Tuesday...

Good morning folks. I believe that I had three hours of sleep last night. I think. I am not sure what is going on with me but I tried to fall asleep around 11:30 or so and I was wide awake again about 2:45 or so. I imagine that today is going to be a rough one.

Man Alive - Billy Talent

This is a fast one to start us off today. I like Billy Talent and they are an example of what I think of as good music and the kind of music that often gets ignored in the entertainment industry of today.

I have been sleeping well lately so I am not sure what the issue is. I do know that there are times when I am unable to shake the worry and I think last night was one of those nights. I just lie there in bed and I worry. I couldn't get myself together enough to even meditate and mellow myself out. It was just a night of laying there in the darkness with my thoughts and I often would rather not do that. I would rather sleep when it is time for me to sleep. It benefits nothing and nobody least of all myself for me to lay there in the darkness and have the thoughts swirl around in my head.

I 4 U & U 4 Me - The Decemberists

This is a home demo version of the song and I really like it. But then I like everything that they do.

Perfect World - Billy Talent

This is from their 2nd album and a song that I really dig.

I find myself sitting here with my head tilted slightly to one side. My mind is blank as I listen to the music and try to hear a voice inside myself tell me what to write. I am waiting patiently for the voice to tell me what is okay to share with you and what is not okay for me to share. But it really feels like right now the vault is empty. There seems to be a slight echo in there. The wind whistles as it blows mournfully around the room and nothing is there to fill the emptiness. The walls are metal and grey. The floor is concrete and made shiny from the constant use and movement of the different baggage that has filled the room and been moved in and out at different times. I can only imagine that the room will be filled again one day but right now it sits empty and barren.

Sudden Movements - Billy Talent

This one is off of their 3rd album and another song that I think is great as far as I am concerned.

I sip my thermos of coffee and wonder what is going to fill the room. I don't think that it is necessarily good or bad that the room is empty. I am just not used to the room being empty. It does feel nice to not be on the verge of tears. But I never know one way or the other if that will change or if I am going to watch something that makes me tear up. I watched the wedding episode of the BBC's Sherlock Holmes last Sunday night and during the best man speech by Sherlock I totally was in tears. So I suppose one day without tears is nothing special. Though it does say something about my state of mind for the last 9 months that a day without crying is a notable thing.

Pocketful of Dreams - Billy Talent

The random machine is really locked in today. I do not mind though. I am really digging all of these songs.

I am not going to speculate about what the lack of tears means at all. It isn't worth it and I have no idea what the end result will be. It sometimes feels a curse to be as self aware as I am. I question my every emotion or intention. I think that is why I strive for daily zen and daily living on a moment to moment basis because then I am not questioning my very existence or being. It just gets tiresome to go through it on a regular basis. I do not think that self examination is a bad thing but I think that you can do to much of it and that can be a problem.

Brother - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

I like this band a lot and it wouldn't hurt for you to track them down if you like this song.

I watched a film from 1997 this morning called 'Bongwater'. It is an odd little film. It stars Luke Wilson and Jack Black and Andy Dick and Amy Locane and Alicia Witt and the late Brittney Murphy. It is based on a book of the same name that I haven't read and set in Portland, Or and New York City. It is just such an odd little film and a film that I feel like I used to enjoy years and years ago. I imagine that it was because it has Jack Black in it and he does a version of a Tenacious D song called "Jesus Ranch" and I was a serious fan of Tenacious D and pot and this movie had both. But other then that. It is really kind of an odd film. The story is kind of incoherent and at times the characters can be frustratingly unlikable. I feel like it comes from an odd time in film. The late 90's seems to have been infested with these kind of cheap knockoff ensemble films and I imagine it is Richard Linkletters fault now that I verbalize it.

Sorry - Trampled by Turtles

A great song by a great band.



I am not sure what I am going to be doing today. I may make an appearance at the coffeehouse since I am going to be up and around. Though I am have been trying to be careful with what little money that I have. So we shall see. Have a good day today folks and as always Keep On Dancing and Hug Someone Today. 

Their name is Billy Talent!

So yesterday as I was working on my Blink 182 post I decided to use Spotify rather then my music collection and I decided to use the Spotify radio setting and lo and behold I discovered a band that I am just loving very much right now.

Billy Talent - This Is How It Goes

Billy Talent is a Canadian band and they have been around since 1999 under the name Pezz but after changing their name they signed with Atlantic and by 2003 put up their first full length album titled "Billy Talent" and let me tell you, in my opinion, everything that they have done since has been amazing. I am really looking forward to introducing them to you. If you like hard and fast music I do not think that you are going to be disappointed at all.

Billy Talent - Lies

I can't tell you the last time that I was this energized by listening to a band. These guys are amazing. I do not know how to put it into words. Well other then that I am equal parts upset that I have not heard of them before and excited that I found them on my own. There is nothing quite like the feeling that I am experiencing right now and if you love music I am sure you understand it. Those of you that do not really just love music probably thing that I am totally crazy and that is not an unreasonable thought. I am a little bit crazy when it comes to the effect that music has on me.

Billy Talent - Standing In The Rain

I am not trying to say that I listen to music better then anyone else does. That isn't it at all and I am not trying to style myself as some sort of musical expert by any means. It is just that their are types of music and bands that I really, really enjoy and I know what I like and like what I know.

Those are some selected tracks from their first album eponymously titled Billy Talent. These next few will be from their second album titled Billy Talent II

Billy Talent - Devil In A Midnight Mass

The mix of metal and punk in this song just really works for me. So good.

Billy Talent - Red Flag

Another one that has a great hook and a very repeatable chorus.

What kind of surprises me is that this band has not caught on in America yet. I think their music is totally radio friendly but maybe I just do not understand how the business of radio works now. That being said I want to highly recommend this band. They are on Spotify and probably Pandora as well. So do yourself a favor.

Happy listenings!

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday

Now that we have that out of the way. How is it going folks? Has there been anything new going on for you? Not much has changed for me. I am still looking for work and trying to keep myself busy and be as productive as I can be because we live in a society and part of what makes a society work is caring for and helping others when you are able to. I do not even care what form it is, but I think that helping others is an important thing.

Blink 182 - Mutt

There was an interesting article yesterday on the AVClub website about the band Blink 182 and it brought back some pretty memories for me. I had not listened to Blink for several years. I had basically forgotten about them. The main reason when I think about it is because I just stopped liking their music. But the problem for me came when I finally saw them live. They were easily the worst band that I had ever seen live and I have seen some bad opening bands. Now, granted, some bands will have off days or attempt smething new live that just didn't work. But these guys were just plain bad. They had on stage 3 video screens, several guys on BMX bikes doing jumps and flips over the stage and to top it all over several midgets, little people on trampolines bouncing around as well and riding tricycles and bikes all over the stage. All in an effort to distract their fan base from how bad the music was that was being played live.

Billy Talent - Red Flag

I have never heard of Billy Talent but this is a pretty cool song that just popped up on my Spotify. I do not listen to a lot of punk rock either the old or newer varieties but I really enjoy that song.

Weezer - Memories

Generally speaking I do not care for Weezer either but this is a pretty cool song. I have never heard it before but I never let that stop me from having an opinion on something. In this case I may need to look deeper into the Weezer discography.

Blink 182 - What's My Age Again

This one is probably their biggest hit. It is a very good pop song, very catchy with a singable chorus and really, I ask you, what more are you looking for when you are listening to pop-punk music?

Billy Talent - Sudden Movements

Well, 2 for 2 for music that I have never heard before. I really, really and digging this guys sound. I do not know anything about him right now. But I am for sure going to do some researching.

Sum 41 - Fat Lip

I think guys were maybe 2 hit wonders but I do enjoy this song. Something makes me think they were Canadian but I am not sure why. There is a for sure Beastie Boys vibe one could say that they may have even stolen from the Beasties. I wouldn't be surprised if they had.

Caesars - Jerk It Out

This is a song that sounds familiar to me but I do not recall ever hearing this band before. But I am really digging this number. I love the bass and the drums as well as almost a surf rock kind of underlying sound.

Billy Talent - Try Honesty

I am going to wrap this up with my musical discovery for today. I hope the rest of his music does not disappoint. I am loving it so far.

Now get out of my way, I am heading for the pit!!

PS can we all agree about how much Good Charlotte sucked. Horrible.