Flume

This is the sixth in a series of blog entries about songs picked at random from my itunes library. For the post on the last song, "Ras Trent" go (here). For "Hole to Feed" go (here). For "Every Little Thing" go (here). For "No Surprises" go (here). For "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Love Version)" go (here).

"Flume" is the first track off of Bon Iver's debut album For Emma, Forever Ago released in 2007. Those who are lucky enough to know about this album know that it was recorded by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon during a three-month stay in a cabin in Wisconsin.

This was one of the first records I got when I bought my record player. It was basically second on the list of "Records You Must Buy if You Listen to Records" (After Neutral Milk Hotel's In an Aeroplane Over the Sea which I also own). And within 10 seconds I knew why. I don't think I can explain in words what it is like to put the needle to the vinyl, wait a moment for this song to begin, and then hear the first chords from the acoustic guitar reverberating off the cabin walls. The real kicker, however, is (what I guess would be) the chorus.

Resist the urge to look up the lyrics and just listen.

******

On a personal note, after almost exactly six months, this is officially the 50th entry for this blog. I've been rolling my heart to you since April 19th, 2009 when I just had to share with everyone my experience from the front row of Paul McCartney at Coachella.

Thanks for reading!

MGMT

As I mentioned in this post, I'm trying to like Phoenix (I have their appearance on Conan Tivo'd). Meanwhile, I still love MGMT.

Oracular Spectacular is an amazing record. (Yes, I listen to records). I recently ordered Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix LP because of MGMT. I love the MGMT record so much and it makes me love MGMT so much, that having the vinyl Phoenix must win me over!

I've liked MGMT for a while, ever since I first heard "Time to Pretend" on the radio. It was not like anything on the radio. It was not like any other song I had ever heard. And I don't mean that in the way that "Fireflies" by Owl City or "Handlebars" by the Flobots are unlike any song on the radio - I mean it in a good way. How could you not like the frank tune about guys who just can't help becoming rock stars, marrying models, divorcing models, finding other models to marry, and dying in a pool of their own vomit? (What else can they do? Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute)?

After hearing "TtP" on the radio I turned to YouTube for more info. and ending up loving another MGMT song, "Kids." About a month after that, "Kids" started playing on the radio, and it still hasn't stopped. I must admit that I like "Kids" sightly less after hearing it every day on the radio for the past several months, but there is no quashing my love for MGMT in general.

Their record is excellent. Put a little something in your coffee and have a listening party in your own home at night! Dance around and sing along to "Electric Feel." After all, you're in the prime of your life!

When I discovered that Paul McCartney likes MGMT and that they would open for him on a few tour dates and that he was interested in working with them in some kind of Fireman capacity - I was thrilled! Go MGMT!

Listening to Records

Today the record player I ordered onlne was delivered. I always wanted to "listen to records" but we didn't have a record player when I was a kid. I did sometimes hang out with my friends in their parent's basement, but they didn't really have a ton of records we were interested in (I do seem to recall listening to The Turtles). Anyway, after Coachella, I decided to go for it. I ordered my cool hipster record player from Urban Outfitters and scored some old Wings records on ebay.

The player arrived before the records, however, so after I got home from work, I went down the block to the (very) nearby antique store. The records were located in the back of the store in big boxes. I quickly picked out two, then spent some time looking through some of the other boxes.

The old Hispanic man who runs the shop did kind of give me a hard time about my selections. I believe his words were, "Do you LIKE this kind of music?"

I got Red Rose Speedway and Living in the Material World (which I haven't listened to yet). It took me all of one minute to get the player out of the box, plugged in and working. It wasn't hard to learn how to use and in no time I was listening to the end of "My Love" (having not been sure enough about where to drop the needle to start with the first song). It was pretty cool. However, I did learn that the awesome B-side medley (I say things like b-side now, because I am a vinyl person) is can be pleasantly sleep inducing.

One thing I have learned: Playing records + warm weather = sleepy me.

While the needle on my record player does seem to need to be dropped manually, so far I haven't had to experience the horrible scratching sound from the end of the record. I suspect this has more to do with the record than the player, though.

The charm of the whole thing, however, lies in its very manualness. If I wanted to listen to 500 songs in a row, shuffled, I could turn on my computer - I could even use the "remote" app on my iPhone to skip a song from across the room. If I wanted to listen to a particular song while sipping my iced latte in a cafe, I could plug the headphones into my ipod. To listen to records, however, I must be at home. After five or six songs I must get up, walk over to the player, and flip the record over myself - an actual piece of vinyl in my hands. If it's too quiet, I have to get up and turn it up. If it's too loud, my neighbors just have to put up with "this kind of music."

After all, it's only for five or so more songs.