things

New year / posterous

2011-01-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I am going to make an effort to blog more this year (perhaps even every day?) but I have elected to migrate to posterous.com for ease of use and general minimalism.

If you would like to follow me there, just visit jeremiahmoon.posterous.com !

Have a splendid year.
Jeremiah

MFA drawings 10/3/10

2010-10-04T17:18:00.001-07:00

Hello!

I was sketching things at the Museum of Fine Arts yesterday and thought it might be a nice idea to post my sketches up here on my neglected blog. I'd really like to go back and sketch these same sculptures sometime soon, so perhaps there will be a visible progression as I come to know them more and more. If you're interested, I'd appreciate it if you would click the above image to enlarge it—the compressed preview makes the pencil strokes look inaccurately coarse and gritty.

The first one is "Bust of Jules Dalou" by the incomparable Rodin. In my first attempt (left) I tried to move quickly in order to capture the correct sense of the face but it turned out looking too angry. The second (right) was overall much more accurate. I erred the opposite direction of the first and lost all of the frustration in his face. My main weakness with both of these, I think (but especially the second,) is his brow. The eyes aren't quite right, either.

The second is "Le Printemps" by Jules Desbois. This small head is possibly one of the most superb works of art that I have ever seen: the expression on this girl's face was nearly indescribable, portraying childhood more accurately and more beautifully than anything I can remember. I dare not try and describe it myself, its essence would slip away from my words almost immediately. (I was actually frightened to begin drawing it, since I knew that I could only fall massively short.) That said, I was actually somewhat pleased with the result. The proportions aren't quite right (her features ought to be larger on her face,) and her eyes were not captured well at all (though I will give myself grace in this regard, because the eyes are the most important, most affecting, most true part of this sculpture.)

Thanks for reading (this post is mostly for the Tullises, since we discussed posting pictures on my blog about 6 months ago. Hi Tullises.)

j

A Musing on Nostalgia, Shortly Drifting Toward Thought About Absolution.

2010-07-06T17:04:00.001-07:00

"Not so in the old days—
Things were pure, those golden days.
Tomorrow is worst of all: the end is bubbling up
through the cracks in the surface, is it not?
We are hurtling toward self-inflicted doom."

Maybe we are just frightened to imagine that perhaps things are just as bad as they've always been and always will be—and this is what we ought to fear: not society's downfall, but its continuation. Not apocalypse, but the endless ebb and flow of a fatally flawed immortal heart.

For we expect redemption in the end, do we not? Is it true that humans feel the weight of our folly, and long to have it lifted? All fire is cleansing: If we are to burn, then we shall feel justice—as if this is the punishment for our wrongdoings, and once we have weathered it all will be right as it should be. And, perhaps more selfishly, this fantasy includes the satisfaction of seeing your scorners receive their long-deserved comeuppance.

Do we await hellfire and brimstone, ours or other, on this earth in order that we can look away from the fire consuming ourselves?

For my part, I dare not wait for destruction on any scale—mine or ours. Neither fire nor water by my own hand will suffice. We cannot save our own souls, that much is certain.

this thought has been parasitically attached to my brain for the last several weeks.

2009-03-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Humanity is intriguing.
I am consistently amazed by how self-entrenched we have, and can, become.

By that, I mean that we are almost entirely absorbed in our own race - not to say that’s a bad thing, of course. People are definitely the most fascinating thing I’ve ever heard of.

But it feels odd to take several steps back. Time passes over our ideas, and either dissipates them or molds them to us.

Ideas, things that are in fashion affect our consciousness and alter the course of our existence. Old ideas lead to new ideas, thoughts lead to other thoughts. New revelations appear, are digested, and become old ideas. These old ideas lead to new sparks, which become old and inspire still more.

Clever phrases become common sayings, which eventually become irremovable tenets of our language. Thoughts pass from conscious to conscious, slightly morphing and always viewed through a different eye.

At this point in time, it seems impossible to make something wholly inspired by, say, nature. The movement of the planets, or the growth of a sapling. Chances are, you can follow the thought to its origin and you will end up at a piece of literature, or a word spoken by a stranger, or something which was, ironically, probably inspired by yet another person.

Are we doomed to be forever expounding on our forefathers' wisdom?

Rorschach

2009-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

I am way too excited for this Thursday.

poème

2009-02-27T07:24:00.000-08:00

I discovered yesterday that attempting to write an original work in my non-native language is fascinating. I think differently in French.

Also, my grammar is probably way off. French speakers, please feel free to correct me.

Deja vu ... not meaningless!

2009-01-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, I decided that this blog is fine for posting RANDOM, RIDICULOUS, and INANE theories that I come up with.

So here's number one.

Deja vu is triggered by a real memory: a memory of a dream that you had previously forgotten. But the dream is the tricky part, because that (whenever you originally had it) was a subconscious glimpse into the future. Perhaps the fabric of space-time DOES fold in on itself occasionally, but we can't perceive it unless we completely lack distractions, i.e. we are sleeping. Then it just happens that we see our future, forget it, then half-remember it when it actually happens to us.

Brilliant? Not at all. And I'm sure that I'm wrong about most of that nonsense. But I thought of it, so you had to suffer through it. (<- brilliant logic)

You may consider your day hereby ENLIGHTENED

First Listen: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

2009-01-10T18:44:00.000-08:00

This is the sound of a band reaching maturity. Animal Collective’s past efforts always struck me as slightly too strange to really appreciate - they were the music of adolescence, as AC was feeling and stretching its boundaries. No longer - this band has decided what they want to be, who they want to be, and why.
Merriweather Post Pavilion is one of the best albums I have listened to in a very long time.

   For me, it is becoming increasingly more rare to find a band who asserts its dominance over the listener. What I mean by this is that generally I am listening from the perspective of a critic, while the band generally accepts this as the proper position for it to exist in. As a result, I spend the entire time listening for the flaws in the album, rather than experiencing it solely for its triumphs. (Make no mistake - I still find enough to enjoy in a great deal of music.) However, with MPP I am reduced to a listener. Rather than thinking "I could have written this," I was waiting with excitement to see where the album would turn next.
   The sounds mesh together with cohesion, and the ideas are refreshing, like placing your head in the sink on a hot summer night. This album feels overflowing with youthful exuberance (which is somewhat ironic, considering the band’s newfound maturity.) My main qualm with the album is this: it may be slightly too long, and occasionally repetitive. Every song on it is well done, but the pacing feels very slightly off. This may just be a quirk that showed up with my first listen, but I was very surprised when I noticed that Summertime Clothes was only the fourth song, as it feels like it should be the climax of the album (Incidentally, this is also my favorite song from the group.)
   Animal Collective has found its groove, and I expect that they will give us many more solid albums. I don’t expect my opinion to change rapidly regarding MPP, and as it stands it may just be a classic.

9.2 / 10

Regarding Christianity, and a certain oft-used phrase.

2008-12-10T14:59:00.000-08:00

The word relationship is more or less a passive one. A relationship is the way that two things, or two beings, relate to each other, and does not necessary imply any importance.

Religion, on the other hand, implies active participation. A religion is a specific set of ideals and standards that one uses to define their life - or to define a relationship.

If it's just a relationship, and not a religion, then you're doing something wrong.

2008-11-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

We are not Homer,

Nor are we Galileo.

We are the product of a modern world,

And this comes with a joy and a sorrow.

The joy being that great multitude of knowledge available to us;

The sorrow being that we are obliged to learn it.

edit: I feel compelled to tell you that this note is meant as a commentary, and my own opinion does not parallel that of the last line. It's hard to discern sarcasm in online type.

Oh no, politics!

2008-11-03T17:19:00.000-08:00

I rarely (never) discuss politics on this blog, but I feel strongly compelled to tell you my opinion regarding the election to-morrow.

My hope is that there'll be at least one reader who hasn't voted yet - You've all heard this statement hundreds of times, but I honestly believe that this is one of the most important elections in our country's history.

Now, before I am accused of being tethered to the ancient two-party system, I will tell you my argument against independent voting. (And be aware that this is still formulating in my mind somewhat - this is an issue that has been gestating in my mind for the last few months, and I have only reached a decision in the last few days.)

First, I believe that it is incredibly important that alternatives exist, and I respect those who attempt to make a statement by voting independently. However, I think that this struggle - - to have an independent candidate recognized - - is somewhat misplaced. In my opinion, this form of activism should not reach its apex of popularity every four years, in November. Rather, it would be much more effective if the forward thinkers brought this to the table when the public consciousness was not already flooded with political figures clamoring for votes.

Second, I believe in the importance of one vote. This country has had several incredibly close elections, and it has been proven time and time again that every single vote matters when deciding who will be the leader of this country. This is one of our most important rights as American citizens (and, in my opinion, one of our most important responsibilities.) You do not want to squander this opportunity, and voting for a candidate who has no realistic chance of winning falls dangerously close to that category. The danger of being staunchly idealistic, as my sister says, is that you lose all actual influence you might have otherwise had. Compromises, although never ideal, are sometimes necessary.

Far too many people become incredibly passionate about politics in the weeks leading up to an important election, yet ignore what is going on in politics for the other three and a half years (myself included.) If you're going to bemoan the state of politics in November, and if you shudder at the thought of voting for the lesser of two evils, then stand up and do something about it in October.

Now then, on to the main event - Obama vs. McCain. I will do my very best to provide a balanced look at these two candidates. You probably are aware of who I support for presidency, though for the sake of this post you should be pleased to know that I don't particularly like either of them.

Issue 1: Economy

Obama: Barack Obama's economic plan centers mainly around his idea of redistributing the wealth. Very noble and Robin-Hood-esque, to be sure. This idea looks fantastic on paper - the poor are raised to a respectable standard of living, while the rich are knocked down from their silly-looking gilded thrones. Unfortunately, Obama cannot claim credit for this idea - the credit for this idea belongs mainly to an obscure little bearded man named Karl Marx. Of course, we all know how it turned out the last time a plan like this was implemented on a large scale.

(It's worth noting that his healthcare plan has strong socialist leanings as well)

McCain: The main criticism of McCain's economic plan is that it favors big businesses too much. This can certainly be a drawback. The most expansive (+expensive) aspect of his plan would have to be the bailout he is planning for enormous mortgage rates. While I am almost always opposed to increased government involvement, this seems necessary to... well, to save us, I suppose. In the meantime, can we avoid getting into a situation like this again? Pretty please?

Issue 2: Foreign Policy

Obama: Barack Obama has been very clear on this point - he believes we should move toward a significantly more isolationist standpoint. He supports the removal of troops from Iraq, and decreased involvement in general in the Middle East. As leader, he would definitely avoid getting involved in any major conflicts unless they came to our own shores. Unfortunately, a stance like this often leads to global conflicts growing in size until they cannot help but bump up against Washington. This policy could be either very good or very bad for America - and world politics in general. However, in this time of uncertain motivations and shaky alliances, one second's hesitation can be extremely costly.

McCain: John McCain has also been very clear when it comes to foreign policy. However, his plan seems markedly different from Obama's. While not particularly advocating U.S. intervention, he has acknowledged that sometimes it is necessary for our country to get involved in order to quell conflicts before they become unmanageable. He has stated that, if he becomes president, our troops would stay overseas to finish our work in Iraq, as well as increasing involvement in Israel. Unfortunately, our presence overseas is costing us quite a lot, and it is hard to see when we'll be finished. The question to be asked, then, is this: is it worth it for us to stay involved in this conflict, or would it be better for us to retract ourselves right now?

Issue 3: Abortion

Obama: Fortunately for this post, Obama has been very clear on this matter. He is staunchly pro-choice, and would not tighten abortion laws if he was elected to the office of President.

McCain: Unfortunately, McCain's voting record does not always line up with his current standpoint on this issue. However, during recent months, he has attempted to clear up this point. He has stated that he is completely pro-life, and supports Ron Paul's plan to overturn Roe v. Wade and give authority to the states to enforce anti-abortion laws.

Note: I am entirely convinced that, on this last issue, there is no moral middle ground. I believe that abortion is no less than legalized murder. The argument for women's rights is completely lacking in merit to me, because it ignores the rights of the unborn child. I believe the point of conception can be the only biological standard for when life begins.

I hope this has been informative. In case I have not made it clear by this point, I believe that on the three major issues in this election, John McCain has proven himself to be a substantially more worthy candidate for Presidency than Barack Obama.

However, if you find yourself disappointed on wednesday, do not worry - America has proven itself to be strong enough to withstand the downfalls of a human president.

Please leave any comments or questions below, and thank you for reading this lengthy post.

already?

2008-08-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

putting college-ruled notebook paper into a blue three-ring binder.

making sure I've got spare lead for my .5mm mechanical pencil.

check and check - now if only I could realize the fact that classes do, indeed, start to-morrow.

and here we... go.

2008-07-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

OK so here I am. I was planning to do posts on this about once a week this summer, but as you can see that hasn't happened. Life interferes yet again with my plans.

But anyway I have one long overdue review and another not-so-overdue review for you to digest. Hope you like them / take into consideration my thoughts / or something .

Viva La Vida • Coldplay

I'm sure you've all heard it by now - especially considering it's been one of the top 5 bestselling US albums since its release.

To be honest, I haven't been a very big Coldplay fan for a while now. I'm always somewhat wary about mentioning this, because I don't want to be lumped in the same category as the indie-poser-elitist types who automatically hate Coldplay because they're so popular. I have no problems with coldplay's popularity, I just tired of them several years ago and haven't come back to them since.

But Viva La Vida is decidedly different. It's obvious that Coldplay tired of their formulaic approach to music making and decided to mix things up a bit. This album is full of new sounds that, frankly, are quite unexpected from these four boys.

One of the instances in which this is most evident is the first track. "Life in Technicolor" boldly proclaims 'we have a new producer.' Brian Eno is great, and his influence is welcome. The underlying beat of this track simply screams of his touch.

Joining him is the producer from Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible", whose name is Markus Dravs.

The following track, "Cemeteries of London", is one of the best on the album. It's darker than Coldplay's older music, and serves as a perfect introduction to their new feel. "Lost!" and "42" are mostly harmless, but they don't do anything new. They're tolerable enough that they belong on the album, but not good enough to belong next to "Cemeteries" or "Lovers". "Lovers in Japan" is my favorite song from the album. It's got a distinct U2 sound, and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Unfortunately, directly following it is the album's worst misstep. On the very same track as "Lovers in Japan" is an incredibly bland three minute piano disaster. "Reign of Love" completely disrupts the flow of the album. "Yes" is somewhat gimmicky, employing what sounds like the violinist from Fiddler on the Roof for its main theme. You've all heard "Viva La Vida", but it's very good - the lyrics are almost enjoyable, and the church bell adds an enormous amount to its catchy beat. "Violet Hill" is also good. To be perfectly honest, I think this track would have been a much better opener than "Life in Technicolor". It perfectly exemplifies Coldplay's new tone. "Strawberry Swing" takes a break from the gloom of the prior three songs with a relaxed beat and leisurely vocals. "Death and All His Friends" brings back a bit of the anthemic Coldplay that everybody knows, and the album ends with a reprise of "Life in Technicolor."

All in all, it's a solid album. However, I feel that Coldplay is still playing it safe. They're wary of trying anything too out of the ordinary. This likely comes from wanting to keep their enormous fanbase. Chris Martin's lyrics are still horrendously dull, and even embarrassing at times. This problem pervades the entire album, to a certain extent. "Viva La Vida" is promising, and it bodes well for the band's future, but if they do not keep striving for originality then they will become irrelevent. The next album will likely skyrocket Coldplay to even more fame, or completely destroy their reputation.

6.8 / 10

The Dark Knight • Christopher Nolan.

This isn't exactly going to be a full review, but I have to implore you all to see it while it's still in theaters. Of course, considering its popularity it'll be in theaters for quite a long time, but you really shouldn't miss this.

Christopher Nolan has proven that he is capable of making a film that can speak on several different levels. Whether you buy a ticket for the action, for the philosophical musings, or for the performance of the actors, it's extremely unlikely that you'll be disappointed.

The cinematography is excellent, and the writing is excellent. The direction is incredible. The soundtrack is much better than the first movie, and fits very well with the film. The acting is very good on all accounts - but especially with Heath Ledger, who played The Joker. This role easily ranks among the best performances I've ever seen on film.

This movie isn't perfect, but it might come as close to a perfect rating as is possible for a batman movie.

9 / 10

The Road [ by Cormac McCarthy ]

2008-06-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

I think I'm becoming a big fan of Mr. McCarthy.

I really liked No Country For Old Men - it was an expertly written book, and it had some excellent points to make about human morality. I noticed that his most recent book, The Road, has received glowing reviews from critics, and there is an upcoming movie adaptation. My interest was piqued, so I got a copy from the library.

Cormac McCarthy has an intriguing style of writing - he recalls James Joyce in several aspects, most obviously with his somewhat relaxed use of punctuation. Conversations go back and forth with very little grammatical indication of who is talking. However, very rarely does this become noticeable - in fact, it only serves to increase the reader's immersion.

Another notable trademark of McCarthy's is his pacing. To some it may seem boring, but he keeps a consistent pace throughout the entire book. Because of this, it's practically impossible to find a 'climax' in the story. McCarthy uses this to his advantage, and instead of keeping you focused only on the moving plot (which, incidentally, is completely focus-worthy,) he creates a landscape. This landscape is detailed enough to give the reader a vivid mental picture of what the world looks like, but the descriptions are also free enough that readers can put in small details according to their own imaginations. This landscape has the same amount of attention given to it throughout the entire book.

However, while a reader would be satisfied reading this book just for the scenery, it usually is just a background to the relationship between the main characters. This relationship is portrayed in a way that feels more honest and more realistic than almost every other piece of literature. The methodical story centers completely around this connection.

Many people would say that Cormac McCarthy is quickly proving himself to be one of the greatest living authors. Only time will tell for sure whether or not he deserves to be remembered, but for now I have yet to be disappointed with his writing.

[ p.s. The last paragraph of the book was my favorite. ]

nude

2008-06-06T08:25:00.001-07:00

You may have seen this on my facebook, but I can't let anyone miss this, radiohead fan or otherwise.

Big Ideas (Don't get any) from 1030 on Vimeo.

testing the water

2008-05-20T11:36:00.001-07:00

How many of you would be interested in participating in a short story contest?

I don't know who I would get to judge it... (maybe make a public poll?) but right now I'm imagining that a bunch of people would submit stories, with illustrations if they like, and we could gather them all on one website so people could see them. Then we could even have seperate award categories, like most original, best illustrations, best overall, etc.

Would you be interested in that sort of thing? You could even submit music to go along with it.

I think it would be sweet. Post in the comments below if you want to be notified if/when I start it.

question:

2008-04-06T15:26:00.001-07:00

If you're of the opinion that a person is the product of their environment, then can any idea be truly labelled "original"?

On a separate note, I'm reading my first Pynchon novel - Against the Day - and I like it so far. Considering the author's reputation, it's surprisingly approachable.

eh

2008-04-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

April fool's joke removed because it wasn't funny.

A note of clarification.

2008-03-25T20:49:00.000-07:00

you're ≠ your.

thank you for your time.

everyone seems so much happier now

2008-03-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

we finally built a weather machine

but then it was taken over by fifth-grade boys

nobody can get to work or school any more

i don't think anyone's tried to stop them yet

my favorite things volume I

2008-03-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

V.I

enough incoherent non sequiturs.

2008-03-02T18:49:00.000-08:00

Some days I feel as if I'm walking through a blur, a haze, or a dream.

Others days, everything feels so real that I don't quite understand what's going on.

It's as if the movements of my life are flashing rapidly past me, like a broken slide projector.

I feel like I'm about to reach a rousing climax; will it be a cry for help, a dissonant plea flying through the darkness? Or will it be like the final chord of Hindemith's horn concerto, a final ray of hope, completely contradicting its precedent?

I think I've lost my score. Did I even have one to begin with? My only instruction now comes from the Conductor, and I eagerly await His command.

what a mess

2008-02-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

all messes can be cleaned:

some with water, all with fire.

the arc of the pendulum

2008-02-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

I feel that even the classicist is not free of his own emotions;

It is likely that the greatest influence on a work comes, in fact, from its own author, regardless of his motives.

down is the new update

2008-01-23T14:17:00.000-08:00

First of all, Heath Ledger. He was a great actor whose potential was never fully realized... after the Dark Knight comes out it'll be even more obvious, and even more tragic. Besides, he seemed to be a genuinely nice human being. He will be sorely missed by a lot of people.

Next, seating auditions... I just got my results in the email, and I'm fifth chair.

Wait, fifth chair??! Wasn't that the worst audition I'd ever experienced?

You would have laughed hysterically if you saw it... good grief, I started laughing. Seriously.

but, I'm really happy to be four chairs closer to the front of the section now. I attribute it not to a tabulation error, but to the grace of God.

Arvo Pärt is an absolutely fantastic composer from Estonia whose instrumental works (at least those I've heard) resemble that of eastern Orthodox chant. The recordings I have are Tabula Rasa, and Fratres for 8 cellos. YES, I JUST SAID EIGHT CELLOS. His vocal works are gorgeous as well.

Finally, I watched Heima with my family on Sunday night, and it was really beautiful. If you haven't seen it, I recommend at least renting it. My favorite part was the section where they made the stone marimba, closely followed by them exploring the canning factory.

I'd say... about 8/10.

another blog!

2008-01-06T16:35:00.000-08:00

http://myoldsketchbook.blogspot.com

I've been invited to contribute, and it's really cool. Check it out.

obligatory year-end music list

2008-01-02T14:08:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, 2007. You were really weird, but no one can deny you were an absolutely fantastic year for music releases... One of the best in quite a long time, and though it was quite hard to whittle it down, I've got five albums that really stood out to me:

5. Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

This album made it onto the list mainly because of LCD Soundsytem's live act. Not until I saw James Murphy in person did I truly appreciate the genious of this recording, and it seems that all the little nuances stand out much more now. Easily one of the best electronic/dance albums of the last decade.

4. TIE: Armchair Apocrypha - Andrew Bird / The Flying Club Cup - Beirut

Every time I considered putting one of these albums on here, the other popped into mind. Their similarities are unmistakeable, and both have a very pleasant subdued indie/alt feel to them. The string arrangements on both are extremely well done, and conjure up feelings of September. Both albums are significantly more refined as compared to their predecessors, and I would consider both to be the highlight of their creators' respective repertoires.

3. Boxer - The National

America is what I think of when I listen to this cd. It's about all sorts of different things, but the overarching feel of the album is distinctly American, and The National is one of very few artists who have managed to successfully invoke a patriotic feeling without being stale. Although that was a huge part of what made me include this album, I think an even more exciting element to their music is the drumming. The drums are a much larger part of this album than any other I've heard. They transcend their traditional role of a metronomic embellishment, and truly become an inescapable part of the music.

2. In Rainbows - Radiohead

First of all, I'd like to apologize for not posting a review yet. I haven't quite found the right words. As you might know, I decided not to listen to the low-quality mp3s, choosing instead to order the discbox and hear it on vinyl. Whether because it was my first true vinyl experience, or because I hyped it up so much inside my head, or simply because it's an absolutely fantastic album, I haven't been able to stop listening to it. I honestly haven't found a weak song on the album. It doesn't quite achieve the greatness of Kid A ( One of few albums that I've given a perfect rating ), but it comes shockingly close. In fact, I almost gave it my #1 album slot for 2007. This album will be remembered long after anything else that was released this year, not solely because of its unorthodox release, but because it's a brilliant piece of art.

And my absolute favorite album of 2007:

1. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire

This was a tough decision for me to make, because there were so many fantastic music releases this year. One of the first albums turned out to be the best. The album that I've kept coming back to is Neon Bible. Every song on it has been my favorite at some point, and as an album it's completely cohesive. The lyricism, the instrumentation, the performances, and the writing all earn a perfect five stars from me. However, the true reason it made the number one spot on this list is the live performance. Seeing Arcade Fire play live at Red Rocks was definitely one of the standout experiences from my entire life. Playing two of their songs (admittedly, they were Funeral songs) made me realize why they're so exhilarating to listen to, and I'm excited to see what they do next.

Honorable mentions:

Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? - Of Montreal

Hvarf/Heim - Sîgur Rós (Considering it's a double EP, rather than a full LP, I didn't feel it really qualified...)

Return To The Sea - Islands

Foley Room - Amon Tobin

The Shepherd's Dog - Iron and Wine

Biggest disappointments (Completely overhyped):

Jens Lekman

Band of Horses

Interpol

Argue with my decisions in the comment section. Happy 2008!

Thank heaven for snow days.

2007-12-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

... I love them so much.

Okkervil River has released a free mixtape of some of some songs they have covered over at their website ( www.okkervilriver.com ), and nobody knows exactly how long it'll be up, so grab it while it's there.

My discbox is going to be arriving in the next few days. [ :-) ]

I really want to see No Country For Old Men, and There Will Be Blood. Anybody from Colorado Springs want to come with me?

{ }

2007-12-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

there's nothing quite so inspiring as a blank canvas.

Christmas is here!

2007-11-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

Here's some music I recommend to get you into a festive mood.

1. Sufjan Stevens: Songs For Christmas

This is first on the list because it's my favorite. I like every single song on all five discs, which can be purchased as a set for only 20 dollars. I've included the iTunes link, but if you're a Sufjan fan, I strongly recommend getting the physical set rather than downloading it, because it comes in really neat packaging and includes a booklet, a poster, and STICKERS. Oh man.

2. Vince Guaraldi Trio: A Charlie Brown Christmas

This one is a classic. You simply cannot have Christmas without Vince Guaraldi's famous music from the cartoon (which, incidentally, is also a classic.) I'm pretty sure it's against the law... or something. Anyway, get it. I remember last year I saw it at drugstores, Starbucks, and dozens of other places besides the usual record stores. They have it on iTunes, too, so you really have no excuse.

3. This week's free iTunes single

It's a cool indie version of Carol of the Bells, by The Bird and The Bee.

My Radiohead vinyl will be coming in the mail within the next week sometime (GLEE!), I will definitely be posting my thoughts on the album, as well as its companion disc. I still can't believe I decided to wait for the vinyl. Maybe I'll write my thoughts as I listen to it?? Who knows....

pseudo-review: Hvarf-Heim

2007-11-18T21:04:00.000-08:00

hi again.

I was going to review the new Sîgur Rós double EP Hvarf-Heim, but I don't really know what to say about it except:

It's incredible.

Hvarf really combines the best elements from their four LPs.

Heim is six retellings of the songs you already love. Vaka and Samskeyti, in particular, hold some very good memories for me, and I adore the acoustic versions.

All of the new songs are fantastic, but my favorites are:

Hljómalind

Von

Hafsól (which just might be their best song yet)

and I couldn't possibly pick favorites from the other half.

4.8/5

of Montreal concert

2007-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

so I saw Of Montreal at the ogden last night.

MGMT (opening act #1) pretty much bombed.

Grand Buffet (opening act #2) was much, much worse than MGMT.

Of Montreal then came on, and they pretty much rocked. There's something completely awesome about Kevin Barnes. I like his voice (lots).

The best song was Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse... but they followed it with a THIRTY MINUTE JAM SESSION. Not the good kind, either. This was the kind of jam session where the opening act comes up on stage with them, and play the same two chords over and over again. for thirty minutes.

besides that it was fun.

7/10

( we don't really want freedom... )

2007-11-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

...we want distraction.

and that's what we get.

album review : The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

2007-11-01T14:48:00.000-07:00

Before I start the review, I'll also recommend Beirut's first album, The Gulag Orkestar. It's really good, and it's built around the foundation of eastern European folk music. Awesome.

Where The Gulag Orkestar uses east Europe as inspiration, The Flying Club Cup uses France. This entire album is an homage to the French countryside, the French people, and French life. Automatically this made me very interested in listening to the album, because.... well, I love France. It also made me slightly worried, because I didn't want one of my favorite musicians to mischaracterize one of my favorite places. Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about. Zach Condon does a splendid job of characterizing France in his music.

In fact, I didn't even realize what a good job he had done until the third or fourth listen through the album. I then realized that the time I normally would have spent trying to analyse the instrumentation and songwriting style was completely occupied by just enjoying the music. Owen Pallett's string arrangements helped immensely in this area. The writing is so cohesive that I didn't even notice it, and instead the music just enthralled me.

Some standouts on the album are:

Nantes, a sorrowful chanson about someone seperated from his love
The Penalty, (embarrassingly enough, I'm not sure what the lyrics are about...)
Forks and Knives [La Fête], which is easily the best song on the album.

On the title track, there is an obvious Sufjan Stevens influence that made me smile, and the

pizzicato / xylophone ending of Forks and Knives is enough reason to buy this album. Absolutely

one of the best of this year.

4.6/5

itunes link

album page, with INCREDIBLE blogotheque videos on it.

heima

2007-10-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

as foolish knight already mentioned over in his blog, heima looks like it will be absolutely fantastic. Expect gorgeous cinematography and incredible, incredible music. Also, the cover art for the dvd as well as the cd was taken by a pinhole polaroid, one of my recent obsessions.

trailer

several ( [relatively] contemporary ) artists i like

2007-10-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Brett Helquist

Stanley Donwood

Stuart Hamilton

Robert Vizzini

Emily Golden

Bill Watterson

Emile Bayard

E.H. Shepard

and many others that i'm not thinking of right now

2007-10-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

...and of course, less than three hours after i post that, it starts snowing.

curse you, colorado. I will have my vengeance.

( baby, i was born on a train )

2007-10-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

hey hey hi.

I considered doing an album review of a pretty awesome EP by They Might Be Giants that I just found, but I don't really feel like it. SO I'll just tell you that it's really quirky and fun. I give it... 4 out of 5. It's called "Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas)".

Seth and I played to-night, and it was undoubtedly our best performance yet. We got lots of applause, and it felt pretty awesome. We just need to make a recording now... and write some more songs.

You should come see us sometime (if you're in colorado).

Fall is magical. It's like the last burst of life before winter....

yesterday i woke up sucking on a lemon

2007-10-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

so it's out. feel free to post your thoughts on it, but don't write any huge spoilers, as i'm waiting for the vinyl in december...

music review : an accidental memory in the case of death ( eluvium )

2007-10-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

The first thing I noticed about this album is the cover art - a brilliant job by Jeannie Lynn Paske. It captures sort of the essence of this EP, which is a rare accomplishment for the cover of an album.

The music is strictly solo piano, which somewhat melds modern post-rock leanings with minimalist classical ideas. Philip Glass was obviously a huge influence on this album.

It opens with a piece reminiscent of Mae's prologue to The Everglow. The next song carries this on, as well. From there it goes into darker territory, with the splendid "Perfect Neglect in a Field of Statues", which explores more emotionally driven sentiments. "Nepenthe" adds more dissonance to the formula than we've seen earlier on the album. "In a Sense" parallels the second track, "Genius and the Thieves" in terms of chord progression but augments the ideas and contemplates them more. Moving us back toward resolution is "The Well-Meaning Professor", which builds slowly over seven and a half minutes toward a beautiful climax. A ten-second break between the tracks lets you absorb it, before restating the thesis of the album in "An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death". All in all, a good EP, but it never evolves enough to fully hold your attention.

3.9 / 5

iTunes link

new radiohead album

2007-09-30T18:06:00.001-07:00

click here

oh heavens i'm excited.

sketch

2007-09-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

An author takes a stroll in central park in september.

2007-09-24T22:06:00.001-07:00

so i pretty much have a blog now and i will probably delete it as soon as i realize that i have better things to do and no time in which to do them.

so enjoy it while you can?