Ramblings and Whatevers

Pete Doherty?

On the cover of Spin magazine this month is the above mentioned. With the headline "Why we need Pete Doherty." What? Who the hell is this guy? I know allot about music and I am the first one to concede that music journalists tend to love people that everyone else think sucks like Frank Zappa or Arcade Fire. People might fight me about that last one but luckily no one reads this. Anyway there is this article about a guy whose main band The Libertines (which coincidentally broke up because of his drug use) didn’t even crack the top 100 album sales mark in the U.S. 111 was their position. Granted it seems he has had much better success within the confines of the U.K. getting a number 1 album and a number 2 single. As far as I can tell the only thing Pete is famous for is dating a woman that weighs about 9 pounds is a size -1 and hasn’t eaten more than half a saltine since Clinton was president…..his Girlfriend was Kate Moss. Seriously though ladies if you feel bad about your self because you see Kate Mosses skin hanging off of her body looking like starving Ethiopian or skeletor your choice then you need to get some perspective. How is she considered pretty? No boobs, no butt, yet somehow rich? Anyway….So I can’t understand why we are supposed to care about Pete. He is continuously in rehab for drugs, plays crappy punk music and hailed as the greatest songwriter the U.K. has had in a long time. If I was Ed Harcourt I would take some exception to that. The point of this article is basically Americans don’t get it. We don’t get true artistic music while Hannah Montana makes bazillions poor Pete Doherty isn’t making any. We are supposed to feel that Pete is like Nick Drake who if it weren’t for a Volkswagen commercial even I wouldn’t have heard of. I guess that yes in England it does seem like they enjoy rock more than pop. It does seem that their top 100 is much more eclectic than ours with techno, funk, rap, pop, rock, indie, alternative, and folk music which I suppose makes them better. But my take is that if we learned anything from Jennifer Barefoot and Nancy Reagan its just say no to drugs. Because Drugs aren’t funny. Which is a lie drugs are hilarious. Look at Half Baked, and Dazed and Confused HILARIOUS. But we will support allot of stuff as Americans hell look at Brittney it’s hard to believe she’s still famous yet she seems clean. I didn’t say she isn’t crazy that’s a different blog. Seems is the key word because every time I see Pete he looks stoned to bejesus as high as a kite. Also the article tends to make the case for hating Pete who continuously relapses on heroin more than liking Pete. The Journalist clearly doesn’t understand either why Pete matters. So while some music journalists sit in their caves listening to libertine home recordings writing about the gloriousness of a band that has broken up, but is eerily similar to the sex pistols who after three years and one album somehow manage to still be pertinent in music to some. All the while muttering under their breath with contempt because Americans don’t get it. I have just one question for you. Why do we need Pete Doherty?

Tennessee Fire

Since Julia came to visit last week I’ve been listening to allot of my morning jacket. Mostly out of jealousy I assume because she is going to go see them in New York in June. Like most albums I have forgotten and rediscovered then blogged about I love this album. I used to listen to this every night when I was studying back in Lubbock. I’d slam my food down my throat then put on MMJ and start doing math. Two hours later I was out the door for a run. The thing about Tennessee Fire is that it’s different from At Dawn and Z. It’s very moody, quiet. There is a few rockers on there but mostly we are privy to Jim James reverb’d vocals and gentle songwriting. I read a review someplace about MMJ’s last album and which was supposed to spring board them into stardom. I remember the reviewer writing about how now if MMJ “gets popular people will see Tennessee Fire in my record collection and think oh look who jumped on the wagon, when in fact there was late nights suffering through a broken heart many years ago when this album was played the most. Before MMJ were popular. Simply a band from Kentucky, that got comparisons to the drive-by truckers. The sad lonesome sounds make me fell almost better instantly because I know somebody else knows my pain.” I found that on the internet. God bless technology. I really feel for him because that is the way we feel about our secret bands that we hope no one else enjoys. I remember listening to MMJ in the same way. Not nursing a broken heart but just listening late at night when I was a little drunk and lonely. Wishing I had a warm body next to me. MMJ are a great band whose live shows from what I’ve been told are nothing like their albums which is a good thing because Tennessee Fire is bound to put some to sleep. I need it most is the saddest longest song on the album but I swear it’s so beautiful if I could cry I would just listening to it. This blog I realize tends to be more about music than anything but its music I feel that connects many of us to reality. Like this weekend when I get to go see Band of Horses another of my secret bands. The times spent in my head Ben and company will never know about but the happiness they’ve brought me is shown by my presence to pay homage to what I feel is the best 20 bucks spent for two hours of enjoyment in a long while. Foot heads to Houston tomorrow and with him my prayers and thoughts go along. God bless you foot.

My Morning Jacket
I Need it Most:
I needed it most, when I was eighteen.
But now that im older, I don't need many things.
Just someone to hold, that's what you give me.
When dark touches your skull baby,
Aw babe you can drop that on me.
So I say lord, all the heavens you've made,
Cant hold back the ghosts that haunt my baby and me.
Oh cant you hold them back, from coming on in,
To a lovely woman, that jus wants her mind back again.
I cannot crumble, what you want this to be.
Or bring peace of mind, if it aint there to see.
Aw if you don't know yourself, how could you ever know me?
But to have and to hold you, yeah that's the way its gotta be.

people

so here I sit at work. Its been a pretty good day, cold and rainy but not that bad. I'm writing this becauseni am taking a bit of a break and I wanted to do something constructive. Alton left ist a minute ago with now word or anything the drama in this place is better than anything on tv I gurantee it. Just wanted to write a quick thing take care

Being Weird

Am I weird? I wonder this only because I was told three separate times this morning I am strange. I was at starbucks this morning and Jacob my friendly starbucks guy told me to go to you tube and check out a band called flight of the conchords. We were without power again early this a.m. and I said hey why not! So I start playing various videos of theirs on my kick as iphone. I unplug it and play it so that David can hear it. He just looked at me like I am a freak of nature and said the above mentioned. Scott, the warehouse manager same thing all though he did laugh at the song business time. Anyway I was told that by one of the warehouse crew later but he was just messing with me. I know I might be a tad off but I don’t think I’m that weird but who knows maybe I am. Anyway I hope everyone is having a great week. Next week it gets down to brass tacks for Foot. He’s off to Houston for ten whole days of doing whatever it is he does. To be honest I bet it involves sipping mojitos looking at the beautiful brown ocean that is the Gulf of Mexico. I’m so jealous! I’m praying for you buddy and I know all will be fine. TOODLES

Mark kozelek

The above mentioned is a great talent. Mostly unheard of lead singer and songwriter for the red house painters and his new semi solo work with Sun Kil Moon. He actually did an entire album of nothing but Modest Mouse covers, same thing with bon scott ac/dc era covers. I love this idea. The idea that you can take some one else's song and turn it into something completely and utterly different is so cool. I mean lets face it this ide doesn't require a great amount of talent but mostly balls. I like it and I must say I don't really care for modest mouse so it doesn't bother me. I mean if slayer did nothing but ryan adams cover album I would probably be pissed but i'm just not there for modest mouse. I haven't been blogging lately. I just have been so busy with work and what not its hard to get back into the habit. I know I should and I am going to try to fix that starting soon. Foot is going to md next week and we are all thank full for that. I just finished watching live free or die hard and I must say it did not suck. I rented it on itunes which is so awesome. This is just another way for america to be lazy but I don't know how many times I was at home in the past and had to run out to the video store to rent something that may or may not be there. Apple has us all figured out and steve jobs knows what the hell he is doing. Two more mac purchases in my future 1 a new apple tv so that sara and I can watch our rented movies on the tv instead of the computer and two an airport express since we have been having some wireless probs at the house. Well the computer is about to die so just pray for me this week with work and I hope your world is rockin! later tater.

31

Tomorrow Sara turns 31. I know she's not that excited about it but its not like she's turning 33......yet. Well some other stuff going on. My mom and dad came over for breakfast this morning. It was awesome. Really enjoyed it. It was nice for them to come and see the house. I think mom really liked it. Sara and I cooked some pancakes and other breakfast stuff. It was the first time I have cooked pancakes in a very long time. It worked well. A great morning and Sara got a very pretty charm bracelet. I gave her, her present and it was some charms for her new bracelet. We went and saw the new national treasure and man is it god awful. I liked the first one but this one is the exact same but instead of the Templar treasure we are looking for the city of gold in the black hills of north dakota. Im sure kids love it because it gets them interested in history and treasure hunting is fun but to treasure hunt you need to study your history book. Thanks disney. My kids are going to be very dissapointed when they realize that history just isnt that cool. I like it but they wont at least ot for a while. Anywho Sara and I spent yesterday cleaning out my old apartment. Also we just worked our asses off yesterday cleaning and moving going and not chilling. So its sunday evening and I have to go to work tomorrow and I'm not happy about that. Have a great day!!

The impossibility of Sonic Youth ever being a good a.k.a. What’s all that noise?

So Sara and I love this movie called Juno. If you haven’t seen it you should. It’s a very cute film about a girl who gets pregnant and is giving the baby up for adoption. There is a point in the movie when The Carpenters song Superstar comes on but is being covered by the very alternative and noisy band Sonic Youth. Which next to Radiohead may be one of the coolest band names ever. Anywho I really liked this song and subsequently have purchased it on itunes. So this enjoyment got me to thinking that maybe all those years of hating Sonic Youth were in Vain. Maybe I do enjoy them but my mind and ears weren’t advanced enough to understand the glories in all they were. NOPE the still fucking SUCK. I got home and I went to wikipedia and looked up said band. According to the know it alls on the website, Daydream Nation was the best album. I go to itunes and purchase this record. 10$ and a burned CD later I’m in Blue driving around listening to as Juno says in the movie “Noise” and completely bummed but at the same time justified in my previous hate for this band. I can’t even begin to explain how bad all the songs are the only thing I will say is that if you only have one year to live by this album because every listen seems like a freaking eternity! Proof positive Critics have no taste in music. What the fu.……..kick…….BOOOM!!!!!!!!!…….ah crap that hurt man. Sorry someone just kicked my soap box out from under me and I think I shattered my pelvis. The Drive by Truckers have released a new EP called Darker than Creation. I am continually surprised by how much I enjoy every album this band releases. Its typical DBT crunchy southern rock sprinkled with a few slower songs that kick you in the mommy/daddy button. Patterson Hood (lead singer/songwriter) is truly awesome in his poignant and thoughtful lyrics as well as guitar boogie ability. I really like him. Jennifer you need to get some DBT in your life they rock I guarantee it. Also Radiohead announced today they will be coming to Dallas. My bucket list is almost complete. After I marry Sara, and have a son to carry on the family name the world may do with me as it pleases. Oooooo I almost forgot check out anyone but you by the Moldy Peaches it’s a very cute song that Sara and I sing and I play guitar. I love her. A brief Foot update. He is looking better and only as weak as a newborn kitten instead of a dead raccoon on the side of the road. I kid cause I love foot. Seriously he is doing great and that makes me happy it won’t be too long until I pull out my masterful plan to show him up UN front of Roger and Lois and simply smile and say “You’re move rook!” Insert evil villain laugh now!

Toodles!

coming together

The wedding is really shaping up. Its quite crazy how fast Sara works. She is a model of productivity when she sets her mind to something. In the last two weeks. She has hired a coordinator, talked to the invitation lady, bought a dress, purchased wedding bands, we have almost decided on a band, went shopping for bridesmaid dresses, hired a caterer, planned her bachelorette party, figured out where we are going to have the rehearsal dinner, and sent that to my parents, booked the place we are going to stay for the honeymoon and in the next few days we are going to buy the plane tickets, also talked to a minister since it looks like mines not going to work out. There is other stuff but I'm lost on them right now. So she has been one busy girl. I had no idea that so much was involved in doing a wedding. I guess it’s not that surprising. We are going to go visit photographers and listen to some more bands this weekend. So its going to be a very hectic 4 months. On the lighter side my bachelor party is being headed up by my pops and zachary. Two fine individuals. Other than that not a whole lot else really going on. Started back to my exercise program so that I can loose some lbs before the big day. This has been the craziest short week. I am so ready for the weekend. I just dont know what Im going to do next week when I actually have to work the full 5 days! YIKES. Have a great one.

Robert Earl Keen Jr.

Live Album no.1. Much different than any of his post live albums this one was done at the Sons of Herman Hall in Dallas Texas and it has a mostly acoustic backing band. Very Blue Grass oriented. Also very chill with such hits as the Front Porch Song. Listening to it reminds me of what I loved about Keen to begin with. Great songwriting and simplicity. It doesn’t take a genius guitar aficionado to play Keens songs but it does take a brilliant writer to come up with the lyrics. Listening to this album brings back lazy days at Angelo State University. When Zach and I would spend our last 10 dollars on a twelve pack of rolling rock and sit in front of the pike house and drink the afternoon away but we would make sure we didn’t get too drunk. Of course it was like 1 in the afternoon. We had also skipped our classes most days. Then we would go back to school to eat dinner and head out to the house again in the evening to actually get hammered. It was so much fun. Its amazing that Angelo State wasn’t that disappointed when I didn’t come back the next semester. It’s funny though how when your young and you know you’re fucking up but you just don’t care. When I was at Angelo I never saw past the day I had and that ultimately killed me. I wish I could say I regret it though. I mean I made some great friends that I still have to this day and great memories of a time that will always be special to me no matter what I do. I sort of feel like Charlie Robison in the song My Hometown. You know the part where his friends love to hear about his year of college. Now here I am about to apply to OU for admission in their online program. Its 8 years since I lived in San Angelo. I’m engaged and happy. I was happy then mind you but it was a different kind of happy the kind that I think you can only have when you are young and stupid and away from your parents for the first time. Funny thing is that I was initiated into Pi Kappa Alpha on Nov. 19 2001. The day after my 21st birthday. I was engaged Nov 16, 2007 Two days before my 29th birthday. Not exactly the same but still pretty strange. Buzz OUT!

2007

Well fellow blog readers here I sit writing the last post of 2007. I decided to do kind of a recap of my life in 2007 since many don’t really know what I was up to the early part of the year seeing as I wasn’t dating Sara.
January 1 started out cold and a 4 mile run was in store for Zachary and I after getting hammered the night before at Margs. Her parents were in Florida and we partied like Rock Stars. Since Jan 1 was a Monday Zach and I had to drive back to the L-U-B so I could work on Jan 2. The next couple of weeks were spent trying to find an apartment here in Arlington so I could make the big move.

Feb started busy. I got packed and loaded to leave Lubbock on a cold ass morning. Excited and Nervous I couldn’t help but feel like something was in store for me. When Zach and I moved me in my parents in tow it was crazy. The few days after that were spent acclimating to a new city where I knew nobody. New co-workers who sort of looked at me like a leper. All in all a great start. I spent the next few months drinking on the weekends with Sammy and that’s about it.

April things are beginning to look up. I did my first quarter triathlon and did it in better time than I thought I would. I started looking into internet dating sites thinking maybe that would help me find a date. To be honest I wasn’t looking for much just a date. I had found meeting people in the big city as difficult as people said it would be which sucked. At the end of April I started emailing a young woman named Sara who knew she would change my life?

May I meet the above mentioned and immediately fall in love with her. I don’t know if I would say it was love at first sight because after emailing for a bit I was totally digging her. We start to date. She plays it very aloof acting like she doesn’t really care etc. etc. She was mine. I had no idea of this fact mind you but I just kept wishing. We start to get very serious very fast.

June I have a g.f. and life is looking up a month out until bsl 70.3 I was preparing. A nice month rainy and not too hot. Sara and I went to the H.O.B. and saw Joseph Arthur as well as The Granada to see The Damnwells and Ari Hest. Complete BSL 70.3. Doneski

July not much went to Colorado with fam. longest week of my life. Went back to Denver with Sara to see Ryan Adams and had an awesome time. Loved every second.

August School started and engagement talk heated up. Also a trip to Odessa and Blake’s Bachelor party. Allot of fun and Sara didn’t dump me after going to my home town….That’s good.

September Tech kills SMU on Labor Day. Start looking for rings and what not.

October buy ring and go to Tech vs. aggies game in Lubbock. Have allot of fun.

November Blake and Kasey get married. Again in Lubbock Sara met the whole fam. We get engaged on Friday November 16. go to junior league auction and enjoy drinks and fun. Drink bottle of Champagne that Jenn and Foot have been saving for some time. Thanks again! Thanksgiving the Families meet and instantly hit it off. We spend the night out at the ranch and mom and dad really have a great time.

December Too much to write all in all a great month. Get a guitar, computer, and iphone! Life is better than I deserve.

It’s been a wild ride this year and 2008 is shaping up to be the same with a wedding on May 10 and hopefully beginning school online at OU at some point. Who ever reads these Thanks for everything over the last year. Have a safe and Happy New Year! See you in ‘08