Elizaveta - Meant, betrayal, revenge

Check out this video by rising musical star, Elizaveta



My oh my that scarf looks familiar.

Ports of Morrow

I've been listening to the new Shins album. I got it in Portland. I'm such a good hipster. Nix that. Anyway, it's good. These two songs are the ones that are standing out so far.

Simple Song

This was the single. I've been playing it quite a bit, even though it starts out with "This is just a simple song" and I hate self-aware songs for some reason. It's a pet peeve. Yes, we know you are singing a song, don't talk about singing a song within a song. It's like being in a beautiful dream and having a screeching alarm clock go off. Mercer redeems himself. He knows what to do. When he throws in the signature Shins riff, my heart melts. "I know that things can really get rough, when you go it alone."

The video is worth watching too. Even though there is something way too familiar about a band playing with a house being destroyed all around them, I'll give him credit for having an interesting story. I love artistic videos as much as the next person, but I feel like that has become a cop-out for low budget videos. "Cut the fat boys, let's just make it look cool." Everything is better with a story, even if it's a really weird artsy nonsensical story - a la Mulholland Drive. So cheers Shins.

 

September

This is one of those brilliant slow tunes. Again with the catchy riffs. "I've been selfish and full of pride, and she knows deep down there's a little child."

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Loss and music

Music heals the soul when we are lost in grief. Losing a loved one is a natural part of life, but it seems paralyzing and puts your mind and soul into a neither-world, somewhere between the here and now and the unknown. There is that strange ethereal feeling of spacelessness. Where are you departed one? Where are we?

Music is like that too. Spanning the here and now into the unknown... and completely without space.

This past month we lost our dear friend. One of his favorite singers was Misora Hibari.

Her song Kawa No Nagare No You Ni and its lyrics always make me cry. They seem to bring it all into focus. Here's a sampling of the lyrics.

Shirazu shirazu aruite kita / Hosoku nagai kono miti / Furi kaereba haruka tooku / Furusato ga mieru / Dekoboko miti ya magari kunetta miti / Tizu sae nai sore mo mata dinsei

The path is narrow and long and / We walk along it without much thought but / If we turn our heads, far in the distance / We can see our places of origin. / Bumpy and winding; these uncharted roads, / But then again- that is life isn't it?

Ikiru koto wa tabi suru koto / Owari no nai kono miti / Ai suru hito soba ni tsurete / Yume sagashi nagara / Ame ni furarete nukarunda miti demo / Itsuka wa mata hareru hi ga kuru kara

To live is to journey / On this path without an end / and people we love draw near us / As we search for our dreams / Even though the rains may fall, muddying the way / Someday, again, another clear day will surely come

Aa kawa no nagare no you ni / Odayaka ni / Kono mi o makasete itai / Aa kawa no nagare no you ni / Itsumademo / Aoi seseragui o kikinagara

Ah, like the flow of the river, / Calmly / We release ourselves / Ah, like the flow of the river, / Forever / As we listen to the flow of the blue*

I also really like this song, especially I think it is the shamisen.

*  I don't speak Japanese, so obviously these lyrics and translation are borrowed. I love them; but if you know more about it and have some corrections / accuracies - I am happy to hear

I'm very saddened by the lost of our Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch. He was not only a rapper of lore, he was also a really great human being. I respected what he evolved into as an adult and the message he put forth in his music. You will be much missed Adam!