Archive for the ‘austin’ Category
Yeah…
I’ve been really tired all this week and I don’t know why. Haven’t been partying hard, not stressed out (more than normal anyway) and I think my health is ok…so I don’t know what’s up. Whatever. Maybe just some extra sleep will help.
Finally, Capricorn USA is going to start rehearsing for our upcoming Halloween show. No, we haven’t started jamming yet! Luckily it’s a cover/tribute band and we all know the songs individually, just haven’t played them together. My biggest concern is getting my voice back in “shape” for it. It’ll be great fun as I am jamming with 3 of my favorite people here in Austin: Doug, Jason and AJ.
I need to find a place to live. Gotta be out of my current place by the end of the year. The few of you who have been there probably noticed an musty smell and may have even smelled it on my clothes. It’s not from me! I swear! There’s something in the carpet or the walls there that I just can’t get rid of and the landowner isn’t chomping at the bit to figure it out. He’s been a great landlord though. I may move over to the east side into one of those concrete box/loft/condos in the middle of the ‘hood. Prices are pretty good right now.
I’ve been listening to a lot of WASP lately. Their first 4 records are great.
Mis amigos…
I’m pretty excited to start Spanish classes next week. Five weeks, every Tuesday night for 3 hours. I hope I will not be too far in over my head, it’s been a long time since I have used my Spanish. We’ll see. I’ll of course keep you posted as if someone really cares. Will Amelia enroll in time? We’ll see. Her bitch ass better be there!
This past weekend? Not too shabby. Friday…what did I do? ummm…oh…I went downtown to hang out for a bit but it was pretty lame, even with all the people there. Mohawk had an RSVP only show and i tried talking my way in because a friend of mine wa sin there that I wanted to see. It was one of the rare occasions when I couldn’t BS my way in the door. I must be losing my touch! I ended up at the Chili Parlor for a little while. Saturday I went to a cookout just north of Dripping Springs that was put on by one of the guys I work with. Lots of German and Spanish cuisine. It was fun but I only last about 2 hours. I went back to the Chili Parlor (no shit, really) and hung out with Stewart, his daughter and her boyfriend. His daughter and her mother grew up a few miles from where I lived in my teen years and I knew some of her family. Small world. he boyfriend is super cool. he had a ’68 Bonneville that was badass and was telling me about the ’55 Chevy he has that needs some body work. I told him I’d help him out. I adore old cars. I ended up giving these 2 older broads from new Hampshire a ride back to their hotel at 51st/IH35 as their wait for a cab was going to be 2 hours. They were here for ACL. Right on, older broads! They were pretty cool actually and really knew music. Yesterday, as with most Sundays this time of year, was about football. I was lounging in my boxers all afternoon being a total sloth. It was awesome.
Tonight I’ll find somewhere to watch the Steelers game. I haven’t had cable TV since about 1994. Yes, I am that lame.
They say that the night life, they say it ain’t no good life, but it’s my life…
Now, I’ve only been a Thin Lizzy fan for about 10 years or so; yes, I know it’s a tragic shame. I was just never exposed to much by them until about 1997. Besides their 2 US radio hits, Renegade was the only thing I had ever owned and I loved it, but still never had the urge to delve in deeper to their back catalogue.
Anyhoo, I come back to this album a lot. It’s very dark, sultry, bluesy (and I HATE the blues btw). When I hear this album I really feel like I am sitting in a smoke filled dive bar where no one in there is under the age of 45, no one speaks to each other, the bartender is reading the paper and everyone is just seeped into their own lonliness. Depressing, eh? It’s like a scene from the movie Barfly.
There’s a few upbeat tunes on here like It’s Only Money (Concrete Blonde did a great version of this), Sha-La-La and She Knows. But even those have an air of dank depression. Still In Love With You is the biggest “hit” on this one and became a staple of Lizzy’s live set.
This album is such a weird thing for me. It makes me sad and picks me up all at once. I think the combination of Phil’s soulful and sad lyrics mixed with the great production and guitar work just put my mind in a spin. It’s tough to explain.
Back in 1991/92 I dated this wonderful girl named Alicia. She was the coolest of the cool and in hindsight I probably should have married her; instead I broke her heart. She was very much into “my” music and she really loved this record. She used to call it “a great album to tap to.” She wasn’t talking about tap dancing! haha. So, I think it’s another reason why this album sort of brings me down; it reminds me of her and how great she was and how much of a shitbag I was to break up with her. For the record, I made amends with her (for my own good) a few years ago but dropped all contact, much to her dismay. Girls are funny. Why do they want to stay in touch with their exes?
Oh wait, this is about Thin Lizzy, yes? Right. Phil’s ballads have a way of striking deep emotions with me. It’s weird. I feel like I can relate to much of it. That’s generally the mark of a great songwriter, yeah? The ability to “hit close to home.”
here’s a lyric from “Dear Heart” that I love:
“He’d give his life, give his everything
To reach that goal and take that last and final fling.
But I guess it’s just another story in the greatest story
ever told
Dear heart, I wish that you could see that
Dear heart, you mean the world to me”
Here’s a vid for Still In Love With You:
Just go buy it already.
Bummer…
Our drummer quit. It was inevitable. Lots of factors involved and most of it is between him and the guitar player. Not to mention he lived a long ways away from band practice, so economics and family play a part too, but those are just the icing on the cake.
Fortunately I’m just an innocent bystander in the whole thing but it sucks. He’s a great drummer and a cool dude. That combination is hard to find in a musician, especially in this town. Buncha savages.
So, if you know any drummers in Austin, TX who are into instrumental guitar rock bands, send them my way.
The Metal Files 