Thursday, April 28, 2005

Girls suck

So I guess after you go on a date and don't talk to the person for like 5 days you know things didn't go as swell as you would have liked. I talked to A. tonight and it was a good friendly conversation and she made it clear she wants to be my friend but said the age difference (28 to 23) made it too difficult to date. I think thats the nice way of saying I was too weird for her. But at least I'll see her at New Wave City. She'll be there, I'll be there. Damn, I liked this one.

Oh well, the desert will burn away any sorrow that remains. Coachella here I come.

Sunday, April 24, 2005

New stuff

Thursday:
Went out to the Blank Club. Started out at Cinnabar with myself and 7 girls. What a ratio. Of course the one guy Roger who shows up gets a ticket for running a red light so he comes in, complains to Kat and then leaves in a pissy mood. So yeah, me and 7 girls. 1 girl leaves and Kevin shows up when we get to the Blank. Not that I really care for any of these girls (romantically!!!!) but there is something fun about being the one of the two males in a group.

Friday:
I'm so tired from Thursday. Bible study. Extended discussions on the power of prayer and why bad things happen to good people. The kind of discussion that went on forever, but in a good way because I think it brought light to several peoples understanding of prayer and the relationship to God/Christ.

Saturday:
I've got a date today. I paint a silly watercolor picture for A. and make a cool mix CD. Today is Thomas' birthday so I got him a boxing nun since of course he's into boxing and probably nuns or something. We had giant boxing gloves and beat each other senseless until we couldn't lift our arms (they were like 25 lbs.). Then comes the date. I drive to S.F. meet A. for the first time. She's nice and friendly, she dresses well and has her life together. She likes a lot of the same music that I do. We go to diner at some diner, the food is bad but they had cool decor. I think we connect. We go dancing at 1984. She dances well and I try to also. All is well. Or was it?
I'm not entirely sure everything went as good as possible. I've been in this sort of lazy, depressive funk the last few months and I'm not sure I've really shook it. You know, boredom with my life, repetition kills me.

Sunday:
Church. We have a blues concert. I've never really figured out if gimmicky draws to church are the way to bring (sucker?) people in. But I do know they are effective. Plus the guy was a really good, fun artist.
Last night weighs heavy. Did it all really work out? Does she like me as much as I do her? I hope so. She would be way awesome to have as a friend no matter what. There are very few Christian new wave / synth fans who are on the same level. She reminds me of Britain in her drive, but she has light sensibilities, whereas Britain was dark to the core. That type of person would be good for me. My current dancing friends are all dark and mopey, I don't want them to drag me down (spiritually!!!).

J. signing off.

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

I like music reviews

I like getting CDs to review, especially several weeks before release. Good times.

Damien Jurado - On My Way to Absence

History oozes out of each song here, folk music steeped in tradition and played in intimate cafes. Slow acoustic sounds, each string plucked in tune. Music for introspection or knee-tapping. Like a collegiate John Denver.
RIYL: Neva Dinova, Denison Witmer, Cush, Pedro the Lion
PICKS: 8, 11, 6
DIRTY: None!
Secretly Canadian

Saturday, April 02, 2005

More album reviews

This time I got ahold of the new Fischerspooner really early. Its also really good....

Oxytocin - Love It
Oxytocin is a hormone related to the reproductive system and, of course, a band. They bring together elements of math rock with a dash of jam & grunge. Rising and falling sounds spead out like waves along the beach but splashing on the rocks because nothing is that simple.
RIYL: Sunny Day Real Estate, King Crimson
PICKS: 1, 3, 5
DIRTY: None!
Self Produced


Copeland - In Motion
Rarely do many men put effort into making their voice sound pretty. But lead singer Aaron Marsh's voice sounds o' so sweet. Growing off the success of their previous album Beneath Medicine Tree, In Motion is significantly more upbeat (no deaths in the family this time) and exciting. Not quite emo (they've reformed) but closer to orchestrated power pop without all the pop hooks.
RIYL: Sunny Day Real Estate, Braid, Jimmy Eat World
PICKS: 2, 3, 4, 5, 10
DIRTY: None!
Militia Group


Fischerspooner - Odyssey
Mmm, sex-disco-new wave-synth-dance music. Who wouldn't groove to this? More singing and a bit slower tempo than debut album #1. They still keep up with the very repetitive vocal hooks, but whats wrong with that? Less sex than before but a lot more variety in the song structure.
RIYL: Client, M83, Ladytron, I am Spoonbender
PICKS: 1, 2, 3, 10
DIRTY: None!
Capitol


Patrick Wolf - Wind In The Wires
Electronics mixed with folk and baroque? Gypsy-disco beats? There is a definite appeal of a deep sultry voice like Bowie's here. Ambition is here and he's only a 21 year old Londoner crafting this whole album pretty much solo. There are tons of layers of instrumentation per track with violins and piano aplenty.
RIYL: Nick Cave, Bright Eyes
PICKS: 1, 2, 9
DIRTY: 11
Tomlab

A Hawk and a Handsaw - Darkness at Noon
Sounding more like a world album or a Danny Elfman soundtrack than the usual Neutral Milk Hotel album. Darkness at Noon takes us around the world from gypsy to mariachi and everywhere in between. Sparse vocals but lush instrumentation. This is world-ish music with a math-rock sometimes glitchy background created seemingly a century ago.
RIYL: World music, Neutral Milk Hotel, Woven Hand
PICKS: 5, 4, 11, 3
DIRTY: None.
Leaf


Stereophonics - Language. Sex. Violence. Other?
Definitive rock like early 90's rock groups ala Stone Temple Pilots with a British tone. They try to pull off a new wave Interpol-esque time warp on songs like Dakota. Or perhaps an Actung Baby U2? Charming.
RIYL: Interpol, Feeder, White Stripes
PICKS: 1, 5, 10
DIRTY: 1
V2 Records (BMG in disguise)