Here it goes.
10 Big Boi "Sir Lucious Left Foot..."
This man has incomparable flow and it's a shame that label wrangling delayed its release for so long: the world needs to hear this! Big Boi has a seasoned confidence but really, what rapper doesn't try to project swagger? The difference is that big Boi's confidence just oozes effortlessly out of the tracks (effortless oozing?) and the results make for a great party album showcasing the other (equal) half of Outkast at his finest.
Check out: "Shutterbugg," "Shine Blockas" (feat. a great Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes sample of their song, "Thank You" -- thanks to my friend Alicia for pointing that out...),
9 Trampled by Turtles "Palomino"
While I enjoy this entire album by a great Minnesota band, it's hard not to make the comparison with the 2010 Indianapolis Colts; without the Peyton Manning that is "Wait so Long" and the Reggie Wayne that is "Victory," I'm not sure if "Palomino" would make the Top-10. Another band I'm dying to see live, kind of hard to believe it has yet to happen. 2011, let's make it happen, Trampled by Turtles.
8 Wolf Parade "Expo 86"
So this is one band I did see live this year and it was a great show. And so it's sad that they are apparently on indefinite hiatus now. For me, seeing the concert helped to solidify the very distinct character of Wolf Parade's frontmen. Spencer Krug (also of Sunset Rubdown) is kind of 2010's Isaac Brock...yelpy, yes, but yelpy in a way that adds a sense of urgency to every one of his songs (see "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" off of 2005's "Apologies of the Queen Mary" for a great example of this). I prefer Dan Boeckner (of Handsome Furs), because he tries to recreate Springsteen's greatest hits on every one of his songs (even on Handsome Furs stuff, which is more blippy and bloopy, the Boss is never far away, see "All We Want, Baby, Is Everything" for an example embedded in the frickin' title!). But together, they make (made?) a great team, which leads me to wonder, is every Canadian band some sort of supergroup? (looking at you, Stars, Broken Social Scene, New Pornographers...)
Check out: "Yulia" (I love space history and have recently been engrossed in the documentary series "When We Left Earth" which is about the early U.S. manned space program, my pick for the greatest achievement of humankind in the 20th Century...) "Yulia" could be my generation's "Rocket Man," although I can't imagine ironically singing it 20 years from now at karaoke...
7 Robyn "Body Talk"
Coincidentally, this is what my body does after consuming too much Taco Bell. This is Robyn's third (!!) album of 2010. It's a collection of the best tracks off of the first two along with a handful of new songs. Any discussion of "Body Talk" begins with "Dancing On My Own," which to my ears blows anything in pop music out of the water with Robyn's combination of fierce independence with affecting vulnerability. The song is a perfect introduction to the entire album, which clicks off one song after another with this amazing combination of emotions. This is an album for going out but also an appropriate one for coming home after a rough night. Hopefully getting tickets soon for her upcoming show at First Ave!
Check out: "Dancing On My Own," "Call Your Girlfriend," "Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do"
6 Beach House "Teen Dream"
So this album has been appearing at the top of quite a few Best-of lists this year and for good reason, too. In comparison to Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," well, there's no comparison, but if there were Beach House would totally be the Gods of Love bringing the hammer down on Katy Perry's Daisy Dukes. Their sound is just so imposing. I found the first two Beach House albums a little slow, similar to how I felt about Grizzly Bear prior to "Veckatimist" last year. On "Teen Dream," Beach House doesn't necessarily speed things up -- most songs are dreamy strolls (sometimes literally, "Walk in the Park") through shimmery guitar and keyboard -- but the band has matured, there's less plodding and more hooks on this album. They had a show last spring at the Cedar and are highly recommended to see live. I also have a mini-crush on Victoria Legrand, although I think she would eat me for breakfast, she seems very intense.
Check out: "Zebra," "Norway," "Real Love," "Walk in the Park"
And watch Beach House play "Norway" on PitchforkTV, in an scarily accurate re-creation of my bedroom. I never get tired of watching Legrand usher in the chorus with a sweep of her hand in-time with the cymbal hit; I can't explain why, but it gives me the chills every time.
...the turn
5 Kanye West "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy"
This top-10 list was hard to sort -- I can now feel some empathy for law professors grading on a forced curve. So really, if this were like the NBA lottery, "MBDTF" is like the Minnesota Timberwolves; no album had a better chance of being #1, but by luck (or unluck) of the draw, it came out at #5 instead. Whatever, Kanye will get over it. First of all, this is not a "rap" album, it's shifted into a new genre that is probably too grand and all-encompassing to accurately categorize. The best way to describe it comes in the relatively minor song "Gorgeous," when Kanye raps, "I ain't got it, I'm coming after whoever who has it -- I'M COMING AFTER WHOEVER, WHO HAS IT?" with such urgency you're left with no choice but to accept that he's out to conquer the world with this album. And he largely succeeds.
Check out: "Monster" (Nicki Minaj has a MONSTER verse here), "All of the Lights," oh, c'mon, you don't need me to tell you which ubiquitous Kanye songs to listen to...
4 Arcade Fire "The Suburbs"
Probably the best album out of the coterie of albums from established artists on this list (see Spoon, the Hold Steady, LCD Soundsytem), it's also one of the best albums out there, period. It earns a place in the Top-5 not on legacy, but on merit. And making such a potentially disastrous theme, suburban life (ahem, "Weeds" after Season 2...) Arcade Fire offer a sprawling narrative of adult longing, riffing on similar themes as their debut album, but in the context of aging and growing distant to childhood people and places, not the apocalypse...Also, probably the best concert I've attended this or any year was Arcade Fire at Roy Wilkins. I watched their live webcast from Madison Square Garden and the energy of their performance in the most famous arena in the world was the same as it was in St. Paul in September -- pretty incredible to do anything at such a high, sustained level of dedication.
Check out: "Ready to Start," "Modern Man," "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)"
3 Best Coast "Crazy For You"
Best Coast doesn't win any awards for artistic merit or ambition with their debut album, but that's the point. Beth Consentino sings about getting high, her cat, and boys. The music is also pretty elemental, basically just surf rock guitar with a nod towards vocals of 50s girl groups and hooks of alt bands from the 90s. But it's a great album, nonetheless, and one of the best go-to albums for driving down the coast on a muggy summer evening, with the windows open.
2 Joanna Newsom "Have One on Me"
It's difficult to put this album on the list, not because it's not good -- it's really, really good -- but rather because it almost seems inappropriate. Something like sticking a high-art photograph in with random pics taken off of Facebook. I also have to admit that it took me a while to warm to Joanna Newsom. I first heard her on her second full album, "Ys," and I couldn't see past the wordy, archaic lyrics, the somewhat amorphous song structure, and the most common complaint: her voice. But after giving "Ys" a second and third chance, I finally realized what all the fuss was about. I mean, semi-academic essays have been written on her genius and compiled into a book (seriously). And these essays are not written by some random, geeky indie music 'zine writers, but by heavy-hitters like Dave Eggers (who, to be fair, could be categorized as just an especially famous fanboy, projecting his ideal female though potentially sexist conception of the delicate, vulnerable artist on Newsom). Like it or not, these outside influences (including her place at the top of one of my friend's top-10 lists) changed how I view her work. The closest thing I can compare this album to is "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," Neutral Milk Hotel's masterpiece. That particular album comes to mind not because of the musical similarities -- the lo-fi aesthete of NMH is the antithesis of Joanna Newsom's sound -- but because of how each album works as a piece of art, existing outside of most notions of what music can do and mean. NMH evoked loss and helplessness through an approximation of Anne Frank's story, while Joanna Newsom evokes similar emotions of loss, love, and regret through archaic imagery rooted both in present and in fictional historical times (yes, she does talk about dragons). It's hard to explain, as you can see, but "Have One on Me" is a really great album and work of art. Oh, god, I just became a fanboy...
Check out: "Good Intentions Paving Company," "It Will Suffice," "81," "In California," "On a Good Day"
1 Janelle Monae "The ArchAndroid"
Notwithstanding the fact that this album shares the same title as my nickname in high school, it's been hands-down my favorite album of the year. In relation to some of the artists on this list, Janelle Monae adopts the android-with-feelings character of Robyn, mixes it with the chops and ambition of Joanna Newsom, and weaves a sense of loss through her songs like the Arcade Fire. But most of all, she's just really, really good at what she does. I believe that while music is not linear, meaning the genres blend together at the borders, and are sometimes erased completely, listening to this album is kind of like listening to all of the great music in R&B (and funk, rock, soul, hip-hop, pop, etc. etc. etc.) from the past 60 years in one tidy package and all in a totally original way. The music sounds like it was made with one foot in 2010 and one foot in 1955, 1972 -- pick your year. Finally, this album is #1 because I've loved it since the first time I heard it and still find new elements in songs that suggests I'll love listening to it for years to come. And isn't that what listening to music is all about?
Well, I hope you've had fun reading my best-of list for 2010, it was fun recalling the past year through music. I'm also really interested in hearing what your top albums of the year were. If you're reading this, you probably know me, so send me your list!
23 December 2010
22 December 2010
Best Albums of 2010...20-11
Because I've got to get these Post-it Notes off of my desk.
20 Vampire Weekend "Contra"
19 The Hold Steady "Heaven is Whenever"
There is a great backstory behind how I got a limited edition vinyl copy of this album and it involves: Record Store Day, Treehouse Records, my friend Sophie, and a random act of kindness. For that reason, (and these: "Hurricane J" & "The Weekenders") this album is included in the list.
18 Spoon "Transference"
17 Breathe Owl Breathe "Magic Central"
One of my favorite bands from college (but definitely not "college rock," whatever that is) this whimsical, folky band hails from Michigan and, along with being super nice people, make great music to boot. As an added bonus, check out "Drop and Roll" off of their previous album. One of my favorite songs of all time.
16 She & Him "Volume Two"
Is my love for this album due at least in part to the adorable Zooey Deschanel? Of course it is -- but M. Ward anchors this album with nostalgic 50's-sounding, golden, shimmering riffs (see "Thieves," and "Lingering Still").
15 Communist Daughter "Soundtrack to the End"
The video below (and another one here) are what turned me on to Communist Daughter (not to mention the NMH-referencing band name). Someone please tell me when they play around here next, I can't miss it.
14 LCD Soundsystem "This is Happening"
This is happening: I am listening to "Dance Yrself Clean" and "All I Want."
13 Sleigh Bells "Treats"
Another listen-to-this-loud album. Still trying to figure out if the combination of LOUD guitars with sing-song-y lyrics is a gimmick or genius, but pairing a Funkadelic sample in "Rill Rills" is convincing me of the latter....
12 Girl Talk "All Day"
And just when you put your finger on it...the sample changes and it's on to the next earworm. And while I think using the whole "so-in-demand-the-servers-crashed" device is overused, I'll use it again -- when the Girl Talk album was given away free a few weeks ago, you guessed it, the servers crashed. Luckily, I was eventually able to download the album. For those unfamiliar with Girl Talk, first of all, so proud of you for leaving the Amish. Really am. Girl Talk is a "mashup" artist who combines the pop music you love listening to with pop music you feel guilty about listening to...and makes magic. (Here is a cool site that streams the album and lists the samples as they play)
11 The Tallest Man on Earth "The Wild Hunt" & "Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird EP"
Another unfortunate music journalistic trope is the annual declaration of "The Next Bob Dylan" -- well, here we go again...
20 Vampire Weekend "Contra"
19 The Hold Steady "Heaven is Whenever"
There is a great backstory behind how I got a limited edition vinyl copy of this album and it involves: Record Store Day, Treehouse Records, my friend Sophie, and a random act of kindness. For that reason, (and these: "Hurricane J" & "The Weekenders") this album is included in the list.
18 Spoon "Transference"
17 Breathe Owl Breathe "Magic Central"
One of my favorite bands from college (but definitely not "college rock," whatever that is) this whimsical, folky band hails from Michigan and, along with being super nice people, make great music to boot. As an added bonus, check out "Drop and Roll" off of their previous album. One of my favorite songs of all time.
16 She & Him "Volume Two"
Is my love for this album due at least in part to the adorable Zooey Deschanel? Of course it is -- but M. Ward anchors this album with nostalgic 50's-sounding, golden, shimmering riffs (see "Thieves," and "Lingering Still").
15 Communist Daughter "Soundtrack to the End"
The video below (and another one here) are what turned me on to Communist Daughter (not to mention the NMH-referencing band name). Someone please tell me when they play around here next, I can't miss it.
14 LCD Soundsystem "This is Happening"
This is happening: I am listening to "Dance Yrself Clean" and "All I Want."
13 Sleigh Bells "Treats"
Another listen-to-this-loud album. Still trying to figure out if the combination of LOUD guitars with sing-song-y lyrics is a gimmick or genius, but pairing a Funkadelic sample in "Rill Rills" is convincing me of the latter....
12 Girl Talk "All Day"
And just when you put your finger on it...the sample changes and it's on to the next earworm. And while I think using the whole "so-in-demand-the-servers-crashed" device is overused, I'll use it again -- when the Girl Talk album was given away free a few weeks ago, you guessed it, the servers crashed. Luckily, I was eventually able to download the album. For those unfamiliar with Girl Talk, first of all, so proud of you for leaving the Amish. Really am. Girl Talk is a "mashup" artist who combines the pop music you love listening to with pop music you feel guilty about listening to...and makes magic. (Here is a cool site that streams the album and lists the samples as they play)
11 The Tallest Man on Earth "The Wild Hunt" & "Sometimes the Blues is Just a Passing Bird EP"
Another unfortunate music journalistic trope is the annual declaration of "The Next Bob Dylan" -- well, here we go again...
16 December 2010
Best Albums From a Particular Sub-Genre...of the year
Collecting my favorite albums of the year is always a fun, yet stressful process for me. Not real-world stress, but rather, the stress of figuring out what I really thought about the music that streamed through my headphones this year. Throughout this process, a small handful of albums sort of naturally coalesced into this small group that I really liked as a whole, but couldn't figure out where to place in my top 20+. And it's really hard, even with this tiny sample of albums, to pick my favorites, but whatever, here it goes.
Sub-Genre of the Year: Guitar-rock
Umm...okay, sure, this is not exactly a new genre. From Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley to Stephen Malkmus and Frank Black, guitar-based music has been the staple of pretty much the ENTIRE popular music scene of the past 75 years. But what captured my attention this year was that some new artists' began to stray away from the recent trends of electronic- dance-rock (think Franz Ferdinand or Hot Chip), towards a more unrestrained sound. And no Chillwave. Some bands in my completely made-up sub-genre tended towards 50s and 60s California pop (Best Coast, She & Him, Girls) while others were more garage-y, New York in the 70s (Harlem, Titus Andronicus, Japandroids). But it's all characterized by a less-produced sound and, of course, prominent guitar. So here we go. None of the following bands appear on my top 20+ list forthcoming, but it's more because I'm featuring them here and freeing up space in the other list than because I don't like them.
Harlem "Hippies"
Maybe the most extreme example of the garage sound in new music today. It's the sound of a group of friends jamming, only recently discovering how to add elements of sound together to make magic. Just guitar, drums, and vocal, but it's just the right combination of these elements that makes for a fun 40 minutes.
Check out: "Gay Human Bones," "Friendly Ghost"
Astro Coast "Surfer Blood"
Maybe a click or two more "produced" than Harlem, this band's debut album is hard to describe. Kind of a Brian Wilson meets Rivers Cuomo vocals with a sugary wave of guitar throughout. Start at "Swim" and keep going in "Harmonix" which reminds me a lot of Television, for some reason.
Fang Island (Self-titled)
So far, we've been amping up the guitar sounds -- from jangly garage-band to pop waves. Now comes the most powerful onslaught this side of metal. There is some serious thrashing going on here. Fang Island's album art typifies this wave of nostalgic album art I happen to love (see, also Spoon, Wolf Parade's, Dum Dum Girls, Vampire Weekend, etc. etc... Oh, and the entire Gorilla vs. Bear blog). Thing is, the music on these albums don't usually follow the theme of the album art. This is definitely not the case with Fang Island. You wouldn't expect nostalgia (except maybe for early 90's thrasher?) to be the first thing to come to mind from an album featuring heavy, heavy guitar but it totally fits Fang Island's approach. I think it's because the nostalgia is very specific. It's not some "Oh, I remember sitting on granddad's knee as a kid, he told scary war stories while I played with the buttons on his shirt" nostalgia -- it's the "I'M A KID, I RUN EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY TO THE BATHROOM. WHEN MY FRIENDS AND I GET TOGETHER, WE DON'T TALK, WE JUST PLAY. AAAH!" nostalgia we all secretly feel so often during the day. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to run the wrong way on an escalator or jump off tables or just dance crazy at the bus stop from time to time?? Well this album give you that excuse. Check out the video for "Daisy" for some tips on the proper way to have a nostalgic adult freak-out.
I'm not sure if I'm reading too much into this trend, maybe it's really that the music industry has gotten so fragmented that bands who don't quite fit into the current zeitgeist can still put their music out and I just happened to wander into some of this music this year. There's probably some truth to that, but who knows? There's so much music out there! This post is case-in-point. After making the top-20 cut for my year-end list, I realized that I had left a lot of bands off and I really wanted to highlight a few of them. And there are still albums out there that a. didn't make the top 20, b. didn't make my honorable mention list, and c. didn't make this list, that I still really loved listening to this year. So kudos to the following bands for making great music this year:
Mavis Staples "You Are Not Alone"
Gorillaz "Plastic Beach"
Caribou "Swim"
Lake Folk "Feel Like I'm Home"
Justin Townes Earle "Harlem River Blues"
Four Tet "There Is Love In You"
The National "High Violet"
Titus Andronicus "The Monitor"
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan "Hawk"
Albums 11-20 out this weekend!
Sub-Genre of the Year: Guitar-rock
Umm...okay, sure, this is not exactly a new genre. From Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley to Stephen Malkmus and Frank Black, guitar-based music has been the staple of pretty much the ENTIRE popular music scene of the past 75 years. But what captured my attention this year was that some new artists' began to stray away from the recent trends of electronic- dance-rock (think Franz Ferdinand or Hot Chip), towards a more unrestrained sound. And no Chillwave. Some bands in my completely made-up sub-genre tended towards 50s and 60s California pop (Best Coast, She & Him, Girls) while others were more garage-y, New York in the 70s (Harlem, Titus Andronicus, Japandroids). But it's all characterized by a less-produced sound and, of course, prominent guitar. So here we go. None of the following bands appear on my top 20+ list forthcoming, but it's more because I'm featuring them here and freeing up space in the other list than because I don't like them.
Maybe the most extreme example of the garage sound in new music today. It's the sound of a group of friends jamming, only recently discovering how to add elements of sound together to make magic. Just guitar, drums, and vocal, but it's just the right combination of these elements that makes for a fun 40 minutes.
Check out: "Gay Human Bones," "Friendly Ghost"
Astro Coast "Surfer Blood"
Maybe a click or two more "produced" than Harlem, this band's debut album is hard to describe. Kind of a Brian Wilson meets Rivers Cuomo vocals with a sugary wave of guitar throughout. Start at "Swim" and keep going in "Harmonix" which reminds me a lot of Television, for some reason.
So far, we've been amping up the guitar sounds -- from jangly garage-band to pop waves. Now comes the most powerful onslaught this side of metal. There is some serious thrashing going on here. Fang Island's album art typifies this wave of nostalgic album art I happen to love (see, also Spoon, Wolf Parade's, Dum Dum Girls, Vampire Weekend, etc. etc... Oh, and the entire Gorilla vs. Bear blog). Thing is, the music on these albums don't usually follow the theme of the album art. This is definitely not the case with Fang Island. You wouldn't expect nostalgia (except maybe for early 90's thrasher?) to be the first thing to come to mind from an album featuring heavy, heavy guitar but it totally fits Fang Island's approach. I think it's because the nostalgia is very specific. It's not some "Oh, I remember sitting on granddad's knee as a kid, he told scary war stories while I played with the buttons on his shirt" nostalgia -- it's the "I'M A KID, I RUN EVERYWHERE, ESPECIALLY TO THE BATHROOM. WHEN MY FRIENDS AND I GET TOGETHER, WE DON'T TALK, WE JUST PLAY. AAAH!" nostalgia we all secretly feel so often during the day. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to run the wrong way on an escalator or jump off tables or just dance crazy at the bus stop from time to time?? Well this album give you that excuse. Check out the video for "Daisy" for some tips on the proper way to have a nostalgic adult freak-out.
I'm not sure if I'm reading too much into this trend, maybe it's really that the music industry has gotten so fragmented that bands who don't quite fit into the current zeitgeist can still put their music out and I just happened to wander into some of this music this year. There's probably some truth to that, but who knows? There's so much music out there! This post is case-in-point. After making the top-20 cut for my year-end list, I realized that I had left a lot of bands off and I really wanted to highlight a few of them. And there are still albums out there that a. didn't make the top 20, b. didn't make my honorable mention list, and c. didn't make this list, that I still really loved listening to this year. So kudos to the following bands for making great music this year:
Mavis Staples "You Are Not Alone"
Gorillaz "Plastic Beach"
Caribou "Swim"
Lake Folk "Feel Like I'm Home"
Justin Townes Earle "Harlem River Blues"
Four Tet "There Is Love In You"
The National "High Violet"
Titus Andronicus "The Monitor"
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan "Hawk"
Albums 11-20 out this weekend!
12 December 2010
Albums of the Year, 2010 (Honorable Mention)
It's that time of year again, everybody. Time to procrastinate from studying by sifting through the new music I've been listening to and loving the past year. As this list rolls out in the next week or so, you can bet that you will get your fair dose of J-Biebs and JWoww. But you will lose a lot of money if that's the case. On to the formalities.
I'm just going to go ahead and say this: 2010 was the best year for music ever. Mozart might argue that 1788 was better -- after all, he did write three of the best symphonies ever (39, 40, & 41 ("Jupiter")). Or McCartney might argue that 1967 was a particularly good year. And in the annals of history, they're probably right. But whatever, enough good, even great music was released this year to more than fill this list.
Without any further ado, here are the albums, in no particular order, that received honorable mention from me, culled from a list of about 40 finalists. Congratulations artists, your check is in the mail.
Girls "Broken Dreams Club EP"
This EP would've been in the top-10 if it were a full album. Just sayin'. Girls is a band whose growth in the past year, since they released their first LP "Album" a year ago and I saw them at the Entry, has been staggering. They still have raggedy, wistful vocals with more than a hint of Elvis Costello, but they are more of a force as a band and in the studio. The production has a fuller presence, with cleaner production and more instruments (steel slide! horns!); but their music still retains its character. Great set of 6 songs, I can't wait for their next album.
Check out: "Oh So Protective One," "Carolina," "Heartbreaker"
Belle & Sebastian "Write About Love"
I don't know why this is only an honorable mention. I guess it speaks to the strength of the others higher up on the list. But I've been waiting since 2006 ("The Life Pursuit) for a new Belle & Sebastian album and this does not disappoint. It "sounds" like B&S, they have that unmistakeable sound, but it's a step in a slightly different direction than their last album in that it's less ambitious. Kind of similar to Spoon and the Hold Steady's new albums (spoiler alert! they're both in the top-20...) in that it's a "good" but not "classic" album in the bands' respective canons. But who cares? It's really good and here's hoping their next album comes out before 2014...
Check out: "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John (feat. Norah Jones)," "Come on Sister," "Sunday's Pretty Icons"
Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles (II)"
Now, to completely switch gears, Crystal Castles' new album was another where I'm sort of asking myself, "So how'd they end up here?" in a good way. I have only one comment about this album: PLAY IT LOUD! Oh, and dig around Pitchfork for an awesome clip of Big Boi (another spoiler alert! another top-20) doing "Shutterbugg" and free-styling over the beat of "Empathy" (he also professes his love for Kate Bush..."she's somewhere in the Lock Ness monster's forest over there in London." It's weirdly awesome.)
Check Out: "Empathy," "Celestica," "Baptism," below check out bonus non-album action of Crystal Castles and Robert Smith in "Not in Love" -- this song alone could've propelled them to the top-20
Das Racist "Sit Down, Man"
Perhaps best known for their odd stoner party rap, "Combination Pizza Hut or Taco Bell," a song which plumbed the depths of the human soul in a novel attempt to describe the human condition...okay, the song really was about being at one of those mutant Pizza Hut/Taco Bell restaurants. But, as my post from Halloween says, "It gets better." As in life, as in Das Racist albums. The duo hits the weirdo-sweet spot of a more self-aware, less-serious DOOM. A Jane Birkin-esque panting session turns into a dub rap before turning into a jubilant African-sounding chorus in "Julia."
Check out: "Fashion Show," "Julia," "All Tan Everything"
Rihanna "Loud"
2010 might've been the year I officially caught the pop bug. As such, I've found myself listening to Rihanna a lot recently. Note that I still draw the line at that girl Bieber, Katy Perry, and Ke$ha...but Gaga, Beyonce, and Rihanna are fair game. And "Loud" is a really good album, especially for someone who won't hear her songs ad nauseum on 101.3 or 96.3 (are they still around?).
Check Out: Honestly, if you're looking to my blog for Rihanna songs to check out, you probably live under a rock. But fine, check out: "Only Girl (In the World)," "What's My Name (feat. that quadriplegic from Degrassi (apparently he's able-bodied in real life and likes to drink Sprite before his head explodes)," "Raining Men (feat. the "MONSTER" Nicki Minaj)"
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists "The Brutalist Bricks"
Another album falling into the category of "great-artist-solid-if-unspectacular-album" Belle & Sebastian find themselves in. This album got me into older Ted Leo albums and is a great introduction to his punk-pop style. See, also albums "Hearts of Oak," and "Shake the Sheets" for a more complete primer.
Check out: "Even Heros Have to Die," "Bottled Up In Cork," "The Mighty Sparrow"
The Gaslight Anthem "American Slang"
Still the closest thing song-wise (I'd argue the Hold Steady are truer theme-wise) to Bruce Springsteen out there, and, they're from Jersey! Their second album finds them branching out to embrace Van Morrison (see the vid below) which is great. Two of my favorites, all paid homage-to under one album banner.
Time for bed. But stay tuned for 11-20 later this week!
I'm just going to go ahead and say this: 2010 was the best year for music ever. Mozart might argue that 1788 was better -- after all, he did write three of the best symphonies ever (39, 40, & 41 ("Jupiter")). Or McCartney might argue that 1967 was a particularly good year. And in the annals of history, they're probably right. But whatever, enough good, even great music was released this year to more than fill this list.
Without any further ado, here are the albums, in no particular order, that received honorable mention from me, culled from a list of about 40 finalists. Congratulations artists, your check is in the mail.
Girls "Broken Dreams Club EP"
This EP would've been in the top-10 if it were a full album. Just sayin'. Girls is a band whose growth in the past year, since they released their first LP "Album" a year ago and I saw them at the Entry, has been staggering. They still have raggedy, wistful vocals with more than a hint of Elvis Costello, but they are more of a force as a band and in the studio. The production has a fuller presence, with cleaner production and more instruments (steel slide! horns!); but their music still retains its character. Great set of 6 songs, I can't wait for their next album.
Check out: "Oh So Protective One," "Carolina," "Heartbreaker"
Belle & Sebastian "Write About Love"
I don't know why this is only an honorable mention. I guess it speaks to the strength of the others higher up on the list. But I've been waiting since 2006 ("The Life Pursuit) for a new Belle & Sebastian album and this does not disappoint. It "sounds" like B&S, they have that unmistakeable sound, but it's a step in a slightly different direction than their last album in that it's less ambitious. Kind of similar to Spoon and the Hold Steady's new albums (spoiler alert! they're both in the top-20...) in that it's a "good" but not "classic" album in the bands' respective canons. But who cares? It's really good and here's hoping their next album comes out before 2014...
Check out: "Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John (feat. Norah Jones)," "Come on Sister," "Sunday's Pretty Icons"
Crystal Castles "Crystal Castles (II)"
Now, to completely switch gears, Crystal Castles' new album was another where I'm sort of asking myself, "So how'd they end up here?" in a good way. I have only one comment about this album: PLAY IT LOUD! Oh, and dig around Pitchfork for an awesome clip of Big Boi (another spoiler alert! another top-20) doing "Shutterbugg" and free-styling over the beat of "Empathy" (he also professes his love for Kate Bush..."she's somewhere in the Lock Ness monster's forest over there in London." It's weirdly awesome.)
Check Out: "Empathy," "Celestica," "Baptism," below check out bonus non-album action of Crystal Castles and Robert Smith in "Not in Love" -- this song alone could've propelled them to the top-20
Das Racist "Sit Down, Man"
Perhaps best known for their odd stoner party rap, "Combination Pizza Hut or Taco Bell," a song which plumbed the depths of the human soul in a novel attempt to describe the human condition...okay, the song really was about being at one of those mutant Pizza Hut/Taco Bell restaurants. But, as my post from Halloween says, "It gets better." As in life, as in Das Racist albums. The duo hits the weirdo-sweet spot of a more self-aware, less-serious DOOM. A Jane Birkin-esque panting session turns into a dub rap before turning into a jubilant African-sounding chorus in "Julia."
Check out: "Fashion Show," "Julia," "All Tan Everything"
Rihanna "Loud"
2010 might've been the year I officially caught the pop bug. As such, I've found myself listening to Rihanna a lot recently. Note that I still draw the line at that girl Bieber, Katy Perry, and Ke$ha...but Gaga, Beyonce, and Rihanna are fair game. And "Loud" is a really good album, especially for someone who won't hear her songs ad nauseum on 101.3 or 96.3 (are they still around?).
Check Out: Honestly, if you're looking to my blog for Rihanna songs to check out, you probably live under a rock. But fine, check out: "Only Girl (In the World)," "What's My Name (feat. that quadriplegic from Degrassi (apparently he's able-bodied in real life and likes to drink Sprite before his head explodes)," "Raining Men (feat. the "MONSTER" Nicki Minaj)"
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists "The Brutalist Bricks"
Another album falling into the category of "great-artist-solid-if-unspectacular-album" Belle & Sebastian find themselves in. This album got me into older Ted Leo albums and is a great introduction to his punk-pop style. See, also albums "Hearts of Oak," and "Shake the Sheets" for a more complete primer.
Check out: "Even Heros Have to Die," "Bottled Up In Cork," "The Mighty Sparrow"
The Gaslight Anthem "American Slang"
Still the closest thing song-wise (I'd argue the Hold Steady are truer theme-wise) to Bruce Springsteen out there, and, they're from Jersey! Their second album finds them branching out to embrace Van Morrison (see the vid below) which is great. Two of my favorites, all paid homage-to under one album banner.
Time for bed. But stay tuned for 11-20 later this week!
12 November 2010
31 October 2010
It gets better.
A few months back, I tried, in my own clumsy way, to write about the tragic spate of teen suicides brought on by bullying. The video below is a much better attempt at addressing this issue and it's one of the most affecting things I've seen in a while. So all I can do is echo the fact that it really does get better.
10 October 2010
Fall or Summer?
Gah! The leaves say fall, but the heat/humidity (yes, humidity in October) say summer. What is this world coming to?! Well, the one constant, I guess, is that the Twins got swept by the Yankees. I guess some things never change....
23 September 2010
They still make phone books?
Well, maybe it's just that no one uses them anymore. This one certainly hasn't been used in a while. Found it in NE near an abandoned warehouse.
In another note: the Arcade Fire concert was one of the best concerts I've been to. And I've been to like 5 or 6, so yeah. So much energy. Great Crowd. The songs and performance didn't hurt either!
In another note: the Arcade Fire concert was one of the best concerts I've been to. And I've been to like 5 or 6, so yeah. So much energy. Great Crowd. The songs and performance didn't hurt either!
21 September 2010
B+W+Valencia
I set off just as the sun set this evening to Target Field, to try to catch some cool shots of people streaming in for the Indians-Twins game (top of the 8th as I type. Prediction: Valencia 3 run hr to win the game. Sox lose, Twins clinch the division.). Anyway, none of the shots of the field really turned out nicely, but I did get a few keepers as I meandered through downtown at dusk. Enjoy and go to my photostream to view more...
20 September 2010
Holga Out & About
Late last week, a tiny package arrived in the mail. It was my beautiful little Holga 135BC! I knew that my productivity school- and work-wise would get as close to zero as is currently scientifically possible. (Science!)
The first two rolls were a disaster. One, a B+W roll, was completely underexposed. My dumbass believed that 400 ISO film would properly expose using only the normal shutter speed (and, coincidentally, the only shutter speed) on my toy camera. The second roll went a little better, it was a color 400, but I took my pictures furtively on an overcast day, so many were very dark. One trip to National Camera Exchange later, I had a goofy little tripod (with bendable legs that grip onto lampposts, etc.) and a shutter cable which allows me to open the shutter for as long as I want. Finally, the pictures started to get better. Below is a slideshow from my Flickr account, at www.flickr.com/photos/jadammel, of some pictures I took at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Basilica of St. Mary, and nearby downtown last night. Enjoy! There will be more to come...
The first two rolls were a disaster. One, a B+W roll, was completely underexposed. My dumbass believed that 400 ISO film would properly expose using only the normal shutter speed (and, coincidentally, the only shutter speed) on my toy camera. The second roll went a little better, it was a color 400, but I took my pictures furtively on an overcast day, so many were very dark. One trip to National Camera Exchange later, I had a goofy little tripod (with bendable legs that grip onto lampposts, etc.) and a shutter cable which allows me to open the shutter for as long as I want. Finally, the pictures started to get better. Below is a slideshow from my Flickr account, at www.flickr.com/photos/jadammel, of some pictures I took at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Basilica of St. Mary, and nearby downtown last night. Enjoy! There will be more to come...
10 September 2010
The Lo-Fi Itch
It's funny how sometimes the latest/greatest technology elicits almost a Newtonian tug in the opposite direction in me. I get a new Macbook but lust over a 1960's Italian typewriter. Or, I get a fancy road bike only to find myself favoring a mutant 80's singlespeed.
This time, it's my new (completely amazing) iPhone 4. And no, I didn't go out and buy a rotary (although the thought has crossed my mind) -- I bought a cheap, Chinese toy camera. Huh? Let me explain. As I began the fun yet often unsatisfying slog through the App store, the photo apps caught my eye. The basic iPhone camera, though high quality for a phone, is also pretty bare bones in terms of its features. You point and and you shoot. Some of these apps (like the one I got) put a cool effect onto the pics in your phone's camera roll. It's an effect similar to those ambiguous photos that indie bands put on the insert of their albums. Super saturated colors, blurry, almost haphazard photos that look like they were either taken by toddlers without sufficiently good motor skills or by some coked-out hippie in the 70's. Like this one (a quickie I took on my iPhone of my shelf of vinyl):
Cool, right? I guess, but it felt a little empty. It felt like I was cheapening the effect and artistry of these photographs, like tacking a chintzy aftermarket exhaust onto an utterly vanilla sedan. A few hours of internet sleuthing later, I was becoming immersed in the culture of lo-fi photography. Sometimes called lomography after the famous Russian LOMO camera, this genre elicits the cries of adoration of many as well as the collective groans of perhaps many more. The same criticisms of bands like Best Coast or Wavves, that the fuzziness of the work is only a cover for a lack of talent (so not true wrt Best Coast!), befalls many artists partaking in lomography.
And so, in spite of the flack I'll catch for already being an insufferable "hipster", I decided to take the plunge and try lo-fi photography the way it's meant to be.(1) My new Holga 135BC will be shipping out this weekend and a whole new obsession will begin. But that doesn't mean my other obsession (records!!) will end. No, no, no -- I plan to take my new toy to visit my other toys at the record store very, very soon.(2)
Anyone want to go on a photo adventure with me??
FN1. Well, "almost mean to be" because the true lo-fi photographer would purchase the Holga 120, which uses an odd-sized film (120) that I'm pretty sure no lab in the Twin Cities processes. And, since I AM on a students' budget, a 35mm camera makes a whole lot of sense. Especially since I'm probably not going to be very good at this.
FN2. Oh, and if I ever become that sad-eyed hipster, slinking around the shadows of a party with a smug look on my face and with a whisper of a mustache tickling my upper lip, nursing a PBR, please kick me hard in the face. Thanks!
This time, it's my new (completely amazing) iPhone 4. And no, I didn't go out and buy a rotary (although the thought has crossed my mind) -- I bought a cheap, Chinese toy camera. Huh? Let me explain. As I began the fun yet often unsatisfying slog through the App store, the photo apps caught my eye. The basic iPhone camera, though high quality for a phone, is also pretty bare bones in terms of its features. You point and and you shoot. Some of these apps (like the one I got) put a cool effect onto the pics in your phone's camera roll. It's an effect similar to those ambiguous photos that indie bands put on the insert of their albums. Super saturated colors, blurry, almost haphazard photos that look like they were either taken by toddlers without sufficiently good motor skills or by some coked-out hippie in the 70's. Like this one (a quickie I took on my iPhone of my shelf of vinyl):
Cool, right? I guess, but it felt a little empty. It felt like I was cheapening the effect and artistry of these photographs, like tacking a chintzy aftermarket exhaust onto an utterly vanilla sedan. A few hours of internet sleuthing later, I was becoming immersed in the culture of lo-fi photography. Sometimes called lomography after the famous Russian LOMO camera, this genre elicits the cries of adoration of many as well as the collective groans of perhaps many more. The same criticisms of bands like Best Coast or Wavves, that the fuzziness of the work is only a cover for a lack of talent (so not true wrt Best Coast!), befalls many artists partaking in lomography.
And so, in spite of the flack I'll catch for already being an insufferable "hipster", I decided to take the plunge and try lo-fi photography the way it's meant to be.(1) My new Holga 135BC will be shipping out this weekend and a whole new obsession will begin. But that doesn't mean my other obsession (records!!) will end. No, no, no -- I plan to take my new toy to visit my other toys at the record store very, very soon.(2)
Anyone want to go on a photo adventure with me??
FN1. Well, "almost mean to be" because the true lo-fi photographer would purchase the Holga 120, which uses an odd-sized film (120) that I'm pretty sure no lab in the Twin Cities processes. And, since I AM on a students' budget, a 35mm camera makes a whole lot of sense. Especially since I'm probably not going to be very good at this.
FN2. Oh, and if I ever become that sad-eyed hipster, slinking around the shadows of a party with a smug look on my face and with a whisper of a mustache tickling my upper lip, nursing a PBR, please kick me hard in the face. Thanks!
15 August 2010
Vinyl Blotter, Vol. 4: Crate Digger Milestones
Preface: Apologies for the long absence from this blog. Hopefully my absenteeism here contributed to my presence at places featuring real, live people. Yeah, unlikely. I've mentioned this before, but it's like I only post when I'm actually busy (i.e. during finals) -- when I'm not busy, the urge to write long screeds on vinyl, politics, and science mysteriously vanishes. Strange, isn't it? Well, to the one, possibly two, but not more than five people who have stuck with me on this blog, thanks, and here's a new post. I've been trying to write it for a long time. Call it my Chinese Democracy.
One thing that hasn't changed this summer (well, actually, nothing has changed) is my adoration for all things vinyl, of the record variety. Sure, my friends are getting married, buying houses, and getting promotions, but I bet none of them found a Japanese bootleg of a Bob Dylan w/. The Band concert from 1974. Here's a list of some notable crate digger milestones from this summer.
With the decision to move my turntable and big floor speakers to my room based in part on the availability of shelf space I thought would last for at least another year, this summer saw that rationale tidily ticked off of the list, "Reasons for Moving All This Shit Into My Bedroom." I probably have 350-400 records now and I've definitely surpassed that ever-important milestone in any crate digger's life: my records weigh more than I do. The only side effect of this accomplishment is the growing dread I feel when thinking about the prospect of ever moving out of this place.
Most people, upon hearing of my vinyl addiction, react with a sort of bemused look on their face that absolutely says, "Oh, umm, that's weird, isn't it? I mean, they have this thing called mp3 players...they play music without the grooved plastic...like, on a computer...it's not like you have a typewriter, do you?" I do. But some people get it. I like those people. You can almost see the wheels churning when they mention the record player lying fallow at their parents' house, the boxes of black gems awaiting discovery by these intrepid explorers. I shared in a few friends' vinyl awakening this summer and it felt good. I'll trade crate digging competition for more people to enjoy it with any day.
I've never gone on a Civil War road trip as my name is not Sarah Vowell. Nor have I seen a baseball game played at every Major League ballpark across the country. And I'm still reluctant to get on the Bieber Express (Bieber or Die!!) and follow that cute little lesbian as she flits from town to town, impressing the tweens. But put a big felt tipped line through the bucket list entry, "Record Road Trip". After driving 10 hours for the perfect wedding, I wasn't too keen on driving all the way back to Minneapolis without more entertainment than the Ira's Flatow and Glass could give me, try though they might (and did). So I googled "Best record stores, Chicago[/Madison]" and programmed my GPS to land at Reckless Records (Chicago), Dusty Groove (Chicago), and Strictly Discs (Madison). And although it contributed to a dangerously low balance in my checking account, it was well worth it. Don't get me wrong -- I love the record stores in Minneapolis. I talk and think about them often. But it's also a little like driving a perfectly fine sedan only to drive a friend's luxury sports car; you don't know what you're missing until you know. A lot of this might be the exotic excitement of things new, but the organization and care that went into the stores I visited hints that it was also something more.
I'm already planning my next vinyl road trip!! Ok, that's not true, but I wanted to convey just how revelatory of an experience it was. So fire up the Bieber Express if you must -- anything for another vinyl road trip.
School (and volunteering and working and being on a journal and still working on interacting with human beings) is set to begin in a few weeks, so expect an curious uptick in posts...
One thing that hasn't changed this summer (well, actually, nothing has changed) is my adoration for all things vinyl, of the record variety. Sure, my friends are getting married, buying houses, and getting promotions, but I bet none of them found a Japanese bootleg of a Bob Dylan w/. The Band concert from 1974. Here's a list of some notable crate digger milestones from this summer.
With the decision to move my turntable and big floor speakers to my room based in part on the availability of shelf space I thought would last for at least another year, this summer saw that rationale tidily ticked off of the list, "Reasons for Moving All This Shit Into My Bedroom." I probably have 350-400 records now and I've definitely surpassed that ever-important milestone in any crate digger's life: my records weigh more than I do. The only side effect of this accomplishment is the growing dread I feel when thinking about the prospect of ever moving out of this place.
Most people, upon hearing of my vinyl addiction, react with a sort of bemused look on their face that absolutely says, "Oh, umm, that's weird, isn't it? I mean, they have this thing called mp3 players...they play music without the grooved plastic...like, on a computer...it's not like you have a typewriter, do you?" I do. But some people get it. I like those people. You can almost see the wheels churning when they mention the record player lying fallow at their parents' house, the boxes of black gems awaiting discovery by these intrepid explorers. I shared in a few friends' vinyl awakening this summer and it felt good. I'll trade crate digging competition for more people to enjoy it with any day.
I've never gone on a Civil War road trip as my name is not Sarah Vowell. Nor have I seen a baseball game played at every Major League ballpark across the country. And I'm still reluctant to get on the Bieber Express (Bieber or Die!!) and follow that cute little lesbian as she flits from town to town, impressing the tweens. But put a big felt tipped line through the bucket list entry, "Record Road Trip". After driving 10 hours for the perfect wedding, I wasn't too keen on driving all the way back to Minneapolis without more entertainment than the Ira's Flatow and Glass could give me, try though they might (and did). So I googled "Best record stores, Chicago[/Madison]" and programmed my GPS to land at Reckless Records (Chicago), Dusty Groove (Chicago), and Strictly Discs (Madison). And although it contributed to a dangerously low balance in my checking account, it was well worth it. Don't get me wrong -- I love the record stores in Minneapolis. I talk and think about them often. But it's also a little like driving a perfectly fine sedan only to drive a friend's luxury sports car; you don't know what you're missing until you know. A lot of this might be the exotic excitement of things new, but the organization and care that went into the stores I visited hints that it was also something more.
I'm already planning my next vinyl road trip!! Ok, that's not true, but I wanted to convey just how revelatory of an experience it was. So fire up the Bieber Express if you must -- anything for another vinyl road trip.
School (and volunteering and working and being on a journal and still working on interacting with human beings) is set to begin in a few weeks, so expect an curious uptick in posts...
29 June 2010
Heeere's Niiiiicky!!!
Gardy always asks me, "Nicky ['cause it's my nickname! My other one is The Human Highlight Reel -- ask your wife how I got that one], how did you get so good at fielding ground balls?" And I say to that redneck, "HOW DARE YOU TALK TO NICK PUNTO!!!" Gardy just doesn't learn, you don't talk to The Punto and the Punto doesn't have to knock you out cold with his patented (pending) headfirst slide into your face.
Back to your grandma for a sec, last time I checked, she doesn't make $4+ million a year, does she? Didn't think so. Oh wait, but she does have 13 career homeruns, doesn't she? No? Really? I thought that was her. Oh wait, it's not her, it's The Human Highlight Reel. Forgive me.
Like any proper mega-star, I do have my detractors. But I actually feed off of negativity, it's like spinach to my Popeye, socialism to my Obama [sorry, had to, Glenn Beck is a fan], incompetence to my BP, teenage hormones to my Justin Bieber. I was actually physically feeding off of Brendan Harris's .154 batting average until he got sent down to AAA. SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I LIKE ME THE NEGATIVITY. So you hater tots out there, keep sending me your steaming piles of hate, because for each negative thing you say, out pops another weak flyball from the timber I felled and honed into the finest bat in the majors. Out pops another "hustle" play in which I needlessly get my uniform dirty [Mom used to say a dirty uniform was her worst nightmare when it came time to clean. What I didn't tell her was that dirt hides tears real well. The tears opponents cry when they see me "hustle" onto the basepaths as a clutch pinch runner.]. Out pops another WEB GEM from The Human Highlight Reel.
Punto, out.
30 May 2010
BREAKING NEWS: GUSHER IN THE GULF
30 May 2021, PALINATION: Lawmakers, in concert with the Palin-Bachmann Administration (1), continue to respond to the latest environmental disaster to befall this young administration: the uncontrolled gushing of renewable energy. With a video montage of the nation's only remaining National Park, The Deepwater Horizon "Freedom Fountain," playing in the background, President Palin delivered a forceful message, "The time for action's come, folks. God gave us energy in the form of oh-so-plentiful oil and coal and here we are, spittin' in the face of the Almighty and the dinos and lil' sea creatures who gave up their lives those thousands of years ago to give us an unlimited supply of fossil fuel by our continued investment in renewable energy. It ain't right. Just like He gave us cute little animals to shoot from helicopters, He also gave us a vast deposit of dino bones all crushed up, liquified, and ripe for the drillin'. We can't let the [air quotes] mainstream [un-airquotes] media and the remaining band of those Commies keep fillin' up the underground airwaves with that nonsenese about [more air quotes] renewable energy being better for the environment -- newsflash East Coast Liberals: it ain't."
The comments, the strongest to date, came after another coal-fired power plant was forced to close after it was rendered obsolete due to the continued, staggering performance of renewable energy, a lasting legacy of He Who Shall Not Be Named's Administration (2). Vice President Michelle Bachmann also released a statement, "We are faced today with a choice: tyranny or liberty. If we choose liberty, then we shall be free to take what we want from our scorched earth -- all the clean coal from our mountains, all the methane from our arctic permafrost (thanks global warming!), and all the oil from the Black Coast [formerly named the Gulf Coast]. If we choose tyranny (3), then we let the sun and wind tell us when it's time to get some energy. And that doesn't sound like the kind of country I want to live in. No, it sounds like Russia. Which was a communist country. Or, wait, a fascist country. No, wait, a republic. Shoot, I can't remember. But it was something bad, something unnamed yet unmistakable -- it was different. And therefore we shall fear it (4)."
Statements like these are only possible in this new America. After the 2020 election, walls were constructed around the Blue States and Tea Party guards were stationed at every mile, armed only with fervor, disillusionment, and a shit-ton of guns and ammo. Said one Tea Party soldier while choking back "freedom tears", "I ain't never been this proud to be a Palimerican living in PaliNation(5). I got into this whole "destroy the government to take back government only to destroy it from the inside, like a festering infection" thing a decade ago as a volunteer for Senator (now Viceroy) of Middle America, Rand Paul. He gave me the confidence to speak without thinking. He told me that my misinformed ideals and politically un-workable positions were really the best solution for this new country. I owe my life to Rand Paul and the Tea Party."
One thing is for sure, the year 2010 will echo throughout history. It was the year Americans finally realized the consequences of the energy choices they made. It was the year they realized that more drilling for a finite resource located in environmentally sensitive regions was a recipe for abuse and disaster. It was the year they realized that large corporations (banks, financial services, automobile manufacturers, oil companies, coal mining companies) must be regulated by a forceful governmental presence to prevent disaster. Because when that disaster came, we saw that it did not affect the companies. It affected ordinary Americans. And they reacted. They reacted with anger and distrust of the government, not unjustified. But instead of advocating for the stronger presence of government oversight, they argued instead for no government (6).
****
(1) "Administration" is a term with only mere symbolic meaning now, as we all know, since President Palin disbanded much of the federal government after her election win last November. She defeated Democratic nominee Rahm Emanuel and Republican John McCain, who ran on a campaign of lies and air quotes. After taking a modified oath of office (leaving only "So help me God," which was never actually in the Constitution or a law but a vestige of a tradition recited by all presidents since FDR (including He Who Shall Not Be Named [Pres. Obama] who, despite the Official Recorded History of the United States of (Palin) America which says he did not, did in fact say this line when he was sworn into office both times, in 2008 and 2012.)), the Palin-Bachmann Administration "cleaned house" by getting rid of all executive agency personnel in the largest mass firing in history. Leaving an inexperienced skeleton crew to run the now empty agencies (Rand "Accidents Happen" Paul at EPA, Rush Limbaugh as Sec'y of Health (who by virtue of his prescriptions alone accounts for 45% of the "so-called" socialized medicine intake in the country), and as an olive branch from Palin's Tea Party to McCain and his Republican(?) party, a spot as the top (well, only) civilian border security officer).
(2) After public outcry reached critical mass in the summer of 2010, President Obama and other Democratic lawmakers ushered through comprehensive energy and climate legislation. Despite harsh criticism from the traditional energy industry and conservative lawmakers, the bill ushered in a new age of energy, once again propelling the United States to an unquestioned world leadership position. Although Obama expended most political capital getting the legislation through Congress in that summer of 2010, he did go on to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bring peace to Darfur, Palestine, and the former Soviet Bloc. This was progress was lost, as we all remember, in the first few months of the Palin-Bachmann Administration when the Iranian War began and the United States severed all ties with the "Pinkie" world community. And yet, because of the strong foundation laid out in the 2010 climate legislation, renewable energy continued to thrive, buoyed by private investment and commercial success, most notably by Al Gore, who now owns much of the world's energy companies, much to the chagrin of the Administration.
(3) A less-successful initiative of the Palin Administration has been the attempt to mandate a nation-wide "Find and Replace" of "tyranny" with "Obama-y"; the initiative sputtered when First Dude Todd Palin was caught replacing "tyranny" with "boobies" on the nation's only remaining computer [yeah, we only have 1 "official" computer now in the U.S., since the internet was deemed to be the work of the devil and getting information through words has been censored and remains now only on Fox News tickers and underground blogs like this one].
(4) "And Therefore We Shall Fear It" became the Palin campaign's best-known slogan. Remember 2008 and "Yes We Can!" and "Change We Can Believe In"? Well this was like that, only 20 times bigger. Literally. Our national car, the Hummer's H2, was outfitted with bold 10 ft banners adorned with the phrase that waved from wind blocks installed on the roof to make them even less efficient. Because, in the words of another popular Palin slogan, "Hey, it's only energy!" mileage requirements became blase in the minds of many during the 2020 campaign.
(5) With apparent obliviousness as to the actual pronunciation of "Palimerican" and the predominance of white citizens of the newly created PaliNation, this unfortunate combination of words gained traction in the Irony-Free zone of the new United States.
(6) To be honest, I couldn't figure out where to take this post. On the one hand, it's a reaction to the useless, self-serving political chatter out there (ahem, Rand "Accidents Happen" Paul). On the other, it's a sense of exasperation that we're missing our chance. Our Cuyahoga River fire. Our Montgomery bus boycott. That galvanizing moment in every movement that begets change. Because this is certainly that moment. Exxon-Valdez is considered to be a significant oil spill and it was, no doubt. But there was an idea of the extent of the oil that needed to be cleaned up. It was a finite amount from one ship. The litigation is still ongoing and the Alaskan coastline is still feeling the effects, but it was somehow manageable. The Gulf spill is different. This is like an Exxon Valdez that doesn't stop. If life were a movie, Bruce Willis would be making an appearance right about now, with some insane plan to save the known world that ends up working in the end. Not top kill or top hat but Die Hard. The pictures of oil gushing out of the riser and then circulating suspended in the upper water column are like the sea birds covered in oil 20 years ago. Or the Cuyahoga River on fire (below). But I'm not seeing how the political landscape has shifted. Conventional wisdom might lead to the conclusion that a moment like this would lead for a push for renewable energy, where an energy "leak" would only mean it's a windy day. But instead, the conservatives who demanded that offshore drilling be included in energy/climate legislation will almost surely drop off as public and political sentiment shifts away from that mentality but their funding continues from the big energy lobby and Tea Partiers opposed to any increase in government. And that's the real tragedy of this oil spill. A thing that should be apparent -- that our current energy use is unsustainable and necessarily dangerous to both humans and wildlife -- is lost in translation from our television or computer screens to our brain. I can only hope that the simmering anger over this disaster is directed at useful goals, namely the tightening of government oversight in the fossil fuel industry, comprehensive climate/energy legislation to invest in new forms of energy, and a rediscovering of how precious our country's natural resources are to our livelihood and psyche. If not, we might as well live in Palimerica.
The comments, the strongest to date, came after another coal-fired power plant was forced to close after it was rendered obsolete due to the continued, staggering performance of renewable energy, a lasting legacy of He Who Shall Not Be Named's Administration (2). Vice President Michelle Bachmann also released a statement, "We are faced today with a choice: tyranny or liberty. If we choose liberty, then we shall be free to take what we want from our scorched earth -- all the clean coal from our mountains, all the methane from our arctic permafrost (thanks global warming!), and all the oil from the Black Coast [formerly named the Gulf Coast]. If we choose tyranny (3), then we let the sun and wind tell us when it's time to get some energy. And that doesn't sound like the kind of country I want to live in. No, it sounds like Russia. Which was a communist country. Or, wait, a fascist country. No, wait, a republic. Shoot, I can't remember. But it was something bad, something unnamed yet unmistakable -- it was different. And therefore we shall fear it (4)."
Statements like these are only possible in this new America. After the 2020 election, walls were constructed around the Blue States and Tea Party guards were stationed at every mile, armed only with fervor, disillusionment, and a shit-ton of guns and ammo. Said one Tea Party soldier while choking back "freedom tears", "I ain't never been this proud to be a Palimerican living in PaliNation(5). I got into this whole "destroy the government to take back government only to destroy it from the inside, like a festering infection" thing a decade ago as a volunteer for Senator (now Viceroy) of Middle America, Rand Paul. He gave me the confidence to speak without thinking. He told me that my misinformed ideals and politically un-workable positions were really the best solution for this new country. I owe my life to Rand Paul and the Tea Party."
One thing is for sure, the year 2010 will echo throughout history. It was the year Americans finally realized the consequences of the energy choices they made. It was the year they realized that more drilling for a finite resource located in environmentally sensitive regions was a recipe for abuse and disaster. It was the year they realized that large corporations (banks, financial services, automobile manufacturers, oil companies, coal mining companies) must be regulated by a forceful governmental presence to prevent disaster. Because when that disaster came, we saw that it did not affect the companies. It affected ordinary Americans. And they reacted. They reacted with anger and distrust of the government, not unjustified. But instead of advocating for the stronger presence of government oversight, they argued instead for no government (6).
****
(1) "Administration" is a term with only mere symbolic meaning now, as we all know, since President Palin disbanded much of the federal government after her election win last November. She defeated Democratic nominee Rahm Emanuel and Republican John McCain, who ran on a campaign of lies and air quotes. After taking a modified oath of office (leaving only "So help me God," which was never actually in the Constitution or a law but a vestige of a tradition recited by all presidents since FDR (including He Who Shall Not Be Named [Pres. Obama] who, despite the Official Recorded History of the United States of (Palin) America which says he did not, did in fact say this line when he was sworn into office both times, in 2008 and 2012.)), the Palin-Bachmann Administration "cleaned house" by getting rid of all executive agency personnel in the largest mass firing in history. Leaving an inexperienced skeleton crew to run the now empty agencies (Rand "Accidents Happen" Paul at EPA, Rush Limbaugh as Sec'y of Health (who by virtue of his prescriptions alone accounts for 45% of the "so-called" socialized medicine intake in the country), and as an olive branch from Palin's Tea Party to McCain and his Republican(?) party, a spot as the top (well, only) civilian border security officer).
(2) After public outcry reached critical mass in the summer of 2010, President Obama and other Democratic lawmakers ushered through comprehensive energy and climate legislation. Despite harsh criticism from the traditional energy industry and conservative lawmakers, the bill ushered in a new age of energy, once again propelling the United States to an unquestioned world leadership position. Although Obama expended most political capital getting the legislation through Congress in that summer of 2010, he did go on to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, bring peace to Darfur, Palestine, and the former Soviet Bloc. This was progress was lost, as we all remember, in the first few months of the Palin-Bachmann Administration when the Iranian War began and the United States severed all ties with the "Pinkie" world community. And yet, because of the strong foundation laid out in the 2010 climate legislation, renewable energy continued to thrive, buoyed by private investment and commercial success, most notably by Al Gore, who now owns much of the world's energy companies, much to the chagrin of the Administration.
(3) A less-successful initiative of the Palin Administration has been the attempt to mandate a nation-wide "Find and Replace" of "tyranny" with "Obama-y"; the initiative sputtered when First Dude Todd Palin was caught replacing "tyranny" with "boobies" on the nation's only remaining computer [yeah, we only have 1 "official" computer now in the U.S., since the internet was deemed to be the work of the devil and getting information through words has been censored and remains now only on Fox News tickers and underground blogs like this one].
(4) "And Therefore We Shall Fear It" became the Palin campaign's best-known slogan. Remember 2008 and "Yes We Can!" and "Change We Can Believe In"? Well this was like that, only 20 times bigger. Literally. Our national car, the Hummer's H2, was outfitted with bold 10 ft banners adorned with the phrase that waved from wind blocks installed on the roof to make them even less efficient. Because, in the words of another popular Palin slogan, "Hey, it's only energy!" mileage requirements became blase in the minds of many during the 2020 campaign.
(5) With apparent obliviousness as to the actual pronunciation of "Palimerican" and the predominance of white citizens of the newly created PaliNation, this unfortunate combination of words gained traction in the Irony-Free zone of the new United States.
(6) To be honest, I couldn't figure out where to take this post. On the one hand, it's a reaction to the useless, self-serving political chatter out there (ahem, Rand "Accidents Happen" Paul). On the other, it's a sense of exasperation that we're missing our chance. Our Cuyahoga River fire. Our Montgomery bus boycott. That galvanizing moment in every movement that begets change. Because this is certainly that moment. Exxon-Valdez is considered to be a significant oil spill and it was, no doubt. But there was an idea of the extent of the oil that needed to be cleaned up. It was a finite amount from one ship. The litigation is still ongoing and the Alaskan coastline is still feeling the effects, but it was somehow manageable. The Gulf spill is different. This is like an Exxon Valdez that doesn't stop. If life were a movie, Bruce Willis would be making an appearance right about now, with some insane plan to save the known world that ends up working in the end. Not top kill or top hat but Die Hard. The pictures of oil gushing out of the riser and then circulating suspended in the upper water column are like the sea birds covered in oil 20 years ago. Or the Cuyahoga River on fire (below). But I'm not seeing how the political landscape has shifted. Conventional wisdom might lead to the conclusion that a moment like this would lead for a push for renewable energy, where an energy "leak" would only mean it's a windy day. But instead, the conservatives who demanded that offshore drilling be included in energy/climate legislation will almost surely drop off as public and political sentiment shifts away from that mentality but their funding continues from the big energy lobby and Tea Partiers opposed to any increase in government. And that's the real tragedy of this oil spill. A thing that should be apparent -- that our current energy use is unsustainable and necessarily dangerous to both humans and wildlife -- is lost in translation from our television or computer screens to our brain. I can only hope that the simmering anger over this disaster is directed at useful goals, namely the tightening of government oversight in the fossil fuel industry, comprehensive climate/energy legislation to invest in new forms of energy, and a rediscovering of how precious our country's natural resources are to our livelihood and psyche. If not, we might as well live in Palimerica.
19 May 2010
Vinyl Blotter, Vol. 3
Busy, busy week. Had my last final, wrote a 15 page report on pesticides, celebrated my birthday -- all reasons to visit the record store for a celebratory dig through those dusty crates I love so much. Here are some highlights in this edition of vinyl blotter.
1. Low (David Bowie, Let it Be Record Sale)
I found this late 70's classic at sale that resembled a vinyl garage sale. The owner of Let it Be Records, formerly a brick and mortar record shop in Minneapolis (I remember when it closed, about 5 years ago -- I was running with the radio on and the Current played "Let it Be" as it closed its doors for the last time. Sad indeed.), gets his record selling buddies together every 6 months or so to have a physical sale (they all sell online). It was weird to see old, crusty musicheads in a very vanilla rec room at some trendy condos off of University in St. Paul. Kind of like seeing your grade school teacher at the supermarket. Something just doesn't seem right when you see people outside of their natural habitat. Anyway, this record was rated by Pitchfork (the hipsters!) as the number one record of the 70's. I don't believe them (I think it was Exile on Main St. by the Rolling Stones, London Calling by the Clash, or My Aim is True by Elvis Costello), but it is a good record. You can hear the influence of the awesome Brian Eno, kind of like you can hear the influence of the awesome Mick Ronson on his earlier albums from the 70's. This guy is good. And he officiates fashion walk-offs, what more can you ask for?
2. Green River (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cheapo)
I don't think I give CCR enough credit. Their music is some of the most instantly recognizable classic rock imaginable, which probably dilutes their image in my mind. But the emotion John Fogerty sings with paired with good ole' swamp rock really stands out listening to it on vinyl.
3. Daptone Gold (Various Artists, Cheapo)
Ok, so Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings get a lot of the attention when it comes to this record label. But like Atmosphere and the Rhymesayers label, Jones and crew only represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talent on the rest of the label. It's so nice to hear "authentic" soul and R&B on fresh vinyl. According to the Daptone website, they do it right -- analog recording, meticulous engineering and mixing, and the oft-forgotten artist development. This sampler album of rarities and B-sides is a great introduction to anyone interested in hearing what modern day soul sounds like.
4. Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds with Sonny Boy Williamson (Hymie's)
Honestly, I had not heard of Sonny Boy Williamson before I got this record. But after reading on the back of the album (mp3's don't have a backside, do they?) that he was an early force in the Chicago Blues sound and an influence on Buddy Guy (misspelled on the album as "Buddy Gay" oops) and Muddy Waters, I was sold. And, hey, it was only $3. I've made more costly mistakes in my time, believe me. In addition, the album is a chance to hear a young Eric Clapton (I wonder if this was before he was a god) back a blues legend. The verdict: definitely a keeper and a good find. It was fun to trace the lineage of the blues past my go-to's of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King.
5. Blood on the Tracks (Dylan, Hymie's)
Sure, upon the release of any new album by Bob Dylan, you'll hear fans say, "This is the best album since Blood on the Tracks," and it's a pretty established notion that this album was his best since Blonde on Blonde and established a second peak in his career, then only little more than a decade old. And in my mind, this album deserves to be a touchstone in his career. You can tell that it was borne out of anguish and, unfortunately, angst makes for good music. But it's not only "fuck off" music, which saves this album from novelty status. My favorite is "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go," a song about accepting the inevitable loss of a loved one while still feeling the inevitable pain. So yes, it is unlikely that he will again top this album (he arguably reached this level during his late-90's trilogy, but never surpassed it) and so we can forever say each new album is the best since Blood on the Tracks.
1. Low (David Bowie, Let it Be Record Sale)
2. Green River (Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cheapo)
3. Daptone Gold (Various Artists, Cheapo)
4. Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds with Sonny Boy Williamson (Hymie's)
5. Blood on the Tracks (Dylan, Hymie's)
10 May 2010
Vinyl Blotter, Vol. 2
If my luck at record stores is any indication of how my finals go, I'm going to ace the civil procedure exam tomorrow. Another great day of finds at my new favorite record store and subject of the first Vinyl Blotter, Hymie's Vintage Records. Eight records for $18. You can do the math. And it's not like these were the typical ubiquitous records you find in the $2 bin. I didn't buy another copy of Rumors, Born to Run, or The Doobie Brothers' Greatest Hits. I bought these:
1. Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones)
Could be the most famous bulge not associated with Al Gore. Yes, this is the famous 1971 album that features a (working) zipper on the Andy Warhol-designed cover. It's kind of weird and I'm a little afraid that it's going to damage my other records (umm, not in the way you're thinking -- but because of the zipper protruding, sicko), but it's an awesome record. With "Brown Sugar," "Wild Horses," and "Bitch," it's another bluesy stab at rock by a great band smack in the middle of my favorite era of theirs. And it was only $2. At Electric Fetus, it would've been at least $12.
2. Rocks (Aerosmith)
Another band with a lead singer best known for his lips and drug use. Another great album from their mid-70's peak. Another steal at $3.
3. & 4. Ram (Paul McCartney) & Band on the Run (Wings)
Is it bad that Paul is my favorite Beatle? Sure, John was more angsty and more "high art" minded and George was more mystical and Ringo was...on Shining Time Station, but has there been anyone more melodic than Macca? I love his bouncy basslines and pop-centric arrangements on these albums. They aren't up to the standards of his other band, but these two albums are right on their heels.
5. Hank Williams' Greatest Hits
For when you're so lonesome you could cry. I take Hank over Dierks Bently, Big & Rich, or almost any other mainstream "country" musician any day.
6. Endless Summer (The Beach Boys)
Ok, so this isn't Brian Wilson's artistic statement like Pet Sounds or SMILE, but these instantly recognizable summer songs are just what I needed on a drizzly, cool May day. And, at 50 cents, how could you go wrong?
7. The Shirelles
A short (18 min) compilation of this 1960's girl band that will sound great on a lazy August weekend evening.
8. Texas Flood (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
One of the best blues records ever.
The point of this post and this whole Vinyl Blotter series of posts is not to try and convince people that I have "good' taste in music. It's to try and convince people to explore music outside of the mainstream. Sure, all of these bands were or still are "mainstream," but the point is that they're not being force-fed to the public on the iTunes homepage or on KS95. For less than the price of a song, you can find music either forgotten or shoved into some niche (oldies, classic rock, country western) and therefore ignored by most casual music listeners. I write about vinyl so much because it's something I really enjoy doing and sharing. Each time I dig into a dusty crate, it's like an instant history lesson. So this is what people used to listen to. I find myself thinking about who the previous owner was, why they bought the album -- why they decided to sell it. I love new music too, but discovering influences it makes it all the more enjoyable. It's listening to the band Girls and hearing Elvis Costello's exaggerated snarl. Or hearing Dusty Springfield in Cat Power. Or the Shirelles in Beyonce. And while it's easy to fall into a "spot-the-influences" trap, it's also easy to think that the music that comes out today somehow came out of a musical test tube, with no antecedent. Kind of like teaching creationism in schools ;o)
1. Sticky Fingers (The Rolling Stones)
2. Rocks (Aerosmith)
Another band with a lead singer best known for his lips and drug use. Another great album from their mid-70's peak. Another steal at $3.
3. & 4. Ram (Paul McCartney) & Band on the Run (Wings)
5. Hank Williams' Greatest Hits
For when you're so lonesome you could cry. I take Hank over Dierks Bently, Big & Rich, or almost any other mainstream "country" musician any day.
6. Endless Summer (The Beach Boys)
Ok, so this isn't Brian Wilson's artistic statement like Pet Sounds or SMILE, but these instantly recognizable summer songs are just what I needed on a drizzly, cool May day. And, at 50 cents, how could you go wrong?
7. The Shirelles
A short (18 min) compilation of this 1960's girl band that will sound great on a lazy August weekend evening.
One of the best blues records ever.
The point of this post and this whole Vinyl Blotter series of posts is not to try and convince people that I have "good' taste in music. It's to try and convince people to explore music outside of the mainstream. Sure, all of these bands were or still are "mainstream," but the point is that they're not being force-fed to the public on the iTunes homepage or on KS95. For less than the price of a song, you can find music either forgotten or shoved into some niche (oldies, classic rock, country western) and therefore ignored by most casual music listeners. I write about vinyl so much because it's something I really enjoy doing and sharing. Each time I dig into a dusty crate, it's like an instant history lesson. So this is what people used to listen to. I find myself thinking about who the previous owner was, why they bought the album -- why they decided to sell it. I love new music too, but discovering influences it makes it all the more enjoyable. It's listening to the band Girls and hearing Elvis Costello's exaggerated snarl. Or hearing Dusty Springfield in Cat Power. Or the Shirelles in Beyonce. And while it's easy to fall into a "spot-the-influences" trap, it's also easy to think that the music that comes out today somehow came out of a musical test tube, with no antecedent. Kind of like teaching creationism in schools ;o)
09 May 2010
Mum
I looked down at my feet to the cheap Little Mermaid ball sitting there, inviting me to kick it. It wasn't one of those heavy red rubber balls you play kickball with, it was one of those $0.70 balls they keep in those tall wire racks at Target or Menards. Instead of a satisfactory fwap when struck or bounced, this kind of ball made an odd doooing. In short, it was pretty flimsy/harmless, as far as balls go. There is a slight chance that this factor crossed my slowly developing mind as I simultaneously dialed in the maximum kick velocity/trajectory and saw my mom stomp towards me with that universal "DON'T YOU DARE" expression moms get. And so, in one of those confounding choices a youth makes, I began to see my mom as more of a Pakistani civilian to the Predator Drone missile of a kick I was about to unleash on a grass stained Ariel -- collateral damage. Foot struck ball. Ariel (and maybe Sebastian, I can't remember) rose majestically as my shoulders rose not quite as majestically in another universal expression -- the cringe. The kick was perfect, my aim was true, and my mom, well, my mom just happened to get in the way. After a direct hit on her now red forehead, I knew I was in for it. But, like a dude at a baseball game about to get tasered, I resigned myself to the punishment I deserved. Oh, the things moms put up with.
This won't be a post about how tireless a job parenting is, how thankless it can all seem. It won't be as such because I cannot comprehend how difficult a job it must be. To live and die by your child's minor successes and failures. To feel the competing, sometimes tragic pull between urge to protect and the necessity of stepping back, letting your child experience failure, even if, or perhaps because that failure is preventable. To be a vigorous advocate in the face of adversity. To feel ignored when your child succeeds and blamed when they fail. A punching bag and shoulder to cry on, sometimes at the same time. I won't fully understand these emotions until I have a child of my own (Which, for the above reasons, will not be happening for a long, long time. Not Larry King long, but long all the same. Don't worry, Mom).
This is a post about how I see you, Mom.
In the beginning (but after there was light; oh, I'd say it was around 1986), you were my protector. You probably saved my ass from imminent doom more times than I can count. Because of you, I learned that streets are not for playing, sockets are not for poking, and pants are not for pooping (still working on that one...eek). I've probably said more words to you than anyone else on this planet, with the exception of chatting online during class. Hey, law school is boring! Babies may be born with some sort of rudimentary moral compass, but you were the one who gave me gentle and sometimes not-so-gentle nudges in the "right" direction. You were the infallible, permed giant of my early formative years.
Moms, and sorry Mom, you are no exception, started to lose their aura of "cool" about the time that word became the social currency during middle school. Instead of my friend and confidant, you became dispenser of Doc Martens and Old Navy cargo pants, of Mariah Carey CD's and Mighty Ducks VHS's. And yet you -- not my uncomfortable, clunky German shoes or my diva-rific music -- were the one I still ran to when a coach yelled at me or when I found out I had to go to speech class (those damned R's) or, let's face it, whenever I needed someone to help guide me through that hellish phase of adolescence.
Then came high school.
To be honest, this is more of a continuation of the grade school phase. I guess high school is when shit hits the fan and children rebel? I was probably too busy napping in the basement or going to Denny's to rebel much. What a failure! But, nonetheless, I was beginning to realize that you were cool in your own way, but definitely wasn't convinced of it. Hell, I had a hard enough time with my own conceptualization of cool (Told in excruciating detail in my high school autobiography, My Life Under the Table and Dreaming; or, When Professing One's Love for Dave Matthews Band is Not Enough for Complete Life Fulfillment (And When it Is)). And, as always, I had both feet in the present but my head stuck in my future plans: college. And while you were no longer a giant in comparison to my size (if I remember correctly, I was the giant in high school) you were still a sort of infallible wizard, albeit an uncool one in the eyes of an 18 year old. But, Gandolf and Dumbeldore aside, when are wizards ever cool? And you can't even classify them as cool cool, can you? More old person, does-whatever-they-want cool, right? Anyway, you supported my decision to journey to remote, snowy, jobless Michigan without nary a plea for me to stay closer to home. I knew I'd be back home (it only took 5 years), but I suppose you had to settle with the reality that it'd always be different. That I wouldn't be going home, but rather visiting home.
I've since come to realize, to my initial shock, that you are not the infallible titan I once thought you were -- hell, you don't even have a perm anymore! But this only makes me love you more. Because if an infallible superhero did the job you did, it'd be no big deal. Another notch on their super belt. But that you, an actual human being, flaws and all, did the job you did raising us, makes it all the more impressive. I probably owe you a lifetime of thanks, and one Hallmark holiday per year or a blog post doesn't do you justice. But thanks, Mom, I'll try to kick Little Mermaid balls at your head less often from now on.
This won't be a post about how tireless a job parenting is, how thankless it can all seem. It won't be as such because I cannot comprehend how difficult a job it must be. To live and die by your child's minor successes and failures. To feel the competing, sometimes tragic pull between urge to protect and the necessity of stepping back, letting your child experience failure, even if, or perhaps because that failure is preventable. To be a vigorous advocate in the face of adversity. To feel ignored when your child succeeds and blamed when they fail. A punching bag and shoulder to cry on, sometimes at the same time. I won't fully understand these emotions until I have a child of my own (Which, for the above reasons, will not be happening for a long, long time. Not Larry King long, but long all the same. Don't worry, Mom).
This is a post about how I see you, Mom.
In the beginning (but after there was light; oh, I'd say it was around 1986), you were my protector. You probably saved my ass from imminent doom more times than I can count. Because of you, I learned that streets are not for playing, sockets are not for poking, and pants are not for pooping (still working on that one...eek). I've probably said more words to you than anyone else on this planet, with the exception of chatting online during class. Hey, law school is boring! Babies may be born with some sort of rudimentary moral compass, but you were the one who gave me gentle and sometimes not-so-gentle nudges in the "right" direction. You were the infallible, permed giant of my early formative years.
Moms, and sorry Mom, you are no exception, started to lose their aura of "cool" about the time that word became the social currency during middle school. Instead of my friend and confidant, you became dispenser of Doc Martens and Old Navy cargo pants, of Mariah Carey CD's and Mighty Ducks VHS's. And yet you -- not my uncomfortable, clunky German shoes or my diva-rific music -- were the one I still ran to when a coach yelled at me or when I found out I had to go to speech class (those damned R's) or, let's face it, whenever I needed someone to help guide me through that hellish phase of adolescence.
Then came high school.
To be honest, this is more of a continuation of the grade school phase. I guess high school is when shit hits the fan and children rebel? I was probably too busy napping in the basement or going to Denny's to rebel much. What a failure! But, nonetheless, I was beginning to realize that you were cool in your own way, but definitely wasn't convinced of it. Hell, I had a hard enough time with my own conceptualization of cool (Told in excruciating detail in my high school autobiography, My Life Under the Table and Dreaming; or, When Professing One's Love for Dave Matthews Band is Not Enough for Complete Life Fulfillment (And When it Is)). And, as always, I had both feet in the present but my head stuck in my future plans: college. And while you were no longer a giant in comparison to my size (if I remember correctly, I was the giant in high school) you were still a sort of infallible wizard, albeit an uncool one in the eyes of an 18 year old. But, Gandolf and Dumbeldore aside, when are wizards ever cool? And you can't even classify them as cool cool, can you? More old person, does-whatever-they-want cool, right? Anyway, you supported my decision to journey to remote, snowy, jobless Michigan without nary a plea for me to stay closer to home. I knew I'd be back home (it only took 5 years), but I suppose you had to settle with the reality that it'd always be different. That I wouldn't be going home, but rather visiting home.
I've since come to realize, to my initial shock, that you are not the infallible titan I once thought you were -- hell, you don't even have a perm anymore! But this only makes me love you more. Because if an infallible superhero did the job you did, it'd be no big deal. Another notch on their super belt. But that you, an actual human being, flaws and all, did the job you did raising us, makes it all the more impressive. I probably owe you a lifetime of thanks, and one Hallmark holiday per year or a blog post doesn't do you justice. But thanks, Mom, I'll try to kick Little Mermaid balls at your head less often from now on.
06 May 2010
Our Band Could Be Your Life
This is my favorite song off of an amazing, sprawling 1984 album called Double Nickels on the Dime by the band Minutemen. They were around in the early to mid-80's, contemporaries of Minneapolis bands like Husker Du and the Replacements. Seen by some as an advancement of punk and by others as the death of it, Double Nickels on the Dime was perhaps the artistic apex of the genre, which evolved from the chugging chords of the Ramones, to the snarling lyricism of Elvis Costello, to the worldly sound of the Specials and the Clash -- and finally to this, a combination of free-form instrumentals, chugging riffs, and bouncy basslines with an in your face approach that defined punk. While this song, "History Lesson Part 2" is the band at their most subdued, it's a touching homage to influential bands and the camaraderie of being in a band (not unlike LCD Soundsystem's "Losing My Edge" or anything by the Hold Steady, but especially "Certain Songs" and "We Can Get Together").
When people (like me) try to say that the 80's were devoid of good music, bands like Husker Du, the Replacements, the Minutement, the Pixies, REM, and Pavement stand as a testament to the contrary.
"Mr. Narrator: this is Bob Dylan to me, my story could be his songs..."
05 May 2010
Vinyl Blotter, Vol. 1
I go to record stores a lot. If you know me, you know this. There is a singular rush I get, the thrill of finding that perfect record, when I walk in the door. Sometimes I'm looking for something specific, but more often than not, I go in with an open mind and see what I find. The following are some of this week's finds:
1. Hymie's Records
Hymie's Records, off of E. Lake Street, has been in business for as long as I've been alive. But in exciting news, they just opened the doors to a new location, 5 blocks away from their old store. I never went to their old store, but their new one already has that disheveled yet organized feel every record store worth its salt should have. Large, vintage speakers spewing warm, vinyl goodness all over the store from a Pro-ject Debut II turntable (the one I have!) and vinyl spills out every nook and cranny. How did I not know this vinyl utopia existed? For one, blame my recovering, sheltered suburbanite self, -- I'm just now discovering the plethora of great record stores not named Cheapo we have in this city (Treehouse, Roadrunner, Shuga, etc etc.). But the well-stocked Hymie's may be my new favorite. It's not really in a trendy part of town, which I think suits records stores just fine. They should be a destination, not a place you stop off at on the way to Chino Latino. Hymie's will now be a regular destination for me. Great selection, great vibe, great prices. Where have you been all my life?
2. The Rolling Stones "Beggars Banquet" @ Hymie's
Most Rolling Stones albums in record stores today come from the unfortunate period in many great 60's/70's bands: the 1980's. Nothing is ever really in stock from bands' heydays either because people smartly hold on to these albums or because finding them in good condition some 40 years hence proves to be a difficult task. But my new favorite record store happened to have this album today, to my delight. At first, I thought it was some sort of bootleg -- the album art I'm most familiar with looks like this:
So I was confused when I saw the spare "Beggars Banquet" album staring at me. Apparently the toilet graffiti cover was nixed by record execs (the fools) and the spare, White Album-ish cover was chosen for the original release instead. Beggars Banquet comes from my favorite period of the Stones' career and kicked off a run of albums (Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St.) over the course of four years that may be paralleled only by the Beatles (Rubber Soul through Abbey Road) and Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin through Zoso (or maybe Physical Graffiti if we're feeling charitable)). It's bluesy, it's country, but most of all, it's rock.
3. B.B. King "Back in the Alley: The Classic Blues of B.B. King" & "20/20: Twenty No. 1 Hits from Twenty Years at Motown" @ Hymie's
If you visit me at my apartment (please do!) I will be occupying one of two rooms: the living room or my bedroom. Really, besides the bathroom, that's all my apartment has to offer. But I have a record player in each room. In the living room, you'll find my Pro-ject turntable (with a Grado Green cartridge), my custom made (thanks Dad!) transmission line floor speakers, and my Pioneer (soon to be replaced with a Marantz!) receiver. This is the good system. In my bedroom, you'll find an old receiver, bookshelf speakers, and a donated record player (thanks Uncle Herb!). I reserve the bedroom system for older records that I can just play in the background. Well, this is the room the B.B. King and Motown albums were headed for. Until I listened to them. "Back in the Alley" has some really great music on it, from "Paid the Cost to be the Boss" to "Lucille," a song written about his beloved guitar. The Motown album has classic singles from the Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. I might put it next to my Supremes Anthology for when I'm feeling all Motown-y. Point of this entry: sometimes the cheapest, "throwaway" records are really the hidden jewels, ready for the big show (the living room player) kind of like Wilson Ramos.
1. Hymie's Records
Hymie's Records, off of E. Lake Street, has been in business for as long as I've been alive. But in exciting news, they just opened the doors to a new location, 5 blocks away from their old store. I never went to their old store, but their new one already has that disheveled yet organized feel every record store worth its salt should have. Large, vintage speakers spewing warm, vinyl goodness all over the store from a Pro-ject Debut II turntable (the one I have!) and vinyl spills out every nook and cranny. How did I not know this vinyl utopia existed? For one, blame my recovering, sheltered suburbanite self, -- I'm just now discovering the plethora of great record stores not named Cheapo we have in this city (Treehouse, Roadrunner, Shuga, etc etc.). But the well-stocked Hymie's may be my new favorite. It's not really in a trendy part of town, which I think suits records stores just fine. They should be a destination, not a place you stop off at on the way to Chino Latino. Hymie's will now be a regular destination for me. Great selection, great vibe, great prices. Where have you been all my life?
2. The Rolling Stones "Beggars Banquet" @ Hymie's
3. B.B. King "Back in the Alley: The Classic Blues of B.B. King" & "20/20: Twenty No. 1 Hits from Twenty Years at Motown" @ Hymie's
If you visit me at my apartment (please do!) I will be occupying one of two rooms: the living room or my bedroom. Really, besides the bathroom, that's all my apartment has to offer. But I have a record player in each room. In the living room, you'll find my Pro-ject turntable (with a Grado Green cartridge), my custom made (thanks Dad!) transmission line floor speakers, and my Pioneer (soon to be replaced with a Marantz!) receiver. This is the good system. In my bedroom, you'll find an old receiver, bookshelf speakers, and a donated record player (thanks Uncle Herb!). I reserve the bedroom system for older records that I can just play in the background. Well, this is the room the B.B. King and Motown albums were headed for. Until I listened to them. "Back in the Alley" has some really great music on it, from "Paid the Cost to be the Boss" to "Lucille," a song written about his beloved guitar. The Motown album has classic singles from the Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder. I might put it next to my Supremes Anthology for when I'm feeling all Motown-y. Point of this entry: sometimes the cheapest, "throwaway" records are really the hidden jewels, ready for the big show (the living room player) kind of like Wilson Ramos.
03 May 2010
Sticks and stones
He was a genuinely nice kid, smart and really good at soccer. Of course, this meant that the only way to get at him was for things -- a nervous tic -- that were out of his control. An apparent weakness we opportunistic 7th graders mercilessly ragged on him for. And as he ran down the busy street at recess with the PE teacher/recess monitor ambling after him, her whistle jangling, I felt a stab of regret -- was I responsible for this? If he gets hit by a car, will I go to jail? Is my life over? Am I some monster? Granted, at the time, my fears were rooted in self preservation, but looking back on it now, it was a defining experience in how I interacted with my classmates from that point on. The recess monitor finally caught up to my classmate as he crumpled to his knees, sobbing at the street corner. I wasn't put in jail and neither were my co-conspirators, all we got was a week inside during recess.
I've felt myself reminiscing more and getting more and more disheartened lately as I read about the tragic suicides of teenagers (here here) who were quite literally bullied to death. Some blame the rise of social media for this spate of deaths, and while it's a significant factor, bullying has been a staple of teenage life long before Myspace, texting, and Facebook. That many of my friends state categorically that middle/high school was a generally horrible, awkward experience suggests that bullying is also not a limited phenomenon. And while it's dangerous to make broad proclamations, I'll make one here: bullies almost never succeed in real life, but the bullied rise to be some of the most successful people around. Of course, there are exceptions, and it's imperfect to label someone either a "bully" or "bullied" since the Venn diagram of the two very much overlap, but think about some of the most successful people: President Obama, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, almost any artist -- you think these people were the most popular kids growing up? Think again.
This post is more about embracing quirkiness than it is a prescription to defeat bullies. It's cold comfort to tell someone being bullied that it'll all get better, that high school is a bad time for almost everyone, that you'll show those bullies a thing or two at the 10 year reunion when you're a successful engineer, designer, artist, what have you and they're working a dead-end job somewhere, but it's true. Thing is, the only way to discover this is through another cliche, through experience. More broad generalizations/advice forthcoming: bullies are insecure in their social positions, in how others perceive them. This is why they listen to the "cool" music that "cool" kids listen to. They dress in that same manufactured cool that everyone else does too. If you ever find yourself looking down at your dorky Chucks as you listen to Bavarian hymnals, don't fret -- turn it up! Embrace the quirk.
Remember that curiosity and wide-ranging interests will open up so many more doors in your life than will bland, cowardly conformity. Even though conformity might get a childhood bully into the board room (ahem, Goldman Sachs), they won't be happy, they won't live a fulfilling life, and they'll be constantly looking over their shoulders for you -- they'll covet your independence and originalism. They might even try to buy your ideas and market them as their own, but the public can see through that fraud.
My best advice is to seek out those who share the same interests as you. Start a chess club. Or a World of Warcraft club. Or spend an afternoon digging through dusty crates of vinyl records. Life is better with people to experience it with.
In 10 years, you can have the last laugh. My bullied classmate (after some stellar facebook sleuthing) is now getting a masters degree in mechanical engineering. His bullies...are not. Ha ha, indeed.
I've felt myself reminiscing more and getting more and more disheartened lately as I read about the tragic suicides of teenagers (here here) who were quite literally bullied to death. Some blame the rise of social media for this spate of deaths, and while it's a significant factor, bullying has been a staple of teenage life long before Myspace, texting, and Facebook. That many of my friends state categorically that middle/high school was a generally horrible, awkward experience suggests that bullying is also not a limited phenomenon. And while it's dangerous to make broad proclamations, I'll make one here: bullies almost never succeed in real life, but the bullied rise to be some of the most successful people around. Of course, there are exceptions, and it's imperfect to label someone either a "bully" or "bullied" since the Venn diagram of the two very much overlap, but think about some of the most successful people: President Obama, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, almost any artist -- you think these people were the most popular kids growing up? Think again.
This post is more about embracing quirkiness than it is a prescription to defeat bullies. It's cold comfort to tell someone being bullied that it'll all get better, that high school is a bad time for almost everyone, that you'll show those bullies a thing or two at the 10 year reunion when you're a successful engineer, designer, artist, what have you and they're working a dead-end job somewhere, but it's true. Thing is, the only way to discover this is through another cliche, through experience. More broad generalizations/advice forthcoming: bullies are insecure in their social positions, in how others perceive them. This is why they listen to the "cool" music that "cool" kids listen to. They dress in that same manufactured cool that everyone else does too. If you ever find yourself looking down at your dorky Chucks as you listen to Bavarian hymnals, don't fret -- turn it up! Embrace the quirk.
Remember that curiosity and wide-ranging interests will open up so many more doors in your life than will bland, cowardly conformity. Even though conformity might get a childhood bully into the board room (ahem, Goldman Sachs), they won't be happy, they won't live a fulfilling life, and they'll be constantly looking over their shoulders for you -- they'll covet your independence and originalism. They might even try to buy your ideas and market them as their own, but the public can see through that fraud.
My best advice is to seek out those who share the same interests as you. Start a chess club. Or a World of Warcraft club. Or spend an afternoon digging through dusty crates of vinyl records. Life is better with people to experience it with.
In 10 years, you can have the last laugh. My bullied classmate (after some stellar facebook sleuthing) is now getting a masters degree in mechanical engineering. His bullies...are not. Ha ha, indeed.
29 April 2010
The road not taken
A month ago, I wrote a rather lengthy footnote (here) about a powerful documentary concerning our energy choices in the late 70's and early 80's that have shaped our energy future in the past three decades. The part I most remember about the documentary is how President Carter, with solar panels newly installed on the roof of the White House, warned of the potential for the panels to become, "a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken" if they and other renewable energy technologies were not widely adopted. Solar panels as a curiosity was an example of an alternate scenario he hoped we would avert in favor of an energy portfolio rich with renewable energy technologies. Needless to say, we did not heed President Carter's advice and, sadly, the solar panels now sit in the National Museum of American History.
I'm not going to dwell on the fact that we've lost so many years where we could've been designing clean, renewable, safe technologies that would eventually phase out dirty, non-renewable, dangerous (here here here) energy technologies we still rely on today. I'm not going to analogize energy technology to computer technology, either. I won't say that in 1980, renewable energy technology and computer technology were both in a relatively nascent period of development, that the wonder of technology I'm writing this post on (Macbook) is the product of 30 years of innovation, that in the same 30 years we could've also been developing renewable energy technology (thus making it more efficient, cheaper, and a viable alternative to fossil fuels) we did very little; I won't because it should be all too apparent.
But I will say this: anyone who picked up a newspaper this week saw a starkly contrasting example of yet another choice we must make regarding our energy future, this time regarding our oceans. The good news first. Cape Wind, the nation's first offshore wind farm, was given the federal green light to begin construction. It will generate enough energy (420 MW) as a medium-sized coal plant and represents the first step in catching up to the rest of the world with this technology. Opponents claim that the windfarm will pose environmental hazards and clutter the landscape. Would you rather see quiet (and I think, majestic) wind turbines spinning in the distance or a smoking oil rig? Or a shoreline covered in a oily sheen? Which brings me to the bad news, the tragic explosion of the oil rig and subsequent hemorrhaging of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Is it a coincidence that two major energy stories in the same week focused on the same ocean? Probably, but it doesn't diminish the choice we as a country must make when we decide our energy future in the coming months.
It's true that this issue isn't black and white. Strict environmental regulations for both offshore wind and drilling must be a priority. Further, social and economic factors must also be incorporated into development decisions. But taking these factors into consideration actually favors offshore wind -- think of an ocean full not with oil rigs but with wind turbines, with hardy, Armageddon-style crews zipping from turbine to turbine, performing necessary maintenance. I mean, Ben Affleck needs a job, doesn't he? It would certainly be safer than sitting on a bomb for a living (or detonating one on an asteroid hurtling towards Earth...). And, despite the announcement last month that the moratorium on offshore drilling would be lifted, I think this disaster puts a very visible reminder in American's eyes of the dangers of conventional energy choices.
So here we stand, once again, with a decision to make. Will we maintain the status quo, subjecting our workers to the tremendous and unnecessary risks of producing unsustainable fossil fuels and leaving open the possibility of environmental disasters? Or will we take President Carter's 30 year old advice and invest in an energy future that makes oil rigs and coal mines curiosities and museum pieces?
I'm not going to dwell on the fact that we've lost so many years where we could've been designing clean, renewable, safe technologies that would eventually phase out dirty, non-renewable, dangerous (here here here) energy technologies we still rely on today. I'm not going to analogize energy technology to computer technology, either. I won't say that in 1980, renewable energy technology and computer technology were both in a relatively nascent period of development, that the wonder of technology I'm writing this post on (Macbook) is the product of 30 years of innovation, that in the same 30 years we could've also been developing renewable energy technology (thus making it more efficient, cheaper, and a viable alternative to fossil fuels) we did very little; I won't because it should be all too apparent.
But I will say this: anyone who picked up a newspaper this week saw a starkly contrasting example of yet another choice we must make regarding our energy future, this time regarding our oceans. The good news first. Cape Wind, the nation's first offshore wind farm, was given the federal green light to begin construction. It will generate enough energy (420 MW) as a medium-sized coal plant and represents the first step in catching up to the rest of the world with this technology. Opponents claim that the windfarm will pose environmental hazards and clutter the landscape. Would you rather see quiet (and I think, majestic) wind turbines spinning in the distance or a smoking oil rig? Or a shoreline covered in a oily sheen? Which brings me to the bad news, the tragic explosion of the oil rig and subsequent hemorrhaging of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Is it a coincidence that two major energy stories in the same week focused on the same ocean? Probably, but it doesn't diminish the choice we as a country must make when we decide our energy future in the coming months.
It's true that this issue isn't black and white. Strict environmental regulations for both offshore wind and drilling must be a priority. Further, social and economic factors must also be incorporated into development decisions. But taking these factors into consideration actually favors offshore wind -- think of an ocean full not with oil rigs but with wind turbines, with hardy, Armageddon-style crews zipping from turbine to turbine, performing necessary maintenance. I mean, Ben Affleck needs a job, doesn't he? It would certainly be safer than sitting on a bomb for a living (or detonating one on an asteroid hurtling towards Earth...). And, despite the announcement last month that the moratorium on offshore drilling would be lifted, I think this disaster puts a very visible reminder in American's eyes of the dangers of conventional energy choices.
So here we stand, once again, with a decision to make. Will we maintain the status quo, subjecting our workers to the tremendous and unnecessary risks of producing unsustainable fossil fuels and leaving open the possibility of environmental disasters? Or will we take President Carter's 30 year old advice and invest in an energy future that makes oil rigs and coal mines curiosities and museum pieces?
28 April 2010
The musical intstrument everyone knows how to play
I found this gem in the dust jacket of an old Pete Seeger ("We Shall Overcome") album from the 60's I got today:
HERE'S HOW RECORDS GIVE YOU MORE OF WHAT YOU WANT:
1. THEY'RE YOUR BEST ENTERTAINMENT BUY. Records give you top quality for less money than any other recorded form. Every album is a show in itself. And once you've paid the price of admission, you can hear it over and over.
2. THEY ALLOW SELECTIVITY OF SONGS AND TRACKS. With records it's easy to pick out the songs you want to play, or to play again a particular song or side. All you have to do is life the tone arm and place it where you want it. You can't do this as easily with anything but a phonograph record.
3. THEY'RE CONVENIENT AND EASY TO HANDLE. With the long-playing record you get what you want to hear, when you want to hear it. Everybody's familiar with records, too. And you can go anywhere with them because they're light and don't take up space.
4. THEY'RE ATTRACTIVE, INFORMATIVE AND EASY TO STORE. Record albums are never out of place. Because of the aesthetic appeal of the jacket design, they're beautifully at home in any living room or library. They've also got important information on the backs -- about the artists, about the performances or about the program. And because they're flat and not bulky, you can store hundreds in a minimum of space and still see every title.
5. THEY'LL GIVE YOU HOURS OF CONTINUOUS AND UNINTERRUPTED ENJOYMENT. Just stack them up on your automatic changer and relax.
6. THEY'RE THE PROVEN MEDIUM. Long-playing phonograph records look the same now as when they were introduced in 1948, but there's a world of difference. Countless refinements and developments have been made to perfect the long-playing record's technical excellence and insure the best in sound reproduction and quality.
7. IF IT'S IN RECORDED FORM, YOU KNOW IT'LL BE AVAILABLE ON RECORDS. Everything's on long-playing records these days...your favorite artists, shows, comedy, movie sound tracks, concerts, drama, documented history, educational material...you name it. This is not so with any other kind of recording.
8. THEY MAKE A GREAT GIFT because everybody you know likes music. And everyone owns a phonograph because it's the musical instrument everyone knows how to play. Records are a gift that says a lot to the person you're giving them to. And they keep on remembering.
AND REMEMBER...IT ALWAYS HAPPENS FIRST ON RECORDS.
[Well put, Don Draper.]
We're comin' to America!
There are so many things fucking right with this video.
Neil Diamond was not my first thought last week as I walked into the law school. Funny, it usually is. As I entered, I was greeted by a group of people who were most decidedly not law students. No, not beleaguered twentysomethings, but whole families, dressed up, smiling, and holding American flags and speaking, well, not English. After reading the sign, "Naturalization ceremony in Room 25," it all made sense.
I was naturalized some 23 years ago by an old judge in a nondescript courtroom. I still have the picture. I had a look in my eyes that said 2 things:
1. Why is this old man in a bedsheet holding me and why does he smell like Fritos?
2. Holy shit.
If I were to be naturalized today and someone memorialized it with a picture, I would have the very same look in my eyes. Since my memories of being naturalized and my knowledge of the process come only from an old photograph, I can (safely?) assume that being held in the arms of some old judge is a mandatory part of the process. But maybe my judge only ate Fritos some days. I don't know if that part is a requirement. But I know for sure that I would still be thinking holy shit, this is a big deal! [Joe Biden: you mean a big fucking deal] Yes, it is a BFD.
Smiling images of these fresh off the vine Americans was juxtaposed sadly with that ghastly Arizona law that just passed, making it Morning in America once again....for racial profiling, that is. Things haven't been this rosy for the profilers among us since it was a television show (things got worse in a hurry for profilers when they realized that the television show was not a loving tribute to racism, but rather a "gritty" crime drama (really, what crime dramas aren't "gritty") about Dr. Sam(antha) Waters who has the magical ability to "see" through the eyes of others (a trait otherwise known as "empathy") while motivated by the death of her husband at the hands of the serial killer dubbed The Jack of All Trades) But fear not, profilers, the PATRIOT act was a pretty decent consolation prize after Profiler went off air in 2000.
And ok, you're right seething anti-illegal immigration dude, illegal immigration is a problem. I'm not saying that it isn't. But can one state, in one fell swoop vanquish civil liberties in such a heavy-handed (and probably unconstitutional) way? I hope not. Do we not learn from our past?
I'm reading two books right now that tangentially relate to this. One, Zoli, is by the amazing author Colum McCann. It's a book about a Gypsy poet (say "Gypsy poet" in Borat's accent, I know you want to) who becomes famous in post-WWII Eastern Europe but is later shunned by her family and community. Her family was killed by Nazi sympathizers. During the war, she gets hassled by soldiers on the city streets who ask for her papers because she looks Gypsy.
The other is called The Bravest Battle. It's about the heroic Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against Nazi extermination in WWII.
I'm hesitant to compare this to Nazi Germany (apparently there's a day for that and a website for other like comparisons), but is it too crazy to imagine a situation in Arizona now where a sheriff stops someone on the street and asks to see their "papers"? And can you imagine a WWII movie not having at least one scene where this same situation occurs between a Jew and a Nazi? Ok, hopefully you made the comparison all by yourself -- it saves me from some rancor from the few Glenn Beck fans among my readers (although, I do remember seeing President Obama crudely given the Hitler stache during healthcare tea parties...just sayin').
I'm left wondering why we're reduced to these partisan battles when there are so many other important issues to tackle. Because a law like this doesn't solve a problem like illegal immigration, it just fuels hate and racism. For the new Americans among us, I'm glad you're here. You show we discouraged that the United States is still a place to treasure, that it is still seen as the "City Upon a Hill" John Winthrop promised his Puritans so long ago. But, like Winthrop's flock, we are an imperfect, sometimes ugly group. Welcome to the club, we're not all so bad as our racist laws make us out to be. Hey, we've still got Neil Diamond.
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