Oh where shall I place you?

Vacation numbs my writing urge. Deepest sympathies. I'm going to force myself back into the groove.

I've started work this evening on my newest project: Finally get a storage unit for all my Cd's. For the last year or so this has been a huge issue for me as I live in a house with finite storage space, and my room is running out of places for me to put my stuff. When I started at my job I had a 120 CD tower that wasn't even remotely full. Eventually I had to upgrade and get a 200 CD spin-tower. Then I had to resort to additional smaller units in addition to the 120 tower. Right now I have the tower filled, the smaller unit jammed full, and a major shelf of my bookcase is occupied along with Cd's hiding underneath my stereo unit. Needless to say something needed to be done.

After devising/designing my ideal unit, I was told that it would cost me nearly $800 to build. I balked at the idea of paying that much money for some wood and paint. I stormed away and went back to my room and sulked. My father stumbled upon a potentially suitable unit at the local Rona, and this evening I procured it. The sticker said it will hold 625 Cd's. I question this claim, but I need some storage yo. I picked it up. Sticker price was $216, but got it reduced to $155. Then money for primer, paint, brushed, and a drop cloth. Tomorrow begins phase 2: making it suitable to be in my room. I'm painting this baby in high-gloss enamel paint. Fucker's going to rock.

In other news I got this to solve my stereo-lessness. I'm a tad upset there is no CD player, but I guess my iPod playlist will have to suffice. Name is idiotic, and the over $400 (even with the discount I got) I spent on it is a little hurtful, but the sound rocks. Soon I will do the Laura-test. Play on random and see if I get distracted by the noise. If it is seemless I will be happy. My last player made so much noise switching that I just stopped using the function. It better not be the case this time around.

Laura


Reading: God and the New Metaphysics-
Listening; George Harrison
Watching: Futurama-Vol 4

I much prefer the Simpsons parody but if it gets you an A

"Others download crib notes onto the music players and hide them in the "lyrics" text files. Even an audio clip of the old "Schoolhouse Rock" take on how a bill makes it through Congress can come in handy during some American government exams."


Cartoons and music= deadly combo.

Music and academics: oh the uphill battle.

I think I'm Cracking Up

Dear Revolver,

If you are going to do a picture note of an artist, make sure to actually put a picture of the artist, not another member of the band.


Sincerely,
Laura who is slightly annoyed at the fact you put a picture of James Black instead of Scott Anderson in the article. Black was no part of it.

Heaven is not a Place on Earth, You got it Wrong Belinda Carlisle

Not really a music post, but I needed to write about it.

While I think the recent school shooting in VA is atrocious, I do not think that stricter gun control would have prevented it. When someone has become mentally unhinged as clearly this young man had, lack of a gun would not have prevented his angry and violent actions. Homemade explosives would have sufficed and perhaps satiated his anger, and still killing many if not more. I'm not pro-gun, actually quite the opposite; I do not see the necessity for so many people to own guns. I'm not a big fan of hunting for sport either, seems to foster violent behaviour in my eyes. Killing a living creature for sport just seems sadistic to me. But what do I know? I've never shot a gun or killed a buck in my entire life, and on some statistical level I could end up doing the exact same thing the student did. Unlikely, but still a possibility.

I would like to see the statisitics on how many families in the U.S. that say own guns for "Self-defense" have ever fired a gun for that purpose. They clearly are not doing their job protecting people.


If you want to deal with this issue properly, you need to make the ability to intervene in the early stages much more viable. The professor who noticed he had bizarre writing? Report it. If he were handing something that bizarre in, he was clearly on some level trying to reach out and be noticed. I'm not placing blame on the faculty of the school, but merely pointing out an area of influence that needs to be addressed. I do not want to start sounding all after-school specialish and all, but seriously folks this is not rocket science . One ounce of prevention, yadda yadda.

And for the love of Zeus, please do not let this end with another Bowling For Columbine documentary, one was clearly enough. You hear me Michael Moore? That's right you hypocritical bastard.

I'm telling you I'm different than you think I am

So perhaps I am living in a bubble as usual, but have they started blaming music for the recent student shooting? I'm not being glib, just curious. The last time around it was an absolute joke in my opinion. Music does not make someone commit atrocities, there has to be some already existing mental issues to begin with. By music influence theory then all the little girls who listened to the Spice Girls should be feminist opportunistic whores telling you what they want.... oh wait-nevermind.

Had the most satisfying customer experience in awhile today. As I was listening to Ani DiFranco in the store, a customer asked who she was, and then proceeded to say it was "By far the worst album I have ever heard". Deep down this amuses me to end, since he was buying a Gene Loves Jezebel CD. Pshhhhaw!


One exam left.... procrastinating still. Quite proud of myself. I will be done prepping tomorrow... I swear!

"Don't tell me what they did to you, as if you had no choice"

Reading: Course Review + Madame Bovary
Listening: Ani DiFranco- Not a Pretty Girl
Watching: Futurama Volume 2

Life ain't only Supply and Demand

So my stereo apparantly broke yesterday. After less than 3 faithful years of service the speakers seem to have bit the dust. After disconnecting and then re-connecting, they still refuse to play my music. Instead they have chosen to emit an annoying whine. Time to buy a new one. This time, no five disc changer. I will simply get a decent higbh-end brand with ipod docking capabilities.

Still annoyed that I'm stuck listening to my ipod and itunes stuff until I can get out to buy myself a new stereo.

Bah!

Avoid the city After Dark

Laura's Advice on how to be a Successful Band and Sell Yourself To Me


If I were to be hired as a band image consultant, these are the handy gems I would in fact provide:

1. Bathe. I do not care if your idols go days with the warm love of a cleansing shower, you need to. Something about cultivating that B.O. and Hobo smell does not really appeal to mass audiences last I checked.
   
2. Wearing band tees of oh say Iron Maiden or Led Zeppellin does not give you credibility. I'm happy to hear you love Jimmy Page (unlike Mindless Self Indulgence...great song by the way). Let me hear it, not see it. Clothes come off, the talent and sound generally don't.
3. If I can name four other bands that sound exactly you, chances are you have no ability to wow me, or others for that matter.
4. There is emulating, and then there is rip-off. Please be the former. I do not want an updated version of perfection. Show me something new.
5. MySpace friends do not make you cool. I don't care how many "friends" you have. You can suck and still have fans. Look at Nickelback. That's right, I went there. Same goes for Facebook.
6. Indie credibility only goes so far. That underground culture you tout, it's just a bunch of pretentious morons who are bitter that Green Day went to a mainstream label. Yes, I went there. When they started wearing more makeup than a circus clown, that's when it stopped being amusing.
   
7. Your poignant lyrics- great and all, but remember sound registers faster than language, so make sure you have a melody and a guitar rift that will capture attention. When in doubt, add bitching drum solo.
   
8. That emo haircut is not amusing. Hair in face on purpose 24/7= DOUCHEBAG ALERT
   
9. Neither is having hair longer than mine.
10. If I cannot discern what your lyrics are after oh say 3 times listening to the song, then you either a) need elocution lessons, or b) need to lighten up on the guitar/bass/drums/oboes/harps/whatever it is that is obstructing my hearing. Quit that already.
11. Being an alcoholic or a Straight Edge is interesting and all, but have you not heard that extremes are idiotic. Be a responsible social drinker. Keep it in check. This will save you the hassle of a) Living in an a perpetual alcohol induced stupor, or falling off the Straight-Edge ways and becoming a serious addict.
12. Avant-Garde name? Not impressed.
13. Just be honest about what you want to be and what you want to make. If you want to be a andrognynous rocker, than be it. If you want to do some kick-ass rockabilly with a smidgeon of Gangsta-rap, then do it. You'd be surprised how open-minded people can be when it comes to music.

All I have for now, but who knows, I may create a perfect guide to this shit.

Laura

Reading: Madame Bovary
Listening to: John Cale-Vintage Violence
Watching: Casablanca

"Hold Me"

Menudo getting their own reality show? Oh dear fuzzy Jesus. And I thought MTV ceased to be about the music.

I really don't get it anymore.

Aloha

R.I.P. Don Ho. R.I.P. indeed,

This is what happens when I have less than 4 hours of sleep

Dear Good Charlotte.

I know we've had our differences in the past, you know when I gave your CD away to a friend for fear that I would go to hell for listening to you. Or the time I ripped your poster off my wall to be replaced by a Pink Floyd one. I was 15 and finally wizened up.

I know I've mocked you endlessly and that girls like cars and money song, but do you blame me?It was idiotic, and so was the video. But I left it at that and went along my merry way. You all embraced MTV stardom after being the theme writers to Undergrads and dating people like Hilary Duff and that Richie twig, and I moved on to obsessively loving Chris Cornell's solo stuff and figuring out who John Cale was. We had reached a happy medium, I was never to acknowledge your existence, and you would never try and make me. But last night I unfortunately got reminded of why you suck so very very much.

So yesterday my subscription to AP came in (Alternative Press for those not in the know. Usually a piece of crap, but once in awhile it has some gems. But that's not the issue at stake right now). In true Laura fashion I started reading it and not studying for the exam I had today. Wise I know. There was this article on the Madden Bros and Co., well really the Maddens, no one ever gives credence to the other guys. Any who, it's more or less them griping about how "fans" and critics slam them for changing their sound. Now normally I have no problem with a band changing their sound if it is part of their musical evolution. We cannot expect to sound the same on every album until infinity. However with their case, it fits.

I went to work after reading the article and decided to try their new album out while I was working. Every CD gets a fair chance, even if I don't particularly like the group. So I pop the music in the player and sit down to work. First few bars in and I'm thinking " Oh, this is the wrong CD, the plant must have pressed the wrong album. This sounds too much like the Killers", but alas that Madden voice started its unforgettable punk-rocky whine and my stomach started to churn. The album sucks as a whole, which apparently was the same opinion of AP last month. So maybe I'm not just a curmudgeon.

In conclusion of this informal letter, you Good Charlotte need to go away immediately. Pack your Louis Vuiton bags and amalgamate into the Sunset Strip.


Good day!

Laura

If I Were Invisible

Another one of my study breaks... well this break is going to last a few hours as I have resigned myself to no more writing of my 4000 word max essay on food and religion this evening (already past the 25% mark, yay me), but rather I shall tackle it tomorrow on yet another day off, which oddly enough I'm thankful for (Thanks manager! No seriously, thanks. The rest I have gotten the past couple days has been really beneficial) despite the lack of making money. Coming up on a week of hell so to speak, I'll survive, I always do.

So I was on some website this morning whilst actively avoiding starting my paper, and on a side bar there was this rotating photo ad asking you which American Idol you hated the most, and I just sat there watching, and wondering " Why the hell is American Idol still on the air?" Is it just me, or was the winner of the first one, the only one to have a career? Clay Aiken is languishing in this magical land where sexual preference denial is normal, and his hair is befuddling to all.

I personally have never watched more than 10 minutes of the show as I do not watch television during the week, and only for 2 hours on weekends, but I do know the general albums sales of these "Idols, and it ain't pretty. Aiken ( I am well aware that he did not win) did well with his first album because it was aimed at the housewife set. I remember reading an interview with Clive Davis at the time of its release, and he noted the same thing. Aiken was not really meant to be an idol. But that is not my point at this time.

How profitable is this Idol mania? Clarkson is the only one out of the entire bunch that has actually made a decent career out of this (Jennifer Hudson doth not count as she did not win, yet at the Oscars she did. Probably some irony in that, but I'm not going into it). Ruben? His albums sell jack all. Fantasia? I'd laugh, but that's a waste of air. Bo Bice and that other girl... I forget her name, they'll make careers enough because they generally don't fall into the pop music category. What I'm trying to get at, half-heartedly I admit, is that the American Idol franchise seems to be ineffectual at actually creating music careers for people. With the exception of Clarkson and Aiken, they're all relative failures. Failures I say!!!

That's All

Reading: Madame Bovary
Watching: Pinky and the Brain V. 2
Listening to: Tristania

From me to You

Christos Anesti, Happy Chocolate hunting day, and oh yeah Happy Easter.

To all whom celebrate it, have a great one. Stay happy, stay safe, and most importantly.. ROCK AND OR ROLL!

Damn bunny taking Easter away from Jesus and such.

As I make my way to family functions today, earbuds jammed into the canal, I will remember that Jesus apparantly died for my sins, just so I could commit more in the name of rock.

I'm feeling sacrelicious today.

But seriously, have a good one folks.

Just a thought

Who the hell puts Limp Bizkit "Break Stuff" as music on a decent show? Who Who?*

That is all.

*Laura screaming in her head as she watches the second season of Entourage. She just doesn't get it.

p.s. I have new-found respect for Jeremy Piven. No seriously I do

To prove their mousy worth, they'll overthrow the Earth

Short and sweet.

A little while ago as I was in the shower, getting clean for another day in musical retail fun land.As I was lathering up my hair with some menthol infused shampoo (tingly), a dime fell out of my hair. A dime! I thought that one of the balls to my industrial had come loose and fell out, but no. Don't ask me how it got there, I have no clue. I don't remember counting coin on my bed last night.

Now being one to not give up the most idiotic occurences, I have decided I am going to write a song about dimes falling from hair entitled: I may not have diamonds in my eyes, but I've got dimes in my hair. And by write a song, I mean I will just write the lyrics.

That is all.

Dance Your Cares, Worries for Another Day

So I'm searching my brain trying to come up with something musical to talk about today, on this religious holiday of sorts. Not being Christian and all , today is merely a day in which I get paid to sit at home in my pyjamas and read, granted I had over a 100 pages of Religion and Food reading to catch up on for my 4000 word max final essay due on Wednesday, which subsequently I also have an exam that day. Fun? No not really. But today I actually got out and went to Stratford. Being a tourist town, some stores were open.

After buying hand-painted buddhas, and escargot plates for my father, I headed out to the antique mall (hang on, I will get to the music). This place can be like kryptonite for me because I'm a person of whim; I will buy something quirky. Last time I went I think I came back with some Star Wars Pez deal. I usually spend my time there trying on ridiculous hats and pawing through books and toys. Today I came across old Muppet toys and glasses. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm slightly obsessed about anything Jim Henson and offspring have come up with. After scooping up my find, having my father laugh at my impulsivity, and dropping my trove at the front desk to get back to hunting, I decided I was on a mission: to find Muppet LPs.

As a child of an Antique store afficianado, and currently living in a house dominated by antiques (don't get me started), I've learned the value of "antiqueing" (ten points to anyone who can name the show on which a character's girlfriend said " I'm not the sort of person for whom antiqueing is a verb"), especially for classic music. I no longer have a turntable, so music finds in antique store have tended to lose their value as I don't listen to LPs anymore, but today I got back in force, granted now I was looking for Muppet albums.

Now I'm sorry to day that after my time flipping throughh Phyllis Diller and Patsy Cline albums today did not bring me my goal, I'm not yet deterred. I will find them. I will Ebay as a last resort, but the hunt is on. For now I will have to accept my 25th anniversary Muppet cd, though deep down I'll cry a little.

Completely pointless post completed.

Oh very young what will you leave me this time

William Shatner criticizing Leonard Nimoy's album from eons ago. Is this not a Klingon calling a Vulcan an alien? Seriously... Shatner must die. He did a song with Henry Rollins a couple years back, it scarred me deeply.

If only Patrick Stewart would do an album, then life would be complete.

Variety the Spice of life or just a key marketing tool?

Taking another one of my infamous "study breaks" to write. Irony in this is that I'm taking a break from writing an analysis of apocalyptic literature for a take-home exam I have. Ironic in that I am breaking to write even more. Counterproductive I'm sure, and I will undoubtedly take another actual break in which I will not write. That being said, at least I am posting again.

I have an issue I would like to raise: when artists release 2 or more different versions of the same album. Last night at work I was inputting stock, and I came across the recent Disturbed release "Ten Thousand Fists". This album comes in three different version. Regular one disc, special edition 2 disc w/ DVD, and Limited Edition McFarlane version. I have the latter which I procurred first week of release. I had to go to 5 different stores until I found a copy (unimpressed), and when I did the clerk looked confused at my excitement. What bothers me is that there has to be three different versions. Why 3? I personally find it disgusting that bands would agree to such levels of extortion on their fans. There are people who will in fact buy all three versions. My edition does not have the DVD included, so I am seriously compelled to buy the 2 disc version so I'm not missing out on anything, but what the hell do I need with 2 copies of the album? It pissed me off that Ihave the Limited Edition version and it does not come with extra disc, I mean I paid extra. Sure the packagind extra McFarlane graphics rocked, but I feel slightly cheated. It annoys me that they get me to do such foolish things in the name of fandom.

I have many albums in which there are more than 1 version of it available. I'm not talking about remastered versions (those don't count except with Pink Floyd and Dark Side of the Moon and their umpteen anniversary editions). I'm talking about Special 2 disc editions with DVD material you know you will only watch once. The Tour Edition of an Incubus Album I received as a gift but have seen the second disc, oh maybe once in the nearly 6 years I have owned it, or my Vinyl Packaging edition of Led Zeppelin 3. What we fans will do to show our un-dying love. I however will not travel the country in a VW bus not showering to show my devotion, I will however simply spend money. How capitalist of me.

I say we start a coalition against unnecesary CD versions. Enough is enough I say!

In other news the Knight Rider car is up for sale, but no claims of it talking or going 300mph. That is the deal breaker for me, that and I do not have a spare $150,000 american to blow on it. Besides there may be remnant Hasselholf STI's on it.

7th Heaven is finally cancelled for good. Life is as it should be. Stupid WB crap.

Listening to: Amos Lee: Supply and Demand
Reading: Lolita and 4th Ezra (bible... assignment)

Been to Heaven and Hell, and I have fuck all to show for it

Except photos!.... and t-shirt. I apologize for the general crappiness of this post. I'm not good at this crap. Oh and for the mediocre level of the photos. Section 112 Seat 13 ! I jest, not bad seats, better than being in general admission. Stupid morons, I like to sit.



MegadethSo to make a long story short, I did not enjoy the opening band Down, so I shall spend little time talking about them. Like Alex said at time, we could barely understand what they were singing about. I use the term singing loosely in this context. So yeah... two thumbs down for you know Down.

Megadeth on the other hand, I enjoyed. The transition time between Megadeth and Down was surprisingly short, so short in fact that the people we came to the concert with were not back from buying swag by the time they hit the stage... 20-25 minutes max. They came a running as soon as the blistering riffs began. Don't ask me for a set list because I'll be damned if I know what they played aside from "Peace Sells but Who's Buying". Pitiful I know, but don't hate me because I'm metalhead sheltered. The only complaint I have would be that their set was heart-crushingly short. They deserved a little more time to regale me with guitar riffs and showmanship. Kudos Megadeth, kudos.



Black Sabbath avec Dio
I'll admit readily that I know little to anything about Black Sabbath, but this opportunity was not to be abandoned. Just like when I refused to pass up seeing Buddy Guy 4th row center. That's right.... I have no idea where I am going with this. So I'm of the belief that if you have an opportunity to see a legend you must, even if you've never really listened to them. So Black Sabbathing I a went. Let's just say I was impressed. Impressed by Dio's ever receding hairline, impressed by the drum solo, impressed by the fact that I didn't bitch-slap the 50 man on my left who kept giving me a weird look then looking down my top. I could have sworn he and his buddy were into something kinky because they kept touching all throughout the concert, after the one sat in one of our seats. I had a fun time. The music actually got to me, greater appreciation for early metal. To the beginning I say.

So in conclusion: HEAVEN AND HELL ROCKED by tan Sketchers.



Here's another pretty photo:


Yeah... not so great at concert reviews....

CD reviews soon.

LQ

Listening: Animaniacs soundtrack
Reading: Lolita

Recent CD purchases
Elton John- Songs From the West Coast
- Reg Strikes Back
Godsmack- IV