rock on
On 08.23.10, In Rants, By Riley
On 07.14.10, In Findings, By Sarah
We all love Seinfeld, that’s agreed upon. Also, most of us love baseball. And to some, yesterday was a sad day with the loss of George Steinbrenner. Luckily one of my favorite ladies who appears on this blog once and a while took a whack at it on this lovely Wednesday.
Maureen Dowd is a cold, powerful woman whose intensity and intelligence surpasses her sweet, sensitive side. She has great red hair and sharp red lipstick to match. Her lips are usually pierced with a smurky smile (see sample photo.) She’s written Are Men Necessary: When Sexes Collide and gave nicknames to Bush and Cheney over the years as “W.” and “Big Time” respectively. She won the Pulitzer for her columns on the Monica Lewinski and Clinton years. Also, she was just featured in this month’s Vanity Fair with A Girl’s Guide to Saudi Arabia. You can see a small piece of her article here. So, basically she’s a bad ass.
Check out her chronicles of Steinbrenner and Seinfeld and don’t be afraid to lurk around her page and read her past contributions. They are usually all pretty terrific.
On 06.24.10, In Findings, By Sarah
If you choose to do something every day, you might build a habit. Like writing, or eating beans. Brushing your teeth does not count. Let’s see if this works.
I’ve never seen grass get so brown so quickly. It’s like every grain and strain can stand on its own, managing multiple colors and personalities. It’s like the grass knows its not supposed to be that color. How do I handle this? It’s nice to sit and think, to new Bob Dylan on the radio. Let your eyes wander out the windows, follow the wind as it moves each individual leaf. They wave. Serene suburbia. What am I doing here?
Remember that book I told you about, EATING ANIMALS, well the author is quite the man. Without realizing his name was the same, my mother was telling me about this short story she read in the New Yorker. Turns out it was him. Jonathan Safran-Foer. There’s something about this time right now that has inspired me to be a writer more than ever. I’m glad I cannot figure it out.
Here’s something. It’s time to eat right and stop waiting for people’s calls. If there is too much communication, like there is now, we might all just get sick of each other. Some movie once said, constantly talking isn’t necessarily communicating. Let’s try and remember that, eh? How about we ask some questions and revert back to new ways of doing things. If something is not right with the world, even if it’s just your world, why not change it?
On 05.12.10, In Findings, By Sarah
Yes, I’ve played chatroulette and yes, I have made a friend once. We both even commented about how it was nice to find a stranger to chat about nothing with and not run into penis. Some call it creepy, which it totally is. And yea, it’s strange. But, hey! I was bored and needed an excuse to put off doing work. I’ve ran into some people from Australia and Essex, England, some from Spain and few from around U.S. (mainly high school kids)- but all of them were only interested in one thing. This is just a fun thing to check out. Plus- who doesn’t love the New Yorker? Also, even though it’s fiction…check this out. A new one from our good friend Woody Allen. I found myself reading and enjoying it. Something will shake me out of this no-fiction-phase. But it’s not this.
On 04.25.10, In Quotes, By Riley
There are some words that don’t rhyme but should. Like rough and dough, or patio and ratio.
And then there’s this list of words: Silver; Purple; Orange. Not only do these words represent colors, but no other word in the English language rhymes with silver, purple, or orange. Bizarre, right. At least blue and red rhyme with a lot of things.
Then we’ve got the word rhythm. Whoever invented the spelling for this word forgot perhaps the most fundamental and elementary rule of words: They can’t be comprised of only consanents. And don’t give me that “…and sometimes Y” excuse. Look at the second syllable: “thm.” That’s just not right.
And what’s up with iron. In my opinion, these are the two strangest words in the American language. How does the written “EYE-RON” produce the word “EYE-URN”?
Life’s mysteries, really. At least dictionary’s mysteries.
And there’s also a bone to be picked with chain stores that sell doughnuts. None of the major chains (Dunkin‘, Krispy Kreme, Tim Horton’s) spell the name of their flagship product correctly. To them, it’s all “donut.”
And hell, they can’t even spell the name of their stores well, either. Shouldn’t it be “DunkING?”
Last time I checked, “crispy” was spelled with a “C” and so was “cream.”
And for Tim Horton’s*, the founder’s real name is Terrence!
* I know nothing about the Tim Horton Franchise, and I would like to thank Tyler Gustafson – Ithaca ’11 – for opening my eyes to the Do(ugh)nut Travesty in the U.S.
If you like to read, read this: http://www.greattypohunt.com/
On 01.28.10, In Findings, By Sarah
First of all, J.D. Salinger died today. He was 91. The Times Arts Beat blog has been all over it. Also I am sure it will make front page but unsure if it will be above the fold. – - Little known fact/some trivia for you. I’ve read Shoeless Joe the book that Field of Dreams is based on. And instead of Terrance Mann (played by James Earl Jones) the real author is supposed to be Salinger and lame title The Boat Rocker in the movie is meant to be The Catcher in the Rye. Try that one on for size.
Another famous author died yesterday, Howard Zinn. I’m sure you recognize this:
It has been around since 1980 and I am almost sure that every single bookstore has at least one copy of this book. Yes, its one of those. Reading one chapter is overwhelming let alone cover to cover. It is dense, tremendously well done and in the category of the life achievement. Although he died suddenly of a heart attack at 87, he lived a fulfilling life.
After speaking about this with others I’ve given myself some time to think. It is sad that these great American minds are gone. But now it is time for new Americans of a new generation to have new ideas. You are an American. And you have ideas. Have you explored a new idea yet?
I now bring these words to you from a new world I was exposed to today (inquire within for story.) Go out and do something and make yourself a part of something completely different than you and what you are. Write something new. Write anything, compose. Tell someone something you’ve been meaning to say. And be well.
Lately I’ve been on a karma kick, trying to do good and pay it forward. I feel wonderful and I can only tell you to do the same.
Also, I am blown away by this. Yes, another free download from our friends at notdrugs (bookmark this.) Its Ithaca and its remarkable.
On 01.26.10, In Findings, By Sarah
Incredible things came from that now-so-distant semester in Los Angeles. How can I even begin to list them? Many things changed and and many things were discovered during this time in our lives, like this blog, like new friends, new habits and new publications. VICE magazine is probably the strangest magazine I’ve ever come across. One day while ”interning” at Atlantic Records, the free copy of this magazine came through my cube space. Like a good intern I spent the rest of my day reading it. Ever since I’ve been fascinated by their stories, ideas, photos, unnecessary disgusting topics, overly sexual beings and simply crass nature.
There is one thing in particular that I love. A man named Hamilton Morris, whom I’ve posted about before. He writes about drugs: while on drugs, all the drugs he’s done (including his recently deceased dog’s prescription Valium), giving preferred drug-taking suggestions, contesting the idea of how uncommon (the) date rape (drug) actually is and allowing completely embarrassing photos of himself to be published. In this latest article he went to Iceland, smoked weed, went swimming in the psoriasis-ridden Blue Lagoon tourist attraction while tripping all the while chronicling Icelandic fashion week. Morris is a shameless unconventional writer whom I am considering writing to. (Actually VICE seems like the place I might just write to and ask for a job. Why not?) Check it out if you have time. This one is much shorter than the others. You can also see all his columns here. I like them all.
On 01.23.10, In Events, By Riley
This just in!
Write On!
Special thanks to Lauren Fitzgerald for taking and sending this picture, via cellphone, from NYC!
On 01.21.10, In Contributors, By Sarah
A lot has been going on in this mind of mine. For a lack of many things, school included, its also been wandering. Through many car trips, a too long layover and boredom overall I’ve been exploring the inner depths of my iPod. That led me to an On-The-Go playlist 142 songs long. Which then led to more music boredom. Since I’ve been home here in Ithaca I’ve had nice time on my hands. Allowing for most of my afternoons thus far to be completely devoted to listening to music, an activity that is a constant in my life but is never really as deep as it has become over the last two days.
It begins with the fact, and a confession, of my past as a music lover. I used to be a close-minded classic rock fan who didn’t know better and never gave anything a chance. Right now, while stomaching the Breakfast with the Beatles show, I am on a personal quest to knock the Beatles off their pedestal in my life, and for those around me. I’m the ‘Beatles girl’ (as I’ve been told) and not until now has that bothered me. Recently I’ve been listening to what I used to consider modern music. Now it is just becoming common sense.
Here we have the Dirty Projectors.
Bitte-Orca
This band we play at the station. Although I did not start listening to them until my brother-in-law recommended them to me. My Christmas gift to him was a jump drive full of music that I acquired throughout the year. His personal quest is to find as much new music as possible. Through him and someone else close to me I have found something I never thought I would stumble upon, let alone go looking for. Its the idea that anything can be great. Just think, every band- and even more importantly- every song is someone’s favorite. So you can’t be too upset with something musically, because everything has a home.
This band, the Dirty Projectors have been putting out records since 2002- this record Bitte-Orca is remarkable. There is plenty going on there, bold and unusual unlike anything I’ve ever heard.I fall in love with it every time I hear them. Over the course of time I’ve never listened to anything as what I would consider as strange as this band. And I never thought I would genuinely love anything like this.
Almost even better is Yeasayer. This is a band that has one record from 2007 and their most recent, Odd Blood, is credited for coming out in 2010 (but I heard it all throughout the latter part of 2009.) The bravest band, maybe, that I’ve ever listened to. Odd Blood opens with a track that throws you off. Almost like you don’t expect what the hell the next thing will sound like. I was so familiar with just the one song the station plays and I had heard the full album two other times. It wasn’t until two days ago I got the full record and let it marinate that I realized that its better than crack. Each song as you listen to the full album impresses me and even though there is one in particular, all the songs are peculiar themselves. After enough time to digest you can see that it is technically a ‘concept’ album- but anything short of ordinary. Most people don’t even like it.
Odd Blood
Now right now there is something even more important to me. It is a revolution in my own life. A word that can never be used too lightly, its a revolution because I have these feelings about music as if I’m falling in love with it for the first time. As if I’ve never even heard it before. Something like this has never been this important to me. Bands that I’ve known of since high school and never gave a second chance, or second thought, are now some of the most important bands in my life.
I’ve been trying to love some in particular, like the Flaming Lips (coming to Cornell in April), since I was a senior in high school. Brian Walagorski introduced me to them. He also gave me the gift of life with giving me Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for the first time. I now know that this kid was way ahead of me. He knew that Wilco was his favorite band. I even remember him going to Chicago to see them (and thought he was crazy for doing so.) Wilco has become one of, if not, the most important band to me. This kid also gave me Yo La Tengo, which I have grown to appreciate. I forgot where Elliot Smith came from- whom I now am sincerely falling in love with. As well as The Velvet Underground. The Velvet Underground, as some ‘cant readers might know, are THE favorite of mine. I guess you could call them tied for first with Wilco. When I said this out loud to my sister, they could not believe it and thought I was messing with them. How could someone mess about something as serious as this?
Music has become so much more important to me. And I never thought it could gain any more credibility in my life. I’ve started a brand in my own head of ‘Euphoric Rock.’ Including a list of most of the above bands, it is a kind of music that makes you feel strangely happy yet disturbed in a way you cannot understand. Beautiful lyrics like poetry and voices that are choral and unexpected. Arrangements and musicianship that goes far too overlooked and a sensibility that continues to keep my brain interested.
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Since the ‘Best of 2009′ lists have been ranking Animal Collective all over their number one or two spot (in addition to friends and associates saying the same things) they are my newest band that I am venturing into. I want to see what the fuss is about, give it a chance even more. If this many people are talking about it, it has to mean something, right? This isn’t me trying to follow the crowd (or is it?) and I’m pretty sure this isn’t me conforming. Its just a message in my own brain telling me to snap out of whatever crazy bizarro world I was living in before and stop spinning the same things. Merriweather Post Pavilion is the one with the cool cover. A couple weeks ago I couldnt manage to get past the first few tracks. But with help from another friend, it seems OK and to be growing on me.
It has become more than the band members and their history. I find myself looking up information on these bands after weeks of listening to them. Right now its all about the music, recording and composition of what they want us to hear and in what order. It really is the music that I’ve found as if its been missing for all these years.
There is a lesson in this. I was so close minded for so long, listening to the same things, listening to the same manifesto of my father building the Beatles up to be more and more, without ever giving anything a chance. (Now I have to discover things like Nashville Skyline on my own, thanks to him. Thank god I did.) I couldn’t let anyone I know ever follow in these footsteps. I can’t imagine going through life without all of this, growing up without essentials and an open-minded variety. I just want to make sure that you go out and find something new. Stay on a station even if it bores you, tape a list on your wall of bands you’ve always been meaning to give another listen to, and listen to music with new people. Friends who study different things, have different views on everything from politics to clothing and friends who you never thought you’d meet can all influence you in ways I never thought they could. People with different interests and different tastes have had an incredible impression on me musically. The world of music just got a whole lot bigger. The list is endless. And everything seems to be falling into place.
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