Why don't you marry it then?

My obsession with M.I.A.'s song Paper Planes has not waned. I crave it every day (usually multiple times) and it never ceases to put a smile on my face and get my head moving. As I assume most people do, I go through intense song obsessions (as well as whole albums). Usually, however, I continue to play them and they wear themselves out and move to the back shelf, making way for a new one. Well, this song is stubborn and refuses to get out of the limelight. It's bound to happen at some point, but until then I'll be singing, "I'll fly like a paper get high like planes, catch me at the border I got visas in my name, if you come around here I'll make em all day, I'll get one done in a second if you wait."

Pulp

A new store is opening here in Omaha, called Pulp. I am very enthused as it sells something I get very excited about: paper. It specializes in letterpress stationary (love it!) and also sells "unique tote bags and wallets, journals, prints, art and design books and other paper/wood-based accessories."

In addition, Pulp is also "home to an art space dedicated to showing contemporary works on paper, including (but definitely not limited to) printmaking, photography, painting, sculpture and book arts."

Exciting!

The grand opening of the gallery at Pulp is Saturday night, and it features the artwork of Omahan Joey Lynch (see photo of artwork above). You can see more of his stuff here.

the bandwagon can be fun

I love lists, so I couldn't resist. However, there are too many movies and albums to think about and this list is much more fun to make, so here it is

My top ten favorite shows of 2007*:

1) Marianne Faithfull at the House of Blues, Anaheim, California
2) St. Vincent, Scout Niblett at The Waiting Room, Omaha, Nebraska
3) Bright Eyes, Simon Joyner at The Waiting Room, Omaha, Nebraska
4) The Gossip at The Knitting Factory, New York, New York
5) Girl Talk, Dan Deacon at The Echo, Los Angeles, California
6) Tilly & the Wall, Baby Walrus, Bear Country at Slowdown, Omaha, Nebraska
7) Rilo Kiley at First Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota
8) The Gossip at the Troubadour, Los Angeles, California
9) M. Ward, Yo La Tengo, and Bright Eyes at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California
10) Wilco, Andrew Bird at the Orpheum, Omaha, Nebraska

Runners up (in order):

Neko Case, Porter Wagoner/Billy Bob Thornton at Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, California
The Faint at Sokol, Omaha, Nebraska
St. Vincent, The National at Slowdown, Omaha, Nebraska

Please remind me of any shows I have attended that you think could make the list that I may have forgotten. My memory doesn't seem to stretch back to the beginning of the year...

*note: amended 12/11/07 10:25 pm

dig a pony

weekend update

I am back from Detroit where I was attending my cousin's wedding. It was a really fun weekend -- lots of family bonding, story telling, dancing, eating (Buddy's pizza!), and hanging out.

My plane fishtailed and slid on the runway yesterday when we hit a patch of ice. That was pretty exciting. It's weird to feel the total loss of control in a vehicle that large.

I finished Atonement. It was good. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie. I started In Persuasion Nation by George Saunders after that and I am almost finished with that. It's a nice change of pace from Atonement.

I got my copy of In Persuasion Nation for like $5 or less from this warehouse/consignment style book store in Wisconsin - a totally random place as part of an outlet mall. I was deliberating even buying it because I was looking for stuff for my sisters at the time and felt guilty for getting something for myself, but I had wanted the book for awhile and I figured it was roughly the price of a mocha at Starbucks, so I bought it.

I was looking for a book to bring with me on the trip as I was almost finished with Atonement, so I picked up the Saunders book and starting flipping through the pages when I saw some scrawled writing on the cover page. I stopped and navigated back to the page. It pretty clearly read George Saunders in cursive. I looked closer and, sure enough, it was an autograph from the author himself. So the $5 wasn't bad for a hardcover, signed edition. That was a pretty thrilling discovery.

nouvelle musique

I have been very busy as of lately, so I haven't had a lot of time to post. I did go to a great show this past Saturday night though and I feel the need to promote some music that you may not have heard. The show was held at the Bemis Underground, the basement of the contemporary arts museum the Bemis Center. The Bemis also has a great artist in residency program here in Omaha. You live and work there and they provide one of their brick lofts, large gallery workspace and some materials. They support artists from all different mediums including music. Some of the past residents include Tilly & the Wall, Orenda Fink, and Gillian Welch. David Matysiak from Coyote Bones is currently there.

Anyway, the show included music from Alessi, Thunder Power!!! and Baby Walrus -- all really great musical acts. If you haven't heard any of these musicians/bands, you should check them out when you get a chance. Alessi is from England, but was here in Omaha for a spell recording, and Thunder Power!!! and Baby Walrus are Omaha-based.

And here is a link to CoCo Art, where you can download some songs from some other Omaha bands that are making some interesting music.

There is a lot of great music coming out of Omaha right now.

Other than listening to music, I have been busy with teaching, writing and shooting. More details to come in the near future.

And, in other news, it is winter here.

Not good.

I have a layer of Liquid Nails on a piece of my finger. I like how hardcore and mystifying that sounds.