Hello Again..

and wow. i have not updated this thing in forever. sorry.

got a tattoo.

Saul Williams

Saul Williams is pretty much a genius of an artist. I've been listening to his latest outing as a musician titled The Inevitatable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! and it is so so good. It combines his impeccable beat poet skills and puts it into musical form with the aid of record producer and fellow creative individual, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. The result is some of the most original and mindblowing music you're ears have been graced to listen to. I highly suggest you give him a worthy listen.

http://www.saulwilliams.com/

Running rain and

there is something very surreal and mystical running through dark woods in the pouring rain, wondering where we are going, all in the company of good friends.

summers creeping up

i'm probably going to miss my friends. i've had some fun times and talks. some good bonfires. some good late night movies. i hope to accomplish alot this summer. i wish you the same.

Dark Night of the Soul

Creative mad genius' Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse have collaborated on a new album called Dark Night of the Soul. David Lynch, director of such weirdness as Eraserhead and Inland Empire also took photos for the album. The result is a surreal and magical listening experience, spiced with the multi-layered production work Danger Mouse is known for.
In addition to Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, guest appearances by artists such as The Flaming Lips, members from The Shins, The Strokes, Granddaddy, The Pixies, Super Furry Animals, and Neutral Milk Hotel are also present on the album. NPR is currently streaming the album in the full and I highly recommend you take a listen.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104129585&sc=fb&cc=fp

Summer.

Here i come.

i love the opening shot when the music first starts.

i love absurd humor

A rant of somesort....

Yesterday I watched a film called Loose Change with some friends. Without getting into much detail, the film displayed the idea that the Sept. 11 attacks was an event orchestrated by our own government. I'm not saying this is a true fact or not but the evidence was quite compelling and frightening to say the least. But this got me thinking how much we as human beings actually really know. I mean, the story of our civilization is mostly about how we got it wrong. We believed the earth was flat, we burned people at stakes because we thought they were witches, ect... 100 years from now we'll look back on all our ideas and wonder what we were thinking. Abusing the human rights of the gay and lesbian community? Telling people they are going to a physical place called Hell because they did not lead a "good life" on earth? I believe we are capable of incredible transformation and adaptation. I think its time for that. I think we are living in another Enlightenment period in history. We are slowly realizing this and I thank G-d for the friends and family at home and Greenville that are willing to take this change and talk, discuss, and put it into action. I don't know, this is what I currently have dwelling in my mind. I will now share with you some neat things I've found this past week.....

Antichrist is the latest film from Lars Von Trier, director of such films as Dancer in the Dark and Breaking the Waves. I'm a big horror movie fan and this looks pretty creepy.


I've also been looking alot of Paper Rad's visual work. They did this movie made from unmodified ROM graphics from the original Mario and turned it into a very abstract and existential storyline featuring trippy flashing visuals and low-fi bit music. Its pretty great for late night viewing.

My music

i been making some music during my free time. Mostly instrumental, experimental, low-fi stuff, but I like it. I currently posted my album up on CLLCT, a indie musician network site, and it is up for download if you visit my page. Comment and give me your input! I'd love to here from you! But enough from me, I'm not this narcissistic, i swear.


http://cllct.com/release/friends

friends

Sandman is a fun game. I'm sore from biking adventures. I don't have a job yet for the summer. And I don't know what I'm doing with myself. But its alright. Everything's alright.

Today I talked with my brother on the phone. My very good friend was there as well for the chat. We talked about everything under the sun basically, but the one thing that i'm still thinking of is that my friend asked me:"So what do you see or imagine yourself doing after school?" I guess you can say we 3 are in another one of our quarter life crisis' We all 3 declared that we want to travel. Meet people. We want to(in my friend's words) "Go to the Eiffel Tower not to look at it, but to meet the people under it." There is so much that school can't teach you. Wisdom is not always from learning. A great deal of wisdom comes from experience. I'm currently reading Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions and I want to go meet and experience those people that he so wonderfully describes. I want to meet the Kilgores, Harries, and Dwaynes of the world. With all this rattling around in my head, i'm making a improvised list of things to accomplish this summer....

1. Get a job. (thats a given, not too worried about it)
2.Write some more music
3.Hang out with my little brother more often
4. Hang out with my dog more often
5.Go to a Grizzly Bear and La Dispute concert
6. Take a week long road trip around IN, MI, and IL, with friends
7. Get a tattoo
8.Go train hopping
9.Write a letter to my friends in Africa
10.Re-shoot a skate video we made last summer but our camera got smashed, thus losing all footage.
11. Finish these 4 books i've started reading
12.That G-d would reveal how much of a gift this life is. And how I need to quit abusing it.
13.I would really like to paint something grand
14. Turning 21
15.More to come, when I think of them....

so excited for this...

i know. i'm a nerd.

late night music making

its now 3:28 in the morning. and i'm still writing.
its a song about hills.....or what they would sound like....

showwwww

Tonight:
Eagle Scout http://www.myspace.com/eaglescoutmusic

Wind and Sail http://www.myspace.com/windandsail

Paper Route http://www.myspace.com/paperroute

i'm happy!!!


UPDATE *
the show was great!!!
pics courtesy of my friend Catlin


first two pics eagle scout*
last two pics paper route *

i'm sleeping(1972)

you told me this is always been worth living

whats really worth living anymore?

sometimes a song can just punch you in the gut.
this did it for me.
best depressing song ever...

Sleeper 1972 (Acoustic) Live From The Loft - Manchester Orchestra

mmmm. going on a good night skate is a good thing for you. I recommend it. Everything will be ok- i tell myself.

Everything will be ok.

I was at this show last night. The band, The Fundamental Elements, was ok. But thats what i didn't like about the show. What I liked about the show was watching this little kid weave and play through the crowd while the music was playing. He would dodge and shift through the legs of us, like we were the pillars of some fantastic maze we adults were oblivious to. He ran with a drumstick, a drumstick, that numerous times, almost stabbed me in the crouch as he would run by.
I've been seeing beauty in people lately, which in effect, has helped me bring out my creativity and music writing. I have been writing my own music more than ever, and have also started a experimental musical side project with some friends. Its weird how you will just get out of a rut and start up again. Many times during the day, I will stare out of my window and watch people walk and reminisce outside. I really don't know what I look for or how it effects my creativity, it just does. I guess I like to try to put the body movements, eye glances, and the rustles of nature to music? Try to re-create these images in sound? I don't know. I'm just in love with art now. Thank G-d for it. And my fellow friends and artists. I love them.
It's a hard road to take, but I believe its worth it.

I've been listening to these guys lot too.

Sorry. I'm back. i think..

I haven't been keeping up with this lately. I need to. Actually I could do better things with my time but oh well. It's late. Last Sunday Grand Rapid's La Dispute came and played a wonderful set at my school. It was beautiful. Pics courtesy of my friend Tara. :)

Xiu Xiu, among others

This band Xiu Xiu is all I've been listening to for the past week or so. Its really great music, avantguarde and pop music combined. At times it can be pretty pretentious, but that ok.

Bog People - Xiu Xiu

Playtime with Polar Bears

This story just fuels my fascination with polar bears.

(sideways) Don't give up

Tonight I watched Sideways with a friend of mine. Man, I love that movie. It got me thinking about a lot of things. For one, I want to become a wine drinker ( literally and metaphorically speaking) when I get older. I like their attention to detail, the little subtle techniques they go through, how they see the ever evolving "life" in wine. I liked how the characters in the film were flawed and had their past issues to deal with, yet the main point that this film is shouting is to never lose hope. Keep that spark alive. Things fall apart and crumble, and we get angry and depressed. But that's' not the end. We keep going, risking yet again, our hearts to one another, and in doing so, become ever the more human in the process. It's a theme I need to remind myself of in this time of my life. Love.

Jubilee - Unwed Sailor

15 more daysssssss

...till I see La Dispute!!!!

Grand Torino

Just got back from the theater watching Clint Eastwood's Grand Torino. It was a fantastic film. Clint Eastwood is pretty hilarious in it. Very well done.

I'm humbled in your pretty lens

So I'm a somewhat new fan of the music of Animal Collective. In the past, Strawberry Jam was the only album of theirs I was exposed to and that was an unpleasant listen to say the least. But their 2005 album Feels is a lovely collection of songs that embody all the elements of love, awkwardness, and intimacy that sounds and melodies can offer. It is a definite contrast to their new album; Feels is much more poetic in its lyricism and relying on delay-drenched guitar lines and the use of acoustic instruments compared to the electronica influences of 2009's Merriweather Post Pavilion. In many of Feels tracks, ambience and space play a big role as musical atmospheres are formed in the song structures. I highly recommend this album to all music snobs, hopeless romantics,
and most of all, you.

Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan

Awwww. The married couple, Avey Tare, of Animal Collective, and Kría Brekkan, of múm make music together. And they have an album compiled of home recorded folk songs. And these songs are played in reverse for the listener's enjoyment. Its quite the trip. It's very beautiful as well.I hope one day I can make music with my future wife too. That would be pretty sweet. If only.


Karen O The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is also a solo artist. She has an acoustic side project known as Native Korean Rock. It's lo-fi acoustic love songs. It's obviously different from her band's work, but in a good way. Very intimate. But the recording quality is pretty poor. Hopefully they come out with a professional EP soon. Speaking of Karen O, who is related to director Spike Jonze; I can't wait for Where the Wild Things Are. It's gonna be so good......















Couple more weeks till I get my melodica....

oh, and check out this movie sometime. Waltz of Bashir. It's a heartbreaking and hypnotic animated film on the 1982 Lebanese conflict told through flashbacks from the narrator. I think it's nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.

Revolutionary Road

i'm starting this film up tonight. I can't sleep. So we'll see how this one turns out. I've heard good things. peace.

Brooke Waggoner and other nice findings

I was driving back with some friends from an Eagle Scout/Greenwood/Montez show in Decatur when I heard someone requested "Brooke Waggoner" into our little iPod playlist mix. I had never heard of her and didn't know what to expect. She sounds like the spawn of Feist and Rufus Wainwright. It's great classy pop with very good piano playing.

Hush If You Must - Brooke Waggoner




Jonny Greenwood is the man. If your wanting to be in a trippy mood and need some nice free jazz/experimental whathaveyou/ crazy good music, look no further than his work for the Bodysong soundtrack. Its great.

Moon Trills - Jonny Greenwood


Paper Route is playing in Greenville in a month or so, and I am pretty much excited. Their music is a great listen for any indie/ambient pop fan. The musicianship and little details that go into their songwriting never ceases to amaze me.

Second Chances - Paper Route
I just watched Dancer in the Dark again tonight, so I have to include Bjork....