I don't mean to look, and for the past few minutes I've been trying to keep my eyes on this screen and nothing else. But I have to look. My gaze is somehow magnetized to this pole, and it's unfortunate that someone's noticed.
I snagged a good seat at a busy cafe in Davis and I haven't moved for several hours. I had worked productively for several of those several hours but the weariness of research had combined with my hyperactivity from three cups of caffeine. Not wanting to lose this prime seat, I resorted to people-watching as a sort of release. It's not just sitting here judging people. Sometimes, I can find an ethereal connection with an unaware stranger, some memory from my past or future. An asian man, looking for the bathroom key. How many times have I been him, and how many more until I'm his age? Some arabic students, friends who clamor and discuss this or that with fluid aspirations. Without the arabic, I've been them before, at a Starbucks in Cleveland, at Choco Latte, with Fred, with Prisca.
But as it goes, the inevitable cute girl had to take the nearest seat to the table directly across me. She was small, asian, probably a church-goer if one could make such a distinction. Nothing about her was particularly alluring, but her movements held a kind of self-consciousness that certain minorities have. She probably sees it as a weakness to overcome, but I like it. That table became base for my eyes, a place from where I dare not stray, lest I be captured or tagged. She's still sitting there, her profile facing towards a middle-aged woman on a computer, who is facing me. People at that table keep moving, directing my attention to them and to then her. When a guy next to the computer woman stood up, I quickly glanced at him and automatically at cute girl, and I felt two immediate eyes look up in my direction. The fastidious computer woman caught me creeping, and my reaction plead my guilt; I quickly affixed my eyes to my screen.
I want to take a break from all this, the watching, the watched, but my only other option is impossible. I brought along a book in case I get bored, a suggestion from my brother. Unfortunately, the title "Lolita" is imprinted bold on the cover, along with a pair of giant nymphet lips. For someone accused of creeping, busting out the most historically creepy book would further confirm the accusation. This especially because I think computer woman still has her eye on me.
So instead I blog. And not even in a blog, but in TextEdit, in tiny font in case someone's trying to look on. Do I hate myself? No, not at all. In fact, I'm priding myself on a recent mix I made. I got 60/60 on my last math exam. I am wearing my cowboy shirt.
I have many positive qualities that outweigh my creepiness in this moment, which, to my conscience, is important in getting a good night's rest tonight. And if I don't, God, let it be the three cups of caffeine.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
wheat
The trade of wheat globally is pretty complicated, as it is for all commodities. But I'm exploring wheat, specifically durum wheat, as a tradable commodity for my international agricultural trade and policy class. So far I've found out that I don't know how to interpret data. I feel like I'm learning a lot, but someone who's better with data would probably be able to see some significance in the numbers, whereas I don't. That was really boring to write and even more boring to reread.
Something about international trade is really interesting to me, but I'm having a hard time really pinpointing it, especially since I suck at trade theory. I think I like it because of the irony. People that are into development seem to lean towards protectionism, a good handful of them at least. They vilify the United States (even though the EU is a bigger culprit) as the protector of the bad guys, subsidizing giant multi-national corporations in order to further their interests. It's such a story-book picture, and for people looking to pick sides, the argument seems obvious. The US protects their economies, currently and historically, so country X should be able to do the same. Level the playing field, they say.**
Here in America, in small towns built around a single commodity, the mood is strikingly similar to that of the bleeding heart development advocate. Farmers can't compete with cheap labor across our borders, and it's our government's job to protect us. Like the Brazilian orange farmer, we've been farming oranges for generations. So why should you give some Brazilian a break, when you can help out your own people? Raise the tariffs and represent your people well, Senator. Protect the well-being of your constituents.
Both views are two sides of a bigger story, which has way more than just two sides. These views are ironic because they're so short-sighted, and they lead to protectionism, which if there is a "solution" is not that. It's like a game in which we're stuck in an equilibrium with no incentive to move. That is, unless there are bold and informed decision makers that can arbitrage a different equilibrium. I guess that's what Doha was all about. I find irony in people's negative reactions against the WTO. Doha was supposed to be a stage for arbitrage, where the influence of Florida citrus farmers would equal that of the Mexican sugar farmer. Still here, there are bad guys (the EU, the US) and good guys (the G20), a the classic showdown in Cancun, and further talks that might lead to some dramatic end (the WTO disintegrating). I remember reading last winter about how slowly things were progressing in Hong Kong after the last ministerial conference. It was disappointing to see how frustrating the negotiations were, and how they couldn't come to an agreement.
But who else will plead the case of the African rice farmers, besides the Seattle protesters and Oxfam (which is not an economic research group, and has an agenda on a lot of their "research")? Well, hopefully, it's the WTO, the Cairns group, and the G20. Cairns and the G20, in short, are groups representing several nations that mean to stand up against the implicit one-sidedness of WTO agreements, which are usually spearheaded by the big nations. The Agreement on Agriculture as a system is pretty complex, and to battle one aspect of it will just open up an opportunity for protectionism elsewhere. One might say that the G20 is fighting a meaningless battle, but I think they at least have the means to do it, and the influence to demand true liberalization and free trade.
I mentioned in response to a post recently about international trade that our individual decisions don't really make a difference. What I was thinking about was this: The US marks up domestic sugar through tariffs over 100%. That means we're paying more than twice as much for US sugar, and we don't have access to cheaper foreign sugar. So what the heck is an individual consumer supposed to do about that? Nothing, except complain, or move to Mexico... That is, until next year, when we've committed to opening up to Mexican sugar. We'll see how that fares. Not like anyone really notices.
Japan imports rice exclusively from a few American rice corporations. The Japanese people don't see that rice in their supermarkets; the rice is for cattle and sake. So Japanese cattle farmers get cheaper rice and make more profit on the margin because of it. Japanese consumers still buy expensive Japanese rice. Japan has seemingly liberalized their markets since they've "opened up" trade for rice, but not really. And what is an informed American or Japanese citizen supposed to do about it? Again, complain, move, or work within the system to change the policy.
Maybe if everyone realized they were paying twice as much for sugar, or that a few guys in suits are making bank with their exclusive trading rights to Japan, we'd be able to influence our congress to do something about it. But people just don't care enough, and the ones that do are fooled by a two-dimensional fairy tale about good guys and bad guys that leads to protectionism.
In what I've described so far, I haven't even talked about the play between domestic industries, the conflict over GM crops, or ethanol/biofuels, let alone really delve into the intricacy of the WTO, trade litigation and trade theory. Pretty much, I don't know anything, this is all too complicated for me, and I have no idea how to talk about the world market for wheat since everything is all messed up. If only the WTO would come to my rescue and make it simple. If that could be done before December 10th when my paper is due, that would be awesome.
** The reason why this view is short-sighted is because, on average, developing nations' tariff rates are a lot higher than developed nations' rates. So in the realm of international trade, it's the developed nations who want the playing field leveled. If the government of some small African nation brings up "fair trade", the US would counterpoint with the numerous markets to which the African country has access. That might not seem fair, but the point is that the fair trade argument would actually hurt a small nation. If they put up barriers, the US (and every other nation) would probably put up theirs. If the point is to improve GDP, removing trade is counterproductive.
Oftentimes, people bring up the infant-industry argument, which intuitively is appealing, but realistically falls apart. The appeal is clear: Industries that show promise, but need time to be able to compete with the world market, should be protected. However, neither trade theory nor historical evidence supports the infant-industry argument. Latin-American nations thought they ought to protect their manufacturing industries, according to the research done by Prebisch and Singer. In short, it was a disaster. GDP did not grow. Markets didn't flourish. Their manufacturing industries never took off and labor and capital were misplaced within their markets. How is a government to know which industry will flourish? How will that industry fare if other nations restrict access in retaliation to the protection? How could that industry prevent from relying on that protection and building it into their business models?
Arguments for this kind of protectionism oftentimes point to Japan, how they protected their auto industry. Who's to say they didn't do so to make more profit, and not because the industries truly needed it? Who's to say they wouldn't have recouped early losses with the gains from free trade, specifically the wider market access? Trade theory forces these questions, which then brings to light the possibility that their auto industry would have flourished anyway.
Something about international trade is really interesting to me, but I'm having a hard time really pinpointing it, especially since I suck at trade theory. I think I like it because of the irony. People that are into development seem to lean towards protectionism, a good handful of them at least. They vilify the United States (even though the EU is a bigger culprit) as the protector of the bad guys, subsidizing giant multi-national corporations in order to further their interests. It's such a story-book picture, and for people looking to pick sides, the argument seems obvious. The US protects their economies, currently and historically, so country X should be able to do the same. Level the playing field, they say.**
Here in America, in small towns built around a single commodity, the mood is strikingly similar to that of the bleeding heart development advocate. Farmers can't compete with cheap labor across our borders, and it's our government's job to protect us. Like the Brazilian orange farmer, we've been farming oranges for generations. So why should you give some Brazilian a break, when you can help out your own people? Raise the tariffs and represent your people well, Senator. Protect the well-being of your constituents.
Both views are two sides of a bigger story, which has way more than just two sides. These views are ironic because they're so short-sighted, and they lead to protectionism, which if there is a "solution" is not that. It's like a game in which we're stuck in an equilibrium with no incentive to move. That is, unless there are bold and informed decision makers that can arbitrage a different equilibrium. I guess that's what Doha was all about. I find irony in people's negative reactions against the WTO. Doha was supposed to be a stage for arbitrage, where the influence of Florida citrus farmers would equal that of the Mexican sugar farmer. Still here, there are bad guys (the EU, the US) and good guys (the G20), a the classic showdown in Cancun, and further talks that might lead to some dramatic end (the WTO disintegrating). I remember reading last winter about how slowly things were progressing in Hong Kong after the last ministerial conference. It was disappointing to see how frustrating the negotiations were, and how they couldn't come to an agreement.
But who else will plead the case of the African rice farmers, besides the Seattle protesters and Oxfam (which is not an economic research group, and has an agenda on a lot of their "research")? Well, hopefully, it's the WTO, the Cairns group, and the G20. Cairns and the G20, in short, are groups representing several nations that mean to stand up against the implicit one-sidedness of WTO agreements, which are usually spearheaded by the big nations. The Agreement on Agriculture as a system is pretty complex, and to battle one aspect of it will just open up an opportunity for protectionism elsewhere. One might say that the G20 is fighting a meaningless battle, but I think they at least have the means to do it, and the influence to demand true liberalization and free trade.
I mentioned in response to a post recently about international trade that our individual decisions don't really make a difference. What I was thinking about was this: The US marks up domestic sugar through tariffs over 100%. That means we're paying more than twice as much for US sugar, and we don't have access to cheaper foreign sugar. So what the heck is an individual consumer supposed to do about that? Nothing, except complain, or move to Mexico... That is, until next year, when we've committed to opening up to Mexican sugar. We'll see how that fares. Not like anyone really notices.
Japan imports rice exclusively from a few American rice corporations. The Japanese people don't see that rice in their supermarkets; the rice is for cattle and sake. So Japanese cattle farmers get cheaper rice and make more profit on the margin because of it. Japanese consumers still buy expensive Japanese rice. Japan has seemingly liberalized their markets since they've "opened up" trade for rice, but not really. And what is an informed American or Japanese citizen supposed to do about it? Again, complain, move, or work within the system to change the policy.
Maybe if everyone realized they were paying twice as much for sugar, or that a few guys in suits are making bank with their exclusive trading rights to Japan, we'd be able to influence our congress to do something about it. But people just don't care enough, and the ones that do are fooled by a two-dimensional fairy tale about good guys and bad guys that leads to protectionism.
In what I've described so far, I haven't even talked about the play between domestic industries, the conflict over GM crops, or ethanol/biofuels, let alone really delve into the intricacy of the WTO, trade litigation and trade theory. Pretty much, I don't know anything, this is all too complicated for me, and I have no idea how to talk about the world market for wheat since everything is all messed up. If only the WTO would come to my rescue and make it simple. If that could be done before December 10th when my paper is due, that would be awesome.
** The reason why this view is short-sighted is because, on average, developing nations' tariff rates are a lot higher than developed nations' rates. So in the realm of international trade, it's the developed nations who want the playing field leveled. If the government of some small African nation brings up "fair trade", the US would counterpoint with the numerous markets to which the African country has access. That might not seem fair, but the point is that the fair trade argument would actually hurt a small nation. If they put up barriers, the US (and every other nation) would probably put up theirs. If the point is to improve GDP, removing trade is counterproductive.
Oftentimes, people bring up the infant-industry argument, which intuitively is appealing, but realistically falls apart. The appeal is clear: Industries that show promise, but need time to be able to compete with the world market, should be protected. However, neither trade theory nor historical evidence supports the infant-industry argument. Latin-American nations thought they ought to protect their manufacturing industries, according to the research done by Prebisch and Singer. In short, it was a disaster. GDP did not grow. Markets didn't flourish. Their manufacturing industries never took off and labor and capital were misplaced within their markets. How is a government to know which industry will flourish? How will that industry fare if other nations restrict access in retaliation to the protection? How could that industry prevent from relying on that protection and building it into their business models?
Arguments for this kind of protectionism oftentimes point to Japan, how they protected their auto industry. Who's to say they didn't do so to make more profit, and not because the industries truly needed it? Who's to say they wouldn't have recouped early losses with the gains from free trade, specifically the wider market access? Trade theory forces these questions, which then brings to light the possibility that their auto industry would have flourished anyway.
Monday, November 19, 2007
omg..
................
................
................
i've just made the greatest mix in the world.
................
maybe i'll talk about it one day. here it is:
1) New Order - Ceremony (i took this song off the last mix and replaced it with a ted leo song.)
2) Pedro The Lion - Indian Summer
3) Radiohead - Reckoner
4) AmAnSet - Continuous Hit Music [lofi]
5) TV on the Radio - Dirty Whirlwind
6) Badly Drawn Boy - Cause A Rockslide [edit]
7) Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
8) No Age - Everybody's Down
9) Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube
10) The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
11) Sufjan Stevens - Sister
12) The Notwist - Consequence
13) Deerhunter - Hazel St.
14) LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
............. if only these track-listings could convey the awesomeness... let me know if you want one. if you do, i need ur address. email me at chris.rue@gmail.com.
................
................
i've just made the greatest mix in the world.
................
maybe i'll talk about it one day. here it is:
1) New Order - Ceremony (i took this song off the last mix and replaced it with a ted leo song.)
2) Pedro The Lion - Indian Summer
3) Radiohead - Reckoner
4) AmAnSet - Continuous Hit Music [lofi]
5) TV on the Radio - Dirty Whirlwind
6) Badly Drawn Boy - Cause A Rockslide [edit]
7) Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
8) No Age - Everybody's Down
9) Yo La Tengo - Sugarcube
10) The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
11) Sufjan Stevens - Sister
12) The Notwist - Consequence
13) Deerhunter - Hazel St.
14) LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
............. if only these track-listings could convey the awesomeness... let me know if you want one. if you do, i need ur address. email me at chris.rue@gmail.com.
Monday, November 12, 2007
No Age, Weirdo Rippers
Maybe it's that i've been listening to joy division, but No Age sounds like, well, joy division. or at least they want to. the freshness of exploration landed joy division in a place they didn't realize they were in, whereas the kids that are No Age stand firmly in this information age, knowing that no matter how far they escape they're still here. They still use the internet. They have mp3s. I can't help but hear someone else in them, even if they won't admit it. They're a replica of an 80s post punk band. A fine replica.
Well. Okay. They don't sound like joy division, really. I made most of that first paragraph up. But the idea's the same. Rock died somewhere at the turn of the century. Bands like No Age do what they can to revive it, but it's just a time cycle. They sprout, they grow, and then they die, not before pollinating the ground for others to do the same. And the same they become, growing, dying, finding that the counterculture is no longer interested in being anti. instead, it is more inter, obstinately defending the power of we, against all powers and politics and religions. So these rock bands that eventually die spring forth new ones that die, and so on and so forth. There's no forward movement, just a circle. Rock is a ferris wheel, frightening for the little ones and nostalgic for everyone else. We enjoy it as much as we can, and it reminds us that it's okay to ask, to ourselves or to the Man, who the f cares? I want to go on this ferris wheel, no matter how clearly I've overgrown it. Well. As great as that self-freedom is, we have families. We have friends. We have a world to which we are accountable, people, nations, animals and plants. We're not ticking time bombs set to explode at any moment, fragile, dangerous. Not caring isn't cool anymore. It's appreciated as much as fundamental religion. You're free to not care, but don't start imposing that view on me, or anyone else. Keep your rock to yourself.
Maybe there's still room to not care. There's still a pocket of air that's safe to abuse. A messed up family or something. Living off food stamps and getting beat up by gang members. I don't know what it is. Immediate problems need to be more glaring and important than, say, problems in the Darfur or the US Farm Bill. And that's not hard to achieve, since the injustices closer in physical and, more importantly, emotional proximity to us appear bigger than they really are. So look at that kid in the suburbs who happens to hate life. He hates his parents, his school and himself. The Darfur? He hates that too. Burma? He is the monk, beaten by some societal force that tells him he sucks. The state of the world doesn't urge him to get over himself, but instead reaffirms his need to screw it all. He picks up a guitar. He turns up his amp. He finds refuge in the noise, a kind of demon that whispers in his ear, through the distortion and noise, that nothing matters. So he makes a song that says, lyrically and musically, nothing matters. And it rings true to a generation. The problem is, that generation has long gone. We're not so angry anymore.
Or maybe it's not anger, just a sort of self-obsession. America's not short on that. In fact, nobody is. Some cultures may appear more community centered, but I think there are selfish bastards everywhere. I get the point though, that America is especially self-obsessed. Since we have the means, we go to amazing lengths to preserve ourselves. It rings at least a little bit true for rich people everywhere, but the 21st century America is a hotbed for such people. The reaction against such obsession is just more of the same. It's the idiot protesters who trashed all the Starbucks cafes in Seattle. It's the World Social Forum. It's No Age. It's a big F you to any teenager who hangs out at shopping malls, plays on the football team or sips five dollar mochaccinos. It doesn't care about others' feelings, or the fact that they're no better for seeing the phoniness and not doing anything about it other than complaining. It doesn't care about the Darfur. They don't call themselves monks.
So what's No Age's tragedy? If I could hear an intelligible lyric I'd be able to say. But since I can't, I'll just have to say, suburban teenage angst, drug use, and no babes.
The spirit of angst that makes such music, while debatably dead, does indeed make awesome music. So hey. No Age rocks. And they don't overstep their artistry; each song is short and to the point. They still wail a big f you to the Man, even if that's no longer our anthem. Should they mature, they'd lose whatever freshness they have. If they can become more themselves, more focused, more ridiculous, then maybe they'll be great. It might not be a healthy path into themselves, but it will be enjoyable for listeners until the next cool band sprouts from underneath them. But here in the year 2007, with Sufjan selling out baroque orchestra shows in NYC, maybe we won't even care. Talk about underground.
Well. Okay. They don't sound like joy division, really. I made most of that first paragraph up. But the idea's the same. Rock died somewhere at the turn of the century. Bands like No Age do what they can to revive it, but it's just a time cycle. They sprout, they grow, and then they die, not before pollinating the ground for others to do the same. And the same they become, growing, dying, finding that the counterculture is no longer interested in being anti. instead, it is more inter, obstinately defending the power of we, against all powers and politics and religions. So these rock bands that eventually die spring forth new ones that die, and so on and so forth. There's no forward movement, just a circle. Rock is a ferris wheel, frightening for the little ones and nostalgic for everyone else. We enjoy it as much as we can, and it reminds us that it's okay to ask, to ourselves or to the Man, who the f cares? I want to go on this ferris wheel, no matter how clearly I've overgrown it. Well. As great as that self-freedom is, we have families. We have friends. We have a world to which we are accountable, people, nations, animals and plants. We're not ticking time bombs set to explode at any moment, fragile, dangerous. Not caring isn't cool anymore. It's appreciated as much as fundamental religion. You're free to not care, but don't start imposing that view on me, or anyone else. Keep your rock to yourself.
Maybe there's still room to not care. There's still a pocket of air that's safe to abuse. A messed up family or something. Living off food stamps and getting beat up by gang members. I don't know what it is. Immediate problems need to be more glaring and important than, say, problems in the Darfur or the US Farm Bill. And that's not hard to achieve, since the injustices closer in physical and, more importantly, emotional proximity to us appear bigger than they really are. So look at that kid in the suburbs who happens to hate life. He hates his parents, his school and himself. The Darfur? He hates that too. Burma? He is the monk, beaten by some societal force that tells him he sucks. The state of the world doesn't urge him to get over himself, but instead reaffirms his need to screw it all. He picks up a guitar. He turns up his amp. He finds refuge in the noise, a kind of demon that whispers in his ear, through the distortion and noise, that nothing matters. So he makes a song that says, lyrically and musically, nothing matters. And it rings true to a generation. The problem is, that generation has long gone. We're not so angry anymore.
Or maybe it's not anger, just a sort of self-obsession. America's not short on that. In fact, nobody is. Some cultures may appear more community centered, but I think there are selfish bastards everywhere. I get the point though, that America is especially self-obsessed. Since we have the means, we go to amazing lengths to preserve ourselves. It rings at least a little bit true for rich people everywhere, but the 21st century America is a hotbed for such people. The reaction against such obsession is just more of the same. It's the idiot protesters who trashed all the Starbucks cafes in Seattle. It's the World Social Forum. It's No Age. It's a big F you to any teenager who hangs out at shopping malls, plays on the football team or sips five dollar mochaccinos. It doesn't care about others' feelings, or the fact that they're no better for seeing the phoniness and not doing anything about it other than complaining. It doesn't care about the Darfur. They don't call themselves monks.
So what's No Age's tragedy? If I could hear an intelligible lyric I'd be able to say. But since I can't, I'll just have to say, suburban teenage angst, drug use, and no babes.
The spirit of angst that makes such music, while debatably dead, does indeed make awesome music. So hey. No Age rocks. And they don't overstep their artistry; each song is short and to the point. They still wail a big f you to the Man, even if that's no longer our anthem. Should they mature, they'd lose whatever freshness they have. If they can become more themselves, more focused, more ridiculous, then maybe they'll be great. It might not be a healthy path into themselves, but it will be enjoyable for listeners until the next cool band sprouts from underneath them. But here in the year 2007, with Sufjan selling out baroque orchestra shows in NYC, maybe we won't even care. Talk about underground.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
gas!
I type with one hand. The other is rubbing my tummy, which hurts on account of gas. Gas is debilitating. It slows me down.
What if, instead of tear gas, riot police somehow infected people with gaseous stomachs. That would make the rioters go home and drink some alka seltzer. It would also give those people something to talk about later, other than the evils of whatever they were protesting.
So, gas. What else. I'm listening to a mix I made for a fellow student in my department. Actually he is a phd student, married and much more mature than I am. Most of my music is pretty immature. So we'll see how he likes it. As it goes, the mix has 21 killer tracks on it, most of which are less than two minutes long. Instead of loading the mix with my favorite songs, I've decided to make the whole album enjoyable (hopefully) and complete. Here's my thoughts as I put this mix together:
- It's kind of odd to put, as the first track, an actual first track. The problem is, first tracks make good first tracks, whether on the original album or in a mix. What I've found to my liking is a short and sweet attention-getter, not something hyperactive but something nice-sounding enough to start the album off on a good foot. I kicked this album off with Ceremony, as covered by New Order. (a radiohead cover wouldn't have been bad either)
- I wanted this mix to be a little more mature than my other ones, so that my friend won't think I'm just that guy who listens to weird music, who isn't even in the Ag Econ program (we aren't in any classes together). So the real cornerstone of the mix is "Lover, You Should've Come Over" by Jeff Buckley. Truly a great song, and classy. But throwing in the best song after the intro didn't feel right to me, so i put in two filler songs. These kind ride the wave of Ceremony and land at Lover in a more coherent sense, at least compared to putting the two songs back to back. Those songs are: Track One off Sufjan's Illinoise album, and "My Roots Are Strong And Deep" by The Microphones. Each song is about two minutes long and solid in their own right.
- After "Lover" is another filler - At Last by Neko Case. This short one provides a kind of buffer before the fun, faster section. It's not sad sounding; if anything, it is triumphant. While "Lover" is kind of a downer, "At Last" serves as assurance even in the gravest times.
- The next three songs are fast and happy sounding. Some Feist, some Futureheads, some National (or, some The National?). I probably put these songs on every mix.
- The post fast-section-song is pretty important. Really I had two songs that could have served this function, so I ended up just putting them back to back. The first, Vampiring Again by Califone, is very chill and very perfect after a fast song. It doesn't feel 5 minutes long. In fact, it could be 10 minutes long and it wouldn't feel long. The next is Wilco's Forget the Flowers. It's not my favorite off their album but I think my friend will appreciate how endearing it is. It's a song that will make people say, "Hey, country's not bad!"
I think people like country more than they realize, and that really a lot of music is headed more towards folk as a form of storytelling and expression, as opposed to rock and roll. It's funny. Nas said Hip Hop was dead. Sufjan said Rock was dead. What's taking their place seems very clear. It's Andre 3000. It's... Sufjan Stevens. Ha. Artists, after they "make it", seem to want to push the envelope and reach a new frontier. The irony is that these new frontiers aren't new at all. America's the astronaut walking on the moon. America's the cowboy riding off in the sunset. So in space, signals and meaning get lost, and what's left is something ancient and primitive, or lifeless like techno beats and synthesizers. The opposite happens out West. In Americana, meaning is treasured like a pearl. You can hold it; it is self contained. It's the song. The album doesn't add up to more than the sum of each song; there is no sum. Each song has immense value and meaning, and since science and space strips us of that, we eat it up like candy. We know the getting of the experience is cheap. We know the artist's wasn't our journey. But we need something familiar to remind us that our experiences are meaningful, even if our intellect tells us otherwise. So the song as a story and the guitar as our guide. "Forget the Flowers" it is.
- This is where the mix goes kind of downhill. Boy With A Coin, Iron and Wine. I kind of just threw it in there, hoping it would fit. If it doesn't, I hope the cool afro-beats will keep my friend occupied. Next is Damien Jurado's Desert. I have no idea why this is here. My friend said he appreciated good lyrics. There you go. God... there must be something better. Oh well.
- Maple Leaves, Jens Lekman. This has been on every mix. The song has gotten so old and my friend wouldn't even get the Mark E. Smith lyric (i apparently don't get it either - thought it was park e smith), or probably any of the lyrics, since they're so irreverent. But I'm short on fast happy songs, so until something better comes along I'll stick with this.
- The home stretch... ok, the next was a late addition, since there wasn't enough happiness on the album. So, The Underdog by Spoon. I have no idea what it's about, and I'm not that crazy about it. Oh well. It fits. Then, Slow Show by The National. This band has a knack for catchy songs that seem more meaningful than they probably are. I say that because I've seen them live twice, and they weren't really that impressive to me. Live, the catchiness of the songs seemed more effective than their power, and there isn't any kind of personable or intimate spin they could have given them. That tells me that the songs don't come from the heart, and they don't come from some bodily urge to rock (like, anything off Arcade Fire's Funeral). So, The National ends up being perfect mix fodder. Not too emo, not too strong, these songs have no context.
- Hazel St., Deerhunter. Every one of my mixes is the same. But this song really is awesome. I almost didn't put it on since Deerhunter is just a bunch of kids, and my friend is probably like 30, and married and all that. He probably won't like them, but if by chance he does, then he is awesome.
- Finally another filler. Tape Hiss Orchid, Deerhunter. Ok... putting two songs back to back that, on the original cd, are actually back to back is kind of weird. I do this sometimes. But really, they're back to back for a reason a lot of times, and in this case it just makes sense. The preceding songs on the mix are force-fed and you'd want a natural break after Deerhunter's madness. Plus, what if my friend ends up liking this track?! It opens up the possibilities to so many great artists: Eno, Colleen, Sweet Trip, Air, Tim Hecker.... Atlas Sound? lol.
- Back for more Neko. Star Witness. what a nice song! after that is Faust Arp, intended to be something of a filler on Radiohead's In Rainbows. It darkens things up before Priests and Paramedics by Pedro the Lion. I didn't want to end the album on a depressing note (my friend is a Christian) so I threw in The Postman by AmAnSet, which sounds like a mellower version of the Pedro song.
So there it is. The ultimate 21 song intro to indie folk and stuffs mix.
what do you think?
edit: do you want one?
1) New Order - Ceremony
2) Sufjan Stevens - Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL
3) The Microphones - My Roots Are Strong And Deep
4) Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should've Come Over
5) Neko Case - At Last
6) Feist - I Feel It All
7) The Futureheads - Meantime
8) The National - Apartment Story
9) Califone - Vampiring Again
10) Wilco - Forget The Flowers
11) Iron and Wine - Boy With A Coin
12) Damien Jurado - Desert
13) Jens Lekman - Maple Leaves (7" Version)
14) Spoon - The Underdog
15) The National - Slow Show
16) Deerhunter - Hazel St.
17) Deerhunter - Tape Hiss Orchid
18) Neko Case - Star Witness
19) Radiohead - Faust Arp
20) Pedro the Lion - Priests And Paramedics
21) The American Analog Set - The Postman
What if, instead of tear gas, riot police somehow infected people with gaseous stomachs. That would make the rioters go home and drink some alka seltzer. It would also give those people something to talk about later, other than the evils of whatever they were protesting.
So, gas. What else. I'm listening to a mix I made for a fellow student in my department. Actually he is a phd student, married and much more mature than I am. Most of my music is pretty immature. So we'll see how he likes it. As it goes, the mix has 21 killer tracks on it, most of which are less than two minutes long. Instead of loading the mix with my favorite songs, I've decided to make the whole album enjoyable (hopefully) and complete. Here's my thoughts as I put this mix together:
- It's kind of odd to put, as the first track, an actual first track. The problem is, first tracks make good first tracks, whether on the original album or in a mix. What I've found to my liking is a short and sweet attention-getter, not something hyperactive but something nice-sounding enough to start the album off on a good foot. I kicked this album off with Ceremony, as covered by New Order. (a radiohead cover wouldn't have been bad either)
- I wanted this mix to be a little more mature than my other ones, so that my friend won't think I'm just that guy who listens to weird music, who isn't even in the Ag Econ program (we aren't in any classes together). So the real cornerstone of the mix is "Lover, You Should've Come Over" by Jeff Buckley. Truly a great song, and classy. But throwing in the best song after the intro didn't feel right to me, so i put in two filler songs. These kind ride the wave of Ceremony and land at Lover in a more coherent sense, at least compared to putting the two songs back to back. Those songs are: Track One off Sufjan's Illinoise album, and "My Roots Are Strong And Deep" by The Microphones. Each song is about two minutes long and solid in their own right.
- After "Lover" is another filler - At Last by Neko Case. This short one provides a kind of buffer before the fun, faster section. It's not sad sounding; if anything, it is triumphant. While "Lover" is kind of a downer, "At Last" serves as assurance even in the gravest times.
- The next three songs are fast and happy sounding. Some Feist, some Futureheads, some National (or, some The National?). I probably put these songs on every mix.
- The post fast-section-song is pretty important. Really I had two songs that could have served this function, so I ended up just putting them back to back. The first, Vampiring Again by Califone, is very chill and very perfect after a fast song. It doesn't feel 5 minutes long. In fact, it could be 10 minutes long and it wouldn't feel long. The next is Wilco's Forget the Flowers. It's not my favorite off their album but I think my friend will appreciate how endearing it is. It's a song that will make people say, "Hey, country's not bad!"
I think people like country more than they realize, and that really a lot of music is headed more towards folk as a form of storytelling and expression, as opposed to rock and roll. It's funny. Nas said Hip Hop was dead. Sufjan said Rock was dead. What's taking their place seems very clear. It's Andre 3000. It's... Sufjan Stevens. Ha. Artists, after they "make it", seem to want to push the envelope and reach a new frontier. The irony is that these new frontiers aren't new at all. America's the astronaut walking on the moon. America's the cowboy riding off in the sunset. So in space, signals and meaning get lost, and what's left is something ancient and primitive, or lifeless like techno beats and synthesizers. The opposite happens out West. In Americana, meaning is treasured like a pearl. You can hold it; it is self contained. It's the song. The album doesn't add up to more than the sum of each song; there is no sum. Each song has immense value and meaning, and since science and space strips us of that, we eat it up like candy. We know the getting of the experience is cheap. We know the artist's wasn't our journey. But we need something familiar to remind us that our experiences are meaningful, even if our intellect tells us otherwise. So the song as a story and the guitar as our guide. "Forget the Flowers" it is.
- This is where the mix goes kind of downhill. Boy With A Coin, Iron and Wine. I kind of just threw it in there, hoping it would fit. If it doesn't, I hope the cool afro-beats will keep my friend occupied. Next is Damien Jurado's Desert. I have no idea why this is here. My friend said he appreciated good lyrics. There you go. God... there must be something better. Oh well.
- Maple Leaves, Jens Lekman. This has been on every mix. The song has gotten so old and my friend wouldn't even get the Mark E. Smith lyric (i apparently don't get it either - thought it was park e smith), or probably any of the lyrics, since they're so irreverent. But I'm short on fast happy songs, so until something better comes along I'll stick with this.
- The home stretch... ok, the next was a late addition, since there wasn't enough happiness on the album. So, The Underdog by Spoon. I have no idea what it's about, and I'm not that crazy about it. Oh well. It fits. Then, Slow Show by The National. This band has a knack for catchy songs that seem more meaningful than they probably are. I say that because I've seen them live twice, and they weren't really that impressive to me. Live, the catchiness of the songs seemed more effective than their power, and there isn't any kind of personable or intimate spin they could have given them. That tells me that the songs don't come from the heart, and they don't come from some bodily urge to rock (like, anything off Arcade Fire's Funeral). So, The National ends up being perfect mix fodder. Not too emo, not too strong, these songs have no context.
- Hazel St., Deerhunter. Every one of my mixes is the same. But this song really is awesome. I almost didn't put it on since Deerhunter is just a bunch of kids, and my friend is probably like 30, and married and all that. He probably won't like them, but if by chance he does, then he is awesome.
- Finally another filler. Tape Hiss Orchid, Deerhunter. Ok... putting two songs back to back that, on the original cd, are actually back to back is kind of weird. I do this sometimes. But really, they're back to back for a reason a lot of times, and in this case it just makes sense. The preceding songs on the mix are force-fed and you'd want a natural break after Deerhunter's madness. Plus, what if my friend ends up liking this track?! It opens up the possibilities to so many great artists: Eno, Colleen, Sweet Trip, Air, Tim Hecker.... Atlas Sound? lol.
- Back for more Neko. Star Witness. what a nice song! after that is Faust Arp, intended to be something of a filler on Radiohead's In Rainbows. It darkens things up before Priests and Paramedics by Pedro the Lion. I didn't want to end the album on a depressing note (my friend is a Christian) so I threw in The Postman by AmAnSet, which sounds like a mellower version of the Pedro song.
So there it is. The ultimate 21 song intro to indie folk and stuffs mix.
what do you think?
edit: do you want one?
1) New Order - Ceremony
2) Sufjan Stevens - Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL
3) The Microphones - My Roots Are Strong And Deep
4) Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should've Come Over
5) Neko Case - At Last
6) Feist - I Feel It All
7) The Futureheads - Meantime
8) The National - Apartment Story
9) Califone - Vampiring Again
10) Wilco - Forget The Flowers
11) Iron and Wine - Boy With A Coin
12) Damien Jurado - Desert
13) Jens Lekman - Maple Leaves (7" Version)
14) Spoon - The Underdog
15) The National - Slow Show
16) Deerhunter - Hazel St.
17) Deerhunter - Tape Hiss Orchid
18) Neko Case - Star Witness
19) Radiohead - Faust Arp
20) Pedro the Lion - Priests And Paramedics
21) The American Analog Set - The Postman
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