first entry in quite awhile, i know. i hope to change that, but i've said that before.
everybody has coping mechanisms when things aren't going well, or when we're dealing with stress. last year during my divorce, for reasons unknown to me, my coping mechanism was submitting links to mahalo.com, to the point where i formed a friendly little battle with someone i knew only as @connectedgeek on twitter (i later learned his name is larry miller). he is one of only a handful of people that i only know through the internet. i would spend a lot of time combing my google reader feeds and news websites to find great links to submit to the site. then i just stopped, not sure why, i just did.
in dealing with stresses this year i have turned to one of my first loves, music. early on it was classical, all day, everyday, from strauss waltzes to wagner's ring cylce (which i listened to all 14 hours of in one day). then i started browsing for new music. new means a few things to me, new to everyone, and new to me. my destination was the amazon.com mp3 store, they've got to love me by now. since september i've downloaded countless albums. i completed my train collection, and my zep collection. i bought all of chris cornell's albums, three soundgarden albums, some eddie izzard (i know he's not a musician, but he's the funniest person on the planet right now), the new wolfmother, and the foo fighters greatest hits album. i then came across what i thought at the time was my best musical "find" of the year. the debut album of them crooked vultures, it's a brilliant album and i highly suggest you go listen to it.
then over this past weekend while browsing my twitter stream i saw a link to a video, i normally don't click on many links, but i decided to and i can't express how happy i was that i did. the video was of amanda palmer (or amanda fucking palmer if you prefer). i did a little research about this person i had never heard of. after doing a little reading i realized that i had heard, at least in passing of her group the dresden dolls although i had heard none of their music. i started listening to some of their music and was immediately hooked, i can't explain it, but i just immediately loved what i heard, so of course i headed straight to the amazon store and bought their self-titled album along with yes, virginia, and no, virginia. i then noticed that she had made a solo record released last year. i bought it too.
i haven't really stopped listening to 'who killed amanda palmer' since i bought it, i haven't been this affected by an entire album in, let's see, well, ever. not even rush. i can't really explain why it is i've reacted this way to this album. i get lost in it, it rocks out, it's emotional, it's like nothing i've ever heard. with all apologies to imogen heap, whose music i love, amanda is my new favorite female artist, hell if it weren't for rush she may be my favorite artist period. watch out geddy, alex, and neil, you've got some real competition for the first time in my music listening life. i love it. i want more of it. now. please? don't make me beg.
if by chance you happen to read this amanda. i wish i had done more reading before i went to amazon to buy those albums. it was only after i bought them at amazon that i read about the screw job you got from your record company. fuck them. keep making amazing music and i promise i'll buy it straight from you.
Saturday, December 19, 2009 at 11:05PM 
imogen heap - again with the musicians, i know. massive talent, and a unique voice. like amanda palmer i love her eyes. if meg white has the cute factor, then imogen has that quirky factor that i like.