It's been a while since I wrote about...anything on here I guess. I'm not quite giving it up, but I'm also exploring new avenues to shove my opinion down people's throats. My friend Sara asked if I could contribute some stuff to her new blog, and my first post went up yesterday. Please check it out! I take a gander at new releases by Mason Jennings, St. Vincent, Blitzen Trapper, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Laura Marling, and Me First & the Gimme Gimmes!
Since that was already a long-ass post, here are some videos from a few of the albums...
I've never really paid attention to the "Juan's Basement" feature on Pitchfork. Juan apparently invites bands to jam in his basement and then he has an informal interview with them. His latest victims are Blitzen Trapper, a band I'm coming to appreciate more and more.
Having watched this edition of Juan's Basement, I can honestly say that if I saw these guys walking down the sidewalk, it would take some mental effort not to walk to the other side of the road to avoid them. But they're pretty amusing, and their music is highly entertaining. Check it out if you have 15-20 minutes or so to spare. Or, just check out my favorite song from this short set below.
As I've been compiling my favorite album list for 2008, I've also been thinking about my favorite songs of the year. Blitzen Trapper's "Furr", the title track off their most recent album, is not only my new favorite song about a man living in a wolf pack, it's easily one of my favorite songs of 2008.
Pitchfork, which just happened to post the video for the song the other day, calls the album a "slow-burner", and though I've only had the album a few weeks, I'd say that's a good call. Listening to it, I hear some Wilco, I hear some CCR, and on some songs like "Furr", I only hear Blitzen Trapper. Though the album will certainly earn at least an honorable mention from me, I have a feeling that if I'd had it a little longer before compiling my list, it would have moved up the ranks. Of the pile of new albums I got before the holidays, it's one of the CDs I play relatively frequently.
Before watching this video--which is a perfectly good video, but nothing to write home about--try just listening to the song first. I'm not even sure why I like it so much, but I do. Have you ever seen those tacky wolf T-shirts, with, like, a giant wolf head howling at the moon or something? Imagine this song as one of those shirts, but it's the most comfortable shirt you have ever worn, so comfortable that you don't care that it's kind of tacky. Maybe the shirt reminds you of a good friend who lives far away, or a cool dream you once had, or your first kiss in the woods at summer camp. I don't know why you like your damn wolf shirt, you just do. Now listen to this song about wolves.
I seem to be having tremendous difficulty with my lifestyle. --Arthur Dent
First time at R.B.'s L-C?
First, you should probably know that this blog has nothing to do with Ray Bradbury. Sorry if that's what led you here. Also, there's not all that much about camels. Actually, you're far more likely to someday find something on here about Ray Bradbury than camels, but I digress. For an indirect explanation of our name and a mission statement (of sorts), please check out our first post.
