Many people -- well, mostly my mother -- have voiced concern that my recent blogging silence signifies some deeper ennui. While paralyzing depression is pretty much my default predilection, my pause was sparked by more mundane reasons. I went to Pittsburgh for a Wilco show and, while there, ran into Jeff Tweedy in the Hilton hotel lobby. (He was very nice.) I was all excited about blogging this singular experience, and decided that I wouldn't post until I had time to tell the story with the requisite panache.
And then I forgot.
Once I remembered that I wanted to write about meeting Jeff Tweedy, I no longer felt much motivation to do so, but I still figured I should wait until the spirit moved me. The spirit did not move me. It still has not moved me. So I think I'm going to let that dream die. There are other things to write about, and I don't think Jeff will mind all that much.
I've been happily organizing tracks in my iTunes collection for the last few weeks, and adding new songs as I wander across them on the Net. Yesterday, Heaneyland pointed me to a fine trove of dreadful, odd and unitentionally hilarious MP3s called the 365 Days Project, and I've been downloading these in a frenzy of irony.
My favorite piece, narrowly outdistancing William Shatner's strong misreading of "Rocket Man," is a set of songs Van Morrison tossed off to escape a recording contract with Bang Records. He seems to have owed the label 31 new tracks, so he went into the studio and produced several dozen intentionally dreadful songs. You simply must hear these songs, particularly "Ring Worm," which is some kind of perverse masterpiece, a two-chord guitar tune about fungal infection. "Actually, you're very lucky to have... ring worm," Van Morrison mumbles, "cause you may have... had something else." Then he breaks into his trademark warbling. So lovely.
Posted by mesh at July 1, 2004 01:04 PM | TrackBackI always forget my panache, especially since I have no panache! Though I do have this odd lump on the back of my neck...
Posted by: holton at July 1, 2004 09:45 PMI've always liked the word "panache." For some reason it reminds me of pancakes. And I do love me some pancakes.
Posted by: mesh at July 2, 2004 01:48 PMGreetings from the Ghost of Homeschooling Past,
Ben Bell here. I, for one, would love to here the Jeff Tweedy Chance Encounter Story. Me and anyone else who shelled out the $25 bucks for the 'I am trying to break your heart' Wilco dvd would, of course want more. SUPERFAN!SUPERFAN! (in a Molly Shannon kinda way).
The very day I finished Chabon's marvelous narrative '...Kavalier and Clay' (my 5 dollar bookstore bin investment) I took my brother to the theater for the opening night of Spider Man 2. Since there are too many positive highlights I'll just mention the helicopters in the end were somewhat suspicious and had that strange CGI feel of 'Toy Story'. However the very human element of the superhero was the main event in the movie and made it most appealing to me. Great article...
It's so nice to have had almost 10 years pass and to have some more of Aaron Mesh's writing grace my eyes. Of course it's not the hilarious Barry-esqe (dare I say rip-off?) essays from the Homeschoolers on the Ridge newsletter, however a much more polished and modern style that seems to have picked up right were it left off. It seems that we have lots of the same musical (rouse, tweedy, etc.) and reading material (Fast Food Nation, Chabon) and political interests.
I'm just recently removed from the Army after 5 years and will be getting married in a week to my very special lady, Claire. We have uprooted ourselves and moved to Tampa so I can go to school on the cheap and she will be getting a great job. After a pretty intense week of apt. hunting I found one in Tampa (Ybor City) for a pretty good price. If you are ever in the area please shout me a holla'. I'd like to meet you for some coffee or whatever to talk about: whatever.
gotta go,
Ben Bell
Posted by: Ben Bell at July 10, 2004 03:23 PM