The End is Near

My arm hurts.

• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• Pandora
• Funny People
• The Time Traveler's Wife
• (500 Days) of Summer
• The Jackson 5
• Album Reviews
• The constructs of family (continued)
• Generational Gaps

The Fiery Furnaces new album, I'm Going Away, their seventh studio release since 2003 (eighth overall, live release last year) and it is strictly an album for fans. That's not to say that the songs aren't good, or intriguing, or engaging, it's just they are done in such a style that if you aren't a Furnaces fan already based on all of their previous work, then you won't understand the qualities that you're supposed to be identifying. I'll explain this more tomorrow, as with my love for FF, but there is a subtlety to the album that only becomes apparent when listening in context to who the band is and how they normally function. In many ways, this album retreads previously wandered paths by FF, particularly on "I'm Going Away", the opening track, which would have fit nicely on their debut album, Gallowsbird's Bark. It's jaunty piano part and running beat measures are very similar in structure to songs like "I'm Gonna Run."

There is also a strong 70s influence on the album, not unlike that on their latest album, Widow City, but instead of characterizing bands like Led Zeppelin, they take a more soft rock approach which results in their most bland, pop sounding effort to date. Again, that's not saying that the album is boring or insignificant, because it is - but it forces you to listen closely to follow the drama building in each musical composition. That being said, if you let it fade into the background, it can comeback in a hurry. On "Drive to Dallas", an anti-love song of sorts, there are spastic "guitar solos" releasing the built up emotion in the lyrics that would wake up anybody trying to sleep on the slow moving, almost elevator style music that drives the song.

"The End is Near" is just about as traditional a song as FF have ever done. A piano part reminiscent of the best of the seventies' piano pop (think Burt Bacharach), pleasant phrasing on the lyrics (about the apocalypse, but they can't get too predicable). There's a sweeping guitar solo, but overall - it's the most radio friendly and pleasant song they've done. If you're not a FF fan, but would like to hear something off the album, start here.

There is a two-part song, naturally. FF have, in the past (mostly on Rehearsing My Choir), played with the concept of melodies as a running theme through an album (like lyrics on prog albums) with much success. Here, "Charmaine Champagne" and "Cups and Punches" share so much, they might as well be twins. The difference is the disjointed guitar solo on CC and the wailing outro on C and P. It's a fun song with lot's of jazzy 'ba-ba-baba', but overall, I feel they are both misses in some respect.

"Cut the Cake" is a fun little song, vague lyrics and a few simple time changes, which is a FF calling card. Wonderful use of counter-melody on the big mood shift as well. Good phrasing on the repeated refrain as well, as the expressed emotion is allowed to peak out where it's not obvious from the actual words.

It's worth noting that Eleanor wrote most of the lyrics for this album, where as Matthew has taken most song writing duties for the previous five albums. This is likely why there is such a close resemblance in mood to Gallowsbird's Bark, which she also had primary song writing duties.

"Even in the Rain" is the pop song, without a doubt. Overall, the album makes up the most pop appeal of any FF album, the previous holder was likely EP or Bitter Tea, although Bitter Tea's excessive use of backwards vocals pushed some people away, despite the strongest pure songs from the band being there. The return of the piano on I'm Going Away is a nice return to form after Widow City being so guitar heavy, and when they pull the guitar out of the closet, it sounds much stronger than when they use it as their primary melody.

"Starring at the Steeple" is a quasi-political-religious song that could easily rub many people the wrong way, but it's thudding bass line and great drum part in the chorus really make it a pounding anthem when it could have fallen apart, but is really held together by the musicianship in the room. It's also an exhausting song, exemplified by Eleanor's 'penny by penny by penny by...penny' line. It's really a great song about being lost in life, but still moving forward even though you don't know where you're going...at least, that's what I think it's about. I could be way off, that's for sure.

"Ray Bouvier", unfortunately, is a pleasant enough song but rather forgettable. It's possible I haven't listened closely enough to find the nuisances that really bring out the song's character, but it just doesn't interest me at this time.

"Keep Me in the Dark" is probably my favorite song on the album, with fun handclaps (also found on "Even in the Rain"). Fun lyrics, a great guitar piece. It's just a great FF song, all around. Same with "Lost At Sea" (another song about not knowing yourself), although no handclaps on this one.

The album closes with the aforementioned "Cups and Punches" which is a bit more engaging than it's earlier counterpart, seems to have more emotion in it although most FF songs are stylistically cold by construct. Finally, "Take Me Round Again" - built similarly in structure to "Philadelphia Grand Jury" or "Clear Signal From Cairo" from Widow City, but instead of a menacing, mostly instrumental setting pieces, it's a glorious whirlwind tour of New York City in musical form. The lyrics never change, a repeating chorus throughout, but the backdrop is a constantly evolving world and the phrasing, timing and tonality of the lines sung change with each passing iteration, further deepening the spirit of the song which is basically, let's go again. One FF quality that can't be denied is that they always put a great closer on that ties together the album and really encourages another listen. Of course, anyone serious about listening to the FF better prepare to listen to the album straight through three or four times, to even just get the lines of the picture drawn, then you can worry about coloring in the lines upon future listens. Of course, FF probably wouldn't encourage coloring inside the lines. Bottom line - like all FF albums, it's a lot of work, but a very rewarding listen. It's even more rewarding if you're already a fan, so you know what you're looking for.

Highlights - "Keep Me In The Dark" "Lost At Sea" "Take Me Round Again"

NOTE: the band has already announced that they will be re-releasing the album, twice. The first re-release will have 6 songs as done exclusively by Matt and the other 6 by Eleanor, then vice versa, further exemplifying how FF believe that a song is as much a living thing, evolving and growing up, as we are as people. Think about it. Woah.

Nathan out - ta.

"Living in a den of theives"

• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• Pandora
• Funny People
• The Time Traveler's Wife
• (500 Days) of Summer
• The Jackson 5
• Album Reviews
• The constructs of family (continued)

I know the schedule changed, I bumped constructs of family back to the bottom, because right now I just don't have anything of value to add to it right now. Also, 'album reviews' will kind of be a crutch to land on if I don't feel like posting a day's given topic, or if I'm out of topics for any reason. Although, it will require a little planning ahead in that I'll have to have that CD loaded onto the laptop for listening in the morning so I can at least give you an educated review, not just make it up from memory. Today, however, we are going to review an album that I just got (like two weeks ago, but that's neither here nor there).

Anyways, the Dead Weather's Horehound.

For those of you who don't know, the Dead Weather is made up of Alison Mosshart (the Kills), Jack White (you know, THAT Jack White), Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age, Raconteurs), Jack Lawrence (Greenhornes, Raconteurs). Based on that line-up, I'm sure you can kind of hear the band in your mind, at least somewhat. The main influences come from blues rock (Jack White, your Led Zeppelin is showing) and some jazz fusion, particularly in the guitar work. There are two things that really stand out, the first is Jack White's drumming (oh yeah...he's the drummer). In most bands, the drummer is faded to the background from the studio, but really pull together a live show...on Horehound, they really let the drumming carry most of the songs, while everything else seemingly falls apart. The second thing is Alison Mosshart's voice. Anyone who has listened to the Kills know she has a strong voice, but here she takes it to another level entirely. If you've heard "Cat Claw" from the Kills' first album, you would recognize it instantly. If you've seen the Kills live (highly recommended it), you'll know it too. She brings an instantly sense of intensity and sexual tension to the stage, particularly on the duets where she subdues her sultry voice to a breathy, but forceful tone. Even on the songs with Jack White singing as well, who has a very unique voice all his own, all the attention falls on Mosshart and her amazing charisma.

The album opens with "60 Feet Tall", a slow builder not unlike The Kills' "Superstition" but the explosions are much stronger and tension much higher. Many of the songs, actually, are reminiscent of the Kills and almost make you wish that she didn't restrain herself so much for the Kills' material. Part of the Kills' appeal though, I think, is that you can sense that restraint on every song which gives that edge. Here, however, she lets it out and it carries just about every song.

The second song, "Hang You From the Heavens" is the clear single from the collection. What really is amazing about this album is how natural it feels. The band got together and wrote and recorded the whole thing in a matter of weeks, but it plays like an album that's as time tested as some of the best hard rock albums of the 70s. On this song, in particular, we get a strong sense of song structure and song writing ability rarely seen on the music scene these days. The start and stop of the guitars, the frustrated lyrics (it's kind of a twisted love song, in some ways), it all plays like something we've heard before, but shown in a new light.

"Cut Like a Buffalo" is a solid Jack White number, very rhythmic and fun. "So Far From Your Weapon" (Mosshart's sole individual contribution to the album) is a slow moving blues number, decent but a bit too restrained against its neighbors.

"Treat Me Like Your Mother" is by far the best song on the album. Actually, it's more like three songs with each verse, chorus and refrain clearly separated with tempo and key changes galore! It's a vicious assault on your ears and mind, just trying to keep up with everything going on. It's essentially a call and response for Mosshart and White. When they break it down from "M-A-N-I-P-U-LATE" to "Am I too late?" which goes into one of the best pure guitar solos of the past year...it just makes your head spin.

"Rocking Horse" is a decent song, nothing to get excited about.

Jack White lets his Dylan show a little too on the ruckus "New Pony." It accomplishes what all covers should accomplish, which is make you want to go listen to the original and compare. The Dead Weather clearly bring a lot more energy to the affair (no pun intended, but the song is about having an affair) and Mosshart's voice probably shines more here than anywhere else on the record. The steady drumming and "how much longer" chants that make up the backbone of the song make for a great rock out experience.

"Bone House" is where the band starts to let out some of it's more primal sound without losing too much of the energy that they've built up to this point. "3 Birds" is a pleasant instrumental showing off the band's musicianship (as if there was any doubt). "No Hassle Night" is another one of those songs that they drift into the background versus the amazing collection surrounding it, but on any other bands' album it might just be the highlight. It speaks volumes to the talent in the room on this one where the subpar songs are still so good.

The album closes with the six minute "Will There Be Enough Water" which is just about as true to form as you can get for a blues song. The song wouldn't be out of place at some dirty southern bar in the 1930s by a blind guitarist. It's full of all the depression and hopelessness as the best of the genre. It's quiet and subdued, simple yet intriguing.

This is a very good album and I strongly recommend it. Highlights - "Treat Me Like Your Mother" "New Pony" "Will There Be Enough Water?"

Nathan out - ta.

"I have a skinny vagina" "Maybe you should feed it some carbs."

I know, I've been absent. I'll be back soon. A huge piece of my time will be in the past come Wednesday, promise. In the meantime, a thought...

CunninLynguists is pretty funny, as far as rap names go, no? I dare say it actually confirms itself. Thoughts?

• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• Pandora
• Funny People
• Album Reviews (more on this later), but this is a multi-post concept, not a post in itself, although I'll probably have an introductory concept post just to introduce you to the idea.

Michael Vick

• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• The Death of Paper

Good news: I'm done with my school project so I should have more time outside of work to post and catch up. I'm currently seven posts behind which is no good. We'll see how this weekend goes, maybe I'll bust through some of those.

I am going to talk about Michael Vick though. So as we all know, he was heavily involved with a dog fighting ring and participated in killing dogs who didn't fight well. This is such a heinous, evil crime...it's barely a felony in the US, or at least in Virginia. He spent two years in jail because the ring existed in many states, so it was conspiracy across state lines. So now he was reinstated back into the NFL and after serving a conditional additional suspension, will be allowed to play in the NFL again. Since this first announcement, which was met with some angry cries from dog lovers, etc...he was signed by the Eagles. This created an outrage, particularly in the city of Philadelphia and here's where I'm going to surprise you.

I'm glad he's back. What he did was so terrible, so awful that I can't even imagine doing it myself, it's not in my mind to be even capable of it. That being said, as part of his upbringing, it was actually a usual occurrence for him and that's an even bigger problem. Michael Vick is now working with the Humane Society to help combat inner city dog fighting and it's going to help the cause that he's back in the NFL and on a team. What would have a bigger impact, speaking at schools or to the inner city groups where this would be most prominent - having Michael Vick come in and tell you it's wrong? You're just going to say to yourself...he has to do this, because he got caught. Or, would it be a stronger message to say Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles, or Michael Vick and the NFL are working towards stamping out animal cruelty? He's been made an example of, so now it's time to step forward with him and say - this is wrong. The message is stronger when it's not just the guilty party telling you it's wrong.

The biggest thing about Vick is that three years ago, he was one of the faces of the NFL. You had Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Michael Vick. Then this came out and it reflects terribly on the NFL, which is an entertainment first so image is everything. They quickly tried to push him away from the league as fast as possible, but the damage was done. By bringing him back in, yes - initially - it hurts the image of the league, but over time this may prove to be a great move as it will strengthen the ties of the NFL and the many charities they work with, saying...we messed up, we enabled this guy, and he's working to fix it as are we. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this is the beginning of the end of the reign of the NFL as America's premiere sport, but I hope not because I love the game. I don't know how Vick will do on the field, frankly I don't care, it's more important that he's able to stay in the spotlight as a football player and then be an animal activist on the side.

Your thoughts?

The Power of Cooking

• The Power of Cooking
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• The Death of Paper

So I heard an interesting thing the other day when I was listening to a NPR podcast...the significant event in the evolution of the human mind, going from relatively unintelligent primates, to intelligent societal beings likely wasn't the discovery of fire, but rather, the discovery of cooking. Apparently, a lot of anthropologists think that because cooking unlocks most of the nutrients in foods, all of a sudden, we as a species were able to eat three square meals a day as oppose to eating sixteen hours a day like most modern primates do in the wild. Think about it, that's huge. In order to get the nutrients we need to survive, we were eating sixteen hours a day and then that went down to three at the most. That would give us thirteen extra hours a day to build shelters, form a language, create tools, etc...that's huge!

And think about cooking in the context of just our society. It plays a huge role in culture, it's now entertainment, it's everywhere we go. But then from that...it's also a fading art form. Eating out is cheaper (generally) and easier than cooking at home, time is too valuable to spend all day slaving in the kitchen. What's there to do though? How can we rescue cooking? Is it worth saving?

The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news

• The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care

The world, it's a changing and changing quickly. Newspapers are folding nationwide at an almost intimidating rate. We have a ridiculous amount of dedicated news stations, all of which tend to sell style over substance when it comes to reporting. Then we have the Internet with it's streams and streams of information. It's really no wonder newspaper's can't compete, they aren't timely (only updated once a day?), we have to be home or at least in town to get them and frankly, it's kind of lame to have to turn the pages yourself, right? So now we have blogs and we have twitter, allowing 'journalists' to update anyone who cares to follow along with the play-by-play of any significant news event. It's all based around the now...getting everything out as quickly as possible, which leads us to question the research being put into the news. There is very little accountability in the now first reporting of the modern era.

Then we have the growth of the podcast. At first, I thought to myself - why would I listen to a podcast? I don't listen to talk radio, why would I download talk radio to listen to? Then I realized, I don't listen to talk radio because they don't talk about anything I want to listen to. With podcasts, I can listen to what I want, when I want. Driving with podcasts are a lot more engaging than music as well. Sure, with music, you can sing along and get into it, however...sometimes you just can't, or your exhausted from a long day at work and you just want to listen quietly to something that will stimulate your brain. That's what a podcast offers, it gives you something to think about while driving without forcing you to interact. I love podcasts now and often find myself with more than I have time to listen to in a given day.

This brings me to my next point - I think we can all agree that podcasts and blogs and twitter have officially changed the way we get our news and information, but is it a good thing? Is it good that we can focus our incoming information on the world around us to only what we like? Is it good that we choose to filter out all other facets of the world around us? Then again, haven't we been doing that for years anyways? Haven't the folks on the right been watching Fox News and pounding their Bibles while the left listens to NPR and scoff at the close-minded folks on the other side? We've always leaned towards the bias that agrees most with us, it validates our own opinions and makes us right...even if it just an opinion. Can you really be open-minded or intelligent if you shut out all other opinions? I mostly listen to sport talk, so the opinions are of little actual value in society, but I am trying to dig deeper into the current world and get more angles, but is it worth the trouble? The time? And how is this filter going to alter world views in the future? How are we going to get the news in the future?

Heroes and Villians (some even of the 'super' nature)

• Heroes and Villians (some even of the 'super' nature)
• The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• The Death of Paper

Let's say, for the purposes of argument, that you decided to be an evil super villain? Okay, so you have no super powers, that's okay...you don't need them. Most super powers only come in handy when fighting your nemesis, who also has super powers. None of my nemeses, nor do I suspect yours, have any either. So we're all on a level playing field. So stepping forward, what is your overall goal of being an evil villain? The most common goal is to take over the world...but why? Seems like a terrible hassle with very little payoff, not to mention - all of a sudden, all of everyone's problems are your fault. Who wants that? Yes, you could run the world you see fit, but can you imagine the cost of operation? People won't willingly follow rules, even if those rules are essentially freedom, in a live and let live context, thus enforcement would be a ridiculous cost on your world takeover. Then you have security as an issue...if one person has centralized power, that is a pretty target on your back. So lately, the super villains of our modern fictions have focused on holding the world for ransom in order to get extravagant amounts of money. Seems to me, that puts an even larger target on your back, not to mention the possibility that they'll call your bluff. Plain and simple, you destroy the world, you die too...so there's really nothing to be gained. Even for someone who has nothing to live for, it's a big build up for no payoff. Staying on track with the money theme however, why not just run an evil corporation? Corporations are already perceived, at least for the most part, as evil - so why not roll with it? Just do evil things, because odds are - people will still buy buy buy! I suppose the greatest instance of true villain in the past century was Hitler, but again...went for world domination and there's no way that was a cost effective en devour, even if he had somehow succeeded. Because then it's not just a matter of taking everything over, but continuing enforcement of policies...news flash - resistance is painfully persistent.

On a similar note, without a true super hero available, who would stop an evil corporation or villain, if one were to rise to prominence? I would like a super secret headquarters with nameless henchmen and I bet no one would ever bother me just on principle. What would be gained from stopping me? I suppose it depends on the evil things I'm up to, but I'm not killing people or blowing stuff up or threatening the world (or moon), so what harm could I really be doing? Something to think about...being a villain, but it seems like a lot of hard work without much payout afterwards.

What defines art..

• What defines art..
• Heroes and Villians (some even of the 'super' nature)
• The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care
• The Death of Paper

I know, I know - I've gone missing, like usual. Things are getting busy all over the place, but should slow down in a week or two. I hope. In the meantime, I'll try to do two posts a day to catch up, but no promises.

So today's topic is art - as in, what is? I'm obviously speaking to the all encompassing concept of art, not just pretty paintings and sculptures. Literal art, in many ways, is a dying form. Photography was on the rise a few years ago, but is likely going the way of the newspaper all too quickly. So where is our creative center moving to as a society? I think it wouldn't be far-fetched to say that television and movies are a form of art, but rarely live up to the expectations given by that name. Truth be told, they are little more than empty forms of entertainment most of the time. Probably about 80% of music maintains the creative ethos, but 80% of people listen to the other 20%, give or take. We have literature, another dying art form, which has it's superstars (Rowling, Meyers - although I'd argue her cred, I can't agrue her celebrity), but more often than not we fall back on the classics (Tolkien, Lewis). We have the Internet, which gives birth to youtube stars, but how far can that really take somebody? You can run a popular blog (like myself!) but the limitations are still present as to how far you can take your art. There's the occasionally far out college student who presents something newsworthy (the Yale student who repeatedly got pregnant in order to have abortions story, making the public reaction her true art piece) are passing fades.

So what is art now? What worth does it have off of college campuses? Are we moving into a society that values entertainment over artistic value (are we already there?) Is there any way back and is there any value in going back? Art has always been a way to capture society's undertones, but how do we save it?

Potential of the horror genre in a TV environment

• Potential of the horror genre in a TV environment
• What defines art..
• Heroes and Villians (some even of the 'super' nature)
• The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care

As recently discussed, I was at least an intrigued follower of CBS's horror/suspense experiment "Harper's Island." Clearly influenced, at least on the TV side, by "Murder, She Wrote" and the other early murder mystery shows, but it took on a promising twist. It was also strongly influenced by Agathie Christie writing and horror movie visualizations. I've already discussed many of the shows strengths and weaknesses and I could probably go on and on about it, but I'd really like to take a step back and look at the bigger picture...how much should we reasonably expect from a television show attempting to emulate a horror movie, but also trying to tap into the mystery/thriller storyline?

There are a few very obvious limitations on the first part - namely, a horror movie is almost always rated R for extreme violence (or it probably sucks, let's be honest). On television, short of HBO or Showtime, you're very limited as to what you can get away with because of the FCC. I'm not saying we should get rid of the FCC and show whatever we want, but it greatly weakens any good murder scene. That being said, in the hands of a capable director, these murder scenes can actually be heightened by not showing anything...old school Hitchcock and the like. The key, however, is stronger characterization which...for some reason...Hollywood just seems unable to create as of late. None of the characters in Harper's Island, with the exception of Sully and Danny, truly became 'people' by the end. Harper's Island suffered terribly from falling ratings throughout the season...so CBS did a decent job of creating buzz, but the show failed to keep people interested. I blame this mostly on the habit of killing someone in the final minutes of the episode - I get it, they want people to see that and want to watch next week so they can get answers, but you know you aren't going to get answers because they have to maintain the mystery for 13 episodes! I think I better format would be to follow what CSI did with the 'Miniature Killer' - in that we find a body and try to follow the leads from that, and then find another body...follow the trail until the end, and the deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes. This sets up a character for the audience to relate to (the detective, but it doesn't have to be a police related show). In Harper's Island, we were supposed to relate to Abby Mills, the protagonist and center of the killings (revealed at the end), but we felt nothing for her because my mother wasn't brutally murdered seven years ago and I didn't immediately move to LA and not return home until now. How is that a relatable backstory? And then they didn't even flush out the backstory! They showed clips when it was convenient, thus the story had a very...make it up as we go...feel to it. Not exactly the kind of mood you want to set when trying to develop intrigue. Have these writers never read a mystery before?

I think TV offers many options to give a deep, deep horror movie like experience, but it has to play to it's strengths. A horror movie can only last at most, two hours, because people get sick of sitting through constant killings in a single sitting...however, with a TV series, you have (in the case of Harper's Island), about 8 hours to work through, so you can take your time establishing characters, settings, moods and motives (all of which were rushed together for 'spectacular murders' in Harper's Island). Downplay the death scene, play up the actual deaths and how they matter to the characters. I'm really tempted to write a letter to CBS, I'm afraid they are going to bail on the idea and miss-out on an opportunity to do something really unique and enveloping.

We'll see. Nathan out - ta.

www.crime.org

• How we perceive crime...
• Potential of the horror genre in a TV environment
• What defines art..
• Heroes and Villians (some even of the 'super' nature)
• The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...
• Universal Health Care

I know what you guys are thinking...here's Nathan welshing on his word again, but I assure you - I'm here and I'm going to continue to try to be here. Things are busy at work, busy at school and busy at home. In other words, I'm busy. I have four posts semi-prepared (just have to write them...d'oh!). I will try to do as much as I can today and tomorrow.

Some of you may note (and kudos to those of you who do), that my subject line is a great quote from the Simpsons in regards to the Springfield mafia's website...obviously a play on organized crime (crime.org, get it?). It would be not be ridiculous to assume where this post, on crime in today's modern society and how we perceive it, would focus on mob type romanticism.

I begin with - does the mob still exist? Does it exist in the way that it once did? And how has the mafia evolved to include things like social networking or even the Internet as a whole. The same would go for gang related activity, which we obviously know exist on a much larger scale. The concept of the mob intrigues me because of the inherited secrecy involved and the lack of privacy that comes with the Internet as a whole. Now every "legitimate business" has benefited greatly from the growth of the Internet, from faster communication to a more global network, so is it really far-fetched to assume that the mafia hasn't also utilized these new technologies in order to increase revenue. It also isn't far-fetched to assume that these advances has compromised the mafia's level of secrecy and thus, compromised the mafia as a whole. We already know terrorist organizations utilize the Internet with great success and I suppose, they benefit most from the grand size of the Internet. So is the mafia online and they are just using carefully coded keywords to avoid being found via Google? Sometimes I wish I were a journalist because I'm far too curious not to want to know.

On a similar note, how has crime changed in our minds? Obviously the laws are the same, but how has how we think about them changed? Is shoplifting okay? Or downloading movies, music or software? It's all stealing, but somehow we justify to ourselves that what we do, or what others do, is okay for one reason or another. This raises the question of property, rights, etc...but I suppose the argument would be stealing is stealing in the eyes of the law, no? The Internet has greatly increased our ability to commit crimes, outside of just downloading music, but also stealing identities. Because of the Internet's security flaws, which are unavoidable regardless of your browser or OS protection services, etc...by using the Internet with private data, you are - at least on some level - putting your information out there to be stolen. As we grow more and more comfortable with the Internet's security and trust it more, which I'm not saying we shouldn't - I have full faith that my information is safe, however I'm aware there's a chance it's not - but we're growing more and more comfortable putting things out there that three years ago, we would have been reluctant to give out over the phone. Is it possible to rationally control this kind of illegal activity that takes place online or is it a lost cause? Is there much to gain from controlling it? We live in a quickly changing world thanks to the Internet and, unfortunately, crime is always five steps ahead of law enforcement when it comes to technology.

I got sidetracked on the cyber-track. Where I was heading was - do we look lighter upon shoplifting now that we are almost always stealing from a faceless corporation than we would have fifty years ago when it would have been a proprietor that suffered our thievery? I'm almost positive it's more common these days than it was even five years ago, but the economy is probably a large contributing factor in that. What other 'crimes' have really lost their edge and now generally accepted as a fact of life? Is this a good or bad thing that we are becoming more lenient, at least in thought, about certain crimes?

"My fathers and brothers raped your sisters and mothers"

• "Mama, I'm Satan'
• How we perceive crime...
• Potential of the horror genre in a TV environment
• What defines art..
• Heroes and Villians (some even of the 'super' nature)
• The New Media (Twitter, podcasts, etc...) and the future of how we get the news
• Michael Vick
• The constructs of family (continued)
• The Dead Weather - Horehound
• The Fiery Furnaces - I'm Going Away
• The Fiery Furnaces in general...

Cursive - Mama, I'm Satan

You're gonna do what I say
And say what I say
You stretch your peacock feathers
You're always on display
Don't act so God damned conflicted
You wouldn't have it any other way

You're gonna write down these words
And pass them along
You're gonna fill your book
With your rights and wrongs
You're going to tell your lurid world
The true intentions of these songs

I'm writing out a confession
Every record I've written has left me smitten
A career in masturbation
All in all we're pawns
The ego of mankind stirs in us all

You wanna wipe that slate
And start all over again
You wanna hide your face
In shame of what your grandpappy did
Pretty soon here we'll all be grandfathers
And our offspring will sing the same shit

The world was built on ego
It was built on slaves
The world was built on a tickle
Between our legs
Come on you big strong man
You wouldn't have it any other way

I'm writing out a confession
My fathers and brothers
Raped your sisters and mothers
We are the sons of butchers
All in all we're pawns
The darkness of mankind stirs in us all

I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out
I cast you out

I'll drag you out
I'll drive you out
I'll drug you out
I'll tear you out
I'll cut you out
I'll kick you out
I'll push you out
I'll pull you out
I cast you out
I'll curse you out
I'll shut you out
I'll shit you out
I'll clean you out
Grab a rope and hang you out to dry
Now I'll damn you out
I cast you out
I'll shove you out
I'm stayin'
All in all we're pawns
The darkness of mankind stirs in us all

So a few months ago, a band I listen to quite often, Cursive released the album Mama, I'm Swollen. Now, a quick Cursive history lesson. Around 2001 they release Domestica, which was literally a walk-through the painful divorce of primary songwriter and lead singer, Tim Kasher. In 2003 they released The Ugly Organ, which was a brilliant record containing some beautiful cello throughout what is mostly a hard rock album. The Ugly Organ is all about sex, and the empty meaningless relationships that we fill ourselves with after a serious relationship ending. Basically, it's the rebound record. In 2006 it was Happy Hallow which is about God, or his absence, throughout a quintessential Bible belt small town and the sins of all of it's highest ranking citizens (you have one gay minister, another who sleeps with minors, a gigolo, etc...) Multiple songs openly question God's existence ("Rise Up, Rise Up" and "Big Bang" in particular). They even go as far to say that if God does exist, to not interfere because everytime his name is brought up, only bad follows ("Retreat!"). They replaced the gorgeous cello from The Ugly Organ (the cellist went solo?) with a bombastic horn section which works wonderfully with the lyrical content. This is one of the best trilogies of music I am yet to come upon. Thematically, they play great together as the progressional thought of life. From the ripping apart of a relationship, to the emptiness that follows, to the search for God. I see it as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, a progression through one's complete soul as we all have this in us...this mature, but deeply sadden individual, this immature, but lonely individual, and this lost soul seeking answers and comfort in the heavens and so rarely hearing a response. So how do you follow-up such a complete trilogy of music? Thematically, those albums evolve...musically, those albums evolve. Everything about each album flows into the next and it fits, like puzzle pieces, and I don't think it was possible for me NOT to be disappointed by whatever they choose to release next.

Here comes Mama, I'm Swollen. The entire album is an evaluation of the human condition, essentially, how we are all sinners regardless of how we try to see or carry ourselves. In "From The Hips" we hear the argument that man was happier when sex wasn't about social parameters, but just did what felt good (a topic well covered on The Ugly Organ). In "Caveman" we question the advancements of man, if they were actually advancements, etc... By no means are these poor songs, by any means, and the album is perhaps a great album out of context versus the previous three by Cursive, but thematically and musically (they return to being a straight rock band without any "non-traditional" rock arrangements), it doesn't hold up to the previous three. Contextually, it seems almost out of place, although somehow fitting in the questioning nature of the lyrics.

That all being said, there is a particular gem on the album and I've posted the lyrics above (if you haven't already figured that out). "Mama, I'm Satan" is about we, as a people, and how there is a killer or a rapist, in every single one of us. What's more, is that every great injustice throughout time - slavery, the inquisition and the crusades, the holocaust...every single one of us is capable of terribly great things. So how can we at any point in time, justify any actions we do and think we are right? How often have we been right in the past? We may feel something is right, but we're wrong, we're always wrong. Humans are evil, is basically the bottom line. So I guess, what are your thoughts on lyrics and on mankind - are we as evil as we are made out to be? I'll go see if the song is on Project Playlist...that's a negative. Oh well, I can send it out to anyone interested, as well as a selected Cursive collection...or the entire trilogy (I need more early Cursive, but that's neither here nor there).

Anyways, what do you think of mankind? Ta.