My Favorites

According to Last.fm, this is a ranked list of my 100 favorite bands:

1		The Lucksmiths			1,301
2		The Hold Steady			589
3		Defiance, Ohio			578
4		Elliott Smith			551
5		The Promise Ring			533
6		Kings of Convenience			511
7		Turtles In Time			446
8		Explosions in the Sky			435
9		Kind of Like Spitting			400
10		Damien Jurado			356
10		The Magnetic Fields			356
12		The Wrens			329
13		múm			316
14		Club 8			311
15		Jawbreaker			300
16		Braid			289
17		Bob Nanna			287
18		Brand New			279
19		Fun Deficit			272
20		Belle and Sebastian			266
21		The Microphones			265
22		Billy Bragg			263
23		The Mountain Goats			248
24		Low			245
25		Cat Power			240
26		Idlewild			239
26		R.E.M.			239
28		The Field Mice			237
29		Weezer			236
30		Rockets And Blue Lights			231
31		The Weakerthans			229
31		Apples of the Earth			229
33		Pinhead Gunpowder			226
33		Bright Eyes			226
35		Beulah			219
36		Small Factory			213
37		The Get Up Kids			209
37		The Notwist			209
39		Cap'n Jazz			200
40		Ted Leo and The Pharmacists			193
41		Blur			177
42		Nada Surf			176
43		Casiotone for the Painfully Alone			174
44		Fennesz			169
45		Another Sunny Day			162
46		Styrofoam			161
47		Built to Spill			160
48		The Streets			159
49		Phish			157
50		One Reason			153
50		Wu-Tang Clan			153
52		Christie Front Drive			152
53		that dog.			149
54		Streetlight Manifesto			144
55		Townes Van Zandt			143
56		Against Me!			142
57		Yo La Tengo			140
58		The Capstan Shafts			137
58		The American Analog Set			137
60		No Kids			136
61		Ben Lee			128
62		Superchunk			125
62		The Softies			125
64		Reggie and the Full Effect			123
65		The Sea Urchins			122
66		Castawaves			120
67		The Pine			119
68		Ash			118
68		Pavement			118
70		Boys Life			116
71		The Secret Stars			115
71		Kalpana			115
73		Ben Folds			113
74		The Walkmen			109
75		Maritime			103
76		Graham Coxon			100
77		The Smashing Pumpkins			97
77		Silver Jews			97
77		Mirah			97
80		Blueboy			96
81		Death Cab for Cutie			94
81		The Transmissionary Six			94
83		The Orchids			92
83		The Knife			92
85		Novi Split			91
85		Trembling Blue Stars			91
87		The One AM Radio			90
87		Hot Chip			90
89		Jason Anderson			88
89		Oasis			88
91		Jimmy Eat World			87
91		Saturday Looks Good to Me			87
91		Röyksopp			87
94		M83			86
95		This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb			85
96		Unrest			84
97		Superdrag			83
98		Bad Religion			82
99		Rocket Punch			81
100		The Evens			77
100		Jets to Brazil

NEW FUN DEFICIT

http://www.last.fm/music/Fun+Deficit/Aries+and+Afterward/this+is+the+west+coast+and+a+kiss+means+everything

I am now on Last.fm, where you can stream and download my music.

give me THE CURE

Two phenomenal covers of The Cure, both filmed in interesting settings.

Erlend Oye of The Kings of Convenience singing "Boys Don't Cry" in the park:



PS22 Choir singing "Pictures of You" at school:

No, wait. This is what I want.

Motorcycles are a huge temptation for me. I avoid them because I don't think they will be as fun as scooters. They're just so much more serious. Yet, in getting older I don't like vintage stuff as much, and I just can't stomach a new scooter. They are just so much different than the old scooters I love.

But motorcycvles haven't really changed. They are still the same size, shape, and whatnot.

This is one I really like: Moto Guzzi V7 Clubman

This is what I want: BMW 2002

I am in love with BMW 2002s. I want one in a bad way, and every day I consider putting the Fun Bus up for sale and getting one of these little charming boxy cars. Particularly, I would like an orange one. I rode in one over the summer, a lovely dark blue 1971 round-taillight model, and I loved it. In the few miles I rode, I got the feeling the car was much lighter and tossable than a comparable Volvo. I loved the aircraft-style seatbelt latches. The seats were perfect vintage car simplicity and cuteness. The small details make it really great. I truly wish cars like this were still made.

Rollfast Sold

On a rainy night in October 2009, I sold my Rollfast. I really liked this bicycle, but I'm more nostalgic for mountain bikes of the 1990s because I'm around that age. I didn't live as far back in the past as this bicycle did, and therefore I can't be nostalgic for it.

FOR SALE: My Vespas

Regretfully, because my life is too too busy, I'm putting my Vespas up for sale. I want to sell them or trade for another scooter. Here are the details:


Silver and Orange Rally 200:
year 1975.
Includes 6V FEMSA electronic ignition.
European specifications: no premix, higher compression head, bigger headlamp.
A previous owner rode this scooter from Seattle to Sturgis and back. While in Sturgis he had the scooter signed by many motorcycle luminaries like Arlen Ness and Mike Corbin.
Includes some Rat fink stickers.
Includes new pieces like a brand new correct Euro taillamp.
Cowls are straight!
Clear Oregon Title. I bought this at a yard sale 3 years ago and have not done anything with it except buy new parts and disassemble it. It is in pieces in my garage in NE Portland. This bike needs and deserves a full restoration. I was quoted $1500 on a full paint job.
Price is $1800 or trade for a Stella, Ruckus, other Vespa, or Lambretta.



1979 Vespa P150.
Upgraded to Electronic Ignition stator.
Stella 150cc Top End.
Runs but will need a tune up.
Clear oregon Title in my name.
BAD: Has bent fork and will need replacing.
$1800 or best offer or trade.

THINGS I WILL TRADE FOR:
Volkswagen Vanagon or Bus
BMW 3 series or 2002.
Stella
Honda Ruckus
Lambretta
Vespa
Citroen

Point / Counterpoint

Miley Cyrus - "Party in the USA" (2009)

Beatles - "Back in the USSR" (1968)

I say "point / counterpoint" but these are such similar songs. Same themes, different countries, different milieus. Pop music still lives.

Golden City

I just came across this: the singer from the greatest emo band from Colorado, Christie Front Drive has a new band:

You can download one of their tracks off of their record label's site. This track has an upbeat feel, but retains the feel of distance that was soaked into all of Christie Front Drive's music. There's a fan-made video for a CFD song on youtube that simply pairs footage of landscape of Colorado shot out a car window with one of their songs. It's completely fitting.

When these singers of older emo bands continue their work they stray into great indie-pop territory, and this song has the pace of a band like The Pains of Being Pure at Heart or Maritime. What was vague emotion becomes more measured and deliberate, and that's not such a bad thing!

http://www.magicbulletrecords.com/bands/goldencity.html