I have a fucking Dave Mathews Band song stuck in my head and I CAN NOT get it out.

If In Flames doesn’t work, I may have to take up the trepanation.

Fuck!

in case you haven’t been privvy to “ghost-riding the whip”, for background, here’s the original source of inspiration, my personal favorite interpretation (ghost ride the delorean), and now, ghost-riding the MRAP (via jalopnik):

Favorite comment from this thread:

“OK, soldier, so at the time of the IED detonation, where did you say Major Evans was?”

“He was krumping sir. Or possibly clowning. I’m not positive. It was dark.”

just finished this book last week. it is a must-read for anyone who loves music the way that I do. It’s unbelievable how true many of the passages read:

#1: on his love of GbV:

To say that I’m merely a fan of his music wouldn’t give my obsession the “Uh, you’re scaring me” heft it deserves. Remember the totals on my iTunes play count? That’s nothing. Not counting the Dayton trip, which promised to scorch my savings, I’d already spent more than one thousand dollars in the previous year on ephemera relating to the band. I have called one of my closest friends a dick for asking if Guided By Voices is a religious band. It has been suggested, by one of the few people who knows the depths of my fanship, that I’ve lost perspective where the band is concerned. To this I can only retort that I really don’t care, Greg.

#2: on listening to music in cars:

On a dreary Ohio morning in October 2004, I was banging on the steering wheel of a rented Hyundai and shouting the lyrics to the greatest song ever written. I am usually against displays of exuberance while driving in rentals, as I’m scared that a guy back at the agency is watching me on closed-caption spy-cam and laughing hard enough to make his Arizona Iced Tea come out his nose. I am also cowed by the potential scorn of other drivers. I know that whenever I look over and see some goon energetically mouthing the words to a song I cant hear, I assume the worst: Creed.

schlomo and a-plus from human beatbox kicks it roni size/reprazent style:

oh, and in case you wondered what beatbox death metal sounded like……

I just heard this song for the first time today, on the radio (AM 1690, thank you for existing… I’m sorry it took so long to find you). What an incredible historical reference :

WHEN THAT MAN IS DEAD AND GONE
(Irving Berlin)
Al Bowlly - 1941

When that man is dead and gone
When that man is dead and gone
We’ll go dancing down the street
Kissing everyone we meet
When that man is dead and gone

What a day to wake up on
What a way to greet the dawn
Some fine day the news’ll flash
Satan with a small moustache
Is asleep beneath the lawn
When that man is dead and gone

Satan, Satan, thought up a plan
Dressed as a man
Walking the earth and since he began
The world is hell for you and me
But what a heaven it will be

When that man is dead and gone
When that man is dead and gone
When they lay him twelve feet deep
I’ll be there to laugh, not weep
When that man is dead and gone

What a day to wake up on
What a way to greet the dawn
Satan’ll take him by the hand
To meet old Gerring, look what, man
When that man is dead and gone
When that man is dead and gone

Some fine day the news’ll flash
Satan with a small moustache
Is asleep beneath the lawn
When that man is dead and gone

What a day to wake up on
What a way to greet the dawn
When a certain man is dead and gone

Rumors are swirling about a potential reunion of straightedge heroes ero for a world tour…More information to follow…

- Abdul SALAM - Wanted by the Belgian Police in connection with the murder of young mother Malika Sousse, 28, in Brussels last November
- Youseff Ahmed WAHID - Wanted in connection with the murder of Miss Fatima Kama whose body was found inside a suitcase in the car park at Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport in July 1999
- Rob THOMAS - Wanted for his crimes against humanity for all Matchbox Twenty songs, solo projects, and side projects with Santana

After the death of the cd long box, I propose the banning of the cd jewel case sticker. I understand that the name of the band and the album title being displayed on top makes searching through cd racks easier for everyone, but does it need to be a sticker? If anything, I propose that the delay of instant gratification presented by the sticker after the purchase of the cd is un-American and should be banned in order to preserve freedom and our way of life!!!

Every time I buy a cd, I struggle with these stupid stickers. Many of these stickers were made in complete disregard of sticker technology that has been developed since we landed an American on the moon. Instead, these stickers use a substance that never actually comes off the jewel case long after the sticker has been disposed of.

Join me as we make a difference in our daily lives…or at least our lives on Tuesdays when new cds drop at your local cd store.

Some of you will suggest the use of the cd jewel case sticker razor that can be purchased at some stores. I suggest that this is not a solution because this only allows one to cut the sticker in order to open the cd jewel case. It does not get rid of the sticker problem. The only solution is to propose legislation for a total band. Also, let us use this as an opportunity to slip legislation into the bill to ban Rob Thomas from all music studios…Gospel has been spoken…

trent reznor is an exotic bird

you’ll need audio for this one:

Here is a description of the second video: “This is a solid-state Tesla coil. The primary runs at its resonant frequency in the 41 KHz range, and is modulated from the control unit in order to generate the tones you hear.”

So I’ve bought a good number of records lately, and figured I’d share with y’all what I’ve picked up :

• NIN - Year Zero - It’s not like there was much chance of me not getting this one, since I have pretty much every other record. I’ve listened a couple times, but not aggressively. Nothing really stuck on first listen the way I’d hoped. That’s not to say it won’t grow on me, but it just wasn’t an instant hit for me.
• Bjork - Volta - Again, of course I bought this one. It’s pretty fucking good and I’ve already got some lyrics that are destined to be part of The New Bullshit Emo™. Bjork manages to keep things fresh and experimental without going off the deep end (usually). Go buy it.
• Cornelius - Sensuous - I’ve got a couple of Cornelius records and I really like them. Genre-wise, there’s not really a good fit, but AllMusic calls him a “pop-noise savant” and that’s as good as anything I’d come up with. Anyway, it’s a lot of beeps and clicks and strangeness, but it’s light hearted and coherent and enjoyable to no end.
• The (International) Noise Conspiracy - A New Morning, Changing Weather - I haven’t listened to this yet… it’s an old one, but I didn’t have it, so, hey, why not, right?
• Bright Eyes - Cassadaga - Also haven’t listened to this one yet. I’m not a huge Bright Eyes fan, but I liked I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning enough to merit picking this one up in the $8 used bin. I can’t decide if it’s being in the bin is a good thing (in that it might be a departure and therefore a disappointment to some previously hardcore fan and thus more to my liking) or a bad thing (in that it sucks), but I have it now and I’ll give it a listen soon enough I suppose.
• The Fucking Champs - VI - Yaaaaaar. We likes The F’ing Champs up in here. Melodic instrumental metal that is teh r0wk.
• Camille - Le Fil - This is a cool little record my dad played for me a couple months back during a visit. Camille is French, as the title may have clued you into (it means “The Thread”, fyi). It’s a kind of concept record in which it begins with a single tone humming along at relatively low volume. That tone is thus the titular thread, which runs through every song on the album, dictating the keys and so forth that are used. In and of itself, the concept is neither original or compelling enough to merit a purchase, but I also really like the music and her voice. I’ve been putting this on in the evenings fairly regularly. I got it from iTunes and so can you…
• Neil Young - Living With War - Because it’s a solid record from a legend and because I felt like I ought to own it. ‘Nuff said.
• DNTEL - Dumb Luck - My whim purchase… I gave it a quick listen at the store and grabbed it, but sitting in my office now, I can’t really recall it. I’ll give it a few more listens and maybe follow up, but I know I liked what I heard.
• Patton Oswalt - Feelin’ Kinda Patton - A comedy record! I don’t buy too many of these and now that Dane Cook is so mainstream it’s harder for an elitist snob like myself to continue caring, i needed some new material. Not that Oswalt is an unknown by any stretch. I guess I’m not that elitist. Anyway, it’s a pretty damn funny record, and I might go off in search of some more. Also from iTunes.
• The Bad Plus - Prog - What can I say… another really excellent record from bad-ass Jazz trio. The originals are awesome and the covers remain eclectic and engaging (in particular the cover of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer”; props to r for the 411 on that, which led to be getting the album). Even people who think they don’t like Jazz very much will like these guys. Do it.
• The Coup - Pick A Bigger Weapon - I don’t have any other records from these guys but I happened across it down at Ella Guru and gave it a listen and have been spinning it in my car for 3 days since. I think it’s the best hip-hop record i’ve bought for a year (which could say more about my purchasing habits than anything, but whatever). Very enjoyable and also chock full of lyrics you’ll be seeing in the upper right corner of tsn soon enough…

So that’s that. I also wanted to note that i’ve started ripping my CD’s into Apple Lossless format, more because I’m paranoid about longevity than because I can actually hear the difference. My ears just aren’t that good, but I do like the idea of being able to transcode to some other format without compounding my signal losses. The downside : I’m gonna need some more hard disks.

25 records that I would save from a fire instead of saving you in alphabetical order…

1. Avail - Dixie
2. Bjork – Post
3. By the Grace of God – Three Steps to a Better Democracy
4. Cash, Johnny – At Folsom Prison
5. Crain – Speed
6. Fugazi – 13 Songs
7. Gonzales, Ruben - Chanchullo
8. Grade – Separate the Magnets
9. Hum – You’d Prefer An Astronaut
10. Jimmy Eat World – Static Prevails
11. June of 44 – Four Great Points
12. Kerosene 454 – Came By to Kill Me
13. Lather – A Modest Proposal
14. Neutrino – Motion Picture Soundtrack
15. Promise Ring – Nothing Feels Good
16. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
17. Quicksand - Slip
18. Radiohead – OK Computer
19. Refused - The Shape of Punk to Come
20. Sebadoh – Sebadoh
21. Shellac – At Action Park
22. Shipping News – Flies the Fields
23. Slint – Spiderland
24. Smashing Pumpkins – Gish
25. Strife – Angermeans

Best greatest hits album goes to…

•Michael Jackson – Number Ones, or
•James Brown – 20 All Time Greatest Hits!
(Yes, I just gave out a tie on my own list)

Best 7” goes to…

•Guilt – Bittersweet Blue

And finally, the award for best album title ever goes to…

•Refused - Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent

So r and I were talking about the pitchfork music festival tonight after my supercool chi-town friend (henceforth IL) reminded me of it. I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from going (I’m pretty ambivalent mostly, though it would be rad to see Sonic Youth, if only for historical purposes), but r’s super-indie rant is too good not to share.

k : Wow, IL was just all : “dude pitchfork omg”
k : I thought she meant the site, which is currently, predictably, all “Jenny Lewis is SOOOOO AWESOME!” Meh.
k : But she meant the music festival http://www.pitchforkmusicfestival.com/
k : it really is like an indie rock a palooza
r : indeed
r : it was pretty rock last year
r : but in chicago
k : j. ryan did the art, so that’s something.
r : also jenny lewis can suck it
k : no shit!
k : that’s what i say
r : dude, we hated her when she was in that wackass band
r : and we were totally over her in 1.5s
k : completely
r : and like “where is rainer maria, bitches”
k : yeah
k : who were rigoddamndiculously good, of course.
r : clipse?!?
k : haha yeah
r : when tha last time you heard it like this?
k : lol
r : i hate to say it
r : i dont like 80% of those bands
r : everyone is wrong right now
r : cat power = suck
r : clipse = decent
r : iron & wine = shut up hipster
r : girl talk = who??
r : grizzly bear = ^^^^
r : Battles = okay, awesome- this band rules
r : Professor Murder = who? kickass name, but who? Is he a relative of Prof. Griff?
r : New Pronographers = if only we were so lucky that they did this instead of music
r : stephen malkmus = was over you fifteen years ago
k : this is very getting posted
r : de la soul = its tha grind date baby
r : Of Montreal = go back north, rick, I mean, dick
r : Jamie Lidell = is this person from The Hills?
r : The Ponys = I forget
r : Ken Vandermark = gets points, but WAY too many fucking hipster fucks will be nodding their heads and tapping they toes
r : whew
k : yeah
k : that’s a lot of indie dismissiveness in one shot
r : did i mention that fuck cat power?
k : literally?
r : eww, no
r : Marshall’s singular songs and spellbinding vocals are accented by funky Memphis horns, strings, and muscular, swampy beats.
r : hey pitchfork, indie fucks are not allowed to use the word “funky”
k : yikes, that’s kinda true. that’s some Blender-ass shit
r : ugh
r : describing the new redhotchilipeppers or somebody
k :“It’s FUNKY! : ) : ) : ) Yay!!!!”
r : A++ super awesome fantastic!
r : !!!1!1!!!ONE1!!!
…
r : fuck
r : i have that stupid jtimberlake song in my head
r : fucking fuck
k : dude, that is sooo not indie
k : all your cred? totally gone.
r : its a fucking brainworm
r : trying to destroy me

I wonder if the unknowns on the list mean that r and I are losing our edge and don’t know people we should. That being said, the last 3 records I bought on Pitchfork’s recommendation were completely unlistenable. So, either I’m getting old or I’m just getting better at separating wheat from chaff. And there’s a damn lot of chaff.

For what it’s worth, both Jenny Lewis and Chan Marshall probably could manage to not annoy me, but, they haven’t yet. That’s cool, I guess… a lot of people do like them. That doesn’t make me wrong. But it doesn’t make them right either.

And for reals, “The Grind Date” was soo lame.

Yep. This is how I spend my nights.

*Sigh*