Most Important Albums of 2007

In particular order:

In Rainbows, Radiohead.

In Rainbows is the exciting narrative of an album that existed in part, almost in entirety, long before becoming a whole. In Rainbows teaches us that, if you are made of absolute amazing, that you can create beautiful topographies of sound without having to write new songs. Still the most beautiful and enjoyable album on my playlist.

"Nude," back in 1998


The Cool, Lupe Fiasco

The Cool tells us not to be cool, and to graduate from school. The Cool also tells us about cheeseburgers and gold watches during an amazingly well-produced stretch of music. Some low-points, but the album is absolutely worth getting. Just listening to it makes my mind rush with ideas.

"Dumb it Down"


Hissing Fauna, are you the Destroyer?, Of Montreal

Hissing Fauna, are you the Destroyer? is music for bi-polar people, or kittens. Kevin Barnes makes you want to dance and kill yourself at the same time. Terrifyingly amazing. Something to listen to when you're down, or if you're afraid of being too happy.

Barnes' EP, Icons, Abstract Thee includes a song happier than anything on Hissing, and one yet more depressing.

Others may have their favorites and similar lists, but my strongest personal investment is with these three.

How Nice

What is this?

UF President Gets Extension and Raise (The Ledger)

Have I entered a new phase of anger? Should I be not upset that Bernie Machen is getting a raise? I do hope it inspires him to tackle the budget crisis, because I certainly have heard little progress in that realm.

Should I be as angered as I am that the University of Florida is run more like a corporation than an institution of learning? Should I not desire to profit intellectually? Is there a tragic, life-altering, and all-too depressing lesson to be learned here?

Probably.

Anyway, go listen to The Cool by Lupe Fiasco. Definitely worth the time investment.

Rainbow Day: October 10th

I am attempting to pre-order the mightiest of all creations, In Rainbows from www.inrainbows.com. The website is slow. Very.

The understandable turtle-esque speed aside, I am a little worried. Will the new album have that same Radioheadicity that I came to love? Will this album be... no. Dare I say it? Happy? Will the moody technoscapes be gone? Will the solidarity of the downtrodden be gone forever?

Still, it will be delicious, I am sure.

I shall await October 10th with pensive anxiety.

Hell is Chicken

Since I decided to stop eating drive-through red meat, I've found myself with limited, and generally more expensive, chicken-based fast food options. Of course, the simple solution is to stop eating fast food, but so is not voting for some silly war in the first place. I'm looking at you, certain Democratic candidates.

Zaxby's, unfortunately, is a rip-off. Why? You basically get a mediocre serving of Chicken Salad, placed strategically on the bread in a decieving manner (parts of the bread receive no Chicken Salad, what a crock), a bunch of okay fries, and a sad pickle spear. However, the Chicken Salad sandwich is quite possibly the most fattening thing I have eaten in a long time.

I bite in to the sandwich and I can taste it, hell, I can chew the fat sometimes. It is perhaps the most delicious Chicken Salad that I have ever eaten. Sorry, Publix, Panera, Atlanta Bread Company and Wendy's. I have a new love.

This is seriously going to hamper my ten year plan to become a vegetarian*.

*This plan does not actually exist.

After checking the nutritional facts, the crinkle fries are a slow source of death with 1 gram of trans fat per serving. Eh.

Book of the Moment

"Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," is a marvel of a read. From Electric Monks (they believe in things for you) to ghosts and suspicious space-time mechanics, the late Douglas Adams entertains and enlightens. Enlightens to what end, exactly? I'm not sure, but I do remember being left with an overall pleasant sensation and a little skip in my step after I finished.

On a side note, I occasionally forget how to skip. Strange, eh?

The book does have its faults, such as its somewhat ponderous beginning, and the language can be a little rough. The novel somehow seems to lack the polish of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (HHGTTG or THHGTTG or THGTTG or H2G2, for cheaters)," which is strange, because it was written after the bulk of the famous series.

Still, Dirk Gently is an intelligent read, the sort of work that requires a bit of work, thought, and *elbow grease. As a rabid fan of Adams, I heartily recommend this book, though readers new to Adams should probably start with HHGTTG.

*Elbow Grease is apparently a line of personal lubricants. Use while reading not recommended.

Oh My, What Do We Have Here?

I suppose that I should do something with this.

Facebook isn't exactly a venue for anything particularly intellectual, and it can be argued, neither is Blogger, but I take what I can get.

Hopefully some interest is generated, and I can determine the direction of this blog. Future content is promised, and should be anticipated.