006-01-08T15:05:00.000-05:00

Here is a nice article about the role that the internet has played in the rise in sales and popularity of independent music. It runs in sync with the idea i have had for a while now that the internet is the new "cool older brother". One point made in the article is that listeners now can actually choose what they want to listen to, as opposed to only being able to choose from what radio and MTV played. So now we are going to have find even more obscure bands to make us feel cool. I mean Lightning Bolt was reviewed in Entertainment Weekly.

The B's

2006-01-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

I've been writing all morning and listening to my iTunes. I realized that the B's section of all my music is my favorite, this was done by a complicated set of equations, mainly being that I didn't skip a single song in the entire B block. It also seems to be my most diverse section. Starting with Bad Brains and ending with Broken Social Scene it includes all kinds of goodies like The Beatles, Battles, Bjork, Black Dice, Black Grape, Broadcast, BANE, The Books, Belle & Sebastian, Bonnie "Prince" Billy ( in on a technicality) and much more. Here's to the B's!

Retrievr

2006-01-05T15:51:00.000-05:00

Found this on boingboing. It is called Retrivr and it allows you to sketch a simple pattern and then search for photos in Flickr based upon the image. I've been having some fun with this and especially enjoy the color aspects of the application and the search results.

Lists upon Lists

2006-01-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

The New York Times has a good piece about music magazines and music blog year end lists. It is a nice portrait of what lists have become. It would seem garnering a piece in the Times would be evidence enough of their cultural arrival. On a personal note, Tiny Mix Tapes had my favorite list of the year.

2005 SONIC REVIEW!

2005-12-29T11:06:00.000-05:00

Instead of a defined list here are the albums, shows and musical going ons I was really into this year. Goodbye 2005.

Xiu Xiu's album La Foret was huge for me this year. I could not stop listening to it, and Jamie and Caralee don't give an inch. Seeing their live show at the Middle East in Cambridge during the worst part of my year was by far the best live show I saw this year. Aside from La Foret they released myriad albums and splits and evev created a new band with Larsen, XXL. I look forward to see what 2006 brings for the hardest working band in avant-destructo-post-pop, haha.

Arab Strap are perhaps my favorite band. Their newest album, The Last Romance, made a big impression on me. I was cool to it first as they eschewed drum machines and simple structures for more refined instrumentation and songs. My review of it is here. There music is as personal as it gets for me, and it looks like they are crossing the pond in 06, SXSW included.

Black Dice's Broken Ear Record got me going crazy when it came out.

Jose Gonzalez was a pleasant discovery, for many people I'm sure, his voice is good but it's his style of guitar playing that is the real treat.

I gained an appreciation for avant-garde composers, especially Alvin Lucier

Discovering that not only does my old friend Nat Baldwin perform, compose, and sing his own songs, but he is friends with my Austin friends, and I love his work.

Broken Social Scene's self titled record is great, the sum of many is greater than one and all that. However I didn't dig on Metric and The Most Serene Republic too much.

Like everyone else on the face of the planet, Animal Collective's Feels moved me in a very profound way. The people who say Animal Collective are on their way to becoming one of those legendary bands are wrong, they already are.

Then there is the more accessible version of Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear who I fell deeply in love with on Halloween night when they opened for The Mountain Goats.

The Books album Lost & Safe was tremendous.

I really loved getting to know Patrick Wolf's music.

Diplo is ridiculous, and on that note if I had to choose an album of the year it would have to be M.I.A.'s Arular for making an unbelievable dance album full of cheap sounds, reactionary politics and great beats. It is a new genre and it was the most exciting album of the year for me anyway.

BEST SHOWS I WAS AT IN 2005, also known as WHO CARES!

Sub-Pop showcase at SXSW, Thermals and Sleater Kinney killed, absolutely killed.

Some Girls at SXSW, I should have mentioned their record The DNA Will Have Its Say up above but I only really listened to it a handful of times. Some Girls set reminded that punk and hardcore should be about volume, anger, and just not giving a fuck about any one's opinion.

Xiu Xiu at the Middle East. Words Can't Describe.

Prefuse 73 at the Middle East. Top Notch form for the knob twiddler.

Ted Leo at the South St. Seaport

The Mountain Goats and Grizzly Bear on Hallowen at the Knitting Factory

The Go! Team at the Paradise Boston

Thats about it. I know I am forgetting plenty, but 2005 has been a trying year for me and its ending on a sad note. I am excited for 2006 and here is what I'm already looking forward to.
SXSW
Sigur Ros US Tour
Moving to New York
New Design and focus for this Blog

Happy New Year To Anyone Who Actually Reads This.

Flava Flavin

2005-12-25T23:35:00.000-05:00

So it's christmas and i got some good stuff, one of which is a book on Dan Flavin, my favorite artist. The book is wonderful because I have seen alot of his work and installations, it might not work so well if you haven't seen his work up close. I just wanted to post on his work because it makes me happy, and I have been drinking copious amounts of wine all night. Dig on it.

Known Pleasures

2005-12-19T15:09:00.000-05:00

Brooklyn Vegan posts about new Joy Division songs as a part of Anton Corbijn's biopic on Ian Curtis. This would mean the three remaining members; Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris, a.k.a New Order would lay down some cuts for the film, which is cool.

I am a tremendous fan of both Joy Division and New Order.I don't know how I would feel about seeing "Joy Division" play a show these days, it would be cool and all but I have come to terms with only ever hearing JD on my speakers. I think it would be good, however, for New Order. The swell of Joy Division interest, aping, and what iffing in the last few years would have us believe that Curtis was the only talent in the group, and that the sound was sculpted entirely by Martin Hannet. Curtis was a huge talent, but he was only one part of the innovation that was JD's music, the other three made the tunes and crafted the sound, then they started New Order and took it to a whole new level. So good for them for getting a chance to celebrate their songs and their friends life.

Here's a prediction for you as well, Coachella 2007- Night One- My Bloody Valnetine, Night Two- Joy Division

New Hobby

2005-12-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

So today I began converting my LP's to mp3's. I have been meaning to do this for awhile but never got around to it. I can now finally have access to all my old Hardcore 7" when ever I want and can sell off the ones i was only keeping for a song or two. Unfortunately this will take me forever.

SXSW

2005-12-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

Partial Artists list released for SXSW this year over at Done Waiting. Yee Haw!

I like you Tomlab...but you're crazy.

2005-12-14T19:24:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of giving, Tomlab is willing to sell you four, as in 4, cd's for the price of one. You cannot choose which albums, only if you want pop or experimental. These will be cd's from their catalogue, presumably that are just collecting dust. I doubt you would receive anything new, i.e. The Books, Patrick Wolf, Final Fantasy, but they have released a ridiculous amount of records by a ton of great groups. Take a risk and have fun. I need to contact them anyway and get off the german language e-mail list.

Punk Pics

2005-12-14T18:51:00.000-05:00

Great photos of all your favorite punks by Andy Rosen. I wrote my undergrad thesis on U.K. punk and race, so i always have a fondness for stuff like this, not to mention that The Clash were one of the coolest looking bands to ever grace a stage.

from Boing Boing

What a way to end the year

2005-12-14T17:30:00.000-05:00

This year has seen a record increase in gun violence in the city of Boston. Last night four people were shot to death in a basement recording studio in Dorchester, one of the hot spots of gun violence in the city. I'm glad the Boston police have stepped up efforts to curb college parties city wide, but can't seem to find a solution to curbing the rate of gun crimes. At one point a friend and I did some rudimentary calculations and figured that about 1 in every 2,000 Bostonians was shot this year. Of course the majority of these crimes have happened in the same neighborhoods so that stat is a bit skewed.

World Baseball Classic

2005-12-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

I normally don't like to write about sports. However, I am beyond excited for the World Baseball Classic this spring. It will be interesting to see how lineups are constructed and pitchers are used. It will also be nice to watch teams without caring about the outcome, although I do think I will be routing for the Dominican Republic, sorry USA. Baseball has become so intricate and stat based, each team has a philosophy, i.e. small ball, power, defensive play etc. I doubt managers will have time to dictate their play based upon a philosophy.

As to why I will route for DR. The Dominican Republic has produced the greatest, and my favorite, players of this generation. It will be the most powerful hitting lineup in the history of the sport, and the best pitcher of the last ten years, Pedro, will be their ace. It will showcase how a small, impoverished nation has been able to create "natural" ball players of a claiber unseen lately. I will route for DR because their players are just that, naturals. They dont go to clinics and camps and they dont have the newest gear or best fields. They just play to play. I cannot wait.

Cat Power

2005-12-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

What news could possibly make a day of non-stop snow, the loudest thunder, and pink lightning a bit more enjoyable. Cat Power playing Boston on Feb 18th, thats what. Thanks Brooklyn Vegan

No Fun Fest

2005-12-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

Tiny Mix Tapes gives the lowdown on this years No Fun Fest. The dates sync up with SXSW, so i shant be attending any of it. Oh well. Wonder if this was intentional.

Chemikal Underground Documentary

2005-12-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

BBC Radio 1 is playing a 1 hour and 15 minute documentary on Chemikal Underground. It seems like it is on tonight but I can't find the exact time. Either way you can listen to it archived here

Mess with Texas

2005-12-07T08:35:00.000-05:00

As a New Englander growing up I never thought much about what was west and south of New York City. But I did spend a year in Texas and fell in love with parts of it. One thing I began to understand was the saying "Don't Mess With Texas". This is pretty funny.

Snow

2005-12-07T08:02:00.000-05:00

Snow
Originally uploaded by Forest Hills.

Just the Flickr/Blogger "Blog This" option on Flickr

Xiu Xiu

2005-12-06T12:38:00.000-05:00

Good review over at tinymixtapes of the new "livish" Xiu Xiu record. The reviewer also touches on how Xiu Xiu shows are the worst place for loud people to be, which was actually a conversation I had last week.

Overly Excited With A Lack of Info

2005-12-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning i was fast asleep on the floor of a friends apartment in NYC. My phone rang and I decided to not answer , but then I did answer only to find out from the caller that Arab Strap is playing SXSW as part of their US tour in March. I had been looking everywhere for info on a possible AS tour, but could find little info. Their newest album is being released in the US in February, it came out in the UK this past fall and my gushing review is on this site. I did find this info on Donewaiting's SXSW blog. So it seems it is true. I am beyond happy for this news. Because it means i will be able to see them in Austin in March and then perhaps in Boston and New York as well.

This does bring up the one frustration I have with my favorite band. They do not make any info about their US activities easy to find. It seems since their split with Matador they have given up on the Colonies. Oh well, I am thinking of applying to be their webmaster, since their's seems to moved on.

Can It Be?!

2005-12-02T08:36:00.000-05:00

Has Pitchfork been usurped again by a smaller more agile indie blog? It would seem that this is true. The news of the Neutral Milk demos has been around for a few days on Tiny Mix Tapes and Brooklyn Vegan. I have been thinking alot lately about the idea of independent media and Pitchfork especially. It seems that there is definitely an anti-Pitchfork contingent, I even have heard of a group in Austin that is trying to create a site to specifically compete with Pitchfork! It would seem that just like in all forms of media, the small blog will continue to scoop the bigger sites and media outlets. I'm assuming Pitchfork has a Masthead and Editorial staff, whereas Brooklyn Vegan just posts. Interesting to nerds like me I suppose. I will however commend Pitchfork for their great oral history piece on Detroit Techno and Chicago House. That seems to be their greatest strength in my eyes, to write great contextualized articles and gain access to artists and musicians.

True Til Death

2005-11-18T15:47:00.000-05:00

In my last post I discussed issues of Boston media and Boston Hardcore. I was an avid fan and "member" of the "hardcore scene". But in the last four years or so have drifted to a much more varied taste in music. I haven't been to a hardcore show in years and rarely follow any new bands or goings on anymore. Since that article in last Sunday's Boston Globe however, i haven't been able to get enough of my old hardcore records and cds. It has been refreshing. While I have alot of 7 inches and LPs that i don't really care for, there are some songs and bands that have me feeling like I did when I was 17 and moshing all the time. I enjoy that I have a entirely seperate music collection that is very nostalgic for me. Some highlights

The Hope Conspiracy-
I saw this band at a BANE/In My Eyes show, one of the final IME shows, The Hope Con was just starting out and they just threw me against the proverbial wall. Deep guitars, heavy bass and crushing drums provide the backdrop to Baker's lyrics of desperation, hopelessness and betrayl. CRUCIAL!

BANE-
There have been bands in my life that have been THE BAND. BANE was that band for my first three years of college. Their first few seven inches are still some of the best hardcore ever made, ever. The many times i saw BANE still list as not only some of the best shows of my life, but some of the most fun times of my life, example- a kid doing a backflip off a baclony into the crowd during "Can We Start Again"

In My Eyes-
One of the best Straight Edge bands from the posi-core resurgence of the late 90's. Sweet Pete was the real deal as far as lyrics and stage presence go. I'm glad I saw as many times as I did before they succumbed to the standard two albums then break up hardcore formula.

Fastbreak-
I absolutley worshipped their first record, and absolutley hated their second,but the real treat was finding the 7 inch they did with ten yard fight. Fully forward thinking melodic hardcore that would be unbelievably popular now.

Those four bands combined with American Nightmare, Converge and Reach The Sky ( I still listen to those bands about once a month so they dont count for nostalgia) made up my listening habits for years. Its fun to get amped up on them again.

8-13 years too late

2005-11-17T09:07:00.000-05:00

This past sunday's Boston Globe ran an article that has been percolating in my head for a few days.( note: the globe requires registration and a fee to read this article, hence no link) The article described the success and popularity of Killswitch Engage, a popular aggressive band that has been termed by the Globe as "metalcore", in fact as innovators and leaders of "metalcore". I have two grievances with this article.
The first is that it is simply naive in 2005 to term a band as an innovator of metalcore. I have used that term since i became heavily involved in hardcore in the late 90's. The article praises Killswitch for bringing melodic vocals and screaming together, as well as playing what the lead singer called, " hardcore kids playing Swedish metal." In Boston we need to look no further than Converge and Cave In, as two bands that at least since 1996 have played that exact description of music, albeit not to the refined quality that Killswitch does. Labeling that band innovators discounts the bands that really took a leap and combined aspects of metal and applied them to hardcore, most siginificantly, i think, is Unbroken. They applied the heaviness and some of the riff sturcture of real metal and put it into hardcore anthems, in 1991 no less. There are myriad other bands, Trial, Botch, etc that are long gone but made what I and my friends,eight years ago, called metalcore.

The second issue I have with this article is that it is another example of New England media ignoring what was, is and will continue to be one of the largest hardcore scenes in the world right here in our own region. Starting in approximately 1999 and lasting until possibly 2003 the biggest names and bands in Hardcore came from MA and the surrounding region. Bands like Ten Yard Fight, In My Eyes, Bane, Reach The Sky, American Nightmare were not only hugely poplar nationally and internationally they also set trends for the larger hardcore scene in general. During that period those bands were the flagship bands for the largest independent hardcore labels in the world. Labels that have gone on to carry more indie rock or dare i say it emo/screamo bands, and those labels have made quite a bit of money. These Boston bands also took two bands, Thrice and My Chemical Romance, on tour with them. Thrice and MCR now are in the top 40 Billboard chart. Yet the media has never really taken any interest in the New England hardcore scene. It is just interesting to think about and it makes me a little upset that Killswitch Engage gets a front page A&E story on a Sunday and Bane propbably still tours in a van and makes no money.

Good Stuff For a Monday

2005-11-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

It seems the motivation to blog only comes when I am substitute teaching, this is also true for learning Flash 8.

Amazon has its 100 best albums of 2005 listed, Sufjan is #1, whatever maybe I will come around some day, but M.I.A. is #2, I kind of feel like she should get #1 for creating a genre more or less, but what do I know. I saw this on Donewaiting which is rad

Also Pitchfork has a great piece on the worst album covers of all time. My favorite is the Young MC cover which really speaks volume with one image. I also like that they take aim at some pitchfork darlings.

Of Course

2005-11-14T08:09:00.000-05:00

So Chuck Klosterman is now writing a monthly column on espn.com. In a way this was surprising, seeing Klostermans name on the sports monolith's website. Yet this is ESPN, who are beyond savvy in bringing in talent that will bring in new customers, and this is Chuck Klosterman who likes to get his name out there a bit. I like Chuck, when i pick up a SPIN, in airports or train stations, his work is really the only satisfying writing in there. To be honest I feel like SPIN is almost like People for those of us who listen to a more nuanced set of artists, haha. I used to enjoy espn.com , but now one must pay for nearly every article of substance and ESPN the network has lost me completely. I am a rabid baseball fan and I am finding a new fledgling relationship with the NBA, but that is where my sports interests ended, or so i thought. I am beyond fascinated with the business of sports and the role that espn now plays in it. That network shells out billions of dollars to host the NFL and has an even bigger stake in baseball starting next season. The business of sports is really like no other. The dirty laundry of contracts and trades and just plain old back stabbing and gossip are not only played out in public, but are broadcast across the globe over an over and over. So now when I find myself watching ESPN or travelling to their website, it is often just to see what hype is being perpetrated by THE MEDIA outlet of professional sports. They most assuredly have an agenda and its fun to decipher it. That was a bit of a tangent I suppose, but read Klosterman's article even if you don't like sports you will see something in there you recognize.

Grizzly Bear

2005-11-03T20:03:00.000-05:00

I saw Grizzly Bear on halloween with The Mountain Goats. Grizzly Bear is being significantly hyped right now, and I am buying it. They are one of the few bands recently that I can listen to every song by over and over. Their set got better and better on each song and my friend and I spoke with one of the members briefly after the set. He was psyched that we were psyched on them. Good show great band. I look forward to their next steps and new songs.

Libby Indicted

2005-10-28T13:24:00.000-04:00

So "Scooter" is charged with Felony counts. I'm in between classes as a sub and just for kicks took a look at the major newspaper websites to see who's headline said what. The Boston Globe, NY Times, and LA Times, all ran big font "Libby Indicted" type copy, the WSJ had it listed beneath whats news, and the one I was counting on , The Washington Times, doesn't even have it on its lead page. The W Times just has a big pic of Harriet Miers smiling. I was expecting that from the W Times and applaud them on their consistency. This will be my last politically related post for awhile. Just read Daily Kos.

On Cheney

2005-10-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

There is an interesting article in today's Boston Globe about the predicament that Vice President Cheney is in due to the Plame investigation. The article speaks about how Cheney, as President Ford's Chief of Staff, was responsible for moving Ford's administration away from Nixon and Watergate. Cheney has been a strong propnent of Executive powers being free from scrutiny under certain circumstances. It is interesting that now he finds himself facing a scandal, while not to the extent of Watergate, that depending on indictments could seriously damage not only the administration but Cheney's career and future.

Myspace is killing us all

2005-10-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

So I had a very personal experience happen because of Myspace. I won't go into detail but the experience really hit me, and once it had been gotten over and sorted out i started to think. Myspace is a goliath. Socially it has allowed me and my cousins to form a group and essentially be able to contact eachother whenever the need arises. I have physically reunited with two old great friends because we found eachother on the site. This is all whats good about Myspace, that as a social tool it works. What bothers me is the size of the site. I used to belong to a very rudimentary social site that was essentially for members of the Hardcore and Inide scenes, pre O.C. and fashion core. This site was good and Friendster essentially perfected it. Then Myspace blew it all up. I use Myspace instead of Friendster primarily because more of my friends use it as well. Its popularity and success have created some downfalls. Rupert Murdoch now owns it. Advertising is through the roof and it seems the administartors don't really check on folks profiles anymore, which is why i get solicitaions for all sorts of products and services through my inbox. I know i will continue to use the site, because it is fun and i do enjoy finding my friends and reconnecting. I am acquiring a growing distaste for it though and wonder how much longer it will hold my fancy.

The Last Romance

2005-10-20T17:51:00.000-04:00

So Arab Strap's new album came out this week, which for me is like having your birthday on christmas while taking really good ecstasy and participating in a naked lady avalanche( which is my friend Josh's term and i will not take credit). "The Last Romance" is not so much a departure as it is a progression. Gone are the drum machines and slowly picked acosutic guitars. Instead we have a full band sound, with quickly and slowly picked electric guitars. There actually are some great acoustic tracks. Malcolm sings as best he can. The biggest progression is that while it isn't the mope fest of "Philophobia", or the epic sad-core masterpiece "The Red Thread", it is somewhat optimistic. Pitchfork said it is happy in spots, which i guess it may be, but for Arab Strap who are synonymous with depression, there is never straight out happiness. How I see it is that the earlier albums were about being broken hearted and fucking and taking drugs and drinking until you blackout and then doing it over and over again. "Monday at the Hug and Pint" began to allude to the new attitude of the band, which i read as, I have led a life of heartbreak and substance abuse and casual everything but I am ok. It is an album about not moving on or forgetting or getting happy but taking everything you've ever done, every one you've ever loved and lost and understanding that you can be a sane and somehwat happy person regardless. Which to me is nice feeling.

I know i haven't said much about the music but it is par for the Arab Starp course. No more beats just drum sets, lots of strings, some horns, all beauty. I do not think this album could de-throne "Philophobia", "The Red Thread" or even "Monday at the Hug and Pint" as one of their best, but it is a good record and it is Arab Strap. Can they do no wrong?

Sufjan Stevens

2005-10-19T18:51:00.000-04:00

So i do not like to be negative in any way, especially about musicians i don't like, i normally just shrug them off an never listen to them or pay them mind. They do what they do and so on. Sufjan Stevens is a rare exception, i will not bash him, because i do like one song, but everything else i have ever heard, which includes "Michigan" and "Illinoise" i cannot stand. Today I heard a song of his on the radio and, once again, found it completely unlistenable. I have tried and tried to understand what it is about him i don't like and cannot put a finger on it. It is beginning to really frustrate me. Someone please help!

Rap

2005-10-12T10:11:00.000-04:00

So yesterday my friend purchased the new Danger Doom album, a collab between DJ Danger Mouse and MF Doom. It's a little silly seeing how the characters fromAqua Teen Hunger Force play a prominent role in a lot of the album. Having these Doom and Danger Mouse involved kind of guarantees silliness, but track three kicks in and sure enough theres Ghost Face doin what Ghost Face does. So it got me thinking about Rap and how when Ghost Face and Wu Tang came out in the early 90's having cartoon characters on your album would have been suicide.

I hold the Wu Tang in high esteem. I remember the day fondly, i was in sixth grade and Grunge ruled my life. I despised rap in all shapes and forms. I was watching MTV and the C.R.E.A.M video came on. I thought the Wu Tang Clan was the coolest group i had ever seen and i loved that song. Enter the 36 Chambers is still one of my favorite albums. Lauded as the future of hip hop the Wu spread out all over the Rap and entertainment worlds. Method Man is essentially a cartoon character himself, ODB is dead, RZA is scoring films, and Ghost Face, GZA, Raekwon and Inspectah Deck keep putting out good albums. This post has no point other than Rap has come far enough that its ok for Ghost Face Killer to take second billing to four cartoon characters and everyone will be fine with that, because after all Ghost Face is in Wu Tang and they have nothing to prove.

Subbing

2005-10-06T12:42:00.000-04:00

Tuesday I subbed at the private day school i attended from 2nd to 9th grade. I went from moderately unemployed music maker and writer to bona fide responsible adult. Heres what I learned.

1. The teachers i had as a student who were still there have not changed. It was beyond creepy. They look, dress, and act exactly the same. I graduated from there 9 years ago and these people have not aged. There may be something going on and i fear if i sub long enough they will try to bring me into the fold.

2. Sixth graders still fear any and all adults, even those with little to no idea of what they are doing. Sixth grade boys really enjoy math and get visibly upset when Sixth grade girls aren't into the class math project. They're doomed.

3. 7th graders are one step below feral caged animals. The english classes i "taught" devolved so quickly it was impressive. I threatened and bribed and then lied about worksheets they had to do saying they would be graded as a quiz and anyone who talked would have their quiz taken and automatically fail. HA! suckers

4. After teaching 12-14 yr olds for three hours straight a ciggarette is perhaps the greatest relief of all time. If i could smoke in the class room things would be alot different.

Im going back friday, 7th grade english, and i am throwing someone out of class immediately, maybe even the shy kid, just to prove a point. In fact i may send myslef into the hall , after all when i went there and i got kicked out of class i used to just sleep in front of my locker.

Trail Journals

2005-04-20T11:10:00.000-04:00

So i have a friend, Jim, hiking the Appalachian Trail right now. Of course like all things these days we can be kept up to date via trailjournals.com , a site like live journal for hikers out on the trail. Im not entirely sure how some of them post everydaybeing on trails and whatnot , i know Jim emails a bulk of entires to his Mom and she posts them.There are photos and funny anecdotes and whatnot but perhaps most interesting are the trail names, each hiker has a trail name that they go by for the whole hike, Jims is unfortunatey super trooper, i reccomended The Duke Owl, but i think only hikers can bequeath trail names. Anyway check out trailjournals.com and type in super trooper to see Jim or just read about all the hikers out there doing whatever it is they do.
Pat

My Self Appointed Trail Names:
Serpentor
Destro
Murph
Optimus Grime

Februray One

2005-02-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

feb2