Opportunity Rocks

December, finally

2012-01-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Acid House Kings "Under Water"Blood Diamonds "Grins"Tapes 'n Tapes "Freak Out"Drums "What You Were"The National "Exile Vilify"My Morning Jacket "Holding on to Black Metal"Future Islands "Balance"Revivalists "When I Die"Raveonettes "Forget That You're Young"Walter Meego "Starlight"Little Scream "Cannons"Peter Gabriel "Flume"- The good thing about this tardiness? January is almost done which means

2012 came to visit

2012-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I'll check-in soon with a December playlist but, until then, have some (possibly funny) robot songs. I'm on autopilot for the next few days. Cheers. Marina and The Diamonds "I Am Not A Robot" CO remixRobyn "Fembot"AlunaGeorge "Analyser"

Fires in France, but not really

2011-12-02T03:03:00.000-08:00

Indie Rock Cafe warns that Boise, Idaho natives Fires in France could be described as "polished Hollywood rock radio" and, while I agree - and cringed over the description - there was still something sincere enough, and ambitious enough here, to catch my attention. Besides, they're from Idaho. Until two years ago I thought it was a lazy portmanteau of "Iowa" and "Ohio". Live and learn.Here, have

Cold Specks, yowzas.

2011-11-25T08:17:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite music blogs, Quick Before It Melts, regularly features Canadian musicians that I'm sure I would otherwise miss. Just this afternoon I came across the QBiM Facebook page and they were were giving props (I don't know if I like the fact that I just used 'props' in a sentence, but it seems to work) to a lovely, relatively unheard of, musician who goes by the name Cold Specks. I

November

2011-11-12T01:24:00.000-08:00

When I look back on this year, 2011 may well be known as the year my job took priority over every other thing in my life, except parenting. I never thought it would happen, but it has, and the curious thing is that I don't really resent it. I love what I do that much.* I still pour over music blogs and magazines though - and a fair chunk of disposable income still goes toward buying new music. My

The Hole Flute

2011-10-15T01:48:00.000-07:00

When I first moved to Middle Earth - desert on one side; gulf on the other - I was delighted by the many things not Korean: falafel and coriander, watermelon juice and dried mint; mosques and well-designed buildings; waiting in queue; speaking English; being able to cross the street without pissing myself - the list went on and on and on. One thing that particularly pleased me was the abundance

Unchained

2011-10-09T08:27:00.001-07:00

I'm not kidding when I say that I've thought many times that Lykke Li would do an awesome cover of Unchained Melody, and here she is, proving me right, again. It is purddy. Cool beans, Sweden. You can (and you should!) buy Lykke Li's latest here.

Joni Mitchell said we are stardust ...

2011-09-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

Friday is the new Saturday and THAT calls for a catchy, stuck-in-your-head, pump-yer-fist kinda tune, dunnit?Holla. Astronautalis "Dimitri Mendeleev" (Bandcamp)

September, you're so groovy ...

2011-09-24T06:29:00.000-07:00

Mates of State "Maracas" (edit: fixed file)Robbers on High Street "Hey Unbelievers"Pajama Club "These are Conditions"September has become the new February. When I lived in Canada I HATED February because it was still cold and I was tired of the cold. I wanted spring to come and I wanted it NOW. Now, in Dubai, it's still hot but I'm tired of it being hot. I want winter, or whatever half-assed

Can-Con, Hi-Ho

2011-09-14T10:21:00.001-07:00

I missed seeing Braids - the sublime Polaris music prize nominees - at this year's Hillside Festival in Guelph so I've been soothing my chagrin by playing them at home any opportunity I have. While going though my pictures from this summer I came across a video of Wild Child at the festival (dancing her ass off to The Woodshed Orchestra) and thought it would make a nice addition since I don't

Are you shore?

2011-09-10T02:48:00.000-07:00

Anyone who's visited us here and scanned the sidebar or archives for more than a few seconds can probably see that I'm not afraid of a good remix or a crazy cover. Familiarity/comfort wearing new shoes or a snazzy boa appeals to me, and always has. I'm also a supporter of any song over 3 minutes that makes me stop. And think. And listen again. Sometimes uncomplicated music can act as a good

2011-09-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

Australian director and photographer Nabil Elderkin wooed me here and turned me on to Bon Iver in a way that Bon Iver *alone* has never been able to do. Here, have a lovely song - and a video - to help you find your way.Bon Iver "Holocene"

Welcome back, me!

2011-08-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

After 2 months of Blogger silence (I've been traveling!) I thought it was high time I updated and added some new music. The problem is - what music? I've spent the last two days digging through old blogs, new blogs and old files trying to choose some songs; a theme; a playlist - anything that could be pulled together in happy and respectable way. In the end all I could make was a list of the

2011-07-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

And who in time knowes whither we may ventThe treasure of our tongues, to what strange shoresThis gaine of our best glorie shal be sentT'inrich unknowing Nations with our stores? Which worlds in th'yet unformed OccidentMay come refin'd with the accents that are ours.Samuel Daniel, 1562-1619It always happens, a week or two before I go home for the summer, that I start talking about Newfoundland

Can't Tuna Fish!

2011-06-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Wow. What drama today. I'm turning 'off' the comments on this blog but please feel free to email me if you want some songs added or if you want to hand over some new music tips! Cheers~Here are 6 good songs. I think they make a nice beautiful playlist. That is all. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros "Janglin" (RAC remix)Shy Child "Disconnected" (Ocelot remix)Clare Maguire "Strangest Thing" (

The Good in Goodbye ...

2011-06-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

"I refuse to consign the whole male sex to the nursery. I insist on believing that some men are my equals. - Brigid Brophy Pretty songs I'd forgotten about ... Little Scream "Heron and the Fox"Admiral Fallow "Squealing Pigs"

Yankee Echo Alpha Hotel!

2011-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I was out walking (sweating bullets) today in the 45 degree desert heat and I came across ol' T.I's "Whatever You Like", and there was something so comical, and so fitting, about the song as all the BMW's and Maserati's zipped past me on the road that I just let myself be buoyed along by the gorgeous beat and the hilarity of it. "I'll gas up the jet for you tonight ... baby you can go wherever

Olde Sawngs

2011-06-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

I think I may have stumbled into "That-Flu-That-Goes-Around-Once-A-Year" Territory. Bleh. I feel old and cranky so I thought some songs from before I was actually born might be the thing to add. I'll be back soon with new music from new people. And a new attitude! Hooray!Outte~Maurice and the Zodiacs "Stay"Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons "Big Girls"

Just my type!

2011-06-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

"People cry at weddings for the same reason they cry at happy endings: because they so desperately want to believe in something they know is not credible" - Margaret Atwood"Have you ever been in love? Horrible, isn't it? It makes you vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build a

Want my font!

2011-06-12T23:00:00.000-07:00

I refuse to post another song list until I can figure out the name of the default font for this blog. It *says* Georgia, but I think it's lying. Because I'm a half-crazy piece of work, see, I HATE not having all my posts done in the same font. Lately, whenever I copy and paste something into the body of a blog post (like, say, a quote from someone) it automatically changes the font to something

I nose what I nose

2011-06-11T10:34:00.000-07:00

Perhaps I write for no one. Perhaps for the same person children are writing for when they scrawl their names in the snow." - Margaret Atwood.Don't be too harsh with these poems until they are typed. I always think typescript lends some sort of certainty: at least, if the things are bad then, they appear to be bad with conviction. - Dylan ThomasHello Vegas "No One Knows"

Small mix

2011-06-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of making a thousand, million discs for friends and family who are leaving Dubai, or for people who have just asked for music. It's enormously gratifying and has kept me busy in the best possible of ways. I have a new reason to find new music, and a new reason to dig through my old files. At school we seem to be racing towards the end of the year with more things, every day,

Loss Leader redux

2011-06-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

As a life's works, I would remember everything - everything - against loss. I would go through life like a plankton net - Annie Dillard Jamaica "Jericho"Houses "Reds"My Morning Jacket "Circuital"

Cover: Only Girl In The World

2011-06-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

I've always liked Gomez vocalist/guitarist Ben Ottewell, and I'm looking forward to their new album Whatever's On Your Mind which is supposed to come out any day now in the UK, and in a few weeks in America. I'm also a fan of improbable covers so I was happy to stumble across this version of Rihanna's "Only Girl In The World". It works for me, in a way the original just ... doesn't! Enjoy!

I spose, b'y ...

2011-05-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

One of the awesome things about teaching English to kids is the opportunities to expose them to music. A few days ago my wee students came across the word "perhaps" in a reader and asked me what it meant. I told them it meant "maybe", a word I knew they knew, since I say it to them all the time. "Show us a song!!!" they asked, and - lucky for them - I could!It's been a long time since I played

Word-play, not foreplay ...

2011-05-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

"Don't call him a cowboy till you've seen him ride. That stetson hat and them fancy boots don't tell you what's inside - if he ain't good in the saddle you won't be satisfied." - Conway Twitty.I know a woman who told me that when she got married, as a good Catholic girl about 40 years ago, she was still a virgin and had only kissed her husband before they got hitched. I thought it was sweet -

< 3

2011-05-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that. ~Michael LeunigI just thought it was time I posted something not bitter or boring. That is all. Tristen "Baby Drugs"Suckers "Save Your Love For Me"Josh Ritter "Lantern"

Two Song Tuesday: I'm a Tool!

2011-05-24T10:12:00.001-07:00

Not always, anyway. It's been a busy work week for me so I haven't been posting much. Today's Two Song Tuesday belongs to a lovely Facebook friend who kindly stepped up and requested Tool when I updated my status demanding a band name for today's blog post. I have to admit (I just have to - it's the leftover Catholic in me!) that I know next to nothing about Tool so this post is a bit of a

Two Song Tuesday: Autocorrect #win!

2011-05-17T10:23:00.001-07:00

Me: Beta, name abandon!Frankie: I don't even understand that.Me: Gah! Damn autocorrect! I meant - heya, name a BAND. Frankie: Well this is a breath of fresh ass. Frankie: No wait! I meant "air"!!Me: Sure you did. Frankie: A friend of mine used to play in a band called "Cheap Date". I loved that name. Me: I'll see what I can do.Frankie: You're going to try to be a cheap date? Good luck.*On Two

Shaken Not Stirred

2011-05-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can spend hours just clicking around the internet/my music library looking for a song - any song - that will stick in my brain, or make me pay attention. It's a highly fickle system and not one I'd want to chart, but lately it's been getting harder and harder to find music that stirs me. I'm pretty sure it will pass. I probably just need something simple like sleep, or perspective, or

The minor fall ...

2011-05-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

Every time I listen to this song I find something new that I like about it. This time it's, "But you don't really care for music, do you?". It struck me as being incredibly poignant, and a little bit funny, too. Enjoy!KD Lang "Hallelujah"

Two Song Tuesday: Make Like A Tree!

2011-05-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Just came across this Last Royals cover of Orchestral Manoeuvres' (OMD) "If You Leave" and it reminded me that Nada Surf once did a cover of the song as well. It's Two Song Tuesday - so have them both!The Last Royals "If You Leave"Nada Surf "If You Leave"

The Universe Will Bite You

2011-05-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

I was at a doctor's office earlier and, to my very chagriny chagrin, Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You played on the speakers while I lay on a table, unable to move and - HELL - unable to change to change the CD. It was a sad moment and I wondered how I could ever turn it into a funny moment - or at least a bloggable moment. Despair soon set in, let me tell you.I came home determined to

G, that's weird!

2011-05-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

My friend "G", a guest blogger here, hasn't posted in a while. Today I clicked over from OR to FB to send him a message - intending to beg him to post again soon - when I saw that he had just (minutes before) sent me a message. In it he said that he had uploaded a song to Libsyn, that his computer was on the fritz and gave me permission to post the MP3 for him. Wow.Just so you know how very

Speechless, Since 11:05

2011-05-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

For some moments in life there are no words. - David Seltzer, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate FactoryCambridge Dictionaries OnlineFleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"House Of Wolves "50s"Jewellers "Bell Tap"

Voices + distance

2011-05-02T10:49:00.000-07:00

Getting a taxi in Dubai is hard. There are just too many people and not enough cabs, I think, and I sometimes wait an hour or more for my driver to show up. The telephone system is good though. I call and get an automated service asking me to: "Press 2 for English" and then: 1 to order a cab to my registered location, 2 to order one for a later time, 3 to make a booking for tomorrow or 4 to talk

They Call Me Sidebar Mary

2011-05-01T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've decided that this blog template really needs another sidebar. I'm going to try to do that myself (glass of wine; bit of CSS modification for a Sunday night) so don't be alarmed if, you know, the posts disappear or something. I'll be back!

Goodnight songs...

2011-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a goodnight song so I did the cleverest thing I could think of at this late hour and searched my files for the word "goodnight". This is what my computer came up with. It made me smirk, and that's always a sign that I'm posting the right thing. Or the wrong thing, but, hey, life is a mystery! Either way, have a good night.Lou Barlow "Gravitate" (from Goodnight Unknown)

Fryday

2011-04-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

Quentin: Gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. Which would you prefer?Thick Kevin: Good news.Quentin: Okay. The good news is the engine has exploded and we're all going to die.Dave: Hello, Dr Dave, Radio Rock. How is that good news?Quentin: I haven't yet told you how we're going to die. That's the bad news.Simon: How are we gonna die?Quentin: We're going to drown in the freezing

Oh, S(ad)ness ...

2011-04-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

What you want to do, I hope, is watch this video with volume off, and then watch it again loud. Lykke Li does sexy-selling-drama like nobody else, imo. Lykke Li "I Know Places" (from Wounded Rhymes, available for stream here)

Voltaire vs. Pollyanna

2011-04-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

She said, "So I got my stuff and the girl at the register puts these other things in my bag, too. Little free samples: gum and a comb and a marker pen. So I says to her, 'Look, girlie, I got false teeth and I wear a wig.' So she fishes back in my bag and takes out the comb and the gum. Left the pen in there. Anyways, I went back to the van, even though I knew it was locked. Figured I'd just wait

Time! Can't Cedar Wood For The Trees.

2011-04-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

There is a definite correlation between how much work I have to do and how much I post. You can see from the sidebar that I've posted 19 times in April and that means I'm probably GOING TO GET BOOTED FROM MY PHD PROGRAM! I want to save the world and help small, poor children get better educations - I really do - but I just ... want to do it my way, and on my own time, dammit. Maybe I just need

Got You Covered ... Part 3

2011-04-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that Blogger now has a "stats" option that allows me to see details about my visitors. How creepy+cool is that?! It doesn't give me too-too much information but I can see the following:The majority of you use Firefox (46%), the next is IE (26%) and then Safari at (20%). The rest use Chrome, Opera, Flipboard, Rockmelt (yay!), or mobile devices. Blogger also tells me that over the

Haven't crash landed yet ...

2011-04-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

When I was in Canada two summers ago I went to the Guelph Hillside Festival with my sister. I was giddy with fresh jetlag and new music and vacation happiness when we encountered a massive summer storm that forced everyone to run for cover. The mud, the lightning, the thunder and the melee of frightened hipsters/campers/vacationers were a sight to behold. I had just bought two records: Julie

Weekend songs

2011-04-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning and felt productive! Whatever happened to my body last night while I slept must have been amazing because in the past few hours I have, fueled by a single cup of coffee, read three chapters of this book, downloaded a bunch of music, made phone calls, found plane tickets to Canada and vacuumed my floor. How's that for a pile of random, speedy shit? Here, have three

2011-04-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances. If there is any reaction, both are transformed. - Carl JungNot the most connected songs but the only two that seemed to fit. The weekend in Dubai starts tomorrow - a Thursday - and I'm looking forward to having a few days to celebrate being someone other than "Miss Melissa" and "Mommy". As wonderful as they are, of

The Night I Almost Drowned

2011-04-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

I've written before of my horror-ardor with Frightened Rabbit. Whatever ridiculous tough-girl-punk-rock beast took root in my soul back in the 80s and 90s has made it hard for me to listen to earnestness and masculine broken hearts without cringing and wanting to slap someone silly. Unless it's a country song or a musical about a botched sex-change operation. It's a flaw, I admit it.Tonight I was

Affronted ... frontal

2011-04-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

True stories are the ones that lie open at the border, allowing crossing, a further frontier. The final frontier is just science fiction - don't believe it. Like the universe, there is no end. - Jeanette Winterson "The Stone Gods"I've had a headache for 5 days running. Will it ever end - and what does it all mean? There's a 'lol' in here somewhere, I'm sure of it. Here - have some clever songs

Reach into your pockets ...

2011-04-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

I like this because it reminds me of Damien Jurado circa 1999 - except for the handclaps. That part is 2006, but I forgive them.Eastern Conference Champions "Sideways Walking"

Two Song Tuesday: From a Galaxy Far, Far Away

2011-04-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ed. Note: This is a guest post. I am in no way, shape or form the Melissa, and though any possible confusion by the many readers (and listeners) only serves to make me feel more attractive, it nevertheless does a disservice to all involved since A) my music selections aren't as good as hers, and B) I'm too ugly for radio. As most in the know, know, I'm not attuned to the hipster music scene.

Fook off? Really?

2011-04-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've been posting this video all over the place because it really blew my mind. I saw "Foo Fighters" and thought "Oh, Foo Fighters? Are they still ..."Well they are, and swoon to them for the energy and rock. I loved it.

Got You Covered ...

2011-04-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Each act is virgin, even the repeated ones. - René CharThe thing about covers is that sometimes they force you to really listen to lyrics. I wouldn't have guessed, until tonight, that Limp Bizkit really knew what they were talking about. Here, have a lovely, sad song!Joywave "Rearranged" (Limp Bizkit cover)

The National: Think You Can Wait

2011-04-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

The National has recently collaborated with director Thomas McCarthy on his latest film “Win Win.” and come up with yet another classic National song called "Think You Can Wait.”It's easy to love The National songs: they're arranged nicely, Berninger’s baritone is as sexy as hell, the lyrics are intelligent and not too-too obscure and they manage to meld mature awareness with indie coolness -

Not New Music: Electric Light Orchestra

2011-04-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

So, in addition to loving The Cars (and thank you for that surprise post, Mr Chicken Wire) I also adore E.L.O., a band who were once promoted as 'the English guys with the big fiddles'. What more could an island girl, just being born, ask for in her future?Electric Light Orchestra "Mr Blue Sky"Electric Light Orchestra "Don't Bring Me Down"Electric Light Orchestra "Midnight Blue"

Oil be damned!

2011-04-05T10:25:00.001-07:00

One of my friends asked me the other day if a well-oiled machine actually goes "swish swish swish", as I mentioned in this post. I have no idea but I do know that all of my recent blogs occupy a territory I call 'type it and post it and don't worry about it' so I guess there's less elegance to be expected from swift typing.I very, very rarely tread back into the past to read my old posts (5 years

New Music: Typhoon

2011-04-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

I came by Typhoon via Listen/Buy who tells us that Typhoon are - surprise! - from Portland, Oregon - and made up of anywhere from "7 to 17 members". It's very Young American Indie, if I can invent a term, and although I find as I get older I'm bored more easily by hand claps and sing-alongs, these guys impressed me. The songs build and change in a way that makes me want to go back and listen

New - quiet - music. Shhhh ....

2011-04-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

Every month or so I go through my email and chase down the links to free music that people kindly send me. This month's wee playlist is particularly mellow but that isn't a bad thing - especially since I am currently suffering through a miserable hangover and I'm sure my head couldn't handle anything too loud. If I had to give this playlist a name I would call it:When I Close My Eyes (I See You,

No, wait!

2011-03-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Have no fear of robbers or murderers. They are external dangers, petty dangers. We should fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices the real murderers. - Victor Hugo "Les Miserables"The Kills "Wait"

The ladybug sits by the watchtower at dusk ...

2011-03-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

And that title means ... nothing, sorry. I was just being deliberately mysterious to see what it felt like. I felt like I was 22 again. ....My friend "Townie Bastard" always does "Last 5 Songs" on his blog and I like randomness of his lists. I did the same tonight but my songs didn't seems so ... random, for some reason. Here they are:Kasabian "Vlad the Impaler"Our Lady Peace "Happiness & the

It's funny because ...

2011-03-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

I had a linguistics professor who said that it is man's ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there's one other thing that separates us from animals: we aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners - Jeff StilsonI'm at war with my dry-cleaners. I gave them a dress and then, a day later, a pair of trousers. They returned the dress - ruined - with

Swish!

2011-03-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

Some mornings - most, in fact - I feel like I get it all right: I am up by 6. I let Wild Child sleep while I shower, boil the water for coffee, make her lunch and get her breakfast ready. I wake Wild Child and give her food while I dry my hair, get dressed and worry about what shoes to wear. By the time I'm ready she's finished her breakfast and ready for her uniform and hair. Most nights I have

All sorts of antics!

2011-03-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

A good essay must have this permanent quality about it; it must draw its curtain round us, but it must be a curtain that shuts us in not out. - Virginia WoolfIvor Culter "Love"Ivor Culter "A Lady Found An Insect"

Even the cake was in tiers ...

2011-03-11T04:38:00.000-08:00

I've been advised to make a Breakup Playlist. Seriously. Two friends have suggested that perhaps making a set of heartbreak songs could make me feel better. Like an act of catharsis, or something.Initially I thought it was a great idea (Music! Lists! Not Doing Research!) but I didn't feel that I needed release or resolution or anything. We're all adults here (... nobody be alarmed...) and all of

Circus Life

2011-03-10T10:46:00.001-08:00

I've been going through my music collection and, in attempt to free myself of the misery that every album from 2009-2011 currently brings, I've been focused on older songs and discs. With the exception of Quiet Riot (how can I own every one of their discs but have lost my orange "Trainspotting" vinyl?) there have been some fun rediscoveries. I happen to own the world's largest collection of 54-40

Life, you're so groovy

2011-03-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Family Portrait "Other Side"The Family Portrait LP is out April 5 on Underwater Peoples. Buy it here.

We're all special ...

2011-03-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

Act, and you shall have dinner; wait, and you shall be dinner.Gowron, Klingon proverb, Star Trek: Deep Space NineChocolate Watchband "I'm Not Like Everyone Else" (1968 Kinks cover)

I knew I shouldn't have put that poster on our fridge

2011-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

I liked these songs before I got dumped, but now they've taken on a whole new meaning. Now I smirk when I hear them - and then wonder if maybe I smirked too much.Suuns "Up Past The Nursery"Engineers "To An Evergreen"

Recitation

2011-02-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

Tune The Proletariat - one of the best music blogs I've ever come across (similar in many respects to the equally sublime Said The Gramophone) put a post up today with two Leonard Cohen songs that I wanted to share. I don't think I should paraphrase the post, nor do I want to just add the songs*, so I'm cutting and pasting (still known as 'quoting' in some quarters) and adding the MP3 files after

Sweden Short - Short and Sweet.

2011-02-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a week (or two) of surprises. And now Lykke Li is joining in on the party.Everybody's favourite indie tartlet has pulled a Jenny Lewis circa 2006 by releasing a mournful countryish ballad about a broken heart. The song even has some shoo-ap-shoo-ap-shoo-ap's to sway to. Except it was released in 2010 and I've only heard it today. Weirdness.Here, have a sad song! I'm off to Ikea -

Bookin' It ...

2011-02-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

"How do you know how I feel, Hugh"?'I watch you. I study you. I love you.'Fiammatosa noticed, in her cool mind, that she did not love Hugh, whatever love was.She wondered whether this was a loss or a gain. She was inclined to think, on balance, that it was a gain. There was more life in coldness. In solitude. Inside a crackling skin of protective ice that was also a sensuous delight. - A.S.

Real classy ...

2011-02-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

From Terry Pratchett's "Lords and Ladies" -Nanny subtly breaks the news of a death:'Well, now,' said Nanny 'you know the widow Scrope, lives over in the slice?'Quarney's mouth opened.'She's not a widow, he said 'She - ''Bet you half a dollar?' said Nanny.Rob St. John "Phantom Limb"

New music: Radiohead's "Lotus Flower"

2011-02-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

Whale Meat Again .. .

2011-02-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

Or maybe not. It was just the pun I was after, really.On Facebook we've started a little group called "Oppor(tune)ity Rocks" where I (and a few dozen others*) share music links and MP3 files and music videos. It's a fun little spot and I've already been introduced to a shit-load of music I wouldn't have found otherwise. Yesterday one of my friends posted a link to Noah and the Whale (from their

Crappalicious, Batman

2011-02-16T04:51:00.000-08:00

I thought about making a playlist for broken hearts, but that would be a bit hammy and overdone - and would probably have to include Toni Braxton and Juice Newton. Instead I thought I'd add the only songs I've been able to listen to for the past day or so without feeling like puking. I guess we can call it the "The Bottom Line" playlist. That's actually how we roll 'round here. For today,

Do not try this at home ...

2011-02-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

On my ipad there is an alarm that sounds like dozens of birds chirping. When I first heard it I thought it was a great idea - soothing, quirky, and not at all obnoxious. Perfect the mornings, no?No. Instead, all it's done is convince me, every morning at 6 am, that one of the world's most classic examples of peace and perfection is actually evil and wretched. Next week I'm going to change it to a

When you say one thing ...

2011-02-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's February already? It's hard to tell over here.When I lived in Korea I had the advantage (yes, you read that correctly - I am about to say something positive about Korea) of teaching a flexible schedule. Even though I worked till 8 or 9 in the night I sometimes had mornings, or a few hours in the afternoon, free. That was when I blogged, right-clickers. Now I (a much happier I, let me caveat

Not organic, nuh-huh...

2011-01-22T04:45:00.000-08:00

Like most mothers I agonize about Bad Things happening to my child: that she might trip down a flight of stairs, get hit by car, have a fever over 39℃, be abducted, be mistreated, be left out, get lost, fall behind, or fall down the trash disposal chute. That aliens might come and steal her away from me in a flashing spaceship made of kimchi. I'm not sure how to engage her in dialogue about the

Songs to Write Home About

2011-01-14T09:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a while, right clickers. The RWC collective has been busy entertaining guests and working our arses off in the freezing cold* but we are happy to be back, and back with a list of songs that kept us happy (or angry, or soothed, or righteous, or just dancing) in 2010. You can, for your convenience, just listen to the songs or listen and then download them as MP3 files.Randomly:Janelle

And then he drank her Diet Coke!!!!

2010-12-31T00:21:00.000-08:00

My friend George felt stifled by his own limitations and made up his mind upon turning 40 to eat pussy at the next available opportunity. It was not a success, he said, and the woman who volunteered for this noble experiment had freshened up with a cinnamon douche, so George was left only with a lasting distaste for breakfast rolls. He worked as a ticket agent for Southwest, so the smell of

Boo, who?

2010-12-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Ghosts, like ladies, never speak till spoken to. -- Richard Harris BarhamStars "Dead Hearts"Broken Bells "The Ghost Inside"The Reckoners "Too Tough To Love"

Tales of the Desert

2010-12-25T23:52:00.000-08:00

It rained here yesterday, on Christmas morning, and when I went for a walk around 9 AM there were still small puddles of water everywhere and the air smelled clean. It was the first time in 5 months I had seen rainwater and, honestly, it seemed more miraculous and awe-inspiring than anything Christmas was supposed to represent. I didn't splash around in it, but I wanted to. Mean Wind - "Kingdom

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T02:44:00.000-08:00

Our earth is round, and, among other thingsThat means that you and I can holdCompletely differentPoints of view and both be right.-- Gwendolyn Brooks "Corners on the Curving Sky"Tortuga Bar "Storm" (Monocular Remix)Perfume Genius "Lookout"Francis Leftwich "Rebellion" (Arcade Fire cover)

Watchy

2010-12-16T23:12:00.000-08:00

Dude from The Music Ninja put together a music video/montage/mashup of some of the best movies of 2010 and it's quite amazing - fascinating to watch and lovely to listen to. Click, click, click ...

Your Arabic (Music) Digest

2010-11-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

One of my workmates pointed me towards Naseer Shamma and Anouar Brahem Trio today when I asked about "nice Arabic tunes". She could have laughed at me or told me to find my own damn "nice" Arab musicians but she didn't, and I'm happy for it. Things at work are busy, busy, busy - and this was the perfect balm for a tired Sunday* evening.Single click to play, right click to make it stay.Naseer

Two Song Tuesday: When Directors Reconnect

2010-11-23T09:59:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, reader/listener/blogger extraordinaire White Rice requested a song by Director, an Irish quartet, and here at Running With Chopsticks we aim to please. In other words, just leave it to me. Director - Reconnect Director - Leave It to Me

What day is it? I don't even know.

2010-11-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

But whatever day it is - we hope you have a good one. And be sure to look both ways.Po Po "Let's Get Away"Electric Bunnies "Cross The Street"

I Know Why They Call Them Sandals (playlist)

2010-11-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

Here at Running With Chopsticks we have been celebrating Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday commemorating the fact that Abraham (or Abram, or Ibrahim, you know) was willing to kill as an act of obedience to God. We also celebrate the fact that God eventually stepped up and gave him a ram to sacrifice instead of his kid - and by kid I do not mean small goat. Even though I'm not sure which part is more

Little Miss SmARTY pants

2010-11-08T08:09:00.000-08:00

So, living in the desert, next to a beach, in a place renowned for bling and baubles and spas and fancy cars and massive malls is great - and as soon as I have some free time I'm sure I'll explore a bit more and/or figure out how to relax a bit. Life right now is just filled with work (great!), and Wild Child (great!), and packing lunches (not great!) and all sorts of other mundane things (

Neu Muzik

2010-11-04T10:27:00.001-07:00

Running With Chopsticks has been (happily - because "sharing is caring") receiving a lot more emails from bands and musicians who invite us to listen to and share in their music. This is awesome because it invariably introduces me to new music that I wouldn't have found otherwise. And it should please you, happy right-clickers, because it means more free and legal tunage for your music machines.

H to the O

2010-10-26T09:57:00.000-07:00

I HOnestly have no idea how it is that "homeboy" is the first result that turns up on my Google search autofill thingie. I swear, I'm innocent. What I am NOT, HOwever, is healthy as a HOrse. I've been sick for a month and no amount of rural Canadian gumption and laziness and (perhaps misplaced) HOrror of doctors has been able to nudge me down the path of wellness so I finally made a trip to the

Late October Monday

2010-10-25T17:15:00.000-07:00

To an eagle or to an owl or to a rabbit, man must seem a masterful and yet a forlorn animal; he has but two friends. In his almost universal unpopularity he points out, with pride, that these two are the dog and the horse. He believes, with an innocence peculiar to himself, that they are equally proud of this alleged confraternity. He says, 'Look at my two noble friends - they are dumb, but they

Holy Ghost!

2010-10-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

I teach at a school where I have the occasional occasion to witness and overhear high school kids prancing about in all their young hormonal glory and, although it doesn't make me feel nostalgic exactly, I do feel a bit wistful about their freedom and their thick manes of hair and the way they can lunge for the exit as soon as the bell rings. This video (Holy Ghost Tent Revival) made me laugh,

'Check' this

2010-10-16T02:32:00.000-07:00

After 6 weeks of sitting at the port in Dubai, my boxes have finally been delivered from Korea and I've begun to unpack my books and music, and started to feel like I'm living my own, real, life again. When I unpacked all the CDs though I immediately saw that about 50% of them were gifts from Kennan and I fell into the (ridiculous) Pit Of Despair that I've been more or less avoiding for the past

Don't let the door hit you

2010-10-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

My relationship with Libsyn (my file host and uploader), and its predecessor Switchpod, has been like a bad (co-dependant) relationship: I keep threatening to leave, and they keep pulling me back, and I need them, and they need me, they promise to make it better but then they leave me waiting around for hours ... and so it goes. But I figure my break with Korea, and my new life in Dubai, warrants

Show & Tell: the margins of ...

2010-10-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last night Wild Child had a sleep over at her cousin's house and I did nothing but read, drink non-alcoholic beer, and download music. It was lovely, and to continue the trend of backing-away-from-the-brink, today I'm going to buy some light bulbs, swim in the pool and listen to music. I may or may not order curry for supper. I will not stay home and grade spelling. I will not fall in a pit of

Stick a pin in that one!

2010-10-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

I went to a recent training course/workshop here in Dubai and in the lobby of the school, warmly surrounded by the muffins and free coffee, they had placed a map with a pile of colourful tacks and asked the participants to put a pin near their home countries or the countries where they worked. It was a cute idea and nice to see how diverse a group of people I was workshopping with. It was only

Dooty dooty Dubai

2010-10-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

The move from Korea to Dubai, from Korean to English, from daycare to Pre-K, from Only Koreans to International School Diversity - from kimchi and bap to hummus and sandwiches - has been really hard on Wild Child. She's been more confused than I would have imagined, and more poorly behaved than I would have imagined as well. I don't mind admitting that I haven't been handling her culture shock

Damn, I missed Tuesday again

2010-10-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

Kaiser Chiefs "Good Days Bad Days"

Deo volente

2010-10-03T08:21:00.000-07:00

They had a henna artist set up in the lunch area during the training session and on the third day I went over to her and asked her for henna on the palm of my hand. "Why only the palm?", she asked. "Because I teach young students", I said. "I want them to pay attention to me, not my arm". She took my hand and started applying the paste, deftly and indifferently. After a minute she squeezed my

Jet-setter's ninja

2010-09-30T11:31:00.000-07:00

I will be spending the weekend in workshops. Good workshops - important even - but, sill, it's my weekend and I resent (just a little) giving it up. May I return to you on Monday full of new-found vigor and enthusiasm for teaching, and a ninja memory stick full of new music. I plan on disgracing myself by asking every person I interact with about their favourite kinds of tunage. May the ninja