A Blogging Holiday

It's been over a month since I've done a post, so I thought it was about time I brushed the dust off the laptop and racked the contents of my brain for my blogger password and did something productive for once. Now the only problem is that I need to find something to blog about. I mean, when it's been this long, you just get out of the groove, and it's about time I got back into it.

Here's what I've accomplished since the last blog:

Graduated from college

Moved out of my apartment

Wrote a couple songs

Bowled terribly

Established dominance at chess

And now it's 2011. A New Year.

What will the tide bring in?

By the way: Check out Jeremy Fisher and his songs Kiss the Moon and Scar that Never Heals

and Magnetic Fields

That is all.

Songs For the Lonely Road

The following contains a list of songs for the solo drive, when it's just you, the open road, and the thoughts inside your own head. There has always been a big difference between listening to music alone and with other people. When no one else is around, all that exists is the music you love, whether you prefer singing along or just getting lost in the melody. Here is a list of some songs I have been experiencing recently....

Phoenix - Love for Granted


Of Montreal - 1st Time High (acoustic version of "An Eluardian Instance".


Billy Joel - You're My Home


Vampire Weekend - I Think UR a Contra


Boz Scaggs - Georgia


Eric Clapton - Reptile - also check out "Modern Girl"


Kings of Convenience - Misread


Phoenix - Alphabetical


Thin Lizzy - Fight or Fall


Bruce Springsteen - New York City Serenade


Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now


All of these songs are some of my favorites. I recommend not only feeling the mood of the music, but also paying attention to the beautiful lyrics that weave in and out of the melodies. Just today I listened to both "alphabetical" and "love for granted" by Phoenix on the way to school and will surely listen to a couple more by the end of the day.

At least these songs will come in handy until you go somewhere where "we don't need roads."

Anyway, hope you enjoy and see you next post. Maybe.

Andy Irons: 1978 - 2010

Two days ago, I heard the sad news that Andy Irons, legendary surfer and father-to-be, had been found dead in his hotel room. Irons was a three-time world champion surfer and only 32 years old. A very sad day for the surfing community.

Andy grew up on the fabled North Shore, Hawaii's famous surfing mecca. Him and his brother Bruce grew up in the water, learning the excitement of danger of ocean's reef while competing with each other.





This zeal for competition would shape the boys into two of the world's finest surfers. Andy would go on to win three surfing world titles, forging a stiff rivalry with Kelly Slater, the famous nine-time world champion. Bruce also competes on the tour and is a rising star, despite flirting with quitting and becoming solely a free surfer.

The loss of Andy Irons is heartbreaking news for everyone. Though he may have started surfing because it was the "party", he continued his passion not for the fame, but because he had to. Andy once said that surfing was the only thing that kept him from going over the edge; that kept him sane. Maybe he lost his love somewhere and finally toppled over. I'd like to think that he was on his way back to another spectacular world title, but it was not meant to be. My love goes out to his widowed bride and his unborn child. I wish them the best in this tough time.

Surfing has lost a pioneer and a champion.

Andy, you will be missed.

Aloha

Don't be square, mon cher! Movies is magic!

Since the advent of the talking picture, movies and music have been synonymous. From happy-go-lucky musicals to soaring epics backed by massive orchestras, music has been a crucial influence on the power of motion pictures. Just think about it, would that decisive final battle or that perfect kiss be the same without the right music in the background? I don't think so.

So in remembrance of all those great movie moments, here is a list of some of the best pairings of music and film in history. Enjoy, and don't be afraid to cry. It's okay.

Best Movie Theme:

Star Wars (Main Theme) - John Williams



Well, I went with the obvious choice. But let's be real, this is probably one of the most memorable and classic movie theme of all time. When those horns hit for the first time as you stare into the vacuum of space on your TV screen, you know you are in for an epic adventure. And what a strange and wonderful trip it really was.

Runner Up: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story - Randy Edelman

Decent movie, great soundtrack.





Best musical:

Little Shop of Horrors



Runner up: Singin' In the Rain

The Golden Age of Cinema. Just singin' and laughin'... try to get that one out of your head.



Best Compilation Soundtrack:

The Blues Brothers



Fun, fast, and of course, Bluesy. Everybody needs somebody who listens to this soundtrack.

Runner Up: The Graduate

Oh Mrs. Robinson.




Best Movie + Music moment:

The Elevator Scene - Vanilla Sky



The whole sequence in the movie leading up to the roof scene is absolutely genius. It begins with "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys as David realizes he's living in a dream. As he yells for tech support, an elevator opens. The scene in the elevator was mesmerizing to me. As David hears the heartbreaking truth about his life, we here "Doot Doot" by Freur and then "Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space" by Spiritualized. I'll never forget hearing the lyrics of the "Floating in Space" as I learned of David's actual death: "All I want in life's a little bit of love to take the pain away." It is then that Edmund says: "Consequences, David. It's the little things." All in all a heart-wrenching scene.

Runner Up: Squints kisses Wendy - The Sandlot



Nothing makes me miss those carefree days as a kid more than The Sandlot. The movie captures the essence of those days filled with baseball, fun, and adventure perfectly. And there's no moment better than when Squints kisses the bombshell Wendy Peffercorn, the lifeguard while "This Magic Moment" plays in the background. Ahhh... Wendy, how I loved you.

Well, that wraps up the review of the magic union of movies and music.

Til' next week!

Eric

Lowe, Legends, and Kings

Last night while doing homework I was randomly inspired to research the wily and wild life of the late Alex Lowe, a climber and mountaineer I had heard about over the years. He was brought to my recent attention during a lecture by Conrad Anker, his long-time friend and fellow climber. Anker, who is now married to Lowe's widow, did not mention his fallen friend while he was painting the pictures of his mountain adventures to the packed audience. Lowe is definitely a man worth mentioning. As fascinating as he is spirited, he propelled himself up dangerous peaks and memorable climbs, never losing his desire for the inhospitable climate of the mountains.

Alex Lowe lost his life in October, 1999, on the mountain of Shishapangma in Tibet. He was buried under an avalanche along with high-altitude cameraman David Bridges. The other member of the trio, the aforementioned Conrad Anker, miraculously survived the barrage, but was unable to locate the bodies of his friends buried underneath the snow. Interestingly, Anker would go on to marry Lowe's widow. My initial reaction is that the situation is very strange and uneasy. How could Anker marry his friend's widow? But maybe Lowe would have wanted it that way.



Due to the events on Shishapangma and dozens of other tragedies, many people are of the opinion that climbers and mountaineers are reckless and stupid, attempting feats that are better left undone. "Why be a miserable on a mountain when you are comfortable in your own bed?" They might say. But that is the essence of the human spirit, I would argue. To achieve the impossible, to push farther and higher than ever before, to discover the unknown and discover the meaning that lies beneath it all. The human race climbs because there will always be a man who sees a mountain, steps forward and says: "I can do that." Is that the only reason? Maybe.



Lowe was the epitomy of this ideal, striving not to be the "world's best climber" but to climb because he couldn't stay away. "The best climber is the one having the most fun!" He would say. His life was filled with colorful adventure, from a famous rescue on Denali to an ice-climbing accident in Montana that left him looking like "a mangled victim in a Wes Craven movie." His philosophy may have been best shown by his favorite quote from Helen Keller:

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."

Alex Lowe 1958-1999


A quick word about music.

One of my favorites, Kings of Convenience, with some beautiful songs.






Next Post:

Music is back! The much-awaited next entry will be of the most awesome nature and will concern itself with the wild world of movie music!

A Weekend Outdoors

This past weekend, I had the chance to travel to North Carolina with some friends and camp. There wasn't much of a plan, but we wanted it that way. Whatever caught our fancy we would pursue, whether it was hiking, climbing, swimming or eating.

We ended up doing a little bit of everything. Our main destination ended up being the beautiful Linville Gorge, a wilderness area not a far cry from the little town of Marion, NC. After a quick stop for grub in Asheville and getting lost many times, we finally found a campsite deep in the woods at around midnight and went to sleep.

The next day was epic. We explored the climbing areas around Table Rock and Linville Gorge, mostly composed of gigantic multi-pitch climbs, not exactly my forte. We met some crazy people from around the Southeast, and I was quite surprised to find Santa Claus roping up on some of the bigger climbs that day. I hope he thought I was nice.



The rest of the day included a gorgeous ridge hike in the gorge and some meager rations for dinner. Basically we ate ramen, soup, and beans. The planning for the trip was sub-par. The night ended with a humongous fire that burnt some holes in my pants and some great stories.

On Sunday we finished the trip with a vigorous hike up Mt. Mitchell (even though you can drive to the top) and a quest to find an asian buffet where we could stuff our faces. We found it in Asian Grand Buffet, emphasis on the "grand". I filled up on ridiculous amounts of sushi, lo-mein, and soft-serve. I'm not the biggest buffet fan, but on that day I was happy. And very, very full.

And if I haven't bored you to death, here's some music...

Pigeon John: Before We're Gone



Sondre Lerche: Heartbeat Radio

Climbing to the Stars

This past weekend I went on a climbing trip with some friends. We traveled on friday to the crags of Obed located in Wartburg, Tenn., about an hour and a half away from Knoxville. After climbing all day Friday and Saturday, I was exhausted. To be honest, I have a love/hate relationship with climbing. Sometimes it feels great to be on the rock, even on the sharp end. Other times, though, I hate it. At that point all I want below my feet is solid ground, often trying to climb a route while suffering from "elvis leg" (uncontrollable shaking). At least I got some practice on my dance moves.

Climbing is something that fascinates me, though. The inner desire of people to climb up rocks, sometimes thousands of feet tall and ridiculously dangerous, is extremely interesting. What kind of passion inspires these kinds of people to put themselves through hell and back just to accomplish the seemingly impossible, defying logic and gravity? Why do they climb? John Long, a prolific climber and author, offers up some of the best explanations I have read. He explains that climbing can fill you with the most intimate feelings of fear and exhilaration, giving you moments that you will never forget. And times where you find out the person you really are. Nothing is fake on the side of sheer rock. It's just you.



Here's some music:

Great remix of the Bee Gees. It's okay, you can admit that you like them.

A Heart Full of Holes

That picture reminds me of something that I started back in my sophomore year of college. It was called "Mark Knopfler Mondays", and consisted of dressing like Mark Knopfler on every monday, no matter where you went. This usually consisted of wearing something 80's like a tank top and jeans. The key item, though, was the sweatband that he consistently rocked during his concerts. I got some friends into this, and we definitely got some weird looks while we were wearing our head bands around campus.

I recently acquired one of Knopfler's solo albums, Kill to Get Crimson.
My favorites are:
True Love Will Never Fade
Heart Full of Holes
Secondary Waltz



Another classic song from Bobby Womack:
Across 110th Street





Also check out the new band Highlife and album Best Bless (album cover above)

Next post will focus on some outdoor adventures, with a guest appearance by Mitch

Yikes!

The Smiths and the People that Might Be Giants

Hey,
As of late, I've been delving into some different music that I wouldn't normally listen to. My natural inclination is to stick to my favorites when it comes to music. I will always love Earth, Wind, and Fire, Billy Joel, Thin Lizzy, and Eric Clapton. Sometimes it's good to mix it up.

Just yesterday I was at the radio station and was given the tedious task of entering e-mail addresses into the system. For no apparent reason, The Smiths popped into my head, which is strange because I'd never really given the band a thought in the past. My only knowledge of them is that the main character in "500 Days of Summer" is quite obsessed with them. Maybe that's where the thought came from. Who knows.

So I put on some of the band's songs while I was working. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually quite liked it. The guitars in the songs had a sweet sound to them and added depth to the moody and introspective lyrics. I especially liked the song "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", a depressing song with dark lyrics that contrast the uplifting beat and guitar riffs. So naturally when I got home, I downloaded their "best of" collection. Quite good.

Check out classic song "There is a Light That Never Goes Out".

Another band I've gotten back into is the strange group They Might be Giants. I've known about them for years, but I'm not really sure how. They definitely are interesting to say the least.

Check out "Birdhouse in Your Soul" and "Dr. Worm"

Joe, you have a brain cloud.

I've been busy, so it's been a while since I've blogged. Good thing I have a computer in boring editing classes or I'd never get anything done. Anyway, I wanted to start off this post with a picture of our hero, Joe. Former firefighter and advertising slave on his way to jump into a Volcano. Why, you ask? Because he has a brain cloud and will die in 6 months whether he does or not. Taking the offer from a crazed Lloyd Bridges, Joe takes the stylish route and sets off on a spectacular journey towards his imminent death. Watch the movie to find out the rest.



The movie does bring up one of life's classic questions. What would you do if you had 6 months to live? I feel like there's a typical answer to this question; let every inhibition go and live to the fullest. But really dig down deep and you wonder, what would I really do?

Buy an Xbox and live off pepperoni pizza and red bull of course. Duh.

On a lighter note, the soundtrack features some good music:

Sixteen Tons, written by Merle Travis. Here's the version by Tennessee Ernie Ford - http://sonnyvenice.phpnet.org/musique/sonny_venice/04_2009/Sixteen%20Tons.mp3

Blue Moon, the classic version by Elvis Presley - http://checkthedryer.com/bluemoon/Elvis%20Presley%20-%20Blue%20Moon.mp3

And here's some classic Billy Joel to send you off. Listen for the melody from "Allentown" at the end.

Waves and Injuries to Eric: A Love Story

That picture basically sums up my weekend.

My pal Luke and I made a spontaneous trip down to Charleston, South Carolina on Friday to ride some of the big swells Igor was causing on the East Coast. Long story short, I hobbled back into my apartment on Sunday with a cracked board, 6 cuts on my leg (1 fairly deep), a swollen ankle, a skin pigment resembling a cranberry, and zero pride. At least I found some band-aids in my car.

Luke didn't fair much better, both of us getting trashed in the worst way over the weekend. I learned a lot about the different ways a human body can crumple and contort after being thrown by a wave. All equally painful. It wouldn't have been that bad if I hadn't nailed the board with my legs twice, the second one ending my day in the water. Believe it or not, the waves at Folly Beach were around 8 feet on Sunday. They were also fast and broke quick, equaling disaster for our doomed duo.

It wasn't all bad, though. We ended up staying in a hostel for two nights, which consisted of about 20 native Brits and us. We were known as the "Americans" for a change. These Brits were hard drinkers, stumbling into their rooms at about four AM every morning. Luke and I were painfully aware of this because we were forced to endure a shitty band being cranked at full volume from the hours of 4-6:30 from the next room. This is despite the fact that we did everything short of knocking down their door to get them to stop. Thank God I had a collection of smooth jazz on my laptop that we used to drown out the screeching sounds torturing us and finally get back to sleep. Believe me, I was so ready to fight them.

Once I get a longer (and not cracked) board, I will be back to brave the waves once more.

Anyway, music time.

New stuff: Kings of Convenience, chilly folk heroes, soothe the woes of mankind with their song "Toxic Girl".

kings of convenience - toxic girl from françois nemeta on Vimeo.

Old Stuff: I love this song by Burt Bacharach. Most people today have never heard of him, but in the 60's he was a hit machine. His music has a special magic to it, with hints of an era that was lost somehow. Play on, Burt.



Ciao.

A Good Day to Believe in Life

Today has been a pretty good day, and may get even better. I got two freezy pops for free, listened to Clapton, got free Black Crowes tickets, and am having a pretty decent hair day. I also may be surfing in the Carolinas this weekend. I am especially excited about the Black Crowes, which I hear is a pretty damn good show.

I am also toying with some ideas of what to do with this blog. Since 99% of blogs are about music, I'm not exactly breaking new ground writing about groovy tunes and new bands. It would also be nice to have some people that actually looked at this thing, so if you are reading this right now you should bookmark or something. At least write it on your hand.

Anyway, my one idea I have right now is to every week write about an alternative to the usual weekend rituals like partying, drinking, and throwing up. Again, I'm not sure what that would consist of, but I'm working on it. This would probably involve accomplishing unique and adventurous goals every weekend, daring yourself to try new things and expand your mind. Thoughts?

I WILL keep talking about music, because I love it more than life (Clapton reference). Bam. Check out Eric's song "Believe in Life" and while you're at listen to "Layla" all the way through. It's truly an experience.



New Music: Check out Kisses and their song "Bermuda"
Also Eli "Paperboy" Reed with "Come and Get It".

Please Believe in Life.
Over and Out,
Eric

Hi Ferraby, nice to meet you.

Hey, you probably haven't heard of the man with the heart of a lion. Shame on you. I just started to listen to this guy, and so far he's pretty cool. He's also got a new album out called The Jack of Hearts. Check it out. Songs to listen to are "Dear Corinne" and "Harry and Bess".

Here is the "Harry and Bess" video featuring Rainn Wilson.



Meanwhile, I am still in the midst of exploring the extensive library of Eric Clapton. My adventure continues as I discover more and more of his memorable tunes. Sometimes I think he really is a genius.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVageb9ZFLQ&ob=av2e

Welcome Back Party

Eric Clapton, Son and Sylvia (instrumental)
Uploaded by gimli5av. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

It has been quite a while since I've blogged, since April to be exact. Don't worry, though, I'm glad to be back online and adding my thoughts to this wasteland called the internet.

Anyway, lately I have been downloading a lot of music, trying to broaden my horizons and delve deeper into some artist's libraries. So far I've downloaded Boz Scaggs, Clapton, Elvis Costello, Burt Bacharach, Paul Simon, return to forever, Phil Collins, Kings of Convenience, and some new artists like Kisses, Tennis, Ferraby Lionheart, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. As you can guess, I really haven't had time to listen to it all, but I'm working on that. Slowly. I also encourage everyone out there to check out the libraries of these, artists. You won't be disappointed.

The video I posted above is one of my favorites from Clapton. Also check out "Modern Girl" from his Reptile album.

Here is another video from Detroit duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. Enjoy!

An Impromptu poem aka this could really suck.

(Cough), A Poem...

I'm not Ted

I write this in class,
it feels like my doom,
it's grounded my ass,
left me stuck in this room.

I need Adderall,
this fact it rings true,
run down the hall,
I haven't a clue.

A girl next to me,
she loves unicorns,
she's lost out at sea,
her love so forlorn.

Her blanket so red,
Her eyes are so green,
loves guys named Ted,
damn I'm not Ted.

You're Welcome
Eric Cougar

Read for Convenience

Hey there everybody. So I've been listening to this cool band lately, which was brought to my attention by the ever hip Luke Rutherford. They are a folk-pop duo called the Kings of Convenience. Hailing from Bergen, Norway, they combine soothing voices and simple melodies with acoustic guitar to create an intoxicating sound. Very smooth stuff. Yacht rock anyone?

Here is a video of their song "I'd Rather Dance With You".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9r9sQ6PHOM

Hey, check them out. They do a good job of combining a retro sound with a new indie flair. My only complaint is that the softness of the music can get a bit tiresome. I sometimes wish (upon a star, obviously) that they had some songs where they had a little anger and passion in their voice. Maybe they do and I just haven't found them yet. Anyway, Kings of Convenience are definitely worth giving a shot. And I promise it'll at least go down smooth.

Yacht Rock

Ok, new goal is to do one blog post every week. Will i succeed at this, or fail miserably? I know everyone out there is really concerned about this problem. Anyway, on with the blogging.


As I was listening to Jason Mraz today in my Media Law class today, I suddenly remembered something my sister had told me about him. Apparently much of his inspiration draws from the genre of Yacht Rock, which is one of my personal favorites too. To explain the legend of Yacht Rock, the first step is to watch this video...

http://www.channel101.com/shows/view.php?media_id=2333

This is part of a series of funny videos about the legend of Yacht Rock. Hilarious, especially the guy who plays Kenny Loggins.

Still, these videos can't show what a different time it was back then. It was a time when sailing was romantic, smooth jazz was king, and soft rock artists wrote beautiful songs about love and life. Hey, maybe some of it got a little cheesy, but that's part of its appeal. So, in remembrance of this lost time, I recommend lounging in an aquatic environment, mixing up a bahama mama and some quesadillas, and popping in some Doobie Brothers or Steely Dan, all helping you sail through at least one night with no problems.

Happy Sailing!

Dennis Dun: Cinema hero

Remember Dennis Dun?

What a man.

It's weird how people just sometimes pop into my head randomly, and today that person was Dennis. Although I may not have remembered his name, it was the images of him kicking ass and taking an assortment of names in Big Trouble in Little China that stirred me. And maybe it was just me, but there was something really reassuring and friendly about his voice in that movie. If we were lucky enough to have known each other I think we would have been best friends.

That's him behind Jack's left shoulder. Look at that stare.

And someone screwed up with this poster, cause that looks absolutely nothing like Kurt Russell.

Just saying....

Anyway, Dennis, I'm just saying that even if everyone else forgets you, I won't. You'll always be an academy award winning actor in my book.

Ciao.

Del Dio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E-_DdX8Ke0

Damn, Carl is just ballin' in this video!