Sunday, October 19, 2008

it's late, something something, title, something.

It appears the link to "Alone Again Or" that I had in the last post no longer goes to a valid location. Sorry about that. Just go to youtube and search for it, it's there. Listen, and love. Love. ha

Umm, yeah. Not much to report around these parts. The weather is getting to be prime Flenker weather, though today it did get into the 70's, I think, but I can deal. Cooler temps are in the future, and I am ready. I even got a new coat. Yes, I just got one last year, but this is a fine looking coat, and really, it's nice to have some sort of rotation. I can't seem to find a picture of it anywhere, but I'm sure one will get taken soon, and I will post it for all to see.

Ooh, I did invent an emoticon. You see, Wednesday night was a night full of BBQ, gambling, goddamn shames, a broken car, and cigars smoked on someone's porch. It all started at my friend's birthday celebration, at Arthur Bryant's BBQ, at a location that happened to be in a casino. What luck! My friend was feeling the Jack Itch, the only cure being a healthy dose of 21. I had been dealing with a case of it myself, so I was more than happy to go along. And damn, did I get my ass handed to me pretty hard. I've never lost with a 19 so many times in one night. I was glad I was able to pass my luck onto my buddies after I left the table. Just to make sure no one went home happy with themselves.

Anyways, after the casino, another friend was attempting to parallel park the birthday boy's car. She was not succeeding, mostly because she was having trouble moving the car around. I got out to check what was going on, thinking maybe there was a flat tire. But no. The tires were kind of pointing at each other. And that's where the new emoticon comes in, as a representation of the wheels :/ \. They looked exactly like that. Not really condusive to making a vehicle move. (Since initial conception, the icon has changed to this: /-:(-\. I think it tells the whole story.)

So yeah. We then went and smoked birthday cigar. Not victory cigars by any stretch of the imagination. More like cigars of defeat. But either way, they were delicious.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

I will be alone again tonight my dear

I don't know how I've made it this long on here without giving this song, possibly the greatest song ever, the proper respect it deserves. Of course I'm referring to Love's "Alone Again Or," first track from the album Forever Changes (one of the best albums, ever).

Take a listen



Downright amazing, isn't it?? You may recognize the song from Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket, or from the Calexico cover a few year back, or just from it being a goddamn great song.

The flamenco-esque style works so well, with in the trumpet highlights and then the most excellent solo in the middle, accompanied by strings. The vocals are borderline desperate, which creates some tension with the upbeat instrumental arrangement, resulting in awesome. Words fail me. Just listen to the song again, and appreciate all that Love has done for us.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

what will the future hold???

I think I'll be embarking on a new adventure in the blog world soon, as well as reacquainting myself with an old one. Probably something I should have done this past weekend like I had said I would (sorry H), but I'll try to get something done tomorrow.

I'm excited about this new project, something that started out as a joke, but it inspired me so much that my co-conspirator and I think that we should probably do something about it. More details to come.

Until then, watch this most excellent clip from La Blogotheque (my current favorite time-waster at work) of the Shins, including a little noodling around with quite possibly one of the best songs ever at the beginning. And a couple of excellent songs of their own.



And, for good measure, one of my favorite videos up there right now, from Efterklang.


Sunday, October 05, 2008

Stars concert and stuff

Things have been going well around the life of Flenker lately. I guess I should say as well as they can go when the Hawkeyes aren't playing very well, my ceiling occasionally leaks water, and the nation headed towards an election that somehow is still so close that it makes me really nervous.

(Obligatory note: If you are the legal age to do so, please please please make sure you are registered to vote. If you're a college student away from home, make sure you change your registration site or vote absentee. If you've moved recently, update your information and find your polling place. The election is less than a month away now, so time is running thin. And please, make an educated decision, read up on the candidate's stances, and VOTE!! There will be more to come. . .)

So in spite of all of that crap, I've been doing pretty well. I've only spent one night at home in the past 2 weeks, just hanging out a friend or two, getting dinner, watching TV, going to see Michelle Obama speak, and went to see Stars!

My friend Dominique and I went to the show, hitching a ride to Lawrence with a couple of friend who were heading there to see the Dandy Warhols. The venue's website just listed a time of 7 for the concert, so I assumed that was when doors opened (especially since it was a Friday night in a college town), and thusly decided to join up with friends for dinner. We ended up getting to the Granada around 8:15, just in time to see the beginning of the second song by Stars, having totally missed BellX1. Kind of a bummer. I think this was probably the most prompt show I've ever been to. The show was excellent, though, almost all of my favorite songs were played (the only one I was hoping to hear but didn't was "The Night Starts Here," and that could have before we got there).

The place wasn't packed, but there were a lot of people there, mostly couples. Definitely glad that I went with someone, otherwise I would have been the one lonely dude there. I take that back, there was another guy there by himself. We could have been lonely together. Thankfully, I had company.

The band put on a good show, throwing roses out into the crowd between most songs (of course they would, have you heard them? They definitely fit the "melodramatic popular songs" genre listed on their myspace.) Lead singer Torquil Campbell introduced a song (one I didn't know, so I can't recall the name) as being about "fucking yourself and your lover to death." Pretty intense. Later Amy Millan cutely prefaced "My Favourite Book" as being "just a love song." There was a little talk about the presidential debate that was taking place at the same time, with Campbell saying "Obama is giving his plans for change, and McCain is scaring everyone." Good stuff.

A good time, though, with great music, in a pretty good venue. I hadn't been to the Granada for over 8 years, when I drove down from Ames to see Weezer.

Ok, I just a quick search and found the setlist for this show. And wouldn't you know it, "The Night Starts Here" was in fact the first song they played. Dammit. Here's the list:


Taken from the flickr page from the concert, found here.

So yeah, it was fun. We were out a little after 10, but our friends' concert didn't finish until nearly midnight. So Dom and I had a lot of time wandering around Mass in Lawrence. For it being Friday night before a football game, the town was freaking dead. I guess these Kansas kids don't know how to do it up like Iowans. But we still had a good time people watching.



ugh, I've spent too long on this post, and am still not completely happy with it, but oh well. I don't know what I don't like, but whatever. It'll have to do. I'll put a better effort into the next one.