Reservations

There was a time when this song just killed me. What am I saying? It still tears me apart.

Wilco - Reservations

Fun Pop Smarshmellow

You may see this as an odd combination. You may see a few guilty pleasures that maybe you think are out of place. You'll be suprised how well this works. Great driving music!

Ting Tings - Not My Name
Rhianna - Don't Stop the Music
ZZ Top - La Grange
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Black Tongue
Kings of Leon - Holy Roller Novocaine
Spoon - Back to the Life
The Strokes - Juicebox
Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
Goldfrapp - Strict Machine
Britney Spear - Toxic
Jennifer Lopez - Get Right (ft. Fab)
Lily Allen - Smile
Beyonce - Crazy in Love
The Fratellis - Flathead
Beck - Black Tamborine
Phantom Planet - Big Brat
The Pixies - Tame

Beneath, Within

"Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God." - Aeschylus

My Life as a Movie Star

Those times, all those times
so many, long-gazing up with my big eyes
and i was a child in a play that we'd set
two runaways and you couldn't get enough
all those times
in your attic house
with the voices below and banging
drifters at the door
i would sit on your old couch
in my hideout, while you went out
with your albums stacked on the floor
an old blanket keeping me warm
in that deep Fall
we built lies to fit the role
my world crumbling below

it couldn't have been wrong
i never once said it was wrong

Bucket List?

I don't necessarily believe in "bucket lists." If someone tells me they'd like to do something some day, I say, all right. Everybody's got dreams. But if you have a bucket list, what happens when you've finished? I figure you just live life as it comes, and if a chance opens up, you take it. There's no need to map out the years through your fantasies.

That being said, my co-worker's sister works for a hospice here in town. She was telling me about this program they have where they help their clients do something they've always wanted before they die. One guy wanted to go to a Royals game with his son, so they arranged everything and covered the expense of all the extras. Okay, its sentimental, I get it. But you can get good tickets to a Royals game on Ticketstub.com for like 15$ each. I thought for maybe 3 seconds before responding.

"I'd want to go to Greenland."

"Well, there's limit to their finances. I don't think they could afford Greenland."

"Well, then I'd want them to HELP me go to Greenland. See the viking settlements, hike the ice fields, go kayaking. And I really, really want to see some musk oxen."

 I thought for another moment.

"I'd also want to see Stone Henge.." *pause* "But only if I can go INSIDE Stone Henge. None of this stuff about a fence & security guards."

She then suggested that I could just become a security guard at Stone Henge, & see it all the time. This was a simple, but plausible suggestion. Then I asked her if she'd ever read Tess of the D'Ubervilles. When she said no, I gave a somewhat confusing summary of the plot, finally reaching the reference to Stone Henge. This is how most of our nights go.

In conclusion, I feel like you should have active enough of an imagination to know within seconds what you'd like to do if given the chance, but you should also not regret your life so much that you're wishing every moment to be doing something else.

Easy Day Mix

Something I put together a little less than 10 yrs ago. Several local Lawrence bands, plus a bunch of other old indie favs, & a few solids mixed in.

1. The Big Surrender - Ghosty
2. Your x-ray have come back from the lab.. - Jets to Brazil
3. President of What - Death Cab for Cutie
4. Let Us Know - Koufax
5. Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might be Giants
6. Is it Any Wonder - Keane
7. Life is Grand - Old Canes
8. Superpowers - The Dismemberment Plan
9. California Waiting - Kings of Leon
10. Fishing for a Dream - Turin Brakes
11. The Best of Jill Hives - Guided by Voices
12. Heartbreakin' Man - My Morning Jacket
13, Best Looking Boys - The Promise Ring
13. As if I Hadn't Slept - Idlewild
14. Martyr Me - The Get Up Kids
15. Another Drink - Shaking Tree
16. You Don't Know How it Feels - Tom Petty
17. Better - Regina Spektor

Another Important List

In my top favorite songs, I mentioned that you'd see much more variety if I listed my top 20 songs, or top albums. So here is the latter, in no particular order. A bit different from the impression my top 10 songs gave, yeah? Some are just immaculate albums, others are personal favorites.

Top 10 Albums

III - Led Zeppelin
London Calling - The Clash
Battle of Los Angeles - Rage Against the Machine
Vs. - Pearl Jam
Early Morning Hymns - Old Canes
Stadium Arcadium - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The Animal - Richard Walters
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
I'm Wide Awake, Its Morning - Bright Eyes
Pinkerton - Weezer