Going For Baroque

In the history of journalism, amateur or otherwise, how many articles do you think used this post's play on words? I would guess probably somewhere in the thousands. Probably in the high 20th percentile of all articles written about baroque - anything.

Mainly every article I write about Beirut would probably use the same title. Bombs over Beirut doesn't seem PC enough, and Beirut Cause probably wouldn't only suffice in the event that Zac Condon decided to start a fundraising organization. Which, coming from New Mexico, and knowing of his latin american influences in his work (see March of the Zapotec bro) is not completely out of the question ...

But as usual I have strayed from the course which is holy wack a mole am I enjoying 'The Rip Tide' ... it's basically the album i've been waiting for all year. I mean, I almost always have my hopes up to find something new to really rev me up about music. A new band, a new sound, a new character emerging ... To an extent i would say EMA and Liturgy have provided those things for me this year.

But honestly who doesn't want that one album that draws you in like sweet butterscotch candy. You just can't stop listening to it. For whatever reason the songs recall familiarity and yet have a sense of creativity that shines. A great example from 2010 is the National's High Violet. They didn't reinvent themselves, they just took what they did best, and put together a great collection of The National songs.

On The Rip Tide you won't find anything Condon hasn't done before. But neither will you find anything to be disappointed about. The bread and the butter aka organs, trumpets, and accordians are all still front and center, along with Condon's sorrowful swoon which colors over the brash trumpeteering with melodic control.

Staple tracks like Goshen and East Harlem support some delving into more pop friendly sounding tracks like Santa Fe. Even songs that tend to start slow like Payne's Bay end in classic bombast and crash for which Beirut is best known for.

I think there's a strong comparison to the King is Dead, whereby a classic group put together a an album that was unmistakably their own. But what puts the Rip Tide ahead is it's ability to not seem as complacent. While I find the King is dead enjoyable, it by no means stretches the songwriting chops of that excellent band.

Perhaps it's best metaphorical comparison is it's own name: The Rip Tide. It's gripping, and dragging, and pulling you out to sea, and just when it's got you it gently lets go.

3 bro thumbs up bro.

understanding the debt ceiling deal

Let me first start by saying most of these thoughts were conjured after reading an op-ed piece in the buffalo news by Rod Watson . It was critical not of just one side or the other, but the whole group in general. And while some fingers were pointed, I thought they were deservedly so.

While I can mostly chalk the results of the debt ceiling debate up to 'stupid americans voting for glamorized politicians' (aka tea party members) and politics in general being more about wealth, fame, and greed over actually trying to look out for the interests of your constituents I still get physically uncomfortable thinking about the absurdity of this system in general. This article in particular brought up a few actually that made me turn into 'hindsight man' , for example...

So Obama thought that if he didn't blink that the debt ceiling wouldn't raise and put the American economy in peril that the American people would place the blame on him. I think he shouldn't have blinked. I mean the things he had to compromise are idiotic. Why is the understanding that the taxes that would have gone in place would affect You or Me? Why is there the perception that these taxes would be 'new', when in actuality it would just RESTORE tax revenues that were reduced under Bush ... remember him? Remember what a slimy shit bag he was, and how all his rich buddies got a free pass on paying taxes? Obama (and the dems) were just trying to set the playing field back to even.

Another point raised is how the spending cuts implemented are going to cost the US 1.2 million jobs. Again, the whole reasoning the GOP has for the tax breaks for the rich is that by decreasing their tax burden they will transfer these saved funds into investment in the US economy.

I wish I knew a sharp economist. I would love to know the # of jobs saved by not cutting spending, and the number of jobs created by these tax breaks. I'm going to bet the tax break money just goes into their bank accounts, and makes the bottom line all that much fatter.

To make a more close to home point the three most prominent area billionaires latest purchases to "help" the american economy 1.Terry Pegula - Bought the sabres, raised ticket prices ... seems to hurt the economy, where are the added jobs? 2. Bob Rich - Bought a european soccer club ... so his money is actually being spent on foreign investments, and again not doing a damn thing for the american economy 3. Grandpa Ralph - 2.5 million grant to improve the Pro Football HOF. Actually, in a way, there are going to be construction workers on that dime, but still ... I'm pretty sure 2.5million could have gone towards a much more economically sound investment in the american working class.

So basically my proposition is what if Obama stuck to his guns? Maybe he sacrifices the next election and the US economy crumbles ... when you only make 20k a year you have a lot less to lose than someone making 20mil a year. And a lot less to earn back. The whole thing is preposterous. Logic dictates that the debt ceiling should have been raised. If it wasn't blame should have been placed not on the people who insisted on using reason, but instead on the shit heads that held the american economy hostage in the name of helping the wealthy continue to skirt their responsibility.

And while I believe that Obama truly thought he had no choice, for the first time I don't actually think he is the right choice to lead the country. We need someone that will stand up, even if it means having a strong stomach, and the knowledge that you might commit political suicide. While open and honest dialogue is much appreciated, sometimes just taking one for the team is much more worth it.