Friday, July 29, 2005
Hip hip hooray! I didn't have class tonight so I decided it would be a nice to take my lovely
wife out for dinner. Not having class on Friday night is a wonderful thing and as busy as I have been with work and school lately, I feel like I haven't been spending enough time with her.
She is an amazing woman and I adore her. I couldn't ask for more.
When I asked her what MP3's she wanted me to post she gave me some ideas. Have a listen.
MP3 |
Alkaline Trio - Cooking Wine For Your Lungs Only EPMP3 |
The Dismemberment Plan - What Do You Want Me To Say? Emergency & I
Thursday, July 28, 2005
RIP Karate 1993-2005
Yes, it's true. One of the most innovative indie rock bands of the last decade has decided to call it quits. I was first introduced to
Karate a few years ago by a
friend of mine. They effectively melded indie rock with jazz, blues, and the plantive (but poetic) vocals of Geoff Farina. The following is taken from Geoff's
offical website.
"Karate has disbanded after 12 wonderful years of making music together. We played our last show in Rome on July 10th, 2005. I could no longer continue with the band for a number of personal reasons, the most important of which is that I have developed hearing problems from many years of dangerously loud stage sound. After seeing a hearing specialist and attempting to continue working with Karate, it quickly became clear that I can no longer play at the high stage volume that Karate requires. Over the next year I will continue working with my other various bands and projects, and I will also start working on a new band with a different instrumentation and stage setup that allows me to continue performing the songs that I love to write and sing. Of course Gavin and Jeff will also continue to make great music, and we hope you will all continue listening!"I am amazed that more bands don't call it quits for reasons similar to this. I only played in a loud rock band for a few years and still I notice some hearing loss. Either musicians learn to compensate and "deal" with it or they just ignore it.
So for the first time ever (or at least since the first post) in the short existence of this blog, I am actually posting a song related to what has been posted. But either way, I think Geoff Farina said it best when he sang,
"If Crass called the Clash, 'the Cash', then my stash would make them laugh." So true.
MP3 |
Karate - With Age PocketsMP3 |
Chin Up Chin Up - Virginia Don't Drown We Should Have Never Lived Like We Were Skyscrapers
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
We have two cats. There is a big fat black one and a little brown/gray/orange-ish striped one. The little one is Indie. We have lived with her for seven years now and she is more a troublemaker now than she was as a kitten. She and Oliver are both from Indianapolis, and despite her name, she is not named after the city. Indie got her name from two things: 1) Indie rock music and 2) A skateboard trick called an indie kickflip.
Her first home was a 1 bedroom apartment in Greenwood, Indiana that she shared with us. She had a trying childhood as we had a
lot of bands stay with us when we lived in Indy. Some of those bands were
Boxer,
RX Bandits,
Alkaline Trio,
At The Drive-In, and (of course)
Allister. All the bands loved her but what she really wanted was some peace and quiet. Awww...
Oliver, on the other hand, only lived in Indy with us for a couple of months before we moved to Chicagoland. He was named after the horrible punk-ska-rock band
Cousin Oliver. He currently weighs in at about 21 lbs and acts more like a dog than a cat sometimes. He is a nutty cat. Oliver also has an allergy problem that necessitates him getting a few cortisone shots a year. When Ollie was little, Jordan from
NFG showed him how to scoop his food from his bowl with his paw and eat it one piece at a time. He still does this from time to time.
They are both great cats, but when the baby comes there will be some changes that the two of them will need to get used to. Until then, these two are our little ones.
Both musical selections for today are from San Fransisco area artists. Joanna Newsom plays the harp and sings like a banshee while Communique is ex-American Steel members.
MP3 |
Joanna Newsom - Sprout And The Bean The Milk-Eyed MenderMP3 |
Communique - Death Rattle Dance Poison Arrows
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
It's raining! It's pouring!I don't care what
Jacob says, we really need the rain that we are finally getting today. Rain is good for grass, flowers, trees, and all other plants. Rain is good for life. People are 70% water and rain is 100% water. (That last one didn't really make any sense).
Rain is, however, very bad for traffic. People in Chicago don't need any excuses for their bad driving, but today was bad. I am convinced that is has been dry for so long that people forgot how to drive in the rain. It took me over 1-1/2 hours to get home from work today and I'm not happy about that. I need a drink. Arggh...
Guess what bloggers? My wife (Amy) is now blogging. Please give her a warm welcome to Blogger-nation. She has this little blog called
Little Brown Spoons. She named it after these tiny wooden spoons she has. She uses them for scooping sugar, stirring coffee, etc... and she loves 'em. She also posted the latest ultrasound picture of our baby. I'm not gonna post it, so go check it out at her site. I know she would appreciate it as much as you'll enjoy it.
MP3 |
Prefuse 73 - Pagina Dos Prefuse 73 Reads The BooksMP3 |
Nanang Tatang - Can't Help It Muki
Monday, July 25, 2005
I just got a new (at least to me) camera so now I just need to learn how to take decent pictures with it. I have always encouraged my wife to be the photographer of the family, but I thought it was about time for me to give it a try.
The camera is a Canon 300D Digital Rebel that I also got a few lenses for. It is sweet! Unfortunately I really only have rudimentary knowledge of how to manipulate sutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc... to realize the camera's (and my) full potential and, thus, can't really use it as anything other than a point-and-shoot right now. So sometime in the near future (after I learn how to use the camera a little better) I will be figuring out how to upload photos and be posting them like crazy. So if anyone reading this knows anything about taking pictures with a digital SLR camera, lay it on me. I am eager to learn.
So I was just remembering last winter when Amy and I went to go see
Lucero at the Bottom Lounge. They were great (per usual) but the best thing about that show was the opener. There was some local band (who cares) and then
William Elliott Whitmore. His performace floored me. His entire set consisted of him playing banjo or guitar accompanied by his own voice, harmonica, and even stomping. It was incredible. Here was this scruffy, tattooed, punk-lookin' guy that was singing these gut-wrenching songs about loss with so much conviction that he gave me chills. He opened the set with an acappela tune using nothing more than his booming voice. Listen below to a song from his latest record and if you have the chance, go see him live.
MP3 |
William Elliott Whitmore - Lift My Jug (Song For Hub Cale) Ashes To DustMP3 |
The Streets - Blinded By The Lights A Grand Don't Come For Free
Friday, July 22, 2005
So my
brother now has a blogger site where he will (hopefully) post lots of his writing. He is a very talented fellow who is holed up at Southern Illinois University working on his MFA degree.
A few weeks ago he got engaged to a girl that he met while working at
Caribou Coffee and I couldn't be happier for him. She is (at least in my opinion) one of the best things to have ever happened to him. She keeps him in check (mostly) and also introduced him to life with cats. I think I speak for my entire family when I say that Kelly will be a welcome addition to the family.
Everyone welcome him to Blogger, congratulate him, and go check out his site. I am sure that after revisions are done, he will be posting his writings for all to see.
Back in the day my brother jammed in a rock n' roll band that was way better than mine. They were called
xHIKEx and the following is taken from openingbands.com:
As far as I'm concerned, no one will EVER top xHIKEx... They played what they called "Progressive Freeform Hardcore". They also called themselves "Whisky-drinking Meat-eating Vegan Straightedge", and would regularly swig Evan Williams on stage. Their songs were about 30 seconds long, and were like miniature neutron-bomb explosions. They often threw frozen spanish mackerel or sprayed mustard into the crowd. The best show I saw was at the Channing Murray. After I broke my nose in the pit, the lead singer ripped my shirt off my chest, that ass bastard. Later, the guitarist tackled me and we had a play-fight in the middle of the pit. The worst part about that was that many of the punks in the crowd thought I was really fighting the guitarist (I was good friends with the whole band), and they got pissed for a moment. They also got banned from Joe's Brewery... They were playing a battle of the bands there, and were only about a minute into their set, when the bouncers pulled the plug, and guided the lead singer out the door in a full nelson! It was ridiculous!I know you wish you were there. Someday I will get around to posing an xHIKEx song, but that day is not today.
MP3 |
Sonny Rollins - St. Thomas Saxophone ColossusMP3 |
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The One Who Got Us Out Shake The Sheets
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Happy Birthday to me.
I was only going to post music but heard this story in class tonight.
My accounting professor was training with the Morgan Stanley Company in New York City during the summer of 2001. Now, Morgan Stanley employed over 3500 people on floors 59-69 of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He said that a few minutes after the first plane hit the North Tower, the Port Authority (who managed the towers) came on the P.A. system and told everyone in the South Tower to stay put and that there were no need to worry. After the announcement, the head of security for Morgan Stanley broadcast another message over the P.A. He basically said to disregard the message from the Port Authority and to listen to only him. He said "get up, go to the stairs, and start walking calmly out of the building." That is what my professor and most of the other 3500 people working for Morgan Stanley did. My professor said that only about 5 of the 3500 Morgan Stanley employees in the WTC didn't make it out. The head of security, however, was one of them. He was making sure everyone was out when the second plane hit the South Tower.
It's not really a happy birthday story, but I thought I would retell it anyway.
MP3 |
Okkervil River - Black Black Sheep BoyMP3 |
Wolf Parade - It's A Curse Apologies To The Queen Mary
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
I just got back from the first math class I have taken in over 8 years and let's just say I am a little rusty. Like most people, I never really enjoyed math when I was younger so "getting into it" again might prove to be a bit of a challenge. At least it isn't calculus.
On a less positive note (read: really bad) Kerry Wood gave up three home runs in three innings. OK. I can live with that. Then he left tonight's game with soreness in his right shoulder. I would be willing to bet that he never pitches a full season in the big leagues again. I'd like to hear the opinions over at
Lingering Bursitis if Blogger ever fixes whatever technical issues they are having over there.
Since tonight was Finite Math, I was going to choose some math-rock songs or maybe something classical, but I didn't. Essentially music is comprised of notes which are sound waves at different frequencies. These waves could each be written out as mathematical equations if you so desired. Math = music. I'm tired. Also, the Clash is the best band ever.
MP3 |
The Clash - Death Or Glory London CallingMP3 |
Pinback - Fortress Summer In Abbadon
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Really there is no debate.
Rafael Palmeiro is absoultley a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. Take a look at his career stats. He is one of only four playes in the history of baseball to have 3000 hits and 500 home runs. The others are Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Eddie Murray. That's pretty good company.
I was flipping between
NPR and
ESPN radio when I heard the guy subbing for Mike & Mike arguing that Rafael Palmiero should not be a first-ballot HOF'er and you can make an argument that he shouldn't be in at all. What? Is he crazy?
Basically the argument was that Palmeiro has never lead his league in any major category (home runs, RBI, etc...) and that he hasn't won any MVP awards or contributed to his team's post-season success. It was said that Palmeiro was just a B+ player for an A+ length of time. That is a load of crap. Raf has hit as many as 47 homers and driven in as many as 148 runs in a season. Those are A numbers to me.
Because he played for the Orioles and the Rangers he never had "big market" exposure like players from Chicago, LA, or New York might get. If the Cubs had traded Mark Grace instead of Palmeiro way back when, no one would be arguing about Raf's Hall of Fame status. I think the Cubs definately traded the wrong player.
Generally a Hall of Fame player is the most dominant player at his particular position during his era. While this is not necessarily true for Palmeiro, it can also be said that because he came into his own during the "steriod era" of baseball and wasn't one of the "monsters" like Sosa, Bonds, or McGwire, that he was somewhat overlooked as well. His numbers were great during the 90's but not overly inflated like those aforementioned players.
Any way you slice it, Rafael Palmerio deserves to be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. My question for all of you is what other current players will be HOF'ers? I have my list and would like to know yours.
Listeners, I do not discriminate against any genres of music. Be forewarned.
MP3 |
Ghengis Tron - Laser Bitch Cloak Of Love EPMP3 |
The Mountain Goats - This Year The Sunset Tree
Monday, July 18, 2005
My twin sister has never been the athletic type however she recently began running for exercise and then recreation. This was totally unexpected. I was always the runner of the family. I ran track and cross-country in high school and two years ago ran my first marathon, but my marathon experience is a story for another day.
We ran a 5K race together last fall (her first race ever) and that was a lot of fun. I got lazy but she kept at it and ran an 8K and then a 10K race. She was hooked. What happened next was also unexpected. Emily told us that she was training to run a marathon. Not just any marathon, but the Honolulu Marathon, and that she was also running to raise money for AIDS research and treatment.
I could not be happier that she is focusing her efforts on completing such a herculean task as running a marathon and doing it to hopefully improve the lives of others. This week she is up to an 8 mile long run but she needs to raise a boatload of money to be eligible to run in Honolulu.
If any of you out there would like to donate to her cause you can click
here or you can visit
aidsmarathon.com. Her runner number is 3143 and she is training in Chicago.
Good luck Em.
Since I just started back to classes and will be going four nights a week, I decided to post a few rockin' numbers for your enjoyment. Tonight's theme is pop-punk.
MP3 |
Fall Out Boy - Sugar We're Goin' Down From Under The Cork TreeMP3 |
Ultimate Fakebook - Soaked In Cinnamon This Will Be Laughing Week
Friday, July 15, 2005
It is Friday afternoon and I am feeling lazy. Did anyone else have a rough week? Geez... Well it seems that everyone is playing the interview game lately, so being the bandwagonjumper that I am I thought I'd give it a try. Here are the instructions:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "Interview me." "Blow me" or "Eat me" are not acceptable substitutes.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different. I'll post the questions in the comments section of this post.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
So all you have to do is ask to be interviewed and I will act like a genie. Except that the genie isn't in a bottle and instead of 3 wishes you just get 5 questions to answer. You dig?
Below are my interview questions courtesy of
Jacob.
1. Forget rock and roll, it's dead. If you could be any classical composer, who would it be? Why?Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart because the dude had mad skillz. Actually my father wanted to name me Wolfgang but wasn't allowed to by my mother. Good call Mom!
2. Name your Gorillaz character and what would your t-shirt say?C'mon man! They are all cartoons. THEY AIN'T REAL! So my favorite Gorillaz character is Damon Albarn. Personally I like his post-britpop Blur stuff the best. Did I actually answer the question or just sidestep slyly around it.
3. Thax Douglas or Wesley Willis?This is a no-brainer. Wesley Willis. "Rock over London, rock on Chicago!"
4. Albini or Eno?Albini. Big Black, Shellac, In Utero. They don't come much more "punk" than Albini. Read
this.
5. If you let Amy name your daughter like you had no input whatsoever, what would you expect her name to be?Isabella Kallista Mueller
Your turn.
I told Jacob that I would post a Bloc Party song for him, but I am unsure if I already played this one for him. Oh well. The other is a solo tune from Death Cab vocalist Ben Gibbard. That guy has a simply amazing voice.
MP3 |
Ben Gibbard - Carolina HOME Split CD w/ Andrew KennyMP3 |
Bloc Party - Helicopter Silent Alarm
Thursday, July 14, 2005
Nothing says "summer is here" like hot, sticky, 90 degree days in Chicago. Am I right or am I right? And nothing cools down your sweaty palms like a nice cold beer. Presented below are my top five summer beers.
5.
Fat Tire Amber AleFat Tire is brewed by New Belgium Brewery in lovely Ft. Collins, CO. They are known almost as much for their innovative and eco-friendly brewing practices as they are for their beer. Fat Tire (as are the others) is spectacualr year-round, but the nice hops/malt balance is perfect for hot summer days. It is way to easy to knock back a few of these after a day of hiking, biking, or doing nothing.
4.
Old StyleThe best place for an Old Style is the ballpark. More specifically, the best place is Wrigly Field. Whether you prefer the bleacher seats or something more refined, a nice cold Old Style is perfect to wash down a few hot dogs or a bag of peanuts. This classic American lager goes down smooth and easy. This is evident by the vast number of people that stagger out of Wrigley after every Cubs home game.
3.
Straub BeerStraub comes from beautiful St. Marys in the hills of west-central Pennsylvania. They don't use any added sugars, salts, or preservatives. This is only beer. Straub Beer is another American lager that is light in color and taste but oh so tasty. Whenever we go back to visit my wife's family, we always bring a few cases of Straub back with us. Definately a much better alternative to another PA brew, Yuengling.
2.
Alpha King Pale AleThis beer is a hop-lover's dream come true. This is a pale ale with a citrus aroma but is dominated by the hops flavors. Three Floyd's brews a ton of great beers from their home in Munster, IN. I suggest sipping on an Alpha King while relaxing on your porch or deck and soaking up the sun.
1.
Bell's OberonAhhh...the true taste of summer. Oberon is only available from April until September. It is a bit spicy with a fruity aroma that is perfect for hot summer days. Located in downtown Kalamazoo, MI, the Kalamzoo brewing Company brews a number of my favorite beers, Oberon included. If you are ever in the neighborhood you should definately stop by and visit their awesome beer garden. We have made a few trips to Kalamazoo just to stop at Bell's.
All that beer will wash these tasty MP3's down right. Just listen. They are good. Instead of me telling you about them beforehand, how about you let me know what you think after listening. Okay?
MP3 |
The Decemberists - 16 Military Wives PicaresqueMP3 |
Caribou - Pelican Narrows The Milk Of Human Kindness
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
It is strange how even when you think you have things all planned out, your plans can change in an instant. For example, I had picked out the songs I was going to post today and then (say it just like Emeril) "BAM" I listened to the new Sufjan Stevens album. Damn is it good. I mean like really really good. He even had the balls to call it "Come On Feel The Illinoise." Hot damn! This is the second in his series of state themed albums and although I don't think he will get through all fifty states, I also don't think this is his last in that vein.
Since this is MLB's All-Star break there is really no new baseball news to speak of, so cycling is getting more attention this week. Lance Armstrong is poised to win his 7th straight Tour de France. The man is an unbelievable. His discipline and determination are incredible. It is remarkable that he had cancer in his brain, lungs, and abdomen and lived. Not only is he alive, but he is the best cyclist of his era, maybe ever. Un-freakin-believable and an inspiration to everyone.
Here is the music. Remember that these will only be up for about 2 days or so until I get some more storage space.
MP3 |
Sufjan Stevens - The Predatory Wasp Come On Feel The IllinoiseMP3 |
Wilco - Panthers A Ghost Is Born (Bonus EP)
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Anyone know of any good job openings?
I am serious!
Being continuously frustrated and overwhelmed is not something I am accustomed to. I know that I don't need the stress that comes with my current
job. Bitching and complaing about how terrible my job is or what a horrible manager I have is not really my style. I am not what I have called an "office cancer," but I know that for me to take my job-related stress home with me, there must be a problem.
This current career dilemma has got me thinking about what I actually want to do with the rest of my life. And I am scared.
I have no idea what I want to do with my life.I know I have a wonderful beautiful wife who supports everything I do and who will soon give birth to our first child. I am going to school and trying to finish up my degree. I could not be happier with my wife or with my life outside of work, so what gives?
Someday I will find my passion. I am certain of that. Most of you just want to hear the MP3's and not my whiny drivel.
DFA 1979 is a drum and bass duo from Canada, eh. Do you like your rock and roll on the trashy side? Nuff said. The next song is from Four Tet's remixes of Madvillain's latest. It's what you are lookin' for if you are craving avant-electro indie hip-hop.
(P.S. I am out of storage space. Does anyone know of good and free online storage?)
MP3 |
DFA 1979 - Blood On Our Hands You're A Woman, I'm A MachineMP3 |
Madvillain - Great Day (Four Tet Remix) Four Tet Remixes
Monday, July 11, 2005
My wife and I are having a terrible time coming up with potential names for our as-of-yet-unnamed-and-unborn child. We just can't seem to agree when it comes to names for little girls. We both thought that we were having a boy and, thus, had a name all picked out. That would have been way too easy.
After buying a baby-name book, I am convinced that I should publish a book full of "unique" and "interesting" sounding names. Out of the twenty-thousand names the book contained there are probably only about a dozen that are actually suitable names for children. The first section of my name book will be "Names from household objects." Table, Chair, Step, Floor, Planter, Closet, Cupboard, Sink. Only 19,992 more names to go. It's really that easy!!!
I am also positive that all my realtives want to drive us crazy with their ridiculous name suggestions. It is because of them that I am thankful we are not having a boy. In all seriousness though, we can't think of a baby name and are open to suggestions.
Last week I caught the last 15 minutes of a PBS special that featured the music of Phil Spector, among others, and consequently have had "Da Doo Ron Ron" stuck in my head for the last few days. I am sharing that gift with you. The other song is my favorite song from The arcade Fire's debut full-length
Funeral. I can only assume that everybody in the entire indie-rock world has heard of them. For those who haven't...
MP3 |
The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron The Best Of Phil SpectorMP3 |
The Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies) Funeral
Friday, July 08, 2005
Someone always has to be the last to find out about what the cool kids have been doing for years. In this case, that kid is me. If everybody jumped off a blog, would you?
I feel like I am a little late in joining the blog revolution. I have lurked about various blogs for years, but never really had an inclination to start blogging until recently. I think the inspiration came from reading the fantastic posts that
Jacob has put up on his site. (Thanks dude!) It is very inspiring to see people being creative and coming together in a virtual community of sorts. My aim is to find enough time to update this thing on, at least, a semi-regular basis.
Today I present you with the first two of what will hopefully be a stream of ever-changing MP3's for your enjoyment. I will keep them posted until I run out of storage space, at which point they will go bye-bye. And today's lucky winners are:
MP3 |
Lifetime - Ostrichsized Hello BastardsMP3 |
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away S/TListen and enjoy. Bye.
