Throb

Rock Opera/Concept Album

I like to architect projects from a top down perspective. That is, identify a goal or theme, divide into smaller more manageable chunks, repeat. In this way you have a kind of controlled inspiration environment; cages built out of ladders.

This one's going to be fun, if it ever happens, which is maybe 60% likely at this point: I'm going to start working on a rock opera concept album. This was Jason's idea but I think he was joking. Ha!

Concept ideas:

• The story of an insane celebrity: Tom Cruise, Fatty Arbuckle, Michael Jackson or the like. Killer story arc going through slow devolution towards death from a broken heart, coming out of the closet and/or leaving behind your giraffes to starve.
• The life of Kaspar Hauser. Incidentally, someone tells me that the name Kaspar is derived from the name of one of the three wise men. *beat* My buddy Jerod sez: "Was he the one after Shemp?" *rimshot*
• The life of a muddling tech worker/aspiring alcoholic/rock-opera-writin' wannabe with a big heart.
• Banana Man... This guy had more bananas in his pocket than anyone known to history. Inspiration gold, I'm telling ya.
• American Spirit: The Indian on the Packs. The Admiral cracked me up today by describing how his one quarter Cherokee genetic background makes him feel like going to Kansas or someplace to stare stoicly at the horizon.
• A lyrically disguised version of the story of Lance Armstrong. Maybe in my version he's a turnip with testicular cancer who overcame great odds to achieve... turnip success.
• Skyrocket: William Sidis. The story of a reviled genius and the women who loved him (I made the last part up).
• Mr. Pibb + Red Vines
• um...

Stairwell song

Found myself sitting in a stairwell, whistling this strange thing. I don't know what it is. I have no shame.

Björky

My favorite tracks from Fiona Apple's unreleased Extraordinary Machine album:

Extraordinary Machine

Better Version of Me

With A Girl Like You

The Troggs
With a Girl Like You

I want to spend my life with a girl like you,
ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa
and do all the things that you want me to,
ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa
'till that time has come, that we might live as one
Can I dance with you, ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa

I can tell by the way you dress that you're so refined,
ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa
and by the way you talk that you're just my kind,
ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa
Girl why should it be that you don't notice me
Can I dance with you, ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa

Baby baby, is there no chance
I can take you for the last dance
All night long, yeah, I've been waiting
Now there'll be no hesitating

So before this dance has reached the end,
ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa
to you across the floor my love i'll send,
ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa
I just hope and pray that i'll find a way to say
Can I dance with you, ba-ba ba ba baa ba-ba ba baa