‘Til we are able to face the merest aspects of our faith (& the often lack thereof), chronicled as it has been throughout the literature, space, and time of our history, we will never have any idea of the immensity of the separation between us and our creator. Too often, we find ourselves struggling with the problems we have with why there is pain in this life and how we observe our own hurts & frustration, not to mention that of others. We are but pilgrims in this life, walking onward daily, yet remembering the lessons of the past. Might that we find ways to love each other and love a God who has stood up for all of humanity, taking on the burdens of glory to come to this earth, so that we might experience the miraculous gift of grace. (Just as long as we don’t pay too much attention to the writer of all those letters…) Continue reading “Thanks Jack”
Sep 26 2006
Starflyer 59 — My Island
Starflyer 59
My Island
Tooth & Nail; 2006
Rating: 7.4
I’ve been listening Jason Martin’s words & music since Gold, having found that gem in the midst of the tumult that was High School. Seriously now, what Starflyer 59 fan of any credibility (male or female) doesn’t have a story about how “Messed Up Over You†put words to their adolescent, love-struck angst? Therefore, ever since then, I have staunchly and fervently defended Starflyer 59’s work, even as the line-up was regularly shuffled, Martin adjusted his inspiration, and morphed his sound, changes that often left older fans behind, while acquiring new ones along the way. It’s been a long road for Martin & his collaborators. Nevertheless, Leave Here A Stranger still ranks as one of my Top Ten Desert Island Albums of All Time – the album’s austere beauty stands up as a rarity amongst the unrelenting flood of feedback loops that typically defines shoegazing indie rock.
However, with the seemingly perpetual transformations that Starflyer 59 has gone through in the past decade (from Fashion Focus up to & including My Island), liking these guys has become almost frustrating, up to the point that I have simply ceased to have any expectations of what a new album might sound like. Continue reading “Starflyer 59 — My Island”
Sep 22 2006
Desperation in the Darkness
Eyes opened wide,
but my vision is marred & dirtied
by the rough, textured masses
that surround me & darken my days.
I feel around in my blindness,
touching, probing, trying
to find a path out of this hell,
but all that I see is
whatever is there in the way.
So I sit down upon a floor, Continue reading “Desperation in the Darkness”
Sep 19 2006
People need to read more, so help those who are getting books so they can help others learn to read.
I’m not going to write too much here, but I wanted to post this link to the AchenBoodle Book Drive in case anyone was interested in contributing to this highly worthwhile cause.
Thanks to my new online friend Courtney for posting this link for me to relay to my “readers” (like I have regular readers).
Suffice to say that I’ve been reading since before I was 3 years old; thus, I want to do whatever I can possibly do to help others have the chance to learn to read, but read as often as they’d like. We’ve had the printing press for over 500 years now and we live in the most affluent society in world history — there is NO REASON at all that children in rural North Carolina (much less rural anywhere in this world) should be without books to read. Go read the post and see what you can do to help.
Peace.
**returns back to see what books he can contribute to the book drive** Continue reading “People need to read more, so help those who are getting books so they can help others learn to read.”
Sep 19 2006
R.E.M. — And I Feel Fine… — The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987
R.E.M.
And I Feel Fine… — The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987
I.R.S./Capitol
Rating: 9.6
I’m not going to lie to you – I like the idea of “Best-Of†& “Greatest Hits†albums in general. This medium allows for bands to gaze backwards through the annals of history so that they might view & review their work, in hopes of gathering together their best songs from a given time period. All of this is done in the hope of providing a means for which their fans (whether old, new, or as-yet-discovered) can listen to those songs in a fairly simple format. With “Greatest Hits†albums, you don’t have to carry around all of the albums from your favorite bands just to hear the songs that you like the best. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved – a band gets to make a few more bucks by repackaging old material and a fan of the band only has to carry around one or two albums as opposed to 4, 5, 9, or 10 of them to get their fill of the band’s music.
However, there is a dark side from whence a music listener can view a “Best-Of†album, Continue reading “R.E.M. — And I Feel Fine… — The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987″
Next Page »