kicking rocks, working, home
Toronto in the spring is a damp, somewhat bleak place. There's little pockets of warmth that make the agonizing crawl into summer a little more bearable. Bakery doors on the walk to the subway, the underground paths between all of the buildings downtown, the inevitability of running into anyone and everyone in this small town masquerading as a city.
My room at home has shuffled around and changed over the years, but it's very rarely gotten thinner. I just keep stacking new memories on top of the old. Doilies on finished books, magazine clippings on clippings, etc. This is the original postcard wall, although the new one felt much more in tune with who I am now. I'd be doing an injustice to the work my previous selves if I changed the way my home wall is after all of these years though, so ancient magazine clippings it is.
Being a working woman is a blessing (a small part of that being that it keeps me out of my time-capsule room), and a curse on the little free time I have. If the work day doesn't tire me out enough, a packed subway ride puts me deep enough in the grave to allow me to crawl home as my last dying wish. This lifestyle doesn't lend itself to the creative fervour I tend to have, or rather strive to have, and I'm still trying to iron out the kinks enough to feel like I'm living a little. Mark my words, I'll be renouncing this post as soon as we have more than 3 days in a row above 20 degrees.
One benefit of the monotony of work is that it has gotten me fully into the album-listening habit. In case it hasn't been obvious enough in any other piece of writing I've ever put on this earth, I'm pretty into music. I'm no expert, but I know my way around I'd say. For the past few years, I've barely listened to albums in full, favouring one-off songs and playlists. Through the end of studio and the beginning of my summer work, I've obsessed over a few albums.
- I Love You Jennifer B by Jockstrap, for everyday pondering and listening. Simply amazing.
- I<3UQTINVU by Jockstrap, the remix album of ILYJB. I personally like the first one a smidge better, but this one makes for good hype-up music at the desk.
- bbpue by bbpue. Great working music. I personally like to work with noisy, almost hypnotic music with good beats. Either that or classical. I tend to lean more towards the former lately.
- ? by Bassvictim. I honestly prefer Forever by a thin margin, but I love the messy humanity of it all, especially in Babcia Jadzia. I think part of my love for this group comes from reading the absolutely bonkers Pitchfork interview. I don't really care for overly polished music or people, so my itch for vibrance and honesty really gets scratched by Bassvictim's work.
When it comes to the records I'm spinning at home, the genre mood switches entirely. Time feels slower in this room of mine, and the music slows down in kind.
- Bryter Layter by Nick Drake. I've always been a casual to moderate fan of Nick Drake, but this album has been special to me ever since I first listened to it. In a very good and well informed guess of my taste, this album was gifted to me a few weeks ago by someone very special to me. How wonderful is it to be known?
- Three States: Rarities 1997-2007 by Dear Nora. All time favourite. 'Nuff said.
It seems that I've accidentally become somewhat of a music blog. I don't mind it one bit though! We interpret the world around us through media of all kinds, whether it be the books we read, the music we hear, the things we write. Just so happens that music is my main interpretive medium right now! Maybe I don't need the summer sun to get me in good spirits, just some good albums...