i find it great that in a city as big as chicago, you can walk down one of the major streets in the city on a sunday night and go blocks upon blocks without passing another person. this occurred this evening as i walked down belmont on two separate occasions. as dumb or cliche as it sounds walking in the rain, alone down a city street with your ipod is one of the greatest things ever.
tonight was the final chicago show for modern life is war. it will be sad to see them go as i really think over the past five years for the most part they did things the right way despite the way the industry currently works. in the end that might have been what cost them more longevity. who knows. it might have just been their time. six years is a long time for a band to be together when you think about it. they are one of those bands though that has kept my interest in hardcore going at an age when most people have givin up long ago.
update on the mail. some of the movies showed up, the day after i had reported them missing. they showed up a week late along with their replacements which only took a day to arrive. there are still three dvds missing. i suppose i should report them missing so they can show up the next day. still no phone call about my missing packages. im willing to bet they got the return to sender treatment.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
i will keep you warm in hell
i am convinced that the US postal service is plotting against me. i have netflix movies that should have been here days ago. two of them were supposed to be here last teusday and another three were supposed to be here last thursday. i'm aware sometimes it takes longer than the time netflix says it will, but never has it taken a week even when they are sent from other cities, and not all 5 movies at once.
on top of that, i did get two of my packages on saturday, but got one of those little notices saying i had two packages to pick up at the post office. first off i'm not quite sure why they left 2 of my packages, but didn't leave these other two. so i wake early this morning to walk to the post office to retrieve my packages. after giving the lady my slip and standing there for about 15 minutes, she returns to tell me that she cant find my packages, she takes my phone number and says she will call when she finds them. she didn't really give a time frame on when they might find my packages, but i was kinda hoping to get a call sometime during the day today. obviously not. perhaps they have columbo working on it. im pretty sure i wont be receiving a phone call.
they better not fuck up the delivery of my cubs tickets, which should be coming at some point. its just odd that the only mail i've received over a one week period was two packages. no junk mail, no bills. i usually get mail of some sort fairly frequently. im going to give the netflix a few more days before i report them missing, so i can get back to watching movies. we shall see what happens...
on top of that, i did get two of my packages on saturday, but got one of those little notices saying i had two packages to pick up at the post office. first off i'm not quite sure why they left 2 of my packages, but didn't leave these other two. so i wake early this morning to walk to the post office to retrieve my packages. after giving the lady my slip and standing there for about 15 minutes, she returns to tell me that she cant find my packages, she takes my phone number and says she will call when she finds them. she didn't really give a time frame on when they might find my packages, but i was kinda hoping to get a call sometime during the day today. obviously not. perhaps they have columbo working on it. im pretty sure i wont be receiving a phone call.
they better not fuck up the delivery of my cubs tickets, which should be coming at some point. its just odd that the only mail i've received over a one week period was two packages. no junk mail, no bills. i usually get mail of some sort fairly frequently. im going to give the netflix a few more days before i report them missing, so i can get back to watching movies. we shall see what happens...
Sunday, March 16, 2008
i'm really quite shy
when you spend the majority of the day drinking, only to come home and pass out for a few hours, and wake up at midnight, the clear thing to do is watch a baseball game being played in china and then sit around at 4am watching morrissey clips on youtube.
one of my favorite morrissey songs...
one of my favorite morrissey songs...
Monday, March 10, 2008
pity for none
so apparently i've already slacked on doing a weekly band of the week post, which i figured i would slack on at some point. i just didn't think it would come this quick into the plot. i'm sure they could pop up again along the way, but i cant promise anything.
starting tomorrow night around 10pm i will be on "vacation" for a week. the word is in quotes because i'm not actually going anyplace or doing anything remotely outside of my usual routine. i am however racking up timeoff paid hours at work and need to start using them. i'm not the fan of vacations or taking time off or any of that stuff i suppose. i figured this week was as good as any though with a bunch of shows coming through and st. patricks day in a week. i can knock though a few bottles of jameson and get in some netflix action. perhaps even get around to going to see the sharks at the Shedd which has been on my to do list forever.
starting tomorrow night around 10pm i will be on "vacation" for a week. the word is in quotes because i'm not actually going anyplace or doing anything remotely outside of my usual routine. i am however racking up timeoff paid hours at work and need to start using them. i'm not the fan of vacations or taking time off or any of that stuff i suppose. i figured this week was as good as any though with a bunch of shows coming through and st. patricks day in a week. i can knock though a few bottles of jameson and get in some netflix action. perhaps even get around to going to see the sharks at the Shedd which has been on my to do list forever.
Friday, March 7, 2008
'twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
its getting to be that time of year again.
i even took a whole week off work to celebrate.
As down the glen one Easter morn
To a city fair rode I,
Their armed lines of marching men
In squadrons passed me by.
No pipe did hum, no battle drum
Did sound its loud tattoo
But the Angelus' bells o'er the Liffey swells
Rang out in the foggy dew.
Right proudly high in Dublin town
Hung they out a flag of war.
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
Than at Suvla or Sud el Bar.
And from the plains of Royal Meath
Strong men came hurrying through;
While Brittania's Huns with their long-range guns
Sailed in through the foggy dew.
The bravest fell, and the requiem bell
Rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Easter-tide
In the springing of the year.
While the world did gaze with deep amaze
At those fearless men but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light
Might shine through the foggy dew.
And back through the glen I rode again
And my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men
Whom I never shall see more
But to and fro
In my dreams I go
And I kneel and pray for you
For slavery fled
Oh, glorious dead
When you fell in the foggy dew
i even took a whole week off work to celebrate.
As down the glen one Easter morn
To a city fair rode I,
Their armed lines of marching men
In squadrons passed me by.
No pipe did hum, no battle drum
Did sound its loud tattoo
But the Angelus' bells o'er the Liffey swells
Rang out in the foggy dew.
Right proudly high in Dublin town
Hung they out a flag of war.
'Twas better to die 'neath an Irish sky
Than at Suvla or Sud el Bar.
And from the plains of Royal Meath
Strong men came hurrying through;
While Brittania's Huns with their long-range guns
Sailed in through the foggy dew.
The bravest fell, and the requiem bell
Rang mournfully and clear
For those who died that Easter-tide
In the springing of the year.
While the world did gaze with deep amaze
At those fearless men but few
Who bore the fight that freedom's light
Might shine through the foggy dew.
And back through the glen I rode again
And my heart with grief was sore
For I parted then with valiant men
Whom I never shall see more
But to and fro
In my dreams I go
And I kneel and pray for you
For slavery fled
Oh, glorious dead
When you fell in the foggy dew
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
tastes like good cough syrup
a craptastic day came to an end with a little experimentation after i poured the wrong soda in my glass...
= actually pretty good.
+
+
+
= actually pretty good.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
no one understands you at all
every sunday i'm going to try to do a band of the week type post, where simply i pick a band that i have a great amount of love for and try to not get too sentimental talking about why i love them and gravitate towards their music. ill try to throw up a video or music clip or album or something along those lines. so anyhow, the first band of week...
LIFE OF AGONY
i first encountered Life Of Agony in the winter of 1993/1994, when River Runs Red had just come out. i was aware of the band only because they were on roadrunner and that the drummer had been in Type O Negative. i still remember the location i first listened to most of the record, which oddly enough was at high school. at the time i was doing a radio show and a friend, who had bought the record, brought it in to play some tracks off of it. it was different than the usual fair of metal that i was listening to at the time as it mixed in elements of hardcore. at the time the only hardcore band i really had any interest in was Sick Of It All. most of the bands that i know now from that time and prior to be hardcore, i simply lumped in with punk since i mostly listened to metal at the time and didn't know any better. RRR dealt with real issues, had the whole weeklong storyline skit tracks mixed in with the songs on the record. it was one of those albums that i heard once and i was hooked.
the second album, Ugly came out in 1995 and it was around this time that i was able to see Life Of Agony live for the first time. i saw them open for KMFDM at the aragon and Anthrax at the vic in fall of 95. the next year they came through a couple times on their own headlining tours, which i was able to catch. they played a good mix of songs from both records every time i saw them and for a short time LOA were one of my favorite bands and in some ways started that bridge of taking my musical tastes from mostly metal and crossing back into the world of hardcore.
i first encountered Life Of Agony in the winter of 1993/1994, when River Runs Red had just come out. i was aware of the band only because they were on roadrunner and that the drummer had been in Type O Negative. i still remember the location i first listened to most of the record, which oddly enough was at high school. at the time i was doing a radio show and a friend, who had bought the record, brought it in to play some tracks off of it. it was different than the usual fair of metal that i was listening to at the time as it mixed in elements of hardcore. at the time the only hardcore band i really had any interest in was Sick Of It All. most of the bands that i know now from that time and prior to be hardcore, i simply lumped in with punk since i mostly listened to metal at the time and didn't know any better. RRR dealt with real issues, had the whole weeklong storyline skit tracks mixed in with the songs on the record. it was one of those albums that i heard once and i was hooked.the second album, Ugly came out in 1995 and it was around this time that i was able to see Life Of Agony live for the first time. i saw them open for KMFDM at the aragon and Anthrax at the vic in fall of 95. the next year they came through a couple times on their own headlining tours, which i was able to catch. they played a good mix of songs from both records every time i saw them and for a short time LOA were one of my favorite bands and in some ways started that bridge of taking my musical tastes from mostly metal and crossing back into the world of hardcore.
From there the band kind of went downhill in my eyes, writing more accessible songs on their next record, then losing Keith, and finally breaking up. they've gotten back together in the past few years and done a new album which i find kinda blah. i haven't seen them since the reunification, but those first two records are still personal favorites of mine and have a permanent spot on my ipod. this past week i got around to picking up both albums on vinyl, which is the main reason LOA ended up being picked here. Life of Agony is one of those bands that affects me in the same way at age 30 as they did when i first heard them at age 16. theyve gotten me through some bad periods of my life, and im glad that i will always have their music in the future for bad periods still to come.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
the zine is a lost artform
yesterday i got a bunch of zines in the mail, along with my modern life is war vinyl. issues one and two of Listen Up and issue three of It Ain't All Hugs & Handshakes. the zine is a lost artform within the hardcore scene these days with everything moving to the internets these days. i still, much like vinyl i guess, like to have the physical product though in my hands to experience. its much different laying in bed, spending an hour thumbing through a zine than sitting in a chair looking at a computer and reading an article or interview.
there seem to be far and far less zines these days than 10 years ago, when i would try to get my hands on as many as i could whenever i would order from lumberjack, very or revelation. over the years i've tried to hold onto old issues of zines like Hanging Like A Hex, Sliver, Second Nature, I Stand Alone, MAG, Status, etc. and while there are great current ones, like the two mentioned above as well as Define The Meaning, Value Of Strength, and At Both Ends. the amount of them seems to have diminished greatly and while im aware of the reasons, which i'll save for diving into another day, its just a sad day for the status of the zine it seems.
there seem to be far and far less zines these days than 10 years ago, when i would try to get my hands on as many as i could whenever i would order from lumberjack, very or revelation. over the years i've tried to hold onto old issues of zines like Hanging Like A Hex, Sliver, Second Nature, I Stand Alone, MAG, Status, etc. and while there are great current ones, like the two mentioned above as well as Define The Meaning, Value Of Strength, and At Both Ends. the amount of them seems to have diminished greatly and while im aware of the reasons, which i'll save for diving into another day, its just a sad day for the status of the zine it seems.
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