LSU gets beat, JRH gets trashed

LSU lost 31-30 last night on a last-minute TD pass by Arkansas QB Casey Dick, not unlike the last-minute loss LSU suffered in 2002.

Last night, I went to the house of Sean Thompson, leader of the progressive rock band Gravel Undertone, whose stuff you can hear at the URL below.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7959438

Sean's been my friend for a while. I had plenty of vodka and I remember getting bodyslammed in a drunken sumo bout with Cedric. I got hella drunk and ended up sleeping on his couch.

While I was there, I played a few of my songs, but I had trouble remembering a lot of the words because I was drunk, but it was fun. I played "Taylor Morris" because Taylor was there.

Losing can't put you in a good mood to watch college football. I'm bummed out.

It's time for me to start working on music again. But what should I do?

Cameron's never available, but he's godly when he is. I don't want to be a solo coffeehouse guy. I want a big, loud, powerful sound, and I can't do that with just me and a computer. I can't take the fakeness of programmed drums, but I don't have a way to record real drums. I could just bring a floor tom and a snare to the apartment, but I don't have any room for them. I seem to only be inspired when I'm busy, and when I do have an opportunity, the ideas and motivation aren't there. It's so hard to find people who share your vision. It's so hard to find people who share your vision AND CAN PLAY AN INSTRUMENT.

Happy Black Friday/ Leftovers Day/ Game Day

I hope everyone has a fun time mobbing at the department stores.

I'll be sitting here in Peachtree City watching some LSU football. You're welcome to come over.

Today, a true freshman will start at QB for LSU, something that hasn't happened since 1995. Jordan Jefferson gets the start due to injuries to Andrew Hatch and Jarrett Lee.

The world spends on its Axl

So the eternal question- what will come first, the release of Guns n' Roses' Chinese Democracy or a democratic revolution in China- has been answered. Nowadays, the Guns of Guns n' Roses represents the hired guns Axl brings in to replace Slash, Duff, Izzy, etc, while the Roses part, of course, represents frontman and resident egomaniac/ musical genius Axl Rose. You'd think that the conflicts and the 17-year delay horrorstories that shade the album would foreshadow something like a musical 4o,000-car trainwreck. Well, actually, it's really good.

I mean, it's not something that screams "Timeless Masterpiece", but it is really good. The songs are good. They are catchy and well-written. The sound is vast and powerful. It sounds like something pieced together over 17 years, but it flows seamlessly. The rockers rock, the power ballads are pretty. When it wants to be poppy and catchy, it's poppy and catchy. There's nothing ironic or unintentional about this album's pleasures. This album is a great album. Period.

Fans who leave early are a disgrace to LSU

Seriously, if you left early, fuck you. That is all.

Study like a Rockstar

or at least studying while hopped on Rockstar. It is 5:49 AM. I have not gone to sleep. An essay is due tomorrow (or should I say today?) and I just got through Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant for the second time. Before I reread it, I didn't have any answers. Now that I have, I have too many answers, and I'm searching for the right one, the thesis that will give me the best grade.

I also have a German exam I haven't had time to study. Scheiße.

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant is a really good book. It's not a style I particularly enjoy, but it has a theme of adaptation, people finding their own joy, their own happiness, their own little place where they belong. It's the kind of book you'd really want to read if it were about you. You start to notice little habits and tics you do, things you always noticed, but never really realized.

I like to think of myself as someone who is able to adapt when it's necessary. Like right now, where hectic days and hectic weeks are becoming more and more typical. I'm a lifelong procrastinator, but it seems I work best at the last minute. I'm adapting with Rockstars and reading. My head feels heavy and my arms are tired, but my brain is awake and buzzing. Now that I've made it through the night, I'm wondering how I'm going to make it through the day without falling asleep.

My Demo

My demo is now at Sub Pop Records, probably in a bin with a thousand other demos.

Exhaustion

I'm exhausted. I don't get enough sleep. Maybe I should drink more coffee, because I don't have time to sleep.

Sometimes I need that time alone to chill with my computer. I feel like a zombie if I don't get it.

Maybe I should get used to that zombie feeling of efficiency.

I try to meditate and get rid of those stupid thoughts that clog up my brain. It's really hard to just stop thinking. At least for me it is.

I was losing weight nicely, but then BAM, Chinese put me back where I started. Time to start ordering less...

I can't time manage. I've tried. I just don't have time to manage my time, it seems. Either that or I just never get around to it. Like cleaning my room. My room is a total wreck right now, but I never feel like cleaning it. And it's not like I don't like having a clean room, it's just that the results of having a clean room never seem to be worth the work it takes to keep it there. Damn.

New steps forward towards stardom

yesterday, I sent a demo with "My Own Little Sun", "Smile, Feral Child" and "Faces of Death" to Sub Pop Records in Seattle. I just wanna see what happens.

Today is Tuesday, and my meeting with Alejandro is tomorrow, so I have to work on my comp stuff. It's so tedious. I'm really not a fan of Finale or, to be honest, music editors in general. They tend to fuck your music up while it's sitting in its file. I call it the "Finale Monster" and it's just one of the things I hate about my life right now.

I'm trying to keep my weight down. I've been eating less and stuff. The hardest part is keeping it off for a long period and not backing down.

This blog will be music only

I will make a separate sports blog in a little bit.

SHIT!

Fuck!

Jeremy Shockey's out for 3-6 with a sports hernia.  Just when he and Drew Brees were starting to build chemistry.  Fuck!

We can still beat the 49ers, though.  I hope.

The good news is, Reggie Bust is now Reggie Beast.  Hooray for improvement!

NFL- who's living up to the hype now?

Expected breakout stars that are living up to the hype:

WR Calvin Johnson- Lions

Johnson had two consecutive 100-yard games to begin the season, and he's arguably the best player on Detroit's pathetic offense.

RB Reggie Bush- Saints

Has Reggie finally arrived?  Reggie has over 400 yards of total offense in his first three games, and that doesn't include yards from punt returns.  For the first time in his career, he has scored a touchdown in three consecutive games, including 2 touchdowns against the Broncos.  Last year, Reggie only managed 6 total touchdowns.  In only three games so far, he already has 4.

QB Jay Cutler- Broncos

The "Next Great Superstar QB" has been, um, the next great superstar QB.  Cutler trails only Drew Brees in total passing yards, and he also has 8 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions.  Vince Young and Matt Leinart?  Suck it.  Great QB's come from Vanderbilt.

Disappointments

QB Peyton Manning- Colts

Peyton looks rusty rusty rusty, and the Colts are 0-1.  So far, Eli has been the better Manning.

WR Chad Johnson/ Ocho Cinco- Bengals

He has been a ghost on the field.  If you do a gimmick like that, you better have a wicked season, and so far, Chad hasn't been there.

QB Derek Anderson- Browns

The fans' chants for Brady Quinn now seem warranted.

QB David Garrard- Jaguars

He has not lived up to his huge contract.

QB Carson Palmer- Bengals

The Bungles are 0-3, and Carson Palmer's been way off the mark.  His performance yesterday against the Giants was much better, but he has a ways to go to right the sinking ship.

What a huge win!

Jarrett Lee,

Thank you.  You are the man.  You stepped up your game when it mattered.

At halftime, it was Auburn 14 LSU 3.  And then it was LSU 26 Auburn 21.  This is also the first time LSU has won at Auburn since 1998.  The trend of the home team winning in the LSU-Auburn series which started in 2000 is broken.  And LSU snapped it first.

Brandon LaFell is one of college football's best receivers.  Last year, LaFell had bizarre turnover against Auburn that had him benched.  This time, LaFell has the game-winning touchdown.  He's also a complete football player.  When the play didn't call for him to catch, LaFell made plays by blocking.

LSU's biggest question mark, quarterback, has been answered.  If Jarrett can play like he did in the second half, LSU is a title contender.  He is not as mobile as Hatch, but he gets the ball to the wide receivers and he stretches the defense, which in turn makes room for Charles Scott.

Scott, who looks like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, ran for 132 yards.  Beastly.

The defense made plays.  Chris Hawkins had two interceptions.  There were sacks a-plenty.

You know, there's a quarterback in Gainesville who still doesn't have a fourth-quarter comeback.

LSU Football

1.  QB inconsistency is a concern.  Neither Hatch nor Lee looked comfortable in the offense.  LSU really could have used that game against Troy, but oh well.  Jordan Jefferson didn't exactly light it up either.

2.  You're a bad man, Charlie Scott.  Charles Scott continues to be awesome.

3.  Auburn's offense has no spark.  Seriously.  What kind of football game ends 3 to 2?  Yuck!

Chad Ocho Cinco

The batshit-crazy Chad Johnson is no more.

The batshit-crazy Chad Ocho Cinco has arrived.  I love the NFL.

Chad Ocho Cinco is what the NFL needs- a talented uber-eccentric.  His interviews are never boring, and the more I learn about him, the more interesting he becomes.  His obsession with "Talladega Nights" and his Lynyrd Skynyrd ringtone.  Oh yeah, and his new last name.

Johnsons are a dime a dozen.  I have Johnson blood in me, but there are so many Johnson's, I probably won't miss him, even though we are no doubt related somehow.

Ocho Cincos are much rarer.  In fact, I think there's only one.

Brian Wilson- That Lucky Old Sun

Brian Wilson has something left in the tank.

25 years ago, Wilson was a crazy fat drug addict nobody thought would ever speak a coherent sentence again.  Call the long-long-long-long-awaited release of Smile the final rehab project.  Brian is making new music again- good new music.  That Lucky Old Sun has moments of Wilsonian brilliance.  It is nowhere near the sustained quality of SMiLE or Pet Sounds, but please excuse Brian Wilson for this album's surprisingly few faults.  Even forgetting what he's been through, Wilson is 66.  Add in all the history, and this album is a miracle.  It's also pretty good.

The album's premise is really corny.  It's a tribute to Wilson's native Southern California.  I could have lived without the narratives that split the music, but aside from the one where Wilson tries to use Spanish, they're not as bad as you would imagine.  The album's worst moments have to be when Wilson and the Wondermints try to rock.  They're just too clean and polished to pull off a 3-chord rocker like "Morning Beat", but even that song has a really cool motive at the beginning of the track.  Wilson is too old to sing something like "Mexican Girl".  That one could have been given to one of the younger singers.  "California Role" sounds like the Beatles' "Honey Pie" in the wrong hands.  "Oxygen to the Brain", Brian's admission to his past drug use, sounds too much like a bad SMiLE outtake.

But then there are some real gems.  "Good Kind Of Love" is the kind of whimsical pop-tune that reminds me that there is something left in the tank.  "Forever She'll Be My Surfer Girl" is clearly self-referential, but it's good enough to work.  "Live Let Live" is 70's Beach Boys done right.  I absolutely loved hearing the opening of the brilliant outtake "Can't Wait Too Long" rerecorded.  It sounds exactly like the original, but better.  I wish they did the whole thing.  "Midnight's Another Day" is a beautiful ballad.  It's a little bit overdone, but it is very effective, and it fits Wilson's range.  "Going Home" sounds like a lost corn-rocker from Love You, but it works.  Love that harmonica.  The closing ballad "Southern California" is really effective, and it ends the album on a good note.  So yeah, good album.

At first, after I switched to BA Music from Music Comp, I was excited that I only had to take one more year of comp.

Now I'm thinking "oh dear God.  Not another year of comp."

Quite literally, I'm only doing it for the scholarship money.

Mom says "James, you can be the guy that makes Classical music popular again."  My response: "why in the hell would I want to do that?"

You know, I don't think "Gee willikers, I love Mozart!"  I think he was a cool guy, but I have never felt compelled to listen to him.  There will never be another Mozart.

I actually like Beethoven's music, but he's dead too.  There will never be another Beethoven.

Nobody's listening to modern classical music, and why should they?  Most of it sucks ass.  There are film composers, but nowadays, with music production getting cheaper and cheaper, it's becoming easier to score films and video games, and there's less demand and less money.

Zappa once said "Jazz is not dead.  It just smells funny" and I have to say the same thing about Classical music.  Beethoven will always be fresh, but all there is now is revivalism and tuneless academic/scientific noisemaking.

I am not saying that classical music should be ignored, but in the academic world, it is everything you study.  You follow their rules, and that's what you do.  There's now jazz studies here at LSU, but there they put the same sort of rules in there too.  I'm not really sure if music-writing is something that can be taught, and it certainly isn't something that can be governed either.  Besides, almost all music-comp guys eventually become either a. unemployed at 35, b.  stuck at college, working on their doctorals, or c.  becoming music students themselves.

One thing I have learned is I've got to please myself with my music.  You can't aim to please the crowd, because the crowd always changes, and eventually, you'll get abandoned and you never made anything you really wanted to make.

Here are a few reasons why I don't want to do comp anymore:

1.  I'm not interested in classical music.

2.  I don't want to be known as a composer.  It's such a disgusting term.  People should only be referred to as composers if they're dead.

3.  I don't want to make anything good, because if I make something good, then everyone will want more.  I don't want to be good at something I don't want to.

Seriously, if I was the world's best toilet cleaner, everyone would want me to be a janitor.

Favorite Songs of all time

Weezer

"Undone (The Sweater Song)"

Weezer

Geffen Records, 1994

Composed by Rivers Cuomo

Once upon a time, Weezer was good.  Very good.  Proof?  Their album named Weezer, the one with the band standing in front of a blue background.  Every song on this album is good, but track five stands in my top ten favorite songs of all time.  It's called "Undone (The Sweater Song)"

F#, B, C#, B, F#, B, C#, B...

Sometimes all you need is three chords and a typical bass-snare-bass-snare drum pattern.  I've never been able to write a good song with only three.  Rivers Cuomo wrote a fucking epic.  The guitar melody remains among the best and most eccentric of all time.  The melody is perfect.  The dynamic shifts from soft to loud are perfect.  The vocal harmonizing is fun.  This is one of those songs one can't perfectly describe.  The bridge is flawless and surprisingly disorienting.  The buildup to the end with all the "woooohs" that sing the initial guitar part?  Oh my God!  Perfection.  Nobody has been able to write a song as perfect as this one in a long time.

Partie Traumatic

Well, Pitchfork sure was quick to hop off the Black Kids bandwagon

Seriously, what assholes.  If you magically change your opinion on a band, you better explain it instead of just slapping a 3.3 and a picture of two pug dogs looking sad on it.  That's not cool.  Black Kids don't deserve the Jet treatment.

The only thing I hate more than the obscene amounts of hype piled on young, inexperienced bands like Black Kids is the sudden change of opinion everyone has once they get signed and hit #5 in the UK.  This is sickening.  I haven't heard it, but I can't imagine it being too bad with songs like "Hurricane Jane" on it.  EXPLAIN, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!!!

Pitchfork is an influential hub of music knowledge.  People's opinion feed off Pitchfork, and probably too many.  The problem is, it's almost as if Pitchfork pulled an elaborate prank by raving about their debut and trashing their new album.  With Pitchfork's influence, Black Kids' fame could vanish as quickly as it arrived.  And Pitchfork isn't giving any reasons why, either.  This is just plain wrong.  Rot in hell, Pitchfork.

Chump

My album has changed a lot.

I've gotten into Black Sabbath, which is awesome.  I'm adding a thick, sludgy guitar sound to all my songs.

A lot of my songs have changed, too.  A lot of the songs I made demos for are gone.  Only "The Monster" and "Christmas in July" (as "Yeah") remain.

I wasn't sure about rerecording "Smile Feral Child", but I believe that song is too good to leave off.

"Take Me Away" "Here Comes the Love Bug" "Nothin' Better to Do" "Yeah" "The Monster" "Taylor Morris" and "Three Minute Mile" are mostly done.  "Smile Feral Child" needs to be done, I need to write the lyrics to the middle part of "Not That Strong/ Chris Paul is God/ Faces of Death" suite and only the first part of a multi-section song is completed.  There's a few other songs I recorded, namely "Invinciblity", "75", "Perspective" and "Punk Song with Lots of Reverb" but I'm not sure about any of them.  "Invincibility" is really short and it has finished lyrics, so it could make it.

I'm mixing the album in my room, using my sound system.  I'm mixing drums and bass lower, guitar and vocals higher.  It makes for a clearer sound, and the guitar is low and dirty enough to make the sound heavy.

The album will be called "Chump" for now.  It was going to be called "Shamelessly Delightful" but my sound isn't shamelessly delightful anymore.  "Chump" fits me better because a chump is an unathletic person.

How to make your lyrics seem better than they actually are

1. If you have a bland set of lyrics, here's one trick I learned that can make a set of lyrics better.

Here is a bland set of lyrics I wrote.

Let's go caroling

sleigh bells everything

I just want to close my eyes

need no reason why

Christmas in July

I just want to close my eyes

April Seventeenth

time for Halloween

I just wanna trick or treat

dusk turns into dawn

life drags on and on

I just wanna close my eyes

Here's a cheap way to make it seem better:

Give the song a random, unrelated, title.

You can name it something controversial, like "The War In Iraq", or "Al Sharpton" or "White Guilt".  Instant speculation!

You can name it something completely random, like "Damn, Gas Prices Sure Are Expensive" or "The Monkey That Protects The Banana Horde."

You can describe the song without mentioning the lyrics, like "This Is A Song In Gb" or "This Song Involves An Acoustic Guitar, So That Means I'm Versatile".  You can also be cute and sarcastic like that.

See? You don't have to take your title from a lyric in the song.  Cool, huh?

The Reset Button

I've been doing things all wrong.

I haven't been considering my vocal range when writing songs.  I've been trying to hit notes I can't hit.

I figured out why I change band names so often.  Every time I change names, I feel refreshed.  It's a new start.  It's a reset button.

I need that right now.  I need to start over.

But I'm taking old songs with me.  "Smile, Feral Child" I'm knocking down three half-steps. (from G to E) and "Three Minute Mile" is also going down three half-steps (from F to D).  It changes the feel of the songs a bit, but my singing is more confident.  Because I can hit the notes.

Every time I use a name, it gets old after a few months.  I'm getting tired of James Read Hunter, and it's the name I was fucking born with.

I heard that once someone switches names, they start new lives.  They're new people with clean slates.

Sometimes, it's fun to start from scratch.

track nine

9. Faces of Death

Johnny's a boy, a teenage boy

but he doesn't act quite like the others

besides the Playstation and long masturbation

Johnny's a strange boy indeed

he wanders the suburbs at night all alone

he only eats Waffle House and Twinkies

the strangest by far is in his VCR

Johnny's a strange boy indeed

he likes to watch people die

faces of death, faces of death

he lost the power to cry

faces of death, faces of death, faces of

he don't look both ways when crossing the street

he don't care if a car's a-coming

no he's not afraid, death come she may

Johnny's a strange boy indeed

he likes to watch people die

faces of death, faces of death

he lost the power to cry

faces of death, faces of death, faces of death.

track eight

You've heard this one too.

8. My Own Little Sun

You told me your racing car was way too slow

I think that your confidence is way too low

so drive drive drive as fast as you can

and if you don't win you know I'll understand

the rain may spit on everyone

but me I've got my own little sun

you told me your dress made you look too fat

how can you believe in something stupid like that?

we're going to the party and we'll dance all night

does it really matter if your dress is tight

the rain may spit on everyone

but me I've got my own little sun

you've always been an anxious girl

I can tell by the really bad poetry you write

worried 'bout your mental and your dental health

there's marks on your pencils from where you bite

you don't need medicine

you just need someone to hold you tonight

I'm gonna be your zoloft, girl

you know I'm gonna treat you right

don't worry baby it will be alright

I am gonna be with you tonight

the rain may spit on everyone

but me I've got my own little sun

I've got my own little sun

I've got my own little sun

track seven

7. Lay Back Down

What do you think I did wrong?

was there something I could have done?

we lost the fight is it my fault?

how am I supposed to live?

Lay back down

I know you did everything that you could

Lay back down

you're alive that's all that matters to me

my weary arms are marked with scars

salt from my tears makes them sting

my legs are sore my body's tired

and yet I cannot sleep a wink

Lay back down

I know you did everything that you could

lay back down

you're alive, that's all that matters to me

track six

6. Your Feelings

Feelings

you think you're walking on the ceiling

Feelings

your skin is numb, your brain is peeling

Feelings

the days are dark the sky is falling

feelings

you hear that sound the wild is calling

I know it's been awhile

since you erased the messages I left when you call

you deleted all the files

and all my posts on your facebook wall

you blocked my screenname too

you burnt the letters but no matter what you do

you can't get rid of all your feelings

feelings

you don't wanna hear my cardboard insight

feelings

you can't even sleep with a goddamn nightlight

feelings

the sun is blue the sky is golden

feelings

you can't even taste the wine you're holdin'

I know it's been awhile

since you erased the messages I left when I called

you deleted all the files

and all my posts on your facebook wall

you blocked my screenname too

you burnt the letters but no matter what you do

You can't get rid of all your feelings

more

5. Self-Conscious

I'll put green paint on my face

and climb a big oak tree

and I'll throw shit on unsuspecting

people who piss off me

I'm not gonna be careful

when I go out on a limb

they will shout "get down" and I'll just

laugh and fire again

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

the way people stare

makes me nervous

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

I'm not gonna live this way forever

I just wanna be free

and do what I wanna

and who cares what say you

this is my life, live your own

if you read these lyrics

and tell me that they suck

I wish I didn't give a fuck

but you hurt my feelings

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

the way people stare

makes me nervous

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

I'm not gonna live this way forever

it would be self-conscious of me not to admit that I get a little self-conscious after all

I posted this one before.  I wanted to put it here again, though, so the two people who read this blog can see them in order.

more lyrics

Here's some songs you probably know.  If not, check them out at http://www.myspace.com/buttermusic

3. Three Minute Mile

I'm a pretty crappy athlete

every sport I tried been badly beat

except a green ribbon for fifth place

at the 4 by 400 track relay

I could never give my all you see

nothing ever motivated me

until I met this girl she looked so sweet

then I had the motivation to complete a

(Three minute mile) three minute mile

(three minute mile)

I could run a three minute mile

if I knew she was a mile away

she told me she was a lesbian

I guess I was some kind of exception

she insisted she was not a bi

she could never love another guy

but now that she's gone I feel so low

my heart is colder than an eskimo

I haven't got the motivation

to do anything at all, let alone a 

(three minute mile) three minute mile

(three minute mile)

I could run a three minute mile

if I knew she was a mile away

4. Smile, Feral Child

Me, I was a lonely kid

Nintendo 64 was my only friend

and Paper Mario

I wasn't sorry, no

and when I knew you

I believed that you were a feral child

cause like a feral child you never ever seemed to smile

You were just a love affair

I imagined flowers in your hair

and sunshine in your face

your light and lovely face

but on Valentine's Day

I gave you a little box of chocolates

you said thanks, but I could tell you didn't give a shit

(oh no please forgive me)

I was only trying to make you smile

feral child, why do you look so down?

a little smile once in a while

feral child, things would look a little brighter now

ooh, ooh baby

they say feral children

don't smile cause they weren't exposed to smiles

but that isn't true

blind people smile too

so why not you oh

we are higher than animals you know why

we can do more than breathe and eat and sleep and fuck and die

(oh no please forgive me)

I was only trying to make you smile

feral child, why do you look so down?

a little smile once in a while

feral child, things would look a little brighter now

ooh ooh

if you smiled, I wouldn't feel so crappy

but at least I make an effort to pretend I'm happy

(oh no please forgive me)

I was only trying to make you smile

feral child, why do you look so down?

a little smile once in a while

feral child, things would look a little brighter now

You know what?  I just realized those are both damn good songs.

Lyrics to track 2

Not Jim-Beaux Hunter anymore.  James Read Hunter.  I don't care how plain it is anymore.  It's my name.  I won't hide behind band names and pseudonyms anymore.

Anywho,

2. Christmas In July

Let's go caroling

sleigh bells, everything

I just wanna close my eyes

ooh

Need no reason why

Christmas in July

I just wanna close my eyes

ooh

ooh

April Seventeenth

time for Halloween

I just wanna trick or treat

ooh

Dusk turns into dawn

life keeps dragging on

I just wanna close my eyes

ooh

ooh

They look stupid on paper, but I swear they sound good when sung.  At least I hope so.

I have finished writing lyrics for the new album

1. That Sound

What's that sound I hear

it's lovemakin' for the ears

Can't get enough of that sound

play it again

I don't care how it's made

I just wanna hear it played

Can't get enough of that sound

play it again

Can't get enough of that sound

enough of that sound

play it again

play it again, yeah yeah yeah

It sounds like a summer breeze (like a summer breeze)

swayin' all the trees (swayin' all the trees)

can't get enough of that sound

play it again

can you catch it in a jar? (catch it in a jar)

can you play it on guitar? (play it on guitar)

can't get enough of that sound

play it again

can't get enough of that sound

enough of that sound

play it again

play it again, yeah yeah yeah

Yeah, it's stupid, but the music is really catchy.  I'm going for simple with these lyrics.

Jim-Beaux Hunter

The name is either Jim-Beaux Hunter or James Read Hunter

The album will be named either The Delight Machine or Shamelessly Delightful

The tracklisting will be as follows:

1. That Sound

2. Christmas in July

3. Three Minute Mile

4. Smile, Feral Child

5. Self-Conscious

6. Your Feelings

7. Lay Back Down

8. My Own Little Sun

9. Faces of Death

10. I'm Gonna Teach You How To Smile

11. Protest Songs are Lame

12. The Monster

13. I Won't Stop

All songs written by James Read Hunter (credited like that whether I'm Jim-Beaux or not.)

All tracks produced by Jim-Beaux and Drake Kennedy

All tracks engineered by Drake

Vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, drums, keyboards and harmonica performed by Jim-Beaux

Upright and electric basses performed by Drake

Special thanks to Mom, Dad, Ali, Drake's dad, Sean Thompson, Nick Elward, Chris Hermecz, OniChicken, Matt Lyons, Sarah Prewoznik, the foks at the adriandenning.co.uk message board, Taylor Morris, Lauren Barron, Erich Beasley, KLSU, the guy at the Baton Rouge Guitar Center who gave me a huge discount on a Big Muff Pi, Steven Baumann, Miggles, Tim Olsen, Jon DeCuir, Sean Murphy, Victor Tokunboh, John Milligan, Alejandro Arguello, Giselle Eastman, Les Miles, LSU Football, McIntosh Drumline, Mary Jane Server, everyon who inspired me, Brian Petrivelli, Stillriver, Eleven Paces, Rigawestie, and many more.

Doom Metal and Me

Ever heard of a band called Sleep?

They are awesome.  They're like Black Sabbath but thicker and more ridiculous.  I wish I could pull off Doom Metal, but my sense of melody makes everything sound like pop, which can be good sometimes, but sometimes I want to be like an awesome doom metal.

The album is "Dopesmoker".  The title track is an hour long, and it's about the "Weedian" people on a pilgrimage to the "riff-filled land" and it's awesome.  "Sleep's Holy Mountain" is on right now, and it's even better 1. because it's faster-paced, 2. because it's more diverse and... well, I can't think of a third.  Everything sounds better in threes, but two reasons will have to do.

LSU baseball hit 23 wins last night.  Unbelievable.  The Bayou Blaster Brothers Blake Dean and Matt Clark are incredible.  44 home runs between them this season, and I'm sure there's more to come.

Self-Conscious

I'll put green paint on my face

and climb a big oak tree

and I'll throw shit at unsuspecting

people who piss off me

I'm not gonna be careful

when I go out on a limb

they will shout "get down" and I'll

just laugh and fire again

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

the way people stare

makes me nervous

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

I don't wanna live this way

forever

I just wanna be free

and do what I wanna do

and who cares what say you

this is my life; live your own

if you read these lyrics

and tell me that they suck

I wish I didn't give a fuck

but you hurt my feelings

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

the way people stare

makes me nervous

I tell 'em I don't care

but secretly I do

I'm not gonna live this way

forever

It would be self-conscious of me not to admit that I am a little self-conscious after all.

Best Quarterbacks and QB Situations in the NFL by Division

Starting with the NFC.

NFC East-

1. Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia Eagles)

One cannot deny McNabb's body of work.  And to think he was booed when the Eagles drafted him...

2. Eli Manning (New York Giants)

It's a close one between Eli and Romo.  Romo beat Eli twice last season, but Eli beat the Cowboys in the postseason when it really mattered.  Sorry Tony, but I'm going with the Super Bowl Rule.

3. Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys)

I am not a Romosexual, but I can't deny Romo's talents.  Definitely one of the great "undrafted, rises in the roster, becomes superstar" stories.  Maybe he should stay away from Jessica Simpson, aka "Yoko Romo".

4. Jason Campbell and Colt Brennan (Washington Redskins)

Campbell's good, but not great.  Brennan?  Not likely.  (Predicted starter: Campbell)

NFC North

1. Aaron Rodgers, Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn (Green Bay Packers)

After Brett Favre retired, the Packers did the right thing and stocked up on QB's.  One of these guys will be the Packers' franchise guy. (Projected starter: Rodgers)

2. Jon Kitna (Detroit Lions)

Another guy who's good, but not great.  He's also getting old, and there's not much depth in the Lions roster.  Still a solid starter.

3. Tavaris Jackson and John David Booty (Minnesota Vikings)

If you rearrange the letters in "Tavaris", you get "Travesty".  Not really, but it might as well be so.  Tavaris Jackson is a piece of shit.  Thankfully, they drafted a decent guy, or else the Vikings would be last. (Projected starter: Booty)

4. Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton (Chicago Bears)

Five years into his career, Grossman remains a huge question mark.  Turnoversaurus Rex is the epitome of unreliable, swaying between "Good Rex" and "Bad Rex" from Sunday to Sunday.  As for Orton, well, there is no "Good Kyle".  Oh, and they didn't draft a quarterback.  Smart.  (Projected starter: Grossman)

NFC South

1. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFC and one of the four best quarterbacks in the league.  He might be the only guy to put on a Saints' uniform and become better.  He has passed 4000 yards in both of his seasons in New Orleans.

2. Jake Delhomme and Matt Moore (Carolina Panthers)

Delhomme is pretty good.  He even went to the Pro Bowl one year.  He got injured and opted for surgery, and after a merry-go-round of dudes like Carr and Testaverde, the Panthers found a solid guy in Matt Moore as well.  The Panthers have two good quarterbacks.  (Projected Starter: Delhomme)

3. A whole bunch of quarterbacks (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Aaaugh!!! Quantity over quality reigns at the Buccaneers place. I have no idea who will emerge as the guy.  (Projected Starter: No fucking clue.)

4. Joey Harrington, Chris Redman and Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)

The stench of the Michael Vick fiasco is going to loom on the Falcons for a long time.  Chris Redman was the best of the QB's last year, but it won't be long until Matt Ryan emerges.  (Projected Starter: Redman.  Ryan will have to wait some.)

NFC West

1. Matt Hasselbeck (Seattle Seahawks)

Very solid Pro-Bowl calibre player.

2. Marc Bulger (St. Louis Rams)

He has been a fantastic starter before, but last year was disastrous for the Rams.  Bulger will need to rebound to solidify his rep as a great quarterback.

3. Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart (Arizona Cardinals)

Warner's the veteran, but his best days are behind him.  Leinart has the skills to be great, but the NFL is not easier than a hot tub full of chicks. (Projected starter: Leinart)

4. Alex Smith and Shaun Hill (San Francisco 49ers)

The former number one overall pick has not proven himself as worth anything and neither has Shaun Hill.  (Projected starter: Smith)

I'll do the AFC later.

First post in a while

Sorry, it's been a while.

I'll catch up in a bit.

Sources tell me Jake Long is negotiating with the Dolphins and is going to be the number one pick in this draft.

This is a good choice.  How do you rebuild a team?  From the inside out.  The offensive line was the Miami Dolphins' weakest spot out of their many weak spots.  Jake is very big and very strong. The 315-pounder has a six-pack and 14 percent body fat. That's pretty damn impressive.

Some Dolphins fans that know little about football will be upset because they didn't take Matt Ryan.  It's easy to see why.

Bad quarterback play is easy to see.  Bad offensive line play is not as visible, but bad offensive line play can lead to bad quarterback play.  Josh McCown is a solid quarterback, even if he is not a long-term solution.  Matt Ryan is great, but he isn't number-one pick great.

Jake Long is an excellent needs choice, and there will be a lot of decent quarterbacks available in the later rounds.

The Saints are considering trading with the Rams for the second pick to nab Glenn Dorsey.  

I think it's a great idea, actually.

The Saints fanbase overlaps generously with the LSU fanbase.  Dorsey will be close to home.  He will be surrounded by support.  The Saints run a 4-3 defense, which Dorsey is better suited for.  The Saints are a good healing team if Dorsey's injuries persist.

The main reason is this:  Who are the Saints going to pick with pick number 10?  Nobody out there is worth it.  The other great tackle, USC's Sedrick Ellis, will probably be taken as well.  The Saints would have to risk it on some safety, but who's worth it?

With great power comes great responsibility

Said Peter Parker's father. He was right.

Spider-man was never happy. Once he defeated villains, he was expected to defeat more villains, and he never had time to do what he wanted.

When I considered quitting music, I felt like Parker in Spider-Man 2, ditching the costume and becoming normal again, with normal responsibilities I could suddenly fulfill.

And then in Spider-Man 3, Parker becomes the arrogant hero he feared he would become, losing the girl in the process. It's the kind of moment in a film where you just can't watch his embarrassment and her heartbreak.  It's something you can't stand.

Taking risks is only smart if you win, it seems.  If you fail, you regret not staying in your comfort zone, and the one thing I fear and loathe most of all is regret.

Fear of success

I have an awesome comfort zone. I slack through classes and I do what I want whenever. I don't have anything to prove, and I love it.

I have fear of success, and at the same time, fear of failure. I sacrifice success so I can live failure-free, because I'm remembered more for my failures than my successes.

When I look back, I don't see my successes. I only see where I fucked up and promised to myself never to fuck up again. My parents instilled in me a fear of failure.

Not that I really fear failure, but I fear their reaction, because they are my most valuable life line, and I don't want to lose it.

I like life right now, and I don't want to change it, because if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

But at the same time, it could be better.

"Hard work never hurt anyone, but why risk it?"  That phrase has been my life story.

I'm glad my parents don't know about this blog.  Like a lot of things, I need to hide it from them so I can resist their demands, and the guilt they give me when I don't do things for them.

New LSU basketball coach

Trent Johnson, former Stanford head coach, is heading down to the bayou to coach LSU's struggling basketball team.

In his four seasons at Stanford, he led his team to an 81-40 record, three NCAA tournament appearances, and a spot in the Sweet 16 just recently, all while coaching in the Pac-10 Conference, which is one of the hardest conferences for Basketball.

I don't blame him for heading down to the Bayou State. He'll have a program with great tradition, and if LSU becomes successful and the fanbase is rejuvenated, awesome Tiger fans.  He'll also be in Louisiana, an area that produces a lot of black people talent for recruiting. Welcome to Baton Rouge, Trent.

Now it's time to think of a T-Shirt slogan that celebrates our new coach.

"Bent on Trent"? Nah, but we'll think of something eventually.

Apologies

Please excuse my bitchfest yesterday.

I was having a bad day, and I blamed music.

I am staying with music, but I switched my major to Bachelor of Arts: Music with a minor in English.

Thank you.

I hate Retarded Baby Animals

I screwed myself over.

I didn't want people to know I was a composer, or a music composition student.

And now I'm having that stupid piece I didn't get two shits about premiered.

People will like it.  Because it has a stupid fucking title.

I'm supposed to be overjoyed. I feel like shit. The premiere is coming, and I don't want it to.

I'd call it off, but Melissa would hate me for it.

I don't even want to show up and listen to a bunch of applauding retards, but I have to. For Melissa.

I don't think I can sit there normally. I'll be embarrassed. I'll hide my face. I know I won't keep my composure. I'll start crying for no reason. I'll make a scene when all I want is to be invisible.

I don't want anyone to notice. I should have named it something boring like "Suite For Solo Clarinet" and no one would give two shits.

I'm anxious as hell for no reason. I hate music and I hate myself.

Depression versus Bliss

I don't wanna live

there's nothing worth living for

I don't wanna die

there's nothing worth dying for

I'm waiting for the answers

but there's no questions worth answering anymore

I think I could just cry

but there's nothing worth crying for

I might just float down the river

I don't know why I woke up.

I don't know why I was sleeping in the first place.

Sleep feels like a waste of time.

I waste enough time when I'm awake.

The Lady Tigers lost last night.

We had a one-point lead with seven seconds to go

and then we just let them lay-up one in.

Our fifth consecutive final four, our fifth consecutive loss in the semifinals.

Damn damn damn.

I feel depressed.  I don't find joy in writing music these days.

My parents want me to write music because I have talent.

I wish they didn't care about my music at all.

I don't like sharing my music with them or when they find it themselves.

Because when they do, they continually critique me, or glorify me and want to show off how awesome their son is.  Then there's pressure to please them and their friends.

I can't make music to please anybody but myself.

When I hide my music from them, they make me feel guilty about it.  But if I do show them, I regret it because then they put their own expectations on me.

Success to them depends on whether or not they like or not, it being clean and avoiding controversial topics, and whatever else they want.

I love them, but sometimes I wish I didn't.

Someone's writing the word "Bliss" in graffiti all over McVoy.

There's a big one spray painted on the sidewalk outside the whore door.

Bliss.

It means perfect happiness.

People really only have about 23 minutes of bliss in their lives.

Usually the moment LSU scores a touchdown or when reaching orgasm.

Maybe I should find Jesus.

I can't find happiness with myself.

I can't find happiness having loads of talent.

I can't make myself happy, it seems.

Why are so many comedians depressed?  Even the best ones, like George Carlin, were absolutely miserable with the world around them.

Comedy equals tragedy plus time.  If there were no tragedy, there would be no comedy.

There would be no laughter if there were no pain.

Resolutions would be pointless without conflict.

And now I wait for the big resolution to these conflicts.

I'm usually an optimist, but right now I'm a pessimist.

The Lady Tigers are the Sisyphus of Women's College Basketball.  They climb so far, and then they just slide down. 

That's how my life feels right now.