there's more to life than this

Did you know that there are more sheep on the earth than humans?

So we'll skip the sex and drugs and get right to the rock und roll. Actually, knowing who some of my readers are, even talking about the rock is dangerous. Working at a college radio station is somewhat like working at a record store, I imagine. Folks just can't stop talking about music, playing it, buying it, calling it shit or putting it on a pedestal. I've been around it long enough now that I tend to stay out of the discussion -- but I will offer a musical opinion here, for whatever the hell it is worth...

So, anyway, I went to see D. & S. play at the local cafe. A. was sitting outside with D. and B. when I arrived --the show started kinda late. Throughout the night there was interaction with other initials (T., S., C., J., and the other J.), mostly folks from the radio station. It was a bit difficult to watch the show with A., knowing the whole time that she and D.'s ex had recently chided him that his music is "heady and unlistenable". Me, I liked the show (I think ultimately A. did too). I liked it a lot. I can remember a time when I was less open to some brands of experimental or avant music, and particularly improvised music -- the Flying Luttenbachers was about as skronky as I would get. These days I'm finding that experimental, electronic, avant, etc. sounds are doing more for me than most other forms of music. Sure, I'm still listening to Bjork ad nauseum, and occasionally banging my head to some Sabbath, but the feeling of crush-like excitement is lately coming from electronic texture, glitch, noise, organic and improvised sounds. It's unsurprising, actually -- I can still remember clearly the first time I put the Yu-Gung 12" on my stereo (I was 15) and had a similar emotionally, postively charged experience.

But I'm not going to go off on some analytical tangent about the merits of experimental music here -- let's just leave at that I find it highly enjoyable and that I don't get offended if others don't. What I did notice last night is that I enjoy it as a form of communication, between the musicians themselves and between the musicians and the audience. It's like eavesdropping on a really good conversation.

But now I've said too much.

So today we scouted out the local Marukai -- we've been going to the Marukai Forum out at the ends of the earth, and decided that it wasn't really necessary to drive an hour each way for lotus root, botan rice candy, mousse pocky, etc. Yesterday was the typical Saturday excursion to Little Tokyo and Chinatown. Quote from D., during the drive out: "I am a reservoir of speculation." (And aren't we all?)

D. brought home super great presents from his trip away: two yoga anatomy books and Rodney Yee DVD. I watched the interview with Rodney Yee, which basically ends up just being yet another infomercial for the DVD--you know, the one that you just bought already? But according to Rodney I will be balancing on my hands (legs squatted up like contortion-styley) in just a few short months! I just dare the FCC to take me on then! Woo hah!!