Latest musical discovery

Laura Veirs has been around for a while. I've heard her music a few years back, but didn't really pay attention. I'm not much a fan of female folky singer-songwriters. Its very often some girl bitching about life over an aggregated chord progression that was first played 40+ years ago when the folkies first began to crawl out of the woodwork (literally probably) and pretending to be rock stars. Lest I get accused of being sexist, let me make clear that I find male folk-rockers are a bunch of ninny tits who spend far too much time singing about how goddamned sensitive they are. And don't try to tell me it isn't an affectatious little attempt to bang by the dirty haired little wood-nymph dancing barefoot in the audience.

Fuck you!

Where was I? Right, Laura Veirs. No, not a dull folky chick at all. As a matter of fact her music is varied and eclectic and...for lack of a better word, GOOD. Even the songs where its just her and an acoustic guitar, she keeps things interesting by way of shifting dynamics, interesting, sometime shambling rhythms, pretty melodies that aren't just whining based around minor keys (ugh!), and a wonderful vocal delivery that includes smart lyrics and a crisp and somewhat nasally voice. She even picks up an electric guitar rocks out on a few songs. Her spare playing style really complements the music.

I first heard her singing a duet with Colin Meloy of the Decembrists, on their song "Yankee Bayonet" which is about a dead confederate soldier and his lover. Very pretty song, and typical Decembrists 19th century lit-rock style.

Take a listen; you won't regret it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw7cSfNJCWQ

After hearing this, I looked and looked for who the female singer was on that song. I managed to find some snippets of uninspired acoustic songs and lost interest. That was 2006 or so.

Fast forward to January 19th, 2010. I was driving into work and had the radio set to KXCI, the only station in Tucson (other than NPR) which I can stomach, when I heard this

(Link on this page) http://endhits.portlandmercury.com/endhits/archives/2009/10/14/laura-veirs-is-wide-eyed-totally-legless

I can't stop listening to this song. I love the bouncy shambling guitar bouncing up and down like waves over the wandering, almost drowsy sounding xylophone filling in the gaps. The whale-song guitar parts give this sing that northwest coast flavor that makes a good song great. My only complaint is that its such a short song.

After repeated listens I went trawling youtube for more, and dug out a few favorites.

Certain Someones is probably my other favorite by her

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3zCg3jMqDw&feature=related

Cast a Hook In me - more folky, but folky done right (see above)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZGheh28D7o&feature=related

go forth and find some more on your own. Better yet, support talent and go buy a Laura Veirs album or two. You cheap bastard

Pat Roberstson is the lowest form of life

Pat Roberstson has uttered more filth from that shithole mouth of his on Wednesday when he claimed that the devastating earthquake in Haiti was God's revenge on the Haitians for making pact with the devil (in reference to them appealing to their non-christian gods during the revolution). How does that worthless cum stain dare say things like that? How can he sit on his lily-white christian ass and blame people for the utterly ruinous disaster that has befallen them?

I truly hope that disgusting piece of fuck gets hit by a truck on his way home! And right now I hope there is a hell and a devil, and I hope that Robinson turd goes to hell and that the devil rapes his putrid asshole for the rest of eternity.

I know I don't have much in the way of readership, but I ask all of you to go to the 700 website and flood their inbox with nasty emails demanding this fucktard's resignation. Then ask your friends to do the same.

Menlo Park

The Menlo Park of late 19th century was no doubt a wonderful place. A place where one might perspire and inspire and eventually poop out a lightbulb and a gramaphone.



Not so with the Menlo Park of Tucson. The only wizard here is probably some Mexican douche-bag cooking up meth in his apartment. The local honkeys love their meth, as evidenced by their moonscape faces. Its a demand driven economy ese!

"Ey homes, I got some sweet direct current for you"

I've lived in some trashy places, but this one takes the cake. No actually the cockroaches come and take the cake, all of it! So make sure you put the cake in the fridge or those fuckers will scurry off with it.

Post #2 for today

The interwebs at work are too slow to listen to pandora radio, so I've been frequenting WOXY.com as well as listening to songs on youtube. Here then, are some recent favorites.

You can find all of these on youtube, and I was nice enough to provide links

1) Phoenix - Lisztomania
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJDNw7o6so
These guys are from France, and while they've been around for a while, they've recently re-invented their sound and have gone from being a Jamiroquai rip-off band to something more fun. The lead singer has a great way of inflecting his words making me wonder what is English and what is French.

Phoenix are so good, that here is another one of their songs

2)Phoenix - 1901
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMOkORxF4JA&feature=related
Yes, this is the song from the Cadillac commercial. Don't judge, life in France is expensive, and the boys need to eat, look at how skinny they are.

3)The Go! Team - Jr. Kickstart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQg7qOB5Heg
Mrs. Pacman meets 70's cop show. Enjoy this one. The Go! Team are my favoritest band lately.
I hope Josh, Rob, Gene and I can get our yet unnamed band to be this funky

4) Spoon- Don't You Evah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPdP1jBfxzo&feature=fvst
I love Spoon almost as much as The Go! Team. This is very minimalist music, but its groovy as hell, and Brit Daniels has the coolest voice.

More spoon? OK

5) Spoon - You got Yr Cherry Bomb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4cgryW0q9U
Its like Sun Records never went away. Sigh...

None of the above would have been possible without....

6)James Brown - Get Involved/Soul Power
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHYnW8njGis
YES! Thats right, at around 2:30 you see the man's "cape attendant" come out. If that isn't Rock&Roll, than I don't know what is

except maybe

7)Chuck Berry - Maybellene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y3-NSalpKI
The real granddaddy of Rock&Roll.
Maybe we can someday get 100s of people together to duck-walk all over Elvis' grave.

one more for the road. Ear-worm warning!

8)Band of Horses-The Great Salt Lake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRfHshr0xG0

Bri Induced writing

No, I'm not high on cheese, but my sister-in-law has pointed out the lack of any recent updates, and it is indeed high time

"Wicked Cheddar Man!"

Right then, I'm not in the writingest mood, but some stray thoughts for this morning. Following a prolonged email conversation about cultural/human ecology, with my dear friend and colleague Emily Epstein the other day, I'm toying with the idea of setting up an online cultural ecology/behavioral ecology/historical ecology forum. There already exists an email list-serve, but a forum tends to elicit more actual discussion and debate than does a listserve. Also as owner/moderator I reserve the right to ban seagull commentators, people who just come in, make a bunch of noise and shit all over everything! The listserve is also stuffy, so the goal of the forum will be to have a more relaxed and open atmosphere. Now I just need to find some free webspace. Any advice?

And to all you spelling bitches out there, I am well aware that the cheese and the sister in law are spelled differently, but I needed an excuse to use the funky picture, so piss off.