Randoms

(Editor's note: this was written like, 2 weeks ago)

Today: found out there was a new Beach House album coming out soon, freaked out silently for as long as it took to open www.bolachas.org, and ceased freaking out in order to experience the new Beach House album. Did I mention that I absolutely looooove Beach House? Holy cow. Every album just blows me so far away, which is really saying something cus I'm already in Japan. I mean, how much further am I gonna get? So yeah Team Dream is probably awesome. I'm only 3 songs in, so I'll save the hyperbole until somewhere around the end of this post when I've listened to more. The first single called "Norway" is bangin'. Usually Beach House songs take a little while to get started and the beefy, rich bits are somewhere in the middle, but this one blasts you right off the bat. Many Beach House songs just seem way too easy. Simple chord progression maybe, a dinky little clean-ish guitar riff floating around, and some nice female vocals... and of course that really sparse programmed drum track!
This is apparently the recipe for musical deliciouscitynessage. And I just love the nice, deliberate pace of everything. I remember when I first listened to them, I was wondering why it was so slow, but now I realize that I couldn't handle all the awesomeness at a faster pace. The music is waiting for me to catch up. However, I'm just noticing that some of these numbers are a wee bit more spritely, especially "Used To Be", which doesn't plod along so much as it ambles along... which is pretty speedy for a Beach House song.
Also, the new Flaming Lips appears to be growing on me. The first track, "Convinced of the Hex", seemed, at first to be just too monotonous-sounding for me, but after the third listen, I found it stuck in my head. What's with all the extra weird noises though? At what point did they say, "Ok, only three weird atonal, warble-y sounds in this part. Four is just too many"?
New Sunset Rubdown album Dragonslayer is really awesome as well. These guys never disappoint.

Guess Who's Back

Ok, so I got a new computer. This means that I have a ton of new music to digest.

Listening to Atlas Sound's "Walkabout" for the first time was almost painful. The little timing delay with the vocals really makes the whole thing work. I'm not sure that the lyrics are quite as sunshiny as the music. "What did you want to see... what did you want to be when you grew up?"
Also, the way Cox records the vocals... purposely allowing all the percussive pops and "sssss"s to enliven all the words.... it's really great. It adds this layer to everything that makes it feel more personal and immediate. There's also usually an acoustic guitar floating around somewhere, which achieves a similar effect. It just isn't the same when I listen to other, more ornately produced. Haha awesome. The lyrics to "Shelia": "Sheeeeeeelia... we'll die alone together." It's interesting to hear him pick a specific gender as the object of affection/companionship/whatever in one of his songs.
Ok, seriously, Bradford Cox could be a huge pop superstar if he really wanted to be.. maybe... these songs...
Note: I'm listening to "Walkabout" again the next day and I literally began squirming in my chair because it was so frickin amazing.

Ok, that's out of my system.

Ex-Patriotism and You

I signed up for the Fukui Marathon. I estimate the date of death to be October 4th, somewhere around the 18 kilometer mark. It's a half-marathon, so it should be.... ok. It's just that whenever I mention it to anyone, they get really surprised and Japanese people start clapping as if I had just done a trick. If I can do it in 2 hours, I'll be shocked.
I should have more to say when I write these things. Ohhhh I read this Kipling story called "The Courtship of Dinnah Shadd" and I really liked it. I guess that's about it.

I Will Dare

If you send me a book, I will read it. Seriously, folks. I know I haven't been keeping in really good touch with people, but this offer stands. Don't let me re-read Jane Austen. THIS BOOK will do nicely. OOoooooo and, from Wikipedia: "Due to the success of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Grahame-Smith has been contracted to write two follow-up books, one of which is reported to be titled Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter."
Awesome

Saw Slumdog Millionaire. It was really good. I felt amazing when I walked out of the theater. Also, I suppose it should be noted that I finally introduced myself to this awesome theater that plays really cool movies. They were playing Lawrence of Arabia this month! How crazy is that?

I want to go to Yakushima Island. Very badly. When am I going to find the time to do it?

So they have these amazing blueberry cream-puffs that they sell down by the station. If you haven't had one yet, give them a shot. Also, you could say "hello" to me while you're here.

Yakitori tonight. Also, possibly the beach in Mikuni.

Two Minutes

is how long I have to write this.

The fireworks were incredible last night. I took several videos which I would love to post here. Perhaps I will someday.

My Japanese teacher threatened to call my mom yesterday. I would really like to explain why, but I'm not at liberty to do so.

Pride and Prejudice is the greatest book in the world. Know this. I realized that I share alot in common with one of the characters.

All for now.

Light My Fireflower

Went to Kenrokuen and the Ishikawa Zoo two days ago. Really beautiful stuff at the garden and the animals were really cool at the zoo. Saw some lions and tigers really, really close. The penguins were great too. I'm pumped for another Eiheiji Temple visit sometime soon.

Fireworks in Mikuni tonight. It'll be great.

I think the Mormon guys are in the library...

I suppose I have a lot of things to do before we leave for Mikuni, so I'm gonna go. I promise lots of pictures... if and when I get my laptop back to life.

Return of the Mecca

Started jogging. Sort of. It took me a rather long time to find a pair of running shoes that A: fit and B: were not expensive as hell. This accomplished, I have initiated my doomed-to-fail training for the Fukui Marathon. Now that my laptop is out of commission, I'm left to suffer the nearsightedness of my final iPod update from about a month ago. I have a 30 gig iPod and somehow I feel like I've listened to all the music on it yesterday. Early 90's hip-hop is the only thing fueling my exercise. Once that runs out, all is lost.

The kid sitting next to me in the library smells like pancake syrup... in that pancake syrup-y way that little kids smell like that makes you uncomfortably certain that he hasn't come in contact with pancake syrup recently.

I miss everyone. I want to get the internet at my apartment as soon as I get a new laptop battery. This could take a few months...

Saw some awesome fireworks a few nights ago. They go all out with that stuff in Japan. I saw fireworks that I'd never experienced before. The biggest show in my area happens next Tuesday. It lasts for about 90 minutes, and they do it over the ocean! Once again, I'm talking about a fireworks show. Just making that clear.

I've got my big summer vacation coming up next week and I haven't made any real travel plans. Between the fireworks and the Shakespeare play I've been invited to (Macbeth in Japanese?), my vacation is already a little sliced up. If anyone has any suggestions, be sure to let me know.