Blog Ideas

I've been running low on ideas to write about for this blog. I really enjoy the challenge of writing, as I feel that it keeps me sharp, however over the past few weeks, ideas have been hard to come by. A few ideas that I have come up with involves the following:

1) Listening to a band/artists catalog within a set period of time, and explore impressions I get.

2) Further explore podcasting ideas. I'm currently working on a series called the Looking Glass, and I have some great ideas for episodes, but I feel like I need to expound on them. Dig further into the details of what each episode could be.

3) Maybe even a series of postings of why I found podcasts to be the most exciting media format out there?.

These are just some random ideas. I actually like each of them, and I feel like I should further explore them. Don't be afraid of longer written pieces.

The Resurrection of Jake the Snake

If you were a fan of the WWF from the mid 1980s through the mid 1990s there is a documentary currently on Netflix that is a can't miss. The Resurrection of Jake the Snake follows the WWE Hall of Famer as he embarks on a path to clean up his life, and defeat his addictions to alcohol and drugs.

I was near tears watching this documentary. It was amazing seeing this man, who was so dangerous, so invincible to me when I was a little kid, quite literally fight for his life. It is so worth the hour and a half to watch.

To Do List for 2016

1. See the Terracotta Warriors at the Field Museum
2. Got to jazz club
3. See a performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
4. Finished 6 episodes of my podcast series
5. Get logo created for podcast series
6. Do something unusually.
7. Be bored for a day
8. Continue work on a few short story ideas
9. Draw
10. See friends on a more regular basis.

The Claypool Lennon Delirium

This is so wonderfully refreshing. Les Claypool from Primus and Sean Lennon have created a new project entitled: "The Claypool Lennon Delirium". These two have created a truly unique sound. Claypool's bass playing along with Lennon's soulful singing surprisingly blend very well together. I love musical projects like this. It's different, unique, and catchy.

Radiohead: 01 and 10 Playlist

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.org

Keeping up with my theme of music for the month of May, I would like to share a recent revelation a current student of mine shared with me. It's called Radiohead: The 01 and 10 playlist. (Think binary code. )

If you take Radiohead's Ok Computer album and combine it with their In Rainbows album, alternating every other track, you get a "super album". In fact it is really freaking how well these two albums blend together. It's almost like they are apart of a type of double record. I found very helpful information regarding the play list, along with some very fun fan theories here.

I recommend you give it a try. Its a really cool listening experience. Different, yet familiar. I feel like it almost gives you a new interpretation of the music. I've also included the the track listing below.

The 01 and 10 playlist 

1. Airbag (Ok Computer)
2. 15 Step (In Rainbows)
3. Paranoid Android (Ok Computer)
4. Bodysnatchers (In Rainbows)
5. Subterranean Homesick Alien (Ok Computer)
6. Nude (In Rainbows)
7. Exit Music (For a Film) (Ok Computer)
8. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi (In Rainbows)
9. Let Down (Ok Computer)
10. All I Need (In Rainbows)
11. Karma Police (Ok Computer)
12. Fitter Happier (Ok Computer)
13. Faust Arp (In Rainbows)
14. Electioneering (Ok Computer)
15. Reckoner (In Rainbows)
16. Climbing Up The Walls (Ok Computer)
17. House of Cards (In Rainbows)
18. No Surprises (Ok Computer)
19. Jigsaw Falling Into Place (In Rainbows)
20. Lucky (Ok Computer)
21. Videotape (In Rainbows)
22. The Tourist (Ok Computer)

Living in my Music Memory

Photo Credit: Me

I was transported back in time the other day. I was on a week long vacation, and thus decided to indulge myself in a little record shopping. A favorite pastime of mine. So on Saturday of my vacation I traveled up to Reckless Records on North Broadway here in Chicago. What I found on this extraordinary day absolutely shocked me. Before I explain what I found, it is crucial that I explain a habit of mine that I do whenever I enter a record shop. Whenever I go into any record shop, the first thing I look for is the Beatles collection. Even though I have every piece of Beatles vinyl, I still go through the selections just as an "in case". Because you never know what you will find.

So here I am, doing my thing,  looking through the Beatles selection when something grabbed my eye. It was a copy of Volume 1 of The Beatles Anthology. I couldn't believe it! I knew that there were vinyl pressing made of them in the United Kingdom, but never thought I would see a copy of one again in the United States. You read that right.  Again. But Pete you say, you've never been outside the country. How could you have seen a copy of this wonderful album on vinyl if it were only on printed/available in the United Kingdom?

Well, let me transport you to a simpler time.  1997. A very important year for me. Looking back at it, I feel like this was the year were I finally "got" music. My journey began by watching The Beatles documentary series The Anthology  with my older sister. Seeing the story of The Beatles unfold in front of me on television captured my imagination. With this in mind, I began my journey into buying the music of the Beatles.

One day I don't remember when, my family was out in the Orland Park/Tinley Park area. While traveling on 159th street, my dad stopped off at a local record shop called "Threshold Records". It was my first time being in a legit record shop. To this day, I still remember what that experience was like. The room had character. It felt like what a record shop would look like in the movies. There was vinyl everywhere. Posters of bands I had never heard of everywhere. There was even a section for bootleg CDs. (I had no idea what that even meant at the time.) But there were two items that caught my eye. Hanging up on the wall was a promotional poster for Paul McCartney's new album called "Flaming Pie", along with a vinyl copy of The Beatles Anthology Volume 2.

I stared at the vinyl copy of Volume 2. Unsure of what to do. I held it in my hand, and was blown away by it's shear presence. I remember then seeing the price, and realizing that it was far outside of my price range. Remember I was in 7th/8th grade at the time, so $25.00 seemed like a sumptuous amount of money. My parents agreed, and recommend that I get something else, which I agreed to do. What I got instead was a CD copy of Flaming Pie, and my first ever vinyl. It was the Ghostbusters' movie soundtrack. But I never forgot about the anthology series on vinyl. As I got more into music, and began purchasing The Beatles' catalog on vinyl, I always kept my eye out for the anthology series, but I never found any copies. Until Saturday.

I felt an unabated excitement that adults often get mocked for. It sounds stupid, but seeing volume 1 on Saturday took me back to that day in 1997. I was that kid again, discovering the power of music. The memory was incredibly vivid, and I loved every moment that I was in it. And that's what made it so special. Not buying the record (which I did) because, ultimately it is just a piece of plastic. But the fact that a piece of plastic can jar a long forgotten memory from my subconscious my conscious was really great.

With that being said one down, two to go. :) I should also add Flaming Pie to the list.

Radiohead Does It Again

For my 235 blog posting, I would like to focus on the awesomeness that is Radiohead. It's hard to believe but Radiohead has been together as a band for a little bit over 30 years. (Having formed in 1985.) And like a fine wine, they have simply gotten better with age. With masterpieces such as: "The Bends, Ok Computer, Kid A, and In Rainbows, in their discography, Radiohead continues to push the limits as a band.

Earlier today, Tuesday May 3rd, 2016, Radiohead released their first new single in a little over five years. Burn the Witch sees the band returning to a more alternative rock sound. For fans of In Rainbow and The Bends, such as myself, this is a very welcome return to form. (I'm sorry King of Limbs is a bad record. There I've said it.) One person on social media described Burn the Witch as "horror" music due to its sinister sounding string section, and captivating stop motion music video. I found that a rather interesting description.

One element you can never take away from Radiohead is that no matter what they do, they always get their audience thinking and talking. The video for Burn the Witch is captivating. The music is breathtaking. If the rest of the album sounds anything like this single, I seriously believe we have a new contender for Record of the Year. Having seen David Bowie release his last ever record to Esperanza Spalding's breakout Emily's D+ Evolution, 2016 is shaping up to be a pretty great year in music releases.