They're There, And Then They're Gone

There are so many different paths an album can take when it comes to how it strikes you. There are some albums that hit within the first 30 seconds. You are convinced before even hearing track 2. Other albums find their spark midway through. Then there are those albums that may take a few listens for you to adjust your ears and really let things grow. Some albums plateau, some lose their flare, and others some how continue to call you back.

Monsters of Folk's self-titled album is one that left me feeling general underwhelmed when it first was released. I really enjoyed the single, "Say Please" the first time I heard it. That in combination with the persons involved had raised my expectations of the album pretty high. However, when it finally was released I found myself listening to it with increasing disinterest. Months later I revisted the album and realized that it had a few really solid gems on it. In particular, I loved how everyone's voices and vocal styles (if you can say Conor Oberst has a style in his voice) blend together in the final moments.

The last few days I have had a melody in my head. Ever have this happen to you? Somehow you have this string of notes running through your head but cannot discern any sort of notable lyrics or figure out where the melody leads thus leaving you unable to identify this sequence. Today I was able to identify that this melody belongs to the middle section of the song titled, "Temazcul" by Monsters of Folk. Maybe it was the satisfaction of identifying the melody finally, or maybe not, but I listened to the whole album again and couldn't help but enjoy it a whole lot. Sure there are still several subpar songs, but its is also definitely better than I first gave it credit for and better than an album with just a few gems. I wouldn't say its more than a 60/40 for excellent-to-mediocre/subpar-ratio. Even so, I find myself putting it on again, so it has some kind of staying power in that 60%-good portion of the album.

(I set up my dad's record player in my bedroom today so I could make some progress on the bomb-shell my room has become, and listen to The Crane Wife [purchased yesterday]."

Day Feels like Days

You know you have had a successful day when you get home and realize that stuff you thought you did for the last few days actually took place over the course of the past few hours. The fact that I accomplished/traveled as much as I did in the past 24 hours is still not quite settled in. I am impressed with how this weekend has gone.

Today I woke up with the plan of taking a train from north Jersey into NY to run some errands and buy something items before heading to central Jersey for a few hours. After the train mishap got straightened out and I ended up having to drive to the Bronx, things just got better. First, I was finally able to get my package from the Bx and give Alex his birthday gift. I got my hair cut, we visited a very cool comic shop and I bought a Scott Pilgrim t-shirt. We headed to Times Square and got to check out the brand new Pop-Tarts store. It was great.

We headed to Bryant park and jumped on the 6 down to Washington Square Park. Walked over to Thompson and grabbed lunch at Boyd Thai. I love this place and lunch was delicious. We then went next door to Generation Records and I picked up two gems - The Decemberists' Crane Wife and Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise. Then it was on to the train and back up to the Bronx for a quick and delicious slice of University Pizza (for old times sake). Got in my car around 4 and went to Chris' to pick him up. Then it was back to MontClaire to get Mike's car and then down to Central Jersey to a friend's house who lives by the beach. We got there around 6 and spent some quality time hanging out with friends. We had a delicious train shaped cake and ended then night hanging out on the beach. I got in my car around 11 and just got home.

For anyone who thinks driving 2 hours to see people is absurd - this is proof that it is not. Not only was I able to visit friends that live 2 hours away today, but I was also able to accomplish all of those other things and still be in bed by 1 am. No excuses!

Concerts, Records, Cheesesteaks

It's too late to write a full blog tonight. The title sums up today in the most bullet-pointed fashion. It was a fantastic day. Really glad Mike came this weekend. My wallet says otherwise - we compromised and decided Mike has to come back again, but not for a month.

Goodnight.

An Amazing Album

So this past weekend my two sisters were here to visit, along with a very close friend of ours. We spent some time in the village and, because I cannot help myself, we stopped into a record shop. There are a few albums I listen to that just come off like they were meant to be played on vinyl. Records can be pretty damn pricey, though. Sometimes records sell for 35 to 40 bucks. And these are not limited prints either.

One album I have considered getting since having a turntable is Norah Jones' Come Away With Me. Unfortunately, whenever I see it in a store its listed for 30 dollars. Luck was on my side that day, as the store, which had maybe 40 vinyl total, had this record priced new at 12.99. No hesitation there.

If you have not listened to this album before, I suggest you do. Put it on when you have time to relax, or need to relax. Find somewhere to just sit, outside or inside, and put this album on. It'll do you some good.

Colored Vinyl

I know records are traditionally black but there is something really cool about colored vinyl. It seems like most times the color isn't even across until the material was originally made from that color as is the case of my clear 45 or the green colored Ugly Organ Vinyl. (Double bonus when it is colored and you didn't know it prior to opening it up when you get home.)

Today I finally got my copy of Juturna on vinyl and this vinyl is like tie dye. What's even cooler is how it swirls when it is playing.

Cravings

You know how it's easiest to decide on a restaurant or type of cuisine when you find youself 'in the mood' for something. I think, at least for me, that mood is based on a conjuring up of a taste - you mentally create the sensation of a type of food or dish that correlates with say 'italian' or 'mexican'. Those words carry memory flavor that helps you decide if you are in the mood or craving that type of food.

Tonight, we headed into the city to do dinner and spend some time walking around. We really had no planned destination even a type of restaurant we were looking for although, because of our proximity to Little Italy in the Bronx we all pretty much agreed no Italian food. Eventually the idea for Thai food was suggested. I was absolutely in the mood for Thai after hearing the suggestion. What is rare about those moods is that you satisfy that craving - more so when its a more abstract craving. You might crave McDonald's french fries, or an Auntie Anne's Pretzel and those are more consistent foods so that your craving will be matched by getting that food. But having a desire for Thai food is more vague.

So to say that I was able to order, sort of blindly, from the menu and get a meal that was so satisfying and so perfectly accurate to the exact taste I was craving is impressive. I finished my meal and was so pleased I was almost baffled at how exact it turned out to be. The food was delicious and included more vegetables that I failed to identify, but couldn't care less about because of the flavor. In addition one thing you can never be sure of is spicy. People's tolerance as well as restaurants rating or ranking of spice is tough to gauge. I did not want something dull but I also did not want to regret my decision. Even the spice of the food was perfect - not too dull but not too much to handle. The place we went to was called Boyd's Thai and was on Bleeker and Thompson.

The night was followed by a quick stop at the record store which was right next to the Thai place where I picked up Cursive's The Ugly Organ and the new Album Leaf records. From there we hit a really cool old coffee shop down two blocks and just hung out and chatted over some pretty great coffee.

All in all a great night. I can't wait for warm weather when I can just go sit somewhere and not feel rushed by the temperature to make a plan or just get inside. Plus once it gets warm I plan to explore Brooklyn a lot.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas was excellent. I was semi-apprehensive about a Christmas morning where my list had been so exact that there would be very little surprise. Luckily my mom impressed me with her decisions on clothes for me with my very brief description of what sort of clothes I was thinking about.

The other bit of luck came from my natural forgetting of my list. There were at least 4 items I got for Christmas that I asked for, yet totally forgot about. These moments combined with the joy of getting some of the things I asked for and really looked forward to made today a solid day - gift wise. From there - pops was great. Two new additions this year to the family. Two of my cousins had kids - one only about 2 weeks ago. Speeches, dinner, dessert, and conversation filled the rest of the day.

Came home and set up my new record player. It is so nice to have it. Listened to a few songs from each of the 3 albums I got as gifts (the rest are at my apartment in NY), and have made my way to bed.

Glad I got to see my two holiday-must movies - Christmas Vacation and Home Alone.

Christmas 2009 - you were wonderful. Thanks for the memories.

Who is ready for New Years?

oh the weather outside...

well it might not be exactly the same as the song has in mind - but it is looking like it might get cold soon. and today felt a bit more bitter than normal - even if i was still able to get away with a lighter jacket. guess we can blame it on the rain.

so i am officially at T-minus 2 days for the big Law and Psych paper. guess that means i should start it tomorrow. luckily i am totally done my clinical paper (still needs some minor edits and a references page but that's mindless).

will be skipping work tomorrow. it pains me to say it. i just think about the class and i want to be there so badly. but i know i have to buckle down on this paper and if i only get 5-6 hours of sleep and then have work i will be losing steam before i make much progress and tomorrow has to be a majority of the work so i am not fighting time wednesday. for once let me not be writing the paper until the final moments.

the picture i am posting has to do with a snafu of sorts that occured today with the United States Postal Service and a piece of pink vinyl I have been looking forward to. Most of you know what happened already so I am not going to go on an on about it. Let me just say that if you think you can fit it in the PO box and it feels like in doing so - you are bending something that is putting up enough resistance that it probably is not supposed to bend - would you do it anyway? apparently someone who works for them would. hopefully the band gets back to me about it. agh

still spinning