On to what's happening in this reality!
John McCain won the Republican nomination by default. Mitt Romney decided a chance at VP was better than nothing. Huckabee proved to more retarded than I thought possible. And Guiliani couldn't clean enough slime off of himself for even a town hall dinner delegate to believe his merciless grin. McCain now has a decent chance of winning the Presidency if Hilary Clinton manages to grab the Democratic Nomination.
Since I've been busy working for Dark Horse and working on Banana Stand Media I haven't found time to update this blog. If you really crave more of my voice then go to either of those sites where I update things on a regular basis. The Banana Stand is expanding at an amazing rate, and hopefully soon I'll have enough time to start a weekly podcast there. Check out Live from The Banana Stand on iTunes where we'll be releasing a new song each week from local Portland bands. We just recorded the extremely talented Hungry Mob and the extremely funny Alex Arrowsmith.
Since that blog Stuff White People Like has gotten so popular, and I think that lucky bastard is getting a movie deal, like a true hack, I'm going to post a few of my favorite things. While reading these things please listen to your Julie Andrews album of choice.
1) Barack Obama and Bill Richardson - A More Perfect Union
Richardson recently came to Oregon and gave his endorsement for Obama. I couldn't make the event because of work, but the very notion that these two might team up for a run against McCain makes my liberal-mangina wet. The endorsement was a slap to the Clinton campaign since Richardson served as Energy Secretary and U.N. Ambassidor under Bill Clinton. You can check out this little clip of Obama in Portland and get a little tingly about progressive change.2) Fugazi - In on the Kill Taker
No, it's not one of Fugazi's most popular releases, or even one of the best, but I love the damn record. In on the Kill Taker is so fucking angry, it sounds like Sonic Youth burning crystal meth and smashing empty bottles. If you're looking for something counter to the bland indie-rock populating the air lately, then this album will give you enough energy and razor blades to battle the boring shit on Pitchfork. Unfortunately, I just lost a great used copy, but means I get to take a trip up the street to one of my favorite stores Green Noise Records.3) The Flaming Lips - Oh My Gawd!!! . . . The Flaming Lips
Again, not considered the groups best, but I have a copy of the exclusive clear-vinyl release and it's simply fun music. If you don't own a table, then your bitch-ass is out of luck unless you can dig up a used copy of the CD somewhere, like here. The whole album is a collage of Zepplin and Flyod rips with some Police impersonation riffs, all underneath a young, raspy Wayne who was still preaching of lost humanity, isolation and dreaming of the great beyond even in 1987. The Lips have always been a personal favorite of mine for their character as much as their music. Determined, always trying new things, and the understanding that music can be as much about the experience of the listener as the sound itself. If you want to be creatively inspired, check out their documentary titled Fearless Freaks. 4) TV On The Radio - Live Session (iTunes Exclusive)
I guess I haven't been listening to very much new music lately, which may be a sign I'm on the edge of becoming out of touch with the youth. It took me a while to really appreciate TV On The Radio, but after seeing them at the Metro in Chicago they instantly became one of my favorite bands. You can buy the iTunes live session here. I couldn't find a decent clip of the Metro show, but later that year the group played Lollapalooza, check out their hit 'Wolf Like Me' below.
