tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58226722012-01-27T22:22:03.665-08:00Writing In The Airmishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.comBlogger3891100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-59532702726717142882012-01-04T20:37:00.001-08:002012-01-27T22:22:03.736-08:00

My time has become more valuable over the years and I'm afraid that it's time to shrink my year-end lists down to a more condensed and manageable process. One of the unique experiences that I have with music is that it has turned into a wonderful inspiration for my storytelling flair to spread its wings. Perhaps this has always been the case as the parts of brain that process each element in its

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-63150156925518086252011-10-19T20:17:00.001-07:002012-01-16T22:42:59.084-08:00

Getting the kids into bed is becoming an increasingly difficult task, so much that it is extremely draining and by the time we finally rustle them into their prospective cages, all I want to do is go find my own bed and collapse into the pillow (in slow-motion dramatic effect like I'm in some Hollywood movie that tries to capture the trials of parenthood but never manages to get it right because

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-82323252750878490132011-10-03T16:27:00.001-07:002012-01-15T12:09:46.132-08:00

So Lucas has started the second grade, somehow making it through grade number one in one piece. I know it sounds strange to be presenting it in such a way but we had some difficulties last year that tested our patience and aspirations for our first child.Lucas is the type of child who faces difficulties in such a way that he can manage them but really would rather not. If something is challenging

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-8082059923496140192011-09-20T20:19:00.001-07:002011-12-29T20:45:53.076-08:00

Sometimes I find it hard to believe that I'm forty-years-old and that I have a seven-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. But they're here and I'm still here and this little blog is still here, too. I look back on all of these entries that reflect my perspective on parenting and growing and learning about life and I'm stunned that this display has become so mature.And despite all of my

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-77906145200441900232011-08-04T22:43:00.001-07:002011-12-20T22:08:03.436-08:00

Lucas is skinny! Man that kid is all bones and elbows and knees and shoulders and shins. The most hilarious part about watching this skinny kid develop before us is that I know that was exactly how I looked when I was his age.Over the years I have been accused of not having fat on my bones. Aside from an uncouth comment from my old roommate's father, who happened to know me from my high school

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-15399733875020671732011-07-28T17:10:00.000-07:002011-12-15T21:33:41.657-08:00

"I love all the songs in the world!"This is what Quinn tells me as we drive, while listening to Elliott Smith. I totally believe her. If anyone was capable of loving every song in the world, it would be Quinn. She has such enthusiasm for life that if she really wanted to embrace something as big as the concept of music across all genres and regions and forms and styles and agendas, then she has

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-39624044808436685962011-07-26T22:01:00.001-07:002011-11-09T20:18:13.553-08:00

Kids are exhausting! Sometimes they knock me down, kick me in the ass, push me around, make me crazy, dumbfound me, shock me, cause curses to rain from my mouth, force the red veil of damnation to cloud my vision, make my blood boil, terrify me, pull down on my neck with the heavy burden of responsibility, test my patience, again and again and again. Sometimes they make me cry because I have

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-1268382348723092372011-07-18T22:48:00.001-07:002011-10-26T20:12:38.044-07:00

So Quinn tells us a story regarding one of her past lives. She informs us that she used to be someone named Padresher and that she lived somewhere else, somewhere far away. In this other life she didn't live very long because she was burned in a fire and once she realized that her life was over, she came back to be with Mommy in this life. She didn't say these things with any sense of concern or

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-2298760564650202812011-06-14T18:05:00.001-07:002011-10-22T17:41:41.131-07:00

Lucas says, "I love to read, Daddy."These are beautiful words to my ears. A joyous chorus rises up and little drops float out of my tear ducts. All the hard work of bedtime reading, all the time spent cuddled up on the couch as he stared over our shoulders, all the patience keeping the damn teevee off, all the training regarding the important things in life...some of it is actually paying off!

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-3187077595292809982011-06-13T21:23:00.001-07:002011-10-19T22:09:07.622-07:00

(start at the beginning)Chapter Seven: A Mighty Heart [Darren]It's so crazy how things can change so quickly. One minute you're feeling so incredibly happy that you can't believe all the amazing turns the world makes, then before you know what hit you, you're feeling the exact opposite. For two weeks I was miserable. Angelina wouldn't talk to me, wouldn't even look at me. Whenever I tried to

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-68600848200217995162011-05-31T13:38:00.000-07:002011-10-19T20:18:06.859-07:00

"I'm a woman, too!"Quinn says enthusiastically. This comes from a story Christina tells me about taking Quinn to a Buddhist meeting for women. While listening to other women talk about their perspective of life, Quinn somehow made the connection that she was exactly like the rest of them and she decided to include herself in the discussion. To say that I wasn't surprised by her reaction is

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-7661960260800770872011-05-17T12:52:00.001-07:002011-09-21T14:53:27.415-07:00

It's well known that Lucas has spent many hours with his thumb in his mouth. From the time he was a wee one and just like his old man before him, who also was a notorious thumb-sucker, Lucas has found sweet comfort from the delicate solace of newborn remembrances. But at his age it has become a crutch and we've had many conversations with him about it, had many arguments about it and have tried

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-20829409045371520422011-05-09T21:41:00.001-07:002011-08-04T14:41:09.825-07:00

The incident almost happened. The one most feared by parents, cutting straight through your bones just thinking about it. The one of nightmares that may languish the rest of your life if it were to ever come true. The one that reaches into your heart with the icy devilish touch of dismay and terror. No one who has ever felt a moment of love for a child would welcome the event that happened at

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-15768467702555798662011-04-24T21:12:00.001-07:002011-07-26T22:16:02.478-07:00

Well, with the new trend toward legal marijuana making it easier and easier to get really good weed, I have been discovered, on occasion, to wallow long into the night cherishing a wonderful state of bliss that allows me to dig inside the artistic measure of many musical journeys. After partaking of a certain cookie and descending into the wackness, I heard these songs in this exact order and

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-40876616820385183282011-04-23T16:10:00.001-07:002011-07-19T20:51:45.881-07:00

Lucas is an environmentalist! Our agenda is working! Lucas drew the picture above awhile ago and though it is very simple, we still have it on our fridge because the frown upon the guy's face as he chops down those trees is priceless. He is really embracing an attitude of care for the environment and it absolutely fills my heart with hope. It's something that he is embracing and becoming

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-43913796054751936212011-04-10T12:43:00.001-07:002011-06-14T21:02:19.182-07:00

(Don't know what this picture has to do with the post below but I just love it! Nanna, Quinn, Lucas & Nonno) Quinn is doing her business on the potty! So excited by this wonderful development. I was telling a friend of ours the song we sing to Quinn every time she drops one in her pants, let's just say that the title to the song is "Quinnita Poopy Pants", and I felt embarrassed by two things -

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-7037016170873946512011-03-06T11:19:00.000-08:002011-05-31T21:24:48.894-07:00

Lucas is skiing! I began skiing when I was six and I vividly recall the rush of joy that I felt when I slid down the mountain. It was a beautiful and extreme moment in my life, even if it was only a bunny slope. Over the years I've learned how to ski exceptionally well and it has always been a place where my pride flourishes. Yet, as the years have passed, it isn't something that has been

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-28743947491198679832011-03-02T18:56:00.001-08:002011-04-27T14:34:02.541-07:00

It's interesting to look at Quinn's part of this journal as the second time around and not think that she is doomed to a perpetual perspective of being compared to Lucas. Is she threatened by that natural awareness? Does it motivate her to push her limits so that she can expand beyond that perspective? How can I help her with this phenomenon? Is it even really a phenomenon or am I thinking about

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-3262847892923828832011-02-23T23:27:00.001-08:002011-03-06T18:09:14.905-08:00

Gayngs - Relayted (2010) Talk about melodrama? This takes it up tenfold and expands on it and meshes it and blows it out of the water. It's so unfathomable that I almost don't know what to say. There's flamboyant pianos and intricate beats blending over angelic harmonies awash in a poetry that imagines a gaudy extravagant means toward salvation. I feel like I'm on a drunken ride of magnanimous

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-79724851755172450442011-02-22T22:20:00.000-08:002011-02-28T17:04:20.213-08:00

Bonobo - Black Sands (2010)This is about as perfect a mixture of heavenly beats and groovilicious rhythm as I've heard in a really long time. And it isn't just one song, it's every song, it's every ounce of music falling upon you like fresh snow, cold and clean and delightful. Bonobo is the brainchild of Simon Green, a producer from Britain, who has been around since 1999. Damn, why haven't I

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-50517612525018017552011-02-14T15:14:00.001-08:002011-02-27T21:53:32.831-08:00

Warpaint - The Fool (2010)There's a seething calamitous angry melancholy riding below the surface. It wants to devour everything that exists in the world because of the ravenous plight humanity has unleashed in our lifetime. It causes the red to glare out at the night and threaten with dismay, to pierce through the fog of ignorance that has enveloped all. This entity that rides in the air and

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-3500513221706071792011-02-11T22:18:00.001-08:002011-02-25T22:28:31.477-08:00

Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow (2010)Sometimes you hear music and it feels so definitive that it blows your mind. I believe that there are musicians who tap into a moment that is so primal and powerful that they expand the consciousness of humanity. They create a sound so massive that it will forever blast the immortal refrain. It doesn't happen often and it's not always very

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-73871670147068245992011-02-08T23:22:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:09:46.059-08:00

Our perspective on life comes from those who teach us, the special people in our lives who give us guidance that we believe in, a teacher or mentor in life and definitely our parents. Lucas is getting most of his unique view on the way that the world looks because of us, Xtina and me. Whether that's a benefit for him, time will only tell the tale.I was raised as a Christian, being taught to

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-28481143997271743712011-02-07T22:33:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:55:38.141-08:00

Gotan Project - Gotan 3.0 (2010)The Gotan Project has been my favorite band since I stumbled onto them five years ago. I immediately began to devour all of their music and their reprtoire continues its heavy presence time and time again here at CasaWeX. So I was extremely excited to discover that they were delivering their fourth album this past year. This was one of the ones that you feel under

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-41715825635267305352011-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:56:15.804-08:00

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2010)This is modern day youth angst defined. If I was a teenager, this would probably be my favorite album of the year. So full of energy that wants to burst forth and claim the world's atrocities in one clarifying shriek, to shout down the madness of those who influence today the most. We all look around and see the stupidity and confusion of our modern world,

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-71158903414885466562011-02-03T21:42:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:10:28.740-08:00

Beach House - Teen Dream (2010)Pure bliss. Beach House is Sunday morning laid back lifestyle personified. We all have an idealized place of comfort that we conjure into our mind when we imagine the most perfect place on the Earth. For some of us that image is one of ghostly beaches, white sand spreading off in the distance, no one around, the emptiness existing only for you. Or amongst a thick

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-72320106127232556772011-01-31T22:11:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:10:50.434-08:00

Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto (2010)Ah, yes, once again Portugal The Man breaks through into the top ten. I don't know what to say except that they seem to make an album every year (heard they're ready to drop another this year) and the older they get, the more polished and amazing their music becomes. It's fluid and lovely and it rocks when necessary. They really are becoming an American

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-72361810883297085092011-01-30T21:56:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:11:06.433-08:00

Jamuel Saxon - Landmines & Chandeliers (2010)This has become my new favorite in San Diego this year. Despite all appearances to the contrary, San Diego has always been a really wonderful town for developing musicians. It's not a loud and obvious scene because this town will always be overshadowed by the flickering lights of that place just a couple of hours to the north, whether that's a valid

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-2049753281521298762011-01-26T18:34:00.001-08:002011-02-01T15:46:19.494-08:00

So our Quinnita is a little girl now. No more baby talk, no more boob juice, no more naps (at least that seems to be what she wants). The last thing on the list, which she's fighting hard against, is no more diapers! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuhhhhhhhhh (the great sigh). Yes, the moment parents always look forward to, an aspect of child-rearing that vanishes without regret. It's one

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-71644570074105784102011-01-25T22:19:00.001-08:002011-02-24T13:11:18.510-08:00

Matthew Dear - Black City (2010)Grindhouse is a form of exploitation cinema that took its name from the burlesque theatres on 42nd Street in New York during the 1940's where bump and grind dancing was prevalent. Since I now live on 42nd Street and I love the bump and grind aspect of Matthew Dear's new album Black City, it seemed like a perfect time to kick off my top ten. There's a secret sexual

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-62218931297066410192011-01-25T00:20:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:11:28.540-08:00

Jolie Holland - The Living And The Dead (2008)So often, when we hear the term country music, it's so easy to simply close our ears and pretend that it doesn't exist. With the ACM crowd that exhibits a perverted quality of sound that incessantly pervades our culture, those of us who find some connection to the roots of our nation found in real country music must look for it outside mainstream

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-43418165974136136212011-01-23T13:09:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:11:37.601-08:00

Pantha Du Prince - Black Noise (2010)Driving, outside the window the world floats past. Beyond the glass you know that the air is cold, so cold it's hard to imagine the degree of shock as it hits your face. The grey day feels ancient, a longing that doesn't speak, time that won't tell you a thing. But it hardly matters because this moment is all the power left to help you transform into a blessed

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-60292954655850060672011-01-21T22:12:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:11:47.938-08:00

CocoRosie - Grey Oceans (2010)CocoRosie is very weird and that's what I love about them the most. The duo, of sisters Sierra and Bianca Casady, created their first album in a bathroom in Paris as a creative project for their own personal amusement but the album, La Maison de Mon Reve, became a cult hit as it passed through various friends hands until it connected with a producer at Touch & Go

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-20050182245582734082011-01-20T18:46:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:11:58.952-08:00

Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart (2010)Ever since RocknRoll shook the world, quadrillions of youth (I still think of myself as young) have harnessed the guitar driven music to tap into a much needed release of aggression. As Kurt Cobain once shouted out to the masses, "Here we are now, entertain us!", the angst of our modern era is in constant desire to unleash the frustrated fury of never

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-23523101007375403932011-01-19T14:19:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:12:07.534-08:00

High Places - High Places vs Mankind (2010)Can you welcome us? Lift us up? Change our minds? Make us love? Can you give us a hand? Stoop down with full lips? Break that ache? Make us forget? Can you reach inside? Turn the screw? Pitch the field? So that no one kills? Can you eagerly taste? The dream that's real? High five the sun? Find redemption? Can you change your past? Bring revolution heat?

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-58127726377987552662011-01-18T21:07:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:12:21.853-08:00

Lonely Drifter Karen - Grass Is Singing & Fall Of Spring (2008 & 2010)Tanja Frinta is an old soul. Her voice is melodic and ancient, beautiful beyond repair. She causes the moon to swoon and the sun to dip in the sky. All she needs to make the world a better place is a sweet tune to back her and she may not even need that. Sometimes all you need to find a perfect place in your heart is to

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-23895511340687305012011-01-17T12:46:00.001-08:002011-02-24T13:12:30.470-08:00

Gonjasufi - A Sufi and A Killer (2010)Crazy, mind blown halfway across the planet, on an ethereal desert drift that snakes its way through the landscape with transformative migrations, hallucinatory warp speed crunch graveled awareness that echos the underbelly ribcage distortion of organic fear, blocked by the mind's ravaged confusion, hurtled across the fiery lake into the eye of some hellish

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-38384557256893507542011-01-14T20:44:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:12:39.182-08:00

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (2009)I've always had a soft heart for melodrama when it comes to music. That's why I listened to bands like this back in high school and love this musician right now. Mumford & Sons totally trap me in that way. Their songs rise with this urgent idea of a higher place, like deep poetry or a painting awash with a majestic sunset. Most of the songs actually go from a

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-82507028639300404022011-01-12T21:45:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:12:48.672-08:00

Julian Lynch - Mare (2010)This is minimalism. So quiet and assured, the soft essence of Lynch's music cuddling up inside you and making you feel okay. There's a moment in each song when I seem to feel the emotion that is being expressed; a sad love or the dream of a long lost reunion or a seething hate that can find no escape or the lapping wash at the river's edge or the anguish of losing

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-16599141727450203772011-01-10T15:10:00.001-08:002011-02-24T13:12:57.936-08:00

Curren$y - Pilot Talk (2010)I wasn't a hip-hop fan growing up. Raised with a certain amount of institutional prejudice, it was difficult for me to open myself up to a broader awareness of the dynamic force of all cultures. Most of the time, the older we get the more we learn to box ourselves in but it wasn't until a decade ago when I realized that there was a diverse brand of beauty that was

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-20132281621683418522011-01-09T12:07:00.001-08:002012-01-16T14:02:05.173-08:00

We have reached another milestone with Lucas: he's lost his first tooth.It's so hard not to notice that our little guy is growing up and this phenomenal event is bringing that reality very close to my heart. One of our new year's resolutions as parents was that we have to get more serious about Lucas's education. He's such a wise little man that we have the tendency to take him for granted. Sure,

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-56567656620252271922011-01-05T21:27:00.001-08:002011-02-24T13:13:06.666-08:00

Four Tet - There Is Love In You (2010)First you lay one down. Let it run. Then you drop another one on top. And another. And another. Then lay down a voice. Let it swell. Burst at the seams. Bloat like a sausage. Steam pushing out through a pinhole. The aroma intoxicating. Until it's everything that you know. Until it blossoms into a new awareness. Then you slow it down. Lift one layer off the

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-91454268736047418312011-01-03T22:12:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:13:15.323-08:00

Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (2010)Erykah Badu makes the list this year and she could probably be on it every year because her music is just so damn sexy. Badu is the queen of groove, the maestro of funk and the kerouac of beatitude. With a smooth sweetness she gives us her heart, so big and full, expanding the limits of love and pushing us to such great heights. There

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-63042900872044452442010-12-28T19:56:00.000-08:002011-02-24T13:13:27.486-08:00

This is the first of many discoveries I made over 2010. The rewards were great, serenaded with beautifully intense music throughout the year and bombarded with an eclectic display of films for my devouring taste. I love discovering new music and analyzing movies, so that has become my focus with this year-end countdown. Most of my music is current and the films may be just as current or hearken

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-27575981488105752552010-12-27T23:06:00.001-08:002011-01-03T20:47:48.969-08:00

Christmas has come to CasaWeX and Quinn is loving it. She has an older brother who encourages her indulgences at every opportune moment so it's not very surprising that she is already aware of the yuletide spirit. She hasn't quite reached the point where she counts all of her presents (like someone else we know) but she loves to get excited and hates to be let down so the holidays has lifted her

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-43757943665574037322010-12-23T16:23:00.001-08:002011-01-05T23:08:33.249-08:00

Some songs from the albums that were left out of my year-end run-down.01. Bear In Heaven - You Do You02. Aloe Blacc - Miss Fortune03. Roisin Murphy - Overpowered04. The Tallest Man On Earth - Love Is All05. DJ Spooky - The Secret Song06. JJ - Let Go07. Tame Impala - Jeremy's Storm08. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms09. Tindersticks - Falling Down The Mountain10. James Blake - CMYK11. AntiFlag - The

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-51702059835612773412010-12-14T20:13:00.000-08:002011-01-01T14:51:58.756-08:00

Ever since Lucas learned to crawl we've had our two little dogs running away from him as he's scrambled and chased after them. Mishu and Schmokie have been with us from the very beginning, the first two "little ones" in our family. Unfortunately that dynamic has changed, as Schmokie has left us for greener pastures, as they say.It's so crazy around here after the event, which wasn't a peaceful

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-61553823516219171552010-11-28T20:43:00.000-08:002010-12-28T20:35:16.106-08:00

Quinn has reached the age of the terrible twos. Yes, she has been terrific for some time now but more and more often nowadays, her incessant whine tends to take over. She's a stubborn little chicken. We thought Lucas was stubborn in his younger years but that kid has nothing on my Quinnita. If she doesn't want to do something, then you are simply out of luck. You can fight her and try to push her

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-6411213278413448012010-11-12T13:36:00.001-08:002010-12-27T13:32:22.825-08:00

Halloween has come to casawex and Lucas is having mixed feelings about it. About a month ago, after we went to Sea World and saw the Shamu show, Lucas insisted that he wanted to be an orca whale for Halloween. We thought that it was a great idea since we like to make the kids' costumes instead of just buying them at the store. The orca idea was one that we could handle without getting too

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-73341830140286257792010-11-05T11:34:00.001-07:002010-12-27T13:32:40.023-08:00

The next topic that I wish to delve into regarding my lovely daughter is one that often frightened me greatly from the moment we found out that she was a girl. Quinn is obsessed with the color pink. It is by far her favorite color and I have no idea how to stop it!We've always been very clear about our disdain regarding the gender specific brainwashing that is so pervasive in our culture and how

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-59815675048940538492010-10-20T21:02:00.001-07:002011-01-01T14:54:19.221-08:00

Time to go back in time for awhile, revisit some of those timeless tunes that continue to inspire and bemuse. Luna has resided with us for over a decade now and Dean Wareham's warbling guitar reminds me of my daughter's precious voice. We first saw the Broun Fellinis on a New Years Eve in San Francisco about a decade ago and this song has stayed strong in my heart. I'm so into Beach House's new

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-14801924646266493092010-10-07T10:39:00.000-07:002011-01-01T14:55:25.525-08:00

Lucas had a cool birthday party at the Solid Rock Gym. He really took to it and scrambled up the walls without any problem. It was interesting to watch all of the kids and get a new perspective on them with the climbing. It's such a different skill-set, one that's not normally broached in our everyday athletic awareness. The kids who aren't the most athletically gifted but who have a knack for

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-85216469387899772492010-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:002010-11-28T21:56:54.200-08:00

So many questions about our culture have arisen since I've become a parent, things that I never thought about before. That's what comes from giving a damn about the future and what kind of world will be around when we are gone. I mean, there are always reasons for us to care and there were people in my life that meant enough to warrant my concern but I was completely content with my simple

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-5268458190275342472010-09-07T05:12:00.001-07:002010-11-28T21:57:14.849-08:00

There are a few certain films that I really want to watch with my kids; Star Wars, Time Bandits, Blade Runner, mostly a bunch of cool films from my generation that may be lost in the distant past. I guess I really want Lucas and Quinn to grow up with a deeper awareness about the fine nuances of cinematic gold. I'm sure there will always be wonderful new films that become iconic flavor for their

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-27083975942864082522010-08-19T21:15:00.001-07:002010-11-28T21:57:36.140-08:00

I like the way Quinn says certain words right now. She's very clear but still has that baby warble in her throat. She's speaking in confident sentences but the slur between words keeps her indelible baby cuteness intact. Sure, our kids will always be cute to us, even when they grow into their awkward-moody-snarky-teenage selves that I've been warned to fear many times over (I'll try to check back

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-7164342050260261932010-08-06T12:50:00.000-07:002010-11-28T21:57:51.530-08:00

You know, if we were true to our nature, Lucas' name would have been Luna from the beginning and Quinn would have been River or Amaranth or some bohemian name like that. But we were intimidated by the pressures of our society to conform, to disavow our individual spirit and not make too many waves. Sure, we like to go against the grain a bit and subtly undermine the status quo as much as possible

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-6533416558336477982010-08-05T15:42:00.000-07:002010-11-28T21:58:35.668-08:00

I'm outnumbered.There are days when two-against-one is too much for me. It's not like they intentionally team up on me (not yet anyway) but just their combined energy has me completely overwhelmed. I go in with the best intentions, a great father outing prepared for them, something along the lines of a light lunch or simply a trip to the park, and everything is perfectly beautiful. You know, you

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-19592823528689382602010-07-11T20:40:00.001-07:002010-11-28T21:58:17.601-08:00

We went to our first chaperoned event for Lucas' class. Running around the Scripps Aquarium with a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds on what turned out to be one of the busiest days of the year. It was a revealing experience for me. Getting to know these kids who have become Lucas' extra family was an adventure. They all have their own personality and are guided by their own little imp. It took every

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-9153683249284713112010-07-07T22:14:00.001-07:002011-01-01T14:13:19.793-08:00

Ahhh, the air of summer! The soft warmth and harsh light. The outdoor habitat of evening time and laughter of youth chasing through the shadows. Growing up in San Diego it's hard not to like this time of year. Joy seems to pour out of the skin and drain into the dry and dusty gutters. It's a beautiful time for music, a festival of wandering tones that fill our ears with magic. enjoy!1) CocoRosie

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-84580848179242528342010-07-05T18:57:00.001-07:002010-08-06T20:54:20.798-07:00

There are days where I find it difficult to understand that I am THE DAD. Just the sound of it in my ears is strange. I remember when I was a child and my parents seemed so mature, carrying so much of an adult identity. They were an omniscient presence and the idea of becoming that person was completely foreign to me. Sometimes I still feel that way.Sure, I grew up and realized that my parents

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-27144659765222611002010-06-13T20:19:00.000-07:002010-08-04T18:12:31.063-07:00

At school they call Lucas, "The Little French Boy". As the school year slowly comes to an end...and I mean slowly because I never imagined when we began this great journey ten months ago that I would be praying for it to end, whereas we thought that it would give us a break from our energetic five-year-old boy but then it only turned out to give our schedules an extra item to attend to, forcing

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-56718915498733386842010-06-07T16:35:00.001-07:002010-07-12T06:45:32.558-07:00

That is an image of Monica Furlong, not Quinn, but I wanted to remember this woman for the impact that she recently had in my life. I just finished reading a book that she wrote called, "Wise Child". It immediately connected with my soul and it's a book that I am holding aside for Quinn. It'll be perfect for those tween years when life feels so unsure and trying to understand your place in this

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-76338839330108361912010-06-06T17:41:00.000-07:002010-07-12T00:07:37.077-07:00

A few years ago I saw the movie Clean starring Maggie Cheung as a ex-con junkie musician who somehow manages to pull her life back together after losing her partner, custody of her child and any sense of identity that may have come from her former life. It gave me a new perspective on film, one that expressed the idea of the global citizen, living a life where borders no longer rule the lives of

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-26496247602265748232010-05-10T16:11:00.000-07:002010-07-11T23:15:28.778-07:00

There are many moments when I look at my son and I see the young Wade from many moons ago. Lucas has many characteristics that I immediately recognize and not all of them are welcome. Some of those habits or idiosyncrasies can be infuriating and I'm not sure if it's because I was harshly weened off of them so long ago or they are just simply aggravating in and of themselves.Lately, Lucas has

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-1952886351257541762010-05-09T20:50:00.000-07:002011-10-19T22:12:35.611-07:00

Chapter Six: Waiting In Vain [Tiffany]Why the fuck wasn't she calling? I could feel the anger rising up inside me. That feeling that I loved and hated so much nowadays. It comes on me like a flash and makes me do stupid things and I didn't want to do anything stupid tonight. I just wanted to talk to Angelina. Nothing else seemed to matter. I texted her three times already and even actually

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-32153673188663822902010-04-29T16:33:00.001-07:002010-07-11T23:18:53.387-07:00

Quinn has reached that stage in life where she suddenly understands that she doesn't have to take anymore shit from her brother.Being the younger sibling has the inevitable consequences of accepting all of the hand-me-downs from the older brothers or sisters. That doesn't simply mean that they get all of the partially worn clothes or cracked plastic toys or mangy blankets. It also means that when

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-63275867137733880312010-04-27T20:51:00.000-07:002010-05-10T21:38:02.447-07:00

Chapter Five: Another Friday Night [Angelina]I'm a true believer. I mean, I think it's important to embrace special moments in life. That's why the idea of love at first sight or past lives are concepts that don't seem so fantastical to me. I'm not saying that that's what is currently happening to me but...well, I guess that I am beginning to fall in love a little bit but it's not like I loved

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-50907646482266886872010-04-05T00:22:00.000-07:002010-04-27T17:59:48.645-07:00

"Mommy, the moon looks like a smile."These are the sentiments of my son as we drive home late at night, the sliver of a moon hanging in the sky. When I hear him make such heart-wrenching declarations I know how sweet and beautiful Lucas is inside his soul. We have been blessed with a precious wonder of the universe and I love to see and hear all the ways the world lights up in his eyes.It's so

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-69873452078922683902010-03-28T21:03:00.001-07:002010-07-12T00:19:08.974-07:00

Children hate, more than anything, to upset their parents. Don't get me wrong, they love to push the envelope, to test the boundaries that are in place around them and who puts those boundaries in place. You guessed it. To a child, every day is a new step further in limit expansion. They grow so quickly, growing into larger entities right before your eyes. So it's in their nature to push, to

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-4359364349029963462010-03-05T18:58:00.000-08:002010-04-05T15:28:28.134-07:00

(photo courtesy of Rick A. Munoz)There are moments, tiny ones that linger and big ones that are meant to have purpose. These moments turn into memories. They become the residue that your soul has accumulated, that covers you with warmth. As each day becomes another, the wealth of memories grow even thicker. We become fat with them, so much so that our bodies begin to struggle with the burden,

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-28938609952699751462010-02-28T21:07:00.001-08:002010-07-11T23:19:23.587-07:00

Quinn is growing up really fast all of a sudden. No longer is she a baby. She tramples around the house, walks all the way to the park and engages in all of our conversations with equal enthusiasm. She is a lovely and beautiful girl and every day I get to see a little golden ray of sun right here in my own home. We watched Pinocchio the other night. I have this sense of nostalgia with many of the

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-8934774158799051972010-02-25T11:30:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:47:50.251-08:00

Nneka - No Longer At Ease (2009)Every year there's one great find that you never imagined was out there. It isn't found through the regular sources or tapped from the vein of gold that provides instant access to the wonderland of music that I've become so accustomed to, but it is pure magic when you hear it. This year, for me, that album is Nneka's No Longer At Ease. Infectious and groovilicious

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-51663247692032828612010-02-23T14:46:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:48:30.014-08:00

XX - XX (2009)Okay, I thought for sure that this would be my favorite album of the year and for the longest time that was the case. It's right up my alley, a wonderful gentle version of indie rock with quirky sounds and interesting lyrics. They are currently the darlings of college radio and have swept through the year end best-of lists. For good reason, XX is an album that is infinitely

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-30255994688503403432010-02-22T19:55:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:48:43.183-08:00

Santogold - Santogold (2008)This album is so diverse that after a few listens you feel like it's absolutely perfect. Electropop, Hip-Hop, Groovilicious, StutterJam and utter bliss. Every song hooks you and dangles on the end of the line until you gasp for breath. Santogold is unique in that dance-pop-electro-groove-punk-clash-cultural kind of way. In our modern world we are able to cross so many

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-76307839375885984552010-02-21T18:16:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:48:55.383-08:00

Milosh - iii (2008)Milosh grooves right through with a sweet serenade, lofty and precious. His music swirls around a sense of peace and serenity so that you feel eternally good inside. If the world began to listen to Milosh on a regular basis, I truly believe that the strength of the heart would overtake all of the anger and depression that has plagued this planet. The inherent nature of the

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-38651580387998293322010-02-20T07:23:00.001-08:002010-07-12T00:19:31.522-07:00

Did you know that Love causes a physiological reaction in the human body? That the mind of a person pushes forth when a surge of Love enters the mainframe? Were you aware that the simple essence of a caress at the base of the neck will fill the brain with enough endorphins to create new life? That drugs are forever trying to simulate these sensations?The reason that I mention these strange

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-87182934554898433952010-02-19T22:12:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:49:08.265-08:00

St. Vincent - Actor (2009)I am enamored with St. Vincent. Her unconventional beauty both ethereally and spiritually. Music is a spiritual endeavor after all and St. Vincent, aka Annie Clark, has a divine spirit. I adore her music, her smokey voice cascading around groovilicious and jazzilicious melodies, occasionally bouncing off the reverb that her current has pulled loose and launched down

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-21144578593499864042010-02-17T21:32:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:49:19.225-08:00

Black Milk - Tronic (2008)When it comes down to beats, this guy has got the mojo. With an immense groove that immediately pulls you into the depth of each composition, Black Milk is thrusting himself amongst the great hip-hop artists of all time very quickly. When I heard Tronic for the first time I didn't know how to describe it. Nothing seemed overly extraordinary with his delivery or lyrics or

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-10680917772289773212010-02-16T21:56:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:49:30.665-08:00

jj - jj No. 2 (2009)What the hell is stoner music? Does it turn into a magical elixir whenever you smoke a bowl, imparting infinite knowledge unknown under the auspices of soberhood? Remember back in the day when you supposedly could listen to a record in reverse and satanic verse would pull you into the darkside? Maybe that's what it is except this is some form of enlightenment Timothy Leary Ram

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-9048165183296285782010-02-15T20:52:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:49:42.067-08:00

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)I'm officially on the Animal Collective bandwagon. I don't know if it was simply a matter of time or if the band has evolved to the point that they have finally reached my aural hemisphere. Maybe my stubbornness has finally begun to fade because it was a good eight years ago that a friend of mine touted the benefits of the AC experience (though

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-39379623181211442032010-02-14T12:30:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:49:55.296-08:00

Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanists (2009)I don't think it gets any better than this for Portugal The Man. Perhaps, but in the meantime you can take some time with this album that just feels perfect. There's a maturity found within these songs but they still jump at you with PtM's typical intensity. I didn't know what to expect from these guys. They were a wonderful jolt for me a couple of

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-44413522966392420562010-02-12T16:41:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:50:05.300-08:00

Psapp - The Camel's Back (2008)Psapp uses toys to make their music. Toys! What the fuck are we doing here?! It's not that goddamn complicated! We should all be making music. Actually there's an entire movement that espouses active living. Meaning that we take everything that we are consuming and make it instead. We create. We grow our own food. We build our own land. We make art, music, love. We

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-29945185366320786592010-02-09T21:03:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:50:15.887-08:00

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (2009)Bill Callahan is a Zen musician. What does that mean really? I don't know but if there were such a thing then Callahan would be it. Originally showering the masses with wisdom through the guise of Smog, Callahan weaved his magical karmic blend for over a decade. Now he's brought us the second of his solo work and it is a crisp strange

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-59156951768492527142010-02-06T21:46:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:50:25.477-08:00

Joglaresa - Dreams Of Andalusia (2009)This is a found band for me, which basically means that I didn't get it through the usual channels, which actually quite often means that Xtimu discovered it somewhere and told me about it, since I only have four or five outlets from where I get most of my music. My Baby really connected on Joglaresa. Love the gypsy inspired spiritually tinged music from an

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-31762666911093431572010-02-05T22:15:00.001-08:002010-02-23T20:42:52.081-08:00

Lately, I heard through the grapevine that Lucas doesn't find me very funny. The exact phrasing was something like this, "No, my dad isn't that silly." Lucas loves to be silly. He reminds me of the falling on the floor comedians of old, throwing himself around with a big hysterical guffaw bellowing from his lips as he flops down. He makes faces and tells the same joke a hundred times trying to

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-72823030958988643292010-02-03T09:31:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:50:37.893-08:00

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixPhoenix has been a dominant force in our hemisphere over the past decade. First they hit us with United, a stellar pop debut that was a cross cultural mish-mash of fun music. Then came Alphabetical, one of my favorite albums, a mixture of funky pop songs that graced our ears with a blissful bounce. In 2006 we were granted with an old-fashioned album of

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-41082743901080893402010-02-02T13:52:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:50:48.019-08:00

Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke (2009)This is my guilty pleasure for the year. A pot full of fun mixed with an ounce of nostalgia. I used to live in Chula Vista and every summer we would play out in the street all day long: baseball, basketball, football, hide-n-seek, flirting and kissing. I was fourteen and we were going to move to a new house. I would be at a different school, trying to discover new

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-76446520909562440262010-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:50:59.887-08:00

Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is A Mouth (2009)Back in the early nineties we were given a gift of a film called The Commitments. It was an interesting romp of quirky characters as they try to start a band in Ireland. Not everyone loved the movie but I thought it was great watching this eclectic group of individuals form into a cohesive creative thing of beauty, only to eventually fall apart under

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-35322263507098287532010-01-31T21:00:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:51:16.593-08:00

Fever Ray - Fever Ray (2009)Karin Dreijer Andersson is a freak. As you should know by now, I mean that in the best way possible. I like weirdos and fringe culture. I revel in the art that makes us dwell on the uncomfortable aspects of our nature. Andersson is the type of musician that I crave to discover; self-produced, strange, creative, anti-establishment, hostile, angelic, post-apocalyptic,

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-24114031170233146332010-01-29T13:46:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:51:28.651-08:00

Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)What a long train down into the trails of my muse. Veckatimest went from the most overrated album of the year to top ten to rounding out right about here. It's a really nice album but when it came out I played it for my brother-in-law and told him about all of the critical acclaim it was getting. We both were kinda wondering how and why, confusion spreading

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-22776608474208757602010-01-28T20:22:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:51:39.088-08:00

Jason Lytle - Yours Truly, the Commuter (2009)The song, Brand New Sun, has been the anthem for my life the past year. Just when everything has begun to change with hope for a new ambition, I've come to realize that there is one aspect of my life where I need real change to occur, not simply rhetoric (ahhhh...if only President Obama could heed those words). I've spent the last eighteen years

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-37949064942106782572010-01-27T21:35:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:51:50.077-08:00

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz! (2009)It's really interesting to follow the arc of popular music. There's a subtle shift that happens as each sound gets co-opted and regurgitated and flounced and flayed and splattered on our airwaves. There's a trend going around called electro-pop and it's roots flow back to 80's new wave dance music. I hate to do that, consummately disliking those people who try

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-48468672953923492862010-01-25T10:59:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:52:00.748-08:00

Zero7 - Yeah Ghost (2009)I've always liked Zero7 but they've never been a favorite of mine. From their quick fame with the song Destiny through two more albums, their pleasant sound has wafted through our lives. Extremely enjoyable and effortlessly holding to that soundtrack of our lives sound, we've spent many a night drinking and chatting with their beautiful and lofty message in the background

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-1832584308467366622010-01-20T13:58:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:52:13.470-08:00

Kings Of Convenience - Declaration Of Dependence (2009)This is one of those albums that will eventually belittle this current placement. A year from now it will probably be my favorite album of 2010 but for now it lingers here. Kings Of Convenience are so profoundly wonderful and unique that it shocks people. Shocking in a way that is so hard to comprehend because the entire time you wonder what

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-38225941466363941932010-01-18T20:25:00.001-08:002010-07-12T00:19:57.952-07:00

Quinn performed in her first concert today! Well...she didn't actually play but she went on stage with everyone and stared out at the audience with an intense look of intrigue.Quinn has increasingly become more enamored with the violin and all of its lovely charms. A couple of weeks ago she sat in on group class and practiced with the other students for the entire hour. That was a first for her,

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-54175229934705844692010-01-17T12:38:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:52:26.285-08:00

Metric - Fantasies (2009)There are bands that come to define you. They represent a perfect image of who you were during that moment in your life. When you listen to the music it suddenly embodies every truth, every emotion that is churning beneath the surface. This type of identification is so amorphous and constantly changing that it's hard to pinpoint exactly when they became your favorite band

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-64653930319532574072010-01-15T18:32:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:52:36.160-08:00

Lee Fields and the Expressions - My World (2009)This is one of my great finds of the year. I love to discover such sweetness and through one of my many outlets, I was able to hear about Lee Fields and his wonderful brand of soul. His sounds transcends time in many obvious ways but what I truly love is the earnestness that comes out of his music. There's a spirit here that wants to embrace the

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-13083585220039736562010-01-13T18:51:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:52:45.537-08:00

Marissa Nadler - Little Hells (2009)Marissa Nadler has always been on the periphery the past few years. She was originally announced as a new voice in the freak folk movement with the aura of a siren. She was weird and beautiful and no one knew about her so I immediately wanted to get her albums even though they were practically impossible to find. Eventually she drifted out of the obscure corner

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-87199131323207230642010-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:002011-02-24T12:52:55.963-08:00

Passion Pit - Manners (2009)Euphoric, that's what I feel when I listen to Passion Pit. They have an energy that is infectious, bursting out of the seams with poppin beats and ascending toward the clouds with an airy note of bliss. The music surrounds me with sweetness that I can groove to and a blessing, like an ovation to the stars, thankful to be alive. Stumbling out of the desire to love,

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822672.post-85177565984852178522010-01-08T22:04:00.001-08:002010-07-12T00:22:31.447-07:00

(photo courtesy of Rick G. Munoz)Lucas has become our telephone operator, answering the phone as much as he can. It's cute watching him bolt to grab the handset before either Xtimu or I can react fast enough to cut him off. I don't mind really because half the time the phone rings I'd rather not get up and answer the damn thing anyway. It's easier for me to sit right where I am and let Lucas

mishupishuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01398498758724704828noreply@blogger.com0