Author: tim

Vote!

We here at themuy feel it is our Democratic duty to urge you to get out tomorrow and vote vote vote!

But, please be informed about the candidates and issues in your area. A good resource can be found at yahoo. You can enter your zip code and receive a list of the candidates for your districts. Go there now and then go to your polling location tomorrow and vote!

And if you haven’t registered yet, go do it now so you will be prepared for the next election. I, for one, think the next Presidential election will be an important one.

That is all.

I’m Tired

So, I’m halfway through my Month-O-Music© and am looking forward to a quieter November. Let me explain.

For some reason, the month of October presented to me many opportunities for musical endeavors and I decided to say yes to all of them. So, in addition to my regular duties as drummer for the Atlanta rock band, Luigi, I also participated in the following:

1) Magnapop. The Atlanta-based band that was big back in the 90’s asked me if I would play drums for 2 reunion shows in October, one in Atlanta and one in Athens. I said yes and proceeded to learn 15 songs from their repertoire with Shannon, the bass player and Linda, the singer. The guitarist, Ruthie, lives in Seattle and flew in the week of the shows for some last minute practice. So, after listening to a CD non-stop for weeks and practicing with an imagined guitarist, Ruthie finally flew in last Wednesday and we proceeded to tighten everything up for the shows. We then played a show on Saturday, October 19th at the Echo Lounge in Atlanta, and then a show at the 40 Watt club in Athens on Monday, the 21st. It was a fun, whirlwindy kinda thing and the rock was prominent. All in all, a good time.

2) Pixies. October is also the month where I do Album #2 in the Fletcher Classic Album series: The Pixies’ Doolittle Album (this was the first one). This time around, we have my sister playing the Bass and singing the Kim Deal parts, Brandon is playing guitar a la Joey Santiago and once again a member is flying in from Seattle to round out the sound: Jeff Barnes will be doing the Black Francis schtick. Jeff has a Pixies cover band out in Seattle and is an old friend. So, we’ve been practicing with an imagined rythm guitar and lead vocals for about a month now. Jeff flies in on Wednesday morning, we practice that evening, and then play three shows. Atlanta, Columbia, SC and Athens. All in a row and all very Halloween and festive like. It should be a good time.

My fellow bandmates and most importantly, my wife, have all been very understanding and accomodating of my Month-O-Music© schedule and it’s been a hell of a lot of fun. But, like I said, I’m looking forward to a slightly less haggard November.

CHARGE!

The sis and I went to watch the Braves end their season last night. The less I say about that, the better. I’m tired and bitter right now–let’s just leave it at that.

The sis pointed out to me the humor in yelling out, “CHARGE!” at sporting events. You know, when that fake trumpet plays and then everyone yells “CHARGE!” at the top of their lungs. What the hell does that mean? It’s so weird to yell out “CHARGE!” at a sporting event. It’s like some holdover from a 1910 college football game where everyone has those big cylindrical megaphone-type things and wears big fur coats and wave triangular banners. “Okay, Buffy, when that trumpet guy sounds the salute, let’s get the gang to all yell, “CHARGE!” It will be ever so much fun.” “Oh you’re the living end, Biff, really you are! You’re practically incorrigible.”

So, the guy standing up there getting ready to be on the receving end of a 95-mph fastball is somehow encouraged by the crowd yelling “CHARGE!” real loud?

“Charge? Charge what? The mound?”

Car be Gone

Today the Salvation Army came to our house and picked up my wife’s old car that has been sitting in our driveway for the past few years. I’m sure the neighbors are relieved that the white trash index variable on our street went down a few points with that event. (Maybe that’s why they haven’t been able to sell the house next to us for the past 2 years. hmm….)

Here’s our conversation about the event:

Wife: They came and picked up the Prelude.
Me: Cool! Are you sad?
Wife: (pause, thinking)
Wife: Yeah, I guess I am. I hadn’t thought of it. Yes I am sad.
Me: Maybe you should go take a picture of it before they drive it away.
Wife: Yeah. Where’s the camera? (i tell her). I’ll be right back.
Me: Give it a kiss goodbye, too!

(a few minutes later)

Wife: K, I took a picture. But I didn’t give it a kiss.
Me: That probably was a good idea.

Fishing/Tired

Just got back from the bachelor party weekend. Words cannot describe how tired I am. Our Saturday fishing trip got postponed to Sunday because of Tropical Storm Hannah. So, we woke up at 6am on Sunday, went deep sea fishing for 8 hours, then jumped in our cars and drove 5.5 hours back home, sunburned and smelling of raw fish. I then fell asleep soon after watching the season premiere of the Sopranos. It was a full day.

Dean Moriarty

So in America when the sun goes down and I sit on the old broken-down river pier watching the long, long skies over New Jersey and sense all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going, all the people dreaming in the immensity of it, and in Iowa I know by now the children must be crying in the land where they let the children cry, and tonight the stars’ll be out, and don’t you know that God is Pooh Bear? the evening star must be drooping and shedding her sparkler dims on the prairie, which is just before the coming of complete night that blesses the earth, darkens all rivers, cups the peaks and folds the final shore in, and nobody, nobody knows what’s going to happen to anybody besides the forlorn rags of growing old, I think of Dean Moriarty, I even think of Old Dean Moriarty the father we never found, I think of Dean Moriarty.

�Jack Kerouac
On The Road (1957)

Beck

I’ve really been getting into the new Beck album, Sea Change. You can hear a preview on his site: beck.com

It’s a really cool, mellow album. More Mutations than Midnite Vultures (which I haven’t heard, but know the general vibe). It’s good to see Beck move away from the cut-and-paste and back into the solid, well-written song mode. And, thanks to Nigel Goodrich production, the new album’s got a warm, crisp vibe.

Beck is back.