this whole having my own laptop thing is pretty novel. i know it's probably old hat for a lot of people...but i always seem to be behind the curve on technology. the other night i actually realized how cool netflix's whole instant movie streaming business is. i sat around and watched tons of movies, just because i could.
i have also finally experienced the joy of getting my music collection into my own iTunes and onto my own iPod. i have about 600 CDs so it did take some time. it's nice re-acquainting myself with my music collection. i have a ton of stuff that i literally haven't listened to in years, because ever since i moved across the country six years ago my CDs have mostly been packed away in boxes that have followed me around. it can be a real downer to think about some album that you know you have, but aren't sure which box it might be in (because none of the CDs are sorted), and you just don't have the time or energy to dig it out and then clean up the resulting mess just to listen to it. plus, i've been broke for years and haven't really had a CD player or stereo of my own. all this also contributed to making acquiring new music a pretty low priority (i have probably only bought maybe two dozen CDs in the past five years, as opposed to the hundreds i bought in the years before that). most of the new music i have listened to has been the result of burned CDs made for me by my friends.
but you know what? i actually really like music. and now, for the first time in years, i'm able to access my music easily and listen to stuff as i'm out about around town. i've actually really been enjoying putting my entire music collection on shuffle and listening to whatever comes up (even when it happens to be Merzbow). also, for the first time in years, i'm actually interested in putting time and energy into getting new music again.
all of which brings me to my real point, which is that there are two albums that i've been totally digging lately that are new (to me anyway). the first is the new(ish) album by Portishead. (okay, so it came out two years ago. i just got it a couple weeks ago.) here's a video i just found for one of my favorite jams on the album that's pretty fucking rad:
the other album i've been listening to a lot lately is Past Lives' new album "Tapestry of Webs". here's a video of them performing one of my favorite songs from the album live at the local radio station:
i have also finally experienced the joy of getting my music collection into my own iTunes and onto my own iPod. i have about 600 CDs so it did take some time. it's nice re-acquainting myself with my music collection. i have a ton of stuff that i literally haven't listened to in years, because ever since i moved across the country six years ago my CDs have mostly been packed away in boxes that have followed me around. it can be a real downer to think about some album that you know you have, but aren't sure which box it might be in (because none of the CDs are sorted), and you just don't have the time or energy to dig it out and then clean up the resulting mess just to listen to it. plus, i've been broke for years and haven't really had a CD player or stereo of my own. all this also contributed to making acquiring new music a pretty low priority (i have probably only bought maybe two dozen CDs in the past five years, as opposed to the hundreds i bought in the years before that). most of the new music i have listened to has been the result of burned CDs made for me by my friends.
but you know what? i actually really like music. and now, for the first time in years, i'm able to access my music easily and listen to stuff as i'm out about around town. i've actually really been enjoying putting my entire music collection on shuffle and listening to whatever comes up (even when it happens to be Merzbow). also, for the first time in years, i'm actually interested in putting time and energy into getting new music again.
all of which brings me to my real point, which is that there are two albums that i've been totally digging lately that are new (to me anyway). the first is the new(ish) album by Portishead. (okay, so it came out two years ago. i just got it a couple weeks ago.) here's a video i just found for one of my favorite jams on the album that's pretty fucking rad:
the other album i've been listening to a lot lately is Past Lives' new album "Tapestry of Webs". here's a video of them performing one of my favorite songs from the album live at the local radio station: