Queen Amaranthine

Stoned.

beautiful and?

Today: How do I put this in 1 word? Allergied? It's one of the worst pollen-inspired allergy days I've had in YEARS. Still, pollen allergies aren't nearly as awful as my other allergies to dust, etc.

I like Capitol City and Open Mind (maybe I'm just too easy to please). I first heard Open Mind before TWL was released in this Youtube clip and loved it right away. Maybe part of the appeal is the warm, low lighting and Jeff singing solo, giving it a personal and aloneness kind of touch. It seems so heartfelt here. I wonder if I'd like it as much or the same had I heard the full band version first? I like both.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxFwVK98WjY

What? Just one mood per day? I have to take this moment by moment.

At this moment, overworked. I relate to Anthony above. My mind is on other things I want to do or feel compelled to do creatively, but this is a really busy time of the year at work. So I need to log off here and get back to it. Procrastination isn't a mood, but I should claim it as one.

Yesterday I had to make a solo road trip for work so what better opportunity to play YHF in its entirety on my way home? The 75-mile drive allowed for a whole lotta YHF love. It hit me that it was the first time in probably 9 years-10 months that I'd listened to that album in its entirety--even ALL the noise or lulls at the end of Ashes and Reservations--not just skipping past songs or cuing into what I wanted to hear at a given moment. So it was a treat. 10 years later, it's still absolutely gorrrrrgeous.

What stood out to me during that listen is Radio Cure. Funny, I remember the first time I heard that song, before I knew a thing about Jeff (not even his name) or the band at all, I thought, that guy's voice is way too shaky--didn't the band think they should have re-recorded that? After more listens and now knowing what we all know about Jeff and Wilco, it makes sense. It's a song I usually skip over on the album, so most of my experience with the song has been through hearing it in live shows or show recordings, where Jeff's voice sounds more melodic and smooth. I hear it as agonizingly intense on the album, very raw and open in a way that Reservations is, as discussed in another topic here recently. This song, though, is like a personal breakdown in the making.

Also, Jesus Etc. is breathtaking. I hadn't heard it in a long time, and I know some frequent show-goers got sick of it awhile back, but it holds up as a beautiful, poetic song. I'm not a romantic--which is why I listen to Wilco rather than crooning pop country dudes and the like--but that song is about as romantic as I can internalize! (That, and Far, Far Away...clearly I have a strange sense of what is heartfelt romance, but, oh well).

Wilco in Sioux City in July is a strong possibility.

In the meantime, my kids have end-of-school-year concerts coming up--best items on my agenda! Also on the kid front, The Fresh Beat Band will be in Des Moines in October. Clearly, kids rule my life.

'Tis the season, once again, for sponsored walks, etc. I'm bumping this for my own selfish purposes (links to all my upcoming events in my sig line!!!), but please, I love to hear about what everyone else is doing, too. Post your links, everyone!

 

First event up for me this year is the Cystic Fibrosis walk: http://www.cff.org/G...trides/MaudieMc

That is wonderful, Maudie!

A coworker of mine has a grandson who was born a year and a half ago VERY premature. After heart surgery and several months in the hospital, he came home healthy and has been thriving since. His entire family is very involved with the March of Dimes walk this month, so I have donated to support them.

FYI: Saturday in the Park in Sioux City, Iowa where Wilco will play July 7 is seeking volunteers. Check out the festival's site through the shows list on Wilco's website.

This is a little odd and maybe I'm misinterpretting Jeff's lyrics but I love  the part in 'What's the World Got in Store' where he's iike:  "You've been working hard and I know you're tired/You've been trying hard not to think I'm a liar" and then immediately goes into the "What's the World Got in Store for you now?"  It just strikes me as so cold and good.  He's like hey I've been lying to you, wonder what's going to happen to you now?  In one breath he's saying he's a liar but in the next he shrugs off all culpability and gets coldly curious.

 

I also love how he pulls back from sweet at the last minute:  in You and I, it sounds almost sweet until he gets to the "Oh I don't want to know everything about you part"  but my favorite is in Open Mind where it's so sweet and lovely and then he sings "I would ask almost insist upon treating you kind and fair"  "almost insist" on treating someone kind?  So there's a part of him who might just be an ass to her.

I catch those warm-cold or cold-warm sudden transitions too. My favorite is in Capitol City--the sarcasm of "breath in that country air," followed by the needy sound in his voice for "I wish you were here or I was there with you..."

Side note: I recently realized that this month marks my 10-year anniversary as a Wilco fan as well as the 100-year mark of the sinking of the Titanic. Hmmmm. ;-) 

Just keep on riding that non-stop Wilco train you're on!

Second that! Even though it might be pricey, it does sound like a good benefit for MassMoCA. I'd go if I could, but right now it's not economically or distance-travelistically (is that even supposed to be a word?) feasible. Those of us who can't go can live vicariously through fellow VCers, though.

I'm in the same spot deciding whether to go to the relatively-less-glamorous-than-MassMoCA Sioux City show in July. Of course, this place isn't objective when it comes to deciding whether or not to see a Wilco show! The answer here is always YES! What a wonderful support group. I'll weigh that with my family's schedule and my friends' eyerolling about the whole thing.

Am I hallucinating? The Sioux City show July 7 is free? Really? The Wilco website doesn't list a link to ticket sales, and the city's Saturday in the Park event says it's free. Listed are Wilco, Chris Robinson Brotherhood(?) and Joss Stone.

http://saturdayinthepark.com/

I'd much rather see the band in Des Moines or Iowa City and have it be their own show. I'm not one for festivals like that--too many people, too much music I don't necessarily want to wait through, and getting to Sioux City from where I live entails so many boring, winding county roads to get there--but really, should I be complaining?!

I read this on the Facebook yesterday while I was at work. I cackled so loud I had a couple of people come into my office and ask if I was OK>

Imagine explaining that to coworkers.

Excellent!

Sorry to hear that, Joe! I see what you mean by the emotional connection between a relationship and the music.

I kind of have the opposite reality. My husband is adamantly NOT into Wilco, and neither are any of my friends (except one, my "Wilco friend" just for going to Wilco shows with, which we did often before having kids slowed us down). No one in my family would get it. In fact, i don't even mention to anyone except my husband about the rare occasions I go see the band live. So I've been more or less alone in my Wilco enthusiasm from the start. Thank goodness for this place.

Yes, we did do Ireland! We used Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes and Teacher Man for a reading project, lots of movies open to students and the public, some traditional Celtic music, etc. One of my coworkers organized a spring break trip to Ireland last month. Unfortunately I didn't join the group--I have been to Ireland once about 15 years ago and always meant to go back, but I let my passport expire without renewing it, and then my husband and I had 2 kids who take up much of our money these days. My paternal grandmother grew up in an Irish neighborhood in Chicago, so I feel like I have a little connection to the country.

Very cool that you live there, and in the Philippines briefly as well. I'm finding that culture very interesting. The small local Filipino immigrant community is thrilled that is the upcoming topic and is already giving out ideas. Thanks for that chicken adobo recipe--food is an art!

Interesting about Asian storytelling and movies, too.

Wasn't sure is India was east enough to be considered a part of Southeast Asia or not. But, according to a few maps that I've looked at, it appears to be.

That said, India holds an embarrassment of riches:

• The films of Satyajit Ray, for highbrow cinema: Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and The World of Apu.

• Bollywood films, for populist cinema

• The books of Salman Rushdie: The Satanic Verses or East/West for the adults; Haroun and the Sea of Stories for the little ones.

• The music of Ravi Shankar.

 

Lots more that I cannot think of off the top of my head.

I love the few Bollywood films I've seen! I'll have to look into Satyajit Ray. Salman Rushdie would be perfect for a book club discussion. Some year we need to cover India for this.

Thanks everyone for these great ideas! Our committee decided to go with the Philippines after all, which works well, since it's easier to do this when it's narrowed down to one country.

I think the Philippines is a good place to start. The Philippine archipelago was an US territory until the end of World War II, and it is amazing to think that until the 1970s it was Asia's strongest economy. I recommend the book Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn http://www.amazon.co...n/dp/1559362154> about the lives of the Filipino upper-crust from the 1950s. It was nominated for a National Book Award in 1990.

 

And my two young sons (kindergarten and second grade) enjoyed the beautifully illustrated The Two Brothers, about two Cambodian orphans who grew up in a Buddhist monastery : http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/0688125506

Very timely--I just picked up Dogeaters last week and put it on my reading list to check it out as a possibility. It does sound really good. As for the children's book, I'd like for this project to offer more for kids in the community.

How fun! I wish I lived in your town!

If you knew where I lived, you might not wish that! I'm in a pretty rural area. Some of us do quite well about providing and finding cultural opportunities here, though. Fun is where you find it, right? And the interstate takes me right to Minneapolis or Chicago on occasion.

And the movie "The Scent of Green Papaya" that was a best foreign picture nominee in 1994. Trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1onAxSm4zVE

I have seen this-- an interesting look at family conflict and dynamics, if I recall. Funny about most movies from that region--they have deep themes but aren't so big on plot or suspense to say the least, for better or worse.

Make that TWL in the forum title....can someone change that for me?! I can't figure out how. My sleep patterns have been way off the past few days, the excuse I'm going with for that typo.

I'm guessing it's an April Fool's joke, but sometimes these things go right over my head. Either way, the thought of octagenarian fans and the comment about how "hipsters are going to eat this shit up" are wonderful Wilco humor.

http://wilcoworld.ne...-on-piano-roll/

But as we say in Sweden, what happens in log sauna stays in log saun

It's funny, in thinking about music and the brain, I've wondered about what specifically happens in my brain when I listen to some Wilco songs, and why they feel so different to me than listening to any other music. I get a very physical response (elevated heart rate, for example!), and I'm sure neurological, too, that just isn't there with most other music. How (and why) do our brains react to our favorite music, versus music in general or to music that we don't like? It's very, very interesting! I need to read the Oliver Sachs book about music and the brain.

 

Thanks for posting that link!

Yes, cleary there's a response to audio too, not just a response to pictures, as any avid Wilco fan can probably attest. It will be interesting to see what future research reveals about the whole neuron thing! I'll add that Oliver Sachs book to my (ever-growing) reading list.

I'm surprised there weren't more TWL songs. Maybe tonight? Black Moon or Rising Red Lung would be beautiful solo.

Have fun, everyone who is there tonight!

Mary Castillo, that is a sweet story!

Caught this on NPR's website today about the Jennifer Aniston neuron

http://www.npr.org/b...ton?sc=fb&cc=fp

and recalling all the questions about his eye color, had to wonder--where in the brain is the Jeff Tweedy neuron?

Ok I'm nominating that one for Worst Topic Title 2012. Beat you all to it. So corny!

It's still early in the year, you know.

This one is a bitter pill to swallow when you first realize you don't have control over all that much in your life, but it's so true:

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned...so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come."

Joseph Campbell

Follow your heart but take your head with you.

Not sure who coined this. It was on my Facebook wall recently.

600+ pages! but a great engaging read. I'm about halfway through it.

 

Lars and the Real Girl. This was on my DVR for over a year and I never watched it until tonight.

I thought it was great ...

Count me in for liking this one very much. Such a heartfelt portrait of social anxiety and grief. Humor and mental illness don't sound like they should intertwine in a way that can be taken seriously, but this movie hits that mix perfectly.

Intriguing movie! It really does linger in the mind, as the review quoted at the top of the image says.