A Music Survival Guide

Essentials

2009-01-06T02:31:00.002-07:00

I saw Holly Golightly and forgot to write about it. I bought Jock Jams and forgot to rave about it. I didn't throw up on New Years and didn't write to brag about it. I am going to be on the air soon with KGNU and haven't been blathering about it.
I have been busy everywhere except for this page. I could lie and say I'll update it more often, but I won't. I once joked about starting a Colorado Donut Blog and I think that would be more interesting. I know there is a coffee house one, and I can eat a donut with vengeance that only a diabetic can deliver. I'll quit with this blog and link to the future donut one. Now that will be interesting.
Thanks for reading.

The Shadows Of Power

2008-10-21T03:15:00.010-06:00

This blog title is a book I am reading. I am reading it to help my decision in the upcoming election. (I am voting third party, by the way) I'll also look at the music that my candidates enjoy, or better, have sponsor their attempt for Presidency. Check out this Obama site. OK... Arcade Fire back him up. Neato, I guess. Now McCain went a different route. Laugh at the video; it is from a funny man.

Well, I did it. I played in front of a crowd. I spun three records and I got many congratulations and more heads bopped during my set. I got a bar crowd to move. I was DJ Terrence Lee. The bar is a dive. People did smoke in there. But... so what? I didn't care, it didn't bother me. I'm going to do it again: Nov. 1st.

And here is a comic I found on the web. I loved this comic growing up and rejoiced when I found something new. Thanks to Bill Watterson for ten years of smiles. (Click on it to see where I got it.)

Finally

2008-07-18T04:30:00.004-06:00

About frippin' time, huh? I am employed and placing my life on a path forward, not lateral. I'm seeing someone, too! Yeah, me. I'm not just having care/responsible free sex with random women, no. I'm putting in the effort and time to understand this women's thoughts and ideas.

So with all this good ying,

I gotta take and get the yang

with my insulin pump breaking. I get a replacement in about five hours from UPS, but it was a strange night and afternoon without that tiny machine feeding me the juice I so need. I don't miss the hourly injections, no. I don't miss them, Mr. Lee I am.

Okay

2008-04-19T01:36:00.005-06:00

I have this much money:

But, so what. I quit my job and have been feeling quite well about doing so. I have the same amount of kids as I do money, so it doesn't worry me too, too much. I'll be alright and I will bounce back for certain, but in the meantime, if you want to drive by and throw pennies directly at my face, I'll be smiling and accepting of what strikes my face.

If you want to cry, then hear this Verve song: Bitter Sweet Symphony or maybe this band that was Warsaw, that became Joy Division and now calls themselves New Order with their song Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Or just click your favorites button and go somewhere else.

April Fools

2008-04-01T02:31:00.007-06:00

I finagled not being fired with dumb luck today. My trainer gave her two week notice, once again saving my hide from unemployment. What a doll she is. I feel guilty for littering her cubicle with 120 balloons, now. Classic on both ends: I luck out and I feel guilty for wrongdoing the being which provided the luck. A conundrum that is hording my sleep tonight.

I also made a complete and total ass of myself at the Rapids game on Saturday. Absolute, unbiased, without a doubt, ass! Gander at these photos.

Before

After

Now... Take and enjoy the finite expressions I display. In the former photo, I am cool-as-a- cucumber. My trophy of a just shotgunned Miller Lite held with assured and resounding confidence in my hand. The casual and slight lean suggest a demeanor that resonates a suave attitude accompanied with my dashing looks and perfect wind blown epidermis demand and gather respect. The latter photo burns all of that right to the ground, ablaze with no shortage of loser qualities. I love the crooked hand. Weak amd wimpy enough to bend with a serious attempt to ward off any masculinity. "That twelve ouncer' is going to kill me", my gimp wrist whimpers. I wish my pinkie would jut out. That would sanctify a self ass-whooping righteously deserved. The smile suggests no less than complete drool on any ones shoulder, car seat, bedspread, futon. I feel like Zelda from Pet Sematary (Below). She and I have pretty, pretty hair.

It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl

2008-03-28T03:55:00.002-06:00

My mind is wasted, wasted on a dream.

-Urge Overkill

It has come to my attention (my attention that is slow and quite shallow, correct) that I am the weird friend. I am unreliable and stupid, yes; alas, I yearn to create things of beauty and stories overwhelmed in rich lexicon and dynamic nuances that readers and critics strive. Truth told, I will luck out with a “nice try” and “do you have any stories that contain superheroes?” Ha.

I love it when things happen.

Thirty-Three

2008-03-17T10:26:00.004-06:00

I'm thirty-three today, yippee. That's all I got to say. Happy Birthday to me. Bring the Gold by Brad Neely.

Cinematic Mediocrity

2008-02-29T01:49:00.006-07:00

It Takes Two. No, not the wonderful song (Right-click, open with, save as, copy, paste, steal, rip)by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, I'm speaking of the 1988 classic movie, It Takes Two. It has wonderful hints of The Wizard of Oz underlying the plot, and some great one-liners "You can't really destroy anything; just rearrange it". Classic. It also had a pre GTA game in it, where the main character just drives in a car and runs over people.

Well, now I gotta, gotta get some of that sleep. I'll just lie here and pretend to. Then the sun'll come up. Oh yeah, today is an extra day. If it was my birthday, I could get free pizza at Chuck E. Cheese, yes?

Later.

Best

2008-02-27T01:51:00.003-07:00

I don't hear too, too much much about this band in everyday conversation. I always, always liked this song and I love the album it came from- George Best. This is one of those albums that I wish I had awaited purchase of, because now it is released with additional songs that I don't know if I must have. Anyway, this song (R-click) "Don't Laugh" is a gem and deserves the name of this football legend.

My soccer season starts March 3rd. I have players from Kazakhstan, Korea, England, Illinois, Ghana, Colorado and all of the Benetton colors available. It will be perfection. Like Mouse on Mars- Saturday Night (Crack Mix) Click it right and save it left.

You're Gonna Lose

2008-02-24T02:21:00.010-07:00

Now, I'm not talking bad about you, no. I'm just begging you to give me a subscription to The Journal of Popular Noise. I'll go meek and say, "Lord, I'm talking to you." Hint, hint... I'm waiting... waiting... well... nothing. I tried in the super/un/psudonatural anyway and came up a tad short! Well, I shall punish my ears with the Kings of Convience and their eerie sounding song, Failure (R-click, save as, open with, blah-bliddy-blah). They look like nerds, but they don't sound like them. And they are coming. Well not to Colorado, but the PRB on the 14th of March. And speaking of coming...

DeVotchKa are coming, DeVotchKa are coming! And for free. Appearing for nothing at Twist and Shout on March 18th. I'll be thirty-three and one day as old, as well. Yippee for me who made too much to claim Earned Income Credits, but not enough to warrant a refund. Har, har.

The Soft Boys being bit and nibbled on by N.E.R.D, "no way" I thought. But this video makes me scritchy-scratch my head.

And I hate Jason Lee, but I love his girl. Jerk.

Yawn....

2008-02-23T01:14:00.010-07:00

I always liked this song (Right-click and "save as"). It rocks with just enough force to reckon that of... say... this song (Right-click again), just not as scary. I mean ghosts are a scary subject, but getting killed always out frightens imaginary things, for me anyway.

What really keeps me up late in the night are statements from Karl Sabbagh. He said, "Our brains may never be well enough equipped to understand the universe, and we are fooling ourselves if we think they will.

Now, this man wrote about the Riemann Hypothesis, and I cannot begin to scratch the surface of its intent, nor dumb it down enough to satisfy my weak realm of knowledge. But my futile mind can accept and respect the idea that humans may not understand the universe. I understand that the more I learn, the less I know, but that is a cliché phrase and just cements Mr. Sabbagh's suggestion of how (in)capable our minds are. It's like Franz Ferdinand covering (you know the drill, right-click...) LCD Soundsystem, it should not be, but it does sound nice.

I guess I'm just suffering from the Lewis Thomas Syndrome, which I read about in an Outland cartoon. Sad, huh?

Grievance

2008-02-22T03:22:00.003-07:00

I'm filing a grievance on this fucking insomnia. I can't keep checking out sites like this all night, no. I need some sleep. I need to search for sleep techniques, or to cut back my caffeine intake. There must be a way to induce disambiguation with no effort or serious thought, right? I mean, I can't fall asleep to Guy Chadwick's (What a terrible and minuscule description)You've Really Got A Hold On Me or Screaming Trees Grey Diamond Desert, nope. Maybe it was my dinner of a salad with Greek dressing, that contained a copious amount of pepper that sucked the moisture out from the pepperchinis I had to accent my somewhat healthy meal, sure. I mean, what is life with not but a cool, cool image as this? Alas, thank jeebus for this.... "Suck, suck, suck" Yay!

This what I look like currently

Random

2008-02-21T00:32:00.004-07:00

Been a long time, just thought this was funny.

And since my life is dull, I'll post random things from here on out. Like this cool/rare comic from Bill Watterson:

Or this comic too:

My Review of Shure N70EJ Replacement Phono Cartridge Stylus

2008-01-03T01:49:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at Radio Shack

This Shure N70EJ replacement stylus will restore your phono cartridge to its originally specified performance levels.

I will buy this product again

By Terrence from Denver, CO on 1/3/2008

Pros: Great Sound

Best Uses: Basic Systems

Describe Yourself: Musically Inclined, Practical

This is a replacement stylus for the M72EJ cartridge, or has it says, the M70EJ cartridge. Heavy bass, all-right sound.

(legalese)

Huh? There's something about Mary?

2007-12-20T02:02:00.002-07:00

As of 12/20/2007 3:57:15 AM EST: I am 32 years old. I am 393 months old. I am 1,709 weeks old. I am 11,966 days old. I am 287,187 hours old. I am 17,231,277 minutes old. I am 1,033,876,635 seconds old... and yet... I am nothing else.

I have watched and read this movie and book, but not in that order. It is not like I am too, too cool and above and beyond everyone else, no. It's because a Perry Weissman (yeah, they named a shitty jazz band after he) made me "watch and read" (thanks dick)for expository writing in high school. I failed the class miserably yet learned so much that my quaint and remorse writing style is a casuistic reflection of him.

Yusaf Islam/Cat Stevens wrote the soundtrack, or better, he allowed music from Tea for the Tillerman to be used in the movie. I fucking hate that fact. I hate Cat's ideas: (sorry. I'd normally link the article, but the NY Times wants you to register, which you can, and read the article there, or just skim down here)

Cat Stevens Gives Support To Call for Death of Rushdie
By CRAIG R. WHITNEY
LONDON, May 22 -- The musician known as Cat Stevens said in a British television program to be broadcast next week that rather than go to a demonstration to burn an effigy of the author Salman Rushdie, ''I would have hoped that it'd be the real thing.''
The singer, who adopted the name Yusuf Islam when he converted to Islam, made the remark during a panel discussion of British reactions to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's call for Mr. Rushdie to be killed for allegedly blaspheming Islam in his best-selling novel ''The Satanic Verses.'' He also said that if Mr. Rushdie turned up at his doorstep looking for help, ''I might ring somebody who might do more damage to him than he would like.''
''I'd try to phone the Ayatollah Khomeini and tell him exactly where this man is,'' said Mr. Islam, who watched a preview of the program today and said in an interview that he stood by his comments.
The statements by Mr. Islam and several other participants in the discussion demonstrate how divided British liberal intellectuals remain over the affair. British writers and publishers have signed petitions backing Mr. Rushdie's freedom to write what he wishes, but there have been no public readings of his works. 'Not a Pacifist Religion'
Several of the participants defended Mr. Rushdie. The writer Fay Weldon, for example, said, ''Burn the book today, kill the writer tomorrow.'' She said she was offended by Mr. Islam's remarks, which she said incited people to violence.
Also on the show was Dr. Kalim Siddiqui, director of the Muslim Institute in London and one of the organizers of a nationwide demonstration against ''Satanic Verses'' that is scheduled for Hyde Park on Saturday. He said: ''I wouldn't kill him, but I'm sure that there are very many people in this country prepared at the moment. If they could lay their hands on Rushdie, he would be dead.
''As a British citizen, I have a duty, if you like, a social contract with the British state, not to break British law. We are not a pacifist religion. We don't turn the other cheek. We hit back.''
A British bookseller, Tim Waterstone, chairman of the chain bearing his name, said that intimidation by opponents of the book ''at the end of the day probably will work.''
''I don't want to see my staff in peril of their life and health,'' he said, ''and I don't want to see my customers in peril.''
And the Bishop of Manchester in the Church of England, the Rev. Stanley Booth-Clibborn, said the British blasphemy law is indefensible because it protects only the established Christian church. Other clerics have suggested that the law be extended to other faiths so Muslim objectors could stop offensive books through court order. Government Defenders
In the end, Mr. Rushdie's most stalwart protectors have been those he often said he most dislikes - Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Government, which has given him police protection at a secret location since the Ayatollah's death threat last February. Iran broke diplomatic relations over the affair, and though Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe expressed distaste for the book, he defended Mr. Rushdie's right under British law and custom to write it.
Muslims in Britain have been divided by the affair. They demonstrated against the book in several cities late last year, but they say British news organizations began paying attention to their objections only after the book was publicly burned. Dr. Siddiqui said book-burning was not on the program for Saturday's demonstration.
He and other Muslims who participated in the 53-minute courtroom-style program, ''A Satanic Scenario,'' to be broadcast on Britain's Independent Television Network next Tuesday night, objected to cuts in the three-hour taping session, held April 15, that omitted the Muslim justification for punishment of blasphemy.

What a dick, huh? "If you want to speak out, speak out. If you want to be free, be free." Not against his ideas, though. Such is life. But I'm like him— Just a bitter person. You know that I am.

2007-10-25T20:37:00.000-06:00

134,564 People

Interesting, I guess. ↑

I have been a busy, busy man: Trying to vide for time and space, beginning to move to more affordable accommodations, all the while keeping my head above water and into soccer.

I save money with music by using this little code:
intitle:"index.of"(mp3mp4avi)
I place it inside the Google engine. It works, and it works well. You like The Aliens? Well type "the.aliens" after …of” and you can have their whole album free. Then, if you do like the music, go and see them live, because that is where bands make proper income. It is unfair to the industry, but so what. I never did go see Warner Bros. live. Or the Sire tour, or Interscopeapalooza, no. Of course, the Sire record tour would be kick-ass, it just won't happen and my feeble brain can not create a false-enough reality to conjure up such an event.

The Aliens

2007-09-12T19:17:00.000-06:00

Sorry my two readers. I have been working my butt off, trying to flirt with the 8-1 ratio of women at work (how can so many women already be married or have a boyfriend?) and shaping up my life. I do work on the side for my friend Amber and her company. I don't do much really, but again I try and flirt with as many women as possible (again, how can every women have a boyfriend or husband? This is a prime location, correct?). I'll just keep on, keepin' on. She invited me to the Taste of Colorado, which was more like Terrence and Amber Getting Drunk at the Taste of Colorado. We consumed about fifty-six beers in three days. I took an empty suitcase to Argonaut on Sat. and dragged thirty-six beers to our booth, bribed a vendor for $3 of ice, and cooled off with lukecold Pabst in travel coffee mugs. We got to view Night Ranger (the drummer is the one that sings "Sister Christian". I was sitting there thinking shenanigans, until my hazy eyes fixed on the drummer mouthing the words I heard) and Survivor while sucking down the blue ribbon delight of Pabst and lighting lighters. It was awesome.

In sadder news, one of my friends passed away. Peter Tai Baumann crashed his semi-truck on I-70 and died in the accident. I remember seeing the crash on the news and not thinking I knew the driver. Pete was a founder of my team, DFA, and we will be wearing armbands and having a moment to remember him during our first game on Sunday the 16th.

During Rapids games, Dicks Sporting Goods Stadium plays Sandstorm for the warm up. I am going to have a drink for my friend Pete during this song on Sunday. I'll blame the awful tasting beer on any fluid that may come out of my face.

RIP Pete

Crazy Logic

2007-09-01T11:48:00.001-06:00

Terrence, you are goofy!

Heya!

2007-09-01T11:39:00.000-06:00

I've been working my butt off, and am loving it. I even volunteered for the Broncos Blood Drive For Life. Me, volunteer, are you kidding? Nope, I did it. I am even going to donate blood on Sept. 14th for my first time. Cool, huh? I am so excited, I made a silly video for YouTube. Here is the link.
I also got to meet all of the Colorado Rapids players and have lunch with them. I got my three favorite players and the coach to sign my shirt! I'll post the photo's as soon as I get 'em.

Finally...

2007-08-08T10:43:00.000-06:00

It is about time I got a job: I found out that I was getting bad references, that previous managers couldn't remember my employment, that my petty misdemeanor is not petty to some, and that my credit has been checked thirty-seven times since October. This was a struggle that took its toll on my body and landed me in the hospital after the paramedics visited my apartment twice in less than twenty-four hours. The second time having them hog-tie me down to the ground, so I would not injure them or myself, after breaking through my screen- door to give me 1200 grams of glucose (This amount is phenomenal. This is how much sugar you should only consume during an entire month).
In the emergency room, I waited four hours for the doctor's to tell me, "If you don't know what happened, we don't know what happened". But I had my iPod and this is what I heard...

"Choking Tara (Creamy Version)"- Guided By Voices. I don't own too many GBV albums, okay none at all, but I know that they are important in Indie Rock history (look, they are the first band mentioned in the U.S. lo-fi movement of the nineties) and this is a fine single for listening to in E.R's.

"Speak Low"- Charlie Haden. This is from the soundtrack to September Songs, the movie about Kurt Weill, you know, the guy that wrote "Whisky Bar", that The Doors covered? It is a slow song, and I don't speak German, so the lyrics are lost on my ignorant brain. I haven't seen this movie, and I don't know anybody who has.

"Dig It A Hole"- U-Men. Again with the soundtracks. This too is from a movie, Hype!, I haven't seen. Quick punk song.

"Radio 1"- Air. I actually own this album on vinyl, but got this version from CMJ. This is my favorite album by Air, and everyone else's least favorite. People are fucking stupid, this is a perfect album.

"Can't Fight It"- Bob Mould. This is from the No Alternative album for Aids research. I'll be honest and say I like him better with Husker Du, but people can change without my permission.

"Has It Come To This?"- The Streets. Mike Skinner makes me want to rap. It is all slang with a a repetitious beat that works on every level. I still think Grime is a silly word, but so was Grunge, right?

"Let Me Put It Next To You"- The Soft Boys. I finally smiled when this song came on. I love this group, their albums, their songs, and this was when I felt better about my situation. I just put it in the perspective that I don't have cancer, or that I still have a roof over my head, that I own an iPod...

"Hold Onto The Rail"- The Clean. I hate that iTunes places the wrong album art when these song play, but this is an album that I would place in my top fifty, no, twenty... hell, my top ten favorite albums. Go buy The Clean's Compilation. You will be complete after that.

"All Or Nothing"- The Small Faces. Where were you when this song was made? I was an itch in my Daddy's pants... sorry. This is a ballad type of lyric that I find myself promising women too, but never fulfilling what I say.

"Twist"- Goldfrapp. Alsion Goldfrapp would make me sing the previous song's words without fail. Look at her!

All right, that is all I have to write about. I did listen to "Green Onion's" by Booker T, and this song reminds me of Joe Valentino, because he told me about them opening up for Neil Young and then being Neil's backing band, as well.

Oh, yeah. I got my job at Bonfils Blood Center.

Soccer and Coffee

2007-05-25T22:46:00.000-06:00

My team voted me player of the year! I am very, very proud to have been chosen. I wasn't quite positive, but now I will play in the summer league. Wish me luck!

How addicted am I?

I am 88% Addicted to Coffee

I get to see King Kong tomorrow! How did I find out about this band? Easy: On page 149 of Spin Alternative Record Guide, Laetitia Sadier listed her Top Ten Alt. albums with King Kong's Funny Farm as #7.
Ima' gonna' drink a cup-o-joe now.

Cyclical

2007-05-15T21:30:00.000-06:00

Aha! I don't have any magical powers, but it just so happens that the first band I ever wrote about is getting back together, and Insound has a release of all their music on a new 2-disc set called, Colossal Youth and the Collected Works of the Young Marble Giants. Now I'll repeat that I had nothing to do with the return of this band, but the next time I speak with a hottie, she'll look at my innocent face and undoubtedly believe it. You can hear some of their new music here, I guess. And this info came to me via: CMJ. (Sources like to be cited)

Human Behaviour

2007-05-10T01:21:00.001-06:00

Scary

2007-05-04T14:54:00.000-06:00

Now that is some scary, scary work. Ch-ch-ch-cha-chia is la-la-la-lame-a!

Though, this takes the scary cake,

MP3: The Decemberists - Human Behaviour (Bjork)

The original song is above this ↑↑↑.

T.REX　Telegram Sam (studio live)

2007-04-29T00:39:00.001-06:00

daft punk- around the world

2007-04-29T00:37:00.001-06:00

2007-04-29T00:14:00.000-06:00

Dear Terrence Lee:Your order number is _______, and includes the following item(s):
1 of Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs: Show Your Bones
1 of James Brown: 20 All-Time Greatest Hits
1 of Ray Charles: The Best Of The Atlantic Years
1 of Daft Punk: Homework
1 of Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth: The Best Of Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth: Good Life
1 of New Order: The Best Of New Order
1 of Screaming Trees: Ocean Of Confusion - Songs Of The Screaming Trees 1990-1996
1 of T. Rex: Electric Warrior (Expanded & Remastered)
1 of The Walkmen: Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone
1 of White Zombie: La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1

Take that BMG! Go ahead and get a class-action lawsuit, and give me some music at $3.80 apiece with free shipping. Yeah, this is all a junkie needs, more intoxicants... more "Greatest Hits". I know, I know, "Greatest hits are for housewives and little girls", but it is all they had to offer that I wanted anyway. I redeemed with T. Rex and Daft Punk, though... right? Those are some stellar picks, huh?
Aw, fuck it. Watch the vids above this.

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/ A stately pleasure-dome decree: –Samuel Taylor Coolridge

2007-04-09T23:05:00.000-06:00

You know you are fucking old when somebody asks you, "What are you playing?" and you answer them, "Something from when I graduated high school...

...93 'til Infinity by Souls of Mischief." And they look at you and just shake their head with that Could you be any more ancient and feeble look. This just reminds me that I was in a music malaise when I attended school. The following year, 1994 (if you weren't paying attention) I attended an English course at CSU. The discussion was, get this: Literary criticism is not a solely academic enterprise, because students often discuss the lyrics of their favorite songs in a contemporary type of literary development. ???? Did you get that? The Proffesor then proceeded to discuss the dreamlike imagery of Bono, Robert Smith (wait not that guy, this one) and... check this, Suzanne Vega. Now I was perplexed and shocked, and I bit my tongue because I listened to music and had not verbal masturbation with anyone else on the intended meaning of The Dead Milkmen's "Stuart" or the sole purpose implied by The Stone Roses "Fools Gold". They're just lyrics, not words of wisdom. But not to be outdone with outlandish statements, the Proffesor proceeded to recite Peter Piper by Run D.M.C.

"...And on the mix real quick, and I'd like to say

He's not Flash* but he's fast and his name is Jay.

It goes a one, two, three, and...

Jay's like King Midas, as I was told,

Everything that he touched turned to gold...

...And like all fairy tales end

You'll see Jay again my friend, hough**!"

No wonder I smoked and drank my way through most of my classes.

*The Prof held a round table on the meaning of this rhyme with the word Flash and suggested that there were several different possibilities; citing Grandmaster Flash, another DJ, and the comic book superhero Flash, as the rightful owner to the name in the song. The class actually debated this. It didn't matter the outcome or the final summation, just the fact that we argued this.

**Notice the "old school" spelling of Ho.

Itsa' Comin'!

2007-03-14T20:34:00.001-06:00

Click Here

That’s right people. It is time to celebrate a man’s death by consuming mass amounts of alcohol. Who cares how long it actually took for Patrick to become ordained (he was 60 when he returned bringing Christianity and snake repelant to Ireland), let’s toss a Jameson into a half a Guinness, and slam the whole thing down. That is how you honor someone’s death… well, that is what I’ll be doin’. Actually, I am going to take it easy because I have a soccer game the following day. I am a Denver Free Agent, 3rd division, over thirty, amateur. This is the first game of the season, and I can’t wait to play. We have practiced once, will repeat tomorrow, and with luck, the team we are playing will be as out-of-shape as us. Sadly, there are only two possible outcomes: a humiliating loss or a painful win. And sadly again, I am leaning towards the former. I am in shape, but rusty, whereas is everyone else . I am in the CSSA, the most organized amateur group in the world. I had to get an ID card, and get this– we’re not allowed to curse. I am going to lose all my money, because Red cards are a $30 fine. Fuck that. Fuck that cock-sucking, mother-fucking, steaming pile of bullshit! Every time I fuck up on the field, which is often, I say, “Shit”! I say it as Eddie Murphy said in his routine about white people saying shit, with an emphasis on the ssshhh and a strong accent on the t sound. “ShhhiT, shhhiT. Stop fuckin’ pushing me, man!” –EM. It rolls out of my mouth like CO2, naturally.
Man Man is coming. I can buy their album at the show. I always like doing this, as I feel that they get more money this way. Ratatat are comin' too! And saint's be praised, Animal Collective are headed up.
Well, I have something to do, so I’ll post some pictures later at Flickr of my game. They won’t be pretty, but what is?

looking for these

2007-02-25T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'ma lookin' for these albums, also. If they float by your river or pond, pick them up and throw them to Denver. I'll dig through the trash, and play them for my neighbors. They'll love it.

Skip Spence– OAR
Jacques Berrocal– Parallèls

Thanks

AMSG

"The man that hath no music in himself…Let no such man be trusted." –Shakespeare .

2007-02-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

Raymond Scott– Powerhouse. The Raymond Scott Project, Vol. 1
Swell Maps– Collision Time Revisited or Train Out of It
Lucinda Williams– Lucinda Williams
Smog– Sewn to the Sky
Wynonie Harris– Good Rocking Tonight
A.R. Kane– Up Home! or 69
The Chills– Kaleidoscope World
The Embarrassment– Retrospective or LP or Heyday
Halo of Flies– Four From the Bottom or Singles Going Nowhere
Randy Holden– Population II
Sun City Girls– Torch of the Mystics
Martin Newell– The Greatest Living Englishmen
Antipop Consortium– Arrhythmia
Biz Markie– Goin’ Off
Freestyle Fellowship– Inner City Griots
Boogie Down Productions– By All Means Necessary
Brand Nubian– One For All
Company Flow– Funcrusher Plus
The Coup– Steal This Album
Das EFX– Dead Serious
The D.O.C.– No One Can Do It Better
Ed O.G. & The Bulldogs– Life of a Kid in the Ghetto
Edan– Primitive Plus
The Egyptian Lover– On The Nile
The Herbaliser– Blow Your Headphones
Jungle Brothers– Straight Out the Jungle
Kid Koala– Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Leaders Of The New School– A Future Without the Past
Main Source– Breaking Atoms
Organized Konfusion– Organized Konfusion
Restiform Bodies– Restiform Bodies
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth– Mecca and the Soul Brother
7L & Esoteric– Soul Purpose
Stetsasonic– In Full Gear
I-Roy– Ten Commandments
Four Tet– Dialogue
Animal Collective– Spirit They're Gone Spirit They've Vanished/Danse Manatee or Hear Comes the Indian
Dangerdoom– The Mouse and the Mask
Princess Superstar– My Machine
Plastic Bertrand– Ça Plane Pour Moi
Wolfmother– Wolfmother
The Fags– Light ‘Em Up
Yeah Yeah Yeahs– Show Your Bones
Ratatat– Classics
Teenage Fanclub– Grand Prix or Songs From Northern Britain
Soup Dragons– Hang-Ten!
Inspiral Carpets– Life
The Goodnight Loving– Cemetery Trails
Girl Talk– Night Ripper
Mannequin Men– Showbiz Witch
Man Man– Six Demon Bag
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead– So Divided

And on, and on, and on….

There is no particular order to this list. This is my third, known list, and probably my last one. It is in a quality notebook, it isn’t full of impossible wants, and it isn’t too, too long. As I find things, I’ll come back and cross them off.

Quick MP3

2007-02-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Explosions In the Sky- Catastrophe And The Cure (Four Tet Remix)

Here is an MP3 for all sixteen of you. Enjoy.

"I got that Joy, Joy, Joy, down in my heart..."- Rod and Todd Flanders

2007-02-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

I had some spare time (ha!) and ventured out to Jerry’s Records Exchange on Colfax. I first heard about this place from Thurston Moore, singer for Sonic Youth, when they opened for REM at Fiddler’s Green, or now known as, Coors Amphitheater. He stated quite plainly, “You should go there.” So I did and do.[1] Jerry’s was the first place I bought my Krautrock albums, my first LP bootlegs by Magazine and Robyn Hitchcock, and a place where I go when I need a lot of friends.
Record flipping, or digging, is a slower process than CD’s. When I go to Cheapo Discs, even I am amazed at how fast individuals can peruse the CD racks. I mean, what happens when they blink. There has to be a gem or two lost because of the fury they search with. With Jerry’s, I slow my roll, I glance and view. Sometimes, certain albums just have an interesting look to them. I don’t recall the author, but someone once said to, “…look for albums from the seventies with black and white members who all look to have taken acid. These albums have the best music in them…” and this is a focal factor I apply to records. I kind of have Jerry’s Records memorized, and I don’t go all through all the racks as often anymore, but I defiantly hit up the “New Music” sections without a second thought. I found two gems, even though they weren’t on my list, I still wanted them. Plus, they were inexpensive, and that is a beautiful thing.
I got L.L. Cool J’s “Going Back To Cali” single for $8. Do you remember this video? It has Martha Quinn a former VJ in it. I’ll link a YouTube video for you to view if you need further recollection here. I also got a Neal Pollack CD titled, “Never Mind The Pollacks”, for $3.50. I just got this book for Xmas and didn’t know there was an album accompaniment. But here it is, and this forced me to start reading the book. I am in love with both items, now. If you haven’t already, go and read the book and buy the album. You will feel well just supporting a fine slice of literature and music. Plus you will be as cool as me, and you can tell people that you know a guy who met Elvis, and didn’t sue Elvis when he ran over and killed his father.[2]
And since I was close by, I went to Wax Trax. The woman behind the counter was plying Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks and I told her, “This is my favorite divorce album."

She looked me and asked, “What is your second favorite, then?”
“Shoot out the Lights”, I said.

She laughed and rolled her eyes at me. I’m glad that I didn’t have to state another one, because I don’t know of any other’s, anyway.
At Wax I found two more LP’s, again not from my list (This list that I keep speaking of, I’ll place it here later on. It is an endless list that grows just as fast as I kill it off. It is a snake head eating the other side, but acquiring nutrition from its own body…therefore growing with each…segment…swallowed…? Yeah, that’s it.) Anyway, I got the single for “Ball of Confusion” by Love And Rockets for $4.00 and Killing Joke’s Night Time for $4.00, as well.
I love Love And Rockets cover of The Temptations song. I am surprised The Temptations only put this on a greatest hits compilation without it being the lead track on a sure to be great album. But, what the fuck do I know. To be honest, I didn’t know it was a cover until I heard the song in a Red Robin restaurant, when I was a lad. (I had a recorded version of this album, and there wasn’t any credit information on the blank cassette, except for the titles, so I couldn’t have known Daniel Ash and David J. didn’t write it.) I was fifteen, out with my parents returning from a soccer game, way the hell out in Colorado Springs, and The Temptations version came on. I told my parents, “This band is covering Love And Rockets, this is their song.” My parents laughed at my naivety, and I pleaded ignorance not stupidity. I still plead this. Killing Joke made some good albums, but if you know about Nirvana, then you may know why I got Night Time. I had only heard Killing Joke’s song once on KTCL a long, long time ago, but I can hear with certainty why Nirvana took the baseline from “Eighties” and used it for “Come As You Are”. This is also the first thing I learned to play on a guitar, the Nirvana version, that is.[3] Now, I did buy the album for the one song, originally, but I am quite pleased with how it sounds, and I will have to venture for more Killing Joke albums, adding to my stupid list, yet again.

[1] I also remember Michael Stipe telling a girl, in the front row, that she should wash the patchouli she had drenched herself in, because, “It stinks”. I laughed and laughed. It was beautiful. Mr. Stipe does have a sense of humor, be it small in reserve and scope, but there nevertheless.
[2] This is a book of “historical fiction” with true names and events, so this is an example of the fiction. Go read this book!
[3] The cartoon Daria, her best friend Jane, who’s brother Trent; he would play that opening line over and over as well. I won’t dig up the cartoon for proof, but just trust me, it is true.

Searching

2007-01-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

I should be finishing homework, but I can’t get this song out of my head. The song “Today” from Tom Scott and The California Dreamers: It was killing me, because I knew I had it somewhere amongst my collection. I started digging, looking up older albums, searching song titles, everything futile considering the fact that this needle wasn’t going to just appear in my stacks and stacks of Records, CD’s and Tapes. But just because something doesn’t work, I don’t stop trying in hopes it someday will.
I heard this song on the end of a Boondocks cartoon. It was the particular episode about Riley Freeman spraying graffiti around his neighborhood. At the very end of the episode, there is a police chase and that song played in the background. I love the scene, and the music choice was a perfect accent for creativity. So I watched the episode over and over. I put my ear up close to the speaker and made out these lyrics, “To be living for you is all I want to do”. It was clear, it was credible, and now I just had to find the song from whence it came from. Ha! This is easier said than done. Tons of sights claim they can find any song you want, even with the fewest possible lyrics. Bullshit. Every site I typed on came up with nothing. There was even one sight that claimed it could find the song just by tapping the rhythm onto the keyboard. I didn’t bother even trying. Finally though, I found the song. Thank the internet gods for lyricsfly. They produced the answer upon my first try. They earned a bookmark from me, certainly. Jefferson Airplane, from their second album, Surrealistic Pillow.I don’t really like this album, even though I stole it from my Father (before he gave me his collection, anyway) and I just don’t get the “five star” rating from AMG and the rank of #146 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums Ever, but whatever, it contained the song I was looking for, titled “Today”. The correct song, the wrong artist, though. I just had to find out who covered this song, and can you believe it? There is not a website solely dedicated to artist’s that have covered Jefferson Airplane songs. Come on, man. There is a site for ridding American currency of the dime, but not for what I needed. So I just kept typing things into Google, Yahoo!, MSN, and this goofy page came up. I should write to him and confirm his belief that the song is in fact, a Jefferson Airplane cover, but it did what I wanted, and now I have what I wanted. I just need you guys to go out and purchase me this album. It has “Today” by Tom Scott. I’ll burn you a copy when you do, okay? Thanks.

New Music for today, January 2nd, 2007

2007-01-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

I had a little spending money left from the holidays and went out for a slight spurge at Second Spin in the hopes of knocking off music from my undying list of albums to own. I got three from my list and Second Spin have a buy three get one free sale goin’ on, so I purchased one for fun that isn’t on my list, but is certainly a very popular album at that. I only shelled out twenty-two dollars and 37 cents, so my guilt is slight and justified for buying anything when I still am unemployed. Here is what I bought:

Mountain Con- The MC Stands For Revolution. “What? You haven’t heard of this group, and you don’t own this album?” is what I would have been asking myself before today, and what I shall ask people after, forever now on. You certainly hear the Tom Rothrock influence over the whole album. It makes me want to go and purchase Tom’s album Resonator. I will, but for now, this Mountain Con album has already played twice in my car, and I even sat in the parking lot of Safeway until the end of track five, Cowboy Wasteland. I heard about this group from CMJ on their exclusive monthly compilation CD, but it wasn’t this album, and it was the song The Escape Artist, and I knew that I had found some sweet ear-cocaine, and that I needed more, and my addiction isn’t satisfied, so I’ll shut up about this album as I can certainly not give it justice, lest but these fellows have a new lifelong friend and fan. Go buy this album. I found it used for a $1.50.

Hot Chip- The Warning. After the sixth song, I didn’t shut off the album or start skipping through the rest of the album. It was refreshing, because this band is new, and has a positive sound waiting for them. If they avoid the production of Flood or The Matrix and lastly, Timbaland, they will do just fine. (I don’t dislike those producers, but I know that they can easily ruin what Hot Chip has going on, and those guys have a habit of randomly producing an album that they needn’t touch, i.e. Alive & Amplified.) Hot Chip could have condensed this album into a couple of EP’s, as it tends to drag with the ninth track, Arrest Yourself, but that is just an opinion of mine and can’t be supported by what a record label expects, or what the intent of the artists involved is. The Album Leaf’s latest release, Into the Blue Again is a perfect example. It should have been cut up into two EP’s instead of one long LP. I adore Seal Beach and Lifetime or More, and they are two finely concise EP’s that stand up very well, and are always a pleasant listen. But if these two should tour together, I would drag myself by my chin to hear them, definitely.

Marie Laforêt- Marie Laforêt. Wow! This was a find. I should have wet my pants in the store when I saw this. The 1995 re-release of this gem, is something I have been drooling for since I saw that crappy movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and heard her cover of Paint It Black in the background. I pressed pause at the end titles just to find this song, and had a hard time doing it because her title is Marie Doucer/Marie Colêre. I went to eBay and Twist & Shout but found squat, and really just limped it on my list; if only there to haunt and torment me. But I crushed that despair, and here it sits with pride, making a desire within me to make out with all women from France.

Fatboy Slim- You’ve Come a Long Way Baby. Yeah, I didn’t own this album till’ now. I avoid hype and forget that it doesn’t always involve poor taste. But it is all right, now, Ma; I’m only listening...to what I have missed. The cover photo puts my collection to shame, but music listening shouldn’t be a contest, and I am proud that I own a partial amount of Norman’s collection. I do, in fact, own the song Take Yo' Praise by Camille Yarbrough that Mr. Cooke sampled on Praise You and are glad to own this track along with this whole album. The Rockafeller Skank video fills me with the want of a dune buggy.

"Hell is other people"- Jean-Paul Sartre

2006-12-30T03:31:00.000-07:00

I was shocked to see, er actually, to read about his death. Isn’t death a time to reflect, yes? Well, not even The Methuselah Enzyme will help a once ally of ours out, no. And now that rock music is popular for funerals, I wonder what is going to be played at his. And since I know squat of Middle Eastern music, I find it better to relay what I want played at my wake:

“Cold Rain” by the Screaming Trees. “Everywhere I have to go is so very far away” For some reason, unbeknownst to me, that line is steadfast, with a mantra-like persistence in my mind. I don’t particularly like the rain, so the title means diddly, but it is a mood setter, and a proper song to a (hopefully) somber situation.

“Dry the Rain” by the Beta Band. Duh! Who doesn’t want this played at their funeral/cremation/wake/whatever? “Choking on the vitamin tablet the doctor gave in the hope of saving me” What fun lyrics about a haunting scene. Kind of a sad start to a song that finishes with a wonderfully positive ending “it’ll be alright” and what I thought was simply I’ll Be Alright, but is actually “I will be your light”. I like my verse better, and if I were haunting the drunken wake by appearing under a beer-stained shroud, I would make sure to emphasize my mistaken lyrics during the chorus. Problem fixed, problem solved.

“Slug Song” by The Clean. “Don’t ever go and rearrange your mind, don’t ever change” This is a quick song, but a driving one at that. You can hear David Kilgour singing with an earnest, if necessary need for approval from, and to which this song is about. It reminds me of Joe Strummers’ take on (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais. That conviction of assured strength in the vocals makes the song better than if anybody else in the entire world, ever, were to attempt the slightest degree of this tonal perfection.

“Cosmic Rays” by Helium. This song name checks Saint Christopher and says, “I really don't care about this song”. That confidence alone is something worth striving for, even in death.

“Isolation” by Joy Division. “This is my one consolation, this is my one lucky prize” from the live version on Still. I just think it would be interesting if people started dancing to this sad, sad song. It wouldn’t happen, but I won’t be there to not witness it, huh?

“Teardrop” by Massive Attack. “Gentle impulsion, Shakes me, makes me lighter” I will weep from no matter where, always when this song is played. Christ, even the YouTube cover versions here and here just put my ears in a shameful orgy of not taking up guitar playing and dating a woman who can sing so well. Even before I die, this song rocks my little world. It is a good song for sex, for death, for graduations, for cruising to any destination, for eating toast, for watching TV with the sound turned low, and for writing a blog for this song started my list and randomly played on shuffle. (I'm looking over my shoulder right now for a ghost, but there are only a bunch of books.) This is what song writers should listen to before they write anything new. It would humble Mozart, guaranteed.

And by now, my friends and relatives would be piss-drunk and ready to go. I’ll bet half wouldn’t have sat through more than the first song anyway. To be tasteless, I would tack on Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” after a seventeen minute silence just for a last laugh.

How to silence my cousin.

2006-12-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

So, I was giving my cousin a ride to 7-11 for some badly needed ice that our family Xmas required. On our journey, my iPod played a song by Young Marble Giants, “Man Amplifier”.
“Who is this?” asked my cousin. I looked at her with an inappropriate astonished look.
“It’s the Young Marble Giants,” I said shaking my head to further my bewildered belief that she didn't know who in the hell the Young Marble Giants are. My cousin is about three years younger than I, not much distance between us, but I always forget that I know too, too much about music and I went on a long rant about the group. After I finished spewing information and finally took in a breath, I felt ashamed. I don’t know what good it does me to know this much about any musical group, and I don’t know why I am inclined to tell people what I know. This is what I told her, roughly…

“The Young Marble Giants are one of the coolest bands (I call every band I know a lot about--One of the Coolest Bands--because it sounds energetic and therefore makes what I have to say more compelling. Julian Cope suffers this bit of misinformation also, as indicated in his book, Krautrock Sampler, when he calls every album, The Greatest Album. People do it all the time. I’m a person.) of all time. They released just one album that has influenced so many people and so many, many bands. Are you serious, you haven’t heard of them? Shit… you know who Courtney Love is, right? Her band, Hole covered their song "Salad Days" and do you know who Beat Happening is? No, are you kidding? You know who Kurt Cobain is? Yeah? Well he has a tattoo on his right arm of the K records shield logo, and Calvin Johnson is the lead singer of Beat Happening and the founder of K records and Stuart Moxham, the guitarist and songwriter of Young Marble Giants, produced some songs on Beat Happening’s last album, You Turn Me On, before he went on to animate Who Framed Roger Rabbit. You didn’t know all that?”

My cousin didn’t say anything. I copied her silence.