So I have always been a fan of the Cowboy Junkies. I have seen them in concert a coupla times and have all of their cds. When Lay It Down came out in the early 90's I played it until a friend politely told me to kindly remove it from the cd player in my car or she'd do it for me...only not so kindly. So it amazes me that they released a new cd earlier this year and I never heard about it. So I picked it up on the way home from work today and popped it in the player on my way to the gym. Guys, you gotta go get it! It's like Cowboy Junkies squared! The cd is called End At The End of Paths Taken and it is a cathartic epic. The central theme seems to be Family and all of the different aspects good and bad. From the review on their official website @ http://www.cowboyjunkies.com/ :

"You probably think you know what the new Cowboy Junkies record sounds like. You don’t. Yes, the trademarks are there. How could it be otherwise after two decades? But they’re all twisted, re-evaluated, renewed. Songs no longer draw life from the understated, almost unheard pulse of Alan Anton’s bassline, a sound that now propels undulating melodies on “Mountain” or “My Little Basquiat”. Anton almost switches places with Margo Timmins, still the most arresting voice in the game, yet buried deeper inside these songs, songs which create a surround sound universe of their own, be it from plaintive acoustics like “Someday Soon” or the kitchen sink overload of “Mountain”, where all hell breaks loose. Tomorrow never knew."

Reviewer Dave Bowler goes on to say:

"Having introduced listeners to new soundscapes, dissonant sounds, powerful emotional terrain, the second half of the record builds and builds, increasingly personal, intimate but wholly identifiable. “Follower” is a centrepiece, tracing the evolution from father to son, to son becoming father, scraps from Michael’s childhood, inklings from his future, one relationship becoming the other. “I can’t bear to hear his breathing, simply knowing what’s to come”. Is that the breath of a dying father, or a sleeping son, a life full of trials behind or before him? The closing, “Here you will always be, behind me, and you will not go away. Here I will always be, behind you, and I will never go away” is a perfect summation of the handing down of the generations, something picked up on again in “Mountain”, something they used to call a sound collage, mixing the Timmins’ father reading from his memoirs, all kinds of studio samples and sounds, wrenching strings, Margo Timmins wailing “How’d this mountain get so high?” into the abyss. If they hadn’t already come up with the phrase “sensory overload”, you’d have to invent it for this. "

I am so glad I discovered this just as the Fall closes in. The new cd, a glass of wine, a joint and a handful of twilight hours and I will be set. Seriously, get it!

Necessary Evil

She's baaaack! Debbie Harry's new cd is called Necessary Evil and it is the SHIT! I have always been a fan of Blondie and Debbie Harry and have spent numerous hours listening to all the old stuff and new stuff but I have to say that I am enjoying this cd a hell of a lot more than anything she's done recently. Sistah might be 63 years old but she shows no signs up slowing down! Try it, you'll like it.

People amaze me. They also never cease to amaze me. They tell you things they know you want ot hear to get things from you that they know you will never give unless you hear the things they are telling you. How do we know who to trust and who not to trust? This is the reason I do not do relationships. I have a friend, someone I have known for years. This person is married but does not respect the institution. While I do not respect or condone what they are doing I have known them for over 12 years so it is hard to stop talking to them. However I secretly harbor some bad feelings toward them....this person is the type of person who sours my view on relationships. While I think it would be great to know that one person would think I was enough to satisfy them for the rest of their life I am not sure how realistic that is. My parents are still together which is an oddity in this day and age so that gives me some hope. However they are the minority. Im sure we all think we are the exception to the rule. We all think we are different and that we can somehow make ourselves more interesting or enticing to our mates. Perhaps. I have to wonder if we are predisposed to staying in relationships for certain period of time before magic runs out. We all think we can keep it new and exciting but at some point it just gets too exhausting! What do you think?? Can you inspire me to keep trying? Let me know. JC

It is out....and it is fantastic!

Songs of Mass Destruction, the new cd by the amazing Annie lennox was released a few days ago and after countless listens I have to gush a little. How does she constantly do it? Can the woman record a bad song? By now everyone has heard Dark Road, the lead single. As good as it is there are even better songs on the cd! Smithereens is a personal fave of mine along with the dramatic Lost. I was sailing down 281 today screeching every song to the horror of passerbys. If she tours, Im there. Go get it.....hurry.....NOW!

What the Hizzle?

So I am constantly amazed at how so many people are so enchanted with all things from years gone by. I work at a contemporary furniture store and with all of the great designs on the market today people still want the old stuff. Dont get me wrong, Mies was great and Le Corbusier changed the face of industrial and modern design but design has been constantly evolving since they created their iconic designs. The Barcelona chair (pictured above in black) is beautiful, well-known, and a symbol of sophisticated taste but it is far from being comfortable. While I do like having a few choice period pieces in my home I have to admit that my love of all things current and futuristic makes me wonder why others let their tastes linger in the past. If I had things my way old things would get tossed out when new, more convenient and more efficient things came on the market. I dont like looking backwards-only forward. For this reason it is not my desire to own all the furniture that has been in my family and passed down for the years. It totally goes against everything I believe in. I want things that are relevant in today's culture. When it comes to design with one eye in the future and the other in the loft only one name comes to my mind-Karim Rashid.

Karim Rashid is my hero. His bio-morphic design sense has touched everyones' lives. He is an Industrial Designer from Egypy and Canada whose brave use of colour and texture have transformed the design landscape. From Target's Method line of home products to Umbra's luscious Garbo trash can and flexi Oh! Chair Rashid has become a digital avatar and Godfather of modern design and architecture. For more of Rashid's designs visit http://www.karimrashid.com/ or http://www.karimrashidshop.com/ .

The Fall season is upon us....and with it comes great music!

So it is no secret how much I love Annie lennox. A friend of mine here in San Antonio got to meet

her last time she was here with Sting and needless to say I was very envious. What made it worse was that it meant absolutely nothing to my friend and it woulda meant a whole lot to meeeee! Anywho, Annie's new cd is called Songs of Mass Destruction and if the lead single, entitled Dark Road, is any indication of what we might expect then hold on to your panties (or manties depending on who you might be)! Dark Road is an epic that goes the whole cathartic route of any notable masterpiece. Her voice has always been fantastic but the control and mastery she retains over those vocal chords has never been more evident. http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCFbKEVzlOo

The baritone babe that is Dave Gahan also has a new solo offering in October. The 23rd brings us Hourglass, the follow-up to 2003's Paper Monsters. I have to admit I am skeptical only because I thought PM was okay and I also thought that the songs he contributed to Depeche Mode's Playing the Angel cd were pretty good but not good enough to carry an album. The lead single, Kingdom, sounds off the chain, though! I'll be getting the cd/dvd version for sure!

...these are a few of my faaavorite things......

Well it is a sad day, month, year now that Hedi Slimane is no longer at Dior Homme. I've seen the S/S 2008 line and it is.....well....it barely is. I'd like us all to bow our heads and observe a moment of silence for the end of an era. I'd like to present some of Hedi's highlights: