Then Again, the Same Old Story: Updates

So, this is where I've been hiding out the past five days. I know that it doesn't quite explain my extended absence from Morland but...well...so it goes.

In my absence, I also made it up to I-Town for Record Store Day a couple (three?) weeks ago. Because there's really only one independent record store that I hold near and dear to my heart. (Even though they update their website even less frequently than I do...ahem.)

Overall, I have enjoyed my recent ventures from the City. I find New York to be a bit overwhelming at times and it's been good to see trees and mountains and space. I'm already planning my next escape and I'm thinking it might have to be Texas.

I have only seen one show in the past month, which is partly why I've been so quiet, and it was a repeater to boot. I didn't have much to add about Josh Ritter's performance from what I already said last fall so devoting a whole post to the show seemed uncalled for at the time. Suffice it to say, he's still one of my favorites and still puts on one hell of a show. I mean, any man that can get a room full of Williamsburg hipsters to partner up with strangers and waltz around the room mid-set is alright by me. (The picture of the set list for this show was posted by urockrock on Flickr; see more pics here.)

In other news: I quit my job and will soon be joining the ranks of under-paid creative types that hang around the City. I'm hoping the change of pace will allow me more time to check out music around town and that, in turn, will translate into more updates on Morland. Famous last words.

And, finally, clear your schedule the evening of June 7th: in true wannabe-rockstar-fashion I have organized a great line-up of bands to play at a venue in Chinatown to celebrate my 30th. Details forthcoming.

Wistful Thinking

People that know me well, or even slightly, also know that I love music and listen to it a lot. It's one of those aspects of my personality that I'm sure comes across very quickly. After all, I was one of those people that carried a stack of cd's and a player around with them at all times in the pre-iPod era. (God, I'm glad those days are behind me.)

When it comes to the music I like, there are some things that stick out right away as themes. However, I would hesitate to say I have a particular type of music that I prefer above all others. For lack of a better explanation, I usually say I like "musically interesting" songs...which is really a vague way of saying, even more vaguely, "I know it when I hear it." I played in a lot of orchestras in my childhood (cello) and I'm pretty sure my ear has been trained through that experience--while I can't always vocalize why something is interesting, I somehow can just hear it...in the same way I was trained to pay attention to and integrate with the workings behind great orchestral arrangements.

I do not, however, have any pretensions about my abilities as a musician. I was at the time and, figuratively speaking, still am the perfect orchestra member: capable, with no soloist inclinations. Which is only to say, I have no idea what makes a good musician tick. I have enough knowledge and experience to appreciate it when I see it, but understanding is beyond me.

But now, there is a new blog on the NY Times, Measure for Measure, that can offer me (and many others like me) the opportunity to get into the head of that fascinating character, the singer/songwriter. Andrew Bird and Roseanne Cash, among others, are purporting to give the reader a behind-the-scenes look at the songwriting process and I have to say I find the project fascinating. I'm not sure if it will get me any closer to understanding, but I recommend you check it out.

Beware the Ides of March

The middle and end of March hit Morland like a Mack truck. I was in the longest-lasting and worst mood I can remember in years. I don't really have a convincing explanation for it, although I do have more than a handful of partially-convincing arguments for it. Perhaps it was all of that rolled together. In any case, I'm pulling out of it and getting back in gear (no little thanks goes to JM for entertaining me this past weekend in DC). And below is a brief recap of the past couple weeks:

I saw one of the worst shows I've ever seen a couple weeks ago. I'd mention the band but I don't think I could be constructive in my criticism. I was really looking forward to this show and, rather unfortunately for him, had convinced my friend JV to come along with me. It was a good thing for me that I did since he kept me sane, and tipsy, throughout. I also discovered, although I guess I've always known, that I'm a bit of an elitist. Go figure.

I saw a great great show too. I was lucky enough to catch Beth Orton at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on the 30th of March. She played an acoustic set of gems from her previous albums and generally charmed me from start to finish. And the MHW had arranged the space into a seated venue, which also added to the charm and intimacy of the experience. I've always loved her work, which is electronica-spiced folk, but hearing her play her songs unplugged really opened my eyes to the depth of her talent. And gave further credence to the (perhaps grand) claim that she is the "female Van Morrison." It was lovely, all round.

I have been enjoying the music that people have been dropping me (see the widget on the right sidebar). It really has served the purpose of introducing me to music that I have not heard yet. I do intend on somehow working those songs back into Morland in some way or another, but for now I just wanted to say thanks for the songs thus far.

I have also been enjoying my new obsession, the John Adams mini-series on HBO. It's brilliant.

Lastly, for my friends I haven't spoken to in a while: the Fabry screening is happening (finally) next Monday - Wednesday. I will keep you updated.

**The sweet picture of the Beth Orton show comes from the doubtful guest's flikr page. See more here.

Morland Furry? Really?

I went to this website this afternoon to find Morland's band name. I thought the list was pretty funny. My personal favorite: Thigh of the Morland Teen. Heh. Check it out:

Here are your band name generator results:

Morland Of The Chimp
Morland Playground
Thigh Of The Morland Teen
Morland Conflict
Morland Of The Delay
Morland Of The Obscurity
Morland Prophet
Luminary Of The Moaning
Official Morland And The Pure Checker
Morland Furry

Catching Up

So things at Morland have slowed down a bit. This blog was, ultimately, envisioned as a way to help me remember what I liked about different music shows that I was going to (those of you that know me well know I suffer from a TERRIBLE memory). After all, for the first half of 2007 it seemed as if I was going to a show at least once a week, sometimes more.

Problem is, when I'm going through a period of non-show-going (like now) I find that I don't have a lot to share. I don't have many shows coming up on the horizon either so Morland has the potential to look a little bleak. I'm not sure if I don't have shows lined up because nothing in particular is coming that excites me or I'm just not feeling it on a general level. In either case, I've been neglecting Morland. So here are some updates to catch up, and every effort will be made to post something more regularly, even if it's not of any musical bent. Promises made, yada yada yada:

-Clearly, a New Year has come and gone. Mine was spent quietly with the BF and a handful of our friends upstate. It was a great time and I look forward to 2008.

-I am now the proud owner of a Kindle, which I received for Christmas. And it's as awesome as I thought it would be. I do get stared at on the subway sometimes, which can be unnerving.

-Everyone is getting older: my sister and my friend ADS both hit that 30-year mark and released their hold on years of misguided youth. Heh. Here's to many more! I'll be seeing you there soon enough.

-My cat went blind.

-I haven't been listening to any new music. If you got something cool, clue me in.

-I have watched the first Austen installation on PBS that I mentioned below. Persuasion. It was terrible. I'm hoping the others will make up for it.