Last.fm

Ever wonder what I've been listening to?



I've been an avid Last.fm user for a while, ever since my friend Matthew introduced me to it.

Basically, it uses a plugin in your music player (iTunes) to keep track of what you listen to and how much. It then not only reccomends you new music based on what you apparently like, but pairs you up with "neighbors"; people with similar taste in music, giving you more to explore musically. It also lets you keep track of what your friends are listening to.

As you can see, I've been listening to a lot of Ted Leo (between the Pharmacists and Chisel - his band from the '90s), and I recenly got into the Hold Steady. Also, Mistah FAB has a wonderful place on my Last.fm playlist.

Anybody else on Last.fm can feel free to add me as a friend.

EDIT: Apparently that table updates itself every week with my most recently listened music. Sweet!

Sons of Cain

I love Ted Leo. I've seen him twice, and met him both times. A supremely nice guy (he and Mike Doughty are the nicest rockers I've ever met),

He and the Pharmacists have a new album due in March called Living With the Living. That's still way too far off for my liking. In the meantime, the new song Sons of Cain (mp3) (LINK REMOVED) can be found all over the blogosphere. Its SO GOOD that I don't know if its a good way to tide me over, or more torturous to have to wait that long, knowing how good it will be. In any event, I love it, check it out.

Thomas H. Cruise...

Tom Cruise is Jesus?

I guess if you're descended from aliens, you've found your savior. And with a fashion sense like that, what more can you ask for?

The Mechanical Man

If you've not read Beware of the Blog, I highly reccomend that you do so. They have a 365 Days Project that's pretty sweet. Basically, an mp3 a day for a year. And that's where I discovered The Mechanical Man. (LINK REMOVED)

I really can't quite get over this song.

Check out the lyrics:


I'm the mechanical man.
I was build in a factory.
My serial number is 084567123.

I'm designed in the USA,
And manufactured in Japan.
Does anybody here know a robot girl who wants to meet a mechanical man?

I was made out of stainless steel;
Protect my frame from rust.
There's a vacuum cleaner built into my chest that automatically picks up dust.

I am 5 foot 8 inch tall,
And as strong as a moving van.
Does anybody here know a robot girl who wants to meet a mechanical man?

I can fix an automobile.
I can put up a Christmas tree.
I can milk a cow, I can mow a lawn, I can pour you a cup of tea.

But I'm looking for someone,
Who could help me to charge my coil,
And fill me up with batteries and feed me my daily oil.

I would not care at all,
If she looked like a garbage can.
Does anybody here know a robot girl who wants to meet a mechanical man?

Via Beware of the Blog.

Paula Abdul

Is she drunk? Dave thinks she might be receiving cunnilingus below the level of the camera. I figure that might explain the gyrations and lack of focus, but it doesn't account for the slurred speach. Unless I've been doing something wrong all this time.

Via Stereogum.

Snorting Fire

This is not, as they claim "awesome". Yet I can't look away...

Source.

GHOST RIDE IT

I read this article on Pitchfork today. I was actually kind of surprised - not only that a "Crunk Hits" album existed, but that THEY'RE UP TO VOLUME THREE.

So I was talking about it at work, and one of the guys hadn't heard of Hyphy. I don't really know that much about it, but I told him what I could, and we turned to Wikipedia. The discussion turned to Ghost Riding, which he insists isn't a new phenomenon. Apparently when he was growing up, they used to do a lot of these same car tricks that you see in Hyphy, only they used to do it to be assholes. He's from west Michigan, so what can you do?

Anyhow, the Wikipedia article on Ghost Riding links to this YouTube video:

Holy crap is that amazing or what? Video download (LINK REMOVED), in case you just GOTTA have it for your very own.

Also - there's a whole nother verse - listen on Mistah FAB's MySpace, and again, if you must: mp3 download.

ALSO: Bonus points for sampling the Ghostbusters theme.

Trains!

I meant to put these up earlier, but forgot to until I found them on my phone today.

I love trains, and the ride to Chicago on Amtrak is great. I rode Amtrak into Wisconsin to visit my folks over the holiday break, and I snapped these of a freight train passing while waiting on the platform in East Lansing, Michigan.





Union Station is wonderful, but for me there's still something about an outdoor platform at 8 AM.