Vox Acerbus

Untraditional Crock Pot Jambalaya

2011-06-26T14:10:00.003-04:00

A jambalaya recipe? On a blog about rants and music?

Yes. It's that awesome. And it's a Vox Acerbus original.

Why is it "untraditional"? Well, first off, the cajun purists will decry the omission of celery, but I don't really like it, so it's OUT! Also, Asian chili garlic sauce is generally not used on the bayou. The recipes I've seen don't call for ground cumin. In place of shrimp, I use ham. Don't get me wrong - I love a good seafood gumbo - but ocean dwellers need not apply for this dish. And finally, I don't cook rice with it.

1 lb. diced ham
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 small clove garlic, coarsely minced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice (I only use Dei Fratelli or Red Gold)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp prepared minced garlic
1 tbsp prepared asian chili garlic sauce
2 tsp hot pepper sauce

DRIED SEASONINGS

2 tbsp cajun seasoning
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Place all ingredients except for the dried seasonings into the crock pot and stir to combine. Next, combine all of the dried seasonings into a container with a lid or a small Ziploc bag and shake until mixed. Add the mixed dried seasonings to the crock pot and stir until well blended. Set the crock pot for low and leave it alone for 7-8 hours. Serve with pasta and plenty of crusty french bread.

Hints:

- chop the pepper and onion rather coarsely because they will keep more of their texture and flavor over the long cooking time.

- Dei Fretelli and Red Gold brands of canned tomatoes have a lining inside of the can that keeps the tomatoes tasting like tomatoes. Other brands use regular cans and the tomatoes will add a tin can/metallic taste to the whole pot. Sounds stupid, but trust me.

- blending the dried seasonings before adding them to the pot makes for even flavor throughout. Remember, you aren't (or shouldn't) stir it once the cooking has starting.

- there is a difference between flavor and heat. Hot sauce can always be added to taste when served, but too much during cooking will overpower the distinct blend of flavors.

I'm out-
KWass

The Vox Acerbus Best Music of 2010

2010-12-29T12:02:00.022-05:00

Melancholy is my mission statement.

I am often asked why I am so fixated on misery, and aside from the fact that I’ve had my share of it, the answer is simple. Sadness is real. It’s pure, it’s raw, and it’s universal. Songs of despair are preceded by sad, sometimes traumatic events, providing an underlying foundation of truth. They are written as a meager and usually futile attempt at redemption. They ask questions that won’t be answered, so an attempt at catharsis becomes nothing more than a dreary memory over time.

Love songs, conversely, are speculative. They rely on false ideals and empty promises. You can’t legitimately claim eternal love for someone. There is no such thing as “forever”, “always”, or “till the end of time”. You can’t move heaven and earth or dance among the stars, and you can’t deliver on a promise of “happily ever after”.

These notions, while quaint, are hollow gestures. The reality is that people and relationships and life spans are finite. It’s there today, but no amount of strategy or desire can change tomorrow from the total variable that it is. I prefer the brutal honesty of a forlorn song because I can believe it. I know it’s real, and since I can truly comprehend it, I become emotionally invested, and the hallmark of any good song is a personal attachment.

As always, the songs are culled purely from my personal iTunes library. I don’t consult any other “best of” lists or research the album charts. It’s my list, so it comes from my iPod. All of them have at least one lyric that stood out to make me include it here. A song can have a gorgeous melody or a stirring arrangement, but if the lyrics are pointless and inane, the song cannot stand on its own.

So now, without further delay and in no particular order, I present the Vox Acerbus Best Music of 2010.

1. “Northwestern Skies” by Tired Pony, from the album The Place We Ran From

“There’s no answers in the tempest . . . so just let it take you over”

Chaos theory is the measuring stick for the strength of the bond. Forget the serenity of sun, moon and stars – it’s the storm raging on the ground that determines future course.

2. "All To All" by Broken Social Scene, from the album Forgiveness Rock Records

"I've seen the gone too small, the lost of law, the almost made it . . ."

Ultimatums are the death knell of relationships, but are a savvy way of jumping ship when you know ahead of time that the other party won't acquiesce to the demand.

3. "Forgetting" by David Gray, from the album Foundling

"A wiping it clean, a minute Armageddon"

The hardest part of a dismal relationship is the lasting memory it leaves in its wake. Pain fades, but the recollection never fully dissipates.

4. "Heaven on Earth (The Things We Got to Do)" by Alphaville, from the album Catching Rays on Giant

"instead repeating history without a care how much we hurt"

It's going to crush your spirit, but you do it anyway. The only way to proceed is in denial of the potential consequences. Nice.

5. "Sycophant" by The Courteneers, from the album Falcon

"I'd rather entertain disdain from someone I love"

Perfection is unattainable, and the failure to accept that notion is the surest way of bringing it to fruition.

6. "Taxi Cab" by Vampire Weekend, from the album Contra

"Nostalgic for garbage, desperate for time"

One party's faults are inadmissible while the other's are argued ad infinitum. Sadly, this is often the default setting, and the dance continues long after the music has stopped because the familiarity and safety is better than any uncertain alternative.

7. "Coming Home to Me" by Patty Griffin, from the album Downtown Church

"When you're lost and you're found, and you're found and you're lost"

Confusion can be a healthy element if it's used to assess the relationship rather than question it. Facing "what if?" is necessary to avoid "what was".

8. "Basket Case" by Sara Bareilles, from the album Kaleidoscope Heart

"I don't say much, and it'll stay that way"

Introspection can be helpful. Or not.

9. "Like Rock and Roll and Radio" by Ray Lamontagne & The Pariah Dogs, from the album God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise

"Do you remember how you were before the sorrow?"

Simply stated, the past cannot sustain the future. A gradual descent into complacency is always fatal, even if it takes decades.

10. "History of Modern (Part 2)" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, from the album History of Modern

". . . surrender to the rage . . ."

Anger is an inherent part of the human dynamic, and when channeled productively, I think it saves more relationships than it claims. It's the necessary opposite to harmony and they must co-exist.

11. "Sorrow" by The National, from the album High Violet"I live in a city sorrow built"

Sorrow, as a state of mind, should be celebrated, just as it is in this song. Some people prefer it and do what they can, medically and otherwise, to sustain it.

12. "Unspoken" by Hurts, from the album Happiness

"I'd rather be lonely than be by your side"

Once you've reached the breaking point, silence should prevail.

13. "Love Come (Piano Version)" by Sarah McLachlan, from the album Law of Illusions

"a dream of some kind of peace"

As the album name and cited lyric suggest, the bliss of love is illusory. This acoustic version captures that feeling better than the album version.

14. "The Chorus Girl" by Steven Page, from the album Page One

"A love song to make you choke"

The temptation will always be too strong to resist, but giving in to it won't always work out. Therein lies the rub.

15. "The Book of Love" by Peter Gabriel, from the album Scratch My Back

". . . is long and boring, no one can lift the damn thing"

This strings only cover of The Magnetic Fields lends itself to the delicate and beautiful nature of the subject matter. There are untold billions of editions of this book.

16. "Dead Hearts" by Stars, from the album The Five Ghosts

"It's hard to know that you still care"

This is a stoic and stunningly beautiful song, a retrospective of lost love and its lingering effects.

17. "What You Call Love" by Guster, from the album Easy Wonderful

"The violence was a source of strength"

Any port in a storm, or something like that.

18. "Ready to Start" by The Arcade Fire, from the album The Suburbs

"But I would rather be alone than pretend I feel alright"

This is a coming of age tale about casting aside all doubts and making the decision to commit to adulthood. Ready - begin.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 58

2010-03-30T19:35:00.000-04:00

Wow - another 3 day gap. I really need to start getting consistent and stringing together some days or this is never going to work.

At least the rest resulted in a fast pace tonight.

Time: 1:04:15

Distance: 17.42 miles

Avg. speed: 16.2 mph

Maximum speed: 18.2 mph

Music: The Courteeners - Falcon

Relevant lyric: "I'd rather entertain disdain"

Miles to March 2010 goal: 16.01

Days to March 2010 goal: 1

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 24:19:41

Distance: 344.11 miles

Avg. speed: 14.14 mph

____________________

No Gullet Report. In fact, the Gullet Report was a stupid idea. I am nowhere near organized enough to pull off something like that. I'll just promise to eat less crap instead.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 54

2010-03-26T14:45:00.002-04:00

Its been a while since I rode on consecutive days, and the difference between today and yesterday was quite evident. The pace was still quick, but I honestly don't know if I had another 7+ miles in me like I did last night. Simply put, I was starting to force it, and that's never a good thing. Reason prevailed, and I stopped once I hit "respectable" status. Again, a clear sign that I am getting away from the "all or nothing" mentality and using some common sense.

Time: 1:00:20

Distance: 15.5 miles

Avg. speed: 15.3 mph

Max. speed: 23.0 mph

Music: The Killers - Live From The Royal Albert Hall

Relevant lyric: ". . . decades disappear like sinking ships, but we persevere . . ."

Miles to March 2010 goal: 33.43

Days to March 2010 goal: 5

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 23:15:26

Distance: 326.69 miles

Avg. speed: 14.05 mph

___________________

This marks the first time my average speed has crept over 14 mph, so obviously I am getting faster as I go along. Thank you, Dr. Science. As far as a measurable stat goes, that one is pretty key when it comes to cycling.

Again, no Gullet Report, because even though it's after 3 PM, I haven't eaten anything yet, and since I'm diabetic, I should go go eat something before I fall over.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 53

2010-03-25T17:16:00.002-04:00

Barenaked Ladies said it best - "it's been one week since I . . ."

Speaking of Barenaked Ladies, their new album "All in Good Time" is very good, and I highly recommend it.

But I digress . . .

I knew there would be some off days with my vacation and work travel over the last week, but I was really hoping to sneak in a ride or two. Alas, it wasn't to be, and even though I'm a little bummed out, it isn't the kind of thing that would have derailed previous efforts. Before now, it would have been a total momentum killer, and the Experiment would have been over. Not anymore. Shrug it off and get back on, and that's what I did tonight. It's all about realistic goals and expectations, and I have managed to keep those in perspective.

Time: 1:28:52

Distance: 22.68 miles

Avg. speed: 15.3 mph

Max. speed: 19.7 mph

Music: Barenaked Ladies - All in Good Time and Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me

Relevant lyric: "I'm a walking advertisement for everything I never meant to be"

Miles to March 2010 goal: 48.93

Days to March 2010 goal: 6

To take 8 days off and be able to jump and crank out a pretty fast 22+ miles is astounding to me, and it solidifies my feeling that I am turning the corner on being physically fit again.

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 22:15:06

Distance: 311.19 miles

Avg. speed: 13.98 mph

____________________

No Gullet Report report right now - I haven't had dinner yet. And in case I don't come back and edit this post, I will disclose that I stopped at Wendy's and had a spicy chicken sandwich and chili (instead of fries - it's all about choices) for lunch, with a Dr. Pepper, because who doesn't love a Dr. Pepper every now and then?

An added bonus - I thought I had 86+ miles to go to reach goal, but it was only 71+. Nice. That takes a little of the pressure off.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 44

2010-03-16T21:19:00.003-04:00

Last night took a lot out of me, but I think the worst of my illness is over. I managed some good distance at a respectable albeit slower pace, and I was able to do it without coughing up a lung membrane or something. Nice.

Time: 1:03:49

Distance: 15.28 miles

Avg. speed: 14.3 mph

Max speed: 22.6 mph

Music: Greg Laswell - Take A Bow

Relevant lyric: ". . . go ahead and take everything . . ."

Miles to March 2010 goal: 71.61

Days to March 2010 goal: 15

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 20:46:14

Distance: 288.51 miles

Avg. speed: 13.89 mph

____________________

**THE GULLET REPORT**

8 AM coffee

12 PM general tso's chicken, fried rice, Coke

7 PM 20 oz Gatorade G2 (during ride)

8 PM corned beef on rye, iced tea

The next ride should put me over 300 miles. It would be cool to hit goal this weekend because I travel for work next week, but that's not too realistic. I'll give it a shot though - I continue to amaze myself during these last few weeks.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 43

2010-03-15T21:13:00.004-04:00

My cold has rendered me useless for the last 3 days, but I am an idiot, so tonight I got on the bike and hammered out miles like a fool.

I would have been happy with 10 miles at any pace, but once I got started, sheer stubborn stupidity took over and I started cranking.

Time: 57:15

Distance: 15.04 miles

Avg. speed: 15.7 mph

Max. speed: 18.4 mph

Music: Howard Jones - Best of Howard Jones

Relevant lyric: "This is an answer to every question, this is a place to begin."

Miles to March 2010 goal: 86.89

Days to March 2010 goal: 16

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 19:42:25

Distance: 273.23 miles

Avg. speed: 13.86 mph

____________________

**THE GULLET REPORT**

8:00 AM coffee

11:45 AM BBQ chicken salad, iced tea

3:00 PM Diet Vernors

5:30 PM 20 oz Gatorade G2 (during ride)

7:30 PM pizza, bread sticks, & beer

All evil food and beverage will be posted in red to call attention my failures.

It's halfway through the month and I am almost 20 miles ahead of pace to make the goal of 210 miles for the month, and that's with rampant sickness. Not too shabby.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 41

2010-03-13T20:59:00.000-05:00

Today was miserable. My sinus issues have developed into a cold, and I struggled to barely make it as far as I did. But dammit - I rode, a good sign that this is developing into a commitment instead of a hope that it continues.

Time: 48:57

Distance: 11.32 miles

Avg. speed: 13.8 mph

Max. speed: 27.3 mph

Music: We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls

Miles to March 2010 goal: 101.93

Days to March 2010 goal: 18

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 18:45:10

Distance: 258.19 miles

Avg. speed: 13.77 mph

____________________

No Gullet Report today. As bad as I feel, I won't eat much anyway.

Bleh.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 39

2010-03-11T20:14:00.002-05:00

Two days in a row? Yes. You know how I can tell? My knees feel like they took a pipe like Nancy Kerrigan. Damn you, Jeff Gillooly.

Other than that, today was a great day. The ride was good, the Gullet Report contains no embarassing items, the new music I listened to in the saddle was one of the best albums I've ever heard, and the scale yielded favorable results.

Time: 59:18

Distance: 15.13 miles

Avg. speed: 15.3 mph

Max. speed: 18.5 mph

Music: The Courteeners - Falcon

Relevant lyric: "I think it's time for me . . . to take over the world"

Miles to March 2010 goal: 113.25

Days to March 2010 goal: 20

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 17:56:13

Distance: 246.87 miles

Avg. speed: 13.76 mph

____________________

**THE GULLET REPORT**

9 AM coffee

1:30 PM footlong Veggie Delite, iced tea

4:30 PM 32 oz Gatorade G2 (during ride)

6:00 PM coffee, steak, scrambled eggs, hash browns, wheat toast

And finally, the results from the new badass high-tech scale. Remember, the old scale had me 4 pounds lighter than the new one, but it did register a 4 pound loss, and dammit, I'm keeping them.

Previous weight: 226.4 lbs

Current weight: 222.4 pounds

Cumulative weight loss: 8 pounds

I'll take 8 pounds in 39 days, because I think it will ultimately be sustainable.

To quote Ice Cube - today was a good day.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 38

2010-03-10T20:43:00.003-05:00

Sunday, I wrote that I need to string more consecutive days together and get off the every other day schedule I've worked myself into. And then I took 2 days off. No excuses - just stating the obvious - but I really do need to get my shit together. I think the daily journals for the Gullet Report will help pull all of this together.

And then tonight I screwed up my bike computer and it measured everything in kilometers. I lack focus. I lack discipline. I need Mr. Miyagi.

Time: 1:16:34

Distance: 18.29 miles

Avg. speed: 14.29 mph

Max. speed: 14.4 mph

Music: Nine Inch Nails - And All That Could Have Been

Relevant lyric: "Hey pig . . . yeah you"

Miles to March 2010 goal: 128.38

Days to March 2010 goal: 21

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 16:56:55

Miles: 231.74 miles

Avg. speed: 13.67 mph

____________________

Other than that, I got nothin'.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Introducing "The Gullet Report"

2010-03-10T12:44:00.003-05:00

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 is going great, at least the actual bike riding part anyway. However, despite my best intentions, I can’t get on track with the other half of the weight loss equation – my diet.

Essentially, I eat a lot of crappy food and drink a lot of crappy beverage. Fast food, sodas (although I have managed to curtail the beast called Mt. Dew by a respectable margin), ice cream, carbs, enriched flour, gas station hot dogs, high fructose corn syrup – you name it. If it’s been blacklisted by some publication somewhere, I eat it.

I am flabbergasted (great word) that I can just flip an internal switch and start cranking out miles, but I can’t reel in my obviously poor dietary choices. So, in the time-honored method of Thoreau and Emerson, I took to time to ponder the situation, and I arrived at a rather stark and simple solution: accountability.

What is it I’m doing with the bike that I’m not doing with the refrigerator? After every ride, I proudly post the results on this blog, whereas after every snack or meal, there is at least some part of it, if not all of it that I wish I didn’t eat. I tout my successes, but I hide my failures. I’m a hypocrite!

The whole reason I decided to publicize the bike progress on this blog was accountability. Good or bad, the world (or at least the handful of people who actually read it) will know how long I rode and how far I went. What they won’t know is that I ate a #6 from Wendy’s and a pint of ice cream when I got off the bike.

Before all this, I was just a fat bastard. Now, I’m a fat bastard who can ride 20 miles pretty fast on his bike. It’s a vicious (albeit tasty) circle. I have no idea how many calories I take in, or even how many I burn during a ride, so who the hell knows if I am burning more than I am consuming?

So, today I announce a new feature to the Experiment called “The Gullet Report”, a daily recap of everything I shoved into my pie hole that day. At the risk of making my blog entries look like a screen shot of CNN, it must be done.

Do I want to admit a trip to the vending machine for a cherry-cheese Danish? Followed by a bucket sized mocha caramel from Biggby Coffee? Hell no. So, if I know I have to fess up later, the likelihood of doing so is greatly diminished or perhaps even eliminated entirely. Vain, yet effective.

I have managed to lose a few pounds, and I did buy new pants a size smaller and took some in to my tailor to get taken in, so this isn’t all for naught. But, it should be a lot more given the physical effort I’ve put in so far. After I turned 40, I vowed to lose 40 pounds by my next birthday in December, and as I have proven, physical exercise alone is not enough.

The Gullet Report will debut tomorrow, because I have already eaten too much crap today that I didn’t write down. I will keep a detailed journal of everything I eat and drink, and you can cheer me or jeer me as you see fit.

I’m out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 35

2010-03-07T20:48:00.003-05:00

First, a clarification from the post of Day 33. I originally thought Karen had a morning appointment and that I would ride in the morning while she was gone. Well, she didn't, so I didn't, and there it is.

And now, Day 35. I am pleased about tonight's ride for 2 reasons: the distance, and more importantly, the time. I must be improving, because I am getting better at maintaining a higher average speed for farther and farther distances.

Time: 1:18:39

Distance: 20.11 miles

Avg. speed: 15.3 mph

Max. speed: 19.3 mph

Music: Thompson Twins - Into the Gap (Deluxe Edition)

Relevant lyric: " . . . no rest for the wicked, and we're all too scared to stop . . ."

Miles to March 2010 goal: 146.67

Days to March 2010 goal: 24

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 15:40:21

Distance: 213.45 miles

Avg. speed: 13.62 mph

____________________

I have crossed the 200 mile threshold, and my ass is finally used to sitting in that tiny seat. That's no joke - it is seriously a quite painful process and I am beyond relieved that it's over. It's bad enough to be a motivation to keep riding so I don't have to do it again.

I have been operating on just about an every other day schedule, so the next step is to string some consecutive days together. I've done this the right way so far by keeping early expectations realistic, and I'm happy with the steady progression tactic I've used.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 33

2010-03-05T21:31:00.004-05:00

There was a time where the last thing I would do on a Friday night is exercise, especially on a gorgeous day/night after a cold, snowy February. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I am not going to kick 40's ass sitting on a bar stool.

So, after a sensible dinner of flank steak and salad, I jumped on to see what I could muster, because I haven't ridden right after a meal yet in this Experiment. I've always eaten after the ride. Suffice it to say, it worked out well. Nice distance, nice pace - nice ride.

Time: 59:43

Distance: 15.06 miles

Avg. speed: 15.1 mph

Max. speed: 25.6 mph

Music: Editors - In This Light and On This Evening and We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls

Relevant lyric: "right foot, followed by a left foot"

Miles to March 2010 goal: 166.78

Days to March 2010 goal: 26

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 14:21:42

Distance: 193.34 miles

Avg. speed: 13.45 mph

____________________

I am less than 7 miles away from 200 thus far, and while that is very cool, I am more focused on the monthly goal. If I make that, the total mileage numbers will take care of themselves.

Now I get to see how my recovery time is improving, because my next ride is less than 10 hours away. Say good night, Alice.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 31

2010-03-03T19:51:00.004-05:00

Awesome ride tonight! I should have stuck it out a couple more miles to get the big number, but it was time for dinner, and my beloved Vancouver Canucks are on TV tonight against the despised Detroit Redwings.

Even an hour+ into the ride, I wasn't breathing hard and my legs were just starting to get a little sore. I've felt that my progress had flattened out a little bit, so hopefully that is a good sign. The goal was a little longer ride and a little slower pace, and it worked out well.

Time: 1:17:18

Distance: 18.08 miles

Avg. speed: 14.0 mph

Max. speed: 16.9 mph

Music: Tool - 10,000 Days

Relevant lyric: ". . . no obvious physical trauma, vitals are stable . . ."

Miles to March 2010 goal: 181.84

Days to March 2010 goal: 28

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 13:21:59

Distance: 178.28 miles

Avg. speed: 13.33 mph

____________________

The bike is getting noisy, so some maintenance is in order for this weekend. The chain just needs a little lubricant, is all. Ain't no thang.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 29

2010-03-01T20:30:00.002-05:00

Back in the saddle after a 4 day hiatus. No excuses - I let life get in the way and didn't manage this project the right way. I managed to make it almost 4 weeks before I lost the handle for a few days, but 4 day breaks just can't happen. It's a momentum killer, and now I have ground to make up.

The only "plus" was that some fresh legs allowed me to tear off a rather quick ride, but I need to further and longer to meet the goal for March (more on that below).

Time: 37:30

Miles: 10.08 miles

Avg. speed: 16.1 mph

Max. speed: 23.4 mph

Music: Ministry - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste

Relevant lyric: "it kicks you in the face and sucks you dry"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 12:04:41

Miles: 160.20 miles

Avg. speed: 13.26 mph

____________________

The goal for March is 210 miles. That's 60 miles more than February and only 3 more days to do it, so I have some long rides ahead of me. It's like that Jerry Reed song from Smokey & The Bandit - "We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there . . ."

Perhaps if Jackie Gleason was behind me saying "sumbitch", it would be a little easier.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 24

2010-02-24T17:09:00.004-05:00

Day 24 is the day I show my complete and utter ignorance.

For some unknown reason, I decided to check the air pressure in the tires before I rode today. The rear tire - the one that propels the trainer and gets 100% of the resistance - was at 40 psi. The recommended minimum is 115 psi. So, for who knows how long, I have been training on what amounts to a FLAT TIRE.

I am an idiot savant, without the savant part.

After inflating both tires to 120 psi, the difference in results is simply ridiculous.

Time: 38:58

Distance: 10.07 miles

Avg. speed: 15.5 mph

Max speed: 25.5 mph

Music: The National - Boxer

Relevant lyric: "you're dumbstruck, baby . . . racing like a pro now"

That's a full 2.5 mph more than I've been averaging, an increase of about 20%!

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 11:27:11

Miles: 150.12 miles

Avg. speed: 13.11 mph

____________________

Even though I am happy that I pushed the cumulative total past 150 miles today, I can't help but wonder how many miles I've left on the table because of my stupidity. I would guess another 15-20 miles easily, and probably more. And the sad part is that I know better. I mean, they were 120 psi back on January 31 when I set this whole thing up, but I don't know why I thought they would just magically stay there.

Today's relevant lyric could not be more prophetic (or pathetic, depending on how you look at it).

If Bill Maher were here, he'd say "NEW RULE: Check the air pressure before every ride, because air in the tires is a good thing, but air in your head is not."

I'm out (and ignorant) -
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of February 23, 2010

2010-02-22T20:03:00.010-05:00

2010 is already shaping up to be a pretty great year for music. It's not even March, and I already have 5 or 6 legitimate contenders for the Vox Acerbus Best Music of 2010. That doesn't even take into account the multiple releases I have spotted on the horizon. It could be the first multi-volume offering since 2006.

Dig these:

Vampire Weekend - Contra (2010)

I didn't give their self-titled debut much of a listen, but I become a huge fan after the inclusion of "Ottoman" on the soundtrack for the movie Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Funny how one song can make you a believer. My runaway favorites here are "Taxi Cab", which features a very unique string arrangement and a constant melodic line trickling from the piano, and "Run", which unlike the other tracks, is driven by intricate synth programming.

Peter Gabriel - Scratch My Back (2010)

80's and world music icon Peter Gabriel returns with a collection of covers in a very unique way. The complete lack of drums and guitars creates ethereal arrangements of piano and orchestra, and turns some formerly bright pop songs into darker excursions. Gabriel covers acts such as Neil Young, Talking Heads, David Bowie and Arcade Fire among others, but the standouts here are Paul Simon's "Boy in the Bubble" and Bon Iver's "Flume". This one is best reserved for some dedicated, uninterrupted listening.

Shout Out Louds - Work (2010)

The Swedish group Shout Out Louds were featured in the Vox Acerbus Best of 2007 with a bouncy number called "Your Parents Living Room", full of energy and sound and a Cure/Robert Smith-ish vocal delivery. Three years later, this record is much more subdued and stripped down, allowing the pop essence of the band to come through with songs of longing, sadness, and nostalgia. My favorites are "Four by Four" and "Play the Game", but the album is solid throughout.

Editors - In This Light and On This Evening (2009)

I was drawn to this record by the name alone, and it quickly ascended in the play count of my iPod. Even though the album is full of sweeping synth programming, it maintains a very raw quality. The goal in the studio was "to give the machines a human feel", and by not polishing every song into submission, they've done just that. My favorites include "Papillon" (included on the Vox Acerbus Best of 2009), "Bricks and Mortar", and "The Boxer". This album was a complete and radical departure from the sound of the previous album "An End Has A Start", which reached number one in England. For lack of a more elegant way to say it, that takes huge balls.

We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls (2009)

I didn't find out about this Scottish band until my brother turned me onto them very late last year, or else they would have been represented on my annual collection. They have a very intense, emotional quality to them, and aren't afraid to let their songs build and maybe even go a step too far, because face it - sometimes emotions do that despite our best intentions. I like to think of them as similar to Snow Patrol, but more like Snow Patrol getting punched in the face so they are right and pissed off. My favorites are the opener, "It's Thunder and It's Lightning", "Conductor", the epic "Keeping Warm", and "Moving Clocks Run Slow".

I'm out-

KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 22

2010-02-22T16:03:00.004-05:00

Day 21 was an off day. I only needed about 3 miles to get 50 for the week, but I put foolish pride aside and listened to the pain instead. Recovery was necessary!

Today I caught myself laughing to myself (don't judge me) because I was thinking I would do a "quick 10". Who the hell do I think I am? 3 weeks ago I couldn't even do 10, and now I'm talking smack about it.

It was a pretty quick 10, but that's beside the point. I can't get cocky or complacent, because it's all too easy to fall back into bad habits.

Time: 43:33

Distance: 10.02 miles

Avg. speed: 13.8 mph

Max. speed: 23.5 mph

Music: Ministry - The Land of Rape and Honey

Relevant lyric: "We go around in circles . . . retaliate"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 10:48:13

Distance: 140.05 miles

Avg. speed: 12.96 mph

____________________

Over 3 weeks into the Experiment and other than cutting out a LOT of soda, I still eat a lot of crap, so the next phase will be to eliminate that. I think I've been successful by wading into the water instead of diving in, so it's a good plan.

Also, I did go and buy a pretty high tech scale last night. And it says I'm heavier now than I was three weeks ago. I trust the new one, though - the one I had was pretty cheap and probably not very reliable. So, I have a baseline now, and I am going to give it a week to see where I am, and when I know, you'll know.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 20

2010-02-20T17:35:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the goal for today was 20 miles. I questioned that bravado all night after I posted it. I mean, the farthest I've gone so far is 15 miles, and that was after two days of rest. Now I was planning 20 miles after a pretty fast 10 miles just the night before. Obviously, wisdom is not one of my more prominent qualities.

I wish I could say it was motivated by some creative impulse to do 20 miles on the 20th day of the Experiment, but honestly, it was motivated by the fact that I only had 23 miles in for the week, and it was already Friday. After making the 50 mile goal last week, it would be a shame if I took a big step backwards. Wisdom be damned - I went for it.

Time: 1:56:50

Distance: 24.02 miles

Avg. speed: 12.3 mph

Max. speed: 19.1 mph

Music: Vampire Weekend - Contra, Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend, Nik Kershaw - The Riddle

Relevant lyric: "I never want to see you again"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 10:04:40

Distance: 130.03

Avg. speed: 12.91 mph

____________________

As cool as this is, I still need about 3 miles to hit 50 for the week. I may or may not jump on for a few miles tomorrow - it all depends on how my legs feel.

I am ecstatic over the progress I've made in the last few weeks, and I hope it continues. I know I am due for a weight update, but I have been planning to buy a good scale and haven't done so yet. I need to get on that - literally.

Always end a post with a bad pun.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 19

2010-02-19T20:06:00.004-05:00

I didn't want to go too far or too fast today, because I am foolishly thinking about 20 miles on Day 20, but then I did it anyway. The distance itself wasn't excessive, but the average speed was pretty high, meaning I had sustained higher speeds that zap a lot of strength and create a lot of next day soreness.

A word about average speed and fluid resistance trainers - while 13.7 mph may not seem all that fast, when you combine it with the resistance, it's a fairly intense workout. There is no coasting on one of these things - once you stop pedaling, the back wheel stops in about 1/2 of a revolution. Basically, it fights you the whole way, and the faster you go, the harder it is to push.

Time: 45:02

Distance: 10.11 miles

Avg. speed: 13.7 mph

Max speed: 25.0 mph

Music: Cause & Effect - Another Minute

Relevant lyric: "Bare your soul, you'll never learn"

____________________

Time: 8:07:50

Distance: 106.01 miles

Avg. speed: 13.03 mph

____________________

So, the goal for tomorrow is 20 miles, and I will have to go slow to get it. I'll be happy with anything over an average of 10 mph. Stay tuned . . .

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of February 16, 2010

2010-02-18T12:25:00.016-05:00

Today marks the first installment of Cubicle Tunes since June 17, 2008.

The way I figure it, if I’m back on the bike, then I need to be back on the keyboard as well.

Writing is enjoyable and somewhat cathartic for me, and I can’t fathom how or why I have only written about my greatest passion – music – twice in the last 20+ months (those writings being the annual best music collection liner notes).

Here’s a quick refresher. I spend a lot of time in a cubicle, and during those hours, my iPod fills the dull silence with aural pleasantries. How do you think I compile the annual best music collection? That research goes on all year long, and I make notes of lyrics that catch my ear or songs that stand out for whatever reason.

These are the albums that will grace the triumphant return of my musical musings.

Ellis Paul – The Day After Everything Changed (2010)

Paul returns to contemporary folk form after the children-themed album “The Dragonfly Races” of 2007. This album is a markedly different offering and features Paul in more uptempo full band arrangements. A lot of people hate it when an artist breaks their mould, but I appreciate the evolution of an artist. Favorites here include the title track, “Lights of Vegas”, and the opener, “Annalee”.

Patty Griffin – Downtown Church (2010)

Recorded in a church in downtown Nashville (hence the title – duh), the album is a collection of gospel inspired songs, only 2 of which were written by Griffin herself. Admittedly, I wasn’t excited at the prospect of a gospel album, but when the opening lyrics were “People steal, they cheat and lie”, well, we here at Vox Acerbus were right on board. Favorites include “Little Fire”, “Coming Home to Me”, and “Waiting for My Child”. Griffin’s voice dominates this record, and trust me – that’s a good thing.

The Swell Season – Strict Joy (2009)

The Swell Season is none other than Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the duo who starred in and recorded the gorgeous soundtrack for the movie “Once” back in 2006. This album branches out a little further, featuring some mid-tempo numbers and some bigger instrumentation, but the underlying beauty remains. The deluxe edition features 14 live tracks from various albums, and the live version of the Oscar-nominated “Falling Slowly” will burn itself into your soul.

Owl City – Ocean Eyes (2009)

Although I have gravitated into the singer-songwriter genre over the last several years, I am still a big fan of synth based music, and simply stated, I love this record. I first heard “Fireflies” on Radio Disney (XM 115) of all places, and have been transfixed by it ever since. Favorites include “Vanilla Twilight” and “Tidal Wave”. It’s a rare occurrence when such a mainstream record makes this forum, so savor the flavor, because it may not happen again for a long time.

10,000 Maniacs – Our Time in Eden (1992)

This was the last studio album to feature vocalist Natalie Merchant, and that’s a damn shame. Merchant and the band both continued on, and for Merchant, with some degree of success, but this was the apex for both of them. “Jezebel” is on my all-time favorites list, and other highlights include “If You Intend” and “How You’ve Grown”. To hear how completely talented and flawless this band really was, I highly endorse the “MTV Unplugged” live set from 1993.

I'm out-

KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 17

2010-02-17T20:11:00.005-05:00

OK - first things first. As I mentioned in my last post, Monday (Day 15) was an off day after struggling on Sunday to get the measly 6 miles I needed to hit 50 for the week.

Yesterday (Day 16) turned into an off day after Alex's diving meet ran long and I got home pretty late. So, I am behind for the week, and I hope I can make it up.

That being said, here is tonight's recap.

Time: 1:00:11

Distance: 13.11 miles

Avg. speed: 13.0 mph

Max. speed: 22.9 mph

Music: The Verve Pipe - Underneath and Vertical Horizon - Go

Relevant lyric: "It's not pretty underneath"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 7:22:48

Distance: 95.9

Avg. speed: 12.99 mph

____________________

I am only 4.1 miles away from 100 miles. I did not anticipate that kind of mileage this quickly after such a long hiatus. I am going to increase my protein intake to help my muscles recover and see if I can put in these longer sessions more often. I shouldn't need so much recovery time or hurt so much after a longer ride, at least not 2 1/2 weeks into the Experiment.

Learn by doing.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 14

2010-02-14T12:02:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day, and what better way to celebrate the holiday of hearts by riding your bike in an effort to avoid a myocardial infarction.

Today was short and sweet. I only needed 5.9 miles to make my goal of 50 for the week. To be honest, I don't think I could have gone much more than that today. It was my third consecutive day, and I rode this morning following a semi-intense ride last night. As of now, I will celebrate President's Day tomorrow by not getting in the saddle.

Time: 28:39

Distance: 6.06 miles

Avg. speed: 12.7 mph

Max speed: 20.5 mph

Music: Perfect Circle - aMotion

Relevant lyric: "Difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 6:22:37

Distance: 82.79 miles

____________________

I bought a new pair of jeans today and they were a size smaller than the ones I've been wearing. That's a small affirmation, but I'll take it.

Enjoy the holiday.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 13

2010-02-13T19:34:00.003-05:00

My legs were definitely sore this morning. Before I rode this afternoon, I consulted with my beautiful fiancee Karen, who also happens to be a certified clinical massage therapist. She found a few knots (I'm sure there is a more technical term) and massaged them, and then she helped me stretch my quadriceps. The difference was amazing. I was almost 30 minutes into the ride before the pain started to set in, and as a result, I was able to get in a pretty respectable ride.

Time: 48:35

Distance: 11.10 miles

Avg. speed: 13.6 mph

Max speed: 23.8 mph

Music: Audioslave - Revelations

Relevant lyric: "I am such a wreck, I am such a mess"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 5:53:58

Distance: 76.73 miles

____________________

This leaves me a scant 5.9 miles from my goal of 50 miles for the week, so it looks like I won't be taking Valentine's Day off.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 12

2010-02-12T20:01:00.005-05:00

Day 11 was an off day, but I did walk 1.16 miles at work. Something is better than nothing.

So, after an off day, my legs felt good and I was ready to ride. I jumped on and settled into a brisk, steady pace. But something wasn't right. I had only been going for about 10-12 minutes and my legs were aching something hurtful. I checked the stats on the onboard computer and zoinks! I was clipping along at 15 mph!

Wrong gear!

I didn't notice at the start because I had the fresh legs, but it didn't take long to make me look like a fool.

I knew I was screwed, so I decided to turn it into a mini time trial, and see if I could tough it out for 30 minutes. I managed, but I am spent.

Time: 30:07

Distance: 7.23 miles

Avg. speed: 14.6 mph

Max. speed: 24.5

Music: Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine

Relevant lyric: "Just a fading fucking reminder of who I used to be"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 5:05:23

Miles: 65.63 miles

____________________

I also clipped off 2.32 miles walking at work, so that may have had something to do with the early ass kicking. Still working on that whole "balance" thing . . .

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 10

2010-02-10T17:10:00.002-05:00

Day 10 of the Experiment was a double bonus.

I took a snow day from work today, so I had a little extra time on my hands. And, since yesterday was an off day, I had a little extra energy as well. As I descended the basement steps, I wondered if I could squeeze out 15 miles. The result:

Time: 1:13:32

Distance: 15.15 miles

Avg. speed: 12.3 mph

Max. speed: 23.5 mph

Music: Book of Love - Lullaby and Erasure - Erasure

Relevant lyric: "Just look at the state of you . . ."

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 4:35:16

Distance: 58.4 miles

____________________

I also stepped on the scale again, and the results were encouraging.

Previous weight: 222 lbs

Current weight: 218 lbs

That 4 pound drop is all sweat equity too, because other than cutting out sodas, I'm still eating the same kind of crap I was before. And since I haven't eaten yet today, I am probably going to eat some crap tonight as well. All in due time . . .

I am halfway to my goal of 50 miles this week and have 4 more days to reach it. Things are going well.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 8

2010-02-08T17:10:00.003-05:00

Longer. Faster. Farther.

Today was a great session, although the muscle fatigue was pretty pronounced. I started out strong, and then the pain set in and lingered between the 10 and 20 minute marks. It eventually faded, and I finished the last 25 minutes pretty well. Hopefully it's a sign of improvement that I was able to push through it.

Time: 48:30

Distance: 10.63 miles

Avg. speed: 13.1 mph

Max. speed: 25.1 mph

Music: Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War

Relevant lyric: "Sorry to be so heavy, but heavy is the cost"

____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 3:21:40

Distance: 43.25 miles

____________________

Week 2 is off to a great start. Day 9 is likely an off day because Alex has another diving meet pretty far from home and the weather report is not promising, but you never know . . .

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 7

2010-02-07T19:41:00.003-05:00

What a difference a day makes. I felt great on the bike today. In fact, the only real reason I stopped was because I couldn't sit in the saddle anymore. Yes - my ass hurt. Fat ass - skinny bike seat. I'll let you figure it out. It was by far the longest and farthest ride of the experiment, and hopefully it is a sign of things to come.

Time: 49:34

Distance: 10.13 miles

Avg. speed: 12.2 mph

Max. speed: 24.7 mph

Music: Owl City - Maybe I'm Dreaming

Relevant lyric: "It's cheap transportation to a new destination"
_____________________

Cumulative Experiment stats:

Time: 2:33:10

Distance: 32.62 miles

______________________

After week 1, I am pretty happy overall, and I look forward the mileage numbers increasing.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 5

2010-02-07T19:13:00.002-05:00

I fully intended on riding tonight, but ultimately decided that I had to listen to the screams of agony coming from my quadriceps. I have to get out of the mindset that rest is a bad thing.

I like the idea of a two-pronged attack (walking and riding), but I need to figure out the right mix. I cranked out some great distance walking today, but then I nixed the ride. Maybe I have to decide each day where the bulk of the effort is going to go and back off on the other. Either that, or I just need to keep hammering and wait it out until I am actually in shape again.

Pedometer count: 10,500

Another nice round number. I should start playing the lotto.

Day 6 is a scheduled off day. See you Sunday.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 4

2010-02-04T21:25:00.002-05:00

Day 4 was a semi-scheduled day off from the bike (Alex had a diving meet tonight that was a scant 90 miles from my condo), but I did manage to get in some decent distance in the walking department.

Pedometer count: 11,149

I got a long, brisk walk in at lunch (4828 steps), and another decent one (2578) later in the afternoon.

As I was saying yesterday, it's hard to balance the need to rest and recover with the need to maintain focus and momentum, but I have to be sensible. Riding in the morning instead of the evening was possible, but not feasible. It would have been less than 10 hours between rides, and I was already pushing it physically. I like the fact that I was able to replace one exercise (biking) with additional work in another (walking), and I am happy with my overall effort so far.

Like Depeche Mode said over 25 years ago - get the balance right. 25 years? Damn.

Cumulative stats have been compiled and will be included in tomorrow's blog post.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 3

2010-02-03T18:44:00.004-05:00

Stubborn pride is all that got me through tonight, because this one kicked my ass.

Maybe I should have taken a night off instead of forcing the issue, but after 2 years (more than that, really) of taking nights off, I am afraid I will lose this momentum if I do that.

Suck it up, buttercup. What do we love? PAIN!

Time: 36:08

Distance: 7.77 miles

Avg. speed: 12.9 mph

Max. speed: 18.3 mph

Music: Nik Kershaw - You've Got to Laugh

Relevant lyric: "That's the limit, that's enough"

I did manage to squeeze in a few steps today as well. Not great, but better than none, and more than I ever used to do.

Pedometer count: 7873

And, as promised, I stepped on the scale this morning. I was naked. I bought it several years ago and it's not even digital, but it will suffice until I get one of those high tech baddies that measure you down to the ounce.

Weight: 222 lbs

Weight will be more of a weekly stat. Sadly, 222 is actually the lightest I've been in a while. I am Fat Bastard.

Tomorrow I will begin calculating cumulative stats and averages, because how cool will it be to look at this a few months from now and see a big ass number for total miles?

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 2

2010-02-02T20:11:00.004-05:00

A little bit slower today, but also a little longer and a little farther. Given that my legs were sore all day from last night's ride, I'll take it.

Time: 35:02

Distance: 7.53 miles

Avg. speed: 12.7 mph

Music: Vox Acerbus Best of 2009

Pedometer count: 6393

I had 2 long staff meetings today so I didn't walk during the breaks, but that was probably a good thing. I'm sure I couldn't have gone as long or as far as I did on the bike tonight if I had.

Tomorrow morning I will weigh myself and I'll start posting that as a stat as well. It's embarrassing, but sometimes that's what it takes. A little humiliation goes a long way.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Day 1

2010-02-01T19:30:00.006-05:00

And so it begins.

I didn't start off all crazy - I wanted to be able to walk tomorrow, and it's been a good 20 months since I've been on a bike. But, I may have already overdone it, because walking back up the stairs was an adventure. We'll see how bad it is in the morning when I try to get out of bed.

Time: 32:26

Distance: 7.19 miles

Avg. speed: 13.3 mph

Music: Ellis Paul - Translucent Soul

Relevant lyric: "I'm letting go because holding on's killing me . . ."

It probably didn't help that I also walked about 2 miles during my work breaks today.

Pedometer count: 10,000

Yes - exactly 10,000, the recommended daily allowance. I couldn't hit that bulls eye again if I tried.

Day 1 is in the books, and most times, just getting started is the hardest part. Overall, I am humbled yet encouraged, and I certainly look forward to these numbers increasing.

I'm out-
KWass

The Basement Bike Experiment 2010 - Introduction

2010-01-31T13:10:00.009-05:00

After much soul searching (in the form of standing on a scale, renewing 7 (yes, 7) medications at the pharmacy, turning 40, and getting my ass chewed by my physician), I am ready to begin the Basement Bike Experiment of 2010.

About 4 years ago, I spent about $250 on an indoor fluid trainer. It's pretty bad ass. And it's still in brand new condition, because I practically never used it. Check it out below:

I mounted my road bike in it and I was ready to hit the ground running (OK, rolling).

But alas, the wireless computer set up on the rear wheel was nonfunctional. Dead battery!

OK, a trip to the store and a new battery later, I was ready to ride. WTF? Bike computer still didn't work. I Googled the user manual for the Specialized Elite Turbo and discovered there is also a battery in the transmitter.

One more trip to the store for another different kind of battery, and now, I was ready to log some miles. Still - no dice. I re-Googled (I am copyrighting that term and I want a nickel every time someone says it) the user manual and read all the specs on the alignment between the transmitter and the magnet sensor on the wheel screw, and got it all lined up.

Cash money! It works!

And what better time to begin than. . . tomorrow!

Each day's performance (or lack thereof) will be documented here. One - it holds me accountable, and two - it gives me something to blog about. I only posted once in 2009 because I suck.

Also, for additional motivation, I am rereading "Heft on Wheels: A Field Guide to Doing a 180" by Mike Magnuson. He and I can't get more similar in our circumstances than we are (or were).

Stay tuned . . .

I'm out-
KWass

The Vox Acerbus Best Music of 2009

2009-11-20T10:47:00.040-05:00

I’ve waited all year for this (as evidenced by the 357 days in between posts), and so have you! And today, your patience is handsomely rewarded, for today is the day I release the Vox Acerbus list of the Best Songs of 2009.

This list was a year in the making – so you know it’s good.

Because this is the 6th installment, I will spare the details of the arduous selection process, but here is the abridged version of the rules.

-- All songs are in my collection and were acquired throughout the year in the “normal course of business”. It’s not a year end Google search as many lists tend to be – it’s a year-end search of my iPod.

-- Each song has to have a lyric that catches my attention and holds some measure of intellectual sustenance, although last year I broke that rule and included an instrumental track. What’s the point of editorial discretion if I don’t use it? Just as Orson Welles declared that Paul Masson would serve no wine before its time, I will honor no song with moronic lyrics.

--Music from any genre can be included. This year’s compilation is much more diverse than the last few collections, which were dominated (for lack of a better word) by the singer-songwriter faction. There are some happy pop tracks in here, but don’t get too excited – there’s plenty of pain and suffering to go around. This year also features the first ever remix to be included.

--The first 4 versions were compiled in chronological order by date of release. Last year’s was randomly selected by iTunes. This year, much to the chagrin of Dick at Championship Vinyl, the list is iTunes-style alphabetical by artist. (If you have to ask, then you’ve never seen one of the best movies ever.) Maybe next year, I’ll go for “autobiographical” . . .

--The “one compact disc’ rule has been eliminated – because it was stupid.

Ready? Begin.

1. “Foot of the Mountain” by a-ha, from the album Foot of the Mountain

“Silence always wins, it’s the perfect alibi”

Contrary to the belief that we can’t escape our fate, much of what goes wrong in our lives is by our own doing. Learn from the past and leave it there.

2. “I Quit” by Bear Lake, from the album Places on the Side

“I didn’t even make a sound, letting it out and screaming”

Despite a subtle key change near the end, the song’s conflict remains unresolved – just the way I like it.

3. “5000 Days” by Chantal Kreviazuk, from the album Plain Jane

“My hope, this isn’t temporary”

Most love songs are about the hope and promise surrounding the prospects or beginnings of a relationship. This one is about a relationship almost 14 years old and is so powerful that she hopes it continues beyond this mortal coil. Simple lyrics, a simple arrangement, and beyond complicated.

4. “Belle of the Boulevard (Acoustic)” by Dashboard Confessional, from the album Alter the Ending

“Just this once, just for now”

Seeking solace in a manner and place it will never be found. This acoustic version lends a better background for the story.

5. “Nemesis” by David Gray, from the album Draw the Line

“I am a creeping and intangible sense of loss”

Nemesis was the Greek goddess of retribution and vengeance. If you can’t be with the one you love, then torment their memories in a song with a French horn solo. What could be more beautiful than that?

6. “Wrong (Trentemoller Remix Edit)” by Depeche Mode, from the album Sounds of the Universe

“There’s something wrong with me, chemically, something wrong with me, inherently”

Every emotionally cataclysmic event has a path that leads up to it. It’s only when the path ends that we look back and see what led us there – an unpleasant realization of the consequences of our actions. Basically, it’s entirely your fault.

7. “Papillon” by Editors, from the album In This Light and on This Evening

“You’re born, get old, and die here”

“Papillon” is the French word for butterfly, and while the song alludes to making an escape (as a butterfly from a cocoon), the reality is that most people accept their lot in life and few people ever do anything to change their circumstances.

8. “Right Next to You” by Elizabeth & The Catapult, from the album Taller Children

“Tears me up to think of all we’re losing”

There is really nothing remarkable about this song, but the instrumentation is unique and the chords are very atypical both in time and tone. It’s a fresh take on an ancient song topic.

9. “Not Sure” by Fiction Family, from the album Fiction Family

“Such a beautiful view with a long way to fall”

Fiction Family is a collaboration between Sean Watkins of the now defunct Nickel Creek and Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. While the record as a whole was an interesting marriage of rock, pop, and folk styles, this song would have been right at home on a Nickel Creek or Watkins solo album, both of whom have been included on past volumes of Vox Acerbus compilations.

10. “Airstream Driver” by Gomez, from the album A New Tide

“Oversleep the rapture”

I don’t even care that all Gomez did was lift this song from 90’s rockers Red Red Meat, eliminate 2/3 of the lyrics and rearrange the rest, and then step up the tempo while retrofitting it into their own musical style. This song has a delectable groove.

11. “Alone” by Holly Williams, from the album Here With Me

“These walls that surround me, they’re strong and they’re tall”

This song debates the merits of barriers, both physical and emotional. Which is greater – the risk or the reward? This arrangement differs from most singer-songwriter songs in that it’s driven by piano instead of a guitar, and the string section is accompanied by pedal steel. Nice.

12. “First Train Home” by Imogen Heap, from the album Ellipse

“Temporal dead zone, where clocks are barely breathing”

This is an anti-love song about that defining moment in a relationship where you realize that enough is enough and you just want out. In this case, the “first train home” means “the first train away from you”. Unfortunately, that train is always way too late.

13. “Heartbreak Warfare” by John Mayer, from the album Battle Studies

“Red wine and Ambien, you’re talking shit again”

Love and war are one and the same. Enough said.

14. “If I Didn’t Know Any Better” by Mindy Smith, from the album Stupid Love

“And I know this is just a beautiful illusion”

This song first appeared on the Lonely Runs Both Ways album by Alison Krauss back in 2004, but it was written by Smith. This version evokes more pain and sadness, which always wins out here at Vox Acerbus.

15. “Back to Manhattan” by Norah Jones, from the album The Fall

“I know nothing about leaving, but I know what I should do it today”

Should you stay or should you go? I’m not sure I’d want the Brooklyn Bridge as my life metaphor.

16. “Tidal Wave” by Owl City, from the album Ocean Eyes

“Depression, please cut to the chase and cut a long story short”

Ocean Eyes is a very happy and upbeat album. This song is the last one on the track list, and after 40 or so minutes of fun and sunshine, this lyric jumped out like it was shouted through a bullhorn. Imagine getting punched in the face at a birthday party – it’s like that.

17. “King of Rome” by Pet Shop Boys, from the album Yes

“Last night I lost all day”

Pet Shop Boys are renowned for the incorporation of history into their songs of love and loss. Napoleon’s son was dubbed King of Rome as a courtesy title upon his birth, and his sad and short (21 years) life was the textbook example of loneliness and despair amidst a life of privilege and wealth.

18. “From the Sky” by Peter Bradley Adams, from the album Traces

“In the silence you start to lose your hope . . . you dream of letting go”

This song is about coming to peaceful terms with the end of your life, and the promise of what one believes may be on the other side. Adams writes stunningly beautiful music, and this is one of his best.

19. “Today I Feel Sure” by Pilot Speed, from the album Wooden Bones

“. . . they are alone, would trade the kingdom for the throne”

This song masterfully stays a step or two below becoming an all out anthem by maintaining a sense of uncertainty and trepidation.

20. “In These Arms” by The Swell Season, from the album Strict Joy

“Use the truth as a weapon”

Life is circular. It’s not so much evolution as it is revolution. This song builds slowly and ends rather abruptly at its apex.

21. “When One Became Two” by The Verve Pipe, from the album A Family Album

“ . . . what was to be was much bigger than three”

After an eight year hiatus, the Verve Pipe returned with this record of family-oriented, children’s sing-a-long type pop songs. This song, in addition to a very catchy melody, features the bassoon. How can you NOT include a Verve Pipe song that features the bassoon?

I'm out-

KWass

The Vox Acerbus Best Music of 2008

2008-11-28T14:12:00.001-05:00

I don't post often, but when I do, I come bearing gifts. After much listening, soul searching, and sleepless nights, the Vox Acerbus Best Music of 2008 is finally finished.

First, a quick rehash of the rules for the new readers.

All of the music below is in my collection. I don't Google it and crank out some half-ass amalgamation of somebody else's favorites. You get inside *my* head - that alone is worth the price of admission.

Lyrics are key, except of course in the case of an instrumental track that made the cut for 2008 - a Vox Acerbus first. (OK, not technically an instrumental, but the voice is offering melodic support rather than words, per se.) The music can be great, but if the lyrics are stupid, I can't in good conscience pass it along to you. Each song below has a lyric that for some unexplained reason caught my ear and made it worthy of consideration.

I don't release the list until I'm certain of it. And this year, it took over a month to get it right. I lost track of how many times I changed it, and I would wager that a over 1/3 of the list was not included in the original version.

And finally, after I make the picks, I write a few liner notes to tell you *why* the song was included. Part of that is because I think it's as important as the music, but most if it is because I am a huge dork and I live under the illusion that you care what I think.

Also, new for 2008 - the order of the songs. Since 2003, I have presented the list in chronological order from earliest release to latest. This year, I let iTunes do it. I shuffled the playlist, and this is the result. Done.

And so, without further interruption, I present the Vox Acerbus Best of 2008.

1. "Sanvean" by Sarah Brightman, from Symphony

The first "instrumental" ever included on a Vox Acerbus best of collection, Brightman's version of Lisa Gerrard's (formerly of Dead Can Dance) "Sanvean (I Am Your Shadow)" replaces Gerard's lower vocal registers with soaring purity. It feels like a long descent.

2. "And Then We Fell" by Brian Vander Ark, from Brian Vander Ark

"and all the while gravity is pulling us straight into Hell"

"And Then We Fell" was tested in front of audiences as the show opener starting in early 2007, and you can hear the progression from some of the bootleg versions that are out there. Brian Vander Ark is one of the most prolific songwriters of our time. His songs go beyond the formulaic offerings of today's pop music; they tell a story. He's a modern day troubadour, the kind who went the way of the typewriter and the door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman, who continues to earn the praise and admiration of his fans one song at a time.

3. "Los Angeles" by Peter Bradley Adams, from Leavetaking

"And you held us in your city lights when our eyes had lost the stars"

Adams is 1/2 of the former folk-pop duo eastmountainsouth, who disbanded after just one terrific self-titled album in 2003. This is his second solo effort, and while Leavetaking is a stellar album, it's the absolutely stunning song here that will stop you cold. For lack of a more colorful description, this song is gorgeous.

4. "Coney Island" by Good Old War, from Only Way to Be Alone

"Reminisce why I still hate it here"

I think Good Old War is what Nickel Creek would have sounded like if they recorded in the 1960's. This is a rare Vox Acerbus pick - a song with a driving tempo - but it is still sad and forlorn. Who says melancholy can't be conveyed with a tasty groove?

5. "The One I Love" by Greg Laswell, from Three Flights From Alto Nido

"I'll bring your words along with me, maybe one day they will mean something"

A time honored tale of the grass always being greener on the other side. Sometimes people act in a manner where there is no logical explanation for doing so, and we've all done it. Laswell brings a unique piano presence to a guitar dominated genre.

6. "Sarah" by Ray LaMontagne, from Gossip in the Grain

"Eyes closed tight, throwing punch after punch at the world"

LaMontagne's third album is less restrained and more adventurous than his previous work, which really says something, because he remains as distant and stoic as ever. People knock him for being so tormented and brooding, but what they don't realize that's where the brilliance comes from. Let the man be miserable, because it works. He already cut the set list short this past October in Detroit (I know because I have it) - you want him to stop touring and making records altogether? Shut up already.

7. "Coming In Too Low" by Steve Reynolds, from The Carnival Papers

"who is the person I have become?"

Reynolds is a Canadian artist who brings a modern touch to the normal "trials and tribulations of life" stuff of folk music. This song starts in a low drone and is driven by the low toms instead of the snare drum before building into a heavily layered and epic ending.

8. "A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife" by Stars, from Sad Robots EP

"close your eyes until tomorrow, it could bring joy it could bring sorrow, but it will come sure as light"

The Canadian duo returns with a song about "the next day", a lesson that no matter what course of action we choose (like the 3 sample verses here: continuing a loveless relationship, comtemplating suicide, and drinking to forget), the sun will come up tomorrow. The tone ranges between hope and hopelessness and is layered like an onion with synth waves and distortion.

9. "Crack The Shutter" by Snow Patrol, from A Hundred Million Suns

"It's been minutes, it's been days, it's been all I will remember"

This is really nothing more than a simple love song. A lot of people are calling it this album's version of "Chasing Cars", but that's an oversimplification. This song more than stands on its own merits. Slick pop production, yes, but worthy all the same.

10. "Maybe Be Alright" by William Fitzsimmons, from The Sparrow and the Crow

"I was just a stupid kid"

The beard alone gets this guy in. His songs are full of pain and regret, which we love here at Vox Acerbus. Truth is, anyone of the songs on this album could have made this collection, so it should be no surprise that two of them did.

11. "The World is Outside" by Hem

". . . all the ways to feel the world forgot you . . ."

No cover art for this one. This was released via Hem's website last spring, and is likely just a skeleton demo of a song that might appear on the next record sometime in 2009. That's how unbelievably talented this band is.

12. "Alicia Ross" by Kathleen Edwards, from Asking for Flowers

"Was your darkest day as dark as this one?"

I am a huge fan of Edwards, ever since I heard "Sweet Little Duck" from the Failer album back in 2003. I love the story offered between the opening lyric ("I am a girl with a forgettable face) and the closing line ("Now I'm a girl who's face they'll never forget"), but the subject material is the saddest imaginable. It's a paradox that a song about a young girl's murder could sound so beautiful.

13. "Beautiful Lie" by Yoav, from Charmed & Strange

"Fade away like frozen photographs"

It's unbelievable that every sound in this song was made by a single acoustic guitar. Sure, it's overdubbed and looped, but it's still pretty damn impressive. We need to embrace world music artists like him.

14. "Washington Square" by Counting Crows, from Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings

"And time is a number that rests on a wall"

Admittedly, before this record, I was not a big Counting Crows fan, but there is something so sparse and desolate within this pretty song, I had to include it. As you know, paradoxes rule at Vox Acerbus.

15. "Ships" by Tyler Ramsey, from A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea

"Cause by now I've seen too many of us seamlessly upon the sea, whose sails are clinging desperately to ships that once were worthy."

This entire album is amazing, but the lyric above is the reason I picked this song from the rest - those words are powerful stuff.

16. "Your New Twin-Sized Bed" by Death Cab for Cutie, from Narrow Stairs

"It's like you're in some kind of hurry to say goodbye"

This was a difficult choice, because this album had so many standouts, but in the end, the contant synth drone that starts in the second verse and continues throughout the rest of the song was the deciding factor because it adds such a sonic stability and depth to an otherwise light track.

17. "Lullaby" by Priscilla Ahn, from A Good Day

"This old library has thirty books and one dictionary"

This is a song about a desire to leave a small town behind for bigger and better things. My favorite feature of this song is the raw texture of the string arrangement. Ahn also sang with William Fitzsimmons on a couple of tracks on his The Sparrow & The Crow album, from which 2 songs made this year's list.

18. "If You Would Come Back Home" by William Fitzsimmons, from The Sparrow & The Crow

"Call the surgeon . . . mend the pieces"

Another song of heartache and despair. I feel bad for the guy that he had to go through whatever it was that brought so much pain, but the songs are so stunning and brilliant, I'm glad he did. Sorry, William - that sucks, man.

19. "Gossip in the Grain" by Ray LaMontagne, from Gossip in the Grain

"The beggar that holds is tongue . . . dines on none but air alone"

This song has a ethereal element much like his songs "Be Here Now" and "Empty" from the Till the Sun Turns Black album of 2006. His sorrowful voice and the haunting intro of flute and glockenspiel make for a powerful combination.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of June 17, 2008

2008-06-17T12:15:00.012-04:00

Music is constant, even if my writing isn't, and though I wasn't able to blog over the last few weeks, I was able to listen, and as always, you - the reader - are the beneficiary.

Big news! The bitchin' Saturn ION 3 is now reloaded with XM Radio. I told myself back in May of 2007 that I couldn't justify the expense. Then I told myself that I was a complete tool, and things got pretty heated until my sensible self just up and bitch slapped my frugal self with a stinging backhand. You should have seen it. It was textbook technique, employing the obliques and turning with my torso to generate power, and the next thing I know, I was telling myself "I got knocked the #@&* out!".

So, allow me to pontificate with these:

1. Viva la Vida – Coldplay (2008)

Teaming up with Brian Eno, Coldplay is back with their fourth album, and I think it’s just swell. “Life in Technicolor” is a great opener – I like the idea of starting a record with an instrumental track. Other favorites include “Viva la Vida”, which generated substantial anticipation through the iTunes teaser spots, and the album’s closer, “Death and All His Friends”.

On a related note, I still hate the song “Yellow” from the Parachutes album. I can’t fathom how such a crappy song could come from an otherwise pretty cool band. I mean, every band has a few misses in their discography, but rarely are they so far off the pace.

2. Narrow Stairs – Death Cab for Cutie (2008)

This album is tremendous. The opener, “Bixby Canyon Bridge”, starts calmly and builds pressure and explodes into noise and chaos before settling back into serenity. “I Will Possess Your Heart” is a sublimely creepy account of a distant infatuation turned obsession: “you reject my advances and desperate pleas; I won’t let you let me down so easily”. Damn – call the cops!

“Pity and Fear” must be listened to at ridiculous decibel levels. The distortion stops so abruptly that I went back and checked iTunes to make sure I had the whole song.

And finally, “Your New Twin Sized Bed” is my new Death Cab favorite, and is the first song to be guaranteed a spot on the Vox Acerbus Best of 2008.

3. The Seldom Seen Kid – Elbow (2008)

The return of XM makes an immediate impact with the discovery of this band. I was scanning stations and chanced upon XM 45 as they were playing the magnificent track “One Day Like This”, punctuated by a blend of sweeping and staccato string arrangements. Other favorites include “Mirrorball” and “Grounds for Divorce”, where the album title is taken from the lyric “Mondays are for drinking to the seldom seen kid”. They also have one of the coolest websites out there. Check it out here and make sure your volume is up at the intro screen – you can play piano by scrolling over the different letters! Their extensive discography will certainly warrant further listening.

4. Gavin DeGraw – Gavin DeGraw (2008)

I was hooked on Gavin DeGraw the night I saw him open for Barenaked Ladies back in 2004. I had no idea who he was before then, but he put on one of the best live performances I’ve ever seen. The single “In Love with a Girl” picks up right where the material from Chariot left off. Other favorites include “Next to Me (Wait A Minute Sister”, “Untamed”, “We Belong Together” and “Cheated on Me” (I love a song that I can relate to on such a personal level).

So what if it took him 5 years to release another album? I love it, even if he does look like a dead ringer for Mike Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High on the album cover.

5. Gattaca – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1997)

Michael Nyman’s score is gorgeous. This is a film where the score holds critical importance; the surrealism and depth of the movie could not have been attained without this music behind it. Try this one on your iPod some time when you retire for the evening – a dark room with no distractions would take this up a notch, methinks.

I’m out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of May 6, 2008

2008-05-07T12:20:00.005-04:00

You thought you had heard the last of my incessant musical ramblings, yes?

To be honest, I thought I might have written the last of said musical ramblings. Lots of bitter happenings in the world of Vox Acerbus lately - a real estate deal gone sour, work travel for 3 of the last 5 weeks, and another real estate deal to replace the aforementioned sour one. Rodney Dangerfield said it best in Ladybugs:

"Two-story house. Yeah - before you buy it they give you one story, after you move in you get another story."

But I digress.

Through it all, I've managed to stay abreast of some very cool new stuff, as well as finally getting around to giving some earlier procured tunes their due credence. A few thousand miles in a van affords you that kind of opportunity.

1. You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into - Does It Offend You, Yeah? (2008)

This album goes against EVERYTHING that I like, and yet I can't stop listening. Electro-punk, funk-rock - whatever you want to call it - it ain't the soothing acoustic melancholy I usually immerse myself in. My favorites are "Battle Royale" and "Being Bad Feels Pretty Good", which would be quite at home on The Killers' Hot Fuss album. A paradox of the aural variety.

2. Who You Are - Cary Brothers (2007)

I was initially drawn into this record for the worthy cover of The Thompson Twins' classic "If You Were Here", but the dark and lonely miles of the western Michigan Upper Peninsula revealed the greatness of the rest of the album. "Ride" is simply stunning, and "Precious Lie" is epic sadness. And "The Glass Parade" features just the type of lyric that Vox Acerbus appreciates: "Just a voice inside your head, whispering that all the hope is dead, all the time you had to prove that no one really loves you". That, boys and girls, is why we listen to the words.

3. The Slip – Nine Inch Nails (2008)

The Slip is the second full length album released through the Nine Inch Nails website, and as a thank you to his loyal fans for years of support, Trent Reznor is offering it free of charge. Just click here, fill out the information, and you’ll get an e-mail with a link to the download site, where the files are available in many digital formats. You can also register and become eligible for presale tickets for the upcoming North American tour.

The album continues the raw machine-gun energy of 2007’s Year Zero, but for those (like myself) who revel in NIN’s darkened soundscapes, “Corona Radiata” and “The Four of Us are Dying” fit the bill.

4. Transatlanticism – Death Cab for Cutie (2005)

In anticipation of next week’s release of Narrow Stairs, I thought it prudent to revisit my favorite Death Cab album to date. Favorites include “Title & Registration” and its clever opening verse (“the glove compartment is inaccurately named, and everybody knows it, so I’m proposing a swift orderly change, because behind its door, there’s nothing to keep my fingers warm”) and the epic title track, which is one of those songs meant to be listened to at full volume. The record also contains one of my favorite songs of love desolation, “Tiny Vessels”, where Ben Gibbard sings “It was vile, and it was cheap, and you are beautiful, but you don’t mean a thing to me.”

5. Nonsuch – XTC (1992)

I am among the very few who wonder why people laud Skylarking so much more, because to me, Nonsuch is a better album. In fact, I would also rank Apple Venus Vol. 1 ahead of Skylarking as well. Blasphemy? Not to me, and it’s my blog. There it is.

XTC are some of the best lyricists ever. “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” is probably the most recognizable track, but the real gems here are “My Bird Performs” (“the cage is open but she has no desire to fly”), “The Disappointed” (“seems your ring upon my finger signifies that I’ve become the spokesman of . . . the disappointed”), and “Then She Appeared” (“and the moon which formally shone on the marbled midnight mile suddenly just packed its bags, now shines from her bright smile”).

It’s good to be home.

I’m out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of April 1, 2008

2008-04-01T12:00:00.003-04:00

It’s time for the biweekly submission of my weekly feature. Believe it, boys and girls; it’s just below this paragraph. I used letters and words and everything.

Looking back at my New Year’s Resolutions, posting regularly isn’t the only goal where I have failed miserably. That head of steam was quickly doused, wasn’t it? I guess there’s still time, but the fact remains that I wasted a full ¼ of the year. The only April Fool here is the author.

There has been enough great stuff released already this year to assure that the Vox Acerbus Best of 2008 will be a multi-volume offering. So, if nothing else, at least you have that going for you.

Did anyone notice that The B-52's released a new album last week? No? Neither did I.

1. Accelerate – R.E.M. (2008)

R.E.M.’s valiant return – a boisterous, angry album with great lyrics such as “if the storm doesn’t kill me, the government will”. I can now forgive them for the Reveal debacle. I may adopt “Living Well is the Best Revenge” as one of my personal theme songs. Welcome back.

2. “I Will Possess Your Heart” – Death Cab for Cutie (2008)

This is the first single from the forthcoming release Narrow Stairs slated for May 13. Clocking in at an epic 8+ minutes, the musical tone is set well before Ben Gibbard’s vocals begin halfway into the song. If this single is any indication, then another brilliant Death Cab for Cutie album is upon us.

3. “In Love With A Girl” – Gavin De Graw (2008)

This is the first single from the forthcoming self-titled second album from Gavin De Graw, which has been pushed back to a May 6 release. He retains and expands the pop sensibilities of 2003’s Chariot album, which by my account (and who else’s account really matters?) was a great record. He also puts on a very high energy show, so I hope his tour passes near my neighborhood.

4. Winterpills – Winterpills (2005)

A recent e-mail from a friend reminded me of this band, which unfortunately, for some unknown and inexplicable reason, had been relegated to iPod obscurity. My favorite song is “Portrait”, where they eschew the typical elegant and hollow professions of undying love and devotion for the simple phrase “I can’t pose for this portrait without you”, and the all too true "there's honey in the chemicals".

5. Synchronicity – The Police (1983)

Raise your hand if you can believe this landmark album was released 25 years ago. Yes – you are old like me. The album yielded timeless classics like “Every Breath You Take”, “King of Pain”, and “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. A lot of people fault Sting for being pretentious, but they’re just pissed that he wrote a lyric about Scylla and Charybdis and they didn’t know what it meant. Ignorance, while rampant, is no defense. Sting has knowledge, and you are a dumbass. Deal with it.

I'm out-
KWass

William Fitzsimmons - Music Video

2008-03-21T07:34:00.002-04:00

Check out the first video from William Fitzsimmons - the gorgeous song "It's Not True" from the Goodnight album.

If you haven't checked out his music yet, you are denying yourself indescribable aural pleasure.

I'm out-
KWass

The All Day Shuffle Experiment

2008-03-19T18:31:00.004-04:00

Inspired by a recent post by fellow Spunkybean writer on her blog, The Queen of Useless Knowledge, I decided to see what kind of a playlist an entire workday of iPod shuffle would generate. How triumphant (or embarassing) would it be?

This is risky business. I work for the government in a rather sterile work environment, and frankly, some of my music isn't appropriate in that setting. Ludacris on long road trip = good. Ludacris in your cubicle = bad. Lady Luck frowned on me, and I was sent scrambling to the volume knob with the 3rd song of the day.

I also have 5 or 6 Yanni albums. And 2 John Tesh albums. This alone constitutes a valid reason for a beat down. And since Yanni popped up at #33, I fully deserve to get my ass kicked.

So, out of 15,843 songs, below are the 88 songs my Ipod deemed worthy between 8 and 5 today. I would love to comment on them all, but I really don't have that kind of ambition. Maybe later I'll add some statistical analysis or something, but for now, res ipsa loquitur - the list speaks for itself.

1. Rise Up With Fists – Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins
2. Here Comes – INXS
3. HWC – Liz Phair
4. Broadway – Alison Krauss & Union Station
5. River – Holly Cole
6. Unforgettable – Natalie Cole
7. I’ll Go Crazy – Bruce Willis
8. Lily Dreams On – Cotton Mather
9. I Am You – Depeche Mode
10. And So It Goes – Billy Joel
11. Innocent World – Joseph Arthur
12. Blasphemous Rumours – Depeche Mode
13. World Full of Nothing – Depeche Mode
14. Love In Itself – Depeche Mode
15. Indian Summer – The Rippingtons
16. Steam Trains to the Milky Way – Danny Wilson
17. Sunshine – Keane
18. Theme from New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
19. The Science Fair – Meet the Robinsons Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
20. Twisted – Annie Lennox
21. Welcome to Rome – Hudson Hawk Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
22. Miss Gradenko – The Police
23. You’re the Buddha – Howard Jones
24. Chief – Patty Griffin
25. Dream On – Depeche Mode
26. Afterall – William Fitzsimmons
27. Weapons of Mass Distortion – Crystal Method
28. Hidden #3: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes – They Might Be Giants
29. Manhattan Project – Rush
30. Disappearing World – David Gray
31. Firewalker – Liz Phair
32. Belief – Gavin DeGraw
33. You Only Live Once – Yanni
34. All the Way to Reno – REM
35. Selfless, Cold and Composed – Ben Folds Five
36. The Portrait – Back to Titanic: Titanic Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
37. Fools Game – Bonnie Raitt
38. My Time – Earshot
39. Goodnight, California – Kathleen Edwards
40. Switch 625 – Def Leppard
41. Wichita Skyline – Shawn Colvin
42. Tenderness on the Block – Shawn Colvin
43. Not the Red Baron – Tori Amos
44. Circulate – Swing Out Sister
45. Big River – Johnny Cash
46. Like It or Not – Madonna
47. Yesterday Once More – The Carpenters
48. Perfect Romance – Lynn Miles
49. Survivalism (Tardusted Remix) – Nine Inch Nails
50. Black Crow – Diana Krall
51. All Night Long (All Night) – Lionel Richie
52. Hypnotist of Ladies – They Might Be Giants
53. Rhymin’ & Stealin’ – Beastie Boys
54. The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
55. The Night – Catie Curtis
56. Get Here – Oleta Adams
57. Love Love Love – Tristan Prettyman
58. Low Down Dirty Business – Swing Out Sister
59. You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins
60. You Happy Puppet – 10,000 Maniacs
61. Chicago Song – David Sanborn
62. Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
63. Path of Thorns – Sarah McLachlan
64. I Like To – Men at Work
65. Matter of Minutes – Shawn Colvin
66. One in Ten – UB40
67. People Just Love To Play With Words – Men at Work
68. Crystal Ball – Keane
69. Master & Servant – Depeche Mode
70. The End – The Doors
71. We’re Not Deep – The Housemartins
72. A Question of Time – Depeche Mode
73. Call Me Mellow – Tears for Fears
74. Take This Waltz – Leonard Cohen
75. Love Oh Love – Lionel Richie
76. Top of the World – Patty Griffin
77. Streets of Laredo – Johnny Cash
78. Fantastic Dream – Alphaville
79. Dancing on the Ceiling – Lionel Richie
80. Nothing Is Good Enough – Aimee Mann
81. Sister of Night – Depeche Mode
82. Our Song – Yes
83. Oranges on Appletrees – a-ha
84. Love Sick – Bob Dylan
85. Scars – Rush
86. Red Light – Catie Curtis
87. Go Back Home – Stephen Stills
88. Sound of Your Voice – Barenaked Ladies

Worship my iPod before it destroys you.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of March 18, 2008

2008-03-18T22:29:00.008-04:00

Great new stuff this week, and some great new stuff on the horizon as well. Let's cut to the chase . . .

1. Ghosts I-IV - Nine Inch Nails (2008)

The latest from Trent Reznor is the first internet-only release since his emancipation from the record labels, and it's a bold and successful offering. It consists of 36 untitled instrumental tracks, identified only by number and placement in the series (i.e. 13 Ghosts II) and layered with hope, despair, droning, grinding, simplicity, beauty, scraping, and weight. This will be my bedtime iPod music for the foreseeable future.

2. Supernatural Superserious (Single) - R.E.M. (2008)

The first song available from the upcoming release Accelerate, due out April 1. If this song is any indication, it harkens a welcome return to the days of Out of Time and Automatic for the People (and a welcome departure from experiments like Reveal and Up).

3. How The Day Sounds (EP) - Greg Laswell (2008)

Laswell is definitely a new direction for the singer-songwriter/contemporary folk genre. Many music writers label him as the genre's answer to Coldplay, but I hardly think that Coldplay could take a song like Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and turn it on its ear like Laswell did. The comparisons are correct but reversed - Coldplay wishes they were Laswell. Highlights include the title track and the new version of "What A Day".

4. On A Clear Night - Missy Higgins (2007)

I missed this one last fall, and it was my loss. This Australian singer-songwriter is a stripped down amalgamation of pop artists Anna Nalick and Sara Bareilles. Favorites include "Warm Whispers", "Steer", and "Forgive Me".

5. Music For The Masses - Depeche Mode (1987)

"Pimpf" and "Agent Orange" are 2 of the all time great dark room and headphones songs. This album is loaded with classics like "Never Let Me Down" (always a concert highlight when they extend the song with the Aggro Mix, like the version in the playlist below), "Behind the Wheel", and "Strangelove". It's also one my all time favorite albums covers. Dig it:

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of March 4, 2008

2008-03-05T12:05:00.006-05:00

Oh, Canada! Oh, women! Oh, Canadian women!

This week, as I celebrate the release of Asking for Flowers by Kathleen Edwards, I dedicate this week's feature to some of my favorite songstresses from north of the border.

Be sure to crack a Blue or a Molson as you listen. So let's get to it, eh?

1. Asking for Flowers - Kathleen Edwards (2008)

Wow. Not much more to say than I already said here, other than I was up at 4 AM to pull it down from iTunes.

2. Slightly Haunted - Lynn Miles (1996)

Lynn Miles sings sad and beautiful songs - just the way I like them. "The Ghost of Deadlock" was one of the first songs I heard as I was being drawn into the contemporary folk/singer-songwriter genre, and it remains one of my favorites. Her show at One Trick Pony in Grand Rapids, Michigan is also one of my favorite concert experiences.

3. Colour, Moving & Still - Chantal Kreviazuk (2000)

Although I am a fan of all 4 of her albums, this one is my favorite. "Souls" is the highlight, with a gorgeous extended intro and the great lyric "Covenant, we will always grow, our skin will fade, transcend beyond all we've been told". Another favorite is "Little Things", where Kreviazuk's voice soars above string arrangements with lines like "Misery's turning my luck around" and "The past holds the truth like a lost and found".

4. All of Our Names - Sarah Harmer (2004)

Harmer's gentle voice can detract you from some very biting lyrics. See my earlier post dedicated to the song "Greeting Card Aisle". "Tether" is a pretty ballad of lament with lines like "Living this close to the road, you question your vulnerability" and "another melody is aching for a few pretty words to let it be". "Go to Sleep" is a perfect album closer.

5. Bound by the Beauty - Jane Siberry (1989)

Siberry can be eclectic (i.e. "Everything Reminds Me of My Dog") but she can certainly write some beautiful songs. "Life is the Red Wagon" is one of my all-time favorite ballads ("maybe it won't work this time, but that's the risk you take, and you want to take it). Other soothing numbers include "Hockey" and the title track.

I'm out-
KWass

Bowl O' Beans: Kathleen Edwards

2008-03-05T11:55:00.003-05:00

Click here to check out my review of the outstanding new album Asking for Flowers by Kathleen Edwards over at Spunkybean.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of February 26, 2008

2008-02-27T12:34:00.003-05:00

So what if I post my weekly features once a month? You’re not the boss of me.

There hasn’t been much new music that has caught my attention over the past couple of weeks, but read below about some great stuff that’s new to me, even though it has been out for a while.

I am greatly anticipating the new record from Canadian folk artist Kathleen Edwards. She is releasing Asking for Flowers next week (March 4) and launching a spring tour soon afterwards. Check out a few of the tracks and get tour dates here. I hope I can catch her show at The Magic Bag in Ferndale, Michigan on Sunday, April 6.

That being said . . .

1. Failer – Kathleen Edwards (2003)

“Sweet Little Duck” is one of the most beautifully dark and melancholy folk songs ever, with the feedback-tinged swells of strings and the lyrics “I sleep through most my days, so the time goes by, and I think I drink more now than ever”. Other highlights include “Mercury” and “Hockey Skates”.

2. Back to Me – Kathleen Edwards (2005)

Edwards’ sophomore effort widens the folk scope and features the outstanding mid-tempo tracks “Copied Keys” and “Summerlong” as well as ballads “Old Time Sake” and “Good Things”. The standout is “Somewhere Else”, which features a surprising horn arrangement and juxtaposed lyrics, with Edwards singing “life can be sweet if I want it to be” in one verse, followed by “life is so cruel because I let it be” in the next.

3. Once – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2007)

I am ashamed and embarrassed that I missed this last year. A friend of mine recommended this album (and the movie) during a lunch conversation, and I was floored. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova are a pairing on par with Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan. “Falling Slowly” is stunningly beautiful. The film is at the top of my Netflix queue.

4. Swell Season – Glen Hansard (2006)

Of course, I can never get enough of a good thing, so hearing the Once soundtrack led me to this album - an earlier collaborative effort by Hansard and Irglova. It’s the perfect paradox of lush, beautiful arrangements and lyrics and pain and fear, and THAT, my friends, is why you should love paradoxes as much as I do.

5. The Sun is Melting – The Colorful Quiet (2006)

This independent album by Stephen Webster is simply amazing. These deeply introspective songs are emotional and insightful, and I think of him as a modern day Nick Drake.

I’m out-
KWass

Falling Down

2008-02-21T12:08:00.003-05:00

I fell down yesterday.

It was a genuine fall, too - not a stumble. I went down, and I went down hard.

I parked my car in front of the local hardware to get some painting supplies. The parking lot was empty, so I was walking fast and trying to read the business hours on the front door to see if they were open. Without warning, I was airborne.

As I flew violently forward, survival instinct kicked in, and I turned sideways to minimize the impact and get set up for the tuck and roll. I landed squarely on my left hip, assumed the fetal position for a split second, and carried momentum through the roll. I popped up on one leg almost as quick as I went down, and was back in stride for a few steps until the second wave of momentum hit me like a tidal wave and sent me spiralling out of control. I landed on my right knee and bounced forward before finally coming to rest face down between the front door and the cases of windshield wiper fluid stacked along the wall.

WTF was that? I looked back, eager to see the snow or ice that put me in peril, but there was none to be seen. It was a curb - in all of its glorious open-and-obvious splendor. I stood up and entered the store, and was quickly greeted by a clerk just few steps inside. He HAD to have seen it all happen, but he looked at me and deadpanned "Is there something I can help you find?" I thought to myself, yes - how about my dignity? Or my center of gravity?

He pointed me to the paint section, and I found what I needed. I paid for the merchandise, and he handed me my change and thanked me for my patronage. I thought I was in the clear, but just before I reached the door, he says behind me "be careful". The bastard mocked me, but he did it without laughing or smiling, so he could later argue he was acting professionally and within the capacity of his hardware clerking duties. Well played, sir, but you will rue the day, my friend.

I haven't gone down like that since the winter of '94, when I fell backwards and slid down an icy embankment in front of a Ponderosa, much to the delight of the many patrons who witnessed it through the huge front windows of the restaurant. I don't know what's more embarrassing - the fact that I bit it, or the fact I was at a Ponderosa.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of January 29, 2008

2008-01-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

Remember “The Jerk”, when Steve Martin goes crazy about the new phone books? Well, it’s like that in the Vox Acerbus Cubicle Tunes feature this week, because the new Brian Vander Ark album is here! The new Brian Vander Ark album is here!

(Deep breath)

(Deep breath)

Like Mr. Miyagi told the Karate Kid – breathe in through nose, breathe out through mouth. Show me “sanding floor”!

Now that pulmonary function has been restored, there are 2 other notable releases this week as well, including one by renowned vocalist Sarah Brightman. 2008 is shaping up to be a very good year.

1. Brian Vander Ark – Brian Vander Ark (2008)

The Verve Pipe emeritus returns with his third album and the third time is indeed a charm. “And Then We Fell” has been a favorite since he opened the show with it at the Magic Bag in Ferndale last April, and “Lily White Way” is a perfect suburban lament.

I had the opportunity to interview Brian about the record for my review that will be posted over at Spunkybean when the new site goes live February 4, so be sure to check it out.

2. Symphony – Sarah Brightman (2008)

After her experimentation with world music on her last album Harem (2003), Brightman returns with a broader collection of pop/opera crossover material reminiscent of La Luna (2000) and Eden (1999). Brightman’s voice shines again, with the horrid exception of the misguided duet “I Will Be with You (Where the Lost Ones Go)” with, I kid you not, Paul Stanley of KISS. Yes – it’s as abhorrent as you would imagine.

3. Charmed & Strange – Yoav (2008)

This very innovative folk/dance/world/ambient album has captured my attention. When is a guitar not a guitar? It’s quite the sonic conundrum. In the words of Morpheus – free your mind.

4. A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea – Tyler Ramsey (2008)

A holdover from the last installment, this record still gets frequent air time in the cubicle, the car, at home, on the can, etc. Check out my review of said record over at Spunkybean.

5. Under the Iron Sea – Keane (2006)

I’ve owned this since it was released, but never really gave it due credence until recently, when “Is It Any Wonder?” was played during a lunch at Olga’s and reminded me that I never listened to it. Peasant soup and Keane – a formidable combination, to be certain. This one is more synth heavy than the piano-laden Hopes & Fears (2004), and the end result is an edgier record worthy of a listen.

I’m out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of January 15, 2008

2008-01-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

It really is amazing how much better it is to have your entire collection at your disposal in your cubicle. Until recently, I had 1/3 of my music available, and I was about as diligent in changing the the songs as I am about writing in this blog, so do the math. Now, I'm like Chris Farley in Tommy Boy, acting like JoJo the Idiot Circus Boy, playing with my new pet. My iPod is naughty!

Dig on these:

1. A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea - Tyler Ramsey (2008)

In a word - amazing. The amalgamation of sonic ambience and folk is fast becoming one of my favorite genres, and the combination here is groundbreaking. Look for an extensive review over at the Bean very soon. 9 tracks are featured on the media player at the bottom of this page.

2. Tiny Cities - Sun Kil Moon (2005)

Mark Kozalek has a history of recording stunning covers, slowing them down and stripping them bare into vehicles for his own (as well as the listener's) forlorn introspection. Here, he uses that formula on an entire album of Modest Mouse covers. "Ocean Breathes Salty" has never sounded better.

3. Some Devil - Dave Matthews (2003)

Funny story - this one got lost in my iTunes library because it was marked as a "compilation", and I never looked in the "compilation" folder. OK - it wasn't funny at all. It was sad. Big ass iPod - the gift that keeps on giving! "Stay or Leave" is gorgeous, and "Gravedigger" is just cool in every sense of the word.

4. Demolition - Ryan Adams (2002)

My favorite track here is the one that strays the farthest from the rest of the album. "Jesus (Don't Touch My Baby)" is sonic and heavy. The more acoustic "Dear Chicago" and "Tomorrow" are other standouts.

5. Lost & Gone Forever - Guster (1999)

Guster is a long time favorite of Vox Acerbus, which goes against principle, because they aren't bitter at all. Some favorites include "Either Way", "Center of Attention", and "Two Points for Honesty". They are working on new stuff, so there may be a new Guster album on the horizon.

I'm out-
KWass

New Brian Vander Ark Album

2008-01-11T23:41:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been reading this thing over the past couple of years knows that I am an uber fan of Brian Vander Ark.

He spent the summer and fall on the Lawn Chairs and Living Rooms tour, where he visited the homes of his fans to play intimate sets of songs that they selected, to finance this new self-titled album that is now available for pre-order.

Brian was gracious enough to spend a few minutes talking to me before and after a few shows this past fall, so I am quite happy to post the banner below in the hopes that a few more fans buy the record and/or discover his music.

Also, be sure to check out his MySpace page to hear a couple of the new songs and, more importantly, check the tour dates, because you don't want miss him if he's in your neighborhood.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of January 8, 2008

2008-01-08T13:04:00.000-05:00

I am pleased to announce that with the new Xmas iPod and this week’s addition of a recycled set of Boston Acoustic BA745 speakers, music is at an all-time premium here in the box.

This week’s set is a little different. Usually, I wait until the album is out and the music is obtainable, but this stuff is soooooooo choice, you need to hear it now.

1. “Lily White Way” and “I Went With the Road” – Brian VanderArk (2008)

The self-titled new album is “in the can”, as they say, and 2 of the songs are now available for listening here. I pre-ordered the album at his show at The Photography Room in December, and should have it any day now. Look for this to be featured again in the coming weeks.

2. "The Silence Between Us" – Bob Mould (2008)

Hear it here. Mould, formerly of Husker Du and Sugar, releases The District Line on February 5. While you’re there, check out “High Fidelity” from the Body of Song album as well. In a word – wow.

3. Some People Have Real Problems – Sia (2008)

This one, to me, is a poppier, less folky/indie version of Feist (not that I would ever label anything), and honestly, the jury is still out on this one. Check out Randall's Spunkybean review here.

4. Richard Butler – Richard Butler (2006)

I always find myself coming back to this surrealistic album by the vocalist of the Psychedelic Furs. It’s so “out there” that I really can’t figure most of it out, and I dig that, man.

5. The Dream Academy – The Dream Academy (1985)

While compiling the cover songs for the Spunkybean article, I revisited this record, which I’ve always considered one of the preeminent synthpop albums ever released. In addition to the wonderous Nick Drake euology, “Life In A Northern Town”, the song “The Edge of Forever” is outstanding, and "In Places on the Run" is one of the most beautiful songs I know.

I'm out-
KWass

You Know What You Did . . .

2008-01-07T12:38:00.000-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a good rant.

Below is a list of people who have been getting my goat lately. (You know, as far as figures of speech go, this one’s pretty inaccurate, at least as it applies to me. I don’t want a goat, so if I had one, and someone came and got it, I would actually be quite pleased.)

Without further ado:

1. People in line at the coffee shop. You know what? They already have a menu, and you don’t need to stand there and create a ½ this, ¼ that, double this, triple that so everyone can see the exacting standards you live your life under. If you don’t like the menu, go somewhere else. When they put a drink called Pompous Assuccino on the menu, then you can order whatever you want. Until then, order any one of the other thirty menu offerings and quietly step aside.

2. People at a four-way stop intersection. It never fails. When I have the right-of-way, everyone else tries to go. And when I don’t have it, we all sit there and admire each other’s cars. So, as a public service, I am going to spell this out in simple chapter and verse. At a four-way stop intersection, yield to the driver on the right if you reach the intersection at the same time as another vehicle, and yield to any vehicle that reaches the intersection before you. There it is. Now you can get through that intersection quicker and get back to what's really important - that text message you were writing before you had to stop.

3. People with Bluetooth earpieces. I can appreciate the usefulness of Bluetooth technology. It increases productivity in the business community, and it increases traffic safety for those who insist on using their cell phone while driving. However, I don’t think it offers much at the movie theater on Friday night. Honestly – if you are so vitally important to the function of society that you can’t leave it in the car for a couple of hours, then maybe you shouldn’t be at the movies. I guess it helps when ordering a Pompous Assuccino, though, because the two seem to go hand-in-hand.

4. People who won’t pay at the pump. Face it – gas is liquid gold and you can’t buy it anymore without paying up front. On occasion, I like to get a cup of coffee after I fill the tank, and nothing makes me happier than standing there and waiting while you explain to the cashier that you gave the OTHER cashier a $20 bill to pre-pay on pump #4, but you only pumped $18.74, and now you need your $1.26 in change, and now that you’ve seen me and my steaming cup of coffee, it looks really good to you, so you take the $1.26 and get yourself a cup of coffee, and get in line AGAIN to piss off someone else. It’s a vicious cycle, and like Erasure said, it doesn’t have to be like that. A simple debit card will, in all likelihood, save you from a well-deserved beating somewhere down the road.

5. People with $54.90 in returnable bottles/cans. Really – I love standing behind you with my 30 cans while you pump your 549 through the machine. And since you only rinsed out six of them, I also enjoy walking through the sticky remainder that is oozing out of the two black lawn & leaf size bags in your cart. I also love eavesdropping on your Bluetooth cell phone conversation, which is apparently more important than recycling, as evidenced by the dramatic pause of you holding the can to the point where it’s actually inside the machine, but not letting it go until it’s your turn to talk again.

6. People who empty the communal coffee pot and sneak away. My new(er) job prevents me from doing this, but back in my days at the trash hauling company, whenever I would find an empty coffee pot, I would take it and walk around the building with it until I found someone with a full cup, and then I would hand it to them and thank them for not making any coffee. It worked every time. I have more respect for the guy who walks in, sees an ALMOST empty pot, sets his empty cup down next to the pot, as if to say “Make me some coffee, bitch!” and then comes back later. However, karma steps in, and when I see that cup in the holding pattern, I empty the pot and sneak away.

7. U-SCAN checkouts. I was in a Meijer store recently (yes, I name them by name) that I hadn’t been to in quite some time. When I went to check out, EVERY lane was a U-SCAN lane. I had produce, man – nobody needs that kind of pressure. I put the onion on the scale, and I punched all the buttons to get me to the onion screen. I didn’t know if the onion I grabbed was a sweet onion, a cooking onion, or if it was small, medium, or large, and apparently, that’s key information. So I went with medium cooking onion, all the while waiting for the U-SCAN Overlord to walk over and tell me it was indeed a large sweet onion and that I was being detained until security could come back and ask me a few questions. My question to them, in between blows, would be “How come I have to look at 15 pictures of onions and make a judgment call that you obviously aren’t happy with when there is a sticker on this one with a four digit code on it?”

In any event, don’t be that guy.

I’m out-
KWass

William Fitzsimmons

2008-01-05T15:18:00.001-05:00

It has been a very long time since an artist captured my attention and admiration like William Fitzsimmons.

His 24 songs in my iTunes library are making the other 15,498 very jealous. In fact, the last time I synced my iPod, three songs were MISSING, so I'm pretty sure I've got mutiny on my hands.

I implore you to take a moment, check out his site, and give him a listen. Just click the banner below. See, I've already done all the work for you - you have no excuse!

I swear - I carry you people like luggage.

I'm out-
KWass

Bowl O' Beans - Cover Songs

2008-01-03T19:25:00.000-05:00

Check out my recent article over at Spunkybean, where I wax philosophic about my favorite cover songs.

I'm out-
KWass

Bitter Resolutions - 2008

2008-01-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

I have never been big on New Year's Resolutions. However, since today is New Year's Day, why the hell not?

Won't it be a laugh riot to see if I succeed or fail (and subsequently praised or ridiculed) in a semi-public forum?

Since I'm a pessimist, I will call this list "Seal My Fate in 2008". How you like them apples?

1. Weight Loss

Ah yes, the time honored tradition of resolving to quit being a fatass. But, since I have a gym membership at a nice gym called Go Workout, and I can see the back door of the gym from my house, I really have no excuse. I've actually had a good deal of success with this before, so once I get it going, it shouldn't be big deal. And, in the interest of public mockery, results will be posted. One of my heroes, author Mike Magnuson, said his motivation was getting naked and riding a bike on the cover of a national magazine. I don't have a national magazine - I have a blog.

Resolution #1 - lose weight and, more importantly, lower body fat percentage. More specific information to follow . . .

2. Soda

I drink a lot of soda, and it ain't the diet version - Mountain Dew in all it's sugary strength and splendor. I really don't like diet soda, so that is not a viable alternative. So, I am cutting it off at the source. Don't buy it - don't drink - don't miss it. Easiest thing in the world.

Resolution #2 = no soda pop for 90 days. (Let's not get stupid, now. A whole year? Please.)

3. Health

I have a few medical maladies. If I disclose my own maladies, do I violate HIPAA? While the Vox Acerbus staff of lawyers is working on that sticky wicket, I'll just stick with a goal of achieving better living through pharmaceuticals!

Resolution #3 - take medications "as instructed" versus "when remembered".

4. Financials

I piss away a lot of money, and since I work in the public sector, I don't make a lot of money to begin with. There's the rub.

Resolution #4 - a 90 day moratorium on discretionary spending while a budget is implemented and put into action.

5. Writing

I have so many story ideas in my head that I can't keep them straight anymore. Like The Beastie Boys puttin' it on wax, I'll be puttin' it on paper.

Resolution #5 - organize ideas and complete one short story by April 1, 2008.

6. Blogging

As you well know, I blog like everything else in my life - inconsistently. I won't blog on a rigid schedule, but a little more regularly wouldn't kill me. However, I submit that the fact that it would make me stronger is a complete misnomer. Now that I have a laptop with wireless capability to use with the network in my house, productivity should improve by default, but we'll see.

Resolution #6 - a modest goal of 2 posts per week for Vox Acerbus and 1 post per week for Spunkybean.

7. Organization

I have a Palm Zire 31, and yet I am always forgetting things.

I forget to put things in my Palm. Ironic, yes? A real Catch-22. Yossarian lives!

Resolution #7 - make life easier through advances in technology (i.e. use the damn thing).

8. Reading

I buy used books faster than I could ever read them. In the spirit of Resolution #4, perhaps I should read more instead of buying more. It's time to get my Faulkner and Updike on.

Resolution #8 - diminish the backlog of classic literature that is taking over my dining room.

Like Semisonic said - this could be my year.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of December 31, 2007

2007-12-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's the last installment of 2007, so savor the flavor, my friends. All in all, it was a pretty good year. I've done some research, and there are already some highly anticipated releases on the Vox Acerbus radar for 2008.

1. The Long Road Out of Eden - The Eagles (2007)

I have always held the opinion that "Hotel California" is the worst song EVER (and that doesn't change), but for some unexplained reason, I found myself listening to this and even somewhat liking it. I am getting soft in my old age - I can't even keep up a good rail against the establishment anymore.

2. Until When We Are Ghosts - William Fitzsimmons (2005)

2007's Goodnight was so great, I had to go back and check out his debut. I'm glad I did. "Passion Play" is gorgeous, and is the single reason that 2008 becomes the year that I finally learn to play the guitar. Other highlights include "Shattered" (awesome intro) and "My Life Changed".

3. Tom Waits - The Black Rider (1993)

Holly Cole's Temptation album was a collection of Tom Waits songs, and I was floored by the beauty of "The Briar & The Rose". A conversation with my father revealed that he had The Black Rider, and I had to hear the original. Waits is definitely an acquired taste (or sound, as the case may be), but he's well worth the investment.

4. Winter Pays for Summer - Glen Phillips (2005)

A recent conversation with a friend reminded me of the splendor of this album from the former front man of Toad the Wet Sprocket. "Clear Eyed", "True" and "Courage" are among the choice cuts, but the entire album is worthy of an hour of your time.

5. Time (The Revelator) - Gillian Welch (2001)

In addition to being a fine album through and through, this record features one of the most epic closing tracks ever - the 14:39 long "I Dream A Highway". Every time it starts, I wonder how long I'll get into it, and every time, I hear the closing notes.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of Dec. 24, 2007

2007-12-26T12:22:00.000-05:00

Great news, boys and girls! Even though I'm bitter and deserved a lump of coal for Xmas, Santa brought me a new iPod and $50 in iTunes gift certificates. So who cares if nobody is working this week - revel in my minstrelsy!

The creation of the Vox Acerbus Best of 2007 brought back some great albums from earlier in the year, before I started this feature, and all of the "best of" albums are back in high rotation.

1. Time on Earth - Crowded House (2007)

Sometimes a band reunites for all the wrong reasons and puts out a record that embarrasses them. Crowded House is not one those bands. This album sounds almost like it could have followed the eponymous offering of 1986, and proves that their long lapse between recordings was indeed a travesty.

2. Home Again, Home Again (EP) - Hem (2007)

Simply stated, I don't think there is band out there as diverse or that can craft a gorgeous melody as well as Hem. Even the short songs like "The Meeting Place" are epic in beauty.

3. Who You Are - Cary Brothers (2007)

These days, an association with Zach Braff is enough to make an album a hit, but Cary Brothers could certainly stand alone. In addition to the awesome cover of the Thompson Twins' "If You Were Here", other standouts include "The Glass Parade", the sonic moods of "Honesty" and "All The Rage", and the lush strings of "The Loneliest Girl in the World". A sad record that makes me happy.

4. Goodnight - William Fitzsimmons (2007)

The electronica of "Please Don't Go" is an anamoly as far as the album is concerned. The rest of Goodnight is acoustic, poetic, mournful, and surprisingly bright given some of the subject matter. The vocals rarely rise above a whisper, in a style similar to Iron & Wine, and Ingrid Michaelson offers some vocal assistance as well.

5. Some Mad Hope - Matt Nathanson (2007)

At first listen, "Wedding Dress" might be a choice for that special first dance at the wedding, but listen closely before you decide to use it. Other standouts include "All We Are" and "Still". While some of the more uptempo tracks suggest a rock or pop slant, the album's strengths are clearly in the slower acoustic numbers.

I'm out-
KWass

Spunkybean! A Zesty Pop Culture Stew

2007-12-20T12:49:00.001-05:00

I have been asked to become a contributing writer for an exciting site called Spunkybean.

The site is new, but is already chock full o' fresh takes on all things pop culture. If you like music, TV, film, books, sports, rants, sarcasm, and witty repartee, then hit us up and check us out. Leave a comment - good or bad - and tell your friends (if you have any, that is.) If not, tell a stranger. He may thank you for it, or he might punch you in the mouth, but hey, that's what makes life exciting, right? Take a chance!

Go ahead - click the link. You know you want to, and really, who's gonna know?

I'm out-
KWass

Vox Acerbus Best of 2007

2007-12-19T22:30:00.000-05:00

The premise: every year, I create a compilation CD of my favorite songs from that year.

First - I only include songs from albums that I bought throughout the year. I don’t cull the Internet looking for other lists or guides or anything like that. I simply sort my iTunes library by year and make a play list from it – simple as that.

Second – how did I arrive at an arbitrary number like 18? Aren’t most lists a Top 10 or Top 25? Well, yes, but I operate on the one disc rule – when the disc is full, the list stops.

That being said, here are my 18 best songs of 2007 in no particular order.

1. “Apartment Story” by The National, from Boxer
“stay inside our rosy minded fuzz”

Blissful ignorance is just one way to deal with a harsh reality.

2. “The Limit to Your Love” by Feist, from The Reminder
“I know that only I can save me”

This song, musically and lyrically, alternates between fear and hope, and I think fear wins out in the end.

3. “The Guy That Says Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind” by Griffin House, from Flying Upside Down
“. . . I can take a punch, I don’t mind to bleed, as long as afterwards you feel bad for me . . .”

Everyone has a relationship they walked out on and ended up regretting it – a classic case of woeful retrospection.

4. “The Part Where You Let Go” by Hem, from Home Again, Home Again
“I still see you there, on your darkest night”

This song is about those dark moments where the ultimate questions of trust and devotion are asked and answered.

5. “Don’t Stop Now” by Crowded House, from Time on Earth
“Who knows what is right in front of us?”

How many times have you taken the long way around to find you just ended up where you started?

6. “Manhattan Moon” by Lucy Kaplansky, from Over the Hills
“While I’m singing you a lullaby, someone’s waking up on the other side”

Every parent has been questioned by their child about what happens to the moon when the day breaks. This is Lucy’s answer to her daughter.

7. “Car Crash” by Matt Nathanson, from Some Mad Hope
“. . . take me deep out past the lights, where nothing dims these stars”

Sometimes people become so numb and desperate that they’ll accept any type of feeling, even pain, to fill the emptiness.

8. “Stars & Satellites” by Minnie Driver, from Seastories
“If love is the answer you seek, you’re asking the wrong kinds of questions”

The answers are out there if you know where to look and who to ask.

9. “Burgundy Shoes” by Patty Griffin, from Children Running Through
“You’re the most pretty lady in the world . . .”

Think back to your earliest childhood memory where everything was still pure and innocent, before you became jaded and cynical (or is that just me . . .)

10. “Not My Friend” by Norah Jones, from Not Too Late
“You seem really glad that I am sad”

This song is about a refusal to forgive someone, and personally, I see no problem with that.

11. “All I Need” by Radiohead, from In Rainbows
“I only stick with you because there are no others”

At some point in a relationship, one will take the other for granted, and then the whole thing hinges on someone’s willingness (or reluctance) to be forsaken.

12. “Start A War” by The National, from Boxer
“Do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up, and leave?”

After much deliberation, I’ve concluded that this song is about the fact that pain and suffering always linger well beyond the finite ends offered by wills or judgments.

13. “Your Parents’ Living Room” by Shout Out Louds, from Our Ill Wills
“Where the attention comes from depends on how much I care”

A simple song of nostalgia versus present day, and wondering why it all can’t just be like it was before . . .

14. “Midnight Coward” by Stars, from In Our Bedroom After the War
“I can always trust as much as you deceive”

This is an ode to an evening’s optimistic uphill climb that leads to a pinnacle of a one-night stand, followed by the inevitable awkward descent the next morning.

15. “Lifeline” by Angels & Airwaves, from I-Empire
“I see panic in those eyes”

I think this guy is in denial, but who am I to shatter someone’s dream? Good luck to you, sir.

16. “Please Don’t Go” by William Fitzsimmons, from Goodnight
“. . . I don’t believe your protest, that you swear you didn’t know . . .”

This is a gut wrenching account of a little boy trying to dispel the simplest of reasons given for his father’s departure, because he’s too young to understand that his father just didn’t want anything to do him.

17. “Oxygen” by Colbie Caillat, from Coco
“and so I found a state of mind where I could be speechless”

Consequences be damned! She is telling it like it is, although I think she’s being a little pushy with the whole empty ring finger reference . . .

18. “If You Were Here” by Cary Brothers, from Who You Are
“If you were here, I could deceive you”

Who would have thought this 80’s synth classic from The Thompson Twins would translate so well into a folk version cover? Well, obviously, I do.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of November 26, 2007

2007-11-28T12:23:00.001-05:00

Finally, some newer releases worthy of note. The last couple of weeks have been pretty sparse.

1. Angels & Airwaves - I-Empire (2007)

I know that Angels & Airwaves should be everything I'm against, but they're not. In fact, I am an unjustifiably huge fan of this band. I hated Blink 182 and The Offspring, of which former members comprise half of A&A. I hate songs with a positive message. I hate jangly guitars. And yet, I listen. Highlights include "Lifeline" and "True Love".

2. Shout Out Louds - Our Ill Wills (2007)

Another iTunes chance-upon that paid off. Think The Cure's "The Head on the Door" recorded in 2007, and there you have it. I was all happy about the great lyric in "You Are Dreaming" where he sings "If you think that I'm still thinking of you, you're dreaming" until I listened further and determined it's more of a defiant denial than a declaration of independence. Farmer Ted said it best when he said "Do you know how many times a week I go without lunch because some bitch borrows my lunch money? Y'know, any halfway decent girl can rob me blind, because I'm too torqued up to say no." Yeah, something like that.

3. One Republic - Dreaming Out Loud (2007)

This one is actually on life support. I heard just enough the first time through to grant it clemency for another listen, but it's fading fast. I was drawn in by the Imogen Heap-esque intro to the opening track "Say Anything (All I Need)", but the rest fails to live up. At least the band's own version of "Apologize" is tolerable, unlike the Timbaland version. How do you seal the fate of a marginal-at-best pop song? Let a hip-hop artist remix it!

4. October Project - October Project (1993)

This album is simply ethereal. The synth-folk arrangements are lush and epic, and the vocals of Mary Gauthier are angelic. If this album was wine, it would be a pinot grigio - light, semi-sweet, and intoxicating.

5. 10,000 Maniacs - Our Time In Eden (1992)

The tracks "Eden" and "Jezebel" are two of the greatest pop songs I've heard. This album was their peak - a bold statement considering the greatness of 1987's "In My Tribe". I liked Natalie Merchant's solo work once she left the band, but I would have much prefered 3 more 10,000 Maniacs albums with her instead of the albums they made without her. They were a legitimately talented band, as chronicled on the MTV Unplugged live album from 1993.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of November 19, 2007

2007-11-20T12:18:00.000-05:00

This week's offering of despair contains a Vox Acerbus first - the inclusion of a podcast. I am so cutting edge, you get paper cuts while you read my blog.

1. The National - NPR Concert Podcast (2007)

If I can't get enough of this amazing band, then neither will you. I found this podcast on iTunes this morning, and it is a pleasant rememberance of the show I attended this fall. You can get the podcast here (if you have iTunes), and it's free. Nice.

2. Shawn Colvin - Cover Girl (1994)

I appreciate her songwriting talent more than anyone, but I also appreciate her interpretations of the music of others. The most notable here is the cover of Talking Heads' "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)". Stripped down, it becomes one of the most beautiful songs ever written.

3. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero (2007)

It should come as no surprise that I find NIN to be quite soothing. My favorite track from this album is "In This Twilight". The words are sung in major key and sound quite bright, accompanied by the music that sounds like someone shoved a blade through your ear and is slowly scraping away the inside of your skull.

4. Tori Amos - Tales From A Librarian (2003)

The cool thing about this collection from Tori Amos is that it isn't just a compilation of singles. The songs were selected by Amos, not the label, and in almost all cases, they have been remixed or rerecorded. In most cases, the changes are so subtle that a casual listener wouldn't pick up on them, but trust me - they are there. I have always thought that "Winter" and "Silent All These Years" are gorgeous songs. The dance remix version of "Professional Widow" was a mistake, but the remainder of the album is well worth your while.

5. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin (2007)

Sad to say I missed their 2006 album "Everything All The Time", but not this year, dammit. The opening track, "Is There A Ghost?" sounds like it could open some early 80's anthem rock album before it evolves, and "No One's Gonna Love You" is one of the rare love songs I can get behind because it's written within the realm of reason instead of hollow impossibilities.

I'm out-
KWass

And The New Name Is . . . Vox Acerbus

2007-11-19T11:59:00.000-05:00

I finally came up with something I consider not only accurate, but borderline clever.

Vox acerbus, loosely translated, is "bitter voice", and who's more bitter than me?

Now, I've been asked on more than one occasion, "why are you so damn bitter?". And the answer is quite simple: it's none of your damn business, and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs.

Not really. I just like to say that. Although, technically, I wrote it, but if you want to argue semantics, then you can just take your ass down the road by clicking the "next blog" link at the top of this page.

Not really. But sometimes, you need to be taken down a notch and be told, straight out, that you are not the cat's ass like you think, and that's what I'm here for. Most of the time, I am right, and you are not.

Not really. But that goes without saying doesn't it? You want to be right? Then write your own blog. You want to be wrong? Then keep reading mine.

Not really. But you keep coming back, right? Why? I'll tell you. Because I am the vinegar in your sugary world. Remember my rant about the coloring books? It's true. Without a little sour, the sweetness becomes to much to bear.

Think of me as your own personal Col. Nathan Jessep. Because my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves boredom. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on this blog. You need me on this blog. And I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very blog that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you take up a blog, and write a post.

Really.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of November 12, 2007

2007-11-16T12:21:00.000-05:00

There wasn't much on the new release front this week (at least that I've heard yet) so I am going retro in this week's offering of pain and suffering. Hey - if you are depending on me for the freshest content, than you are just an idiot beyond explanation.

1. Dido - Life for Rent (2003)

I wasn't much on the "White Flag" single at first, but the title track is mesmerizing, and the creepy love song "Don't Leave Home" smacks of unhealthy co-dependency with such heartwarming lines like "So close the blinds and shut the door, you won't need other friends anymore" and "So you won't be leaving, will you?".

Yes, that was all one sentence.

2. Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach - Painted From Memory (1998)

How about lyrical gems like "but now I fill my life up with all that I can to deaden this sensation" from the song "This House is Empty Now"? Or "those eyes I tried to capture, they are lost to me now forever, they smile for someone else" from the title track?

Such sadness. Such misery. Such bliss. (Yep - a paradox. You had better recognize.)

3. Patty Larkin - Red = Luck (2003)

One of the more vivid folk albums I've heard. Lyrical imagery adds a visual aspect to the aural, and the result is amazing. Larkin sings "Inside your painting, I'm cadmium yellow, I'm walking across the green" on the track "Inside Your Painting", and I imagine a canvas. Uncanny. But you know I can't abide an album without lament, so I proffer the following from the song "Italian Shoes", where she crushes you with "You could tell me 'I love you', like that's supposed to mean something. I mean, I could always say 'I love you' too, and it wouldn't mean a thing to me."

Damn.

4. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)

As if the idea of love as an illusion needed reinforcement, "Tiny Vessels" brings such pain as "this is the moment that you know, that you told her that you loved her but you don't" and "so one last touch and then you'll go, and we'll pretend that it meant something so much more".

The song "Title & Registration" takes an automobile-laden motif journey to the same conclusion: "there's no blame for how our love did slowly fade, and now that it's gone it's like it wasn't there at all, and here i rest where disappointment and regret collide".

5. The Cure - Disintegration (1989)

Aside from the fact that this is among the most essential albums of all-time, you must also remember that Robert Smith is the unprecedented Uber Moper. Nothing will cheer you up like the opening track "Plainsong" and this light-hearted line: "and it's so cold, it's like the cold if you were dead, and then you smiled for a second".

And I leave with you this from the song "Untitled" - "another time undone, hopelessly fighting the devil, futility, feeling the monster climb deeper inside of me, feeling him gnawing my heart away hungrily, i'll never lose this pain . . ."

And you thought YOU had it rough.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of November 6, 2007

2007-11-08T12:20:00.000-05:00

OK, so I've had some difficulty with the tunes in my cubicle lately. First, my trusty 3rd Gen 20GB iPod finally bought the farm after 3 1/2 years of daily and constant use. I get the "!" and the file folder on the main screen, and I spent about 2 hours trying everything that apple.com said to try, but to no avail. Maybe Santa will bring me a 160GB bad boy for Xmas, but sometimes I get into mischief, so I'm not banking on it.

So, I burned a few MP3 CD's and I run them through Windows Media Player on my laptop. Not very efficient, but better than the Lite Rock 99 WFMK crap from over the wall.

Then, my $20 Computer Associates speakers developed a short in the cable and now the left speaker cuts in and out unless I find the perfect position for the cable and anchor it down. Today it's draped over the phone and looped through a staple remover.

Next week I am going to hire Brian Vander Ark to play my cubicle. Hey - he played backyards and living rooms all summer, so why not a cubicle?

Through all of that adversity, I still have some pretty stellar tunes to report.

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)

In a word - brilliant. I am entranced by "All I Need", and "House of Cards" and "Videotape" are sonic hypnotism.

2. The National - Alligator (2005)

No - I can't let go of The National. This is a different album than this year's "Boxer" that I've been forcing on you recently, but it's just as good. Highlights include "Baby, We'll Be Fine" with the charming lamentation of "I'm so sorry for everything" in the refrain, and "All The Wine", with the matter of fact assertion that "All the wine is all for me".

3. Griffin House - Flying Upside Down (2007)

This was an iTunes impulse buy. I'm glad I'm impulsive. Lyrics are critical, and House had enough lines in the 30 second samples to reel me in, including "I can take a punch and I don't mind to bleed, as long as afterwards you feel bad for me" from the cleverly titled "The Guy That Says Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind" and "She's out of my league, and that's the kind of girl I need" from the song "Let Me In".

I'm out-
KWass

Name This Blog

2007-10-12T12:51:00.000-04:00

I have changed the name of this thing many, many times, and I am still not happy with it.

It must be a term that will become synonymous with the site. People at the coffee pot in the office will say "Did you read X last night?", and others will know what they are talking about. It must be a blend of cynicism and sarcasm, because contrary to Ferris Bueller, "isms" in my opinion ARE good. It must be profound and prophetic, rooted in melancholy but capable of a sheepish grin. Above all, it must not mention or give credence to clowns.

It must be a paradox. I love paradoxes. I find them whimsical.

In the coming weeks and months, the posts will become more detailed and touch on an expanded range of topics. So far, the posts are all quickly written in a matter of minutes and posted immediately when they are done. The posts I have been writing at length will soon see the light of day, including a chapter from the book idea I've been knocking around for a year or so. It's a middle chapter, because I don't know how it will start or end. I'm just writing from the center and seeing where I end up.

So, with all that being said, I propose that you, the reader, offer up suggestions to give this page a right and proper moniker. Leave a comment with a few ideas, and we'll see if we can't give this page an identity. A name has eluded me, and opening the page is like a backhand to my ego. A virtual bitch slap, if you will.

Ponder that.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of October 8, 2007

2007-10-08T12:04:00.000-04:00

Here are the sounds wafting from my cubicle for the week of October 8, 2007.

1. Colbie Caillat – Coco (2007)

I am a little tardy on this one (it was released in July), but better late than never. I really like this album. I compare her to Mindy Smith – a soft and pretty voice, good lyrics, and a pop-folk sound. I am transfixed by “Battle”, and I love the lament of “Midnight Bottle”.

2. Minnie Driver – Seastories (2007)

I assure you that this album is not the pointless over-produced drivel of another movie star actress. Driver is the real deal and delivers a stellar folk-pop record. The opening track, “Stars & Satellites”, is the standout here, and features one of my favorite lyrics of the year so far: “If love is the answer you seek, you’re asking the wrong kinds of questions.” Great stuff.

3. Kathleen Edwards – Failer (2003)

I stumbled across this album one day while digging through the used CD’s at Elderly Instruments here in Lansing. I didn’t know anything about her then, but I am a huge fan now. The songs span a range of folk, pop, alt-country, and rock, and there is some really innovative sound experimentation as well. The droning feedback strings at the end of “Sweet Little Duck” are very cool.

4. Kings of Convenience – Riot on an Empty Street (2004)

Kings of Convenience are the Simon & Garfunkel for the 21st century. It’s an album of melancholic acoustic pop. The opener, “Homesick” is gorgeous. “I’d Rather Dance With You” features a brutally honest statement (“I’d rather dance with you than talk with you”), but the standout here is the album closing “The Build Up”, a duet with Canadian pop star Feist, who is now well-known for her song “1,2,3,4” that is featured in the current ad campaign for the video iPod Nano.

5. Leonard Cohen – The Essential Leonard Cohen (2002)

This is a collection that spans the range of his entire career (1967 to 2001), and while the style may have changed over those 30+ years, he remains a poet and prophet who takes the most difficult subjects and breaks them down into the simplest and most miserable form. An icon for folk and pop music alike, and no collection is complete without it.

I'm out-
KWass

Concert Review - The National @ Madison Theater, Covington, KY

2007-10-04T12:32:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 23, 2007

I have been entranced by The National since I bought the Boxer album a few month ago.

On the album, the songs are powerful but controlled, constantly rising and falling but never exceeding their aural capacity. In concert, it was amazing to hear the songs become so intense and be presented on an entirely different level.

I had an uptempo number like "Squalor Victoria" or "Brainy" pegged for the opener, but was surprised with the opening chords of "Start A War". Surprised, but surely not disappointed. It didn't take long for the song to take on its concert persona and test the limits of the room. Apparently, the walls of the Madison Theater weren't up to the task, as lead singer Matt Berninger commented that he couldn't tell if he was singing in time with the drummer or the echo coming from the back wall.

For me, the highlight of the show was "Baby,We'll Be Fine" from the Alligator album, with Berninger screaming the chorus (in perfect pitch) "I'm so sorry for everything" with raw angst as the band built to a fever pitch behind him. It was the perfect example of the great difference between the studio and the stage, and how both versions could be equally appreciated.

Here is the set list:

Start A War
Mistaken For Strangers
Secret Meeting
Brainy
Baby, We'll Be Fine
Slow Show
Squalor Victoria
Abel
All the Wine
Racing Like A Pro
Ada
Apartment Story
Daughters of the Soho Riots
Fake Empire
About Today
Encores:
Green Gloves
Mr. November

Here is a photo of the show, courtesy of user chrisglass of Flickr.com.

And finally, here is a clip from the show I found on You Tube - check them out playing "Apartment Story" from the Boxer album. The sound isn't great, but it's still pretty cool.

I'm out-
KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of October 1, 2007

2007-10-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

There have been no cubicle tunes posts in recent weeks. That is because I haven't been in my cubicle in recent weeks. Stands to reason, yes?

Now I'm back, and here is the solid gold that is eminating from my iPod this week.

1. Joni Mitchell - Shine (2007)

I didn't even know this album was coming out, but I found it on iTunes and it is amazing. It has more of a sonic new age feel than her previous work, especially the title track. The remake of "Big Yellow Taxi" is disappointing and out of place, but the remainder of the album is pure bliss.

2. Stars - In Our Bedroom After the War (2007)

Another iTunes experiment that paid off. A great pop record with melancholy sprinkled throughout, especially the somewhat wrenching tale of a personal ad gone wrong in "Personal" or the emotional toll of a one-night stand in "Midnight Coward". I regret not going to see them last month when they played at Calvin College in Grand Rapids.

3. Holly Williams - The Ones We Never Knew (2004)

A very sullen and intimate collection of painful songs about human introspection and vulnerability. It's ballad heavy, but the instrumentation is unique and creates a different mood for each song. An absolutely brilliant album worthy of your time and attention.

4. The National - Boxer (2007)

Yes, this album is featured prominently in this series, but that should tell you something. The album has some songs with semi-tempo, but most of it is a slow burn that you keep waiting to explode but never does. Filled with such anti-emotion as "You might need me more than you think you will" and "Do you really think you can put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up, and leave?", there's plenty of blame and prophecy to go around. It's getting late in the year, and this is my front runner for best album of 2007.

5. Damien Rice - O (2003)

It is only fitting that a painful song like "The Blower's Daughter" would play in the opening scene of the film Closer. Closer evokes a pretty strong emotional response if you've been in that situation, and the song speaks to the throwaway nature of modern relationships. The string arrangements are gorgeous, and the epic "Eskimo" is a folk-opera in itself.

I'm out-

KWass

Lyric of the Week - September 24, 2008

2007-09-26T13:07:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I dwell on the melancholy side of music. I find sad songs comforting and real.

One of my favorites is "Solace" by a-ha, from the 2002 album Lifelines.

The true beauty of the song is its utter simplicity. There are no metaphors or underlying notions. The tone is simply this: life is sad, and it is so for everyone. Hope is fleeting, and happiness is an illusion.

Regrets are the real basis of life. Nobody admits to having them, but the truth is, people aren't guided by plans or goals, but by the mistakes they've made and their fear of repeating them.

"Cold stars of the future burn bright in the past,
These moments of solace, they won't last,
They don't last."

People don't live life - they avoid it.

"Your wasting the moment, biding your time,
No one got ahead standing in line"

And finally, the fool's hope that someday it will all be better.

"You're hoping for solace,
Well, just look around,
Everyone here is standing in line."

I'm in line, probably all the way at the back, and I'm guessing you are too.

I'm out-

KWass

Lyric of the Week - August 27, 2007

2007-08-30T12:25:00.001-04:00

I am also going to move the lyric of the week from the sidebar list into an actual post. Again, it affords an opportunity for you, the reader, to get some insight into why a lyric grabbed my attention. Maybe it will even shed some light on why I am so damn bitter all the time.

This week's emotional beatdown comes courtesy of Canadian folkie Sarah Harmer, from her song "Greeting Card Aisle", featured on the album All Of Our Names (2004). Apparently, our hero has called her, literally, from a greeting card aisle, and offered some store-bought sentiment/apology for his supposed crimes. Suffice it to say, it backfired.

She responds to one of his Hallmark nicknames with the following:

"Well, this Light of Your Life has drawn the blind."

and then, to kick him whilst he's down, she adds:

"The wind from the river will swirl like a scream and wrap itself around you,
There may be a friend somewhere down the road, but from here you have to walk it out alone"

Oh snap.

Not only does he get dumped, he gets a pox placed upon him and ostracized at the same time. I don't really feel that summoning the elements to increase the suffering was warranted, but hey - it's their journey.

The artist and the album

A greeting card aisle, site of the alleged insincerity

I'm out -

KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of August 27, 2007

2007-08-27T11:58:00.001-04:00

I am trying something new with the cubicle tunes list this week. This used to be over on the right side column as a "quick-hitter" type of list. There was no room to explain why a particular album, especially an older one, was getting played. Maybe you're interested, maybe you're not, but I think it relevant.

1. Faithlift - Spirit of the West (1994)

Spirit of the West is a folk-rock band from Canada. I was driving around Detroit and listening to a radio station called The River, and I was shocked (and pleased) to hear "And If Venice is Sinking". I hadn't heard SOTW in a long time, and I quickly loaded the 4 albums I have onto the iPod.

2. Home Again, Home Again (EP) - Hem (2007)

Anyone who reads this with any regularity knows that Hem is one of my favorite bands. "The Part Where You Let Go" is another beautiful Hem track, and is used in the current ad campaign for Liberty Mutual Insurance.

3. St. Vincent - Marry Me (2007)

St. Vincent is multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark. I think of her as a folk version of Kate Bush. I wanted to hear her music because she is opening for The National on their current US tour, and I am seeing them in Cincinnati (well, Covington, KY anyway) on September 23.

4. Brian Vander Ark - Live At Eddie's Attic (2006)

Brian performs with pianist Randy Sly on this outstanding live recording. I saw the pair at the Kraftbrau Brewery in Kalamazoo back in June, and this album is a nice reminder of how great that show was. I've been working on a post about that show for a couple of months now, and I need to get it finished.

5. Shawn Colvin - Fat City (1992)

As you've read before, I never go long between listenings of Colvin's body of work. "Orion in the Sky" is one my all time favorite songs. This album also features the gorgeous and emotionally wrenching "Monopoly". If you knew falling in love would ever do that to you, you'd never do it.

I'm out-

KWass

Comcast Sucks Ass

2007-08-23T21:08:00.001-04:00

Comcast is the suckiest company ever.

These bastards owe me a credit of $190, and they've owed it since April of 2006. And now, they say it's been so long, they don't have records that far back.

WTF???

So now, I will use my blog to openly mock and ridicule them until they get their shit together. How ironic - I use the service they provide to take them down a notch. Kind of like making them eat their own poop. Or, kind of like beating a clown with his own big ass shoe (see, I wasn't kidding in that earlier post, was I?)

Back in June, 2005, I moved into an apartment and transferred service from my previous address. Then they overcharged me $15 a month for 10 months (until April, 2006), at which time I caught on to their shenanigans and called them out on it. To date, not dime one has been credited. So that's the first $150, but it gets better.

I am a pretty patient guy, so I only called them every few months to find out why I hadn't seen the ducats yet. Each time I was told it was "in the notes" and would be processed. And then one day, I come home to find my service disconnected. Apparently, the "notes" people don't get along with the "disconnect" people over there. It was probably because the "notes" people cracked on the "disconnects" mama by calling her a stank ass ho, but that's neither here nor there. I don't care if someone's mama is ho'in' - all I know is I can't watch Wheel of Fortune. Not only that, being $190 in the red, I can't even buy the vowels I need to solve the puzzle "C_mc_st S_cks _ss". Anyway, I called to bitch and they restored the service, but still didn't issue the credit.

And now, the service disconnection has become a monthly ritual. Every month, around the 22nd or so, they shut my service off. And every month, I call and waste 45 minutes chewing some $7/hour punk's ass. Until last month, when I was finally able to talk to a MANAGER. Finally, I thought, some resolution. He goes through my history and tells me the reasons my bills are always high is because I was charged for the "throw ins" I'd been offered whenever I'd threatened to cancel. So apparently, a peace offering at Comcast means charge people for services they never even asked for! So, he summons the managerial power granted to him by Comcast On High and throws me a bone - a $40 "instant credit" to get my service restored - and PRESTO, my service comes back on immediately.

So, today . . . . my service is disconnected again! So I look at my bill. Not only is the $150 credit not there, but neither is the $40 "instant credit". So I pop a Midol (this call occurs monthly now, like a period, so I thought it might take the edge off before I dialed the phone) and dial 1-800-COMCAST. Actually, I didn't dial it. It's on speed dial.

And now I know - the credit hasn't been issued because the "notes" don't go that far back on the system! (Oddly enough, they can still see that pay-per-view porn movie I "accidentally" ordered back in 2002 - go figure.) If I want that credit, I'm told, I have to go to my local Comcast office and "help them find it in the archives". Never mind that NO ONE I have ever talked to has been in my local office. If this information was on a sidewalk on a cold winter's morning, it would be steaming.

So I pay my bill (minus $190, of course, so they can shut me off again next month) to buy some time until I get back to town to visit the local office to do some prospectin' in the archives. But first, I am going to have some Taco Bell and a 6-pack of Pabst. And a Midol - goes without saying, doesn't it? And then, when I get there, I am going to ask to use the rest room. You mess with the bull, you get the horns. They can't find my credit, but I'll bet they know where the plunger is.

Here's the kicker - when I asked why the credit wasn't issued in the first place, I was told that a phone rep probably entered the note but that a manager never "approved" the transaction. So, a Comcast rep can offer the sun, moon, stars, and a night with the "disconnects" mama at a rate substantially below street value, but if the supervisor doesn't approve it later, it just disappears (cue "Dust In The Wind") like it never happened.

So, if they can't produce it, I am paying my next bill in person - with a sock full of quarters. Stay tuned . . .

I'm out-

KWass

Coloring Books

2007-08-21T19:13:00.000-04:00

I color in coloring books, and most times I stay all the way inside the lines, but sometimes I go outside the lines, and you know what? I don't apologize for it. Not now. Not ever.

Who gives the coloring book publisher the right to tell me what parts of the page need to be filled in? Your bold black lines can't limit the vision and scope of my imagination. Your sketch is merely a suggestion, and my $0.99 purchase price gives me the inherent if not full legal right to complete the scene as I see fit. What if I want to add busted liquor bottles and spent jimmies to a street scene to represent rampant urban blight and decay? Life isn't always kites and rainbows and flowers. Sometimes, life is busted liquor bottles and spent jimmies.

And you know who else thinks they hold the patent on colorful creativity? Those asshole "color by number" publishers, that's who. Not only do I have to stay in their lines, but I have to color it the way they want it colored? Well, color me "pissed". If the leaves on the tree are marked with a "2" and the guide says "2" is green, but I feel the essence of the drawing is more autumn and I want to use red, orange and yellow, well then sir, I will see you in court.

You can't copyright me.

I'm out-

KWass

Fruit at the Bottom, Anger on Top

2007-08-06T09:59:00.000-04:00

I enjoy a good yogurt. All kinds, all flavors. It’s nutritious and delicious. And it’s convenient. No preparation necessary. Open the lid, and you are spoon deep in velvety fruit goodness, unless your container is marked fruit-at-the-bottom.

Fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt is an unfinished product. They put the fruit in, they put the yogurt in, and then they quit. Why should I, the consumer, the end-user, have to blend the fruit-at-the-bottom into the rest of the yogurt? Why can’t it be fruit-at-the-top? Then, when I open it, I won’t have to see multiple layers of laziness. I won’t have to throw up a little in my mouth when I see the watery milky slime on the top. I won’t have to question whether I’ve adequately prepared the yogurt after I stir it for 5 minutes and it’s still white. Shouldn’t strawberry yogurt turn pink? Blueberry blue?

I buy yogurt because I DON’T want to make it. In this day and age of highly mechanized food preparation, they can’t mix it up even just a little? The fruit shouldn’t be at the bottom, or the top, or in the middle. It should be “fruit throughout”, and they should put it there – not me. Modern science allows microwavable meals, with MEAT in them, that require NO freezing or refrigeration, and yet I have to imagine my spoon as a little tiny boat oar so I can row myself to my culinary destination? I think not.

I will no longer support this half-ass dairy product.

I’m out –

KWass

Clowns

2007-07-28T17:48:00.000-04:00

I seriously despise clowns. It's not coulrophobia (the official term for fear of clowns), because they don't scare me, and I didn't have a traumatic clown episode as a child. I think they are sinister, have alterior motives, and are hiding behind the wig and makeup and silly clothes, not to mention the shoes. Why do all clowns think that big ass feet are funny? It WOULD be funny, however, if I was giving a clown a beatdown with one of his own big ass shoes (which is on my list of things to do before I die, BTW).

This is what should happen to all clowns.

I'm out-

KWass

Little League Baseball

2007-06-19T12:06:00.000-04:00

A short while ago I shot some video of my son Alex playing baseball for his team, Dewitt Grey. He has played 6 games in the last 2 weeks, so that should explain the lack of posting on my part lately. They are 6-0 and Alex is having a pretty decent year at the plate.

Here are a few video clips from his game on June 11, 2007. Bear in mind that I shot these with the video function on my not-so-expensive digital camera, but they still turned out OK.

At bat #1 - Alex lines a base hit to right field

At bat #2 - First pitch base hit

At bat #3 - Alex walks, then scores from first on the next hitter's RBI double

I'm out-

KWass

Cubicle Tunes - Week of May 28, 2007

2007-05-29T12:48:00.001-04:00

A word about this week's cubicle tunes . . .

I know Brian Vander Ark has been featured already, but I have him in the rotation this week because I am going to see him again on June 2 at the Kraftbrau Brewery in Kalamazoo. I saw him April 5 at the Magic Bag in Ferndale and it was a phenomenal show. Besides, they are tremendous albums and quite worthy of frequent listening anyway.

Admittedly, I never gave much thought to Stephen Stills until I found out he was a primary influence on Ray LaMontagne. I'm glad I went back and found some of his stuff, because it really is great.

I remain completely blown away by the beauty and brilliance of the song "Hymn" by Duncan Sheik, but the White Limousine album as a whole is also worthy of note.

I never go too long without some Shawn Colvin. Nobody should. Whole New You was the album that opened up the whole folk/singer-songwriter genre for me, so the album holds a special place for me.

Concert Review - Patty Griffin @ Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

2007-05-08T12:55:00.000-04:00

Friday, April 27, 2007 @ Calvin College Fine Arts Center, 9 PM

Contemporary folk artist/singer-songwriter Patty Griffin is a paradox. Petite woman, booming pipes. Smartly attired in a pretty dress and high heeled shoes, but able to stomp around the stage when the tempo carries her away. Angelic voice behind a piano on a softly sung ballad, then commanding the concert hall without a microphone.

One thing I love about her music is that, despite its tremendous beauty, the songs are actually quite melancholy. (Hey! Another paradox!) I love melancholy. Her lyrics paint a very sad picture, and I love a miserable song.

As expected, the set was dominated by songs from her latest album, Children Running Through, highlighted by a stunning rendition of "Burgundy Shoes". Other new album standouts included "No Bad News", featuring guitarist Doug Lancio on the five-gallon plastic bucket, and very spirited performance of "Getting Ready", one of the album's few up tempo numbers.

The set also drew heavily from 2004's Impossible Dream, including the gorgeous ballads "Kite", "Useless Desires", and "When It Don't Come Easy".

Her band was outstanding and, despite a stage appearance of sparse instrumentation, their versatility provided more than enough support. The horn arrangements present on the albums were filled in sonically through Lancio's wizardry, and the cello of Bryn Davies added a moody layer to the ballads. Griffin moved effortlessly between the piano and her guitars.

Griffin has a voice that translates into the mood of the song she is singing. It was playful during the almost spoken "Stay on the Ride", growled during "Getting Ready", and lifted softly during "Burgundy Shoes". Although her voice is powerful, she used it sparingly and perfectly, only letting it go when the song called for it. For her, the voice is an element of the songs as a whole, and not just a crutch to rely on or use to cover for an otherwise average song.

I anxiously await the opportunity to see this remarkable musician perform again.

Below are some pictures from the show, courtesy of pattygriffin.net.

I'm out-

KWass

Notes On The Current Listening for April 30, 2007

2007-05-01T12:40:00.000-04:00

This week's current listening is the entire body of work by contemporary folk artist Patty Griffin. I was in the crowd at her AMAZING concert last Friday night (April 27) at the Calvin College Fine Arts Center.

Hearing her live made me want to go back and revisit her earlier stuff, and her entire catalogue has been on a repeated playlist on my iPod since the show.

I will post a review of the show itself in the coming days, but in the meantime, do yourself a favor and discover some of her absolutely brilliant music on your own.

I'm out -
KWass

The Blog Formerly Known As Blog This!

2007-04-23T22:50:00.000-04:00

Welcome to All Things Meaningless, the new home and new name of the blog formerly known as Blog This!. My brother is retiring the websites from his domain (wassom.net), because we weren't doing anything more over there than we can do on a free site like this one. I say that like I had anything to do with it. He sent me an e-mail with a link to this site and pretty much said "here's your new blog site".

Well. There it is.

The old site, http://www.blogthis.wassom.net/, will remain up for a while as I move content from there into the archives here and people get used to the new address. Yes, people actually read this. You're reading it right now. Dumbass.

It will take me some time to get use to the features and possibilities of this site, so bear with me. Soon I will be ranting, waxing, lamenting, and spewing like always.

I'm out -

KWass

Blog This! Best of 2006 - Further Listening

2006-12-19T12:38:00.000-05:00

*NOTE* This was originally published at my old site under the former name in December, 2006.

First - a word about the title phrase “further listening”. I stole it. And where did I get it? From the Pet Shop Boys, who inspired this post and the subsequent volume to the Blog This! Best of 2006.

Some years ago, the Pet Shop Boys reissued all of their albums and added “Further Listening” to all of the titles. The reissues included a second disc with remixes, b-sides, and songs from the recording sessions that didn’t make it onto the album.

Then, a few days ago, I was listening to the opening track of this collection, “Numb”, and thought to myself that it should have been included on my first collection, and alas, an idea was born.

So here it is - the second disc of “further listening” to the Blog This! Best of 2006.

As you recall, lyrics were a significant determining factor in the original volume. The same holds true here, because life is too short to listen to songs with stupid, shitty, and meaningless lyrics. Five minutes of Black Eyed Peas or Danity Kane is five minutes you’ll never get back, and it all adds up. Think about that.

1. “Numb” by Pet Shop Boys, from Fundamental
“I want the world to leave me alone”

This is one of those rare Pet Shop Boys tracks that’s straight ahead - no quirky synth fills or pseudo-disco rhythms or odd titles like 1999’s “You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk”. It’s simple, lush, and undeniably miserable.

2. “Maybe Someday” by Richard Butler, from Richard Butler
“Half the time, don’t know if awake or I’m asleep. Half the time, I don’t even care.”

My life in the opening line of the song - why say anything more?

3. “Lesson Learned” by Ray LaMontagne, from Till The Sun Turns Black
“All those lies were truth, and all that was false was fact”

Been there. Done that. ‘Nuff said.

4. “You Could Be Happy” by Snow Patrol, from Eyes Open
“. . . all the things that I wished I had not said . . .”

Unfortunately, life is full of regrets. Snow Patrol wrote an amazing song about them. The same phrasing in 8 verses with no chorus makes this song unique.

5. “They Sail Away” by Sean Watkins, from Blinders On
“But moments, they sail away and never come back”

Sean Watkins wrote this song to be used in the final episode of the TV show “Friends” - and they didn’t use it. Just goes to prove that it really was a stupid show all along.

6. “Hotel Fire” by Hem, from Funnel Cloud
“a broken home, a hotel fire”

Dan Messe of Hem said “I always feel like being in love is like being in a room on fire. If the love lasts, it’s like being in a room on fire. If it doesn’t last, it’s like being in a hotel on fire. So ‘Hotel Fire’ seemed like a good divorce song title.” Don't I know it.

7. “Funnel Cloud” by Hem, from Funnel Cloud

“Until a painted back drop rises up and . . . blows your world away”

Hem creates absolute beauty and meaning in every song. Every moment of your life is meant to pick you up and carry you forward - whether you want to go with it or not.

8. “Hang On” by Guster, from Ganging Up On The Sun
“Maybe someone’s writing chapters for us while we sleep”

A song about how no matter how much we think we have under our control, its what we don’t know that sneaks up and kicks us right square in the ass.

9. “Pendulum” by Garrison Starr, from The Sound Of You & Me
“You’re a hard brick wall, baby tell me did I break through at all?”

The percussion is a constant “tick tock” and lends vivid imagery to a beautiful track - a song about lost love and the constant back and forth of human emotion.

10. “Rootless Tree” by Damien Rice, from 9
“We go blind when we needed to see”

Damien Rice’s voice adds an element of rage to a string and guitar arrangement that waivers between the calm and the storm - a powerful song about one who surrenders but can’t escape.

11. “Maybe You’re Right” by Barenaked Ladies, from Barenaked Ladies Are Me
“Shall I take back everything I’ve ever said and live my whole life in silence instead?”

A catharsis, like watching 2 of your friends have a bitter fight but letting it go because it needs to happen.

12. “Shout Out Loud” by Amos Lee, from Supply & Demand
“. . . everybody’s got somebody to blame, but we all must find our own way”

In spite of appearances, everyone goes through periods when they feel like they are lost and all alone.

13. “Start The Machine” by Angels & Airwaves, from We Don’t Need To Whisper
“I laid them out in stone in case they need to last forever”

The child-like piano adds an element of innocence to an emotion that even adults can’t understand. Love is nothing without risk, and here, the relationship is doomed to failure from the beginning.

14. “Hymn” by Duncan Sheik, from White Limousine
“All the storms and oceans, all the sheltering sky, all this earth and she and I”

The instances in life that seem the most insignificant are often the most important. This song is utterly atmospheric - ethereal without being empty.

15. ”Nothing But Time” by Brian Vander Ark, from Angel, Put Your Face On
“There was one heartbreak that led to a hundred little mistakes”

The end is merely the beginning of the downward spiral that inevitably follows . . .

I’m out-
KWass

The Blog This! Best of 2006

2006-10-29T12:24:00.000-05:00

*Note: This was originally published on the old site under the old name on October 29, 2006.

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” - Victor Hugo

The key criteria for me in compiling this list is lyrics, and that’s why a line from each one is included in the notes. A song has to have a lyric that affects me somehow, that catches my attention at first listen, and that makes me relate the song to an aspect of my life. It makes my list personal, and what’s the point of making one if it doesn’t mean anything to you? Anyone can replicate the charts, and there may be someone out there whose life is summarized in the Billboard Top 40, although I doubt it.

I won’t elaborate much on what each individual lyric means to me. You can listen and determine what they, or others, mean to you.

The songs are listed in random order.

And a note about the tempo (or lack thereof) of the songs - don’t ask me why, but as I get older, the songs get slower. I can’t explain it, but songs with fast tempos don’t resonate with me much anymore.

1. “Another Good Man” by Brian VanderArk, from Angel, Put Your Face On
“ he says my insides, well, the damage would astound me . . . i laughed, at least it left the outsides as it found me”

In the studio diary on his website, VanderArk says he is most proud of this track, calling it the “quintessential song on the record”. Piano, acoustic guitar, and gentle pedal steel lead you away from the mass production of the Verve Pipe and into the mind (and soul) of one the most gifted songwriters of our time. You can’t admonish a person for things beyond their control.

2. “The Adventure” by Angels & Airwaves, from We Don’t Need To Whisper
“I cannot live, I can’t breathe, unless you do this with me”

I picked this song for two reasons - for what it is, and what it isn’t. First, what it is - I love the transitions and differences. It’s fast, slow, sweeping, epic, and bare - all within 4 and 1/2 minutes. And second, what it isn’t - it’s not U2, despite what every review of the record would lead you to believe. There’s an Edge-esque guitar part at the beginning of this track, and all of a sudden The Edge owns the patent and A & A is ripping off The Joshua Tree. Please. I like it, and unlike U2 and the critics who would rate a Bono bowel movement 5 stars, I’m not too pretentious to admit it.

3. “Runaway Girl” by Sean Watkins, from Blinders On
“What if you thought you saw a ghost a hundred times a day”

Sean Watkins is 1/3 of Nickel Creek, and while this third solo album ventures from alt-bluegrass into indie alt-pop, I can imagine this song on Nickel Creek’s last album Why Should The Fire Die?. I first heard it on XM 45 while on a road trip last April, and it’s been in my head ever since. Sometimes the end is a beginning.

4. “Empty” by Ray LaMontagne, from Till The Sun Turns Black
“I never learned to count my blessings, I choose instead to dwell in my disasters”

In an interview, Ray LaMontagne said some of the songs he writes don’t have a life span, while others stay in his head and try to kill him. The same is true with the songs I hear. Some are immediately forgettable, and some of them, like this one, answer a question you never even knew you asked and haunt you forever. My life in a nutshell . . .

5. “Night Train” by Amos Lee, from Supply & Demand
“I’ll become one with the wind, where there isn’t a beginning and there is no end”

Amos Lee stands out from other singer-songwriters because of the absolute ease in which he performs his songs. I’m not saying the songs are simple - they are extremely well-crafted. It’s the way he makes it sound easy. There are some powerful moments on this record, and none of them are forced.

6. “Open Your Eyes” by Snow Patrol, from Eyes Open
“All this feels strange and untrue”

I almost went with ”Chasing Cars”, and it would have been a worthy choice. But, I simply couldn’t get away from this track. I’ve never heard a song that just keeps building like this one, and every time you think its reached its peak, it hasn’t. It leaves you all of 15 seconds at the end to catch your breath. Strings are usually just an accompaniment. Will you define the moment, or will the moment define you?

7. “Not Your Year” by The Weepies, from Say I Am You
“Your life feels like the morning after all year long”

All Music Guide says “The songs are simple and pretty and generally uplifting, basking in the glow of being happily smitten, but not blind to the misfortunes of others in the world.” Couldn’t have said it better myself, so I won’t. Theme song anyone???

8. “Shade & Honey” by Sparklehorse, from I Dreamt For Light Years in the Belly of A Mountain
“I’ll cry diamonds while you burn, cause no one here can save you”

Saying that Sparklehorse’s lyrics are highly intellectual is a gross understatement. I actually feel stupid after listening to them, because I know there’s so much I’m missing. But, the music is so cool, I can deal with the fact that it renders me a moron. Most are drawn from the works of literary giants like Shakespeare, Whitman, Baudelaire, and Dante. Musically, they have an alternative folk style that could be compared to pop acts Prefab Sprout or Architecture in Helsinki.

9. “Waterlily” by The Cottars, from Forerunner
“Darkness all around you like a shroud”

I was fortunate to catch The Cottars at the Great Lakes Folk Festival in East Lansing this past summer. The highlight of that show was a stunning cover of the Tom Waits classic “Briar & The Rose”. This track opens the Forerunner album, and if it doesn’t stir something inside you, then quite honestly, there is no hope for you.

10. “9 Crimes” by Damien Rice, from 9
“It’s a small crime and I’ve got no excuse”

Gorgeous misery. You can hear the affliction in the otherwise angelic voice of frequent collaborator Lisa Hannigan. A lyrical paradox - there is no greater crime.

11. “These Four Walls” by Shawn Colvin, from These Four Walls
“I’ve had enough and I’ve tried it all”

I hated “Sunny Came Home” from A Few Small Repairs (1996) until I heard “A Matter of Minutes” from Whole New You (2001), which ironically is about how long it took for me to became a huge fan of not only her work but the whole folk genre as well. Funny how five minutes can completely redefine you. Colvin calls this a “fighting to get out” song, and if you consider the fact that the walls might not be physical, it takes a pretty powerful turn.

12. ”Good Days, Bad Days” by Richard Butler, from Richard Butler
“I want to unsing every song, unwrite every line, unstep every step I’ve made”

What more can I say about this song than I already said here? Not much. Great stuff.

13. “Empire State” by Guster, from Ganging Up On the Sun
“Been one in a million, been a million to one”

Guster is an old friend of Blog This!. Like a building, relationships can be repaired, although sometimes it’s better to just knock down whatever’s left and start over. I’m not sure that this is the actual meaning behind the song, but it’s where I ended up with it.

14. “Out Loud” by Mindy Smith, from Long Island Shores
“Why should we stand in lonely shadows with so much light around?”

Mindy Smith has a voice that draws you in and the songs to keep you there. Her songs are deeply personal. You can hear her feelings coming through, and that makes her an artist as well as a singer - because there is a difference. She makes it sound like it’s possible to find what makes you happy and to be comfortable in your own skin. Not easy - but possible.

15. “I Still Hear It” by The Webb Sisters, from Daylight Crossing
“A song in my soul wherever I go, it lives on and on and on”

There’s really nothing all that remarkable about this song, but I find it utterly infectious, and something about it gave it one of the highest play counts in my iTunes library. Maybe it’s the harp. Sometimes there is no explanation.

16. “Mile” by Richard Buckner, from Meadow
“Nothing sees us, as we drive out, where we shouldn’t have”

This song is so pretty, you have to forgive the way that Buckner tells the story. The lyrics are evasive, leaving one to guess what the song is about, and through my research, I think Buckner prefers it this way. My best guess is something along the lines of a romantic relationship that shouldn’t have happened, a ”forbidden love” if you will.

17. “Along The Wall” by Leigh Nash, from Blue on Blue
“Whatever you tell me, I wont believe you”

Leigh Nash has one of those unmistakable voices that you know you’ve heard, but not the name to go with it. You in fact have heard her before, as the voice of Sixpence None The Richer. This song is like advice you’d get from a friend. Romantically speaking, the bumps along the road are worth it if you reach your destination.

I’m out -
KWass

Concert Review - Guster @ Kresge Auditorium, Interlochen, Michigan

2006-08-30T12:49:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, July 25 @ 9 PM

Another Guster concert, and another great show. I was especially excited for this show for a couple of reasons. First, it followed the release of the new album, "Ganging Up On The Sun", that was released on June 20. And second, the opening act was Ray Lamontagne (click here for my earlier post, a review of his album Trouble).

The venue was very cool. Interlochen is a performing arts academy located a few miles southwest of Traverse City. Kresge Auditorium is an outdoor pavilion located right on the water at Green Lake. The setting sun over the lake on a fair summer evening provided a magnificent back drop for the show.

Another band , The Fruit Bats, were on first. I hadn’t heard anything by them before, but I enjoyed their set, and I am looking forward to getting some of their music for further listening.

Ray LaMontagne was next, and as you probably know by now through my lauding of his debut album, I am a big fan of this artist. I was curious as to how his music would translate to a live performance, but any reservations I may have had were immediately erased with he started singing. For me, the highlights of his set were the unaccompanied encore (yes, he did an encore as an opening act) of “Burn” and the full band version of “Hold You In My Arms”, with emphasis and power added by heavier percussion in the chorus.

Guster opened rather unassumingly with “I Spy”, but don’t take that to mean it was unimpressive. That’s the thing about Guster. When they play it straight ahead, it’s great. And when they alter it or try something new, it’s better.

Here’s the set list:
I Spy
Captain
Diane
C’Mon
Careful
Barrel of a Gun
Airport Song
One Man Wrecking Machine
Ruby Falls
Happier
Manifest Destiny
Great Escape
Hang On
Amsterdam
Fa Fa
Encores:
Demons
Satellite
Beginning of the End
Come Downstairs and Say Hello

I was getting nervous that my favorite Guster tune wasn’t going to make the list, but I was relieved to hear the opening bars of “Come Downstairs and Say Hello” as the last song of the evening. If I am ever forced to make a list of the only 5 songs I can listen to for the rest of my life, “Come Downstairs and Say Hello” would be on it, and coming from a guy with almost 14,000 songs in his iTunes library, that’s a powerful endorsement.

I love the new album, and the new songs did not disappoint. For the trumpet solo at the end of “Ruby Falls”, Guster invited a student from Interlochen to play the part, and I gotta say, the kid nailed it. “One Man Wrecking Machine” was better than it was in Cincinnati back in April, I think maybe because they had some more time to work on it. I felt a sense of encouragement during “Hang On” that I hadn’t gotten from the CD. “Captain” was a little heavier than the album version, and I liked the difference.

Hearing a Guster CD is always cool, but seeing them live really gives you a feel for what the songs are supposed to be like. I always hear the songs differently after a show, and to me, the hallmark of a great band is one that can not only offer something new in a live performance, but can also change your perception of the song while doing it.

Guster. Great on CD. Greater in concert.

I’m out-
KWass

Album Review - Ray LaMontagne, "Trouble" (2004)

2006-08-29T22:52:00.000-04:00

First off, why am I reviewing an album that’s been out for 2 years? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, I was only recently made aware of this remarkable record a few weeks ago, and second, his new album will be released August 29, 2006, so I thought it timely.

So, how did I chance across this album? I was purchasing tickets to see Guster again (see this earlier post about their show at Xavier) and I saw that Ray LaMontagne was the opening act. I had never heard of Lamontagne, so I did some research to try to hear some of his music before the show. What I discovered was not only an amazing album, but an even more amazing story.

LaMontagne was working in a shoe factory in Maine and awoke one morning at 4 AM to the sounds of “Tree Top Flyer” by Stephen Stills. It proved to be a strange epiphany, because even though he had never played or sang or wrote music, he was so moved by the song that he quit his job to begin a music career. He taught himself to play and sing (”from the gut” he says, and “not through the nose”) and recorded a demo tape. One thing led to another, and he ended up in the studio where it took just 2 weeks to record Trouble. Click here for the full story about Ray.

The opening title track sets the tone with phrases like “trouble been doggin’ my soul since the day I was born” and “worry just will not seem to leave my mind alone”. Life isn’t perfect, and even when it seems like it is, worry has a way keeping a check and balance on you.

“Shelter” tells of the power of love to hurt as well as to heal, as in these phrases:

“It’s not like we planned it
You tried to stay, but you could not stand it
To see me shut down slow, as though it was an easy thing to do”

and

“I left you heartbroken, but not until those very words were spoken
Has anybody ever made such a fool out of you
It’s hard to believe it , even as my eyes do see it
The very things that make you live are killing you”

Instances of pain, which are then followed by a promise to persist and overcome in these words:

“Listen, when all of this around us’ll fall over,
I tell you what we’re gonna do
You will shelter me my love, I will shelter you”

“Jolene” delivers the emotional knockout punch, the lament of a man who endures detachment through his own faults and his reluctance to be vulnerable.

“Been so long since I seen your face,
or felt a part of this human race,
A man needs something he can hold onto,
a nine pound hammer or a woman like you,
Either of these things will do.
I ain’t about to go straight, it’s too late,
Still don’t know what love means”

The music is pure. LaMontagne doesn’t rely on studio tricks and post-mixing to create his sound. The sound is reminiscent of Van Morrison’s Moondance album, or the early Stills albums that served as his inspiration. There are string arrangements, as well as a guest appearance by Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek, that add to the sound without ever being more than just noticable. But the voice is the highlight here - always strong, even when quiet, and never out of control or beyond his range. There is a pain in his voice that suits the melancholy of the music, and when combined, create a truly unique and remarkable listening experience.

The appeal of Trouble is that it’s real. It’s believable. It isn’t full of hollow gestures and empty promises like “forever” and “till the end of time”, because those things aren’t possible. Sometimes life deals a bad hand. Sometimes love ends, and sometimes it’s your fault. The songs tell stories of things that can happen to people, and more than likely, have happened to you.

The songs on Trouble draw from the difficult experiences of his life, wrought with emotion and honesty. The words are deep, and the music is complex, but the songs - hearing them is pure and simple intimacy. I must recommend a “beginning to end” approach for initial listening, because the appeal lies in the power to capture you for 45 minutes, and remains in the lingering of the notes in your mind long after the quiet ending of the final track. Revel in the silence that will follow “All the Wild Horses” to appreciate what you’ve just heard.

I’m out-
KWass

Concert Review - Guster @ Xavier University

2006-04-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday, April 8, 2006 @ 9PM - Cintas Center

So, I traveled to Cincinnati over the weekend to see one my favorite bands, Guster, in concert. Cincinnati is about 340 miles from my house. Why is this relevant? Because 2 nights before, they played my alma mater, Michigan State University, which is about 7 miles from my house. Yes, I was aware of the show and considered going, but in the end I thought a road trip would be good for me. I haven’t been out of town since I was in Cincinnati at the end of February for the Nine Inch Nails show at US Bank Arena.

It isn’t very often at all that a band plays a set list of all your favorite songs, but that’s what happened last night. Other than not playing “Careful”, I can’t think of any other songs I would have preferred over the ones they played. The set featured a broad and even mix of material from the last three albums, as well as some tracks from the new album, "Ganging Up On The Sun", set to be released on June 20.

Of course, for me, the highlight was a long and powerful version of my favorite Guster song, “Come Downstairs and Say Hello”.

Again, it was like they were playing my own personal “Guster Greatest Hits” album, but some other highlights included:

From Keep It Together: “Diane”, “Amsterdam”

From Goldfly: “Great Escape”, “Demons”

From Lost & Gone Forever: “I Spy”, “Center of Attention”, “Happier”

From Ganging Up On The Sun: “Manifest Destiny”, “One Man Wrecking Machine”

Visit the “Archives” section of the Guster website for a complete set list.

I was also very impressed with Andrew Bird, who opened the show. He played solo, and used a sampling pedal for violin overdubs and minimal percussion while he sang and played violin, guitar, and even a glockenspiel. Click here to hear the entire Mysterious Production of Eggs album in high quality streaming audio.

Guster brings an incredible energy to the stage, and the songs are fresh and updated - not just a replay as you hear them on the records. It’s evident that they love what they do, and for that, the audience loves them back. If Guster passes through your neighborhood, or even within 340 miles, do yourself a favor and buy a ticket.

I’m out-
KWass

P.S. A special thank you to the jackass who played “Dogs” by Pink Floyd, all 17 miserable minutes of it, on the jukebox at Soupies Bar. Ah, Soupies - that place is a story all by itself. I don’t want to bag on anyone, but damn.

A Book of Bad Karma?

2006-04-05T18:55:00.004-04:00

I love used bookstores. There is one downtown called Way Station Books that I frequent, well, frequently, because it is close to the building where I work. I always find a book or three when I go there, and I’m stacking them up faster than I can read them.

On a recent visit, I picked up a very nice hardcover Barnes & Noble Classics edition of The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky for the staggering price of $5.00. You know, some light reading. I lugged it back to my office and flipped through a few pages to check it out. As I was turning them, a small, yellow piece of paper fell out and spun it’s way to the floor. I figured it was an old book mark - used books have a way of harboring them. When I picked it up to place it back between the pages, I noticed some handwriting on one side. Turns out this was no book mark! It was the beginning of the story within the story.

The paper was a bank receipt - a cash deposit for $411.74 at Flagstar Bank, dated September 7, 2000, for a customer named Fischer. The fascinating part was the inscription scrawled on the back:

“Make a pass at you? I? How could you ever suspect such a thing when all I ever wanted was for you never to want me that way? Because you never wanted me you were the only man I could trust. I felt safe in your arms and you destroyed that for your ego’s fantasy.”

Pain, hate, and disappointment - the trifecta - in four sentences. At first, I thought it was coincidence, mere irony, that such a note would be placed inside of a text of such vivid misery. However, as I flipped more and more through the book, I began to notice several marked passages among the pages. As I read the noted phrases, I started to see that not only had I stumbled upon a hate note, but that the author of said note was quoting Dostoevsky to illustrate her point! Damn - this guy was getting an emotional beatdown backed by 200 years of classic literary genius.

Read the hate note again. Now, I submit the following passages where the recipient is shown the gravity of his actions.

1. “Why, the isolation that prevails everywhere, above all in our age - it has not fully developed, it has not reached its limit yet. For everyone strives to keep his individuality as apart as possible, wishes to secure the greatest possible fullness of life for himself; but meantime all his efforts result not in attaining fullness of life but self-destruction, for instead of self-realization he ends by arriving at complete solitude.”

2. “Without a stable conception of the object of life, man would not consent to go on living, and would rather destroy himself than remain on earth, though he had bread in abundance.”

3. “He doesn’t despise anyone . . . only he does not believe anyone. If he doesn’t believe in people, of course, he does despise them.”

4. “For when I do leap into the pit, I go headlong with my heals up, and am pleased to be falling in that degrading attitude, and pride myself upon it.”

5. “All this had little to do with the case in hand, to say nothing of the fact of its being somewhat vague, but the sickly and consumptive man was overcome by the desire to express himself once in his life.”

6. “And one might wonder what there was in a love that had to be so watched over, what a love could be worth that needed such strenuous guarding.”

7. “I am sorry I can say nothing more consoling to you, for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.”

8. “He was an example of everything that is opposed to civic duty, of the most complete and malignant individualism.”

9. “For how can a man shake off his habits, what can become of him if he is in such bondage to the habit of satisfying the innumerable desires he has created for himself? He is isolated, and what concern has he with the rest of humanity? They have succeeded in accumulating a greater mass of objects, but the joy in the world has grown less.”

10. “The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth from within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love, and in order to occupy and distract himself without love he gives way to passions and coarse pleasures, and sinks to bestiality in his vices, all from continual lying to other men and to himself.”

You know you’re a BASTARD when you have to leaf through 800 pages of classic world literature to get the full comprehension of how much you pissed her off. But my hat is off to her, because she could have gone juvenile and went with the more traditional tire slashing/brick through the windshield, or telling everyone he knows that he has a small penis - all simple and effective. But she didn’t. She dug deep and landed a crushing blow to his pysche with this brilliant compilation, the equivalent to a career-ending first round TKO. What’s he going to come back with? I guarantee that the best he could muster after reading it was to play it off with a nonchalant “Whatever, bitch!” as he walked away.

But it stung. It stung bad.

I’m out-
KWass

This unassuming book took someone down a notch.

The hate note. Feel the misery!

Some of phrases used to describe the utter thoughtlessness of our hero.