Nietzsche Says

268. What makes one heroic?— Going out to meet at the same time one's highest suffering and one's highest hope.

269. In what do you believe?— In this: that the weights of all things must be determined anew.

270. What does your conscience say?— "You shall become the person you are."

271. Where are your greatest dangers?— In pity.

272. What do you love in others?— My hopes.

273. Whom do you call bad?— Those who always want to put to shame.

274. What do you consider most humane?— To spare someone shame.

275. What is the seal of liberation?— No longer being ashamed in front of oneself.

found an old blog and some old friends.

I found these pictures in my old blog, a blog from a year and a half ago. Festival video shoot, haunted places, carcasses and magic.

Keep with me, Forward, All through the Night.

1.

...and Merry Christmas, ya Filthy Animal! (Holiday Mix for you by way of my sister's Christmas gift.)

So, here I am in Chicago for Christmas. Away from my family and drinking Jim Beam, thinking about how I would be running around in footsie pajamas watching A Christmas Story of I was in New Jersey (right?). Alas, I am not. So to make sure I didn't forget the holiday spirit I made gifts all day, one of them being a 2.5 hour (literally!) mix for my sister. Holy shit! This mix is a summary of my life over the past year and it took, like, 5 hours to make. How could I not share it with the good people of the world?! Some of it is definitely cheese, but you shouldn't skip. you gotta work your way through the muck to get to the gold - er, something.

You might have to do some rearranging in your itunes so that it's in the right order...I suggest dragging the tracks into a playlist window so you can have your way with them!

1. Laura Branigan: Self Control

I've been into this song for a really long time but just recently took the initiative to find out who sings it and watch the music video (which rules). Great dance track. Go for it, girl.

2. The Walker Brothers: Nite Flights

Scott Walker's solo stuff has just recently struck my fancy and the Walker Brothers have been an even more recent endeavor for me. This songs is by far the most beautiful on the album as far as cord progressions go. It's also spooky as hell.

3. Kate Bush: Night of the Swallow

There's only one Kate. This song has that awesome bendy-farty bass sound.

4. Magma: Spiritual

Off of Attahk, probably their cheesiest album (I mean, as cheesy as Magma can get, you know?). Sounds like Christian Vander is saying something like, "jelly in the swells of their bellies!" Maybe something about spaghetti, too.

5. Eurythmics: Right by Your Side

Annie Lennox + Beach + Saxophone

6. Gal Costa- Taureg

Seeeexxxxxxyyyyyy.

7.Front 242: U-Men

Danceable Rage.

8. Manuel Gottsching: Quasarsphere

From the album Inventions for Electric Guitar. The two tracks besides this one kind of blow Quasarsphere out of the water, but I wanted to give a sample because it's a kick-ass album.

9. The Eagles: Witchy Woman

I'm allowed to have my classic rock fix. Listen to those creamy harmonies...ohh, man! Anyway, this song is about F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife so that's something cool, right? I also like to think of all the possible ways you could cover this one.

10. Fabio Frizzi: theme from City of the Living Dead

11. Sounds of Sumatra Compilation: Pariaman

Not sure who the artist is but this song is groovin'!

12. Hank Williams: Ready to go Home

Will you be ready to go home?

13. Funkadelic: Can You Get to That

Duh.

14. Buffy St. Marie: He's a Keeper of the Fire

One of my favorite female vocalists of all time. Amazing lyrics. This woman has been making records since the sixties, still sings the way she did during that era and is still as hot. I swear.

15. Bernard Sjazner: Bene Gasserit

From a Dune-themed synth jam album. I believe this guy was ex-Magma. Abruptly soothing.

16. Skeeter Davis: The End of the World

Haunting, desperate love song sung by a woman with a strong and beautiful voice. What's weird is it is the song playing in the scene where Brittany Murphy hangs herself in 'Girl, Interrupted.' Didn't think about that before typing this. . . sigh. I must have been more affected by her death than I thought.

17. David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes

Not a big fan of David Bowie, but really love how this song is arranged.

18. Anne Peebles: I Can't Stand the Rain

Great breakup song.

19.Henry Flynt: Telsat Tune

20. Swans: A Hanging

Favorite band in the world.

21. Vangelis: Rachel's Song

Blade Runner soundtrack gem.

22.Kate Bush: Watching You Without Me

A slower song and one that never really struck my fancy until I listened to it while driving.

23. Fleetwood Mac: Sisters of the Moon

I don't care what anyone says, Stevie Nicks is a Goddess.

24. Roxy Music: Mother of Pearl

Kind of a slow start but it gets real good. It's definitely a song about trying to understand life in your early twenties! Oh, and partying and hookin' up. Woop, woop.

25. Patti Smith: Pissing in a River

One of my top ten favorite songs of all time. Another great breakup song.

26. Something from Guitar Soli: Wayfaring Strangers compilation...can't remember who!

27. Joni Mitchell: The Jungle Line

28. Elton John: Staturday Night's Alright for Fighting

I used to think at the end of the song Elton John was screaming "Skeleton! Skeleton!" He's not.

29. Kim Weston: Take Me in Your Arms

Definitely one worth bouncing to!

30. Tammy Wynette: Stand by Your Man

Oh, yeah.

31. Jackie Stoudemire: Invisible Wind

Farts.

32. Cyndi Lauper: Witness

A blast from my sister and I's childhood. I knew she'd love this one.

Un

Deux

Enjoy, my little Christmas babies.

Providence

Providence was my last stop on tour before a slight break before New Brunswick! I stayed two days because I love Providence and I was promised a Dance/Pinball Party. The show was with Daily Life, Russian Csar Lag and Caethua. Killer line-up. Killer basement.

Caethua as beautiful as ever.

Carlos' patent leather boot in an emerald glow.

It snowed, we went to the record store. A woman became a mother at 12:02AM so we smoked a cigar. After the cigar we ate clementine slices and truffles.

That night I went to Emily's house for an art show and ate worms in dirt. It was delicious.

Pinball Wizards.

Garbage Pail Kid.


Providence was fun, as always. Next up is New Brunswick.

Northampton

I stopped in Connecticut to see my Aunt Beth, Uncle Nick and cousin, Ashley. I don't have pictures because by the time I got there they were in their jammy-jams and by the time I woke up they were all at work. My Aunt made me a steak and I re-met their cat Poker.

Adorable.

I went to Stew Leonards, a grocery store where they have singing milk cartons and things and flipping stuffed lobsters. A little baby was kind of tripping out on it and I decided I wanted to trip out on it for a little while, as well.

On my way to Northampton, I saw two cars with license plates that started with '666.' Figures it'd happen in Connecticut.

Ahh, Northampton. Nimai and Orion made delicious portabella burgers. Sam got a growler of beer. Nimai is in Prince Rama, Orion is in Lord Jeff. Sam just started a band called Sharon Stonehedge.

Fuckin' Misfits.

I have always really liked this poster at George's house but I really think it sums up the decor of his entire place.

Dudes being dudes being dudes.

I stayed at my friend Sam's house. I slept on a memory foam mattress or whatever. Here is a picture of me in a Mediterranean style bathroom.

WOO-WEEE BOYS!

Banana pancakes, mmm.

Friends.

This kid obviously thought weed was a lot more important than an algebra equation. Providence is next.

D.C. (sort of.)

DEE-CEE

D.C., you tease! I drove through some seriously bad weather to get to you. The least you could do is pick up your phone and let me know the address of the show and/or what time it starts. Sigh.

It's okay! I just hung out with my best friend Dar and a cat named Barbara!

Her friend Nate made so much yummy food. We played a very intense game of charades in which both Dar and I misunderstood the rules and thought we were supposed to write the three most obscure things we could think of on a piece of paper and put it in a hat. Needless to say, "Hi to My Knee" and "Led Zeppelin Live at the Fillmore East 1972" were pretty hard for people to act out.

Dar looks like a startled bird and Andy looks like a scared puppy!

Disturbed from our attempt at watching the new series Jersey Shore on MTV. What were we thinking?

My goal was to take a very awkward photo and I think I succeeded in the task. I look like your 8-year-old cousin with a Gameboy, Kool Aid stains around his mouth and a wicked case of ADHD.

I'm now sitting on my Aunt and Uncle's couch with my cousin Ashley eating brownies and watching movies. Tomorrow is Northampton.

Baltimore

After Philly, it was straight Baltimore. Before I go into that, I'd like to share a photo that got left out of the Philly batch:

Wow, I sure wish I was the King of Jeans.

I watched Door's cat, Cat, eat a rat. That's the head. She was about to really go for it and eat everything but one eyeball. Welcome to Baltimore.

I had a lot of time to kill, so I worked on some CDs. I know what you're thinking...'C-WHATS?!' I ran out of tapes, good people. It wouldn't kill you to load this thing on that laptop of yours and listen to it on the iPod I know you have!

This guy's set was really rad. He had a briefcase out of a briefcase and played some sloshy, fuzzed-out half-ass techno tape jams. I think it might have been an accident.

The bathroom of America has a door with grateful dead bears and a peep hole. Damn hippies.

And wow! They have an entertainment system just like the one they buy with Mrs. Sturak's dough in 'Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead!' I got to watch The Crow and Bad Lieutenant: Port of New Orleans.

Daniel.

Little America and God keeping my feet warm!

City of Brotherly Bud, er, Love!

Welcome to Philadelphia! The city that kind of looks like Europe and, in my humble opinion, has the best accent of all the cities! I had never had a good show in Philly...until last night! Yianni from Hermit Thrushes set it up! Thanks, Yianni!

Here are some pictures of the other bands that played. It was a pretty fun night!

Yianni made some recordings with a tape machine.

I ate a vermicelli noodle bowl at a Vietnamese Restaurant near the house I played (oh yeah, it was called Castle Gay). It was some awesome grilled pork.

MMM, Neon Lighting!

MMM, Frogs!

Mr. Fish, why is your friend upside down? (He wasn't dead.)

Before I went to bed, I read a couple of tales from this eloquently titled book, 'Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Teenage Soul.' Lemme tell ya, this isn't just for teens! Good stuff!

I had some weird dreams last night.

Hey, Seth! Hey, Ray!
Say, Ray...where do you go to celebrate your birthday?

Wow, all the way to Philadelphia to Ray's Happy Birthday Bar?! How adventurous!