must be rhythm bound

thedame: - And Don?- I saw his soul leave his body. More...

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:28:09 -0400

- And Don?
- I saw his soul leave his body.

More dancing!

This year has been a big one for me: First year back in Minneapolis. First year with a legit job....

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:38:00 -0500

This year has been a big one for me: First year back in Minneapolis. First year with a legit job. First year as, gulp, an adult. First year of not living in my head so much. First year of eliminating anyone toxic from my life and only sticking with those who make me want to be a better person. First year of getting closer to 100% cool with who I have become and am trying to be.

For as long as I can remember my mother has taught me that, “Change is good!” Begrudgingly I do have to agree. It is exhilarating to embrace the new and unknown but it is also terrifying. It forces you to really look at yourself and grow some lady balls. Just in case no one has ever told you before, growing lady balls ain’t easy. It is much easier to recoil and go back to the world you have created inside of your headphones. I will be the first to admit that I am all too guilty of this. Fortunately for a recovering hermit like me there was some beautiful music put out this year that gave me a much needed slap me in the face and woke me up to real life.

Here is the soundtrack to my year of change - the albums that brought to life all of my happiest times of the past year, and the artists that inspired me to grow. I doubt there are any real surprises* but goddamn if they aren’t good. My only hope is that a couple of them may find their way into your heart and kick start something new for you, too.

Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones

Let’s get right to the point: Frank has the perfect ideology. With EKMP he exudes the kind of ferocity and love that I have always been too scared to adopt in my own life. Whenever any of my students are having a rough time I have them listen to this album. We sit down on my couch, drink some tea, and forget all the rest. No matter what mood I am in, no matter how lonely, sad, or angry I feel this never fails to put the biggest fucking smile on my face. It is impossible to not start shouting out each word with him. How did I even operate without his music before? I can’t even begin to describe how much I love this. Frank Turner is my new religion.

White Wives – Happeners

WW was in rotation more than anything else in my entire music collection this year. No kidding. There were a couple weeks there where I listened to nothing but Happeners. On repeat. Full blast. Can’t you just feel it? It is that special kind of passion and love for what you do that is simply contagious. Windows down, volume up, belting it out, and speeding across 394. My summer in a nutshell. A dear friend summed it up best: “Their name comes from the Dutch Provo movement. Dadaism, Eastern philosophy, Situationist International - these guys are smart and ridiculously well-read, and the lyrics reflect that.” You don’t need to be an Anti-Flag fan to get behind that (trust me, I never really was one either).

4onthefloor – 4x4

Most people know I love me some blues rock and I love me some stompin’. I also love zombies, drinking on Tuesdays, and dudes with beards yelling with voices that prove they know all too well what the bottom of a bottle of whiskey looks like. And be still my heart, these gents combine all of that. Some of my best memories of the year involve 4onthefloor (Pizza Luce Block Party, West Bank Music Fest, Movies in the Park, Beer Fest, Zombie Pub Crawl…) and 4x4 captures all of that great energy perfectly.

Scroobius Pip – Distraction Pieces

Whoever lives in the apartment next to mine either loves me or loathes me. There is no middle ground. For the past couple of months I have had the tendency to play Distraction Pieces in my bedroom around 1 am, and rather loudly at that. I have always loved Pip (“The Beat That My Heart Skipped” and “Thou Shalt Always Kill”, anyone?!), so I could not have been more giddy when I heard that he was dropping a solo album. Rarely do I find an album like this that makes me excited to hit replay before I even finish the first listen (or second, or third). I really don’t know how he hasn’t been sued for “The Struggle” yet, but it hardly matters. His lyricism just as quick witted and biting as it was when he was working with dan le sac - “You see a mousetrap? I see free cheese, and a fucking challenge!” Doesn’t get much better than that.

Nick 13 – Nick 13

I used to despise country with that special kind of ferocity I tend to reserve for things like the drinking coffee or that wretched Dead Like Me movie. Not long ago however, I embraced my inner ’betty and got hooked on old school rockabilly. Nick 13’s solo debut is full of nostalgia and longing like any good country music should but without the all too common assault the genre tends to have on my eardrums. It also is ridiculously cute and cozy, offering up a special vulnerability that I am quite jealous of, if I am allowing myself to be completely honest… not something you’d necessarily expect from Tiger Army’s frontman. Did I mention that the album also features new versions of “In the Orchard” and “Cupid’s Victim”? Love. And on a personal note: I am sorry, Nick, for ditching out on your show at the Entry to see Hanson. What can I say, my loyalty runs deep. Can you forgive me?

Astronautalis – This Is Our Science

First, welcome to the heartland, Andy! MN loves you. Recently I have come to find that I have a bit of a soft spot for fellas from Jacksonville (sorry, I mean #DUVAAAAAL!!!) and Astronautalis continues to prove that he is no exception. Like all men worth crushin’ on he is nerdy in all the right ways, has an innate sense of humor, and is almost too damn charming. This man has so much fire in him during his performances it is a miracle that everyone in the room doesn’t spontaneously combust. Science is certainly his best work yet – more autobiographical while still delving into American history (think of how much better my APUSH score would have been had this been out earlier!) – plus it finally traps a fraction of his stage theatrics into a recording. Your life is empty until you see “Holy Water” live. Just sayin’.

The Black Keys – El Camino

Dan and Patrick listen to The Cramps? Say what? Yes, I too miss the days of their lo-fi, ultra-bluesy recordings (“The Lengths” still breaks my cold, dead heart every damn time). Yes, their earlier albums were better. Yes, the introduction of Danger Mouse into their perfect little bromance years ago changed things drastically, and not always in good ways. But. I. Don’t. Care. Shut up, this is just FUN. Don’t even try to tell me that you don’t catch yourself dancing to it. I don’t even dance and I can’t help myself (ps: thank you for all the sweet new moves, “Lonely Boy” Man!) Any blues band that also cites The Clash and T. Rex as influences has me hooked forever. I think Lux, Joe, and Marc would be proud.

*Okay, okay. Some may be shocked that nothing by Doomtree made the cut and that there are no ladies present on the list. (ATTN: Wanda Jackson – Kick Jack White to the curb. The Party Ain’t Over had such great potential until his asinine production ruined it.)

Also, Tom Waits just wins by default. His genius knows no bounds and he can do no wrong.

Get ready! (ps: Talib Kweli, son!)

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 13:42:28 -0400

Get ready! (ps: Talib Kweli, son!)

I don’t care what you think about Hanson - anyone who...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:39:31 -0400

I don’t care what you think about Hanson - anyone who doesn’t enjoy this is a complete fool

A coach once nicknamed me Sonja Henie, claiming that I never...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 22:19:37 -0400

A coach once nicknamed me Sonja Henie, claiming that I never pointed my toes.

Thinking of starting a retro skating Tumblr if I can get my hands on all my mom’s old albums from when she was in Follies. Who doesn’t love a little 1970’s Shipstads and Johnson?

Yes - we do all know and hate the Smiths guy (don’t get me...

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 21:54:05 -0400

Yes - we do all know and hate the Smiths guy (don’t get me wrong, I love me some Mozzy) but the idea behind this book is just downright insulting.

The book description on Amazon starts: “You never leave home without your iPod. You’re always on the lookout for new bands, and you have strong opinions when it comes to music debates, like Beatles vs. Stones. For years, you’ve listened to men talk about all things music, but the female perspective has been missing. Until now.”

UNTIL NOW? What decade does the publisher think this is? I hardly think that is accurate. I always get in those heated music conversations - late nights with friends, talking back to the radio and pretending I’m on Music Heads, laying down the smack down as the Gogol Bordello/’Mat’s nerd in my Popular Contemporary Music class… My favorite DJs and music geeks are all female. Some of the most musically articulate and passionate people I know are women. The last thing we need is some ex-MTV music programmer to give us Music Listening for Dummies disguised as a cheap High Fidelity knock off. The author even goes so far as to gush over the Twilight soundtrack - the most anti-feminist move she could have taken. Perhaps one Amazon.com reviewer put it best when they said it “SHOULD BE CALLED RECORD COLLECTING FOR GIRLS WHO WORRY WHAT BOYS THINK”.

doyourwardance:

rebelrebelbatcat:

bohemianarthouse:

Trailer for the book Record Collecting for Girls: Unleashing Your Inner Music Nerd, One Album at a Time by Courtney E. Smith

The existence of this book fills me with EXTREME RAGE (as a woman whose life revolves around music/records/making music and has for a very long time).

… FOR GIRLS

… oh, look, cutesy anecdotes about dating and (hetero) partnerships, because it’s all about that and not about our own fucking life and interests and desires

… FOR GIRLS

… pandering!

Fuck you, Courtney E. Smith.

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Photo

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 21:58:39 -0400

Photo

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:44:19 -0400

okhairy: “Yours affectionately” … bearded seated man from...

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:20:52 -0400

okhairy:

“Yours affectionately” … bearded seated man from Philadelphia (c. 1870s)

Mpls for life - and lovin the tags: #milkshakesandcuddles

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:16:14 -0400

xshygirlswinx:

“Hold up, girl, you watch Degrassi? OMG that show is the best! Lemme buy you a sandwich. No wait, how bout a milkshake? Roger’s mom didn’t write him a note so he can’t stay in the van by himself. Do you have a friend that can share a milkshake with him, too?”

Things like this make me want to move to Minneapolis.

70timesseven: keightisgr8: Deliciously hilarious YEAAAHHHHH

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:43:27 -0400

70timesseven:

keightisgr8:

Deliciously hilarious

YEAAAHHHHH

The Bieber Antidote is here at last!

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:40:00 -0400

The Bieber Antidote is here at last!

When I grow up I want to be Nardwuar

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:50:29 -0400

When I grow up I want to be Nardwuar

Bromancin’

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:54:11 -0400

Bromancin’

I have such a crush on all these fine fellas

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:49:40 -0400

I have such a crush on all these fine fellas

Everything about this is perfect

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:22:36 -0400

Everything about this is perfect

Shy Girls Win: She made a dashboard confessional and spilled her guts in cursive

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:48:30 -0400

Shy Girls Win: She made a dashboard confessional and spilled her guts in cursive:

Guilty. I really, really do. haha

xshygirlswinx:

I sometimes skim through my blog and think “Damn, I post some really personal stuff.” And then I start wondering why.

Before, I always figured it was because I grew up doing the livejournal thing where everyone from Ryan Ross to Pete Wentz to Christopher Gutierrez, not to mention the hundreds of…

theniftyfifties: Eddie Cochran

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:01:17 -0400

theniftyfifties:

Eddie Cochran

Marilyn skating!

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:57:46 -0400

Marilyn skating!

P.O.S eating some good ol' cotton candy

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:09:02 -0400