Off the Wall

Lee Ranaldo – Off the Wall

I always meant to go see Sonic Youth* but the timing never worked out. Now that seems like a slim possibility. But Lee Ranaldo has a new solo album out, Between The Times and The Tides, and I like what I’ve heard so far. He’s also touring! Opening up for Wilco nearby in August, and for M. Ward in May. I’m really going to try to make it out to one of those this time.

*Back in the early 90s, I thought it would be cool to name a hypothetical son Thurston, until a friend pointed out that most people would make a connection with Thurston Howell III and not Thurston Moore. I guess it’s going to end up in the names not used pile.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Driver 8

R.E.M. – Driver 8

Southern Serves the South.

I bought train tickets today. I decided that with the cost of gas and tolls, it would be no more expensive, and maybe even cheaper, to take the train down to Philadelphia in May. I will travel the same route I’ve traveled more times than I could count, though I haven’t done it in a long time. 

In looking up the schedules and fares, I discovered that one leg of my trip happens to fall on National Train Day. National Train Day! Where was this holiday when I was in college? Events taking place in NYC at Grand Central, Chicago Union Station, Los Angeles Union Station, and Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. That’s MY station. I do love the train, but the station holds more than just the prospect of a train trip for me. It’s all the hopes and dreams, all the expectations, all the heartache, all the cool, all the sadness, all the delays, all the people watching. I’m thrilled that 30th St. made the list, and I’ll be there.

I read somewhere that all the train arrival and departure signs have been modernized and are digital now and don’t make that tell-tale clickity-clackity sound anymore. That’s a little sad, but I’ve got the train tape modernized and digitized and loaded on the iPod, the angel statue is still there, and there’s probably soft pretzels for sale in there somewhere.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Midnight City

M83 – Midnight City

I was talking with someone on Friday about old college radio days and mentioned I’d gone to school outside of Philadelphia, where she now lived. That led to a conversation about the area and I said that I’d be down there in May. She suggested a restaurant I should try in Philadelphia. I ventured that might be a good place for me to meet up with a friend before we head over to a show at Union Transfer (a new-ish club that gets rave reviews). She asked what show, and when I answered M83, she laughed and said she was going to the same show! Small world.

Normally I wouldn’t go five hours away to see a band I don’t know that well. I made the decision to go see M83 by listening to their latest album online while working and wishing I was someplace else so I could dance. Then all the write ups of their live shows in the fall were great and I saw them on some late night show and thought, damn, I guess I missed it. But they announced some spring dates so I asked a young woman I used to work with who has moved down to PA if she’d like to go. The fact that it gave me the chance to check out this new club was an added bonus. Not to mention I get to go down by myself and stay with my sister, child-free for a couple days!

I’m counting on the dark club hiding my mid-40s wrinkles and un-hipster wardrobe. Now it’s just to get myself into dancing shape and find some dancing shoes.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Ceremony

New Order – Ceremony

This came on the radio while I was driving home today, window down on a beautiful day. I love this song. Love it. Turn it up and throw your arm out the window, not caring what the drivers around you think.

This might also explain why I don’t carpool.

Chair

Big Deal – Chair

I might have listened to Big Deal back when IndieTunes posted two of their songs in January but I missed that. And I should have noticed when NPR listed them as part of The Austin 100: A SXSW Mix but I’ve been sort of hunting and pecking my way through it and didn’t get there yet. No, it was while in one of my favorite rooms on Turntable.fm and we were playing songs for Pi Day (3.14). I simply put “Pi” into the search and listened to the preview for the song of the same name by Big Deal, liked what I heard, added it to my queue and gave it a spin. Now I’m catching up. I couldn’t find a video for Pi or a Soundcloud track so you’ll have to make do with Chair.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Hurricane Season

Trombone Shorty – Hurricane Season

I’ve been asked to get into work early for a while. I am not a morning person. I have a long commute so getting here early means waking up earlier than I’m really capable of on my own. However, I’ve found the solution. The radio station I have my alarm clock set to starts up its morning show at 6:05 by blaring this tune in the background of their intro. If I set my alarm for 5:55 so I get a little nudge and can hit the snooze button, then this comes blasting at me at 6:05 and after that, I’m up.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)