So I've been crazy ordering cds off of Amazon lately. After my horrible experience with cheap-cds.com last time (worst customer service EVER), I had to find a new place to purchase cds at better prices than the outrageous markups retailers tack on. Amazon is good, Amazon is great. I'm a happy camper.
Some of the cds that I've bought recently that seriously kick ass (some are ones that I used to have on vinyl or tape and needed to reacquire on cd):
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
Donovan Frankenreiter - Self Titled
Prince - Purple Rain
Cat Stevens - Greatest Hits
Andre Nickatina - Hells Kitchen
Andre Nickatina - Bullets Blunts and ah Big Bankroll
Andre Nickatina - Conversation with a Devil (slightly obsessed)
Peter Murphy - Wild Birds
World Party - Bang
Checking out any or all these cds could be incredibly good for your health.
Speaking of music, last night was a whole new experience in the world of music for me. My friend Angela is here visiting (which, I might add, I am completely elated about from the top of my head to the tips of my toes) so we got together with Charles and Kathleen and went to something called the No Fun [Noise]Fest. There were a bunch of bands playing, including one called "Prurient" which includes a friend of Angela's as one of the members. These bands played, well, noise. Apparently, this genre has a huge following, but I had never attended a show. Angela told me my dad sent her a noise cd awhile back. I had no idea my dad listened to noise.
Anyway, it was an otherworldly experience. The show was at my favorite rock venue in Brooklyn, The Hook. It's a great club with a unique setting, plenty of space, good drinks, ambience that reminds me slightly of the haunted house at Disneyland without the ghosts or cheesetastic tricks. In this case, they served up juicy hotdogs off the grill on the back patio and had a whole merchandising area set up downstairs in the basement where you could purchase band music and memorabilia. So that brings us to the music. Which is not really music at all the way that I have always thought of music. It's sound, minus any melody, and adding in a shitload of squealing feedback from the amplifiers in the most deliberate, drawn out fashion imagineable. This is music that comes to get you. It takes you to a different place. It forces you to try to ride the sound like a wave. You have to stay steady. You have to relax. It was almost therapeutic and definitely intense.
When we heard the first band after we arrived, I assumed (and admittedly, hoped desperately) that the feedback and grinding noises were eventually going to fade out and they were going to launch into a euphoric opening guitar riff. Never happened. And then I understood. This is not like any other kind of show you will ever go to. Eventually, I was sold, and my anxiety subsided. I stopped wondering when the song was going to start and found myself on a whole different plane of consciousness. No, there was no LSD in my hotdog, nor in the peanut butter fudge I ate nor in glasses of vanilla vodka and soda that I consumed. I'm sure the alcohol buzz helped though. At one point we were sitting on the bleacher-style seats in the back of the room. I sat one step below Charles and Kathleen and Angela. I was so completely enveloped in the sound, not having any conscious thoughts, the noise reaching its crescendo, when Angela hopped down from her seat and sat right next to me and threw her arms around me all in one swift motion. I found myself instantaneously in tears. It was an unbelievable rush of emotion as I was brought back to reality; the reality that I was sitting next to this person who I have known since I was just a little kid. A person that I met during one of the most vividly memorable periods of my life, when we lived in student housing and my dad was going to school and my brother got pesticides poisoning and I was SEVEN. One of the sharpest pinnacles in my memory was that year that I met Angela and her family. The fact that I haven't seen her in 8 years and that she was there at that moment beside me, expressing her love for me with that impulsive hug, was like a deep trigger. Kathleen was also moved by Angela's gesture.
After that "song," we left The Hook and walked to a place nearby called "Schnack." Schnack wins my vote as the absolute, hands down, best latenight grub that I've ever had. And they even have a blog! It is like White Castle but a thousand times better and with beer floats. Yes. BEER FLOATS. A glass of beer with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream in it. I am so hooked, it's not even funny. The mini sliders or "schnackies" (flat little hamburgers) are phenomenal, fries: perfect, beer float: totally tubular. And it's open at one o'clock in the morning. So last night was pretty close to heaven.
We walked back to Kathleen and Charles's house and called a car to take me and Angela back to my house.
Woke up this morning and dragged myself to my Kaplan class, which was more excruciating than usual (if that's actually possible) due to the fucking idiots that teenagers are. Yes I know. I was once a teenager. And I'm now willing to admit that I was a fucking idiot too. Four boys sat skewed together in one corner of the class, making noise, cracking jokes and generally acting like fools. The girl a couple rows in front of me couldn't stop fucking with her hair for two minutes. If I had a nickle for every time this girl pulled the "Yankees" scrunchie out of her hair, combed her fingers through it, and put it back into a ponytail I would have left that class with like twenty bucks. Then there was the girl who - in the midst of the teacher's instruction about how one would go about writing on the essay topic: Is the advice of others ever truly useful? - asked the following question: "so, like, if I wanted to say in my essay that Vanessa sleeps around too much and someone gave her the advice that she shouldn't be such a ho, like, that's good advice right?"
Hmmm. There's something to ponder.
So that was class. But I did manage to learn a thing or two anyway, so all was not lost.
I just ordered the Cat Stevens greatest hits CD myself..can't wait for that one to come in and yes that's one I had on vinyl, cassette..it was time to move up to CD for ole' Cat :)
I'm dying laughing about your description of class with the teenyboppers...I feel so guilty sometimes when I make ugly remarks about them because as you said..we were that age once too but fuckin'A they are ANNOYING and so STUPID..hahaha. I have a very hard time imagining that I was EVER that dumb but alas..it's true :) Jason worked mid shift with a 19yr old for 2 wks straight and by the end of it he was ready to pull his hair out..the first couple nights I think the kid amused Jason (they were the only 2 working) but that soon faded into old fashioned annoyance...oh well...they'll grow out of it huh?
SLIDERS...yummy...that's the first thing I'm eating when I go home..a gawd damn Slider!
Posted by: Sandy at March 20, 2005 12:00 AMYour writing is hilarious. I had to take an official hiatus from ordering things off of Amazon. You just keep hitting the buttons and then before you know it, you've spent WAY more than you intended to....but it's fun anyway.
I know what you mean about Kaplan. I had that experience a few years ago where it seemed like it was me and a bunch of 12 year olds. And now, at 37, I'm thinking of going BACK to grad school (don't ask) and will need to take one of those goddamned classes for the GRE. Ahhh, life.
Posted by: Jennifer at March 20, 2005 02:24 AMSandy, I am always amazed at the way that I feel when I listen to Cat Stevens. I love how he combined these gentle, inspiring lyrics with great music and a voice that just blows my mind everytime. That is one powerful voice, big and open and filling every particle of air so that you feel like you're breathing it. Cat Stevens "Tea for the Tillerman" was one of the first records that I ever put on the record player and reveled in as a child. His music is very sentimental to me. I still can't believe that the U.S. government accused him of being a terrorist. It's just too crazy to imagine if you've ever listened to his music. Could anything be MORE contrary to his personality than terrorism?
Those kids in my Kaplan class...UGH. It's terrible. But I do remember too many unbelievably stupid things to count about my own adolescence, so I try to remember that when my eyes are rolling to the back of my head during class. We're always a work in progress. I think that adults just get better at hiding their ignorance whereas teenagers are in a state of temporary insanity and incapable of hiding it. Adults are pretty awful too when you think about it so maybe I shouldn't be so hard on the kids! Hahaa.
Jennifer, thanks so much for stopping by. I'm glad I was able to squeeze a little entertainment into my rant. Online shopping is definitely a little dangerous. I am very cautious about getting carried away, but it does happen.
Good luck with your GRE! I hear that's a tough one, but serious kudos for even considering it. Part of me never thought I'd go back to school, but now that it's in my sights I couldn't possibly be more anxious about it. Who knows how far I will ultimately get, but I have to try you know? Best of luck to you in your endeavors.
Posted by: Maria at March 20, 2005 02:40 PMI have never heard of this "noise" you speak of. I am interested though. Sounds like you had a good weekend. I still haven't completely relaxed after my big move. I am hoping that I can enjoy myself next weekend. Wait I said that last week about this last weekend...it will happen soon I am sure.
Loves.
Posted by: geeekgirl at March 21, 2005 10:25 AMI got Cat Stevens' "Very Best Of" as a gift from a blogger several years ago and I nearly peed myself (the idea of getting gifts from people I've never met still baffles me, but it was very nice, of course). it's such a wonderful cd.
as for the Kaplan course, you have MUCH more patience than I do. I used to hate taking core classes in college with a bunch of 18 year old freshmen. they drove me absolutely batty. the thing is, I didn't really like most people my age when I was a teenager. I always preferred hanging out with college age people or even *GASP* my parents (and their friends). even now, I generally won't go to bars and clubs unless they're 21+. good on you for being so serious about this and continuing to go though. I bet you're going to kick the SAT's ass!
Posted by: girl at March 21, 2005 10:52 AMDarcie, that Noise business is some crazy shit. You should check it out. Just so that you can remember what it feels like to cry for mercy like when people would drag their nails on the chalkboard. There's something strangely satisfying about it though, like the smell of gasoline or a match after being blown out. Kind of stings the senses, but it's kind of cool too...or not...who knows...
Girl, thank you for your encouragement! Every little bit helps. Confidence seems to be as important as just about anything else. I'm gaining it, and feeling really optimistic about the whole thing. No doubt you guys will have to hear all about how it goes. ;o)
Posted by: Maria at March 23, 2005 11:33 PMM?
Have you heard of Sasha Lazard and "The Myth of Red"?? It's an interesting mix of classical, Eastern and Jazz. Her voice is amazing.
Worth a shot.
Posted by: Richard at March 27, 2005 07:27 PM