39 dreams about stumbling...

Outside the Venetian - The Weirdest Contrast

Outside Venetian - The Weirdest Contrast

14 days - 7 ways -- Episode Four Prelude: Intro to Alt. Country

It's been overdue - primarily due to the big move; but here lies unraveled Episode Four. Drifting onwards into more of the whole Alt.country/Americana obsession of mine, this next artist is more country than indie obviously but the drawl of it all is pretty sweet tugging on them heartstrings y'all. In other words - it's all out country, so a heads up, if you're not a country fan than this might be your downward spiral into, if not country, than most certainly Alt. Country.

*Note: at this point, I feel it prudent & essential to make this blogisode a prelude to the actual episode Four and proper intro to Alt. Country

Possibly my favorite genre - my darling alt. country artists include, in no particular order: Neko Case, Ryan Adams, Old 97's, Kathleen Edwards, Hem, Teddy Thompson, Josh Ritter, The Mountain Goats, Lucero, Iron & Wine,  Caitlin Cary, Cory Branan and more. 

  (Wiki says: Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music. The term is sometimes known as alt-country and has included country music bands and artists that have incorporated influences ranging from American roots music, bluegrass, rock & roll, rockabilly, acoustic music, americana, honky-tonk, alternative rock, folk rock and punk rock.)

It'll be preposterous NOT to post some of my favorite alt-country tunes right here, right now. Ofcourse that again will be hundreds of songs, but let's start with the basic starter pack.

Mid-Blogisode Special - Alt. Country Starter Pack

 

Neko Case - This Tornado Loves You

key-lyric: besides the dazzling opening lyric "My love I am the speed of sound...", deep into the first verse Neko says: "I have waited with a glacier's patience... smashed every transformer with every trailer till nothing was standing... 65 miles wide" (the whole song is lushfully brilliant)

Old 97's - Designs on You

key-lyric: "You can go ahead and get married & this'll be our secret thing... I won't tell a soul except the people in the night club where I sing"

Ryan Adams - Dear Chicago

key-lyric: "You know the girl you said I'd meet someday, well I got something to confess; I picked her up on friday, she asked me if she reminded me of you - I just laughed & lit a cigarette, said that's impossible to do"

Kathleen Edwards - Goodnight, California

key-lyric: "You don't even have to speak, if you keep looking at me..."

Hem - So. Central Rain

R.E.M. cover - So. Central Rain is one of the most gracefully brilliant songs ever written.

So blogisode four shall descend later with a little bit of Caitlin & Will and a whole lot more of Alt. Country. Grr.

7 honey-dipped indie recommendations - the 7 blogisode series. This was prelude to blogisode four. Emme Packer/Madi Diaz/Kate Tucker/Prelude: Intro. to Alt. Country/Caitlin & Wil/Voyces/Portico/Special - Indie Undercover

Tower of the Hour

Somewhere over Greenland...

20 ways to kill Smiley...

I recently (re)discovered these scribbles I did back in first year of med skool... i'm thinking the year 2000. Sheesh. This was probably done in class. Notice how the art gets hasty and less detailed as the period progresses. Pretty intense and disturbing. Heh.

20 WAYS TO KILL SMILEY

by Adil Salik

Ye’ Old Gun-Shot 

Commentary/Result: You more or less blow his brains out and paint the wall in yellow splattered goo...

Ye’ Samurai Slashing Sword 

Commentary/Result: Not too messy, highly effective. Clean, sweet, very anime-inspired...

Ye’ Old kick-in-the-face

Commentary/Result: Ofcourse these are repeated no holds barred kicks in the head and face. Death probably occurs by brain haemorrhage, head injuries and excruciating facial pain? Ye’

Ye' punch-to-death maneuver

Commentary/Result: Very much like the kicking in of the face/head. More hands on approach. Expect bloody knuckles.

Ye’ old trusty elbow-till-death-occurs phenomenon

Commentary/Result: Much less messy on the hands. Less painful for the attacker/assassin.

Ye’ ever-reliable poison

Commentary/Result: Very old school but effective.

Ye’ horizontal slash

Commentary/Result: Soundeffects optional *kheet* *snikt* *skhopt*

Ye’ vertical slash

Commentary/Result: Fancier than the horizontal slash. Required more precision, accuracy and a steady hand. More force as you go through the skill, meninges, brain, frontal bone, nose, occipital bone, pharynx/larynx, tongue, neck, possible the top of the spinal cord, maxilla, mandible, you could pass through teeth...

Ye’ old broken-bottle-stabbing method 

Commentary/Result: This probably would happen if he would hit on Ms. Pacman and Pacman would be in the same bar, be really drunk and would ofcourse, have a bottle handy.

Ye’ burst 

Commentary/Result: You should have thought of this simple, fun & piercing suggestion before.

Ye’ TNT !!!

Commentary/Result: This picture was probably taken moments before his insides became the outsides. And the room he was in.

Ye’ dynamite-shoved-ears-&-death-by-pain-bleeding-anticipation-&-fear

Commentary/Result: Now we're talkin. This is definitely the more creative/psychotic/torture-ridden pleasing way to send him off. Multiple factors ensue.

Ye’ old nightstick (lathi-charge)

Commentary/Result: This is ofcourse the multi-ethnic baton/night-stick/lathi-charge method... Seen it happen. Not fun for recipient. More coz' with every hit you squirm and bend towards hit side and thereby present/expose the other side for another full on hit. And so on...

Ye’ old hanging the poor feller

Commentary/Result: Classic.

Ye’ snake-squeeze

Commentary/Result: Bone crushingly good and effective. Factors of strangulation, pulverization and collapsing lungs all play in topped with sticky slimy fear & clouded judgement.

Ye’ bee bite ! (plenty)

Commentary/Reuslt: It'd have to be repeated bites. And some very angry bees.

Ye’ vampire bite

Commentary/Result: This was done in 2000 so its very NOT gay twilight/vampire-diaries/wannabe-pop-fascination of vampires oriented. This is pure Bram Stoker stuff.

Ye’ boot pelting

Commentary/Result: Preferably construction shoes, snow shoes, diggers etc. Stilettos may work too.

Ye’ old repeated-baseball-in-face

Commentary/Result: Inherintly pleasing, the baseball bat swing and crack is always a good way to go. Good excercise as well.

Ye’ hammering the head with 9 inch nails  

Commentary/Result: Again, 2000, so not at all SAW-esque in nature. Or any other gory flick that I haven't seen. Probably inspired/will inspire them. Wait for this is SAW VII.

 

(c) Adil. All rights reserved. Pvt. Ltd. Co. MCMXVIII et al.

Mujhay Eidee Do...

mein nay saarey rozay rakhein hain
mein nay saaree baatein manee hain
meyrey dil mein kitna eemaan hai
phir bhee itna yeh pareshaan hai


mujhey soney do
buss roney do
sab honey do
mujhey soney do



mein ney saaree raatein jagee hain
mein ney saaree baatein manee hai
mera andar bahir weeraan hai
abey tu kiyon itna heeraan hai?


dekho bahir kitnee sardee hai
kitnee pyaree tayree wardee hai
har shakhs kee aik hee qeemat hai
dekho yahaan kitnee qurbat hai...


tayrey sadqey jaey tayree maa
mayree haar tayree haan
ghaflaton ke dekho maang
kabhee kam na ho yehaaaan ...


maana maana tayree marzee hai
teyray peechay teyra darzee hai
mera jeevan kitna khalee hai
thora aslee thora jalee hai

Pylons...

this plaster cast on my heart
is scribbled upon with distraught
but it covers my own defeat
red trickling down my two feet


the sun sets across
(half a world away)
I'll wait in the dark

the pylons explode
as my faith departs

My Monsoon Mixtape of Love: The Defintive Mid-Season Special....

Since the "14 days - 7 ways" series has been quite popular, I've decided to stretch it out a little. There has been some absolutely brilliant new music that's been coming out & i've been trying my best to wrap my zen around it. So, in appreciation of some tracks that have been on heavy rotation in my head & in my car & at night when I slip to sleep, let me dangle these beauties in front of you to pick ripe & feed on...

Also - I mentioned that there is a secret catalog of Dye Corduroy's country/alt. country songs that I've written & tucked away. I've decided to surface some of the tracks from the series - Havoc County. If anyone wants lyrics, please let me know & I shall post them.

So here they are, the dye corduroy alt. country ditty complete with slide guitar & heavy breathing (heh) & a few gems of tracks to slap on your ipod/whatevermp3deviceyouuse/iprepferthecreativezen & go driving in the rain/sun/humiditylikeatonofbricksburstingyourhairintoanafro:

(You can stream the mp3s or download them by right-click & save target as all you want)

Dye Corduroy - Havoc County
key-lyric - "razorblades & blunt perceptions/ easy girls & congruent men... havoc medicine"
Alternative country

Garrison Starr - Unchangeable
key-lyric - "everybody is laughing out loud to hide all the fear they feel/ everybody has made up their minds on what to believe is real"
Alternative pop

Death Cab for Cutie - My Mirror Speaks
key-lyric - "i always fall in love with an open door...."
Indie

Sarah Blasko - We Won't Run
key-lyric - "there is far to go now, let's not waste a minute more..."
Indie-pop

Bim - The Battle
key-lyric - "did i win the battle or lose the war? i am unsure"
Indie-electro-acoustic pop

Claire Burson - 1000 miles

key-lyric- "listen to your records in the dark and think of us"
Alt. country

Palomar - Our Haunt
key-lyric - "with you gone i lost my peace of mind/ but we all... walk on... walk on..."
Alternative




7 honey-dipped indie recommendations - the 7 blogisode series. This was blogisode one. Emme Packer/Madi Diaz/Kate Tucker/Mid-Season Special/Caitlin & Wil/Voyces/Portico/Special - Indie Undercover

14 days - 7 ways -- Episode Three

Well out rolls another blogisode & things are getting more lush here. I realized that there will have to be many such series as the 7-episode circus of indie that I'm ring-leading here... to actually give you a peek of the myriad of indie music I have & adore. & which deserves to be heard & had & adored.

Anyway, after this series, there's probably going to be a few Dye Corduroy postings with new songs & maybe a video... & then season 2 of 14 days... Here's episode three & this artist is a ripper - & btw you can right-click & save as the mp3s all you want:

Featured Artist: Kate Tucker

Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden hail from the Northwest corner of Seattle, Washington, amidst the fisherman and sailors of Ballard. They play lush indie pop with shimmering melodies, sparkling soundscapes, and beats like a train on a track.

Formed in 2006, their self-titled debut was produced by Ryan Hadlock (Blonde Redhead, Metric, The Gossip), and features Nic Danielson of the Kindness Kind and Seattle folk luminary Damien Jurado.

Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden - Everything Went Down

key lyric: ".. Now you know can't be late..."

Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden - Faster than Cars

key lyric "... & your heart was beating faster than cars drive... "

And of course this track also serves as a preview to the series finale' (the one with covers dummy), Kate covered Bruce Springsteen, possibly one of my favorite songs of all time:

Kate Tucker - I'm on Fire

key lyric "... at night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet & a freight train running through the middle of my head... "

http://www.myspace.com/katetuckermusic

P.S. I have desperately searching for her record online - so if anyone has a link, puh-lease holler-back. For evaluation purposes ofcourse...

*credits roll for episode 3*

7 honey-dipped indie recommendations - the 7 blogisode series. This was blogisode one. Emme Packer/Madi Diaz/Kate Tucker/Caitlin & Wil/Voyces/Portico/Special - Indie Undercover

14 days - 7 ways -- Episode Two

Welcome to Blogisode (will this term catch on?) 2... let's jump straight into the indie-goodness...

Featured Artist: Madi Diaz

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Madi Diaz spent her formative years balancing the disparate worlds of her native Pennsylvania Amish country and Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music. Raised and home-schooled by her liberal musician parents, Diaz, who spent her childhood immersed in books, music, and horses, began composing at the age of 16 after the family relocated to nearby Philadelphia.
It was there that Diaz achieved minor celebrity status as one of the more precocious and engaging students in director Don Argott's hit 2005 documentary about the Paul Green School of Rock Music. While attending Berklee, Diaz spent time in the indie rock outfit Talk Radio before embarking on a solo career in 2006. Check out the sweet tunes below:

Madi Diaz - It's Only a Kiss

Madi Diaz - Love You Now

Madi Diaz - Late Night Driving

Madi Diaz - Side

http://www.myspace.com/madidiaz

Hollerback if you enjoyred this post. I shall see you in two days with blogisode 3 on Kate Tucker. Till' then... keep on driving sideways.

7 honey-dipped indie recommendations - the 7 blogisode series. This was blogisode one. Emme Packer/Madi Diaz/Kate Tucker/Caitlin & Wil/Voyces/Portico/Special - Indie Undercover

14 days - 7 ways -- Episode One

If you've stumbled upon here, whether by choice or by circumstance of actually wanting to know your indie; you're in for long endearing hours on the couch right under the fan run by the UPS listening to some indie beauties on your creative:zen player... (wait... that's me when the lights go out)

So this is Episode One - let's get to the indie-goodies:

Featured Artist: Emme Packer

Emme Packer was born and raised in Farmington, Utah, a small town just outside of Salt Lake City. As a child, Emme wandered the home singing and making instruments out of boxes and rubber bands. At 13 years old she taught herself how to play the guitar by visualization and memory. She played and sang in her room with no one knowing of her talents until she reached 18 years old when she decided to record an album independently.

You have to start things off with this tune...

Emme Packer - Paper Thin
turn it up & let its melancholy ambiance really sink in to your skin. Go ahead: tell me you've never felt what this songs all about. (& I'll slap you silly & call you a pookie-munky)

Emme Packer - Mix CD
absolutely catchy folk-noir-bubblegum dittie...

Emme Packer - Hate Your Drug
wait for the bass to kick in over the little riff... good'un.


Emme @ myspace: www.myspace.com/emmepacker



Well, that's it for now. I shall see you in 2 days with Madi Diaz. Till' then, don't let them take your electricity AND your music... keep one; preferably the latter.

7 honey-dipped indie recommendations - the 7 blogisode series. This was blogisode one. Emme Packer/Madi Diaz/Kate Tucker/Caitlin & Wil/Voyces/Portico/Special - Indie Undercover