Dead Flag Blues

The final hours of the year are upon us. Working till 10pm will be fine by me, but only because I made a killer mix especially to outline the details and events and moods of 2005: most notable tracks are The Godspeed song "Dead Flag Blues" as this year marked the end of me ever wanting to stay in this country. I will try to roadtrip across it to get a glimpse of some parts I always wanted to see, but ultimately in life, I will move out to either Greece, Italy or Switzerland. Three places I have visited and loved more than home... which is easy since New Jersey isn't exactly my idea of heaven on earth. Also on the disc is "How to Disappear Completely" by Radiohead hoping to erase out of my memory the depression I was in this past 365 dayts (give or take the few that I truly liked). Also, Jeff Buckley's "Lover You Should've Come Over" as I am finally putting that album to rest for a while since my broken heart has been mended by myself. I no longer need to worry about such problems in my life. Also, in accordance to that is E6's "Future is in the Future" since it is and the past is a big brick wall. Most importantly is Wilco's "What's the World Got In Store" since I am looking forward to what life will throw me next. Other artists include The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Lemonheads and The Who.

Then it's off to Carly, John and Jill's for a great night garunteed. They are three classy people and I am super glad they live in Collingswood. I send my best to the Ryan Carey party, because lord knows they will have an amazing time with that man. Ryan is one of the best people you can ever meet. His lust for life (one that he claims I have... that's kind of true although it was almost demolished this year) is greater than any man could ever ask for. He embodies the greatness of what optimism and love truly can be when harnessed correctly.

So let's drink to the salt of the earth tonight. Let's drink to them. And let's pour a libation for 2005 for it being a year of emotional growth and change.

Happy New Year! Welcome 2006. We are anxious for your arrival.

P.S- Here is the track listing of my mix for 2005. Just keep in mind that 2004 had two discs. So you can see how much this year was not favorable in my mind.

1. Godspeed, You Black Emperor!- The Dead Flag Blues
2. Radiohead- How to Disappear Completely
3. The Lemonheads- Hannah and Gabbi
4. Teenage Fan Club- Alcoholiday
5. Sufjan Stevens- Jacksonville
6. Wilco- What's the World Got In Store
7. Jeff Buckley- Lover, You Should've Come Over
8. Stephen Malkmus- Pink India
9. The Who- How Many Friends
10. Beck- Go It Alone
11. Belle and Sebastian- If You're Feeling Sinister
12. Brian Eno- Here He Comes
13. Electric Six- Future is in the Future
14. John Lennon- Bring on the Lucie (Freda People)

It's Pencil Rot

So writing my script has taken a halt and a half. But, the holiday's are almost over and the reading I have been doing (almost done Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman...thanks for the tip Lazor... effing great... also starting Confederacy of Dunces soon) has given me a new direction to retake the great drive of writing this script tentatively title Lack of Expectation. The story is about the expectations put on us graduates by family, elders, society and friends to become something after graduation. Why do we have to be something? Why can't we just be someone at this point in life and experience what we are doing right now rather than try to project what we will experience in a few months? It's a very Tralfamadorian way of looking at graduation.

Also, album of the year, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' Face the Truth. Really great. I am going to finalize a top 10 in a few days after I listen to the contenders, but there is no way that this album is NOT #1 for me. It was a very interesting year for music and Loved lots of albums, but this one stands tall over the rest (maybe not too much taller than The Rave's Pretty in Black).

As a note to that last post, I had a lot on my mind when I wrote it (a lot that pissed me off and held me back) and I don't want to come across as asking for pity because LORD knows I don't need it. I say this year sucekd (which it did), but thats not to say there wasnt a ton of shit that I am totally grateful for (esp. my friends.)

Note to those who read this, don't take everything too seriously. Honestly, I write what I feel and if for some reason it gives you a weird impression or the wrong impression (which I think an earlier post may have done... the jury is still out on that one.) This blog is mainly for me to write a little about myself and the random thoughts that run through my brain. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Finally, a prelude to 2006. I am going to break a lot of hearts on New Years Eve because I have decided to stay in Collingswood after I work till 10pm. For three reasons:
1. I work at 12 noon the next day and don't feel like getting up early from somewhere that isn't three blocks from my house to drive home and get ready for work. If I stay near home, I have the option of walking home wasted, sleeping till 11:30 and rolling out of bed to go to wow for my short shift.
2. I haven't been seeing George Szczepanski as much as I want to be and (no offense guys) I will be seeing you for the Leo Retreat the next weekend. So I might as well milk time with Spank while I can. Carly, John and Jill throw a classy party and invite very fine guests with whom I also don't see nearly enough.
3. No offense guys, but a sausage fest can be saved for Leo Retreat Weekend. This weekend, I need to mingle with the ladies. It will be done.

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. 2006! Bring it!

I know you might never really understand: 2005 in Review

One week left in this godforsaken year. And yes, it has been pretty craptastic. There were some amazing times, I'll admit, but all in all... it sucked. I remember this time last year, I was looking forward to 2005 because 2004 ruled. 04 saw the end of a destructive relationship, the start of my first real adult relationship, the creating of strong friendships at La Salle, and a life-altering trip to Greece. That trip is basically the best and highest point of my life. A lot of soul seeking, reading (discoverd Slaughterhouse 5 on that trip) and relaxing (lots of Nick Drake and Neil Young.... oh yea... all my other cd's were snatched). Anyway, I need to stop letting 2004 bogart on my hate fest of 2005.

I deem 2005 the year of personal let-downs.

The afformentioned friendships had a giant fork thrown into their gears due to friends graduating and getting jobs. And, I'll be honest, I miss my brothers from time to time while wandering campus. Im glad for these chumps who are working stiffs and I love seeing them from time to time, but something has changed that will definitely change again when I leave that damn place at 20th and Olney.

The relationship I talked about ended abruptly. And I missed it dearly for about 5 months. Summer was lonely, hot, unfruitful and filled with me trying to fill a bottomless pit with dirt to cover up my depression. Don't get me wrong. Things like the Disc league were great diversions, but nothing works when you are heartbroken.

Things looked up in August. I had a birthday, I met new people (emo house rules) and made new chances to meet new people. And even though I did meet new people, I still couldn't get things off of my mind and in my own insecurities ruined both chances before they even started/ was looking for more than I should have been and scared them away.

Moving out of the apartment=Worst Idea Ever. Being home is sucking my will to live out of my eyeballs. I miss the Szczepanski brothers more than they possibly could ever fathom. I think if I stayed and had a huge loan tacked onto my life yet again, I'd be happier. Much happier.

Regardless, thats not too important in the grand scheme of things. This year is almost gone and 2006 is almost upon me. And if it gets worse than this, I may have to move out of the country to find myself. Greece is a possibility. I'll live on Nisyros for a year and get away from life. Live the simple life and enjoy the beauty of the world around me.

I'd like to thank the following people/films/things that made 2005 worth keeping my lungs filled with Oxygen:
George and Jack, Rob Ealer, Danno Somavilla, Dr. Ryan P. Carey D.D.S., Justin Leo, Nick Norlen, Stev Elev, Mike Muller, Kevner, Anthony Chwastyk, Simon Burger, Bill Drust, Amanda DiRienzo, Daniel Touey, Bill Wine, The Collegian Staff, Uber Street crew and constituents (Esp. Drew, Lou, Lazor and Taylor... so I guess thats everyone who actually resides there...) Warren Zevon's "Hasten Down the Wind", Jeff Buckley's "Lilac Wine", The Lemonhead's "The Great Big No", King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man", Malkmus' Face the Truth, The Raveonettes' Pretty in Black, Sam Adams Winter Lager, Basel Haydens, 'Cane, Trips to Bethlehem (few and far between, yet great times each time), Leo Retreat Weekend's, Pink Floyd reuniting, last.fm, the Emo House (parties and people), high fives, good meals, Arrested Development, The Giles ranch and company, and most importantly, my family.

It was a downer year, but im not going to let that get me down. Let's make 2006 a rolicking success. I have a lot to look forward to between internship, filming of my first short entitled Lack of Expectation, graduation, road trip, Jupiter and the Great Beyond.

Rock and Roll Fantasy

He just spend's his life, living in a rock and roll fantasy. Ray Davies wrote that. And that's my life. Stealing Warren Zevon and John Lennon's thunder, I, Pete Townshend, will hink on the guerro of renaming you fools. So here is my who's who for the current friends:
Neil Young- Drew Stephan
Jimi Hendrix- Ryan Carey
Bob Dylan- Lou Perseghin
Warren Zevon- Danno Somavilla
Notorious B.I.G.- Drew Lazor
John Lennon- Stev Lipenta
David Bowie- Jelone
Joni Mitchell- Sarah Deal
Janis Joplin- Colleen Jaskewicz
Grace Slick- Gwuxington
Madonna- Meg Magee

Don't like who you are? Suck it up, you're a legend.

Grace

One of my current musical loves (probably my most listened to album this year- 2005 was tough on my heart) is that of the genius of Jeff Buckley. He compsed only one album before tragically drowning in the Wolf River. That album, of course, is Grace, voted by XPN listeners as the 27th greatest album of all time and currently in my top 10. Within this album are the defining musical performances of the 90's between song writing, guitars, drums, bass and of course vocals. Buckley's words are so brilliant and his delivery is even better. And, in my humble opinion, the album covers a topic and a concept of some emotional break-up that we all go through when losing the love of our life. Here is my song-bu-song breakdown that shows its growth in heartbreak.

Track 1- Mojo Pin- A song about a dream, the singer is haunted by his loss in some of the most intense lyrics on the album. As the song starts, the music and singing are a whisper as if we are hearing him in his sleep speak of his loss. It slowly builds to a violent and scary interpretation of his torment as the music builds and the vocals explode. The best line, depicting in extremely beautifuly heartbreaking terms is this:

"The welts of your scorn, my love, give me more
Send whips of opinion down my back, give me more
Well it’s you I’ve waited my life to seeIt’s you
I’ve searched so hard for..."

Track 2- Grace- A lose interpretation on my thought, but this song to me seems to be sort of the break-up where he can no longer live with losing his love. It's hard, but he knows its true that its ending and in a terrible way.

"And I feel them drown my name
So easy to know and forget with this kiss
But I’m not afraid to go, baby it’s all because of you
But I’m not afraid to go, but it goes so slow, slow"

He loves her but knows its coming and he's trying to be strong for himself. God that feeling sucks.

Track 3- Last Goodbye- This song is him finally knowing, after trying to not be afraid of the end, but knowing it is. It is in fact the last goodbye, or at least we think it is by the convincing lyrics. He is finally "sure" that he is over this love of his.

"Kiss me, please kiss me
But kiss me out of desire, babe, and not consolation
You know it makes me so angry ’cause I know that in time
I’ll only make you cry, this is our last goodbye"

Sort of the head games we play with ourselves when breaking up. Kind of like it was our fault it was over and that it's "for the better." Oh how we try to fool ourselves.

Track 4- Lilac Wine- The first of three covers, this song is by far the most beautiful statement of what we all do to forget her (which is Buckley song b-side from this album.) We go to the drink.

"I made wine from the lilac tree
Put my heart in it’s recipe
It makes me see what I want to see
And be what I want to be

When I think more than I want to think
Do things I never should do
I drink much more that I ought to drink
Because it brings me back you"

He uses someone elses words to get this painful feeling across. We drink away the pain and want to forget our troubles. It's as if Buckley wanted to forget his troubles by not writing a song about it and using this one. Excellent choice.

Track 5 - So Real- After being drunk, we all go through nightmarish weird times when we remember why we drank... to ease the pain and forget her... but Lord knows that isn't going to happen. Now his nightmare isn't a dream as in Mojo Pin, but is reality.

"And I couldn’t awake from the nightmare that sucked me in and pulled me under"

The realization that it is all so real hits him hard. He loves her, but is afraid to love her. And it's because his heart is broken and the fact he knows its no longer a dream.

Track 6- Hallelujah- Second cover on the album. Pretty much, knowing things are real, we turn to something to help us along again. This time the words of someone else. Therefore the cover, but a fitting one. One where the composer/focus of the song is doing just that- asking for help.

"There was a time when you let me know
What’s really going on below
But now you never show that to me do ya
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath you drew was hallelujah"

Remembering times before that were great. And now that it's gone, things just aren't the same anymore.

Track 8- Lover, You Should've Come Over- Greatest love song ever written in my new opinion. Love songs are a-plenty, but this one takes it. As much as you try to forget love, it's still there. Gnawing at your heart. This song is a plea to the love in Buckley's life (not sure who, but I will be researching this more). He confronts his ideas of love and such. And in the most beautiful words ever written about love, he simply yet brilliantly sums up what its like when you miss the one you love so much:

"It’s never over, my kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder
It’s never over, all my riches for her smiles when I slept so soft against her
It’s never over, all my blood for the sweetness of her laughterI
t’s never over, she’s the tear that hangs inside my soul forever
Well maybe I’m just too young
To keep good love from going wrong"

It doesn't get much more brilliant than that. Someone who loves someone so much feels like they would give anything for the simple things to return. It's magnificent.

Track 8- Corpus Christi Carol- The last cover on the album, the only real reason I see this being on here is to set in stone (which is a lyric in this) the idea of his heart being torn to shreds. Here is an interesting line that I have a few thoughts on:

"And on this bed there lyeth a knight
His wound is bleeding day and night
By his bedside kneeleth a maid
And she weepeth both night and day"

Here is the notion of her feeling some sort of similar feeling and her seeing the damage she may have done in this heartbreak. Its really the only song I don't have my finger on quite yet.

Track 9- Eternal Life- Here is where we all question life when losing something we thought was everything for us. We all do it. We hate life after something we put our whole sense of being into. And then when it's gone, its almost like what else is there to live for?

"There’s no time for hatred, only questions
Where is love, where is happiness, what is life,
Where is peace?
When will I find the strength to bring me release?
And tell me where is the love in what your prophet has said? "

Also, this song is the height of intensity in the music. A total anger fest at why love is gone in any form on the world.

Track 10- Dream Brother- This is his final statement to everyone listening who has had the same loss as himself. WE are his dream brothers who live in this world of loss and despair. It's an amazing statement saying this:

"Don’t be like the one who made me so old
Don’t be like the one who left behind his name
’cause they’re waiting for you like I waited for mine
And nobody ever came..."

Simply saying- Don't do what I did (which is depicted in this album from tracks 1-9). The music and the song structure is a perfect bookend to Mojo Pin and is an amazingly touching statement to the listener.

The album as a whole is a great crutch. Go through a similar heartbreak with Buckley and at the end, know that it's not as bad as he felt it. We learn a beautiful lesson and we get beautiful music along with it. SO if you haven't heard Grace yet, do it now. Especially if you want a great emotional and almost spiritual experience.

Warren Zevon- 1947-2003

I've been a fan of Warren Zevon for years, thanks to my Father, Jack "Spacely" Tsikitas. My first exposure to him was in the form a cassette tape of his integral album, Excitable Boy. I remember hearing songs like the titular song, "Werewolves of London" and "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" and remember liking them for their funny lyrics and catchy riffs. As a kid, you don't appreciate great things, but who was an 8-year-old listening to Warren Zevon anyway? Also as a kid, my parents had the album Sentimental Hygiene on vinyl. This was great too with some even sillier songs like "The Factory" and "Leave My Monkey Alone." The innocence of those days made his music accesible to me since he was a genius at writing hilarious songs. Most of which had more meaning than my mind ever could understand, but I still knew it was great.
As I got older, I rememberd the music I loved and went back to this album and rediscovered the greatness of Warren. I went back to Excitable Boy first and found new songs that reflected more adult themes, like love and stuff. These songs, like "Accidentaly Like a Martyr" were much more meaningful to me than "Werewolves of London", but lets be honest, "Werewolves" is brilliant.
I delved deeper into his catalouge and found works like his self-titled album. Which is far superior to anything he has ever done since, although his albums after were great as well. When I first heard a song like "Hasten Down the Wind" or his masterpiece "Desperados Under The Eaves", I finally realized the brilliance that is Warren. I was moved by these songs that no song had ever done to me before and on a level of greatness that many of you humble readers don't know because, WZ is probably one of the most underappreciated rock and roll singer/songwriters of all time.
Why do all of this so many years after his death? Don't know. I wrote a song for WZ at one point that I would like my new musical project to take up. It's the best lyrics I ever wrote but they never went anywhere with Noringo. It's called "Play On, Desperado" and I really put a lot into it. I wrote it after I listened to his final, poingant and beautiful album The Wind (his best work since his Warren Zevon.) The song "Keep Me In Your Heart" made me weep a bit. I didn't know the man, but I knew his music and I knew this song was so personal that his family has a great gift in listening to this song and feeling good that their beloved man can be remembered in such a glorious way.
So do yourself a favor. Go and pick up some Warren Zevon and discover his greatness. It's pretty simple stuff, but its some of the best stuff you'll ever hear.

My Future Wife

Sometimes, I marvel in this woman's ability to make me swoon. And I don't know why I wanted to share that with the world right now, but my future wife is a beautiful, British babe who also can act in anything from Comedy to Thriller to Drama. I present to you, the Future Mrs. Tsikitas. I'll take on any man for this woman. Even though if you ever see The Shape of Things in which her character is the biggest BITCH ever, you still have to love her! God! That's all I got.

Thank you Rachel.

My favorite first few shots with my camera

Artistry

art·ist·ry (ärt-str)n.
Artistic ability: a sculptor of great artistry.
Artistic quality or craft: the artistry of a poem.

Art is hard. Yes it is. And art comes in many forms. A poem, a painting, a song, a film. And art is something that adds to our lives making it better and making life much more tolerable. When things are bad, how often do we curl up with a good book and a good record? The feeling of seeing a sculpture in which someone devoted their time chipping away from rock to get something out of it. These artists show us that things like a stone can be beautiful. A film can capture a feeling through images and words and sounds.

Here are a few of my personal favorite artists.

Michelangelo- Between the David (pictures don't do it justice, so here is another one to show you just how amazing it is) and his frescos in the Sistine Chapel, you don't get classical forms much better than this. Before you get too old, go to see these amazing sights. The aura you get from them is pretty much the most breathtaking moment in my life.

Kurt Vonnegut- No other author uses simplicity and hilarity to the best ability like Kurt. His novles that I have read (which isn't nearly enough) capture the human spirit in a wry and sometimes scathingly hilarious way. His finest work, and my favorite novel ever written, Slaughterhouse 5 captures some element of life that is amazing. Here is a great excerpt.
"Robert Kennedy, whose summer home is eight miles from the home I live in all year round, was shot two nights ago. He died last night. So it goes.Martin Luther King was shot a month ago. He died, too. So it goes.And every day my Government gives me a count of corpses created by military science in Vietnam. So it goes.My father died many years ago now -- of natural causes. So it goes. He was a sweet man. He was a gun nut, too. He left me his guns. They rust. "

The Who & The Velvet Underground- As for pop art found in the form of music, it really doesn't get better than these two bands. And for different reasons. The Who is one of the greatest rock bands. Their great contribution is found in their ability to make rock music that is both fun, loud and poetic. The lyrics of Pete, the howl of Roger, the insane backbone of John and Keith give their songs, albums and especially their live act a higher level of ability. Check out the following to understand what I mean: The Who Sell Out, Tommy, Who's Next, Live at Leeds and Quadrophenia. As for VU, the likes of John Cale and Lou Reed alone cause for brilliance. They never were huge, but they mixed the art of Andy Warhol (thanks to you, sir, for funding them and discovering them) with the raw nature of Reed's guitar work and lyrical abilities. Check out White Light/White Heat for the best of this raw nature. Also, check out the solo efforts of Reed (Transformer) and Cale (Paris 1919) and their tribute to Warhol (Songs for Drella).

Wilfred Owen- After having Butler's class in gothic literature, I found a new poet to love. And that is the works of Wilfred Owen. Haunting tales of World War I that are so graphic, yet beautiful, you don't know wether to cringe or read on. Died very young as most amazing artists do. Here is a personal fave of mine.

THE PARABLE OF THE OLD MAN AND THE YOUNG
So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,
And took the fire with him, and a knife.
And as they sojourned both of them together,
Isaac the first-born spake and said,
My Father, Behold the preparations, fire and iron,
But where the lamb, for this burnt-offering?
Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,
And builded parapets and trenches there,
And stretched forth the knife to slay his son.
When lo! an Angel called him out of heaven;
Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,
Neither do anything to him, thy son.
Behold! Caught in a thicket by its horns,
A Ram. Offer the Ram of Pride instead.

But the old man would not so, but slew his son,
And half the seed of Europe, one by one.

Martin Scorsese- One of many filmmakers I truly love and worship. His command of his actors and of his settings is a fine thing to watch. After seeing Raging Bull on the big screen in Film History, I truly see what it's like to see shear visual genius. Also see After Hours, Mean Streets, Goodfellas and The Last Waltz for the full scope of his work.

Those are just a few. More will be posted everytime I go through new phases and what I love.

Light the Vigoda!

Never since Festivus has there been a holiday celebration as glorious as the one that Conan O'Brien show last night. I am not a huge fan of the holidays. It brings out some terrible things in people and I usual loathe working the holidays and shopping for the holidays. But thank you Conan for returning a cheerful smile to my face in this holiday season.
The opening skit of Conan O'Brien last night was about "Lighting the Vigoda". That's right. They found Abe growing on someones front lawn in Jersey, cut him down, brought him to New York and strung lights and a star on him. Conan and Nancy O'Dell hosted the Vigoda lighting cermony, had a song sung by Grammy Possibility David Cassidy, two ice skaters on the worlds smallest rink and the Reluctant and Underrehearsed Chidlrens Choir half ass some tunes. It was the most hilarious thing I've seen on Conan for ages. Then Triumph rolled out on a sled and humped the shit out of his sleigh dog-deer. Amazing.

Thank you, Conan. Thank you.

Big Google is Watching

Who would ever think that an Internet Search Engine would be the form of our oppression? Now with is satellites and crap, the new Google Earth is a way for you to get driving directions better than Mapquest or Yahoo! Maps ever dreamed possible. Now, you can see what your crappy little suburban block looks like from the infinite abyss. And yes, it's kind of creepy. Now I can stalk people by getting their address and seeing what it looks like from thousands of feet in the air. I can check your away messages through Instant Messenger. I can stalk you through facebook and Myspace. I can stalk you musically through last.fm. And now, thanks to Big Broogle, I can stalk you from thousands of feet in the air. What happened to analog stalking? Driving your car and staring through windows, eavsdropping at the cafe and actual physical contact through following. It's all gone. Now I can just find you on Facebook, see your screename, links to myspace and ytour address and Google Earth the living shit out of you and yours. All from the comfort of my home. If Bill Hall was right in the fact that our generation will cause some sort of social change through a spiritual revolution in denouncing stuff, then all this shit that we do have (and yes, I have access to all the afformentioned stalkabilities), needs to stop being created. Because its all addictive. "Television is the opium of the masses"~Martin Donovan in Trust. Now, the internet is the opium of the masses. Beware. Big Brother is Watching...

I can't put into action what it is I understand.

"That's the trouble with us Americans. We want a tragedy witha happy ending."

Surviving Desire. Just under an hour long, yet more amazing than many other film I have ever watched. In this chunk of time, Hal Hartley packs in comedy, philosophy, romance and tragedy. Unbeliveable the amount of awesome packed into this film. The leads, Jude (played by Martin Donovan) and Sofie (Mary Ward) have a convuluted relationship that reflects every relationship we have ever had. Described in one word, verbs. Seriously, do whatever you can to see this film. Essentially brilliant. Plus, it has a rediculous dance sequence.

That's about all I got to say about this for now. It's the only thing keepin' me going this week. Thanks again, Hal, for making me feel good about living.

Best of 2005

So I am going to be compiling a list of the best of 2005 in music and such. I've been going through my musical collection to see what albums that are from this year that I like the best. And, to tell you the truth, it's hard. Yes, 2005 has been an awesome year for albums. A lot of which I have totally forgot about and some new ones that are really great PLUS a lot that I have missed. So here is my rundown of the stuff I have currently have with short descriptions of why they are any good or only moderately good are amazing. Did I miss something? Let me know and I will get it somehow before the year is over.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's Howl- Possibly the best album of this year, BRMC ditches its past Retro Rock efforts and decided to all sit around with acoustic guitars and listen to albums like After the Gold Rush and Blonde on Blonde. Good thing they did. Songs with a great acoustic and country feel with that twist of Rock and Roll that has been dead for so long has made this album something to pick up this year. It's truly astonoshingly good.

Beck's Guero- I love Beck and this album is pretty damn good. For some reason, as an album, I don't love it as much as I thought I would. But each individual song is pretty damn amazing. Earthquake Weather and Missing are two outstanding tracks. But for some reason, when all lumped together, I don't love it as much as I should. It's definitely going on my top 10, but not sure if its gonna break the top 5.

The Raveonettes' Pretty in Black- The retro sound of the 50's and 60's blended with loud guitars and dripping sexuality lead to yet another stellar effort from the Rave's. This time, without their weird contract of having to record all songs in one key, they churn out songs more unique then their last two efforts. They also pick up the acoustic guitars on a few tracks and lay down the law with their brand of Whip Lash rock and roll.

The Decemberists' Picaresque- The most poetic album of the year. Lyrics that will numb your brain and orchestration that makes it even better. A perfect blend of beautiful words and music make this album totally worth it. A band I have been meaning to hear for a while and thanks to Lou's recomendations, its totally on.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' Face the Truth- I think I should face the truth and just say that this will be my #1 album. Malkmus does it again with zany lyrics, jamming songs and a throwback to the schizo of Wowee Zowee yet the innocence and fun of his solo albums. The rocking 8 minute "No More Shoes" rules.

Diamond Nights' Popsicle- Kind of a new one, but the Kemado Records glam rockers whose influences are Marc Bolan, Chianti (yes the wine) and beautiful women know how to throw back to the days of the 70's glam rockers of T-Rex and Lou Reed with catchy riffs and crooning vocals. It's nothing super special, but it's pure fun.

Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better- Not too great of a second effort, but it's still a solid album. Pretty much you know what you are getting with this one. The single "Do You Want To" is definitely the best part about this album. Going from mono to stereo is a throat kick of great production that makes it one of the standout singles of the year.

Depeche Mode's Playing the Angel- A great band of the 80's who has been missing its musical link since 1990's Vialator makes another good solid album of new wave. This time, not from a nu-wave band. The single "Precious" is intoxicatingly good. Otherwise, the album is just decent overall.

The Coral's The Invisible Invasion- A band that has an impossible time getting popular over here in the USA but has huge success over in good ol London Town churns out yet another solid album of catchy, 60's throwback tunes. Happiness drips from every chord (especially on "In The Morning"). An overall solid album with great licks that pull the sources of the Zombies and other Brit Invasion superstars.

Fionna Apple's Extraordinary Machine- Stalled for over 6 years (maybe more) the amazingly brilliant singer/songwriter returns with an album that is just as good as her others. The music, the lyrics and the voice will peirce your ears with intoxicatingly great force.

Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning/Digital Ash in a Digital Urn- Although a lot of people complain that Connor Oberst is a whinny brat, it leads to some excellent songwriting. Two stellar albums in one year is always something to commend. Wide Awake is more traditional, while Digital Ash is more contemporary and edgy. Both are great.

Nine Inch Nails' [With_Teeth]- There is no doubt in my mind that Trent Reznor is a musical genius. Churning out yet another great album with heavy hitting tunes and amazingly structured rock. The first track "All The Love in the World" is the best Nine Inch Nails song since anything off of The Downward Spiral.

The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan- The White Stipes skewed away from their usual garage rock feel and get a dose of the country blues. And yes, they did an amazing job. A lot of piano and a lot different than anything else out there. As many critics say, they have recorded their Exile on Main Street. Stellar tracks include "As Ugly As I Seem" and "Little Ghost."

Rhapsody in Blue

Woody Allen is one of those artists who gets crap for being a sleeze ball in real life. But when one forgets the personal lives of an artist, and looks at the art itself, they truly see what the troubled person (in this case) behind the lens is truly seeing. The films of Woody Allen, from Annie Hall to Crimes and Misdemeanors to Manhattan, all have this great sense of life, love, sex, relationships and the world (through New York, of course.) All that aside, I finally viewed Manhattan and was truly blown away by its excellence. There really is no better film that takes a stab at the human condition through Allen's eyes. Everyone says Annie Hall this and Annie Hall that. And yes, Annie Hall is amazing with its sense of wit, hilarity, self-reflection and all that other great stuff. But Manhattan is much more real. It goes beyond hilarious moments. The characters are so well thought out and realistic that it doesn't even seem like a film at times. The innocence of Tracy, the neurosis of Issac, the insecurities of Mary and the two-faces of Yale. If you do one thing for yourself, see this film as soon as humanly possible.



Tracy: Not everybody gets corrupted. You have to have a little faith in people.

Also, Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin is used to score this film) fills me with the urge to live life better than before I listen to it. I have always loved this particular peice of music, but I now love it more than anything at all. It's truly brilliant and fantastic.

There is my rant on that. Check it out. Do yourself some good.

Every junkies like a setting sun

Neil Young is pretty much amazing. I mean, just look at him! Beyond the sweet mutton chops and look of a total slacker, this man is nothing but a musical songwriting genius. I went to look up lyrics for a song off of American Stars and Bars called "Hey Babe" and noticed something about his career. So many friggin albums! He has over 35 albums and some with other groups (CSNY and Buffallo Springfield.) What a sprawling career. His newest album, Praire Wind, is just as good as some of his early works and has a touch of Harvest to it. It's far and away better than Greendale, even tho Greendale is pretty good, but its a return to Neil's more classic songwriting style. Greendale is more insane with sprawling songs that last over the 8 minute mark many times and get a bit repetitive. Regardless, lord knows that I will be listening to Lots of Neil this week. And hopefully getting some more of his albums. Lately, I will just buy one on a whim and a lot of times, it rules. So far, I haven't gotten one that sucked. So keep me posted if you ahve any Neil discs. I will Get File them or copy them or yeah.

Blog Jammin'

With only an hour or so to go until the big marathon begins, I decided to rant about my week since Tuesday.

So I basically had two whole pages of the Leeg to myself this week. And not because I did a two-pager Mag Page... but my article on the Bluth's and their cancellation was opposite my page which I wrote everything for. It was odd seeing my name plastered on the collegian, but it was also really sexy. That and my two articles (the other being the Death of the Video Rental Buisness Via Stores) were pretty decent.

I also got to visit Colleen twice this week on my own. It was sexy. The one time was pre-New Brain! and was all too short. I almost skipped out to stay, but I am a devoted host to absurdity and went. The next night we watched one of the most clever and most hilarious films of all time-- Living in Oblivion. With it's scary scenes of Buscemi freaking out and not wearing a shirt to the hilarious James Le Gros and the amazing life altering Hamburger scene, it was a good night. I like this Colleen girl a lot. She's really awesome and just the girl that I have been looking for (even tho in an earlier blog I said I wasn't looking, but Schopenhaur was right... can't change who we are... just look at this guy in this film.) But yea... Colleen pretty much makes me smile in a way I haven't in many months (take that however you like... but you might be wrong.) And kudos to you, Colleen, for doing that. So many good times lie ahead no matter what it might be in store for the both of us. We rock... SO hard!

Last.fm is way too addictive. I've had my account for, like, 4 days. And I aready check it more than facebook. Kinda creepy, but seeing what music I listen to days after I listened to it is awesome. The battle between The Who and The Stones is raging forth. I guess I have more Stones on my computer than I thought (altho I only have one album... its all those Live albums I inherited that are pretty rockin'.) As of now, my top 5 is The Who, The Stones, Beck, XTC and Death Cab for Cutie. Once I have this thang for at least a few months or even a few weeks, I may have to rethink my favorite artists. Of course, I go through phases, but who knows, maybe I will find out I like XTC more than Beck because I listen to them a lot. A year will tell the real truth to all that jazz.

Also, the Band XTC is pretty amazing. Just a side bar... if you liek The Talking Heads, check em out... they are the British version in some ways (not purely, but they came around the same time and tend to be both New Wave and rockin'.)

Thanksgiving break is almost upon us here. And that means too much socializing for me. But when I say too much, I dont mean that its a bad thing. I just mean that I know Im going to be all over the place and love it. Between hartley on monday with drust (I hope), Bar hoping with Chwastyk (hopefully for a little bit of this), Wednesday poss absurd movie night/blorio with vinyl (who knows at this point!), Turkey day at CCHS and Aunt Ceal and Uncle Bob's (so many games!), and working all weekend with random hang outs here and there, I will be spent! Im ready for it tho. I basically have 6 days off for this break due to my amazing schedule! WOOT!

And now, with just an hour to go, the Marathon is upon me. And, frankly, I'm nervous that I will be stuck with Ben and Matt Juliano for a while. And let me tell you, Ben I can handle, but Matt, can't stand him. And yes, Ill say that here... matt, you suck. Just let me keep a level head and hope and pray that some people I actually enjoy being around come and bring me boxes of joe and donuts (bosteon cream, please) and save me from murdering myself.

So tune in if you read this. It should be good if we get some stuff together. And now, I must prepare for either a great night, or failure.

I leave you with this...

A Call to Arms

This post is meaningless but for the sole fact that I need some reading suggestions for over the break. Nonfiction, fiction, poetry compilations, whatever. Give me like two choices. After I finally get to On the Road, I will take your suggestions to heart. I think that the few people who read this have good taste in books. And Im always open to new things. Yeah. So thats that.

Tuesday Rants

So now thanks to Drew Stephan's blog about this last.fm website, I am now addicted to it as much as MySpace or girls named Colleen or Tukey on Pumpernickel. It lists the music you listen to and charts that shite as well. It's kind of creepy and stalkerish for music geeks like me. And I love it. So check out my musical taste and find out that I usually listen to my playlist on random. You can add friends too so if you have Last.fm, add the shite out of me.

And P.S.- Unless you have been living under a rock, my show got cancelled. WAAAAAAAAAAAH! So Angry!


TV is headed for a downward spiral like whoa.
On another note, Wow is liquidating their VHS collection, so if you know me, come on in and buy buy buy as much stuff as you can. Lord knows some of these movies are out of print and probably worth more than 3 bucks, but ya know what, do it up. Here is a list of the films I scrounged from Wow:
Down By Law, Videodrome, Living in Oblivion, Malcolm X, Roadhouse, Kentucky Fried Movie, Trekkies, Mean Streets, Manhattan, Gallipoli and Delicatessen.
So many great films! So little money!

What is wrong with me?

I am bored and not tired so before I try and sleep, here is one of those thigns where you add up the pictures to try to figure out what im trying to say.


'



Bedtime now.

Addicted to the Bluth's

Thanks to my good friend Colleen and her addiction, I have now shared in a scary and somewhat life threatening addiction. No, it's not any narcotic (well, the jury is still out on that one), It's a little show called Arrested Development. Ahh yes. The Bluth family. By far the funniest and best television program in years and years and year.

And yes. It is the best. Screw all of you 24/CSI/Law and Order freaks. Those shows are pretty damn boring and get tiresome to watch. AD seems to never lose it's flair. I know its only on to it's third season (lucky for us... it almost got cancelled by this asshole.) Anyway, the laughs are non-stop, enough so that in watching it at work the other night, I had to rewind it and listen to a line I had missed in one episode where George Sr. sells Tobias for a pack of ciggarettes in jail. Nothing this original and hilarious has been on network tv since season 5 of Seinfeld. And the replay value is great as well. I noticed things I never saw before when watching certain episodes. In one episode, the Bluths build a fake model house which falls over. Buster decides he doesn't want to go to war, so he runs to let the house squash him, but he is saved by the window frame that falls around him. Now any of you film buffs know that Buster Keaton did the same gag in a silent film back in the good ol days of film. See any correlation here? So much depth is added to the comedy. TV is something I can't commit myself to doing. I find it hard to sit at the tv every week for a certain time and watch. And this, the one show I could do it for, is a problem since I have my radio show at 7-9pm. So do yourself a favor and watch Arrested Development. Its amazing.

Being single kinda rules

Is it bad to be intimidated by the female species? I'm going to side with yes. I don't see what my problem is, really. I'm an attractive, strapping young lad. What does strapping mean anyway? I don't think that describes me. Anyway, I like girls. And I think I'm stuck in this frame of mind that I have to find one girl to be interested in and be in some sort of "relationship" of sorts because that's all I've really known. And well, thats not the truth. But I'm so friggin conditioned, that I can't get comfortable with it being something casual and random and nothing of any real significance. That is, until now. After tonight, I finally can get over my own insecurities and be single without feeling lonely or unwanted. Because that ain't true. So ladies, beware. The Tsikitas has turned his back on his old self (even tho they say you can't change who you are inside). The time of me relying on someone else or somethign else is over.

Being single doesn't mean I'm not interested in a relationship right now, cuz I'm down for anything. It just means that I'm not going there.

Moving on, I decided that I am going to finally take control of my life and start writing something of importance rather than farting around all day. Lord knows I don't read for class. And Lord knows I don't read for fun right now (although I should.) So this computer will no longer enslave me to mindless E-Stalking and Facebooking. I will start my "Confession" or script more like it.

And here is my inspiration...

Henry Fool: [very calmly] Once - I forget where I was. Central America, maybe. Somewhere hot. Stupid job, bad pay, dangerous location, and water so foul the natives wouldn't even piss in it - this crowd of drunken motherfuckers hired by the local drug cartel showed up at my hotel room and threatened to tear me limb from limb. And I say, "Listen hombres, OK, you got me outnumbered here four to one and you're gonna kill me here tonight and not a soul in this dimly lit world is gonna notice I'm gone. But one of you, one of you, one of you is gonna have his eye torn out. Period." Silence. "I repeat myself: One of you poor, underpaid jerks is gonna have an eye ripped out of its socket. I promise. It's a small thing perhaps, all things considered, but I will succeed, because it's the only thing I have left to do in this world. So why don't you just take a good look at one another one last time, and think it over a few minutes more."
Simon: [pause] And then what happened?
Henry Fool: Well. Here I am, still, after all.

I love the F Chord

Playing the guitar is slowly becoming a lot more natural for me. I still dont know what chords are what on barre chord stylings. But I can rock a mean impromtu jam here and then as I sit and look up Lemonheads and Wilco tabs constantly. These two bands are influencing my music stylings for what I want F-Stop to become someday. Something about the simplicity of the Lemonheads and the lyrics of Wilco have really hit home for me. I love rocking out some Neil Young as well. Playing "Like A Hurricane" is so friggin fun. I can't solo for shite, but I love the chord progression in this song. Not to mention the F Chord, which sounds so good. I don't know why. Its just a good chord. Regardless, Evan Dando, the musician in which inspires me to play guitar, writes some catchy simple songs. And my favorite song to play is Confetti from It's a Shame About Ray. It's such a feel good song that just rocks. I want to learn Rudderless as well which is fun but I cant finda good tab for it. And my ear isnt good for the chords that I dont know how to play yet. Im workin on it. By winter break, Ill be ready to rock out rythm with some people if F-Stop ever gets out of the brain-child phase.

Music is so enriching. It's really the only passion I have right now. I can't write anything that I immediatley hate, I cant stand school anymore and I really have no drive to read either(which sux cuz there is so much I want to read right now.) SO music it is. Between guitar, listening to tunes and doing Peel Slowly and See, I dont want to do anything at all. Which is not good.

So here's to me writing a song right now at 2am right before I douse my throat with Ny Quil and sleep for 9 hours.

I've never been too good with names

I've come to the realization that although I believe Halloween is a lame holiday, I love dressing in costume. Which means that the practice of having parties involving costumes needs to happen more often, therfore making Halloween obsolete and making rediculous clothes wearing more mainstream. I was at two parties this weekend (both at the EmoHouse).
I originally was going to be Artie, but much to my dismay, I could not find a blue and red striped shirt at any thrift store that was to my liking.Instead I went as Used Car Salesman named Gary (don't mistake me with this guy) So I found a costume out of stuff I already owned. I then realized that costumes are not about what you are wearing as much as if you can become the character itself. I wore my beige Cord pants and Blazer and an awesome orange polyester shirt my mom had from the 70's and sweet aviators. It took me a bit to get fully into character, after a bit of Jim Beam and a cigar.
Then the rocking began. The first band was good, El Tore De Oro. But they were only a warm up for the closing act. Which of course was Daggers of Throwing. What an excellent show! Covers, originals, and fake blood all led to the best Daggers show yet. Not to mention the sweet Daggers Blazer I now have!
The rest of the night was filled with members of the cast of Twin Peaks (including a extremely sexy version of Audrey Horn), air guitar and bass to both Slow Ride and I'm Your Captain, random chats with drunk costumed fools and all in all good times. Sleeping on the couch kinda sucked, but alas, worth the great night.
The next party, last night, was short lived yet awesome. I went to this party not as Gary, but as Teen Wolf a la Jason Bateman. Needless to say with a mask at a party, you can be really creepy and stalk random people and get sweet reactions from them. Three bands, only two kegs (which was fine by me since I had to drive), lots of slutty dressed chicks (so much eye candy!) and awesome dancing.
The band that took the cake last night was definitely Liam and Me. An unexpected hit! They were really awesome and played awesome danceable music. They were psyched that myself, Crazian and The King started an all out dance-a-thon 2005. Then the Count took the stage.
Count Robocula that is. And yes, they rocked really hard. With costumes ranging from the Warriors to Gob of Arrested Development, they churned out the musical fury of a band that lives in Halloween 24/7.
Choice costumes of the night were Elvis, Cochise and the slutty cop girl who had bruises on her bare ass legs (Elvis loved those and got a lubby from them.) The night was awesome and I wish I could have stayed longer, but it was winding down fast since people had classes the next day (losers).
One thing that I appreciate about Halloween is I get to make an ass out of myself for no reason except that you get to be someone else that night. Its like acting. And its fun.
Rock on

Stream of conscious music library

As I was reorganizing my cd's during Clean My Room Fest 2005, I stumbled onto things I forgot I had and loved. Which is a Godsend because lord knows a lot of this stuff I played to death so much that I buried in my cd collection. So on this boring, semi-productive day of rest and relaxation, I post a listings of all the artists I have in My Music folder. It's pretty long and absurd, but its a good gauge into the life of Paul Tsikitas as a music listener with many different phases, tastes and such. Here goes in alphabetical order:

A Tribe Called Quest, Aerosmith, Aqualung, Arcade Fire, Badly Drawn Boy, Beck, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Billy Squier, Bjork, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Boston, Brian Eno, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Brian Wilson, Bright Eyes, Bruce Springsteen, Buddy Holly, Built to Spill, Burnining Brides, Cake, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band, Carl Cunningham, Coldplay, CCR, Cursive, Damien Rice, Danger Doom, David Bowie, Death Cab For Cutie, Death From Above 1979, Deep Purple, Depeche Mode, Dinosaur Jr., Don McLean, Donovan, Dream Theater, Dresden Dolls, Echo & The Bunnymen, Eels, Electric Six, Elliot Smith, Elton John, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Faces, Feeder, Fiona Apple, Foo Fightes, Foreigner, Franz Ferdinand, Futureman, George Thorogood & The Delaware Destroyers, Godspeed You Black Emperor!, Gorillaz, Grand Funk Railroad, Grandaddy, Guided by Voices, Hoggle's Jewelry, Idlewild, Interpol, Iron and Wine, It's a King Thing, Jeff Buckley, Jethro Tull, Jets to Brazil, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros, John Entwistle, John Lennon, Joy Division, Kaufman, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen, Longview, Lou Reed, Luna, Lute Zero, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mates of State, Matisyahu, Metric, Michael Andrews and Gary Jules, Miles Davis, Moby, Modest Mouse, Mudhoney, Muse, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Nick Drake, Nico, Night Rally, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Noringo, Of Montreal, Ozomatli, Paul McCartney, Pavement, Pearl Jam, Peter Gabriel, Phish, Pink Floyd, Postal Service, Prefuse 73, Presidents of the United States of America, Primus, Queens of the Stoneage, Radiohead, Refused, Rush, Screaming Trees, Secret Machines, Sonic Youth, Soundgarden, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Stereophonics, Stevie Wonder, Stone Temple Pilots, Strand of Oaks, System of a Down, Talking Heads, Tears for Fears, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Teenage Fanclub, Temple of the Dog, The Beatles, The Bens, The Black Keys, The Castle Arms, The Church, The Clash, The Coral, The Decemberists, The Doors, The Fever, The Flaming Lips, The Futureheads, The Grateful Dead, The Hives, The Jayhawks, The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Killers, The Kinks, The Lemonheads, The Mars Volta, The Moody Blues, The Pixies, The Pretenders, The Rapture, The Raveonettes, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Reindeer Section, The Rogers Sisters, The Rolling Stones, The Secession movement, The Shins, The Silent Years, The Sounds, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, The Strokes, The Tragically Hip, The Velvet Underground, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Zombies, Toadies, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tom Waits, Tommie Griggz, Tool, Tora!Tora! Torrance!, Tori Amos, U2, Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start, Van Morrison, War, Weezer, White Stripes, Widespread Panic, Wilco, XTC, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Yo La Tengo.

So much music, yet so incomplete. There are lots more things I need (i.e.- Johnny Cash).

F-Stop Fitzgerald

The end of an era has come in my life. Of course that would be Noringo. It's hard times without this creative outlet in my life. Music is something I strive for, love and care more than almost anything (except movies maybe... its probably a tie.) Regardless, I want a new musical venture in my life. With this comes F-Stop Fitzgerald. A new band I want to build from the ground up with willing people, like you maybe, who want to get together and rock out. Music is fun to make, perform and listen to. And creating your own stuff is the goods. SO here is my plea to you reading this. If you have musical talent of any kind and like the following artists :Wilco, Built to Spill, Bowie, Brian Eno, The Who or Jeff Buckley: Then strap on whatever instrument you play and contact me. Im a sucky rythm guitarist and rock singer who needs help. I want to revamp my music career. Mainly because I miss it. So theres my rant. Contact me dammit!

Hal and Jim

Applying to internships is pretty nervewracking. Especially since I only have one semester left until this thing called school is over for me and I finally move on to the real world. It's not scary as much as it is fun and exciting and just filling me with anxiety. I'm applying to the Philadelphia Film Society and hopefully they want me to rock some work with them through the upcoming film festival. It's pretty much the first stepping stone in me getting into the film buisness, be it through contacts, through seeing the innerworkings of the independent film world or even through the Philly Film Society. Maybe I won't have to move away from the city I love so dearly and can work in Philly through the society promoting films in Philadelphia. That would be cool too. Lord knows if I want to aspire to be a writer/director, I have to start somewhere. If I want to be the next Hal Hartley or Jim Jaramusch, I'm going to have to see what its all about. Hartley is basically the one driving force in me wanting to be a writer or director. I don't know what it is, but Thank Byron Karabotsos for introducing my life to his work. His films, especially Henry Fool and Trust, speak to me on a level that I dont think anyone could ever understand, even if I told you through this humble, self-indulgent blog. Seeing invented characters taking on situations that are hilarious, poingant and deeply rooted in existential and symbolic acts brings a huge source of not only enjoyment, but fulfilment to life. There really isn't anything else I can safely say that has had this big an impact on my life. Jaramusch is yet another director who speaks to me on that higher level. Broken Flowers, Down By Law and especially Dead Man are deep looks into the eyes of people you've never seen but people you can relate to in some strange way. Film has this magical way of doing this. And these two guys do it the best. If I had my way in the world of Independent film, these guys would be the kings. And they are. So thank you Hal and Jim for making me follow my dream of getting behind the lens and getting behind the typewriter to convey some sort of slice of life and share it with others. It's truly an a

Welcome to Tommy's Holiday Blog

After enjoying the likes of Lou, Drew and Sarah Deal's blogs, I decided to sellout and join the fray. I will continue posting in Mysapce crappy lyrics to crappy songs by crappy artists, but here I will rant and I will rave about whatever whenever I get time to actually do it (which should be a lot since I don't study, read or do any schoolwork unless it is the day of or night before something is due.) Therefore, welcome to my new creative outlet. I will post again sometime later. As for now, just brace for the smooth taste of this terrible new force in the blogging community.
CHEERS! NASTROVIA! SALUTE!PORK!