Dabke/Japandroids

I wanted to chime in and say the Ocean blogpost is an extraordinary piece of writing, its content aside.  As regards its content, I'd like to add that it implies that Ocean is gay, not bisexual.  Well, not really implies, says it straight out, albeit "poetically."  I can't stress how much what a fine piece of writing it is -- reaffirms why I/we love him in the first place.

Trying to think of some examples of soft-headed, self-pitying superstars singing about their travails on the road, but they must have been obliterated from my memory by W. Zevon's Poor Poor Pitiful Me. But I can think of several road songs that have something to say about isolation, disconnection, longing - Hickory Wind, Lodi, This Flight Tonight, and especially Moonlight Mile. Ian Hunter has written some pretty good songs about the agony/ecstasy of performing - Ballad of Mott the Hoople and Marionette come to mind.  For those who are not saddled with fame while on the road, the Adverts One Chord Wonders and Motorhead's audio-verite We Are The Road Crew are fine testaments. And I also appreciate that, along with getting serviced by sweet Connie Hamzy and four chiquitas in Omaha, Grand Funk Railroad thought it was pretty cool to play poker all night with Freddie King, instead of going all Bon Jovi bed-of-nails, music-is-a-harsh-mis​tress on us.

"His given surname is Breaux." Wasn't it? Or are they thumbing people down for accurate statements of fact now?

Tyler's message kinda goes downhill after word 18...

AAh it's close , with a tad more electro beats and bombast,  walter.  And this new dB's- "Falling Off The Sky" is quite tuneful too. It's got me thinking Bball project crossed with the Fountains of Wayne. A welcome reunion and another addition to a burgeoning year of the Cool Geezers.

"Hoes" -- In case it ever comes up on a test, I hate that word. Daughter, mother, sister, calling a person by her real name, I'm good with all of those. Woman, young woman, girl, yep no problem. You exist to be my cum receptacle. No, not so much.

Rock on Frank; rock on Laura Jane Grace; rock on Azealia Banks. Taco -- go to hell.

Since I'm stuck cleaning today ...A Place to Bury Strangers sounds fan-Fjucking-Tastic REALLY REALLY LOUD!! Are you hearing shades of the Jesus & Mary Chain too? vv cool.

I think the rappers who say "No homo!" during a song generally say it about sexual acts, not love. Like after someone talks about getting their dick pulled, they'll clarify that it is only to be done by a woman by saying it. I do think Ocean meant this as his own coming out, not just an artistic/political statement. And I think his pals' reactions confirm it. I think he spoke of love not sex partly because sex between two men is what freaks out the hip-hop community much more than love between two men. Lil Wayne kissed his daddy after all. That was not romantic, but it certainly was love and even love expressed physically. But I also think he came out this way without specifically talking sex or makeouts or saying "bisexual" because he was trying to create a certain tone in his writing and that just didn't fit.

Earl Sweatshirt: "Proud of frank."

"Whoever you are, wherever you are… I’m starting to think we’re a lot alike. Human beings spinning on blackness. All wanting to be seen, touched, heard, paid attention to. My loved ones are everything to me here. In the last year or 3 I’ve screamed at my creator. Screamed at clouds in the sky. For some explanation. Mercy maybe. For peace of mind to rain like Manna somehow. 4 summers ago, I met somebody. I was 19 years old. He was too. We spent that summer, and the summer after, together. Everyday almost. and on the days we were together, time would glide. Most of the day I’d see him, and his smile. I’d hear his conversation and his silence. Until it was time to sleep. Sleep I would often share with him. By the time I realized I was in love, it was malignant. It was hopeless. There was no escaping. No negotiating with the feeling. No choice. It was my first love. It changed my life. Back then, my mind would wander to the women I had been with, the ones I cared for and thought I was in love with. I reminisced about the sentimental songs I enjoyed when I was a teenager… The ones I played when I experienced a girlfriend for the first time. I realized they were written in a language I did not yet speak. I realized too much too quickly. I imagine being thrown from a plane. I wasn’t in a plane though. I was in a Nissan Maxima. The same car I packed up with bags and drove to Los Angeles in. I sat there and told my friend how I felt. I wept as the words left my mouth. I grieved for them. Knowing I could never take them back for myself. He patted my back. He said kind things. He did his best, but he wouldn’t admit the same. He had to go back inside soon. It was late and his girlfriend was waiting for him upstairs. He wouldn’t tell me the truth about his feelings for me for another 3 years. I felt like I’d only imagined reciprocity for years. Now imagine being thrown from a cliff. No, I wasn’t on a cliff, I was still in my car telling myself it was gonna be fine and to take deep breaths. I took the breaths and carried on. I kept up a peculiar friendship with him because I couldn’t imagine keeping up my life without him. I struggled to master myself and my emotions. I wasn’t always successful.

The dance went on.. I kept the rhythm for several summers after. It’s winter now. I’m typing this on a plane back to Los Angeles from New Orleans. I flew home for another marred Christmas. I have a windowseat. It’s December 27, 2011. By now I’ve written two albums. This being the second. I wrote to keep myself busy and sane. I wanted to create worlds that were rosier than mine. I tried to channel overwhelming emotions. I’m surprised at how far all of it has taken me. Before writing this I’d told some people my story. I’m sure these people kept me alive. Kept me safe… Sincerely. These are the folks I wanna thank from the floor of my heart. Everyone of you knows who you are… Great humans. Probably angels. I don’t know what happens now, and that’s alrite. I don’t have any secrets I need kept anymore. Like it…as much as I do sometimes. I never was. I don’t think I could ever be. Thanks. To my first love. I’m grateful for you. Grateful that even though it wasn’t what I hoped for and even though it was never enough. It was. Some things never are.. and we were. I won’t forget you. I won’t forget the summer. I’ll remember who I was when I met you. I’ll remember who you were and how we’ve both changed and stayed the same. I’ve never had more respect for life and living than I have right now. Maybe it takes a near death experience to feel alive. Thanks. To my mother. You raised me strong. I know I’m only brave because you were first… So thank you. All of you. For everything good. I feel like a free man. If I listen closely.. I can hear the sky falling too." - Frank Ocean