GOING DOWN TO THE "FARM"

This album cover makes me smile;

Not only does it make a strong case for tangible forms of music (this one begs to be picked up on vinyl) but it provides great fodder for the imagination. This cover could easily tell a story, perhaps some surreal cautionary environmental tale for children.

If I was in charge of doing promo for the band I would hold a literary contest for the best short story to accompany the picture. The winning story would be included with limited editions of the album of course.

As for the music it seems that Dinosaur jr stick to what they do well with little deviation. So as expected, on their latest album they have created a collection of hook laden semi-melodic songs that are both immediately gratifying and often frustratingly impossible to remember afterwards. This isn't necessarily problematic, as it serves the purpose of providing a quick visceral aural encounter that is great in the moment.

The band also seems quite comfortable with the slacker aesthetic that has been inextricably associated with them for years, as witnessed in their latest video where we see the middle aged hipsters doing skate board and bike stunts that no sane person over 25 would likely ever attempt. Of course the J Mascis stunt double wearing a wig is a nice touch.



That's all for now, I have children's story to write about giant mossy green creatures!

COME OVER TO THE WIDOW....

The other morning I deviated from my usual robotic state of commuting and dropped into one of the fine peddlers of high quality java near my home . My decision was immediately reinforced by the sounds of "So Long Marianne" by Leonard Cohen playing in the background as I waited for my dark steamy brew.

Although it doesn't happen as often now, there are still moments where certain songs played in public can transform the immediate environment into a sacred space. This is especially true of certain songs that are so well studied, absorbed and inextricably embedded in my psyche that I forget sometimes they are part of a larger world, outside of my own private universe.

"So long, Marianne It's time that we began to laugh and cry, and cry and laugh about it all again"

The familiar chorus filled the room with a refrain that beckons like the siren's call daring you to no longer stay the course, despite impending peril. It demands the need to step back and examine the elusiveness of fleeting human connection or the unanswered call of the heart's deepest longings.

Whatever it says, it fills empty spaces with life. It reminds me to look beyond my own interior landscape and remember to make connections to a larger world that I often neglect in the midst of my day to day routine.

A well placed song can do this sort of thing.....

A PLATE OF SHRIMP

As I continue to contemplate the experience of synchronicity in my life, I am reminded of the fantastic conspiratorial rant made by the character Miller in the cult classic "Repo Man". So next time you are thinking about a "plate of shrimp" and then hear the same words uttered by someone else at that exact moment please take careful note, there are larger forces at work.......

SYNCHRONICITY

On my ride to work the other morning I decided to rediscover a few CDs from my long neglected CD binder, which is the resting place of many albums that have been denied shelf space in my home (a rare commodity). My choice that morning was "This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours" by The Manic Street Preachers, a late 90's album that I used to listen to a fair bit.

Of course in the strange and mystical universe that I inhabit something magical happened. At almost the precise moment that I was listening to the album and contemplating how it was now 10 years-old, a truck slowly drove past me that had "10th Anniversary" written on a large logo in gold letters on its side.

This completely rocked my world, as I live for those rare moments of synchronicity where the seeming randomness of life is infused with connection to larger forces and a sense of meaning and purpose. Sure, it is probably just a coincidence, though I personally find it comforting to take careful note when this sort of thing happens.

As I was writing this blog entry and looking at what (the ever reliable) Wikipedia had to say about the Jungian concept of Synchronicity, I noticed that writer Arthur Koestler's "The Roots of Coincidence" was referenced at the end of the entry. This was very strange indeed, as earlier in the week I had a vivid dream where the Koestler novel "Darkness At Noon" was featured prominently.

The dream about Koestler's novel was still in my mind throughout the morning, to the point that I felt compelled to read up on him, as I hadn't read his book or thought about it for quite some time (for well over 10 years I might add!). Needless to say, I now feel compelled to read Koestler again in the hope of digging a little deeper behind my recent experience.

So there it is, strange connections in the midst of an ordinary week - a dream about Arthur Koestler - a Manic Street Preachers album - a 10th anniversary sign on a truck - and further references to Koestler coming to my attention. What is the universe trying to tell me?