I never knew what this song was called. They always used it as bumpers during the late innings of Cardinals games, and I thought it was groovy. Except I never knew who did it, or what it was called.
(*cue "as seen on TV" announcer voice*)
"Until now...!!!!!!"
OK, it's not like the iPhone needs any free advertising. But I got my iPhone less than two weeks ago and... well, this sounds dramatic, but it literally has changed my life already.
I used Shazam to figure out that the Bar-Kays sang that song.
(The best part is the canned party sounds in the background... I always imagined that the song would be used to soundtrack a 60s beach movie. For some reason those horns are, to me, the aural equivalent of running through the sprinkler. They ripple while they're employed, then dissapear, then make two or three more passes. I want to keep getting wet.)
I have also, in a span of 10 days:
1) Upped my tweeting for work ten-fold, including pictures. (Our work account, which I started and is finally starting to catch on, is @EDNSports. The kids love us!) 2) Done lots of photo tweets. (Well, not lots, but more than before.) 3) Set up the NHL Gamecenter app to make a loud goal-horn noise whenever the Red Wings do anything. This, obviously, was very important. 4) Used the Maps feature to find my way to Hume, Illinois. Apparently the high school there does not exist on any other GPS-enabled divice. But the iPhone... it KNOWS! (Just for fun, this was my route. Now imagine taking that route — especially the 25-mile jaunt from Tuscola to Hume, which is a two-lane highway — in four inches of snow. I still filed my story afterwards though. NBD.) 5) Sent an email from a mobile device. Another first for me. 6) Had a FaceTime chat. 7) Tried to figure out how to properly use Instagram (Tony's post was very time-appropriate for me.)
So as you can see, getting the iPhone has been a very formative experience in my young life.
I realize that this is a very sad thing to say about how much our culture uses technology as a crutch.
But you know what? It's awesome. If I can be in the middle of nowhere in Illinois in a tiny school gym that is literally adjacent to a pig smokehouse yet still receive up-to-the-second updates on the Red Wings/Dallas Stars hockey game, I won't complain.
That question, "how huge are his lungs?" was just one shred floating out there in Twitterland after Jeff Mangum completely blew away all expectations during his first show in Chicago, Feb. 6, at The Athenaeum Theatre.
Reviews from earlier shows said he's better than ever before, and I agree. His voice was less reedy and his melodic dee dee dees and moans stronger than comes across on the records. Said another way, I went in wondering how the show would be without a backing band and was quickly glad no one else was around -- for most of the show -- to distract from Mangum. There was superb cello accompaniment on "Naomi," and the merry group that marched on stage for "The Fool" seemed to be exactly how that song should be played (rag tag, one big thumping drum, and so on).
Mangum encouraged sing alongs and shouted questions, and for most of the evening, the Chicago crowd offered up sincere, sharp questions. And we hung on every answer.
Quotes approximated:
What's he been doing? "Living with the love of my life." [Cheers and woots.]
What's he reading? "The memoirs of (trailing off...) [barely a laugh or peep] ... A popular title, I can tell."
What are your thoughts on reincarnation? "I'm doing it right now."
Who would win, Spider Man or Batman? [with the most seriousness he showed all night] "I do not know."
Are you writing new material? "No."
Do you like hot air balloons? "Yes!"
What's your favorite song to play? "That last one, actually ["Oh, Comely"]
Will you play "Little Sister?" [second-most seriousness] "Probably not."
It's hard to describe how happy he seemed. I'll try. At one point near the end of the show, he announced "Engine" and there was some applause and such, and someone right behind me said loudly, "Wait, what?" Another nearby man answered, "Engine," as everyone was listening, and amid the hubbub Mangum peered right back toward us and smiled with a sharp: "Engine."
When Mangum left the stage, it was my brother's friend with the gloomy-but-somehow-satisfied statement of the night: "And that's the last time we'll ever see Jeff Mangum."
Here's what the Tribune writer said about it, including a quote that he initially put out incorrectly via Twitter and which I may or may not have helped correct before the print version: review.
Set list: Two Headed Boy Pt. 2 Holland, 1945 Gardenhead/Leave Me Alone Song Against Sex Little Birds The King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1 The King of Carrot Flowers, Pts. 2 & 3 Ghost Naomi April 8th Oh Comely Two-Headed Boy The Fool
For today's paper I wrote about the local Instagram community, and in a couple hours I'll be meeting many of these hobby photographers face to face for the first time. It was that thought — the transition from digital to real life friendship — that seemed intriguing enough to warrant the story.
My most interesting Instagram stories:
1) I once saw a photo with a unique perspective of the Nashville skyline. I realized which apartment building would yield the view, and noticed that someone commented on the photo, wondering where that place was. I guessed, and the photographer confirmed it.
2) While on the road trip through N.C. and Virginia earlier this month, I would search the next day's city for photos of signature landmarks and buildings. Almost always, I could find a great shot of my favorite building. (In part, this prevented me from needing to stop to take my own.)
3) I look at a lot of #bullmastiff tagged photos. A lot.
Here is my Instagram photo feed, run through Embedagram. Otherwise, I usually search and browse (when not on my phone) with Gramfeed.
A weekly sampler of what we're listening to (new and old), and what we think you might like, too.
JACK: "Serpents" by Sharon Van Etten I heard this on NPR the other day. It was on "All Things Considered" (I know, I know) and I was immediately drawn to it. She's got this lovelorn and exasperated croon that stands out over the (admittedly) pretty standard indie rock-out going on in the background (although I'm digging the propulsive drumbeat). I heard the rest of the album and she's a gifted songwriter. Unfortunately most of it is less PJ Harvey than I expected. ("I am a badass, I am going to turn this motherfucking amp up to 11 just to prove to you that I am totally not writing this song about you. At all.") It's a little more understated. Not as many electric guitars. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing... this song is also really good. I just really like "Serpents."
TONY: "Fluid," The Gerbils This song is really weird and oddly beautiful. It cropped up during the opening act for Jeff Mangum, with the round and bearded Scott Spillane giving his nasally best. I can't believe this voice comes from that man.
CHASE: "I'm Not Ready" by Surfer Blood There is only reason I'm submitting this song, and that is because I'm obsessed with Surfer Blood. Everything about them, from their music to their Twitter account. I'm adding them to my unabashed fanboy list.
ECON: "Season's Trees," Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi It's hard to pluck a single song apart from the whole of Donuts, because the tracks just fit together so perfectly. But "Lightworks" is a flashy number that stands well on its own, even if it's not necessarily representative of the album, which is all over the place (in a good way). In an interview not long after J Dilla's death, his mother put it this way: "'Lightworks', oh yes, that was something! That's one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time."
EVAN: "On a Good Day," Joanna Newsom
OATESS: "1979," Smashing Pumpkins Beers and this video had me surfing old '90s videos the other weekend. It reminded me that the Smashing Pumpkins exist, and that I like this song.
JON: Benny Goodman, “Jumping at the Woodside”
MARK: "Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod?" by the Mountain Goats Here's a song from one of my favorite albums. This song, though, is was not one of my favorites until this past weekend when Tom and I drove the three-and-a-half hours to Greensboro to see the Mountain Goats. It was one of the best shows I've ever seen--possibly the best. John Darnielle played this during the encore, and it was the most moving song I've ever heard at a concert.
A weekly sampler of what we're listening to (new and old), and what we think you might like, too.
JACK:"Gazzillion Ear" by MF Doom I've been listening to a lot of rap, specifically MF Doom, these days. I like this song because it has two kickass beats back-to-back. Doom's never been big on hooks or choruses, so there's nothing really that hooks the two beats together — the first beat disappears then comes back to bookend the second one. But in reality, they could very well be two separate tracks. Instead the listener gets a treat: Two songs for the price of one, all essentially one long verse about why Doom is the most villainous villain (naturally).
TONY:"Hell of a Season" by The Black Keys Amid the rave reviews for the new Black Keys record, critics have liked to write about how it's a badass rock record. I'd argue it's more than that (as well as arguing it's their best effort since "Rubber Factory"). I chose "Hell of a Season" to illustrate the more-than-rock part: It's got the bells and whistles on the production side — as well as Dan's vocals — to give it a richer and more urgent feel. I think they aimed for this on "Attack & Release" but overshot it as they made their first efforts with, er, flutes ... and eery production noises and voices. So I think they've dialed it in correctly this time around, and I've been obsessively spinning this disc since it came out.
CHASE:"Cameras" by Matt and Kim I was wavering between Matt and Kim and Crystal Fighters this week, but wound up going with the former because I've been listening to them non-stop at work for the past several days. A lot of people have pointed out the optimistic, live-your-life lyrics of this song: No time for cameras / We'll use our eyes instead / No time for cameras / We'll be gone when we're dead. Even as someone who basically photographs his own life at every turn, I like the sentiment.
ECON:"Lightworks" by Jay Dee (J. Dilla) It's hard to pluck a single song apart from the whole of Donuts, because the tracks just fit together so perfectly. But "Lightworks" is a flashy number that stands well on its own, even if it's not necessarily representative of the album, which is all over the place (in a good way). In an interview not long after J Dilla's death, his mother put it this way: "'Lightworks', oh yes, that was something! That's one of the special ones. It was so different. It blended classical music (way out there classical), commercial and underground at the same time."
MARK:"Bizness" by Tune-Yards After Jack pointed out to the lead singer's guest list on Pitchfork, I decided I wasn't going to put effort into tracking down the new tune-yards album.
Fortunately I didn't have to, as my brother shared it with me and convinced me to give it a go. Glad I did. They've got a pretty sweet Dirty-Projectors-by-way-of-Yeasayer thing going on, and that drum-beat reminds me of the Dodos' second album in all the best ways.
SPECIAL GUEST:Jake Davis, who chose "This Sporting Life" by The Decemberists. EXPLANATION: Not only have I recently listened to nothing else but this band in the past month, but this incredibly catchy song leaves me grinning like an idiot. It's upbeat tune, and overall poppy feel is belied by rather depressing and apathetic lyrics. It also describes all forays of mine into any sort of athletic activity. Long story short, I shouldn't do it. With Super Bowl Weekend coming up and all, I can't see a better song for this upcoming American obsession. And the crushing defeat a team will have to swallow. Enjoy the ads.
QUICK HIT: Jake is one of several bloggers that contribute to Nevermind the Posers, an online spot for music and book reviews. Much of the content there explores music in the Northeast.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE
My good friend Jane has a few thoughts of her own to contribute, specifically regarding pop music. It is worth noting here that I 90 percent endorse this list. I too am a sucker for this stuff. (You'll find a playlist at the bottom).
JANE SAYS:
I'm not sure when it started, but it seems these days 'pop music' is synonymous with 'shitty music'. My experience has been that if you tell someone (especially a music snob) you like pop music, they're like, "Oh! That's.....cool," and make a mental note that you are vapid and have no taste. When Chase asked me to write a guest post, I tried to think of anyone "cool" I've been listening to recently, until I realized I'm totally not cool and I've only been listening to radio hits lately. I'm a grad student, which means I spend a lot of time thinking, writing, or thinking about how I should be thinking or writing. Sometimes I simply don't have the cognitive resources to listen to something that requires attention and thought, and pop music is like brain candy.
Here are some songs I really love, but that I would still totally judge other people for liking:
01. Katy Perry - "Teenage Dream" NO REGRETS, JUST LOVE. What makes a great pop song is its relate-ability. As lame as it is, my dream date in high school would have been something like getting drunk on the beach in California and making a fort out of sheets. Katy and I have the same vocal range so this is the perfect song to belt out in my car while people stare at me. (2nd favorite: War Pigs by Black Sabbath, because people are always really confused by an Asian girl listening to Black Sabbath.)
02. Mariah Carey - "Always Be My Baby" Listen to the first 30 seconds of this song. If you don't get into it when the drum machine comes in, you are not human. In fact, this song is so catchy that I'm able to ignore how creepy Mariah is in telling her baby "you can't escape me" and "no way, you're never gonna shake me". People in the 90s were totally blinded by Mariah's adorableness to realize that she is the textbook crazy girlfriend. I also really like how the word "inevitably" sounds out of place with the rest of the lyrics.
03. Ke$ha - "Dinosaur" Unpopular opinion time: I think Ke$ha is a more transparent version of Lady Gaga. Gaga fans like to think that Gaga is in on the joke, that she knows she's just playing into the "fame monster," she's just trolling the system. But so is Ke$ha. Word on the street is that she got a 1500 on her SATs, and started out wanting to be a country singer, not a pop star. She did some ad-lib rapping on a tape she sent to a music exec, which that exec described as "god-awful," but it caught his attention and she ended up getting signed to be a white-girl rapper who sings shit like, "Don't be a little bitch with your chit chat / I just wanna know where your dick's at." If someone gave me a record deal to do what Ke$ha does, I would not still be in grad school.
04. R. Kelly - "Ignition [Remix]" The remix part is really important, because the original Ignition really sucks. This song has a really simple, steady, slow grind-y beat that always has me dancing in my seat. R. Kelly is a bizarre man, from Trapped In the Closet (people don't talk about that enough anymore) to this song, where he compares his sex skills to Murder, She Wrote. Bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce.
05. Taylor Swift - "Forever and Always" I already have mad respect for any girl who writes her own songs, but I am even more impressed by people who put their vulnerabilities out there. I would be hesitant to write a blog post about any of my ex-boyfriends, let alone songs that become massively popular. "Forever and Always" is about Joe Jonas, who broke up with Taylor in a phone call that was immediately posted like everywhere on the internet. "Dear John" is about her relationship with John Mayer, and I just love imagining that maybe Jennifer Aniston or Jessica Simpson have heard that song and have thought, "Right on, Taylor! That dude is a total dick." I know this makes me sound like Kelly Kapoor but I am so excited for Taylor's next album, which is apparently about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal.
Honorable Mentions: anything by Nelly (esp. "Grillz"), Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA"
I heard about Story Wheel on Monday — brand new that day — a cool web service that combines an Instagram photo slideshow with audio recorded by SoundCloud. I tried it out immediately, and on my first effort, I came up with a passable feature on the Bang Candy Company in Nashville, where we learned to make gourmet smores.
It's possible that my Story Wheel was the first "ever" to include a hint of reporting. We'll never know for sure. Here it is: Smores Class. And here's the Story Wheel home page, with other slideshows.
