Lonely Avenue

Music review time. I recently acquired the new collaboration between Ben Folds and Nick Hornby, an album called Lonely Avenue. It has a different feel than previous BF releases, but that's a given as it's a collab. Still absolutely worth a listen.

I'm assuming most readers know who Ben Folds is. He has been releasing records for the last fifteen years, some under the moniker Ben Folds Five and later on a few solo albums. He has gained a niche among college-aged and young adults with his heinously catchy melodies and heartbreaking lyrics. And he is a whirlwind live performer. If you ever have the chance to see him, TAKE IT. It will be one hell of a show.

Nick Hornby is an artist not generally corollated with writing music. He has written about music his entire career as a writer, but this is his first instance of actually collaborating on a musical album. He is most well known for writing several popular novels, including High Fidelity, About A Boy, and Juliet, Naked, as well as the screenplay for the 2009 movie An Education, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. So the dude's got chops. I am not in love with every single thing he's ever done, but on the other hand some of his work is the best written material I've ever read. This guy knows how to pierce your heart through writing about normal people with real problems. He can capture dialogue so incredibly well and make you feel heartache you've never had.

So how do these two collaborate on an album of music? Hornby writes words, Folds writes lyrics. Sounds weird but potentially awesome. And in my opinion, it turns out to be mostly awesome. The interesting part is that it clearly sounds like a Ben Folds album, but the disconnect happens as he starts to sing. The lyrics are not Ben Folds lyrics, and you can tell. It feels more like a Nick Hornby book than a Ben Folds album. And on some songs that's amazing, some it doesn't completely work. I don't think Hornby has his complete songwriting chops down yet, like on songs like Your Dogs and Picture Window. The songs have great feelings communicated but they don't feel natural to me. And that's just me. The majority of the album works great. And I think the biggest reason it's great is because they chose the perfect pairing of artists. Nobody could've pulled this album off but Ben Folds. His music is the ideal vehicle for Horby's writing. Hornby writes in such a familiar way, with stories about real people, and that's how Ben Folds has always written his music. It doesn't feel totally like a Ben Folds album, but it's as close as you can get. And the off-kilter feeling you get isn't bad, it's just not totally Ben Folds.

One of the best examples is the song Password. It uses a really unique songwriting device, spelling of words, and at first listen it seems a little cheesy, but after a few listens and the songs sinks in, holy cow it just rips you apart. You stop listening to the spelling of the words and you feel the pain in the narrator. That is unique and weird songwriting. But it's awesome. The song changes gradually the more you listen to it.

Final verdict? Great album. Not the best Ben Folds album ever but that's because it's not purebred Ben Folds. What it is is a great listen for fans of either artist.

-Jon

P.S. The album comes with killer liner notes. A quick blurb written by Hornby about each song, and then four different short stories written by him as well. Super great. Cool photos too.

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

Yesterday, Colleen ran 26.2 miles. It was incredible. She participated in the IMT Des Moines Marathon with 1,634 other runners. She was running with the Iowans for Africa group from Orchard Hill Church in Cedar Falls. The group was running to raise support for a elementary school being built in Mozambique, in the region they sponsor. There were about 60 or 70 runners from Orchard Hill, all wearing bright yellow shirts. It was really cool to see so many of those shirts pass as we cheered the runners on.

It was a really cool experience, even as a spectator. As a runner, obviously it's incredibly physically draining and difficult, but ultimately rewarding. And as a spectator, it's such an interesting atmosphere, there is so much goodwill among the thousands of people around. Everybody wants everybody else to finish strong and do their best. We all cheered not only our small group of runners we knew but also the entire Orchard Hill team and all the other runners working hard.

Colleen ran with her small group of friends with whom she'd been training since May. They all finished great, each about three or four minutes apart from each other. I was able to catch up with them eight times around the course to cheer them on. Colleen did such a great job, her final time was 4 hours, 43 minutes, and 31 seconds, and her average mile time was 10 minutes, 50 seconds. So great. She kept a very steady pace throughout the whole race, and only really slowed down to a walk for a few seconds at most water stops. I couldn't be more proud.

So hip hip hooray for Colleen. She was very strong and determined throughout the whole run. Now if she could just get me to do the next one with her! *tuba noise*

-Jon

Metadata in the Real World.

Library school is in full swing for me. It's hard, but not impossible. Lots of reading, which is annoying only because when people ask me what classes are like, I have to reply, "It is a lot of reading." This furthers the stereotype that all the field consists of is reading. Wrong. Librarianship isn't about books, it's about information. One main concept we've started to talk about now is "metadata," essentially, data about data. Informally, metadata is "a cloud of collateral information around a data object" - Clifford Lynch. Metadata are the descriptions of items or records in a catalog that allow you to search by keyword or description rather than the search engine having to search loads of full text and taking much longer. Example time.

So for a particular album or book or DVD or journal article, metadata and data are different. Let's look at a random album to make this a bit more real, say, the album 19 by Adele. Metadata would include things like, album title, artist, record label, executive producer, and the data for the specific album would be 19, Adele, Columbia/XL, and Jim Abbiss. So that's metadata.

Metadata allows better cataloging and more efficient searching. But it's also super complex and confusing, far more than I ever really thought it would be, mainly because no specific format for metadata has achieved real standardization in the information world. So you've got millions of different individuals, corporations, libraries, and groups using all sorts of different search methods using different metadata. Confusing.

It's an interesting concept to me though, and it will be especially interesting once I learn how to apply it to real life or actually get to work with metadata in a real way. Since that won't happen for awhile, I've decided to undertake a giant personal project to get my head around the idea. I'm metadata-ing my iTunes library. Hawt.

I'm going to try to get one album a week catalogued, which means I'll have this whole project done by the year 2022. Not bad. To get more specific, I'm going to basically be adding info about each album I have into the comments section of a song or album's info. So I'm starting with some cataloging already done, a few standard fields all filled in:

1. Album Title

2. Artist Name/Group Name

3. Year released/recorded

4. Genre

5. Album Artwork

Five fields, all already filled for every song and album in my library. But I'm going a bit further. I'm going to add as many additional authors as I can for these songs. For example, I just catalogued the album of earliest release date in my library, the Columbia Symphony Orchestra's recording of George Gershwin's masterpiece, Rhapsody in Blue, and the New York Philharmonic's recording of another of his beautiful works, An American in Paris. Here's the metadata I added:

1. Additional author: Gershwin, George (1898 - 1937)

2. Add. author: Bernstein, Leonard (1918 - 1990)

3. Add. author: New York Philharmonic and Columbia Symphony Orchestra [each one labeled to the specific track they recorded]

4. Original recording date: June 23rd, 1959 (for Rhapsody) and December 21st, 1958 (for AAIP)

This will be unique for every single album, and very possibly for every single song. For these two Gershwin songs, they have different information because they were released and recorded before the standard "album" as we know it was commonplace and they were two totally different works done by the same artist; it's only for continuity's sake that I've put them together under one album label. Once I get into newer albums, there will be a lot of additional metadata fields for record label, additional performers (featured artists), executive producers, etc. There is tons of extra information I can add. If I wanted to go totally nuts, I'd start cataloging sampled works in the music I have. Holy cow that would be insane. I could label samples of samples and also do covers. The data is seriously unending.

So far, the biggest obstacle I'm running into is that iTunes isn't set up for this kind of data entry. The comments section of song info is really the only place I can put this much superfluous information, and I can't organize it as well as I'd like. I can't even put info into separate lines. Blah. The other main problem is that while iTunes is referred to as a "library," there is no good catalog setting through which to search. Anyone who pops onto my iTunes and is curious to see what items I have that have Leonard Bernstein somehow included in their metadata has to create a smart playlist that matches the following rule: "Comments" "contains" "Add. author: Bernstein, Leonard". Not a lot of room for error here. But it's a work in progress. And (I hope) it's getting me ready for some sort of real world work in the field of library/information science, whereas in all of my classes we're basically just gabbing at each other all day long.

Oh hey, if anyone wants me to completely revamp their iTunes collection, making sure no duplicates are there, everything has correct data entered in all fields, then add lots of metadata for better cataloging purposes, and you're interested in paying me hundreds of dollars to do it, just let me know.

-Jon

"You cannot wield it, it has no other master!"

This is freaking amazing.

INTERACTIVE MAP OF MIDDLE EARTH.

Essentially a Google map of Middle Earth. Wow, this is incredible. You can even look at the labels in Elvish. This is a great compliment to what is easily one of the greatest stories ever told. Truth be told, this is a little nerdy or geeky or whatever, but still it's cool. Look at the background page; looks like an old, unrolled scroll. Who's up for watching the trilogy?

-Jon

Jon AKA web designer.

How sweet is this? I have created my own web page.

Take a peek.

For my Computing Foundations class, we get to use the library science program's online web server to upload things like websites. Our first assignment was to learn a bit about HTML by reading a textbook and writing a website in HTML. It's pretty cool, programming in HTML isn't really "designing" a website, but rather taking the template for a website and telling it what to do. So this is website is very basic but I'm still pretty happy with it. Obviously it could use some work and I will hopefully be updating it as I come up with new stuff; any suggestions?

-Jon

Thoughts over coffee.

I'm in the 4th floor of the University of Iowa's Main Library. Tucked far away in a corner of the Graduate Reading Room. The only other thing in this room are stacks and carpet dryers left by the overnight cleaners. In the last week, I keep thinking of things I should write about, but they are always just germs of ideas and it would be so much easier to "tweet" these things rather than blog about them. Luckily, I don't have Twitter and am forced to think through what I want to write about.

For example, I am back in school again. It's a little different this time around, as I am a full-fledged graduate student. This brings with it many perks, such as a key to the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Department ($200 lost key fee) and the entitlement to look down on younger students I pass on the street. But there are still lots of reminders of what undergrad looks like in this city. I pass by Mayflower, my first dorm, every time I drive into the city for class. Kids are always outside waiting for the bus to come pick them up and drive them into campus. I remember the year I spent out on those steps with my first generation iPod shuffle. Last Friday night I went to a CAB sponsored event at the Union, the stand-up comedy of David Koechner. The show itself was terrible, he's never been funny in any movie or show he's ever been in, why would his stand-up be any different? But I was more struck by the crowd which attended. It was almost entirely the freshman class of this school. I saw one older couple, probably fans of Koechner from his early SNL days, but everybody else was young and wearing Iowa apparel. Groups consisted of four nerdy-ish looking guy friends all enjoying their first week of college. Young, young looking couples fresh out of high school. Girls whose outfits were just a bit too paltry for their own good. I remember being those kids and seeing them all just brings back all those feelings of being on this campus by myself, scared, lonely, not really knowing what I was doing and feeling in over my head all the time.

But then I remember I have an expensive key that opens a whole wing of the library that they can't get into, and I snap out of it. Niiiice. You know else I've been reminded about? SLOW WALKERS. Gracious there are some slow walkers on this campus. If you must walk slow, just do your best to be spatially aware and move out of the way of walkers with a purpose. Gosh is it annoying.

And classes have started for me now; I'm a full week in. It's going to be a lot of work, a heck of a lot of reading but really interesting. Once I really get into the readings I can start to share interesting articles/books/whatever I come across related to the field.

Finally, September is just around the corner, which means BRING IT ON MUSIC MONTH. Can't wait. Plus Coll's and my bird-day month. Plus the start of fall weather. Hi-oh.

-Jon

P.S. The Daily Show writing team wins the Emmy over The Tonight Show with Conan Brien's writing team? There is no justice in this world.

Do you remembah the twenty-first night of Septembah?

September is shaping up to be the best month in months. More related to music than anything else, but some other things as well. Get a load of how many albums are coming out in just a few weeks time. Because of the uncertainty of release dates, I'll list them alphabetically by album:

Clapton - Eric Clapton

Not much to say, other than this is probably going to be a pretty standard, run-of-the-mill Clapton album. That is to say, another awesome album of killer blues/pop tunes layered with the most melodic guitar playing you can hear in today's music scene. Most people say John Mayer is the next real bluesman/guitar player of our generation; it's because he essentially copies everything Clapton does musically. Smart move, because Clapton rocks. He can write great hooks and then throw a solo in that melts your face. Or heart. Depends what kind of mood you're in. Either way, this is going to be a great album, no question.

Kaleidoscope Heart - Sara Bareilles

A few years back, Sara Bareilles hurtled onto the pop scene with her single Love Song and her debut album Little Voice. Holy cow does this woman have some pipes. Seriously, this whole album was full of hook after hook. Her voice sounded real. And bold, and unique. I think it was different because she had a powerful voice, and it was good, and there wasn't a hint of disingenuousness* in it. I have heard the first single off this new album and I liked it, but I'm hoping that the deeper cuts will yield even better results. That's how it was on her first one. Love Song was a great song, but holy cow there were loads of even greater songs on it. This will be an awesome album.

Lonely Avenue - Ben Folds & Nick Hornby

Any music by Ben Folds is a guaranteed winner**. Lyrics contributed by Nick Hornby, author of novels like About A Boy and High Fidelity. How could this thing be bad?

Nothing - N.E.R.D.

OK, this one I'm a little iffy on. Their last album was a pretty big let-down for me, mainly because the album before it was absolutely awesome. I won't be buying this one on Day 1, but I'll give it a listen and see if it has the potential to grow on me. I can't give up on Pharrell yet.

Record Collection - Mark Ronson

Another one I'm unsure of at this point. I've only heard the first single, and it was a little synth-heavy for my taste. Ronson's last solo album was really fun, he had horns going all over that thing and some great guest spots. This one, fewer guest spots, and possibly a more electro bent to it. Which isn't bad, if it's done well. I trust him to do it well.

Untitled - Adele

This one is the album whose release date could be pushed back as no real definitive release date has been set as of yet. It would be hard for me to not like this one though, or at least be more open-minded with this one than any of the others. Adele's first album took forever to grow on me, but oh my did it ever grow on me. Her voice just enchants me, and musically her debut was really different for a pop album. Nothing cookie-cutter. And on this next album, she's getting producing from Rick Rubin, flavored with a country-twinge, and she's got some heavy hitters playing sessions with her, namely Pino Palladino (John Mayer Trio, D'Angelo, Clapton, anybody ever who wanted a good bass session player) and James Poyser (executive produced Al Green's 2008 effort Lay It Down and worked on D'Angelo's Voodoo, 'nuff said). It's going to be awesome, even if it takes awhile to get into my system. Super, super excited about this one.

Wake Up Everybody - John Legend & The Roots

This is going to be another really fun album. I love soul music, especially when it's redone to sound awesome by awesome musicians of our generation. Almost this whole album will be covers of old soul tunes from the '70s. Awesome. I've started collecting the albums from which the covers are taken, and they are all really good. All of this music revamped by the one and only ?uestlove will just be fun. And it will be great to listen to John Legend and enjoy it again.

So considering that through the month of September, I will almost double the number of albums I have released in 2010, it's safe to say that it will be the best music month of the year. Unless Kanye actually does release his new rap album in November. Here's to hoping.

-Jon

* this is almost not a real word.

** see: the spoken word album Has Been by William Shatner. Sounds like a recipe for disaster doesn't it? Thanks to the incredible producing touch of Ben Folds, it's an awesome listen.