arthur hawkins cover, the man without a head

arthur hawkins cover, the man without a head, originally uploaded by A Journey Round My Skull.

eye hazards in industry

eye hazards in industry, originally uploaded by A Journey Round My Skull.

Amazing set of book cover art.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajourneyroundmyskull/sets/72157602435138527/

Albums added to iPod in April.

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chronicle Vol. 1
Butthole Surfers, Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac
Cocteau Twins, Singles Collection
The Magnetic Fields, 69 Love Songs Vol. 1
Arvo Part, Tabula Rasa
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, I Love Rock and Roll
Willie Nelson, Willie & the Wheel

Chain the Sun

Chain the Sun, originally uploaded by Manxom Vroom.

Starburst

Starburst, originally uploaded by Manxom Vroom.

Point of Entry

Point of Entry, originally uploaded by Manxom Vroom.

Random thought.

I think I may have had the best day of my life yesterday. I hope it never ends.

A quick note.

I feel so very good and mellow today. Kurt Cobain is speaking to me, but in a good way...such a beautiful man he was. I wish I could give him a hug.

Anyway, I have a special post planned for today, for April Fool's Day. I'll put it up after I do a few work-related things that need my attention.

The Rocky Horror Youtube Show!

Albums added to iPod, March.

Leonard Cohen: Dear Heather
U2: No Line on the Horizon, War, The Unforgettable Fire
Aimee Mann: The Forgotten Arm
Uakti & Philip Glass: Aguas da Amazonia
Bob Dylan: The Best of, Time Out of Mind
The Von Bondies: Lack of Communication, Raw and Rare
The Lords of the New Church: Killer Lords
Land of Kush: Against the Day
The Decemberists: The Hazards of Love
Beck: The Information
various selected tracks from Have a Nice Decade - The 70's Pop Culture Box
Van Morrison: Tupelo Honey

Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.


Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Flying First Class

See the complete set here.

Flying First Class, originally uploaded by wackystuff.

Lassie: Lackey Imperialist Running Dog, originally uploaded by wackystuff.

The Sweet Look of Sucess, originally uploaded by wackystuff.

Random thought.

Life is turning into a James Joyce novel
Ulysses, mostly
faster and faster
every minute of every day

Ones & Zeros

Ones & Zeros

Everything in this world
Everything we see, touch, taste, smell and hear
Is all nothing more than binary code
A series of on/off switches
Black and white,
Yin and yang
It is growing and increasing in complexity
Every minute of every day.
The world around us is empty, meaningless
Existing in a state of pure potentiality
We impose meaning upon it, deciding if it is good or bad
If we like it or don’t like it
We are weaving a tapestry with our thoughts and perceptions
We impose meaning on that which has none
This process is called love

Love brings objects together in a way that is harmonious
Pleasing, a one instead of a zero
Pain and hatred are the zero
Void, anti, against
The closed door

I will chose love
I will open the closed door
I will let in the light that negates the darkness
Just as the ocean tide rolls into the beach and then pulls back
Ebb and flow
Wax and wane
Summer and winter
Give and take

I am small in a web of expanding complexity
I am starting to wake up
This process is painful
But for now, the pain is necessary
The pain is transient, fleeting
It will pass as all things do.

I love life
I love complexity
I embrace paradox, having faith that there is an answer
I am not afraid to die
But I fear it arising in others
In those whom I love.
What kind of world would we live in
If nobody feared death?
Death is not the end
All things show this:
Why are we still afraid?
Why am I still afraid?
Am I brave when I look in a kaleidoscope and turn the wheel?
Of course not, that’s not bravery
It’s a child’s toy, a playing.
So why chose fear?

I want to write fearlessly
I want to live fearlessly
I want to be someone who embraces change, ride it like a wave
Wherever it may take me
I want to channel love
And weave it like a tapestry
I want to make my life more beautiful

I will let go of the things that cause me pain
And hold fast to those that bring me pleasure
I will ride the wave, just as I am doing right now

I am free
Because I choose to be so

"Watching the Watchmen."

Watching the Watchmen by Dave Gibbons


A behind-the-scenes tour of the making of "Watchmen," provided by Dave Gibbons. There are many pictures, rough sketches, and reproductions of Alan's Moore's typewritten script pages.

This is probably a must for any true Watchmen geek. It made me appreciate the artistry of the original series even more.

"Where the Wild Things Are" movie trailer.

Reflecting on what's happening in the news lately.

A I G

American International Group
Abysmal Instincts Guide
Assholes In Gabardine
Adventures In Greed
Accursed Infernal Ghouls
Abuse Intended Goodwill
Atavistic Immutable Graft
Antichrist Is Growing
Automatic Insanity Gains
Avarice Is Good
Abscond Ill-gotten Goods
American Institutional Gangrene
Acrimonious Intervention Government
Attorneys Involved Gruesome
Affidavits Inflame Gout
Air Internal Grievances
Attack It Gladiators
Abolish Inferior Godfathers
Admonish Insensitive Gurus
Admit Ignominious Greed
Adulterated Imbecilic Grime
Always In Gobbledygook
Abnormal Infected Goblins
Accelerate Illegal Goldbricking
Another Impetuous Grab
Adam, It’s Ghastly
Abdicate Inherited Gold
Addicted Ingrates Grovel
Anger Intensifies Greatly
Absolution Is Gone
Advocate Instant Gunplay
Abattoir Idiot Ghetto
Adios Investment Gobblers
Abhorrent Icon Gone
Affix Imaginary Grief
American Illusions Graveyard
Actions Illuminate God

…

In Need of a Funeral

It seems to me that
the United States
and the world at large
are going through a huge, painful change
right now
economic meltdown brought on by greed
is this the death of capitalism
that the communists used to predict?
Kruschev said “we will bury you”
but he died first
too bad he’s not still around
our American corpse is lying out in the sun
being picked apart by vultures
we’re stinking up the place
somebody please bury us
so that we can be reborn
into something new

Just a few more pomes.

Rib Cage

Sometimes I feel like the sun burns within my chest
It burns and yearns to shine so brightly
so that everyone can see
I want to melt this body like a candle
drops of hot wax
splash
then cool
and congeal
that’s not me, it’s something else.

But my ribs are a cage
a cage around the sun
no matter how hard I try
I cannot melt the bars
and so I just sit here and burn
Nobody knows
Nobody sees
How could they?
I won’t let them.

…

a bug’s life

why must i be so small?
why must i be hidden
right here, in plain sight?
why did i choose this?
what the fuck was i thinking?

I want to break free
I want to roam and fly
I want to be worshipped and loved
and do so in return
I I I
Me Myself and I
Yes, it’s all about ME
I’m sick of living under a rock
like a bug
touch it and it
contractsintoatightlittleball

F U C K T H A T
I’m not a bug
I’m sick of obscurity and anonymity
I’m not afraid
I want to throw rocks
not live underneath them.

Creme that egg.

I heartily salute whoever put the time and effort into making this. This really is kind of amazing.



(Via The Swivet)

A rare Aleister Crowley first edition.

crowley title 1, originally uploaded by Pagan555.

crowley title 2, originally uploaded by Pagan555.

Is copying stealing?

First, check out this delightful little video I saw via Boing Boing:


Nina Sings "Copying Isn't Theft" from Reel 13 on Vimeo.

...

This article here that questions the goodness of "free libraries" makes an interesting counterpoint to the video:

I do not argue that free libraries should close, but merely wonder about their legitimacy in the 21st century.

Aine wrote: "Public libraries do not compete with the local bookshop, they offer a lot more than the bookshop can ever offer." I see. Not just competition, but state-subsidised uber-competition.

"Where else," she asks, "can you get access to high-speed broadband internet access for free, or for a small minimal charge? Where else can you get access to books on CD, or on tape for the cost of your annual library membership charge, or in many cases, for free?"

That f-word appears three times in her next paragraph about library services for children. Of course, they're not free, but are all paid for by a creature who finally makes its appearance in the last word of Aine's letter: "The benefits of a public library to a community are enormous, and far outweigh the cost to the taxpayer."

The entire article is worth the read, although I found the writer's style to be rather convoluted and blowhardy at times.

Now I have a confession to make: I've copied a lot of music from compact disks that I've checked out from the library. A LOT. Yesterday I counted the number of albums on my iPod I've copied and came up with more than 200. Most of the titles fall under the heading of classic rock and alternative rock. I've also cherry-picked a lot of songs from numerous "greatest hits" and "best of" anthologies. I've freely copied more music from Johnny Cash than any other artist.

So now I ask myself: am I a thief?

I do believe that artists should be compensated for their work. In many cases I've bought the CD or legally downloaded music that I first copied from the library, especially if the band or artist is still actively trying to make a living in what they do. I have no intention however of trying to do this for every single title on my list - it just doesn't seem necessary.

The "Copying Isn't Stealing" song is so delightful and charming that I can't help but be swayed by it. How could it be wrong to discover and explore so much new music that I would otherwise never hear? Am I ripping off these artists by copying a CD from the library? I'm just a regular guy who loves music and wants to do the right thing.

If anyone has thoughts and opinions about this I would love to hear them.

Free music from NIN, Jane's Addiction and Street Sweeper.

I bought my ticket yesterday, and I'm totally psyched for this show. I never did get a chance to see Jane's Addiction, either back in their heyday or during one of their previous reunion tours.

http://www.ninja2009.com/

(Via Rolling Stone)

Just some pomes.

Last week during my yoga class I discussed a few things that I had experienced during meditation with Brian, my yoga instructor (I sit and meditate for twenty minutes every morning after drinking some coffee and reading a bit of the newspaper). Brian suggested that I try writing some poetry about my thoughts and experiences during meditation as a way of exploring them. I liked this idea very much, and immediately starting scribbling away in my little black notebook.

My first inclination was to keep these poems private, but I asked myself "why?" Why not put these out on the blog? I haven't written much fiction lately, but the thought of writing poetry, of doing something very quick, very personal with no expectations of seeing it published or trying to make money off of it is immensely appealing to me. It's writing for the pure love of expression and nothing more, which is the best kind.

I can't quite bring myself to call this "poetry," because when I hear the word poetry I think of John Keats and William Shakespeare. I have no pretensions to literary greatness. These are "just some pomes." I think that Jack Kerouac may have used the term "pomes" for his own work, but I'm not sure. Looking it up on Wikipedia I see that pomes are, "In botany, a pome (after the Latin name for fruit: pomum) is a type of fruit produced by flowering plants in the subfamily Maloideae of the family Rosaceae." I like that. It fits.

On this first day of spring I give to you, gentle reader, a new category of blog entry called "Just Some Pomes." Here's my first fruit, straight from the mind of Manxom Vroom.

...


The Music Never Stops

Many thanks to god for the gift of music
My iPod has so many peas, all sweet and delicious
Some I have paid for, some I have plucked from the library of natural abundance
Songs flow freely like milk and honey
I am never without my music

Leonard Cohen dances with Aimee Mann to the Lords of the New Church
Philip Glass gurgles down the Amazon with U2
Led Zeppelin and Robert Johnson perform together on the same stage for the first time in history
Glenn Gould and Tori Amos share the same piano bench

My entire life as a lover of music rests within the palm of my hand
I must remember to give thanks more often

...

Still Waiting

I’m still waiting
for the email
for the link
for the brief encounter
for the furtive look across a crowded room
for the gut feeling
for the word
for the one small thing
that will change my life forever
it’s out there
somewhere
in one space
and one time
as yet unknown

...

Eternal Question

Have I lived before
in another life?
Will I live again
in another life
Who the fuck knows?
I do

"Everybody must get stoned!"

Driving into work this morning Bob Dylan's "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" came around on the iPod. I can never remember the proper title for this song, which I'm guessing that most people know as "Everybody Must Get Stoned." I had a blast singing along at the top of my lungs with this one, reveling in the fact that today is the first day of spring.


Lyrics | Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 lyrics

I can remember hearing this song once when I actually was stoned, way back in my pothead days: it was the funniest, best song ever written in the history of the universe(!!!).

Anyway, happy first day of spring to everyone. God knows I'm happy about it. Feel free to sing along, too.

Now active on Facebook.

Jeffrey Valka's Profile

Create Your Badge

If you're a regular reader of this blog and want to add me as a friend, it's cool.

Adventures in Stormtrooping.

See the whole set here

This one should be interesting...I hope it's good.

(Via IMPAwards)

Doing something about it.

Like most people, the current scandal unfolding with AIG regarding the payout of bonuses has me feeling outraged. Rather than just complain and grow bitter, I've decided to do something about it. It was Gandhi who said that we must "Be the change that you want to see in the world," and so I'm going to do just that.

Inspired by the greed of AIG, I've decided to make charitable contributions to Amnesty International and FINCA. FINCA seems like a particularly appropriate charity, as they provide micro loans to people in developing parts of the world.



It's so easy to bitch and complain about corporate greed, but the fact is that I'm guilty of being greedy, too. Rather than deny it or feel bad about it, I'm doing something about it. I'm going to try and help someone who needs it.

...

Currently Playing: Bob Dylan, "Gotta Serve Somebody"

Alan Moore interview.

Alan Moore: an extraordinary gentleman

Novelist, magician and 'guru of the graphic novel' Alan Moore talks to Steve Rose about Watchmen, the dark side of Hollywood and the morality of pornography

Extra Weird buttons.

Extra Weird 1980s buttons, originally uploaded by wackystuff.

For your perusing pleasure. I love these old message buttons.

weird buttons, originally uploaded by wackystuff.

Original art for buttons, originally uploaded by wackystuff.

When Jello Biafra ran for Mayor of San Francisco in 1979, he asked me to make his campaign buttons. This is the original artwork that was Color Xeroxed (new technology then) to produce them. The rub-on transfer type has disintegrated over the years, but it looks kinda punk now.

Reviews of recent DVDs I've seen.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)



Alex O'Connell, the son of Rick and Evie, uncovers the eponymous tomb in China, unleashing yet another mummy upon the world. His parents return to adventuring to defeat the Emperor and his terra cotta army.

Maria Bello replaces Rachel Weisz as Evy, and she's not really a good replacement. I never believed for a minute that she and Rick O'Connell were old enough to be the parents of Alex. However, I'm used to turning my brain off for these "Mummy" movies, and so this one was entertaining as the others.

6/10

...

Lord of War (2005)



Ukrainian immigrant Yuri Orlov goes into business as a gun runner with his perpetually messed up brother. Yuri profits greatly from the collapse of the Soviet Union, selling arms to brutal murderers in Sierra Leone, Africa. Yuri's brother is murdered when a deal goes bad, his wife leaves him, but in the end he is still free to do business.

It reminds me of Steven Soderburgh's Traffic in its depiction of U.S. law enforcement officials engaged in a never-ending, no-win kind of battle.

7/10

...

The Wackness (2008)



Luke Shapiro is a recent graduate from high school in 1994. He sees a psychiatrist, Jeffrey Squires, paying for their sessions with bags of marijuana. Luke experiences the joy and heartbreak of first love with Stephanie, Jeffrey's step-daughter.

Based on the previews I saw I thought this would be funnier, but it's really a tale of quiet desperation. I considered giving up on it, but stuck with it to the end. I was put off by the somber tone and the hip hop soundtrack, but it's not bad.

6/10

...

R.E.M. Live (2007)



R.E.M. performs in Dublin, Ireland during their "Around the Sun" tour. Songs include "I Took Your Name," "Cuyahoga," "Electron Blue," "Leaving New York," "Bad Day," "Imitation of Life," "Losing My Religion," "Don't Go Back to Rockville," "I'm Gonna DJ" and more. This DVD is part of the band's first official live album release.

The highlight of this show for me was "Everybody Hurts," which had me in tears. Michael Stipe's vocals sound like they were recorded in the bathroom though, a very odd choice. He paints a black band across his eyes, looking like a mask or blindfold. The video editing is so fast and frenetic that it becomes difficult to watch at times. It looks like the show was a good one, but it's not represented very well here.

6/10

Great Expectations (1946)



Pip is a poor, working class boy living with his verbally abusive sister and her kind-hearted husband Joe. Pip serves as a companion to the rich, isolated old woman Miss Havisham. He falls in love with Estella, who remains distant and aloof from him. Pip's fortunes unexpectedly change for the better when he inherits a small fortune from an anonymous benefactor. Based on the book by Charles Dickens.

This is a good movie, but something about it made me feel terribly sleepy: I fell asleep twice while watching it. Jean Simmons is great as the young Estella, much better than her grown up counterpart. This is Alec Guinness's first speaking role in the movies; he went on to make many more movies with director David Lean.

7/10

Fractal Friday #58: Lost way

Lost way, originally uploaded by Talfrac.

Fractal Friday #58: Condominium

Condominium, originally uploaded by Talfrac.

Fractal Friday #58: Advertising

Advertising, originally uploaded by Talfrac.

The best counter protest sign ever.

Cthulhu Hates Chordates, originally uploaded by froboy.

Heading to the Law School, originally uploaded by froboy.

The Westboro Baptist Church brought their show to campus, leading the student body to a myriad of counter-protests and celebrations of pride and diversity. Whatever the WBC's goals are, we'll never know, but the students' voice was heard loud and clear: "Many identities, one community."

During the celebration, students raised over $500 for the Broadway Youth Center, which provides health services for the LGBTQ community and also collected signatures on a petition supporting the overturning of Prop 8.

(Via Scalzi's Whatever)

"It goes on, and on, and on, it's...Heaven and Hell!"

Happy new album news about Heaven & Hell, aka Black Sabbath with Ronnie Dio rather than Ozzy. They're going to drop a new album titled The Devil You Know on April 28th.

I absolutely love this demonic cover art for the new album!



Here's the tracklisting: ‘Atom & Evil’, ‘Fear’, ‘Bible Black’, ‘Double The Pain’, ‘Rock & Roll Angel’, ‘The Turn Of The Screw’, ‘Eating The Cannibals’, ‘Follow The Tears’, ‘Neverwhere’, ‘Breaking into Heaven’.

Careful readers will note that one of these titles is borrowed from Neil Gaiman (and yet another from Henry James). Could I be any more geeked for this? I think not!

U2 "No Line on the Horizon" review.

I've been listening to this pretty steadily since it came out last week, and I'm inclined to agree with those who say this is the best work they've done since Achtung Baby. It's too early to say whether or not this is a landmark album for rock music in the way that "Achtung" or "Joshua Tree" was, but it is certainly a landmark album for the band.

I've tried to pick out a favorite track, but I can't seem to do it. I love the opening on "Unknown Caller," which feels like a moment of true spiritual breakthrough as Bono sings the single word, "sunshine." I love the revved up, propulsive energy on the title track, which I'm sure will sound great rocking stadiums all around the world as they tour. I love the opening riff on "Magnificent," which reminds me a bit of the White Stripes. "Stand Up Comedy" is a call to arms anthem as only U2 could do it. "Moment of Surrender" and "Cedars of Lebanon" are both deep and wise in a way that rock music as a whole rarely aspires to.

Part of what makes this album so satisfying for me is that fact that I was deeply disappointed with their previous album, 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the Iraq war, I expected so much more from these guys. Here was a golden opportunity for Bono to be the conscience of the world, to make a grand and moving statement about the senselessness of all the conflict, and instead they gave us "Vertigo," a call for us to rush out and buy an iPod. WHAT. THE. FUCK. "Peace and love...or else?" Is this the best these guys can do now? Not only was I disappointed, I felt like I had been betrayed. All through George W. Bush's first term I wanted somebody to make some kind of stand against what was going on. I wanted the fiery spirit of Rage Against the Machine or the Dead Kennedys to rise up and be born again, but it never happened. I wanted "Sunday Bloody Sunday" for the 21st century. "Vertigo" seemed like a bad joke, a huge step backward.

"No Line" is far from being a protest record. Things have changed since 2004, and I no longer feel angry with what's going on in the world; scared shitless about the economy is the zeitgeist these days, with everyone hanging on by the skin of their teeth. No Line on the Horizon feels hopeful in a wise, spiritual sort of way. The underlying message seems to be "it will all be ok," a message I can certainly groove with. This comes through loud and clear on "I Know I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight," and also "Unknown Caller" when they sing, "restart, reboot yourself" and "shout for joy if you get the chance." The music here is a soothing balm for troubled times, but it's also a call for action. "It's not a hill, it's a mountain as you start out the climb," Bono sings. So what do we do? "Get on your boots" and "stand up for your love."

This is the kind of message I want and expect from U2. This is rock music that I can believe in.

Exotic ephemera of the far east.

Burmese Label #11, originally uploaded by stevechasmar.

Cambodian Label #2, originally uploaded by stevechasmar.

Burmese Label #7, originally uploaded by stevechasmar.

View the complete set here

Watchmen movie review.

In short: I liked it. Quite a lot. I was sucked in from the beginning, and the time seemed to fly right on by. It is ridiculously faithful to the original comic, but with a few notable differences. The alien squid of the ending is gone, but what appears in its place makes sense to me. It works.

My biggest complaint? At times it felt rushed, like they were trying to cram in too much. I especially felt this in Doctor Manhattan's backstory, and Rorschach's interviews with the psychiatrist. They were over way too quickly. Hopefully the extended cut on DVD will help to fix this.

Small complaints:

The use of the music was heavy handed. I know that Alan Moore quotes from "All Along the Watchtower" as Rorschach and Nite Owl approach Ozymandias's frozen fortress, but on screen it felt like a square peg in a round hole.

I didn't much care for the actor who portrays Ozymandias. He just felt wrong to me. I didn't really like him in the book though, either.

What I liked:

Rorschach and the Comedian - they are the most interesting characters in the book, and that carries through on the screen. I also liked Billy Crudup as Doctor Manhattan. He's convincingly detached and aloof from the human condition.

Geeks will marvel at how faithful this is to the comic, but Zack Snyder has added a few nice details of his own. I won't spoil them here. Suffice it to say, there are still a few surprises in store for those who already know the story inside and out.

9/10

Watchmen hilarity!

Oh god, I think I may have hurt myself laughing at this.




(Via io9)

I'm going to see the movie this afternoon, so I'll have my thoughts up here on the blog sometime this weekend.

Literary lies.

This article about books that people claim to have read, but haven't actually read is interesting - especially the comments.

In all honesty, I don't think I've ever falsely claimed to have read a book just to make myself look more sophisticated. I read whatever I want to read, and put aside the stuff that fails to hold my interest - whether its James Joyce's Ulysses or Stan Lee's Spider-Man.

For what it's worth, I have read George Orwell's 1984 from start to finish at least twice. The first time I tried to read it I chickened out as they were about to put Winston Smith in room 101. I have not read Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace, and probably never will. I'm not a fan of big, honkin' telephone book-length novels.

The official tour dates for NIN & Jane's Addiction.

Fri-May-08 West Palm Beach, FL [Cruzan Amphitheatre]
Sat-May-09 Tampa, FL [Ford Amphitheatre]
Sun-May-10 Atlanta, GA [Lakewood Amphitheatre]
Thu-May-14 Albuquerque, NM [Journal Pavilion]
Fri-May-15 Phoenix, AZ [Cricket Wireless Pavilion]
Sat-May-16 Chula Vista, CA [Cricket Wireless Amphitheater]
Mon-May-18 Las Vegas, NV [The Pearl]
Wed-May-20 Irvine, CA [Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – Irvine Meadows]
Fri-May-22 Mountain View, CA [Shoreline Amphitheatre]
Tue-May-26 Englewood, CO [Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre]
Wed-May-27 Kansas City, MO [Starlight Theatre]
*** Fri-May-29 Chicago, IL [Charter One Pavilion] NINE INCH NAILS Only
Sat-May-30 Noblesville, IN [Verizon Wireless Music Center]
Sun-May-31 Clarkston, MI [DTE Energy Music Theatre]
Tue-Jun-02 Toronto, ON [Molson Amphitheatre]
Wed-Jun-03 Darien Lake, NY [Darien Lake Amphitheatre]
Fri-Jun-05 Camden, NJ [Tweeter Center At The Waterfront]
Sat-Jun-06 Holmdel, NJ [PNC Bank Arts Center]
Sun-Jun-07 Wantagh, NY [Nikon at Jones Beach Music Theater]
Tue-Jun-09 Columbia, MD [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
Wed-Jun-10 Burgettstown, PA [Post-Gazette Pavilion]
Fri-Jun-12 Charlotte, NC [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre]

Woo hoo! Fuck yeah! Happy dance time!

Free MP3s from Barsuk Records.

Download Death Cab for Cutie, Say Hi, Ra Ra Riot, and much more.

(Via Indie Rock Cafe)

Pop art: monsters.

4 Monstruos, originally uploaded by jrwilliams57.

Impko 6, originally uploaded by jrwilliams57.

Pop art: robots.

We Are The Robots, originally uploaded by jrwilliams57.

We Are Also The Robots, originally uploaded by jrwilliams57.

Pop art: women.

Women, originally uploaded by jrwilliams57.

Femmes Fatales, originally uploaded by jrwilliams57.

Concert news.

I bought my ticket yesterday to see Leonard Cohen, who will be playing at the Fox Theater in Detroit on May 9th. I like his music and admire his talents as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, but I must admit that I've never been a huge fan. Listening to Leonard Cohen is kind of the musical equivalent of eating your lima beans: you do it because it's good for you. However, this tour is probably the last chance I will ever get to see him perform live, and I know that I would be kicking myself for years to come if I didn't see the show. It's Leonard Cohen - you JUST GO.

I do remember the last time he toured here in the U.S., but I didn't really know who he was back then. My introduction to the man was through Kurt Cobain and his lyric "give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld / So I can sigh eternally" from "Pennyroyal Tea."

...

In other happy concert news, I see that dates have been announced for the Nine Inch Nails / Jane's Addiction summer tour: June 20th at DTE. Can you believe Pretty Hate Machine is twenty years old this year? Damn!

This should be a great, "fuck yeah!" kind of show with a lot of wild action, which is the type of concert I generally prefer. I don't think anyone has ever screamed, "Leonard fucking Cohen!!!" at the top of their lungs and thrown a "devil horn salute" at one of his shows. Heh, I'd pay to see that.

ADDED: Oops, apparently those dates for NIN and Jane's are all unconfirmed at this moment.

If you aren't yet burned out on all of the "Watchmen" hype...

...this site here is quite a lot of fun.

I quickly guessed all but one of the Rorschach ink blots, which had me stumped last night. J walked into the office, looked over my shoulder and said, "Oh, that's a_________." She was absolutely right.

I've decided to play hooky on Friday to go see the movie. I think it'll be worth it.