New post.

On break, been playing around with Da Troop (www.atroopofechoes.com) for a little while, it goes alright.

Tried to do battle today with my car, of course I just need to replace the battery, but with me it's never that simple. One busted ratchet and 2 failed attempts to start the car with the new battery in (I really, really, really hope it was just because the connectors were loose), I have to stop because there's not more I can do without the proper tools. It just really really frustrates me because the sooner I can get this car in semi-drivable condition the better it means for me. I need to go to the bank and get a bow for my double bass.

Oh, yes, my double bass. It's fine. My intonation is still iffy, but I haven't had a REAL lesson on it yet. Other than that I like playing classical pieces on it surprisingly more than jazz, which I hope changes soon or else it's major (pun intended) change for me.

Oh yes, the Sweetthieves show was two nights ago, how very, very sad, but they played about an hour and a half, playing almost all the songs they've written, except for two or three. It was great, not a big crowd (not the biggest I've seen) but certainly a good one. I was in the front and center like an idiot getting into it, but I guess it paid off because there were three other people behind me getting into it as well. Afterwards Chris grabbed the setlist for me, and I shook everyone's hand and told them the band means a lot to me and I hate to see them go, but it was a great show. Bought the new record, it sounds great.

Saw Slumdog Millionaire, blew me away, almost didn't go see it because I saw it out of sheer boredom. In Narragansett it's either get out of town or do drugs in the wintertime. I can see why some people pick the latter. Great great movie, go see it, it's worth the money.

Argh, I have 500 messages on my phone and I can't remember the security code to delete them all.

I sit here in the Hope Commons dining hall of URI writing this on my laptop. I brought my laptop to say I was going to read overviews of Russian History as pregaming to my actual study session. (and I still might do that) but I've been listening to my ipod and reading my friend Martin's blog. I've recently come to the attention that all my life I've pretty much tried to go through with the least amount of effort possible, and it's biting my ass right now. I could skate through high school no problem, but that's because everyone knows in the modern infrastructure, high school is pretty much worthless in some respects.

Lately I've been figuring out the program Reason and feel like I am getting better at it. It's pretty much a lot of stuff I've wanted in a program, it's just a pain in the dick to program patterns without a keyboard, but in my history of breaking 2 of them in the last 3 years, I'm holding off on buying another one until I can find one used or one that is absolutely a perfect fit for me.

I would really like to add my programming to my current bands, but in one it would go against my minimalist views I hold for it, because the moment we start adding more stuff than we absolutely physically need for the song to work, it becomes overbearing an
d like THIS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0IEOArHj0

I don't ever want to play that type of music. Ever.

On the other hand, another band I'm in (I'm in it like Jim O'Rourke was in Sonic Youth) doesn't really seem the best band to introduce electronic programming, but what do I know? Maybe they'd really dig it.

So what does this mean? I think I've added another instrument to my belt, I'll see if I can get a show at AS220 winter break and see what the fuck pops up.

I also really, really want to play music with people again.

I also need to stop being negative, and for god sakes stop slouching!

Congratulations. You've just wasted your day.

http://james.nerdiphythesoul.com/bennyhillifier/

This weekend:


I have managed to see Boris in a club they will never play in again most likely, at a crowd size I will SURELY never see again. Their guitars rumbled so much the sound was palpable. It was amazing and was so glad I saw it. The question remains will I see them ever again, if it means ruining the "picture perfect" filter my mind has placed on the show?

Picked up two new blogs to follow. Chris Curley's are 180 gram and A Duck Pond, while Sarge's is Circle The First. Also is Justin's blog, as you will see of course. I suggest Chris's first as he has just disembarked for Barbados on an all-expenses paid review trip (fucker).

Attending Peter Gilli's composition performance made me realize that I come from a productive, supportive but faux-rivalry group of friends. Talking with Astrid, reading Chris's blog, listening to Pete's compositions all make me want to practice or do some things better. They're all very supportive of me, but I want to be better than them. It's nothing personal, and sometimes it sucks because I know I can't be as such a good writer as Chris, but I still like blogging, isn't that what it's about?

On the other hand, I know I can be as good a musician as Nick or Pete. Looking at old etudes on my upright that I haven't looked at since I learned them for my lesson, it's almost faux-sightreading. And I'm playing them fairly well for only playing my upright for a combined time of 10 hours, and not touching it for almost a week. I guess it's just how much I apply my self.

Which is why I am now going to practice and return to this blog later.


And later is now.

That draft was saved at 4:39 PM, it's not 5:23. Having spent 40 minutes practicing, I'm still not getting use to hard pieces of music. I was a big fish in a small pond, and no one really challanged me in high school with music. But having to actually read music again? Fuck, it's hard. There are so many, and rhythms and my fingers can't take it.

On the other side of blogging, being a metablog such as BoingBoing or Digg,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ArlE9oP1l0&feature=related

If you're anything like me, you'll find it funny, but wait for the last one, and it's the payoff.

I'd like to thank whoever ripped In A Roman Mood from their turntable, and the three people online tonight that made the torrent compile incredibly fast.

You know what's hilarious to try?

Watching Jonas Brother videos on youtube with the sound off, and playing Joy Division or Talking Heads behind them.

It's so surreal to watch the video of Lovebug while "Love Will Tear Us Apart" plays in the background, or Camp Rock videos while "I Zimbra" is playing.

I love it.

I also would love the chance to go Eno on their little Disney asses.


"NO I DON'T CARE GET THE FUCK BACK IN THE CONTROL ROOM AND PLAY THAT FEEDBACK SYNTH PART DAMN IT. FUCK THE MONEY AND THE FANS, WE NEED ORIGINALITY"

New blog.

Haven't posted in a while.

I have a fake radio show on the internet, but hopefully I should have a real one soon.

And I'm pretty much going to be posting the playlists on here.

Difficult Radio I: (Song/Artist/Album format)

Don't Come close The Ramones Road To Ruin

Catapult R.E.M. Murmur

Spoke Shellac Excellent Italian Greyhound

Piano Fire Sparklehorse It's A Wonderful Life

Hammond Song The Roches The Roches

Lose My Breath My Bloody Valentine Isn't Anything

Rest My Chemistry Interpol Our Love To Admire

Tremelo Mission Of Burma The Horrible Truth About Burma

Trap Robert Fripp & The League Of Gentlemen God Save the King

Sleeper Hold No Age Nouns

Beatown XTC Go 2 (Remastered)

Orange Is The New Black Sweethieves View From A Glass Tower

Avalanche Matthew Good Avalanche

Pyramid Song Radiohead Amnesiac

Mea Culpa Brian Eno & David Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

Exposure Robert Fripp Exposure

King's Lead Hat Brian Eno Before and After Science

Big Boys Elvis Costello Armed Forces

Sea Battle At Orkusuk Wizardzz Hidden City of Tarumond

Scissor Man (BBC Version) XTC Rag & Bone Buffet (Rare Cuts & Leftovers)

Yellow River Neptune Gong Lake

Six Lane River Banter/3.1 Medicinal Reverb

Coxcomb Red (Songs: Ohia) The Joe Beats Experiment Indie Rock Blues

Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home The Decemberists The Crane Wife

Everything That Happens David Byrne and Brian Eno Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Day To Day Simple Circus A Simple Paper Collage (1985-1998)

Pennies The Smashing Pumpkins The Aeroplane Flies High

Coast Road A Postmodern John July 4th Pool Party

Time Tom Waits Rain Dogs

Shine A Light Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary

The World Looks Red sonic youth confusion is sex + kill yr. idols

It Could Be Sweet Portishead Dummy

Spider and I Brian Eno Before and After Science