matthew music

November 30, 2004 01:32 PM

Hello hello,

The switch to the other server was shorter than expected, so i'm back on the old one with the comments enabled again. Hooray?

Some things look like they've been erased, but i doubt any importance to them anyway.

SPAM has seemingly appeared in my comments now. How interesting. Does "making it" on the internet happen when people think they can advertise with you?

-matthew | Comments (0)

matthew music

September 21, 2004 11:49 AM

I'm sick. So today, i produced a lot of mucous, and this cover of Snow Patrol's "Run":

wma

mp3

-matthew | Comments (3)

matthew music

September 16, 2004 12:40 PM

Here's my cover of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings' "Nickels and Dimes".

A special prize goes to the one who can guess how many tracks i used.

wma

mp3

And here's my cover of Eels' "Climbing to the Moon".

No prize for guessing the amount of tracks on this one (the answer is 2).

wma

mp3

-matthew | Comments (3)

matthew music

September 12, 2004 11:39 PM

So i was walking around today, right? I had my headphones on, and was blasting the Jay-z or whatever it is the kids listen to these days. I'm hip with what the kids listen to, you know? Anyway, so i'm walking, kind of minding my own business but in reality i'm trying out a voyeuristic nature and really just observing everyone around me. It's weird to walk around observing people when you can't actually HEAR what it is they're saying. You kind of have to make it up for yourself, but that doesn't really work because that niggling voice in the back of your head keeps saying "damn dude, that's REALLY contrived". So, i'm walking around, pretending that i actually believe i'm making progress in my people observing when i stop. I don't know why i stop, i just do. It was one of those feelings...you know them. They're the ones you get when you're walking home really late at night and something tells you to turn around because something's there. It could be a dog, a cat, a raccoon, or even a person. But this was the middle of the day, so when i turned around, i didn't have my anger face on to ward of any potential predators. Anyhow, there's this guy, just kind of standing there, looking startled. I guess i turned aound pretty quickly and he wasn't expecting it. So, i mumbled and apology,

"Sorry man..."

...and turned back around to keep walking. But, oddly enough, as i was turning, i caught a glimpse of his lips moving out of the corner of my eye. So, i turned BACK around, this time slowly and with my quizzical look fully in place. Batting my headphones onto my neck in a movement so fluid it's obvisouly practiced i asked,

"Pardon me?"

So he repeated, or i guess he repeated...as far as i know he could have made something else up, what he said.

"Y'ever just stop and think?"

"Great", i thought to myself. People like this always seem to come talk to me. People like that, people who want directions, and people who want to help. I've completely lost touch on what's stamped on my forehead. I guess it changes. I know i look confused a lot, but i think that's partly my own fault. Johnny Depp says that he tries to be confused all the time because he likes the look it leaves on his face. Well, people like Johnny Depp, so i can't lie and say that maybe i'm going for a bit of that Johnny Depp-ness that all of us, really deep down, want. I've never really got the people who ask me for directions. I sure wouldn't ask me for directions, even if i knew i knew where i was going. I always think about that time i gave this guy directions, and he proceeded to drive off to the left, but not the left i wanted him to go down. I spent the rest of the day with a twinge of worry that he was somehow going to waste a lot of time and come after me. He never did. And then there's the weird people. Weird people or maybe philosophers. I never really give them enough time to prove me wrong either way. "Yes", was what i said. "Yes i do".

I guess that kind of took him off guard because he now wore that quizzical look i had placed on my own face not 5 seconds earlier. Maybe he was just trying to look like Johnny Depp though and i shouldn't have over-analysed it.

"Really?" he asked me.

"Yeah man" i replied. "Look, what do you want?"

There was great shuffling of feet now. Gone was the look of confusion, and in it's place was a mundane shyness as he grasped at the words flying by him in search of something to say. Jay-z, or whatever it was i was listening to, probably Radiohead really, i like Radiohead a lot, was gently providing the kind of soft soundtrack that only music coming from earphones can. It was actually pretty loud, as i like my music loud. The louder the better is what i say with music. Sometimes, i like to turn it up so loud that it really hurts my head and makes me naseous, then i gradually turn it down until that awfullness stops, and i know that at that moment, the music can't any louder. Any louder, and it ceases to be music, rather something that just causes me discomfort.

So at this point, i was pretty much expecting something monumental to happen. Something that would make this a good story to tell my friends about when i got home. Something i could make a vague reference to in my MSN name so i could have people asking me what it was all about. Something like "matthew: strange men on the street say what?", or maybe "matthew: had an epiphany...thank you jay-z!". That'd have people asking me all kinds of questions. Maybe they'd think i was talking about that song, "99 problems". Maybe Jay-z really spoke to me when he said that he's got so many problems, but a bitch ain't one. That's mighty deep, you know? The video says that it contains images that may not be suitable for younger children, but i don't really understand the point of that. I can't remember one moment in my entire life that i ever say that prevent someone from watching anything. I've never seen a parent see that warning and take their child away. For me, it just means that whoever made what i'm about to see is just trying to be controversial, and it'll probably be as mundane as whatever it was i mentioned earlier was mundane.

But the man, he just stood there and said nothing. So, i put my headphones back on and just walked away. I wanted to peek back, but i also wanted to keep up the little ruse i had going on that i was actually cool. So, i put a little bit of strut into my step and pretended that the confrontation meant nothing to me. All the while, however, i kept wondering what he was doing. Was he looking at me? Was he still standing there? Was he ever standing there, or did i hallucinate him? That thought went away quickly, as i was on no drugs, nor was i lacking sleep, so a mid day hallucination would just be weird. No major headache either, so i'm clear on that base.

I ended up just going about my day. I bought a book, Keirkegaard's Fear and Trembling, not for the fun of reading it, but for a class. All the guys have beards in existentialism classes. I feel young because my sideburns and hipster pinch don't cover my entire face. I drank coffee. Not really, but i bought coffee. I'm trying to lower my caffiene intake and have been steady with one cup in the morning. I bought espresso though, that was more expensive than i'd hoped. It's grocery store stuff, but still costly. I like making a shot of espresso, and then adding equal parts soy milk to it and a dab of vanilla. I drink it out of the little mug i have that seems to serve no other purpose than my faux-latte / espresso au lait.

-matthew | Comments (1)

matthew music

September 12, 2004 01:26 PM

I suggest you all go read this immediately. It's the greatest interview ever.

-matthew | Comments (0)

matthew music

September 9, 2004 12:22 PM

In celebration, i spent the morning recording a cover of Radiohead's "The Gloaming"

wma

mp3

-matthew | Comments (1)

matthew music

September 7, 2004 10:48 PM

Clicky or Clicka

-matthew | Comments (2)

matthew music

September 6, 2004 06:05 PM

Could someone please explain to me what Labour Day is exactly?

I've been under the impression, for pretty much my entire life, that it was a day during which, if you have a job, you don't work. More of an anti-Labour Day. But, apparently, that's not the case. I had fully intended to sit on my laurels all day (this being Labour Day), and save my errands until tommorrow. But no, my roommate went biking, and returned with stories of stores...stores being open! I couldn't believe it. Did this mean i COULD go to the dollar store? I COULD buy RCA male to phono 1/4' adapters? I COULD go up to a stranger on the street and say "hey, look at me! I'm talkin' to strangers on Labour Day!!!"

Well, i had to investigate. Under the ruse that i was to buy groceries (i knew the grocery would be open), i set out on my way. First shock...the dollar store WAS open. Then, as i walked towards the grocery, i noticed ALL the stores were open. RadioShack, that ghetto "make your own wine" store, the "children's lifestyles"(what the HELL does that mean anyway?) store...everything.

I simply don't understand. Being a currently unemployed student, Labour Day had no real meaning to me this year, other than being a another day to fill before starting classes. But now i think i may be offended. What about that poor guy who's ALWAYS working at RadioShack? When's HIS Labour Day huh? When does he get to sit back, do nothing, and get regular pay for it? I thought the whole point of the day was so everyone could be on equal grounds here.

But that's not the case, he says as he daringly starts a paragraph with but. All it does is create strife yet again. Those who aren't working are different from those without jobs, who are different from those getting paid double time to work today who are different from those who agreed to work today WITHOUT double pay since they're salaried workers. What are we doing to ourselves here? Are we actually TRYING to drive another stake through the heart of togetherness? Are we writing the final bad love song for the now over relationship of working men and women all over the country? Do other nations celebrate this day, or am i simply too egocentric to bother finding out?

I envision a day where EVERYTHING shuts down. When you can't buy food even if you're a diabetic who desperately needs it because your blood sugars are plummetting. Bet you wish you planned ahead now, don't ya Mr. My-Pancreas-Doesn't-Have-Working-Beta-Cells-Anymore? When 7/11 FINALLY closes it's doors. When people can run naked through the streets because even the cops aren't working and there will be no indecent exposure arrests.

But matthew, you say. What about all the negative possibilites of your vision? To those, i say shut up. I'm far too busy to worry about things like that.

-matthew | Comments (1)

matthew music

September 5, 2004 08:09 PM

POOF!
What are you doing?
You can see me?
Of course I can&what ARE you doing?
POOF! HAHAHA!
What ARE you doing?
God dang it! It's not working
WHAT'S not working?
POOF! DANG DANG DANG!
Ok, quit it, you're getting annoying.
But it's gonna work
What's going to work?
You'll see, or rather, you won't.
Sigh&
POOF!
Where'd that smoke come from?

Hey, where'd you go buddy?

That's&really weird

So&when are you coming back?

Alright. Take care.

Um&yeah

Well, you've disappeared, so now I've got no one to talk to.

How can I be sure dementia didn't set in and I've imagined you?

Yeah, but in my reality, people don't go about disappearing in a poof of smoke. Sorry.

Well, yeah. I mean, at least until the bus comes.

No you're not.

You're not back.

Ok, look, you're not here, and there's my bus. Don't follow me on, people will think I'm nuts if I'm talking to myself.