Is this the American Dream???

This decade

So, I was a child of the 80s, and a teenager, college student, and pretending to be a young adult in the 90s. Weren't those decades just great to be an American in? No major wars, no constant fear of terrorism, no Hillary Duff (I kid, but not really). Hell, in the 90s, i even kinda LIKED the president. I suppose I was aware that things were screwed up in other parts of the world, but was relatively unaffected by most of it. Not so today. Now I have to be afraid of everything. If it's not being blown to smithereens by Islamic terrorists, it's spinach. If it's not global warming, it's lead toys. I suppose it's always been this way, and I was just too damn young to care or worry about it. I can't help feeling that something happened at the beginning of the century that made a lot of people very cynical. Oh wait, THERE WAS AN ELECTION. Now I remember! And it all went downhill from there. Let's hope that in 3 years our next decade can bring us back to feeling good about things again.

2007 ROCKS

I'm a musician, but more importantly, I'm a music lover. With that said, I must impose my musical taste on all of you who are bothering to read this blog. I'm in my 30's, but I'm not one of those they-don't-write-'em-like-they-used-to types. I think that there is always great music being made, and those who disagree are either bitter, boring, not paying attention, or simply not looking in the right places. So far, 2007 has been a fantastic year for music. This is my list of great albums (in my oh so humble opinion) up to now this year.

Feist - The Reminder -- Canadian singer songwriter with a voice that can make you melt. The songs are playful, yet moving.

Dntel - Dumb Luck -- The electronic beatmaster from The Postal Service. There are lots of collaborations on this one. I'm particularly fond of Breakfast in Bed, sung by Conor Oberst, which leads us to.......

Bright Eyes - Cassadaga -- He's back! I don't think this album is as good as I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, but pretty great. It almost has this dislocated traveling Americana feel, which I'm more than sure Mr. Oberst is going for.

Son Volt - The Search -- Same old, same old, but it works

Air - Pocket Symphony -- Always nice. And a great song with Jarvis Cocker on vocals. Yes, leading us to...

Jarvis Cocker - Jarvis -- What can I say, this guy just has style. When everyone was warring between Oasis and Blur for who were the masters of Britpop in the 90's, I was like "What about Pulp? They can beat 'em both down!"

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible -- Oh my God! is all I can say on this one! SO GOOD!

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky -- I saved the best for last. It amazes me how these guys just keep topping themselves. Their sound changes with every record, but it is for the better. The musicianship is in tiptop shape. This has to be by far the best guitar work I've heard on record in a long time. Praise be to Nels Cline. I really love these guys. This is a summer album that I know I'll be enjoying for many seasons.

There are other great artists who have put out albums since January, but I haven't had a chance to absorb them. These include Bjork, The White Stripes, Sinead O'Connor, and the Smashing Pumpkins. Also, the new Rilo Kiley is out in August. I'm sure I'll let you know what I think.

Toodles

So it goes

I was saddened to find out today that Kurt Vonnegut died. He was 84 years old. I have been a fan of his for years. I think that Slaughterhouse Five was one of the best novels of the 20th Century. Vonnegut was far head of his time as a writer. His work was funny and horrific at the same time, and despite the bizarre subject matter of many of his books, there was always a powerful presence of humanity. It's sad to know that he's gone, but at least he left behind a great legacy.

Strange but not a stranger

I guess I'm a part of the MTV generation. While I find MTV nearly impossible to stomach now, it had a tremendous impact on my life when I was a child. I will never forget going to my Dad's house on a Friday night when I was about 8. He had just got MTV IN STEREO (for you younger folks, it used to be a big deal for a TV station to have stereo compatibility, and I think MTV might have pioneered that, but not sure). He popped a cassette tape into the stereo and recorded several songs to tape for me. I listened to that tape until it wore out. There were several great songs: Red Skies by The Fixx, Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran, Every Little Thing - The Police, and many more. But there was one song and one video that stood out, Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads. WOW! This video had the kind of impact that a great novel has, or Star Wars. I think that TH had a finger on the mood of the age better than anyone. I will never forget David Byrne shaking around in his business suit, like a tax auditer (everyman) who is way past a nervous breakdown. Far more memorable than the hair-and-makeup popstars that graced MTV at the same time. The lyrics too, seemed to reflect the times, oh the places you may find yourself, and the things you may say to yourself. The money, the excess, the doubt, the confusion of the early 1980's so well illustrated. It's brilliant! Much praise be to Mr. Byrne and Talking Heads for giving this to the world.

Monday Monday

Hi all! To start it off, I have a case of the Mondays, but I guess I have that once every week. Why should this Monday be any different? I had a great weekend: Food, movies, Easter! Nuff said, eh? Isn't Easter the holiday where we celebrate the resurrection of the Easter Bunny? I don't know, but it has something to do with eggs. Another question I have about Easter: Why do they show The Ten Commandments every Easter? Shouldn't they show The Greatest Story Ever Told?

Matisse

Hello Earth! So, we went to the Matisse exhibit at the DMA (Dallas Museum of Arts) on Sunday. Very nice, but not too big. We checked out the Sculpture Gardens as well. It was such a beautiful day! I can't imagine a better thing to have done, honestly. This is the part of the blog where I give out advice, whether you want it or not. Let art be a part of your life! I don't care if it's creating art or experincing it! You must! It's important to your well being! Few things sicken me more these days than when I hear about schools dropping their art, music, and theatre programs. Don't educators understand how important these things are? Of course, I was the guy who never went to football games and went to all of the plays and art events in school.