The Black Keys' web site is pretty cool.
I heard they're 'toughening up' their sound with this latest set. I haven't listened to it much (I'm stuck on my latest music Boxer), but I did catch the recent NPR interview of The Black Keys. (Two of the new songs are available to listen to there).
Who's worth listing to? Who's in your head these days?
Occupy the dinning room table, join your family and friends for a meal, a time together, and a reawakening if you can. Getting a few days break from the grind, not to mention, getting together with those you trust, who know you, and that you love, makes this time of year a thanks-worthy celebration. I hope you and yours are able to enjoy the season, here are a few of my reasons for doing just that...
6 Reasons I (and you) have for being Thankful this November, 2011
Travel. Many of us will be traveling this week for the Thanksgiving Holiday. They say time heals alll wounds, but how about the road? There is little else that can instantly give us lift as changing scenery. Getting into new spaces, familiar spaces, and exiting the day-to-day situation often provides a new perspective (on lots of things). I say, bring it on. Enjoy the road, and enjoy the new view.
Family and friends. From surfing through old photo albums at your parent's house, to that story that your family tells about that you just can''t seem to shake, your tales of the past, the people who know you, and the reasons they have for loving you anyway make celebrating T-Giving with the Fam. and must do (and a delight).
Food. The turkey, the tofu, or whatever it is that you're eating this week, it's always good to be eating. There are plenty around us that often do go without. It is a bit pathetic, and a little ironic that we live in a time and a country that boasts of being so great, and yet we struggle with the basic fundamentals of this life, including eating well. We often have too many, and agree to, too many bad choices about food. Eat well. Live well. (Remind me to do the same). And, be thankful.
Purpose. While maybe sounding a little contradictory to the last point, I'll share one of my favorite quotes from the bible, which happens to be about food. It's John 4:34, and the context is more or less that some disciples are encouraging Jesus to eat some food. To which he says, "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish his work." That always smacks me as the kind of thing that a guy with laser-focus, and the cojones to disregard any and all other distractions would say. It's not that he's skipping lunch that impresses me. It's more that he's saying, I don't give a rip about food, or anything else until I get this other thing done. That to me (pun!) takes the cake.
(Sidenote: You might say, this kind of blind passion is dangerous. Chances are you either see him as a bit of a lunatic or the total BA that I do. Point is, ... ) Whatever it is that motivates you to do what you do, to have real passion for it, is pretty impressive.
Tradition. Whether you've got a Thanksgiving Day football game to play, watch, or another (movie watching perhaps) tradition for celebrating the pilgrims progress, traditions help remind us of the things that really matter in life. Giving thanks for these rare glimpses are something that I am - and I believe, you too - are thankful for.
You tell me... I've primed the pump and could keep going, but this is a social medium afterall. I am ruthlessly thankful for conversation. I'm a very inclusive person - though I may ask you to keep the dog outside - allergies. Getting people together - and hearing from people - is definately something I'm thankful for. A.K.A. the conversation is something I'm not only thankful for, I'm desirous of. So, let me hear 'em. You have 2, 3, how many things to be thankful for? Plenty I'm sure. Let us know what you are thankful for, if you will. And, thanks for reading!
Great time in NYC yesterday visiting the MOMA for the De Kooning retrospective w/ family Jay Heidi and Henry and friends Matt Tai and Theadore.
Sunni Brown - one of 3 authors of Gamestorming on the power of doodling.
Here is an interesting video discussion with John Battelle and Brian Solis in the latest (R)evolution episode. Solis interviews Battelle on his upcoming book, What We Hath Wrought.
Our Digital Society in the Next 30 Years: An Interview with John Battelle
The next episode of (R)evolution features a very special guest and someone whose work I’ve followed longer than I care to count. Among many things, John Battelle is the co-founder of Wired, Founder of Federated Media and Executive Producer of the Web 2.0 Summit. He’s also the author of an upcoming book, What We Hath Wrought, which gives us a forecast of the interconnected world in 2040.
While the book isn’t scheduled to release until early 2013, the foundation for his book is an important conversation to start exploring now. From privacy to publicy to plugging in and keeping up to social fatigue and digital recovery and the ongoing tug of war between emerging and disruptive technology, the future of everything is playing out today. Though connections, creation, and curation, you have a role in shaping its direction.
..What I woke up singing. M Ward - Here Comes the Sun Again.
~ Have an excellent weekend all ~
Hard to believe this is work...
Chuck Testa ranks in at #2 on Ad Age's Viral Video List -- can't believe the #1 video would beat this one. <scratches head> Pass this one along if you give it your vote. ; )
The team got after it. We didn't take one of these home, but we did play well.
I got my hush puppies on, I guess I never was meant for glitter rock 'n' roll.
Partner Content from WXPN
Okkervil River On World Cafe
Enlarge Alexandra Valenti/Courtesy of the artistHear an in-depth interview with Okkervil River's Will Scheff (left) and Patrick Pestorius (center) on today's World Cafe.
Alexandra Valenti/Courtesy of the artistHear an in-depth interview with Okkervil River's Will Scheff (left) and Patrick Pestorius (center) on today's World Cafe.
Set List
- "We Need A Myth"
- "Rider"
- "In The Valley"
Austin's critically acclaimed band Okkervil River seem to outdo itself with each new release. The group's grand, emotionally gripping arrangements and witty, literate lyrics have earned comparisons to rock 'n' roll greats like Elvis Costello, Lou Reed and Bruce Springsteen.
The band's previous two albums, The Stage Names and The Stand Ins, were conceptual explorations of fame, art and life in a media-saturated world. Its latest, I Am Very Far, is equally ambitious but thematically harder to sum up. Recently, leader and songwriter Will Sheff and bassist Patrick Pestorius sat down with World Cafe host David Dye to discuss the process of creating I Am Very Far and the stories behind some of its most arresting songs.
Hear the interview, along with live cuts recorded at Okkervil River's World Cafe Live concert in June, on today's World Cafe.
More World Cafe
World Cafe
Beady Eye On World Cafe
Hear the U.K. group discuss life after Oasis and their new album, Different Gear, Still Speeding.
World Cafe
Okkervil River On World Cafe
Frontman Will Sheff discusses the band's critically acclaimed new album in an extensive interview.
World Cafe
Diego Garcia On World Cafe
Hear the Argentine-American songwriter play live and discuss his elegant solo debut, Laura.
Comments
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ.
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login / Register
NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its website or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.
Okkervil on World Cafe.. w/ new album. Missed it but plan to catch it over the weekend. 'er it is.
M. Ward.. Lonesome Blues (Featuring Lucinda Williams) <- who I would love to see in concert sometime, btw.
Well, how about that, it looks like she's touring now and will in fact be in NJ on the 20th, NYC on the 21, and in MA on the 23rd of July. Hmm. Lucinda Williams
...the house projects. #1 - Gutter Improvement Project is completed. Next is to fill in the trench for the front of house drainage. And maybe later, primer the 3rd fl walls. Happy 4th all!
...the house projects. #1 - Gutter Improvement Project is completed. Next is to fill in the trench for the front of house drainage. And maybe later, primer the 3rd fl walls. Happy 4th all!
... that's my plan too. Keep it loose, but not too loose they tell me.
So happy I was invited
Give me a reason to get out of the city
See you inside watching swarms on TV
Livin' or dyin' in New York it means nothing to me
I gave my heart to the Army
The only sentimental thing I could think of
With cousins and colors and somewhere overseas
But it'll take a better war to kill a college man like meI'm too tired to drive anyway, anyway right now
Do you care if I stayed?
You can put on your bathing suits
And I'll try to find somethin' on this thing that means nothin' enough
Losin' my breath, doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Losin' my breath, doo doo doo doo doo doo dooYou and your sister live in a Lemonworld
I want to sit in and die
You and your sister live in a Lemonworld
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
You and your sister live in a Lemonworld
I want to sit in and die
You and your sister live in a Lemonworld
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo dooThis pricey stuff makes me dizzy
I guess I've always been a delicate man
Takes me a day to remember a day
I didn't mean to let it get so far out of hand
I was a comfortable kid
But I don't think about it much anymore
Lay me on the table, put flowers in my mouth
And we can say that we invented a summer lovin' torture partyI'm too tired to drive anyway, anyway right now
Do you care if I stayed?
You can put on your bathing suits
And I'll try to find something on this thing that means nothin' enoughYou and your sister live in a Lemonworld
I want to sit in and die
You and your sister live in a Lemonworld
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
You and your sister live in a Lemonworld
I want to sit in and die
You and your sister live in a Lemonworld
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo...Losin' my breath
Doo doo doo doo doo doo...
The Echo Chamber...
Natasha Singer for the New York Times writes that, "If we don't chip away at the insulation of consensus, they caution, the promise of the World Wide Web could give way to a netherworld of narcissism Net."
In the article The Trouble with the Echo Chamber Online Mrs Singer highlights thoughts from The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You; and discusses with the book author and MoveOn.org board President Eli Pariser how current media insulation is creating siloed experiences for users. Essentially what they're talking about are the downsides of personalization of the web.. in particular data collection and cataloged recognition that influences search results in Google (Amazon, etc.).
It's an interesting article and likely an interesting book. Fragmentation of publics do to splintered media and gross availability of ideologically-specific content has been a predicted threat for some time. It would be interesting yet to know that Mr. Pariser might add to the discussion in his book.
What I know of musician M. Ward, what I've heard, I can really agree with. Primarily I'm talking about Hold Time and one of the Monsters of Folk albums.
Ward's mellow sound, overall outlook and ability for whimsical yet steady cool 'tude rides well through the music on each of the previously mentioned works.
Lately, I've given thought to listening to more of his albums... so far I can only readily recommend two of them.
Check out ... the of my favorites from the album Hold Time, Epistimology.
M. Ward's imagination roams free in Portland, where small-scale creativity thrives amid the corporate pop business' decline.
Here are some photos from my first round for the year.
Course: Buchmiller Park in Lancaster, PA. I'd give it a 4 out of 5 rating. The course features a good variety of shot types, it's well kept and has sound baskets.
I went with Lee Noble. He dominated, winning by at least negative 7 throws. But, I did putt like a champ. I even nailed a 20 footer on 18 to close the day. Ah, sweetness.
Here are some photos from my first round for the year.
Course Buchmiller Park in Lancaster, PA. I'd give it a 4 out of 5 rating. The course features a good variety of shot types, it's well kept and has sound baskets.
I went with Lee Noble. He dominating, winning by at least negative 7 throws, but I did putt like a champ. I even nailed a 20 footer on 18 to close the day. Ah, sweetness.
