It's Sunday night somewhere!

Well, maybe not, but I fell asleep with the babe last night after a day at the Jersey shore...the waves looked like the pacific, triple-overhead at points, walls of water...so that's why the Sunday night post comes a day late.

But onwards and upwards! I assigned my students a "summer listening" in which they are to print the lyrics to their five fave songs of summer or of all time and to try to explain why the songs speak to them. So, just so they know that its a fun and useful exercise, I'm doing it too.

Last week I posted three newer musical interests, but this week, I think I'll go with some favorite musicians of old.

Radiohead. "All I Need." In Rainbows. TBD Records, 10 October 2007
Video Lyrics
It's that heavy bass line that pulls it all down, makes it sneak along. And I love the concept behind the video split-screen juxtaposing western and eastern youth. The lyrics don't relate to the video in any direct way -- they are a collection of metaphors: "I'm the next act/waiting in the wings./I'm an animal trapped in your hot car./I am all the days/that you choose to ignore." But they're each punctuated so nicely and are really dense in their own simple ways, linked by their undeniable presence, perhaps (like, whether you know it or admit it, they're there)? We'll have to look a bit more closely, here...but yes, Radiohead, not ALL I need, but definitely fulfilling.



Harmer, Sarah. "Goin' Out Again". I'm a Mountain. Zoe Records, 2006.
Lyrics. There's not really a video for this song, but you can listen to it while looking at ferns(?).

Having come very close to losing my father many times in the past 8 years, I take great comfort in this song and keep wanting to play it for him, but his heart hurts when he gets sad about dying. When we went to visit him this summer, he cried and said, "This might be the last time you see me." He then needed oxygen and a shot of morphine to make the pain go away. I hope that we are all "left with nothing but pure love, left with all [we] are made of," and it might be alright, too, if we are all, "goin' out to be brought back again."

UPDATE: Dad did fly off this mortal coil on February 25th, 2011 and I sang this song at the celebration of his life. It gave me co much comfort.

Life is but a dream.
Until next time...

Summer Listening

So I definitely don't have as much time or money to invest in music these days...it takes a lot more to impress me and I'm usually end up waiting for the indie bands of yore to release new and interesting music rather than seeking out new bands. Most of the time, bands like Death Cab for Cutie or Wilco release an album that's nice but doesn't move me like the album that first drew me to them -- how could it? I used to pride myself on being on the cutting edge of the indie scene; now I'm just happy to find music that speaks to me.
So for summer listening, here's what I've got going -- it's pretty current, but not anything you haven't heard of if you're a fan of good music (heh.):


1. Dirty Projectors. "Stillness is the Move." Bitte Orca. Domino Records, 2009.
The disjointedness of the music and lyrics come off like a soundtrack to a dream, all full of meaning but with little regard to sequence or a linear narrative. Its rhythm is made up of revolutions, fits and starts, and ends with the heady muse, "Isn't life just a mirage of the world before the world?" -- and well, the illusion of the self before myself can't get enough. Milo especially likes to bust a move to this track as well, so it must be good -- he gets his little hand going and bounces at the knees.
Approximate Lyrics.
Official Website with streaming music.
YouTube video.



2. Avett Brothers -- "The Ballad of Love and Hate." Emotionalism. Ramseur Records, 2007.
In this alt-country extended metaphor, Love is an unbending sweetheart doting on a hard-living wanderer called Hate. Delivered in the raspy pitch-perfect voice of Seth Avett, lines like, "I'm yours and that's it, whatever. /I should not have been gone for so long./ I'm yours and that's it, forever" could warm even the most weathered of hearts.
Approximate lyrics.
YouTube live performance.


3. Bon Iver. "Brackett, WI." Dark Was The Night (Red Hot Compilation). 4AD, 2009.
Approximate Lyrics
Ahhh...Justin Vernon. There's very little that his voice could offer that I would not adore. Of all things, though, it's bass line in this song that really gets me right from the start. It's really hard to hear the exact lyrics -- I miss the days of liner notes. But this verse is lovely:
"and every summer is a hot token
to the cold, cold take of lust.
and every autumn singes
with the business of sadness."
One thing I'm noticing with the lyrics of these first three songs is that I'm a sucker for the interplay of opposites and with the latter two, for good ole fashioned personification.

More to come...

BURNING RECOMMENDATIONS...

So I have a couple of products that I want, make that NEED, to recommend -- either because I spent so much time researching them that someone else should know about them; or because I love them and want them to continue to exist; or because I think you should love them too...
Due to the fact that I'm a momma some of these are for baby, but since most of you know mommas, you can still spread the word.

So here goes:

1. NatureCare diapers and wipes: Not only do I hate the landfill issue disposable diapers pose, but I also live by the principle that diapers are for poo not "Pooh." So I'm so not into characters on diapers -- they're generally covered with clothing so why waste the ink? Anyway, you get the best of both worlds with these diapers since they're made from sustainable materials/chlorine-free and have very minimal inking (the diaper itself is compostible but not with the "contents"). I get 'em through Amazon.com or via Diapers.com when I want to stock up. P.S. the lightly scented wipes smell amazing -- for Collingswood locals, they do have the wipes at the Nesting House.

2. Kolcraft Contours Stroller: I searched everywhere for an all-terrain/joggerish stroller with a reversible seat (so baby can face you) that didn't cost more than my first car...AND...here it is:
It comes with a baby seat adapter and then once baby is too big for his car seat, there is a reversible seat. It's not a pro-jogger, but most of our intentions to jog with baby go the way of the diaper (you can jog lightly with it, though). At a cool $150ish -- it can't be beat. Dual cupholder and large carrying capacity underneath! Love it.
UPDATE -- Milo grew out of it pretty quickly as the canopy is on the lower side. Still loved it though, but there may be more options out there now for reversible strollers.


3. Little Otsu Planner: So cute, so user-friendly, so recycled. I love that this planner has a monthly view and a weekly view (and it isn't dated so when you forget to use it you're not wasting pages...). It has hip options like pages for music and websites you want to check out and is totally adorable, if I haven't already said that. I've had the coiled one which is great, but am going for the mini this time. The future is yours...



Hmmm. So that's all I'm going to suggest for now -- it was enough to satisfy my burning desire to share consumer advice. If WonderTime magazine and Blueprint hadn't been discontinued, I'd be raving about them as well. Please feel free to share objects of your affection as well! More to come....

Entry #1

Welcome to Down with Fun -- it's an idea-log (written by an idealogue of sorts).

So, what's on the ole' brain-burner today. I should be writing a paper for my graduate class, but instead...I've been inspired by a Facebook post to list 50 concerts I've been to in my life -- there's no accounting for taste on some of the early gems.

1. New Kids on the Block
2. Van Halen (during the Van Haggar years with the lead singer of Motley Crue opening).
3. U2 with Primus opening...
4. Pink Floyd
5. Sarah McLachlan
   
6. Tragically Hip
7. Buffalo Tom
8. Superchunk
9. Elliot Smith
10. Radiohead
11. The Verve
12. Wilco
13. Yo La Tengo
14. Sea and Cake
15. Broadcast
16. Eric's Trip
17. Hayden
18. Thanatopop
19. The Secession Movement
20. Up Up Down Down...
21. Archer Prewitt
22. The Shins
23. Pavement
24. Quasi
25. The Lemonheads
26. Cat Power (during the heroin years -- not the best performance)
27. Bonnie Prince Billy
28. The Flaming Lips
29. Yeah Yeah Yeahs
30. The Spinanes
31. The Inbreds
32. Juliana Hatfield
33. Low
34. Danielson Family
35. Castle Arms
36. By Surprise
37. It's a King Thing
38. The Ages
39. The Prestige
40. Blonde Redhead
41. Liz Phair
42. Guided by Voices
43. Ron Sexsmith
44. Metric
45. Broken Social Scene
46. Death Cab For Cutie
47. The Constantines
48. Pattern is Movement
49. By Divine Right
50. Preston School of Industry
51. Bettie Serveert
52. Le Tigre
53. Sleater-Kinney
54. Mark Kozelek
55. Jale
56. Elevator to Hell
57. Arcade Fire
    

I went over ... I'm sure there are more but I can't remember 'em...