one time i tried to write a song.

I was in college, I had a wealth of file-sharing services available to me, and I was just getting into indie music. This is what happens under those circumstances:

1. You want to be in an indie rock band yourself

AND / OR

2. You want to date someone in a band, though not necessarily a good one

So, I bought a cheap electric guitar from my brother's friend, put some stickers on it so it spelled out my name and glowed in the dark, and learned some chords. Even though my I could never seem to fit my hands around the neck quite right, I still learned a few tunes - mostly along the lines of Liz Phair, That Dog, and Elliott Smith.

And of course, if I was going to fulfill my rock band dream, I better start writing. So I wrote a song. Now, I was listening to a LOT of Go Sailor at this time. (Think twee. Very twee. Example.) Therefore, my song ended up being an extremely twee ditty with no more than three chords, with lyrics about having the same shoes (hello, converse!) as a boy and dreams of doing cutesy stuff with said boy (while wearing said shoes, of course). No, I don't think the song was based off of any real boy but rather a fictitious version of the perfect boy for me.

No one ever heard this song except maybe the kids who had dorm rooms next to mine. And it shall stay that way forever. I don't even know where that guitar went, honestly.

26 a few months ago.

I love that Aimee Mann can write a song that sounds initially uplifting but is actually completely depressing, a song that also has a video that makes me laugh out loud. Stop playing with my emotions, Aimee.


Aimee Mann - 31 Today

rock the garden.

Rock the Garden at the Walker, with Bon Iver, Cloud Cult, The New Pornographers, and Andrew Bird


I'm so out of practice with writing reviews, but I'll attempt anyway. Rock the Garden was placed smack in between the Walker and the Sculpture Garden in the middle of the street. It actually seemed like a really small space for 7,500 people. Overall, I had a great time and was really glad I went. All of the bands put on solid performances, though I wish I could see some of them in other places.

Bon Iver

This was a really good set. Although you can hear the quality of his voice on record, the beauty of it comes across so much more live. My complaints have nothing to do with music, but were circumstantial. First of all, it was 4:30, the sun was beating down with no respite, and I just couldn't stop thinking about the heat. It was also hard to reconcile such intimate songs in a decidedly non-intimate setting. I would love to see him in a smaller club.

Cloud Cult

I don't have much to say about these guys since we took a break sitting on the hill and I wasn't paying attention. Next!

The New Pornographers

This is one band that has stood the test of time with me - the last (and only time) I saw them was five years ago. Silly things have gotten in the way of me seeing them in the meantime, so I was super excited to see them again. It ended up being the highlight of the night, partly because I just like them that much, and the setting suited their music really well. I think at this point, most people (myself included) had just enough beer in their system to happily sing along with the music (such as "The Bleeding Heart Show." So good!). The sun was still out, though not as strong, and everything just worked together to make it an awesome time.

Andrew Bird

This boy is so supremely talented, and his whistling is unsurpassed, but again I was bothered by both venue and circumstance. First of all, there were minor threats of storms so they had to take a ten minute break, which broke up the flow of the set. It also seemed like the point of the night where the drunk were just getting drunker, and more annoying, and that didn't jive well with Mr. Bird's music, either. Don't get me wrong, he put on a great show as well, but it just reminded me that I should really see him a theater sometime.



Other thoughts? There were many well dressed and attractive people there, so that was fun. The lines for any sort of food were ridiculous, though. Which is why my friends and I smartly decided to drink instead and go to King and I Thai for dinner later.


In other news, I made a new muxtape in honor of summer. CLICK!

Annie - I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me

And now, for this month's installment of super poppy dancy videos with lots of color, I present..Annie!





I think Annie has had some better songs, but I still like all the colorful dresses.

[Previously: Alpha Beat - Fascination]

dear ben gibbard - you creep me out.

Dear Ben Gibbard,

I'll admit that I liked you back when I was not old enough to legally drink, in fact, I still think you have some good songs off your older albums. I haven't been a super huge fan of your newer stuff, though. Call it being older and wiser, or maybe we've just grown apart. These things happen.

But here's the real problem - you're starting to creep me out. That new song of yours, "I Will Possess Your Heart"...well, it's creepy. The bass line is not so creepy, but you, Mr. Gibbard, totally are.

Now as I listened to your stalkerish lyrics where you insist on calling me "love" and talk about standing outside my window and wishing we'll be lovers someday, I thought that maybe this was one of those "I'm going to channel a stalker and write lyrics like they would" songs. Because if that's not the case, then you're just one of those creepy guys who doesn't even know he's creepy. Don't be that guy!

Alright, I'll admit that I have one unconfirmed report that you were indeed playing the part of a creep in the song, though I cannot find that verified anywhere else. EVEN STILL, that doesn't change the fact that this song irks me to no end because the lyrics are not only creepy, but dumb. I'll probably never be able to listen to any of your music without picturing you staring through my window. I'm shuddering at the thought.

Standoffishly,
e


[Video here, mp3 available here.]

mirah at the cedar.

I saw Mirah with Spectratone International at the Cedar Cultural Center on Tuesday. Mirah is one of my all time favorite musicians, and even though her newest collaboration had gone under my radar I knew I had to check out the show. Mirah is adorable in this awkward and charming way, and her voice is strong yet not overbearing. Her last album, Share This Place, was a project to combine both music and stop motion video (see example here) based on a theme of insects. Though I haven't heard the album in full, I would say that the experience is better live. The videos certainly compliment the music, so it was a treat to see and hear it all together along with Mirah's between song banter. She did a few songs that weren't from the album, and to close the audience provided the ba-dumma-dum-dums for "Pollen." Overall, it was a charming night - I know, I already used that word, but it describes her so perfectly.


Also? She's playing again at the Triple Rock on May 30. Hooray!

Alpha Beat - Fascination

I don't know much about this band, except that they're from Denmark and this video is maybe the cutest, funnest thing ever. I can't stop watching it! The colors, the dancing! It's the perfect cure for a gloomy day.

khaela & miranda.

It only makes sense that Miranda July and Khaela Maricich (The Blow) are good friends and stage ridiculously quirky and charming interviews with each other. Of course it also makes sense that Khaela interviews her song instead of, well...I don't know what.

And it makes sense that instead of doing the dishes and picking my perfect outfit to wear to see The Blow tonight, I am reading interviews and updating this.

It makes sense that on the day I am to see Khaela play, I also returned the Miranda July book to the library. Although some of the stories were much better than others, when I finished it I felt kind of sad. It was that whole What am I going to read now? feeling. (The New Yorker? Gosh, the New Yorker is like a second job.) And it's sad to return a book when you meant to write down more quotes from it to remember it by. I only got one:

Past a certain age, they give up on the name games, which is regrettable for someone like me who loves anything that involves going around a circle and saying something about yourself. I wish there was a class where we could just keep going around the circle, around and around, until we had finally said everything about ourselves.

[From No One Belongs Here More Than You, by Miranda July]

pb&j

Sometimes it's a total fluke of how I end up listening to certain music. There's some mp3 blogs I scan from my bloglines - I don't read them religiously, and I don't download everything on there. But when something catches my eye, I'll download it. And most of the time it will sit around without being listened to for a few weeks or months.

Such was the case with the song "Young Folks" by Peter Bjorn and John. One day a few weeks ago I loaded up a bunch of downloaded songs and very quickly became infatuated with this song. Which quickly led to me buying the cd from amazon (along with a sewing book), which led to me to seeing them in concert a few nights ago at First Ave.

I ended up going all alone, and I'd like to share some tips for show-going on your own.

• Timing is important. You don't want to get there too early. If doors open at 8, you can be pretty sure that the first band won't start until 9 or later. And really, the first band doesn't always matter. Later is better (as long as you're not worried about it selling out).
• Earplugs. They're important because they're just good for your ears. But! The added bonus is that they take out most of the stupid conversations going on around you. You can be a bubble.
• Have something to look at. Whether it's other people or movies playing between sets (thanks, First Ave!), you need some distractions.
• Dance and don't really give a shit about what other people think. By the way, this helps too with show back pain.
  

Yeah. So the show was really fun. I danced and had a good time. Hooray for music! Wow, I could use some work on my reviews.

(Apologies: I promise to never start an entry and then finish it two days later. That just does not work.)

best of.

It took me over a year to realize it, but the day my car stereo and many of my cds were stolen was the day the music died. I saw the Decemberists that night. I was planning to see the New Pornographers the next day, but it was canceled. That was the last show I went to. This was in 2005. I bought two cds in 2006 - Andrew Bird and the Blow. I still listen to music at home a lot, but my car remains silent.

But thank god for mp3 blogs and best of lists. I am discovering all sorts of music that I was supposed to be listening to all year! Hey, better late than never.

So...in light of all this, I am making a promise to my good old friend, Music: Things are going to change between you and me, I swear! It will be different this time! I'm going to get a fancy stereo even though my car is rusting out! I'm going to buy cds! Maybe even stay out late for a show on a school night!

p.s. My lady Khaela is getting some good press. Check out The Underrated and Pitchfork's Top 100 songs.

good things as of late

A hideously autumnesque dinner
Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup and spinach craisin salad. [Oh, and I hate Rachael Ray and the fact that I can't even buy wheat thins without seeing her face, but I read Shelterrific and I can't help it that they keep linking good looking recipies by RACHEL RAY.]

Paper Television, The Blow
So so good. Pretty soon this blog will become "Reasons why I love the Blow." Best CD I've bought this year! (Ok, there's only two on that list.)


Common Good Books
So, Garrison Keillor himself opened a new bookstore in my neighborhood. Now, I'm not a huge fan of Garrison. But I gotta say, his bookstore is damn cute. Of course it's filled to the brim with Garrison books, a Garrison director's chair, and uh...Praire Home Companion was playing while I happened to be there. But! If we can get past that, I love it. It's bright and airy even though it's in a basement, and it's small enough to actually facilitate browsing. If I go to Barnes and Noble I just become overwhelmed and flustered unless I have a specific goal in mind. But not here, oh no! I could go through the entire store and find goodies I've never heard of! So hooray for an independent bookstore that might actually stand a chance of staying afloat solely due to its connection to Garrison* himself.

*I'm disgusted that I managed to namedrop him so much.