Friday, December 7, 2012

Hello again internet.

I'm going to change up the point of this blog. My ears are generally these days occupied with podcasts. So I'm going to add them to my music posts. I often listen to long, dense podcasts. I apologize or not. Whatever.

First a jam by Shook called 'Hold Tight' to win you over (download).

Now I'll perhaps continue winning you over with a little science. Science about Bonobos. Skeptically Speaking is a nice podcast out of Canada. In this podcast they speak first to a guy who talks about the complexity of the modern world and the common past-times of either escaping modernity or trying to dig into the nuts and bolts of modernity. Then the host speaks to a very entertaining Bonobo researcher. She discusses the prevalence of, yes, sexual activity among Bonobos, but also the seeming lack of violence in Bonobo society. Highly recommend (download).

Thinking about society inevitably leads to how we should be governed. Now, I'm going to lose you by announcing that I'm a libertarian. A liberal-leaning libertarian but mostly a libertarian. Before you hate me and leave, try listening to this: http://www.divshare.com/download/21377987-e4d
Jason Brennan speaks about his new book Libertarianism: What everyone needs to know. He does runs through some common criticisms lobbed at libertarianism and answers them. It may be helpful. I encourage you to take a listen. It's important to be considerate of opponents in any argument because that person is, inevitably, a person. It's explained well here:
I'm a frequent listener and follower of the Cato Institute. They are the prominent libertarian think-tank. I'm a fan of libertarianism primarily for it's empiricism and it's acknowledgement of how people will respond to incentives. I think Penn Jillette is a bit wild sometimes. But I very much agreed with most of what he says in this interview with Brian Lehrer about libertarianism (around 13 minutes in, download)

We can even go further back and look at how Adam Smith saw humanity (download).
This certainly dictated much of his later economic theory.

Anyway, starting off intense. My apologies. I'll play myself out. Here's a little Raphael Saadiq (download).

Next time: podcasts about the recent marijuana legalizations! (Hint: I believe the war on drugs has led to a cycle of criminalization of primarily minorities)

Sunday, April 11, 2010

So many concerts in April

There are bands aplenty coming through dallas this month.

(Also tons of birthdays, including my own; what was happening 9 months ago?)

We've already seen Yeasayer (which is really to me already the peak of the month). That was excellent. I saw them at funfunfunfest too, but seeing them inside at a venue was a much better experience just as far as sound quality and intimacy. Also Granada is really stepping up in general. They are bringing it hard with the shows. They saw an opportunity when Deep Ellum went to shit (I really miss Gypsy but what can ya do). They saw their chance and took it, and they are not disappointing. (They even have Talib Kweli and Hi Tek coming in May. Awesome.)

But let's stick to April.

The Yeasayer show was great. And congrats to them for having so many sold out shows on this tour (unfortunately that means that my friend in Chicago didn't get to enjoy a show, poor Adam). They've come a long way since I was obsessing over All Hour Cymbals and I am both proud of them and excited that I've now seen them twice. That number should hopefully increase greatly when I'm in NY. I finally got to see 2080 live as well, very exciting (I just looked at my last.fm account and saw that I've listened to that song 100 times. Ridiculous).

Javelin opened. Quite a unique band indeed. Check out Yeasayer's own blog for a little Javelin ditty. Also here's one that I'm very partial to, Oh! Centra: (Download) Check em out on myspace.

Yeasayer seems to like to take a while to set up. I don't know what that's about fellas. So, they got started a little late. The show was worth the wait, of course. They had these wild light panels set up:








They opened unsurprisingly with The Children. It worked so well on the album, I knew they'd start the show with it. Then they hit all the crucials from both albums: Rome, Wait for the Summer, Madder Red, O.N.E., 2080 (and plenty of others; they played for a while). Ambling Alp was a good choice for the closer. But, the audience wasn't happy with that length of show. The room screamed for an encore and they came back and played Grizelda and (thank god) Sunrise. Both times I've seen them now they've teased me by saving Sunrise for last. I can't really say what was the most enjoyable song to watch. Finally seeing 2080 was of course excellent, but I also really enjoyed O.N.E. They really got down with that one (get it?). I wish I could eventually see Wait for the Wintertime, but apparently they don't care to play that one much.

Last night we saw Camera Obscura at Hailey's in Denton. That is truly one of my favorite places to see a band. I've seen Mono, Do Make Say Think, Deer Tick, Vega, and several other shows there and they've always been spectacular. The stage is set really low with just a couple steps difference between it and the floor. It's possible to actually sit on the stage while you watch a band, which is a pleasant experience. They're a pretty easygoing establishment as well. During Mono's show, for example, I sat up on one of the speakers while they played. So, while Granada may be bringing some big names and holding their own as a venue, I can still say that I love Hailey's.



Camera Obscura was really good. However, I don't know much about them. The show was more Jenna's than mine. The singer has a lovely voice and a fantastic scottish accent to boot. Her lyrics are simple and haunting. I was a little upset at how they stuck their bassist in the corner literally in the shadows. I thought that was weird. Their opener, Princeton (which is such a god awful band name I didn't even want to like them) actually held their own pretty well. I'd be surprised if the two front men weren't brothers. They looked very much alike, and I love family bands. (But that might be because I'd like to start a band with my own brother one day if we ever live in the same place again.)

All in all, shows this week were a success, even with them both being either sold out or just packed (the line to Camera Obscura was pretty impressive). And I have high hopes for the rest of my shows this month:

Local Natives at The Cavern on lower Greenville on April 22nd
Pretty Lights and Gift of Gab at Granada April 28th
Dr. Dog and Deer Tick at The Loft April 30th.

Good month right?

And let's not forget....RECORD STORE DAY! Whoo, pumped. I'll be at Good Records to celebrate.

Also I would see Beach House at Granada on the 21st if it weren't hella sold out. Seriously, they sold out and then Granada made more tickets available and it sold out again in like 5 minutes after they announced in on facebook.

On a non-musical note, we went to the Oak Cliff Art Crawl yesterday. I wish I had, ya know, money to spend on really neat handcrafted things because that's what they were bringing. But alas, I did not. All we got were some obscure bottles of soda at The Soda Gallery and I got myself a classy cork screw at one of the shops down there. I'd recommend people go check it out if you have a little cash to drop.

I hear Fort Worth is having an art festival as well. Good time to live here. But I still look forward to New York everday. Especially as it starts getting hotter. Oh Texas Summer, I will not miss you.

While writing this, I've been listening to Prefuse 73's One Word Extinguisher. This album is just stupid good to be honest. Here's a few samples:
Track 3 - Plastic:

(Download)
Track 5 - The Color of Tempo:

(Download)
Track 10 - One Word Extinguisher:

(Download)

Until next time Internet....

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Next steps

So, just got back from a visit to UT this weekend. It just reassured me that I want to go to Einstein.
I love Austin, but I've been there. Living there right now isn't crucial for me although I'd like to try it one day. The reason I bring this up first is because they did. The whole time I felt like I was being sold Austin more than the school. For instance, we didn't get a campus tour. I was there for a graduate school visit and didn't get a tour. Even of the facilities that I'd be frequently working in. All I saw were a couple rooms where presentations were given and 5 offices and 1 lab. It felt very unorganized. We were frequently shuttled somewhere and then just left to our own devices which meant convincing an unsuspecting grad student to drive you somewhere. The hotel was nice. The other applicants were great. Pretty amusing people all around.
UT will eventually be a big name in Neuroscience, of that I'm sure. However, as a student I think I should be at a more established program. There are some people there that would be very nice to work with also, but I can say that about Einstein as well.
Plus, if the city is being sold to me, how can you beat New York as far as experiencing a new place for a while? I'm sure I'd enjoy Austin and the logistics would be simpler as far as moving and visiting family and what not, but...eh...
We drank a lot. I got pretty drunk without meaning to. I really hate when that happens, but we started drinking at like 5 one day and just kept going straight to 2. And it was a lot. I guess I should've paid more attention, but it was remarkable how much alcohol was being consumed by everyone. We'll see. They'll get a good number of the folks that were there to go there I'm sure.
Anyway.
Jenna and I will be in NY March 19-22. I really hope to see some people from high school who have found their way up there. There are some shows that will be going on that weekend (Air, Habib Koite and Joseph Arthur). They'd all be nice to see. I recommend you look these folks up if you don't know them.
I'm looking forward to St. Pattie's day. We'll probably go to the parade on Greenville. Then the next weekend is NY, then next my best friend Adam and his girlfriend will be in town. I have my fun cut out for me for a while.
Well, internet, talk to you later. I have to go study Physics.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Music and Decisions and Music Decisions

So there are a lot of albums that have recently come out that are worth note.

First is the new Yeasayer album, Odd Blood. This is a follow-up to their debut album. It is a departure from their first but it does not disappoint. While being a good deal poppier and synth-ier, it still maintains the Yeasayer feel with lyrics both poetic and unique and complicated, fascinating music. Ambling Alp was the single, and it is a very strong song on the album, but others like O.N.E. and Love Me Girl will surely become popular as well. And these are the songs that I would introduce people to the album with. However my current favorite is Rome.

Spoon also put out another album. I wouldn't call it revolutionary, but it's still solid Spoon. A strong album. The transitions between their songs continue to be rough and confusing. I don't know why they insist on ending songs so abruptly but it seems to be a conscious decision as it has featured on at least two albums now.

There is one album I definitely need to put some money down on: Midlake - The courage of others. This is a band out of Denton. The Dallas Observer called this the best album to come out of Denton. I found that to be a bold statement, but after listening to it, I don't know that I'd disagree. It is complicated, beautiful and inspired. It is the perfect soundtrack for sitting on a couch. Or perhaps for the middle part of a long car trip when you have already listened to more aggressive music. Not to say this isn't an aggressive album. It just isn't obviously so. If you pay attention, the unbelievably bold guitar parts are quite exciting but a superficial listen will miss them.

There are a few more recent albums I have to decide if I want to purchase as I have not given them full listens quite yet. Beach House put out Teen Dreams, which is a bit less lo-fi and spacey but still maintains those strong beautiful vocals that Victoria Legrand provides. Jaga Jazzist is a 10-piece out of Norway. Their album A Livingroom Hush is one of my favorite albums of all time and we will see how their new one, One-Armed Bandit, lives up to their past successes. Four Tet also put out a new album (and it features vocals! what?!). There is Love in You, seems like a continuation of Four Tet's complex and beautiful discography of sounds. After one full listen, it does not disappoint but it will need a few more I'm sure.

In my personal world, I am currently deciding between a school in Austin TX and a school in New York. I'll be visiting UT Austin this weekend. The school in New York seems like both the best option for my career and the most exciting option for my life experience. Fortunately, both places are home to very strong Neuroscience programs and are surrounded by world-renowned music scenes and culture. So, my decision will be tough but either option will suit my needs.

Here are some samples of the mentioned albums (enjoy):

Yeasayer - O.N.E.


Spoon - Before Destruction


Midlake - Acts of Man

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

State of My Doings

Okay, so.....
Where have I been?
So, I'm officially accepted to Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
I'll be doin' some research.
I went up for an interview/visit a couple weeks ago. Less than a week later I was stepping out of my biochemistry class to here Dr. Sillitoe tell me that I'd be accepted. It's strange. I have been denied from a lesser school than Albert Einstein and they excitedly accepted me. It'd be super to know what each school saw in me.
The logistics of moving to New York (oh yeah that's where the school is) is pretty complicated. There's lots of stuff I want to take with me and dragging it across the country is a big endeavor. I'll have to talk things into coming with me soon enough, as soon as I figure out where I'm going to put them.
The other option is UT in Austin. I'll be going to a weekend there in March. It's a good program and it is closer. The logistics would be less complicated, but New York just sounds like such a better place to try out. I don't know

I'm addicted to the following shows:
Community, Better Off Ted, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation.

Listening to Obama, I think getting into science right now is a great decision. "We need to up our investment in Math and Science.." Works for me.

He is speaking about the distrust of the government. It would be nice if I could trust the government, but is that possible? Can you trust the people who do that for a living? Who get paid to say the exact right thing?
I don't know.

I'm taking Biochemistry this semester and I think I'm behind. I need to figure out what the point is, what the general schema is into which I can insert all this data.

Okay I'm rambling.

Let's have a song:

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Question:

How the hell is Scrubs still on the air?

Monday, November 30, 2009

Some music I've found

So I've been finding plenty of new music lately.
I'll share some of my findings in the form of a playlist.

Bibio - Lovers' Carvings.
Gang Gang Dance - House Jam
Born Ruffians - Hedonistic Me
Foals - Red Sock Pugie
The XX - Basic Space
Cymbals Eat Guitars - Indiana
Metronomy - On Dancefloors
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don't Haunt This Place
The Spinto Band - Did I Tell You
Soul Coughing - Rolling
Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer
Oh No! Oh My! - Walk in the Park
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Gardner
Yeasayer's New Single - Ambling Alp

Here's that video.

Also, all my application stuff is officially at the schools, now that my last recommender sent in the letters. Here is the list if anyone is interested:
Yale, Johns Hopkins, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, UCSF, Oregeon Health & Science U, Washington U in St. Louis, UT. Now I wait. I'm really ready to not be an undergrad anymore. However, there is one more semester. I'm not sure what the best way to spend that time is. A programming class might be a good way to go. We'll see. I know being a grad student is still a student but something about saying I'm in a Ph.D. program just seems like a sign that I'm committed and focused. Those are things I need to have going on with me. There are some habits I'll have to form when I'm a grad student. Can't watch so much Hulu anymore. I need to start reading more. I'll be in an apartment so I'll have to walk the Homes more often. I've gotten spoiled with my ability to just put him in the yard. I'm thinking my next school will finally be one that I wear shirts for. I've never done that. But all the schools I applied to are worthy of some spirit I think. The possibility of not getting into any school is a little unnerving. I suppose I'll try to find a lab tech job if things turn out that way. I really hope to not hold a bachelor's in Neuroscience and start working as a waiter or something. If I do get into a school, it'll be quite a change. I'll be moving to a place that I may not have ever been before. Bring Homesly will be a challenge. I'm going to need to find some place that allows dogs and has an administrative center out of my way so they never see him. It'll be difficult but I'll pull it off. I look forward to living in a city. Dallas is a city of course. But a strange one indeed. And I look forward to not having to drive as much. In fact I hope to be able to sell my car. Anyway, file this under the irrelevant musings section.

Enjoy the tunes.