a big treasure chest

I just found this Detroit Radio Station that has a whole bunch of interviews with people...sports players, porn stars, etc...but most importantly, Drew Barrymore, Jimmy Fallon, Chad Smith, Steve Carrell, Kevin Smith, Greg Giraldo, Slash..and more.

Check it:

http://www.wrif.com/podcasts/Episodes.aspx?PID=1471

Sufjan curing the bad days

I've recently developed a small infatuation with Sufjan Stevens, which is weird because I'm a late bloomer in this; in high school all of my friends urged me to get into him, and I just now am turned on to him. Even though his stuff is sort of quiet, calm, and gentle sounding compared to my other musical interests, there's something everlastingly comforting and encouraging about his lyrics, melodies, instrumentation and overall mood. I guess I just appreciate his message in general. After exhausting his catalougue for weeks, I managed to find some audio interviews with him.

1. The Guardian (UK):
http://audio.theguardian.tv/audio/kip/music/series/musicweekly/1255601288979/487/gdn.mus.ps.091016.music_weekly.mp3

2. NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114288376

3. Rolling Stone (in 3 parts on AbsolutePunk):
http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=196330

there may be some others I've forgotten or haven't found...

cinema beach, etc.

this has to be a quick and discreet post, as I am at work and trying to always keep a good stance (it's a temp job).
I just needed one place to shove everything I listen to at work that keeps me awake and occupied. The free coffee in the kitchen is as caffeinated and tasty as sugarless chocolate milk, and going into Dunkin Donuts 3x a day can be humiliating !!

For now, before I forget, are 3 EPs by a really pretty ambient band. Its lazy, dreamy sound is fitting for my upcoming beach trip...
http://cinemabeach.bandcamp.com/album/super-8-cassette

The only other things I have to put up that I've collected in my "favorites" tab are 2 interviews from the archives of NPR.

1. A very personal, extensive interview with Billie Joe from Green Day. I don't listen to them or really care about them anymore, but it presents an interesting background of the group and the punk music scene of the 90's.
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/14/132908093/green-days-billie-joe-armstrong-takes-broadway

2. The Beastie Boys...being funny...and cool and even if you ony like them just a tiny bit, they still have pretty inspiring things to say.
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/06/136019762/the-fresh-air-interview-the-beastie-boys

Four Loko

I got a temp job at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. I file stuff and make time with the older ladies at the office. I quit the diner within the hour of being offered this job. With a big smile on my face, I got on my bike and raced to Park Slope. The ride to work was never filled with so much glee. I giggled and laughed out loud, I sang to myself and waved to the people I normally saw on the route. I imagined they were waving back as I rode by, smiling at me and calling out, "Go, Ryan, go! Quit that job and tell those bastards to fuck off!" But, I took a more respectful approach and I feel like it was more satisfying. I walk in and find Debby at the counter, she's speaking to a customer. Debby is the owner, she runs the diner with her two sons. Debby is under 5 feet tall and has a thick Greek accent that makes her hard to understand. And she's a bitch. Her two sons weigh a metric ton each. So when I need to vomit for any reason, I just imagine her giving birth to those two Christmas hams, and puking is no problem. This was pay day, so I was in there to get paid and then quit. I saw her talking to someone, and I made the universal hand gesture for money so I wouldn't disturb her. A normal person would receive my message, then continue talking to the customer, and after they were done they would get my money. I understand how my communication can be seen as rude, but it's not something to get angry about. Debby ended her conversation immediately and pulled me into the other room. Here, she began to yell at me with her usual craziness, mostly about my bad attitude and apathy for the rules of conduct. I looked at her, nodding my head and smiling quietly to myself. Then she walked away. She came back and handed me the money. At that point, I told her I got another job and I wasn't coming into work any more. She was unhappy, but didn't make a fuss. That was a week ago. Today was pay day again, and I needed to collect the pay for my last shift. I worked 3 hours because of a job interview, so they owed me $12. I went in today, and told one of the sons that I needed my pay for my last shift. He gave me $40, assuming that I worked a full shift. Sweet.

Tonight I'm trying Four Loko for the first time. If you're unfamiliar, it's a caffeinated alcoholic beverage which gained popularity just recently. Here's the stats: 23.5 ounces, 12.0% alcohol. Contains: Alcohol, artificial flavors, guarana, taurine, caffeine, and FD&C Red #40.

It basically tastes awful. I got the Watermelon, my other choice was Cranberry-Lemon. It's like carbonated medicine that leaves that liquor burn in your stomach. The drink is worth mentioning because last week the senate announced that after December 10th, Four Loko will no longer ship to retailers in the state of New York. NY is the 4th state to place an official ban on the drink. I think it's ridiculous, and I'm sure I'm not alone. I can take a Red Bull and pour vodka in it, and that's perfectly legal. The argument of those white-haired fun-killers is that Four Loko attracts kids and makes them bang each other and have heart attacks and die. It's bullshit. Each year, a heartbreaking number of kids die from alcohol related incidents. Four Loko is just a target for the dudes in high office. They can kill Four Loko, but kids are still going to get killed. I'm not arguing for a caffeinated booze that tastes like candy, I don't care about the drink itself. I'm angry because someone introduced a product, and someone sitting at a desk had the power to ban it.

I've begun rehearsals for "Anna," a one-act drama put on by the Afrikan Women's Repertory Theatre in NYC. The story is about a young girl and her mother. The girl is a Broadway and movie star, the mother is a resentful and overbearing stage mom. It's not so much a story but an analysis of their relationship. And I play some dude. It opens in late January.

Listen to The Dardys Live

The Dardys live at Pianos Nov 16