Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes ‘round
They sing “I’m in love. What’s that song?”
“I’m in love with that song.”
– Alex Chilton by The Replacements
...
by Patrick Rhone
Children by the million sing for Alex Chilton when he comes ‘round
They sing “I’m in love. What’s that song?”
“I’m in love with that song.”
– Alex Chilton by The Replacements
Happy St. Patricks Day! Time to travel back to 1984 and take a look inside the workings of the Brian Eno produced classic The Unforgettable Fire.
“I believe the songs are already written. And I think, the less you get in the way of them, the better” – Bono
David Byrne’s Journal: 03.15.10: Collaborations
Why collaborate at all? One could conceivably make more money not sharing the profits — if there are any — so why collaborate if one doesn’t have to? If one can write alone, why reach out? (Some of the most financially successful songs I’ve ever written were not collaborations, for example.) And besides, isn’t it risky? Suppose you don’t get along? Suppose the other person decides to take the thing in some ugly direction?
Well, as I said earlier, one big reason is to restrict one’s own freedom in the writing process. There’s a joy and relief in being limited, restrained. For starters, to let someone else make half the decisions, or some big part of them, absolves one of the need to explore endless musical possibilities. The result is fewer agonizing decisions in the writing process, and sometimes, faster results.
I’ve read through this whole post now several times and each time a new little nugget of truth is revealed. David Byrne remains one of my all time heroes.
This Machine Kills Fascists Too. (thx Steve Kinney)
This Machine Kills Fascists (thx Cool Hunting)
The War Effort.
Life packed end to end.
Beginning to feel spread thin.
Wish life was pretend.
The Typewriter and the Shotgun – Shawn Blanc
This is one of the cleverest pieces I have read in a while. Even more so for what it does not say (“the pen is is mightier than the sword”) than what it does. It is like the perfect school piece on how to write – Tell a story in a few words as possible, avoid cliché, respect your audience and their time, etc. I have tucked this away for future reference because this is how all writing should be.
Many of my long time readers and those that follow me on Twitter and elsewhere, know how long and deep my love affair with Levenger runs. I have been a customer for over 20 years now. Words are not enough to describe the quality of their products, the attention to detail, or the outstanding customer service. Properly maintained, Levenger products are made to last a lifetime and then be passed along to your descendants for theirs.
I recently purchased a Levenger 5-Year Journal and it is true to every word stated until now. For those not familiar with how a 5-Year Journal works, there are Pages for 366 days, including February 29, with 1 page per day, with 5 line entries – one for each year. It allows just enough to highlight the bullet points of a busy day but forces brevity. It is like Twitter for a private and bygone era. There is no pressure to catalog every detail of life or how you are feeling. Want to simply write a single thought or idea? Well, that is OK too. The beauty is that, those who have felt the pressure of maintaining a journal in the past (like myself) will likely feel far less so with such a low barrier to entry. Take just a few seconds at the end of the day and write what strikes you.
The quality is extraordinary. The paper is bright, thick and takes fountain ink well with no feathering. The binding is clearly meant to last as a living document of record to be passed down for generations. The cloth and leather make it a stately addition to any desk or shelf. If I have one concern it is this – will I have enough for all of my years. I am seriously considering buying 10 more right now, for fear that I may not be able to 50 years from now.
Akihabara Majokko Princess – Kirsten Dunst (via sailorsean)
I’m not even sure where to begin with the awesomeness that is this…
Fact: I am still surprised by the number of folks who don’t know that “Turning Japanese” is a metaphor for the jerking off (which is what this song is about).
The video is NSFW by the way and neither is this post really.