7 posts tagged “music”
Because I have too many writing and editing projects going on, I have failed to maintain my Vox blog. Oh, shame!
I want to correct that failure. I'm going to try to write regularly about what I'm listening to, writing and editing, reading, watching, consuming, and wishing for.
Listening
1. I have been listening to so much good music lately! My favorite discovery of late is Holy Fuck, an experimental band from Toronto. Their songs are completely instrumental (i.e., no vocals). Unbelievably good stuff! I will see them perform at the Coachella Music Festival in April.
2. I've been listening to a lot of abstract hip-hop, funk, and soul. I created what I believe to be the most awesome playlist this past week.
Watch That Sound - DJ Vadim (from Sound Catcher)
Dead Ones - Lifesavas (from Gutterfly Soundtrack)
That Kind of Man - The Heavy (from their self-titled 3-Track EP)
Here I Come - The Roots (from Game Theory)
No Reason for You - Kutiman (from Kutiman)
I Ate Your Soul - Grieves (from Irreversible)
Morning Child - 4hero (from Play with the Changes)
Beaten Metal - Antibalas (from Security)
Sloop Jay D - Bullion (from Pet Sounds: In The Key Of Dee)
Poison Dart - The Bug (single)
My 2600 - Captain Funkaho (from Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45s)
Loveless - 4hero (from Two Pages)
Model Citizen - Ohmega Watts (from Watts Happening)
Colleen - The Heavy (from Great Vengeance & Furious Fire)
Come on Now - The Sweet Vandals (from The Sweet Vandals)
Good Communication - Y Society (from Travel at Your Own Pace)
Sirius B - The Heliocentrics (from Out There)
12 Apostles- Flevans (from Cold Hands)
Music Is Ruling My World - Kutiman (from Kutiman)
Blood from a Stone - Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra (from I'm Thankful)
The Dark Side of the Sun - Modeselektor (from Happy Birthday!)
Nike Boots - Wale (single)
Writing/Editing
1. I recently completed editing a book titled History and Tradition of Jazz. I really enjoyed this editing project because I learned a lot about jazz music, which I was somewhat ignorant of. For weeks, I've been listening to nothing but jazz music, which was good but also made my ears want to bleed after a while. After studying all the artists (from Count Basie to Ornette Coleman to Miles Davis to Kenny G [!!] to Wynton Marsalis to Medeski, Martin & Wood), I chose Charles Mingus as my favorite jazz artist. I dig avant-garde jazz!
I asked the publisher to think of me for future music titles. The last book I edited for the publisher was an educational title dealing with teaching problem children. I struggled getting through it because it was so damn boring. With the jazz book, I edited at lightening speed because I enjoyed the topic.
2. This week I wrote and published a book review for Ari Marcopoulous' photo book Ad Rock at Mic to Mic, my Beastie Boys blog. Mic to Mic -- which I originally created for just my good friends to read -- has become very popular with the Beastie Boys fan community. I was shocked when I started reviewing the site's numbers. Beastie Boys are a very difficult band to write about, so they have very few fan sites. My blog is the only site that publishes updates regularly. When I was following the Beastie Boys tour last year, I met so many nice people who told me that they enjoyed reading the blog. I was going to give up on the blog at the end of the tour (because I need to focus on other things), but after all the compliments, I decided to keep it going.
3. For a long time, I have hated -- it seems unfairly -- on Myspace. I always viewed at it as something for young people, not adults. However, recently, I've learned it is a good source for discovering and keeping updated with new music and artists whom I admire. I created a new Myspace page (I have another one that I never look at or update) for the sole purpose of connecting with artists.
Reading
Maybe it's just me, but the book seems a little Adam-lite.
Watching
I canceled my cable television over a year ago because I never watched television. I can't say I miss it. I just watch dvds now.
I haven't been to the cinema in ages. I lost interest in film because, for a while, nobody was making any good films. The last film I saw in the cinema was "Super Bad." Funny flick. Somebody recommend a good film?
Consuming
This week I purchased a 3-day pass for the Coachella Music Festival, which takes place in Indio, California, at the end of April for $287.70. It's sooo worth it! I went to the festival last year with my friends Jenny and Paul and had a fantabulous time. We're teaming up again for this year's festival. Read my Last.fm journal to find out about who's playing at the festival and whom I'm excited about seeing.
Wishing
I wish winter was over. This has been the worst winter in 30 years. I have shoveled more snow this winter than any person should shovel in their lifetime! I'm ready for green grass and sunny skies.
What's the best way to get on your good side?
Submitted by Manon-It-All.
Offer me free tickets to a concert by a band I really like.
What's your musical horoscope? (Put your music player on shuffle and write down the first 10 songs that come up.)
Crackity Jones - Pixies
Kiss Me on the Bus - The Replacements
Pay to Cum - Bad Brains
(I'm a) Ballenna - The Rogers Sisters
Smooth - Princess Superstar
Slow Ride - Beastie Boys
Njósnavélin - Sigur Ros
Male Model - Sleater-Kinney
The Candy Man - Cibo Matto
Water - PJ Harvey
How is this a horoscope? I don't understand what this is supposed to reveal.
It's true that I would like to scream like Charles does in "Crackity Jones" and moan like Polly Jean in "Water" today.
God knows I could stand to be "Kissed on the Bus" by a "Male Model" or "The Candy Man." And a "Smooth," "Slow Ride" is what I'd receive if I were to "Pay to Cum."
If you could only save one thing in a house fire (thing, not person), what would it be and why?
Submitted by donnunn.
I really struggled with this question. I am not materialistic at all. I couldn't think of a single object in my home that has extreme value to me. I really love my PowerBook G4, but I'd be happy with a replacement PowerBook if I lost it in a fire. I back up all my writing and photos digitally (and at remote storage), so I wouldn't really lose anything of sentimental value in a fire.
My music collection could be replaced, more or less. I have some rare vinyl that I might miss -- especially the stuff I got directly from the artist -- but it's not really important.
The one thing I would probably grab is my autographed setlist from the Beastie Boys -- not because the autographs mean anything to me, but because it's a reminder of a special moment.
I didn't ask for the autograph; the Beastie Boys surprised me with it. They were impressed by my dedication to follow their tour in Japan in 2005. They invited me to meet them backstage before the show in Osaka, which was really cool. At their final show in Nagoya, Japan, they sent one of their staff to find me on the floor (I was always directly in front of the stage, against the rail). He handed me the autographed setlist as the band were saying goodbye to the audience on stage. I looked up at the band and saw that they were all staring at me, waiting to see my reaction. I mouthed "Thank you," and they nodded their heads and smiled at me. That was special, not the autographs. I want to always remember the moment when I saw them looking at me and smiling, which is why I would grab the setlist if the house were on fire.
Note: Adam Yauch wrote my name on the setlist, which I photoshopped out of the pic for Vox posting purposes. That's why it says "Dear [blank]." I also should note that the Beastie Boys opened the show with the song that I requested, "3 the Hard Way," which they had never opened a show with before.
I should clean more often. While I was working on organizing my music library, I found a plastic bag with these forgotten magazines inside. When I don't have time to review press in a magazine, I put it in a bag so it doesn't get ruined and/or thrown away.
So I guess I know what I will be doing tomorrow. Reading. About Bono. Like I don't know enough about him? hehehe.
I love Helena's photos of him. She really captured the man I know and love.
What are your plans for the holiday weekend?
I wish I could say that I had something fun planned. My holiday weekend is going to be about taking care of some things at home: washing clothes, cleaning, mowing the yard, gardening, and basically organizing all the crap that has accumulated in various rooms in my house.
Today I got invited to go to the Taste of Madison, a food fair in Madison, Wisconsin, but I politely declined to go. I can't be around food right now. For the last two weeks, I have been on a purifying diet. I have eliminated dairy, meat, bread, and refined sugar from my diet. I am doing it to clean out my body. I've been having all sorts of food allergies and illnesses. I eliminated dairy about a year ago when I discovered I was lactose-intolerant. It's amazing how eliminating sugar and meat changes your health. I can smell and taste food properly again, and I have more energy. But I digress from the topic...
One fun thing I will do during the three-day weekend is (hopefully) complete a project that I began last weekend, which is organizing my music library. I had all my CDs and vinyl in various rooms in my house. I could never find a CD when I wanted to listen to it. I still can't find that damn Ramones CD! I decided to change my book library into a music library, because I'm more apt to grab a CD than a book thesedays. A sad, but true, fact. My books are going into boxes, except for the special ones that get a place on the bookshelves in my living room. I feel a little sad about boxing my books. As a writer and editor, I feel like I should value books more than the music, but I don't. I love my music.
The photo below shows what I lugged to the library last weekend. It's just a small portion of my music collection. There's A LOT more to lug to the library. I keep the boombox to play old audiocassettes. And, yes, that is a Furby on top of the shelf. His name is Toeloo, or so he says it is. He's an original Furby.
What is your favorite way to relieve stress?
My favorite way to relieve stress is to listen to calming music. Some of my favorite calming albums are:
I have had the pleasure to work with and/or personally meet these bands (Sigur Ros, Beastie Boys, and U2). They are among my all-time favorite artists and some of the nicest people I have met/know. Bono, in particular, is a sweetheart. He doesn't deserve the flack he gets.
Another way I relieve stress is to take a Lush bath. I pop a bath bomb in the tub, put on some tunes (usually Sigur Ros), and soak until the water turns lukewarm.
