December 19, 2003
THANK YOU
to everyone who's written in the past few days. It's been 98% supportive, and I am glad to say the haters can spell this time. We welcome it all. We care that you care. (It is impossible to make this read sincerely, since we change forms of address and rhetorical deer-stands over here when the wind shifts, but I really am impressed and touched that people care enough to spend the time writing really long and passionate responses and agreements and challenges and hate mail and mash notes.)
I'll be posting the old Voice clips that aren't online (unless they suck) and some more songs, and maybe some demos for the new band, The Sands.
Answers to questions that didn't involve cursing or threats of psychic harm:
1. Yes, the Liz Phair record is my favorite record of the year. My list is based as closely as possible on the semi-empirical: how many times I listened to the thing. iTunes helped me track this, and my family and feeble memory filled in the blanks. Liz and Junior Senior got big support from the wife and kids, and that pushed the number of spins. It is only "a dopey and transparently political act" to list Liz Phair at Number One if you think politics are stupid, or somehow spoil aesthetics or experience or prose. If you do, you are a practitioner of Unchecked Penisism. Lists function as denotation only if you are tiny of mind and small of heart and committed to pretending your statements don't refract in other people's windows and grow in other people's gardens. It is crazy to pretend you are dealing with facts. Every list is ideological, even if you don't think you thought about it. Or if you do think you thought about it, creating a list based entirely on pique and fury and assertion of principles is DANDY, as is any admixture of beef and intuitition and fake science. THERE IS NO NUMBER ONE. That said, I try to track my own listening with numbers because I am interested in tracking down what my brain is trying to do, and the numbers always, ALWAYS surprise and help. This is why Bill James got hired by the Red Sox, and why Dan Smith's books are so great. One of many reasons.
2. The photos are all mine. I don't know enough to manipulate the images, nor do I have the software to do so. I use a Canon PowerShot S400. The words are mine, unless attributed. The music is mine, unless I am remixing someone, and in that case it's a blend. If anyone gets mad about an MP3 being up, I'll take it down. Don't bite! It's not polite!
3. You need to thank Abe Burmeister at abstractdynamics.org right now, because his generosity and technical skill makes this whole fucking clambake possible.
4. "Pay To Cum."
5. Yes, but you need to breathe more slowly.
6. Size 10 1/2 in Converse, size 11 in Nike.
7. Rakim.
Posted by Sasha at December 19, 2003 10:35 AM | TrackBack