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 Your Hey Mercedes weblog. The Cast: Robert Nanna Damon Atkinson Todd Bell Michael Shumaker Dan Keehn Chris Bickert Norman Arenas Ryan Snyder 
Ebay: Bob Damon Todd Mike Ryan Go Clock Go: absolute punk all music guide alton brown art of the mix awkward pirouttes bipolar braid heaven c & c drums cadmium chicago shows! critical darling dullest dvd file ebay google news grandtheftautumn invisible city kempa look like kenny michael moore my friend goes left the new top ok plus three panaphobic pirate smiles pitchfork punk news quoc machinery recwreck rocket fuel the scout theme park thieves trouble vagrant weasel manor who would buy work of fiction you look good hallelujah it's the indieblogs webring list random previous next |
January 6, 2001
dan: It's awesome how blogger takes a couple of days to upgrade their server; thanks to all who contributed!! Maybe I can actually post something now..I was this close to listening to this and pounding a few shots of jack! Last night was the first time I ever had fondu you know dipping stuff in oil and cooking it? We also melted some chocolate and dipped some strawberrys mmm good. We also enjoyed some adult beverages..brp!@#* sorry.. I'm really looking forward to digging out the Spanish Angel. I haven't moved it since, well I don't know when. I just made some bitchn' coffee so I'm gonna go get high off it..see ya. January 5, 2001
Robert: I was more a fan of Cringer than I ever was of J-Church, however, i do think that "Bomb" is one of the best songs written by Lance Hahn, coincidentally the first J-Church song I ever heard. I dig the energy and satire in the great lyrics that read like a short story... "sweat drips down his face as he walks into the place that he walks by every single day." Catchy songs with a good melody are aces, but when the lyrics read like a drama with causes and effects and a climax, oh boy, those are the ones that really stick. Luckily this song has both, and it does it, ironically without a sing-along refrain. It's rooted in frustration and need for change and hey, what other song could have a crowd yelling the phrase "against the bourgeois state" in a sprited rally cry? I PUT UP MORE BRAID VIDEOS!
Robert: It feels good to finally be somewhat "in order." By nature, I am obsessively orderly, but at the same time carelessly messy. Confusing? It's the Gemini in me rearing it's ugly head. I love making lists and putting things in alphabetical order, yet i'm not bothered by clothes on the floor or a wine glass on a table for a few days... Priorities. Deciding what is urgent and what is merely important... However, I'm pretty much at peace right now. Everything seems to be in a perfect balance. I've got a ton of things to be happy about, and a few things to worry about, but that's only healthy, you know? I used to worry about my living situation, which has gone through a loop and then a corkscrew and now recently threw another loop. I'm still expecting a few more corkscrews, four loops, a whirl, and some twisty turns. But I'm feeling pretty good about it. New prospects have opened up, and now i don't have to move to Terre Haute, Indiana, as i once thought! Not that Terre Haute is a bad place to live or anything... I just like saying Terre Haute. Terre Haute. Also, I have to mention that the cable provider for Chicago just got MTV2, and it is just amazing. In one hour, I saw videos for At the Drive In, Ben Folds Five, Radiohead, Blur, Coldplay, and, um, Robbie Williams. How about that Robbie Williams video, huh? Wacky... I can't wait to make a video. It doesn't have to be all flashy and showy, and MTV2 doesn't even have to play it, i just want to have it on my shelf, right next to my collection of Mr. Show episodes. Terre Haute, Indiana. Let's go to work.
Robert: 361 Bomb - J-Church Some news items: The BRAID "Killing a Camera" videos on EBAY are going pretty fast. Like I said before, never fear if you want to steer clear - i'm not sending anything out until Monday, and tomorrow I'll be posting all of the info here on how to get one... Also, the Hey Mercedes show in Detroit is a go. However, it is now Jan 20 at the Halfway Inn in Ann Arbor, with Red Shirt Brigade, This is Adelaide, Nymb, and The Recital. It is a benefit for the Kempa scholarship fund, so come on down, will ya? January 4, 2001
Robert: They played "Insomniac" about 3 times ever on the alternative rock station in Chicago, which is what they usually do with good songs. What was so great about it, was that it was a straight up rawk song with a grandiose happy sounding chorus and the most gorgeous powerful female vocals i've ever heard. There was no gruff here at all, just pure clean power. I immediately bought "Everybody's Got One," and fell for the whole album. That single has some distinct pop qualities, but the album as a whole i could easily liken to Jawbox, if J Robbins sang in a rousing female voice. Could you hear it? The guitars are huge and the songs all end in a climactic fury. I like that. Make the ending as good as the show, right J?
Robert: 362 Insomniac - Echobelly Well, the BRAID "Killing a Camera" video is NOW ON EBAY. I put 50 up in a 3 day auction that will end on Sunday morning. If you want one, and don't do the Ebay thing, that's OK. This weekend, I will post all the information right here on how you can get your very own video. As i noted weeks ago, it's a really great documentary, so give it a whirl. I only hope that someday, i can get that sucker put onto a DVD. Maybe with deleted scenes, and commentary. That would be nice. January 3, 2001
Robert: Well, i don't know what Prairienet's big malfunction is, and ditto for ebay, but i don't care. TONIGHT i will be posting information about how you can order the BRAID "Killing a Camera" video. As expected, i'm going to put them up a few places on the web... Most likely through here and through Ebay (same price, you can pay as soon as you like, etc.). I just don't want these things to be hard to find, you know? .. As for me, I'm Audi. Hopefully in a few short hours, i'll be dining at a restaurant that just made it into my Chicago Top Ten: Addis Abeba. Oh how i adore eating out. ...and i'm leaning on this broken fence... between past and present tense...
Robert: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - Well, i have to say that this is a first: me, excited about going to see a movie after reading about spectacular fight scenes! I'm no action movie junkie, and i'm by no means a fan of the kung fu genre... but... I'll have to say that this is a very beautiful movie. In fact, I'd like to see it again soon, now knowing the plot, so that i can concentrate more on the beautiful imagery as opposed to the subtitles. As many have said before, the fight scenes are just amazing. Maybe there are better ones out there, but remember i'm no fan. The choreography here is absolutely amazing! Even without all of the computer wizardry and the wires, when it's two people on the ground in combat... i was in awe. The rhythmic percussion created by the clashes, the pitches of the vibrating swords, and even vocals (grunts count) - this is a breathtaking vision of movement, music, and emotion. Now put them up on rooftops and up walls and at the tips of trees... and you could only imagine how the feelings multiply... I'm also glad that movie wasn't just a vehicle for such trickery... there's a story here that interested me just as much as the fight sequences, and the acting is superb, especially the 21 year old girl who plays Jen. The only thing that threw me was an extended flashback right smack dab in the middle. Maybe it was the timing of it, or that previous flashbacks were so short, that kept me waiting... expecting it to end. Overall, it was a gorgeous and exhilirating film. I'm curious as to what trinkets the DVD will hold. Thumbs up. Definitely the best movie i've seen yet this year!
Robert: It's great when you just fall into record collections. It's happened to many people. It happened to me around 1992, when a friend of mine decided to "quit" the punk scene. He mentioned wanting to sell all of his records and shirts, so i jumped at the opportunity. (Good thing Ebay wasn't around back then!) I got some really bad records, but i did happen to stumble upon a Nirvana/Fluid split 7". The Nirvana song was "Molly's Lips," and i instantly loved it. Luckily I didn't have too long to wait to hear their big major label debut, Nevermind. When i first heard this album, i flipped my wig. It was at the top of my personal top 10 list for about 6 months and song 363 was my favorite... so I was surprised when Smells Like Teen Spirit took off. To me, it lacked the melody and catchy chorus of In Bloom. Apparently I was one of a minority in my opinions. I wonder what would have happened if they released In Bloom as the first single. Would our entire popular music landscape have changed? Probably not... But this still is a great song.
Robert: 363 In Bloom - Nirvana I just feel frozen today. I'm feeling a trick tooth on the right side now. I just went to the dentist, you know. This should be cleared up... I'm in that "just got in to the really hot office from the frigid outside" mode, where you wish you were still in bed. When you sweat a little like when you're sick. January 2, 2001
Robert: I just got the word that i will be seeing Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tonight. Expect a full report in the morning.
Robert: 11:20 - Blogger eats an entry. Song number 364 has high school written all over it. No party or car was complete without the first Violent Femmes album. It was a big hit amongst the cheerleaders, so during the singalong parts, they made sure that you sang right along. No drunk high school party throng could ever replicate to perfection Gordan Gano's slurred announcement, "I hope you know that this will go down on your personal record." However, the "one, one, one cause you left me" part just screams for wonton fanfare, doesn't it? Perhaps this is why Avail made the choice to cover it, speaking of wonton fanfare. Another interesting point about this song is the "solo" section where for 4 bars, each member just does his own thing with little respect for the melody of the song. Confusing, yes, but it's a perfect little subtle burst of dissonance to get you ready for the pill-popping resolution. Will we ever know what 8 was for?
Robert: 364 Kiss Off - Violent Femmes Well, as you can see, i'm starting off 2001 (happy new year, by the way), on an obsessive listmaking note by counting down my 365 favorite songs. Being at work or on a train for most of the past two months has given me loads of free time to compile and rank - so here they are. Now there are some folks who have absolutely no faith in my ranking system after i put La Bamba above Henry Fool on this list, but no one should feel threatened that this list is set in stone and is the be all end all in m'mind. t'aint. In fact, it's just a snapshot, if you will, of my thoughts on a cold winters day cruising northbound on the Hiawatha Express. I just happen to be stretching it out over a whole year. It's just more fun that way and every song has it's own day. Which brings me to my next point - Even number 365 (posted yesterday) is an amazing song, even though mg'friend thinks quite the opposite. David, Michael, Alex, and Eddie should still find this a huge honor, and they will be receiving a trophy in the mail shortly. Sure, it's an old little league baseball trophy that's collecting dust at m'parents pad, but that's not really the point is it? Speaking of song 365, it symbolizes my pre-teen rock rebellion years. Not only was it the most rocking song on 1984, but it had a great "live" video to boot. I think our family had just gotten MTV (or maybe i saw it on Friday Night Videos?), and at the tender age of 9, i was completely drawn to the showmanship of this band, of course, backed up by musical talent. Maybe it was the acrobatics, maybe it was the hairdryer blown in Eddie's face during the classic "reach down between my legs" part, maybe it was a combo of this, Hot For Teacher, and to a lesser extent, Jump... I don't know. I was hooked. Hence, they deserve a song on the list. That drum solo at the beginning of Hot For Teacher almost earned it a spot here as well, but everyone needs their fair chance...
dan: Hello and happy new year! What a weekend...staying up late, drinking adult beverages, and feeling better than I thought I would aside from a little neck pain from shoveling..Check out the latest in swiss technology. I hope the link thing works..I took a 3 minute html class from bob this weekend... January 1, 2001
December 31, 2000
Robert: Last night i had the strangest dream... There was a huge storm outside my house. The wind was so strong that it was blowing over garbage cans and even cars. One car was being blown right towards our house. When it smashed into it, the entire front of the building collapsed like it was a big facade. The whole house than sunk and started moving. We were actually being towed by a truck. They were taking us to a construction site where someone was apparently building us a new house... In other news, I'm listening to a Mock Orange CD at Damon's house right now. I like it. Tonight we toast. Tomorrow 2001. |