Jump David Jump

Just a few things...

1. This is what I've been saying!!!!  It's all about to change!  Read this!
2. Go see the movie, Juno.
3. Buy the soundtrack.
4. Realize The Moldy Peaches are awesome.
5. Then realize that your roommate told you this in the year 2002 and if you'd only have listened to him you could have been enjoying their music for the past 6 years.
6. Call your roommate and thank him for the recommendation in the 2002, but also comment that you don't think The Moldy Peaches are 'so good that they are probably satanic'.

I've been waiting...

I would love to tell you that I've been waiting to blog again until I saw the Sigur Ros documentary featured in my last post.  This is not the case.  I have been lazy, but since I DID see the film last night, I thought it appropriate to get back to blog-world.

'Heima' was incredible.  It was shown by a great local non-profit, Flannel, who manages NOOMA.  Of course, the hippest of the hip came out for the event.  Everyone was perfectly disheveled and the Chuck Taylors were all precisely worn down.  Despite the 8pm viewing, it looked like everyone had just gotten out of bed reminding me of the Hipster Olympics.

The movie was so beautiful and the scenery of Iceland displayed throughout was just breathtaking.  They talk quite a bit about how Iceland and it's people value space.  You can see this in their landscapes and hear it in the music of Sigur Ros.  Lots of space to sit and think.

After the movie I felt the need to be very still.  It made me miss my family.  It also made me want to move to a village of 14 people and fish for a living.  We are always moving so quickly throughout our lives, but this movie really made me want to slow down and look around me more often,  taking a few more deep breaths.

Buy this movie.  Enough said.

Sigur Ros creates more beauty

One of my favorite bands, Sigur Ros, is creating a musical documentary.  After traveling the world, they have decided to go home and play for Iceland.  But in usual fashion, it is done with a mixture of stunning beauty, simplicity and well... cinematography.  This will take a few minutes to load so go to the link and let it load for 10-15 minutes before trying to play it.  It's not worth watching unless it's in full-resolution, so skip the youtube version...

Keep an eye out for the documentary.  Enjoy the show!!

Just so good...

Check out this track from Brazilian artist,  Gui Boratto.  Put it on repeat and turn it up. After listening to this song, it is indeed a Beautiful life.

Homeless Prodigy

Well, maybe not entirely homeless, but playing the subway-musician role nonetheless. A recent Washington Post article conducted and documented an experiment. They took Joshua Bell, one of most accomplished violinists on the planet, put him in jeans and a baseball cap and placed him in a subway station in DC. He then proceeded to give a concert, one that in any other location on earth would collect thousands of tuxedos and shiny dresses who each gladly pay over $100 to be in the same room. He stood in the corner and played down song after song which would undoubtedly raise any listening "knowledgeable" crowd to their feet. But this crowd didn't applaud. This crowd didn't even stop what they were doing. In around 43 minutes, Joshua Bell, violin prodigy who can earn up to $1,000 a minute, earned around $33 and stopped maybe 7 people to listen for a minute or so. Here is a video (actually only audio) clip. Take a listen to this year's "Avery Fisher Prize" recognizing the best musician in America. Here's a great little tidbit to chew on. "His [Joshua Bell's] parents, both psychologists, decided formal training might be a good idea after they saw that their son had strung rubber bands across his dresser drawers and was replicating classical tunes by ear, moving drawers in and out to vary the pitch." Simply incredible. In the end, only one person recognized Joshua because she had seen him at a free concert at the Library of Congress merely a week or two earlier. Another person, previously a trained violinist, did not recognize Josh walking by but stopped to soak in the music for a few minutes. He was too embarrassed to stand close so he hid in the back marveling at this subway savant. I was floored by this fresh journalistic piece and a novel idea. I hope you take the time to read it and watch the videos that are included in the online article.

"What is this life if, full of care... We have no time to stand and stare."

- from "Leisure," by W.H. Davies