Bike/pedestrian rant for January ’08

Posted by & filed under music, the internet, and life.

What about not blocking the entire width of the crosswalk do drivers not understand? I barely escaped the Branciforte/Soquel intersection with my life. And if you, dear driver, ended up blocking it ’cause you didn’t realize that the heavy traffic was not going to magically speed up for you, then why didn’t you at least have the courtesy to let me squeeze through as I try to walk my bike across, instead of pulling up further to reduce my squeeze space? Do you want me to scrape against your car as I go through? ‘Cause I will if I have to!

And people who honk their effing horns for no good effing reason: Your horn has no magical powers to make every other vehicle and pedestrian on the road suddenly evaporate. Heavy traffic is heavy traffic. Deal with it like the rest of us.

GRR!

angry face

Thanks for listening.

2007 albums I delight in

Posted by & filed under music, the internet, and life.

2007 was an excellent year for music. I’ve already highlighted some 2007 songs I enjoy; these are albums that I like very much but can’t easily single out individual tracks from. Best to play the whole thing and wallow in it. There’s a baker’s dozen of great discs here.

Starting off with African music:

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Segu BlueTinariwen: Aman Iman

Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba: Segu Blue

Kouyate is a virtuoso of the ngoni, a simple lute. He’s reputedly even better live, but this album is fine. The more I listen, the better it sounds.
This album at Sterns
This musician on YouTube

Tinariwen: Aman Iman – Water is Life

The Touareg rebels continue to mesmerize, updating traditional Saharan sounds with electric guitar.
This album at Amazon
These musicians on YouTube

Continuing with more excellent African music:

2007 songs I’m fond of

Posted by & filed under music, the internet, and life.

What a musical year it was! I’m taking up hack’s challenge but it is excruciatingly difficult to pick only 10 songs from the entire year of 2007 to highlight.

I narrowed it down a little by excluding any musicians already on hack’s list.

I also excluded entire albums, if I simply liked the album as a whole and couldn’t pick out a favorite song. I’ll do a follow-up post on those albums.

  1. 99 and 1/2 – Mavis Staples

    Stopped in my tracks first time I heard it.
  2. My Little Basquiat – Cowboy Junkies
    I love interesting songs about motherhood.
  3. Big Wheel – Tori Amos
    2007 is the year I started appreciating Tori Amos.
  4. When We Were Kids – Rappers’ Delight Club
    Schoolkids rapping over Jens Lekman samples!!

    5. (more…)