follow the sound

i flirted with you all my life- vic chesnutt

2009-12-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

so sad.

teenage fanclub-what you do to me

2009-12-05T22:27:00.001-08:00

tho the point is moot....

townes van zandt- if i needed you

2009-11-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

'if i needed you, would you come to me? would you come to me, to ease my pain? if you needed me, i would come to you, i would swim the seas for to ease your pain.'

that may be the most beautiful thing ever written.

the sky is sometimes blue, sometimes clouded. the ground is often hard. love is somewhere in the mix. blah.

elvis costello- the next time round

2009-11-07T18:05:00.000-08:00

'sometimes i name and number all the things you gave to me
your elastic love, this velvet lined purgatory
you used to take the breath out of me
now i think you'll be the death of me'.

nobody says it better than costello.

babyshambles- loyalty song

2009-11-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

pete dohety is kinda like shane macgowan in that they are both renegades with a strong moral code. i respect that. nobody has any loyalty these days, so it's ok to fuck each other over. pre-emptive strikes! it's the legacy of bush, inserted into our private lives. every man(wo) for themselves. and, like the u.s., we end up fucked. on the road to fuck knows where.

mercury rev- in a funny way

2009-10-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

they're the flaming lips for the more adventurous!!

flaming lips- i can be a frog

2009-10-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

the new album is mind expanding.

and this is the best video i've ever seen.

michael gira- god damn the sun

2009-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

if you don't know, or don't like, michael gira or the swans you're an asshole. and you have no taste or sense of what real art is. fuck you. i hope you die.

bob dylan- don't think twice, it's alright

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

i ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
you coulda done better but i don't mind
you just kinda wasted my precious time
but don't think twice, it's alright

elvis costello- watch your step

2009-10-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

'back slapping drinkers cheer the heavyweight brawl
so punch drunk they don't understand at all'

i've always loved that line. it describes a certain type of guy we all know. remind you of anyone?

glen tilbrook- up the junction

2009-10-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

alone here in the kitchen, i feel there's something missing.

that's what it feels like when you lose everything.

lou barlow- goodnight unknown (a review in real time)

2009-10-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

the sky never brightens, but the sky never falls. it just hovers. it's not of this world, y'know? it's a container. it protects us from whatever the fuck it is that is 'out there'.
there is a god, i believe. and he's just grown bored with us. wouldn't you?
i am obsessed right now. with nothing in particular. just an abstract idea of something i thought might be love. but that is harder to believe in then god. i have no proof that god doesn't exist. but love? well. i'm an empirical kinda guy.

lou barlow is back. i'm listening to his new album while i ramble on. i believe music can save me. i can count on it. which is alot more than i can say for...for....ugh, i don't wanna keep doing this.

i'm not alone often. but when i am it's glorious! i am on my bed now, just listening and dreaming. it's heavenly. i recently read a book by chuck klosterman. there is a line in it that says something like, 'i don't see the difference between romance and solitude'. that really struck me. cuz i've always thought i was a romantic. but i think i might just be a misery junkie. and, y'know, junkies seek out other junkies.

but that line got me thinking. i only feel truly peaceful when i'm alone with my music. and if i have to be brutally honest, it may be the only time i feel true happiness. without any underlying neurosis. just purely, honestly happy.

i spent the last year with someone i really adored. just an amazing, but incredibly complicated woman. and i never really relaxed with her, y'know? cuz i knew it was temporary and i wasn't the person she really wanted to be with. and that's ok. you can't help how you feel. but i had moments of incredible excitement with her, and i love her dearly. BUT, i had a moment at work the other day. i was cooking some bullshit that comes out of a plastic bag. 'crimson and clover' came on. tommy james version. which is one of my favorite song. i went to the bathroom so i could just listen to it. and for 2 minutes i was gone. i strummed along on my imaginary gibson. i'm sure i was smiling. it was just perfect. and i felt so fucking happy. happier than any person has ever made me. i don't mean that as a dig. it's just the only thing that works. am i sick? or is this ok? romance and solitude, y'know. i felt less alone in that bathroom than i've felt in years.

so yeah, this barlow album is really good. i mean it's no 'sebadoh 3' and theres no 'truly great thing' ( which,for you couples in love, (sorry about that, i weep for your future) is one of the most beautiful love songs ever written (psssssst...it won't last...)) but it's really solid. you should buy it. it's better than coldplay or whatever the fuck you idiots listen to.

neil young- helpless

2009-10-13T16:16:00.000-07:00

my mood today.

wilco- via chicago

2009-10-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

sometimes it's ok. strings reverberate. the trees sway in perfect rhythm with my heart.
this is a slightly sad feeling, but i feel comfortable here. it's close to home. these swaying trees, these whining strings, this unnamed sadness.
but...
then things explode.
my eyes pop, and my pulse quickens.
i can control this. i am master of my emotions.
for a time i am home again.
i am a traveler. i have my backpack ready. today is portland. tomorow may be louisville, or big sur, or toronto, or philidelphia, or raleigh.
the hub will be chicago.
my eyes will explode along the way, i'm sure. it is a constant battle.
but it will ease as i get farther away. like descending from a mountain.
and the farther i get away from home,
the closer i will be to it.

danielson

2009-10-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

(in my best david byrne preacher voice) behold the son of daniel! his heavenly children! some worship beauty, not understanding it's meaning. beauty is the reminder of death! time belongs to the devil. we are consumed with time. we watch the clock, we wait for something to happen. we watch beauty age and fade and turn into something unspeakably ugly. devil out!! the son of daniel holds you in his hands. even you! you junkies and flunkies! you salivators over dead squirrels bloated sun baked corpses! you one-eyed visionaries! you eaters of lilacs! you perusers of holy books! you simple, simple creatures. these books are from the devil. no truth is written. truth is observed, heard, for a moment, then drifts, scent like, into the vents. and you remember the smell, faintly, it lingers on your clothes, like the cigs you smoke. one...after...another.
repent. please, children, repent. kneel before danielson. than stand beside them. for they are not religion. they are love. and there is an ocean of tears between these things.
http://danielson.info/site/

ramones- loudmouth

2009-09-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

'we're the ramones. and you're a loudmouth, baby. you better shut it up'- ramones.

there has never been a better band. i could go on, but... i mean...watch this. tell me. who's better? fuck you. no, they're not. go the fuck back to sleep.

there is a ship- peter, paul, and mary

2009-09-23T09:18:00.001-07:00

r.i.p.

a fool will waste his life, god rest his guts

2009-09-21T21:31:00.000-07:00

ed. note: please listen while you read. it works better that way.

you could go in the front way or the back way. if you were lucky you got in the back way. it was dark, and there was a piano right by the stairs that led to the bar. i seranaded many a lady on that piano, tho ther was only a real lady there once. and i never bedded her. but i love her still. true story. 2nd girl i ever kissed and still the best. front porch of kathy's house, i believe. i remember these things. they are important. it was a magical kiss, cuz it was a long time coming. it was mostly cuz of exclusion, true. but aren't most kisses? aren't you with the person your'e with cuz they're the last option? they were the best of the worst? jeez, listen to me. i'm so jaded. am i old enough to be so jaded? fuck, yes, i am.

but the back door. you had to knock. cuz, y'know, this was before the age of cell phones. so, no, not knock. pound! and usually there was somebody upstairs smoking. or trying to get a private moment with a....well...y'know...special for the moment person. so, you'd pound, hopefully for a minute and they'd open the door and it would swing open and your already half drunk night would begin for real!! because you had full run of the keg! and there were no adults! cuz you were adults. legally. for real. tho' not old enough to drink. hee hee hee.

i broke my hand there once. punched the big fucking oak door. rightfully so. cuz of a girl named erin. funny. i have a sister in law named erin. but she wasn't even the girl i was in love with!! it was ****. 'sweet lou', as she was known. and, let it be known, i have loved other girls since. slept with some. married one. but have i ever felt anything so intensely? probly not. but i was young. so young. and so drunk.

i have loved alchohol for many years. in many ways it has been my most succesful relationship. i keep going back to it. it never judges. never regects. it always welcomes me back after i have strayed.

and yet...

and yet...

our relationship is frowned upon.

so i abstain.

for small periods of time.

but you should know, honey. and you should know, friends. that i'm coming back for you. cuz you're the one for me, baby.

and none of these motherfuckers can ever convince me of anything else.

shane macgowan- that woman's got me drinking

2009-09-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

bob dylan-idiot wind

2009-09-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

beck- guess i'm doing fine

2009-09-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

life is great except for the thinking and feeling.

jim carroll

2009-09-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

r.i.p.

edie brickell and the new bohemians- circle

2009-09-12T17:35:00.000-07:00

i have always loved this song. 'i quit, i give up, nothings good enough for anybody else'. that goes through my head every day! and then! 'being alone is the best way to be'. perfect! no wonder paul simon loves her!

'wild man' fischer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-10T16:14:00.001-07:00

i know, i know, things have been sorta, uh, grim on the site lately. sorry. and sorry for the misogynistic crap. i often lead with the tongue and not with the brain. here's something fun!
'wild man' fischer! sure, some of you may laugh. or turn away in disgust. but he worked with frank zappa. what have you ever done?

sebadoh- rebound

2009-09-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

'i'm no one you can trust
all little boy lonely
and curious lust.'

leave me alone- new order

2009-09-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

the sun is out today. my head is far above it. the sun orbits my head. a single black car circles the block. it slows at my doorway. I KNOW WHAT YOU WANT! it will not happen today. the sun will shine. my eyes will open. i am sure of this. i have never doubted my immortality. the world would end without me. you cease to exist when my thoughts of you fade. this power i have is crushing. it weighs on me. it is a responsibility i cannot bear for much longer. you, my puppets, are an albatross. you suck the life out of me. but if your strings are cut, what of my arms? they will gesticulate wildly! they will lash out in anger! they will do the unspeakable!! so instead, i will tie your strings tighter around my fingers. til the tips turn blue. and i, you, we, will sleep. for a thousand hours.

well said, etc.

2009-09-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

'get me out of here
get me out of here
i hate it here
get me out of here'-alex chilton

twilight singers- 40 dollars

2009-09-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

i've been listening to dulli (the afghan whigs, the twilight singers) for years. he is one of my few heroes. a brilliant musician, infusing soul with hard rock better than anyone else. listen to the whigs version of 'band of gold' if you're not convinced.
but what i really have always liked...
and i'm ashamed to admit it...
is his attitude towards women. as objects. things to be used. things not to be trusted. i have never felt this way towards women.
but i'm turning over a new leaf.
i know, i know. that's a bad attitude. but still....shouldn't i? what's the point of feeling anything? shouldn't i just want to get laid? isn't that all they're good for?
but maybe i shouldn't generalize. i mean, are we men that much better? i mean, sure, i, as a person, am better. but i can't expect you, you horrid creatures, to live up to me. i, for sure, am a genius. and i have great things waiting for me! fuck it. 'i'm just being honest'. as the man says. suck it if you don't like it, you silly people. love don't mean a thing, except 2 a.m and a telephone ring.

elvis costello- i want to vanish

2009-09-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

i was gonna write some ill advised misogynistic rant (involving my theory that women prefer being treated like semen banks and punching bags ( i will return to this theory )) but i'm just too tired. and i just don't care anymore. i've lost my fight, it seems. i just want to close my eyes for a while. i want to go where there is music, music in the air, and it comes from nowhere, it is faceless, and i am not reminded of everything i have lost. i just want my rest.

alone again, naturally

2009-09-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

alone again! what do i call this? a 'breakup'? a severing, of sorts. a parting of ways. oh well, as gregg dulli once sang, 'you coulda seen this shit coming down the hall'.
and really, being alone is my natural state. i should be alone. i can't relax around other people. it just doesn't work. my wires are crossed....sparks fly from the sockets! a man walks into a....a man sticks a fork into.... snap! the lights go out...he is alone in a room....he is perched on a cliff....he sways down the street, arm in arm with whoever can keep him up...sparks are fleeting....psssst....ladies....it's true....sparks from a toaster....sparks from a man...they glitter and fade...and you are left...with... a...broken....appliance...

i am nearly 40 now. i'm beginning to think the monks life is the way to go. i love the company of a woman, true. but it's just too much of a drag when it's over. and what's it all worth in the end, really? eh, i dunno. smarter men then me have asked the question. i bet descartes had a hard time getting laid too. (that's a joke. go ahead. it's ok to laugh).

regardless. 'i have my books, and my poetry to protect me'.

and my precious music.

g'night, rose throat.

RIP jim dickinson

2009-08-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

genesis- turn it on again

2009-08-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

yep, i like phil collins-era genesis.

well said, etc.

2009-07-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

'I'm chained upon the face of time
feelin' full of foolish rhyme
there ain't no dark till something shines
I'm bound to leave this dark behind'- townes van zandt

i'm not great at cheering people up. i'm a negative creep and i see the downside of everything. i am, however, prone to moments of pure joy, and of great hope. this verse from townes van zandt's 'rex's blues' always takes me there. i hope it helps.

smoke- beeper will

2009-07-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

i'm an old man now. i'm well past the age of wondering why brilliance is so often ignored and mediocrity is rewarded.

but... there are moments like this...when i wonder...how can they not see...how can they not hear...it's so powerful...like thunder...a lone lightning bolt...it flashes over the fields of dead weeds....and we wonder if we saw it...yes..yes...it was there...because they sky glows...and the stars seem different...and the ground still...rumbles...beneath...our...feet...

blitzen trapper- black river killer

2009-07-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

caroline says- lou reed

2009-07-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

the saddest song off of one of the all time saddest albums. this version is a stunner. lou's weathered voice captures the chill perfectly. that last line is one of my favorite pieces of writing ever.

glen cambell- guess i'm dumb

2009-07-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

ever hear this? no, probably not. co-written by brian wilson. another song i want played at my wake.

marvin gaye and diana ross- stop, look, listen (to your heart)

2009-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

a perfect duet. listen to how their voices dance, then wrap themselves, around each other. leads trade effortlessly. gorgeous.

magnetic fields- all my little words

2009-07-03T07:04:00.000-07:00

i've had this album for years, but somehow it's slipped through the cracks. put it on a few weeks ago, on a whim, and have become obsessed.

the sun shines down on a planet of mirrors, the slick mountains jettison all who dare to mount them, a dim room at the end of a dismal stairwell, it's ok, you know, i will not lie to you....

check it out.

the seeds- pushin' too hard

2009-06-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

r.i.p. sky saxon.

roxy music- editions of you

2009-06-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

ladies and gentlemen! the mighty roxy music!!!!! check out the incredible eno synth solo! was this the moment creativity in music peaked and it all started going backwards? when was the last time you saw something like this? something that held your attention and hypnotized you the way this performance does? musicians are a boring and superstitious lot. anyone can play the blues or country and do it with a certain authenticity. shit, even english people can. but this? eno is right. 'we should be ashamed'.....

yo la tengo- mr. tough

2009-06-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

this song has been stuck in my head for months. j.s. played it for me on a trip to the coast a while back. what i like most about yo la tengo is that, i think, i'd be cool enough to play in this band. they look like my people!
in my dreams i am in that room, with that band, playing music endlessly. wouldn't that be nice? we could forget about our problems, if only for a little while....

high llamas- sparkle up

2009-06-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

i am in hawaii as i write this. this song expresses how i feel right now. mmmmmmmmmmm.....relaxed.......

my house- lou reed

2009-06-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

for jenny and kevin. congratulation on your new home!

r.i.p. jay bennett

2009-05-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

jay bennett died on sunday. he was a genius and, to me, key to wilcos finest work. check out his solo albums. he was fucking brilliant.

swans- see no more

2009-05-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

violent. heavy. when i get that faraway look in my eyes, this is the sound in my head. the swans make me feel like what i imagine beating a man to death with a bat would feel like.
enjoy!

x-ray spex- germ free adolescence

2009-05-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

can you imagine there was once a time where a band as incredibly great as the x-ray spex could appear on television? modern media sucks.

billy bragg- the milkman of human kindness

2009-05-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

why is billy bragg known as a political songwriter when his love songs are so wonderful? sad, empathetic, loving, and, well, kind.
this is the song that anyone who is hurting should have sung to them.

sun ra

2009-04-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

noise or a burst of honest expression? beats me. but i've watched this 6 times in a row and i find it violently affecting. like and earthquake in my teeth. if everyone lost themselves in music the way ra does here the world would be a better place. and what a fucking racket it would be!

ween- what deaner was talking about

2009-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

i'm a latecomer to ween and 'chocolate and cheese', but i now appreciate their genius. this song has been lodged in my head for a week.

mount eerie and the microphones- voice in headphones

2009-04-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

an ode to the joy of headphones.
my bus got stuck in traffic tonight. i decided to hoof it for a few blocks. i had the phones on and this song came on.
the sun shone down on the street.
the birds, the people, the cars inching along the road all moved so gracefully. the trees lightly swayed back and forth. they all joined together to perform this beautiful ballet for me!

everything is better with a soundtrack.

well said, etc.

2009-04-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

'It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness and of pain: of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature, and everlasting beauty of monotony.'
-Benjamin Britten

the love language

2009-04-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

i had never heard of these guys before last night. kevin and jenny invited me along to go see. i'm so glad they did! it was a great show. i like these guys alot. this song kinda sounds like an orange juice song, and thats a very good thing. thanks k and j!!

bonnie 'prince' billy- i am goodbye

2009-04-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

from his new one, the fantastic 'beware'. am i wrong, or do i hear a touch of john denver in this song?

nina simone- here comes the sun

2009-04-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

for jessika.

the rolling stones- have you seen your mother baby, standing in the shadows?

2009-04-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

this may be the greatest song title ever. and 'flowers' is so fucking good it's scary. it's got this, 'out of time', 'lady jane', 'ride on'.... i mean, jesus, it almost makes you forget their crimes committed over the last 30 years!
and keef is still super cool.

the beatles- here, there, and everywhere

2009-03-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

i know i have made some unpopular things about the fab 4 in the past, but i absolutely love everything about this song.

album review: bonnie 'prince' billy- beware

2009-03-27T14:28:00.000-07:00

is human contact necessary to make great art? i mean, can you stay alone in a room for years and still create something that will touch others? or would it be so abstract, so inside, that it would just sail over their heads?
and why is that important?
why should an artist care if others 'get it'? isn't the burden on the audience? is the intent what makes art great, or is it the interpreting of it?
does great art make a great person?
does creating art bring the artist closer to god? does it MAKE them god?
is the world as simple as a snow globe? can you shake and bring down the sky upon it? can you turn it upside down?
does love produce better art than hate? both are powerful, both are real. some may argue that hate lasts forever while love is a fleeting thing. i'm not one of those people. but i have been.
why does love always enter the equation? why is it so important? can't we just be fine without it? peaceful and content? and why is it always romantic love that is so difficult? so much more important?
why is walking into the light from the darkness so hard? why can't our eyes adjust more rapidly? are things better in shadow? is the unknown so much easier to love? and is that love? do we love the ghosts around us more than the people? do we treasure the pictures of them more? do we need to make art of them and frame them and place them on the wall?
do we need to sing of them? record them? play them for others?

i'm tired of that. i'm tired of art.
i'm not tired of love. not yet.

i hope i never am.

bruce springsteen- tougher than the rest

2009-03-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

a beautiful version of one of my favorite springsteen songs.
this song has been on my mind alot lately. a simple lyric that really speaks to me right now.

serge gainsbourg- ballade de melody nelson

2009-03-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

my hero.

the felice brothers- frankie's gun

2009-03-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

i have become completely obsessed with this song. this guy is my favorite new singer. i love the tossed off 'buddy' and 'thank you'. there's an almost rap-like delivery. the line about jersey is fucking genius.
i love how every line becomes it's own story. you could write another song from where every line leaves off.
also, this is one of the best live clips i've seen. this and the hold steady on letterman makes me feel hopeful about new music.

bang, bang, bang!

the fall- i can hear the grass grow

2009-03-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

one of the many reasons that i'm so fond of morty is that he is a HUGE fall fan. and i'm gonna change your mind about pere ubu one of these days buddy.
your mother, i'm afraid, has already made up her mind about them.

chuck berry- mean old world

2009-03-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

this is fucking brilliant. chuck berry is god. fucking a-right he is.

karen dalton- it hurts me too

2009-03-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

my latest obsession. i can't take my eyes off her when she's singing. a stunning performance.

thanks to mosh for getting me to listen.

in my room, etc.

2009-03-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

'i am a lost soul/ i shoot myself with rock and roll'-robert pollard

what am i doing?
what i am doing.
i'm lying in bed. listening to records. i've been here the better part of the day. depressed? not really, no. more like waiting. like somethings gonna happen. like the sun is gonna peek out and light a path that leads to some door i'm supposed to open. a door that holds back everything good. everything that's missing. or what i think is missing.
right now bruce is singing 'c'mon we gotta keep a light burning'. it's his version of suicide's 'dream baby dream'. it's true gospel. it's like the sun lighting a path.

what am i doing?
i'm collecting myself. i'm thinking, without thinking. i'm letting this music dictate my thoughts. i will process it all and regurgitate it later. probably to you. i will pass all of this music off as my own poetry.
the best music is like an aural carousel. it spins you around and it spins around you. it makes you dizzy and takes you far away and drops you off where you were. but different. a little wobbly but euphoric.

what am i doing?
i'm closing my eyes. i'm in my room. my room has never changed. it's the only home i have. i have spent the last few years homeless. drifting from room to room, couch to couch, me and my jukebox. every room is the same, every couch is the same. i can adapt to it all. i am resilient. walls change colors and carpets fade and picture on the wall shift.
i miss home. not a particular home, but that feeling. of laying my head down and knowing what will happen tomorrow. and being happy with what will happen tomorrow.
i'm making that up, by the way.
i'm a liar. a known liar. and a bore.
and the only thing interesting about me is what i'm listening to now.
and i'm gonna keep that secret for now.

what am i doing?

chet baker

2009-03-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

i've tried to get into jazz. i like it, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't always move me. and i need to be moved by music. if i don't have an emotional attachment to an artist they'll never be on my regular play list.
chet baker moves me. it hits me in all the right spots. so melancholy and longing. it sounds like what love feels like when it slips through your fingers. or like the afternoon after a heavy night of drinking when the headache is fading and the depression is creeping up.
it's real. some of it may sound corny to our oh so cool and jaded ears, but it speaks a timeless truth. the sadness of life. the longing and the ache of love.
and that face. it's like a three dimensional road map. like time has cut it to pieces with it's relentless attack.
and the voice, somehow, makes it all feel like a hug.

van morrison-sweet thing

2009-03-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

the next time you hear 'brown eyed girl' on he radio ask yourself why this man's fantastic body of work is so criminally ignored.
there are moments when i listen to music and just wonder....where did this come from? how can someone create it? it's so stunningly beautiful it seems impossible. i can't help but get choked up when i hear the line: 'and i will never get so old again'. i want to feel like this song. confident, alive, wise, and filled with peace and love.
yeah, i said it.

the carpenters- let me be the one

2009-02-27T14:55:00.001-08:00

i don't have alot of friends. not to say i'm an unpopular guy. i just don't have that many people i'm very close to. i have hermit tendencies. usually if i'm out, i'd rather be in.
music has always been my comfort. in high school (cliche alert!) i was a lonely kid. i felt very much on the outside. i spent most of my time in my room listening to records. i can honestly say that paul westerberg and elvis costello saved my life. that's the reason they appear on this blog so much. i owe those guys. i love them.
songs can sometimes connect in a way that people you know can't. i mean, people can tell you how much they understand and empathize with you. but it's basically lip service. they love you and they want to help. it's nice and it means alot. but it doesn't always do the trick.
sometimes there's a song tho. a song maybe recorded years ago. before you were born even, that can make things better. let you know that things will be ok. there is love and compassion and sweetness in the world. it's there. and it's so hard to see sometimes, i know.
but i've seen it. i know you have too. it't there.
i've heard it. i hope you can too.

lefty frizzell- she's gone, gone, gone

2009-02-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

lauryn hill- ex-factor

2009-02-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

i miss lauryn hill. one of the great soul singers of all time, in my humble opinion. this is how you exorcise a demon.

nick lowe- true love travels on a gravel road

2009-02-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

happy valentines day.

happy lonely hearts club day!

2009-02-12T20:27:00.000-08:00

i always thought this video was incredibly touching. a beautiful song.
happy feb. 13th, kids! it's lonely hearts club day!!!

blue moon- big star

2009-02-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

i am a bit wistful about valentines day approaching. what?!! yeah, i know. out of character. what can i say? i'm an old softee.

i was having dinner with a friend tonight. i did my usual 'valentines day is for suckers, blah, blah, blah' rant. you've heard it before. i don't really believe it but it seems like something i should.
she countered with some interesting points. i'll paraphrase. sure, it's a commercial day, but the sentiment behind it can be beautiful. a day to celebrate love. a day to stop and think about the person who makes you come alive, who makes you laugh, and think, and cry, and feel.
we all have, or want, that person.
and what happens when we get them?
do we take them for granted? or do we worship the ground they walk on? are we in love with them, or are we in love with the way they make us feel about ourselves? do we love the idea of love more than we love that actual person? does it matter?
i don't know. i really don't know anymore.
if you love somebody you should tell them. not just on feb. 14th. every day. every morning. every time they walk in the door. let them know how the room shivers and glows and how the world fades away when you look into their eyes, when their lips split into a smile, when their hands lightly touch yours.
tell them.
because, otherwise, they might not know.

lou barlow- round and round

2009-02-09T19:04:00.000-08:00

yeah, it's the ratt song. a great tune no matter who does it.

my psychology today

2009-02-07T17:55:00.001-08:00

i haven't been around much lately, kids. sorry. i've been collecting myself. 'how are you doing?', you might ask. thanks for asking. here are the songs that ran through my head today. that's how i'm doing.

1. psychopharacology- grandpaboy
2. bonnie brae- twilight singers
3. car- built to spill
4. yours to keep- guided by voices
5. sugar in my bowl- nina simone
6. sleeping is the only love- silver jews
7. fooling you- terry reid
8. bent out of shape- the replacements
9. must i paint you a picture?- billy bragg
10.downed- cheap trick

honestly, this list doesn't make a bit of sense to me. i think it's ok tho'. i think it's gonna be ok.

i go to pieces- peter and gordon

2009-02-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

this and 'needles and pins' are the two greatest 'the one that got away' songs ever. this one is in my head daily. you know how sometimes you talk to me and i have that far away look in my eye? i'm probably humming this song ro myself.

p.s. best bridge ever.

bruce springsteen- the girls in their summer clothes

2009-02-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

happy birthday, rose throat.

rolling stones- sway

2009-01-31T17:37:00.000-08:00

to me, this has always been the ultimate stones song. it swaggers, it's dark, it practically bleeds. and the outro proves why the mick taylor lineup will always be the best. flawless. this kills me every time.

Did you ever wake up to find
A day that broke up your mind
Destroyed your notion of circular time

It's just that demon life has got you in its sway
It's just that demon life has got you in its sway

Ain't flinging tears out on the dusty ground
For all my friends out on the burial ground
Can't stand the feeling getting so brought down

It's just that demon life has got me in its sway
It's just that demon life has got me in its sway

There must be ways to find out
Love is the way they say is really strutting out

One day I woke up to find
Right in the bed next to mine
Someone that broke me up with a corner of her smile

It's just that demon life has got me in its sway
It's just that demon life has got me in its sway

the seeds- can't seem to make you mine

2009-01-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

why weren't the seeds bigger than the beatles?
oh yeah, cuz sky saxon was fucking crazy.
still, this is better than anything the fab 4 ever recorded.

the jam- move on up

2009-01-27T08:12:00.000-08:00

if i had to sum up what i like about music in 2 minutes and 44 seconds this might be it. joyful, aggressive, and just fucking cool.

i like to read. it takes my mind away and makes me think.
however, i would throw away every book i ever read for a moment like this. there is that adrenaline shot, that feeling of transcendence i get from music that my favorite books never get me close to. maybe cuz i'm more emotion than intellect. it's like the difference between mainlining speed and drinking a cup of coffee.
i imagine.

the carpenters- goodbye to love

2009-01-25T18:04:00.000-08:00

god damn this is a great song.
sometimes you gotta know when to give up!
that's what karen carpenter taught me!

dolly parton- jolene

2009-01-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

jealous. heartsick. suspicious. paranoid.
shit! i should have saved this for my valentine's day post!
the greatest song by one of country musics finest songwriters.

fleet foxes- he doesn't know why

2009-01-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

here you go, jenny!

tramp the dirt down- elvis costello

2009-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

this is from 1989. listen to the interview and song. both are about margaret thatcher, but you could just slip in george w. bush's name and it would make just as much sense ('who takes all the glory and none of the shame'). this is my sendoff to the miserable shit. good riddance, little fucker.

fleet foxes- he doesn't know why

2009-01-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

it started with a visit to the doctor, but it turned into a pretty enjoyable day. i had a reggie delux and did some record shopping! i picked up the fleet foxes album and it's as good as you've heard.

the persuaders- some guys have all the luck

2009-01-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

yeah, yeah, i know. the self pity party continues. so what? it's my blog, i can do what i want!
a beautiful song. you may be more familiar with the rod stewart version (which is also good), but this is the one you should know. plus, rod the bod makes a slight lyric change in the chorus which has always bothered me.

Alone in a crowd on a bus after work
I’m daydreaming
The guy next to me has his girl on his arm
My arms are empty
How does it feel when the girl that you love
Says “Yes, she loves you.”
It seems unfair when there’s love everywhere
And yet there’s none for you

Some guys have all the luck
Some guys have all the pain
Some guys have a little sunshine in their life
My life is only filled with rain

Someone to take on a walk by the lake
Dear Lord, let her be
Someone who’s shy
Someone who liable to cry at sad movies
Ooh, I do believe I would die just to look in her eyes
And find them filled with me
But you’re just a dream and as real as it seems
I’m not that lucky

Some guys have all the luck
Some guys have all the pain
Some guys have a little sunshine in their life
My life is only filled with rain

It’s just a losing games
The things have got to change
Some girl will give my luck a try
With my luck, she’d have her overnight, oh well

Some guys have all the luck
Some guys have all the pain
Some guys have a little sunshine in their life
My life is only filled with rain

yer blues- dirty mac

2009-01-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

legendary.

loveblog: thoughts of a non-expert thunk while listening to paul westerberg's 'folker'

2009-01-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

'i'm in love with a dream i had as a kid'- paul westerberg

love hurts.
love stinks.
love's just an old fashioned word.
all you need is love.
stupid love songs.

you've heard them all. every love song you've heard is right. the silly ones. the light hearted ones. the 'you saved me' ones. the longing ones. the heartbroken ones.
combined they all sum it up. and they miss the point completely.
maybe. i don't know. i'm no expert.
i have been in love. or maybe i haven't. i was accused recently of loving the idea of being in love.
well, of course i do. i'm not a monster.
so when is love real? when you're willing to lay down your life for it? when you'll die without it? isn't that obsession? isn't that unnatural? shouldn't love make you stronger? shouldn't it free you?
sometimes love lingers on too long, til it hurts more than it helps.
sometimes love shouldn't have happened. it catches you off guard and never has a chance.
sometimes we are too loyal to love, even when it is killing us.
sometimes the afternoons pass lightly, with little talking, but with a sense of calm, of peace.
sometimes the mouth of the afternoon opens wide, fangs bared, waiting to swallow us whole. a slow digestion.
when the night comes sometimes we are still. pictures flash before us and it hardly matters what they are. what matters is the warmth beside us. the arms wrapped loosely around us. the hands stroking our hair.
sometimes the night is a monster hiding under our bed, waiting for us to drift off to sleep.
sometimes the monster gets inside our heads and starts shredding everything inside of us.

love is not to be thought about. it's like a card trick. just believe it. if you look too close you might lose the magic.

like i said, i'm no expert.

love hurts.
love stinks.

love is so real you can almost...
hold it...
in your hands.

paul westerberg- how can you like him?

2009-01-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

not the most polished performance, but i think that's what i like about it. it's fragile. it suits the song.
this one perfectly captures that 'god, i'm pathetic. how can she/he not want me?' feeling that i think we can all relate to.

emmylou harris- for no none

2009-01-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

shhhhhhh. just listen....

beach boys- don't worry baby

2009-01-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

sam cooke- smoke rings

2009-01-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

where do they go
smoke rings I blow each night
where do they go
those circles of blue and white
I wonder

why do they sing
to picture a dream above, above, above
then why do they fade
my phantom parade of love

puff, puff, puff
oh you can puff your cares away
puff, puff, puff
night and day

blow, blow them into air
silky little rings
O, little smoke rings I love
please take me above with you

one more thing I want to know is

where do they end
the smoke rings I send on a high
where are they hurled
when they've kissed the world goodbye

let me tell you that

I'd give my life to laugh at this strife
below, below, down here below
for I'd be a king
I'd follow each ring I blow

so little smoke rings I love
please take me above with you

thoughts on 'oar'

2009-01-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

it's early afternoon. i'm laying on the couch that i slept on. still in my pajamas. unshaved, unwashed. the curtains are drawn. it might be raining. it might be sunny. what's the difference, really?
disintegrating is a slow process. you look in the mirror and something is missing. something minuscule, but something important. splash your face with water, look up. you look different. something in the eyes.

alexander spence was disintegrating when he recorded oar. part (or perhaps) most of him was gone by the time he put it to tape.

your eyes are puffy. you're starting to gray. you are lost for words alot of the time. usually you just give up looking for them.

he was the original drummer for jefferson airplane. guitarist for moby grape. none of that mattered once he released oar. his lone solo album.

lie back down. go to sleep. this too shall pass. i know it will.

i've got nothing else to say about this record. it's the soundtrack of my day. sadly beautiful. g'night. talk to you guys later.

r.i.p. ron asheton

2009-01-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

the mighty ron asheton has died. founding member and guitarist of the stooges. jesus. why couldn't it have been jimmy page?

drunk < love < cheap trick

2009-01-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

drunk is less than love. love is less than cheap trick.
i have been drunk. REALLY drunk. when i was 19 i fooled around with this really pretty girl by the dart boards at pendeltons (ny) on new years eve. i danced on a bar table in new orleans. i woke up on many a floor after laughing myself sick with my mineola drinking buddies. i sweet talked a girl at dimies night in cortland, ny. i played guitar with jimmy b. many times at the p's summer house. also i almost broke rangers paw. drunk. and i played the best all time joke on a sorta girlfriend where i pretended i was in jail. actually psaur did that. and i laughed and laughed. and had a great time.
but there was a price to pay.
the next morning. the sickness. the blankness. the depression.
was it worth it?
i can't answer that. but i don't think it was.

i have been in love. not many times. but some. and it's been wonderful. like the best drunk ever without the shaky stomach. well, there was some shaky stomach, but a different kind. that moment when you look at the girl, out of the blue, and realize you love her. she may not have done anything at all. maybe a way she turned her head. or how her eyes darted around the room.
or maybe the way she tousled your hair.
you know.
it's exhilarating.
but, as you know, it doesn't always last. you want it to. and there is nothing worse than when it doesn't.
um...
ahem....
sigh...
oh well....

i have listened to cheap trick. yeah, that's right. you fuckers want to say something? they're brilliant. and if you don't think so, well then, friend, you're missing something. 'southern girls', 'downed', 'i want you to want me', 'dream police', 'tonight it's you', 'if you want my love', etc. i love 'em all!
but most of all i love 'surrender'.
i was thinking of making my nephews a mixed tape, er, disc.
and, as you know, i take the mix very seriously. it's not just something you toss off. you need to think about it. consider the person you are giving it to. but make sure you don't cater to their tastes. send a message. let them know your current state. i don't know why, but that's important to me.
i thought of my nephews, who i love immeasurably, and who i would like to see happy and healthy their whole lives.
what advice could i give them, musically, that would help them, guide them in the right direction?
if i was feeling dark i could put on richard thompsons 'the end of the rainbow'.

'life looks so rosy from the cradle
but i'll be a friend i'll tell you what's in store
there's nothing at the end of the rainbow
there's nothing to grow up for anymore'

but that would make me a horrible person. thinking it makes me a horrible person.

instead, i would put on cheap tricks 'surrender'. a weird song. really. but the chorus has always inspired me.

'surrender, surrender
but don't give yourself away'.

we all surrender in the end. you may enjoy your life. you may be in a loving relationship. you may have a job you, if not love, don't hate.
but in the end we surrender something.
we learn to accept the daily humiliations.
the hardships.
the day after day...sameness.
and it's ok.
just do something with it.
create something.
with your hands, with writing, with food, with music.
read.
think.
don't give yourself away.

that's what i get from that song. from cheap trick.

i love to get drunk. but there is a price to pay.
i love to be in love. but it, often, doesn't last. and you want it again.
i love cheap trick. i love 'surrender'. and when it's over, and i want it again? i lift the needle and drop it back on the groove.

well said, etc.

2009-01-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

'The day ended as it began
and he was seconds older than
the man he was this morning
And
the world has wiped it's mouth since then
Or maybe it was yawning' -elvis costello

best of 2008, sorta. aka, must haves for qner

2009-01-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

a best of list is always difficult. almost impossible to compile. my picks will change as i write this.
the year. interesting one. musically and personally.
3 of my pics are albums given to me by someone i got very close to this year. 'magic' by springsteen i reviewed it somewhere on this blog. really got into it this year. 'girls in their summer clothes' is one of bruce's finest. i have a very special memory of it now. as i do of 'vincent o'brien' by m. ward. off of his fantastic 'the transfiguration of vincent' album. and there's also santogold. something i resisted listening to at first but have become addicted to. if you like missing persons and devo (and who doesn't?) you'll love it! also nina simone and otis redding. thanks throat.
right now i'm listening to van morrison's 'astral weeks'. so i'll suggest that too. unbelievable. 'sweet thing' can convince you that love is a life changing, positive thing. not the destructive force it actually is.
kidding!
punk pick. the damned's first one. get the 3 disc reissue. it's fucking great.
scott walker put out two recently. 'the drift' a difficult, dense album that i recommend you listen to before laying money down for it. i love it and i've never heard anything like it. he also released an instrumental called 'and who shall go to the ball? and what shall go to the ball?' really interesting, challenging stuff.
i've been getting into gershwin lately.
you know, i skipped over nina simone too quickly. go a few posts down to my fave musical moment. she AFFECTS me. that voice is just stunning. she's got a box set out that i need to get. or you can buy it and burn me a copy.
there's a box set of obscure girl groups called 'girl group sounds'. i've never heard anything on it before and every song is superb. i bet dee dee ramone would have loved it.
the replacements reissues are great. lots of extras!
the mission of burma reissues also fantastic. their stuff gets better with age.
i'm listening to the essential cheap trick right now. seriously. it's excellent. sometimes you just gotta lighten up. y'know? plus, 'surrender' is a top ten greatest song.
also picked up the new ry cooder anthology today. haven't absorbed that one yet.
sixto rodriguez. his 'i wonder' is one of my new faves. thanks mike.
robert pollard's 'robert pollard is off to business'.
bonnie 'prince' billy's 'lie down in the light'.
silver jews' 'lookout mountain, lookout sea'.
the gun club's 'the las vegas story'.
bob dylan's 'tell tale signs'.
the pop group's 'y'.
the fall's 'the complete peel sessions'.
vic chesnutt and elf power, 'dark developments. also album cover of the year.
p.i.l. 'metal box'
okkervil river's 'the stage names'.
capt. beefheart and his magic band. 'ice cream for crow' and 'doc at the radar station'
brian eno and david byrne. 'everything that happens will happen today'.
nick cave and the bad seeds. 'dig, lazarus, dig'.
robert wyatt. 'comicopera'.
anything by sam cooke.
anything and everything by townes van zandt.
guy clark's 'dublin blues'.
'the last waltz'.
pere ubu. 'the modern dance'.

well, i could go on but i won't. hope there's some stuff in there you all might like.
have a good new year kids. may it bring you love and peace of mind.
and music.

neil young (with csn)- only love can break your heart

2009-01-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

barry manilow- can't smile without you

2009-01-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

i tried. almost made it 24 hours. i NEED this fucking blog. god dammit. i really want to stop. it's a fucking burden. but all day today at work i was thinking about things i wanted to post. ugh. so i'm a liar. i'm not going anywhere. that was not a stunt tho'. i really did want to quit. then again, what the fuck else would i do? sorry. didn't mean to scare y'all.
here's a song that sums up how i feel about this thing.

p.s.- i really love barry. seriously. saw him in concert a few years ago. unbelievable. one great song after another.

this sounds a bit like goodbye, in a way it is i guess

2008-12-31T16:11:00.000-08:00

i'm a big ricky gervais fan. 'the office' is, dare i say, the greatest show ever.
but my favorite thing about gervais is that he knew when to quit. the show ended after two seasons. perfect. it never had the time to go bad.

you see where this is going?

yes, kids. i'm ending the blog. this will be the last post on 'follow the sound'. shhhhh. don't cry. it'll be ok. i'm gonna start a new music blog, tentatively titled 'the minor fall, the major lift'. it'll be all about music, nothing about my personal life. what a relief! and qner, the list you asked for will be the first post.

thanks for reading. i know this thing was kinda personal. it helped me in some ways, but it's become really difficult to air all of my innermost feelings for all to see.
thanks for reading. i'll let you all know when the new one is up and running. now, go listen to some music.

love,
jim

i'm gonna repost the best thing i ever put up. john cale doing 'hallelujah'. enjoy!