you don't even rate a footnote

So, R.E.M. fanclub presale tickets went onsale this morning. I didn't buy any.

Because--curse you, fate--the Chicago tourdate is the first day of my five-year college reunion. ARRRGH. And much as I fancy Michael Stipe and I are best buds, it's really not a choice at all--my friends come first, period. But it still breaks my heart.

I'm wearing my tour shirt from their magnificent '04 tour to show my solidarity both for the fanclub ticket sale and for the release of Accelerate today, which I'm about to listen to. I've heard lots of good things about the album, so I'm ready to be wowed. After all, music will provide the light we cannot resist, we cannot resist, we cannot resist.

always doing damage control

SNOW DAY!

Well, Snow Couple-of-Hours--no evening classes tonight after 6pm. And it doesn't affect me at all, because I don't have Weds night classes (and our Very Special Wednesday Rehearsal continues apace), but it's still pretty great. I don't think I've had any classes canceled for weather since senior year of college.

I know there hasn't been much of note here recently, and I apologize. I'm a bit overcommitted this semester and things are just getting crazier and crazier. So, anyway, listen to the new R.E.M. single and check back later. Maybe I'll have more to add.

trading places with an angel

The Boy and I had an unintentional Christian Bale filmfest last night, courtesy of the inclement weather keeping us at home and the Redbox in our neighborhood Jewel. We've been behind on renting movies since our local Blockbuster shut down, but let me tell you--Redbox is AWESOME. $1 movie rentals! Selection isn't as all-encompassing as Blockbuster's was, but considering they were wanting close to $5 a rental, this is a MUCH better price. We got 3:10 to Yuma and The Prestige, both of which were GREAT. I've been going over and over the plot twists in the latter all day--no surprise that it was directed by Memento's Christopher Nolan. I also am not at all up on my Westerns--I think the only one I've ever watched was Shane, for Narrative Structures two years ago--but I wouldn't mind seeing more of the genre, since I really enjoyed 3:10 to Yuma. Anyway, Russell Crowe knocked it out of the park in Yuma, and I loved David Bowe Bowie's take on Nikola Tesla in The Prestige. And our man Mr. Bale did not disappoint in either. I remember enjoying The Illusionist when both of these magic-themed movies came out, but I'm not sure now which of them I liked better. I kind of want to watch The Illusionist again, perhaps this evening, as I think we're Redboxing it once more tonight--that is, if I ever get my schoolwork done. blerg.

Also, because I've been inundating the Boy with links right now and because he'd probably be happier if I were working on my portion of our trip-to-Thailand topic proposal, I'm entreating you to check out this NYMag article about the music industry's war on insider leaks. It's more fuel for my argument that music itself can't be the primary source of revenue anymore in music industry business models. It's neither practical nor feasible. Songs need to be viewed as promotional tools--a means to an end--rather than an end unto themselves. User expectations demand instant music availability, both in the time it takes to acquire music (i.e., the rise of downloading) and the time it takes for music to become available. People aren't content to wait around three months for an album to come out. Even though Radiohead got most of its press last fall from the "name your own price" aspect of its new album, perhaps equally remarkable was the rapidity with which it became available after we heard it was coming--something like two weeks, was it?

So, the bottom line: you want to keep leaks down? Then announce new albums when they're ready to go. I mean, I've known since Christmas that R.E.M. has a new record coming out in April. Why do I have to wait so damn long? I guarantee that thing's ready to go now and they're just holding it up for some sort of publicity campaign, or the tour, or whatever. But I want the music now. I still plan on shelling out big bucks to see them (and Modest Mouse! and the National!) at the United Center on June 6, and I'll surely buy some overpriced t-shirt or hoodie or whatever. They're making their money off of me one way or another. Why wait to give me my copy of their long-awaited new album?

Anyway. I have work to do, or I'd continue to soapbox on this stuff. You, dear reader, are devastated, I'm sure. Happy Superbowling--the Boy is rooting for the Giants, so I guess I am, too, but the Patriots seem untouchable this year. More importantly, can you believe it's been four years since NippleGate? Maybe Tom Petty will be wearing a lace corset under his outer garments...

so many possibilities

Hey, kids. I'm back!

Mostly back to say that R.E.M.'s new album, slated for April release, will be called Accelerate, and "I'm Gonna DJ" is going to be on it, and they say that they recorded it quickly, according to this article. All of this leads me to believe that they've abandoned some of the studio overproduction that has plagued their last couple of albums, so I'm VERY optimistic that the ROCK sound of their live show will be evident in this new album. Next question: a tour? That I can attend? Pretty please?

Also, when Ken Stringfellow mentions in the article that he called Mike Mills for his birthday? Mr. Mills's birthday happens to be December 17, as is a certain other very important person's. Ahem. *tosses hair and preens*

Anyway, holidays were lovely, family is great, kitty is playful and seems to be doing well, I managed to catch a terrible cold from which I'm still recovering, friends descended upon Chicago and we tore up this city for New Year's, I pulled every muscle in my back playing Wii Sports yesterday (that says more about how out of shape I am than how vigorous the Wii games are), and I've been dithering online for the last hour and a half rather than doing my reading for tomorrow. So, really, nothing new.

Quick holiday movie update: saw The Golden Compass, Sweeney Todd, Beowulf, I Am Legend, and No Country for Old Men, all of which I enjoyed (though Sweeney Todd and No Country were the best of the bunch). Still want to see Atonement, There Will Be Blood, Juno, Charlie Wilson's War, and Walk Hard, among others. Chances are school will catch up with me before I see even half of those, but I guess that's what DVD rentals are for.

Finally: Britney, wtf? I stop reading my gossip blogs for a week and all hell breaks loose. No matter how stressed out I get, I can take solace in the fact that I have never been ambushed for an intervention by Dr. Phil, thank god.

automotive incinerate

Ok, so I totally lied about taking my test tomorrow (er, later today). It's gonna happen Weds morning. Grr arrgh. I want to be done with it, but I don't want to stumble into it without confidence.

And as a result, I decided to watch this instead of finishing the Dagher decision, and good heavens, does this dude have some editing skills:



[via MOKB]

smoke and mirror lockdown

R.E.M.'s first-ever live album and DVD came out yesterday. I can't speak for the DVD, but Paste is streaming the album, and ohh, it is good. Very, very good. Especially the newer stuff, which I have long attested sounds downright rocking in concert, even if it suffers from excessive production on the albums. I nearly got giddy when "Bad Day" came up, and when I say that hearing "So Fast, So Numb" performed live was a life-changing moment, I do not mean it lightly.

And though it might not be as life-changing for you on CD, the new album has a pretty darn good approximation thereof. Ohh, I hope they tour next year--and more importantly, I hope I can go...

It's odd--ten years ago, R.E.M. was not my favorite band. They probably weren't even my fifth-favorite band. I liked them, I liked them a lot, for sure--but now? It's like I'm caught in a musical feedback loop or something, because I love them more with each passing year. Old stuff, new stuff, popular stuff, used-cd-bargain-bin stuff (yes, Monster, I'm looking at you)--they can do no wrong in my book.

So maybe you shouldn't take my effusive praise of their live album at face value, since I'm admittedly a biased source--but that's why you should stream it for yourself! It's free--and who doesn't love free? With a song that "takes place in the beautiful state of Ohio"? (Yeah, yeah, it's about the Cuyahoga river on fire--a shoutout is a shoutout.)

tomorrow's gaining speed on you

Wow. Haven't blogged yet in October; sorry about that. I think one of the reasons I'm having such a hard time grasping that it's October already is that it doesn't feel like October. I mean, I wore shorts and a t-shirt for the last two days! That's simply unacceptable. It looks like it's starting to get colder, but I can't kick back and enjoy my pumpkin treats if it's above eighty degrees outside, you know?

Anyway. In other fairly insignificant-to-anyone-but-me news, after two years (we're coming up on the tawny gypsy mac's birthday in a couple weeks!) I think I'm ditching the Safari browser in favor of Firefox. Yeah, yeah. woo freaking hoo. I'm not a huge fan of the Firefox default font, but in the greater scheme of things, it's a lot more stable than Safari, and important websites (like LexisNexis) finally work correctly. Transferring my bookmarks is going to be a hassle... oh, wait, I can import them. heh. Me + technology = a fierce combination, for sure.

This may qualify as the lamest blog post ever. Sorry kids. I think I meant to write about music or something, possibly about hearing R.E.M.'s "Electron Blue" in the Apple Store today while the Boy bought a new Shuffle, an event which prompted a sudden, fierce desire to listen to Around the Sun (which is fairly notable, as I haven't given it much airtime since 2004). But now you know a) I'm still alive, b) I would like some colder weather, please, and c) I'm getting used to Firefox (...again; used it all the time on Ye Olde PCe Laptoppe in days of yore).

...except the links in the Bookmarks Bar at the top of my browser window just disappeared and are now refusing to come back. There really is no such thing as the perfect browser, is there? Alas.

a way to make you smile

I really, really wish I'd come up with this idea:

Pop Songs '07, a blog that will "write about every R.E.M. song, eventually." It's pure delight for longtime fans like myself, and I'm learning new insight into old favorites already.

For instance, I have always heard "At My Most Beautiful" as a stalker song. I thought Michael's gentle, soft delivery was deliberately ironic, as he's clearly wielding a knife right below the melody line. "Saving messages just to hear your voice"? CREEPY. "Count your eyelashes secretly"? CREEPY. "I know you're closed-eye watching me, listening"? Yeah, because he's going to KILL YOU.

...and yet. Blog author Matthew Perpetua views it nothing more than a beautiful love song, and at least two of the commenters played it AT THEIR WEDDINGS. To me, this is no different than playing "Every Breath You Take" (also prominently featured in my stalkersongs playlist). I re-read the lyrics, though, and taken at face value, there's absolutely nothing sinister there... except, yes, yes there is! I'm truly astonished.

And now I'm truly behind on my work, having spent an hour reading all the Pop Songs '07 back entries and thinking about my favorite R.E.M. songs (that will have to be a post for another day, I'm afraid). Back to work. Sigh.

birds, snakes and aeroplanes

Happy Easter, dear reader! It's 32 degrees here and the forecast says hail. Awesome weather for an egg hunt! Sigh.

Not much to report on this end--busier than ever, as deadlines loom--and I'm supposed to be doing laundry right now. But after a much-later-than-anticipated evening out last night (ahh, Wigmore), I'm finding it hard to get inspired to be productive. Meh.

I did want to report that I procured the new Modest Mouse and new Kaiser Chiefs, though I've only had time to listen to the former. It, however, is awesome, and I saw the "Dashboard" video at the gym yesterday--SO great. I'm glad more of my favorite bands are adopting a nautical theme (see also Decemberists, supra). Check it out:



Finally, what the hell, people: why won't DJs play "It's the End of the World as We Know It"? Who doesn't love that song? I've been thwarted at two different bars for two saturdays in a row, and I won't stand for it anymore. Michael, Mike and I will take our beer tab elsewhere. Harrumph.

calling on in transit

The boys from Athens got a nice blurb in today's USA Today. Good to see they've got the same instinct about the state of the music "industry" as I do.

Also interesting--even though I was all pedantic in my last post about some dude getting the lyrics to "Video Bargainville" wrong, I might have no idea what's actually going on in "Radio Free Europe." I was going to title this post "beside yourself if radio's gonna stay," because that's what I always thought Michael was singing. Turns out half the lyrics sites seem to think it's "decide yourself," and a quick listen (for educational purposes!) seems to imply the latter is actually correct, and probably makes more sense. Not that R.E.M. lyrics ever have to make sense.

And I definitely thought it was "calling all river transit" until this very moment, so perhaps I should be more charitable about the mondegreens of others.

adrenaline pulls us near

YAY! Good news on a Monday: R.E.M.'s being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame! Hooray! Other inductees: Patti Smith, Van Halen, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and the Ronettes. I don't really know what the induction gets you, other than absolutely no indie cred whatsoever (hopefully some cash?), but it's damn cool nonetheless. Supposedly they're recording a follow-up to Around the Sun right now? Maybe I ought to renew my fan club membership in case they tour--it's worth the $10 fee a hundred times over for second-row seats, no question. The fan club CD this year was the songs they played at the 40 Watt club in Atlanta w/ Bill Berry--verrrry excited to listen to that.

Oh, and you get another YouTube video to commemorate the occasion. I was going to post Bad Day, because I love how earnest and news-anchorly Michael looks, but there's too much going on in it and it doesn't translate well to pixely streaming video. So, you get this one instead:



well, I lied--you get two videos, because I have a very fond memory of making my friends rent a tape of R.E.M. videos in high school and then watching this one over and over again until we had the dance down. Heh.

throw your love around

Happy 2007!

It's January 5 and it's 60 degrees here in warm & cheerful Centerville, OH. (At least the "warm" part is apt, but "cheerful"? Try me again when I've got something to show for my paper revisions.) Woo freaking hoo. El Nino + global warming = teh suck, for serious. I want WINTER weather, damnit--or if it's going to be WARM, at least be SUNNY. *stomps foot*

Anyhoo. I had a wonderful Christmas (would you believe... the Get Smart DVD Box Set was under the tree?!) and a KICK-ASS New Year's in New Haven--more Catchphrase than anyone thought humanly possible, peppered with spontaneous renditions of "Dick in a Box"--yeah, good times. I won (!) a game of Poker, helped teach 6 people Euchre, and floundered at both Apples to Apples and Categories (underwear is SO sports equipment. sheesh). We had 16 former classmates show up for the NYE festivities, which was a truly amazing turnout. Oh, and if Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers come to your town on their spring tour (as they're likely to do--they'll be in Chicago twice in the next four months), you TOTALLY need to check them out. SUCH good music, and so very all-around entertaining. (Also, though it helps to look up directions to the venue before you leave, it's definitely not required--especially if you want an accidental tour of the sketchy parts of Bridgeport, CT.)

I could go on, but I'd rather share this gem I came across from Filter's celebration of Michael Stipe's 47th birthday yesterday (it was also the Boy's birthday yesterday! but he hasn't danced with the Muppets, so he doesn't get a YouTube link):



Does Peter Buck ever smile? Seriously. Watch the original Shiny Happy People vid again, too--SO AWFUL, and yet so awesome. Christmas also brought When the Light Is Mine, the DVD comp that coincides with R.E.M.'s IRS-label retrospective, and I'm eager to watch it...

...which is why I need to get going on these paper revisions. Sigh.