a little time off

[sprig5]

Tomorrow we go to NYC for the day, to see courbet at met museum. it closes sunday, so it may be a little crowded but it should be inspiring.

i took off work today. i subbed at wmucradio.com from 8 to 10 am (show is downloadable on their web site until next friday morning)-- it's the "Roots and Wings" show). it was fun, and i got to play some new stuff i hadn't heard before. playlist is here. Some stuff I liked that I hadn't heard before:

• Lungs of a Giant --- At first blush, I'd say they appeal to me in a similar way to the Silver Jews, but I'm sure the lyrics are different.
• Rocketship Park of Brooklyn
• The Ruby Suns of New Zealand
• The Hepburns--Wales--suggested by Andrew Quang, a WMUC DJ who does the show "Two Centaurs Making Out" Sunday mornings* from 8 to 10 am, and who stopped in to say hi between taking exams today.
• Jonathan Richman -- well, I've heard him before-- but this was a redone song off a new release -- very nice. "Old World," off Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild (Vapor Records, 2008). Someone called to request it, actually. I've never heard the original version, but I really like this version.
• Home Blitz  -- Princeton, NJ, band whom Pitchfork Media here compared to J Richman thusly:  "[Home Blitz is] not the only indie artist recently to pick up Jonathan Richman's ball and run with it, but they may come closest to nailing his guileless charm (the secret being not to try so goddamn hard)." [I actually think J Richman is very particular though-- in that sense he "tries hard."]

* The wmuc schedule will change in about a week to the summer schedule. the new sched will be on the website.