Chicago: Totally hands-free!!!

It's not amazing. It's just plain fun. It's happy.

John, I love how your unfamiliarity with something moves right along into insulting everyone who doesn't share your subjective opinion. Well done.

OK YOU TWO

You forgot to mention how stupid and unrewarding post-punk and DIY are, though.

What? I'm just making sure John is feeling all right today. It's unlike him, he's usually so detail oriented.

Listen to Dystopia, its rewarding as hell.

"""But seriously, when I started here (not a temp job), this one woman actually asked me if I was good with letters. What do you mean? You know, can you alphabetize things?"""

!! Jenny has a story just like that. She started at an admin job in G'boro and her boss said, "How are you with your alphabet?"

it's, I meant to type it's plz no judge me

I remember that story, Jesse!! OMG.

She should have said the alphabet makes her ovaries hurt.

*Sonic Youth has covered it

For a compilation, apparently. Not on any official SY release.

*It's been in lots of John Hughes movies, or it seems that way

You're kidding. John Hughes movies play songs by Belgian punk bands? I guess I wasn't paying attention.

i love ca plane pour moi. i think someone played it at our wedding. i'll admit i mostly know it from a shoes commercial in the UK a few years back, which led to me downloading it.

i think i've ticked off other admin people here by sending a load of stuff to the apparently slow color copier. which i was asked to do, but they're all kind of glaring at me like i should have known it was slow and to do in bunches. sigh.

Monotonously chanting over '50s-style rock-and-roll blues progressions = hooky?

OOOOO WEEE OOO OOOO

^Hooky part

I am drafting an email to my superiors asking them to do a little bit of extra work. I'm not looking forward to sending it. All I'm asking for really is that they start using shared calendars on Outlook, and turn in their billable hours to me more than once per month....

Should I be scared?

Should I just quit?

Wait, that song is by a band? I saw one dude.

also, LOL I know nothing about movies

European Vacation (1985) (performer: "Ca plane pour moi")
... aka National Lampoon's European Vacation (UK: video box title)

Hm. Hard to say, Jesse. Are they all jerks?

The thing is, at some point your man-hours and your productivity should be worth something to yr company. It's really up to your manager to put his or her authority to work to either a) defend you and require people to be more accountable so you can work efficiently, or b) let you know that regrettably yr superiors' laziness is more important than your time. In either case, you find out where you stand.

Jesse, it sounds like the kind of thing they wouldn't mind doing, but want to be reminded of so they don't have to think about it, i.e. you're fine.

Just make it as easy as possible for them, Jesse, and it shouldn't be a problem. Offer to help them set stuff up or answer questions if need be. Also couch it in terms that sound more like a suggestion than a command, and stress how it would help increase efficiency.

John, I love how your unfamiliarity with something moves right along into insulting everyone who doesn't share your subjective opinion. Well done.

Not insulting you, I just thought it was odd use of "hooky." But I've only heard it once, maybe I'll come around. I do think it's pretty "pop," although not the kind of pop I usually like.

You forgot to mention how stupid and unrewarding post-punk and DIY are, though.

I don't think they're stupid, they're just really not my bag at all. So they're unrewarding for me. And I guess when you talk about particular songs or bands you like, I get a little frustrated because I really don't see what you see in them. The frustration is not meant to be directed at you, although I'm sure it occasionally comes off that way.

Just, like the other week, I was driving Matt home from band practice and I had my iPod on shuffle and a Times New Viking song from Nick's Q1 mix came on, and Matt was kind of like, How do bands like this get signed, it sounds like shit! And I shrugged and was like, yeah, I don't get it either. Maybe they're good live.

haha

Maybe if they added another keyboard.

I was kidding about the quitting part. I love it here. I really do. They are TOTALLY not jerks at all. Some of the best employers I have had ever.

Still, I hate asking for things.

What bothers me most I know how emails tend to get skimmed and forgotten, so I am probably going to have to pester them about this, which I really don't want to do.

The main thing I'm thinking they'll balk at is the Outlook calendar thing. Either balk or forget to do. Esp. the guy. He is a MESS.

xpost Maybe. That wouldn't change the shoddy production, though.

Tell them in words they'll understand: "This is about YOUR MONEY."

John is going to hate the next FF album (assuming it sounds the way I want it to sound).

:(

Maybe it will be the album to change your mind.

Or the exception to your rule.

Of course, we aren't "signed" though.

There's no "rule," it's just that some stuff (like Times New Viking, Husker Du, early Ponys, etc.) is hard for me to listen to because I want it to sound "better." By which I usually mean more polished -- not as sloppy and tinny and thin and distant.

Like, there are good songs in there, do 'em justice!

sometimes people like fuzzy shit

Also sometimes people don't have money for shiny studios but they put their stuff out anyway.

Pandora is feeding me Smiths and Jesus and Mary Chain

Of course sometimes they're just really hungover and the sound engineer is still passed out on someone's bathroom floor but they put their stuff out anyway. Y'know, shit happens.

(Although I agree a little bit w/you jaymc, on band specific instances. Like sometimes on some songs on Let It Bloom by the Black Lips, I wish it wasn't so fuzzy-ish.)

John, you can't listen to that lofi stuff quietly. I think you have to blast it from your speakers to get the right effect.

I will probably regret this post but ANYWAY....

Appreciation of lofi/punk music (to me) includes, but is not limited to:
* Enjoying the basic elements of a song without fleshing it out completely... There's a comfortable simplicity to it.
* Similarly, enjoying individual elements, like the kind of distortion used on the guitar, that you might not normally pay attention to or hear in a more produced album/ polished act.
* Believing that anyone can express their creativity in the music medium and come up with great ideas even if they can not play at a professional level that would push product
* A certain class angst, tied in with the above (ie: anyone can do this), combined with the feeling of unity it can bring among common people

john, what's your position on VU?

I don't think people should make stuff sound bad on purpose, but sometimes things that sound "bad" actually sound better. Like I think the Times New Viking songs sound way better the way they are then if they were recorded really clean.

Dan and Mr. Que both make good points, but it doesn't make it any easier for me to like this stuff. I certainly don't begrudge bands for doing their thing, since there are obv. plenty of people who don't have the hang-ups I do.

Like I think the Times New Viking songs sound way better the way they are then if they were recorded really clean.

yes yes.

I like "fuzzy" a whole lot more than "tinny" or "thin".

(way xxxx-post dammit)

Sometimes it's like a trick, like if you record something so that it distorts a little, it tricks you into thinking it's more rocking, like "Aw yeah they rocked it so hard the recording equipment couldn't handle it!"

I make good points too! me me me!

Also there's the element of if you DIY, even though it might not sound perfect, you have total control over everything and can take your time and try different things and not have to worry about shelling out thousands of dollars in the studio and looking at the clock the whole time and getting really aggravated because every time you mess up you have to pay more money. It's a tradeoff.

Sarah, you do! Nicely put.

Sometimes good production just isn't appropriate.

xxpotm

I like the Velvet Underground. I'm not sure how it relates.

Sarah, your point about (DIY/"anyone can do this"/bringing people together) is why I sometimes like bands like this when I see them live. There's an infectious amateurish energy. On my iPod, though, I'd rather just listen to Steely Dan. You might be right about blasting it from speakers, too. I don't have stereo speakers.