Where I Finally Post about Sainthood...

I finally figured out why I liked Tegan and Sara's new album so quickly. Because, for the first time since Sleater-Kinney broke up in 2006, I'm finally hearing music that *sounds* like Sleater-Kinney.

It's obvious the effect that Sleater-Kinney's music has had on my life. After all, it's where the title and the url for this blog comes from, among other things. Their music came into my life in a period when I was floundering, and listening to Corin Tucker scream helped me put my life back into order. When they went on permanent hiatus, there was a void for their kind of music that I'd not found a replacement for...until this Tegan and Sara album.

Granted, they are not the same, by any means. Corin and Carrie were not twins, and Tegan and Sara are. The music isn't as heavy on the guitar god shenanigans that S-K got into with The Woods, but it's not as acoustic as T&S were previously. Somehow, the music finds the melodic middle ground that S-K occupied so well.

Example: "Ocean"


This song is what led me to make the comparison between T&S and S-K. They use the dual vocal technique in this song that S-K was so famous for. Because they are more willing to have songs where there are separate themes coming together in the same song, they are maturing in their songwriting and falling into the groove that made me like S-K so much.

Sleater-Kinney example: "Burn, Don't Freeze"


Sleater-Kinney comparisons aside, I like this album on its own merit, despite the fact that it does make me think of Sleater-Kinney. It's just good to hear from the girls who are busy doing their own thing, making their own lives free of drama, and being awesome. For instance, in the song "Someday" they capture the yearning and struggle that pretty much encapsulates the late 20's, and is probably the best song on the album.

In short, two years ago when I could have seen them for free at Amoeba Music, do I wish I had? Yes.

well we had a good streak going there

But then Christmas happened. Actually, it's 9 days till Christmas and I've done none of my cards or my shopping and... uhm. yeah. I doubt any serious blogging will happen until after Christmas insanity.

I have a few posts planned out though. I doubt my late and somewhat trite musical observations will set the world on fire, but I am rusty at writing and the few projects I have percolating in the back of my head need me to be the best writer I can be.

So, beloved writing exercise and waste of time, I will be back in a few weeks. Maybe.

so I was going to post a real entry but...

The cold has frozen my brain.

The most AH-MAZING thing ever... I may get out of this winter yet...

I could really care less that this was in a car commercial...

Anything that makes me dance around my kitchen is good for me.

2009 Rediscovery: Wilco

Before this year, I had been introduced to Wilco from several different sources. The first song that I'd listened to was "Hummingbird" from "A Ghost is Born," thanks to one of Jay's year compilation CD's. Last year, when I was still working at Virginia Tech, my work husband and partner in crime, Matt, brought in "Sky Blue Sky." I liked it.

Another friend, Ron, someone who I traded iPods with at work on a fairly regular basis, had "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" on his shuffle. I bought the CD within a few days of listening to it, and I kept it in my car for a few months. After Jay Bennett died, Jay and I were talking about Wilco's earlier sound, which I obviously didn't know that much about since I sort of went about their discography backwards. He sent me "Summerteeth," and I listened to that for a good section of the summer.

Wilco is not the kind of band that I can like every single song. I've never been a big fan of noise just for the sake of noise, and that's what most of "A Ghost is Born" is, with a few notable exceptions like "The Late Greats," "Hummingbird," or "Theologians." I like every single song on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," even if lyrically Jeff is all over the map. Given a chance to reorder the songs on the four albums I've listened to with the most detail, they can either be classified as "Bubblegum Happy (even if only ironically)" OR "Pass Me the Bottle and the Straight Razor, We've Got Some Work to Do." "Kill me, Please Kill Me" could also work, as well. They can sound a bit too jam band-y at times, or a bit too much like John Lennon's leftovers,...

However, when things were at their worst this summer, I could listen to "nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(Again)" and it would make me smile. I love the sexy growl in his voice in "I'm a Wheel." I still haven't listened to the album they put out this year, but I probably will.

So, call me a fan.

"Badger?" "Demolitions expert." "What?! Since when?"

A few months ago, when the first trailer for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" came out, I thought it looked promising from the start. I have to admit I'll watch any stop motion animation, as a brief survey of my DVD shelf will attest. ("Wallace and Gromit" is just too good.) When I found out that Wes Anderson was going to be the director, I got a little leery of it, simply because my feelings for his movies are mixed, at best. "Rushmore" was okaaaay, I *hated* "The Royal Tenenbaums" the first time, I fell asleep on "...Life Aquatic." To the great frustration of my friend Alice, "Darjeeling Limited" didn't work for me either. His movies are always really twee and sort of precious, and while I can dig twee and precious (I *do* like Belle and Sebastian, after all), his movies always seemed really artificial and strained before, and I just couldn't make myself care about any of the characters.

Well, it turns out that this trademark style translates really well to animation and Roald Dahl. I enjoyed every bit of "Fantastic Mr. Fox." I'm not sure if it is a movie that will translate very well to children, but children can pick up on higher concepts faster than most adults realize.

So go see "Fantastic Mr. Fox." You'll leave the theater smiling. And possibly dancing.