My Dad. and his Music.

I remember it was quite a few years ago when my father told me he wanted to do a piece of music that would conceptualize a whole day of sound and condense it into an hour or so. At the time I was just like, "oh, cool." And that was that. I lived randomly here and there at my parents house between then and now, before moving to New York, where upon visiting home could still hear the tinkerings of sound coming from his music room. He shared bits and pieces of it as it was coming along and we were all excited when one of the tracks was chosen for a dance movement not too long ago in Seattle. But recently, he sent me an e-mail to let me know that he had put the whole day (hour) up for sale in its entirety and is curious to see if there will be any response. I am too. It is asking a lot of listeners to put aside an hour to listen to one piece of music, especially in the quick to judge, static, and increasingly low expectations of consumers in today's music industry. Each track breathes it's own life, but as a concept album of a whole day, you can only really understand the wind down drugged out feeling of going to work after lunch if you actually have the lunch.....The album (1d1h..one day one hour) playfully weaves real, everyday sounds such as cars honking, alarm clocks, and news reports with a musical soundtrack sometimes electronic and fast paced, or at times slow and jazzy and very..cool. It is a conceptualized "day in the life" of a contemporary office worker explored through sound. From dreaming to waking, then on to the commute, it is just screaming with visuals. A true auditory movie. Now just to get someone to animate this bitch and we've got a true work to behold. I salute you dad, your vision is coming to life. Please take a moment to listen to some samples of the piece and I encourage you to purchase the whole work as it only really translates when experienced from start to end. Check it out on CD Baby here.

I love my daddy.

Mythical Legends Dinner Story

Just wanted to share this evening with you. It was cool. Winter is nice. Click on this text for the whole story.....!

Good Day.....

Today was a beautiful day. I went for a run (down the block) to catch the last farmer's market from the community garden down the street from me. Finally got some eggs from the chickens they take care of there, so excited to taste fresh eggs again. Then I went for a bike ride, breezy crisp and cool. Supa cool. Other stuff happened too that was nice. But what I really wanted to share is that I stopped in to one of my favorite spots in Brooklyn to get some flowers for my roommates birthday (Scorpzl in the hzl, hey!), Park Delicatessen. It's a beautiful shop owned by a beautiful couple (with the cutest kid I ever did see) that sells skateboards, clothing, odds and ends, stunning fresh flowers, and good times. Every time I go in there I feel community in my bones. Find these places and go to them. They matter.

Am listening to this song right now and it is sounding real good. The whole Deerhunter Halcyon Digest album is great.

Fall Musings...

Moving into my new apartment this summer (September was still 80 degrees yo...that's summer), I would waken to sun streaming through my window and open my eyes to the vibrant jungle green leaves of the tree outside my fire escape. Having my mattress on the floor is actually a beautiful way to look up to the world outside my bedroom. And now the leaves are becoming such brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red and for at least a little while longer, I am still woken by streams of sunshine that fortunately always get me before any alarm can go off. Ah, nature, so practical and useful! On another note of the seasonal changes, I have been sick with the mother of all colds/flu for the past week or so. Bed ridden with all the fun things that go along with that. Ah, nature, so practical and useful! Right? A break is sometimes forced upon you when you don't know how to take one for your self. So, I surrender humbly to the sickness that infests me.

Had to go into the city today for a court date (a ticket for riding my bike on the sidewalk, real bad ass) and a not so surprising coincidence occurred: Two older Jewish women (or they were just foreign and wore funny things on their heads) were on the same car as me going into the city from Brooklyn. After my court date, about three hours later, I get back on the train going to Brooklyn from Downtown and the same two women are there on the same car as me again. Duly noted. It happens all the time, but still, huh? Makes you think of the odds.

Here's a song for today from one of my favorites, Mose Allison: "I'm not discouraged, but I'm gettin' there".......he has a way with words among other things. Style people, delivery, it matters. What happened to the good ol' days?!!!!

Oh, America..

We are a big and fascinating country. So young, so much to learn. Listening to Leonard Lopate on WNYC this morning (he may be my favorite host), there was a very enlightening and thoughtful conversation (not uplifting though) between him and scholar Richard E. Rubenstein on the culture of war in America. Our economy is driving our youth to the battlefield, and if it isn't the economy it is some other propaganda. There really is no way to discern who the bad guys are, it depends what side your fighting on right? Anyway, it was a really engaging discussion I would urge you to explore. It might be too soon to stream it, but you will be able to by tomorrow I am sure. Please check out more information here.

Man, all this shit is happening right now. And it has been forever. And it probably always will. That sucks ass.

Hilarious

I sent an e-mail out to some peeps about getting in a submission and I shared a little story like this:

"My father used to sit in my room because I was too scared to fall asleep all the time. He thought it might help to tell me that I should imagine that Jesus was sitting in there with me, watching while I fell asleep. Well that scared the shit out of me. Thanks dad."

Then my dad wrote me back later a message like this:

"I said that Jesus was watching you? What kind of crack was I on? Seriously, I can't remember ever having said such a thing!"

The kind of crack that makes you play music on Classon Ave with a stranger? That's crack I can get down with...love me some pops.

Haunting Post

When we were younger our parents used to take us to Vancouver and we would always go to the aquarium. I remember at the Orca whale tank you could go below ground and watch them swim through the glass. The turquoise chlorine water would glow and the massive whales would slowly swim in repetitive circles, it seemed as though it took hours for their bodies to pass by me and the sounds of the water pressure through the glass was terrifying. I was mesmerized and haunted by these animals. I have had dreams and nightmares my whole life about whales hovering and floating around me ever since and have never been able to shake that they are mad at me (us) and then they beach themselves to remind us how evil we are.



Just a haunting story to share in anticipation of your stories. Check here for information on how to submit.