Headphones On

Buy some: Eggstone

Posted by Liz at 7:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I put Some Racing, Some Stopping by Headlights on my headphones and opened up a new document to begin typing.
There was an instant smile on my face. Something curious comes over me when I hear music so familiar and happy... I get a little smirk. I like to guess that it’s the music nerd “you don’t know what yer missing out syndrome”¹ or some such. I started to think and type about the smirking when I realized She was reading my lapdog monitor.
She... the celebri-gossip-rag reading Trixie who plopped herself down next to me with her giant Pooh plush blanket during a 5+ hour train ride and proceeded to yell at her boyfriend (referred to as Babe¹) off and on every twenty minutes or so. Apparently, She and Babe were supposed to be going camping this weekend... or so she told every person she could get to answer when she furiously dialed her crackberry for the first hour past Joilet.
Above and beyond the not-so-healthy relationship of She and Babe... I was a rather annoyed. I realize that I post my thoughts for the world to read, but I don’t do that while I’m still developing said thoughts.
She got off the train, an hour before me in Podunk, Illinois. After a furious screaming match with her crackberry She and Babe had split for the weekend and there was "NO WAY I AM GOING ON THAT CAMPING TRIP WITH YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS IF YOU HAVE THAT ATTITUDE BABE!". Good Lord. People seem to have lost all boundaries of public and private space.

¹ Also known as the know-it-all grin.
² Unless she was callling him a pig, but I doubt that had actually occurred to her.

Buy some: Headlights

Posted by Liz at 9:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

You may¹ have noticed that I don't seem to do a lot of writing around here anymore. Why is this? Well... there are a multitude of reasons and I feel a very official looking list coming on...

1. It's not that I'm not writing anymore, but that my meanderings may have taken on a more entrepreneurial tone. More on this later. Maybe.
2. Time. Geez oh pete that Time thing seems not to be my friend. I don't know what I did to good ole Time but I see him less and less until I basically don't feel like we can hang out at all anymore. We've stopped connecting and I need to work on regaining that friendship.
3. Inspiration. I'm a creative. You'd think inspiration would not be a problem for me. You'd be wrong. I tend to notice that my inspiration waxes and wanes in themes... I can be sonically inspired. I can be visually inspired. I can have diarrhea of the fingers or I can stare in futility at a blinky cursor completely unaware of where I want it to lead me. These things all happen but rarely has the musical inspiration coincided with the visual inspiration. I guess this is my round about way of saying my job and the "visual inspiration" portion of my life is taking up an inordinate percentage of my day.
4. Did I mention that Time has stopped returning my calls?

So... in lieu of all these mitigating factors above in the very official looking list... I am considering getting a crackberry. A what? A huh? Yes I know... how could this be a solution to my problem? Well... the free time I do have to think and process things like music and life tends to happen while I'm sitting on a bus or train. Quite frankly I think it's time I took better advantage of my commute... not in a "I'm Going To Have A Machine Glued To My Hand So I Can Play With The Scrolly Wheel Anytime I Please" kind of way but in a "Jot A Quick Note That I Can Email To Myself And Turn Into A More Complete Thought" kind of way.

So... my birthday's coming up... who wants to buy me a Blackberry? ;-)

¹ Or may not? I mean really who am I to think that y'all are waiting with baited breathe on me? Am I that self centered? Answer... no.
²I saw this cat last week... yawn.

Buy some: Jamie Lidell

Posted by Liz at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

As I go through my life there are moments where I pause and think, I should reflect and write on this. Inevitably I am too busy to stop at that second and too easily distracted to remember later. So now that I sit here on a Saturday morning with the luxury of a bit of time at my disposal, sunshine on my toes and a cup of coffee at the ready... I have nothing. To that point though, maybe a few minutes of empty thoughts is a good thing compared to the constant Go Go Go I live in lately.

Things I could tell you, the reader:

1. After years of blissfully ignoring the existence of one Mr. Kelley Stoltz, a Mr. Bart Davenport made a comment way back in March that finally convinced me to listen. I shall take this moment to state... what an idiot I've been. "Your Reverie" is now on repeat.
   
2. Speaking of March, I have actually neglected to give any thoughts on the SxSW experience this year. Ups and Downs (as always) but the constant up uP UP UP was one Mr. Liam Finn. I assure you Crowded-House-loving-naysayers... Liam stands on his own two feet musically and will not always live in his father's shadow. I shall now dub him a live phenom of loop petals and near orgasmic energy. He very quickly became one of those artists whose record took on a new life after the live show.
   
3. I've begun to think Harvey... um Bill has somehow tapped into my musical energy lately. He's called nearly every new sound I'm into to a T (tea? tee?). Kelley Stoltz... hell yes, the Shortwave Set's new record is phenomenal, and the Mystery Jets have surprised me with their sudden pop sensibility. Now if only I'd have convinced him to see Liam Finn w me so he could be equally thrilled with the Kiwis.
   
4. As for Kiwis... For the past 3 months or so the Phoenix Foundation has been in near constant rotation. When I can't decide on a sound or a mood (which strangely keeps happening oh so often lately)... The Phoenix Foundation is always there for me. "Bright Grey" seems to pop into my head all of it's own accord.

Buy some: Kelley Stoltz, Liam Finn, The Shortwave Set, Mystery Jets, The Phoenix Foundation

Posted by Liz at 8:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I never seem to catch up anymore. There's a race going on between me and my to do list and unfortunately, it's always winning. Every time I think I've checked off enough¹, the list grows again. I can see the list way out ahead of me... but it's so far away on the horizon catching it seems impossible. Even armed with my best check marks I just don't know that I am making enough progress to come close to the list.

¹ Unless it's a digital list... then I prefer the strike out to the typical check mark.

Buy some: The Marlboro Chorus, The Brother Kite

Posted by Liz at 6:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I couldn't lay in bed any longer this morning. I was having a dream that snakes suddenly had octopus like tentacles and were stuck to me. Someone in my dream was having a problem pulling a little snake off of my skin, as all it wanted to do was permanently glue itself to me. This is a pretty decent analogy for me trying to shake off the work stress of the moment and fully embrace my vacation.

Should I apologize for not being around "here" lately? I've been too busy living my life to make cynical comments on my life through song. Yeah, I know, totally lame excuse. I'm biding my time until I can get out of this wintery mess that's enveloped me. I tried to escape a few weeks ago with a quick trip to San Francisco and no such luck. I expect sunshine and spring air from this point forward though. Give me Austin or give me... um... whatever.

Buy some: Laura Marling, School of Language

Posted by Liz at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

How hard is it on Valentine's Day is it to post just a few love songs? Turns out, incredibly hard. Although "love" and it's discovery or loss has to be one of the most sung about topics in music, finding just that perfect song to express your sentiments is still near impossible. A few years ago, the other admins at Excellent Online and I put together a little two disc Valentine for the world... Flirt!
Looking back five years now, I'm still amazed at our accomplishment. We managed to wrangle up a few of our friends to give us new tracks, wonderful covers and rare gems. I never knew until that experience how time consuming and hard it was to organize a record release... and we only had to deal with an online release! Regardless, there are still several songs on that compilation that remain some of my favorite love songs of all time.
If I do say so myself, the whole compilation shows how ahead of our time we were. I don't think any of us envisioned Of Montreal becoming the international phenoms they are today or that Marc Maron would go on to be one of the founding voices of Air America radio. We were the first place to release new material from former Ride frontman Mark Gardener and saw a quick reformation of janglepop stars Velocity Girl (which sadly never came to full fruition). I need to thank again everyone who lent their material or time to the success of this compilation... thanks again to ALL OF YOU.

Buy some: Of Montreal, Seth Knappen, The Marlboro Chorus, Sprites, Velocity Girl, Koala, Cinerama

Posted by Liz at 7:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So let me get this straight mr-jerkhole-neighbor-in-a-gigantor-million-dollar-house... you don't have $5 for a bag of salt? All winter we've been putting up with your laziness at shoveling or salting your front walk. While normally this is a mild pain in the ass, these past few weeks it has become downright treacherous. Trying to cross your sidewalk is like hiking Everest in point shoes. I've seen glaciers that are easier to navigate.
This morning I finally lost it on your ridiculous ice crater of a walk. You owe me an ice pack to soothe the bruise forming on my ass right now. Maybe you could make me one by chipping off a few inches of that 6" thick ice block that is your responsibility. You're just lucky I have some experience falling as a former hockey player... cos if I'd seriously hurt myself you better bet at least one of my attorney friends would help me out here.

Buy some: Cocteau Twins, The Go Find, Hooverphonic

Posted by Liz at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I was staring at my reflection in a puddle.
Standing on a street corner.
The Perishers were singing in my ears.

I didn't want the day to start. I wanted to stand on that corner indefinitely watching the world go by.

Buy some: Headlights, Tacks, The Boy Disaster

Posted by Liz at 4:42 PM | Permalink

I was saving a large file the other day at work and took a moment to stare at the floor in agony. It was then that I noticed my feet, or rather my shoes. When exactly, did I become a girl that voluntarily wore heels to work? When did I make that switch from Pumas to 3" heels on a (near) daily basis?

How is it that as people we are constantly in a state of change? I know what you're thinking... they're just shoes. But to that I say they are they're indicative of so much more. I feel more like an adult now, than I ever have in my life. My level of responsibility now sometimes leaves me scratching my head. Things come on so gradually but we are so adaptable as animals humans that sometimes we don't even notice. Or maybe I just didn't notice.

Buy some: Bettie Serveert, The Field Mice, The Concretes, Peter Bjorn and John

Posted by Liz at 9:04 PM | Permalink

Why is it that sometimes I wake up with a song in my head? Was I dreaming of this band before my alarm clock went off? Did I hear the song on NPR in those moments between sleep and wakefulness? I like to think those songs are a bit prophetic when they've "magically" popped into my head during sleep. If that's the case though I'm not entirely sure what "Hurricane Jane" says about my day to come...

Buy some: Black Kids

Posted by Liz at 5:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I will admit that "Summertime" is an odd choice of song to ring in the new year. I stepped out of the shower this afternoon, and I will admit, I had a tear in my eye. As I walked into my bedroom wrapped up in a towel I heard the familiar refrain....

"Don't cry, Don't cry, Don't cry No No No No. Don't cry, don't cry"

I had to pause for a minute, wondering how in the world Sam Cooke had come up on random at that very second. When my "WTF" feeling subsided the lyrics hit me again...

"One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing, you spread your wings and take to the sky. But until that morning there is nothing can harm you"

Does it really seem so inappropriate for the new year?

Buy some: Sam Cooke

Posted by Liz at 12:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Uncertainy is not going to kill me. I often get that feeling of good-lord-you're-30-and-supposed-to-have-things-figured-out... but that's completely unrealistic. I need to take a step back and realize that it's ok that I don't know what's around the corner or in what direction I'm always heading. I'm surrounded by good people and having fun along the way.

Buy some: The Raveonettes, The Shaky Hands, Loney, Dear

Posted by Liz at 7:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I peered out my back door this morning to see how bad the predicted ice storm was last night and came face to wing with a dead bird. Not just any dead bird but a poor creature that had been torn apart, it's wings separated, head torn off and bird guts all over my deck. I don't know what to do with this. I can't hardly bring myself to look at it, much less clean up the carnage. Also apparent around the animal, paw prints, clearly demonstrating that one of my neighbor's dogs has done this. I can't look at it. I can't stop thinking about it. I'm a bit freaked out.

My dog has never done such a thing... preferring stuffed things with artificial squeakers to other critters. I can't fathom what I'd do if the day came that he brought me a dead bird. Right now I figure I just won't go outside EVER again. Help.

Posted by Liz at 6:32 AM | Permalink

It's too bad that being grumpy isn't a good enough reason to go home sick. I could use a mental health day.

Buy some: Velocity Girl

Posted by Liz at 12:02 PM | Permalink

What happens when I have lofty expectations of people? Well obviously I am constantly disappointed... this is the nature of unrealistic dreams.You would think that eventually I would curb my ideals and live amongst reality. You would think.
I laid in bed this morning, wrapped up in the blankets to ward off the chilly air, and realized this problem of expectations is entirely my own doing. I am seeing the world through earth tones and muted light. I need to wake up to the world of color again if I am expecting it of other people. Time to shake off the warm hazy light that's been following me...

Buy some: Peter Bjorn and John, The Dears, Candie Payne

Posted by Liz at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

The only decent answer I can come up with at the moment is mopey Englishness.

Buy some: The Clientele, (West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band), Birdie, Trembling Blue Stars, Tracey Thorn, The Kinks

Posted by Liz at 9:56 PM | Permalink

A few weeks ago I took in the film Control, the biopic pic about Ian Curtis by Anton Corbijn. While I loved it, seriously loved it, something in the film has been bothering me.

There was a poster on the wall at the very beginning of the film. it only showed the bottom half unfortunately but it struck me as very familiar. See the lineup and arrangement of people on the Pulp cover of His 'n Hers? The poster on the wall was identical in lineup but was obviously not of this pulp album. The camera never showed the top half of the poster (nor was it in focus) so I couldn't figure out who the poster was of. But since this was at the beginning of the film (and as stated above the film was so captivating), I forgot about it until Pulp popped up on my ipod later.

Fade back to 1994 when I saw Pulp on this His 'n Hers tour at the Vic. I tore this very same cover art off the door of the Vic and had it signed by Jarvis Cocker and the rest of the band. Jarvis wrote on the poster: "It took ages to get it like this." At the time, I thought he was referring to the gorgeous airbrushing work. He must have been referring to the whole thing, the lineup, the artwork, the whole concept. Now the problem is... I still don't know what the "original" poster was that Debbie had up on the wall of her room. Does this pulp cover art look at all familiar to any of you for a different reason?

Buy some: Joy Division

Posted by Liz at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

If I had to wager five guesses...

1. Dean & Britta
   
2. The Rosebuds
   
3. The Magnetic Fields
   
4. Loney, Dear
   
5. Midlake

Five guesses which are way too easy and therefore not guessed...

1. The New Pornographers
   
2. Ladybug Transistor
   
3. Some amalgam of David Cross, Eugene Mirman, Michael Showalter and Sarah Silverman with instruments
   
4. The Hazey Janes
   
5. Division Day
   

Five guesses that are way too cool to ever be true...

1. Air (with Bertrand Burgalat)
   
2. Eggstone
   
3. Holiday
   
4. Sloan
   
5. The Apples In Stereo

Five guesses that it can't possibly be real guesses because of tour schedules...

1. Voxtrot
   
2. Stars
   
3. The Changes
   
4. The Bird and The Bee
   
5. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
   

If any of you out there know what I'm guessing or know the actual answer... Shhhhhh! Please don't tell me. I want to be surprised on Saturday night.

Posted by Liz at 7:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I've been feeling a bit tied in knots lately. Life has begun to overwhelm me this month. I am sincerely sorry for the lack of communication, new music and the like... I really am attempting to play catch up soon.

Buy some: Giant Drag, The Aluminum Group, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, The Pipettes, Bart Davenport, Dylan Mondegreen

Posted by Liz at 7:09 AM | Permalink

Sorry I haven't been around much lately. I've been too damn busy to be good to anyone really. I'm hoping that some of the stress will magically disappear around 11 am this morning and I shall be able to regain control of my life. Fingers crossed.

Buy some: Bertrand Burgalat

Posted by Liz at 7:09 AM | Permalink

I was desperately in need of a lazy Saturday. On one hand when CMJ is happening in the city of lights large apples, it's a bit sad to be stuck in Chicago and missing the action. On the other hand, it creates a large number of US tours and all those bands tend to hit Chicago in the week before and after CMJ. Hence the busy busy week taking in Polyphonic Texans, Harmonizing Canadians, Lovely Scottish Girls, Jangly Danes, etc. It's a wonderful luxury today not to drag myself out of bed at an ungodly hour with very little sleep and into the office. Thank you lazy Saturday.

Buy some: The Left Banke, Fancey, Architecture in Helsinki, Loney, Dear

Posted by Liz at 6:16 PM | Permalink

My apologies to my regular readers (and downloaders). I've been hiding in my headphones dealing with a particularly stressful week. I'm off now to relax on a long flight and take in some much needed sea air. I wish you all the peaceful weekend that I can see in the not so distant future. Here's a couple tunes to get you in the mood...

Buy some: The Clientele, Saint Etienne, Rod McKuen

Posted by Liz at 8:19 AM | Permalink

I haven't been feeling particularly clever lately. While visually my creativity is freely flowing¹, the words keep getting stuck on my tongue. I feel like I'm tripping all over myself. Even now... just typing... I am utterly without the ability to complete a sentence.

¹ Knock on my head.

Buy some: The Bird and The Bee, Loney, Dear, Serge Gainsbourg, The Pipettes

Posted by Liz at 8:01 AM | Permalink

I need to give a big shout out to my friend Heather who directed a music video for the Danish band Oliver North Boy Choir whilst on the streets of Manhattan. Not only is Heather just in general "the shit" but so is this video... which just happens to be a cover of a Beat Happening's "Cry For A Shadow".

Buy some: Oliver North Boy Choir. Read: Heather's Blog: Ugly Floral Blouse

Posted by Liz at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Three guesses what the theme in my life is today...

Buy some: The Divine Comedy, The Kinks, Aberdeen, Simian Mobile Disco, Woodbine

Posted by Liz at 7:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Not only is the world speeding past lately in a bit of a blur but we're having technical difficulties around here at the moment. We'll be back up in working order soon. We hope. In the meantime...

When I am in one of those mental spaces when the world is overwhelming my brain and I can't get a grip on any of the things floating past me I know it's time to throw on my headphones and take a step back. The number one band to start to calm me down at that point? Mew¹. I'm not sure what it is about their world of dreamy guitars and falsetto that brings me back down to a nicer place, but it always seems to work. Perhaps because my mind slips back to Denmark, the wonderland that I've loved since that moment as an impressionable 10-year-old when I walked into the lobby of the SAS Royal Hotel. Denmark to me has always been a place where emotions are heightened, the saturation level on my eyes appears to be turned up a notch, the sunlight gives a glitter to everything it touches and all sound is perfect clarity. Life either glistens brighter or hurts all the more.

The last time I was in Copenhagen was September 2004². I walked down some side street on the Strogget with my headphones on and could feel a migraine coming on (I blame it on the horrible ferry trip from Norway). I ducked into some small record store and slipped off my own headphones to see what they were playing. I walked into the wall of sound that is Frengers. While this was not my first exposure to Mew, it was what sold me. I quickly grabbed up the Mew³ records that I could find despite the not-very-kind-to-the-American-dollar exchange rate.

¹ Since I can't share new content at the moment (we told you there are technical difficulties), I'm nicking an mp3 from KEXP and going to expound for a minute on the intricacies that are Mew. They are no strangers to my blog. I have blathered on and on about them for years now, and about a year ago it seemed the world was finally posed to take notice when glowing reviews for And The Glass Handed Kites seemed to pop up everywhere. Well we've cycled out of the record, the band has finally stopped touring on it (after a nearly two year run) and they've dropped back off the radar. I'm sure they've retired to London (or Copenhagen, wherever they are living at the moment) to finally get some sleep and spend another two years building yet another masterpiece. I will wait patiently.
² Eeek! I need to get on things and get back to Scandinavia!
³ And Swan Lee and Eggstone and The Tremolo Beer Gut

Buy some: Mew

Posted by Liz at 7:02 AM | Permalink

A few weeks back someone told me what my problem is...

I have the misguided belief that people are inherently good... and this will always end up hurting me.

I always thought my innate positivity was a good trait, from the viewpoint of others... apparently not. I guess it means the rest of the world at large feels free to take advantage of my good nature, especially those people with bad intentions whom I'm always thinking so well of.

Buy some: Ivy (but really Orange Juice as this is a cover).

Posted by Liz at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Photo by: My Brother

Where: A rooftop deck overlooking the west side of Chicago
Why: A quiet BBQ
Who: A bunch of people I didn't know

I walk out onto the rooftop deck with a friend. I take in the few couples nestled on benches or lounging on bar stools and immediately dig the low key vibe. Booker T & The MG's are playing over the speakers, specifically their record of Beatles covers, "McLemore Avenue".

Someone I didn't know asked the small assembled crowd who was playing and why it was so familiar. I piped up, as I tend to do when I know the answer, why it's Booker T and the MG's... and proceed to tell the story of how this record "McLemore Avenue" was their take on "Abbey Road". A small discussion ensues about how front and center the organ is compared to other MG's material. Overall, a thoughtful and interesting discussion about one of my favorite Stax artists until....

(from an onlooking guy seated on a bench with his girlfriend)
Random Guy: "Hey, what do you do? Are you in the industry?"
Me: "Actually no, I'm a designer.¹"
Random Guy: "Oh, I see. (mumble)"
Me: "Pardon?"
Random Guy: "I said oh, you're a groupie."
I stood stunned for a second.
Me: "Actually no. Quite a few of my friends are musicians or have been in the music industry for years. I am not a groupie, simply a well informed fan."
Random Guy: "Yeah a groupie."

Part of me is angry now at not having stood my ground but a) I didn't know who this guy even was, b) I didn't know why he'd suddenly taken offense to me, all I'd done was talk about Booker T for about 2 minutes and c) this was not my party, no need to let some random guy push my buttons.

I let it be, turned around and walked away. I tried not to let it upset for the rest of the evening, but no such luck. (Obviously if I'm bring it up again today).

¹ I actually never tell anyone that I'm a music "blogger". Most people I meet do not know this about me unless they do their homework.

Buy some: Bart Davenport

Posted by Liz at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

As of midnight tonight, I will officially be 30. A few months ago I looked toward today with dread. Now, I really have no problem with it. When I turned 25 I was a bit un-nerved, as of now 30 doesn't seem so scary. I actually feel like someone is supposed to at this point in their lives... I'm no longer that naive kid and that's ok.

Mostly I look forward to having so many of my friends in one room. It's so rare that I can get people in from all points of the country to have a few drinks together. Nothing can bring a smile to my face faster than a room full of great people.

Buy some: Spearmint

Posted by Liz at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I've always known I wasn't exactly like most other girls by living in my own musical geekdom but when I took a peek at the hot Threadless T of the day it was demonstrated all too clearly. Why is it that the boys seem to have a monopoly on musical nerdiness? Where are my female-co-conspirators ready to show off their record collections and argue about whether Suede was better with or without Bernard Butler¹? Some day I want to be able to look at something as ridiculous as the T-shirt above and see it sold out in boys AND girls sizes.

¹ There's no real argument here, it's obvious that with Bernie was a million times better but I'm struggling for a decent example this morning.

Buy some: Baxendale, Kenickie, Sleeper

Posted by Liz at 6:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Since I read "The Rise of the Creative Class" a few years ago I've been a believer in Richard Florida's theories of urban planning. Cities like Chicago need to become hubs organized to the benefit it's diverse and creative populations. Our city services (and especially transportation) need to serve to make life easier because without these cities, regional (and then national) economic prospects dwindle and die.

This makes today's editorial in the Chicago Sun-Times by John Norquist on the horrible misstep by our state and city government on regional transit all the more poignant.

We aren't asking for a lot. We want a quality transit system that is reliable and doesn't strand people for hours in the dark after a holiday or on tracks in the 90 degree heat until 16 people are hospitalized. Study after study shows how reliable public transit is an intricate part of any successful city plan so WHY does the state government continue to drag their feet over funding for Chicago's regional transit? The Siemens AG study that was released in May ("Megacity Challenges: A Stakeholder's Perspective.") demonstrates exactly how under-funded our public transit has been over the past few decades compared to systems that serve a similarly sized population:

Paris
Population: 9.2 million
Area: 2600 sq. kilometers
Transit operating funding (2005): $4,986,000,000
Funding per person: $542
Funding per sq. kilometer: $1,917,695

London
Population: 7.6 million
Area: 1600 sq. kilometers
Transit operating funding (2005): $7,804,000,000
Funding per person: $1,027
Funding per sq. kilometer: $4,877,500

Chicago
Population: 9.2 million
Area: 8000 kilometers
Transit operating funding (2005): $1,685,000,000
Funding per person: $183
Funding per sq. kilometer: $210,625¹

This is ridiculous and it's enough to make me consider finally packing up and moving to Brooklyn.

¹ See Sick Transit Chicago for more info.

Buy some: Tahiti 80, Eggstone

Posted by Liz at 8:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

A few days ago, it rained. Normally this isn't news in Chicago. It rains here. It snows here. It gets hot. Sometimes all at the same time. From out the window at the office it didn't seem like a bit deal either. Then the emails started flying and I discovered that my building was apparently filling with water like every other low point in my neighborhood. Eeek.

I should start off by saying that not nearly as much of my stuff is ruined as some of my neighbors. My downstairs neighbors in particular (those with a living space at or below street level) have been particularly screwed. Talking to my downstairs neighbor last night apparently the insurance company is calling everything on the first floor of her home a complete loss. Nothing that came in contact with the water can be salvaged. A few inches of water will be haunting many of my neighbors for weeks to come. In the grand scheme of things, i was SO lucky.

So back to my storage unit. Very little of my things sit at floor level so they were spared from the 7 or so inches that seeped into our basement. The things that were damaged though, break my heart¹. I spent last night throwing away about $1000 worth of hockey gear. My $200 skates are ruined. My shoulder pads, my spare jerseys, my beautiful Swedish hockey helmet, all trash now. The only salvageable gear... my street hockey skates, my gloves, the tool for adjusting my now disgusting ice skates and three hockey sticks. So I can still drop my gloves with the best of them² but while I stand on the ice in socks cos bye bye beautiful CCM skates.

This shouldn't really be a problem. Most people don't know me as a hockey player, they barely even know me as a fan of the game. But having to finally part with these things instead of lugging them from home to home as I move around Chicago³ feels like the ending of an era. Even though it doesn't happen very often, I can no longer just pop down the street to McFetridge and get out some anxiety or frustration on the ice.

¹ I also lost about 4 paintings I did several years back that I'd been storing in the basement and a tube of rare and precious-only-to-me concert posters. The poster to that Teenage Fanclub/Yo La Tengo gig in 1993 among them.
² I've never actually "dropped my gloves" in my life.
³ I haven't played hockey for seven years partially because of moving home to Chicago in 2000 but mostly due to an off-ice injury I sustained to my ankle around the same time.

Buy some: Super Furry Animals, Eastern Conference Champions

Posted by Liz at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I can count the good things I am anticipating this week on one hand, with one finger, so I'm not exactly jazzed about this particular Monday morning. I guess no one ever really looks forward to a Monday, I just haven't faced one with this much dread in awhile.

¹ I suppose there are two good things if I count the wonderful Fartifsa solo in this Springfields cover.

Buy some: Sugar, Saint Etienne, Headlights

Posted by Liz at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

There are just some days when everything around you throws you for a loop. I think that pretty much sums up the weekend thusfar.

Buy some: Liz Phair, Moi Caprice, Righteous Boy

Posted by Liz at 10:41 AM | Permalink

The one thing that would make the world alright today would be if Teenage Fanclub showed up to play a gig in my house. Do you think my expectations of the world are a bit too high? I am going to have to settle for the harmonies in my headphones I suppose. At least I can sit at my desk while I struggle through my deadlines of the day remembering. One of my first ever *real* concerts was Teenage Fanclub and Yo La Tengo at the Metro in the fall of 1993. Fifteen years ago.¹

The Fanclub were touring on Thirteen² while Yo La Tengo had just released Painful. I remember the Metro of back then... crumbly ceilings, the ever present stank of stale cigarettes and beer, the overall squalor the building gave off. I was this bright-eyed optimistic kid standing inches from the stage completely enraptured in the Scottish accents and nonstop smiles (aka basically staring at Norman for an hour and a half). They had such fun on stage, they made music that spoke to me. Wow. Fifteen years ago³. I remember falling asleep in the cab home, leaning on Karl's⁴ shoulder.

¹ Wow. FIFTEEN YEARS AGO?!?
² Easily one of those seminal records in my life.
³ I think the saddest thing about how long ago that was is that I haven't seen them play live since.
⁴ The foremost influence on my high school music education.

Buy some: Teenage Fanclub

Posted by Liz at 12:43 PM | Permalink

There are things that irrationally upset me. I'm sure we all have these things but the one thing that can set me off really quickly... signed deliveries at my home.

Who exactly is at home during the day to sign for deliveries? What do you do when you have a job and things are sent to your home requiring YOUR signature? I once had a summons for a deposition haunt me for three weeks because some kid requested a signature in the middle of the day when I wasn't home. Everyday a new note was left for me. Everyday I crumpled it up when I got home late from work.

The worst offender though, Fed Ex. UPS will let you re-route a package to a new address. Fed Ex tho... no way Josie. So now I have just received a notice that someone is shipping me something Fed Ex and has already sent it to my home address. What is wrong with the US Postal Service? I have no idea. I am going to have to ask to have this item returned and credited because there's no way I will sit at home between 9 and 5 over the next few days to wait for it.

This makes me irrationally angry. I know it's irrational, I know it's not something that I can avoid so I know there's absolutely no sense in being mad. But there it is creeping into those stress points in my shoulder blades anyway.

I suppose people who live in doorman buildings don't have this problem. I suppose people who drive cars and can-go-pick-up-packages-at-the-furthest-point-away-on-the-earth-where-all-late-night-pickup-locations seem to be don't have this problem. I have this problem. It's going to irritate me today, tomorrow, Friday and however long they continue to stick those slips on my front window saying "We Have A Package We Are Never Going To Give You!".

Now I am going to have to find the time in my schedule to either go shopping or find a retailer of a similar item who won't try to ship things to my home via Fed Ex. That's what I get for finding the best possible present for someone online... more aggravation.

Buy some: The Wombats

Posted by Liz at 8:42 PM | Permalink

I keep disappearing don't I? It's not intentional, it's more that with the birth of summer I've become so busy and hectic that something has to give. I have every intention of writing on the following in the next few days¹...

• The Flight of the Conchords² and how the world has finally caught up to the love they deserved years ago. Yay HBO.
• The elusive summer anthem of 2007
• "Sweeping The Nation"
• Helvetica
• Not Inspirational Songs But Inspired Songs (And Their Inspiration)

In the meantime, I leave you with Eggstone. I am always leaving you with Eggstone aren't I? Good thing Eggstone are one of the most fabulous bands EVER in the history of things I have left you with. Or Something. Oh and let's throw in some Rumble Strips for good measure.

¹ If I can manage an hour a day to writing anything down other than another "To Do List" I'll be in good shape. I need to get some of this stuff out of my head, soon.
² I don't really want to get into this yet BUT, I was slightly disappointed with the reworking of "The Humans Are Dead" during the HBO premier last night. :-/

Buy some: Eggstone, The Rumble Strips

Posted by Liz at 8:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

I keep expecting for the exhaustion to hit and me to simply fall over. It's not happening yet. I did get some sleep last night, an hour or so? I just know that I lay in bed, the events replaying over and over waiting for the hour at which it was finally appropriate to call someone to meet up for brunch. 7? 7:15? No, all bad. 9 am... more appropriate, if not a bit disturbed.

I've been an insomniac before but not quite this bad. Over the past 48 hours I have been in the south suburbs, chinatown, logan square, pilsen, bucktown, lakeview, river north... but I have not really been to sleep. I fear this is going to become a serious problem soon.

Buy some: Metric, Amy Winehouse

Posted by Liz at 3:53 PM | Permalink

I was sitting on my couch, listening to the stereo and thinking when I glanced up at the orchid on the table in front of me. I was watching the blossoms bobbing in the slight breeze when it occurred to me, it's dying.

This orchid is a delicate thing with a tiny stem that can't even hold up the weight of its blossoms. With five flowers sprouted and three more on the way, the blooms are balanced on the weight of a bamboo stick. Despite those flowers that are still dreaming themselves in existence, I am afraid that this orchid is already on its way out.

I have a history with orchids. I find them, love them and then slowly watch them turn into ugly green stumps that despite my best efforts never seem to sprout again. I have started a small collection of orchids that once were healthy and flowering and now... now they sit in window sills just waiting for the impetus to bloom again. That catalyst, be it sunshine or warmth or just love, doesn't seem to find them.

So here I am staring at this orchid, newly arrived into my life. It has barely had the time to make a dent into my heart and I'm afraid I can see it already dying. I want it to coddle it and protect it so that it blooms forever. The thing is, I'm afraid I'm the one killing it because I wish to save it from the horrible fate of the other orchids.

Buy some: The Radio Dept., Biff Bang Pow!

Posted by Liz at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sorry, technical difficulties around here lately. I'll be back at some point. Soon maybe.

Posted by Liz at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's destined to be a good day when you hear first thing in the morning, "Oh look at you! You've got your cute on today!." Could anything make you smile more all day? So for today's music theme we get a small collection of randomness that makes me smile.

Buy some: The Research, Lily Allen, Spearmint, Luna, Dibidim

Posted by Liz at 5:44 PM | Permalink

I've had a roommate¹ again for the past week. One of my favorite friends in the world sent me an email from Japan that she needed to make "a visa run" back to America, so I easily offered up my home. She hopped on a Narita to O'Hare flight a few days later and ended up at my door. Surprisingly, it was a nice change of pace to have someone else invade my home for a week. It was a bit of the kick in the ass I've needed to take care of some of the changes I've been doing around here.

It was wonderful to have her here, and it's a bit quiet now that she's gone. So this is for her...

¹I don't always do well with roommates. I'm one of those people who takes over the stereo and forces you to listen to what I want to cos, duh, I know better. Needless to say when my best friend and I tried to live together some years ago, it only lasted a few months before we realized we were completely incompatible cohabitators.

Buy some: Salad

Posted by Liz at 7:58 PM | Permalink

I had every intention of going home tonight, curling up on the sofa and watching the Devils play the Senators¹. Every intention. Instead I got lost on my way home.

I decided (and really for future reference this is not a good idea) that because the el platform looked so packed I would hop on an express bus up to the north side and then switch to a local bus to get myself home. I had a book to read, I would get a seat. What could go wrong?

I started off by taking the 151. This was just bad. What was I thinking? Not only did it take this bus 25 minutes to get through the loop (aka I could have walked faster) but it got stuck behind an accident on Michigan Ave. Some stupid cab driver changed lanes directly into the side of a big yellow school bus² in front of the CTA bus I was on. We were flat out stuck and there was no going around until one of Chicago's finest showed up to extricate the cab from the scenario³.

So I got out and started to walk, thinking I'd hop back on another 151 and enjoy the rest of the peaceful journey north. But here's the thing about me, I am easily distracted. So here I am walking up Michigan Ave pondering the very existence of the universe and why in the world Chicago feels like a chilly fall day in San Francisco when I see it in a passing shop window... a really cute dress. So yeah, instead of the start of round two of the NHL playoffs, I pulled out the girlie card and went shopping and splurged on fragrances⁴ and shoes.

¹ Oh Devils what are you doing? Giving up four goals in the first period? I'm rather glad I didn't sit in frustration watching tonight's game play out live.
² He can't possibly claim that he didn't see it. It's big, it's yellow, it's full of screaming pre-teens.
³ It was actually rather funny. The cab driver is standing in the middle of Michigan Ave yelling and gesticulating as if the bus driver did anything beyond drive straight ahead. Any common sense tells every onlooker that this cab driver is at fault based upon the way the two vehicles are rammed together. The bus driver never left his bus. He sat there and stared at the idiot cab driver while the guy screamed at him through the window. He didn't say anything, he didn't even come to the door, he just sat there and stared as if the cab driver was supposed to be the main attraction of a Vegas floor show. This seemed to make the cabbie even more angry.
⁴ I recently became an ex-smoker. In honor of my newly improved sense of smell this splurge was necessary.

Buy some: Super Furry Animals

Posted by Liz at 10:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Rob Gordon: I will now sell four copies of "The Three EPs" by The Beta Band.
Dick: Go for it.
[Rob plays the record]
Beta Band Customer: Who is this?
Rob Gordon: The Beta Band.
Beta Band Customer: It's good.
Rob Gordon: I know.

I'm sure you've all seen High Fidelity and remember the above scene. I caught a bit of High Fidelity the other day, just long enough to hear that scene and have it remind me of the wee Swedish/Italian band Daybehavior.

During the late 90's when I lived in Grand Rapids Michigan, I did all musical shopping exclusively at The Best Record Store In The World™¹. Because I was in there ALL THE TIME² I was frequently consulted before the international orders were placed. "Oh do you want the new ___ album?" or "What do you know about ____ band, should we stock them?". Well when I heard that one of my favorite record labels North Of No South (NONS)³ had signed a new Swedish band with a half Italian singer who supposedly sounded like an angel, I had to have it. So onto The Best Record Store In The World™'s international order it went. I pulled into the parking lot during my lunch hour a few Tuesday's later and walked into the store to hear beautiful downtempo triphop floating through the PA. Sure enough, Dave had ordered himself a copy as well because he was always curious about my taste in music. As I picked up my copy of 'Adored' and poured through the other new releases, I didn't think anything of it.

The next Tuesday I was back in the store going through the as-yet-unpacked box of international new releases. Low and behold there were at least twenty copies of the debut Daybehavior record in the mix. Apparently as the store had been playing their copy of the record over the PA during the week everyone wanted it for themselves. I guess sometimes all it takes is a bit of exposure, no matter how small. A dozen plus people in Michigan became fans of a tiny Swedish band simply because I had faith in the record label.

¹ Also known as Vinyl Solutions to anyone who lived anywhere in West Michigan.
² Believe me, the caps are necessary in this case. It was several times a week at minimum. The store was on my way home from work so I could be known to pop in there as often as five days a week.
³ Not at all famous for signing bands like Komeda, Ray Wonder, Pinko Pinko, Cloudberry Jam, etc.
⁴ Side note: The photo above has no relation to this diatribe. It was something I took at the Museum of Contemporary Art earlier this week.

Buy some: Daybehavior

Posted by Liz at 8:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It was that kind of day. You know the kind. The one where you fumble home and crack open the whiskey. But on this day, not just any whiskey will do. You set your sights on that special bottle that's kept high enough that it's barely out of reach and you must retrieve a step stool to get it down. As you reach past the Jameson's and Jack for this, your most special of Irish whiskey, you realize that it's not even open. This bottle isn't even sold in America, but it was that kind of day... so you crack it open.

Buy some: Amy Millan

Posted by Liz at 9:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The sky has never looked more blue. The air has never felt more fresh. It's time to wander through my beautiful city's Sunday...

¹ I noticed on Moi Caprice's Myspace page that they've got two shows booked for the DFDS Ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo and back. Strangely I took this ferry once... there was no such entertainment, just a lot of choppy water through the North Sea. I can't even fathom where they are going to play on this ship, the little bar up front that's generally pumping out eurotrash pop?

Buy some: First Floor Power, Moi Caprice, Peter, Bjorn and John, The Incredible Moses Leroy

Posted by Liz at 2:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Is this a joke? Is this supposed to be funny? Please stop snowing. Please. We want SPRING. We don't want anymore of winter. Go away snow, please please go away. Come on, I said please? What if the Scandinavians ask nicely? Please?

Buy some: Cinnamon, Mew, Kings of Convenience, Sondre Lerche, The Cardigans

Posted by Liz at 8:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I'm a private person. I often bite my lip when what I really want is to scream from the rafters that something is WRONG. My best friend, the one I've known since I was nine, has often accused me of being too secretive about the parts of my life that I shelter from the world. She's right. She's always right.

When everything around me seems to be going wrong, I take my stress out in the wrong way. I escape to the bar to hang out with friends whilst drinking one to many whiskeys. I vent at whomever happens to be standing near my desk. I escape into the solitude of my headphones and spend endless hours playing The Clientele to the point that a cassette would begin to hiss. I wander my neighborhood streets waiting for rabbits to hop out of the bushes. What I don't do is often talk to anyone about the root of my problem. I clam up and become that person who doesn't want to bother you or that person who doesn't think that if they open their mouth and start explaining what's wrong that they'll be able to stop talking.

For the same reasons I don't often tell people when I've won an award or achieved a personal victory, I don't tell people when it's all falling apart. So here goes nothing... today I feel like it's all falling apart. Welcome to my mind that I fear I'm slowly losing. The stress of my life has completely overtaken any semblence of calm I had left. I am so close to the end of my rope, I can feel it fraying in my hands. I feel helpless. I would eagerly await the weekend if I felt like I would even be able to take a break to regain that calm. My work life has completely taken over everything else, or what was left of everything else. I need a mental health day but if I tried, the millions of plates i'm so desperating trying to spin would all come crashing down.

I want nothing more than a good night's sleep, but it's not coming tonight. I'm not sure if or when it will in the near future.

Buy some: The Clientele

Posted by Liz at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Photo by (b)engel

In about a week, Chicago's public transit system is going to explode. Perhaps explode is the wrong word...