My newest (to me) music

The B-52s newish album "Funplex" is awesome. No, really! Every track has a great groove that causes involuntary toe-tapping and/or head-bopping. Fred Schneider is the man. How much fun would it be to hang out with them for a day?

My favorite "new" music is Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's "Pictures at an Exhibition." I was first introduced to this through a dvd of a live concert. It has to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded, period. Their arrangements/interpretations of the movements stay true to the original work but add that ELP heavy synth sound we all love and enjoy. "The Curse of Baba-Yaga" might be my favorite part simply because the bassoon soli is replaced by an amazingly distorted guitar with a wah-wah pedal (I think?). "The Gnome" and "The Old Castle" are equally fun, with the former's drum part and the latter's crazy introduction. I probably shouldn't be singling out specific tracks because it's a waste of time; the entire album is phenomenal.

Have you listened to Dallapiccola's "Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera" lately?

Perhaps you should.

If loving tv and movies is wrong, I don't wanna be right

It's no secret I love tv and movies. There are many shows I like to watch, especially the Wednesday 10:00 p.m. Bravo shows. The best part about Wednesday Bravo nights is texting my friend Jen. She and I met this past summer at OSU and immediately hit it off. We text each other our thoughts and opinions of the show as it progresses. We already made it through three: Project Runway (still my favorite), Top Design, and Top Chef (very nearly my favorite). Since Top Chef ended last night, we will start watching Make Me a Supermodel together. 

Ok, I admit I'm not proud I watch that show. For me, the interest lies in watching the interaction between the models and photographers. I like watching the process of art being made. I guess that's what I can tell myself to feel better about watching it. "No, really, it's art!"

One of my favorite things is quoting tv shows and movies. My brother and I are notorious for doing this, especially with each other. The problem is when we do it in public and alienate ourselves from nearly everyone. At least we make each other laugh. Sometimes, we will text each other random quotes just to be weird. For instance, last week he sent me "Gutter is a tool!" and I responded a couple days later with "I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turns out I was just really bored."

By the way, you can listen to "Bluish" here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs7ZP4zKLm0

Sorry about giving you the lyrics and no real context for them.

I never claimed to be good at blogging

I admit I'm a little too left-brained to do anything other than write lists. I will have less boring posts after my upcoming trip to WVU and some concerts.

These are the instruments I want to learn:

1. Erhu

2. Accordion

3. Theramin

4. Classical guitar (I'm practicing on my electric first)

5. Sitar (which is really just an excuse to learn ragas and talas)

6. Guqin (a zither like the one the assassins in Kung Fu Hustle play)

7. Singing saw

8. Drum set (haven't played much since high school percussion ensemble)

9. Shawm or rackett

10. I would say bass except I would want to play a bunch of Primus stuff, which is probably WAY too hard for me. I would end up torturing myself trying to learn "Tommy the Cat." Heck, I can't even understand most of the lyrics!

I love it

These are the lyrics to "Bluish."

I'm getting lost in your curls

I'm drawing pictures on your skin, so soft it twirls

I like your looks when you get mean

I know I shouldn't say so but when you claw me like a cat, I'm beaming

I like the way you squeeze my hand

Pulling me to another dream, we should dream

I'm getting lost in your curls

I'm getting crushed out on the things that only I should see

They're not for boys, they're just for me

Hurry to talk from far away

I can't see you, you curl your fists when you pull your hair

When we're alone I want to say

Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment, babe

Put on the dress that I like

It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why

Keep on your stockings for a while

There's some kind of magic in the way you're lying there

I'm getting lost in your curls

I'm getting rushed back on a whim, our breath gets weird

Back to the time when we were green

I know we have changed, but I still grin 'cause I can wake to see you

Back to the time I touched your hand

When I was so scared to look that mean, I think it's weird

I'm getting lost in your curls

I'm getting crushed out on the things that only I should see

They're not for boys, they're just for me

When we do talk from far away

It's so hard for me only to get the urge to kiss you there

When we're alone, I wanna say

Let's just stay in, no one's here in our apartment, babe

Put on the dress that I like

It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why

Keep on your stockings for a while

There's some kind of magic in the way you're lying...

Put on your dress that I like

It makes me so crazy, though I can't say why

Keep on your stockings for a while

There's some kind of magic in the way you talk about your

Blue eye shadow

It's not exactly blue, though

I refuse to call it anything but your blue...

Please don't make fun of me for writing another list

Obviously, music has always been an important part of my life. I've recently been thinking about the pieces/songs that had the biggest impact on me, are tied to very specific memories, or are simply my favorites. I can't imagine my life without them, nor do I want to.

These are in alphabetical order by artist (not importance) because I'm going down my iTunes list.

Oh man, this is gonna be long.

-"Bluish" by Animal Collective. This is the newest and most recently added song to my list.

-"Martha My Dear" by the Beatles. Just darn catchy and fun to sing in the car.

-Benjamin Britten's "Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings." Beautiful.

-"Jóga," "Pagan Poetry," and "The Dull Flame of Desire" by Björk. Also beautiful.

-"Setting Sun," "Life is Sweet," "Loops of Fury," and "The Boxer" by the Chemical Brothers because they remind me of driving in the car with my brother.

-"La Cathedrale Engloutie," "Arabesque No. 1," and "Prelude A L'Apres Midi D'Un Faune" by Debussy. I'm glad my favorite section of the last one is during a part in which 3rd horn doesn't play for a few measures; I was able to relax and listen.

-"Death is the Road to Awe" from the soundtrack to the movie "The Fountain." Well done, Clint Mansell.

-"Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield. Funkalicious.

-Second movement from Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10. Four of the most intense minutes I've ever heard.

-"Roadhouse Blues" by the Doors. This is always my first pick on a jukebox at a bar or restaurant.

-Duke Ellington's "River Suite," especially the "Giggling Rapids" movement.

-"Serpentine Fire" by Earth, Wind, and Fire. My favorite EWF tune.

-Schubert's Symphony No. 9 (I feel this one in my bones), and many of his lieder.

-"Les moutons de Panurge" by Frederic Rzewski. Really spiffy, hypnotic minimalist piece.

-"Dirty Harry" by the Gorillaz. I can't help but dance when this is on.

-"Saturn" from Holst's "The Planets," especially my recording since they beat the bejeezus out of the chimes. Overall, the last two-ish minutes are my favorite. A little piece of me hurts (in a good way) when the basses come in on that E for the repeat of the last cadence.

-Mahler's Symphony No. 1. It was the first Mahler piece I ever heard.

-"Hate to Say I Told You So" by the Hives. This is one of my favorite straight-up rock songs of all time.

-Stravinsky's "Symphony of Psalms." One of the most interesting pieces I have played.

-"Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown. Dance and you'll feel better.

-"Purple Haze," "Fire," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Manic Depression," "Foxy Lady," "Castles Made of Sand," "Angel," and "Voodoo Child" by Jimi Hendrix. Someday, I want to chop down a mountain with the edge of my hand.

-I know I'm a geek, but Johan de Meij's "Gandalf" from his "Lord of the Rings Suite" is one of the greatest things EVER. That was probably my favorite year of band (sophomore year of high school). We also played "Watchman, Tell Us of the Night" by Mark Camphouse that year.

-J. S. Bach's "Invention No. 8" and Brandenburg No. 2. Oh, and EVERYTHING else he ever wrote.

-"Wie melodien zhiet ist mir" by Brahms.

-"Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon.

-"Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin. It was hard to pick just one Zepp song.

-The soundtracks to "West Side Story" and "On the Waterfront" by Leonard Bernstein. I find the latter especially powerful. I didn't watch the movie until a few months ago. Oh, I almost forgot "Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs!"

-Lots of Beethoven. I'm not even going to try to narrow it down.

-"Linee" from Dallapiccola's "Quaderno Musicale di Annalibera." It's under a minute long and I can listen to it over and over again.

-"The Bumble Bee Tuna Song" by the Mephiskapheles. Nothing else gets stuck in my head as often as this song.

-"The Good Times Are Killing Me" by Modest Mouse. Reminds me of driving around with the windows down during my final quarter at OU.

-Lots of Nine Inch Nails. No, really. LOTS.

-"Tristis est anima mea" by Orlando di Lasso. This is my favorite piece in the entire Norton anthology.

-Respighi's "Pines of Rome." This is tied with "Symphony of Psalms" for favorite piece I got to perform.

-Believe it or not, Paul Anka's swing cover of "True" by Spandau Ballet. It's rare a cover is far better than the original.

-"Marsch" from Hindemith's "Symphonic Metamorphosis." Mad scientist music at its best.

-Phil Kline's "Zippo Songs." Beyond powerful and creepy as hell.

-Lots of Primus, though "Tommy the Cat" and "My Name is Mud" might be my favorites.

-Lots of Queen, considering I grew up listening to them. I think I knew all the words to "Bicycle Race" by the time I was 8.

-Lots of Radiohead. I think I can narrow them down to "Pyramid Song," "Sit Down, Stand Up," "There, There," "15 Step," "Faust Arp," "Videotape," "How to Disappear Completely," Paranoid Android," and "Let Down." I'm thinking this isn't an honest list.

-Reel Big Fish's album "Turn the Radio Off." Again, it reminds me of driving in the car with my brother.

-"Life in Rain" and "Save Me" by Remy Zero. You may know the latter as the song that plays during the opening credits of "Smallville."

-"Beim Schlafengehen" from Strauss's "Vier Letzte Lieder." I heard this on the radio while I was driving home from work. Even though I arrived before the song was over, I stayed in the car so I could hear the title. It's super corny but beautiful. I'm also a sucker for D-flat major.

-The beginning of "Das Rheingold" by Wagner.

-"Rock DJ" by Robbie Williams. If you haven't seen the video, you need to.

-"Martyr" by Rusted Root.

-"Pattycake" by Self. One of my best friends, Scott, used to get this stuck in his head all the time. I will admit I used to torture him with it. "It's 1978 we're playing pattycake and baker's man!"

-Sigur Rós's album "Takk..." and the individual songs "Staralfur," "Olsen Olsen," "Hjlómalind," "Hafsól," "Gobbledigook," "Fljótavik," and tracks 1-4 on the untitled album "( )." Track one still breaks my heart.

-The Smashing Pumpkins's album "Machina/The Machines of God" and many, many individual songs.

-"Spoonman" and "Burden in My Hand" by Soundgarden. I wish Soundgarden were still around.

-"Hell," "Put a Lid on It," "Ghost of Stephen Foster," and "Fat Cat Keeps Getting Fatter" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

-"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder. If you don't like this song, there is something wrong with you.

-"Queen of Spades," "Blue Collar Man," and "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.

-"Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads. If I could loop the first 16 seconds indefinitely, I would.

-"Doctor Worm," "Birdhouse in Your Soul," "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", "Particle Man," and "Dead" by They Might Be Giants.

-Alec Wilder's "Sonata No. 3 for Horn and Piano." This is the piece I played for my last jury.

-My Tito Puente Greatest Hits album.

-"What Is Hip?" by Tower of Power. Tell me, tell me, if you think you know.

-"Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," "Where the Streets Have No Name," and "Bullet the Blue Sky" by u2.

-"Concrete and Clay" and "Ooh La La" from the soundtrack to the movie "Rushmore." I can't remember who actually did these songs.

-"My Name is Jonas," "Buddy Holly," and "Say It Ain't So" by Weezer.

-Lots of White Stripes, but I think "Blue Orchid" might be my favorite.

-"Who Are You," "My Generation," "Magic Bus," and "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who.

-Lots of Mozart, but the second movement from the 23rd piano concerto is particularly pretty.

-"Dimension," "White Unicorn," "Woman," and "Joker and the Thief" by Wolfmother.

-Zwan's album "Mary Star of the Sea." Imagine the Smashing Pumpkins but happy and in D major.

Excuse me while I feel sorry for myself for a bit

Since it's close to Valentine's Day (gross), I decided to complain about being single. I thought maybe it would be best to come up with a list of some of the qualities I'm looking for in a guy. I know it's a tall order, but I suppose he doesn't have to meet ALL of them. I would be embarrassed if people were actually reading this blog.

1. He's an artist of some kind, preferably a musician.

2. He makes me laugh all the time, even when I don't feel like laughing.

3. He puts up with my craziness and tomfoolery. In fact, he finds it endearing.

4. He likes the same music as me or music that's at least similar.

5. He can drive a manual car or is willing to learn (hey, it's an important skill).

6. He calms me down when I get upset, but doesn't tell me how to fix what's bothering me.

7. He keeps up with my sudden topic changes. He also won't bat an eye if I switch from Nine Inch Nails to Mahler to Björk to old Smashing Pumpkins to Radiohead...I think you see where this is going.

8. I feel like a better person when I'm around him or thinking about him.

9. He's outgoing and talkative like me, but forgives me for when I ultimately dominate the conversation.

10. He also forgives me for being much more book smart than common sense smart.

11. He's easily described as a nerd, geek, and/or dork.

12. He likes video games but isn't a serious gamer.

13. He helps me cook and bake and gives honest opinions about the results.

14. He likes dogs better than cats.

15. He wants to travel the world...with me!

16. He gives great, frequent back rubs.

17. He makes sure I don't forget to watch the Daily Show and Colbert Report.

18. He quotes movies and tv shows just as much as I do.

19. He inspires me to exercise and be healthy.

20. He is a smart-aleck and a teaser but knows when to stop.

21. He is romantic without being sappy.

22. He's very smart but doesn't feel the need to show off.

23. He doesn't mind that I would leave him for Billy Corgan or Trent Reznor.

24. He isn't overly into sports.

25. His eyes still light up when I'm wearing t-shirts and jeans, no make-up, and glasses.

I know sometimes I get silly ideas. Here are a few.

-I want to learn classical guitar. I've started teaching myself and despite having no fingernails, I think I'm not too terrible at it. I'm getting better at sight-reading. I use tab to get myself started, then I just read the music. I even did some trills today!

-I also am pretty set on learning Mandarin, mostly because I've heard it's the hardest language to learn. I also want to know all of the Romance languages and German. Maybe Russian, too.

-I think it would be fun to learn charcuterie, aka the art of sausage-making. If it weren't for sausage, I would probably be a vegetarian. Side note: I FINALLY had blood sausage and it was so good...

-I want to start tap dancing again. I haven't since sixth grade. I really miss it.

...That's all I can think of for now. More to come!

First entry

I'm trying to introduce myself to different music. I have a lot of opportunity at work considering we're all musicians and there is a library branch down the street. My most recent "discoveries" are Satie, Herbie Hancock, and some random funk. The bass teacher will be giving me some mp3 cds next week. I'm curious to see what he puts on them. I only know I'm getting some Zappa for sure. 

I've decided my favorite album of all time is "Takk..." by Sigur Rós. This was a very difficult decision for me. I'm not even sure Sigur Rós is my favorite band, but that album is so wonderful. I think what sealed it is that I can't imagine my life without it. If I could, I would wrap myself in this album like a blanket and never come out. I doubt anyone is actually reading this, but if you're curious, I recommend listening to at least "Glósóli," "Hoppípolla (which can be heard in some "Slumdog Millionaire" commercials)," my absolute favorite "Saeglópur," and "Gong." Those are tracks #2, #3, #6, and #8, respectively. The videos for "Glósóli" and "Hoppípolla" are fantastic, but I don't recommend the video for "Saeglópur" since it's such a downer. Heck, just go to their website http://www.sigurros.com