Gotye - Bronte

  I really enjoyed the music videos that accompanied the songs from Gotye's 2011 album Making Mirrors. I featured a few of them here at the time. Bronte is one of the more solemn songs from the album, the characteristic large beats and percussion are mostly absent. Its a floating song with an animated video that feels sentimental and nostalgic, like a Miyazaki film; full of imagination and the feeling of leaving childhood behind all too quickly.

Gotye
Bronte

The Aftermath of Sandy

  On Monday night the winds and rains of Hurricane Sandy's wrath took their toll on the Cleveland area, leaving us without power for about 28 hours and without cable and internet for three days. Living without these everyday amenities was an adventure: my mother and I broke out every flashlight and scented candle we could find. We played scrabble in the near dark while sipping wine and whiskey and coke. The winds howled all through the night, like a pack of baying dogs or a masked man in a horror flick banging to gain entry. I was awoken at 4:40 in the morning, maybe the storm was lonely playing outside alone.

   Tuesday morning looked like another world. Sandy had gotten her claws into the neighbors'pine tree and ripped it out of the ground. The tip of the tree now lay on the ground pointing to the street-sign that had fallen from its home atop the stop sign. We took the dog for a walk and he was ecstatic about the weather outside, we couldn't understand it as he's usually scared of thunder storms and loud things. Well, there was no thunder and he is a Bearded Collie, and they were bred to watch the sheep in inclimate weather of the highlands, so I guess it makes sense. We went to Chipotle for lunch and ate in the car since we brought the dog so he  could enjoy the heat of the car with us. It was a nice field trip, but when we got back the house seemed twice as cold as when we had left. I bundled up in a nest of blankets and took a nap only to wake up with the power still out. My mom informed me that it had jolted on for five minutes, but went off again after a loud pop from down the street.

 We were about to lose hope for sustained warmth when the power came back on. I have rarely cherished heat so much. We "suffered" through another day and a half without cable or internet. I was overjoyed when the internet and cable came back, but I realized maybe I was happier in their absence. And really we were lucky, some people in the area still don't have power back on yet.

Gotye
Dig Your Own Hole



and yes I still like Gotye

Favourite Albums of 2011

Hello everybody! Its the end of the year, so that means I get to tell you which albums I really enjoyed this year. Go check 'em out if you want to!

1) Gotye - Making Mirrors
2) The One AM Radio - Heaven is Attached by a Slender Thread
3) The Decemberists - The King is Dead
4) Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Here We Rest
5) Bright Eyes - The People's Key
6) Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys
7) Okkervil River - I am Very Far
8) M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
9) Foster the People - Torches
10) Starfucker - Reptilians
11) I'm From Barcelona - Forever Today
12) Mates of State - Mountaintops
13)Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
14) Givers - In Light
15) Wilco - The Whole Love

Blustery Birthday

  Yesterday was my birthday, and it was pretty good. Though mostly full of class and blustery weather it was a good day! My good friend made me a wonderful cake, it had mayonnaise in it instead of oil, which apparently makes for a great substitute: who knew? And the whole weekend will be full of fun quasi-birthday celebratory events. Such events will include an all day swing dance that will include a Lindy-hop workshop tomorrow, a play tonight and seeing comedian Aziz Ansari on Sunday night. Sounds like a good weekend if I ever heard of one, am I right?

    On other notes the album Making Mirrors from Gotye is stupendous and the videos just keep hitting the spot. I will continue to share them. Here's a second serving on Gotye:

Gotye
Easy Way Out

Looking for You

  You never came back, but I never stopped looking for you.  In crowds I'd scan through the faces to see if you might be there.  At the park I would look up ahead thinking you'd be there, just around the corner walking your dog like back then. Especially at airports, before long trips I'd look to see you departing or arriving with your lurid yellow suitcase...that suitcase that never left your side..

  No, I never stopped searching, even when months and years had gone by. Still I scanned and looked, always hopeful, even when I started to forget your face.  It only ended when your ghost showed up at my door one night.

                                --------------------------

Gotye
Somebody That I Used to Know