top ten albums

i've decided to compile a top ten list of the best albums. at least in my opinion. these are not in any specific order. i picked these ten albums, because i enjoy EVERY single song on each album. i suggest giving every one of these albums a listen.

Antony and the Johnsons- I am a Bird Now
http://www.amazon.com/am-Bird-Now-Antony-Johnsons/dp/B000777J2S
Antony's voice is absolute beauty. there is no possible way to explain it. Antony is not for everyone, either. Hïr singing frequents into very high ranges, and ze uses molto vibrato. Hïr lyrics, deeply, profoundly touching.

Björk- Homogenic
http://www.amazon.com/Homogenic-Bjork/dp/B000002HPV/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307070009&sr=1-1
i've loved this album ever since i first heard the song Bachelorette back in 1997. and the older i get, the more the entire album speaks to me. yet another artist whose voice is not for everyone, Björk consistently gives me goosebumps. this album flows together, something akin to one of the sagas.

Sigur Rós- Ágætis byrjun
http://www.amazon.com/Agaetis-Byrjun/dp/B004B5W27Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307070257&sr=1-1-fkmr0
It is impossible for me to describe the love i have of this album. it's like walking into a crisp white snowy forest. from Jonsi's voice, to the instrumental choices, my breath is taken away by the power of this album. it is impossible for me to listen to "only" one song.

Tori Amos - Boys for Pele
http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Pele-Tori-Amos/dp/B000002J88/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307070644&sr=1-1
This album is an old reliable for me. i can always fall back to tori, and particularly this album. this album is like comfort food. a big plate of macaroni and cheese. tori has the distinct ability to send me into singing fits. it is impossible for me not to sing along.

M.I.A. - Kala
http://www.amazon.com/Kala-M-I/dp/B000TJ6CM2/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307070888&sr=1-1
Most definitely my favorite hip-hop album. her voice, and her words, have the power to move mountains. she tackles issues that most people don't even know anything about, but she can still get those non-understanding to dance. she is powerful, intelligent, and ultra impressive.

Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
http://www.amazon.com/Mellon-Infinite-Sadness-Smashing-Pumpkins/dp/B000000WA4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307071141&sr=1-1
Yet another "old reliable" album. this was, in fact, the first CD i ever (sort of) possessed. the pumpkins were (are?) innovative, and this album has as much import to me, as it did when i first heard billie corgan's voice over the radio.

Vitalic - OK Cowboy
http://www.amazon.com/Ok-Cowboy-Vitalic/dp/B0007Q6PW4/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071304&sr=1-3
Many of you probably don't know i'm into electronica. well, i am. particularly french electronica. and Vitalic is, at least as of today, the cream of the crop for me. there are a plethora of choices, but vitalic, and the way he uses his sounds. astounding.

Justice - †
http://www.amazon.com/Cross-Justice/dp/B000QCUB8I/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071507&sr=1-1
Ok, so, I had to pick another electronica album. Justice makes my ears super happy. and this album always gets me to dance. it could easily be considered an electronic opera. particularly D.A.N.C.E., which is essentially an homage to michael jackson.

Regina Spektor - Songs
http://www.amazon.com/Songs-Regina-Spektor/dp/B000009F38/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071668&sr=1-1
I first heard Regina's voice on a clip about her on NPR several years ago. I was driving between topeka and lawrence, and i heard a clip of the song Daniel Cowman and fell immediately in love. her voice, and her pianist abilities are absolutely brilliant. an aside, this album can easily be tied with Soviet Kitsch, or 11:11.

Godspeed You! Black Emporer - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
http://www.amazon.com/Lift-Skinny-Fists-Antennas-Heaven/dp/B00004ZD69/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1307071937&sr=1-2
I have my brother Michael to thank for introducing me to GY!BE, and I am absolutely grateful. this lengthy album is full of beauty and terror, all wrapped up in a dual disc package. the instruments reach fevered pitch, followed by eerie silences. the type of album that raises the hair on the back of your neck.

there you have it. my top ten. and i could probably pick more, but these ten, embody everything i love about music. this is, also, not a representative sample of all the types of music i listen to, only the albums that i can listen to, on a loop, for days on end.

make it snappy!

the lawrence city elections are (were?) today. i am so incredibly depressed with the outcomes. more importantly, i'm depressed about the turnout! less than 2 fucking per cent of the registered voters actually voted! what the hell is wrong with this city? people kvetch and kvetch about how everything is wrong, but then they NEVER do anything about it! does NO ONE see that performing this tiny civic duty can change that?!

seriously, an incredibly progressive candidate is behind by a mere 80 votes. (currently) and he would have been instrumental in getting protection for the transgender population in this city, but as of now, has lost by a handful of votes!

*sigh*

ok, i have to make this quick, i'm at 14% battery power.

to help combat my election day blues, i decided to plant some seeds this evening. and to listen to my ipod on random. i planted some; sweet basil, parsley, chives, and some poppy seeds. tomorrow, i'm going to plant some; morning glories, four o'clocks, and perhaps some impatients. i have some other seeds, i just don't know about the *room* in which to put them at night when it still dips below 0°C (32°F). *shrug*

april is already promising to be an incredibly busy month! i am busy every weekend, and sometimes, i'd just like to sit down and enjoy myself. it doesn't seem likely, though.

oh, last random synapse fire for now, i promise. i believe i mentioned that i'm now the secretary for the douglas county (or lawrence?) chapter of the Kansas Equality Coalition. this position requires me to keep the minutes. i think that i'm going to use part of my savings to purchase a new laptop with which to do this. i haven't decided yet. *shrug* but, i should save it for my next trip to deutschland... BUT, a new laptop would be nice. especially considering i'm missing many keys on the present laptop, and the battery needs replacing. bleh, damn decisions!

i ride the fence between so many things.

"i'm jam handy!"

back a few months (years?) ago, maureen posted a video of alanis morissette covering "my humps" (which happens to be a truly horrific song).  the alanis version is pretty though.  anyhow, i finally found an mp3 of it.  so i'm happy.  hahaha.  (seriously though, this song is mortally awful)  i've also finally downloaded a few more of devendra's older songs.  (i'd almost forgotten just how amazing his music is)  the two i downloaded are "the thumbs" and "legless love..."  i now have ALMOST the entire "oh me oh My..." album!  yay!

alrighty, moving on.

for the love of everything holy, WATCH THIS CLIP 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvNRHrKyaX4

please!  it is vitally important for you to see it!  it will make you feel, and i don't think i've really "felt" in the past few weeks, so i am very glad i watched it.

okay, one last thing.

it is supposed to freezing rain tomorrow.  and that makes me feel ill.  it is my very least favorite of all the weather phenomena.  if it were an illness, it'd be a sore throat.  (much like glitter is the herpes of craft supplies).  

ps. i can't wait for my pre-christmakuah latkhe extravaganza!  (with mavis, scott, tom and me) 

dun, dun dun, dun dun, dun dun dun dun dundundundun.

for those of you who don't know what the fuck i'm talking about:  it's GY!BE

yeah.  obscure. experimental. fucking amazing. GY!BE

okay, i'm not sure where i'm going with this.  i'm swirling around in circles now.  too much of a bad thing is never good, and certainly not pertinent to the failure of one two three more years.

the dog is sleeping on my lap, pushing the computer away, and i spent far too much money on a pair of shoes today.  but they are fantastic.  

i'm going to go finish listening to my GY!BE now.  goodnight folksters.