Hello, Goodbye May 31, 2008
Posted by Andrew in andrew in latin, blogging, vacation.add a comment
Tomorrow morning I’m leaving for a short vacation. I’m bringing my computer, but odds are I won’t get any internet where I’m going. I’m hoping to be able to blog, it might just not be possible. I’m going to stay in a cabin with the family from Sunday through Wednesday.
I actually have a little demo that I want to share with you guys. This song doesn’t have any guitar in it, and a lot of it was improvised on the keyboard and the drums. It’s called “Glow In The Dark.”
I’m planning on putting guitar to it, but I’m not sure what I should do with the guitar. I can’t think of any places that the guitar should go, or how big of a role it should have. So, listen to this song, get back to me, and I’ll finish it when I get back.
“Glow In The Dark”
http://boomp3. com/listen/bzglyuh
Frances The Mute May 30, 2008
Posted by Andrew in frances the mute, music, the mars volta.add a comment
I’ve stated multiple times that The Mars Volta is my favorite band. But sometimes, when I’m listening to Daft Punk or Queens Of The Stone Age, and sometimes Kanye West, when I ask myself if The Mars Volta is really my favorite band. I don’t listen to them that much. Because when I do listen to them, I listen to them not for the awesome factor of them, I listen to them for the cinematic factor of their music. The way that you can just fall into their music, and you’re completely consumed by it.
So I don’t listen to them daily. I have to take a long time to listen to The Mars Volta. Whole albums (very long albums) and entire live jams and things like that. So, it’s hard to see how I like them more, when I go back and forth between listening to Daft Punk and QOTSA on my iPod all day.
But then I listen to this.
Then I remember that this is the best thing I’ve ever heard. This album is why The Mars Volta is my favorite band of all time. It’s a pure 1 hour and 31 minute trip of pure amazement. I love everything about this album. It definitely takes a certain kind of mindset to listen to it. I don’t even know where to start. I guess with the title and tracklist.
FRANCES THE MUTE
by THE MARS VOLTA
1. Frances The Mute – 14:40
2. Cygnus…Vismund Cygnus – 13:02
3. The Widow – 5:51
4. L’Via L’Viaquez – 12:22
5. Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy Anymore – 13:10
6. Cassandra Gemini – 32:32
Total time – 1:31:33
Of course, that isn’t the official tracklist. It’s just the real one. This is the tracklist that the record label didn’t want The mars Volta to put out. Originally, it was supposed to be like this, and be a double disc album. But then, the record label pulled the first song off the CD, and made it a 12 track single disc album, with the last song, “Cassandra Gemini” cut into 8 tracks, and the opening song completely removed. But my tracklist is the way that the band intended it to be, and this is the way that I listen to it. And the way that you should listen to it. Because you should listen to it.
You’ve probably heard the story, but if you haven’t, this is the story of how the album’s concept came about.
Jeremy Ward, a previous member of The Mars Volta, used to work as a repo man. Once, he repossessed a car, and under one of the seats he found a diary containing a log of a man’s search for his biological family. While reading, he began to notice similarities between the life of himself and the author. When he got to the end, the story of the man’s adventures was not finished. So, probably alongside much heroin use, he started to write in it himself. He was in the process of finishing the diary at the time of his death, by heroin overdose.
When the band got ahold of this diary, they were shocked by the story inside. Frances The Mute is the story of the man from the diary. They changed the names of the people, and shrouded the lyrics in greek mythology, and recorded an album. Myself and my friend Ben have spent a good two years picking apart the album line by line, and have finally reached the conclusion of the story. What I’m about to share with you is only a brief synopsis of the album’s story, but I encourage you to listen for yourself and try and see what we’re getting at.
Frances The Mute is the story of Vismund Cygnus, who was a child who was conceived from rape, and then aborted, but was aborted to late in his development, and lived. He was put up for adoption and never knew his parents. After twenty five years of living a normal life, he leaves his own family to search for his parents. But instead of open armed mom and dad, he finds himself wrapped up in a tangled web of murder, lies, blackmail, and rape. All that underneath the brilliant musicianship of The Mars Volta, backed by a full orchestra and some of the most beautiful and insane music I have ever heard, equals the greatest album I have ever heard, Frances The Mute.
Favorite Show May 29, 2008
Posted by Andrew in Uncategorized.add a comment
The LOST season 4 finale was tonight, and holy crap, man.
Holy crap.
My analysis of this episode starts at page 122 of this forum. I’m “falseswipe.”
http://www.thecomatorium.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=106882&st=2420
Consider yourself warned, this site contains some serious language. I keep it pretty clean, but most of the users have some sailor talking going on. Just be prepared.
Third Favorite Show May 28, 2008
Posted by Andrew in seinfeld, tv.add a comment
I’m pretty sure that if I had the Seinfeld DVDs, I would never eat or sleep. Well, that’s not entirely true. I love to eat while watching Seinfeld. It’s just one of those shows where it just feels like I should be munching down some ruffles or something while watching. I’m not sure what that means.
Seinfeld is pretty much the most relaxing show on the face of the planet. Where I live, it comes on at 11 o’ clock. I wish it came on earlier, but 11 is a pretty great time for it to come on because I can be sitting in bed while watching it, and afterwards I can just fall asleep, amused.
Dear Diary May 26, 2008
Posted by Andrew in life.add a comment
Today was pretty…ugh. It’s one of those days where you’re just kind of waiting for it to be over. Waiting for 11 PM so that you can watch a Seinfeld rerun before you go to sleep. That was today.
Woke up at about 11 AM. Took a really long shower, and then went to the kitchen and ate 3 waffles. I was still hungry so I ate a toaster strudel and noticed that there weren’t very many left. Probably because me and my friend Devin ate about 4 or 5 yesterday. Now I realize that was a bad choice.
I was going to watch the Colbert Report, but the TiVo didn’t have any new episodes for me. Went and “played” guitar for a little while. I couldn’t do crap today on the guitar. So that ended quickly. It was extremely cold in my house.
I felt pretty uncomfortable today because of what I chose to put on. A stretched out shirt that doesn’t really fit anymore due to getting tugged on and some jeans that weren’t my usual slim-fits. I was hungry again so I ate 2 eggs and some bacon. It’s about 1 or 2 in the afternoon and I’ve had two breakfasts and no lunches. Nice.
I was supposed to go the gym today, said my schedule. But then I realized I’m still a day behind on running. I have a 45 minute run-day to do. So I planned on running to wake myself up and warm myself up outside. Right before I was going to go run, my mom gave me a list of chores to do. Dishes, laundry, and then take Sadie, our dog, around the block. Postponing my running, but at least I’ll be able to.
When I’m taking Sadie out, I notice that it’s not warm outside, and won’t wake me up. It’s gray and dreary, and pretty cold.
C’MON, CLOUDS/AL GORE/GOD, IT’S FREAKING MAY!
When I’m going around the block, I decide that I think I’d rather go to the gym, and that I want to go to K Mart, and pick up Graduation by Kanye West to listen to while I’m there. Good idea, Andrew. When I’m about to go inside, it starts raining. So that means it’s not going to be worth the trouble of convincing my parents that I can drive in the rain. It’s also memorial day. So the gym’s closed, mom says.
So, instead, I download Graduation, and wait for the rain to stop so I can run instead, like planned. While waiting for it to stop raining, me and my family watch the most boring movie I’ve ever seen. The Backwoods. This is supposed to be scary. No. It’s not. It’s ridiculously uneventful. Don’t watch it.
It’s still raining, so I don’t go running at all, and now I’m behind one run-day and one gym-day. Crap. I listen to a little of Graduation and I’m initially a little disappointed. I was expecting something with a little more umph. You know? During dinner, the family had a big argument, during which I got my keys taken away for sayjng:
“He’s not retarded, he has a backache.”
about my dad, who didn’t want to put his dishes away. I couldn’t find my keys, so I didn’t get them taken away, but I dunno if I’ll actually get to go anywhere when I find them. After dinner, we watched The Last Crusade.
Sean Connery is so funny. The pen is mighter.
Right Now My Sister Is Doing Algebra May 25, 2008
Posted by Andrew in family, school.add a comment
Normally this wouldn’t bother me but she is in 6th grade and school is also over.
Man Do I Suck At Remembering To Blog Before I Go To Sleep May 24, 2008
Posted by Andrew in Uncategorized.add a comment
Yeah I forgot yesterday. Again. But I’m going to try and be better at that now.
Anyways, remember that blog that I posted a few weeks ago about a song Idea that had to do with a party? Well I finally finished it. Took a LONG time, that one, but it was worth it. Props to Ben Eggler for helping me fix mistakes once it was done.
The song is “Big Time Devil,” and you can listen to it at the Andrew In Latin page.
Car Chase! May 22, 2008
Posted by Andrew in driving, life, sonic.add a comment
Yesterday I had my first “scare” while driving. (No, it wasn’t a car chase) I went to Sonic, America’s favorite and only drive-in, to have breakfast. Well, you know how sonic has those tiny parking spots that are on a diagonal and they have a menu on each side and they have the big roof over all of them.
Well they’re also numbered. There’s like 50-some odd parking spots. I decided, since it wasn’t occupied, that I’d park in spot number 1. Then I found out that spot 1 is different than every other spot. Imagine this. There’s only one menu, and it’s on my left. So, no dessert menu. This wasn’t my scare.
To my right, where the desert menu should be, theres the support beam to keep that roof from falling over. Behind that, there’s a big, short tree. And behind the tree is the lane where people pull into Sonic. So I can’t see the people coming in, or if there even is any people coming in.
I parked crooked. I suck. So, after eating my delicious Breakfast Bistro Sandwich, I find out that there’s a bunch of things wrong with this situation. If I back out fast, my right side mirror is going to hit that support beam hard. (I found this out by hitting it.) If I cut the wheel fast to avoid it and back out, the front of my car is going to hit the menu. (I found this out by hitting it.) If I back out SLOWLY, I have no idea if there’s a car whippin’ into the sonic parking lot, about to hit the back of my car, or if I’m backing into someone.
So I’m pretty much screwed.
What I had to do was back out a little bit, while cutting the wheel a lot, and then pull back forward. Then back out a little, cut the wheel, pull back. Back out, cut the wheel, pull back. Over and over. Once I figured I was in a good position to try to back out straight, int he middle of my backing out, some lady pulls into Sonic. I didn’t know this, because
that freaking tree was in the way
so she sits there waiting on me, instead of hitting me (thanks, by the way), and let’s me pull out. But I could’ve definitely hit her if I wasn’t paying attention. She honked at me, though. What I get I guess. People at sonic probably thought I was crazy, backing out and back in all those times.
Yeah.
Sonic also puts ice in their orange juice. It’s really awesome and that’s what I’m doing from now on.
Quite Possibly The Greatest Picture Of All Time? May 21, 2008
Posted by Andrew in manatees, the colbert report.add a comment
Plastic Galaxy (What I Remember Of It) May 20, 2008
Posted by Andrew in poetry.add a comment
you’ve discovered a new plastic galaxy and you’re off, just like that
you’ll need fuel before you even hit the sea and that’s that, and that’s that
you’re counting O’s and X’s; productivity is shot, and boring
Just Another Band Outta Boston May 19, 2008
Posted by Andrew in choir, rock band, wii.add a comment
Tonight, the Choir had a banquet for the graduating seniors, and afterwards we all went to this guy’s house and hung out. And I discovered, I’m really good at singing on Rock Band. Whoo hoo. I hope I have the money to buy it when it comes out for Wii.
When I Drive Myself My Life Is Found May 18, 2008
Posted by Andrew in life.add a comment
I got do drive by myself for the first time today, pretty much all day. I woke up, and I drove to church (I had some serious Queens Of The Stone Age in my CD changer). My parents followed behind me to make sure I was okay to drive the rest of the day. After church, I had to drive to school to work on Senior scrapbooks for Advanced choir.
That lasted about 2 hours, and then I had to go home to get my guitar and stuff to go directly to Wingolias practice (I switched out my QOTSA for some Daft Punk for this trip). After that was evening youth, which lasted until 7.
At 7 I drove to Burger King and got a chicken tendercrisp with lettuce and cheese, then went BACK to the school to finish my scrapbook, then at about 8:30 I drove home. I didn’t have time to do my running today (I was scheduled to run for 45 minutes…eek), but I’ll do it another day to make up.
So yeah, it was a pretty full day. And that’s a lot of driving for someone’s first day driving, but I’m a pretty safe driver, and I’ve been driving a long while, so I was pretty comfortable with it.
This Part Of My Life Is Called Being Stupid May 16, 2008
Posted by Andrew in friends, life, movies, stupid.3 comments
Today my friend asked me if I wanted to go see the new Indiana Jones at midnight with him. Of course, I told him I wanted to but I needed to call my parents and make sure I could. So I worked out this big plan to where I would go home and do my running and then go to his house after dinner and hang out there until it was time for the movie, then go home with him and sleep at his place. My parents would come get me in the morning and I would have a job interview the next day. I get all this worked out.
I text him and I say, “What time do you want me to come over,” and he replies, “For what?”
I say, “I thought I was coming over to hang out for a while before the movie?” and he says,
“Wow, you’re stupid, it comes out next Wednesday.”
My Camera’s Back And You’re Gonna Be In Trouble (Photos: X) May 15, 2008
Posted by Andrew in Uncategorized.add a comment
“getting paid for this”
“kaitlyn.”
“ISO/400″
“war tor tle”
“the real thing”
“just living a suggestion (+-)”
“cool tapes”
“whoah!”
“whoah.”
I Have Decided To Save Up For A Macbook May 13, 2008
Posted by Andrew in apple, mac.add a comment
Yep.
Once I get a job (hopefully at the movies) I’m gonna put half of my money away every paycheck to save up for
TA-DA!
That. It’s about 1500 dollars, and that’ll take about half a year to save, but I figure it’ll serve me about the rest of my life. My iPod has broken a lot, but I’ve always gotten new ones for free thanks to Apples generous warranty services. I looked at this thing for about an hour today at the apple store in the Knoxville mall and have come to the conclusion that it’s perfect for everything I use a computer for.
My reasons?
-Way way way faster
-The hard drive space to store my whole music collection and much more without having to use my dad’s pc
-Garageband for my Andrew In Latin stuff
-iMovie, because I hate Windows Movie Maker but lovemaking movies
-The ability to not have to convert .MOV files to .
AVI files to play them
-Fast startup, fast shut down
-Better speakers
-The keyboards are awesome
-Built in camera/webcam and microphone
-Two finger scrolling
-The time machine feature
-Keyboard (the piano kind) support for garageband
-iTunes the way it was meant to be used
-The way the apple is glow-y white and the laptop is black…so cool
-I love OSX Leapord, thanks to my homeroom class
-Just pretty
Sorry, windows. But there’s another operating system in my life now.
Why I Am A Murderer May 12, 2008
Posted by Andrew in life.1 comment so far
Last night, a really big fly was buzzing around my room, particularly near my head, so I lured it into my bathroom and shut the door so it would leave me alone. Tonight I went in the bathroom to take a shower, and found the fly dead an the floor. Then I remembered that science lesson for 1st grade that taught me that flies have an average lifespan of about 24 hours.
So a fly died of natural causes in my bathroom. Nice to know.
Next On LOST, Next On LOST, The TV Show May 11, 2008
Posted by Andrew in LOST, theory.add a comment
I just came up with what I think is a very well thought out and very possible theory on what the heck is happening in my favorite show, LOST. Bear with me, as I’m not very articulate with my words, and this might not come out right.
My theory is this. Everyone thinks that Richard Alpert doesn’t age. And everyone’s been noticing how “the smoke monster” shows up off island when there’s smoking references. As shown by the no smoking sign in Hurley’s interrogation room (first episode of the new season) right before an apparition of Charlie swims up to the glass of the aquarium and breaks it. Another example was when an apparition of Christian Shepard shows up in the hospital as Jack is changing the battery in the smoke detector.
My theory is that the smoke monster is the spirit of the island in physical form. That’s why we’ve seen lots of things on the island that shouldn’t be there, like Kate’s horse in season 2, or a dead Christian Shepard, and maybe Hurley’s imaginary friend was possibly the smoke monster as well.
In “Cabin Fever,” when baby John Locke’s grandmother is lighting up a cigarette, the nurse says “you can’t smoke in here,” and then she sees Richard Alpert. Is it a smoke monster reference?
I think that the reason that we see Richard Alpert as always being the same age isn’t because he never ages, or because he’s time traveling. I think that he never ages because he is the smoke monster in his standard human form, thus never ages. This is also why he’s so bent on getting Locke on the island, because apparently Locke is now “the chosen one” to speak to Jacob.
There you have it. The answers to everything. I take all credit.
Happy Birthday To Me May 10, 2008
Posted by Andrew in Uncategorized.add a comment
Wednesday is my Birthday. I turn 16, and hopefully, I’ll become the new driver of my Dad’s old (he has an Infinity now) Nissan Pathfinder. But what I;m hoping for the most is that there’s a slim chance I might get a cell phone.
For all 16 years of my life, I have been deprived of communication. It feels weird being the only person you know who doesn’t have one. I think I can count on one hand the amount of people in high school that I’ve met without a cell phone. That’s really all I have to say on the subject. I better get one.
Great Song Idea May 8, 2008
Posted by Andrew in music, song idea.1 comment so far
Remind me to do this:
I want to record a song that starts out with like 2 minutes of party music. Like the music that you hear in Abercrombie and Hollister and stores like that, where it’s just a heavy beat and a rhythmic chord progression played on a loop. There’ll be sound effects of people talking and laughing throughout the whole thing. Like a party. And about halfway through that, way back in the background, a descending bass note will get louder and louder until it starts to sound very uneasy, and then get a little scary almost. Then, all sound effects stop, chord progression stops, beat stops. And all of a sudden, guitars go crazy, drums go crazy, sound effects off the wall, very frantic sounding, for a very short time until the end.
Eh?
S.C.I.E.N.C.E. May 7, 2008
Posted by Andrew in incubus, music.add a comment
I thought I loved Incubus before. But today, I got one of the items from my wish list. (But didn’t buy it, my awesome friend Kathy burned it and gave it to me)
This is incredible. It’s like hearing At The Drive-In, falling in love with THAT band, and then hearing The Mars Volta, and realizing that the band that you used to love is vastly inferior to what they had the ability to be. “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” is a completely different Incubus than the one that I thought I knew. If you are only familiar with post-”Make Yourself” Incubus, let me fill you in.
Originally, Incubus planned to be a nu-metal band, and compete for popularity with the likes of other hard-rocking contenders such as KoRn, Rage Against The Machine, and early Red Hot Chili Peppers. But they developed their own style along the way, and became the sounds of this album. It’s basically nu-metal mixed with hip hop mixed with funk, mixed with hard rock. It’s VERY heavy, I was really surprised.
I’m mad at myself for not picking this up sooner. All Incubus fans who haven’t already, get this!
Ol’ Trent’s At It Again May 6, 2008
Posted by Andrew in free albums, music, nine inch nails.1 comment so far
I’ve only been a Nine Inch Nails fan for about a year now, but I must say, I’m falling fast. Trent Reznor is one of my favorite musicians, and I love all the Nails albums that I own. But I need more.
Luckily, now is the best time to be a Nine Inch Nails fan. Now that Trent has broken free from the shackles of lable-dom in a very Radiohead-ish manner, he’s dishing out music like crazy. And not just any music.
“…this one’s on me.”
Free music. Yes, even though “Ghosts Volume 1″ before it was a great deal (9 songs for free, and the rest for 5 dollars) the new album, “The Slip” is even better. The price tag? $0.00! Now, I’m all for buying music. But I’m going to take advantage of this when I have the chance. I haven’t listened to this yet, (downloading now) but I thought I’d get the word out for anyone who hasn’t heard.
Space Is The Place For Bass May 5, 2008
Posted by Andrew in bass, music, the living end.add a comment
I rented an upright bass today. Over the summer, I’m going to take lessons from my sister’s violin teacher and my old elementary music teacher. Once I’m good enough, I’ll play in my sister’s little-kid orchestra until I can play on my own. Then I might have to buy one or something. Can’t rent it forever.
Right now I’m trying to finger out Smells Like Teen Spirit for it.
I actually got turned on to the idea of upright bass by a really great punk band from down under called The Living End. Their bass player, Scott Owen, plays an upright. And he plays in a very unconventional way. He doesn’t play with a bow, and he doesn’t play the root note of what the guitar playing, he does his own thing. Gives the song a groove. Bass was pretty boring to me until I heard of these guys.
I’m really excited to learn how to play this awesome instrument. Maybe one day I can work some Bass action into my Andrew In Latin stuff, which has been bass-less thusfar, save for Genusus. I think.
Poke-question May 4, 2008
Posted by Andrew in pokemon.1 comment so far
If I have Pokemon Diamond, can I trade with someone via Wi-Fi who has Pokemon that they imported with the pal park from Sapphire or Ruby if I haven’t defeated the elite four and gotten the national dex?
Because my team would be undefeatable if I had a Ludicolo.
Xbox May 3, 2008
Posted by Andrew in video games, xbox 360.add a comment
My friend Devin brought GTA IV and his Xbox 360 over to my house last night, and I must say: that game is awesome. It’s so satisfying to get caught by the cops. It’s fun even when you aren’t doing missions, you can just goof around in the city. And it’s just really great looking. The graphics in that game rule, it really makes the city feel more like a city than the previous games.
But what I really want to talk about is the Xbox 360 itself. I’ve stated before that I would like to have a 360, but now I’ve decided that I’m not planning on getting one. The games are ten dollars more than all Nintendo games, ($60) the console itself is a fortune, and it’s completely unreliable. When we were playing, I have a pretty hot room, so the system kept overheating. We had to place it by an open window to keep it from happening, and even then, it still did. Not as much, but every once in a while.
Also, I only know one, maybe two people who have a 360 and haven’t had one break. I know a few people who have broken more than one. So, I really don’t want to dish out that much money for the system, and then that much money on games, when I know that it’s eventually going to explode or something.
Abstractism (Photos IX) May 2, 2008
Posted by Andrew in photography.add a comment
“never do you any good”
“look for lights?”
“riser upper”
Pokemon Separates The Men From The Boys May 1, 2008
Posted by Andrew in morals, pokemon, school.add a comment
This last summer, myself and my friend Travis challenged each other to play our Pokemon Red and Yellow Versions (respectively), and once school started, we would do battle. It was a lot of fun while it lasted, but with Pokemon, it’s so addictive that once you play you don’t ever want to put it down. But, if you ever do stop playing for about a week, you just don’t feel the need to anymore. So our lives got busy and we lost track of our game.
Now that we have a Photography class where we do absolutely nothing, we decided to bring our cards to school, and hold competitions to pass the time. This was really awesome. Eventually, our douchebag teacher told us that we can’t bring them anymore, for reasons unknown.
But what I want to talk about are peoples reactions to us being associated with Pokemon. When I walk through school with a Nintendo DS, and people see that I’m playing Pokemon, I get laughs. Not “I’m laughing with you,” but most definitely, “you’re a loser, aren’t those for 8 year olds?”
The real children here are the ones laughing. When my retort is “hey, don’t you know that they’re really great video games?” I get laughs as well. Apparently, nowadays, people enjoy different things. While certain people absolutely love to play baseball, my opinion of fun is hanging out with my friends, playing a good game of Brawl, or Pokemon, or anything. Why would I want to play your game when it isn’t fun for me? Isn’t it in the definition of the word fun that fun has to be something you enjoy?
Right now, there is this “fact,” that Pokemon is on the same level as Dora The Explorer, or listening to Hannah Montana. But there’s nothing to support this. That’s what’s immature. Not standing up for something that you like because you are afraid of what your friends will think.
Actually, most people that play Pokemon are people that we’re playing video games when Pokemon was created. People who grew up with it. And if I recall correctly, there wasn’t one kid in my 4th grade class who wasn’t playing Pokemon, and wasn’t loving every second of it.
Back then it was fun. Why isn’t it fun now? It doesn’t have any blood or killing in it, so you don’t like it? Let’s be honest, isn’t there something that we all don’t do just because theres some rule that says it isn’t cool, even though you can’t explain why.
Don’t stop doing something that you enjoy just because someone else doesn’t.
