Even though I'm a little burned out on San Andreas right now - with only about 25% complete (can a game be TOO BIG?), I'm really looking forward to this. Graphics have sure come a long way, awfully fast. Could be amazing... 10:40 PM >>> 0 comments

I've just discovered that this is the perfect album for walking home alone after dinner on a cool, cloudy, dark night without stars or moon. My steps got slower and slower and I felt better and better - more and more content. The music is emotional, but toned down - never overbearing - but never too quiet - never too minimal - just the right touch of everything, acoustic guitars strummed, electric guitars that sound more like bells, some subtle electronics, a softly blown harmonica (accordion?), a sort of mid-deep voice that never overstrains, or over-emotionalizes, the occasional real nice hint of a wonderful bass line, and some perfectly unstrained, quiet percussion. Quiet music that guides one's steps to the side streets. No need to rush. Valérie Leulliot's Caldiera was released earlier this year on on le village vert. 8:11 PM >>> 0 comments

June is looking really nice...











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When I first got GTA: San Andreas a few years back, I gave up on it almost right away (after an hour or two!). For whatever reason, it seemed too hard, or it didn't seem to really be my thing at the time. However, I did mean to revisit it and give a second shot. Weirdly, it took till just last week for me to pull it out again for that new spin and maybe even more strangely, I've been really enjoying it - an amazing deep (large) game. One week in, and I've apparently only finished a little over 14% of the game! Yes - the graphics are dated, isn't amazing how quickly a video game becomes retro. But the play is fun, increasingly challenging - and I really enjoy the sandbox element of just exploring the environment and discovering new things (and there are still two more cities in the game I haven't even gotten to yet). The end is so far away, I'm more than a bit skeptical I'll ever reach it - but I'm certainly curious to see how far I'll get before other priorities (er... other games) call me away. 1:55 PM >>> 0 comments

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Moskitoo - Drape
More info and mp3 sample here.
An album that sounds exactly like it's cover looks. 3:41 PM >>> 1 comments

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_in_Satchidananda 1:03 PM >>> 0 comments

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So far this year, its been much more difficult to find as much time as I would like to read, an increasingly frustrating situation - as the books I want to read continue to pile up at an astounding pace. I don't know the solution.

Earlier this week I did race through Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking, which was a tremendously moving and interesting / challenging book - one I highly recommend checking out (available now in paperback) - as long as you feel up to reading a tough book that stares at a lifetime's worth of death / grief / mourning / and health problems / and little that's good over the course of one knockout punch of a year Didion somehow survives. Actually I think it's extremely important to not lose focus of the hard facts of life, to keep in mind - time is short & think about, how best do we want to use this limited (who knows how limited) time. Among other things, this book provides a good reminder to try to bring one's thoughts into a little more focus & to try to figure out how to be a little more careful with the passing of time - so it doesn't just pass. 12:54 PM >>> 0 comments

Fantastic compilation of British jingly jangly of the mid-80s. I love this stuff - hadn't heard most of these singles before(!) (or I can't remember) (wish I had) - but it still creates an image in my mind of driving north up interstate 5 twenty years ago, or maybe tomorrow.

Tracklisting

Disc 1 -
Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
The Servants - The Sun A Small Star
Hurrah - Around And Around
The Loft - Why Does The Rain
East Village - Vibrato
The Sea Urchins - Pristine Christine
The Siddeleys - What Went Wrong This Time
Another Sunny Day - Anorak City
The Clouds - Get Out Of My Dream
The Boy Hairdressers - Golden Shower
The Chesterfields - Ask Johnny Dee
The Raw Herbs - He Blows In
Laugh - Paul McCartney
The Hit Parade - You Didn't Love Me Then
The Weather Prophets - Like Frankie Lymon
The June Brides - Sunday To Saturday
The Dentists - I Had An Excellent Dream
Mighty Mighty - Everybody Knows The Monkey
BMX Bandits - E102
Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh
Jasmine Minks - Cut Me Deep
Razorcuts - I'll Still Be There
Bodines - Therese
TV Personalities - Paradise Estate

Disc 2 -
Jesus And Mary Chain - Upside Down
Primitives - Really Stupid
The Groove Farm - It Always Rains On Sunday
Pop Will Eat Itself - Black Country Chainsaw Massacre
14 Iced Bears - Come Get Me
Fizzbombs - Sign On The Line
The Wolfhounds - Anti Midas Touch
The Wedding Present - This Boy Can Wait
Age Of Chance - Bible Of The Beats
Shop Assistants - Safety Net
Close Lobsters - Just Too Bloody Stupid
Half Man Half Biscuit - Dukla Prague Away Kit
Meat Whiplash - Don't Slip Up
The Flatmates - I Could Be In Heaven
The Darling Buds - If I Said
This Poison - Poised Over The Pause Button
The Bachelor Pad - Jack And Julian
The Pooh Sticks - On Tape
The Revolving Paint Dream - Flowers Are In The Sky
The Soup Dragons - Whole Wide World
McCarthy - Frans Hals
The Mighty Lemon Drops - Like An Angel
Big Flame - Why Popstars Can't Dance
The Pastels - Baby Honey 1:46 PM >>> 0 comments