Hey, an update!

So it's been almost four months since I last updated my blog, even though I've been meaning to for ages--I have four or five entries I've wanted to write but, uh, haven't gotten around to writing...

Anyway, that being said, I now have a good reason to blog again! For those of you who don't know, I'm taking a month-long drive around the United States (quite literally) in August. Starting August 10th, I will drive from Richmond, Virginia to Los Angeles via the southern route, spend a weekend in LA, then drive up the left coast to Seattle, take a left turn, and cut back across the northern part of the country. I plan to arrive back in Boston on September 4th or 5th.

Why am I undertaking this epic journey? And why alone? Well, there are a lot of reasons I could list here, but really it came down to two things:

1. To see if I can actually do it. My life is filled with shit I've started but never completed...plans made but never carried out. I came up with the idea for this trip pretty randomly and spontaneously, but I've dedicated myself to making it happen--and it will. Everything is in motion.

2. And this was the big one for me: Lately I've felt myself falling into this mentality where I rely too much on outside sources in how I make major (and minor) decisions for myself. What I mean by this is that I'm developing too much of a dependence on the presence of people close to me in my life. There is nothing overtly wrong with this, but for me I feel my dependence is reaching an unhealthy point, where major decisions I make are becoming irrationally tilted by my needing to be close the people I'm closest with. I want to simply regain some of my independent mindset and set right my personal balance. Thus, where I drive, I drive alone.

BUT I won't be alone. The plan is to divide half of my nights between camping and staying with friends, relatives, friends of friends, or couch surf (which I've never done before but heard good things about).

This is where you come in. Right now, I need places to stay in certain cities/states. At the moment I've only mapped out my Southern route (the first half of the trip, essentially), but I know generally what cities and states I'll pass through. Here are the following places where I need lodging:

-Two nights in New Orleans
-One night in Austin
-One night in El Paso
-One night in Santa Fe
-Three nights in Los Angeles

As far as the Northern route goes, I'll be passing through the following states/cities, so if you know if anyone I might be able to stay with along that route, let me know: San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Toronto, and New York (not the city though).

Just hit me up on Facebook or email me if you do in fact know someone in these places who might be able to put me up for a night.

On a final night, over the course of the trip I will be keeping a blog which I will update whenever I pass through a major hub and have a few minutes to sit down in a cafe with wi-fi. I'll provide the link on my Facebook page and here so you can follow my progress if you wish.

Thanks all, I'm incredibly psyched for this--keep an eye out for the trip blog!

-Nate

Seal Jubilee

Sorry to keep posting lyrics on the blog, but I was listening to this song on the long walk home from work today and really listened to the lyrics for the first time. I thought they were pretty awesome (even though I have no idea what the song is about) so I thought I'd share them with you...

Seal Jubilee by Bat For Lashes

"The seals, they cried in jubilee
The sharks, they howled along with me
And birds, they flew into the wind
The whale, he roamed the lonely sea

And I dived into you
I dived into you
On this ocean hue
'Cause I dived into you

The lighthouse dog lifted his brow
The crippled trees bent low to growl
And swans, they wrestled with lifetime's grasp
In hopefullness they nestled the past
Teachers and travellers made their mark
They dined and feasted on whale and shark
And so the ocean lost its depths
And boredom rained as the ocean wept

Birds they raised their young for dead
And ladies used feathery pillows for bed
And black snow came and black snow stayed
And froze the ocean out of love
Out of love

I lay quiet, next to you
Transformed a whole
Transformed anew
No longer diving into
But lying quiet next
To you"

County Bounce

Just a quick shout out to my friend Walker for putting me onto G-Side and Jay Electronica, who I mentioned in the last post. Check out his blog "County Bounce" if you dig hip hop and rap (or even if you don't--there's a lot of good shit on there). Dude has one of the best tastes in rap music that I know, and his knowledge of the scene--especially Southern rap--is pretty much unmatched.

If you need some evidence, check out this track by the Alabama rapper, Yelawolf. He's not exactly a household name yet, but just wait--Walker says this guy will be huge, and after seeing him live last week, I believe him.

Showtime

At least from a music standpoint, this month has started in a great way. Starting last Tuesday, I went to three shows in three nights--Yelawolf and Wiz Khalifa at a sold out Middle East, A Sunny Day in Glasgow at Great Scott, and finishing off in a strong way with Vampire Weekend at The Orpheum. A two day lay-over was followed by Serena Maneesh on Sunday (thanks again to Kevin for the tix).

But it won't stop there. My calendar is quickly becoming dominated by upcoming concerts...this is what's on itinerary right now:

Thursday- Cymbals Eat Guitars @ Middle East

Saturday- Ted Leo and the Pharmacists @ Paradise

April 18th- The Thermals @ Middle East

April 22-25th- Weekend road trip to Greensborough, North Carolina to see G-Side (if you're into rap and don't know about this group, download this mix-tape now)

May 3rd- Yeasayer @ Paradise (I will get tickets to this show)

May 11th OR 12th- Dr. Dog @ Paradise (sponsored by WERS)

May 15th- Jay Electronica @ Paradise (check out this song "Exhibit C"...one of the best hip hop tracks of '09)

May 21st- Devon the Dude @ Paradise


Annnd that's just April and May. There's a good chance I won't end up going to all of these shows, but I'm going to damn well try. I don't know if it's the warm weather or just an influx of great shows into Boston over the next few months, but it looks like a whole fucking lot of my nights this Spring are going to be spent destroying my eardrums and dancing and sweating my ass off amongst numerous hipsters, stoners, and black X's.

So psyched.

p.s. in the spirit of the post and for your viewing pleasure...wobblegirl:

No words.

Film Noir

I'm all washed out by the side of the road
Broken bones Matilda left a note and a rose
Saying "Baby honey child, I loved you so long
but you deserve much better than me"

So I'm just burning all around
All the miles in the road
And I'm never going back
And I'm never going home
I've been gone too long
I've been less right than wrong
I've lost so much blood in the falling out

And I lit a fire that wouldn't go out
Until it consumed the walls and roof of this house
Until all I remember was burning away
And all I remember, you're burnin' away

See for 10 long years I've been hustling around
Tryin' to wash the sins and sweat from my brow
Just trying to find a better life for me and my own
Just some rest for these tired working fingers

But nobody never gonna tell you the way
You gotta figure it out boys and suffer the rain
And the fools in the night, and the heat of the day
When all you ever really wanted was for someone to understand

And I lit a fire that wouldn't go out
Until it consumed the walls and roof of this house
Until all I remember was burning away
And all I remember, you're burnin' away
Well don't you take it so hard and baby don't you cry
You cross your hard heart and hope to die
Don't you tell me no more lies, you lied all the time
Don't you tell me no more lies, you lied every night

And you're sugar and spice, and everything nice
You got Monroe hips, your poison lips and knives
And your sugar and spice, and everything nice
You got open wounds in a young boy's pride

And I lit a fire that wouldn't go out
Until it consumed the walls and roof of this house
Until all I remember was burning away
And all that you left me you're burning away
Well don't you take it so hard and baby don't you cry
You cross your hard heart and you hope to die
Don't you tell me no more lies, you lied all the time
Don't you tell me no more lies, you lied every night

Time, time, tickin' away
Time, time, tickin' away
Time, time, tickin' away
Time, time, tickin' away

Tom Waits Series: 1973- Closing Time

Let's get March started off on the right foot, yeah? February was a weird month and I'm ashamed to say my blog was an unfortunate (and unnecessary) casualty. I promised new posts (that weren't being an emo bitch) and I have not delivered. But here's to a fresh start!

First up is an account of Tom Waits' first album, "Closing Time", as you may or may not recall the little experiment I undertook...well, about a month ago. I knew it'd be slow going, but I didn't think I'd be this ADD about listening to (and reporting on) music.

Anyway, I feel as though I have digested "Closing Time" about as much as I can hope to. So what's the verdict for Mr. Waits' first album? Not much. It took me a few weeks of repeatedly coming back and listening to the album to come the the conclusion that...it's just not very good.

Thank god this wasn't my first exposure to Waits or it could have been a while before I gave him a second chance. To put it plainly, there isn't really much evidence--at all--of what makes Tom Waits the Tom Waits people know and love today. I talked to my brother about this, and he made an interesting point that he knew people who have said "Closing Time" was their favorite Tom Waits album.

I find this incredibly fascinating because it's so totally different and indistinguishable from his later work--and I'm not even talking just shit from the past couple decades. The album itself is, well, pretty bland. That isn't to say it's not enjoyable, but there really isn't anything here that might indicate the long transformation to come. "Closing Time" is a poppy, folksy, bluesy debut that just reeks "sap". Honestly, the best word to describe the album is "cheesy".

Those of you who know Tom Waits now know that sentimentality is not really his trademark. But you wouldn't know this from listening to his first singer-songwriterly debut. There are a couple fun, catchy songs--in particular I was attracted to "Old Shoes (& Picture Postcards)"--but in the end it's impossible for me to get past the cheesiness of the lyrics, the simplicity of the writing, and the general blah-ness of the songs. A good example is "I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You"--yes, that's what it's called. This title comprises the chorus of the song, but it ends even worse, with Waits crooning: "And I think that I just fellll in love with you." Really? Really Tom Waits?

Lastly, every time I listen to the album it begins to sink into obscurity at about the mid-way point, and to me this is the death rattle of a very unremarkable album. So all in all, a mediocre affair. It took me a while to realize that if I detached his name from the album it probably wouldn't be something I'd have more than a few days on my iTunes library.

Unfortunately, his next album, "The Heart of Saturday Night", isn't too far from this one.

Thankfully, though, I know what is to come. And from an early listen, if I strain real hard I start to pick out the faint resemblance of some of the brilliance he is known for today. Until next time though! Hopefully the wait won't be as long...cheers to a new month and second chances!