We live in the first quarter of the 21st century and as a consumer of pop culture, it's a little overwhelming with all the choices that we face. There are simply too many great books, films and albums that you will be bound to miss given the sheer amount of stuff out there and the limits of a human being.
I didn't discover this album until well after 1999.....more like in the summer of 2022. After an 8 week obsession this summer, I can easily state this is a stone-cold indie classic from the 90s and I know I will be coming back to it in the future.
2001's Satellite Rides was the first Old 97's album I listened to and it was probably my favorite album of 2001, so why I didn't check out the back half of the Old 97's discography is beyond me. I chalk it up to just being overwhelmed with so much music to listen to. I have been exploring and discovering 90's music for decades and there's always one more indie song or band I haven't heard of (or forgotten about) and it blows me away!
The Old 97's are considered alt-country and I guess that's a good description but if you enjoy quality pop songwriting, this is for you. They have a unique sound that straddles power-pop and alt-country. Most songs are about being lovesick, heartbroken and a fatalistic acceptance of what has been and what will be. Despite the lyrics, the album will just make you feel happy and most songs on this album are ear-worms. Whatever song your listening session ended on in your head for the next hour. It's great song after great song.
I could see a listener thinking this album is a little too "samey". But honestly, you could say that about 98.5% of albums in creation. This is a perfect album to wistfully sing along to in the car or happily sing along with as you run errands, fold the laundry, etc. This album would also be great background music to listen to as you talk with some friends at a picnic table with a few beers on a summer evening. I don't know, just listen to it and you decide what it's perfect for.
Standout Tracks: "Jagged", "Lonely Holiday", "Indefinitely", "What We Talk About", "Murder (Or a Heart Attack)", "Busted Afternoon", "19".
Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun (1995)
100% Fun is one of those albums I had read about in music magazines, saw in the discount bins but just never picked it up in the 90s...and for that, I am sorry. I should have spread the Matthew Sweet gospel in the 90s. 100% Fun feels like the 90s distilled in a bottle of fizzy, sweet soda pop.
Like Fight Songs, I just discovered this album quite late, in fact this past fall and I fell in love with it. If you're looking for another stroll towards the goodness of power pop from the 90s, you'll find a lot to like here. You might want to check your pulse if you aren't bobbing your head up and down to this album. Of course this album features the alt-classic, "Sick of Myself", the Beach Boy harmonies at the end of "Not When I Need It" to the R.E.M.-like verses of "We're the Same".....and that's all in the first three tracks!!
If you're looking for a rock and roll album that will make you want to forget about your problems and make you feel good about life, check this album out.
Standout Tracks: "Sick of Myself", "Not When I Need It", "We're the Same", "Everything Changes", "Come to Love", "Walk Out"
Travis - The Man Who (1999)
Unlike the other two albums, I discovered this album, somewhat near it's original release date. I had discovered 2001's Invisible Band in 2001, so I picked up The Man Who shortly thereafter.
The Man Who is a Brit-pop album and you'll know what I mean as soon as you hear the first track. A lot of people think Travis is a lesser version of the 90s incarnations of Oasis & Radiohead and yeah, well....that pretty much nails it. They are less talented, less sophisticated and less ambitious but is that necessarily a bad thing? It's catchy Brit pop, so what, can't I just enjoy a simple cheese burger sometimes?
This album is great for cloudy, cold days. Sure, maybe the album cover is hinting at this but there's something definitely something sad and wistful on this album that makes you feel like staying inside all day, away from the cold. It's not the best album you'll ever hear, but these posts are all about under-rated albums, check it out if you need a dose of Brit-pop.
Standout Tracks: "Writing to Reach You", "Driftwood", "Turn" "Why Does it Always Rain on Me?
I haven't posted since late June cause mainly I don't care and..... you guessed it....I'm busy. I have a job, I am a parent...blah, blah, blah.
Here's some stuff that's been going on or happened:
I painted a lot until August/early September and ran out of supplies and just recently started back up again. I buying some more stuff and painting more during the holidays. Here is maybe one of my favorites from September. Cuz, why not?
Have a cool project at work that has happened and now I can't share much about it because I don't wanna dox myself. It has taken up a lot of my time and changed some of my duties at work. It's cool, trust me.
Media Fragments
Read Kafka's The Trail at some point. Loved it, might be in my top ten books. Re-reading Catch-22 now first time since high school and it hasn't held up thus far. Also, just get tired at night, look at it and I am not inspired.
Watched the new The Mole on Netflix with the fam back in October. I missed that show so much. The only reality show I ever loved and it's back in 2022. Cool, I recommend it.
Watched The Rings of Power and I liked it. I need to re-watch to set in. Did it hit a home run? No, sometimes it was kinda boring in a Tolkien way. Sometimes the series could even be sublime, but in other ways it feel flat. However, overall I liked it. I am not a purist....so, I was okay with most of the changes but whatever floats you're boat. If you're a racist, I hope it made you infuriated, ya snowflake.
The Fam
Our oldest C is now a high school junior, it's all sinking in. She's almost done with school and I don't know where all that time went. All the clichés are true. She switched schools, is still in the marching band and now she's doing fantastic in debate. She's grown quite a bit intellectually this year and that's been neat to see. She's making all A's and making me proud of her character as well. I can't believe we're months away from making college decisions. Yikes.
Our middle child E is doing well in 8th grade. She's been loving choir this year even more and I think really finding her niche in doing so. Some injuries have set her back in ballet and in some ways, it's made choir more of a focus....we'll see.... We've been watching Gilmore Girls when we're hanging out together and that's been fun, we also slowly working our way through Lord of the Rings as well. She can drive me little nuts as she is a true 8th grader but yah, know, that's expected. She's an amazing person.
The youngest H is in 5th grade of course, doing exceedingly well. He scored in the top 10% of 5th graders in the nation on his math scores but he's a strong reader as well. This year has been weird as he is starting to act a little more like a middle schooler and....well, that's always cool. He has loved playing flag football with his buddies and if you give him all day to play outside with the neighborhood kids, you won't even see him all day.
K is working more this year and that has led to less of me cooking. I gotta plan better in the weeks ahead. Overall, life is pretty good. We recently talked with an older couple who mentioned we are going to miss these busy days one day and I don't doubt it for a second.
Other Stuff
I got some sweet old 80s comics a few months back. Love me the 80s Marvel....they are becoming more and more rare to find in "the wild". So when I do happen to find them, it makes me even more happy than it used to. It's the little things in life that make it that much sweeter.
I find out if we get a huge grant in December for a cool project at work and I am on the edge of my seat. If this project happens, it will definitely be a highlight of my career.
Bummed about Josh Primo and the Spurs. It's weird to feel so disappointed in the organization, but I was.....I was not impressed how it was initially handled but the case has been settled. Anyway, I hope they continue to lose and get in on the sweepstakes for Weby. That guy is an amazing prospect.
One of our cats never came back, it's been a month and a half so, pretty much all hope is lost. I am so bummed. I never thought I would connect with another pet again...not in a real way and yet, Kirby loved me so much, he made me care about him. I am really sad about and it still hasn't sunk in.
That's it, the semester is pretty much over and I'm glad.
I should post again soon, as I have another post more than halfway done from October. That will tie me for the lowest total for a year, so maybe I will post twice just for the sake of feeling more productive...I dunno, that's the way my brain works.
However you have stumbled upon this little tiny sector of the internet, I hope you are doing okay. Don't forget to write down you dreams and hum a little song as you walk.
So, I've continued my artistic output over the last few weeks and have a few more to share. As always, take it for what it's worth (which isn't much).
"Electronics" - Acrylic and mixed media.
"Electronics" started as an older painting of mine that I had hanging in my garage. I was never quite satisfied with it though, it just seemed a bit drab (you can see the original pink in the top half of the piece). I used old dictionary pages, a page from an animated Hobbit book, and additional pour techniques to get towards its final permutation. As I was working on the piece it seemed like I was (it was?) trying to capture the idea of spreading energy. I wanted to continue to make it bright, loud and explosive....at least that's what came out in the process. The final addition was the word art at the center of the piece. It was from a comic book made by Radio Shack in the 1970s that I recently purchased. It seemed to fit perfectly for this loud piece, I loved the font too...so 70s and cool.
Untitled - Acrylic, Oil Pastels, mixed media
This untitled piece was also an evolution of sorts. The first iteration a few weeks ago was garish and too much of a try-hard. It relied on huge chunks of newsprint and comic books glued on the surface like snowflakes. I found it distasteful but I didn't know what else to do, so I just sidelined it for a few weeks. When I was quarantined because of my COVID case this past week (yay), I pulled it back out. I ripped off the little snowflake papers, I used a ton of oil pastel, as well as added texture by use of cross-hatching. Now, it feels better. This piece had layer after layer of paper, paint, oil pastels, more paint, more pastels, more crosshatching, etc. it made me realize how much I enjoy the building of layers. I am eager to replicate the process soon and see what develops.
"Circus" - Acrylic and Oil Pastels on cardboard.
This one is just okay. It reminds me of something from the mid-20th century, I just added layers on cardboard because I ran out of canvases to touch up. It doesn't feel particularly interesting but it's pleasant to look at. The bright, primary colors reminded me of a circus. So, the title stuck.
Untitled - Acrylic and Oil Pastels on cardboard.
This one might have the most layers of anything I have done thus far. It felt swamp-like and it evolved from being primarily green to this mix of green, purple, and yellow (with a bit of orange). At some point, the painting felt organic and I imagined it as moss or mold that you might find growing on a cave wall. Again, I am eager to try this technique on a larger canvas.
That's it for now, stay cool out there, and don't forget to not catch COVID.
I save the best from Twitter to send to my friend and now you get to see 'em. That's called pic dumping on this ol' blog.
Yeah, I'm not watching the new series. Gross.
I actually did this at Target. No, there was no "u".
It might be stuck in your head now, too!!!
I hate to say I am "black pilled" but man, I'm not far off.
This was actually posted at my school in the hallway. Yeah, a "Jewish" psychic sets up in the hallway to read palms. I am pretty sure they just meant to use a pentagram, but I enjoy thinking the person is Jewish instead.
This meme might justify the entire internet's existence.
It's crude but it made me laugh.
Currently my phone wallpaper. So dignified and cool. Just. Like. Me.
I would love this on a t-shirt
This is very dark and very funny.
Superman freakin HATES trees.
I was at a concert this weekend and this sticker was on the urinal.
The human condition.
tee-hee.
That's it, ya heathens. Have a great day/night/morning/mid-afternoon/ tea time/ snack time/ nap time or whatever. This blog sucks but come back anyway!!!
You can get in a rhythm and you end up in a re-run of habits, hobbies, and activities. Lately, I have been finding myself just watching YouTube on my bed until I was exhausted enough to stop fighting sleep. The old days of my prodigious reading habits faded into an inconsistent bedtime routine. After I finished taking graduate classes in the fall of 2020, my reading fell to almost non-existent. I read a bit but I have struggled to get motivated to read anything in particular. Sure, I would read a few comic books and I did manage to finish an actual book or two but I just wasn't feeling it.
For the last few years, my creative energy was geared towards writing but art has always been in the background, waiting for me, ever so patiently to come back home. Of course, I have done a few birthday posters for the kids but nothing on my own for years beyond some fun doodling with watercolor markers. With the encouragement of a friend, I started painting again last week. As I painted I realized how much I missed it and how much fun I had been missing out on. I also had forgotten what a gift there is in embracing chance events.
April, acrylic & paper - April 2022
The above photo was my first effort and I have to admit, I like it.
I had started fiddling with my watercolor paint pens, drawing branches or roots (a common motif of mine) but it just felt drab and boring. Then I changed my plan and began to paint in an abstract style. Pushing and stretching the paint with my little paint tool. I purposely didn't put much thought into it. I let my mind and tool unconsciously find their way together, weaving this way, then the other. I selected bright, primary colors (as those make me feel warm and fuzzy). I added countless layers of paint to give the piece texture and needed depth. Finally, on the second to last layer, I tore out random bits of paper from old books to add a bit more depth and otherworldliness to the piece.
----
A few days later I decided to paint again. This time, I painted two pieces at once but only one is good enough to share. The more "experimental" piece (well, trash piece) is kinda a hot mess bordering on disaster overload.
However, the "good" piece was a much more successful experiment. I started by building an acrylic base of texture but I also integrated a little bit of the pour technique that's so popular on YouTube with more overt use of collage. Thankfully over the years of art-making, I have collected old books, comic books, and other ephemera like some of my dad's old college papers. I also have a random assortment of things already cut out that weren't used at the time or just plain forgotten about.
I had brought in a huge stack of random stuff and just started grabbing whatever my grubby little hands could find, by chance. I would grab a page, tear it out and drop it anywhere on the canvas or impulsively find a place for it and go with my gut instinct. I tried to keep in sync with my primal, spontaneous mind so it could find connections and patterns that my conscious mind could never find on its own. I even managed to escape my over-analyzing, over-thinking consciousness for a while and that's always a nice vacation too.
After about a half-hour I stopped. I didn't like what I was seeing so I decided to come back to later that evening. When I returned to the piece I added a bit more but still....something was off but I didn't know what. However, it was getting late, so I started putting my art supplies away and cleaning up. As I picked up my huge stack of old books, notebooks, and junk, a perfectly cut-out photo of a baby ostrich fell out of the stack and onto the floor. I instantly picked it up and plopped it right on the wet green blob in the center of the canvas and I and went back to cleaning up.
After I finished cleaning up, I looked down at the piece and it seemed the baby ostrich made me look at the piece in a whole different light. It now seemed complete and confident. It gave the viewer's eyes a shared starting place to the canvas. Also, baby birds are cute, so there's that too.
This random baby ostrich, falling from my stack of junk changed everything. I didn't like the painting before but I didn't know what it was missing. This small chance event changed everything. Now, I can't imagine this piece being any other way. How many random events have happened like this to you and now you can't imagine your life any other way? Some of my most favorite people, events and ideas stem from the extraordinary origin of chance.
Missed An Issue???, acrylic and paper, April 2022.
I had forgotten the wisdom of creating art. Of course, it's fun and it's an escape for the soul but more importantly, there are lessons to be had if we open to the opportunities presented by the beauty of chance events.
I have nothing better to do, so it's time to explore EVEN more underrated albums from the 90s. At some point I am going to run out of underrated albums but there's at least one more post in me after this one. In this post, I share two albums that were personally important to me in the 90s but the first album I write about is an album I discovered much later.
Lemonheads - Car Button Cloth (1996)
Evan Dando is one weird dude (this is his current "intro video" on his YoutTube homepage) and I think it makes Car Button Cloth all the much better for it. Dando could never quite pull it altogether to make a great album (It's a Shame About Ray comes closest). But The Lemonhead's discography is full of good albums and some great songs. Car Button Cloth will have your head bopping along with the jangly guitars and catchy songs that feature odd and creative lyrics. It's an album that is just very, very 90's. If you like that slacker-college rock, indie music delivered in a deadpan tone, this will work for you. It's not an ambitious album, but it's definitely not straight-ahead "alternative" rock. It's got heart and some of these songs will stick with you. If the momentum of the first six tracks could have held, this would have been a classic 90s album. The back half isn't bad mind you, but the last 6-7 tracks are a grab-bag of okay or generic alternative songs.
Standout Tracks: Tracks 1-5, but especially "It's All True", "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You", "Hospital" and "The Outdoor Type".
Ben Folds Five - Naked Baby Photos (1997)
It's only one of my favorite songs of all time.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know...should a compilation album of live performances and demos that was meant to be a quick cash grab capitalizing on a huge hit really be on this list? Yes, yes. and yes. Of course, this isn't Ben Folds Five's best album but it IS underrated and I love this charming album, warts and all. I should preface this by saying this should NOT be your introduction to Ben Folds or Ben Folds Five. If you're a newbie, start with Whatever and Ever Amen, then where you go next is up to you. This was one of those classic 90s purchases for me. I saw it at Best Buy, didn't know a single thing about it, and went for it. I can't really put into words why this album meant so much to me (although the fact I was projecting my romantic life into every single song on this album helps). It's still a worthwhile trip to take, even if you're not nostalgic for it. It gives you just a taste of what Ben Folds is like live. If you like brash, piano-driven, heart-on-your-sleeve anthems with dashes of jazz and heavy metal...give it a try.
This person has the whole album uploaded after being absent from YT or the internet in general for the last 20+ years, this was finally uploaded in 2020. This person is now my hero.
Coward is the classic case that proves sometimes good songwriting and great melodies aren't enough to "make it". I already said something similar to this in my first "Underrated 90s" post about The Pulsars (which ironically enough is another self-titled release from 1997). Coward released one album to lackluster sales and then promptly disintegrated into the ether of the late 90s. But what they left us with is a gem of an album. It's a fine example of 90s power pop, full of hooks, catchy choruses, rocking solos and good vibes. No doubt, if you give this album a chance, you'll be switching what your favorite song is every few weeks. It's a little cheesy and there are some lyrics (and maybe a song or two) that land with a thud but overall, it's breezy, rocky and fun. It's a mix of the debut albums of Weezer and Fountains of Wayne and it will be stuck in your head for the rest of your life. It's candy for your ears.
Standout Tracks: "Fell Down", "I Don't Care", " "I Wish", "I'm Alright", "Psycho", "Mulcahy's" - almost all of it okay!
I was meaning to post fragments last month but I just wasn't motivated. I think it was a holiday hangover.
Here are the latest and greatest fragments from my life:
Did We Get COVID? Read and Find Out
Sometime in December I saw this gif on Twitter and thought, "yeah, that's it!"
We prepped for the holiday season as I knew there would be more possibilities for getting exposed to COVID. I got boosted the week of Thanksgiving while my wife was boosted a few weeks later. Of course, we wore masks at work and out in public and we never eat inside restaurants but in early December we went out to lunch with another couple at an empty restaurant. I felt a little naked. A week later I took the kids to Spider-Man: No Way Home (it was fine) of course we still wore masks.
Part of this renewed risk activity was because we were boosted, and Omicron hadn't hit yet, part of it was just being exhausted with COVID, like everyone else.
It felt as if we were tempting fate but we decided to hold our annual holiday party for the first time since 2019. We felt pretty safe as the Omicron surge hadn't hit our area yet (at least not in a big way). Almost all the adults and children were vaccinated and/or boosted, and one family had just had COVID ten days ago. So, all things considered, we felt pretty good about having the party. We had about 10-12 adults and 15 kids attend the party. It was a lovely time and it almost felt normal if not for a sinking feeling I would get when I would look out across the house and wonder if we were hosting a mini-super spreader event.
As it turned out, everyone was fine.
On New Year's Eve, we decided to once again take a big risk and we attended a wedding. It was a little too hard to pass up as some good friends were going and it was a young couple that we really like. Besides, there was gonna be an open bar and a lot of our theater friends would be there.
Most people were masked during the ceremony but once things really got going at the reception, there were only a few masks. I would haphazardly wear mine at the reception...but....again, remember there was an open bar so I possibly wasn't using the best judgment all of the time. That said, once again, we made it out okay. Last I heard the pastor did get COVID but the event was not a super-spreader event at all. A good and memorable time was had by all. I have to say the fact that they brought out tacos right before midnight was just so awesome and so San Antonio.
Maybe we shouldn't have been so risky, but especially after the wedding, we steered clear of our parents for a week or so, just in case.
But like Mario above, we somehow made it to the flagpole safely. We've had a bunch of close calls, taken various members to get tested but so far, so good....(not sure it can last forever)....
I don't recommend reading it, so to sum it up, it's a pathetic post about how lonely I was as I neared turning 40. It seemed like I hardly had any more "active" friends and of course, making friends as an adult is always hard. Well, I suppose I should update the blog and tell you since that time I have made some new friends.
Instead of just having one good friend at work I am happy to report I now have two additional really good friends. All three are so different and bring something different to the table. My wife and I also found, almost-the-impossible: we made friends with another couple....and we like both of them! We met through the church theater group we are a part of. Look, I am not saying I have some super busy social life but it's made all the difference for me and I feel much more happy friend-wise than I have been in a long time. So, if you're a lonely adult, there is hope...but ya gotta get a little lucky too.
Fam Update
C (almost 16) has a boyfriend. They have been dating for about 3 months now, which feels even longer to me. He seems like a good kid and yet.... well, there's too much to say in this blog about him. So, it's better left unsaid (it's complicated). He goes to another school on the other side of town and neither can drive so that's been easier to control. Still, you can't help but worry for her heart.
Also, C starting up dual credit/college applications and worrying about driving soon. She was looking up colleges and universities tonight. It's a weird place to be. Sure, it felt a lot easier building pillow forts and having sock battles, telling bedtime stories and going for walks together on beautiful days but being a dad of a teen has its pleasures too. She's a smartie and I am proud of how passionate she can be about doing the right thing. We have loved being a good "second home" for her friends. The other day her best friend said we were the best parents....hey, not too shabby, that made us feel good.
E is doing well in the 7th grade. She's a ballet dancer and I feel like half our week is driving her to her lessons or prepping for her dance performance for the school. She just got braces and refused to even show me for the first day! She's such a good kid...lately, we've been watching LOST together. It's my first re-watch of the show since it aired and that has been so much fun, watching it together. I might even write a blog post about it at some point (yeah, don't hold your breath).
H is once again obsessed with Pokemon, this is his third iteration of being Poke-crazed, which is fine by me (it's gotta be something and right now it's Pokemon and Minecraft). Now he watches YouTube videos of box and pack openings and we even tried to sell one on eBay (it was bought but the dude never paid). He is also playing flag football, the league is pretty competitive and he is having a blast. Good coaches and that's the key. Competitive but good hearts and good sportsmanship. His team is very good and while he is new, he caught his first pass last week for 25 yards. He was filling in for the injured center the last week and did a great job. This week it was too cold and the game got postponed. :/
Comics Update
Did I ever tell you I have some comic goals in my life? Yeah, my life is that shallow and nerdy. I mainly collect old Marvel's, mainly late 70's to the very early 90s. But I also love old Disney (Dell/Gladstone) or the occasional DC also, you gotta spice it up sometimes.
I will never collect a whole run of something, but I do have a few goals.
Here's what I usually buy on the spot if the price is right:
All Black Costume pre-Venom Spider-Man (I probably have about half of these as is)...these are now almost impossible to find at the used book stores, so I might pick up a few in the coming years at the comic shop but we'll see how the prices are....
Any 80's Marvel...I think my heart skips a beat when I can find a Dr. Strange, Defenders, Fantastic Four, Avengers, and especially Spider-Ham, Rom and Micronauts. Basically, any weird stuff is a bonus and I will usually buy it if it's reasonably priced. About the only thing 80's I will shun is New Mutants (heck even the first year is kinda cool but after that, forget about it...I could just never get into them).
I picked up Fantastic Four #140 last week and thought damn, the Thing was talking about orgies in a comic from 1971. Just kinda blew my mind.
Special collections I am building towards:
I am hoping to complete a run of 265-300 of Fantastic Four, I have about 2/3 of it already. I just like to pick up what I can find in the wild. It's more fun that way.
Anything with Kang, time travel, alternate universes, etc.
I am also trying to collect Excalibur 1-75. I have 1-26 and much of the later run but I probably need another 20 or so to go! A really underrated comic, especially when Alan Davis was at the helm. Funny, smart, and usually fun.
The whole point is I try to find these organically and on the cheap it makes life exciting, yeah, I said it.
------
I have some blog ideas but they are on the back burner. I also started editing a paper for possible publication but every time I think of it, I just feel ill. I have a lot going on at work that is non-teaching related and it's very exciting. I may find myself back in Ireland in the years to come but the soonest would be 2024. We'll see....
Well, that about does it, folks. Until next time, stay safe, stay warm and when you hear that old song you haven't heard in a long time in the car, let go and sing like you've never sung before, I won't tell a soul.
