Thursday, June 17, 2010

Enjoying Some Nature in Los Angeles

I'm not really a nature person, which is not to say I'm a hater either. It's just not something I spend too much time thinking about and I don't go out of my way to become one with it or whatnot. However, not too long ago during a drunken phone conversation with a nature-loving friend we playfully argued over the attractions we'd like to visit on a possible road trip we'd like to take from Los Angeles to Seattle. He mentioned beaches, mountains and hikes while I mentioned places like Hearst Castle, Steinbeck's House and the fantastically "haunted" Winchester House. When he expressed a disinterest in my ideas, I got, shall we say, miffed, and angrily slurred at him that if he didn't want to do any of my stuff, I was not interested in doing any of "that nature shit" he'd mentioned.

The next day, I'd just about forgotten the conversation until he kindly reminded me about the "I'm not doing any of that nature shit" remark. And then I felt bad. In all honesty, while it's really not my favorite thing to do, I'm quite okay with it in moderation. So, spurred into action by that conversation and my embarrassment at dissing his passion, I took it upon myself to become just a little more outdoorsy. Emphasis on a little.

I took it upon myself to try some beginner's hiking at Eaton Canyon in Pasadena and found that though I'm badly out of shape, I quite enjoyed my hike. Admittedly though, on the day I was there we encountered a couple of busloads of kids (probably from summer camps) which was annoying. It deterred my friend and me from going on the trail leading to the waterfall because we couldn't deal with all their screaming. The one we ended up on was steep and kicked my ass, but was a welcome work-out. On our way back from that trail however, we encountered a group of teenagers. Incredibly loud, cursing, obnoxious thirteen year-olds. They were somewhat lost and asked if they could follow us back out which I agreed to only on the condition that they quit their screaming and cut the cursing out (I'm not opposed to cursing, as previously evidenced, but not by smart-ass, obnoxious teenagers in the middle of my hike). Luckily, they agreed.

I went back a few days later and in a way it was a better experience. For one, I knew what to expect and there were no buses of kids, which was great. We took the waterfall trail which I quite enjoyed probably because there weren't too many people on it that we had to wait on or move around. I understand it gets quite busy during the weekends though.

Both times I went I couldn't help but note how incredibly friendly everyone out there was. Almost everyone we passed said hello or bid us a good morning with a smile. It was great! Is this a nature people thing? I don't know, but I liked it.

Later today I plan to go to Runyon Canyon to give that a try. I've actually been wanting to go there for ages so I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm not necessarily sure it counts as hiking but it's definitely more nature-y than shopping right? So it should count towards my effort to get outdoors more. I'm just sayin'.

Here are my pics from Eaton Canyon:











Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Eclipse Soundtrack. Why the hate?

Last week, one of my Facebook friends was complaining that he refused to pay $15 for that stupid Eclipse movie soundtrack despite the fact that it contained a handful of songs he wanted. Since then I've seen a few other things (blogs, status updates, tweets) in which people are complaining about something along those lines. And honestly, I don't get it.

Ok, yes, the soundtrack is tied to the movie, but buying the soundtrack does not force you to become a fan of it. It's just music. Really good music. Who cares why it was compiled? You don't have to watch the movies to be allowed to buy the soundtrack. The purchase of it does not mean anything more than you have good taste in music. What's the problem?

I can sort of understand how if you're a big fan of a certain artist you may take issue with them being involved with the franchise. I know Muse fans (of which I am one) had nothing good to say about the band's involvement with the movies (on a side note, click here  for an article I love about Matt Bellamy talking about what he thinks of that). But that's not really the case with people who complain about having to buy the soundtrack to get some of the songs they want, and that's why I'm confused. My aforementioned Facebook friend was not complaining about the artists being on the soundtrack. He was complaining about having to buy the Eclipse soundtrack.

I can't help thinking, at this point doesn't everyone know that if nothing else, the movies produce really good soundtracks so that if you were "caught" with it on your iPod, most people would just give you a pass? You may hate the movies, but the music has always been good and original and there are few who could really argue that. So I can't help but ask again, what's the problem?

Here's the delicious Florence + The Machine song Heavy in Your Arms which I honestly can't stop listening to. It's just too good.

Friday, June 4, 2010

Apparently, I'm a music snob.

The other day someone close to me half jokingly called me a music snob and I took issue. The song I refused to listen to was If I Had $1000000 by Barenaked Ladies, and, really? Firstly, I've never liked Barenaked Ladies and secondly, I especially never liked that song but because I now listen to mainly Indie stuff, the fact that I don't like a particular song by a band I never cared for makes me a snob? I beg to differ.

Years and years ago I started to very slowly meander away from the herd of mainstream music and started finding seldom heard of artists to listen to. Not because I was setting out to be a "music snob" as it were, but for the simple reason of, well, liking the music. It was purely accidental and I can peg it back to Damien Rice's O. My break-away from radio was done at a snail's pace so that it wasn't terribly noticeable at first and no one complained. A new artist here or there throughout the year and I mainly kept them to myself. But I'd say that over the last two years, it's now "my thing" and it can be several new artists or albums a month (on a good month) and I don't seem to hear the end of it from my friends.

I am forever reading music magazines, reviews, blogs, websites and so on in the search for new music. Again, I don't do it so that I can be "different", I just genuinely can't get enough. I get antsy knowing there's great stuff out there that I might not be listening to. And there's nothing better than when you take a chance on an album and find you can't stop listening to it for days, weeks, or months. There's so much good stuff out there I find it a shame that it doesn't get more attention, which is actually something I'm still baffled by.

The fact that I like music that doesn't get played on the radio shouldn't deem me a snob, I say. And, actually, there are quite a few bands I like that do get radio play, so that's not entirely accurate.  But overall, I cannot (though Lord knows I try when I need to) help it if I find listening to the radio to be incredibly mind numbing. It's the same ten songs played over and over and over again.

I can't help it if during road trips (which I take often with friends) I get genuinely bored or restless listening to the same artists and albums they (my friends) can't seem to move past. Even within the new artists I find, some albums I get attached to for years, while others make much shorter appearances on my iPod. My restlessness is not  reserved only for mainstream music. Again, I don't feel my impatience with music that doesn't stimulate me should make me a snob. Maybe it's musical ADHD, I don't know.

Lastly, a lot of the music I like is arguably questionable and certainly not critic proof, so I don't think I can be called a snob when I myself have questionable taste. At the end of the day, we all like some stuff that makes others scratch their heads in wonder. What I do have an issue with and find incredibly frustrating is people that never try anything new, who blindly accept those overplayed ten songs on the radio and think that's all there is. In that case, if that makes me a snob, then yes, I'd readily admit I am.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Bloodstream

I came across this song not too long ago and cannot stop listening to it. It's beautiful and haunting.