Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Bless you, Ernie!
I wrote this piece shortly after the passing of one of my heroes, Ernie Harwell in May of 2010. Though very brief, it makes me nostalgic and emotional every time I read it, taking me back to a better time where cares were cheaper. Please read and enjoy.
I love baseball. When I was a kid, only a select set of games were televised locally. Never missed a broadcast, always looked forward to watching my Tigers and listening to Kell and Kaline. Yet there were around another 130 games a year I felt compelled to follow. Utilizing portable radios and, later, a Walkman, I had Ernie Harwell in my ear no matter what the task. Mowing the lawn, jogging with Dad, car rides to Grandma's. The familiar sound of his voice reminded me school being out was just around the corner. It meant that the neighborhood boys would be challenging each other daily in a myriad of games. Driveway basketball at the Cumberworth's, swimming at the Haggard's, backyard football behind the Loveless'. The Swamp. Sprung Leak. Clydis J. Hoggerdog and Muffin. Ernie's voice was tied to all of it. "Pitch on the way, there's a swing and a drive to deep left, way back, it is...LONG GONE!" Thanks for being the soundtrack of my childhood Mr. Harwell. I'll be reminded of you often.
I love baseball. When I was a kid, only a select set of games were televised locally. Never missed a broadcast, always looked forward to watching my Tigers and listening to Kell and Kaline. Yet there were around another 130 games a year I felt compelled to follow. Utilizing portable radios and, later, a Walkman, I had Ernie Harwell in my ear no matter what the task. Mowing the lawn, jogging with Dad, car rides to Grandma's. The familiar sound of his voice reminded me school being out was just around the corner. It meant that the neighborhood boys would be challenging each other daily in a myriad of games. Driveway basketball at the Cumberworth's, swimming at the Haggard's, backyard football behind the Loveless'. The Swamp. Sprung Leak. Clydis J. Hoggerdog and Muffin. Ernie's voice was tied to all of it. "Pitch on the way, there's a swing and a drive to deep left, way back, it is...LONG GONE!" Thanks for being the soundtrack of my childhood Mr. Harwell. I'll be reminded of you often.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Put This In Your Ear
As an audiophile/music nerd, I am constantly on the lookout for new (for me) and exciting music. The search is almost as fun as the result because I end up coming across such an eclectic mix spanning multiple genres. I've decided to stop being so selfish and to start sharing the gems I find for your listening pleasure. In addition, I'll be regularly updating the Amazon mp3 player you see on the left margin of the blog with some of my favorite tracks to save you time if you decide you can't live without them. Go ahead, put this in your ear.
Two man low-fi outfit Gauntlet Hair evokes memories of Animal Collective prior to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Chanted vocals over minimalist guitar riffs and electric drums produce haunting pop rock that keeps me coming back for more. Check out their latest release, the self-titled Gauntlet Hair out now on Dead Oceans.
Portland, Oregon natives Unknown Mortal Orchestra combine catchy melodies with spaced out instrumentation and textured vocalization. Singer Ruban Nielson's high pitch lends itself as an added melodic layer to psych-ed out guitars and tinny sounding percussion. They released their most recent, a self-titled LP in June on Fat Possum/True Panther.
Shabazz Palace front man Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro, has seen his career evolve from his time lending his smooth delivery to the Digable Planets and Cherrywine. These days, his approach is darker and more experimental while still holding credibility in head-nodding circles. Irregular beat intervals and jitterbug break beats make Shabazz unique in the hip hop cookie cutter world. Black Up is out now on Subpop.
New York electronic duo Phantogram enlist airy vocals over swirling guitars and spacey keyboards to produce ambient street beat psych rock. Members Sarah Bartel and Josh Carter each lend their voices and considerable instrumentation abilities to create genre-crossing hip rock. Their latest LP, Eyelid Movies, is one of the most dance-able rock albums in recent memory.
Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall mix psychedelic rock reminiscent of the '70s with a modern garage infusion to form one of the best up and coming rock bands out there. Although they are relatively youthful, they have already released five LPs as JEFF the Brotherhood, including this year's We Are The Champions and were named one of Spin's must see acts at the 2011 SXSW in Austin. The newest album combines their pedal to the metal past with a more mature approach, providing grungy melodies and riffs, a sort of unrefined and more edgy Weezer.
Two man low-fi outfit Gauntlet Hair evokes memories of Animal Collective prior to Merriweather Post Pavilion. Chanted vocals over minimalist guitar riffs and electric drums produce haunting pop rock that keeps me coming back for more. Check out their latest release, the self-titled Gauntlet Hair out now on Dead Oceans.
Portland, Oregon natives Unknown Mortal Orchestra combine catchy melodies with spaced out instrumentation and textured vocalization. Singer Ruban Nielson's high pitch lends itself as an added melodic layer to psych-ed out guitars and tinny sounding percussion. They released their most recent, a self-titled LP in June on Fat Possum/True Panther.
Shabazz Palace front man Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler, aka Palaceer Lazaro, has seen his career evolve from his time lending his smooth delivery to the Digable Planets and Cherrywine. These days, his approach is darker and more experimental while still holding credibility in head-nodding circles. Irregular beat intervals and jitterbug break beats make Shabazz unique in the hip hop cookie cutter world. Black Up is out now on Subpop.
New York electronic duo Phantogram enlist airy vocals over swirling guitars and spacey keyboards to produce ambient street beat psych rock. Members Sarah Bartel and Josh Carter each lend their voices and considerable instrumentation abilities to create genre-crossing hip rock. Their latest LP, Eyelid Movies, is one of the most dance-able rock albums in recent memory.
Nashville brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall mix psychedelic rock reminiscent of the '70s with a modern garage infusion to form one of the best up and coming rock bands out there. Although they are relatively youthful, they have already released five LPs as JEFF the Brotherhood, including this year's We Are The Champions and were named one of Spin's must see acts at the 2011 SXSW in Austin. The newest album combines their pedal to the metal past with a more mature approach, providing grungy melodies and riffs, a sort of unrefined and more edgy Weezer.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Price of Imperialism
On the heels of one of this year's biggest news stories, I'd like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the substantial anti-American sentiment metastasizing across the world. Amanda Knox, an American student studying in Italy, was wrongfully convicted of murder with her Italian boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito. She was sentenced to serve 26 years in prison and, by the time her appeal had its time in court, had already served 4 of those years. Yesterday their convictions were overturned, highlighting the mistakes of the police and prosecutor as well as the sensationalizing of the media.
Knox and Sollecito were painted as sexual deviants by the prosecutor and media, tilting public opinion against them. But there of course were other factors at work. What role did the fact that Knox's homeland asserts itself in the policy and government of nearly all nations? Could the original jury have been tainted not only by the sensational headlines, but also by an assumption of widespread American arrogance and imperialism?
At last audit, there are currently 226 countries occupied by US troops. 63 of those countries host US military bases, while just 46 of the world's nations have no US military presence. These numbers should shock you, but upon further examination of our history should not be all that surprising. Our country itself began as an occupation that rode the back of the genocide of the native population. US history is littered with stories of neo-colonialism, hegemony and proxy rule as well as slavery and continuous border expansion through war.
Many of these stories contain the same foundation as the Spanish-American War of 1898, during which the US acquired Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. This war was built on fabricated war-mongering "journalism" and of course, a claim that the US must step in to protect against the brutality of the enemy toward the suffering masses, a civilizational imperialism that is playing itself out again in places like Egypt, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Repeated in numerous countries, the US government through the C.I.A. financially and forcefully supported ruling regimes dependent on the political atmosphere of their regions.
The case of the Dominican Republic is a great example: in the early 20th century, the Dominican government had accrued lots of international debt and the US took to force to collect on those debts, signing a treaty at gunpoint to ratify the debt relationship. The US occupied and ruled the country from 1916 until 1924 when they chose General Rafael Trujillo as the new leader, backed by a US-trained National Guard. During his time at the helm, Trujillo went on an ethnic cleansing crusade, killing 30,000 Dominicans and Haitians in an effort to make his island "more white." Trujillo maintained control until 1950, when, after an attempted assassination of the Venezuelan president went awry, the US enforced economic sanctions. A short time later, the US supported a conservative opposition to overthrow him, successfully assassinating him in 1961. The people of the DR were then afforded a democratic election and subsequently named a liberal centrist, Juan Bosch, leader. In 1963, US backed militants deposed Bosch to "prevent another Cuba." 2 years later, economic turmoil produced an uprising against the new regime led by Donald Reid Cabral and Lyndon Johnson sent 22,000 US Marines to suppress the rebellion, ensuring conservative control of the country. This led to the reinstatement of Trujillo's right hand man, Joaquin Balaguer, and political violence, death squad activity and voter fraud ensued that eliminated any political opposition. The US continued lavishing military support to this regime until 1978.
Old habits die hard. The US has continually stuck its nose in the business of many countries under the guise of protecting the innocent. If that was truly the purpose, the statistics tell a harrowing story of the ineffectiveness of this policy. While the US supported exiled Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the communist Mao regime, in upwards of 18 million lives were lost, on par with Mao's efforts to stay in power after the revolution. During the Korean War, the US-assisted anti-communist slaughter led to the deaths of nearly 1/3 of the population. To prevent communist atrocities in Vietnam, 1 million Vietnamese combatants along with roughly 50,000 US troops were killed, not to mention the roughly 3 million Vietnamese civilians dead and the countless soldiers and innocents affected by the chemical Agent Orange. Isn't the blind anti-communism, pro-democracy approach damaging as many or more lives than the dictatorships? Is it the responsibility of the US to impose our democratic will for the common good? What would Jesus do?
For your reading pleasure, I've compiled a near-comprehensive list of nations/islands the US has either invaded, imposed leadership upon or directly supported uprisings for. Enjoy!
Cuba; Dominican Republic; Guam; Puerto Rico; Haiti; the Philippines; Russia; Greece; China; Tibet, Taiwan; Vietnam; South Korea; North Korea; Argentina; Chile; Nicaragua; Hawaii; Nicaragua; Panama; Samoa; Burma; Italy; Peru; Syria; Ukraine; Thailand; Albania; Poland; Japan; Spain; Costa Rica; Iran; Guatemala; Pakistan; Indonesia; Jordan; Laos; Syria; Cambodia; Lebanon; Iraq; Ecuador; Turkey; Congo; Brazil; Guyana; Paraguay; South Africa; Uruguay; Ghana; Bolivia; El Salvador; Mexico; Uganda; Oman; Afghanistan; Portugal; Australia; Angola; Morocco; Jamaica; Mozambique; Ethiopia; Somalia; Kenya; Sudan; Romania; Grenada; Liberia; Libya; Chad; Surinam; Honduras; Fiji; Columbia; Kuwait; Balkans; Algeria; Azerbaijan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikstan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; Rwanda; Croatia; Bosnia; Kosovo; Venezuela; Iran; Egypt.
"Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of mankind." - Albert Einstein
Knox and Sollecito were painted as sexual deviants by the prosecutor and media, tilting public opinion against them. But there of course were other factors at work. What role did the fact that Knox's homeland asserts itself in the policy and government of nearly all nations? Could the original jury have been tainted not only by the sensational headlines, but also by an assumption of widespread American arrogance and imperialism?
At last audit, there are currently 226 countries occupied by US troops. 63 of those countries host US military bases, while just 46 of the world's nations have no US military presence. These numbers should shock you, but upon further examination of our history should not be all that surprising. Our country itself began as an occupation that rode the back of the genocide of the native population. US history is littered with stories of neo-colonialism, hegemony and proxy rule as well as slavery and continuous border expansion through war.
Many of these stories contain the same foundation as the Spanish-American War of 1898, during which the US acquired Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. This war was built on fabricated war-mongering "journalism" and of course, a claim that the US must step in to protect against the brutality of the enemy toward the suffering masses, a civilizational imperialism that is playing itself out again in places like Egypt, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Repeated in numerous countries, the US government through the C.I.A. financially and forcefully supported ruling regimes dependent on the political atmosphere of their regions.
The case of the Dominican Republic is a great example: in the early 20th century, the Dominican government had accrued lots of international debt and the US took to force to collect on those debts, signing a treaty at gunpoint to ratify the debt relationship. The US occupied and ruled the country from 1916 until 1924 when they chose General Rafael Trujillo as the new leader, backed by a US-trained National Guard. During his time at the helm, Trujillo went on an ethnic cleansing crusade, killing 30,000 Dominicans and Haitians in an effort to make his island "more white." Trujillo maintained control until 1950, when, after an attempted assassination of the Venezuelan president went awry, the US enforced economic sanctions. A short time later, the US supported a conservative opposition to overthrow him, successfully assassinating him in 1961. The people of the DR were then afforded a democratic election and subsequently named a liberal centrist, Juan Bosch, leader. In 1963, US backed militants deposed Bosch to "prevent another Cuba." 2 years later, economic turmoil produced an uprising against the new regime led by Donald Reid Cabral and Lyndon Johnson sent 22,000 US Marines to suppress the rebellion, ensuring conservative control of the country. This led to the reinstatement of Trujillo's right hand man, Joaquin Balaguer, and political violence, death squad activity and voter fraud ensued that eliminated any political opposition. The US continued lavishing military support to this regime until 1978.
Old habits die hard. The US has continually stuck its nose in the business of many countries under the guise of protecting the innocent. If that was truly the purpose, the statistics tell a harrowing story of the ineffectiveness of this policy. While the US supported exiled Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek against the communist Mao regime, in upwards of 18 million lives were lost, on par with Mao's efforts to stay in power after the revolution. During the Korean War, the US-assisted anti-communist slaughter led to the deaths of nearly 1/3 of the population. To prevent communist atrocities in Vietnam, 1 million Vietnamese combatants along with roughly 50,000 US troops were killed, not to mention the roughly 3 million Vietnamese civilians dead and the countless soldiers and innocents affected by the chemical Agent Orange. Isn't the blind anti-communism, pro-democracy approach damaging as many or more lives than the dictatorships? Is it the responsibility of the US to impose our democratic will for the common good? What would Jesus do?
For your reading pleasure, I've compiled a near-comprehensive list of nations/islands the US has either invaded, imposed leadership upon or directly supported uprisings for. Enjoy!
Cuba; Dominican Republic; Guam; Puerto Rico; Haiti; the Philippines; Russia; Greece; China; Tibet, Taiwan; Vietnam; South Korea; North Korea; Argentina; Chile; Nicaragua; Hawaii; Nicaragua; Panama; Samoa; Burma; Italy; Peru; Syria; Ukraine; Thailand; Albania; Poland; Japan; Spain; Costa Rica; Iran; Guatemala; Pakistan; Indonesia; Jordan; Laos; Syria; Cambodia; Lebanon; Iraq; Ecuador; Turkey; Congo; Brazil; Guyana; Paraguay; South Africa; Uruguay; Ghana; Bolivia; El Salvador; Mexico; Uganda; Oman; Afghanistan; Portugal; Australia; Angola; Morocco; Jamaica; Mozambique; Ethiopia; Somalia; Kenya; Sudan; Romania; Grenada; Liberia; Libya; Chad; Surinam; Honduras; Fiji; Columbia; Kuwait; Balkans; Algeria; Azerbaijan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Tajikstan; Turkmenistan; Uzbekistan; Rwanda; Croatia; Bosnia; Kosovo; Venezuela; Iran; Egypt.
"Nationalism is an infantile disease, the measles of mankind." - Albert Einstein
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Song of the Turtle
For fans of Detroit Tigers baseball, this has been an already unforgettable season filled with record breaking streaks, come-from-behind victories and blood pressure spiking drama. The Tigers are headed into tonight's game against the Oakland A's riding high on a 12 game winning streak, sitting atop the AL Central Division a robust 25 games over .500. They could clinch the division tonight with a win and losses by the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians and are just 3.5 games back of the New York Yankees for home field advantage through the ALCS. Even their last loss should have been a win, a lose from ahead effort where Kansas City got the best of the Detroit bullpen. Playoff runs in baseball should not be taken lightly, as the Tigers have only 13 playoff berths in their 110 years of existence, advancing to the World Series 10 of those 13 times while winning 4 rings. The last run, as most of us surely remember, ended in a comedy of errors losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006.
The current winning streak puts the Tigers within 2 wins of tying the franchise record of 14 set in 1909 and tied in 1934. It also bests or ties the record streaks of 10 other franchises, including the best runs of "older" clubs like the Mets and Reds. During this latest run, the Tigers have come from behind to take the lead after the 6th inning 3 times and have caused the closer of the division rival White Sox, Sergio Santos, to blow 2 saves while Tigers' ace Justin Verlander has won 3 games and closer Jose Valverde has picked up 4 saves. This coming from a team that started slow out of the gates, managing a 49-43 record in the first half of the season. The Tigers had lost 7 in a row on May 2nd and were a season high 8 games back on May 3rd. But that all changed in grand fashion post All-Star break.
The Tigers have gone 38-19 since, bolstered by the dominance of Verlander and an offense that has regained its mightiness behind the big bats of megastar Miguel Cabrera, free agent acquisition Victor Martinez, emerging star Alex Avila and a resurgent Jhonny Peralta. Verlander has been so dominant that he has forced his way into uncharted territory for pitchers, the most valuable player conversation. Verlander has emerged as the game's most irreplaceable cog, the engine of the Tigers. The stat now widely accepted to measure a player's overall worth to a team, WAR or wins above replacement, ranks him (8.0) as the 2nd best player in the AL behind only Jose Bautista (8.2) of the Toronto Blue Jays. Keep in mind, these metrics are generally not kind to pitchers as there has NEVER been a pitcher to lead the league in this category in the modern era. To further put this into perspective, Miguel Cabrera, who has been lights out all year, has a WAR of 6.2. The best WAR of this century was in 2001 when Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, drove in 177 runs and batted .328 for a WAR of 12.5. Baseball is not just a game of math, but when all factors are considered, Verlander's place in the discussion for MVP is firm, right next to Bautista, Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia.
The other major factor in the Tigers' success has been the 2nd half performance of the bullpen, most notably Joaquin Benoit and Valverde. Benoit was a free agent signing coming off of the most dominant season of any reliever in the league. The Tigers subsequently offered him a 3 year, $16.5 million deal and caught some flak for giving closer money to a setup man. Benoit gave the critics more ammo by starting sluggishly, struggling through late April/early May, though he has turned it around over the last 4 months having not allowed an earned run since August 2nd. Valverde, on the other hand, has been reasonably consistent barring a mediocre May, and still has yet to blow a save opportunity, converting on a team record 44 in a row this season.
On the verge of clinching the division, the Tigers still have plenty to play for. Home field advantage, Verlander's MVP candidacy, the team record winning streak and Valverde's saves run are still at stake. They also must continue to prove that they are not just a product of a weak division, as they are 46-21 against division opponents and 41-41 against everyone else. This is the time of year that you want to see your team get hot and carry it through the playoffs and the Tigers appear to be doing just that. Hold on to your hats folks, even though the Twins aren't chasing them down there promises to be plenty more suspense as the regular season comes to a close.
Let's win it all for Sparky and Ernie!
"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
the flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
The current winning streak puts the Tigers within 2 wins of tying the franchise record of 14 set in 1909 and tied in 1934. It also bests or ties the record streaks of 10 other franchises, including the best runs of "older" clubs like the Mets and Reds. During this latest run, the Tigers have come from behind to take the lead after the 6th inning 3 times and have caused the closer of the division rival White Sox, Sergio Santos, to blow 2 saves while Tigers' ace Justin Verlander has won 3 games and closer Jose Valverde has picked up 4 saves. This coming from a team that started slow out of the gates, managing a 49-43 record in the first half of the season. The Tigers had lost 7 in a row on May 2nd and were a season high 8 games back on May 3rd. But that all changed in grand fashion post All-Star break.
The Tigers have gone 38-19 since, bolstered by the dominance of Verlander and an offense that has regained its mightiness behind the big bats of megastar Miguel Cabrera, free agent acquisition Victor Martinez, emerging star Alex Avila and a resurgent Jhonny Peralta. Verlander has been so dominant that he has forced his way into uncharted territory for pitchers, the most valuable player conversation. Verlander has emerged as the game's most irreplaceable cog, the engine of the Tigers. The stat now widely accepted to measure a player's overall worth to a team, WAR or wins above replacement, ranks him (8.0) as the 2nd best player in the AL behind only Jose Bautista (8.2) of the Toronto Blue Jays. Keep in mind, these metrics are generally not kind to pitchers as there has NEVER been a pitcher to lead the league in this category in the modern era. To further put this into perspective, Miguel Cabrera, who has been lights out all year, has a WAR of 6.2. The best WAR of this century was in 2001 when Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs, drove in 177 runs and batted .328 for a WAR of 12.5. Baseball is not just a game of math, but when all factors are considered, Verlander's place in the discussion for MVP is firm, right next to Bautista, Cabrera, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury, Adrian Gonzalez, Robinson Cano and Dustin Pedroia.
The other major factor in the Tigers' success has been the 2nd half performance of the bullpen, most notably Joaquin Benoit and Valverde. Benoit was a free agent signing coming off of the most dominant season of any reliever in the league. The Tigers subsequently offered him a 3 year, $16.5 million deal and caught some flak for giving closer money to a setup man. Benoit gave the critics more ammo by starting sluggishly, struggling through late April/early May, though he has turned it around over the last 4 months having not allowed an earned run since August 2nd. Valverde, on the other hand, has been reasonably consistent barring a mediocre May, and still has yet to blow a save opportunity, converting on a team record 44 in a row this season.
On the verge of clinching the division, the Tigers still have plenty to play for. Home field advantage, Verlander's MVP candidacy, the team record winning streak and Valverde's saves run are still at stake. They also must continue to prove that they are not just a product of a weak division, as they are 46-21 against division opponents and 41-41 against everyone else. This is the time of year that you want to see your team get hot and carry it through the playoffs and the Tigers appear to be doing just that. Hold on to your hats folks, even though the Twins aren't chasing them down there promises to be plenty more suspense as the regular season comes to a close.
Let's win it all for Sparky and Ernie!
"For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
the flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Best music of 2011...so far
One of the many passions in my life is music and I scour the internet nearly every day for tasty new jams. As my own personal library expands with stuff one would likely never hear on today's pop radio, I thought I'd help increase the exposure (albeit minimally) of some much deserving artists while hopefully opening up some ears of friends.
Producer Amerigo Gazaway has released an album of mashups from very different genres creatively titled Fela Soul, featuring the smooth and cerebral hip hop testimonials of De La Soul draped over the African rhythms of Nigerian instrumentalist Fela Kuti. The album consists of 8 dance-able tracks and includes a touch of the Gorillaz on the album closing Feel Good Inc. If you enjoy old school, laid-back hip hop and/or tribal beats, this is a must get.
Toro y Moi's Chaz Bundick has made music that has been categorized under the chillwave umbrella and his latest EP Freaking Out does not disappoint. Lo and hi fi mix with retro dance synths to get you out of your seat. This is easily one of the year's best dance efforts to date.
Beirut's Zach Condon has evolved his sound through many cultural influences, combining elements of Eastern European folk with Western pop. His band employs many diverse and non-traditional musical instruments, including the rotary valve flugelhorn, the ukulele, the mandolin and horns not typically found in pop. This unique instrumentation is complimented by his extraordinarily different and beautiful voice. Santa Fe is an ode to his home town off of his latest release, The Rip Tide.
Texas based artist and chillwave phenom, Neon Indian released his new album, Era Extrana, this week and this standout immediately got my ears perked. Alan Palomo, aka Neon Indian, creates a collage of synth tones and drum beats that will cause gamer nerds to flood dance halls.
Chillwave pioneer and native Georgian, Ernest Greene released his second full length under the Washed Out moniker earlier this year, this time surrounded by a full band that includes his wife. You can hear his most recognizable hit, Feel it All Around as the theme song of IFC's comedy sketch show Portlandia.
Oklahoman Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent, started out as a member of the Polyphonic Spree and later toured as a member of Michigan native Sufjan Stevens' band before setting out on her own to form St. Vincent. Strange Mercy is her third effort and again showcases her mastery with arrangements as well as her vulnerable and effortless church choir voice.
Austin based four-piece and SXSW mainstay White Denim blend many genres, especially blues and progressive rock to my delight. The above video for album stand out Street Joy may be ripe with over-the-top retro cliche, but the song itself covers all blemishes.
Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring appears to have many influences, especially beat driven hip hop. Both members have backgrounds in more traditional band composition, yet when they are producing as Purity Ring they are at their best. Looped and sampled synth beats are laid out and Megan James' ghostly vocals dress them up. I can't wait for the upcoming complete release.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Benefits of Consideration
Throughout mankind, there has been a struggle to explain the inexplicable, to put meaning to random occurrences and tragic circumstances. Well before man had the means to explore the composition of the solar system and shape of the earth, he was searching for answers. How did man come to be? Why was he chosen as the most intelligent life form on earth? What is his purpose?
Thousands of years later, man has yet to come to a consensus on these answers. Science tells us that man evolved, like all other organisms, from an ancestral gene pool. This is the foundation of evolution on earth, and is probably the hardest concept involved in these discussions for one to fully comprehend. How could a pool of amino acids and nucleotides that formed single cell organisms become everything that we see around us?
There must have been some form of divine intervention, right?
Religion has long fought the tide of scientific discovery, from forcing Galileo to live out his life under house arrest due to his contention of heliocentrism to today's denial of climate change and the battle of Creationism vs. Evolution. The world's most prominent religions have been around for thousands of years, rooted in the times before most of these scientific revelations. The words of scripture of these faiths were written well before this knowledge became more or less universal, and the churches themselves have continued to appeal to these antiquated beliefs.
Our ancestors lived in a time where government and religion fully intertwined, where religious persecution from the ruling majority resulted in mass extinction, genocide. If you didn't comply with the King's beliefs you were tried for heresy and treason, if you didn't fit the Fuhrer's mold, you were imprisoned and tortured. Still today, differences in religion force a great divide in areas of the middle east and Africa as thousands, if not millions, are killed annually, many more forced to leave their homes in search of a land without persecution.
Fundamentally, there is little difference between followers of one religion and the next, as well as non-believers. Christians believe in their God but no others, Muslims believe in their Allah but no others and atheists believe in one less deity than the rest. Quite obviously, not everyone can be right but who is to say, one way or the other?
Since no conclusion can be reached unanimously, the question becomes where do we draw the line with regard to implementing beliefs into universal law? We can all universally agree that things like rape and murder are unjust and immoral, but what about where the water gets a little murkier? What about allowing everyone to marry whoever they choose? What about allowing women to dress how they would like? What about allowing women to have a say in their health decisions? What about allowing everyone to vote?
We are all entitled to our beliefs, our opinions. We are not entitled to imposing our belief systems on others. History teaches us that many lives have been lost over arguments that could have been avoided with open minds. Because something is right for one, does not make it right for all. If you think gays shouldn't be able to marry because the "Bible tells you so," remember that the same Bible also states that the earth is flat and the center of the universe. If you think that the first priority of a woman is to be a wife and mother as Sharia law dictates, remember that we live in a free society where religion and law do not intersect. Be grateful for the separation of church and state, keeping in mind the slippery slope that entails.
There will always be many contentious issues in life. The best thing all of us can do is to look at these issues objectively, with an open mind and heart. Consider all sides of the issue, not just how it relates to you and your beliefs. Above all else, be truly considerate of your fellow man and woman.
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and have their shoes." - Jack Handey
Thousands of years later, man has yet to come to a consensus on these answers. Science tells us that man evolved, like all other organisms, from an ancestral gene pool. This is the foundation of evolution on earth, and is probably the hardest concept involved in these discussions for one to fully comprehend. How could a pool of amino acids and nucleotides that formed single cell organisms become everything that we see around us?
There must have been some form of divine intervention, right?
Religion has long fought the tide of scientific discovery, from forcing Galileo to live out his life under house arrest due to his contention of heliocentrism to today's denial of climate change and the battle of Creationism vs. Evolution. The world's most prominent religions have been around for thousands of years, rooted in the times before most of these scientific revelations. The words of scripture of these faiths were written well before this knowledge became more or less universal, and the churches themselves have continued to appeal to these antiquated beliefs.
Our ancestors lived in a time where government and religion fully intertwined, where religious persecution from the ruling majority resulted in mass extinction, genocide. If you didn't comply with the King's beliefs you were tried for heresy and treason, if you didn't fit the Fuhrer's mold, you were imprisoned and tortured. Still today, differences in religion force a great divide in areas of the middle east and Africa as thousands, if not millions, are killed annually, many more forced to leave their homes in search of a land without persecution.
Since no conclusion can be reached unanimously, the question becomes where do we draw the line with regard to implementing beliefs into universal law? We can all universally agree that things like rape and murder are unjust and immoral, but what about where the water gets a little murkier? What about allowing everyone to marry whoever they choose? What about allowing women to dress how they would like? What about allowing women to have a say in their health decisions? What about allowing everyone to vote?
We are all entitled to our beliefs, our opinions. We are not entitled to imposing our belief systems on others. History teaches us that many lives have been lost over arguments that could have been avoided with open minds. Because something is right for one, does not make it right for all. If you think gays shouldn't be able to marry because the "Bible tells you so," remember that the same Bible also states that the earth is flat and the center of the universe. If you think that the first priority of a woman is to be a wife and mother as Sharia law dictates, remember that we live in a free society where religion and law do not intersect. Be grateful for the separation of church and state, keeping in mind the slippery slope that entails.
There will always be many contentious issues in life. The best thing all of us can do is to look at these issues objectively, with an open mind and heart. Consider all sides of the issue, not just how it relates to you and your beliefs. Above all else, be truly considerate of your fellow man and woman.
"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and have their shoes." - Jack Handey
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Dating and Deception
Humans are intelligent animals, for the most part, however we don't always use these smarts for our collective best interests, but instead to deceive and manipulate. We design breathtaking architecture, program mind-blowing software and create synthetic body organs. We also swindle each other of money, morals, pride and trust. Many people will do anything to achieve the social standards and norms set forth by history and our parents (though that is another topic for another day).
It is widely accepted that one needs to marry, start a family, buy a house and build a prosperous (monetarily) career to be considered a success. The romanticizing of this ideal starts at a young age and the fairy tale is drilled into every little girl's head, princess waiting on her prince, good intentions and picket fences abound. I believe this is a great ideal, not necessarily right for everyone, but the means to the end have veered us way off course.
Courtship is constantly modernizing, yet lacks evolution. Gone, for the most part is chivalry, replaced by a mix of feminism and apathy, but what remains is far more troubling. Dating starts off as "getting to know each other", but what is really being sold? More likely a polished turd than a dusty gemstone.
There comes a time in each relationship where things become more comfortable. Makeup isn't always applied, morning breath is shared, flatulence rears its ugly head. In a lot of cases, the gloves come off, tact becomes less inherent and frustrations mount. No longer are we trying to impress each other, rather reverting to something more similar to our actual selves.
First dates and dinners and movies and ball games and ice skating and concerts. We spend a lot of time painting misleading self-portraits. We shouldn't be impressed by the expensive car, the spray tan and the flashy jewelry yet we are. What really lies behind what our eyes see and our ears hear?
It is widely accepted that one needs to marry, start a family, buy a house and build a prosperous (monetarily) career to be considered a success. The romanticizing of this ideal starts at a young age and the fairy tale is drilled into every little girl's head, princess waiting on her prince, good intentions and picket fences abound. I believe this is a great ideal, not necessarily right for everyone, but the means to the end have veered us way off course.
Courtship is constantly modernizing, yet lacks evolution. Gone, for the most part is chivalry, replaced by a mix of feminism and apathy, but what remains is far more troubling. Dating starts off as "getting to know each other", but what is really being sold? More likely a polished turd than a dusty gemstone.
There comes a time in each relationship where things become more comfortable. Makeup isn't always applied, morning breath is shared, flatulence rears its ugly head. In a lot of cases, the gloves come off, tact becomes less inherent and frustrations mount. No longer are we trying to impress each other, rather reverting to something more similar to our actual selves.
First dates and dinners and movies and ball games and ice skating and concerts. We spend a lot of time painting misleading self-portraits. We shouldn't be impressed by the expensive car, the spray tan and the flashy jewelry yet we are. What really lies behind what our eyes see and our ears hear?
Let's be honest, we would all be in a better place if we were all comfortable with ourselves first. Accepting and loving who we are would go a long way in establishing a strong foundation for a loving relationship. Make that first date about exposing yourselves (not you perv!), putting true self on display. Spare hurt and remorse, save time and sanity. Talk about your shortcomings at least as much as your best qualities, put it all out there so your partner is not surprised when you smell like stripper perfume or you have melted chocolate in your pocket. Explain why you sit on the toilet for a half hour. Describe why you are obsessed with fake sports. Tell the story about that time you got fired for fellating a co-worker in the restroom. Up the ante, be yourself, honestly.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Why so BIG?
Americans have plenty of obsessions, but size obsession seems especially deep-rooted. Life as a competition starts particularly early for boys, as they are steered toward sports at early ages. I remember comparing my cognitive abilities with classmates as early as 1st grade, battling each other at Minute Math, littering hanging poster board with shiny star stickers. I don't think I was the only one in the class with that line of thinking, as a few of my nemeses stared back at me while I surveyed the room. This love of competition is fostered by the encouragement received from adults and the admiration/resentment from your peers, whether your victory was academic or athletic. Ultimately, competitive needs begin to interfere with emotional feelings, insecurities and inadequacies. The teenage years serve as an awkward playground for these feelings to fester.
Take a look at the high school kid with the curtain-like shirt, shoes a size too big, pants hanging off of his ass. He gets picked up by his father driving the Escalade, off to get dinner in combo form from the fast food joint where ordering a small gets you a medium and so on. Chubby father piles out of the driver side and ambles toward the door, greeted by his collagen injected bride wearing her 4 carat rock, hair to the door frame. Twenty-something daughter marches by, cell phone attached to ear, silicone holding steadfast. Commercial for penis enlargement blares in the living room, paper bags of empty calories and heart disease spread across the counter.
Big cars, big meals, big muscles, big personalities, big body parts, big bank accounts. The American Dream. Home of the free, land of the imperial.
"Soldiers lost their lives so I could drive my truck with the 'Calvin pissing on Ford' sticker"
People of both genders live their whole lives with body issues, feeling like they could never meet the so-called standards of beauty. The words "normal" and "perfect" exist, but their meanings do not. Yet people will always strive to win the invisible game played within their own minds.
"I have a better job."
"I have a prettier wife."
"My car is more expensive."
"I have a gold watch."
"My penis is bigger."
"My bank account has more zeroes."
Can we really call it a game if everybody loses?
Take a look at the high school kid with the curtain-like shirt, shoes a size too big, pants hanging off of his ass. He gets picked up by his father driving the Escalade, off to get dinner in combo form from the fast food joint where ordering a small gets you a medium and so on. Chubby father piles out of the driver side and ambles toward the door, greeted by his collagen injected bride wearing her 4 carat rock, hair to the door frame. Twenty-something daughter marches by, cell phone attached to ear, silicone holding steadfast. Commercial for penis enlargement blares in the living room, paper bags of empty calories and heart disease spread across the counter.
Big cars, big meals, big muscles, big personalities, big body parts, big bank accounts. The American Dream. Home of the free, land of the imperial.
"Soldiers lost their lives so I could drive my truck with the 'Calvin pissing on Ford' sticker"
People of both genders live their whole lives with body issues, feeling like they could never meet the so-called standards of beauty. The words "normal" and "perfect" exist, but their meanings do not. Yet people will always strive to win the invisible game played within their own minds.
"I have a better job."
"I have a prettier wife."
"My car is more expensive."
"I have a gold watch."
"My penis is bigger."
"My bank account has more zeroes."
Can we really call it a game if everybody loses?
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Master of the obvious, and other stuff too
The future supposedly has never been more bleak. Debt is spiraling out of control. Anti-government sentiment is spreading like wildfire all over the world. And yet, here I am expressing my frustrations on a laptop, looking down brow furrowed at our collective inability to decipher fact from political rhetoric.
We have many options at our fingertips these days when it comes to information gathering, none of which require too much work. But I have decided to take it one step further and make it even easier, by collecting useful tidbits and extrapolating on them for your entertainment/education/irritation. I plan to use this space to express my opinion, share facts, make us laugh and to sell out to corporate America. Come along for the ride, won't you?
We have many options at our fingertips these days when it comes to information gathering, none of which require too much work. But I have decided to take it one step further and make it even easier, by collecting useful tidbits and extrapolating on them for your entertainment/education/irritation. I plan to use this space to express my opinion, share facts, make us laugh and to sell out to corporate America. Come along for the ride, won't you?
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