R.A.M.O.N.E.S. (How I Stayed Entertained Today)

Pennywise

Green Day At least watch till 2:07. That guy is awesome.

Bruce Springsteen

Motorhead

And my personal favorite: Pearl Jam

Thanks, Internets.

Johnny X's February

“What is with the stop in the “stop, drop, and roll” bit? When I catch fire, the last thing I’m going to be doing is stopping.”

“Good point.”

“I tell you what, I am going to go ahead and skip the stop part, and just go straight to roll. Drop and roll, man. Or really, just roll. I mean, if you are going to roll, isn’t the dropping implied? You have to drop to roll, and I believe everyone can do the drop math when needing a roll. It’s a good thing we’ve never caught on fire before this.”

“It seems like I heard someone else talking about that the other day.”

“Probably."

“Did you watch Flight of the Conchords?”

“No, I don’t like it.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, it’s not like I don’t like it, I guess, or would like it, rather, but I just get so sick of listening to everybody talk about it that it makes me angry. Yes yes, you like it, everyone likes it, now shut-up about it.”

“You would like it.”

“Probably.”

“Well, I haven’t watched the new one yet, you should come over and see it. I know you’ll like it.”

“No.”

“Why do you not like stuff on the count of other people liking it?”

“It’s not that. It’s the fact that I could probably quote the entire series and I have never even seen an episode. I liked Napoleon Dynamite and Borat when we first saw them, but then all I heard for the next six months were awful impressions everywhere I went. There is a girl at my work who can’t even talk normal now because all she did was do Napoleon Dynamite impressions for a year, and now her voice is stuck, like how you weren’t supposed to make ugly faces when you were little because they would eventually just set.”

“Well, you’re missing out.”

“I’m sure I am. You know what I want to do? I want to find a good barber.”

“A barber?”

“Yeah. Go in, get a cut and a shave, and then he takes the razor to the back of the neck and gives you that powder stuff. I have only been to a barber once, and it was awesome.”

“Hey, that kid kind of looks like that Diggable Dave guy?”

“Who?”

“That guy. Right there.”

“Oh. I never met Diggable Dave.”

“You don’t remember Diggable Dave?”

“I remember him, I just never met him. That was before I got home.”

“When Rob and I first got home, we went to his house to play Ping-Pong. I was pretty confident going in, but then I noticed he had to change into his Ping-Pong shoes; I then refused to play.”

###

Favorite Onion News Ticker: MARINE BIOLOGISTS DISAPPOINTED AFTER DISCOVERY THAT THE NEW SPECIES OF 8-ARMED DOLPHINS IS JUST AN OCTUPUS


February YouTube Vid: You know when he falls apart/he listens in the dark/to the records turn/I'll never learn

Favorite Piece of Literature: She was alone and still, gazing out to sea; and when she felt his presence and the worship of his eyes her eyes turned to him in quiet sufference of his gaze, without shame or wantonness. Long, long she suffered his gaze and then quietly withdrew her eyes from his and bent towards the stream, gently stirring the water with her foot hither and thither. The first faint noise of gently moving water broke the silence, low and faint and whispering, faint as bells of sleep; hither and thither, hither and thither: and a faint flame trembled on her cheek.

—Heavenly God! cried Stephen's soul, in an outburts of profane joy.

He turned away from her suddenly and set off across the strand. His cheeks were aflame; his body was aglow; his limbs were trembling. On and on and on and on he strode, far out over the sands, singing wildly to the sea, crying to greet the advent of the life that had cried to him.
Her image had passed into his soul for ever and no word had broken the holy silence of his ecstasy. Her eyes had called him and his soul leaped at the call. To live, to err, to fall, to triumph, to recreate life out of life! A wild angel had appeared to him, the angel of mortal youth and beauty, an envoy from the fair courts of life, to throw open before him an instant of ecstasy the gates of all the ways of error and glory. On and on and on and on. - Portait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce

Too Good to Be True?

Yes. The show was cancelled. I'm depressed.

09/16/08 - 09/17/08

. . .and even though the times have changed that spirit/I still feel it/it carries on/and even though your life has changed that spirit/ you still feel it/ it carries on/ it carries on in every song


All the bands we love the most/all the songs that give us hope/reasons we're still here today/people change/but the songs remain

Tonight is the first of two Rancid shows in Salt Lake. This concert, although it has not yet happened, is already in my Top Five.

H2O, who has just come out with their first record in seven years and who I have not seen live since I was eighteen (yes, seven years), is touring with Rancid. That last H2O concert is also in my top five. It was one of the last concerts I saw with Punk Rock Kid Tolley before he left for New York and I left for Santiago. He is not able to attend tonight because he decided to be a chump and move to California. Yep, I called you a chump. What are you going to do about it, sissy?

It was announced a couple of weeks ago that Less Than Jake will also be playing this show. LTJ on the first night and H2O the second. When I first saw that LTJ was playing I was pretty sure it was a typo because LTJ was just here with Goldfinger two weeks before, and they had a show in Canada scheduled the night before. I am glad they are coming back because they played at the Murray Theater last time where someone is eventually going to die of heat exhaustion, because they don't have air conditioning, and the crowd was just weird.

The best of Punk, NYHC, and Gainseville Rock in two nights. Holy crap, I'm excited. More posting to follow.

Hiatus - Getting Lost

Hi. I am going to be taking an extended break from this blog. I will be back in a while. I didn't want to post just that, so I thought maybe I would leave you with a quick b-side. See ya later, and don't forget to get your Rancid/H2o tickets.


"Hey Russ, I watched Crossroads last night."

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah, it was pretty cool."

"The question is would you sell your soul to play like that?"

"Nah, punk rock. Not super necessary," I laughed.

"True. What about you, Daniel? Would you sell your soul to be the greatest musician ever?"

"That would depend," Daniel said.

"On what?"

"On if God existed. If so, I would be afraid to sell God's property; if not, I would have to think about it."

"But there would be a devil," Russ said, "so wouldn't that mean there would be a god?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe we should listen to more Heavy Metal," I said.

Tiger Army

That was supposed to say Tiger Army.

As the grey sky opens my heart sings

I carry a torch as the New Year rings

And I still feel the same after all this time

A future of past on my mind

Tonight I remember what it was like

To hear the rain's song when you were mine

Now here in this silence my heart dies

Saved by the roar of a broken sky

My phone tried.

Concert and New Album

Sailing on a silver ship
Out to the open
Lonely and realizing that our friendship's been broken
And a funny thing to me is how quickly it slips away
And leaves you longing for the things
That were never spoken

And you know loving me is not enough
And I know future is as future does

Lunch Break

At my work we are required to take a thirty minute lunch. I ate at my desk today, so now I have to clock out for a half-hour (Is there supposed to be a dash there? I suck at pretty much all punctuation) and I don't know what to do. Actually, I have been sitting here for like 15 minutes trying to figure out what to do for the break. I finally clocked out and decided to write a post, but usually these random ones are kinda dumb. Oh well.

Let's hit shuffle on the ol ipod shall we?

#1 Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song) - Incubus

Okay, this is probably my favorite Incubus song. S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is easily my favorite Incubus album. I actually don't really like anything after it. I have Make Yourself, but that is as far as I go with the Incubus. Not that the newer stuff is bad, I am just 'meh' on it. My apologies to at least two people I know who read this.


#2 Rudie Can't Fail - The Clash

On the route of the 19 bus!

Sometimes I wish my friend Tolley and I were born fifteen years earlier than we were.


Do You Still Hate Me - Jawbreaker

A Johnny X top five band.

Been hearing about you.
All about your disapproval.
Still I remember the way I used to move you.
I wrote you a letter.
I heard it just upset you.
Why don't you tell me?
How can I do this better?
Are you out there?
Do you hear me?
Can I call you?
Do you still hate me?
Are we talking?
Are we fighting?
Is it over?
Are we writing?
We're getting older.
But we're acting younger.
We should be smarter.
It seems we're getting dumber.
I have a picture of you and me in Brooklyn.
On a porch, it was raining.
Hey, I remember that day.
And I miss you.

So simple and true.


Bullet with Butterfly Wings - The Smashing Pumpkins

I don't know why I remember this, but I remember the first time I ever heard this song. When I was younger I kept our old family stereo in my bed, and when bed time would come I would turn the radio on and fall asleep that way. I woke up like at two or three in the morning once and this song was playing but I didn't know what it was called. Now, I also have a memory of going to school the next day and Cam asking me if I heard the new Smashing Pumpkins song, but I am not sure if that second part really happened. I might just think that because the Pumpkins always remind me of him.

All Good Things Come to an End - Nelly Furtado

Hmm. . .explanation: My friend Lacey who is awesomely awesome and a graphic designer made a CD called Winter Nights for the South SL crew a.k.a The 651's. We all picked two chill songs we wanted on the CD and and she made up the cover and the case and then we had the CD release party at her cabin. Like I said, awesomely awesome.

Yes, that is Will Ferrell laying on a polar bear rug on the cover. Also, the shirt I am wearing says Tampax. That is also courtesy of Lacey. Hooray tampons.

Anyway, we had a Winter Nights B-side as well (Rob is showing both in the middle of the pic), with songs people picked but were too long or weren't sure what to put on etc. This Nelly Furtado song was a B-side picked by Robby. I do like this song, and I do dig a good chunk of this Nelly Furtado album, but I can't listen to it. You see, when Rob bought this album and me and him would drive through the crowded parking lots of Sugarhouse he would crank the music up, roll down the windows, and start dancing and clapping his loud clap to make sure everyone would look at the two dudes in the Rover, one dancing around like a boner, and the other slid as far down in his seat as he could be. He would do this mostly because he knows I hate awkwardness and he gets a kick out of embarrassing me. And he would do this little head nod and tell me every time how he is pretty sure she does that head nod in the video, and I would get so mad at him and he would be tickled. So, now whenever I hear Nelly Furtado I picture Rob clapping and sliding his head from side to side and I get pissed off, thus, no Nelly Furtado for me.

Back to work.

Time Again

The Bouncing Souls

Harvest moon in a desert sky. Making good time as we pass it by. Wherever this road takes us, it was meant to be.

We're already home.

What are dreams for, anyway, without the guts to live your life that way?

Learned to let go of the things we can't control. Left em behind and followed rock and roll. We found a new way of life. Forever till the end of time. But never getting old.

What are songs for, anyway, without the guts to live your life that way?

Holy $#!*

Face to Face is BACK!! I think I just pooped myself. . .yep. I just pooped myself. And I don't care because I am so happy. I guess life really is alright; Kudos to you, Life.

Press Release

Disconnected from the farewell tour.

Now, I gotta go change my drawers.

Top Five Tunes on Tunes

Learned to let go of the things we can't control. Left em behind and followed rock and roll. We found a new way of life. Forever till the end of time. But never getting old. What are songs for, anyway, without the guts to live your life that way? - The Bouncing Souls

1. Radio, Rancid – Never fell in till I fell in love with you. Never knew what a good time was so I had a good time with you. If you wanna get the feeling and you wanna get it right then the music’s gotta be loud. For when music hits I feel no pain at all. Radio, Radio, Radio. When I got the music I got a place to go.

2. Sing Along Forever, Bouncing Souls - I'm driving listening to my radio, checkin out the airwaves for something to believe in, gimme something to hold true, gimme something to sing about. Gimme a reason to care, I'll sing along forever. Watered-down words covered in song trying to hide the truth That life is beautiful, and life is pain, give it to me straight, touch my heart, I'll sing along forever.

3. For all the unheard, The Bouncing Souls - A guitar strikes a chord hits a misery so hard so bold. Sounding through this world where it's so hard to feel that gold. This is for all the unheard, All the music left behind. All the songs left on the floors in the closets of our minds. Where's the passion gone in our hearts? Lost somewhere in the grind. It's time to bring it back It's time to unwind. Find what we lost. It's time. It's time to bring it back

4. Indestructible, Rancid (and my favorite when I feel weak like this) - And I know I'm indestructible tonight. Playback, rock and roll come and save me. It's a safe bet that you will never ever betray me. And I'll give back everything that you gave me. And I know that no one can ever ever contain me. And I won't get bogged down like some American consumer, nah, I'm dancing now to a whole different drummer. And I'll keep listening to the great Joe Strummer cause through music we can live forever. And I know I'm indestructible tonight.

5. Thank You, The Descendents (speaking of being weak) - I'll listen to you for hours, I'll listen all day. Just keep hitting me the right way. Sing your song in the shower, cause you got a way to say what I can never say right - right on. When I feel weak you make me feel strong. Make me feel strong. I won't say your name, but you know who you are. I'll never be the same again now - no way. I just want to say thank you for playing the way you play. Did you know you're why I go and waste my time at a rock and roll show? You let me know I'm not alone. You make me feel strong, make me feel strong. Feel like nothing's wrong.

Note: This is really more of a top six because I can't narrow it down, but since Soundsystem was just talked about, I left it off this list, thus, making it a top five.

To Resist Despair in This World is What it is to Be Free

Today-what can I say? Today sucked. It sucked long, and it sucked hard. I am in the middle of being frustrated mentally, physically, spiritually; I'm frustrated at work, home, not at school because I wasn't able to go this semester, and that is frustrating.

I spent way too much time today not at work applying at the U again even though I was already accepted once and even though it was their fault (in my eyes at least, I can see their point. I will give them that) that I wasn't able to register and had to pay the late fee again, and will again be registering late. I think it would be understandable to be frustrated at my day.

Frustrated, though, may be an understatement. If only I was frustrated; a normal person would be frustrated, but I think it is safe to say that I am completely pissed off in all those above mentioned areas. I won't go too much into my angry character flaw; I just wanted to give you an idea of why I couldn't calm down today and wanted to start tearing cubicles from the walls in a vulgar rampage. Reason for painting this very negative, but honest, image of myself would be so that the calm present version of Jeremy has a little more meaning.

Today sucked until about five o'clock when I realized that the re-release of Operation Ivy's Energy (including tracks from the EP's Hectic and Turn it Around, and released as Operation Ivy) that was supposed to be in June, then in October, then to what I thought was next week was actually today. Now, the day didn't improve dramatically until I had it in my hands, because I was still a little skeptical that I had received the correct information, but alas, it was there on the new releases shelf, and the day improved dramatically once Knowledge started playing on my truck stereo. It was already a horrible week even though I was halfway through Tuesday and this was a very welcome surprise. Honestly, things are fine now. I am totally fine. My heart rate is back to normal, and even though I just finished work at 9:30, I feel like dancing instead of violently self-destructing. I love music. Yes, I do. I love it because it gives back to me. Twelve bucks very well spent.

Try to describe to the limit of my ability:
It's there for a second
Then it's given up what it used to be.
Contained in music somehow more than just sound,
This inspiration coming and twisting things around
Because you always know that it's gonna have to go
You always know that you'll be back in the cold.
Point of departure sublimated in a song
It's always coming to give me that hope for just a second
then it's gone, but!

To resist despair, that second makes you see. . .
To resist despair, because you can't change everything. . .
To resist despair in this world is what it is, what it is to be free.

Sound system gonna bring me back up
One thing that I can depend on.

Enter Ipod

My last check had 25 hours of overtime on it (in one week). Enter Ipod. My last one was stolen. God help anyone who tries to take this one from me.

So Tolley got Married - State of the Soul Part Two

It seems like just a little while ago that we were coming home from downtown listening to And Out Come Wolves. We talked about how at the moment the only thing we needed was to listen to Rancid with the windows rolled down and a pal.


Give’em the boot. The roots. The Radicals. Give’em the boot. You know I’m a radical. Give’em the boot. The roots. The reggae on my stereo.


But dude, I think that was two years ago. Crazy, huh? You left that place a long time ago. I did too, and now I came back. It has changed a bit since we left, man. It’s not really better or worse, it has just changed and it was better with you here.


Some grow up and some grow old, but what about the kid who never learned the rules? Spent all these years on this earth, when you look back it’s just a flicker of time.


It is crazy to think that I might not ever see you again. You go back to Hawaii, then you will get a job in California. You have kicked life in full gear and I bet that has to feel pretty good, huh? I am pretty excited for you. You are very capable and I know you will be successful, but I guess if I want to live in your basement I need to move to California, eh?


Reconcile to the belief consumed in sacred ground for me. There wasn’t always a place to go but there was always an urgent need to belong. All these bands and all these people, all these friends and we were equals, but what ya gonna do when everyone goes on without you? To the end, I’ll journey to the end.


I know sometimes I am not the easiest person to get along with, but you did a kick-ass job of being my friend. I will be forever thankful for that.


Somewhere in America, through the city at night, we were far from home, but you knew it was gonna be alright.
Unfortunate get prayed on by vultures eyes. 86 cents in these pockets of mine. You can take my money. You can take my time, but you can’t take my heartache to the city behind.


Anyway, we had good times, great experiences, and an awesome soundtrack. I’m sad to see you go, but am so happy for you. You did it all right. See ya, buddy. Don’t forget your roots!

My Attempt to Decorate This Dying Day - Current Top 5 Rainy Day Songs - State of the Soul Part One

1. Soup - Blind Melon


The clothesline of cold eyes
Is washing away the face before
Now tell me what's wrong
You see everyone's gone
You gotta do your best to decorate this dying day



People move on. Some do, anyway. And it isn’t because they have finished playing their part in your life, it is because you have finished your part in theirs. Everyone moves at different speeds, and some can’t keep up, so there will always be premature breaks along the way. The slow ones will eventually stop because everyone else has crossed the horizon and they can no longer see a path or purpose.



2. Good Feeling - Violent Femmes



Good feeling
won't you stay with me just a little longer?
It always seems like your leaving
when I need you here just a little longer.
Dear lady, there's so many things that I’ve come to fear.
Little voice says I'm going crazy
to see all my worlds disappear.
Vague sketch of a fantasy
laughing at the sunrise
like he's been up all night.
Slippin and Slidin
what a good time,
but now I have to find a bed
that can take this wait.


I don’t really have a broken heart, more like unhealed—and tired. It is tired of wanting what it can’t have, and too tired to want anything else. The brain understands. It is reasonable. It knows what the right thing to do is. I guess the heart understands it all too, it just doesn’t care. It wants what it wants and there is no convincing it, and in the sorry shape that it is in you can’t blame it.



3. From Here to Never - Sparta



So don't forget
The time will come


And I'm not sure
What you'll be like


What will eyes say when I see them
Wonder what you'll grow up to see


If we have torn the map to pieces, you'll find your way home
Cause home is where you believe


There is no stopping it, so I guess I will just let it run its course and see how big of an explosion it makes this time. Should be pretty spectacular.


4. No Ha Parado De Llover - Mana


Quien detendra la lluvia en mi­
Se me ha inundado el corazon
Quien detendra la lluvia en mi, oh mi amor
Solo tu puedes pararla


Sigue lloviendo,
le sigue lloviendo el corazon
Dime que diablos voy a hacer
Sigue lloviendo,
le sigue lloviendo el corazon
Y en mis ojos no ha parado de llover

Pero dime algo, pues me estoy muriendo


I hope you know I meant what I said, and I hope you believe what I said, and I hope you don’t forget I said it.


5. Change - Blind Melon


Don't feel the suns comin' out today
its staying in, its gonna find another way.
As I sit here in this misery,
I don't think I'll ever see the sun from here.

When you feel your life ain't worth living
you've got to stand up and
take a look around you then look way up to the sky.
And when your deepest thoughts are broken,
keep on dreaming boy,
cause when you stop dreamin' it's time to die.

And as we all play parts of tomorrow,
some ways we'll work and other ways we'll play.
But I know we all can't stay here forever,
so I want to write my words on the face of today
and then they'll paint it.


The only thing left to do now is watch the rain. At least it is raining. I don't want to look up, and in the rain I don't have to. I am glad I got to it before it was too late, because the season is over.

The Rest of My Life - Less Than Jake

Just thought I would post this Less Than Jake video on here. It is a really awesome video and song, and it goes along with the Growing Up and Getting Lost theme. I like the Alden Nowlen quote it shows:

The day the child realizes all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes and adult. The day the child forgives himself, he becomes wise.

Sigh

Well, what can I say? My ipod got jacked. Right out of my apartment while I was asleep. And our neighbors wonder why we always keep our door locked. This sucks. As I go through the day I remember every so often that I no longer have it, and it makes me really mad. I guess I will go back to mixing CD’s for me to take when I am out and about since I can no longer take my entire library around with me. So I was thinking that I should make a CD to mourn the loss of the ol ipod, and I was wondering what type of CD it should be. I thought about making it full of slow sad songs, or making a CD full of songs about music. Then I thought I could put songs on there with titles that could be associated with the situation, like Listed M.I.A, by Rancid, or something by the The Police. Or maybe Stab. Stab. Stab. by A Wilhelm Scream. Anyway, I decided to burn a CD of my top twenty-five songs played since I bought the ipod, and I can listen to it and remember the good times had the past two or so months. I wonder if I should just wait for the new ipods to come out now?


1. Welcome to New South (Live Acoustic) – Less Than Jake
2. Phantom Limb – The Shins
3. History of a Boring Town (Live Acoustic) – Less Than Jake
4. Knowledge – Operation Ivy
5. Bad Town – Operation Ivy
6. Blacklist – The Briggs
7. A Comet Appears – The Shins
8. Hide the Scissors, Lock the Door – The Blackout Pact
9. To Have and Have Not – Lars Frederiksen
10. Porphyria Cutanea Tarda – AFI
11. Common and Unknown – The Briggs
12. The Wolf – Rancid
13. Myage – The Descendents
14. Army of Zombies – Lars Frederkisen
15. Bonzo Goes to Bitburf – The Ramones
16. Death of Season – AFI
17. Kate is Great – Bouncing Souls
18. Daly City Train - Rancid
19. Broken Bodies – Time Again
20. Let Them Know – The Briggs
21. Suburban Myth (Live, Acoustic) – Less Than Jake
22. The Ghosts of Me and You (Live, Acoustic) – Less Than Jake
23. Malleus Maleficarum – AFI
24. Dancing for Rain – Rise Against
25. Say Anything – Bouncing Souls

I'll Sing Along Forever Wrap Up

Since i don't know how to attach an audio file to this thing I put some links of some Bouncing Souls videos, so you can at least hear the songs I talked about. They are all from Anchors Aweigh except for True Believers.

Anchors Aweigh

Sing Along Forever

True Believers The urinal part still makes me laugh.

Kids and Heroes But I still believe/there are only a few things/that really belong to me/who I am/who I was/and who I wanna be

I'll Sing Along Forever, Continued

Well, now that we have all that back story I wasn't planning on writing, let's fast forward to 2004 shall we?

I don't know how much time I spent just laying on my bed being homesick for Santiago. I wanted to go back more than anything. I had nothing else to do; it was in the middle of the Spring semester so I couldn't go to school, and I didn't have a job. It was hard, but I think the biggest thing was that life at home had changed a lot. While all the True Believers were back together, and it was great, there wasn't as much time for each other anymore, and there was going to be less and less as time rolled along. Friends were getting married or dating seriously and thinking about it or working at real jobs. Although I had matured a lot while I was gone I was still hoping that when we all got back there would still be a good year or two where we could go to school together or get an apartment or something and all move in and just hang out like the ol days. It was never going to be same, and that was hard on me. It still is.

I don't know what the first CD I bought after i got home was, but my favorite was Anchors Aweigh by the Bouncing Souls. This will always be one of my most beloved records. It came out in 2003 while I was away, and is different than anything they had released previously. While there are fast and slow songs on the record, the overall tone is very somber compared to the five previous releases. There is talk of life, death, change, separation, living and learning, and moving on and being able to be the same person while doing it. I have always had the most in common with the Bouncing Soul's lyrics than any other group and the entire record just seemed to match this time of my life perfect, and the title track encompassed all of it. When I listened to this record was one of the only times I truly felt at home. So, they helped me come home just as they had helped me leave, and for that I will sing along forever. And so:

Anchors Aweigh, my friends
I'll see you another day
I'm going away
experiences have to come
and the past has got to go
back into our dreams

Anchors Aweigh, my friends
Everybody understands that good times
come and they go
and together we will always flow
back into our dreams

And our troubles
we can't leave them behind
but the wind blows
and blows them all away
and the road goes
and takes them all away
back into our dreams