Monday, April 28, 2008

She's all states, and all princes I

i'm actually going to do a rare thing and start w/words, not music. however, it's pretty easy to figure out where my lucid dreaming stops and where the music begins.

with the exception of one or two other posts, i never go into them with any plan or purpose. i never have any idea where they will go and i don't usually edit. i put on whatever music i want to share and write as i listen to it. "why are you staring into outer space" has always been the finnegan's wake of music blogs (one of the most brilliant people i've ever met said that the only way to read ulysses was in a hot bath with a minimum of one bottle of red wine...i'd appreciate the same criteria for my blog.) as though this paragraph could lead to anywhere else, this one is slightly different. i'm going to try to take my time while i sip my wine.

a few days ago i filled out an online survey on which i answered the question, "where is your favorite place in the world?"

in the whole wide world...hhhmmmmmmmmm...

since the survey was sent to me by a sj sharks buddy, who had answered, "the shark tank," i followed in her footsteps. however, the stupid little question nagged at me in a way that a silly little myspace repost survey answer never should.
i thought and thought and came up with a handful of moments where i felt perfect and complete and just right. they were pretty diverse moments. watching my sister play santa on xmas, and handing a present to mom that she totally didn't see coming. i've been to a couple of concerts that were nearly transcendent...joanna newsom comes to mind. there are those moments with my favorite boys, when the love in the room makes strangers uncomfortable (the segovia's field...slave ship...bubblegum on a bbq?) seeing one of my defenders score her first varsity goal in the playoffs, in the last game of her high school career. watching chas read his vows and grin like an idiot through his first dance.

and then there are those moments with girls. one or two of those stand out. ..but no one wants to hear about all of that.

and on and on and on...i hope everyone has an insanely long list like this.

but see, all these memories that came to mind were moments...not really places. so, back to the drawing board.

(now, i'm a good enough writer to understand that i could turn any of those into places...but that doesn't really seem to be in the spirit of the question...now does it?)

so...places. my answer of the shark tank is a good one and would make any list...there is no feeling like screaming in pure ecstasy with 18,000 other people, i literally almost made myself pass out twice this season from screaming so hard...seriously, i almost pitched forward both times. the top story of MOMA in ny. pt lobos and mavis lake. dog beach when it's packed.

but--to be perfectly frank--none of these really did it for me. however, the survey didn't matter at all, and i was tired of hammering the thing half to death (though trying to recall one's happiest moments isn't the saddest way to spend ten minutes) so i left my original answer of "the shark tank."

but, later that day, i was listening to my ipod on random...and the answer was given to me. the simple and simplistic answer:





The Decemberists. Of Angels and Angles.
There are angels in your angles
There's a low moon caught in your tangles

There's a ticking at the sill

There's a purr of a pigeon to break the still of day


As on we go drowning

Down we go away

And darling, we go a-drowning
Down we go away

Away

There's a tough word on your crossword

There's a bed bug nipping a finger

There's a swallow, there's a calm

Here's a hand to lay on your open palm today


As on we go drowning

Down we go away

And darling, we go a-drowning
Down we go away

Away


There are angels in your angles

There's a low moon caught in your tangles




i'm very aware that my interpretation of this song's meaning may have very little connection to colin's intentions....and i can see the darkness in it if i wish. but, for me, this is a song about the calm perfection of laying in bed in love. this isn't a message to a coy mistress, quite the opposite! it's a celebration of the blissful isolation of love beneath sheets, that place where the outside world has no dominion. a place without modestly or shame. a place where only two exist and even their imperfections are completely perfect. a place where the outside world not only has no dominion, but where it can be completely and truly forgotten because....maybe....just maybe...the world extends out in all directions from that bed.

and so, that is my answer. that is my favorite place.

it is a place where i haven't been in so many years. i've been close though...

ps...
y'all should hope that i don't fall in love again...otherwise you may never see me here again ;)
(ed note: HA! how true that was...3/23/11)

omg! a totally awesome and fun and seaworthy bonus song for those of you who made it to the bottom. see, the blog hasn't gone completely emo on you:

The Decemberists. The Mariner's Revenge Song. Lyrics.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

With so many lovers singing soft...

as nearly always, music up front, personal stuff at the end.

i'm not going to apologize for how long i've been away. you can just deal w/it. stuff happens. we all go through periods where we'd rather play nerdy online games w/no moving pictures than write public messages to no one in particular. you shouldn't think that i don't appreciate you...or that i want you to stop reading. i just fell out of the pack a day music habit i had for roughly two years there. i went a little cold-turkey and frankly, i'm probably still not back on it...but i'll do my best to do right by you.




Farryl Purkiss. Times Like These.

this first one is a dedication to a friend of mine from down southways who has a penchant for mopey acoustic music (and yet only had dashboard's new, terrible, albums.) i have a couple of songs by this good looking gentleman, and in both of them, it's the pretty dual guitar parts that grab me. his lyrics are fine (though they are kinda hum-drum) but i would listen to this song as an instrumental. i loves me some acoustic guitaaar. so, hope you enjoy it.




Teitur. Catherine the Waitress.
Teitur. We Still Drink the Same Water.

I thought i'd also include someone who's been on my blog before as half a duet, but never by himself. Teitur (tie'tor) surprised me with the following tracks as i only knew him from his duets (some of which are with some pretty big names.) who knew there was a little pop star in him (probably everyone who actually knew anything about him...unlike me)? those of you who are long time readers are sure to know that i love songs that could be described as ditties. "Catherine the Waitress" is a ditty. the second song is something of a bonus and is much closer to what i figured his new album would contain. it's playful yet a little melancholy, and something like sparsely orchestral. deal with that.




Little Dragon. Twice.

now...this is the heart of the post. this is the one song that has managed to pierce my musical apathy over the last few months. this is totally my favorite song right now. i was talking w/a friend just last night about how this song can be put on repeat for ever! i appreciate this of unobtrusive songs. songs that can easily be thirty minutes long if you so desire. truth be told, i find just once through to be disappointing with this precious gem of a song.
i'm not completely in love with the album, though i find it fascinating. i hear albums described as unclassifiable pretty often...though i almost never agree with this assessment. however, Little Dragon borrows and improves and kicks ass with pieces of this and that, living in none of them. i hope you love this one more than most.




i had plans to party in a hangar tonight, but i decided to pass them up in favor of a good night's sleep. of course, anyone who knows me, knows that a good night's sleep is never a sure thing with or without military mixers.

the pitiful truth of the matter is that i could have used the distraction tonight. the last short period of time, i've felt a little bit like that poor baby Gibson and Walk tortured all those years ago (eff you psych 1a!...you didn't think i'd remember anything, did you?!?!), poised to crawl out into the unknown a little bit, except i'm going for it. new things starting, meeting old things not restarting, meeting a handful of old stuff going away. in fact, my current wish is to change almost everything about my life, minus you wonderful folks. wish me some luck please.

if anyone is left in sonoma, i'll be there this weekend. call if you want a visit as i have literally nothing in my life to rush back for.

muah!