At this moment...
07.31.06:
As I was watching Yo La Tengo at day two of the Pitchfork Music Festival it hit me that very few of the main stage bands had women in them. And in looking at the Biz stage schedule it appears that only one band had a female in it. Very strange. I'm surprised that none of the local media that spotlighted Pitchfork in their publications mentioned the lack of women either fronting bands or at least playing in the bands. What got me thinking about this was seeing Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo behind the drum kit. I've never seen Yo La Tengo live, which is super strange since my website is named after a Yo La Tengo song. Either way, Georgia kicks some serious ass on the drums. Yo La Tengo played a set of all new material. Oh, and Ira Kaplan is a guitar maniac. Here are a few photos from their all-to-brief set:
07.29.06:
Day one of the Pitchfork Music Festival. The Walkmen were my favorite act of the day, and since I was close to the stage, those photos turned out best. So, here's one photo of The Walkmen...
07.27.06:
Nothing to report, just some gorgeous songs…
Exotic Animal Parade - Asobi Seksu
Paperback Bible - Lambchop
O Fridur - Sigur Ros
Odi Et Amo - Jóhann Jóhannsson
I Can't Stay Mad At You - Camera Obscura
Your Baby (Can't Stand the Rain) - Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham
Can't Stop the Rock - Jim Reid & Sister Vanilla
07.25.06:
Due to an electrical problem at the office my apartment has been my office for the day. I don't really care for doing work from home.
This morning my iPod died, or at least it appeared to die when I was out running. Right now it's charging, but before I went out running it showed almost half a charge, so I don't quite know why it stopped on me. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I will say that I abuse that thing a bit more than most people do. I haven't dropped it, but I'm sure the sweat can't be good for it.
07.23.06:
It's been a Pernice kind of Sunday morning. Ever since returning from my 14 mile run Pernice affiliated bands have been playing on the stereo. I ran too fast (I blame Bowie for that. Bowie is great running music, especially when it's a long run). Up until about mile 11.5 everything was fine, and by the end of mile 12 I was feeling pretty beat. Then, at about mile 13.5 mile Achilles tendon started to ache on my right leg. I stopped for a bit and stretched, managed to finish the run, and now I have an ice pack on it. I need to spend more time stretching my Achilles tendon.
More later…
Oh, and welcome to my recent Australian visitor. Do I know you?
07.22.06:
I spent my day with Rike, Proust, and as the day started to draw to a close, a refreshingly gentle thunderstorm. First, I reread Rilke's Letter to a Young Poet. It's an inspiring treatise on what it means to be an artist and the role solitude must play in the life of the artist. I've read it many times before and every time I'm astonished with its beauty, honesty, simplicity and sensitivity. Here's a brief passage that made me meditate on the current situation in our world:
We have no reason to mistrust our world, for it is not against us. Has it terrors, they are our terrors; has it abysses, those abysses belong to us; are dangers at hand, we must love them. And if only we arrange our life according to that principle which counsels us that we must always hold to the difficult, then that which now still seems to us the most alien will become what we most trust and find most faithful. How should we be able to forget those ancient myths that are at the beginning of all peoples, the myths about dragons that at the last moment turn into princesses; perhaps all the dragons of our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave. Perhaps everything terrible is in its deepest being something helpless that wants help from us.
As for Proust, I've cracked open Swann's Way many times before, but have never gotten past page 17. But today was different. Today I stuck with it, and for that I am thankful. Wait, I think I may have read the first chapter of Swann's Way in Comparative Literature. Did we? We had that awful professor for lecture who had a gigantic wart on her face. If I go through my notes from lecture I'm certain that you scribbled a funny drawing of her on a page for me. We even had a name for her. I guess opening up Swann's Way was my way of dipping a petite madeleine into a cup of tea. From Proust's Swann's Way:
And so it is with our past. It is a labour in vain to attempt to recapture it: all efforts of our intellect must prove futile. The past is hidden somewhere outside the realm, beyond the reach of intellect, in some material object (in the sensation which that material object will give us) which we do not suspect. And as for that object, it depends on chance whether we come upon it or not before we ourselves must die.
And then back to Rilke. I've posted this before, but…
Requiem For a Friend
I have my dead, and I have let them go,
and was amazed to see them so contented,
so soon at home in being dead, so cheerful,
so unlike their reputation. Only you
return; brush past me, loiter, try to knock,
against something, so that the sound reveals
your presence. Oh, don't take from me what I
am slowly learning. I'm sure you have gone astray
if you are moved to homesickness for everything
in this dimension. We transform these Things;
they aren't real, they are only the reflections
upon the polished surface of our being.
Listening to:
Cake - Trash Can Sinatra
Songs:
Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind - Yo La Tengo (Possibly the single from the wonderfully titled forthcoming album I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass)
Somerville - Pernice Brothers
07.20.06:
I wrote this the other day, but haven't posted until today:
I have these moments, they usually occur at work, when I'm walking down some hallway painted in some drab, neutral and completely uninspiring color, like off-white/cream, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world. Wait, that's a lie. No, as I walk down these hallways my mind starts to drift and dream of things non-work related. Today I wondered what it would be like to ride my bike from Chicago to Maine, and then from Maine to the west coast. Or, what would it be like to be in constant motion, never stopping. You'd be able to sleep, but you would have to be sleeping in something that is moving. That probably makes me sound like some sort of fool. It's like my idea for an edible car. It wouldn't solve any problems, but the idea just appeared one day.
Will someone please make me a mix CD? If you make me one, I'll make one for you. It would be nice to receive one from a complete stranger, or some long lost friend, but I doubt that would happen. I can be reached here.
Today I woke at 5 AM to some rumbling thunder, and wasn't able to go for a run. However, after work I went for a five mile run. Felt good. Once I cooled down I drank a nice 20 oz. bottle of Fat Tire. Damn that's some good beer. Hopefully I'll be able to wake tomorrow morning and go for another five mile run.
Listening to:
So Gone - Evangelicals
07.16.06:
I've been back in the Land of Lincoln for two days.
"Why go west, when Maine has everything?"
— Henry David Thoreau
Listening to:
We Are the Pipettes - The Pipettes
07.15.06:
I'm too lazy to create a proper photo gallery. Maybe next week I'll make one.
07.14.06:
Nothing is as important as my family.
I'm listening to Belle and Sebastian and watching the sailboats play out in the bay. Earlier we climbed Mt. Megunticook (at the top we watched turkey vultures and took in the scenery), then went for sushi and a pint. I'm not looking forward to my return to Chicago. I originally typed home instead of Chicago, but this is home, especially now that the entire family is here and my dog is by my feet.
07.13.06:
I was coming back from taking some photos down by the ocean when I came across a dragonfly…
I took three photos of the dragonfly. The first was too far back, the second was out of focus, but the third, which is the above, turned out just right. Possibly the best photo I've ever taken. I'm amazed that the dragonfly let me get as close as I did. Even more surprised at how still it stayed for me. Just the other day I was sitting on the porch with Caffrey, and I heard this humming sound, and when I looked down I saw a humming bird. I'd never seen one so close in my life.
These are the Oreo cows. This is my attempt at Atom Heart Mother. When I run through Camden and Rockport I run past the Oreo cows.
Maine isn't known for having the prettiest beaches. Yet I prefer these to the ones in Florida.
One of the many cranes that tower over Bath, Maine.
For the longest time I thought Red's Eats was a hotdog stand. I was wrong. Red's sells lobster rolls.
Today I bought two bottles of Cold River Vodka, which is distilled from Maine potatoes using water from the Cold River. When we stopped by the distillery I was taken aback by how small it is. Seriously, about the size of a house. I was expecting something much grander.
07.12.06:
07.11.06:
Goodbye Syd.
Oh where are you now
pussy willow that smiled on this leaf?
When I was alone you promised the stone from your heart
my head kissed the ground
I was half the way down, treading the sand
please, please, lift a hand
I'm only a person whose armbands beat
on his hands, hang tall
won't you miss me?
Wouldn't you miss me at all?
The poppy birds way
swing twigs coffee brands around
brandish her wand with a feathery tongue
my head kissed the ground
I was half the way down, treading the sand
please, please, please lift the hand
I'm only a person with Eskimo chain
I tattooed my brain all the way...
Won't you miss me?
Wouldn't you miss me at all?
-- Dark Globe, Syd Barrett (1946 - 2006)
Whenever I'm in Maine my dreams tend to be more vivid and memorable. Last night I dreamt (queue The Smiths…) that I was in some sort of marching band. The band was at some sort of competition and I started playing The Final Countdown by Europe on my saxophone. I kept playing the four notes to the keyboard melody over and over and asking other people to name the tune. No one could, and when I told them it was The Final Countdown they freaked out and couldn't believe that I was playing such a great song. I then decided to come up with a marching band arrangement of the song. Then I woke up…
Earlier, just as we were sitting down to dinner, fog began to roll in off of the sea. The sea, the sea… I love the sea. Now, as I'm getting ready for sleep I hear the fog horn in the distance. There's a comfort in hearing a fog horn, like the comfort of a loved ones voice.
Listening to:
The Eraser - Thom York (Really good, not claustrophobic like the last few Radiohead albums.)
The Avalanche (Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album!) - Sufjan Stevens
Let's Get Out of the Country - Camera Obscura
Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake - James Figurine
07.10.06:
07.07.06:
It doesn't get much better than this…
I'm sitting outside. There's a slight breeze, very calm. Once again I'm watching the sailboats pass by. Earlier Caffrey and I were playing in the front yard. She's been by my side since I arrived. I miss her a lot, so it's nice to be able to hang out with her.
07.06.06:
The hills of Camden kicked my flat lander ass. I forgot how brutal some of those hills can be. I was supposed to do a tempo run, but after the giant climb at the end of mile one and the beginning of mile two I was wiped out. I still managed to do a five mile run. Hopefully I won't be in too much pain when I go out for a run tomorrow morning.
It's a different world out here in the Summer. I've only been in Camden during the Fall and Winter. Schooners and sailboats with their gigantic masts dot the bay in Summer. It's an inspiring sight to see. After my run I sat on the second story deck. The warm sun felt refreshing on my face as I read a bit of Joyce. Somehow I managed to fall asleep.
For dinner we ate a wonderfully simple grilled tuna and coupled it with a peppery pinot noir. Delicious.
07.05.06:
Sitting at the airport. I don't mind people who chat on their cell phones as long as they talk quietly. However, people who use the damn walkie talkie function on their Nextel phones really irritate the hell out of me. It's one thing to hear them talk, but that obnoxious beep beep that those things make drives me crazy.
Later in the day…
My flight got off late, but I'm now sitting in the Portland Jetport. A Muzak version of Tous les garçons et les filles by Francoise Hardy plays over the speakers. Such an odd song to hear in an airport.
I've decided that God likes to gently mock me. Why? Because I never get to sit next to some cute girl on the plane and have a conversation with her. Today was no exception, but I say God mocks me because in my row, but on the other side of the aisle, sat a super cute girl. While we were waiting to board the plane she was sitting by me, but decided to move when some jackass ass wearing a shirt that read "Being a Pimp ain't easy", a cocked to the side baseball cap with a blue bandana underneath, and a pair of black and white pinstriped shorts, decided to sit down between us and eat a gigantic box of chicken nuggets and a cheeseburger. Disgusting. She got up within a matter of minutes. Instead of getting to sit next to her I sat next to this old heavyset lady wearing a pastel plaid suit. She fell asleep, so I grabbed out my camera and snuck a few shots. I hope I don't go to hell for posting this… If you look close enough you'll see a peanut balancing on her belly.
The flight in was uneventful, and only took an hour and twenty-four minutes. For the majority of the flight I listened to Belle and Sebastian. Now I'm waiting for my parents to pick me up. Somehow they have traffic in Maine, which just astounds me.
07.04.06:
A night of fireworks in the sky.
Tomorrow I head home. It's funny because even though I've spent my whole life in Illinois it's no longer home. Home is where your heart is, and I guess my heart just isn't here, or maybe not here at this moment. I have those moments when I wonder where I should be living.
Yesterday at the grocery store I ran into an old friend who I hadn't seen in probably four, maybe five, years. Time is an odd creature. I barely recognized this friend. Although, after not seeing this person for a long time I wonder if we're even friends. He looked older. I wonder if he thought I looked older. I'd like to think I look the same, especially since I still get carded when I buy beer at Whole Foods.
07.03.06:
Every summer there's at least one single released that just destroys. While I think it came out a few months back, Lily Allen's Smile is a piece of musical heaven (that's Lily boozin' and smokin' it up to the left). Smile is a cross pollination of bits of indie, hip hop, and ska to create a delicious blend of pop perfection. I'm waiting patiently for her debut to drop. Hopefully it'll live up to the single.
Also, I'm loving Lloyd Cole's Music in a Foreign Language. Released in 2004, Music in a Foreign Language is a largely acoustic album with hints of twinkling ambient keyboards , piano, and percussion. Usually I stay away from the singer/songwriter types, but there are a handful out there that are great, like Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, and Neko Case.
07.02.06:
Today I was my own dj. Here's my set list:
And I Was a Boy from School - Hot Chip
Most of All - Morgan Geist & Jeremy Greenspan
My Beauty In the Moon - Kelley Polar
Pockets - Four Tet
Love Like Semtex - Infadels
Valentine - The Delays
In Fact You're Just Fiction - The Robocop Kraus
I Love You - Modeselektor
Baby I'm Hurtin' - The Chap
Number 1 - Goldfrapp
Destroy Everything You Touch - Ladytron
America's Boy - Broadcast
Movin' On Up - Primal Scream
Last High - Dandy Wargols
Dance Me In (Edwyn Collins Version) - Sons and Daughters
Age of Consent - New Order
I've Been Waiting All My Life to Leave You (Elektrofant DX-7 Remix) - Flunk
Tom's Diner (7" A) - DNA & Suzanne Vega
White Line (Don't Do It) - The Sugarhill Gang - Grandmaster & Melle Mel
A Guitar and a Heart - M83
Just There - Neulander
Dog Days - Matthew Dear
Alone With You - John Tejada
Sometimes - Kid 606
Evil House, Evil Day - Kim Hiorthøy
Luftsang - Bows