few and far between

Holy hell, guys, it's been a while, huh?

Sorry, I've been tied up on the job-search front, among other things.

Anyway... 

Artists to watch:

MGMT- Brooklyn-based Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden have definitely tipped the scales for new and exciting stuff. I've got a couple friends who just adore MGMT, telling me nearly every chance they get that I should really be listening to them. I agree. Their electronic pop displays the technological trend of today's music, but you will be hard-pressed to avoid bopping your head or tapping your foot along with their catchy, groove-able tracks. I recommend "Kids" and "Love Always Remains" from Time to Pretend - 2005, Cantora Records) to get yourself acquainted with the absolutely addicting melodies.

Staind- I know, I know, they've been around forever. But- two things I didn't know- they're from my mom's hometown of Springfield, MA; and their song "Epiphany" (Break the Cycle -2001, Flip Records & Elektra Entertainment Group) has got to be the most heart-wrenching track I've heard in probably months. Couple that with the fact that I've been reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga this week (started the first book Monday, finished the fourth & final on Saturday night), and I've found the perfect sad-song, high-school-emotion-laden soundtrack for a week of introspection, evaluation, and probably too much mental digging for my own good. But hey, the melody of "Epiphany" is simply beautiful, hummable, and crystal clear.

Trey Anastasio- Yes, you know him as the lead singer for the groovy jam-band Phish, but did you know that he had a few solo albums? The only one I have is his self-title, Trey Anastasio (2002, Elektra Entertainment), but this album's still got to be one of my favorites for an instant mood-lifter. Its jazzy, jumpy melodies and contemporary, yet cool, vocals can make even the longest, grayest, wettest day seem like summer on the beach. The harmonies on this album, I'll pick "Drifting" as an example track (though the album is full-to-brimming with more), are sumptuous and smooth, perfectly matched to Anastasio's easy, everyday vocals. This album is just delicious, and so inoffensive, you'll think it was made for your kids. And yes, they'll probably like it too. Equally as flooring might be the majestic instrumental "At the Gazebo," with its regal horns, fluttering guitar, and dramatic strings, which makes me want to clap my hands and request the band play it again. Chills, friends. There are chills tickling my spine.

That's it for now. I'll try not to be such a stranger.

New Green Day hits stores today!

But I got it last night. I shall not reveal my sources. Call it an industry insider thing.

Today's the first I've heard the whole thing, and I only heard half of "Know Your Enemy" once on the radio, a couple days ago, actually.

But I'll tell you, barely a quarter way through 21st Century Breakdown, I already know it will join the list of forever-on-my-iPod-albums. 

I'm writing this during my first spin, so I don't have a whole lot to say about the individual tracks yet, but I can tell you that "Before the Lobotomy" and "Last Night on Earth" display a touch of Billie Joe Armstrong's notorious soft side, but in a much cooler way than lite-radio classics "Wake Me Up When September Ends" and "Good Riddance."

The only negative thing I can say about this album is that I'm not really sure I like the whole "rock opera," or one story broken into 18 similarly-veined tracks for the 2nd album in a row (especially after it's been so long in between releases- five years, was it?). I loved, and still really enjoy, listening to American Idiot, but Breakdown :almost: feels like we're re-living it.

And of course, there will be people who claim that Green Day's more evolved sound is crap and that they should have stuck to their formula from the early days (you'll hear similar arguments about Blink-182, Unwritten Law, the Offspring, Bad Religion, etc.). But see, people grow, get older, change their tastes, and acquire new influences. I've got to hand it to them, I think Green Day's sound has aged quite handsomely over the years.

If you like these guys at all, you should invest in the new album. For real. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

addendum

There are two more things I would like to say in the music-related category.

First, I have been listening to a lot of Jack Johnson lately- not my own choosing, my iTouch just throws it at me. My significant other is fond of saying that his iPod Nano "Jack Johnsons [him] to death." I wouldn't go quite that far, but I get a lot of it on my iTouch, and it's great for summertime top-down driving.

Also, as I sat in my friend's apartment this evening, I realized that listening to David Bowie is like hearing liquid gold covered in smooth dark chocolate, and everyone should do it once a day.

That is all I have to say for the evening.

I digress...

First and foremost, I'm going to rip off my pal Nik's site (www.pastadivingjeter.com) to tell you that:

Google insists that I mention the following:

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site.
• Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to this site’s users based on their visit to this sites and other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

Since there are ads on my page, they come from the same place, and heaven forbid someone actually has an issue with them, now you know. (Thanks, Nik, I knew you'd understand.)

In other news, I feel the need to share with you all some of the current job-search-frustrations I'm experiencing. Please feel free to skip this post entirely if you only came here to find out who I'm spinning this week (it hasn't changed since my last post).

As you may already know, I am unemployed. 

I was laid off on January 30, 2009, from a job I enjoyed, by a boss who did not want to let me go, but was left with no other choice when the economy continued to accelerate on its already rapid nosedive. 

Of course, after allowing myself a week or two of ruminating on my misfortune, I conceded that it was time to update my resume, and with a little help from my sister, I began actively searching for re-employment elsewhere. I'm over the feeling of personal injury one typically experiences during such a traumatic event, and have begun to relax a little, enjoying my time at home, and even considering it an extended vacation- but without the restaurants, fanny pack, and amusement parks.

I suppose I should tell you that previously, I was a buyer at a metal distributor. In layman's terms, that means I am mostly S.O.L for finding a similar position elsewhere right now, as most companies are looking to SELL tons of product, and if possible, not PURCHASE anything.

I have created "please-read-my-resume" profiles at multiple job board sites and attempt to "update" my professional summary (i.e., change punctuation or hit enter and delete- any activity is updating) at least twice a month, so that it stays fresh in the listings and attracts more views than the rest of the unemployed masses. 

If you've used monster.com lately, you're probably experiencing the same amount of disgust I am with their layout and search options. It's bulky. There are way too many things on my home page that I never use, search options are getting too elaborate, and, oh yeah, three out of five companies to whom I might want to send my resume require that I submit a full professional profile (with information identical to that which I have posted on monster.com) through their own Web site, using an embedded application such as Taleo, or something similar.

Reader, I ask you: What is the point? Why must I spend 20 minutes doing this again if the information is already available through the directing job site? If these companies are trying to ensure that I am not a robot attempting to flood their HR inboxes with phony applicants, then they would do better to team with monster.com and require applicants to decode a "Captcha" or other "type the symbols you see in this box to validate your authenticity as a human being" tool. Am I wrong? Think about this. If I send fifteen resumes a day, and only six of the receiving companies accept applications directly through monster.com, I have spent approximately three hours entering information that is identical to that of my monster.com profile!  Yes, I know finding a Good Job is important, but aren't there better ways to spend three hours that don't involve mass redundancy?

I'm sure you can understand why I try very hard to avoid monster.com, except for those two occasions per month that I log in and make a small adjustment to some random information that might help me get my profile at the top of the list again, even if it means I'm being contacted for out-of-state jobs for which I'm not really qualified and don't really want. 

You say I'm being choosy? You bet. I've had my share of "it's a job" jobs- mostly because it's what you do when you're not in school, and I needed to show my parents that I was actually "going to work" every day. I'm sure I don't need to explain, though, that most of those don't pay the bills. I went to college, which means that along with my education, I acquired a student loan. I don't own my Jeep, Citifinancial Auto does. I have auto insurance, rent, electricity, propane, and a cell phone that sap my meager unemployment check dry every month, and old credit card debts that I had just begun to eliminate when I lost my job. And as I refuse to be frustrated and miserable at my next job, you'd better believe that I won't settle for any old paycheck.

Am I bitter? Perhaps. Am I doing something about it?

Yes.

I am active on Facebook. Oh yes, it can be used as more than just an outlet for such drivel as "ohmigosh did you see who she's with now?!" As has been brought to my attention three times today alone (are you all trying to tell me something?), check your privacy settings. Yes, people are being fired due to questionable content on their Facebook pages, or being tagged in such a photo on a friend's page! Think of it this way- if you wouldn't want your boss or your mom to see it, either don't post it, or hide that s--t, homie!

Thanks to my dad, you can also find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleytphillips. This is one of my favorite social networking sites, because it's not overrun by horny teenagers, photos of your drunk roommates, or that ex-boyfriend you try to avoid at all costs. LinkedIn is all about real professionals making real networking contacts, without all the job-search-site mumbo jumbo.

And then there's Twitter. I'll admit it- I'm an addict. I tweet several times a day. I'm known as "Jeepsterette." If I think of something interesting, or find a good video, cartoon, or article, I share it. I keep tabs on some of the bands I enjoy, follow Tony Hawk's vacation and skateboarding endeavors, and I have met quite a few like-minded Tweeps, with whom I share my love for all things Jeep (incidentally, check out allthingsjeep.com, or jeepworld.com, should you require... well...anything Jeep). 

Through Twitter, I have met quite a few friendly faces who share their encouragement during my job search (thank you, it really is appreciated). 

All of the Tweeps I follow are adults, most of them are business-people, and as a result, I have been privy to quite a few good articles about the economy and other job search tools (did you realize you can actually use Twitter for this purpose?). I even attended a Webinar this afternoon on using the aforementioned "social networking" sites to further the search, thanks to a comment I left on an article by user "HilzFuld." 

The world is not so big anymore, thanks to these new networking tools. Yes, it is a little frightening to think that almost nothing is private anymore, but then, it's all in what you choose to share, is it not?

a brief summer-ish interlude

First, I'd like to say one thing-

HOORAY it's gonna be WARM and SUNNY for the next few days, and it's top-down weather fer sherr...!

Ok, now that that's out of the way.

You've asked for it- my picks for convertible-friendly summertime tune-age.

Of course, there's the obvious:

+44 (Mark Hoppus & Travis Barker of Blink-182), When Your Heart Stops Beating (2006, Interscope)

There are 13 reasons to love this album. Every track is worth it. I've mentioned it before, without giving it a real good spin, but let me elaborate a little. I've had this in constant rotation on my iTouch lately. +44's got some pretty good lyrics, reminiscent, of course, of the Cure, but they kind of remind me of Unwritten Law, too- and if you know me at all, you know what a freak I am for UL. Yes, you'll have to jog the volume on a couple of tracks if you're stuck in traffic next to a minivan full of kids, but very briefly. I find myself humming bits and pieces from nearly every track, and the duet "Make You Smile" with Carol Heller is so sweetly performed that it always lifts my spirits, even if it's not exactly a happy song.

Angels & Airwaves, both albums

I'm pretty sure I don't really have to tell you what or why for these two. Just... get your hands on some, give it a spin. You'll see what I mean.

The Gaslight Anthem, The '59 Sound (2008, Side One Dummy)

First things first- I must extend special thanks to DJH for sending me a boatload of tunes, some of which I've made permanent in my iTouch, and others I've yet to explore.

The Gaslight Anthem has this really cool retro rockabilly sound, minutely reminiscent of early Killers. I've not paid special attention to the lyrics just yet so I can't say for sure how traffic-jam-friendly this might be in the Jeep, but on the basis that GA's sound just plain gets me right *there* I'm gonna have to recommend that you acquire The '59 Sound. Even better, they're local- New Brunswick, NJ- which makes me very happy to spread their sound all over town. For real- that's how big things happen.

stellastarr*, Stellastarr* (2003, BMG)

stellastarr* was another of the artists I picked from D's collection. (They also give me reason to use the most asterisks I've ever used in three inches of space, which is no easy feat since that particular function of my keyboard is broken.)

I'm not really sure how describe their sound, except to say that it kind of reminds me of 80s-era rock, but, like GA, contains rockabilly elements as well. I know I've told you that "My Coco" is easily one of my new fave tracks, and that still stands. It makes me want to dance like crazy. The rest of this album is great- totally unique guitar riffs, incredible melodies and harmonies, and the lead singer is just awesome, because of his vocal range and his overall tonality- it's just so incredibly unique, you won't hear very many others like him. They're kind of local, New York City, and I dig that.

The Airborne Toxic Event, The Airborne Toxic Event (2007, The Island Def Jam Music Group)

Gonna have to watch the volume on this one, I've caught an f-bomb already, but this wall of sound masterpiece is exquisite. I must be after a particular sound these days, because this album is strongly reminiscent of both The Gaslight Anthem and stellastarr* in their rockabilly/80s new-wave feel, but something about these bands just makes me want to crank the volume louder. The more I listen, the more I can feel The Strokes shining through their sound, and "Happiness is Overrated" will surely bring The Clash to mind.

ATE takes their name from a Don DeLillo novel, which I've mentioned, and I still don't like the book, White Noise. Definitely worth a listen, though, and I'll tell you right now- "Gasoline" will get you moving. 

I've got no idea where they came from, but I can feel album hitting super heavy rotation on my iTouch.

Railroad Earth (no album specified)

Yep, it's formal this time. I'm sure a handful of you are aware how much I dig this band.

They're very local- from Stillwater, NJ (we almost rented a cabin there)- and it's kind of difficult to really label them as any particular genre. There are absolutely country and bluegrass elements in their tunes, but also some trippy psychedelic sounds (listen to the live recording of "Goat" from the Yarmony Grass show, 8/17/2008, available from archive.org), and of course, my favorite- sweet jammy goodness. And why not, when RRE will often toss a Grateful Dead cover into their live repertoire? 

My favorite track changes with every spin- really- but I think I alternate between "Goat" and "Long Way to Go" (The Good Life, 2004, Sugar Hill Records), "Railroad Earth" and "Seven Story Mountain" (which, conveniently, has just rolled up in my playlist- remember the psychic iTunes? From The Black Bear Sessions, 2004, Bos Music), and "Old Man and the Land" (Elko, 2006, SCI Fidelity Records). 

To date, I've heard lead singer Todd Sheaffer drop the F-bomb twice in all of their albums, in "Standin' on the Corner" (Amen Corner, 2008, SCI Fidelity Records). For damn good reason: "Fuckin' price of oil, fuckin' price of heat." Folks, it doesn't get much more honest than that, considering where we've been financially with both of those necessities. Am I wrong?

That's enough for now, methinks. 

Whether you're riding with the top down or just the windows open, enjoy your summer- we're supposed to have a handful of warm days beginning with today, and you better believe I'm ready! 

I just loaded up my iTouch with some of my favorites, including a recording of the totally awesome RRE show I saw in September, which I am spinning as we speak.

does your radio read your mind?

Ever get a song stuck in your head, not a popular song, just any song- and hear it on the radio the same day? 

Happens to me all the time.

How about having a particular favorite song, falling asleep with the radio on, and waking up seconds before it comes on the radio?

Again.. all the time.

What I really get a kick out of, though, is that yesterday I was riding home from Mom-a-tron's house, thinking, "how weird would it be if I started the Jeep on Easter Sunday and heard, like, Metallica (since it's like, "devil music," say some), on the radio (since my radio's never off) the moment it turned over?"

Guess what.

Apparently, I'm psychic. 

My favorite by far, however, is listening to something, anything, shuffle, on my iTouch, and I'm really groovin' to something, and when it's over, I think, "it sure would be awesome to hear (insert catchy tune here) right now," and bing!, it rolls up in my playlist.

Question, and really think about this one:

Does my radio read my brain waves; 

or-

does my brain read the radio waves?

A note...

Dear Summer,

Please hurry. You've been gone an awful long time, and we sure do miss you. We have lots of fun stuff planned for when you get here. Also, can you please bring just a little less rain when you come back this year? We sure do like the mud, but we like riding around with the top down a whole lot more.

Signed,

Ashley's Jeep.

Apparently we had to get that missive out of the way before the real writing could begin. 

But with that being said, summer is coming, folks! Rejoice! Hooray! 

Now that you know I drive a convertible, I'm sure it's of no surprise that one of my favorite things ever is "riding around with the top rolled down and the radio on" (Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant) on a sunny summer day. 

Of course, one must be very selective about what music to broadcast when you know that several other people will hear it. Because of my prudish personality, I refuse to listen to anything that contains excessive swear words, or otherwise obnoxious or offensive content. I'm not sure if you realize just how much this limits the "cool" music selection.

For instance: I would never, ever, listen to, say, ABBA at nearly top volume in the open air & sunshine. ABBA = not cool. Ditto for such artists as Enya or Yanni.

Likewise, you would be hard-pressed to find Guns N' Roses in my playlist during the summer, for although I do enjoy listening to such classics as "Get in the Ring" and "Used to Love Her" in the privacy of my own home, I don't believe that the kids in the minivan next to me need to be exposed to that kind of content or language. And as much!! as I love Blink-182, you will absolutely find me turning down the volume once in a while if I hit an intersection just right. 

I believe in decorum and common decency, and just as it's now illegal to watch porn in your vehicle with rear-facing monitors so that little kids can see it, I feel it should be illegal to play offensive music so loud that little kids (and grandmas and moms and your Uncle Joe) can hear it clearly.

One of my favorites for top-down cruising, and I can tell you right now that this definitely comes from my oldest sister, is Paul Simon's "Graceland" album. And not just because it's inoffensive, cheerful, melodic, and has an extremely high sing-along value. No, this has nearly everything to do with the memory of playing hooky with my sister on a spring day in college, grabbing ice cream and driving around local cemeteries to look for signs of our family tree, in her Cabrio, with the top down. 

I suspect this summer will bring the return of my Bob Marley phase (Bob's always perfect for summertime tune-age, there's no denying that island feeling), and I forsee making a few tough decisions to make room on my iPod for some Sublime. These are summer songs for me, "Badfish" and "Rivers of Babylon" have all the imagery of sunshine, sunglasses, and a heat wave behind them.  

I want to know- what do YOU groove to in the summer? Who thumps your speakers? Do you find yourself going back to a handful of artists from days past, or do you use the summer to find new classics? Tell me. Don't be shy. You might just give me some ideas.

Update on free music...

Hi, out there in Internet land.

Remember a couple months ago when I told you guys all about a handful of ways to get your music fix for free?

I've got an addition to that.

Some of you may know I'm now on twitter (Jeepsterette), which... I can never, ever close because Jeep people keep finding me and they're fun to know... and there's just so freaking much interesting stuff going on with Tony Hawk, Penn Jillette, Dane Cook, PostSecret, and my favorite ever band, Railroad Earth... But my addiction to the latest "news" is beside the point, and I digress.

I have a buddy whom I've known for... I guess... well, let's say at least six years. This guy is responsible for my twitter addiction. You know who you are. But, knowing that I have this thang where I let you all know what I dig for tunes, he said, "http://blip.fm. You need this. For your blog."

Truer words were never spoken. 

blip.fm is like Pandora radio, but on a less playlist, more individual level. You "blip," or search, whatever artist or song title you want to hear, select a track from the pop-up list, and your selection will show in the list below your search bar. You will see your selection for probably a second before it is engulfed by an extremely rapidly changing list of other selections from people all over the world, as they blip their selections. 

You can listen to more tracks you choose to blip, or play something someone else is playing. If you like a song someone else digs, you can give that user "props" on their selection. You can also receive "props" on your selections. I'm not really sure what the point is behind "props" other than it probably shows you have decent taste in music. I give them out as I see fit, I've earned a few, and I listen to whatever the heck I feel like.

Bonus points: blip.fm has a LOT of stuff I would never expect- tons of live Railroad Earth tracks (I couldn't decide what to play first), classics (Jerry Vale - Volare), oldies (the Jamies - Summertime), modern rock, rap, world music... this site definitely runs the gamut on selections. 

Also, you can choose to link your blips to your twitter feed- then, every song you blip will show up on your twitter feed as a tiny url- but you can also pick and choose which blips will tweet. Let's face it- the entire planet does NOT need to know that I'm listening to Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" after T.I. & Justin Timberlake's "Dead & Gone," correct? 

When your blipped track has finished, it will automatically play the track at the top of the list on your screen- usually from another user's blip. This is awesome if you get a bunch of people who like the same stuff you do, or if you love any kind of new music- and if you don't want to listen to that track, you can skip to the next. These tracks will NOT post to your twitter feed, either. Less embarrassment is good.

Demerits: You may not always get the best quality of a track on your first search- some of my selections, while live (and impressive), were of absolutely terrible Kbps quality. 

Also, trying to give props to someone is tricky, as the list is constantly changing- several times now, I've attempted to click on one user and ended up three ahead of him/her in line because of the constant flow of new tracks. This "wastes" your props, and once you give them, you can't take them back. 

And of course, because it's a streamer, you will probably have some "spots" in the playback. It's supremely annoying, but  you do have a "pause" button, so make good use of it.

Happy blipping, folks.

 

Mark, Tom, & Travis

I know you're all totally sick of hearing me talk about Blink-182. 

But, I have to tell you about +44. 

This is Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker's band... and they are awesome. 

+44 (so named for the international dialing code for the UK) sounds like Blink meets the Cure meets every punk love song you've ever heard- but they're good. 

It's easy to hear the angst and frustration in their lyrics- "Quit cryin your eyes out, and baby come on. It's like there's something familiar about me, the past is only the future with the lights on. So quit cryin your eyes out, baby." ("Baby Come On," When Your Heart Stops Beating) Please tell me none of you can identify with that feeling right there- can you even say that truthfully? Didn't think so.

I've given When Your Heart Stops Beating quite a few spins since downloading it last weekend, however, I don't seem to have much time to listen without multitasking, so I can't really tell you too much about the album in-depth, though I'd like to, because you should definitely check it out. I can tell you that with the warmer weather coming up, you can rest assured that I will be spending more time pounding the trails with my iPod by my side, and I will be able to give this, and other new albums I've acquired, my full attention. In fact, I might even venture out today.

If I haven't heard it, it's new to me!

Some "new" stuff I've heard lately:

Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light (2007, Interscope)

I've only given this a spin or two since purchasing the digital version last week, but I don't dislike it. There are a couple of songs reminiscent of earlier Jimmy, but as with other artists, I've noticed a more modern, mature sound. I'm sure it'll take a little getting used to... but I miss the days when I knew right away if I dug an album...

stellastarr - stellastarr (2003, BMG)

This album is bound to make you want to dance. No joke. It's everything great about 80s music, updated for today. "My Coco" is probably my fave new song, it makes me think of electric pink sweatbands and a hundred movin' bodies in a dark club with neon lights and a hot sound system. Grr, baby.

The Airborne Toxic Event - The Airborne Toxic Event (2007, under license to Majordomo Records)

I never thought I would be into this kind of music- this triad of 80s/punk/emo- but holy moley, I think I like it! This band takes their name from a Don DeLillo novel, White Noise (of which, after reading it twice, I'm not a fan), and I think that will run through my mind every time I listen to the album, but they do have a very unique sound- classically nouveau, I think is the best way to put it. Give 'em a spin. You won't be disappointed.

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

(title from The Killers - All These Things That I've Done - Hot Fuss)

After seeing the commercial for the new album a few times on TV, and really supremely hating the five seconds I heard of "Spaceman" and that stupid costume from the video, I decided I really did want the Killers' new album, Day & Age. 

I snagged it from iTunes this afternoon, and lo and behold, we have reached the age of digital liner notes! No longer shall we be forced to sift through thousands of jewel cases, struggling to remove tattered booklets from their jagged edges and insert them into new, equally as fragile plastic shelf-hogging vessels!

It also came with a bonus video, which I've not yet viewed.

Bonus points for the album artwork, digital liner notes, and bonus video for my $11.99 and instant, gasoline-free gratification.

But I'm having a hard time with this album right now. 

I think my problem is getting over the sound of "Hot Fuss." I don't have "Sam's Town" because I was not the world's biggest fan of the first single released from it (see, I don't even know the name, nor do I care). 

"Day & Age" (holy wow, as I typed that, Brandon Flowers sang it) is... well... I'm not married to it. That's not to say I won't be in a couple of days, it's been known to happen, but I think it's really lacking that catch that was so prevalent in "Hot Fuss." 

Let's face it- you really cannot find a much cooler song than "All These Things That I've Done." From the moment I first heard it during Rodney Mullen's part in the Almost skate demo video in 2004, I was hooked on that song. Everything about it speaks to me- the lyrics, the harmony, the chorus, bringing in a freakin' choir, for crying out loud! Awesome. It gets me right there.

Of course, I'll have to give it a few more spins before I can really tell for sure, but I'm officially on the fence with this one right now...

I'm really lucky- underneath it all

(title from No Doubt - Underneath It All - Rock Steady)

Gracias to my PA pal DH for the tunes. I'm in heaven. It's like I walked into Sam Goody with a thousand bucks and everything I was ever remotely curious about is on sale.

So did you guys catch the Grammy Awards last weekend? My roommate DVR'd it- I could watch Mark, Tom, & Travis nervously announce their reunion a thousand times- but there were a few performances I found surprising. I'm not sure what possessed MIA to get up there and perform in a bikini on her due date (or her doctors to allow her to), but she sure did let it all hang out. Interesting. 

Sir Paul McCartney's performance with the Foo Fighters was quite disappointing. In fact, I might actually say it was terrible! I couldn't even watch the whole thing. I know, I know- he's getting on in years, he probably hasn't been super wonderful to his body, and he's been knocked in the spotlight quite a bit in recent years for his travesty of a love life. I understand that we all have bad days. But man, I was embarrassed for him! Poor guy's voice was wavering all over hell! But to be on stage with the Foo Fighters- who have been making such incredibly great music since the mid 90s- must have been incredible. Conversely, to share a stage with Sir Paul would certainly be a most breathtaking experience.

You know I'm kind of a nerd for country, too, right? I have to tell you that while I do not do not dislike Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus, and we all know that a public appearance pairing was inevitable, I'm not so sure I really enjoyed their performance. I don't even know if it's fair to classify either vocalist as "country" anymore- which we all knew would happen. Swift is super talented, for sure, but she has not-so-subtly merged from country to pop very quickly. Her vocals are sweet and meaningful, and still a little innocent, which apparently is very "in" these days (have you heard of the Jonas Brothers?). Cyrus, while impishly cute and certainly growing up with a fight in the public eye, seems to lack heart in most of her performances. She should stick to the emotional, gravelly, gruff vocals to make her mark in the industry; I don't feel that bubblegum teenybopper pop really suits her.

Well, those are my Grammy gripes. As for the greats: Jay-Z with Chris Martin from Coldplay- very classy, very well done. And ho lee cow did you catch Robert Plant & Alison Kraus? The two of them, those vocals together... I have goosebumps just thinking about it. Someone at CMT absolutely knew what they were doing when they paired those two. What's most interesting about Kraus & Plant is, if you listen very closely, she doesn't exactly attempt to harmonize his vocals- instead, she gently shadows his melody, wrapping that warm, sweet voice around his. Listen to "Please Read the Letter" or "Gone Gone Gone" for an excellent example. I would love to see them paired for another album- classic rock king with "bluegrass queen," as she was dubbed- I can hear it now, "The Battle of Evermore" or "The Rain Song-" again, goosebumps...!

Time keeps moving on and on and on...

(title from Blink 182 - Man Overboard - The Mark, Tom, & Travis Show)

Holy, holy cats.

I just read the best news-- Blink 182 is reuniting for a tour this summer! 

Please, readers, don't be offended when I tell you that my first thought upon reading it this morning was, "There IS a God!!!"

We have been waiting for this for several years. You've already seen me sing my praises for Angels and Airwaves (AVA), and for good reason - Tom DeLonge is a genius.

I'm terribly, terribly excited and I cannot wait to see what Mark, Tom, & Travis have up their sleeves for their fans!

On a much less giddy note, Unwritten Law singer Scott Russo lost his family home in a fire last week. 

All humans are safe; the Russo pets and belongings, tragically, did not survive. 

Scott's family members were also hurt by our failing economy, and as a result, he was the sole provider and their home was uninsured. 

If you are an Unwritten Law fan and would like to offer Scott your financial or emotional support, please visit UL's MySpace page for more information.

Free Music!

Part 2 of your guide on how to listen to all kinds of free music, as promised!

Today's lesson is this handy little program that my buddy told me about: SimplifyMedia. This downloadable program works in conjunction with iTunes (which is available for the Windows OS, so don't panic if you're a Microsoft fan!) to provide users access to a maximum of 30 different friends' libraries. That could mean potential terabytes of listening paradise! Pretty nifty, right? 

Here's how it works: go to http://www.simplifymedia.com and pick your operating system. SimplifyMedia is free free free if you are using it on a PC or Mac. You can even download it to your iPhone or iTouch, but it is no longer offered for free on either handheld- you must purchase it for USD $3.99 (a very small price to pay for remote, walk-around access to multiple libraries). 

Once you install the software, you will create a user account and name your computer (your friends will see your user name, real name, and computer name). You can decide what music to share, and who to invite to your friends list. Once your friends are invited, you can see each others' shared files in the iTunes sidebar, under "SHARED." You can chat with your added friends through SimplifyMedia, and view the tracks your friends are listening to from your library. 

SimplifyMedia is awesome if you have ripped your own CDs or downloaded your tracks through perhaps... less than legal... means. Unfortunately, I've noticed that you cannot share your purchased m4p files with someone using an iTouch or iPhone. I'm not sure whether the same goes for PC/Mac usage.

That's it for my info on SimplifyMedia. Expect more reports shortly!

If I Fall Back Down...

(title from Rancid - If I Fall Back Down - Indestructible)

Hello readers!

Thank you again for all of your support in this venture. 

I'd like to let you know about a couple of free music utilities, since you've all been super helpful to me... and I thought there might be some of you guys who'd like to appreciate new tunes on a tight budget.

My A-number one favorite right now is probably Pandora. I learned about this from the guy in the next cube at Job Recently Departed. Web-based streamer (read: no program downloads) http://www.pandora.com is one of THE coolest Internet radio setups in the galaxy. The Music Genome Project has successfully collaborated a zillion tunes into a giant database for any of your favored genres. Feel like listening to Jack Johnson? Feed the artist name into Pandora's search window and it will pick a random tune in the artist's library. Wanna hear "Behind These Hazel Eyes" but forgot the artist name? Enter the title, Pandora will show you a list of artist options, and play the track you select. For the ensuing tracks, Pandora's intelligence will retrieve artists or songs of similar elemental qualities- "extensive vamping," "major key tonality," "hard-swingin' rhythm," etc. You can hand-pick artists or tracks to add to your playlist, or "add more songs like this." You can skip tracks, ask Pandora not to repeat the track for 30 days, or select a thumbs-up or -down to add or omit particular and similar tracks. No commercials, high-quality uncensored audio, and, my iTouch picks up my neighbors' wireless signal clear enough for me to attach it to the stereo in my room while I'm cooking. The exposure to "similar" artists is the best part, because I now enjoy music by artists I would previously not have given a second thought.

Next on my list: SimplifyMedia, a downloaded iTunes accompaniment, without which I would never have experienced the wonders of Girl Talk... expect more tomorrow!

King for a Day

(title from Green Day - King for a Day - Nimrod)

You guys are giving me some great suggestions to review!

I've been trying to get myself out of the house for a little while, so I haven't had much time in front of iTunes, but I will be spending some quality time with my stereo very soon, I promise.

I Miss Back When

(title from Tim McGraw - Back When - Live Like You Were Dying)

You know how everyone has one of those "you know you're getting old when" sayings?

I knew I was getting old when I could no longer name any one music genre as my favorite.

I maintain that if it doesn't have any solid guitar work, I'm not really interested, but I've expanded my taste from metal, punk, and rock & roll to country (oh, do I love country), bluegrass, jam bands, and all those moldy golden oldies our parents love to sing horribly in public to embarrass us. 

But then, there are a few artists whose work I get giddy over purely for the thump. I have a folder called "GOTS A BEAT" for them. I think it's right above "HIPPIE TUNES" in the tree. Really.

I think maybe it's the artists that grow up, too. Green Day, for example. I love the first few albums, but I'm more partial to the newer, older Green Day- the stuff after Dookie. I dunno, to me they just seem more orchestrated as the albums span- tighter, more focused- I'm a huge fan of American Idiot and I think that's the best example of their experience as a trio. 

And then you get into artists like Blink-182- I mean, Tom DeLonge? Holy cow, is that man a musical genius. You've got older Blink stuff that's loopy, fun, loud, and childish, but still pretty tight- I'll cite "Voyeur" and "A New Hope" from Dude Ranch, and you go search those lyrics- they're stupid, funny, immature, and yet the melodies and harmonies are pretty decent for a trio of punk rockers. But then you've got the stuff from their last album before the hiatus- the self-title- it totally blew me away, and even 5 years later, it still does. It's still on my iPod, it never came off, it never will. 

But it's DeLonge's most recent public project- Angels & Airwaves- that makes my heart do loop-the-loops. There's a postsecret.com postcard that says, "Angels & Airwaves makes me believe in love again," and I think that about summed up my feelings to a T. The "wall of sound" and synth-heavy background doesn't follow the lyrical melody, but complements it perfectly. DeLonge is clearly still influenced by the Cure (Robert Smith made an appearance on the self-title to sing lead vox for "All of This"), but the infusion of the 1980s-style synth and electronic drum does not feel outdated in either album. And that's what I love- this stuff is timeless, I can listen to it on my worst of days, and maybe two tracks later, all that ticked me off has floated away. That's important to me- that's what music should do.

Seven Story Mountain

(title from Railroad Earth - Seven Story Mountain - The Black Bear Sessions)

Do you know how "unemployed in a bad economy" feels?

I do, too. 

Wish I didn't, but such is life, and now I have ample time to do the things I couldn't because I was tied up behind a desk for 8.5 hours a day, and driving for up to another 3 hours on top of that.

Look for the positive. Always, always look for the positive. What else is there? It happened. You got axed. Cry, scream, rage, blame, and then get over it. 

Positive: I'll have a little time to finally, FINALLY sort through all the boxes of cr-- er, ju-- ...well, stuff I've accumulated since ...birth. I'll have time for exercise. I'll have time for ME.

Moving on.

I'm feelin' like it's gonna take me a couple days to really feel "good" about not working. It feels odd to still be sitting on my bed, unclean, in my pajamas at 10:34 on a Monday morning- not gonna lie. 

But I think, in the interest of getting this gig underway, I should probably give you the lowdown on me.

I'm 25 years old, and I graduated from SUNY Albany in 2005 with a BA in English and a minor in psych (with a focus on child psych). I love to write, but I haven't had the time (or inspiration) in ages. I love music, and I love my Jeep. That's probably all you'll really need to know.

phase shifting

Check. One, two, check check. Check.

Hey out there! How you all doin' tonight? Yeah!

I got a great show for you tonight! I'm gonna do some classics, some new stuff, and I'm gonna do some stuff ya never heard of, all right!

Grab a drink, grab your girl, your guy, and get your rock on!

In another life, that coulda been me. Rock star. Frontman. Leader of the band.

But right after school, I found myself broke, with a degree in English, and ZERO desire to teach. I wanted to write. Not just any writing, though. I wanted to write for Rolling Stone. 

See, I'm what you'd call "obsessed" with like maybe two things in my life - music, and my 1999 Jeep TJ (both totally cool things to be obsessed with, if you ask me).

I'm one of those people who walks around with a song in their head on a daily basis. I can pull lyrics out of thin air to describe nearly everything I'm feeling, or to reference anything anyone says. It's sick. My friends used to call me "the database." In high school, if you threw lyrics at me, I could give you the song title, artist, album name, track number, and year of release for probably 30% of popular or classic rock. That probably doesn't seem like much, but think of ALL the music out there, man. 

But I'm not that good anymore.

I got caught up in the corporate life- sort of. I've spent the last year of my life sitting at a desk- punching numbers, pushing papers, filing, stapling, corresponding, Web searching. Phone calls, faxes, E-mails. Contracts, long-term agreements, software, pricing, spreadsheets, busy work. Vacation days, snow days, sick days, personal days, holidays.

The time for that has changed. This is my time (again). Unemployed and still thinking about music 12/7 (that Jeep takes up the other 50% of my thoughts), I think it's time to get it out there. 

So thanks, big sister, for reopening my eyes to something I really should have started to see a long time ago...

Look for more installments soon. And if you have anything off-the-wall that you think I should hear, drop me a line and a link to find it.