Since it’s Sunday and I’m prone to sitting around on Sunday mornings watching music videos on youtube, I might as well post one more. This one comes from Hayes Carll’s album KMAG YOYO (& other American stories) which was one of my favorites from last year. Without a doubt, Another Like you was my favorite track from the album. It’s twangy, it’s country, it’s silly.
Fun fact, the working title for the track was Fox vs. MSNBC.
Like him or not, Jack White’s certainly expressive. Was at this show, wish the higher quality version was still out there. Great way to end a performance.
I got to see Steve Earle last fall, and this track (not recorded at the show I was at) was the highlight for me. Of course there were the group of assholes shouting for “Copperhead Road”, but whatever.
It’s the story of a man who grew up mining coal. I learned at the show that’s it’s actually a followup to another song Steve wrote several decades ago. I can’t recall the first song (and have tried so hard to figure it out), but in it, a boy has decided to head off for adventure as a coal miner. He’s full of hope and excitement.
“The Mountain” (originally performed with the Del McCoury Band for the 1999 album of the same name) continues his story many years later. He’s a little older, a little wiser and maybe a little more weary.
Whenever I tell people I’m trying to lose weight, they say, “You don’t need to lose weight…that much.” And it’s true, I don’t have a weight problem, but I am the guy who could really put the brakes on an orgy. Everyone would be like, “Was he invited? Why is he eating a stuffed crust pizza? That is not sexy at all.”
–Mike Birbiglia, Sleepwalk with Me
I love this book. It’s especially good if you’re familiar with his delivery, because it’s just dripping with it (eww).
It’s especially especially good to know he’ll get a google alert because I posted this.
“With all due respect to its terrific albums and kinetic, frenetic live shows, if The Avett Brothers could put on a three-song acoustic concert at every workplace in America, the band would be a world-beating colossus.”
I love these guys so much and this video is absolutely incredible.
Working in fundraising for Higher Ed, I deal with a lot of people who have “issues” and it’s a constant struggle to remember how to deal with them pleasantly and politely. This 1872 correspondence between Italian gentleman Prospero Bertani and opera composer Giuseppe Verdi is an excellent example of how to handle problem people.
Bertani had twice traveled to see Verdi’s opera Aida, and having not found himself satisfied, wrote to Verdi asking for not only a refund of his ticket price, but also his traveling expenses. The following amusing conversation takes place between Verdi, Signor Bertani and Verdi’s publisher Giulio Ricordi. See how Verdi deftly handles the absurd complaints with polite yet cunning wit.
All we have to believe with is our senses; the tools we use to perceive the world, our sight, our touch, our memory. If they lie to us, then nothing can by trusted. And even if we do not believe, then still we cannot travel in any other way than the road our senses show us; and we must walk that road to the end.
–Neil Gaiman, American Gods
It seems like about once a year I get on a kick to work on this blog. Generally, I begin by wiping everything away. New posts, new theme, new everything. It’s still a work in progress, but this year I’m feeling a little spartan. Simple and to the point suits me. I also shifted everything to /blog, in hopes that maybe I’ll make something dumb to go on a main page. Considering that I have exactly zero talent, I expect it to be heavy on the dumb.
Last year I ended up with four posts, so I guess I’m technically 25% of the way to surpassing my previous record. Here’s to setting goals.
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