Dreaming and Dancing Exploits.

There's a short story pending. Emphasis on short. Poetically short. Pathetically short. Let's call it my debut EP, though I've written many short stories. Eh, call it a ritual. Call it whatever you will.

Pending my writing. Sitting down and writing. Not sleeping on the computer desk. Not working. Well, maybe working- working on writing.

I had dreams roughly this time last year, and they always bring about bad things.

Last night, in my quest to find something on the television while I let the last album finish playing in the background, I found the history of the Ku Klux Klan. So, naturally, I turned it on out of curiosity only to watch them seemingly cleanse themselves by the incendiary fire of burning crosses. Next thing I know, I'm asleep and attending a meeting myself. A couple days afterwards, I'm being told in another state that due to my name being on a sign-in sheet for a KKK meeting that I'm being nailed with charges by association. After returning to the state and appealing with someone, I was allowed to slip by. For cover that night, however, I returned to an empty household where I'd previously crashed in past dreams. Well, this night, I was caught as the owner finally returned home. He wasn't peeved, even though I showed him the books I had 'borrowed' from his shelf. A good soundtrack for this occasion would be Kate Bush's "Get Out of My House" from her 1982 album, The Dreaming. Now, I'm a racist and caught with breaking and entering. My rap sheet keeps growing, and I haven't even wrote a rhyme worthy of transcending time (yet).

I did, however, create a rhyme-schemed motto for my perpetual promise to myself:

Might write tonight.

Oh, but will I? But you see- no matter where my mind coerces me into going, it's purely for writing research only: I've no interest in the KKK. Yet, I'm guilty by association. It's not that I'm an equal life opportunist. I'm not a contributing part of any movement. I'm just here to exploit it.

Speaking of exploiting, and sans the explitives, as you know, I've been listening to Animal Collective even more lately. And, I was thinking...

I recorded myself singing the ABC’s backwards through a vocal loop, with synths, an oscillator, and a xylophone sample too. I wonder if Paw Tracks would put it out. Here's hoping!

Okay, wait, Veckatime(st)-out. If I want to be a part of the artsy experimental scene through means of the beautiful ABC's, then I can. No judging! What I do with my daily routine is purely up to me. In fact, today, I chose to write this web-log. Seriously, this is the best I could come up with this month? February has been lackluster for the Planet Pluto.

Humph. At least I have my own 'dot net' now. Nowadays, it seems that everybody has a dot com. It's time to embrace the dot net.

Finally, in anticipation for better things come March, come spring, you should watch this guy boogie his way through one hundred songs in one hundred shirts, etc etc.

Robo-boogie!

And, this:

Blogging is a pain in the Moby-Dick.

Right now, I'm listening to Bruce Willis' The Return of Bruno on vinyl.

There. Now you know what I've been up to.



I also have a (short) short story hatching. I've genetically engineered it to be the best creative monster since Jurassic Park. Little known fact: the day I bought my Sega Genesis was the same day I saw Jurassic Park in the theater.

Otherwise, it's been on my agenda for about a month to write briefly (perhaps comically) about a couple concerts, and provide a trite list of the major concert events I attended last year. Riveting, yeah?

Now, for being patient little puppies, let me toss a bone your way in the form of compilations:

Dark Was the Night Compilation (feat. new tracks from The National, Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, Yo La Tengo, Yeasayer, etc.):
Disc One &,
Disc Two.

This excellent compilation benefits the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. Produced by both Aaron and Bryce Dessner from The National (with the charity's founder, John Carlin, its executive producer), Dark Was The Night is one of the most terrific compilations I've ever heard, and you should definitely consider a purchase for a good cause. Or, you know, just 'cause it's good.

Then, here's a couple more packaged together. First, I've included half of the War Child: Heroes compilation. According to the cause, "One child dies every three minutes because of armed conflict. War Child believes children should never be affected by war. Full stop. Our campaigning seeks to address this gross injustice. Sanction action with us now."

You can easily follow the previous link to purchase the full album, or if you're like me and only want about half of the music included (opting to scoff over Duffy, The Kooks, Leonard Cohen's son, etc.), then you can always donate to Warchild. The good stuff includes Beck covering Bob Dylan, The Hold Steady covering Bruce Springsteen, Hot Chip covering Joy Division, etc. Although it's included, I'd argue TV on the Radio continues their losing streak with their cover of David Bowie's "Heroes". I just don't feel it anymore, guys. Donate, then be bigger heroes, and return to Return to Cookie Mountain's aesthetic. Not many agree with me since Dear Science, topped many year-end lists, but I named them my favorite new find of 2006, so, uh, my opinion is worth more indie cred, am I right? Good.

Secondly, there's this Starbucks compilation for Sweethearts. Only five of the compilation tracks are included, and needless to say, none of them are Katy Perry. Instead, you'll only find Ben Bridwell (renamed as Band of Horses for iTunes purposes of saving artist space), Department of Eagles, A.C. Newman (of The New Pornographers), She & Him and even Death Cab for Cutie. Yeah, sure, the world needs more sub-par covers of The Cure. If you want Katy Perry and the rest of the tracklisting, then you'll have to get it from Starbucks. On the other hand, if these are enough, then support them and buy a coffee or something. Just not decaf in the afternoon, because they'll have to make it fresh, and that's a pain in the Moby-Dick. Well, you know, because the company was named after Captain Ahab's first mate in the novel.

So, anyway, find samples of both compilations here:
War Child: Heroes & Sweetheart: Our Favourite Artists Sing Their Favourite Love Songs.

Last year, I detailed some of my favorite albums to theme Valentine's Day. This year, I went as far to listen to some albums with love themes in the album title, such as PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love, Built to Spill's There's Nothing Wrong With Love, Spoon's Girls Can Tell (um, that you like them?), Kate Bush's Hounds of Love and Yo La Tengo's I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Not to mention previous year favorites such as My Bloody Valentine's Loveless and everyone's favorite band name/best middle school break-up line: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness.

Next year, perhaps I'll listen to Tom Waits' Blue Valentine (though I used it to theme Christmas), The Magnetic Fields' 69 Love Songs (again), Love's Forever Changes, Jeff Buckley's Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, and whatever else I can come up with. We'll see. I have another year to think about it.

Until then, I must be off. I mean, I love you, but I've chosen The Office (reruns).