If you want to know more about it, check out THIS site.
Just a bunch of crazy people? A few people don't think so and even though their case was thrown out, it still makes you wonder. (Government Seeks Dismissal of End-of-World Suit Against Collider)
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It's fricken hot. I can't wait for fall.
Yesterday, after spending the week with my sister and her boyfriend, we were on the long drive back to my mother's house. We started talking about the impressions we form of other people. Literally, what we take away from them during the time we have been in their company. Not the surface level impression of general likability, but the deeper layers that give us the general sensation of compatibility with our own patterns of behavior.
My sister's boyfriend gave me his interpretation of who I was when we were first introduced. Notably, he commented that I seemed to be the type of person who was very firm, very solid in knowing what I believe and what I know to be true for me. Paraphrasing briefly, he told me that I was someone who seemed most at peace and content when left to my own space...and that I seemed to grow uneasy or unsettled after too long a period with clusters or large groups of people.
His assessment was correct.
Today's daily newsletter in my mailbox from the DailyOm included my horoscope. Here's just a brief snippet of the message today:
...Your house, apartment, or even your bedroom can become a sanctuary that nurtures your soul and allows you to reconnect with your inner self. Freed from outer-world distractions, you can take care of personal chores, spend time pursuing enlightenment, or simply putter around the house. Home may offer feelings of comfort and contentment that you can’t find anywhere else... - DailyOm, Cancer Horoscope, July 5th
I chuckled. After I got home last night I was full and pleased to have spent time with my baby sister, my little jewel. But I was also eager to go home and re-orient my space to what I needed it to be. I burned sage through each of the rooms while in prayer, I followed it with sweetgrass to replace whatever had been removed with lightness and comfort. I burned sandalwood oil, I sat quietly and soaked it all in. As much fun as I had with her...I was off kilter, having immersed myself in so much energy that was not my own. I couldn't hear myself. And I get cagey and anxious when I cannot feel my own spirit in the company of other souls.
I believe a soul's spirit leaves a resin wherever it's been. You can feel it when you walk into a room and you experience an immediate shift in your disposition. From happy to anxious or indifferent to angry. Sometimes it's good. Like when you walk into your grandmother's home and you immediately feel a sense of peace and groundedness that washes over you like sunshine. Sometimes it can be jarring, like walking into a room where an argument occured and you suddenly feel filled with tension and conflict. We all leave an imprint on the space we've been in. And It can be difficult at times to distinguish your own feelings and moods from another. Some are more sensitive to it than others.
The more souls you have entering your space, the more you take in and process. Whether you consciously want to or not. Sometimes, it is simply too much for me to take in. Many times, I simply don't want the energy that's being offered to me. After having lots of traffic in my home or disruption to the order in which I do things, I grow eager to go through this little "orienting" process to settle my space. Once I cleanse away the lingering effects of the energy others have brought into my home, I can then get back to clearly feeling my own. I can get back to my center.
Today, I have no desire to leave the familiar, nurturing confines of my own home. I wish only to replenish myself so that I can resume going out into the world clearly hearing my own voice in a crowd of millions. My prayer for you, is that no matter where you are or who you are with...you can always find, hear and embrace your own incredible energy.
They are also signed to the same (LOCAL) label as bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden were (SubPop Records). Maybe it's a new Seattle mvmnt!!!!
two words: fleet foxes
Seriously. The last band out of Seattle I really cared about was Band of Horses and they sold out to a car commercial so I lost all respect for them.
So seriously. Fleet Foxes. Every music critic agrees (first time ever, so u should know I mean business)
How are you celebrating the 4th of July?
I washed a very large dog and a load of laundry, cooked five meals (so far) and have to go pick up a prescription.
Livin' the rock star life, I am!
I guess not all kids like me.
In honor of Independence Day, show us something patriotic.
)Today is July 4th, America's Independence Day. I have put together a collection of Americana/Roots music as theme. Some artists are not strictly in this genre, and to group them together might be unfair, so I suggest if you like what you read and hear, find out more about them on their respective websites.
Of course, when you think of "America", the one name that really comes to mind is Bruce Springsteen. Since 1973, "The Boss" have been representing the everyman with his American heartland rock music. He's probably best known for his album (and song), "Born in the U.S.A." at the height of his popularity in 1984.
The album tied for "Most Top 10 Songs from One Album" award, alongside Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, with - count 'em - seven songs: "Dancing in the Dark" , "Cover Me" , "Born in the U.S.A." , "I'm on Fire" , "Glory Days", "I'm Goin' Down" and "My Hometown".
With an amazing string of hit songs, it's actually not surprising that find out that Springsteen's albums consistantly hit #1 on the Billboard charts, with eight #1 albums: The River (1980), Born in the U.S.A. (1984), Live/1975-85 (1986), Tunnel of Love (1987), Greatest Hits (1995), The Rising (2002), Devils & Dust (2005), and Magic (2007). With the exception of Jay-Z, all of the chart-toppers are no longer around (The Beatles, Elvis, and The Rolling Stones), so this is a pretty amazing feat for an all-American New Jersey boy.
By the way, I have never seen Springsteen live, but from watching SNL and reading about it, I get the impression that The Boss and the E Street Band plays an amazing, live show, full of blood, sweat, and tear.
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CORY CHISEL
thewanderingsons.com ♥ myspace.com
The EP I have here is called Cabin Ghosts, and it's listed simply as "Cory Chisel", but I believe the full, and correct, name should be listed as "Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons". There is also no cover art with the EP, so please note that the art that I used to represent them here is not the final CD cover. I tried looking up when the CD will be release, but I couldn't find any details of the details. I am assuming it will be release sometime in 2008 and/or only sold on tour. Listening to the EP, it sounds to me to be very Springsteenesque, especially when Chisel sings out, "The thunder roll, its angry heart, across my shoulders in the dark, maybe I'm losing ground" on "See It My Way". I am also guessing that the EP was recorded live as there's clapping from the audience inbetween the songs, but on some songs, the audio sounds too perfect (you can clearly hear everything, from backup singers to the quiet acoustic guitar). The song I was asked to use is "Home In The Woods", which I can understand as its lyrics and theme is about wanting to escape from the city and live in an isolated cabin in the woods - perfect for an EP called Cabin Ghosts. They are currently on tour with Joshua James. See tour information below.
Jul 16 - The Intersection - Grand Rapids, Michigan
July 17 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania July 18 - Radio Radio - Indianapolis, Indiana July 19 - Beat Kitchen - Chicago, Illinois July 20 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, Michigan July 22 - Shank Hal - Milwaukee, Wisconsin July 23 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, Minnesota July 24 - Waiting Room - Omaha, Nebraska July 25 - The Record Bar - Kansas City, Missouri July 30 - Toad Tavern - Denver, Colorado July 31 - Belly Up - Aspen, Colorado Aug 1 - Club Sound - Salt Lake City, Utah Aug 3 - The Triple Door - Seattle, Washington Aug 4 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, Oregon Aug 5 - Boardwalk - Orangevale, California Aug 6 - Hotel Utah Saloon - San Francisco, California Aug 8 - Casbah - San Diego, California Aug 9 - Hotel Cafe - Los Angeles, California Aug 10 - Rhythm Room - Phoenix, Arizona Aug 15 - Lawrence Memorial Chape - Appleton, Wisconsin Sep 13 - Red Rocks Amphitheater - Morrison, Colorado Nov 26 - New American Theater - Rockford, Illinois
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SAMMY WALKER
ramseurrecords.net ♥ myspace.com Sammy Walker is a folk/country singer/songwriter from Georgia (but I think currently in North Carolina?), was briefly popular from 1975 to 1977, with two of the albums on major label, Warner Brothers. It would seem he went into early retirement until 1994 with Old Time Southern Dream. Now, after 14 years since that release, he is back now with Misfit Scarecrow to be released on July 22nd on Ramseur Records. Walker has a very distinctive, southern, and clear, but aging, voice. Some of the melodies and lyrics really made me think of Bob Dylan. Since I don't have Walker's earlier works, I can only imagine what his earlier works might sound just like early Dylan. Walker's songs all tells little timeless stories, all told through the eyes of the protagonist. Sometime that person might be a corpse ("Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone") or a scarecrow ("Misfit Scarecrow") or a farmer ("Proud and Poor"), but they all tell epic tales. I really enjoyed "Another Sad Song About You", a song about running into someone from the past. It goes into great detail describing someone leaning on a lamp post: "a blue scarf around your neck, and a silver charm across your heart". Despite a timeless feel to the song, I did enjoy the modern references, in such lines like: "I heard about your brother, when the Twin Towers came crashing down." The country/blues song, "Someday I'm Gonna Rock and Roll", ends the album with a humourous tone. I get the impression that the song is really about Walker, himself. He must get a lot of people telling him he should do rock and roll, but he scoffs at it.
In case you were wondering why that line is so funny, it's because Rodgers is often considered as the father of country music. |
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FISKUM
fiskum.com ♥ myspace.com
Fiskum is actually from Minneapolis, and his album, Darkness/Fire/Dancing was released late last year. The first time I heard "Tom Waits' Bar And Grill", I thought of Harry Chapin's "Taxi", especially when he sings "and she says 'hi, how'd you been? I saw your call, I stopped on in'". With the title, you can tell that he is giving a little nod to Tom Waits, and, like Waits, paints a story about a chance encounter with an old close friend at a bar & grill. I later read Fiskum got the idea for the song from a short conversation with someone trying to "explain to his new girlfriend why he was seen hanging with his old flame." He wrote notes for each of his song on his music page, and this is for "Tom Waits' Bar & Grill":
There is a
surprise at the end of the album, it's another version of "Winter
Moon". The song looks like a live recording, and it's sung entirely in
Welsh by an uncredited woman. You can find Darkness/Fire/Dancing at your usual location on Amazon and iTunes. |
JOSEPH ARTHUR
josepharthur.com ♥ myspace.com
Peter Gabriel saw something in Joseph Arthur, because he signed Arthur on his record label, Real World. Although he's no longer on Real World, he's releasing a ton of material on his own record label, Lonely Astronaught. Already this year alone these are the EPs that's already released: Could We Survive (Mar 2008), Crazy Rain (Apr 2008), Vagabond Skies (Jun 2008), and Foreign Girls (July 2008). At the rate he's going, he'll probably have three or four EPs released before his album, Temporary People comes out September 16th, 2008. I actually have only two of the EPs, Could We Survive, which seems to have a (anti?) war theme, and his latest, Vagabond Skies. There's something perfectly folk and pop on the lead song, "Slow Me Down", that you should check out. As you can hear on that song, it's not completely traditional folk. Such beat/loop machine can be found in the background of "Pretty Good Company" and "Second Sight". It's also nice to hear Joan Wasser (violins) doing some backup vocals on some songs, I hope she participate more in the upcoming album. I like what he's doing, bundling his limited art prints if you buy two EPs ($20). This is good for hardcore fans to collect his art, while at the same time give the second EP as a gift of music to their friends and family. |
PS, this article took very long to write. There may be a part two later tonight.
Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
The stupid get going--on cable news.
I don't imagine I have anything to say about the ridiculously low the quality of actual reporting that goes on with Fox and CNN, et al, that hasn't already been said. So I'll just leave you with a nice roundup. Warning--it's emotionally exhausting.
