Nooooooooooo!!!!!
An intense ice storm swept over Louisville this week. Something like a quarter million people around Louisville are still without power. Things are apocalyptic. And my car has a branch on it.
It makes you think. I can remember, lucidly, what he was like before he had a huge fucking branch on him. He’s a 1996 Toyota Camry. He’s got four doors that open, as well as close. The “y” is missing on the rear end, so when you ghost ride up from behind, my automobile reads more like “Camr.” That’s where he got his name – Camr’on – named after one of my favorite songwriters (though the apostrophe is in a different place than the actual Cam’ron for logistical purposes). Camr’on and I shared good times and bad. He trudged on like a fucking champ all throughout the holiday pilgrimage quest. He takes me to and from work. He was excited to take us to camping trips in the spring, as well.
Camr’on was efficient – usually scoring 28 to 30 MPG highway. He’s top of his class. Camr’on has a V6 and does not fuck around. It’s not easy being green, but Camr’on pulls it off well. Under some light, he looks blue. And under other light, he looks happy.
Though I will also cherish the memories that I had of Camr’on before he had a branch on him, I will love and accept this new Cam’ron. It’s just like when my grandfather got Alzheimer’s. You learn to love the new person just the same. I’ll miss you Camr’on Sans Branch, but I’m ready to help you (and I as well) learn to accept your new branchful life, Camr’on.
MP3 :::
Incredible String Band – Swift As the Wind
High Places – The Storm
Grouper – Wind and Snow
Swirlies – Park the Car By the Side of the Road
Mayo Thompson – Around the Home
Can – Swan Song
United States of America – Coming Down
We’re still here… supposedly. I don’t mean that in an existential way, simply that the first CERN experiment went well and Earth was not black-hole-swallowed. There will be more though, so let’s hope everyone at CERN brings their A-game, because I’m totally not in the mood to die. The Decibel Tolls hasn’t even been invited to SXSW yet! That has to happen first. However, assuming the Large Hadron Collider functions smoothly, there’s still a grab-bag of apocalyptic scenarios out there to garner a breathy “fuuuuuuck” to slip from your lips.
Continue reading ‘First, Black Holes – Now, The Antichrist! Egad!’
On this holiday celebrating a rather goofy nation, it seemed poignant to post about one of my all-time favorite artists, also somewhat goofy, who happened to adopt a most festive and patriotic namesake – The United States of America.
I’m still blown away every time I consider that this album, their one and only eponymous record, was recorded in 1967!
The United States of America was so far ahead of its time that it sounds futuristic even today. “The American Metaphysical Circus” provides a starting point for the marriage of psych pop with soaring melodic choruses, noise flourishes, and electronic structures adopted later by groups like Broadcast, Need New Body, early Stereolab, et al. Also make note of wonderfully drugged out lyrics: “and the price is right, the cost of one admission is your mind.” Word. “Heresy” is a better and more interesting outtake of “Coming Down” off the original release, and almost evokes a very distinct baroque flavor that, despite its major key tendencies, feels somewhat ominous. Hands down one of the most underrated artists of the ’60s.
MP3 :::
The United States of America – Heresy
The United States of America – The American Metaphysical Circus
Happy America Day…
