What Did You See?

Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan, David Cross as Allen Ginsberg?

My mind is blown.

You Are Starry, Starry, Starry

Well, it's nearly three in the morning, and sleep is far from me. Anyone who's ever had troubles with sleeping will know what I'm talking about when I say that I've reached the tipping point: when you give in, and get up. I know some insomniacs turn on the light and pick up a book, but turning on the light is kiss of death for me. That bed side lamp comes on and I'm up till 6:30. My strategy is usually to knock around in the dark, maybe listen to my iPod (as I've been for the last two hours, to a nifty new mix from Gentleman Dave) or, like this evening, try to write.

When I was younger, I had a bout of insomnia that had me waking up from around 2-6:45 every night/morning for about a year and a half. This coincided with a period when I could not get enough of the Beatles, so I would spend every night watching tapes from the Beatles Anthology over and over.

I'll take this time to mention that my obsession with the Beatles has not ended, only faded somewhat in strength slash scary nature. In fact, I just recently finished a brilliant biography, "The Beatles" by Bob Spitz. This book totally took over my life, and since I've finished it, I'm bereft, flitting around from "Dr Zhivago" to "Guns, Germs, and Steel" but nothing has managed to stick. I've also bought it for two friends. What I'm saying is, this is a great book. I know my Beatles, and I was learning new stuff. For instance, did you know that around the time original drummer Pete Best was ousted, roadie and long time friend (eventual producer of the Anthology) Niall Aspinal had a lovechild by Best's considerably older, definitely married mother? I know! Scandal

My nights of sleeplessness are now fewer and farther between, but I usually have one night a month that keeps me up, rolling around, sighing and twitching while Morpheus gives me the cold shoulder. It's not that you're not tired; you're exhausted but sleep just seems to allude you. Usually I would fall back on the tried and true Ny-Quil, but thanks to last week's heat wave and my complete lack of an air conditioner, I'm all out of my favorite legal drug of choice. Without it, there's no way I'd get through an East Coast summer.

...Perhaps such things are better left off the magical intrawebs? In any case, I'll conclude with the track list of my new mix (my favorites so far in bold), titled "All My Ladies, Represent!"

The only thing better then getting the joke of a New York Times crossword puzzle is getting the joke of a mix. Gentleman Dave said that this mix was "in a way to answer the first mix [I] ever made [him]." Of course, that was about six years ago, so I had to remember that the first mix I made him was entitled "Red," and was made of entirely of women artists, as the FIRST mix he'd ever made ME (...jesus....) was brilliant, but alas, lacked the ladies. This was before I knew Dave as well I do now, so I blithely pulled together some of my favorite tracks, slapped them together and sent them his way. Now that I know Dave better, I can say that I'll never do that again, as now I know that he knows more about music than any other human being I know. Never, EVER, have I run a band by him that he didn't know -- including their most recent release, best single, and reference in the latter half of the middle eight. He loves music. He loves music in a way I wish I loved anything. My point is, I'm more careful when I send him things. I can remember that "Red" included Tori Amos' "Mother," I believe a Janis track...And maybe Holiday's "Strange Fruit"? In any case, here's "All My Ladies, Represent!"

(The properly placed comma is what makes Gentleman Dave, Gentleman Dave.)


Side A
1. Floating In The Clearest Sea...Colleen/The Cold Morning Breaks
2. Crazy, Crazy Nights...Susanna And The Magical Orchestra /Melody Mountain
3. Colour Me In...Broadcast/Haha Sound
4. Dancing In The Dark...Mirah/B-Sides
5. Dreaming...Blondie/Eat To The Beat
6. If Looks Could Kill...Camera Obscura/Let's Get Out Of This Country
7. Lift Me Up...Saturday Looks Good To Me/Sound On Sound
8. Holly Hobby (Version)...Casiotone For The Painful Alone/Etiquette
9. Past In Present...Feist/The Reminder
10. Tom Courteney (Acoustic)...Yo La Tengo/A Smattering Of Outtakes
11. Wintermiits..Julie Doiron/Heart And Crime
12. The Harder Ships Of The World...Keren Ann/Keren Ann
13. Remember Me...Cat Power/eMusic Session EP
14. Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie...Joanna Newsom/The Milk-Eyed Mender

Side B
1. Empire Of Light...Tin Hat Trio/Book Of Silk
2. The Fairest Of The Seasons...Nico/Chelse Girl
3. Suicide Is Painless...Lady & Bird/Lady & Bird
4. Stormy Weather...Nina Natasia/Dogs
5. La Parade...Yann Tiersen/L'Absente
6. La Maree Haute...Lhasa/The Living Road
7. Green Grass...Cibelle/The Shine Of Dried Electric Leaves
8. They Marry...Mi And L'au/Mi And L'au
9. Tonight...Low/Trust
10. The Darkest Night Of All...Lisa German/Happiness
11. Haze...Essie Jain/We Made This Ourselves
12. Last things Last...Rachel's/Systems/Layers
13. Celebration Guns...Stars/Set Yourself On Fire

Really, the whole tape was brilliant. My week has been made.


Naturally,
Lizzie

Night Dances and Miscellany

Sorry I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth, work has kept me either busy, or comatose. Night shifts are no fun. However, the night crew does enjoy a nightly groove-a-thon to keep the crazies away. Lately we've been rocking this goodie:




"I don't belong to you / And you don't belong to me"

Enjoy having it in your head for forever.


(I also thought I might share some old photographs I took. These are from a trip to the North of England, around Hull, a town which has recently been bombarded with horrendous flooding. I've been inspired by Craig Thompson author of "Blankets" and other awesome works to actually post things. Call it..internetation flirtation. Or something. Anyway, enjoy the photos. At least they're not of my own feet.)