just getting myself together before heading to NYE party. hope yr frustrations have smoothed out; maybe things working a little easier for you, or even just a simple resolve to deal with it another day. i gotta tell ya, nothing does crispies quite like a cast-iron skillet! weeeeee doggies! these Louisiana Hash leftover crispies? you'd love 'em.... i'll probably have to field a thousand "where is she"/"how's she doing" questions tonight. luckily your parents will be there too. they can take some of that rap for me. and i promise i'll keep that cow away from your father if she's there tonight. (or rather, just keep your dad occupied away from her.) by the looks of how she left the last throw-down though, in tears and without saying goodbye, she got the message loud and clear: stay the hell away from married men and boyfriends, you pack mule. i'll take plenty of photos for you, and maybe post them here tomorrow????
starting tomorrow we'll do Frenchie week, per your request. for tonight, in honor of our lovely hostess (who will probably corner me and tell me, drunk and in her second language, how much she loves you, and me, and your parents, and fuck everybody else if they don't like it) our second favorite Turk: Selda!
i LRV you, and i'll call you 'round midnight, our time.
b
Selda Bagcan- "Yaz Gazeteci Yaz"
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
The Twenty-First Day
yep, 21. we's all grow'd up now, huh? nah. it's just another day. (only 70 more to go!) boring day today. slow at work, not much going on around the house although i promised myself i'd finally cook something this evening. think i went grocery shopping like a week ago today and have barely touched any of it. tonight i will make the breakfast i've been dreaming about for weeks... a home version of Dixie Grill's Louisiana Hash. mmmmmmm
so okay. Louisiana music... Dr. John, Louis Armstrong, Li'l Wayne, Allen Toussaint (i would LOVE to post "Soul Sister" but it's not on YouTube), the Meters, George Lewis... i got it! Eddie Bo! sure as your bone, we got us a sho' nuff bucket, babygirl. (and i'm talkin' 'bout GOOD!) sorry the video is so... absent, but the song is right on point.
LRV, b
Eddie Bo: "Check Your Bucket"
so okay. Louisiana music... Dr. John, Louis Armstrong, Li'l Wayne, Allen Toussaint (i would LOVE to post "Soul Sister" but it's not on YouTube), the Meters, George Lewis... i got it! Eddie Bo! sure as your bone, we got us a sho' nuff bucket, babygirl. (and i'm talkin' 'bout GOOD!) sorry the video is so... absent, but the song is right on point.
LRV, b
Eddie Bo: "Check Your Bucket"
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
the Twentieth Day
people keep saying that our time apart will "go by quickly". guess i'm still waiting for the clock to run... seems like a crawl these last 20 days. i honestly can't remember what our longest stretch of time apart has been; maybe seven, eight days?
it seems redundant to write about stuff we've already talked about over the phone. the opposite works fine; i write it and then we talk. maybe i can drop a hint or two, or leave out a crucial detail, to entice you to read. but if we've already spoken, and you know about lunch and my trip to the record store, then why chronicle it here?
after 20 days this process is starting to reveal its vanity (which i suppose is the nature of The Blog anyway). so how necessary is it? we do have the phone, and soon hopefully all our Skype wires will connect. so is this just for my satisfaction then; so i can know that i did indeed write you a letter everyday like they did in the movies? it's not as easy as it sounds.
still i won't give up or abandon it, even if it feels flat at times. the Main Idea is to keep as many fires burning as possible. yes, we're on the phone at least once a day. but what if there's a lapse? it's bound to happen sometime. our time tables are a lot different. if there is a day we can't connect, at least there's this page. even if it is just a one-sided conversation, it's still time well spent because it's dedicated to you, and only you.
maybe that's its most resonant purpose: my daily devotional to you. may it never die.
this is from one of the records i bought today. hope you like it, too!
LRV, b
the Soft Machine: "Kings and Queens"
it seems redundant to write about stuff we've already talked about over the phone. the opposite works fine; i write it and then we talk. maybe i can drop a hint or two, or leave out a crucial detail, to entice you to read. but if we've already spoken, and you know about lunch and my trip to the record store, then why chronicle it here?
after 20 days this process is starting to reveal its vanity (which i suppose is the nature of The Blog anyway). so how necessary is it? we do have the phone, and soon hopefully all our Skype wires will connect. so is this just for my satisfaction then; so i can know that i did indeed write you a letter everyday like they did in the movies? it's not as easy as it sounds.
still i won't give up or abandon it, even if it feels flat at times. the Main Idea is to keep as many fires burning as possible. yes, we're on the phone at least once a day. but what if there's a lapse? it's bound to happen sometime. our time tables are a lot different. if there is a day we can't connect, at least there's this page. even if it is just a one-sided conversation, it's still time well spent because it's dedicated to you, and only you.
maybe that's its most resonant purpose: my daily devotional to you. may it never die.
this is from one of the records i bought today. hope you like it, too!
LRV, b
the Soft Machine: "Kings and Queens"
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Day Nineteen
just one of those days. "nothing particularly special or exciting." that isn't a very good segue into a musical recommendation but.... heard this song again this morning and remembered i meant to put this group on your iPod before you left, but never got around to copping it. you may remember we listened to them a bit at C&E's while they were away; at their kitchen table using the Pandora on your phone? anyway, what i like about this group is that they don't over-do anything, and they're not trying to fit into any niche. they just make songs; very simply, only doing what is necessary. they don't even really need a name, just two X's. the lyrics are nice and sweet, too. it's a good couples' song.
LRV, b
the XX: "VCR"
LRV, b
the XX: "VCR"
Monday, December 27, 2010
Day Eighteen
set up my Skypes today! i am SOOOO excited to SEE you tonight! i may even comb my hair.... good day today. went down to Isaac's and got me a navy blue Kangol, very sharp.
also got to see Joe and Joan for a bit, which you know. Joan is a bit under the weather. allergies mostly, but she's also got a gall bladder issue. surgery in mid-January. we'll let you know how it's going, but can you send her a card? it would mean the world to her.
AND i had the always lovely opportunity to hang out with Will and Carol, at your parents' house. those two are too much. (they send their love!) Will told me i looked like Gil-Scott Heron with this beard. i knew he meant it in the most flattering way possible --even from a guy that likes to bullshit as much as Will-- but at first i was like "that guy's gaunt as hell from years of drug abuse, and he has HIV!" of course we talked a lot about music and Will was genuinely appreciative of the Wax Poetics issue i gave him with the article about Airto. that meant a lot. Carol's cello playing has reached a new level, she says. she finally feels as if she's got an instructor who will not simply supply her with the tools to play, but provide her with the wisdom of how to use those tools and the inspiration to take her wherever she may want to go. exiting stuff!
so now i'm looking through YouTube, trying to find my beard in Gil-Scott Heron videos. (my hair is a lot less, how do you say, curly than his...) there are plenty to choose from but i'm going with this one for several reasons:
A) it's probably the most beard-ly accurate, if only a pixelated drawing
B) cuz it's about Detroit
C) because it's badass and has a ton of familiar samples in it
D) it follows Stravinsky better than "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", or Comment #1.
Gil-Scott Heron: "We Almost Lost Detroit"
and, a last minute addition, because "i got stars in my beard, and i feel real weird, for you"
T. Rex: "Mambo Sun"
LRV, b
also got to see Joe and Joan for a bit, which you know. Joan is a bit under the weather. allergies mostly, but she's also got a gall bladder issue. surgery in mid-January. we'll let you know how it's going, but can you send her a card? it would mean the world to her.
AND i had the always lovely opportunity to hang out with Will and Carol, at your parents' house. those two are too much. (they send their love!) Will told me i looked like Gil-Scott Heron with this beard. i knew he meant it in the most flattering way possible --even from a guy that likes to bullshit as much as Will-- but at first i was like "that guy's gaunt as hell from years of drug abuse, and he has HIV!" of course we talked a lot about music and Will was genuinely appreciative of the Wax Poetics issue i gave him with the article about Airto. that meant a lot. Carol's cello playing has reached a new level, she says. she finally feels as if she's got an instructor who will not simply supply her with the tools to play, but provide her with the wisdom of how to use those tools and the inspiration to take her wherever she may want to go. exiting stuff!
so now i'm looking through YouTube, trying to find my beard in Gil-Scott Heron videos. (my hair is a lot less, how do you say, curly than his...) there are plenty to choose from but i'm going with this one for several reasons:
A) it's probably the most beard-ly accurate, if only a pixelated drawing
B) cuz it's about Detroit
C) because it's badass and has a ton of familiar samples in it
D) it follows Stravinsky better than "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised", or Comment #1.
Gil-Scott Heron: "We Almost Lost Detroit"
and, a last minute addition, because "i got stars in my beard, and i feel real weird, for you"
T. Rex: "Mambo Sun"
LRV, b
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Day Seventeen
you know half of this story already. forgot to tell you the continuation. so in the interest not telling a partial story, (and for the benefit of any lurkers), we'll take it from the top.
Christmas morning: first thing i do when i wake up is put on a kettle for coffee. fill it up, set it on the stove, crank the dial. the stove's a little cluttered but whatever. you're not home and i'm not expecting company. grind some beans, go to bathroom. use bathroom, brush teeth... what's that smell? something is burning. i run to the kitchen, toothbrush in mouth, and discover i'd turned the wrong burner on and a box of aluminum foil is smoldering. (we have an electric stove, thank god.) i quickly pick it up, throw it out onto the deck and think to myself "hope that's not an omen".
when i came home from dinner, i finally put the missing string on my guitar (xmas gift to self: pack of strings) and played until my fingertips were black. over the course of playing i took a couple smoke breaks. it was getting late and as i grew sleepy i smelled something strange again, like a synthetic burn or something, so i checked the kitchen and nothing was odd. i go out for my last smoke of the night and the citronella candle that we carelessly use as an ashtray is billowing smoke. i suppose an earlier cig lit up a few of its fallen comrades. i poured what was left of my beer on it and the beast sizzled out. "well ain't that some shit."
so yeah. your boyfriend set two accidental fires in your house on Christmas day. (cue Gilly: "Sorry!") this is how much i need you. but i promise the house will still be here upon your return, just maybe a little crispy around the edges. you love crispies!
most folks would probably post "Burning Down the House" as musical accompaniment to this story, but that's too easy. Kermit the Frog's rendition of "Once in a Lifetime" is great but hardly applicable. (will find use for it later....)
THIS is on the money. growing up, we listened to a lot of classical music in our house, more so than even mom's beloved early Beatles or oldies radio. mom would always pick up the music that whatever the orchestras or ensembles sis and i were involved in were playing. Ravel's "Bolero", of course. Holst's "The Planets" (Mars and Jupiter kick ass), "New World Suite", Dvorak. all that. i think sis played "Firebird", and it stuck with me. it's so haunting and moody, and it builds this great momentum and this really dramatic yet affirming finale. this video is fantastic too, the Maestro at the helm. simply sublime.... i don't listen to the classics too much anymore. too hungry for the esoteric. still these linger in the blood, and they're a hell of a lot more entertaining than the Talking Heads. don't you think?
LRV, b
Igor Stravinsky conducts "The Firebird Suite"
Christmas morning: first thing i do when i wake up is put on a kettle for coffee. fill it up, set it on the stove, crank the dial. the stove's a little cluttered but whatever. you're not home and i'm not expecting company. grind some beans, go to bathroom. use bathroom, brush teeth... what's that smell? something is burning. i run to the kitchen, toothbrush in mouth, and discover i'd turned the wrong burner on and a box of aluminum foil is smoldering. (we have an electric stove, thank god.) i quickly pick it up, throw it out onto the deck and think to myself "hope that's not an omen".
when i came home from dinner, i finally put the missing string on my guitar (xmas gift to self: pack of strings) and played until my fingertips were black. over the course of playing i took a couple smoke breaks. it was getting late and as i grew sleepy i smelled something strange again, like a synthetic burn or something, so i checked the kitchen and nothing was odd. i go out for my last smoke of the night and the citronella candle that we carelessly use as an ashtray is billowing smoke. i suppose an earlier cig lit up a few of its fallen comrades. i poured what was left of my beer on it and the beast sizzled out. "well ain't that some shit."
so yeah. your boyfriend set two accidental fires in your house on Christmas day. (cue Gilly: "Sorry!") this is how much i need you. but i promise the house will still be here upon your return, just maybe a little crispy around the edges. you love crispies!
most folks would probably post "Burning Down the House" as musical accompaniment to this story, but that's too easy. Kermit the Frog's rendition of "Once in a Lifetime" is great but hardly applicable. (will find use for it later....)
THIS is on the money. growing up, we listened to a lot of classical music in our house, more so than even mom's beloved early Beatles or oldies radio. mom would always pick up the music that whatever the orchestras or ensembles sis and i were involved in were playing. Ravel's "Bolero", of course. Holst's "The Planets" (Mars and Jupiter kick ass), "New World Suite", Dvorak. all that. i think sis played "Firebird", and it stuck with me. it's so haunting and moody, and it builds this great momentum and this really dramatic yet affirming finale. this video is fantastic too, the Maestro at the helm. simply sublime.... i don't listen to the classics too much anymore. too hungry for the esoteric. still these linger in the blood, and they're a hell of a lot more entertaining than the Talking Heads. don't you think?
LRV, b
Igor Stravinsky conducts "The Firebird Suite"
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Day Sixteen
windex'd bugs and low hugs and dances in kitchens,
head scratches, leg rockets, salmon with fixin's.
all of those darn doodoo songs that you sing,
these are a few of...
merry mishmush,
LRV, b
head scratches, leg rockets, salmon with fixin's.
all of those darn doodoo songs that you sing,
these are a few of...
merry mishmush,
LRV, b
Friday, December 24, 2010
Day Fifteen
well, it's officially two weeks down, eleven more to go. i must admit, all the renewed bachelor-pad-ness ((the dirty dishes, the unlimited music time, the toilet seat up, etc)) has officially lost its luster and now it's just straight-up Missing You time. even if it wasn't holiday season, it'd be tough. but it is, and i ain't feeling so merry.
it's great that your West Coast family is there for you, and embracing you fully. as much as you miss us, your parents and me, they'll help soften that edge. you're gonna have a blast tomorrow!
enough lamenting. here's yet another song that will forever remind me of you, and has become my favorite holiday song of all time. appropriately bittersweet, no?
Merry Mishmush, m'lady.
LRV, b
the Vince Guaraldi Trio, with choir: "Christmas Time is Here"
it's great that your West Coast family is there for you, and embracing you fully. as much as you miss us, your parents and me, they'll help soften that edge. you're gonna have a blast tomorrow!
enough lamenting. here's yet another song that will forever remind me of you, and has become my favorite holiday song of all time. appropriately bittersweet, no?
Merry Mishmush, m'lady.
LRV, b
the Vince Guaraldi Trio, with choir: "Christmas Time is Here"
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Day Fourteen
please let me know if Christmas arrived. and have fun tonight. give everybody an extra hug for me. words cannot express how badly i could use a Kashka low-hug right about now. miss you terribly. just reverse the gender in this song, and it's me singing to you from afar.
LRV, b
Betty Davis: "Your Mama Wants Ya Back"
LRV, b
Betty Davis: "Your Mama Wants Ya Back"
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Day 13
oooooooooh, 13. treacherous! but only if we give it power over us. otherwise, it's just a number, just another day. naturally, there's an urge to post something dangerous. but The Screamers hollered at us yesterday, and you hate Slayer, so we'll go another way.
back to the first mix you made me, mentioned a few days ago. i think about it a lot, obviously. sadly it's no longer listenable since it's been through so many sleeve-holders and sat naked in stacks over the years. it's scratched and skippy beyond repair. but that cd was instrumental in shaping our relationship very early on. it was only a couple weeks of dating before you presented it to me. and, as you know, we were by no means fast and furious in our courtship.
first song, right off the bat, you turned me on to the Stylistics, "People Make the World Go Round". it hit all the right spots: style, soul, ambiance, a not-square groove structure... i thought "this girl knows what's up. let's investigate further..."
then there were these other songs. you've maintained that there was no hidden suggestion in your track selections. but still, i'm hearing "oooh babe, here i am, signed, sealed, delivered, i'm yours"... and "do you know what today is? it's our anniversary..." what's a guy to do with signals like this?
when i got to this song, i was like "definitely".
the Pharcyde: "She Said"
you may not have meant to, but you totally hooked me with this song. i've been yours ever since. and i truly believe your intentions were to innocently share some music that you love, not to lure me in to your den. (to be fair, you also included "Passing Me By"; almost the opposite message from the same group.) but it did. thank you, Imani, Booty Brown, Fatlip, and Slim Kid 3. (we do it this way.) and the immortal J Dilla. but most importantly, thank you, Babygirl, forever, for that cd.
LRV, b
back to the first mix you made me, mentioned a few days ago. i think about it a lot, obviously. sadly it's no longer listenable since it's been through so many sleeve-holders and sat naked in stacks over the years. it's scratched and skippy beyond repair. but that cd was instrumental in shaping our relationship very early on. it was only a couple weeks of dating before you presented it to me. and, as you know, we were by no means fast and furious in our courtship.
first song, right off the bat, you turned me on to the Stylistics, "People Make the World Go Round". it hit all the right spots: style, soul, ambiance, a not-square groove structure... i thought "this girl knows what's up. let's investigate further..."
then there were these other songs. you've maintained that there was no hidden suggestion in your track selections. but still, i'm hearing "oooh babe, here i am, signed, sealed, delivered, i'm yours"... and "do you know what today is? it's our anniversary..." what's a guy to do with signals like this?
when i got to this song, i was like "definitely".
the Pharcyde: "She Said"
you may not have meant to, but you totally hooked me with this song. i've been yours ever since. and i truly believe your intentions were to innocently share some music that you love, not to lure me in to your den. (to be fair, you also included "Passing Me By"; almost the opposite message from the same group.) but it did. thank you, Imani, Booty Brown, Fatlip, and Slim Kid 3. (we do it this way.) and the immortal J Dilla. but most importantly, thank you, Babygirl, forever, for that cd.
LRV, b
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Day Twelve
ugh. will forgo spilling aggro beans about work and all the b.s. happening there. this is a running memoir, not a full-disclosure diary. suffice it to say today has not been all peace-y and flower-y.
with that in mind, a diptych from LA's finest punk band: The Screamers. and it couldn't be more appropriate. i've had "122 Hours of Fear" chosen for a while for Day Twelve. yet the song that stuck in my head all day was "Through the Flames", as the protagonist gets fed up and burns everything in sight because everything around her is shit. but there's no decent YouTube video for it. and on my way home from work, i listened to "The Beat Goes On" three times. why? because it's a snarling satire of transparent pop culture, making it the perfect punk anthem. the venom in the delivery trumps any of Johnny Rotten's tacked-on "bollocks" posturing 100-fold. LA DE fucking DA DA indeed. this live version is one verse shorter than the demo version, and the sound quality leaves a bit to be desired, but the energy is wonderfully intact. conversely with the video for "122 Hours of Fear", it's almost too clean a sound, but again, The Screamers' knack for embodying crippling anxiety, and using it as a weapon, is crystal clear.
hoping your day is light years better,
LRV, b
The Screamers: "The Beat Goes On"
The Screamers: "122 Hours of Fear"
(and for any others who may be listening/reading, this isn't just for me. Kashka is a Screamers fan as well. i've heard her shout "hundred and twenty-two!" in the shower on numerous occasions.)
with that in mind, a diptych from LA's finest punk band: The Screamers. and it couldn't be more appropriate. i've had "122 Hours of Fear" chosen for a while for Day Twelve. yet the song that stuck in my head all day was "Through the Flames", as the protagonist gets fed up and burns everything in sight because everything around her is shit. but there's no decent YouTube video for it. and on my way home from work, i listened to "The Beat Goes On" three times. why? because it's a snarling satire of transparent pop culture, making it the perfect punk anthem. the venom in the delivery trumps any of Johnny Rotten's tacked-on "bollocks" posturing 100-fold. LA DE fucking DA DA indeed. this live version is one verse shorter than the demo version, and the sound quality leaves a bit to be desired, but the energy is wonderfully intact. conversely with the video for "122 Hours of Fear", it's almost too clean a sound, but again, The Screamers' knack for embodying crippling anxiety, and using it as a weapon, is crystal clear.
hoping your day is light years better,
LRV, b
The Screamers: "The Beat Goes On"
The Screamers: "122 Hours of Fear"
(and for any others who may be listening/reading, this isn't just for me. Kashka is a Screamers fan as well. i've heard her shout "hundred and twenty-two!" in the shower on numerous occasions.)
Monday, December 20, 2010
Day Eleven
some people came to look at the apartment upstairs a little bit ago. two sets of shoes, at least. i was wrapping Christmas in the living room and listening to the Locust; not terribly loudly, but enough to have some fun while cutting and taping. didn't get to sneak a peek at them as they left. was 'occupied' in the bathroom, so to speak. will they move in after being audibly confronted upon entering the premises? who knows. your plants are still on the staircase, too. hell of a welcome.
your parents and i are going to see "Black Swan" later. by the time you read this, i'll probably have talked to you about it (yet i will reveal NOTHING). i'm really looking forward to it. not just the movie, but hanging out with your folks. i haven't seen them since we dropped you off at the airport. i miss them too.
here's another LA transplant. as you know, LIARS have made records in many different places. NYC, a forest in NJ, Berlin... but their last two were made in Los Angeles. the latest, "Sisterworld", is about the many pockets of people, and scenes, in LA, and how even though there seems to be infinite cultures and subcultures, it can be tough to find your way to "fitting in". there's a palpable sense of alienation in the music, yet it's accessible in its own weird way. it's seeking its place in its environment, yet comfortable enough in its own skin to reach beyond any particular social assignment to embrace many, and take any willing travelers on board with it.
and this is one of the many things i love about you: you're not concerned with all that Hollywood mess. showbiz doesn't faze you. lotsa people would probably clamor to meet their best friend's Big Time Movie Star boyfriend, or their aunt's Jazz Giant pal (like me), but you're more interested in Real People. (although i'm sure if Christian Bale or Mos Def were in your proximity, you'd melt instantly.) you go for substance over shine, you don't discriminate based on what's supposedly hip, you're continually intrigued by people from different walks of life and never pass judgment on anyone, unless they deserve it. and that, my love, is incredibly refreshing.
to sum this up in the corniest way possible, i am Proud of your Evolution in your career and into the woman you want to be. i feel honored to have been by your side these last 7.5 years, to witness and love all the wonderful things that make you uniquely Kashka Booker, and no one else. i'll stay here forever, too, even while yr away.
LRV, b
LIARS: "Proud Evolution"
your parents and i are going to see "Black Swan" later. by the time you read this, i'll probably have talked to you about it (yet i will reveal NOTHING). i'm really looking forward to it. not just the movie, but hanging out with your folks. i haven't seen them since we dropped you off at the airport. i miss them too.
here's another LA transplant. as you know, LIARS have made records in many different places. NYC, a forest in NJ, Berlin... but their last two were made in Los Angeles. the latest, "Sisterworld", is about the many pockets of people, and scenes, in LA, and how even though there seems to be infinite cultures and subcultures, it can be tough to find your way to "fitting in". there's a palpable sense of alienation in the music, yet it's accessible in its own weird way. it's seeking its place in its environment, yet comfortable enough in its own skin to reach beyond any particular social assignment to embrace many, and take any willing travelers on board with it.
and this is one of the many things i love about you: you're not concerned with all that Hollywood mess. showbiz doesn't faze you. lotsa people would probably clamor to meet their best friend's Big Time Movie Star boyfriend, or their aunt's Jazz Giant pal (like me), but you're more interested in Real People. (although i'm sure if Christian Bale or Mos Def were in your proximity, you'd melt instantly.) you go for substance over shine, you don't discriminate based on what's supposedly hip, you're continually intrigued by people from different walks of life and never pass judgment on anyone, unless they deserve it. and that, my love, is incredibly refreshing.
to sum this up in the corniest way possible, i am Proud of your Evolution in your career and into the woman you want to be. i feel honored to have been by your side these last 7.5 years, to witness and love all the wonderful things that make you uniquely Kashka Booker, and no one else. i'll stay here forever, too, even while yr away.
LRV, b
LIARS: "Proud Evolution"
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Day Ten
today i feel like garbage. without being too graphic, let's just say Fat Tire's seasonal ale, 2 Below, is a lot smoother going down than it is in reverse. it's delicious, holy hell is it delicious, and potent. (6.6) but after 9 of them, and very little to eat prior to imbibing... yeah. not my smartest moment. i will say, though, that the hangover was manageable. by no means fun, but mild enough to survive an 11 hour work day (immediately following passing out)without killing anyone. but i still maintain that it was the lone Miller High Life that sent me over the edge. without that, i probably would have been fine.
are you going to wear your new watch and scrubs to work tomorrow?
Although Mingus was born in Arizona, he grew up in Watts and got his start playing in bands around LA. in thinking about these posts as a mixtape, it feels a little soon to go to a slow jam. but there are no rules here. and this song is the best medicine for a hangover. we have this version on DVD, and it's pretty solid. (couldn't find the album cut on YouTube.) Don Pullen's mute solo is incredible, and Gerry Mulligan lays it down too (trumpet, bari sax). and of course, the drummer, Danny Richmond. i f-ing love his jazz cowboy outfit. classic.
LRV, b
Charles Mingus: "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
are you going to wear your new watch and scrubs to work tomorrow?
Although Mingus was born in Arizona, he grew up in Watts and got his start playing in bands around LA. in thinking about these posts as a mixtape, it feels a little soon to go to a slow jam. but there are no rules here. and this song is the best medicine for a hangover. we have this version on DVD, and it's pretty solid. (couldn't find the album cut on YouTube.) Don Pullen's mute solo is incredible, and Gerry Mulligan lays it down too (trumpet, bari sax). and of course, the drummer, Danny Richmond. i f-ing love his jazz cowboy outfit. classic.
LRV, b
Charles Mingus: "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Day Nine
you have internet today! yaaaaaaaaaay! (like Special Ed from Crank Yankers). i love you, yaaaaaaaaaaaay! can you reading me now?
i'll keep this short and sweet, like a midget selling lollipops. the Flying Lotus and Madlib show was last weekend, not New Year's Eve, unfortunately. but still in the spirit of LA music, here's a tripped out video from FlyLo, a song that sounds a lot like Yesterday's New Quintet.
LRV, b
Flying Lotus: "MmmHmm"
i'll keep this short and sweet, like a midget selling lollipops. the Flying Lotus and Madlib show was last weekend, not New Year's Eve, unfortunately. but still in the spirit of LA music, here's a tripped out video from FlyLo, a song that sounds a lot like Yesterday's New Quintet.
LRV, b
Flying Lotus: "MmmHmm"
Friday, December 17, 2010
Day Eight
it's been a full week now. some of your things are still where you left them. and some of your laundry made it into mine. as i was sorting it, i thought "it'll be a while before she needs this again", and just tossed the items into a pile on the floor. (kidding).
happy to hear things are settling down and you're starting to find your way around your new spaces. so maybe this week we should listen to some LA music, get you some local flavor. the first song that pops into my head when i think "LA" is this one, which should totally be Song of the Year, if the music industry had any sense. it really hits all the marks: catchy, fun, a little strange; the kinda thing you could just drive around the city listening to, discovering new things around every corner.
you should treat yourself to a joyride or a movie or something this weekend. it's been a hectic week. you deserve it.
LRV, b
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: "Round and Round"
happy to hear things are settling down and you're starting to find your way around your new spaces. so maybe this week we should listen to some LA music, get you some local flavor. the first song that pops into my head when i think "LA" is this one, which should totally be Song of the Year, if the music industry had any sense. it really hits all the marks: catchy, fun, a little strange; the kinda thing you could just drive around the city listening to, discovering new things around every corner.
you should treat yourself to a joyride or a movie or something this weekend. it's been a hectic week. you deserve it.
LRV, b
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti: "Round and Round"
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Day Seven
gloomy here today. gray and windy, but at least it's temperate; 50s. made me think of this song, which i find kinda cheesy but i know you love it, and that's why i like it. you put it on the first mix cd you made me, (and "Anniversary" too). have you found this to be true? Nicole says it's pretty accurate, but when it does rain, it pours. and then it floods. and then the mud starts shifting and taking whole houses off mountains, or sinking neighborhoods into ditches. anyway, hope it stays sunny outside and in yr beautiful mind. no mud slide doodoo rides for you.
LRV, b
Tony! Toni! Tone!: "It Never Rains (In Southern California")
LRV, b
Tony! Toni! Tone!: "It Never Rains (In Southern California")
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Day Six
here's how i knew you were the girl for me: of course, we talked about music on the night we met. you said you were into the Dead Kennedys, which immediately said "she rocks" to my brain. and then you asked me, i repeat YOU asked ME, if i had heard of Stereolab. "she's awesome!" my brain screamed. a girl that loves Stereolab as much as i do, you don't lose her number. you call it the next day. and i did.
today, i'm thinking "Ping Pong", because Dots & Loops is your favorite Stereolab record (i still claim Sound Dust), and because it's about the nature of struggle; not losing yourself in the face of adversity, and taking things with a grain of salt. well, it's about war and economics, specifically, but the aforementioned big-picture still holds up. also, it's a cool video.
LRV, b
Stereolab: "Ping Pong"
today, i'm thinking "Ping Pong", because Dots & Loops is your favorite Stereolab record (i still claim Sound Dust), and because it's about the nature of struggle; not losing yourself in the face of adversity, and taking things with a grain of salt. well, it's about war and economics, specifically, but the aforementioned big-picture still holds up. also, it's a cool video.
LRV, b
Stereolab: "Ping Pong"
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Day Five
first days are always difficult. there's no getting around it. no matter where you are, what industry you're in, there will always be new ways of doing things, procedures you're unfamiliar with, and new people to navigate. but if it was all gravy from the get-go, then it wouldn't be rewarding at all. you'd learn nothing. the monotony and brainless-ness would eat you alive throughout your tenure, and you'd be looking for ways out immediately. you don't want that.
with all that in mind, take a step back and review: where do you need the most help, how can you prepare for each new challenge (even if they seem to spring up at random), and most of all what steps can you take to ensure your progress.
i would be worried if there was no challenge. but i know you, your tenacity, your desire to excel, and your resilience. it's a little overwhelming now, but you'll progress ten-fold before you know it.
the best advice i can give for today is best sung by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, in one of my all-time favorite songs...
LRV, b
The Impressions: "Keep On Pushin'"
with all that in mind, take a step back and review: where do you need the most help, how can you prepare for each new challenge (even if they seem to spring up at random), and most of all what steps can you take to ensure your progress.
i would be worried if there was no challenge. but i know you, your tenacity, your desire to excel, and your resilience. it's a little overwhelming now, but you'll progress ten-fold before you know it.
the best advice i can give for today is best sung by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions, in one of my all-time favorite songs...
LRV, b
The Impressions: "Keep On Pushin'"
Monday, December 13, 2010
Day Four
today is the day you embark on your journey for real; your first day of work. will it be fun? will there be unbearable politics among staff rankings, catty gossips or frigid bitches who make new fish's lives the pits? which patients will you really connect with? will the administration help you when you have questions? ...
but i know you too well. even when you get flustered or frustrated, you keep your chin up. you take the sage advice from our most eloquent friend, "Don't let it get you down." i'm sure our phone convo tonight will be full of light and we'll both feel like we're in this for life, you and me, together in love, 3000 miles apart yet connect through the heart. awww, i just watched this video twice and i guess Ghost's voice is still ringing in my head.
anyway, in honor of your first day, some inspirational words from MJ: "no matter how hard that times may seem, don't give up your plans, don't give up your dreams."
you're gonna be great, and they'll love you almost as much as i do. i'm sure of it.
LRV, b
Ghostface, Method Man, Raekwon: "Our Dreams"
but i know you too well. even when you get flustered or frustrated, you keep your chin up. you take the sage advice from our most eloquent friend, "Don't let it get you down." i'm sure our phone convo tonight will be full of light and we'll both feel like we're in this for life, you and me, together in love, 3000 miles apart yet connect through the heart. awww, i just watched this video twice and i guess Ghost's voice is still ringing in my head.
anyway, in honor of your first day, some inspirational words from MJ: "no matter how hard that times may seem, don't give up your plans, don't give up your dreams."
you're gonna be great, and they'll love you almost as much as i do. i'm sure of it.
LRV, b
Ghostface, Method Man, Raekwon: "Our Dreams"
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Day Three
so it's kinda sinking in.... you won't be home for a while. at first the idea seemed manageable: while yr gone, i can spend unlimited time working on music, leave the toilet seat up, move in to a couple dresser drawers.... but the realization that even though i'm surrounded by you --your clothes, your things, your pictures-- you're not here, and won't be for months, just rains on my soul. the reality is slightly devastating. but in theory, i suppose it works.
your new job starts tomorrow and i hope it is challenging and enjoyable. i know you'll do great. there will be an adjustment period, but you'll find your groove soon enough. stay sharp, keep your cool. i have endless faith in you.
but i hate that your apartment has such bad phone reception. it's an awful tease to hear your voice only to have the call drop out mid-sentence. sucks that they moved you into one of the only places in the country, (and our phone service provider is the supposed "leader" in coverage), that's a dead zone. some might read an ominous omen in the midst, i say it's a minor setback. nothing we can't overcome.
and you have yet to find an internet hub, which means you haven't gotten any of these transmissions yet. but that's okay. they're here, in the ether, and they'll be here when you can come around. the vibrations will still reach you. sad as i am growing, i still radiate love to you. and until you come back i will be here,
in our home, building imaginary pyramids for you.
with Hieroglyphics (aka: Souls of Mischief) and one of many songs i'm eternally thankful to you for enlightening me.
LRV, b
Hieroglyphics, "Cab Fare"
your new job starts tomorrow and i hope it is challenging and enjoyable. i know you'll do great. there will be an adjustment period, but you'll find your groove soon enough. stay sharp, keep your cool. i have endless faith in you.
but i hate that your apartment has such bad phone reception. it's an awful tease to hear your voice only to have the call drop out mid-sentence. sucks that they moved you into one of the only places in the country, (and our phone service provider is the supposed "leader" in coverage), that's a dead zone. some might read an ominous omen in the midst, i say it's a minor setback. nothing we can't overcome.
and you have yet to find an internet hub, which means you haven't gotten any of these transmissions yet. but that's okay. they're here, in the ether, and they'll be here when you can come around. the vibrations will still reach you. sad as i am growing, i still radiate love to you. and until you come back i will be here,
in our home, building imaginary pyramids for you.
with Hieroglyphics (aka: Souls of Mischief) and one of many songs i'm eternally thankful to you for enlightening me.
LRV, b
Hieroglyphics, "Cab Fare"
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Day Two
this album has a special place in my heart, literally turning it inside out. it's the LP equivalent of our in-love: fun, layered and complex (in all the right ways) but never tough to get a hold of, and warm as an embrace from yr Fave-1. i put it on your iPod before you left. have you heard yet? it's one of those that mean so much to me that i must under-play it, so the sweetness (and sometimes bittersweet-ness) never fades. i'm making dinner for our friends later, so that i can have company while i eat. i miss you.
LRV, b
Yo La Tengo, "You Can Have It All"
LRV, b
Yo La Tengo, "You Can Have It All"
Friday, December 10, 2010
Day One
Dear Babygirl,
i couldn't sleep last night. i was trying to think of a way i could be sweet to you everyday while you're away. i can't scratch your head or squeeze your feet for a few weeks, but i wanted to find a way to let you know that i'm thinking about you and i love you. daily phonecalls will be nice, and looked-forward-to, but you know me. i gotsta go that extra mile.
so what i came up with is this: i'm going to send you a song every day while you're away; songs that remind me of you, or express how i feel about you, or maybe jams i think you'd enjoy; possibly even me singing songs every once in a while if i get around to acquiring a web-cam.
and i decided to do it as a blog rather than jam up your facebook everyday. of course i'll still post the links there, but hopefully that won't be as invasive as 90-some youtubes or mp3 embeds or what has you. if it's too impersonal to do it this way, and you'd rather have me give them to you and only you, then that's what i'll do.
it's been less than 24 hours and i already miss you like crazy. so in honor of everything you mean to me, the song that (perhaps) sums it up best: your ringtone.
(minus all the stuff in the lyrics about him being "wrong", because nothing feels more right than we loving each other, every little thing else is spot-on.)
LRV, b
Stevie Wonder, "I Love Every Little Thing About You"
i couldn't sleep last night. i was trying to think of a way i could be sweet to you everyday while you're away. i can't scratch your head or squeeze your feet for a few weeks, but i wanted to find a way to let you know that i'm thinking about you and i love you. daily phonecalls will be nice, and looked-forward-to, but you know me. i gotsta go that extra mile.
so what i came up with is this: i'm going to send you a song every day while you're away; songs that remind me of you, or express how i feel about you, or maybe jams i think you'd enjoy; possibly even me singing songs every once in a while if i get around to acquiring a web-cam.
and i decided to do it as a blog rather than jam up your facebook everyday. of course i'll still post the links there, but hopefully that won't be as invasive as 90-some youtubes or mp3 embeds or what has you. if it's too impersonal to do it this way, and you'd rather have me give them to you and only you, then that's what i'll do.
it's been less than 24 hours and i already miss you like crazy. so in honor of everything you mean to me, the song that (perhaps) sums it up best: your ringtone.
(minus all the stuff in the lyrics about him being "wrong", because nothing feels more right than we loving each other, every little thing else is spot-on.)
LRV, b
Stevie Wonder, "I Love Every Little Thing About You"
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