Purpose Because music can take you to a higher realm...and on occasion I wish to journal about it. As an acquaintence and fantastic editor (and avid music fan) says: "Most people have kids, something deeper that grounds them. Me, I'm grounded by music—which, as we all know, is a love 'em and leave 'em type of partner. It's not faithful. It's not exclusive. It plays the field. But oh, how it makes you feel so good."
Good indeed.
Background I have a range of musical tastes, but my selection within each genre is pretty narrow. It always starts with Killing Joke (who themselves have a surprising range in their 27-year history), but I go far beyond that. Friends call me a music snob *cringe*, which is only half-true: I can't stand Britneypop or most mainstream radio, but that goes for any segment of pop culture: I really can't stand any of it, and any time I bother to think about it, it gives me a very ugly, depressing picture of humanity. Which I don't need any help conjuring. And only drives me back to the depressing music I already know.
In truth, I just love the music I already like and am not constantly searching for more. But my ears are open.
Listening If you were me, I would recommend to you: *Killing Joke - for whose last album, I must plug, I wrote a review *Radiohead Joy Division *New Order Gang of Four *Arcade Fire - Funeralis the ideal capsule of post-loss shock, alienation, and recovering approach to the way forward Phish *Underworld The Orb *Transit Kings Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen is the ideal soundtrack for the dysfunctional relationship. Hilarious in its brutally honest depiction of situations where both parties should really just give up and start over somewhere else. Bonus for hilarious album art depicting two kids in dysfunctional-relationship ennui. *Psychedelic Furs The Cure *The Hoagland Conspiracy - a great blend of folk/rock by the talented brother of two of my friends and ice hockey teammates Johnny Cash *Bob Meyer - crazy blues/folk rock from the U.K.
*groups actually still both alive and recording/touring
Playing I screw around on the guitar (in a most amateurish fashion) and I play self-taught drums. I keep time quite well on the drums (which, I'm told, is all a "real" musician--i.e. non-drummer--asks for), but my technique is still raw and counter-productive. I've the time to jam but maybe not take lessons. We'll see. Other interests find me easy prey.
As you may have noticed, the site has changed. Sampa, the free-site host, did a version 2 of some sort.
Despite an FAQ that made it sound like allowing one's site to go through v.2 surgery would be okay, there were several flexibilities that surprisingly disappeared with the click of a button. (e.g. I cannot believe sidebars like this one are even narrower than before.)
And I'm told -- miraculously! -- that the conversion cannot be undone. Truth be told, I'm actually quite pissed. But free is free. Sampa has otherwise been good to me.
So I need to sort through site "features" to see how I can make do. Except that I don't have the time at the moment, in the middle of graduate classes and Lighthousehockey.com. (btw, I've removed that Lighthouse RSS feed so that you're not clogged with random Islanders hockey gibberish).
But I promise to touch up the accessories when I get a chance, and return to irregularly scheduled blogging.
Subscribe to this Site
: "Most people have kids, something deeper that grounds them. Me, I'm grounded by music—which, as we all know, is a love 'em and leave 'em type of partner. It's not faithful. It's not exclusive. It plays the field. But oh, how it makes you feel so good."
Comments for "Killing Joke, or Music"