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you were on my mind

dear project leader:

i have a lot of favorite songs from when i was very young, even pre-school aged. my older sisters started my appreciation in pop music when i'd watch them ironing their hair in their bedroom, with 45 RPM records providing the soundtrack.

i always thought the lead singer on this record was a man. now i find out it's a man and a woman, singing in unison? hmmm. also, the lyrics have been interpreted to be about everything from a romantic breakup, to an effort to get off heroin.

i guess one hears whatever one relates to, huh? i'm going to go play this record loud, now.


you were on my mind, we five

amazon link: There Stands The Door - The Best Of We Five


When I woke up this morning
You were on my mind
You were on my mind
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind

So I went to the corner
Just to ease my pain
Yeah, just to ease my pain
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I came home again

When I woke up this morning
You were on my mind
You were on my mind
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind

And I got a feelin'
Down in my shoes, said
Way down in my shoes
Yeah, I got to ramble, whoa-oh
I got to move on, whoa-oh
I got to walk away my blues

When I woke up this morning
You were on my mind
You were on my mind
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind

When I woke up this morning
You were on my mind

let's go surfing

dear project leader:

this song has been playing on my player fairly often the past few weeks.

music is no fun

music is no fun anymore.

you wouldn't know it today, but just 10 or 15 years ago, collecting music -- specifically records -- was fun. it was a hobby, and it took a significant amount of effort and funding.

now music...well, they can't give it away.

it's not because music is no good anymore. i'd argue that pop music has never been as good as it is today. there's seemingly no limit to what can be released, no limit to the number of artists or tracks that can get heard, and any genre can attain a respectable following, thanks to social networking being integrated into publishing and retail outlets.

but all that might cause the no-fun, too.

because it used to be that we'd learn of a new band or a new song in one of three ways: on the radio, on tv, or a chance overhearing at a record store. we tended to hear a lot of the same thing from radio and tv (whoever was popular in one, would be in another), and so coming across something a little outside mainstream pop or rock was pretty thrilling.

finding that something often took some research: if the radio didn't announce after the track played, you ended up asking around, humming or singing what you remember of the song to your friends and associates. then you'd scribble down the artist or title, and run to the record store before you lost the scrap of paper. the clerk would have no idea who you were asking about, so you'd go searching the tracks and not find it. off to the newsstand to read billboard charts, or browse a music or record collector's magazine, hoping to find an article that mentioned your new discovery.

take an example: pet shop boys' "euroboy". the track was rumored to exist for several months, but you probably didn't really know anybody who heard it directly, let alone had a copy....so the track remained just out of reach, until PSB released it on a B-side CD collection. and you were thrilled to finally have it, own it, ready to play whenever you wanted.



if by chance you could locate the physical record of an unreleased song, you handed over your wad of crumpled bills to the not-helpful clerk and drove home at 80 miles an hour eagerly anticipating the moments...

...the moments of slicing the cellophane wrap off the album cover...

...carefully bowing the sleeve just a bit so there was no chance of the virgin vinyl from getting scratched by microscopic dust particles inside the packaging...

...gently-oh-so-gently lining up the record with the turntable spindle, keeping the record in a perfectly horizontal position so no edge would hit the turntable before the other...

...bringing the arm and stylus over the record and slowly lowering it into position just off the first groove...

...waiting for that dull PLOP when the needle found the groove, which was also a signal for how high the volume was...

...and finally hearing the opening chords or whatever of the song you've worked so hard to find.

rapture.

that was owning music. you had a physical property in your hands that you could read, listen to, stare at, and display proudly to your friends.

today, holy-moly, music is being marketed everywhere by everyone: radio, tv, blogs, phone carriers, GAP, rev fred phelps...everyone! finding a song of which you only heard a snippet can be pretty easy: google the lyrics, hold your shazam-enabled iphone next to the speaker, etc.

and then instantly download it. nobody will ever know you have it; the artwork won't catch your eye as you walk past your hi-fi; and technically, you can't share it with anyone without the threat of a lawsuit, even though there's nothing THERE.

where's the fun in that?

but old habits die hard. when i used to spend weekend nights (and paychecks) combing record store racks, i now scan music blogs instead. youtube has become my best friend with whom i can reminisce over long-gone tv appearances of my favorite bands. i join fan clubs for a few weeks or years (or a few minutes) just to feel like i know everything i need to know about my latest obsession. and i'll be content for a few days...but the obsession generally doesn't last, because it was too effortless. i haven't earned it. so the hunt begins again the next week when i resume scanning to find my new latest obsession.

still...i share with you what i find most obsessive from one week to the next. i hope it thrills you for at least the 3 and a half minutes it thrilled me.

news

dear project leader:

this alien feels that he's seen this report before...

jaws baloney

dear project leader:

i received the groupon ad above in my mailbox today:

The Midwest is known for being the setting for all three Jaws movies and a bevy of delicious culinary creations.

what? the midwest is certainly not known for being the setting for "all three Jaws movies", of which there were actually four. so far.

the location of the first two movies was "amity island" (IRL martha's vineyard), in new england. the third, Jaws 3-d, was at the seaworld park in florida; the fourth, Jaws: the Revenge, on "amity island" and in the bahamas.

funny story: i actually saw 3-D and Revenge...what stoopid messes those were. Jaws 2 was actually almost decent. not decent, but almost. what it had going for it was a new score by john williams, who is/was most awesome.

funny wikipedia note:

No reference is made to the character development or events depicted in Jaws 3-D. In its predecessor, Michael is an engineer for SeaWorld, whereas here he is a marine research scientist.[1] Sean is not associated with the police force in Jaws 3-D, and there is no mention of their respective partners. Even one of the Universal Studios press releases for Jaws: The Revenge omits Jaws 3-D by referring to Jaws: The Revenge as the "third film of the remarkable Jaws trilogy."

http://www.groupon.com/san-diego/

brody misunderstood, john williams

blondie update - mark needham

dear project leader:

a couple of new photos have been posted of the band, as they record their new album. (the photo is a link to their source -- thanks to deborah-harrydotcom for the links.)

also, mark needham is now being listed as working on the new album. who is he? one who has worked with the following artists, among others:

fleetwood mac

chris isaak

the killers

metro station

and young love

i mean, seriously: i LOVED the killers album he worked on. metro station are very good, too. and young love's album was TERRIFIC.

the lovely bones

dear project leader:

the husband and i went to see peter jackson's interpretation of the lovely bones today. without a doubt, this is the worst movie ever made.

first, let's discuss the good aspects of this movie.

(blank)

okay, that's that. now the rest of it: mark wahlberg still sounds like your whiney little brother hyperventilating on helium, so buying into him as a 14 year old's dad just doesn't happen.

and susan sarandon as the saucy (literally) grandma is just an embarrassment. at one point, she has to take over mom duties of the bereaved family because mom ran off to california to pick apples in an orchard (of course, how else does one deal with grief). mind you, grandma's had kids of her own (hence, "grandma"), yet somehow, she has no idea how to run a 1970's washing machine.

and when your bad guy is made up in a bad wig and blue contact lenses, well, that's just distracting.

good fucking grief.

you know those sidewalk spray-can paintings of planets and galaxies that you can buy in vegas, or resort towns in mexico? that's what the dead girl's "heaven" images looked like. and still, the director, peter jackson, had the audacity to hitchcock himself into the movie (camera shop patron), when he well should have alan smithee'd himself out of it.

good fucking grief.

tagalongs?

tagalongs!

jealousy

dear project leader:

let's talk pet shop boys. the track, "jealousy" is a fine third single from their finest album, behaviour. lyrics that tell the story of crazystalkerobsession love, in an arrangement ending with an appropriately huge orchestral meltdown. 

the track also served as the anchor of an end-of-album trilogy: "nervously", "end of the world", and "jealousy". really, the whole album is a fine piece; but taking the last three tracks in one listen is the experience that sells.

i remember the drive home from the record store after purchasing the CD single, i popped it into the player with the volume way up, and the freeway melted away. i still feel that, almost 20 years later.

i wish i'd never met you

or that i could bear 

to let you go

jealousy, pet shop boys

livescribe pulse smartpen II

dear project leader:

remember how ecstatic i was regarding the pulse smartpen i got for xmas? WELL...i was just about to rant up a DO NOT BUY post, because of the battery that is not able to hold a charge more than 15 minutes.

suddenly i heard back from livescribe's customer "service" group (after over a week of non-response to my second inquiry)...telling me that "it sounds like" i have a defective battery. (ohreally?) livescribe offered (and delivered) to swap me a new pen.

the new pen is now charging up. more later. but for now...i's excited.

rediscovered track - girls

dear project leader:

i love it when i come across a track i downloaded several weeks ago and think, "oooh, what's that?" today's adorable is just that sort of song. who is this artist or group, girls? i don't know. but i know i love the song...all jangly-strummy guitar with rough-coarse vocals and the eff word all over the place. the vid, which i am not posting is pretty racy and worth checking out if you like that sort of thing.

please be advised that the following is not recommended for young ears.

but you dig it, right?


lust for life, girls

natalie portman's eyebrows II

dear project leader:

remember when i posted the comment about natalie portman's eyebrows a few weeks ago? here's what i was talking about:

the keywords "natalie portman's eyebrows" are the keywords that have driven the most traffic to this blog, just so you know.

they're the cheesiest

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dvd / on-demand weekend

the mist: interesting combination of the fog, cloverfield, lord of the flies, and whatever else. the alien invaders were mysteriously obscure when they needed to be, and creepily real at other times. the pessimistic ending was fairly poignant, in that these movies rarely have such an outcome.
observe and report: it must be known that i really like seth rogen. that being the case, even a probably-not-so-good movie like this one was still entertaining. though anne faris played that goofy blonde role (again) perfectly (again); and seth knows how to rock 90's sweater-and-gold-chain outfits rather well; this movie was so, SO, not politically correct that it was...funny.
defiance: to be truthful, i was only watching this from the corner of my eye, so i can't really comment on it. interesting enough; like a very earnest (and thus, less entertaining) version of glorious basterds.
the god who wasn't there: (documentary) private (christian) high school graduate goes on a research binge to prove his high school wrong in their attempts to convert children into a fundamentalist christian POV. comes off a bit too self-centered by the end of the movie.

spoon - transference

dear project leader:

breaking news: spoon's new album, transference, is on sale on amazon for just $3.99 (USD). awesome!

moth's wings

dear project leader:

this alien is loving the new season of HBO's "big love". when speaking of bill's "destiny" to be the compound prophet, margie yells out, "DESTINY??!", to which nicki replies:

Yes, Margie. Something you’d know nothing about, having grown up in a trailer.

sarah decided to go with her own feelings (again) and get married to scott. the parents found out, and it didn't go down well, until she reminded her dad that he chose a life based on his convictions, though it went against her sense of morals...dad caved in and held the wedding in the backyard.

song used in this week's episode, for sarah's wedding:




moth's wings, passion pit

daybreakers

dear project leader:

this alien and the husband went to see daybreakers yesterday. this alien is no fan of ethan hawke, but i do like a good turn on vampire lore. this movie was not that good turn, though.

vampires outnumber humans in this version, and humans are farmed for their blood, until a synthetic version can be developed...a synthetic version that doesn't cause vampires to explode, that  is. and if vampires run low on human blood, they start turning into fleshybats.

sounds promising, right? but there was too much stoopid in the script with a tiny band of humans trying to "cure" vampirism by -- get this -- exposing them to the sun while preventing them from burning to ash, and a lot, LOT, of false scare moments (bats suddenly screeching across the screen for no apparent reason, scary faces appearing out of dark hallways, that sort of thing).

i won't even discuss the ending that became apparent about half a mile ago...nor the gay marines orgy...nor the universal opinion that ethan hawke is just not enjoyable to watch for any reason. oh, willem defoe was in this, too. so, extra credit for that.

reni lane: free remixes

dear project leader:

this alien's new favorite super-redheaded singer, reni lane, just released a link to free downloads of her single, place for us.

here's the link: http://music.renilane.com/album/free-remixes

she's getting ready to tour...this alien is intrigued.

screaming skin

dear project leader:

continuing with the series of singles that should have been...

this alien was ecstatic when, in 1999, blondie finally rebanded and started releasing records again, after a much-too-long, and much-too-reported-on 17 years out of the studio and off the road. of course, since then, they've been touring pretty much every year. not complaining.

the first track on the comeback album, no exit, was the best track of the whole collection, "maria" notwithstanding. ska-influenced arrangement on lyrics that maintain a metaphor very well. i really thought that this would have been one of those "songs of the summer", had it ever been released as a single. but it wasn't.

still, stands well on its own.



screaming skin, blondie




Following my lust for wander everywhere I've ever been,
I can't escape the sound of it - the sound of my screaming skin.

My skin cries.
My blood sighs.
I still owe some dread on this hide.

Following my trust in wonder I watch the circus begin.
I can't ignore the scent of it - the scent of my screaming skin.

My skin cries.
My blood sighs.
I still owe some dread on this hide.

La la la la la la la.
La.
La la la la la la la.

I'm a multicellular individual.
You're way out of proportion!
We've got the hemodynamic connection.
Don't call me germ!

Allowing for my strength to muster.
My losses begin to win.
Tropical winds start to bluster, raising the fur on my skin.

My skin cries.
My spirits fly.
But I still owe some dread on this hide.

Oooh.

Yeah!
I'm a multicellular individual.
You're way out of proportion!
We've got the hemodynamic connection.
And don't call me germ!

Swallowing my pride no longer, I take the forbidden sun.
If I have been sculpted by hunger, I'm not the only one.

My skin cries.
My blood sighs.
I still owe some dread on this hide of mine.

La la la la la la la.
La la la la.
La la la la la la la la.

I'm a multicellular individual.
You're way out of proportion, ah ha!
We've got the hemodynamic connection.
Don't call me germ!

My skin cries.
My spirit flies.
But I still owe some dread on this hide.

My skin cries.
My blood sighs.
And I still owe some dread on this hide of mine.

My spirit flies.
My blood sighs.
And I still owe some dread on this hide of mine.

My skin cries.
My spirit flies.
But I still owe some dread on this hide.

hate-y

dear jesus,

please give pat robertson a hug, so he'll stop saying stupid shit, trying to get your attention.

thanks!

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we the jury

dear project leader:

this alien will coordinate his next jury duty summons with a willing
associate. this is the sort of experience, like waiting for a flight,
that is better shared with a friend.

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i miss joey

dear project leader:

this alien wonders if matt is back.

afterthoughts: a single man

having seen the movie, a single man:

• he lives remarkably well
  • for a professor at a college that gets no respect from his associates
  • a drawerful of pressed and packaged dress shirts
  • the mercedes with woodframe interior
  • custom-built home in a coastal california community (though his BF was the architect, presumably)
• the impracticality of that wright-esque house
  • all those windows to clean
  • keeping dog hair out of rock gardens is a horror
  • the windows appear to be just panes of glass that slide back and forth; california coastal weather is nice and all, but still, it does get cold and wet.

Posted via web from this-alien's posterous

HURTS - Blood, Tears & Gold

via youtube.com

dear project leader:

this alien rarely gets so excited about a group for whom little information is pushed out. but between this new song, "blood, tears and gold", and the last one, "wonderful life", i am eager to see / hear / read / watch more about this group.

"wonderful life" is the better of the two, by far. but this is a worthy follow-up.

this alien welcomes the eighties back with open arms.

Posted via web from this-alien's posterous

derogate

dear project leader:

this alien has, on numerous occasions, made derogatory statements about people, places and things. i'm about to, once again, but first: i had never considered that the root of "derogatory" is itself a useful word, "derogate".

and now, this alien derogates the movie, disney's the princess and the frog. i've endured and / or enjoyed many a disney animated feature, but for whatever reason, P & F was just long and dull and jeezuswhattimeisit. and that's too bad, right? because it would be fun to write about what a delight this throwback to 2D animation was.

now, this alien has no qualms about voodoo and whatever, so i'm not writing out of some nutjob religious perspective (this time). simply, P & F was just terribly disappointing...meth-addict fireflies and all. but i did learn a new word.

Posted via web from this-alien's posterous

Altsounds.com News | The Human League Sign To Wall Of Sound

Said Mark Jones,

“Never before have The Human League been more relevant musically than they are today. The evolution and progression of electronic popular music is what brings us together. It’s an honour and inspiration to have them signed to Wall Of Sound. They say ‘never work with you heroes’…. but fuck that for starters.”

via hangout.altsounds.com

fuck that, indeed

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a single man

dear project leader:

this alien went to see "a single man" today, clearly a film by a designer, tom ford. the movie was extremely well accessorized, and shots of inanimate objects were meticulously composed. nice. the acting didn't ring true, from time to time, but that was okay, since the story...

...man who lost his lover several months ago feels like his life is worn out; prepares to let himself go...

...itself was so compelling. really, it was.

remember when herb ritts was going to start doing videos, and the world was so excited to see what he'd do? or when bruce weber was going to do a movie. but then, the results weren't as exciting as the expectation. tom ford does much better with this effort.

Posted via web from this-alien's posterous

all in my mind

dear project leader:

this alien seems to have a memory for every song that was released in the 80's.

the memory i assign to love and rockets' <i>all in my mind</i> isn't even real, oddly enough: the song reminds me of a girl i used to work with way back when; i don't recall that she and i ever had an event that included this song.


all in my mind, love and rockets
still.

All In My Mind

Walk around so cold
So cold and lonely
Or lay in bed wondering what
To do with time
You've got no sense of fun
Until you know you've won again
And yet you feel so much
You feel so much inside

You want to rip all the
Jewels off all the idiots' backs so badly
You scream give me what I've always
Missed, give me a good time
But if you look into your mirror
You'll see that nobody has ever ripped you off
It's all in your mind

Her beauty can only ever be skin deep
But if I'm honest that's all I ever
Really need
So throw us some flowers and we'll
Give you some songs and sunshine
And if you give me an hour
I'll show you how you feel

Ohhh baby, ohhh I'm much too lazy
Ohhh it's all in my mind
So don't be unkind
It's all in my mind
It's all in my mind

Sometimes you really don't
Really don't really don't know
What I mean
Sometimes you really don't
Really don't really don't
Know what I need

I say I've got no sense of
Fun until I know I've won again
And how do you think yes how
Do you think that feels
So, just give me an hour
I'll show you how you feel

Ohhh baby
Ohhh I'm much too lazy
Ohhh baby
Ohhh it's all in my mind
So don't be unkind
It's all in my mind
(repeat till fade)

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pass this on

Posted via web from this-alien's posterous

afternoons in utopia

dear project leader:

this alien has been thinking of alphaville since posting the "young forever" video by jay-z the other day.

alphaville's second album, afternoons in utopia, really grabbed me from the first listen. the songs all tie together, like a concept album, with the first and last track leading into each other -- cute. the story is not so cute...apocalyptic drug overdose, or some such.

i once sent a copy to a friend, who told me fairly quickly that it isn't his thing. too bad for him...because i think that in my list of alltime favorite albums, afternoons is definitely in the top five.

here's a remixed single from the album:

universal daddy (aquarian dance mix), alphaville

Afternoons In Utopia

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true faith

dear project leader:

this alien adores this lyric:

when I was a very small boy, very small boys talked to me,
now that we've grown up together, they're afraid of what they see

New Order - True Faith

blasphemy

on the other hand, this may have improved episodes I and II...

young forever young

dear project leader:

this alien is not friends with jay-z; never bought anything he's done, will gladly turn the channel if he comes on tv. BUT. when this alien heard he'd sampled and / or covered alphaville's "forever young", he had to pay attention.

so now, i finally find it. and on the very first listen, it's decent. better than decent, until...damn, there's jay-z's face on the video. oh wait, and now all of a sudden his voice comes on, and this alien is out the proverbial door.



fwiw, "forever young" was a great song way before napoleon dynamite used it (rather effectively). if jay-z and his crew chose to use it, why not go with the original record, instead of recreating an almost identical track to back his not-really-worth-listening-to rap?

clearly this alien does not rule the world.

low-carb

dear project leader:

this alien is very fortunate, in that his husband loves, LOVES to cook. additionally, this alien is fortunate in that the husband discovered a collection of recipes titled, the big book of low-carb.

he's tried several recipes from the book, many we've had several times; every meal we've had from the book has been delicious.

the ingredients include plenty of interesting vegetables and spices, using ingredients that are generally easy to find at the grocery store...never do we feel like we're skimping in order to go "low carb".

some of the more notable recipes include:

• shrimp and asparagus
• saute with asiago cheese
  
• sausage, mozzarella, and pasta bake
  
• lazy turkey parmesan

The Big Book of Low-Carb: 250 Simple, Delicious, Nutritious Recipes, by Kitty Broihier. M.S.R.D., and Kimberly Mayone

neck sprain

...from shaking my head in disbelief

Brit Hume To Tiger Woods: Convert To Christianity To Recover From Scandal

On "Fox News Sunday," Hume — the former leader of Fox News' political reporting and host of "Special Report" who now serves as an analyst for the network — said that Woods' recovery "depends on his faith."

"The extent to which he can recover seems to me depends on his faith," Hume said. "He is said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. My message to Tiger would, 'Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/03/brit-hume-to-tiger-woods_n_409720.html

paranormal activity

dear project leader:

this alien watched paranormal activity with the husband and a few others at their home the other night. all about "things that go bump in the night", with a heavy layerin of the exorcist thrown on top.

a young, just-over-college age couple move in together, and that's when the boyfriend finds out she's been haunted by a demon since she was 8 years old. for this fact alone, this alien blamed the girlfriend for bringing the boyfriend into this mess, but my viewing companions all blamed him for taunting the demon into more and more aggressive behavior.

was it scary? you bet! can the story be scooby-doo'd away? no, there was no third character trying to run this couple out of their home. but that the DVD comes with an alternate ending, kind of cracks the illusion of the "reality" in which the story was home-recorded.

definitely a recommendation, and well worth seeing IF YOU LIKE SCARY MOVIES, but this alien accepts no blame if you don't sleep for a few nights.

free dan black

dear project leader:

this alien previously listed dan black's UN as his favorite album of the year. the good news: it's finally been made available on U.S. itunes, and is featured as the itunes store's free single for this week:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/symphonies/id347419238?i=340161022

this alien questions why the record companies are still segregating product geographically, when the customer base has long become border-free.

val

dear project leader:

this alien has long been a fan of the album little daggers by val emmich, but, for whatever reason, never posted about it. so, in anticipation of a new album being released very soon (hooray!), here's one of several favorite tracks from little daggers.

the whole album plays fairly close to this song, yet each track is its own little treasure.


got a habit now, val emmich