I was Trying to Describe You to Someone

A very short, short story. (Revenge of the Lawn, 1971, by Richard Brautigan)

 

I wanted electricity to go everywhere in the world. I wanted every farmer in the world to be able to listen to President Roosevelt on the radio.

Sie.

Immer schrecklich, die Morgen.
Jeder Morgens, alle gleich.
Aber wenn sie kommt, die neuer Tag,
ein besserer Tag, vieleicht.

Saluté

I won something today.

On Playlists and Things: August

This month’s playlist is a little different, as i tried to focus less on the lyrical aspect of the list, using the melodic aspect to make the songs selected create “scenes” which bled into each other. As a result, it never establishes a definite lyrical climax and so doesn’t follow the typical 3 Act narrative style that I used for Juni and Juli. Instead the songs are divided into three parts (think of it as a 3 story play, with elements that link each part with the next though the stories are quite different).

Each part has lyrical elements which link them into certain themes. For instance, Part 1 opens with a “finding” with Kanye’s Bound 2, and wrestles with the idea throughout the the section and concludes in an open-ended manner with the xx (Islands) seemingly ending still at the moment of the finding. Part 2 looks at longing, and opens with the Lumineers’ Flapper Girl which talks of departures and returns and stories to tell. The narrative is sustained through the next three songs, with their lyrical references to “home”. And then concludes suddenly with Young Blood, a song about youth, some longing and some hopefulness, which interestingly, may link back to Part 1. Part 3 is more lyrically detached from the first two parts. Although it opens with Calgary which may also link to parts one and two, it sets up a different direction for part 3. Lyrically the songs are bound and sustained by a reference to the “sun”, but a short narrative may also be drawn from the three songs, before Goodbye concludes the section and the list.

Melodically, the list is divided differently. The intention was to have the melodical storyline bleed through the lyrical partitions to still create a strangely cohesive list. The two parts are divided equally, with Stories to Tell setting up a melodic intermission at the half-way mark. The first half starts with indie-rap transitioning to indie-synthpop and indie/alternative rock before dropping to Flapper Girl‘s lo-fi to ease into the instrumental flute-led intermission. The second half then opens light with some indie-folk which transitions through some indie-synthpop and indie-pop until the indie-folk reprise of Woodland. Conclusion and credits are carried by the toe’s post-rock Goodbye. -fin-

Overall, I think this is still a pretty solid and cohesive list. Though maybe I might have been overthinking the write-up. Let me know what you think. Clickable links below.

August 

Part 1 – Finding

1. Kanye West (Bound 2)

2. Passion Pit (Let Your Love Grow Tall)

3. Vampire Weekend (Unbelievers)

4. Imagine Dragons (Underdog)

5. The xx (Islands)

Part 2 – Home

6. The Lumineers (Flapper Girl)

7. Tsuneo Imahori (Stories to Tell)

8. Of Monsters and Men (Lakehouse)

9. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes (Home)

10. The Naked and Famous (Young Blood)

Part 3 – Children of the Sun

11. Bon Iver (Calgary – Maths Time Joy Remix)

12. NIVA (Boy from the Sun)

13. The Paper Kites (Woodland)

14. Toe (Goodbye)

(H)

lost in a city, silent
strange, the strangers
familiar, freezing station
awaits adventures anew
three years to the day
still waiting

sie kommt punctlich,
aber wo war ich?
as the bus coasts
through the city streets

On Playlists and Things: Juli.

Juli

Act I.

1. Phoenix (Lasso)

2. Bloc Party (Truth)

3. Stars (Sleep Tonight)

4. Vampire Weekend (Step)

Act II.

5. The Naked and Famous (Girls Like You)

6. Kisses (Kisses)

7. Passion Pit (Cry Like a Ghost)

8. James Blake (Fall Creek Boys Choir)

9. Mouse on the Keys (Forgotten Children)

Act III.

Part I.

10. Toe (Past and Language)

11. Toro y Moi (Missya)

Part II.

12. Daughter (Youth)

Part III.

13. Mumford and Sons (I Will Wait)

14. The Killers (Exitlude)

Awit Kay Ana

Breaking my original content rule again to celebrate one of my Philosophy Professors who was recently awarded as a “Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas” by UMPIL. Maubuhay ka, Ginoo!

_______

AWIT KAY ANA
ni Ginoong Eddieboy Calasanz

Walang ginagawa ang mga bituin
Kundi pagmasdan ang mga mangingibig.

Isang gabi, kapag ikaw ay umiibig,
Tumingala ka sa mga bituin.
Malasin mo ang kanilang ningning,
Ligaya mo’y sinasalamin.

Mabait ang mga bituin.
Sa mga mangingibig
Isa lamang ang hiling:
Umibig, umibig, umibig
Nang may magawa ang mga bituin.

Walang ginagawa ang mga bituin
Kundi pagmasdan ang mga mangingibig.

Isang gabi, kung masawi ka sa pag-ibig
Tumingala kang muli sa mga bituin;
Pati liwanag, nagiging dilim
At tamis ng puso’y dahan-dahang umaasim.

Malupit ang mga bituin.
Sa mga bigo sa pag-ibig
Labis ang hinihiling:
Umibig, umibig, umibig pa rin
Nang may magawa ang mga bituin.

better weather

eat more on rainy days
smoke less
wake up feeling like four cups of coffee
from the night before, cold, damp
waiting for better weather
waiting. as the water continues to pour
so you can eat less and smoke more

Jayson and Sachi

I’ve got nothing to say right now, really. but this post is for some close friends. The funn(i)est couple I know. Happy 6th anniversary guys!

photo credit: Jayson & Sachi

Midterms.

Midterm season still isn’t over, but the hard part is definitely done. It feels really strange downing cups of hot black coffee all night, going to bed thinking that this is impossible, that you’re not cut out for this, then waking up the next day feeling slightly better, like maybe with the new light comes a new hope that somehow maybe you’re ready. Only to have your wits shattered on the pre-test hour when you see how much everyone else has covered. But then you take the test. And it’s tough, but it’s alright. And however unsure you are of your answers, you feel as if you wouldn’t mind going on doing just this. na kaya ‘to. bigay ka pa, sige lang.

We’re just lucky that we’re blessed with room to breathe after crashing into these walls of texts and tests. And every once in a while, there are pleasant surprises between a cig, a coffee shop, and a beer can. Good drinks, good music all around.

sharing the good vibes.

Oração – A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade