Remember back when I had just moved to Austin, didn’t have a normal job and was trying to get Production Assistant work and such? Well now that I have a normal, good, full time job, I’ve had more calls for P.A. jobs in the past month than I’ve probably had since I started doing P.A. work. Of course, now I have to turn them down as I can’t really take off work for a week and ditch band gigs to go do a week of last minute P.A. work. *sigh* I am taunted.
I present to you quite possibly the most amusing holiday related song in the history of the world. I recommend not drinking while watching this as it may result in you ruining your keyboard. Be sure to watch it to the end as it only gets better as it goes on.
Karkis – Secret Satan
I figured that using a song title from their first album was apropos as it represents my relaitonship with the second album. It is indeed growing on me the more I listen to it. Jess just pointed out a lyric that I had to share:
“I had never seen a set of eyes more hazelerer”
The Darkness’s first album “Permission To Land” absolutely blew me away as one of the best albums I’d heard in a long while, so naturally when their second album “One Way Ticket to Hell…and Back” came out on Tuesday I put on my best glam spandex catsuit, strutted into my local record store and said in my best British Falsetto “Where’s the new Darkness album, mate?” Sadly I found that it was Monday and I’d jumped the gun by a day so I would have to wait a day to plant my legs solidly in an “A” shape, raise my arm to the sky, purse my lips and rock out.
On Tuesday I had a groupie bring me the album at work (O.K. so it was my wife, but that doesn’t fit the story as well.) My first impression was a bit of disappointment. Not that it’s a bad album by any means. It was just that I was so blown away by the first album that naturally my expectations were high. After having a few more days with the new album, I’ve warmed a bit to it, but I can tell that it will never be as popular with me as “Permission to Land”. It’s definitely not quite as straight on rockin as “Permission”, but there is still much enjoyment to be had.
This album was produced by Roy Thomas Baker who produced Queen, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, The Cars and Devo. In fact, the piano on the album is the same piano used on Bohemian Rhapsody and still bears the red wine stains from Freddie Mercury. I would say the Queen influence can be heard quite heavily on this album. All in all I think it’s definitely worth a listen and most likely an addition to your collection, however I can’t quite call it as much as a “must have” as “Permission to Land” is. However the more I listen to it the more I like it and I still highly recommend it if you dug their first album. Still one of the best albums I’ve heard in a while.
Lately I’ve been feeling kind of like my nervous system has been put on one of those medieval torture devices known as The Rack, and ratcheted up just a few notches. There’s sort of this constant slightly raised level of stress permeating my life. It’s mostly to do with the whole condo thing and the realization that it seems like we will never have any money ever again. The monetary freedom we’ve grown accustomed to will have to be greatly reigned in. I’m sure this will settle down a bit once we’re moved in, Jess has a job and we have gone through several months of the new budget and become accustomed to its fit, but it still scares me and stresses me a bit. My mind goes over everything from the necessary (doctor’s appointments, house/car repairs that may come up, etc.) to the leisurely (musical instrument related purchases and maintenance, computer upgrades, FUN).
Then there’s the whole Jess’s job thing which is a separate dilemma altogether. I so want her to work at the same company as I do because it’s a cool place, but the pay sucks. There is always the hope that she would eventually move onto to bigger and better things within the company, but that’s only a hope, and one that probably wouldn’t even have a chance of becoming reality for at least a year (no particular reason other than job loyalty and just a random estimation). She could very well be offered some other jobs more in line with her skills which actually pay real money too. If this situation arises, which route should she take? I honestly don’t know.
Then there’s the constant and ever ongoing saga of my creative pursuits, or more in line with reality, the lack thereof and my ever fading dreams fed by laziness and the worry that I’m entrenching myself more and more firmly into “the big machine.” There are people I know and admire who have done and are doing admirable things with their lives. I am not one of those people. I’m not really in a position where I can or even desire to “pay my dues” any more (I say that, but if the right opportunity just landed in my lap, that might change).
In the words of one of the greatest (and under-appreciated) bands of all time:
“All I want is Everything”
-Jellyfish
The new album from The Darkness is out tomorrow! I will be procuring it at lunchtime. There will be severe rocking.
I have decided that Darin Murphy is my arch-nemesis. Who is Darin Murphy? Ahh, where to start.
Darin Murphy is a professional working musician here in Austin. I actually remember him and his sister Trish Murphy playing around College Station many years ago when I lived there. When I first moved to Austin and started trying to do some freelance work with that studio here writing jingles, I quickly found that there was this little clique of artists who get most of the work there. One of these people was Darin Murphy. As time went on, I heard his name (and that of the others in the elite cadre of musicians) more and more. I would hear him performing on the morning radio show. Then I heard about how he had been cast in the Broadway show, “Lennon” and moved to New York temporarily while he was in the show. It was especially noted that he he was the only person cast who had no acting experience at all, but had still impressed people so much and knew some great contacts. As I read his blog it just depressed me that this guy seemed to have it made. He seemed to be my successful twin. There was definitely a kindred spirit thing there too. A familiarity. I didn’t hate him. On the contrary, I felt like we’d probably be great friends and have a lot in common artistically and personally, but he seemed to be somewhat living the life that I so often feel is missing. He seemed like an alternate me who had usurped one of the better time lines that I could have followed leaving me in this time line disconnected and wanting. He is what I could have been.
As I studied up on my nemesis, I found out that he’s also in a cover band called the K-tel Hit Machine. The other members of the band are those same compadres from the Elite Cadre clique whose names seem to keep wafting into my life like a taunt. The band sounded exactly like something I would be a part of or would have started. I heard them on the radio this morning. They were awesome. I hate them.
Darin Murphy has stolen my soul. While he isn’t necessarily living my dream life 100%, he’s living what I see as a most realistic version of what could be a point in my journey to my life’s ultimate destination. He’s like my doppelganger living a version of my life that I’ve yearned for. This is the stuff comic book villains are made of. I don’t really hate him, of course. I envy and respect him, but it’s much more fun to blow it up into some mythical duality where he’s somehow cosmically stolen my life and therefore he is my arch-nemesis. I seem to constantly be taunted by references and allusions to this whole musical league of super heroes, and with each occurrence, the wind is sucked out of my sails.
He lives the life while I do what I’ve always done…dream.
I think the following story is a wonderful indicator of the kind of place I work (that is meant as a compliment as I think the company and the people I work with are a lot of fun).
Today at work a large chunk of the company gathered outside for the McRib challenge 2006. One guy took on the
challenge of trying to eat 10 McRib sandwiches in one hour. Throughout the week emails had circulated laying out the official rules.
Happy third anniversary to me and Jess! Three years and she still hasn’t traded me in or killed me.
This year’s tip: Marriage means never having to play video games alone.
Love you, Grr!