Guided by Voices & other political games

GBV-GBV-GBV-GBV-GBV-GBV-GBV-GBV....etc

I first heard of Guided by Voices in Memphis about 1993. Supposedly they were great friends with the Grifters whom I had run sound for a couple of times when they were a Band Called Bud. I did not get the lo-fi, DIY lack of production at the time you see, because I was in school for production. I had yet to be introduced to the anti method. Sure I loved Sonic Youth's music and I was enthralled with Nirvanna's Nevermind months before it hit. I had R.L. Burnside & J.R. Kimbrough play my restaurant in 1992 on alternate weekends. I got them. They were scary, devil dogs at your door blues instead of the happy blues of Beale St. But cool pop that didn't take the time to polish itself to a high sheen... I did not get it. I did not get it until I had an intense, albeit brief, affair with the Breeeders. No Aloha showed me that pop does not have to be approved by the masses & doesn't have to sound like pop. That led me to seek out the popopolis of Dayton, OH and read all I could about it. I found out that the Breeders are an offshoot of the Pixies & that Brainiac, Swearing at Motorist, David Poe were great music makers. But the scene is now more concerned with the speed metal and 80's cover bands . When I moved here there was no way I was getting a gig here that I would be happy with. I need a pop sensibility, some punk spunk, a little prog noodling and singer/songwriter ideas in the vocals.

All of that fit the first album I heard, all of the way through, by Guided by Voices. BEE THOUSAND. I am not a Dayton homer and I will tell you that I really do love Do the Collapse but the one that did it for me was BEE THOUSAND. I was struggling to actually play my guitar and I had a crappy 4-track. They sounded like me with better songs & better ideas. I used to put down 30 seconds of guitar and bass but I never did anything with it. It kinda mirrored my life. I am now getting closer to getting my ideas, musically and lyrically, closer to each other. Same thing with my life . This album was the inspiration.

A friend, a really close friend, told me recently that I have great, achievable ideas but I don't follow through because I get distracted with the next idea, therefore nothing gets done and all of that brain energy goes to waste. So, as of now-well last month-I am trying to focus on the matters at hand. I still don't care about the actual matters at hand ala CNN or NBC, CBS,ABC or FOX network. If a presidential candidate could give us great change, he/she would have started it from the position they had previously. Nothing is instantaneous.

Maverick and Goose or Obiden/Joebama?

On that note I will tell you the best two things I have heard so far from the presidential race. --Overheard-I can't decide which one is funnier-Joebama or Obiden and If McCain is a Maverick, does that make Palin a Goose? I am Forty and you cannot convince me to vote for someone who is not older than my parents --still. Maybe next go round. I also , in the large wake of 911, cannot of sound mind, vote someone in who might or might not have been brought up as a Muslim. I might have considered the other ticket had they put Colin Powell on the ballot. From what I understand he doesn't want to be on there, for whatever reason. I think he actually knows what he wants for the country and would not compromise his priciples, aka politics as usual.

What I really wanna know is why, when I go to the polls, there are about 20 people on the ballot for president but all you hear about is the dem/rep candidate. It seems like ratings to me and no one wants to spilt the vote, but I would vote for Ross Perot if he were running on the same platform he did 16 years ago. It seems as if we are stuck with the guys who have the most money and really nothing to lose in every election. I will give my undying vote to someone who says they will change the election process for the better.

I however will not vote for the gut that just says he will make change and doesn't say if it is for better or worse-he just says CHANGE!. I won't vote just for the sake of change.

I say vote for Uncle Bob,

SF

Lack of Posts

Dude...Football is on. AAron Rodgers is looking good. Vikings offense is looking bad. I don't care either way because I am out of the office pool by 1 game. I should've homered the titans and made a sleeper pick on the Falcons. There is $55 bucks up for the taking and I am out by 1 stinking game. I am posting this while watching the game, so I will update as it goes.

In other news I went to the job I had 2 yeas ago to get some salsa and dip. Seems as if the manager that made me wanna leave was fired for stealing and blaming it on the kitchen. Sooooo.... that's why I never got my full bonus. I would love to see the real numbers. I am gonna call the HNIC-head nucklehead in charge- and find out if'n I can get my old job back for a hefty raise and Sundays off. I doubt it'll happen, but you don't know if you don't ask.

Packers win with AAron Rodgers. I'll stay up and watch the first half of the second MNF game-if I can. AHHH...Mike & Mike & Ditka. What a combo. I am sleepy already.

Happy Football season to all,

SF

GO CARDINALS