Current Crushes

My latest crush? The voice of Caleb Folowill, front man of the band Kings of Leon. I heard them for the first time on Saturday Night live this weekend, of all places! I was tuning in for another crush and was pleasantly surprised by the harsh yet somehow delicate sound of this guy. His voice is raspy, in that sexy way that's usually more of a plus for girls. It's bursting at the seams and I trust it. Probably because it's not some affectation begging me to swoon like so many other plaid shirted dudes in pants so tight I get jealous. It's just honest and comes out how it needs to.

The uniqueness of his voice sent me on a short research session on the band where I read one little magazine article and watched a home video of the singer (ok, his name is Caleb) talking about recording a song. I'm not going to get all into it because really, I don't really know anything about this band and I haven't even finished listening to the album I downloaded 20 minutes ago. It just seems like they're nice boys, or brothers/cousins rather from Oklahoma who have a respectable approach to music making. Like all brothers, they fight about whose going to wear which tight pants, but I can forgive them that. It's not like they're running all over the stage showing it off (from what I've seen at least. ) They just peaceably stand there and let the music do the talking.

A long sentence....

You know those times when you should really be like, sleeping, but instead you're listening to Justin Timberlake, sending random envelopes of lined school paper to your pals across the the country? Yeah, me too.
It really is quite difficult to sleep with Justin serenading you after all.

Man, I really need to get some new stamps, mine are all 37 cents! How long ago was that???

Current Crushes

Walt Whitman
I heard a poem of his the other day while watching the PBS documentary about New York City and it peaked my interest in the guy. The documentary uses much of his work, as he was an early American-lover of NY -ahead of his time kind of writer. His poem, Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry, just captures the exact feeling of this city, even now. In a time before the Brooklyn Bridge, before Man had even envisioned building UP instead of OUT, Whitman seemed to comprehend this constant for all New Yorkers. Despite the changes to come for his New York and ours, this poem just gets it:

1.
Flood-tide below ! I watch you face to face;
Clouds of the west! sun there half an hour high! I see you also face to face.

Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes! how curious you are to me!

On the ferry-boats, the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose;

And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence, are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose.

(I skip some here)

3.
I am with you, you men and women of a generation, or ever so many generations hence;
I project myself- also I return- I am with you, and know how it is.

Just as you feel when you look on the river and sky, so I felt;
Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was one of a crowd;
Just as you refresh'd by the gladness of the river and bright flow, I was refresh'd;
Just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry with the swift current, I stood, yet was hurried;
Just as you look on the numberless masts of ships, and the thick-stem'd pipes of steamboats, I look'd.


NYC, Brooklyn and the Bridge.
Thanks to this poem and the documentary, I've discovered a new love for the city. I can't quite get into it here, but am grateful. I'm especially amazed, yet again, by the Brooklyn Bridge. The thing that got me, was hearing that at the time of it's opening, May 1883, it was the tallest thing around. In a city just four stories high, people, had never seen anything from that perspective before. Because of the strictly pedestrian pathway, to this day, we are able to get an unobstructed, awe inspiring view of the city. I just can't get over the extreme intelligence and fore thought of the early designers of our country!

Like Alexander Hamilton

Bringing it back to the current century, this band called Bon Iver is really rocking my world. Check out their myspace page to listen! The song "The Wolves" has the best yet most subtle use of that voice changing effect thing (that Cher made popular) ever. See if you can hear it and agree with me!

Music = Fuel

The new music purchases keeping me going these days...


She & Him
Volume one
2008


Steve Perry
Street Talk
1984
For this song

which became a favorite in college when I revisited and then obsessively listened to the We Are The World Soundtrack driving around Bennington.


King Wilkie
Low Country Suite
Listen to my favorite "Oh My Love" here
I have an extra ticket to see them at Joes Pub... wanna go?

New Old Kids on the Block?

I heard it on the radio tonight, seriously. The "Kids" are back with a new summer single. I'm so conflicted! I mean, they were my first concert! Well, actually the first was the Beach Boys followed by The New Kids. Oh how I loved them. "My Favorite Girl" is still one of my favorite songs. I used to ride around southern Vermont during college, blasting that song, twelve years after it was cool. Sure, loving the New Kids is not half as lame as it was when were 13... but do you really want to hear these guys, who I admit look pretty good, singing about summer time love? I'm even the perfect candidate to win over here. I'd much sooner give these guys a chance over any other polished looking "man band" that come up on my radar.

Don't you guys have families and children by now? Haven't you moved on to successful acting careers ? Perhaps I'm just thinking of the Wahlbergs? Still, if you sang about that, or heck, even your lack of that, I'd be into it! What I can't handle is thirty something men singing about girls in bathing suits or whatever melted popsicle stuff I overheard earlier this evening.

Then & Now

Are they seriously Hangin Tough up there?

I think I coined two new terms... feel free to use them liberally, or as often as applicable.

Man Band
The grown up, more creepy version of a "boy band."

Melted Popsicle
Used to describe a style of music, often produced by Man Bands. Similar to Bubblegum pop, only, more confusing, as the man bands collected age would suggest a more sophisticated audience that did not obsess over candy.

The Rare Bird

You know those times when your roommate invites you to see the friend of the guy downstairs play bass for the first time with this other guy... those times? Well we all know its a gamble don't we? And yet we go, time and time again to show support for our brethren, the struggling artists, because a night out with the rooms typically bodes well for you. So you hop on the G train to Williamsburg's Pete's Candy Store and order yourself a shot of whiskey. You thoughtfully nurse that whiskey until his set is done, when, in all honesty, you thank the 'guy' for playing.

And just when you begin debating whether or not to get another drink, it happens. The second act, King Wilkie saves your life. Not only redeeming this and all other nights you've gambled on in the past, but becoming an instant favorite band. Inspiring desires in you to create matching tie tacks and cuff links for each member and learn millinery so you can outfit them in matching derby's or something. They have a nerdy cool presence on stage and the beautiful bass & mandolin combo is heavenly. I really took to them, can you tell?

Jammin

Ummmmmmmmm... in case you didn't know this album is pretty good. Houses of the Holy by Led Zeppelin. Yup. Every song is my favorite.

I've pumped it up in here kids to do some sewing this evening. This photo is from last night, when I was listening to something else, but I did re-wear this outfit again today, so it's cool right?

Ah the truth is I actually look like a big dorky green bean right now in all green jams and my glasses! Tee hee...

Long may you run


When I'm working at home I like to listen to the radio. I feel it gives me inspiration because I hear new things and also people talking, which is nice when you're alone. I usually listen to NPR, but don't find the pledge drive all that inspiring so I moved on to WFUV and I'm pretty happy.

The artist of the day is Neil Young so they've been playing him and also people covering him. I just heard Johnny Cash do Heart of Gold and now a different artist doing Long May You Run. What great songs. I think I might abandon Neil and slip into a much needed block of Johnny Cash soon... but for now:

Long may you run.
Long may you run.
Although these changes have come
With your chrome heart shining in the sun
Long may you run.