Flashback Friday: Silverchair

This was always one of the bands that I enjoyed the most even though they were a little off. So much emotions from such little guys.

1st Flashback Friday

The first weekly post I will debut is Flashback Friday. I will feature a song from back in middle school or high school. Basically be prepared for some 90s shiz (my favorite music decade). Today I will share two songs from 1996 (something on the R&B and alternative side) in order to get us started right. Enjoy!

Mint Condition - What Kind of Man Would I be?



Eels - Novocaine for the Soul

Welcome 2011!!!

Okay I have taken some time off from the blog. 2010 was a long year and I guess I didn't feel like sharing. I am back and I am going to try to make this a much more regular and interactive experience. Expect some video blogs, weekly features and much more. Enjoy & comment

Love,
MPC

The Lyrical Styleeings of 311

So it's pretty clear that I have a obsession with the band 311. Even the title and subtitle of this blog are direct quotes or inspired by 311 lyrics. I thought in my tradition of quoting lyrics I would have an edition dedicated to 311 songs. Aside from the great music, I have always appreciated 311's lyrics. They really are inspiring and make you think. Let's start with the song that inspired the blog title (aside from the subtitle lyric):

• Beautiful Disaster (from Transistor)
  

Today seems like a good day to burn a bridge or two
The one with old wood creaking that would burn away right on cue
I try to be not like that but some people really suck
Some people need to get the axing, chalk it up to bad luck

• I'll Be Here Awhile (from From Chaos)
  

Far is solace in the maddening pace
Sad state written on my face
Not a tight rope walk but dance
Uncertain game of chance
But I'll see it through in time...

And if a person place or thing can deliver
I will quiver with delight
Tempted by the hand that could
Blind my vision and sight
But at twenty years of age
In frolic and in rage
I will see it through in time...

But the dawn has come into the endless night
And everything's gonna be alright
But at thirty years of age
Through frolic and in rage
All regressed and healed in time

• Flowing (from Soundsystem)
  

Tick, tick, tick the clock bludgeons your mind
Endlessly replaying times that were unkind
Go away sun, I'm not prepared for you today
It seems you are, it seems you are, huh!

• Creatures (For A While) (from Evolver)
  

My name is volatile
I've been this way a long while
I'd surely like to rest
But energy get's the best of me
It's been a wild ride
I wouldn't change a minute
I can't slow down inside
Guess that's why I live it
To the extent that it's absurd

• Beyond The Gray Sky (from Evolver)
  

It is a gift I know
A moment of bliss that we hold
A firecracker flash of light then on
To the next plane soul remain
Come along if you dare
It's gonna be that you're scared
Lovely life I thank you
For the reason to see the pain through

• Visit (from Music)

He wouldn't say he cared at all if you asked him
You're heading for a fall brother, it goes right past him
In another world, he's in another place
You know the need for speed's just another form of greed

But when you're Jones and your brain's frozen
You're not thinkin' 'bout the choices you're makin'
You're just rollin' on and on, it's anybody's guess
'Cuz no one's at the wheel, at the front of that mess, yes

• Omaha Stylee (from Grassroots)
  

Omaha stylee didn't think there was one
Where you know the radio's weak and the shows are more fun
But you know we fucked up the dance since 1988
Many did not think when they hear that we come from this state

Okay I think I've done them justice. We've covered most of the best albums (in my opinion). Notably I have left off the self-titled 311 album, but honestly if you haven't explored those songs, you probably have never even heard of 311 and might be a lost cause.

Ads I Admire: iPhone 4 - FaceTime Commercial

Above is the full version of the iPhone 4 FaceTime commercial. I really do love this commercial for a number of reasons. On the surface this is a commercial about an iPhone app which really is not very novel considering all of their "there's an app for that" commercials and variations. However, this commercial is not really selling the app, but rather a defining feature of the new iPhone 4. It highlights a main differentiator between the new version and the 3GS (which you upgraded to not so long ago), and more importantly a feature that you do not get from just upgrading your OS.

Their focus on the unique selling proposition is not where the genius lies however. What I love about the commercial is the way that they are able to really showcase how the feature, and by extension the phone, enrich and contribute to you have a more fulfilling life. I know, this is super cheesy, but the creative actually makes me buy it. This is particularly impressive considering that we are currently in a state where much of society consider their mobile phones to be a necessary evil that we have to deal with. It is also executed in a much better way than the heavy handed AT&T commercials (you know the one where changing your train ticket on your quick phone leads to you meeting the woman you are going to marry and having a child that will become the first ambiguously ethnic President of the United States). I personally also love the song and the fact that they are able to convey this message using it as the only real audible component. Congrats to TBWA/Media Arts Lab LA for creating this. All, be on the lookout for all of the variations of this full version that are being rolled out.

Update: The new shorter versions of the FaceTime commercials are seriously lame. Telling the father you're pregnant over the phone is even more tacky than making out at a bar, and no one cares about your husband lying about how he hates your too short hair. In fact if you couldn't see him at least he wouldn't have to give convincing "FaceTime". I suggest a return to less dialogue and emotional music.

State of the Union: Lyrics Style

Those of you who frequent the blog know that I love music, and even more so, I love reflecting on the poignant lyrics. I was inspired by a great trip to the gym, where the ipod's random mix came up with some great songs that seem to reflect my mood as of late. I got a great workout out of it and you get a great new blog post:

• Never Win by Fischerspooner

If I was not me
I would hate me too
Just like you do
I don't need to need you
Tell me what to do
Tell me what to say

It's all made worse by a simple scheme
You're slipping away from me
Can't decide sometimes if it's worth the point
The point is the struggle, insecurity

Hopefully, you make no mistake
If you learned from what you've got to take
Good or bad, it's all going to add up in the end, but
You can never win

• Gold Guns Girls by Metric
  

I remember when we were gambling to win
Everybody else said better luck next time
I don't wanna bend like the bad girls bend
I just wanna be your friend, is it ever gonna be enough?

• Passenger by Deftones

Roll the windows down
This cool night air is curious
Let the whole world look in
Who cares who sees what tonight?
Roll these misty windows down
To catch my breath again
And then go, and go, and go just drive me
Home and back again
Here I lay just like always
Don't let me go
Take me to the edge

• Clark Gable by The Postal Service
  

I want so badly to believe that
"There is truth, that love is real"
And I want Life in every word
To the extent that it's absurd

I know you're wise beyond your years
But do you ever get the feel
That your perfect verse is just a lie you tell yourself
To help you get by?

• Rockstar by N.E.R.D.

Something on your chest
Better get it off
There'll be no one left when we set it off
We ain't gonna take it no more
Since

It's almost over now
Almost over now

You don't succeed cause you hesitate
You think we're fly
But we levitate
Just be yourself
Don't ask us why
Cause if don't we'll make you fly

• Send the Pain Below by Chevelle

I liked having hurt
So send the pain below where I need it
You used to beg me to take care of things
And smile at the thought of me failing

But long before, having hurt
I'd send the pain below
I'd send the pain below

Much like suffocating...

• When Did Your Heart Go Missing by Rooney

I meant every word I said
I never was lyin' when we talked in bed
I'm retracin' every step in my head
What did I miss back then? I was so misled, oh

Hope you enjoyed these inspiring nuggets. As I was compiling these I noticed 1) it seems like most songs really do center around love themes (let's mix it up "artists") 2) some of the lyrics of the songs that I listen to are a little disturbing when you actually pay more attention (not these), and 3) It takes a really long time to create these lyric posts, but it's worth every second.

Love, success, and happiness~

Momma Don't Take My Kodachrome Away

Recently me and a few friends went on an adventure to southern Utah. Lindsey had the brilliant idea to get away for a bit of a red rock vacation the weekend before Memorial Day when everything gets crazy. I think we all needed a break from our lives in the SLC, would hopefully have a bit of sun, and I had been having a hiking craving something fierce.

After the most amazing game of trunk tetris I have ever seen, we set out on our little adventure. As we got further and further south, the more happy I was to get off the grid. Seriously the level of connectivity that we have in these modern times is great, but it can also be oppressive. Sometimes it is nice to just focus on your friends and your connectivity to them.

That first day we encountered a few problems. After a heart pounding ride on the beautiful, yet slightly terrifying Route 12, we arrived at Calf's Creek. It looked like the perfect place for our adventure and the hiking looked very
promising. Unfortunately, all of the camping grounds were full :( We had planned for this a bit. We headed towards Escalante where the next closest campgrounds were.

We checked the first. It was a bit of a dirt pit, next to a construction area and pretty crowded. There were a few spot available, but we decided to go to some spots further up a canyon for more of a true camping experience. The drive went on a bit longer than we expected and the outside temperature gauge kept dropping. Finally we reach the campground for which we were headed. It was beautiful with a lake. However, the temp had dropped 10 degrees, there were bear boxes, and SNOW! We moved back down the canyon to another site we were considering and the story was the same, but with the addition of a creepy middle aged single camper guy. In the interest of preserving our lives and virtue, we headed back to the construction pit... which was now FULL. We got a tip from the ranger and headed towards Escalante Outfitters which we were told had cabins and tent spots.

When we arrived at Escalante Outfitters, it looked very promising. The cabins has nice little porches, and the proprietors were already drinking by the counter (which is where they also sold liquor... in Utah). All I wanted was a cabin and to relax with a cocktail. No cabins available, but they did have tent spots. Now all I wanted was to get my tent set up, and then to relax with a cocktail. We got a nice little spot next to the chicken coup (no rooster though so we could sleep late), and got to the much needed drink (I declared tonight's cocktail hour started at 8).

While hanging out on the grounds we befriended a great couple from the Chicago area, and a young doctor from New York. We began by making fun of them (our international sign of friendship) and then offering them a drink (our international sign of friendship). I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that when asked what we had, we responded,"Beer, wine, gin, vodka, and whiskey." We totally forgot about the rum in the car. We drank, discussed the secret that is Utah (Shhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!), Sammi had stumble #1, and we went to sleep.

I the morning we decided to head to Kodachrome Basin, which had been our original destination until they did not have any spots on Friday. We had been told when we were making our ressie that there were spots on Saturday, and we were hoping that was still the case. If not, on to Bryce Canyon. After avoiding an old Datamark coworker (I was dirty and hungover. People ask me why I always try to look good, and it's because I run into people everywhere), and a great breakfast from the EO cafe, we were off.

We arrived at Kodachrome and were in luck for once. There was a campsite! We got our tents up despite the wind that had been plaguing us all weekend, decided on a hike, and packed our lunches. The hike that we decided on was probably about a 5 mile loop. The hike was extremely beautiful (as you can see from the pictures), and it was exactly what we needed... until Lindsey rolled her ankle jumping of a rock... 10 feet before the point where we had to turn around and go back.

If you know Lindsey's trick ankle, it's no joke. We could be in trouble. Luckily one of us had some hangover remedy pills, i.e. ibuprofen. Lindsey had some and elevated her ankle while the rest of us ate lunch and let everything kick in. Amanda and I found her a walking stick and Sammi acted as the human crutch. We took a nice leisurely pace back which was actually great. Amanda and I got to drink our post lunch beers and I think it was a bit easier to take in all of the beautiful scenery as compared to our brisk early pace. We made it back, got some ice and chewy lemonheads (which are weird), and all was well.

You know what happens next... cocktail hour I declared started at 6 and went until whenever we felt the need to cook something. The wind and and were not really conducive to the relaxing atmosphere that we needed at this time. We noticed that there was a grass patch by the bathrooms and showers that were seemed to not be as windy, and what wind was there was not full of sand. We bought our box of wine and our cocktails over and had the best conversations.

We were feeling much better around dinner time. It was getting chilly so I slipped into my Ace and Gary AGD long johns (and of course took pictures). We had some ridiculously delicious shrimp gumbo. Sammi was the bartender and was whipping up some mighty tasty cocktails (even when it came down to water mixer for me). She also fell two more times. After the final fall it was time to go to sleep. One issue I forgot to mention was that our air mattress had been deflating all trip during the night even though mine was only being used for the second time. That and the cold made the sleep a little rough, but I only woke up once, threw my coat over my head, and went back to sleep.

We went home the next day after a great trip. Amanda and I were super gross and I think only changed once as we really tried to embrace the gross tragedy. We had gained numerous inside jokes, a new understanding of each other, some Facebook friends, and a much needed break from the city. Also, apparently it was rainy up in the SLC that weekend and then we had a late snow storm that week. My forehead and nose were just starting to peel from the long hike. Only in Utah.