Full circle

I'm (re)starting college this month. I'm signed up for a music appreciation class. I actually took (and failed) a very similar class in 8th grade. The teacher was a bitch, and after "the breaking point" she sat me down and said "music just isn't your thing".

The breaking point I referred to was the moment my life began.
It was another average day, filled with her bullshit "I'm hungover because I'm an 'artist' " lesson plan. I, as usual, didn't give a shit what she thought of music (and when I wasn't 'resting my eyes' I was gladly obliging her with verbal confirmation of that feeling).

Anyways, she loved pop quizzes, where you had to identify the different parts of the song (verse, chorus, etc), and I was damn near asleep as she cued the needle to a track i'd never heard. It was the album version of The Beatle's "Let it be". I couldn't care less.

About 2 minutes into it, the organ part kicks in, and I assume with passing interest that the song is ending. In a moment that lasted both an eternity and a nanosecond, I heard George Harrison kick that (rather pussy, otherwise) song into a gear that I didn't know was even possible.

I was absolutely transfixed, for the first and last time of my middle school career. My "quiz" answer sheet looked rougly like this:

1. Not the solo
2.THE SOLO!
3. Not the solo

As she was giving me the awkward teacher-student-breakup-getthefuckout lecture, I made sure NOT to let her know that for once in her teaching career, she actually facilitated an appreciation for music.

You can hear the song (the good version, not the pussy radio version) at the link below. P.s. it has the worst 'video' ever, but you're not going to be listening with your eyes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEogJacjLTE&feature=related

boondock saints 3

I really can't stress how much I'm looking forward to the new saints movie. If Troy Duffy makes a formal announcement about it this year, I will get a boondock saints tattoo. Straight up. The DAY he makes the announcement, I'll be in the chair. That's a promise.

"Taking Back Sunay" in review

Let's clear something up. This record is not called "Tell all your friends" and it doesn't have a song called "Cute Without The E (Cut from the team). If you want that in a Taking Back Sunday album, then they have one that matches that exact description. Go listen to it.

The opening track "El Paso" caught a lot of flack when it debuted, that's no secret. The real secret, the key to listening to this album if you will, is to disambiguate that song from the rest of the record. View it as an audio "parental advisory" of sorts. A mission statement.

Viewing it this way, "Faith (when I let you down)" is the first stop in our trip down memory lane. If you don't get a little bit of a "Make Damn Sure" vibe, then your ears are broken.

"Best Places To Be A Mom" sounds like it could have been a B-Side from the afforementioned "Tell All Your Friends" album. I wonder why that is.

"Sad Savior" opens with a riff deeply reminiscant of the Gaslight Anthem, and instantly grows into something a lot less familiar. Adam and John really hit their vocal stride in this song.

"Who are you anyway" and "Money (let it go)" both give somewhat of a New vibe. They're both great.

"This is all now" has a bit of a sound of controlled experimentation. You can really hear a bit of John's Straylight Run influence shining through.

"It doesn't feel a thing like falling" sounds absolutely huge. It also has a little bit of a Jimmy Eat World feel to it.

"Since you're Gone" mixes Adam's signature screams of utter helplessness with...The Beatles. Seriously. It's pretty damn sick!

"You got me" turns it back around with another fast tune, kinda like "Money", but definitely not ripping it off.

"Call Me In The Morning" has that sort of...ending sound. It works out well, cause it's the last song.

In all, this half assed review doesn't get the message across the same way LISTENING to the album does.

The message? After 9 years and a nightmare involving a Fred other than Krueger, we finally got the follow up to Tell All Your Friends.

Mormons do it for the kids

The thought of children terrifies me. Not just in a "children of the corn" way, but in the "never ending constantly needing something from me" way.

I truly feel fortunate to NOT have any kids, but not for my own selfish reasons. The thing is, I'm not sure I could take care of a child. I'm not certain I could keep the kid from dying, let alone assist in the creation of a happy childhood.

You know how you act a little different when you're communicating on facebook or twitter? Or when your friend is filming you?

Well, I don't.

This is my personality, and I consistantly bare it all. In fact, instead of "acting up", I'm constantly "toning it down". It's a terrible reality, but I will never fake it to fit in.

That's it. That's my speech.

the news is there, you just gotta open your eyes

Man, lots of crazy/awesome music news these past few days! Hot Water Music is in the studio recording a new album! Their last album (of new music) was 2005's "The new what next".

That was arguably their best record of all time, which instantly makes it one of the top 5 most awesome records ever. I'm only working with the facts here, people.

Also, Brian Fallon's side project "the horrible crowes" has been in the studio recording their (currently unnamed) debut album, which is gonna be a full length.

Brian posted a photo of himself playing the piano, and it's the same piano that Meatloaf used on his "bat out of hell" album, so fully expect Meatloaf sized sales figures from this record. Or full on Tom Wait's style awesomeness. One of those expectations should become realised.

Someone just pulled a fire alarm in an adjacent building, and it wasn't me. FML, the cops are gonna harass me over this one.

Butterfingers

Damn, I was craving a butterfinger, so I walked over to our candy aisle (I'm at work). Some dick BROKE all of them. Like, crushed the shit out of them.

In an act of asshole collaboration, I left them there. I think it was a pretty innovative prank, and I'm nothing if not appreciative of such fine (albeit minimalist) art.

C-c-c-Combo!

I'm about to leave to pick up Mike M and see Chuck Ragan open for Social Distortion in a bit. I used to really care about what I wore to such events, but now, I am sitting in some fuckin basketball shorts with an old "The Sleeping" shirt on. I'll change the shorts (to dirty blue jeans), but that's about it.

Interesting story, I was arrested in this shirt once. In fact, it's so interesting that I won't tell the story. I'm just gonna reiterate the fact that they should NOT sell liter bottles of that 99bananas (or other fruits), and it should NOT be like $6.99.

Seriously, that shit is strong.

Oh yeah, I cut my hair today, and it's the best haircut I've ever had. I seriously looked at it in awe for like 10 mins throughout the day! I mean, it's still only like $6 day at supercuts good, but I did it myself, which is sweet.

P.S. for the record, I realised that over half of the haircuts I've gotten in life I gave myself. 10 years, and I'm only "$6 day at supercuts" good. Wtf.