The National - Sea of Love

Howdy folks -

Been a while, huh? I went on a short sabbatical but am back in action with THE official first single from Trouble Will Find Me by THE National. I am absolutely loving this - I've already listened to it between 10-15 times. Probably will listen to it another 15 times before the day is done...there's so much to imbibe in this song. But I particularly love this line:

Hey Joan, I'm sorry I hurt you
But they say that love is a virtue
Don't they?

Anyway, I had another song picked for today but that will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, be compiling a list of items you've always loved, for that's the theme of tomorrow's post.

Had a hell of a time at Foals for those who were wondering - legitimately one of my most favorite bands from the past 10 years, and excellent live. I got a little Cinqo'd, but that's ok.

And with that, here's The National - Sea of Love.

Foals - My Number

Howdy folks -

Gotta say, I am pumped to see Foals play this weekend at the 9:30 Club here in DC. Sold out show. Great band. Huge fan. Add in Cinco de Mayo and you have a recipe for hospitalization. But fear not friends, I'll be fine! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend - I don't have much to add other than to say see you Monday!

The Round Up
Megan Walsh - '"I trusted 'em" - When NCAA Schools Abandon Their Injured Athletes' (The Atlantic)
I love college sports - hell, I love sports in general, but the way fans and schools have colluded to treat college athletes is shameful. They are de facto employees of a school, yet receive nothing in compensation outside of a scholarship while the school itself stands to rake in millions off of their service. This is a long article, but very informative. We need to start paying these people yesterday.
And now, here's Foals "My Number" - guaranteed to get your weekend started off right in body moving delight. And that includes Jennifer Davis! Love the lyrics as well.

You don’t have my number we don’t need each other now we don’t need the city the creed or the culture now cause I feel I feel alive I feel, I feel alive I feel that the streets are all pulling me down so people of the city I don’t need your counsel now and I don’t need your good advice cause you don’t have my lover’s touch You don’t have my number we don’t need each other now the creed or the culture we can move beyond it now now the wolf is knocking at my door bang-bangin’, ask for more stand here, stand tall we could move beyond these walls I don’t need your counsel I don’t need these city’s streets I don’t need that good advice cause we can move beyond it now You don’t have my number we don’t need each other now the creed or the culture you don’t have my lover’s touch I feel I feel alive do you even hear me? do you even know my name? let me see the ocean there i’ll hold you in my arms tight England can you hear me? and are you even listening now? You don’t have my number and we don’t need each other now You can’t steal my thunder You don’t have my lover’s touch You don’t have my number I don’t need your love now I don’t need the city streets the creed or the culture now

Chilly Gonzales - Rideaux Lunaires

Howdy folks -

Bit of a hectic day over here in Jackville - the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and my mind is anywhere but here. But that's as it should be - too much focus on work tends to dislocate onself away from important things, so I've been taking walks, listening to music and Getting My Mind Right for (what I hope to be) the flowering of spring. To that end, I have eschewed the lyrical element of this blog for the day and decided to impart with you a little piano ditty by Chilly Gonzales. Hopefully it puts everyone in the right frame of mind for a weekend with loved ones, long walks and wonderful talks. Or to sit on the couch and watch television. Whatever's your poison!

The Daily Roundup
Jeff Weintrab - The Results Are In
Anybody interested in politics knows about DEBT and DEFICIT and how TERRIBLE it all is and how we MUST CUT SPENDING if we are to live in the America we all seem to nostaligically remember from the 1950s. And now, people are realizing how wrong that is.

Andy Newman - Crowning 1 World Trade Center (New York Times)
Proof that terrorists don't win.

On Favorite Bands

Howdy folks -

Music is a funny thing, isn't it? One of my thousands of readers told me yesterday that she had not been the biggest fan of some of my music choices and I thought to myself - "Well, how could that be? These songs are generally poppy, interesting, etc." And it got me thinking....about music, the nature of music, the nature of fandom, what being a fan of a band is all about...hell, even what "favorite band" means and how it happens. So I decided to ruminate a little on the concept and share my thoughts on this phenomenon. And before we go further, let me say that I really just appreciate the reader giving the songs a chance!

I have been a music fan since as long as I can remember - whether it was the 80s hits filling my mom's minivan to the music I listen to on my ear buds as I'm walking through the streets of DC - it gives me energy, makes me think and, most importantly, makes me feel. Feel something. Those feelings are never pre-determined...that's the beauty of loving a song - sometimes it brings you back to where you were, other times it takes you to where you're going, and sometimes it simply let's you be. I've been listening to a song on repeat fairly often from what I would consider to be my absolute most adored band - Manic Street Preachers. The song's called Tsunami, and you can hear it below. It came out in 1997, so it's a little over 15 years old now. Where were you 15 years ago? I was 14. I imported the CD from Woody's Music in lovely Matthews, NC, a small record store where the owner would actually import music for me, from CD singles to full LPs...for a price. This CD probably cost me $20 at the time - imagine paying $20 for 12 songs today! It's unthinkable.

Thinking about listening to that song 15 years ago, I wonder what I thought about it as I heard it? I love the song for a lot of reasons - the arrangement, the non-traditional instrumentation (for a rock band), the jumping strings in the chorus, the lyrics, the charging bridge...basically, I love everything about this song. But would I love it if I didn't love the band? If I heard it with new ears and no background? I honestly can't say. That's the thing about having a favorite band - you know them. You know their history. You get their musical sensibilities. You are willing to let them take you places that you may not go for other bands. You trust them. In a way, they're your band. I can't think about the Manic Street Preachers and separate them from half my life, nor separate the songs from the band members, nor separate the lyrics from the music or the songs from time itself.  Even when they put out a bad album, I tend to like it just because I like them. I like the way they write music and it never fails to speak to me on some level.

When I listen to Mumford and Sons, I can't imagine them being anybody's favorite band. And yet they are. And not just a few people - millions of people would call Mumford and Songs their favorite band. How? I personally don't understand that. They're music is fine. They are fine. They aren't terribly interesting or exciting, but they make decent music. I could listen to The Cave on the radio and be perfectly happy. But I wouldn't go buy an album of theirs. Maybe if I saw them live I'd have a different opinion, but really, I shouldn't have to see a band live to live and breathe their recorded output. Same is true for Dave Matthews - another band that I find to be perfectly fine but couldn't imagine seeing them live once, forget hundreds of times like their most dedicated fans. And The Lumineers? Forget it.

But that's the point isn't it? Music is so much more than the song. Just like movies are more than the film, and books are more than the words. It all lives in your mind. You take pieces of yourself, pieces of the artist and pieces of the artistry and create a mosaic that only you can see, hear and feel. I share these songs because I love them. Of course I hope that you do too, or that you at least give them a chance. I share the lyrics because often the words spoke to me. Sometimes they didn't, but when you have a format, you follow it :)

If you've read this far, you might as well listen to Tsunami and see if you hear what I hear. Even if you don't, I appreciate you trying. It was a Top 10 hit in the UK in 1998, which probably demonstrates how different their musical tastes are from ours, but it stands on its own merit in my opinion.



For you my dear sister
Holding onto me forever
Disco dancing with the rapists
Your only crime is silence

Can't work at this anymore
Can't move I want to stay at home
Tied up to all these crutches
Never far from your hands

Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Can't speak, can't think, won't talk, won't walk

Doctors tells me that I'm cynical
I tell them that it must be chemical
So what am I doing girl
Cry into my drink I disappear

Eyes for teeth grating over me
Bring down the shadows of my mind
Sleep and breathe under our sheets
Inhale the anxiety in - between, in - between, in - between, in - between

Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me

Through September under the weather

In - between, in - between, in - between, in - between

Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me
Tsunami tsunami
Came washing over me

Take the GI's I will have the spies

Everything Everything - Duet

Howdy folks -

I hope your week is going well thus far. Not much to report on any front, other than to say the NBA playoffs have been enjoyable thus far. There's only one article in today's roundup (I simply didn't think anything else I read was worth sharing today), but it's a doozy.

Jonathan Rauch - How Not to Die (The Atlantic)
If you've been following Obamacare's implentation or are simply curious about the practical impact of US health care on end-of-life, this is an interesting read. Part of the vast expense of US health care is that we fght off death until our dying breath (is this the beginning of a song?!), even though hospice/palliative care are options. Think Terri Schiavo. There's hardly any dignity in dying in American culture, but the fact of the matter is it's also expensive to live on borrowed time for all involvedp; an interesting moral, ethical and financial dillema that we have yet to square.

For our Song of the Day, I've gone with Everything Everything's Duet, a song that soars but glides, includes some interesting lyrical imagery and honestly is one of the coolest jams I've heard all year. Not to mention that the video is pretty awesome as well. Check it out below!

Do you feel left behind?
Like there's something not right?
I don't think I've been connected,
But of all the dead volcanoes on Earth,
You just happen to retch and roll through mine.

There were fistfulls of hair,
Round the foot of my chair,
And acres and acres of screens before me,
But breathing out I swear you were real.

You were there,
You were there,
You were there for a while.

But I don't know what's real
And what's going on,
And I don't wanna be here
When the sky is gone.
(I just can't keep up with it and...)
I don't want to think about it all, I'm tired
(Heavens give me something more!)
I don't wanna think about it all, I'm tired

It was sold with a wink,
It was slipped in my drink,
A necropolis for the taking,
Where all the cities flow into one,
And there's nothing but knives and fears and forks

Seems the more I find out,
The more unsure I become,
And baby I get the feeling,
There's some new dark,
Unknowable yet.

And it's here,
And it's here,
And it's here,
For a while.

(I feel it coming,
One, one step from nothing
I, I feel it coming,
One, one step from nothing
I, I feel it coming,
One, one step from nothing, I)

But I don't know what's real
And what's going on,
And I don't wanna be here
When the sky is gone.
(I just can't keep up with it and...)
I don't want to think about it at all, I'm tired
(Heavens give me something more!)
I don't wanna think about it all, I'm tired

But I can hear them plunder in the streets at night,
You never should have told them what you have inside,
And I don't want my children in an endless race,
And I don't wanna wait to see what else they take,
(Sulphur howling over you!)
And all that matter now is that we don't let go,
(Black caldera ash and falling!)
And you can be my wonder in my time of woe,
(Tarred and feathered genii!)
If it's gonna happen let it happen now!
(Acid in the tears alone!)
If it's gonna happen let it happen now!

Super Furry Animals - Hermann Loves Pauline

Howdy folks -

Annnnnnnnnd we're back with another Manic Monday (tm)! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend - mine was certainly eventful if not entirely Top Secret, but needless to say Monday is always the most unenjoyable day of the work week for me. I've decided that I will post a couple of links every weekday to articles or blog posts that I find worthwhile/enjoyable/informative/entertaining so you can get a better sense of what I'm reading (and why). I read a lot of stuff throughout the week and only share a small portion of it on Facebook, so I will be a little more comprehensive here. And of course, I'll still be sharing my daily music video/lyrics (or my own work). As I read throughout the day, I'll flag articles that I find worthwhile and put them in the next day's roundup. It will probably only be 2-3, and will always have a short explanation from me as to why I find them interesting, etc.

For today's roundup:

Peggy Orentstein - Our Feel Good War on Breast Cancer (NYT Magazine)
As some of you know, my mom is a breast cancer survivor of around 18 years so I have a lot of experience with this. But I think that the breast cancer philanthropic industry has some deep-seated problems, and this article does a nice job of fleshing those out.

Jason Collins - Why NBA Center Jason Collins is coming out now (Sports Illustrated)
It's remarkable how unremarkable I find gay athletes to be. And yet he is the first male gay athelete to come out while still being in a major league. The difference between men's and women's sports is tremendous in this regard.

For the jam, today's choice is Hermann Loves Pauline by the Super Furry Animals. One of the most inventive bands of the BritPop era, they also have a keen way with words. I am particularly fond of the "French bred" "French bread" pun, but I'll let you listen and hear for yourself! You'll even learn something about Marie Curie. And always remember - why do you do what they tell you?

Hermann loves Pauline and Pauline loves Hermann

They made love and gave birth to a little German

(Hermann loves Pauline and Pauline loves Hermann)

They call him MC Squared because he raps like no other

(Hermann loves Pauline and Pauline loves Hermann)

An asthma sufferer like Ernesto Guevara

(Hermann loves Pauline and Pauline loves Hermann)

Too much Monte Kristo number four

(Her and I believe)

Pass the Ventolin I need some more

(They had more)

We have ways of making you think

(To do)

We have ways of making you think

(Than simple balancing)

We have ways of making you think

(Two point four family)

We have ways of making you think

(Sanity)

We have ways of making you think

(Personality, a ha ha)

They told me over a drink

They never noticed him at school

They tell me he kept himself to himself

He used to sit and stare up at the ceiling

Hermann loves Pauline

They never noticed him at school

They tell me he suffered poor health

He used to vacantly stare

Out the window feeling under

Why do you do what they tell you?

Marie Curie was Polish born but French bred

(French bread!)

Of course she ended up dead from radiation

Slow invisible suffocation

Down the twenty four hour garage or any service station

I lead my life in a quest for information

Since surrounded by pies and books

Middle-aged drivers and deranged cooks

They never noticed her at school

They tell me she kept herself to herself

She used to sit and stare up at the ceiling

Hermann loves Pauline

They never noticed her at school

They tell me she suffered poor health

She used to vacantly stare

Out the window, feeling under

Why do you do what they tell you?

They never noticed her at school

They tell me she kept herself to herself

She used to sit and stare up at the ceiling

Hermann loves Pauline

They never noticed him at school

They tell me he suffered poor health

He used to vacantly stare

Out the window feeling under

TGIF! Daft Punk - Get Lucky

Howdy folks -

Thank. God. It's. Friday. If you're like me, you're living for the weekend. Regardless of what you do, it's always a joy to have a few days off from the perpetual grind of Working for Money to Buy Things Like Food in Order to Live (TM). Or whatever you spend your disposable income on.

For me, this weekend kicks off what promises to be a run of an amazing 5-6 weeks. My great friend Andrew Sinclair is back in town, so we're getting the weekend started off right with a happy hour sure to be full of good laughs and great friends. This takes us into tomorrow's Welcome Back Sinclair! party, which rolls us into the first weekend of May (commonly referred to as The Month Jonathan Was Born) which finds us at the Foals concert on Cinco de Mayo (I'm of Mexican heritage if my love of queso is any indication). The next weekend sees another Great Friend - Eamon Tierney - come into town for this birthday thing I have since I guess I'm turning 30? News to me. And the beat goes on.

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

So as the song says - We're Up All Night to Get Funky. See ya'll next week!