My Eternal Quest to Fill my iTunes Catalogue with Album Art November 1, 2007
Posted by Patrick in : Friends, Music , 1 comment so farDuring the search for Seam’s Headsparks on Google Images, I was delightfully surprised to find Adrian’s head with a foam Statue of Liberty hat. At first, I thought Google became incredibly smart by guessing that Adrian liked the band Seam and mistook Lady Liberty’s foam hat for a large green spark emanating out of Adrian’s head. Hence, the shocked face. Unfortunately, Google is not that smart (yet). Adrian wrote a post about never ripping this album to mp3s. I never ended up finding a decent, high res image of Headsparks’ album art. So I think I will use Adrian’s head instead.
The Ides of March March 15, 2007
Posted by Patrick in : Christianity, Friends, Music , add a commentMiddlemarch has closed a couple of doors and opened some new ones. Our bowling team bowled our last game of the Winter season this past Monday. It was our first time that we made it to the playoffs. Unfortunately, we lost pretty badly. It was a good year for all of us. Since the weather’s getting better, we probably won’t join again until next Fall. We plan to enjoy a season ending celebration at the local Steak ‘n Shake.
Also, our 29-week Bible study on Acts ended this past week as well. The study exceeded our group’s expectations in many ways. We started as a group of four friends who wanted to study the gospel and the church. Over the course of ½ a year, we grew to nine people, who became fairly good friends. It’s interesting to see how friendships are knit together when you commit to each other on a weekly basis. Our last time together gave us a chance to reflect on the study and its major points.
One of the things that continually resonated throughout the book was the centrality of Jesus and his mission. In the first study, we read a quote from John Stott that read to the effect that many think the gospels are about Jesus and the book of Acts is about the church. But, as we came to see, both books (in fact, the entire Bible) is about Jesus. The gospels are about Jesus’ living ministry through his body in the incarnation, and Acts is Jesus’ living ministry through his body, the church.
Unfortunately, it was bitter sweet for the study to end because I won’t continue with them (at least regularly) in the future. I’m hoping to help start a group at my church.
Middlemarch also means that my eMusic subscription gets recharged tomorrow. Last month’s decisions included the following:
- Beirut, Gulag Orkestar - this is a delightful album that inspires you to think you’re dancing in a Ukranian palace during the turn of the century. I’m not sure of the band’s background, but it has a heavy Eastern European sound to it. Adrian introduced me to one of their songs in one of his mixtapes.
- Pavement, Spit on a Stranger EP - this is one of my all time favorite bands, and because of eMusic, I’m slowly collecting their EPs. There are a few solid tracks on this.
- Deerhoof, Friend Opportunity - This album was recommended by a friend who took the opportunity on telling me its goodness. She doesn’t lie.
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada - Colin recommended this band as a good emusic band because of their marathon tracks. This album was an EP and only has two tracks. But it completes my collection of the band’s albums.
- Silver Jews, The Natural Bridge - On the way to completing the Silver Jews collection.
- Silver Jews, Starlite Walker - Completed the Silver Jews collection.
- Interpol, “Specialist” & Pavement, “Painted Soldiers” - I had two tracks left after my album downloads so I downloaded both of these. The Interpol track is off an EP and the Pavement track was off the soundtrack of the Kids in the Hall’s Brain Candy. Both are good. The Interpol track is really good.
Say Yes to Ys! February 5, 2007
Posted by Patrick in : Music , 1 comment so farIf someone would have told me that Joanna Newsom’s newest album Ys would be my favorite of 2006, I would think that they were crazy. Before Ys, my only experience with her was a track on her debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender. And I really didn’t care for it. Like Dylan, I had similar misgivings about her voice. The cat in the blender didn’t come to mind. It was more like a squeaky preschooler.
But tastes change, and so do arrangers, producers and mixers. And it was this orchestration and production, mixed with Newsom’s innocent voice and lyrical prowess that make Ys my favorite of 2006. It’s a steal on eMusic (the album’s only five tracks!)
Maybe angels really do play harps.
Bit the Bullet January 17, 2007
Posted by Patrick in : Music , 2 commentsAfter months of deliberation, I finally bit the bullet and joined emusic. The music downloading site is a sweet deal. As a free trial, they give you 25 free tracks for signing up. If you continue with your subscription, you pay as little as $9.99/month for 30 tracks (33 cents a song). I went with the next plan, $14.99/month for fifty tracks (30 cents a song).
This plan will help me budget for music, and it gives me the opportunity to download four to five albums for the price of one CD. One of my biggest hangups with the transition was the loss of the physical album with its album art and liner notes. But, the recent acquistion of the iPod and the unbeatable emusic price finally won me over. I still hope to support places like Paul’s.
Emusic works out to be a really good deal when the tracks are long. For my first 25+ tracks, I was able to download five albums and an EP. I listed the equivalent price under my pricing plan.
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (double album; four tracks; $1.20)
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor, F#A#Infinity (three tracks; 90 cents)
- Joanna Newsom, Ys (five tracks; $1.50)
- The Magnetic Fields, The House Of Tomorrow (5 tracks; $1.50)
- The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema (14 tracks; $4.20)
Twin Cinema ended up being a replacement to one of my albums that was stolen last February when my car stereo was stolen. Four of my favorite albums were stolen that night: Twin Cinema, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Seven Swans, & Thunder, Lighning, Strike.
Let me know if you want to sign up because I get kickbacks on my kickbacks if you join up.
New Music January 7, 2007
Posted by Patrick in : Music , 4 commentsI visited Paul’s today to pick up Boys and Girls in America, and ended up buying two other albums from their used bin:
- Young Liars by TV On The Radio
- Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts by M83
So far, I’ve only listened to the Hold Steady. The album’s a little more accessible than their last album. So far I like it. And I hear there’s a cover of Mr. Grieves on Young Liars. It’s not listed on the back, so hopefully it’s hidden. Shhh…don’t tell anyone.
Don’t hate me for my earbuds January 3, 2007
Posted by Patrick in : Music , 8 commentsA couple of weeks ago, I finally joined the ranks of those with the white ear-buds. My parents surprised me, more or less, with an iPod for Christmas. I also found out that they read this blog. Thanks Mom & Dad!
So over the last several days, I’ve been converting all my CDs to mp3s. I’ve also been curious about podcasts. Currently, I’ve subscribed to KEXP’s Song of the Day and This American Life. Does anyone else recommend some?
Also, Covenant Seminary offers 21 courses online, with complete lectures and class hand-outs. So, my morning/evening commute consists of two different classes: Ancient & Medieval Church History and the Life and Letters of Paul. This is an incredible service.
Another Magnetic Fields Post December 15, 2006
Posted by Patrick in : Music , 2 commentsThere seems to be a lot these days.
Reading the latter post earlier today about the superiority of Charm of the Highway Strip caused me to interrupt my normal scheduled routine (listen to my mp3 library on random) and slap in their first dual-album disc, The Wayward Bus/Distant Plastic Trees. My roommate in college would often say that this album sounded like they recorded it in a tin box. Although Merritt doesn’t sing on either of these, Susan Anway’s soft vocals complete his ironic lyrics just fine.
As the album neared its completion, I almost forgot about its closing gem: 100,000 Fireflies. Can songs get better than this? If you never heard it before, I found a link. I also found a punky Superchunk cover that I never heard until now.
Phantom Limb November 30, 2006
Posted by Patrick in : Music , add a commentCan these guys stop writing incredibly catchy songs that stay in my head for days?
A Christmas boogey November 29, 2006
Posted by Patrick in : Music , 2 commentsIf I had only half the moves of some of these characters…The first minute can be a little repetitive, but it gets better. Enjoy!
Sufjan’s Songs for Christmas November 27, 2006
Posted by Patrick in : Christianity, Music , 2 commentsSince Colin gave a nod a few days ago for Sufjan’s newest 5 CD release of Songs for Christmas, I picked it up over the weekend when I was at the mall. It can be had for just over $20 at Borders. That’s not a bad deal for over two hours of Christmas music which is packaged pretty nicely. Inside the box, you receive a songbook with lyrics, chords, and Sufjan’s story of how he at first hated Christmas and then came to love it. You also receive a cartoon strip of “The Worst Christmas Ever” and five stickers. Speaking of which, Adrian, are the stickers at your place? I can’t find them.
His study of Christmas and music is personal and funny. Here’s a good quip:
What did the angels renounce in the wake of the shepherds’ trepidation? “Have no fear,” they petitioned with trumpet blasts and a garish display of constellations. But that’s like waving a gun in a bank lobby and demanding: “Everybody stay calm!” Music, of course, works much differently. The most discriminating of chord progressions can disarm the most arrogant of men, including myself. Christmas music does this to the highest degree. It intersects a supernatural phenomenon (the incarnation of God) with the sentimental mush of our mortal lives (presents, toys, Christmas tree ornaments, snow globes, cranberry sauce), leaving in its pathological wake a particular state of mind one can only describe as “that warm, fuzzy feeling.”