The Sunday Rounds, Volume 154
I've said it before but I think it is worth repeating: Ben Franklin... part genius, part asshole.
Ah well, nothing a few days to regain my circadian rhythm can't cure. Barring that, I'll just tweak my coffee habit (in much the same way I suspect old Ben adjusted his tea habit).
On to the (condensed) Rounds...
"You'll Pay Me Now, Bitch!"
I received my paycheck via mail. Probably not the smartest idea, given that I could sign up for direct deposit any time I want to (and probably will after the episode I'm about to describe). Never the less, in 10 years my company has been late in getting it to my mailbox maybe 3 or 4 times and I think only once or twice was I able to trace it directly back to their mistake. The other times have been, I suspect, a combination of their mistake and that of the two post offices the damn thing had to pass through.
Anyway... what was supposed to arrive on Thursday didn't arrive until yesterday, which kind of put a damper on my Saturday plans. It may, however, have been a blessing in disguise because while waiting for the mail to arrive and feeling a little broke I decided it would be a good idea to continue my ongoing quest to narrow my CD collection. Over the past several months I've been "re-evaluating" what is worth owning and what isn't, what should become part of my digital-only library and what shouldn't, and selling off CDs by the dozens in exchange for (usually) store credit or (sometimes) cash. Yesterday's sell off gave me enough credit to buy Raising Sand, the surprisingly amazing collaboration (do not call it a "duets" CD!) between Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. Perhaps it shouldn't be 'surprising'. After all, team any two people with immense talent and good taste, give them a crackerjack studio band and an A+ level producer (T-Bone Burnett), and you should get good results. Plant and Krauss don't fail. Its my CD of the week. Hell, it is probably the CD of the season and by this time next month when I type up my annual Top 20 you can probably count on it to be in there somewhere.
So... long story short... the delay in the delivery of my paycheck resulted in a feeling of despair, alleviated by the sell off of un-needed items, and resulted in some kick ass music I didn't have to steal, borrow, or go into debt for.
The check did arrive, everything is square, and the bills are still getting paid on time. Here's to life... or something.
"Hang The DJ, Hang The DJ..."
Thank you to everyone who has responded -- and often in great, thoughtful detail -- to my "call outs" for this month's edition of Soundtrack, "Overnight Sensation". (And while I'm at it, thanks for the nice replies re: "Don't Bring Me Down". People seemed to dig it and and that makes me super, super happy.)
While the suggestions for "Overnight Sensation" have been really strong, I do have to warn that I am probably going in a different direction with this one and, as such, many of those suggested songs may not fit. I have a very strong vision or framework for this and even a bit of a musical narrative that feels very, very inspired. So please know that I do, in fact, look into nearly every song suggested for any given show, with this one I may err more toward the "Allow me to Present..." side then the more collaborative nature of past shows. With that is this promise: "Overnight Sensation" is going to kick ass. I swear. The only prior show I can compare it to is "Postcards from the Road", which had sort of a loose storyline/narrative to it. This one will have even more of that and, God willing, when all is said and done (probably on the weekend of the 17th, just before Thanksgiving week) it will be 79 minutes worth of songs with a very "whole being greater than the sum of it's parts" vibe; where there is some connective tissue and the whole thing plays out almost like a really good concept album.
There are definitely some "holes" I need to fill in this sucker, though. And in that regard I am open to even more suggestions. Here then are some questions:
1. It's around 3:30AM and you just did something you know you'll regret by 6AM and/or when you sober up. As you walk away from this "something" what song fits the moment? (Think of a 'Walk of shame' kind of thing)
2. This is a little more general: Any songs that, to you, would sound particularly good in the wee small hours that are sung by a female. I need more women voices for this!
Thanks gang.
That is pretty much all I've got this morning. I'll try much harder next time.
J
****************
The Weekly Survey
1. We're considering a video game system upgrade for Christmas. Anyone had experience with all 3 of the big dogs... Wii, XBox 360, and PS3 and care to share which is the best?
2. Hard to believe but Thanksgiving truly is only 2 weeks from this Thursday. What is one dish (aside from the turkey or tofurkey) that is never absent from your table?
3. I may have asked this before but I'l throw it out there for fun. As music fans know... Nine Inch Nails = Trent Reznor, Five for Fighting = Jon Ondrosek, Bright Eyes = Conor Oberst, and A Fine Frenzy = Whatever that pretty sexy looking red head's name is...
If you were a one-person "band", what would you name yourself?
4. Ask me a question. Anything you'd like. :)
Thanks for stopping by.
P.S. I am hearing a drill coming from my wife's craft room and my children are silent. I may seriously need to check out if the two are related!
Ah well, nothing a few days to regain my circadian rhythm can't cure. Barring that, I'll just tweak my coffee habit (in much the same way I suspect old Ben adjusted his tea habit).
On to the (condensed) Rounds...
"You'll Pay Me Now, Bitch!"
I received my paycheck via mail. Probably not the smartest idea, given that I could sign up for direct deposit any time I want to (and probably will after the episode I'm about to describe). Never the less, in 10 years my company has been late in getting it to my mailbox maybe 3 or 4 times and I think only once or twice was I able to trace it directly back to their mistake. The other times have been, I suspect, a combination of their mistake and that of the two post offices the damn thing had to pass through.
Anyway... what was supposed to arrive on Thursday didn't arrive until yesterday, which kind of put a damper on my Saturday plans. It may, however, have been a blessing in disguise because while waiting for the mail to arrive and feeling a little broke I decided it would be a good idea to continue my ongoing quest to narrow my CD collection. Over the past several months I've been "re-evaluating" what is worth owning and what isn't, what should become part of my digital-only library and what shouldn't, and selling off CDs by the dozens in exchange for (usually) store credit or (sometimes) cash. Yesterday's sell off gave me enough credit to buy Raising Sand, the surprisingly amazing collaboration (do not call it a "duets" CD!) between Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. Perhaps it shouldn't be 'surprising'. After all, team any two people with immense talent and good taste, give them a crackerjack studio band and an A+ level producer (T-Bone Burnett), and you should get good results. Plant and Krauss don't fail. Its my CD of the week. Hell, it is probably the CD of the season and by this time next month when I type up my annual Top 20 you can probably count on it to be in there somewhere.
So... long story short... the delay in the delivery of my paycheck resulted in a feeling of despair, alleviated by the sell off of un-needed items, and resulted in some kick ass music I didn't have to steal, borrow, or go into debt for.
The check did arrive, everything is square, and the bills are still getting paid on time. Here's to life... or something.
"Hang The DJ, Hang The DJ..."
Thank you to everyone who has responded -- and often in great, thoughtful detail -- to my "call outs" for this month's edition of Soundtrack, "Overnight Sensation". (And while I'm at it, thanks for the nice replies re: "Don't Bring Me Down". People seemed to dig it and and that makes me super, super happy.)
While the suggestions for "Overnight Sensation" have been really strong, I do have to warn that I am probably going in a different direction with this one and, as such, many of those suggested songs may not fit. I have a very strong vision or framework for this and even a bit of a musical narrative that feels very, very inspired. So please know that I do, in fact, look into nearly every song suggested for any given show, with this one I may err more toward the "Allow me to Present..." side then the more collaborative nature of past shows. With that is this promise: "Overnight Sensation" is going to kick ass. I swear. The only prior show I can compare it to is "Postcards from the Road", which had sort of a loose storyline/narrative to it. This one will have even more of that and, God willing, when all is said and done (probably on the weekend of the 17th, just before Thanksgiving week) it will be 79 minutes worth of songs with a very "whole being greater than the sum of it's parts" vibe; where there is some connective tissue and the whole thing plays out almost like a really good concept album.
There are definitely some "holes" I need to fill in this sucker, though. And in that regard I am open to even more suggestions. Here then are some questions:
1. It's around 3:30AM and you just did something you know you'll regret by 6AM and/or when you sober up. As you walk away from this "something" what song fits the moment? (Think of a 'Walk of shame' kind of thing)
2. This is a little more general: Any songs that, to you, would sound particularly good in the wee small hours that are sung by a female. I need more women voices for this!
Thanks gang.
That is pretty much all I've got this morning. I'll try much harder next time.
J
****************
The Weekly Survey
1. We're considering a video game system upgrade for Christmas. Anyone had experience with all 3 of the big dogs... Wii, XBox 360, and PS3 and care to share which is the best?
2. Hard to believe but Thanksgiving truly is only 2 weeks from this Thursday. What is one dish (aside from the turkey or tofurkey) that is never absent from your table?
3. I may have asked this before but I'l throw it out there for fun. As music fans know... Nine Inch Nails = Trent Reznor, Five for Fighting = Jon Ondrosek, Bright Eyes = Conor Oberst, and A Fine Frenzy = Whatever that pretty sexy looking red head's name is...
If you were a one-person "band", what would you name yourself?
4. Ask me a question. Anything you'd like. :)
Thanks for stopping by.
P.S. I am hearing a drill coming from my wife's craft room and my children are silent. I may seriously need to check out if the two are related!