muted

ohmanohmanohmanohmanohmanohmanohman!

thom yorke's solo album, "the eraser", is not due for release until july 11th but it leaked today. i want to go home, open the windows wide, let whatever breeze exists into the apartment, download the album and listen to it over and over and over and over and over and over again. unfortunately, i'm stuck at work for the next 6 hours.

on the bright side, i like that i can still get this excited about music.

speaking of which, there's a couple of things that have really grabbed my humungo-ears recently.

king biscuit time: black gold - this is the latest solo release from stephen mason, formerly of the beta band. i posted a link a a few posts ago to a story about stephen disappearing right before the may 16th UK release of this album. it's hard not to have that story in my mind when i listen to these songs especially since i haven't been able to find any updates. anyway, i do like this album lots. in fact, it features what has become probably my favorite song right now, "way you walk." i'd listened to this song a bunch of times on my way to and from work and it just makes me feel so happy. it gave me a moment i haven't had in a long time too - i played it for kim this past weekend and she loved it. listening to it with her for the first time reminded me of newton and how i used to introduce mark to music in much the same way. most often nowadays, when i introduce something to someone, i'm not present when he or she listens. being there and seeing the smile on kim's face get larger and larger as the song wore on and hearing her finally say "i really, really like this" was awesome. thanks, stephen. i sincerely hope you're ok.


liars: drum's not dead - picked this up during the newbury comics visit that was part of my escape to massachusetts two weekends ago. it's dark and scary and has an almost tribal sound to it at times and it's waaaaaaaaay better than that man man crap, drew. these guys are quickly becoming one of my favorites but they're definitely not for everybody. i tried playing "it fit when i was a kid" for kim but we didn't get past the 2 minute mark.

the raconteurs: broken boy soldiers - love love love this. it took 1.5 listens to sink in but, man, it's so great. can't recommend this enough.

junior boys: so this is goodbye - i always felt that their (his?) last album ("last exit") was a bit overrated. but since this doesn't come out until august and i'm a sucker for pre-release leaks (quota block), i gave it a shot. it's pretty good dance music but the lyrics are atrocious in spots. like, reallyreallyreallyreally bad...which always takes me right out of the song. i just don't understand how this guy can make awesome music and then ruin it with his words. maybe he doesn't realize how bad they are. maybe because he has a good voice, he feels obligated to sing. maybe no one is nice enough to tell him some songs would be better as instrumentals. oh well. maybe i'll listen a few more times. maybe maybe maybe maybe.

afx: chosen lords - speaking of instrumental dance music, here's a compilation of the best of a series of 12" singles aphex twin has been releasing under the afx moniker. so, so good.

the black angels: passover - was listening to this cd on blast on my way to play glowball and deliver the raconteurs to kevin last night. they remind me of black rebel motorcycle club if that group still rocked. as soon as i heard them, i knew who'd love them. when i got to the farmhouse, i texted johnnie - "u should check out the black angels." he replied "will do." then a few minutes later, again - "sounds good and they play boston next week." told him he should go. he said he might. i thought his re-reply was kinda quick given its content but then it hit me as i went to bed last night - myspace!!! where else can you hear songs by a band and see their tourdates in under 2 minutes?

maybe when i get home tonight i'll post "way you walk" and "it fit when i was a kid." not before i listen to "the eraser" though!

yeah. no feelings.

you've been fighting traffic for the past 30 minutes and it's starting to wear on you. "yeah" by lcd soundsystem comes on shuffle just before you reach the whitestone bridge. you love this song so much. your ipod has been on fire so far. as you cross the bridge, the highway widens, the traffic lightens and "yeah" becomes more intense. you're able to bully the pedal for the first time in too long. as your speed increases while the song hits its peak, you feel a sense of elation to be heading away from the place where you can't even breathe without overthinking it.

the first time you hear your voice all trip is when the sex pistols' "no feelings" gets shuffled onto your speakers. as the chorus begins, you're surprised to hear yourself screaming along.

no feeeeeeeeeeliiiiiiiings
no feeeeeeeeeeliiiiiiiings
no feeeeeeeeeeliiiiiiiings
for anybody else
except for myself
my beautiful self

this is almost funny to you because, in reality, you have too many feelings and you're the furthest from beautiful you've ever been.

:( + www.apple.com/support =

dead ipod.

heat:
02/2005 - 05/2006.
gone too soon.

yet...

there's something
almost liberating
about his passing.

boogey
pictures.

familiar mistake

you had a feeling
as it went
free
that you
should have
bitten your tongue
but you were
too stupid
to listen
and now you've
gone
and done it
again.

you knew it would happen, too

you have a right to be upset.
you have a right to be upset.
whatever you do,
don't apologize
like you always do
even when you feel you were right.
don't apologize.
don't apologize.
you have a right to be upset.
don't apologize.
you have a right to be upset.
don't apologize.
do NOT apologize.

"i'm sorry i'm so sensitive."

way to undermine yourself,
sensitiveshitheadmotherfucker.

hope it was worth
whatever fun
you got
out of it.

now imagine
fianceandhimgowayback.

passengerbeetleseat
postwaldbaums
pretomatopour/
dumpsterbaby

good advice

* * *

this story disturbs me not only because i'm a huge fan of the man's work, but also because it hit home on some level. especially this part:

"By Christmas 2005, [Stephen] Mason says, he felt happier than he had in years. But, he explains, 'Depression is totally unpredictable and irrational. You can be laughing with friends and then spend the rest of the night in the toilet with a razor.'"

* * *

rrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!

monster chore
even the most
basic
interaction.