34 posts tagged “music”
Overall, this past week has been kind of meh, blah, whatever. I had to have a very real conversation to get me out of my "i'm feeling sorry (for myself)" "wah-wah baby" head space. It is definitely, what friends are for. I deserve a real kick in the pants some times and the only ones who can do that and who I will actually listen to are the ones I've been through some serious mess with. Anyway, here is my Top 5 for the past week:
- Lily Allen - though her new video looks like they just want her to be Feist, I really loved that album. I need to pick up the new one soonish. Plus, listening to "smile" or "knock'em out" is perfect running/walking tunes.
- Jon Brion - just felt like hearing that movie soundtrack..geez, I can't remember the movie right now. Plus his music is a bit dreamy and I can read to it
- Peter Bjorn & Jon - the Generationals really remind me of them
- Joy Division - I told you I was in a mood :)
- The Generationals - I really like Con Law!
- Not being a big baby. Though now I get why my nephew totally had a tantrum. He's 8! Frustration! Sometimes you just need to throw one.
- Change what I put out to the universe. It hasn't been good so things coming back have not been so good. (my new-age santa cruz sensibilities coming out)
Also, I went to church for the first time in years...actually pretty much since my Pop died. I'm not super Catholic or anything but I'm not about to change my religion. I have thought about it but you know, I invested a lot of years in being a Catholic - practically the first 18 years of my life. I was thinking about it. You get baptized, not by choice but because your parents want you to be baptized. Then you have your first communion and as a first grader, I really just wanted to (1) where a pretty white dress with a veil and (2) try that "body of Christ" (eucharist) that the old people get to have a church. Then you go to your sunday school or CCD classes because your folks want you to go. And then at 16 or so, you get confirmed. At that point, in my Catholic upbringing, I was pretty much going through the motions. I did not really want to get confirmed, but if you have a super religious Filipino mom, well, the guilt goes a long way. So, now I'm 35 and I go when I feel like it. But I did make the choice to get confirmed and though I don't agree with 1/2 of what the Catholic Church does, there are some things that makes sense, like being aware of the world, forgiving others, forgiving yourself. I'm not going to be a crazy fanatic or anything but sometimes going to church and going through that 45 minute ritual does being a little peace.
And with that I'm ending with Joy Division's She's Lost Control! Of course! anyway, I love Joy Division.
I spent most of last week and the weekend in San Diego helping my sister with a wedding so my last.fm chart is not that accurate this week. It is never that accurate because ho-hum I still listen to cds in my car!!!
Top five for the week ending 2 August:
- The Generationals - i heard their song and had to buy the album. That rarely happens now. I think if you like Peter Bjorn and John you will probably like this band. They are fun to listen to. I missed their show in San Diego but next time they come around I will be there!
- Magic Bullets - from SF. Saw them at Bottom of the Hill with Miss Headphonerecord and I loved them. They just make me happy. Kind of a bit like poppy happy Joy Division. I know! How is that possible? Well, it is!
- Buena Vista Social Club - saw Novalima at Grand Performances downtown and needed some Cuban jazz music. Good movie too!
- Lisa Shaw - some times you need to dance :)
- Afro-Cuban All Stars - went with my Novalima inspiration :)
Well, the wedding was a wedding. It was nice just getting all the flowers done and the place decorated. It was at the Hilton Bayfront in S.D. My sister had to make centerpieces, bouquets, corsages, etc. It was a weird weekend too. First, my sister gets a call that her husband passed out. He's ok, he was just dehydrated. Then she gets another call that her daughter puked in our sister-in-law's car, after getting a really cute picture of Hannah and Micah asleep. I guess, the second Hannah woke up she just vomited. Gah!!! Then we go to deliver some goodies and my sister's tire blew out. It literally popped and then shredded. Took about an hour to get the tow truck guy to come out...at 1:30am!!! Fun times! Fun times!
Afterwards, we attempted to bust into this coffee tequila. First, I never knew tequila came in flavors. Second, coffee tequila? I was kind of freaked because I do not drink tequila any more but maybe a flavored tequila would be better for my disposition.
Anyway, hope everyone had a good week! I am getting prepared to go back to school so my sleeping habits need to switch back to waking up at 5am. Wish me luck. I'm going to start that tomorrow! LOL! Oh, here's a track from the Generationals for you!
If you want to see some photos, definitely check out Parka81, who also set it up so that people can use his photos with the attribution license from Creative Commons. Ha! This is why I really love flickr. I also just did a search and found a guy dressed up like the Tick! I love the Tick! Anyway, I also just wanted to show a picture of the ever-changing San Diego downtown. I'll be there (well, SD) in a couple of days.
Listening habits, last week it was all Aretha Franklin and ladies of soul, this week, it's looks like it's the men plus a little bit of Billy Bragg. I guess, if you look at it, I was feeling a little low. Maybe I was...maybe I wasn't. Either way, it's good music. So here is my short list for this past week : 20 July to 26 July
- Maxwell - his new album is amazing! No wonder it was number 1. I saw him on GMA one morning and besides the fantastic music and being gone to live life for 8 years, he was so modest and humble. Chris Cuomo was practically salivating on him. It was all very cute.
- Billy Bragg & Billy Bragg and Wilco - I decided to put these together because they take slots 2 & 3 on my top 5. I just felt I needed to listen to Billy Bragg one 100 degree day. He's soothing even his "happy" tunes make you mellow. And something about his voice.
- Math and Physics Club - Mellemusic got me into them during out road trip along Route 66. Good stuff.
- Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - sometimes you need to go back and listen to the music that helped shape a bit of who you are. Yes, I did not officially grow-up listening to them, but I loved them. The harmonies, the love songs, the love aches, the dancing - nothing like listening to one of the best 1960s girl groups to get you in a good mood.
- Justin Timberlake - yes. I know! I love him! he was tied with Cal Tjader.
- live music at the California Plaza. I love summer for Grand Performances. Saw Curumin and Novalima and they were EXCELLENT
- hanging out for great DJ sets where ever they happen - The Bar for one. So fun! Doctor Who night, good friends, laughs and beers and other libations
- The Wire Season 1
- catching up on my YA reading
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- cold-brewed coffee - have you tried it? that's the way to brew. Potent but not as acidic or something. I don't know. I had a discussion with my friends in the Bay Area and I finally did it. It's especially fantastic during these long hot summer weeks in L.A. 100+ degrees, I'd rather drink ice coffee
- The Mighty Boosh - thanks natalie! They are coming to Amoeba tomorrow! Whoo-hoooo!!! I love them and their bizarreness. I love them more than I love the Flight of the Concords and have been waiting for their DVDs to not be in PAL format! YAY! Way to catch on America! LOL!
So, I'm going to try to be diligent about see what my Top 5 Music is on Last.fm. I keep track but I have not really considered how what I listen to reflects my moods or whatever. Not that everything needs to be that deep but it is interesting to see what I am into since it has definitely changed over the years. From punk to ska to electronic to whatever. Also, it is great to see what my mainstays are in music and maybe from looking at it each week, it will allow me to branch out or discover something new.
Aside from that I also figured out that I need to get back into my Young Adult reading mode. I have not picked up a YA book in a while (ok, it's probably like a week maybe 2!) but there are a lot of things out there and I need to keep up!!! Currently on the shelf is Carrie Ryan's The Forest of Hands and Teeth
as well as
The summer projects list is going well. I finally took my donations to Goodwill and also recycled electronics at the S.A.F.E. collection center. I am really happy that I can see some floor space but of course, when one pile disappears another one magically appears to take it's place!!! The bathroom is still in process as well as the decoupaging of the cheap cabinet but I did find a cabinet at IKEA and now I'm looking at old images of flowers to photocopy. My new challenge is trying to figure out what kind of varnish to use as a sealer. I liked a certain brand but I cannot find it any where and I kind of only know what it looks like. Everything else is in a spray can and I'm not too much a fan of the spray can in this small space.
Volunteering is going well. This week I am hanging out at DreamWorks Animation manning the table there. Free lunch! that's always good.
Anyway, here's a song for you for a Monday afternoon:
I am trying to be a little more productive this summer so I made a list of project. Last week, I started project one - paint the bathroom and do a little reorganizing and decorating. I bought some test paint and figured out which color I liked more - Summer Day by Valspar. Go figure! But maybe it's a theme.
So, here are my goals for today:
- finish the Eon: Dragoneye Reborn book.
(which I just finished not 2 minutes ago :)) Yay!
- do my morning afternoon exercises
- finish moving all the stuff out of the bathroom
- paint the bathroom
I have all day so I figure I will finish the painting in a few hours.
Here's hoping I'm productive!
Have a happy Monday folks!
Hidee-Hooo Voxers!
It is a balmy Thursday night in LA and I am forgoing a walk to chill at home for a night. I have not really slept since Monday. I wish I had exciting tales of smoky bars and dreamy sounds but it is more based on what I am slowly accepting at stress. I have 7 days left before the big trip and I am teaching a new unit so since Sunday night, I have woken up to thoughts of Facebook, GCast and other "Web 2.0" tools. I will delve into that on my other blog on another night.
I just wanted to share my new favorite singer, Lisa Shaw. She was recently on KCRW and the other night, Garth Trinidad played this track I posted and I just had to buy it. I have to also add that KCRW is soooo much better now. It hit a bit of a slump there with so much sleepytime tea music but now it is back to being amazing. I really did miss Garth Trinidad 5 nights a week and now he's been back for a while and I definitely stay home to listen to him spinning.
It was a pretty uneventful day but it has come to my attention (probably for the gazillionth time) that I am a bit too enthusiastic for people. Not that my enthusiasm for things are bad but I kind of get very caught up in in things and do not realize that it could be bother people. At the same time, no one says anything to me so I could be absolutely wrong. But we are all guilty of this right? Self-involvement. Still working on empathy, awareness, and authenticity...
Anyhoo - listen to this track and tell me what you think. It's "electronica." Most of her songs sound kind of the same but that definitely is not a bad thing.
Night!
It is a balmy Thursday night in LA and I am forgoing a walk to chill at home for a night. I have not really slept since Monday. I wish I had exciting tales of smoky bars and dreamy sounds but it is more based on what I am slowly accepting at stress. I have 7 days left before the big trip and I am teaching a new unit so since Sunday night, I have woken up to thoughts of Facebook, GCast and other "Web 2.0" tools. I will delve into that on my other blog on another night.
I just wanted to share my new favorite singer, Lisa Shaw. She was recently on KCRW and the other night, Garth Trinidad played this track I posted and I just had to buy it. I have to also add that KCRW is soooo much better now. It hit a bit of a slump there with so much sleepytime tea music but now it is back to being amazing. I really did miss Garth Trinidad 5 nights a week and now he's been back for a while and I definitely stay home to listen to him spinning.
It was a pretty uneventful day but it has come to my attention (probably for the gazillionth time) that I am a bit too enthusiastic for people. Not that my enthusiasm for things are bad but I kind of get very caught up in in things and do not realize that it could be bother people. At the same time, no one says anything to me so I could be absolutely wrong. But we are all guilty of this right? Self-involvement. Still working on empathy, awareness, and authenticity...
Anyhoo - listen to this track and tell me what you think. It's "electronica." Most of her songs sound kind of the same but that definitely is not a bad thing.
Night!
Last night, I went to First Fridays at the LA Natural History Museum and watched the Little Ones play. What a fun and happy band!! Seriously, HAPPY :) (photo below from their website)
I never heard of them so I really did not know what to expect. I did stream some tracks on Myspace and I did like what I heard but you never know how a band is going to be live. They were really great and have a lot of positive energy. They really enjoyed being up there and the lead singer was all smiles. I am definitely adding them to my list of favorite bands. I thought they sounded like they were influenced by 1990s Manchester Bands and MisterJT added that it was also tinged with some 60s sounds, like the Beach Boys.
Here is a video of "Morning Tide" from their new album. Definitely worth a list. It makes me want to go on a long walk on a sunny day and smile at everyone. Enjoy! Oh, they also have a blog :) if you like reading stuff from bands. They seem like nice people.
Here is a video of "Morning Tide" from their new album. Definitely worth a list. It makes me want to go on a long walk on a sunny day and smile at everyone. Enjoy! Oh, they also have a blog :) if you like reading stuff from bands. They seem like nice people.
The band that opened were called Plants and Animals. I really liked them too. Not sure how to describe them...art rock? But maybe not because MisterJT said he liked them & he doesn't like art rock. When I say that I mean bands like Cursive.
They were really pretty amazing. But this was my view of them.
Honestly, why do the tall people always run to the front? I mean, we were discussing this at CSS, there should be a rule that tall people go to the back. Especially tall people who dance stupid!
Ok, gotta get ready for my fried chicken adventure. You know you want some! Have a great day everybody!
Ok, gotta get ready for my fried chicken adventure. You know you want some! Have a great day everybody!
Instead of working on my school to-do list last night and after my misadventure, I ended up opening my ION turntable and to set it up to "digitize" (as they say in the archives) my vinyl/record collection. I have not looked at my 45s in a long while but I was inspired by Headphonerecord, who sent me a HSA mix at the beginning of the year and I know I have some hidden gems in that old milk crate.
I thought it was going to be a whole lot to set-up than it turned out to be. The turntable was easy to put together just follow the directions. The difficult part that I still keep adjusting is the counter-balance weight at the end of the needle arm. I forgot that you need to adjust it with each album. It all depends on the quality of the pressing and how old it is and I am sure other factors that I am not technically schooled in. I am pretty comfortable with turntables, I own 3 of various styles but I was constantly being reminded of things I never really worried about as a radio DJ because someone before me had always worried about it.
After setting up the turntable, I inserted the EZ Vinyl Converter & Audacity disc that comes with the turntable. First, I have a MAC, the EZ Vinyl Converter is not MAC compatible. Second, after going back and forth and a little frustration, the Audacity software on the disc is outdated. Luckily, I have used Audacity at school with my students and it is Open Source and very easy to use. I ended up downloading Audacity from the website. I also ended up having to find a post about what to change the settings on my little iBook G4 so that I could record. Thank you flyingsnail! I had to change my Audio inputs and MIDI setting and I have never done that before.
At first, because I did not know I had to change all the inputs and audio settings, I would monitor the input in Audacity, it was picking up some weird feedback but it was also kind of picking up the record. After I downloaded the new Audacity and changed the audio settings, it started working and I was getting playback from my computer. It was definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done!
ADDENDUM: Oh yeah, you also need to down load the mp3 encoder = LAME LIB. I know the .aiff (MAC) and .wav (PC) are better formats but if you want to be able to play them pretty much where ever I would use the .mp3 format which still seems more universal than the other audio formats. (if I am wrong please correct me. thanks!)
So, with that little review, here are a couple of the 45s I've converted for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Lovefool by the Cardigans is the first single I converted from a limited edition white 45. Whoo-hoooo!
I thought it was going to be a whole lot to set-up than it turned out to be. The turntable was easy to put together just follow the directions. The difficult part that I still keep adjusting is the counter-balance weight at the end of the needle arm. I forgot that you need to adjust it with each album. It all depends on the quality of the pressing and how old it is and I am sure other factors that I am not technically schooled in. I am pretty comfortable with turntables, I own 3 of various styles but I was constantly being reminded of things I never really worried about as a radio DJ because someone before me had always worried about it.
After setting up the turntable, I inserted the EZ Vinyl Converter & Audacity disc that comes with the turntable. First, I have a MAC, the EZ Vinyl Converter is not MAC compatible. Second, after going back and forth and a little frustration, the Audacity software on the disc is outdated. Luckily, I have used Audacity at school with my students and it is Open Source and very easy to use. I ended up downloading Audacity from the website. I also ended up having to find a post about what to change the settings on my little iBook G4 so that I could record. Thank you flyingsnail! I had to change my Audio inputs and MIDI setting and I have never done that before.
At first, because I did not know I had to change all the inputs and audio settings, I would monitor the input in Audacity, it was picking up some weird feedback but it was also kind of picking up the record. After I downloaded the new Audacity and changed the audio settings, it started working and I was getting playback from my computer. It was definitely one of the coolest things I have ever done!
ADDENDUM: Oh yeah, you also need to down load the mp3 encoder = LAME LIB. I know the .aiff (MAC) and .wav (PC) are better formats but if you want to be able to play them pretty much where ever I would use the .mp3 format which still seems more universal than the other audio formats. (if I am wrong please correct me. thanks!)
So, with that little review, here are a couple of the 45s I've converted for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Show us your favorite album cover.
