to the ghosts who write history books

The violin is the new handclap.

You heard it here first kids. Or perhaps not, but I’m stating it now.

The handclap will always be my go-to favourite, but I’ve been feeling the winds changing recently and last night reaffirmed my suspicions.

The Barr Brothers + Timber Timbre + The Low Anthem = complete goosebumps.

I think all concerts should take place at St. James Community Square. Well, if they get cushions for the benches then all future concerts should take place there. My ass is still a bit numb, but I let that slide, because the acoustics blew me away.

Each group played about an hour, which wasn’t nearly enough time, but due to the concert being on a week night and in a residential neighbourhood they had a noise restriction and had to be done before 11pm.

Every member of each band played at least 5 instruments (especially the guys in the Low Anthem). There was no pretense with these musicians, they were there to play music, not to win best dressed and it was so very refreshing.

I honestly can’t pick a favourite set, but I will say Taylor Kirk’s voice is completely captivating live. Electric really.

I know I’m not the only person who left feeling inspired. And really, shouldn’t that be how a concert goes?

Next week, Spoon. The bar has been set boys.

two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl

it’s a closed day at the museum, yet the side door is open when we’re here, but only those who have been here before know this and it sounds an alarm to alert and then we go downstairs. simple enough. usually only people who come on closed days have scheduled appointments.

unless you’re a Jehovah witness disguised as a researcher!

then you come right in, unannounced. in the middle of lunch, of course.

i was a bit perplexed first off when i went down to see who sounded the alarm and he knew my name right from go (i realized afterward he could have easily read this from the front door). he then started in on this long-winded request, that forced me to go get my boss, as she handles the archives and then about 5 mins in goes on the mother of all tangents and brings out the pamphlets and starts down the god path.

uncool.

however, i got to use my museum voice and we backed him into the corner with the chain saws before sending him on his way.

ah, never a dull moment ’round these parts.

the hunt

More here.

hire me

This is the first time I’ve been directly responsible for hiring others. I’ve overseen the process in the past, but here I’ve written the grants, the postings and now I’m accepting resumes and will be interviewing and then hiring up to 4 students in the next few months.

So far I have not had any applicants that listed World of Warcraft Team Leader as a skill, like last year. Which is good, as I hate having to write people back and explain why we went another direction. And yes, I do write them back. Why? Because no one ever did that for me. It’s soul sucking sending resumes into the black abyss of cyber space and never hearing anything back. I always appreciated hearing back from a place, with a sentence or two, so at least my hopes weren’t still up.

I have to say though, I’m getting a bit annoyed with people who aren’t separately attaching a resume and cover letter (as the posting asks), but copying and pasting their resume into the email itself. As then I have to copy the resume into a Word document and blow up the font so its readable by other eyes. It’s similar to how bands for the summer concert series I’m organizing were sending me MySpace links instead of Press Kits or downloadable Mp3′s as their application. It’s fine if you want to send that in addition, but don’t make the person’s job who could potentially hire you, harder from the start.

/rant.

In unrelated news, this photo makes me laugh. I’m tempted to try adding fake eyes some part of breakfast now. It would go well with the ‘Frak Off’ toast from the Cylon toaster.

Favourite thing to have for breakfast on a rainy day when you can stay in bed?

i’m on bloodbuzz

I cannot wait for The National’s High Violet to come out in May.

Here’s another song that debuted on the BBC this morning:

(update: which was then released by the label)

Bloodbuzz Ohio

I think this just might be the record I’m looking forward to the most this year…what about you?

On an unrelated topic, I was looking through my photographs recently, and in the past 4 years (traced back specifically to NYE 2006) there are hardly any photos that exist where I am not doing ‘blue steel’ or some other weird look. What went wrong? When did I stop smiling, and only give coy looks to the camera?

Dear friends, if you see me doing this and you’re with me, stop me! Apparently I have no control over this, as it’s honestly unconscious behaviour. Guess I shall have to take more photographs. Gets a bit tiring looking through a photo album that looks like an audition for Zoolander 2.

Do you have any unconscious traits?

7 random pictures that made me smile today

loose screws

things i learned today:

when putting on a new toilet seat make sure you go to the washroom first, as the process will take longer than expected (if you have no arm strength like me and a neck injury). if you fail to do this you might be forced to hover in your own home. tres chic.

that my irrational fear of appliances coming to life  is not irrational at all, for tonight i witnessed my washing machine dance across the floor, not once, but twice at a rapid speed. so perhaps break dancing would be a better term, as it also made a hole in the wall.

this is what i get for trying to clean the flat for my company visiting this week. i’m done trying to beautify. you can enjoy the dust bunnies because there is no way i’m plugging in the vacuum now.

guardian on hiatus

really inspired with the photographs i posted below, so decided to mess about with one of the images in photoshop and change my header. undecided if the gargoyle will come back…

perhaps he needs a photoshop facelift, too.

love this

Can’t stop looking at this series.

{Source}

all the people going places, smiling with electric faces. what they find the glow erases, what they lose the glow replaces, and life is love.

I heard about Alex Chilton’s death yesterday from my dad via email.

I was shocked, he was gutted. Rightfully so, Chilton left a huge mark on music and will be missed greatly.

I’ve been listening to The Box Tops and Big Star from the womb, my earliest memories are dancing on the shag carpet in the living room to my parents record collection.

I think what’s hitting me most about this one, is that it’s racked my parents, too. I know when my dad gets wispy over the phone that its a big deal. I remember visiting Memphis when I was a teen, and him being positively giddy over all the music history. I hope to pass along as much enthusiasm to my offspring one day.

Perhaps because I’m getting older, or had a rough year of my own loved ones passing away, but I feel like this past year (in music especially) everyone is dying, and so young.

RIP Mr. Chilton.