tidbits

Just a brief post on the goings-on about the Kendall property...

- First off, it is actually our property now! Very exciting. Grampa Joe gave us a huge 'gift of equity,' which made the whole transaction a possibility and reality for us. Big thanks to Grampa Joe.

- Secondly, we've got lettuce coming out our ears...which is also exciting, though also exhausting to keep up with it all. Washing, rinsing, spinning and whatnot.

- We found out we have a rooster, who will - no doubt - be dinner this fall. I've got to try it out this year so I know if I can process meat birds next year, and Thatcher is going to give me the opportunity.

- And lastly, a snippet of conversation from yesterday in the car. We had just passed several pieces of large scale farm equipment used for spraying crops. Elise thought they were bulldozers, and I was explaining that no, they were used to spray chemicals.

Wyatt: "Why?"
Me: "To kill weeds and to kill bugs."
Wyatt, in sad voice: "But bugs are good for the world..."
Me: "I know; you're right."
Wyatt, emphatically: "They're not using their brains!"

Snow Patrol - Just Say Yes

I'd Buy That for a Dollar

This one's for you, Adam ...

"Subtle Musings" is now largely about the domestic/farming scene of the Kendall family. But, in ages past, there was some space given over to music/culture ... most notably, a once-a-year "Best of ..." list. Unfortunately, 2008's "Best of" faded into oblivion. It became my spruce goose - except mine never made that final voyage.

Still ... even though I ran out of steam, the music never stops. The beat just keeps on going - especially when that beat is created by Dangerous Mouse (aka Brian Burton) who helped create the Gnarls Barkley hit single "Crazy."

On my way home from work this week, I heard another of Brian's fusion projects: "The High Road" - an eclectic mix of lounge, 80's video game and the voice of James Mercer, who can sound eerie, like David Gray, but also goes falsetto. In fact, it's Mercer's falsetto that carries the song into a funk-train chorus that includes the power of a youth choir - right in step with Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" driving chorus only for the Garden State generation.

The song below reinvests much of the same from "High Road": falsetto, claps, beat.

So, if you're looking for some new tunes, check out Broken Bells - a great album for writing, riding or getting in touch with your urban, hipster self.

Wes