Old Review: Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips

It outweighs the effort with a glorious experience.

Right, so, yeah.

I've been dark this week because it's been overall incredibly shitty to the point I can't even explain it. Well, no, it's more that I don't want to explain it, partly because I'm too damn tired from lack of sleep and partly because it's a rather personal matter that isn't really unraveling the way I wanted it to. The other part is that I listened to both the Simon & Garfunkel albums I got a while back, and I have no intention of reviewing either of them because they are classics and my words go without saying: they're awesome.

In short, I'm taking a break this week, and maybe next week too, at least from Songs I'm Obsessed With, since that seems to be rather unpopular anyway. In the meantime, I'll post an old album review of one of my favorites. I hope I have your understanding.

Review: Björk - Biophilia

Indeed, by the end of this review, I will have memorized ALT+0246 = ö.

New Björk album

I got Biophilia in the mail today, and I'll be listening to it tonight, so you should expect a review around the weekend.

Songs I'm Obsessed With: "Even Rats" by The Slip

This little shaving came right off the top of my "Most Played" playlist. The only places they've showed up in something rather famous is the first Guitar Hero game and in download form for Rock Band. Yes, that's where I first heard this song, but what is the problem with that? I have this whole argument for discovery of music through music games, that it brings great music to a whole new generation in a different but fun medium, and that really there shouldn't be anything wrong with liking music from a music game. Liking only music from music games, though, I have a problem with.

In fact, the funny thing about the Guitar Hero part of my discovery of this song is that I'm the only one of my friends who adored playing this song in the game. It's apparently known well for its difficulty, and not only was it so much fun to play in that game, but the song itself is just so great.

My (slightly dorky) Sonnet about Writing Sonnets

I figured I should put some original material up here, since the only other written pieces are written on the spot and aren't really literary in any way or already published. This is a sonnet I wrote about writing sonnets, with an introduction. I was sort of inspired by Bach's music to display the musical elements of the Fugue and his Well-Tempered Clavier books about, well, well-tuned keyboard instruments, to write something to display a writing format. So, I wrote a sonnet about writing sonnets, with a little advice about writing one yourself.

I was taught how to write a sonnet in my creative writing class last semester at Eastfield, and I pretty much fell in love with the idea of writing something to such a specific structure and requiring such short length, since I almost always have to have some kind of structure and/or rhyming scheme and almost never write in free verse.

Heads Up!

I felt it was appropriate to mention that the entire Portal 2 soundtrack is now finally available in its entirety from the Portal 2 website. You can download it here.

Past volumes have released tracks in the game's chronological order. Only tracks from the beginning were available in the first volume, then in the second volume tracks from the middle of the game were maid available. Volume 3 contains all the edited score from the end of the game, including the end boss theme, the music for SPAAAAAAACE!!!! and the ever important "Want You Gone" and "Cara Mia Addio" tracks. If you didn't almost burst into tears when you heard the latter track in the game, you probably don't have a soul.

Volume 1 was probably my favorite out of the three. Though the third volume has obvious things going for it, as far as score goes I liked 1 better. 2 is mostly boring, but I still think the entire Portal 2 score is impressive for a video game. I haven't listened to all of 3 yet, but I'm sure it is quite nice. You can use the above link to download all the score pieces.

Review: The Main Drag - Simmer In Your Hotseat

My only link to Hipsterdom.

My composer essay project: A profile of Claude Debussy

I was tasked with preparing an essay on an assigned composer from our book in Music Appreciation. While I wanted to spotlight John Adams, my teacher said he was too late in the textbook and we wouldn't have time to present him. (We also have to do a presentation on our composers when we cover their time period; I would be the first in the 20th Century period, so I have plenty of time.) Since I was at a loss for who to choose, I asked her to pick one for me. In retrospect, I think I should have chosen Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland or Gustav Holst, because she gave me Claude Debussy, a person I hadn't even heard of before that day. I also don't particularly like the person, now that I've done my research. The music is excellent, but the person I don't think I would have gotten along with. Oh well, at least I got to listen to some good music, and I think I produced a pretty good essay. Here it is, for your enjoyment:

Songs I'm Obsessed With: "Upward Over the Mountain" by Iron & Wine

Ah... That's better. This is a song I can talk about.

Songs I'm Obsessed WIth: "Kinfe" by Grizzly Bear

I can barely begin to explain just how wonderful this song is.

Grizzly Bear are a indie folk band, sort of. Listening to Grizzly Bear is like listening to folk music with electric guitars, I suppose. I think it's best you just listen to it.

"Knife" is their "single" from Yellow House, released in 2006. It, too, is a folk-asterisk song.

You know what? I can't do it. I am left speechless by this song. I have nothing I can say about it. Just listen.

Artists I'm Following: Woodkid

So I thought I'd try to invent another regular post, since reviews are so irregular, making "Songs I'm Obsessed With" the only regular post and currently the only thing I'm updating (life's pretty boring right now). The problem with this is how irregular this regular post will possibly end up being, because I might run out of people to talk about. To combat this, I'll do this on a monthly basis instead of the weekly basis I've been maintaining with my other posts. Well, I'll try and see what I can do.