Buffy: Does it ever get easy?

Giles: You mean life?
Buffy: Yeah. Does it get easy?
Giles: What do you want me to say?
Buffy: Lie to me.
Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.
Buffy: Liar.

Ah, Buffy. Thanks for being so kick-ass. I slayed some (figurative) vampires today. It wasn't easy, but it was awesome. Speaking of chicks who kick ass...

I have been listening to "Queens of Noise" nonstop and can't wait to see the movie The Runways!! It's a really simple song, but it's the attitude I can't get enough of.

I also can't get enough of this...

That's right, friends—I've gone electric! If anything is ever really annoying you, the best way to vent your frustrations is to crank up the volume on your electric guitar, turn on some weird-ass distortion, and make all the screamy sounds you wish you could make yourself. MAN is that theraputic!

Blerg.

Do you guys ever overcommit yourselves?

I spent a lot of time this weekend seriously trying to nail down my priorities and get my focus back. I've never been one to shy away from extracurricular activities, and this is a problem. I had a really good balance going and threw it off about 6 months ago by adding another musical endeavor. It's been part of what's been making me feel sorta strung out these days. So I had to quit today. Well, not quit so much as begin to develop a plan to quit. I'm going to phase out my involvement over the next few months so as not to utterly screw over the other group members. I want to be prioritizing some personal, non-music creative projects.

On the one hand, I am glad I figured out that I needed to take this step, and that I mustered the courage to take it. I generally suck at backing out of anything. Usually, this is good. I'm not one to RSVP to every Facebook event or whatnot, but if I say I'll do something, I mean it and I'll do it. This can sometimes lead to doing things I don't really want to be doing because I can't say no once I've said yes. Perhaps this is also conflict avoidance. But on the other hand, does it ever suck to let people down. And I wind up feeling a little disappointed in myself for being a quitter...but hey, remember my tarot? I've got to make those difficult changes to keep my "wish" from slipping away.

Wisdom

Once, my brother told me that there are 2 things you should never think twice about spending money on: music and food. It's been working out for me.

Adding to my list of albums to get. Any recent finds I must have?

Those Darlins

We went to Southpaw in Brooklyn on Friday to catch Those Darlins. This performance of "Wild One" was from their last Southpaw show, about a year ago. (PS: Southpaw is a great venue. I will live there now.) This song's been stuck in my head for three days. 

Based on this single, I'd expected a lot more country, but got quite a bit of rock n' roll—the kind where the ukelele player spits bourbon into the crowd. Despite some speed bumps onstage (broken bass string, handled gracefully; sound issues with uke, handled not-so-gracefully), the show was a good time. There was a man in a chicken suit running about after "The Whole Damn Thing" (a song about being drunk and eating an entire chicken—"not just a leg, not just a wing"), and we saw the premier of their video for "Red Light Love," which was animated by one of the band members.

Many of their songs follow a similar vibe to this one, but the 3 girls have very different (great) voices that can be heard individually on various tracks. And now I sorta wanna buy an electric guitar...

Andrew Bird

Saw Andrew Bird last night at Radio City Music Hall. I first saw him a few years back at a tiny venue in Providence. I've now seen him live 4 times, each time at a bigger venue. Rock.


I love this man's music. He's a musical machine—whistling, swapping between violin and guitar at lightning-quick speeds, looping recordings of himself in his live shows by using his feet to control buttons and knobs. Probably even his sneezes are musical. But for some reason, I have a hard time picturing him, say, making a sandwich.

"Plasticities" in the second video above is a great song, but check out the album version if you can, from Armchair Apocrypha. Bird tends to change his songs live, just enough so that you're getting a unique experience, different than you would were you listening to the album. But there's much to be said for the straightforward melodies on his albums, too. And the violin and the playful poetry...and even the suit. Oh yeah.

My lovelies, I shall be leaving you for a couple of days to spend time with my little bro-in-law-to-be before he jets off to England, then Indonesia, then DC (yeah, nuts!). There's lots of other bloggy goodness for you to see, though. Have you seen Erin's my week in objects this week?

Catchy tune

Normally, my iTunes downloads don't include anything played in the background of a "Jon & Kate Plus 8" commercial on TLC. But I couldn't resit this song. It's so damn catchy and cheerful, and helps chase away the rainy-month blues.

Gym songs

People, I need help. My running playlist demands diversification. What are your favorite running/working-out songs?

Every Time I Turn Around

This morning, I remembered this song existed. You're welcome.

Mourning Manny's

After 74 years, Manny's Music on 48th Street is closing its doors. Don't ask me how I missed this story when it broke a couple months ago, but I just came across it in the New Yorker last night and became deeply sad.

Every time I have to pop into the (godawful) Midtown Sam Ash for some trusty Thomastik Dominants or W.E. Hill and Sons rosin (which they haven't had for months, ahem), I make a stop at Manny's. They don't have violin stuff, but they do have walls lined with photos, autographed by everyone from Clapton to Dylan to the Beatles to Simon & Garfunkel...the list goes on forever. On display on the first floor was a sample guitar favored by George Harrison on his visits to the shop. All of the greats walked Manny's halls. It was a free museum of rock.

I loved to take my guitar-nerd friends here, and to pick up and play the acoustics upstairs. I've made small purchases here over the years, but it was really more about the visiting experience for me. Even the delighfully antiquated 3-layer, dot-matrix printed, carbon-copy receipts were charming. Popular suspicion seems to indicate that the rest of Music Row will follow suit in shutting down, but I am positive that no place will be missed more terribly than Manny's.

[image via Flickr]

LOVE

I have discovered that I absolutely LOVE programming wedding ceremony music. Once one breaks away from the Pachelbel Canon, worlds of beautiful possibilities unfold. Don't get me wrong, it sure is a lovely piece, but musicians become burned out on it at an early age. The guy below knows what I'm talking about. Anyway, if'n any of you should be gettin' hitched and in need of a lovingly crafted violin-filled program, send me a note. It brings me so much happiness to imagine the scene and set the tone. (Backup career? I could change my backup list, even though I already told Chris that my backup careers, in order, are: calligraphy, fire eating, violin. But I think I only love doing this so much for people I know, when I can be sure it will suit their tastes.)

Bach at ya

I recently confirmed that 2 of my former high school orchestra-mates will be able to play (excerpts from) the 2nd movement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto at the wedding. This is the one and only thing I had ever imagined about my wedding when I was younger.

I've been listening to the piece on the way to work. Today, as my fingers itched to hit the notes of each part, I became overwhelmed by the fact that I know how to play the violin. Every once in a while, this fact bowls me over with disbelief, happiness, and gratitude.

More done-ness

As much as I'd love to play violin myself on October 3rd, I'm going to be a little busy getting married, so I had to find someone else. At least one violinist from my old high school and youth orchestras is up for the job! I may decide to have 2 violins, if we opt for the Bach piece I've been imagining. And there's a second violinist available if so. Yay!

I didn't hire Roger. He only auditioned for the part of sleeping in a violin case, which he obviously got.

Avett Brothers

I have a busy day today, so I'm not doing my usual Saturday morning guitar-playing folk-fest. But I got The Avett Brothers album, Gleam II, as a gift last week, and it's perfect Saturday morning music. (Sorry there's no actual video to this, but the videos I dug up were just of really icky quality.)

Blog-iversary and rehearsal day

Wow, it's already my 1-month blogiversary! And in honor of rehearsal day, an orchestra joke...

A local orchestra was performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony. While a stunning piece, there are long passages during which the bass section does not play a single note. On opening night, the bassists decided to make good use of this time by slipping out to the pub across the street. After pounding some drinks, they stumbled back just in time to play their parts in the last movement. A violist noticed their entrance.
"Maestro!" he hissed at the conductor.
"What's the problem?" the conductor asked.
"It's the bottom of the 9th and the basses are loaded!"

More music lessons

Orchestra humor never gets old. In honor of normal rehearsal day, a snippet from last night's Mozart run-through:

Concertmaster: "This is allegro non troppo."
Second violinist: "Yeah, allegro non stoppo."

Music lessons

In honor of rehearsal day, a short music lesson by my stand partner, Craig.

gray

Every day on my way to work, and then again at the gym, I've been listening to my brother's epic new album, gray. This is not just a big sister brag, I promise. The sophistication of this record is blowing me away. Driving repetition. Exultant choruses. And the writing, guitar, piano, and vocals are all a one-man job (and were done at home).

The clip included here is from the track iamgray. (Not sure how he'll feel about my choosing this clip, as he mentioned he wasn't 100% happy with the vocals, but this is what I listen to every morning around 57th Street, so I had to.)




I don't need to tell most of you that my brother is an insanely proficient guitarist. Lately, he's been into exploring a more electronic sound, which I tend to shy away from in my own listening habits. What I've learned from this album is that when electronic sounds are treated as true instruments, I really love the added dimension. Sometimes I think they're just used to make a point and mess with perceptions—music from the head, not the heart.

There is so much to hear on this album. There is clearly a lot of care put into the instrumentation, but it doesn't feel overthought. It's unaffected.

I wouldn't call gray an "electronic" album altogether, though. The range showcases an unusual versatility and adds accessibility...a little something for everyone, from an ardent audiophile, with love.

Among his influences: The Beatles, 65daysofstatic, Telefon Tel Aviv, NIN, Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, Atmosphere, Massive Attack. I also find traces of Snow Patrol and/or Coldplay in my favorite tracks.

You can check out his MySpace, MyElectricLife.

Recommended tracks: Pistol, Circumstance, iamgray