people are not my jam

Day Two. It's the second day of summer, and I did very little, and am not that proud of myself. I actually managed to get a fair amount of writing done, but it was adding little bits to very many storys, nothing substantial that feels like an accomplishment.

I went to the dinner party. It wasn't enjoyable. I don't like people. Dead cats are bad. Other people's grandparents are uninteresting. Trying to be polite is dull. Not making jokes about birds that are called Boobies is hard and unfair, and I was so mature, I didn't say anything, it suck. BOOBIES. I only want to see my people and no one else. Ugh.

I still haven't done any of the communicating with people things from yesterday's list. I fucking hate communicating, even with people I like. It causes me anxiety, and not doing it causes me anxiety, and nothing about this is good.

I've been listening to The Specials self titled album, and Searching for the Young Soul Rebels by Dexy's Midnight Runners, and I am enjoying them both a lot. It's interesting because they're from a similar era, and have similar vibes, but are still awfully different. The Specials remind me of being a freshman in high school, where I knew some people in this not-ska-Hold-Steady-loving band. I saw them play a handful of times that spring, and it was kind of fantastic. It was one of my formative listening to music experiences. There's this one dance move, an up-down step thing, and whenever I do it I'm reminded of being fourteen in an all ages show held in coffee shop in Hopkins, dancing, and feeling not quite cool enough to be there. Weirdly, that's all good associations. I am never not awkward, but sometimes I can enjoy my awkwardness.

I finished reading Canada's Game: Hockey and Identity. I thought this book was interesting because it takes an academic approach to hockey and Canada, which are both things I think about a lot, but my thoughts mostly involve exclamation points, CAPSLOCK, and curse words, not jargon. (Although I overuse the word problematic in my everyday life, which is the bane of all feminist students.) It wasn't a great book, but it did open up some new ways of looking at things. It's essays, so it's not surprising that it was a little bit scattershot. I wish it had been more direct/better, but oh well.

My next nonfiction book to start is John Dillinger Slept Here, which is about prohabition era Saint Paul, and I am super excited to start it!

I read a bit more of The Sirens of Titan today, but not much. Hopefully I will read some more before I go to bed, but no promises.

We went to Half-Price books after dinner, and I found two things. Bi any other name: bisexual people speak out, should be interesting. Plus, the name is a pun, and I'm a sucker for puns. The other is Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South During the American Civil War. It is a present for Emma, but I might read it.

I watched "Journey to the Center of the Tardis," and was disappointed that it was a real action adventure story instead of an episode where the Doctor and Clara decided to not go explore a planet, but instead explored the Tardis, and tried on different clothes, and drank tea, and hung out by the swimming pool. I can't decide if I'm thrilled by the episodes since the Ponds departure. Clara herself is lovely, but I haven't been thrilled by a lot of the story lines? But it could all turn into something splendid by the end of the season; Doctor Who does that sometimes. RTD did that all the time, but I wouldn't put it past Moffat.

No significant cooking happened today. I have been eating poorly this week. I can't find the good noodle pot, which has stopped me from making pasta salad. We bought things to make sandwiches so tomorrow should be better.

Tomorrow will also be better because I am not going to stay up past three tonight, which I did last night. Also, I am going to see Clair tomorrow, which is great. I'm going to end on a positive note.

the title of this post is really very very long just like the title of a Fiona Apple album, only not nearly as epic, not even close.

I have listened to Fiona Apple's new album so many times in the past weeks. A ridiculous number of times, in part because Spotify is going all spiny rainbow of death when I try to listen to anything else. I'm taking this as a sign that the universe really wants me to listen to this album repeatedly, which is fine,  because it's excellent.

this is probably my favorite track.

for broken ears

I've been doing quasi-academic writing about fandom!
happy tuesday!

Atlas Sound

So I just read the new Atlas Sound interview over at pitchfork, and my reaction was like, whoah, this boy needs a hug. I never realized my love for Atlas Sound and Deerhunter match up for my fondness for boys who clearly need hugs.
Atlas Sound has always meant a lot to me. I heard the first album, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel sometime in the winter of my Freshman year of high school, which was not a super pleasant time. I have really strong memories of listening that album repeatedly on my headphones during school.
My discovery of Atlas Sound is strange in that it didn't start with the music. It started with another pitchfork interview. I read that and it was like, yeah, this sounds cool, I should check it out. I think I had heard Deerhunter at some point earlier, but it hadn't really clicked. The way he talks about Lockett in that interview was very relatable, something I recognized in my own relationships, or at least something I could project onto.
whatever.
I love Deerhunter, and I love Atlas Sound, but in very different ways. Atlas Sound is headphone music, or good for playing late at night when the rest of the house is asleep. Deerhunter is more rock'n'roll. It isn't as intimate. Deerhunter wouldn't be out of place playing the background when you're hanging out with friends.
I guess that's all I have to say. The new Atlas Sound album Parallax is really good.

3/4 mark check in, preliminary best releases of the year so far

• Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
• James Blake - s/t
• Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
• John Maus - (really long tittle)
• tune-yards - whokill
• Grieves - (i don't want to look it up)

I can't wait to hear

• cymbals eat guitars
• Girls
• Atlas Sound

Glee is...

...something I don't usually watch, but almost always enjoy when I do. I'm not going to comment on the plot because I've seen maybe four episodes this year.

The song I liked the best was Kurt's gorgeous version of "As If We Never Said Goodbye."

three cornered hats

so it's like two in the morning and I am still up. I was up till four yestrday because my parents were out of town so no one told me to go to bed. no one is telling me to go to bed now because they are sleeping because they are old and boring

i really should sleep because this is wasting my time

like, just a minute ago i was looking at pictures of panic! at the disco, because there was a link, and i clicked it, and on the other side was pictures of panic! at the disco. They used to be my favorite band and saying that now, four or five years later makes me feel unclean. But, like, I don't even know. Seeing Panic on the nothing rhymes with circus tour was my first concert, and it was fantastic. absolutely amazing, a spectacle, at the target center. I went with my dad and my friend johanna who I don't really even like very much, and my shoe lace died so i closed my converse up with safety pins, and felt cool. when songs off there first album come up on shuffell I don't skip them unless I am paying attention, then I do because i don't want it to scrobble it on last.fm because they're a top played band, and I don't want people to see that. I don't want to be associated with Panic! at the disco.

now i gotta go sleep ok whatever

Northern Soul

This week I've been listening to some Northern Soul music, which is new for me. I've been especially enjoying this track by Sandi Sheldon.