stopgap/excuses/what have you

Okay, I will start posting here again. I just need to thaw out my brain. It's as frozen as the rest of me. For some reason the heat has only been going on around the time I go to bed. And that sounds like a boast, but I'm very much single.

Friday Random X-Mas

Yeah, it's been kinda dead around here. But it was a nice Christmas day. Not too cold, but we still have lots of snow on the ground for visual effect. Meant to call the 'rents today, but spaced on it, so hopefully tomorrow.

Yes, we have Random Tennage.

1. Brian Eno--Through Hollow Lands (For Harold Budd)
2. The Go-Go's--I'm the Only One
3. Sarah Vaughan--Nobody Else But Me
4. Little Richard--Miss Ann
5. The Rolling Stones--Stupid Girl*
6. Child's View--The Cradle of Light
7. The Squirrel Nut Zippers--Hell
8. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings--When the Other Foot Drops, Uncle
9. The National--Apartment Story
10. Grizzly Bear--Foreground

*Gotta love the line "Her vanity grows and it grows." Pot-kettle, Mick, pot-kettle.

Demolition derby

Another video post. It's easy and not too filling.

I don't know this band really well, but this is a pretty nice song. Not sure why they're going crazy with the hammers. But it's weird to think how it looks so ancient, then realize that I sort of remember this period.

UPDATE: I'm correcting my crass error from before. As to the previous question of why they were going nuts, somehow the onscreen titles got past me before.

pre-Blizzard of Doom Friday Random Ten

There's a lot of talk about how we may get 3-6 inches of snow tomorrow, or as much as TWELVE INCHES! of the fluffy stuff. Which we've apparently never seen before and don't know how to deal with. My only complaint? Sunday night going into Monday morning would be better timing. Then again, we've already got a short week.

For this week, this Friday, there are these.

1. Nellie McKay--Toto Dies
2. The Kinks--Misty Water
3. Bonzo Dog Band--You Done My Brain In
4. The Rolling Stones--Lady Jane
5. Stan Kenton & His Orchestra--Peg O' My Heart
6. Ladytron--Startup Chime
7. Sarah Vaughan--Star Eyes
8. Joni Mitchell--In France They Kiss On Main Street
9. James Taylor--River
10. The Beatles--Don't Pass Me By

It's a little weird, you gotta admit

This is a gentle-sounding song, sure. But the Mills Brothers brought forth one of the most alienated sets of lyrics in pop music history. Much moreso than anything on OK Computer, that's for sure. "You guys can keep all the actual women. I'm gonna make me an artificial homunculus from my fantasies." It's like David Lynch running a white noise generator weird. Thank God for their jovial voices and that lady's spazzy dancing, or I'd never get to sleep.

The not-so clears

Saturday night I was at Borders in their café. At the table behind me was a guy--Old world Indian but with an American accent--talking to three other people. I wasn't eavesdropping, exactly. But after a few minutes, I had gathered enough to realize that he was giving a Scientology spiel. There was something about how "We don't worship L. Ron Hubbard" which I guess I had heard before. And he was articulate, but kind of peevish. He kept stopping to say that you can't compare Scientology to any other religion, taking a tone that sounded like a teacher who's seen one too many spitballs go flying. My guess is that his small audience were less likely to sign up afterwards, not more.

Maybe that's why the church wants every celebrity it can get recruiting for them. Aside from (the somewhat reticent) Beck, few of these people actually come off as cool. But it seems to be a message that carries better in mass media than in the one-on-one.

Friday Random brrrrrr Ten

Safe to say this was the coldest day since last February. As the psychologists and social workers at my job left for nefarious activities, one noted that like, a week ago, people had been walking around with short sleeves. Which some may still be doing, if they're part sasquatch.

1. Emmylou Harris--The Magdalene Laundries
2. Ry Cooder--Low-Commotion
3. Lou Rawls--Breaking My Back (Instead of Using My Mind)
4. Beck--Que Onda Guero
5. Child's View--Sabure
6. The Rolling Stones--Don't Bother Me
7. Johnny Mathis--Chances Are
8. Brian Eno--Kurt's Rejoinder
9. Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings--100 Days, 100 Nights
10. Finn Riggins--Icy Sparks