Tired

I'm feeling a little weary at the moment; I've been frantically writing papers, trying to get ahead on school stuff before I head down to Charleston this weekend for John's wedding. I got a ton of stuff done today so I feel relatively good about making the trip.

Speaking of tons of stuff, Polyvinyl Records is having some ridiculous sale right now, selling of a bunch of overstock I suppose. Cheap. I kind of went crazy buying stuff; they have some good vinyl all for about 5 bucks each. Check that out.

So, last week I had to do my audition for the DC Arts people to show them that I am worthy (or unworthy?) of receiving a grant from them for the 7" that I keep talking about. It went really well, I think, well enough that I'm not worried about it hurting my chances of getting this thing. My friend Matt wrote to me after it was over and asked how the "grant hearing" went. I thought that was really funny. It felt something like a hearing now that I think about it. It was basically an empty dance studio with a long table with about ten people behind it in a row facing me. They all had nameplates and clipboards. It was kind of intimidating.

I'm tired.

I'm listening to Joan of Arc's Live in Chicago, 1999. This is not helping me stay awake.

That is all for today. More when I am a little less sleepy.

Oh, this is on Myspace too but thought I'd share it here, as it is the only official piece of My Brother, The Welder merch at the moment. You still have to go to Myspace to buy one though. They're only a buck. I'm just saying.

...So it Begins

So this blog is new. It will potentially replace all blogging activities delegated to Myspace prior to today. I am excited about it for a number of reasons. I am glad to give My Brother, The Welder a home away from Myspace, it feels more unique I suppose. Plus, I really do like the idea of a site that is devoted simply to writing instead of the jumble that Myspace can sometimes be. We'll see how this goes.

I am working out the details of getting a tape together for sale, something like a dollar or two for about 8 songs. The details being that I will have to get some kind of cover work together and sit here making a bunch of tapes. I think it will be fun to put this together and I hope that some of you share my enthusiasm with this potential, extremely unprofessional release. This in no way is meant to replace or draw attention away from the 7" that will be out early next year, it's just a small project to hold me over until work can begin for that record. Really I can't do much with the 7" until I get the verdict from the DC Commission for the Arts, of course I will let everyone know the outcome of that super stressful process as soon as I know. The audition was last week, more about that later.

This ends here. I have to get to school.

Jessica Gets a Lesson in Fashion.

From Oct 9th, 2007

So, I've been sick all day, some kind of cold/flu type of onslaught and I thought that I would take a moment from my Theraflu delirium to tell everyone a few things. Somehow a list seems to be in order. No pun intended. Here goes.

1. Some people are aware of this and others are not. I quit Fimfarum this week. Read about it over here.

2. There are a few albums I have been enjoying a great deal lately. One of them is Beirut's "Flying Club Cup". The other is Chuck Ragan's "Feast or Famine". I recommend the both of them whole-heartedly.

3. Lemon Theraflu tastes like shit.

4. "eeeee eee eeee" is the title of one of the best new books I've read in a while. You should read it too and tell me what you think.

5. I have an audition with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in two weeks. I am very nervous about this. I'll take a step back. I applied for a grant to record and release a My Brother, The Welder 7" early next year. As a performing artist they want to be sure that I can, well, perform. I have to go play a song in what I expect to be a very intimidating, sterile environment occupied by ten people who decide, partly based on this audition, if I get the money for this project. Not to contradict myself here, I did quit Fimfarum because of time issues, though My Brother, The Welder takes up much less time. Plus, if I decide that I just can't take the time to work on a new song tonight, I don't have to cancel on three dudes who have scheduled their nights around practicing. So there.

6. if you know who Jan Svankmajer is then you can understand why I have been obsessed with him lately. If you don't then you should watch some of his short films and maybe you will also see why. His "Fall of the House of Usher" is utterly brilliant. I think I'm going to base my midterm presentation for my Film and Literature class around that piece.

7. I need a new bookcase.

8. I am going to be in Charleston for John Judson's wedding in about a month. If you are attending then I can't wait to see you there. If you are not going to attend, well, maybe you should come see me. Ever think of that?

9. This could go on forever.

10. This has to stop.

Space Vikings. Serial Killers, Millions of Dollars in Special Effects.

From Sep. 10, 2007

So I just popped over to the Belle and Sebastian site and saw that Stuart is holding auditions for a musical film that he is making? Awesome. Look out for that. Just about everything he/they do is worth paying attention to.

On a totally antithetical note: The new Between the Buried and Me is the best metal album I have ever heard. OK, well, the best in a long time at least. Every time I have found myself daydreaming about being in the perfect metal band and imagining what that would sound like, which is often (you do it too, shut up), it sounds like this. A fucking masterpiece. For those of you who have not heard it you may be interested to know that it is essentially one hour-long piece of music. Not unlike a symphony. It's certainly as intricate as one. There's a banjo involved. I'm just saying. It's broken into eight tracks but you would never realize where the track breaks are unless you're looking at your ipod/stereo/discman/gramophone/eight track player that doesn't work anyway because there's a Thin Lizzy tape stuck in there.

So that has been occupying a great deal of my time. What's taking up the remainder of my time? Final Fantasy XII. Still. Awesome game. It's the video game equivalent of the new Between the Buried and Me. See how this is coming together? Basically I've been immersed in pure awesome lately. I realize of course that I should be immersed in schoolwork at the present moment. There's a whole semester for that though.

Seriously though, I'm doing my schoolwork. Don't worry.

I had a lot more to say when I decided to write this.

Whatever.

Oh, despite my obsession with the new BTB&M, I did find time to crap my pants over the new Pinback record. That shit rules.

Also, I just heard a Man Man song on a Nike commercial. I don't feel good at all about that.

But Robot Chicken is coming on now. What a roller coaster ride this night is turning out to be.