Suur Toll

Dream Archive 1: Tourist Trap

Last night I dreamed about... riding horses? I never ride horses.

Last week I dreamed about some kind of tour of a large mansion in Australia. It was apparently a tourist trap, but there was something else going on. All kinds of strange photos and artifacts from past decades. One of them was a map showing regions of the continent according to relative light or darkness. The darkest region was centered on Ayer's Rock, in the middle. There were tiny bright spots labeled things like "Reading under a tree" and "When we drew four spades in the card game."

"We can secure other people's approval if we do right and try hard; but our own is worth a hundred of it, and no way has been found out of securing that."

—Mark Twain

Trying to get "The Devil at Lourdes" on LET'S GET LIGHT, attempt two

December, 1999. A young Michael Stipe takes time out of his busy schedule of spice shopping and reading haiku to ponder the release of his band's new album, Reveal. It is shaping up to be their most creative and experimental album to date, filled with strange angular rhythms and crazy distorted guitars. Stipe thinks, "Hmmm. People I trust have told me that they really like these songs. But I don't know. I'm thinking maybe I'm gonna rewrite the whole thing as a syrupy, poppy Beach-Boys-meets-Radiohead kinda thing. Yeah, that sounds good. The kids'll like that." Feeling a little warm, he removes his t-shirt, which reads BORN TO BONE, to reveal another t-shirt underneath, bearing the legend LIVIN' THE WILDE LIFE.

October, 2010. A young Andrew Livingston takes time out of his busy schedule of shopping for exercise equipment and reading Michael Stipe: An Illustrated Biography to ponder the release of his band's new album, Let's Get Light. It is shaping up to be their most creative and experimental album to date, filled with strange angular rhythms and crazy distorted guitars. Livingston thinks, "Hmmm. People I trust have told me that they really like 'The Devil at Lourdes.' But I don't know. I'm thinking maybe I'm gonna scrap the whole thing and rewrite the album as a tribute to Reveal, which is my favorite R.E.M. album by far. I really like the syrupy, poppy Beach-Boys-meets-Radiohead thing. Yeah, that sounds good. The kids'll like that." Feeling a little warm, he removes his t-shirt, which reads KING OF THE ROD, to reveal (heh.) another shirt underneath bearing the legend FALL ON ME.

<3 JL

Trying to get "The Devil at Lourdes" on LET'S GET LIGHT, attempt one

Jesse Livingston  to Andrew

show details Oct 24 (3 days ago)

August, 1997. A young Jeff Mangum sits in the living room of Jim McIntyre's spacious home in Denver, Colorado (it has been dubbed "Pet Sounds Studios," and the name seems to stick). Mangum, a lanky man with a penchant for flannel and sweaters with colorful designs on them, sits brooding in the late afternoon light, smoking herbal cigarettes and listening to Bavarian folk music. He is thinking to himself, "Should I put 'Ghost' on the record? I don't know. It doesn't seem to fit. I feel like it never really lived up to its potential. I was into it at first, but now I just don't know. It seems to be lacking something. Not enough movement. Everyone else likes it, but I just don't know." He stubs out his cigarette and leans back in his chair, letting the sad strains of the Oom-pah band wash over him.

October, 2010. A young Andrew Livingston sits in the study of his spacious apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan (it has been dubbed "Special Cat Studios," and the name seems to stick). Livingston, a portly gentleman with a penchant for jogging suits and pajamas, sits brooding in the late afternoon light, staring at a "Boys of the NYFD" calendar from 1992 which adorns his wall. The calendar is not open to the correct month, nor does it seem to have been marked with any important dates. He is thinking to himself, "Should I put 'The Devil at Llourdes' on the record? I don't know. It doesn't seem to fit. I feel like it never really lived up to its potential. I was into it at first, but now I just don't know. It seems to be lacking something. Not enough movement. Everyone else likes it, but I just don't know." He swats a drooling cat off his computer keyboard and leans back in his chair, letting the gaze of the hunky fireman on the wall, whose eyes seem to glimmer with a mischievous intent, wash over him.

Andrew Jozef Livingston  to me

show details Oct 25 (2 days ago)

I hope you die SOON.

Jesse Livingston  to Andrew

show details Oct 26 (1 day ago)

But do you get my point?

Andrew Jozef Livingston  to me show details 7:34 PM (20 hours ago) I met a guy who was in Iraq and he taught me how to choke you out in 4 seconds. Jesse Livingston  to Andrew

show details 12:15 PM (3 hours ago)

That's not my point. I guess I'll have to try again.

Margaret Drabble sez:

"I confidently predict the collapse of capitalism and the beginning of history. Something will go wrong in the machinery that converts money into money, the banking system will collapse totally, and we will be left having to barter to stay alive. Those who can dig in their garden will have a better chance than the rest. I'll be all right; I've got a few veg."

"You learn to put your emotional luggage where it will do some good, instead of using it to shit on other people, or blow up aeroplanes."

Monday, October 4, 2010

Four songs in two days!

http://thefarstairs.bandcamp.com/album/the-rules

Damn.