After 8 years of trusty service, I have traded in the Subaru for a used '05 Accord. While I'm sad to see the Subaru leave, it was starting to show it's age and the combination of more frequent service visits and cabin noise drove me to getting a new car. The Honda is by far the nicest car I've ever owned and I'm glad that I could help the economy by taking out a smart loan which I will easily be able to pay off. I would have never been able to afford this car if I bought it new.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Say "Hello" To The New Car
After 8 years of trusty service, I have traded in the Subaru for a used '05 Accord. While I'm sad to see the Subaru leave, it was starting to show it's age and the combination of more frequent service visits and cabin noise drove me to getting a new car. The Honda is by far the nicest car I've ever owned and I'm glad that I could help the economy by taking out a smart loan which I will easily be able to pay off. I would have never been able to afford this car if I bought it new.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Jon Brion
Today while listening to Sound Opinions, I heard an interview with Jon Brion from 2006. He's a producer (Kanye West, Fiona Apple), songwriter, and movie score composer (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Apparently, he performs every Friday night at Largo in Los Angeles. One of the things he does while performing is record a live tape loop of drums, then he adds a bass loop, and finally adds a guitar and singing (I take it he also does this with other instruments).
The following video starts with him doing a hilarious rendition of Tom Waits doing Radiohead's Creep. That's followed by one of these looped songs. The video is really poor quality, but you should be able to hear it just fine.
The following video starts with him doing a hilarious rendition of Tom Waits doing Radiohead's Creep. That's followed by one of these looped songs. The video is really poor quality, but you should be able to hear it just fine.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Valentines Day and Music
It's Valentines Day and I'm sitting at home writing on my blog for the first time in more than a month drinking a Cuba Libre (Rum and Coke for the non-hispanics). Nora is in San Diego for the weekend going to gay bars with her Uncle and his boyfriend. I don't know if I have had a weirder Valentines Day (ok, I have, but I'm not going to get into that now).
I've recently joined a carpool with 3 other people, which is really great considering that we have a 1 hour commute each way and I usually have to drive only once a week. The unfortunate part is that they have completely different political/social views from me. Between their commentary about the effort to overturn Proposition 8 in California ("don't they just get it, being 'tolerant' of gays doesn't mean you accept gays") and having to leave my house at 5:15 AM, it's been a little tough continuing with the carpool. So far, the savings on gas and wear & tear on my car are winning out.
One thing that has made this carpool bearable is that I've started listening to the Sound Opinions music podcast. It's a once weekly hour-long podcast with two music critics from the Chicago area who talk about recent music news, interview artists and producers, review mainstream and obscure albums, and play a lot of good music. They have an archive of podcasts that goes back to 2005, which is great for me since I haven't really listened to much music since I started listening to NPR in 2001. I can't stand commercial radio and I don't have the patience to listen to college radio stations to find the good music. I've had plenty to listen to by combining the new shows with the archived shows, and have found some really great music to boot!
However, I don't always agree with the "Buy It, Burn It, Trash It" recommendations that Jim and Greg make when they review albums. I've bought a couple of duds which they were raving about (Neil Young's Living With War and Tim Fite's Fair Ain't Fair) which I wish I hadn't wasted my money on buying the whole album. After these mistakes, I've signed up for the Rhapsody music service and I can easily say this is the best move I've made all year. For $12.99 a month I get to listen to all the music that I want and gauge what I want to buy (The Loon by Tapes 'n Tapes) against what I think really stinks (Sunday at Devil Dirt by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan).
Here are some of my favorite albums that I've found specifically through Sound Opinions:
The Loon by Tapes 'n Tapes
Finding Forever by Common
Steal My Horses and Run by Blackstrap
Remind Me In 3 Days by The Knux
Dear Science by TV on the Radio
In Rainbows by Radiohead
12 Angry Months by Local H
The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust by Saul Williams
This Gift by Sons and Daughters
St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
Late Registration by Kanye West
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo by Rivers Cuomo
Over the Counterculture by Tim Fite
Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Here are some of my favorite singles that I've found through Sound Opinions:
Black Stacey by Saul Williams
Effect and Cause by The White Stripes off of Icky Thump
The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit
You Really Got A Hold On Me* by She & Him
Jack Killed Mom by Jenny Lewis
Misunderstood by Common
I've Been Shot by Tim Fite
Dancing Choose by TV on the Radio
Can't Stop Partying by Rivers Cuomo
15 Step by Radiohead
The Iliad by Tapes 'n Tapes
The List by The Knux
*I don't like the album version of You Really Got A Hold On Me by She & Him. You've got to go to the archive of Show #142 on the Sound Opinions website. This recording sends chills down my spine every time I hear it.
I've recently joined a carpool with 3 other people, which is really great considering that we have a 1 hour commute each way and I usually have to drive only once a week. The unfortunate part is that they have completely different political/social views from me. Between their commentary about the effort to overturn Proposition 8 in California ("don't they just get it, being 'tolerant' of gays doesn't mean you accept gays") and having to leave my house at 5:15 AM, it's been a little tough continuing with the carpool. So far, the savings on gas and wear & tear on my car are winning out.
One thing that has made this carpool bearable is that I've started listening to the Sound Opinions music podcast. It's a once weekly hour-long podcast with two music critics from the Chicago area who talk about recent music news, interview artists and producers, review mainstream and obscure albums, and play a lot of good music. They have an archive of podcasts that goes back to 2005, which is great for me since I haven't really listened to much music since I started listening to NPR in 2001. I can't stand commercial radio and I don't have the patience to listen to college radio stations to find the good music. I've had plenty to listen to by combining the new shows with the archived shows, and have found some really great music to boot!
However, I don't always agree with the "Buy It, Burn It, Trash It" recommendations that Jim and Greg make when they review albums. I've bought a couple of duds which they were raving about (Neil Young's Living With War and Tim Fite's Fair Ain't Fair) which I wish I hadn't wasted my money on buying the whole album. After these mistakes, I've signed up for the Rhapsody music service and I can easily say this is the best move I've made all year. For $12.99 a month I get to listen to all the music that I want and gauge what I want to buy (The Loon by Tapes 'n Tapes) against what I think really stinks (Sunday at Devil Dirt by Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan).
Here are some of my favorite albums that I've found specifically through Sound Opinions:
The Loon by Tapes 'n Tapes
Finding Forever by Common
Steal My Horses and Run by Blackstrap
Remind Me In 3 Days by The Knux
Dear Science by TV on the Radio
In Rainbows by Radiohead
12 Angry Months by Local H
The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust by Saul Williams
This Gift by Sons and Daughters
St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley
Late Registration by Kanye West
Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo by Rivers Cuomo
Over the Counterculture by Tim Fite
Icky Thump by The White Stripes
Here are some of my favorite singles that I've found through Sound Opinions:
Black Stacey by Saul Williams
Effect and Cause by The White Stripes off of Icky Thump
The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit
You Really Got A Hold On Me* by She & Him
Jack Killed Mom by Jenny Lewis
Misunderstood by Common
I've Been Shot by Tim Fite
Dancing Choose by TV on the Radio
Can't Stop Partying by Rivers Cuomo
15 Step by Radiohead
The Iliad by Tapes 'n Tapes
The List by The Knux
*I don't like the album version of You Really Got A Hold On Me by She & Him. You've got to go to the archive of Show #142 on the Sound Opinions website. This recording sends chills down my spine every time I hear it.
Friday, January 09, 2009
What a Fun Show!
We've been watching "Weeds" as rentals from Blockbuster over the past couple of years. Quick synopsis, suburban wife's husband suddenly dies and leaves no life insurance. She turns to dealing pot in order to keep up her suburban lifestyle. Mary-Louise Parker stars in the show with an excellent supporting cast including Kevin Nealon (who is hilarious as a crooked accountant/city council member/pothead).
We just got finished watching the 3rd season, and the following scene is my favorite from this season (the fist bump at the end is classic):
We just got finished watching the 3rd season, and the following scene is my favorite from this season (the fist bump at the end is classic):
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