the safest place to hide

"chapel"

date taken: march 6, 2009

photo by: me

this post is a half-truth.
i don't feel guilty at all.

taking back sunday - makedamnsure

you're not so bad when we're alone

"precarious"

date taken: february 7, 2009

photo by: me

subject: drunken jenga!

after listening to this song about 400 times or so the past two weeks, i think it's safe to say i like it enough to share. if you know me at all, one listen is all it will take for you to recognize that this is exactly my kind of jam.

the sample is instantly familiar. "hello it's me" by todd rundgren is an old favorite of mine, as it reminds me of soulmate number 4 (wutup henry!) who had some mild obsession with the old skool, possibly because he is old. smiley face. anyway, back to the song. "hello it's me" has been covered by everyone and their mama, at least in the R&B genre. the isleys. brian mcknight. john legend. all of which is particularly awesome because todd rundgren is literally a male lady gaga: white, scrawny, and constantly wearing strange costumes.

this song takes the original sample and spins it. instead of a man wistful for erstwhile love, and expressing uncertainty about the end of the relationship and the possibility of rekindling, this song is about a relationship long over, but continued between the hours of 1-5 a.m. on the weekends, if you catch my drift. there is some gentle expression of regret, bitterness, and feigned indifference, like it's totally functional and healthy to wake up to each other on sunday mornings and avoid eye contact everywhere else.

the thought has crossed my mind before, but the answer is always a clear no. if we're not together, i gotta keep my physical and emotional space free of clutter, you know, in case john cusack shows up.


tv girl - if you want it
todd rundgren - hello, it's me

isn't that enough

"working hands"

date taken: may 15, 2010

photo by: me

subject: kenny

i don't know what it is about 2010, but rather than easing into the quiet calm of fall, my playlist this year has run amok with tense electronica. it's possible this is just what's available, but far as i can tell there is no dearth of the acoustic folk that rounded out the list of my hype obsessions in previous years. it's possible i've just ignored or repressed this side of me for so long, this year has served as a kind of grandiose coming out.

this year i am wearing my hair messy. i am swimming in the ocean after the sun goes down. i am wearing those lime green, patent leather heels and i really do love them. i am eating with my hands and it's delicious. i'm not trying to be contrary. my colors are brilliant, and i just don't feel like hiding them anymore.

crystal castles - not in love (feat. robert smith)

right on time and timeless

date taken: august 3, 2008

photo by: me

subject: the austins

there is just something about that cee lo green, isn't there?

Cee-Lo Green - Old-Fashioned

heading for the final precipice

date taken: april 29, 2010

photo by: me

subject: switchfoot on guam

see. here's the problem with taking a break from blogging. when you get back in, you end up posting stuff out of order because really important stuff takes precedence. i can't believe i almost totally forgot to blog about switchfoot.

when my little brother domo first told me switchfoot was playing, i rolled my eyes. he ain't exactly the poster child for reliability. but he came through!! sneaking both me and bffff LGR into naval station for a free switchfoot show was possibly the nicest thing he's ever done for me. maybe the only nice thing he's ever done for me. just kidding. i'm sure he's done one or two more nice things. just kidding. mostly.

anyway, switchfoot was exactly what i needed. inspirational but not jesusy. i'm not entirely sure if their music went over so well with the military crowd they were playing to, especially when they started preaching about peace. their encore was a combination of a sublime "dare you to move" and an interesting cover of the beastie boys' "sabotage." though i tried to get video, the sound isn't so great because I was standing right next to the stage.

the show was outdoors, on a patch of grass across from the Navy Exchange, it was all ages, and it was free on account of NEX appreciation week. AND the band took pictures with absolutely anyone who wanted a photo after the show, which i thought was pretty classy.

"dare you to move" will always be my favorite song of theirs, but this song was certainly memorable.

Switchfoot - Yet (Live)

everybody know who i am

one of the reasons I've been totally MIA since August is because I was asked to be the Commissioner of the Marianas Variety Fantasy Football league. It's the first year of the paper's league, and I put a lot of work into it, especially up front, setting up scoring and schedules, and writing bi-weekly articles for two leagues that will compete in Week 18 for the ultimate prize for any fantasy player: a trip for two to the superbowl.

sadly, being commissioner has kind of taken some of the joy out of the game for me. i've been neglecting my outside league, which i'm also the commissioner of. i'm not eligible to win the trip, so it's not like i can talk *too* much shit. and people are constantly calling me out 'cause i'm not the stereotypical fantasy player (i.e. i was born without that defective Y chromosome, i'm not morbidly obese, and i don't live in my mom's basement).

i don't want to get sidetracked too badly, because this IS a music post. randy moss just got waived from the vikings yesterday, and the runner at my office clued me in to this decent mashup aired on ESPN. it's not on the blogs yet, but i don't see why not.

and to my homie randy, though i do truly believe you are crazy (in the clinical sense), i believe in your talent, and i feel your pain. godspeed.