iconoclasts thought...

If I could have a blanket that covered me with love
the strands that kept me warm
were notes and tunes infused with Wilco
notes out of tune
notes with neutral milk hotel, REM, radiohead, and Miles Davis

I would blanket myself and I would never feel alone
I would feel absolutely embraced by the questions
the loneliness, the joy, the questions, and the peace

I would know that the warmth that I felt
is something that I have put together
and yet I have never made myself

The music embraces me with thoughts that I could never get
from turning on just the radio
but hearing how this music has impacted others
as they have bee stretched to see the world
with new eyes, perspectives, beauty

and so i will lay myself down to hear the silence
but always keeping my ears open to someones
interpretation of how they hear the world.

why should the devil have all the good music?

I haven't been going to church lately.
I don't go because I think it's almost to real
or many times I think it's so far from my reality
and the reality of those that I love that I
just don't go.

This morning I watched the documentary "Why Should the Devil Have all the Good Music?" where the directors of the film went to Cornerstone Music Festival and talked to bands and fans about why Christian music is where it is musically and theologically in this point in history.

There were great questions posted of validity and strength of the message of Jesus. It helped me remember my question of what is Christian and what is 'secular'? I use the secular in quotes because I no longer see the need to separate the two. There is clearly a separation when all i can do is say the word Jesus and I believe in sacred spaces but at the end of the day there is clearly not a difference when the word love is used and when love is in action.

You could tell the differences in interviews of the kids who really thought about the infusion of art with their faith and those who regurgitated what someone else told them to think and infused it with their art.

I don't think I know what the right spirituality is for someone and I don't know if I know for myself. All I know is that the desire for spiritual safety or some sort of safe place to ask questions sounds like a place I desire to be.

Watching the DVD reminded me where I came from the great safe places that Cornerstone music fest allowed me to ask, allowed amazing people and friendships to come into my life, and allowed me to ask questions that challenged me spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Nothing is perfect. Christianity and it's practice is far from perfect as well.

I hope that good questions continue to be asked where we allow beauty and truth to be reintegrated with our faith practices.

a pretty song for you.

I am sipping on a cup of coffee
listening to another day by the album leaf



it is supposed to rain
and i have my favorite sweater on
my dog by my feet
attempting to find a good book to read

there is something about this simplicity that breathes new life
into the lungs that are old and tired
i think some of it has to do with the fact that i am
growing

older
up
wiser
dumber
softer
feminine
sanguine
(I like that word)

and the stacks of books in the corners of my room
are calling my name
now that I put aside the remote control
for the option of controlling the input of my own brain

thinking through the beauty of the words from Gloria Steinem
hope for equality
and peace
and desire
to have knowledge about our land
and our space
and making a difference

whatever that can mean for you....

life as it begins to bloom.

My spring mix for 2009...
Silly to think it took me about a month to make but it's damn good.

1. Hot 'N Cold--Katie Perry
2. Just Dance--Lady Gaga (it's a guilty pleasure)
3. Gobbledigoook--Sigur Ros
4. Untrust Us--Crystal Castles
5. This Package is Wrapped--Marnie Stern
6. My Girls- Animal Collective
7. What Ever Happened?--The Strokes
8. Graveyard Girl-M83
9. Kids--MGMT
10. Any Way You Want It--Journey
11. Happy As Can Be--Cut Off Your Hands
12. Halfway Home--TV on the Radio
13. A Magazine Called Sunset--Wilco
14. Magick--Ryan Adams
15. Summertime Clothes--Animal Collective
16. For Your Love-Marching Band
17. Parallelogram--Deastro
18. Wouldn't It Be Nice--The Beach Boys
19. Get It On--T. Rex

Get print here.

100 records 100 days challenge: Day One...#18 Postal Service: Give Up

DISCLAIMER**As I have pondered my challenge (and been told there are better records) and to that I agree. I am going to still do the challenge but some of the records might change. I recognize that it is supposed to be 'indie' records but what I am realizing is most of these are the first releases of records before they got picked up by a bigger label. Okay cool I get it but there are better records to talk about so I might pick them.

I will start here....


I don't know anyone who doesn't really like this record. The side project to Death Cab for Cuties Chris Walla and program smartie Jimmy Tamborello. I think we all know the songs from countless commercials...Apple and Ipods just to say a few off the top of my head. Intel using the idea of the video or the video itself for it's commercial.

The band's name was chosen due to the way in which they produced its songs. Tamborello wrote and performed instrumental tracks and then sent the DATs to Gibbard, who edited the song as he saw fit (adding his vocals along the way), sending them back to Tamborello via the United States Postal Service.

I have so many memories attached to this record. Driving on tour with Anah Aevia singing loud with my friend Lukey-T. Dancing on rooftops. Driving around in that convertible with the top down. Most of this music I love evokes many memories and this album evokes so many.

The record is fun and one of those records that is accessible without being heady and at the same time not so over produced that there are no fresh thoughts or ideas. It was good to hear it again. I close my eyes and see a time that no longer exists with people that are wonderful and fun.

Amazons Top 100 Challenge

Amazon.com posted their top 100 'indie rock records.' I went through the list and I thought I don't have some of these and or never heard of a couple. So my goal in the next 100 days is to find, listen, and talk about these records. I don't think I can go in order but it will give me something to do at work every day and something to think about at night. Who knows...I don't think I can do it in exactly a hundred days but we will give it a shot. Maybe this is will be the push I need to get excited about writing about music...giving me a chance to read, research, and acknowledge what Amazon has concluded great records.


100 Dangerous Magical Noise - The Dirtbombs
99 Passover - The Black Angels
98 To Survive - Joan As Police Woman
97 Ultimate Alternative Wavers - Built To Spill
96 Trans Am - Trans Am
95 The Discovery Of A World Inside... - The Apples In Stereo
94 Waiter: 'You Vultures!' - Portugal The Man
93 Alligator - The National
92 Horses In The Sky - Silver Mt. Zion
91 Gallowsbird's Bark - The Fiery Furnaces
90 Louden Up Now - (!!! Chk Chik Chick)
89 The Milk-Eyed Mender - Joanna Newsom
88 The Power Out - Electrelane
87 Cure For Pain - Morphine
86 Worn Copy - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
85 Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
84 Hearts Of Oak - Ted Leo/Pharmacists
83 Save Yourself - Make Up
82 The Last Match - The Aislers Set
81 The Sea and the Bells - Rachel's
80 The Ugly Organ - Cursive
79 De Stijl - The White Stripes
78 Nothing Feels Good - The Promise Ring
77 The Smell Of Our Own - The Hidden Cameras
76 Jane From Occupied Europe - Swell Maps
75 Furnace Room Lullaby - Neko Case
74 The Curtain Hits The Cast - Low
73 The R&B Of Membership - The Delta 72
72 II & III - Camper Van Beethoven
71 Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating... - Spiritualized
70 The Fawn - The Sea And Cake
69 Feast of Wire - Calexico
68 Oh, Inverted World - The Shins
67 Will You Find Me - Ida
66 Milk Man - Deerhoof
65 Coquelicot Asleep In The Poppies... - Of Montreal
64 Rejoicing in The Hands - Devendra Banhart
63 Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer
62 TNT - Tortoise
61 Neon Golden - The Notwist
60 Daddy's Highway - The Bats
59 Set Yourself On Fire - Stars
58 Fabulous Muscles - Xiu Xiu
57 Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV On The Radio
56 The Decline And Fall Of Heavenly - Heavenly
55 The Mysterious Production of Eggs - Andrew Bird
54 Pussy-Whipped - Bikini Kill
53 Sing No Evil - Half Japanese
52 Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express - The Go Betweens
51 Emperor Tomato Ketchup - Stereolab
50 And Don't The Kids Just Love It - Television Personalities
49 Wild Love - Smog
48 Agaetis Byrjun - Sigur Ros
47 Red House Painters I - Red House Painters
46 Advisory Committee - Mirah
45 How Memory Works - Joan Of Arc
44 On Fire - Galaxie 500
43 On - Imperial Teen
42 Mass Romantic [Remastered] - The New Pornographers
41 Gulag Orkestar - Beirut
40 This Nation's Saving Grace - The Fall
39 You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene
38 I Am A Bird Now - Antony & The Johnsons
37 When Your Heartstrings Break - Beulah
36 Our Endless Numbered Days - Iron & Wine
35 Person Pitch - Panda Bear
34 Let's Get Out of This Country - Camera Obscura
33 Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective
32 Let It Be [Expanded Edition] - The Replacements
31 Repeater + 3 Songs - Fugazi
30 Zen Arcade - Hüsker Dü
29 24 Hour Revenge Therapy - Jawbreaker
28 Lift Your Skinny Fists... - godspeed you black emperor!
27 Yellow House - Grizzly Bear
26 The Glow Pt. 2 - The Microphones
25 Black Candy - Beat Happening
24 Funeral - Arcade Fire
23 Moon Pix - Cat Power
22 Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate
21 Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil... - Bright Eyes
20 I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One - Yo La Tengo
19 Kill the Moonlight - Spoon
18 Give Up - The Postal Service
17 Dig Me Out - Sleater-Kinney
16 No Pocky for Kitty - Superchunk
15 I See A Darkness - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
14 We Have The Facts and We're Voting Yes - Death Cab For Cutie
13 Michigan - Sufjan Stevens
12 Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth
11 69 Love Songs Volume 1 - The Magnetic Fields
10 Bakesale - Sebadoh
09 Either/Or - Elliott Smith
08 Surfer Rosa - Pixies
07 If You're Feeling Sinister - Belle & Sebastian
06 Slanted & Enchanted - Pavement
05 Imperial f.f.r.r. (Deluxe Edition) - Unrest
04 Exile In Guyville - Liz Phair
03 Spiderland - Slint
02 In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
01 Bee Thousand - Guided by Voices

Films when you can't move

With my back being sore, hurt, and for a day and half not really able to move I had quite a lot of time to watch some movies. Most of them fantastic a couple glad I watched but not worth mentioning. I won't go into huge diatribes but I thought some of these had a few sentences worth of a high five.

Rachel Getting Married
Fantastic film about addiction, recovery, and family dynamics. I think Anne Hathaway is fantastic and I think it's a great film to discuss personal dynamics as they link with our family and coping choices. Good. Great.

Persopolis
Illustrated story about the civil war of Taran, Iran and a young girls development alongside this tragedy. It's a search for freedom and self. It's a beautiful story with even more beautiful artwork. It was good film to understand the national identity of a country I didn't really know much about.

King Corn
FANTASTIC documentary about the use of Iowa corn. Did you know that you can't eat the corn that 95% of Iowa farmers grow? I had no clue. Did you know that most of what we eat is corn? Fabulous film showing the movement of nutritional to feed corn/high fructose corn syrup. I think it was a smart story to share how our culture and way of life is changing.

I Like Killing Flies
MY FAVORITE from the day. It is a crazy story of the owner of a dive restaurant in New York. He asks the most fantastic questions about the meaning of life as well as living it within a community like space. You have to watch it to believe it!! Fabulous.

Conversation(s) With Other Women
Another interesting conversation on love and loss. Shot and edited with a split story...connecting together the past with the present AND what could have been with what actually has. It is smart, funny, and breathtakingly simple. I could watch this one a few times and think I could still find something new.

The King of Kong
Amazingly geeky film. I loved it for that reason. I love when people get passionate and psyched on something that has meaning to a very small group of people. Fantastic. This small business man seeks to break the record of the 1985 world champion of Donkey Kong. When you are good you are good. No questions asked. Awesome.

I had a great movie watching experience. You should let me know if you have seen any of these and some thoughts!