I was having an excellent day…

…until I got to work.  Seriously, I was listening to Abbey Road on the streetcar, and just as I got off the car to walk the block and a half to the office, it was right in the middle of the medley.  On comes Golden Slumbers, and the part where the chorus hits just… hit me.  It was like that feeling of joy and pain and elation washed over me, and I smiled.  I smiled on the corner of Yonge and Melinda Streets.  And I kept walking, and the music just got better and better.  That album is perfect.  Sure there are pops and crackles occasionally, and one could argue that I Want You (She’s So Heavy) goes on just a little long, but I don’t think that argument could stand up to any argument about the medley that closes the album.  Those songs fall together seamlessly, effortlessly; it’s like they weren’t even separate songs.  I think when I was a kid I thought it was all one really long song.  I loved it then too.

 Then The End finished, and I was at my office door.  I kept my headphones in and listened to Her Majesty while I took off my coat and hung it up.  And then I sat down at my desk, and realised that I’m here, and I don’t want to be here.  Thankfully, I won’t be here ever again.

Now… if only I could do something about that little “unemployment” issue I’ll have in the near future.

Like a jigsaw…

The pieces are falling into place for band number two (or three, if I count mine and John P’s on-again, off-again, project.  thought really it’s never quite been ‘on’) which should be awesome.  Me on guitar and vocals.  Adam on bass and vocals.  Neil on the hand drum (and various noisemakers as necessary).  All 80s (or classic fun pop) all the time.

 Band names, song ideas, and various other tips are welcome.  We’d like to start gigging around TO in the summer.

As for the other, actual band, things are going well.  We’re trying to get some actual songs together.  I’m realising I’m not really much of a lyricist, and I’m not good at writing stuff down.  I don’t know how that’s going to pan out.  I always feel like when I sit down and write something down intentionally, it takes some of the life out of it, which is never good for the rock (and roll).  For now, I’m still sort of freestyling and seeing where things end up.  I have a lot of ideas that I keep reusing, and a lot of them seem to be working well.  I wouldn’t say that the songs are really cohesive or have deeper meanings or anything.  They’re actually a little dada-ist to be honest.  Well, not really dada-ist, as I’m not assembling things in a truly random fashion.  I just say what comes into my mind.  At the coda of one of the songs (3122 Disco) I sing “send the cavaliers/to the shoreline” which doesn’t really mean anything, but sounds good when sung with passion.  With our latest song, we were joking about Terrence & Philip in the South Park movie, and the remix for Uncle Fucka, and I just started singing “thought I told you that we won’t stop/I thought I told you that we won’t stop” over and over again at the end.  And in a weird, surreal way, it worked.  When we re-visit it this week, it may not be as wonderful, but it’ll be a start at least.

math, math, math, mathematics! (times tables turn)

I’ve always loved Spookey Ruben, particularly the song Born on Labour Day (Mathematics) for obvious reasons.  Something about his meticulous songcraft that just appeals to me.  The thing that really frustrates me is his intermittent nature.  His first album (Modes of Transportation, Vol. 1) came out back in 1995.  I’ve had it since ‘97 and then spent four years waiting for the follow up(s), 2001’s Bed and Breakfast, which are both fantastic in their own right.  It was like his very own Use Your Illusion.  Only funny.  And good. 

 As early as 2003, I started seeing posts on his webpage for an upcoming album, The Mind is a Messed Up World, which I’ve been quite excited about for some time now.  It still has not come out.  Spookey’s website (linked above) lists a Spookey <3 Shauna remix EP that was supposed to come out on February 14th, and a new album, entitled Mechanical Royalty (pretty sweet title, I’d say), due March 22nd, 2008.  I’m confused, annoyed, worried, scared and so, so excited that there might actually be a new Spookey Ruben album within the month.

That being said, try as I might, I can’t find the Shauna EP, which was supposedly released three weeks ago.  Methinks things do not bode well for the new album.  Again.

This was probably completely uninteresting to you, but I’m trying to find my writing style again (I used to have one I swear) and I think the best way to do that is to just write about whatever it is that pops into my head.