Soul Thumping

Superchunk, Merge Records, and Keepin' it Dirty Durham!

Heading for Emerald Isle in two days (praise you Apollo, glorious sun god)...our rental house is "Dancing Barefoot," which is of course the name of a Patti Smith song, and that is what we shall all be doing!  So, super busy and happy, but wanted to take just a minute to post a link to a SPIN article from this week, about our awesome music, music, music, and food scene!

Superchunk, Merge Records, and our Durham food.  Yeah, we're that cool, y'all (NYT thinks so too, 'cause they keep talking about us).

http://www.spin.com/articles/superchunk-merge-records-durham-north-carolina/

--Amphitrite

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Five for Friday - Disco One-hit Wonders

Today's Five for Friday list is musically inspired because I was listening to "Ring My Bell," Anita Ward's only hit.  I then started thinking about other disco one-hit wonders, and these are my picks.  Shake your groove thing y'all, it's Friday.

  "The Hustle" by Van McCoy - of course I had to include "The Hustle!"  Follow along with the video, kids, if you don't know how to do the hustle.

  "Ring My Bell" Anita Ward - this started things off for me today and I'm still singing it in my head.  My bell, ring my bell (inspired from my bicycle post yesterday).

  "A Fifth of Beethoven" Walter Murphy - this song brings back an awkward memory for me.  In the 5th grade, a group of us did a choreographed dance to this song for a school talent show or something and a boy I couldn't stand was in the group and I had to hold his hand during part of the dance.  His name was Anthony Anderson.  I also did something mean to him in the sixth grade.  I put thumbtacks in his chair and he sat on them.  I got in big trouble for that, as I should have.  I wonder where Anthony is today.  I'm sorry about the thumbtacks.

  "Kung Fu Fighting" Carl Douglas - those cats were fast as lightening.  As a kid, I thought he was saying, "Those cops were fast as lightening."  Also, check out the two male "dancers" on the left side of the stage.  Classic (in a scary kind of way).

  "I Can't Stand the Rain" Eruption - I like the hell out of this song today.

  "Emotion"  Samantha Sang - I had to throw in at least one cheesy white girl song.

 

--Fortuitous Observer

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Five for Friday - Words for Bands, Indie or Otherwise, to Retire From Their Names

This contribution is from Poseidon, and he actually gave me 10 items, so today's Five for Friday will be Ten for Friday, and because he is quite adamant about bands no longer using the following words in their band names, I will honor the overage.

So, here they are, Poseidon's "ten words for bands, indie or otherwise, to retire, right now:"

Super - I know Poseidon is right on this, but I can only think of Superchunk at the moment.

Black

Psychic

Islands

Japan

Stereo

White

Bear

Tiger

Deer - OK, I have to agree.  Deerhunter, Deer Tick, Deerhoof, etc.  I love deer as much as the next, but can we try another animal?  What about the pangolin?  Poseidon would agree.  He has a strange fondness for the pangolin and he has yet to meet one up close and personal.

I'm also adding my own to this list:  girl(s), neon, and star. 

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Do You Have Imaginary Conversations While Driving?

I do, and the conversations are rarely pleasant.

Terrible drivers are the catalyst (usually) for my heated imaginary conversations.  It is true.  For example, below is the imaginary conversation from my commute this very morning.  Before I start the dialog, I will set the scene for you.

I was driving to work, listening to a song I have not heard in a while, one I sortofkindof like, Texico Bitches by Broken Social Scene.  Anyway, I'm in a shiny happy mood, driving along in the middle lane on I-540.

I want to pass the person in front of me who is traveling, oh, I don't know, maybe 7 freaking miles per hour (the speed limit is 65).  There is a car in the left lane who just passed me, and there is not another car behind him for a great distance, so I signal, and move into the left lane.  Done...errrr, not done.  The woman who was waaaayyyyy back there, sped up and started tailgating me just so she could blow her stupid horn at me.  She seriously did this...just to be a bitch warty dragon.  So, then I imagined her actually hitting my car, and we would pull over to the side of the highway and verbally have it out, and this is the conversation I imagined:

ME:  "What in Pluto do you think you were doing Broom Hilda, nice lady, speeding up on purpose JUST so you could blow your horn at me and instigate a road rage incident?"

SHREW:  "How dare you get in front of me.  My time is so much more valuable than yours?"

ME:  "If I were you, I would consider making an appointment with your colorist, because that shade of b.s. isn't going to fly."

SHREW:  "Huh?"

ME:  "What is wrong with you you half-witted petticoat lady?  There was no need to do what you did!"

SHREW:  "I'm calling my husband right now, you...you...wahhh, wahhh, wahhh (that is her crying by the way), how...dare...you...<sniffle>...talk...<sniffle>...to...me...<sniffle>...that...way."

ME:  "Oh, wow, should I call my husband too?  I don't know the protocol for helpless woman!"
(Poseidon would so be on her side anyway, but she didn't need to know that)

This is where the imaginary conversation ended.  I usually get bored with these imaginary conversations before an actual maiming or scratching out of eyes occurs.

I mentioned to Poseidon a few weeks ago that I sometimes have imaginary conversations while driving (not sure what I was expecting him to say or do, but I took a chance because one cannot have someone committed against their will, at least in this state), and he told me he does the same thing!  Two peas hanging in the same dang pod.  The coolest thing about this?  Poseidon's revelation that he has imagined conversations while driving makes me feel less alien.  Still neurotic, but less alien.

 

--Fortuitous Observer

From Pinterest This Week: Prettiest Sushi in a Time Warp

I was an enthusiastic fan of Pinterest initially, but lately I find it to be a huge time suck.  I become visually overstimulated after oohing and ahhing without blinking for unknown blocks of time.  Seriously, like I'm experiencing "lost time" because I've been abducted by aliens.

Today I took a sneak peek back at the old Pinterest site, and I saw some pretty sushi.  That made me want to search for more pretty sushi, so I did.  What happened?  I once again found myself experiencing a Pinterest time slip (I'm singing "The Time Warp" from RHPS in my head right this minute).  Have some sushi:

 

Source: pinterestin.tumblr.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

Source: flickr.com via Cheryl on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

 

Source: tumblr.com via Tamara on Pinterest

 

 

 

 

Source: cravecatering.com via CRAVE on Pinterest

 

 

 

And, because that song is still playing in my head, I think I will share that as well...

 

 

--Fortuitous Observer

M. Ward at Duke - Surprisingly Less Twee than I Anticipated

I'm a people watcher of course, so when I go to a show much of my entertainment comes from those in the audience before and after (well, and during) the actual concert, hence this post.  Normally I don't blog about shows, but I took so many mental notes from the tweeness to breast sizes at the M. Ward show that I had to do something with them.

Poseidon and I saw M. Ward at Duke last night and it was a great show, especially the stage setup (old window panes hanging from the ceiling, with projected images behind the panes).  I was looking forward to hearing M. play live, but wasn't looking forward to sitting in a crowd full of twee (ZOMG) Zooey fans, and I was pleasantly surprised that we saw only a few blunt thick bangs (though more dudes in plaid than I had pictured).

The crowd was mixed.  In general, older than I expected, which was cool.  I overheard a group of boys, I'm guessing they were all in their very early 20s, talking about Lee Ranaldo (he opened for M. Ward).  One of these youngsters said, "Yeah, Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore were in a band together.  They called themselves The Sonic Youth."  It was cute and I just wanted to pinch their wittle cheeks.  Poseidon noted he expected to see more insider indie rockers than he did.

The music of course was great and I'm so glad we went, and because I'm not a music critic, I'll let music bloggers describe the show in detail, but I have to end with the best line I overheard from an audience member:  "There are a lot of flat chested chicks here."

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Mah Na Mah Na: The Generation X Theme Song - Captain Kangaroo and the Muppets

Hurray, the song is my head and even an exorcism won't make it leave.  When the new Muppet movie came out a few weeks ago, Poseidon and I and our pals went to see it and we had amazing fun!  Nearly every member of the audience was a Gen Xer, and very few children (except for the woman who thought is was appropriate to bring an infant into a movie theater).  We laughed and sang as we spent an hour and some change with our old furry friends, the Muppets.  My favorite part?  The obligatory singing of the Mah Na Mah Na song of course!

I ransacked my brain (and didn't clean up afterwards) to remember where I first heard the Mah Na Mah Na song, and I don't think it was the Muppet Show on television, I believe, though I could be wrong, I heard in on Captain Kangaroo TV show.  I vaguely remember some round balls that "danced" or flung themselves around to the beat of the Mah Na Mah Na song.  It seems as though it was a semi-regular skit on Captain Kangaroo.

I tried to find a clip of the Captain Kangaroo version on Youtube, but no success.  If anyone finds a clip of the Mah Na Mah Na à la the Captain, please let me know, will ya?

Now I'm swimming in a great warm wave of nostalgia thinking about the Captain Kangaroo show.  He brought us so many memorable characters (Mr. Moose, Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Green Jeans).  The Captain also brought us Simon in the land of chalk drawings (I'm humming those lyrics now in my head...not out loud), Grandfather clock, ping pong balls!  I'm so excited I can only do this:

 

 

And this:

 

 

--Fortuitous Observer

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It's a Mod, Mod Christmas

I didn't intentionally plan to start celebrating early, it just happened.  The mood found its way into my icy heart out of nowhere and ambushed me.  Yesterday while running errands, I saw an SUV with a Christmas tree tied to the rack on top and I didn't even have a snarky, cynical reaction.  Not one.  I honestly thought, "Oh wow, a Christmas tree!  This guy is lucky!"  My usual thought in November would have been, "Give me a break you addlepated dimwit, it isn't even Thanksgiving yet!"

Though we are three days away from Thanksgiving, I'm already in the Christmas mood and frankly, I'm pleasantly surprised by this.  Why?  Because every year I feel compelled to squelch my Christmas spirit or I will likely become exasperated by the holiday before it arrives.  I make myself wait until mid-December to feel all shiny and happy inside, and without fail, I find I didn't sufficiently bask in the Christmas warmth when Christmas has come and gone and I'm left with a melancholia that I can't seem to shake until May.  Summer races in and I haven't even warmed up to the idea of stockings, fire places, hot chocolate and cheesy Christmas movies on the Lifetime Movie Network.

Perhaps the mood started last weekend.  Poseidon and I were at the record store and I purchased the She & Him Christmas CD, A Very She & Him Christmas.  It isn't like the album is even spectacular, but I was excited because it was all about Christmas.  Tonight I'm going to bust out my Christmas Cocktails CD.

I'm not going to question this any further, or analyze my giddiness under a merry microscope (pun intended).  I'm just going to enjoy and I intend to ride this express holiday train all the way to the station with no stops along the way.

Note:  Image is from stuffjillloves, from illustrator Shag

 

--Fortuitous Observer

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Things I Found Aesthetically Pleasing Today - Day 2 Bombadil Illustration on the Independent Weekly

The Independent Weekly, a weekly entertainment guide for the Triangle area (Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Durham) in North Carolina did a cover story on one of favorite local bands, Bombadil.  They have just released a new awesome CD!  I'm not reviewing the CD (though I will be at the CD release show at Cat's Cradle on Saturday), I just love the illustration on the cover of Indy Week by Andy Perez.  It gets my vote for "Things I Found Aesthetically Pleasing Today."  Thank you Andy!

--Fortuitous Observer

Things I Found Aesthetically Pleasing Today - Day 1 NICO

Over the last 2 weeks I've noticed many folks on Facebook updating their statuses with a daily "What I'm thankful for today" reflection and I thought, well, I could do that, but my daily sarcastic musings might irritate those who are making a serious effort at being thankful.  So, I've decided to post from now until Thanksgiving (unless I genuinely have something more interesting to do) a daily "Things I Found Aesthetically Pleasing Today" blurb.

I heard one of my favorite Nico songs on my way to work this morning and because she was one of the most gorgeous women who ever walked the earth, she is the subject of my first aesthetically pleasing post!  Please enjoy:

Nico (16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988)

 

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