John Cale

I can't find it anywhere online to post for you all but Movement 4 (A Violin Solo) from John Cale's Eat/Kiss Music for the films of Andy Warhol is amazing!

and You Lied to Me

Pretty excited for this concert next month.

You had me from the first downbeat.

Good Music from Commercials

I am noticing a trend.

Here.

Harpsichord

I can't get it out of my head.

(I also can't seem to post from youtube anymore)

Updates/Links

Been working like it's in style.

Sampling Pitchfork's top 100 of 2009.

Just bought my mom The New Yorker for her birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!)

I'll post some music vids.

Good Stuff

Sir Richard Bishop (that's a self-styled sir)

Classy Wedding

I recently attended a wedding that opened with a piece by Phillip Glass, played in part by a member of the Kronos Quartet.

Please go here and click on selected music in the bottom right hand corner and listen to Knee 5.

The Decembrists

Head's up Chicago crew, the Decembrists are going to be at the Metro August 6th.

This piece of music is amazing.

By far the best studying album since ( ).

First Chicago Snow! (that sticks)

Put on those boots as you walk to work. What a pleasant surprise. Also, I can't get this song out of my head. As near as I can tell the words don't mean much of anything. It is rather peppy and cathartic though. And I should point out that the refrain which begins with "nobody knows you..." seems to be in a positive rather than depressive light.

Yesterday I joined a climbing gym. There's nothing like waking up in the morning with your arms and back completely torn up. I'm serious - it's an addictive feeling.

Stars of the Lid - Even If You're Never Awake

I discovered this band through a Radio Lab podcast and I have briefly mentioned them before but I can't stop advocating them. Gosh, this piece is beautiful. It has an ambient/post rock/classical feel to it which you can't fully appreciate until you've heard over and over again. Having grown up playing the viola in a symphonic orchestra the vain part of me likes to think that my musical tastes have finally come full circle. For goodness' sake though! You've got French horn, viola, and a computer?

And tell me the beginning doesn't evoke the Largo from Dvorák's New World Symphonie?

With the lack of any musical track I give you a video for you ears which someone has graciously posted.

Enjoy. Oh please do.

Stars of the Lid

I can't stop listening to them. Radiolab did a cast where this concert series featured them. Makes me wish I was living in NYC. Well, almost. When the sun wakes me up through the open window at six in the morning (or the dog, or the trash truck) I've taken to dozing in and out of sleep in a sort of pseudo-meditation with Requiem for Dying Mothers (track title) playing in the background. There aren't too many better ways to begin the day. I'll tell you what, you can put it on your playlist right next to the Bach Cello suites (one of which, incidentally, was featured at church this week).

Much love.

You can now stream the entire new Sigur Ros cd here.

Sigur Ros just released a video for the first track of their new album which comes out the 24th.

It doesn't get much more Dionysian than this folks.

Fred would be proud.

NSFW.

Oh man!

Honestly, I can't decide what to be more excited about: Radiohead concert or new Sigur Ros Album.

The rumor is 67 piece orchestra and a boys choir.

See here.

I find it hard to believe that even Sigur Ros could top Takk...

Links, etc.

I've been looking for some good new music for awhile and I think I've finally found it in The Besnard Lakes.

Also, here are two links to some good online comics:

xkcd

the Perry Bible Fellowship

I've posted some older poems here with some slight changes.

I Decided, Long Ago...

And the best concert of the year goes to Julie Doiron, who performed at the South Union Arts Center in Chicago this summer, which is known for, among other things, its neon crucified Jesus hanging from the ceiling. It is an old converted church which reminds me of the Paradiso in Amsterdam. It is also a byob.

Julie beat out Erin Mckeown and Explosions in the Sky, both of whom also had good shows. Watch the movie though, and see how hard it is not to love a Canadian in red dress.

As far as music goes, I've been listening to a lot of Folk and Bluegrass. Three favorites for the time being are:

King Wilkie: Low Country Suite (just listen to Savannah or Raising of the Patriarchs)

Railroad Earth: The Black Bear Sessions (try Seven Story Mountain)

Julie Doiron: Woke Myself Up

King Wilkie hails from Charlottesville, VA and they have the whole Southern Gothic thing going on, which is pretty great. If I were a famous musician I'd find it irresistible not to do a Southern Gothic concept album. As I'm not yet famous I'm going to have to call on the Decembrists to put one out in the next year, considering the work they did on Crane Wife. It should sound like a musical, and contain lyrics either about kissing dead people or falling in love with your sister. Preferably both. You heard it here first.

And coming soon...

I've finally finished a few poems I started last year. Be looking for those to be posted in the coming weeks.