The fall is fading behind us and winter is now upon us.
Here in South Texas that doesn't mean much, except sometimes it gets kinda cloudy for 4 days in a row and a little cold and then we're back in the 70's or 80's for four more days.
Still, it's in the air and the holidays are here too. The lights, the excitement of the children, the holiday parties and the general bustling about of everyone as you travel around town. I like its distinctness from the rest of the year.
Here's some Fragments (some of them on the holiday season):
Ya know what my holiday promise is? I'm gonna make me some homemade Chex mix. Ya know, legit, Chex mix. I haven't had any in years.
I always liked holiday decorations. The fam and I put them out the day after Thanksgiving, I'm lazy so the whole idea is if you're gonna bother with this stuff, it might as well stay up for a good long while. It typically stays up until Ethiopian Christmas (1/07) - this year we are are set to move after 12/30, so its coming down early....but next year, we'll be back on regular schedule.
We lost our Elf on the Shelf this year. Holy Holiday Meatballs. I'm 93% sure it's my fault...it wasn't where I typically put it. The younger kids were really confused, but my sister let us borrow hers. I told the kids our Elf was had been pregnant and just had a baby. They didn't believe me, in fact my youngest already has really strong doubts about the whole Santa thing already (and did last year when he was six).
Oh yeah, looks like we're moving, just a little down the road. Good times. When I type "Good times" what I mean by that is that I hate the moving process and hope we don't move again for another 14 and a half years.
Coming soon: Our First Home Fragments. Are you excited yet?
Old White Man Pop Culture Fragments
The new Beck album is really great. I could never get into the last few album's despite their critical acclaim...so this was a welcome surprise. Here's a track I particularly love:
Finished up Man in the High Castle....it's good. Never understood why it had such low viewership while other stuff I think is okay/boring/etc. is the bee's knees. ?
Watching The Mandolarian. It's okay. Sci-Fi Fluff. It's nice to watch instead of doing housework.
That's it, I'm done. Don't forget to reward yourself with a long hot shower every so often. Good night all.
Back to reading The Lord of the Rings once again. I've read this book at least twelve times, more than any other book....and yet when I started to read it earlier this week, I still got a little excited.
Usually when I start reading The Lord of the Ring (LOR), it's usually the fall or winter. After all, it's a cold weather book. At least it feels that way to me. In the last decade or so, I usually wait about 2-3 years between readings after another decade or so of usually reading it once a year. I like to wait until the first real cold front of the season to begin. Most of the book is read late at night, next to a warm lamp, covered up cozily in bed. I usually read as long as I can until I drift off to sleep, sometimes with the book on my chest.
Just typing those words makes me happy.
With each re-read I deliberately read slowly, taking my time with the Tolkien's (at times) overly descriptive text. It's a slow book and I love it that way. I especially adore the beginning of the book and by the end of the book (yes, of course the appendix, too) I'll be glum at the thought of being finished. Usually what this means is that I will re-read a whole host of other Tolkien stuff, of course, The Hobbit, Unfinished Tales, sometimes referencing back to the something in the appendix of LOR and last time around I re-read The Children of Hurin and then, almost sputtering out of Tolkien overload, I usually break down somewhere in The Silmarillion and stop. Now you know why I do this only every 2-3 years...it becomes all engrossing.
The first time I read LOR, it was the late summer of 2001. I had heard the the movie was coming out that winter and I felt like I ought to see what all the hype was about. I heard it was boring, but it didn't deter me. I picked up The Hobbit first, not knowing what to expect. I was charmed after reading the first page. It felt like you were taken right into the fairy tale world and it just felt, safe, safe and homely.
After a few more weeks, I purchased a paperback version of LOR and while I was on the edge of my seat reading about the Black Riders, after Rivendell, the narrative seemed to slow down and I was a little frustrated. Then, I had a huge car accident that I was lucky to survive. My copy of LOR had been in my truck and it tumbled and flipped across the road just as much as my truck did. It was destroyed.
I was happy to be alive and being in graduate school, I was also extremely busy, so I did not immediately pick up a new copy. However, my best friend's mom was a huge Tolkien fan and she had found out that my copy had been destroyed in the accident and bought me another copy as a gift. It inspired me to finish it before the first movie came out. I still have this paperback version today and although some of the appendix is falling out, I feel like this little edition and I have a long history together. One day, it may fall apart on me, but until then, we're sticking together.
For me, The Lord of the Rings isn't just about the way it makes me feel, but the way it brings you into an almost fully formed world. An alien world that is just out of reach, and yet fully touchable. At times the narrative gets unwieldy, but it doesn't let you go. Some characters feel flat and fairy tale like, but others real and grounded. A mix of the a fantasy and at times not quite a real world (or maybe as the world should be). It's philosophical and a bit dry, other times it reads as a history narrative and other times, it's downright funny while other parts of the book are pure adventure...but it is always thoughtful and always detailed. Don't get me wrong, it has its flaws.
The most important flaw being Tolkien's use of race and 20th century "race theory" in the book. It's used to describe the differences between the "races" (elves, hobbits, humans, etc.) and even more disturbingly between the human cultures. It's sad and enraging and yet, it doesn't make me stop reading the book. Tolkien was a man of his times, he was ignorant but not quite a bigot. It reminds me the way I feel about Carl Barks. I'm conflicted and yet drawn to their art. Maybe I'm letting them both off the hook too easily but this is a debate for another time....
This fall or winter we may be moving and so I felt a strong need to be grounded and closer to a feeling of "home" more than ever. I'm glad I'm back once again for the ride.
Update from 2020: I ended up reading the Annotated The Hobbit, which is great but all my other Tolkien stuff is stuck at work because of the Pandemic (it's at work because of the move). To be honest, I have my Tolkien fill and I'll be ready for more in a couple of years.
Here's some leftover pics I had saved on my phone. Enjoy, or don't. See if I care, cause I don't care. I really don't. I actually kinda do hope you enjoy these.
I've been a bit neglectful on the blog. I would apologize, but there's no one to apologize to. I came down from a busy summer to (surprise) a busy fall.
I've started a few blog posts but never finished them. Some abandoned ideas that might come back: Ranking Spurs Championships, Ranking my favorite Nirvana songs, discussing the insanity of cartoon teeth (this is the one most likely to be written).
I'm in another community play but this time it will be my last one for awhile. It's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". I play Dr. Spivey. It opens this weekend and we have four shows. It's been great because it's not too big of a role as far as lines. Plays tend to eat your life, even in smaller roles, they take up time for rehearsal (weekends!), head space, thought space and your mind is always thinking "don't forget your lines!". I have a lot of acting with my face on stage when I'm not speaking, so that's been an interesting challenge, it's also been nice to work on a drama instead of a musical or comedy.
We've been getting our house ready to move, it's kinda awful, but we're confident showing the house well can net us an additional 10K. It's a seller's market down here, so even though it's fall...hopefully it can sell quickly.
Being a father will be the hardest and best thing I ever do but damn, it's tough.
We went to the beach a few weeks back...and...even though I hate beaches, it wasn't too bad. It was cloudy on the day we went too and that made me happy.
I often get random ideas to blog about but my motivation isn't what it used to be with the move and the play. Then, there's YouTube and I've been playing my SNES mini lately too.
Maybe one day it will return....or not. Even still, I have pretty much decided this blog is part of my life, for my life. (Distant cheers). It's just something I will turn to from time to time, a little scrapbook for my life. In the meantime, bake some cookies to make your house smell good and take a walk outside to feel the fall.
These are a few of my favorite things off the top of my head.
1. Driving with the windows down on a summer night listening to rock n' roll
2. Finding a fry at the bottom of the bag
3. Pizza
4. Air-Drumming along with a song
5. Reading old comics cozily in bed before I go to sleep
6. Remembering a dream from the night before that I had forgotten about until that moment
7. Cold mornings with hot coffee
8. Laughing at my own jokes that no one else will
9. Drawing a little doodle or comic at work that I deem good enough to file away in a special folder for good doodles/comics
10. Washing dishes late at night listening to music
11. Comfy t-shirts and jeans (that's kinda my look)
12. Walking outside with mindfulness of my ability to walk and be alive
13. Looking at the stars in wonder and awe
14. Finding a good shade spot on a hot day in a crowded parking lot
15. Making my class laugh or really finding another way to impact the room
16. A good conversation with a good friend (more rare than you might think)
17. Writing a good poem/blog/something and feeling good about it
18. Ad libbing without planning while acting and sharing a moment with the other actor
19. Painting when I get a chance
20. Carl Barks comics, always and forever
21. Discovering a new album/band/music on YouTube
22. Trying new restaurants with my wife
23. Trying a new beer
24. A beautiful spring day, not too cool, not too warm
25. Going to the bookstore, aimlessly browsing and hoping to find something surprising
26. Drawing mustaches on photos/advertisements/whatever and waiting for my wife to discover it
27. Doing something random, hoping someone will notice later and wonder "why?"
28. Reading to my kids, telling stories to my kids
29. Talking nonsense with kids, just being silly with them any chance I can get
30. Taking each of the kids on "dates", alone time is so great
31. Free Comic Book Day with kids, one of my favorite holidays of the year
32. Rewarding myself with breakfast tacos before I do something I really don't want to do
Must be a jerk, I didn't think of my kids until #28...but my excuse is, I was thinking of "things".
I was going to write an intro about how awesome the 90's were but then I realized all I want to do is write about some underrated late 90's albums. I don't need write a pointless introduction on a blog post maybe no one will ever read!
So, in no particular order, here's six underrated (or unknown) late 90's albums. There are more out there...so maybe one day a sequel is in order (you know the drill, don't hold your breath).
The Pulsars - S/T - 1997
Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone dropped an near perfect pop album in a time when the style just didn't fit the times? This album fits the bill.
Because The Pulsars didn't sound like anything at the time, it was probably doomed to fail. And fail it did, as hardly anyone knew this album existed at the time of its release but it's something of a cult hit among indie rock/alt rock fans today (or cool people like me, I have no idea how to label this music anymore).
The song writing is timeless but the sound is time bound (and that's a good thing), you'll know what I mean when you listen to it. The Pulsars album is all about the future - electric beeps and bops, countdowns and songs that usually feature synths and keyboards. Most songs are focused on the future as well; technology, pet robots, silicon teens, and of course, love. The lyrics are are charming and fun with a dash of paranoia and melancholia. The album reminds me of a darker and weirder Fountains of Wayne and just like a Fountains of Wayne album, you'll be singing along with the songs before they finish. When I first heard this album about 5 years ago I couldn't believe I hadn't discovered it by now.
Now, it's your turn. You're welcome.
Standout tracks for the lazy: Tunnel Song, Suffocation, My Pet Robot, Submission Song
Sloan - One Chord To Another (1996)
If there's any band that did the Beatles better than the Beatles, it's Sloan on One Chord To Another. I am not writing that lightly....it's that good.
It might be the most self-aware rock album that I know of (from the faux-live concert track to various song titles and themes including "G Turns to D" and "A Side Wins") this is the equivalent of breaking the fourth wall during a movie. It can be off-putting if not done well, but it works here.
Just because it's self-aware doesn't mean it doesn't have heart. It's got that in spades. It's a perfect album for the college years or for times of figuring things out. I am a little biased because this album was there for me during college. I discovered the album as a DJ at my college station and I loved it so much, I stole it. Yeah, I stole it and I am not that sorry about it (okay, so I do actually feel a little bad about it). I just couldn't imagine my life without it and this is before I felt safe buying anything on the internet yet and this album wasn't at any store I had seen.
Many songs are about figuring out who you are, figuring out who other people who you love are and about experiencing the forlorn nature of love and life. This is easily the album on this list I am most personally connected to. Most songs on this album draw me back to particular people, times or feelings. One of my favorite albums of all time.
If you're bored of Beatles albums you've heard a million times and want to hear a band at their peak, check it out.
Standout tracks for the lazy: The Good In Everyone, Autobiography, Everything You've Done Wrong, The Lines You Amend
of Montreal - Cherry Peel (1997)
I am embarrassed to say I only discovered this album for the first time last year. I can say I would have pretty much worshiped this album in the 90's if I had only know it existed. Even all these years later (and me being an old man) it's rocketed into maybe, just maybe into my top ten albums of all time.
Cherry Peel is a lo-fi rock masterpiece that's all about unrequited love....if you're in love with someone and they don't know it, you need to pick this up ASAP. It's weird, catchy, acoustic-indie pop with clever, sometimes bizarre lyrics and songs. It will charm you and make you feel young again.
Standout Tracks for the Lazy: Tracks 2-6: Baby, I Can't Stop Your Memory, When You're Loved Like You Are, Don't Ask Me To Explain, In Dreams I Dance With You
Superdrag - Head Trip in Every Key (1998)
No full album link is available, but this is the first track and it's outstanding.
John Davis might be a genius and I think Head Trip in Every Key might be his peak achievement. Maybe I just love this album and I'm not sure I can be objective about it. It's not a perfect album by any means, but it more than makes up for its middling middle-act. This album feels like a realization of what "alternative rock" could achieve; "Mr. Underground" is a welcome re-hashing of classic rock riffs while "Shuck & Jive" blends punk with a Beach Boys' bridge. "Shuck & Jive" uses a similar (the same?) riff to Nirvana's "Stain" and crafts a much better song than Cobain did with that riff.
With it's pulsating, driving songs, you'll be pounding on a desk or whatever else is nearby playing the drums along with songs like "Hellbent" and "Sold You An Alibi". This album is about a relationship falling apart that hasn't yet met it's end. How do you end something you don't know how to end? If you like your rock a little more straight ahead, check it out. Standout Tracks for the Lazy: I'm Expanding My Mind, Hellbent. Pine Away (a personal favorite that is objectively not as strong as the other tracks listed here), Shuck & Jive
The Apples in Stereo - Tone Soul Evolution (1997)
My second Elephant Six Collective offering on this list (the other is of Montreal). This album was my introduction to the AIS in 1997. I was taken aback and didn't quite know what to make of them at first but I loved "You Said That Last Night" and played it on our radio show, The Paba Free Show. Tone Soul Evolution is a perfect balance between AIS' early work (Fun Trick Noisemaker) and later, somewhat over-the-top pop work (which I still like). If you're unfamiliar with the AIS, it's like if the Beach Boys were blended with indie rock from the 90's.
It's a perfect album for summer night drives or listening by the pool side. It's light,fun and you'll be bobbing your head. Beautiful back-up vocals, melodies and guitar work are abound. A rare album that just makes you feel good for being alive just to hear it.
If you want to listen to something fun with beautiful melodies....give it a spin.
Standout Tracks for the Lazy: Heard About Your Fame, Silver Chain, Tin Pan Alley, You Said That Last Night
Spoon - A Series of Sneaks (1997)
There is no full-album link of Youtube, but you'll find the playlist if you search for it. Instead, here's the best song (which is technically on the deluxe version).
Not Spoon's first album, but their first minor splash in the big music world. If you love modern Spoon, let me warn you, this is baby Spoon, taking it's first steps. It's more straight-ahead, punk and rock than the later, angular, more mature Spoon. A Series of Sneaks is one banger after another (four songs are under 3:05 and two are under one minute). That said, many songs show the promise of Britt Daniels finding himself as an artist and songwriter. I am partial to the punk-infused "Execution" (with a whistling bridge, no less) and later my personal favorite on the standard album, the lo-fi, chill, gem-of-a-song, "Metal Detektor".
Honestly, this album is a little all over the place. Yes, there are some good songs but there's some clunkers as well. Your mileage may vary...but if you're a Spoon fan or a 90's music fan, it's worth a listen. As with any Spoon album, much of the songs brilliance come from the lyrics. There's an obvious mystery and vagueness to each song that makes the album fun for the listener to find their own connections and meanings with. Not to say there's not some obvious references to the music industry...which brings me to the real reason you should listen to this album (on the deluxe album) the beautiful and amazing bonus tracks, "Laffitte Don't Fail Me Now" and "The Agony of Laffitee". Both songs were recorded in response to the failure of the label to support the band...and both are acoustic-based, beautiful pop creations ("Agony" is a masterpiece) if you listen to these songs, you'll know what kind of music I love.
Standout Tracks for the Lazy: Execution, Metal Detektor, Car Radio, Advance Cassette, Laffitte Don't Fail Me Know, The Agony of Laffitee
The idea that maybe, just maybe, by the tiniest of chances, someone might discover one of these albums because of me makes me happy. What can I say? This freaking blog has "hopeful" in it's title! Happy listening folks!
