It's been a little over a year since I had my world rocked by the news that my kids would be moving to Florida. This time last year I was dreading the move and wondering and worrying and just generally getting all weepy several times a day. It's been a challenge but I'm very happy to say that it's been much easier than I expected. The guys have been up here for every holiday break from school and I got to spend a week in Florida with my parents while the boys were on Spring Break, which was terrific.
That's not to say that I don't still miss them terribly. Because they're pretty awesome and the best thing I've got going. I'm totally stoked that they're coming to town next weekend to attend their stepsister's graduation and we'll get to spend a couple days together, then they'll be flying in later in June to spend the majority of the summer here with me. Lately I haven't been able to go more than a few minutes without daydreaming about what we'll be doing this summer. To tell you the truth, I don't have any big plans, but believe me when I say that I get goosebumps just thinking about them going to bed and waking up under the same roof as me. There won't be very many kids anywhere on this planet that will be hugged as much as these guys are gonna be very soon.
(Ron Swanson + tiny hat) x snake juice = Awesome
We're still 8 days out from the release of the new My Morning Jacket album (and the live stream of their show at The Palace), but you can hear Circuital in it's entirety thanks to the good folks at NPR. Access the stream here.
I find it difficult to be objective when talking about my favorites in any category. I'm totally a homer...one of those fans who predicts an undefeated season for his team every year and blames every loss on oppressive officiating (borne of jealousy) and far-flung conspiracies. Indeed, in times past I may have made ridiculous claims to the effect of "[Spurs head coach] Gregg Popovich invented science..." or "If TV shows could fight, Breaking Bad would choke out Weeds in, like, 5 seconds." So it's difficult for me to offer an unbiased review of a new record from my favorite band, because I'm always straying towards hyperbole.
I'll try to state this as plainly and sincerely as possible: this album is absolutely terrific. I was prepared to like it, because I'm just such a fan of these guys. If they had recorded 20 minutes of the long-form Gilligan's Island theme played on Hee-Haw jug band instruments I'm sure I would have embraced it as "MMJ's New Direction". I was predisposed to appreciate whatever I heard.
But Holy Cow this is good. The first impression that hit me was that this sounds so different. Indeed, there are a couple of songs here (The Day Is Coming, Outta My System, You Wanna Freak Out) that aren't just a new sound for this band--they're just new sounds, period. The other thing that really stands out after a couple of spins is that until now, the band hasn't been showcased this well. Each track sounds so balanced--drums, bass, guitars, keys, vocals are all expansive. There's no empty space anywhere in this album. Does that even make sense?
The reason MMJ has such a stellar reputation as a live act is because there's never a time in their shows that it feels like they're not totally sold out to rocking your socks off. It's a playoff, overtime in game 7, extra innings, who wants it more, leave-it-all-on-the-court effort. This record really captures that.
Please listen to this. And then go buy it.
Ooglie Booglie. I never noticed before that the late (and terrific) Jeff Buckley bore a striking resemblance to Ziggy Sobotka (James Ransone) from Season 2 of The Wire.
Two great columns today from Washington Post writers. Here are excerpts from each:
Michael Gerson
"...9/11 was the cruel and random suffering of an earthquake--but an earthquake with an author, well pleased by his work. Nothing was more obscene that day than his delight.
"...America is left with a strategic challenge: It must pre-empt violence that takes root in failed and outlaw states without occupying and restructuring those societies. The alternative to Afghan-style nation-building is not forgetfulness and passivity. It is the development of alternative forms of American power--working through proxies, striking with drones, promoting development, conducting covert operations. And sometimes this will mean, as President Obama has admirably demonstrated, the unilateral use of force against America's enemies.
"A decade removed from 9/11, America is a sobered power but not a retreating one. Its determination reaches across administrations and to the farthest parts of the world. This continuity of American purpose is the reason Bin Laden hid and the reason he died. And we can hope that, in the end, he felt the fear he loved to cause."
Eugene Robinson
"...There will be more terrorism. Al-Qaida is not dead, and in fact may redouble its efforts at mayhem. But there has been a definitive change. Osama Bin Laden was more than a piece of unfinished business. He was a constant, if rarely acknowledged, presence in our lives. He was there when we took off our shoes at the airport, there when we drove past the Pentagon, there when we saw a picture of the New York Skyline.
"...As long as Bin Laden remained at large and unaccountable, he retained the power he had so cruelly usurped on 9/11. On Sunday, those who gathered at the White House were celebrating our psychological liberation.
"...The changes in our lives will endure, but the man responsible for those changes is gone at last."
Recent Comments