my external hard drive is probably f**ed and will cost hundreds of dollars to fix it. contents: thousands of songs, saved emails, original music, writing samples, class notes, resumes, photos of my life over the last several years - basically, digital memories of everything that's happened to me for the best 5 or so years. gone. the "computer guy" told me to try putting it in the freezer all night and then plugging it in in the morning. seriously? did he go to school for this? because this sounds like something I'd make up. next he's going to tell me to spread peanut butter all over it and then throw it down the stairs.

what music looks like + cat

minneapolis

accomplished this past weekend:

1. attended another (yes, another) shaky hands show (great)
2. visited the walker art museum and some other big art museum in minneapolis
3. boat riding
4. relaxing
5. read the ginger man by j.p donleavy
6. the consumption of great amounts of food and gary's ice cream
7. got a sunburn

delays

...shutting down my computer; turning off my phone; leaving to-do lists unchecked, dirty dishes in the sink, and emails unanswered...and trying not to think about the gas prices...

wrinkled

accomplished today

1. cleaned my apartment
2. saw the shaky hands at the high noon saloon
3. completed law school

thwarted

how I felt today

April album reviews

the rosebuds "night of the furies": this is a really f-ing fun, high energy (yet nostalgic and melancholy) album. really great catchy melodies. listen if you like 80s music (and even if you don't)... best album of the month for sure - I can't stop listening to it.

lost in the trees "time taunts me": strange combination of styles of music and singing, and at times not really integrated very well. but I really like it. it sounds like it should be the sound track to something.

bright eyes "cassadaga": conor oberst's lyrics have really matured. I've always liked his music, but thought his lyrics were a bit too melodramatic...he's toned down the melodrama, though, so I actually kind of like this album.

the twilight sad "fourteen autumns and fifteen winters": love the accent, but the songs are a little boring.

cloud cult "the meaning of 8": I had hoped they'd finally get it together and put together an album of a reasonable length. 19 songs is too many to digest. but don't be put off by that, there's some good stuff in there: mostly I'm referring to the music, the lyrics need a bit of work.

thee more shallows "book of bad breaks": I'm ambivalent; this album constantly wavers between creative and cliche. in its better moments, it sounds like a cross between the flaming lips and john vanderslice.

dr. dog "we all belong": good example of pitchfork messing up on the ratings. one wonders how dr. dog could get such a low pitchfork rating, while joanna newsome...

stars of the lid "and their refinement of the decline": well, I'm not sure that this really qualifies as music - it seems like it should be in thrown in a category with the calming sounds of rain or babbling brooks...the short of it is that I could probably fall asleep to it. maybe that's what they were going for?