youlookgoodinblack

2008-07-16T20:42:00.005-04:00

2008 Catalog: Part 6

So the unending test of writing down each and every music purchase of mine for the year 2008 continues. I'm getting far behind at this. Let's blame the heat, the dog, and riding my bike. On Tuesday's 20 mile ride, I realized that Portishead's track "Machine Gun" absolutely rules when listened to at the 13 mile mark in 90+ degree heat. We'll get to that album soon enough.

Bob Marley & Lee Scratch Perry "The Best of the Upsetter Years"

Where and Why Did I Buy? From emusic. Because I needed some music suitable for the beach. This excels at that job.

Do I Enjoy? Yes, thoroughly and completely. Unlike all of the rest of the student body at the University of Delaware (circa 1996), I did not own any album featuring Bob Marley. Actually, I detested reggae at that point of my life. Since I'm grown now, I admit that was a mistake. I like the dub.

Quiet Village "Silent Movie"

Where and Why Did I Buy? From emusic.com. I'd read good press about this band from the AV Club and thought this would be up my alley since it mentioned them meeting up at a Metalheadz party in 1995.

Do I Enjoy? Not really. It's actually boring. Incredibly so.

Pele "Realize It" ep

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through the emusic.com. I support anything and everything members of Pele involve themselves in.

Do I Enjoy? I celebrate their entire catalog. Even 2 track eps that I've never focused on intently such as this one.

2008-07-10T23:11:00.006-04:00

A PSA From Your Friendly Neighborhood Website

Friends, Family, & Countrymen,

In a valiant attempt to get some exercise and help out a great cause in the process, I signed up for the City to Shore bike tour that occurs in late September of this year. It entails riding 75 miles in one day from Cherry Hill to Ocean City, NJ and raising donations to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. I've been training quite a bit for it and have already proudly rode more miles in the past two weeks than I have in the past two years.

So viewers of the glorious internet, I'm hoping you can find a small, spare piece of your wealth to donate my way. Any and all contributions to this great organization are thoroughly appreciated.

Here's a link to my donation page.

All donations are tax-deductible. Void where prohibited. Have your pets spayed or neutered.

Thanks for what you do.

2008-06-25T19:41:00.003-04:00

The Horror

I just received a painful e-mail from ticketmaster stating that the band, Live, will be touring alongside Blues Traveler AND Collective Soul this summer.

The armageddon will start immediately following the second encore.

2008-06-18T20:01:00.006-04:00

2008 Catalog: Part 5

So the vast plan of chronicling each and every music purchase of mine for the year 2008 continues below. Here's some additions from April:

V/A "Submit: Philadelphia Electronica"

Where and Why Did I Buy? On cd and on a whim at Long in the Tooth.

Do I Enjoy? I haven't listened to the entire compilation since it spans two discs of local electronic artists from the late 90's that I've never heard of. Some are decent though.

The Breeders "Mountain Battles"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Also on cd from the always friendly, Long in the Tooth.

Do I Enjoy? Surprisingly very much so. It's got some haze going. For some reason, I revisited the past one day by listening to "Last Splash" (always a fan of "Divine Hammer") and then searched to see if they had a new album out soon. It turns out they did, the very next Tuesday. I then heard some online and bought away. Will probably rank among my favorites at the end of the year. "Bang On" rules.

Nine Inch Nails "Ghosts: I-IV"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Purchased on cd along with above album by The Breeders at the same store on the same date. We were heading to Florida shortly thereafter and I needed some music to distract me from my dislike of flying through the air (via aeroplane).

Do I Enjoy? Even though it's all instrumental and not all the songs are that memorable, I still enjoy. I think when listened to in bulk form (instead of just one or two), it forms into an unstoppable machine. Sort of like an angry Voltron.

Let's Wrestle "In Loving Memory Of..."

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. I read a post somewhere on their 17 Dots blog that mentioned the greatness of it.

Do I Enjoy? I very much do. New, British, post-punk bands really aren't my thing, but this ep packs several punches and one head-butt. Also contains my favorite lyric of the year in the first line of "I Won't Lie to You", which goes:

"No matter how many records I buy, I can't fill this void."

That's one for the ages.

2008-05-31T09:43:00.005-04:00

Paging Mr. Huseynov

Although I've never met him or visited the Fizuli region of Azerbaijan, I'd like to give a formal shout out to Sarvan Huseynov for repaying his loan to the nonprofit Kiva organization. They do some good work over there. Kudos Mr. Huseynov. My next loan will be to this gentleman and his soft drink store in Tajikistan. Good luck.

2008-05-28T22:34:00.003-04:00

2008 Catalog: Part 4

The grand experiment of chronicling each and every music purchase of mine for 2008 continues. Here's my additions in April:

Paul McCartney "McCartney"

Where and Why Did I Buy? On vinyl at Marvelous. Had to complete more of the Paul collection.

Do I Enjoy? As of last November, I owned a total of zero albums by Paul McCartney and/or Wings. As of today, I own the good, early ones and I probably paid a grand total of $10 for them all. If you hang out at our house for an evening, I guarantee I will put on one of his albums then drink a beer. It'll occur.

Christian Vogel "Rescate 137"

Where and Why Did I Buy? On cd at Marvelous. I owned an earlier album of his and really enjoyed it.

Do I Enjoy? Not this one. As much as I'm into electronic music, this doesn't click with me. There's not much focus and the bad sections drag on far too long. Sadly, one for the sale pile.

Calamine "s/t"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. They did the theme song from Sealab 2021. C'mon, that's one gold theme.

Do I Enjoy? I've only listened to this once and actually only downloaded it because my 40 songs were about to expire, but I'm into it. Anything that sounds vaguely like Velocity Girl while listened to in the middle of May is good with me.

Blood on the Wall "Liferz"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. I liked the name and had heard good things.

Do I Enjoy? Decent stuff. Take some Sonic Youth: stir and shorten. The song "The Ditch" rules.

Future Sound of London "Lifeforms"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through half.com. A memorable album from high school that I've never owned.

Do I Enjoy? It's much denser and more industrial sounding than I remembered. I thought this double ambient disc was all floaty and serene. I actually may unload this one back to the half.com, I think the memories are better than the actual album.

2008-05-19T19:58:00.003-04:00

2008 Catalog: Part 3

So my experience of detailing my music purchases for 2008 continues unabated. Most of this stuff is from March:

She & Him "Volume One"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. Zooey Deschanel's performance in "Elf" sold me.

Do I Enjoy? Yeah, but it doesn't really feel like a true album. Just a bunch of breezily recorded songs, but that's a good thing. I really didn't think I'd like this album as much as I do, especially the first half.

Jawbox "s/t"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. I actually had this album on tape (via Mr. Bob C.) from years back. It's time to update and live in the now.

Do I Enjoy? Most definitely. Probably one of the most important bands I first heard early in high school that changed how I thought of music. Everything changed after hearing "Savory" from "For Your Own Special Sweetheart".

The Evens "Get Evens"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. Their first album took a year to really grow on me.

Do I Enjoy? This second album may take longer.

The Ventures "Play Telstar"

Where and Why Did I Buy? On an afternoon stroll around our neighborhood, we stopped by Sweet Jane for the first time. Besides buying this because of the greatness of The Ventures, I felt the need to support a local establishment.

Do I Enjoy? It's not possible to dislike The Ventures. Plus they cover "Tequila" on here. Open the windows in your house and add this album to the turntable. Gold.

Ladyhawk "s/t"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through emusic. I read an interview on Monitor Mix with them and thought they'd be a band I could visualize myself downloading to listen to and actually listening to.

Do I Enjoy? Yeah, track 2 ("The Dugout") is excellent. If we go camping this summer, this will be played.

Terranova "DJ-Kicks"

Where and Why Did I Buy? Through my monthly purchase from half.com. I have a long term goal of acquiring every album from the "DJ-Kicks" series. I now have several.

Do I Enjoy? Actually, not as much as I thought I would. Lots of dark hip-hop, which is usually cool, but I'm just not into it at the moment.

2008-04-24T21:40:00.005-04:00

A Helpful Hint

Dear Person Who Programs the Music at the Daytona Beach International Airport,

In the future, please refrain from playing R.E.M.'s "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" over the loud speaker as I board the aircraft to leave your seaside city.

While a great song, it's not really a good airport tune. As an alternative, perhaps go with a selection from Brian Eno's album "Music For Airports". Mr. Eno's soothing tones don't conjure up any possibility of a fiery crash or an ironic end of days. I'm sure Michael Stipe and company would agree.

Thanks.

-Me

2008-04-17T19:28:00.006-04:00

Make It Go Away

A genre of music that should no longer exist: Contemporary Blues. Whenever you've got Steven Seagal aboard your musical train and laying down a mean blues guitar, it's time to eliminate your genre. Although he does apparently have a song called "Talk to My Ass" included on the above album. That's some horrible imagery there.

2008-04-16T19:29:00.002-04:00

Undefeated

Just so you know, no one can defeat me at sneezing. Seriously. I'll challenge anyone in the room to a sneeze off. I'd win and you'd cry.

And you can watch every episode of the vastly under-appreciated Dana Carvey Show from the mid-90's right there. There's gold in those episodes, especially since Charlie Kaufman, Louis C.K., Dino Stamatopoulos, Stephen Colbert, Robert Smigel, and Steve Carell all had something to do with it. That's an all-star team. Of hilarity.

2008-03-13T19:10:00.007-04:00

Let's Just Say It's Raining From Now On.

From my ordinarily incredibly boring Word Origin Calendar 2008:

raining cats and dogs * The comfortable, cartoon-like image we have of this English phrase is of dogs and cats raining down from the heavens, but the original is much less pleasant. In the seventeenth century, marked by plague and pestilence, a heavy rain would flood the gutters and carry off the always abundant dead cats and dogs that lay there. Such a heavy rain came to be characterized thus, even long after plague ceased to be a problem.

And I determined today that had The Fat Boys walked on stage for the encore of The Beach Boys concert I witnessed a few weeks ago to embark upon the classic "Wipeout" then the entire universe would've spontaneously imploded due to the levels of greatness. If any physicists are out there, please prove me wrong.

2008-03-11T20:26:00.003-04:00

Hate On the Needles. Make Up Your Own Puzzles.

I'm not one for the tattoos, due to my aversion to abject pain, but this Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry documentary looks quite interesting. Needle away.

And although I've only known about him for two weeks Dr. Steve Brule has changed my life.

2008-03-06T19:16:00.018-05:00

2008 Catalog: Part 2

Bon Iver "For Emma, Forever Ago"

When and Why did I buy? Purchased at their show at Johnny Brenda's. I first saw this article a while back and noticed that he mentioned a band that now incorporates members of Pele, who were great. I figured any fan of anything related to Pele is a friend of mine. Here's an mp3 of "Skinny Love".

Do I Enjoy? Absolutely. Quite possibly my favorite album in quite a long time. Perfect for now and cold temperatures always. When I saw them play, I was absolutely amazed. The song "The Wolves (Act 1 & 2)" could not be better in a live setting. A day or two later, during a 1 1/2 hour morning commute to work amidst snow and rain, I only listened to this album on repeat. I couldn't have been happier.

(It should be noted that the only other concert that I've attended this year was The Beach Boys last weekend, but that's a story for another day. Young Mike Love never had it and old Mike Love certainly doesn't, but it had its moments.)

Belong "Colorloss Record"

When and Why did I buy? Through emusic. I had heard their first record and went for this ep on a whim.

Do I Enjoy? Pretty much. Love the haze. It sounds like a far away radio transmission of a great song you've never heard.

Chicago Underground Quartet "s/t"

When and Why did I buy? Through emusic. I actually saw them years ago when Flanganz worked at the now gone Upstage in Old City.

Do I Enjoy? Somewhat. It's jazzy.

V/A "Ambient Intermix" & SETI "Pharos"

When and Why did I buy? At Rainbow Records in Newark, Hellaware. I went down to the old stomping grounds last weekend and was quickly dismayed to see that Bert's cd store on Main St. was gone. You obviously can't go home again. In my state of shock, I bought these two out of print albums to sell on half.com.

Do I Enjoy? Not really. The funds from their sale will encourage future purchases.

Claude Young "dj-Kicks"

When and Why did I buy? Through half.com. I saw him dj years ago when I was modestly cool. It had to be around 4am when he went on and time seemed to stop. Incredible. If you were there then you know.

Do I Enjoy? Yes. Certainly. Wish it sounded more like his live sets (circa when I was modestly cool), but no real complaints.

What you listening to?

2008-02-25T22:04:00.001-05:00

G - G = G

Garfield - Garfield = Gold

2008-02-17T22:43:00.012-05:00

Muzak 08

So one of my new goals with this here website is to start cataloging all of the many purchases of music that I opt for each month. Assuming I actually update this, everything from cds to mp3s to vinyl will hopefully be included. We can marvel together that I found the Harmonic 33 album I was searching for and some/all can laugh in unison at my adoration of the first Marilyn Manson album. I'm mainly doing this so I remember what I own and remember to listen to them all, but also because I like how tiny 100 x 100 pixel album covers look on here. Mouse over the covers for the artists and titles.

Purchased sometime in January at Long in the Tooth (20th & Sansom):

January emusic downloads:

Purchased via half.com on January 15th:

Purchased at the Princeton Record Exchange on February 10th:

And we're off.

2008-02-15T22:05:00.004-05:00

It's Chantastic

Average Unnecessary Object of Learning I Arrived At This Week: Chan Marshall's (of Cat Power fame) first name is actually pronounced "Shawn". Doesn't that go against how letters and basic phonics work? In the future, please spell my name the same but pronounce it as "Lopez." Thanks.

And the # of days in a row that I've eaten a snack-sized bag of Cheez-Its: 5

2008-02-14T18:58:00.001-05:00

It's Dolphtastic

If this short summary of the newest Dolph Lundgren movie, "Missionary Man" doesn't cause the DLFS (Dolph Lundgren Film Society) to unite for the first time in several years and a fortnight, then nothing will:

"Following the mysterious murder of his lifelong friend, a Bible-toting biker named Ryder (Dolph Lundgren) rolls into town to get some answers, and learns that a nefarious businessman (John Enos III) may be behind his buddy's death. When he unravels a conspiracy to illegally acquire land from an Indian reservation to build a casino, Ryder takes the law into his own hands and launches an attack of biblical proportions.

Wow. What a premise there. He's still got it.

2008-02-12T18:15:00.000-05:00

Completely Useless Information To Share

Best Miniature Item of Minuatiae I Learned Yesterday: Toto (of "Africa" fame) played much of the music on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in 1982. They provided 7.89% of the thrills.

Best Microscopic Piece of Data I Learned Today: Much like those I know, in lieu of a bachelor party for pre-wedding festivities, Ed O'Brien (of Radiohead fame) opted for a camping trip instead. Those in attendance were with Thom Yorke, Johnny Marr, and The Chemical Brothers. Good to see The Chemical Brothers are still invited to things.

2008-02-10T20:49:00.000-05:00

Lesson #2007

Since we can only learn about where we're going from remembering where we've been, here are my 8 favorite records of 2007 in an all scrambled-together style and a month later than everything else you've already read:

01: Radiohead "In Rainbows"

02: Panda Bear "Person Pitch"

03: The Clientele "God Save the Clientele"

04: Underworld "Oblivion with Bells"

05: Dinosaur Jr. "Beyond"

06: Band of Horses "Cease to Begin"

07: Burial "Untrue"

08: Andrew Bird "Armchair Apocrypha"

It should be noted that the album that I listened to most in 2007 (regardless of date of release) had to be Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk". Lindsey Buckingham pays the bills.

2008-02-08T19:15:00.000-05:00

View From the Crow's Nest

1st picture I've taken in months.

1st ever from the 3rd floor of our house.

Huzzah.

2008-02-04T22:38:00.000-05:00

Eli for Prez

Obviously, Mr. Brady didn't consume enough babies last night. Or maybe it was just the entirely wrong kind. I heard a rumor that he was just inhaling their souls instead. Tom, you've got to eat them all to win. Join the clean plate club, buddy.

This website will return with a vengeance soon.

2007-12-30T13:20:00.000-05:00

Tom Brady Eats Babies

I can't believe I actually cheered on the NY Giants last night.

I feel so dirty. So so dirty.

2007-12-12T18:08:00.000-05:00

A Friend of Mine Once Told Me

So my glorious plan to listen to full albums every day and write about them has temporarily been put on hold as I've rediscovered rocking the college radio during commutes as of late. I forgot how hearing a great jam as you turn the key in the ignition each morning can rule the rest of one's day. The opening notes of Mission of Burma's "That's When I Reach for my Revolver" got the job done today at 7:07 am. Kudos to the masked, unknown dj from that particular time slot on WKDU. You done well, kid.

And with the imminent arrival of our newly purchased turntable, I can return to listening to records again. "Ram" by Paul McCartney, you're up first to be proceeded by K's plethora of Christmas titles.

It'll be Santastic around these parts soon.

2007-12-05T18:00:00.001-05:00

Type A

Since it's Wednesday, snowing coldly, and I'm currently quite unnerved by this image on the Sixers website, there will be no talk of albums owned by myself today.

Instead, opt for a casual listening of my bro's musical project, Pink Type. 5 songs await.

2007-12-04T17:37:00.000-05:00

Urge Overkill "Exit the Dragon"

When it comes to enjoying the sublime sounds of Urge Overkill, I've always stood alone in the barren wilderness. I distinctly remember buying their album "Saturation" at the mall in high school after being dropped off by my parents and finding absolutely zero takers amongst my peers when asking if anyone wanted to borrow it. This was back when people I knew owned five or six cds at most and yet still they refused a free helping of the UO.

Well, according to me and the power of this album, they're all fools. "Exit the Dragon" is better, deeper, and darker than their previous efforts and it's almost understandable that it didn't sell well. It's an album where the songs weren't exactly made for radio, so they certainly weren't played on it.

I saw them play a reunited live show a few years ago at The Khyber (a concert I attended solo, I may add) which only reinforced their quality. But I put the blame for their late 1990's breakup squarely on your shoulders (the disinterested masses) who didn't buy this album. Now say you're sorry and let's all move on together whilst holding hands.

Maximum Price I'd Pay if I Had to Buy It Again: $30.73
Favorite Song Heard: "The Mistake"
Traffic Level: Decent