Music Review - The Soundstage Sessions

***Note: Today has been an extremely emotional and draining day. I have lots to say about the Angie Zapata verdict, but not today.

I recently -- okay, on the day it was released, which was last Tuesday -- picked up the new Stevie Nicks album . . .

. . . oh, who am I kidding. I am a fanatic, and am not going to review Stevie. Even if she sounds a lot older, and even if her voice ain't what it once was, and even if the songs are a little slower, I HEART Stevie. Sycophantic? Maybe. I don't care. The song, "If Anyone Falls" is wonderful on this compilation. The cover of Dave Matthews' "Crash" is also wonderful.

15 out of 10 nipples. Best thing ever. Love this.

Be Still My Heart

She Does It For The Music

Sly B is a dedicated Mariachi. She came home late last night with these blood blisters from too much guitarron. Now THAT is the illustrated definition of "no pain, no gain."

Random Thoughts

• My friends K & J left for Washington, DC today. I will miss your nearness, and I wish you both the very best. If anyone deserves good things, it's y'all. We never got that coffee, yo. Maybe in the next go-round?

• Evil, Inc. is such a mess. I'm not sure how much longer I can take it. Of course, given recent events, I might be frog marched out the door at any given moment. Whatever. Honestly.

• I'm in an Aimee Mann phase. I love her. She has been exactly where I am right now - or at least that's how I feel when I listen to her songs.

• I continue my project that is myself. Some days it's easier than others.
  

• I've got a big annual meeting/training coming up next week that will have me busy for about 8 days without rest. It's always a difficult and stressful time for me. My plan this year is to spend as much time writing and talking to friends as I can. Get prepared! I head for the very fancy Denver hotel next Thursday.
  

What She Said

Platforms - Ani DiFranco

Life knocked me off my platforms
So I pulled out my first pair of boots
Bought on the street at astor place
Before New York was run by suits
And I suited up for the long walk
Back to myself
Closer to the ground now
With sorrow
And stealth

On Relaxation

Sly B and I (along with my mother) just got home from 6 days in Albuquerque, NM. Despite being kinda sick, wow did we enjoy it.

Sly B attended master classes at the Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque on Wednesday and Thursday while my mom and I shopped and saw a movie. On Friday, we caught another movie and the showcase competition. On Sunday, we caught the Albuquerque aquarium and botanical gardens and then attended the Spectacular. Yesterday, we drove on home, collapsing in bed for a solid 10 hours last night.

Today, we caught another movie, and now are at home with a DVD.

I'll write up some reviews in the days to come. I have a lot to cover!

New Classics - Music

First - great insult: Goblin Riding Groin Farmer

Here's EW's list of the 10 best "new classics" in music:

1. Purple Rain Prince and the Revolution (1984)
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill (1998)
3. Achtung Baby U2 (1991)
4. The College Dropout Kanye West (2004)
5. Madonna Madonna (1983)
6. American Idiot Green Day (2004)
7. The Blueprint Jay-Z (2001)
8. Graceland Paul Simon (1986)
9. Back to Black Amy Winehouse (2007)
10. In Rainbows Radiohead (2007)

The whole list is here.

My list, sticking to things post 1999, is:

1. Knuckle Down - Ani DiFranco
2. Cookie: The Anthropological Mix Tape - Me'Shell Ndegeocello
3. Ain't Life Grand - Widespread Panic
4. The Miseducation of Lauren Hill - Lauren Hill
5. The Cookbook - Missy Elliot
6. OK Computer - Radiohead
7. Santana - Supernatural
8. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
9. Master of Puppets - Metallica
10. Under the Pink - Tori Amos

That was so far the hardest list to come up with.

Random

• Is this not the best movie review ever?: "It's good in general, just not specifically."

• My oldest friend, who I miss entirely too much, sent me an email last night. It's awesome to learn that someone is thinking good things about you when you were sure that they weren't.
  

• The Brian Jonestown Massacre is hot. It's one of those bands you have to stick in your ears and allow to grow on you.
  

• I'm still watching John Adams. You know what's weird? There are no slaves in the mini-series - not even in the Monticello scenes. Hmm.

• I'm reading a Jonathan Kellerman novel called Twisted that my buddy in New Orleans loaned me ages ago. It's pulp fun. Sometimes I just love a quick whodunit.
  
  
• I think I'm going to call it an early night. Sly B is fighting hard against a cold, and I'm afraid she's shared.
  

Yum

• O'Dell's Brewery Levity Ale - 9 outta 10 nipples
  

• 4,3,2,1 dry rub on spareribs (roasted in the oven because we couldn't light the frackin' grill)

• Grounds for Change coffee

• Full Sail Brewery LTD #1 - 10 outta 10 nipples
  

• Planting cold-weather seeds: radishes, beets, peas, and carrots

• Watching Season 3 of The Wire on DVD

• Listening to Sly B practice

Random

I love BSG. One week, and Season 4 starts. Yippee!

I'm missing The Wire.

I just subscribed, finally, to Heaven: Season 1 on podiobooks.com.

Torchwood is getting scary! And damn is it good. Ianto is a wedding fairy, and I love him.

I work with some fantastic, kick ass, hardworking people. I also work with some real losers. Why do some people have to be such douchebags? I continue to strive to being a mensch, but damn those fools make it hard for me.

We watched the finale of The L Word. Why does Shane always hurt the ones she loves? How did Jenny end up kinda cool? Does anyone who can see the orange in my font care about Bette and Tina anymore?

The Tudors starts up with Season 2 this Sunday. I'm kinda looking forward to that.

I'm going to pick up the newest Widespread Panic album pretty soon. I listened to Panic all day at work - it's probably what kept me from hollering at aforementioned douchebags. I watched their DVD Panic in the Streets last night and it brought me a lot of great memories. Mostly, stumbling out of Red Rocks with Lil' Toni after the Leftover Salmon/Panic show in around '95. Ain't life grand?

I'm still enjoying Clockers, but it's turning out to be a slow read for me.

I have a really annoying injury to my right ankle. I tore up those tendons playing basketball another lifetime ago and didn't have the surgery I should have. Ever since then I have injured it badly probably a dozen times. I just did it again today, so here I sit with my giant ankle and an ice pack.

OMG, Admiral Adama is everyone's daddy. Kat was an annoying pain in the ass, but "The Passage" was a sweet ass episode. Him sitting with her at the end was super touching. There is still hope for humanity in moments like that.

Geeky Bachelor Week

I've been sick all week, and Sly B has been gone all week - off visiting with the Canadians. On top of the sick, which brought me home during the day a few times, I received the BSG Season 3 DVDs and the Serenity Better Days Episode 1 comic. On top of ALL that, I've watched the following DVDs: No Country for Old Men, Sin City, Hellboy, Phish Live in Las Vegas (an anomaly, I know - I'm also a stoner jam band geek), Death Proof, and The Chronicles of Riddick (which I'm watching tonight).

Sunday Night Random

The family left about 4 hours ago, and the population of this house dropped from a happy 7 (to 18 at one point) to 1, AKA little ole me. The nieces and nephew from Canada, and the nieces from Denver (part of the 18) are way fabulous. I'd even go so far as to say "perfect." It's awesome to have that child energy in the house, even though the little guy tried to stick almost everything he could lift into the DVD player. It's now bachelor night until Friday.

The latest Buffy Season 8 issue hit our door last week. It's SUPER funny.

I just watched No Country for Old Men. Stay tuned for a review. Right now, "meh." But the story is still pinballing around in the old open space between my ears.

I'm now watching Phish Live in Las Vegas on DVD. Great background noise as I balance the checkbook, pay bills, fold clothes, and heat my soup.

I was sick as a dog yesterday. Theraflu is HORRIBLE shit. But it works. Today, I'm just headachey.

I started reading Clockers yesterday. I miss The Wire and hear that Richard Price novels are a good substitute. Clockers was the inspiration for The Wire, and Price wrote several episodes. So far, it's great.

My brother-out-law and I spent a little time today looking at prop replicas online. Sly B was with us for a bit, but left because of the thick geek scent in the air.

One of Those Days/ Random Blah

Have you ever had one of those days where people just refuse to be cool? I had that day today. I started the day off with a pissing contest with a woman from another unit who wanted to dominate a situation she barely belonged in, and I could not bring myself to play. I'm not sure who won said pissing contest. That was pretty much the high point of the day.

Tonight, I'm listening to my iPod - hey, did you guys realize you can listen to MUSIC on these things?? - and trying to meditate. Note to self: Learn how to meditate.

Sly B and I just watched Days of Our Li . . . I mean The L Word. Should I be sad that the hottest sex scene so far is between the gay guy and the transgender boi? I'm not sad, but should I be?

I'm about 30 pages from the end of Wild Seed. I'll post a review here when I finish it. If I didn't have this damn headache, I'd be reading now, but damn if 2rays isn't right about the cure. I am abstaining so suffer on.

I love Twitter. I've met some pretty righteous people there. If you're interested, you can click on the link over there ----> and sign up for an account.

My favorite song of the moment: Minority Report - Jay-Z.

Heard an awesome interview with the co-creator of D&D on Slice of SciFi. I aspire to that level of geeky.

We checked out the first episode of New Amsterdam last week. It was kinda like Angel without the good writing. I'm giving it a few more chances, but I believe that Sly B is DONE.

Okay, that's all I've got tonight.

Random Sunday Morning

• I love Ani DiFranco's "Sunday Morning" song from the Knuckle Down album. That's how I feel this morning.

• Our kitty Jenny had six teeth extracted on Friday and her mouth hurts. Poor baby. She's doped now and sleeping right behind me as I type this.

• We watched Shaun of the Dead last night and really dug it. I'm going with 4 out of 5 nipples because it made me laugh and fit so nicely in with my recent string of zombie movies.

• I finished Lord Foul's Bane and can't say that I loved it. I liked it, and generally like the idea of a LOTR type story with an anti-hero. 2.5 out of 5 nipples. I'll read the next one at some point (It's a set of 3 trilogies, with a 4th trilogy being put out now).

• I enjoyed issue 4 of the Angel: After the Fall comic series. I recommend these to anyone who loves Whedon or comics.

• We tried a Left Hand Brewery Imperial Stout the other night for fun. Not my thing. I didn't dig it.

• I started reading Octavia Butler's Wild Seed and already know I'm going to love this book. It's nice to read something written by a woman for a change.

• The penultimate episode of The Wire is on tonight. I can't wait to see what happens/am really sad it's almost over.

• This week, two more of the shows I watch finale - The Sarah Conner Chronicles which I think is just hitting it's stride. No doubt FOX will cancel it -- it's too good for em; and Celebrity Rehab which is hard to watch for me. I know those damn addicts are all going to fuck their lives up. I just know it!

• Yesterday, it was in the mid-70s here in Longmont, CO. When we woke up this morning, we found snow, no sun, and 30 degrees.
  

Where the Music Comes From

Do you all have music that you love only because people who you love love it? I was thinking about some of the music I probably would have never fallen for had I not first experienced someone else's (usually a girl's) passion for it. Some of this music is:

• Suzanne Vega
  
• Billy Joel
• Tori Amos -- especially Under the Pink
• Widespread Panic, thanks to a super fun night at Red Rocks
  
• L7
• Pink Floyd
• The Subdudes
• Velvet Underground
• The Be Good Tanyas, thank you very much RR
• Madonna

How about you guys?

Songs for a Happy Friend

Sometimes life's a bitch, and sometimes you get just what you deserve. Here's a playlist for a solid friend who had some unexpected good sprung on her yesterday (I am too techtarded to buy this playlist on iTunes and email it, so this is my solution).

Ain't Life Grand - Widespread Panic
Ripple - Grateful Dead
Evolve - Ani DiFranco
Three Is a Magic Number - Blind Melon
Galang - MIA
Let The Good Times Roll - Dr. John
The Assumption - George Hrab
Uncle John's Band - covered by the Indigo Girls
Blackbird - covered by Sarah McLaughlin
Joyful Girl - Ani DiFranco

Enjoy!