rooftop piano man

thanks for the concert, neighbors!

june 16th, 2009

reviewing the photos on my memory card from the last 12 months, i found the last picture i took of my childhood pet, christopher, before he died in october. i remember looking at this photo after i just left him again, and thought it was interesting. seeing it again, now that he's gone, it looks like he's already ghosting.

always aspiring to be realistic, i used to think that people being shattered by the death of a pet was a bit much. i can't say every moment of my waking life is distraught misery, because it's not. but spending 6 days at my parents' house, the first time since he died, was quite the emotional mindfuck. it may seem like auto-pilot, but i loved my rituals with my ani-pal. i can't walk into the house from the garage without calling 'krr-ihs-tohffur!' here kitty kitty.

it felt painful to make myself not carry out my cat-call as usual. it sucked. my mind kept filling in his image where he would sit -- center floor of any high-traffic area. my mind would echo his variety of greetings and commentary when timely. any time i let myself call for christopher, it seemed too debbie-downer to ever do again.

music is one of those things that heals the hurts. i have already mentioned a song i love, but listening to it from the perspective of mourning my kitty. i'm the girl, christopher's the he, my parents' house (and christopher's lifelong home) is the meeting place.

all it takes is a peppy 60's-inspired pop-orchestral mid-tempo ballad.

the last shadow puppets: indie baroque pop-rock?

example, so catchy: meeting place

wikipedia classifies the last shadow puppets' genre as indie rock, baroque pop. good enough for me. i'd classify the last shadow puppets as one of the best surprises of 2009 -- for me. their album the age of understatement came out in 2008.

nevermind -- onto the goods:

the title track starts like some kind of high-energy old west chase -- plucky, driving, epic horns: the age of understatement

catchy, swift: standing next to me

concise sentiment floating in a pool of ethereal goo: the chamber

sounds james bond-y: my mistakes were made for you

an avant-start to creepy punkishness: i don't like you anymore

acoustic-y, gorgeous closer: the time has come again

[it's] in our nature

i've recognized josé gonzález on the music scene for a few years now, but i never seemed to get into his music. lucky for me, in our nature was the breakthrough album -- even though it's been out for two years. at least it doesn't sound dated.

in our nature

killing for love

time to send someone away

florence and the machine: queen and court of 2009

i don't care if december is still three hours away -- i'm beating the critics to the punch and declaring the best album of 2009:

lungs by florence and the machine

forget your owl city's and your lykke li's and your passion pits; annoying, boring, cliche. blah blah blah. i've been obsessed with florence and the machine after a mention by none other than p nasty himself.

who wants to read about music -- listen for oneself, right?

song for the work-out mix: dog days are over

epic journey in 4 minutes: rabbit heart (raise it up)

for those of us who love rough housing: kiss with a fist

happily hypnotic: drumming

after my beloved childhood pet died, i asked my ipod to play a song that would make me happier - it did: you've got the love

the most beautiful song that will ever upset p.e.t.a.: bird song

the lyrics drive me completely bonkers. i spent weeks just feeling the sonics before i started to listen to the lyrics i already knew by heart; except i hadn't thought about those words at all.

top it all off with the mega-mix: rabbit heart (raise it up) (jaime t's lionheart mix)

devendra banhart

john mayer is soo 2002. sorry mayer the player, but it's over.

i've found my new all-consuming love affair:

devendra banhart!

feel free to grove to d's lover while you dress him!