The Big Move

I've transfered Da Gl-C over to Tumblr. It lets you upload audio and video from your computer (hear that Blogspot? Dinosaur). And it fosters a more social blogging environment with its interface, which I dig. Ya dig?

So from now on, check thegloveco.tumblr.com for all the Gl-C updates.

Take that Google (I still love you, don't worry).

Born Without Bones

This post is a shout out to my good friend Scott Ayotte, whose band, Born Without Bones, is tearing the central Mass music scene up right now. The mixes for BWB's new album, Say Hello, just came in, and Da Gl-C got the inside scoop. Let me tell you, it's not high school shit. It's a legitimately good, super polished album. I'd say it's good enough to compete with a lot of the indie rock out there today, and that's not because I'm his friend.

BWB just put my favorite track, "Falling Asleep," up on its Tumblr and Myspace. Listen to it. If you're not humming the chorus 3 hours later I owe you money.

You can download and listen to a rougher copy on the band's Bandcamp. Tracks to look out for are "Say Hello," "Consider This," and "GKN." But don't let me tell you, listen for yourself! Support (awesome) local music!

This album is not afraid to take chances. The difference between "Sound Of A Crowded Room" and "Out Of Step," in both tone and style, is pretty drastic. There aren't many local musicians (or nationally-recognized for that matter) that can easily jump from introspective indie-acoustic to bouncy Green Dayish pop-punk and make it work. In BWB's case, it works.

If you're looking for an energized, earnest mix of Jimmy Eat World and The Get Up Kids with a few pinches of more indie influence for flavor, give this band a shot.

BWB will release the full album on its Bandcamp Nov 16. Mark your calendars!

And here's a little video of the man himself doing "Say Hello" acoustic.

A suggestion

If anyone out there wants to expand their musical horizons, the blog Mind The Gap gives really good insight into music scenes that are often neglected but still really interesting, and also puts music into a more socioeconomic perspective.

The best way to put it is this blog is kind of like reading The New Yorker, except for music. Even if it's not your style (it's hardly mine), it can still be interesting to see what else is out there.

Study Music

Since I spend the bulk of my time nowadays hunched over a book or Microsoft word. I know a lot of my readership can probably relate. So the issue of good study music has been an important one to me.

Now, as a second preface, I cannot listen to music when I do anything that requires problem solving, so that's basically anything besides reading. Papers I write while listening to music have the tone of a 5th grader, and I absolutely cannot do math (not that I can with open ears either).

Actually, an interview I conducted for a class with Cornell University Music/Sociology Professor Trevor Pinch revealed that I may not be alone in this. In a study he did with his own students, he found that many of them noticed improved concentration in reading while listening to certain rhythmic dance or electronic music. But when it came to solving a problem, many students found music to get in the way of their concentration.

So, reader, you heard the man. Listening to certain music may actually help concentration while reading. Win, win, right?

Here are a few albums I find enjoyable without distracting me from the task at hand.

1. El Ten Eleven - El Ten Eleven

This album is interesting. It's kind of like indie baroque music (for all the uneducated masses out there, think Bach and Mozart). The album is instrumental, with keys, guitar, bass and drums. The melodies are interesting but not abrasive, the drums constant and driving, and there is almost always a fast-moving part underlying everything. There's a lot going on, but it all melds together, creating a constant, enjoyable soundscape, much like a Bach or Mozart piece.

Check out the opener, "My Only Swerving," below (I've written about this band and this song before. Sorry, anyone who remembers).

Nothing's too distracting, and there are no lyrics to zone into, so you can keep your head buried in the textbook I know you love reading.

2. This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You

This is a Texan band some might call an Explosions In The Sky rip-off, but they're solid nevertheless. Listen to this if you're in a dark place, or reading anything in the social sciences (because that will inevitably put you in a dark place. Anthropology majors out there, you know what I mean). The album is incredibly slow and brooding. Almost every song is written around a slow, incremental build. They like to take their sweet-ass time, but it works, especially when reading about The World Trade Organization's willingness to utterly abuse Third World exporters. That's right WTO, I'm on to you.

Check "Threads." It's probably the most easily accessible song on the album (also the brightest).

3. Yo Yo Ma, Mark O'Connor and Edgar Meyer - Appalachian Journey

This album is a really interesting combination of old-timey folk, bluegrass and classical styles, played by a trio of astronomically talented classical musicians. It's all instrumental, save for a songs featuring James Taylor ("Hard Times Come Again No More") and Alison Kraus ("Slumber My Darling"). For the most part, it's brisk and happy and features musicianship you don't hear every day in the rock scene. And hey, it could cheer you up after hour 5 in the library. (Yeah, you're right, nothing will. Sorry I brought it up.)

Check my favorite, "Emily's Reel."

Happy studying! I should do some of that myself now.

New Death Cab, New Direction

Death Cab for Cutie will release their 7th full-length in the spring. So far, the band has said very little about the album, but a Spin Magazine interview-turned-article with Death Cab frontman Ben Gibbard proved to be very revealing.

The main point to take away is that this album will take Death Cab in a new direction. Gibbard said the album will be much more

keys based than guitar (the bulk of Death Cab's older work is heavily guitar based), and Gibbard described this one as "much more of a construction project." With Narrow Stairs, their last full-length, and others, the songs were simply constructed and conducive to playing live. Not this one, according to Gibbard.

The album has yet to be named and will feature 12 to 13 songs.

More importantly – and something I've been touching upon in my past few posts – is the album wont be as depressing lyrically. Narrow Stairs was a really depressing album, with songs like "You Can Do Better Than Me" and "The Ice is Getting Thinner." Gibbard said he wants to move away from that, away from the self loathing.

Please do! Death Cab you're my favorite band but sometimes you just bring me down. Maybe this album will have a little cheer. One can only hope.

But anyway, more keys, less depression. Sounds good to me.

The only negative is the band isn't as young as they used to be, they all have either wives or whole families, so the tour may not be all the extensive. But hey, I wouldn't want to leave Zoey Deschanel for 7 months anyway.

The Cat Knows Best

As my last post laid out, rock music can be downright depressing and lack silver lining.

But not this song.

"Plea From A Cat Named Virtue" by The Weakerthans, off Reconstruction Zone, is an incredibly cute and even more uplifting song written from the perspective of a cat, Virtue.

It's a song for those who find themselves in a relationship-inspired rut they can't get out of, and who better to get you out of your rut than a cat that couldn't care less? Cats don't care about anything, and people who find themselves in a rut could learn from that.

Here's the song below,

Notice how there's not one mention to the love interest that started it. Virtue knows it doesn't matter.

And Virtue knows this guy is essentially being a masochist, that there's no logic to it, no reason. The cat doesn't care why he's doing it. The "Self-defeating lies [he's] been repeating" aren't getting him anywhere.

Bitter songs, like the protagonist of this story – and most rock musicians – sing are pretty overrated, there's no comfort in them, and no way out. They drag you back into sadness. But a cat telling you to suck it up, have fun, and "let your losses dangle off"? Now that's a step in the right direction.

In any case, this is one of the most lyrically creative song I've heard in a while. On top of that, it urges the listener not to dwell on the past.

I'll meow to that.

John Legend and the Roots, a match made in funk heaven?

I'd like to preface this post by saying that over the summer, I really delved into hip hop in a way I hadn't before, and now I love it, especially The Roots.

They're the most genuine, earnest and badass hip hop group I know of (and also one of the most prolific with 12 studio albums, a Gramy and 6 Grammy nominations). If you're looking to get into them, I'd suggest starting with Game Theory, then moving on to Things Fall Apart and How I Got Over. If you dig, get Organix, their first full length. If all goes according plan, it'll slap you in the face with funk.

Now on to the main point of this post. The Roots recently paired up with funk manic John Legend for an album of politically charged 60s and 70s funk covers titled Wake Up. NPR is streaming the entire album for free if you care to check it out. It's really great, especially "Compared To What." More funk than I could ever handle.

To top it all off, JL and The Roots decided to do a cover of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," off their 2004 full-length Funeral.

Check it, so much soul. And you'll rarely find r&b and hip hop acts covering british indie rock, so soak it up.

And how could I forget to mention ?est Love, The Roots' fro-laden beatmaster. Check how much love he puts into that kit. We need more drummers like him.

Chef Bill! Rice and Beans Edition

Welcome back me! And welcome back any readers I didn't lose in the three month hiatus I took from this!

I'ma start to encompass my cooking ideas, adventures and aspirations in da Gl-C. Why? Because fuck you, that's why. Also, It's my blog and I do what I wanna.

So here goes.

If you're ever feeling really lazy but want something delicious, pour a can of pinto beans and half a box of white rice into a pan. Add water until the rice and beans are just just submerged (add water as necessary during cooking to keep them covered with water), cook on a mediumish setting until the rice gets soft (depends on the rice and the heat but it usually takes 5-10 minutes,) then bring the burner down to simmer, add a liberal amount of salt and pepper (and heavy d up in the limousine) and one packet of Sazón Goya con Culantro y Achiote and stir until well mixed.

Sazón Goya is to rice and beans like Thousand Island dressing is to the Big Mac. It just makes it.

If you wanna get crazy, add some red or green peppers, jalepeneos and grilled chicken into the mix.

I learned this timeless yet incredibly simple recipe from Rafael Reyes, my crafty Dominican co-worker. Thanks Raff.

Moving Furniture Trumps My Life

During the summer I move furniture. It's a lucrative job. I make more money than I would anywhere else. But it has its drawbacks, particularly for the upkeep of this blog. As you can see, my postage has really fallen by the wayside.

When I get home from an eight to 12 hour day at Scott Relocation Services, I'm completely exhausted, and not the kind of exhausted found after staying up too late or going on a long bike ride. My job produces a complete state of mental and physical exhaustion. I don't want to do anything when I get home, even if it's as easy as writing a blog post.

But I'll do my best.

As for now, I really don't feel like writing anything.

Summer! The Official Bill Shaner Mix

Summer is upon us! Well, maybe just me. This is is a glimpse at what's coming out of my speakers until september.

Telekinesis! - Telekinesis!

Michael Lerner, a twenty-something from Seattle Washington, writes and records everything Telekinesis! puts out, which is one album: Telekinesis!. I've been a big fan of it recently. It has a great natural sound and most of the album is catchy ("Calling all Doctors" in particular. Note how he plays drums on stage, that's really cool.) Better yet, the album was produced in part by Chris Walla, Death Cab for Cutie's guitarist/producer. Can you hear it? After I found out, I thought this song has a feel similar to The Photo Album, Death Cab's third full length; especially with "I Was A Kaleidoscope." The guitar and drum tones are a pretty similar.

But back to "Coast of Carolina," It's engergized and up-beat. If you see me rollin' 'round Milford any time soon, I may be making a fool of myself singing along at the top of my lungs.

Jónsi- Go

This is another good sing-along (if you're up on your Icelandic – yes, that is a real language). Jónsi is the head man of Sigur Rós, a good post-rock act and he recently put out his own solo project, Go. It retains a Sigur Rós feel – kind of abstract, slow paced with rich harmonies – while infused with some Coldplay-ish pop elements.

Here's the album's first track, "Go Do."

It's fun and different, a combination I don't often come by. It hooked me so much that I'm seeing him tonight at the House of Blues in Boston. It's gunna be fun. I haven't been to a good, fun show in a while and I'm excited.

Adventure Plus – In Case of Fire

Music doesn't get much more fun or energetic than this. A couple guys that graduated from my high school a few years before me put this together. Every part, whether it be vocals, drums, guitar, bass, is constantly moving. It makes you wanna jump and it'll be stuck in your head all day. Sometimes I forget these guys are local, because they have a sound that could take them places.Unfortunately there's no convenient youtube links since they aren't very big yet, but they've been kind enough to offer their album, In Case Of Fire, up for download. I highly suggest you get it.

Every song on that album is great for summer, but the best are "Go Home" and "We Killed The Carpool." So download the album and get these songs on your summer playlists!

Happy listening!

Regina Spektor Covers Radiohead's "No Surprises"

Spektor put this awesome cover on her website a few days ago. And let me tell you, it's awesome. Did I mention how awesome it is?

Regina is selling the song on iTunes and the proceeds will go to the Doctors Without Borders Emergency Relief Fund for recently earthquake-stricken Chile and Haiti.

The song is fitting, especially for Haiti, whose government and economy are among the most volatile in the world.

Yorke writes and Regina sings, "A heart that's full up like a landfill/A job that slowly kills you . . . Bring down the government, they don't speak for us." Words any poor Haitian citizen with a shabbily constructed house and an even worse income could say. "I'll take the quiet life/A handshake, some carbon monoxide/No alarms and no surprises."

It's actually haunting to listen to or read these lyrics with Haiti or Chile in mind, and I'd say that's the desired effect.

So you could buy the song on iTunes to do your part (and get a really awesome cover).

And you can listen to the original Radiohead version here.

Death Cab To Start Recording 7th Album

You heard it here first! Well maybe, but I heard it here and here first.

But anyway, Gibbard announced a few days ago that Death Cab for Cutie will begin recording in the summer and plan to release their album early next year.

The album doesn't have a name yet, but Chris Walla, the band's guitarist and producer, said it'll sound like something in between Narrow Stairs' "live and lose" feel and the more polished Plans, according to an MTV report.

Here is Gibbard discussing the album over the phone with MTV.

MTV Shows

Seems like the band's doing it for the right reasons, and it seems

like Gibbard's excited. That's one thing I've always liked about

Death Cab. They just have fun. If I could pick one band and say

they'll never break up, it would be Death Cab. There's just no big personalities or butting heads, and they love making music.

I expect to grow up with Death Cab. I want them to keep producing good music for decades. I want to hear their music

mature and age with them. And I want them to keep doing it for

no other reason than that it's what they love.

Chinese v. American

So I was reading the New Yorker (yes, I am an un-American leftist looney) and I happened upon an article written by a man who was born and raised in America, lived in China for 10 years, then came back. The article, titled "Go West, Scenes from an American Homecoming," essentially compares and contrasts Chinese and American life.

I really hesitated to write about this because the full article isn't free online. You can access it with a digital subscription or in the magazine ($6 anywhere that sells magazines). But I'll do my best to make this interesting without access to the article. Read a preview of it if you want, though it won't help much.

Anywho, I immediately liked the article because it didn't portray the Chinese as the communist drones we tend to think of (and saw in the opening ceremony of The Olympics). Instead, the author used language like, "Everybody [in China] seems to live in the moment," and he portrayed the Chinese moving crew who packed his apartment as incredibly hard and efficient workers, harder workers than the Americans who unpacked it on the other side. (Wait, I thought communism promotes laziness?). To be fair, he was also living in Shanghai, one of the more free places in China.

More interesting still was the comparison between Chinese conversation and American. What the author, Peter Hessler, noticed was the Chinese ask questions, see conversations as a way to gather information and learn. They don't do much in the way of sharing personal experiences, stories or ideas. The Americans, Hessler argues, are more quick to tell a story, share an experience, and they're much lighter on the questions. He said that where the Chinese listen, the Americans wait for their turn to speak.

Best example (I'll type it up, shhh don't tell the New Yorker):

The [American] driver talked non-stop for a hundred and twenty miles, He told stories about his ex-wife, and he described his studies of Biblical Hebrew; he had strong opinions about the Book of Daniel. Nowadays, he lived in a trailer court, but during the nineteen-sixties he had travelled for France, Spain, Greece, and Turkey. "I had a rich uncle who took me there."

"Wow, that must have been nice," I said. "What did your uncle do?"

"That was Uncle Sam."

People in China never talked like that. They didn't like to be the center of attention, and they took little pleasure in narrative. They rarely lingered on interesting details. It wasn't an issue of being quiet; in fact, most Chinese could talk your ear off about things like foodand money and weather, and they loved to ask foreigners questions. But they avoided personal topics . . . Probably it was natural in the culture where people live in such close contact, and where everything revolves around the family or some other group. (Page 53)

This says a lot about the difference between American and Chinese culture. In China, the basic ideal is the common good – everything for the country and everything from the country. America, however, is focused on the individual. We were all taught to be our own person, raise ourselves up, chase the american dream. America, at least modern America, is built on the rugged individualism ideal: life is for the taking, for personal triumph. Whereas in China, life is for the living, and for the betterment of the community.

So it makes sense that Americans like personal stories more. Life is all about personal goals and successes, and our own life story tends to be a favorite; just look at how stacked the biography section is at any bookstore. Everyone likes writing about themselves. We are very selfish creatures here in the U.S. of A. Gotta look out for number one (and turn number one's past experiences into interesting narratives, thus promoting self-worth through glorification.)

The role of the individual in China is diminished (or maybe it's just put into perspective. Some of my friends could use a little of that). The overbearing sense of one-cog-in-the-machine-ism (like that coinage?) makes personal narratives uninteresting.

I don't know whether that's better or worse than what we have here. But I can say one thing: If I were to tell my own life story, I'd tell it to a Chinese person. At least I know they'd listen.

WikiLeaks and the U.S. Gov'ment's reaction

The concept is simple: submit something your boss/government wouldn't want the public to see so the public can see it. That's right, WikiLeaks.org makes whistle blowing fast and easy.

A really interesting component of the site comes with a video of a U.S. Helicopter mistaking some Reuters journalists and others for Iraqi combatants in 2007 (be careful, it's graphic). That's what got WikiLeaks into the headlines and that's how I found out about it.

More interesting still is the U.S. Government's resistance to releasing the video, and it's resistance to WikiLeaks (I'll talk about that later). Shortly after the killing, Reuters filed a Freedom of Information Act suit to access the video, which the government has resisted to this day. They didn't even investigate the

killings until requested by Reuters.

That poses the question: what should the government keep from us? If you ask me, I will always always always say "absolutely nothing." A democracy can't fully function without all its components in the know and passing judgement (hence newspapers, read one!). That's how a democracy should work, but then again, what we have in the U.S. isn't a true democracy.

Anyway, the government shouldn't keep stuff like this from us. It's important. The people who actually fight wars aren't the suits in Washington playing games with Reuters. The people who fight wars are the (mostly poor, mostly young, mostly with nowhere else to turn) common citizens. To keep them sheltered from what happens in war is vile, manipulative, and propagandizing in the worst sense of the word.

Furthermore, the government tried to ban WikiLeak in 2008. Ironically, their plan was posted on WikiLeaks about a month ago.

The government report included this in their reasoning:

“Several foreign countries including China, Israel, North Korea, Russia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe have denounced or blocked access to the Wikileaks.org website.”

Excuse me? China? Russia? North Korea? Did we not go to war with North Korea to "protect man's basic human right to democracy and freedom"? Did we not spend the better half of the 20th century in an arms race with the "commie bastards" in Russia to, again, "protect democracy and freedom"?

If our government is seriously trying to use the fact that communist countries block access to to this site as a justification for why we should, I'm throwing my hands in the air and promptly moving to Canada.

This goes so contrary to to the ideals of democracy and freedom. It's horrifying. What else have they kept from us? It also raises questions as to whether or not we went to war with Russia (kinda) and North Korea. Was it really to "protect democracy"? Or was it to ensure Russia wouldn't get too powerful and threaten our handle on the world. I'm leaning towards the latter. Maybe it was something else. I mean, hell, there's no way we can know if the government never told us.

In any case, what the government did is disheartening at best. WikiLeaks, however, is not.

Good Music, And It's Free! And There's A Video!

Everyone likes free music, right? Free music is awesome. Free music is even better when its legal. Free music is even even better when it's from The Antlers. It's even even even better when it comes with a video.

The Antlers, whom I've written about before, put a (kinda) new EP, New York Hospitals, plus the music video for "Sylvia" off their full-length Hospice, up for free on their website. They're even nice enough to share the html code for the download tool, so here it is below as well.

The music video is in a style similar to The Antler's others. Its a sort of pseudo-colonial setting, loaded with sepia toning and slow motion. It's confusing given that Hospice is a concept album set in a modern hospital. But whatever, I guess you don't win indie cred with videos that play out a concept album's story. It's a cool looking video regardless.

The EP features an understated electronic remix of "Sylvia." The album version (also used in the video) is grand and climactic, and I like it a lot more than this version, but the EP version is a nice change of pace.

The other song, "Nothing Matters When We're Dancing," is a Magnetic Fields cover. In typical Antler fashion, they take the original song and make it less happy, slower and give it some soul. Not complaining, but I'd really like to see if The Antlers can make a happy song. Hear me, Antlers? Happy. Try it.

Anyway, download it. It's free! And get into The Antlers. I guarantee you'll like 'em. If not, at least you can throw the name around for indie cred.

Ain't no cred like indie cred, as they say (by they I mean me).

Bro-Dude-Guy Music

Last week the inside editor of the my paper (HuntNewsNU.com) asked me to put together a couple playlists for her section. I gladly accepted.

Here's what I came up with. Check it out!

I'm most proud of my "Music for Bro-in' out with some natty ice, chicks and backyard sports" playlist. It's a fine assemblage of everything wholesome, pure and thoughtful about music – the absolute pinnacle of today's music and today's culture. So condoms be damned! Crack open that cold, refreshing light beverage with a girl in each arm, listen and relax.

“Crash Into Me” by Dave Matthews Band

“Unfortunates” by State Radio

“A Milli” by Lil Wayne

“Over” by Drake

“Sex On Fire” by Kings Of Leon

“Rock You Like a Hurricane” by The Scorpions

“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” by Toby Keith

“Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood

“One Love” by Bob Marley

“One More Drink” by Ludacris

Enjoy!

Mike Kinsella: One Up Downstairs, American Football, Owen

Mike Kinsella is the man.

The lead singer of One Up Downstairs, American Football and Owen has lead a long and under-appreciated career, so I'm gunna give it some appreciation.

One Up Downstairs

It started with One Up Downstairs, a four-piece that put out one three-song-long EP. The band had an incredibly short career, but the music it produced rules.

Check out my favorite from the EP, "Rememories," here.

It's fun, upbeat and hooky. The guitar and bass duet rules, and the drums tie it all together. It's an all around fun song.

Mike Kinsella is the lead singer. This song, along with One Up Downstairs' other two, is really light on the vocals, it's much more about the musicianship. As far as I know, Kinsella was not the guitar player in this band as he was in American Football and Owen. Nevertheless, you get a glimpse at his singing style in this song. It's a little airy, far from milky, and lacks grandiose tone, but it's concise and it gets his lyrics across.

American Football

With lyrics in mind, we'll follow Kinsella to his next project, American Football. Musically, American Football is One Up Downstairs on half-speed with added musicianship and added heartbreak.

Get your tissues ready, here's "The Summer Ends" off American Football's self-titled full length.

And here are the lyrics written out.

Thinking about leaving
And how I should say goodbye
With a handshake, or an embrace,
Or a kiss on the cheek,
Or possibly all three

Well maybe I've been wrong
Maybe my intentions are irrelevant
But honestly, it's not just for me
We've both been so unhappy
So let's just see what happens
When the summer ends

I can't tell what I like better. The music is great, but the poetry on its own is just as good. I could contently listen to the music without lyrics or melody, and I could contently read the poetry without the music (and I've never been the biggest poetry guy).

That's what makes American Football. It's a combination of that distinct Kinsella sound: the intricate guitar hook drum beat duet, the time signature changes, the catchy riffs and leads, and the overall funkiness (This is the saddest music I've ever had the urge to move to. Maybe not "The Summer Ends," but "Never Meant" and "I'll See You When We're Both Not So Emotional" are straight groovy); and that distinct Kinsella poetry, as exhibited above.

When the two come together, I cry while dancing.

Owen

One Up Downstairs has one EP to its name. American Football has a full length and an EP. Kinsella's solo project, Owen, is a different story. Owen has produced 5 full lengths and 4 EPs, spanning from 2001 to 2009. American Football's last effort came out in 1999.

Thus, Owen is Kinsella's longest and most productive effort, and it's slowly becoming my favorite. To follow the trend, Owen is slower and more lyric-oriented than American Football. Instead of the electric guitar, bass and drum in One Up and American Football, Owen is acoustic-guitar based, with occasional drums, bass, piano and ambient sounds. Of all Kinsella's projects, this one requires the lowest heart rate to fully enjoy.

His first album as Owen, called Owen, debuted in 2001. It's a 10-song effort, with bountiful sequences of trance-like guitar arpeggios, ambience, and slow, thoughtful poetry.

The second to last (and best) song, "Places To Go," tells the story of a traveling girl – presumably an ex-girlfriend of Kinsella – with some advice-through-poetry.

Before listening, I want you to read the lyrics.

I've a picture of you:

A parisian street

Early morning

Late spring

And I know what you were thinking

You were taking a break from life

You were traveling light

(A pair of walking shoes and a sweater)

You were where you were

When you pictured where you'd be:

Anywhere but home

Well, it's your last chance to change things

I know you've been getting by alright

And alright's okay for the day to day

But for the rest of your life?

An honest face like that

You just can't take back that easy

An honest face like that

I just can't forget too easy

(God knows I'm trying...)

Like I said, I'm no poetry guy, but as far as I'm concerned that's beautiful. It perfectly paints a scene with the first half, then perfectly paints an emotion with the second half.

Now give it a listen (sorry the video's labeled wrong again. It happens). The poetry is the best part of the song, but I feel like the music adds to it, gives it depth.

Owen's albums are all pretty equal, though I haven't given all of them the same attention. The album I've listened to the most beside Owen is At Home With Owen, which has a similar if more developed style.

The two best songs off At Home are "Bad News" and "One Of These Days." Enjoy.

I actually had the pleasure of seeing Kinsella as Owen last november. Northeastern's (the bastion of higher education I have the great honor of attending) music magazine put on a show and Kinsella was the first opener for Kevin Devine. If the aforementioned music magazine had any sense, it would have been the other way around.

Here he is performing to a much-too-small crowd. He played a great set, with all of the songs I've mentioned above and plenty more. But, with Northeastern being the kingdom of bros and biddies, he was booed, talked through, and generally not appreciated, except by the dozen-or-so people in this shot.

Kinsella deserves appreciation. He's one of the best songwriters out there today and he's still coming up with good material nearly 20 years into his career. Yet he still goes largely unnoticed. But then again, he doesn't make a music video in which he's half naked, covered in police tape and making out with a she-male while wearing sunglasses made entirely of lit cigarettes.

I guess that's what it takes these days.