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Forum nameThe Lesson
Topic subjectAsk a recently divorced music nerd anything.
Topic URLhttp://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=2528649
2528649, Ask a recently divorced music nerd anything.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 12:16 AM
Seriously emo podcast to accompany this post: http://austintayeshus.blogspot.com/2011/03/d-i-v-o-r-c-e.html

Do your worst, assholes* of the Lesson.

'Something *IS* happening, isn't it?'

~Austin

*you guys *are* assholes, but I *do* love this place
2528651, was your wife also a music nerd?
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 12:34 AM
did she influence your taste?

if so, is there stuff you won't listen to now?

and speaking of podcasts, have you checked out my sig?

(shameless, i know).
2528654, RE: Answers.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 12:46 AM
>was your wife also a music nerd?
>
Not my wife anymore, but yes. At one point she was. In fact, it's the reason we came together and bonded initially. Perhaps our dissolution had something to do with her gravitating away from being passionate about it.

>did she influence your taste?
>
Absolutely. I'd never have given a lot of the music I now love a second chance were it now for her. The new PJ Harvey album for instance (which is excellent) would never have been on my radar were it not for her.

>if so, is there stuff you won't listen to now?
>
Yes, I won't have to tolerate obnoxious shit that has anything to do with the Boredoms or Foetus (i.e. Jim Thirwell, etc.).

>and speaking of podcasts, have you checked out my sig?
>
I have not. I will. Is it appropriate to play in the computer lab of a k-6 elementary school?

>(shameless, i know).
Quite.

~Austin
2528655, RE: Answers.
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 12:51 AM
>>was your wife also a music nerd?
>>
>Not my wife anymore, but yes. At one point she was. In fact,
>it's the reason we came together and bonded initially.
>Perhaps our dissolution had something to do with her
>gravitating away from being passionate about it.

was it difficult to split the music collection? or did you always keep stuff separately?


>>did she influence your taste?
>>
>Absolutely. I'd never have given a lot of the music I now
>love a second chance were it now for her. The new PJ Harvey
>album for instance (which is excellent) would never have been
>on my radar were it not for her.

need to check that out. have you heard the anna calvi album?

>>if so, is there stuff you won't listen to now?
>>
>Yes, I won't have to tolerate obnoxious shit that has anything
>to do with the Boredoms or Foetus (i.e. Jim Thirwell, etc.).

too many bitter-sweet memories?

>>and speaking of podcasts, have you checked out my sig?
>>
>I have not. I will. Is it appropriate to play in the
>computer lab of a k-6 elementary school?

probably not.

>>(shameless, i know).
>Quite.

guilty as charged.

speaking of which, now that the ink has dried on your dissolution, are there any other cute music geeks on the scene?
2528658, RE: Even more answers.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 12:59 AM
>
>was it difficult to split the music collection? or did you
>always keep stuff separately?
>
I thought she was going to take a lot of stuff initially, but it just ended up that she was 'borrowing' it to burn/import into itunes/make some sort of copy, so I actually feel like she was really decent as far as respecting my more serious 'nerd collector' status.

>
>need to check that out. have you heard the anna calvi album?
>
You should. It's a lot more jangly and song-oriented than I had anticipated. Definitely a surprise for me. I was wrong about it initially though. I listened once and hated it, but when I really sat down with it on some headphones away from a computer, it really clicked. I have not heard —nor even heard OF, until right now— Anna Calvi. Recommendation duly noted though.

>too many bitter-sweet memories?
>
Hardly.

>
>probably not.
>
Dammit, I have no time otherwise, you jerk. If I've learned anything over the past three years working this job, it's that kid-friendly music that you actually like to listen to kicks more ass than your average music that you like to listen to.

>
>speaking of which, now that the ink has dried on your
>dissolution, are there any other cute music geeks on the
>scene?
Can I plead the fifth?

~Austin
2528681, RE: Even more questions.
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 04:17 AM
>I actually feel like
>she was really decent as far as respecting my more serious
>'nerd collector' status.

well, that's good, at least. how long were you together/married?


>You should. It's a lot more jangly and song-oriented than I
>had anticipated. Definitely a surprise for me. I was wrong
>about it initially though. I listened once and hated it, but
>when I really sat down with it on some headphones away from a
>computer, it really clicked.

i'll get on it.


>I have not heard —nor even heard
>OF, until right now— Anna Calvi. Recommendation duly noted
>though.

here's a taste:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxDmCTV0YrY&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=MLAYMcY2vx8GTUqAhRIDe_yf9YgnsALTTu

she comes nick cave approved and it's not hard to see why. and her album is absolute dynamite. i see that you've had to plead the fifth, but let me tell you

this is one of THOSE albums.

>>probably not.
>>
>Dammit, I have no time otherwise, you jerk. If I've learned
>anything over the past three years working this job, it's that
>kid-friendly music that you actually like to listen to kicks
>more ass than your average music that you like to listen to.

well, the music's mostly kid-friendly; the problem is the drunken banter between the tracks..

fuck it, listen to it. no one will understand our accents anyway.


>>
>>speaking of which, now that the ink has dried on your
>>dissolution, are there any other cute music geeks on the
>>scene?
>Can I plead the fifth?

well, alright!


2528748, RE: Even more answers again.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 08:55 AM
>how long were you
>together/married?
>
Together for ten years, would have been married for six years in May.

>
>here's a taste:
>
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxDmCTV0YrY&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=MLAYMcY2vx8GTUqAhRIDe_yf9YgnsALTTu
>
That first clip there is pretty snazzy (she's playing a cool guitar as well!).

~Austin
2528751, shit.
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 08:59 AM
and, yeah, she has a great tone.
2528685, Are there songs/albums/bands that you used to love...
Posted by BSharp, Wed Mar-23-11 04:28 AM
...that you can't stand listening to anymore because of the associations that you have with them?

Was your music collection that you split mostly CDs or vinyl?
2528752, RE: Not yet really, no.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 09:00 AM
But it's still very fresh, so time will tell. I imagine I'll start hear a lot of my favorite Trembling Blue Stars stuff in a whole new light.

We didn't really split the collection, like I said earlier. She 'borrowed' some CDs to copy in some form, but has returned most of it by now. I don't think she had any intentions/desire to take any of the vinyl all along (which, after moving it all, I can see why).

~Austin
2528716, ever listen to Cursive's Domestica or Good Life's Album of the Year?
Posted by Steve O Tron v2, Wed Mar-23-11 07:43 AM
Don't know how much it fits into your situation, but I always found those two to be the most cathartic for these types of things.
2528740, they break up albums?
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 08:37 AM
i also recently broke up with my girlfriend and the last thing i wanted to listen to was break up shite.
2528753, RE: I haven't, no.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 09:02 AM
I've mainly been sticking with my predictable business of Sigur Ros and whiny bitch music like Radiohead and whatnot.

~Austin
2528756, i broke up with my ex the same weekend
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 09:09 AM
the king of limbs came out.

which was subsequently all i could listen to for a solid week.
2528758, RE: That was the week I moved out.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 09:10 AM
So yeah. Good timing?

~Austin
2528873, good timing, indeed.
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 12:22 PM
i literally couldn't listen to anything else at the time.
2528744, Stay up, bro....
Posted by scorpion, Wed Mar-23-11 08:43 AM
(which the dumbest advice, but it sounds good....)

I'm all over this podcast...songs about heartbreak fascinate me to no end...

since this is an ask post...I dont think its right to pry, so I'll ask this...

how many songs can you think of (dont name them) that tell your story?

again. keep your head up.

Peace.

*******
www.windimoto.com
2528754, RE: Thank you, sir.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 09:04 AM
>
>how many songs can you think of (dont name them) that tell
>your story?
>

Not many, actually. There's really not that many songs written from the point of view of the person who is leaving the failed relationship. It's almost always he/she doesn't love me/left me.

~Austin
2528766, ahhhh....
Posted by scorpion, Wed Mar-23-11 09:30 AM
>>
>>how many songs can you think of (dont name them) that tell
>>your story?
>>
>
>Not many, actually. There's really not that many songs
>written from the point of view of the person who is leaving
>the failed relationship. It's almost always he/she doesn't
>love me/left me.
>
>~Austin

I think if you look around you can find some like:

Easy/Commodores
Truth/Dwele
Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You/Joan Baez or Led Zeppelin--I know how much you loathe them
Holdin' On/LTD - prolly my favorite out of this bunch...the emotional depth of this song gets SERIOUSLY overlooked because its so funky
Kiss and Say Goodbye/The Manhattans
Nothing At All/Hall and Oates
I Wanna Be Free/Ohio Players - nah, THIS is my favorite of the bunch

the list goes on and on...

I'll rtrn tmrw with commentary on this podcast...


*******
www.windimoto.com
2528879, FREE BIRD!
Posted by shockzilla, Wed Mar-23-11 12:27 PM


..andwhileyou'relisteningtopodcasts,scorp*AHEM*
2528883, *adds to list*
Posted by scorpion, Wed Mar-23-11 12:38 PM

*******
www.windimoto.com
2528954, Its Too Late
Posted by __Spread__, Wed Mar-23-11 02:38 PM
Carol Kings version is the OG but I actually dig the Isley's Live version these days...
2528957, RE: Good one.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 02:39 PM
~Austin
2528746, is it too much to ask about her kid?
Posted by lonesome_d, Wed Mar-23-11 08:47 AM
I know she wasn't YOUR kid, but you've been raising her for years. Having dated women with kids before myself, letting go of them was almost as hard as letting go of the mom.

Of course, I just found out that that mom is now a grandmother. Yikes.

And did any of your and the ex's taste rub off on the little one? Are you worried about her music future now that you're not there to oversee her development?

Following up on shock's last question - are you listening to breakup stuff? Or going the other way with happy stuff and aiming for a musical rebound? *edit* just checked the podcast playlist & answered THAT question. You need 'Shoot Out the Lights' in your life.
2528757, RE: is it too much to ask about her kid?
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 09:10 AM
>I know she wasn't YOUR kid, but you've been raising her for
>years. Having dated women with kids before myself, letting go
>of them was almost as hard as letting go of the mom.
>
Enh, she was ten when we got together and her situation was pretty good before I was in the picture. Her dad was always around so, I was never really needing to be the one to take the lead and be a father figure.

>
>And did any of your and the ex's taste rub off on the little
>one? Are you worried about her music future now that you're
>not there to oversee her development?
>
Again, she's a pretty independent kid (she's 20 now; hardly a kid) and she was into her teenage rebellious phase for a while where she liked Slipknot and Lamb of God, etc but she's come out of it in the last few years and got more into what her parents raised her on (Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. — sort of the stereotypical 'alt rock' stuff; but good stuff).

~Austin
2528769, oh okay. 20. Makes a big difference.
Posted by lonesome_d, Wed Mar-23-11 09:35 AM
2528801, Radiohead
Posted by bentagain, Wed Mar-23-11 10:21 AM
what do you think of the king of limbs?
2528812, RE: Radiohead
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 10:37 AM
http://austintayeshus.blogspot.com/2011/03/radiohead-king-of-limbs.html

Very good. Love it.

~Austin
2528848, I'd say the only things topping it are Kid A and Amnesiac.
Posted by bentagain, Wed Mar-23-11 11:29 AM
still stand by that statement?

IMO they could have cut 3 songs and made it an EP, or, as you stated, included some songs that might be a little older and get to a 10-11 song album...

1. "Bloom"
2. "Morning Mr Magpie"
3. "Little by Little"
4. "Feral"
5. "Lotus Flower"
6. "Codex"
7. "Give Up the Ghost"
8. "Separator"


I would axe Feral, Codex, and Ghost. The remaining tracks have a similar tempo. The way it stands, those 3 tracks feel out of place. They almost make me forget how much I was feeling the previous tracks. It's like Lotus Flower is the storm after the calm and Separator a siren after silence. Perhaps that was the intention, but I think they could have foreseen my hitting the skip button on those tracks (I might have the wrong tracks, BTW, I'm terrible with names, but you get what I'm trying to say)

In Rainbows was better IMO
2528944, RE: I would still say that, yes.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 02:21 PM
I just really like the fact that they everything that's great about Radiohead in so little time. The ballads are exceptional, I thought. 'Codex' is becoming one of my favorite songs by the band.

~Austin
2528853, What are your top 10 uses of preexisting music in movies? Preferably
Posted by Sponge, Wed Mar-23-11 11:42 AM
songs with lyrics. The song use can be either in the story world (e.g., characters dancing to it) or be used in a film but outside of the story world (i.e., soundtrack).
2528942, RE: What an odd, esoteric question.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 02:19 PM
The one that really sticks out to me is in 24 Hour Party People when they play the Happy Mondays' 'Hallelujah' remix during the flyover shot of Manchester. It really brought out the passion of that entire time in British music to me. It was just such a great unification of different schools of musical thought colliding and that specific moment captured it so well.

EDIT: I just realized this one relates to the story directly, so that wasn't really a good answer at all. To answer your question properly, there's a great scene in the movie Movern Caller where Movern is walking through the supermarket in slow motion while she's listening to Lee Hazlewood's 'Some Velvet Morning' on her headphones. The shot is kind of odd from what I remember and it just works really well.

~Austin
2528966, Well, I've never had a convo w/ you on the boards before. Plus
Posted by Sponge, Wed Mar-23-11 02:53 PM
I'm not a Lessonhead at all. It seemed weird (i.e., uncomfortable for me) to ask you a question related to your situation. Moreover, you said to ask you anything, and that's what I did. LOL.
2528987, RE: No, that really made me think.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 03:16 PM
Nice to focus on something else.

~Austin
2528914, Did music play any part in the divorce?
Posted by imcvspl, Wed Mar-23-11 01:34 PM
Aside from the loss of records. But was music itself ever an issue in the relationship in any way?
________
Big PEMFin H & z's
█▆▇▅▇█▇▆▄▁▃

RIPL - http://www.rhythm-incursions.com/category/podcast/presented-by-primus-luta/
Read me write - http://themoshi.tumblr.com/
2528947, RE: I honestly don't know.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 02:26 PM
I'd like to be able say that, no absolutely music played no part in the dissolution.

But I. . . just can't.

~Austin
2528941, Do you like Willie Nelson?
Posted by denny, Wed Mar-23-11 02:19 PM
I'm going through the breaks too and I listen to him after a few beers for my cathartic weeping sessions. It's been an ongoing thing and we're basically seperated now except for her drunken ass breaking in my house to fuck in the middle of the night.

6 long years of waiting for things to get happening in her relationship with my daughter and nothing took hold. Any single moms in the lesson? hohoho at that.

Here's a good breakup song by Willie and Bonnie Raitt:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGUH0C09l70&feature=related

The studio version is better though.

But yah...lotsa Willie is good breakup music.
2528948, RE: As a person, sure.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 02:27 PM
As a musician, not really, no.

But I've heard plenty of ol'Willie because her dad was a huge fan.

~Austin
2528955, is divorce as devastating as they say?
Posted by drmindriot, Wed Mar-23-11 02:38 PM
or are you happy to be free again?
2528962, RE: Well, that's a loaded question.
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 02:45 PM
I don't know about anyone else, so I can only speak for me.

It was a pretty bitter separation, honestly. We were both in denial about how bad things had gotten for so long. I was becoming pretty unhappy and very much on my way to becoming an alcoholic, so technically I was the one that left. But we were both equally responsible for things falling apart.

Do I enjoy my freedom and independence now? Sure.

Do I feel good about the fact that the person and the relationship that I dedicated a third of my life to fell apart, partly because of me? Not really, no.

~Austin
2529292, on this:
Posted by lonesome_d, Thu Mar-24-11 09:12 AM
>I was
>becoming pretty unhappy and very much on my way to becoming an
>alcoholic,

considering most of your pposting for a few months there was very negative and usually inebriated, I think several of us were actually worried about you. Your posting's been much more... balanced? the past two or three weeks. Glad you feel like you could unburden yourself here; goes to show that the community here goes way beyond the music that brings us together initially.
2529418, RE: "Fair and balanced."
Posted by Austin, Thu Mar-24-11 01:00 PM
Oh lord, help us all.

~Austin
2529435, Just saying, it's good to have you back
Posted by lonesome_d, Thu Mar-24-11 01:17 PM
2528976, do you wish there were more hip-hop songs dealing w/ divorce
Posted by howisya, Wed Mar-23-11 03:02 PM
or even breakups in a mature way (not making her out to be a stalker or ho)? i know you haven't been into hip-hop in some time, but maybe you know some songs i can't think of

also, did you give up on making music on your own, or do you think she/your marriage influenced the decision, and if so, do you think you'll start playing/making more now, and did she play anything?
2529000, RE: do you wish there were more hip-hop songs dealing w/ divorce
Posted by Austin, Wed Mar-23-11 03:30 PM
>or even breakups in a mature way (not making her out to be a
>stalker or ho)? i know you haven't been into hip-hop in some
>time, but maybe you know some songs i can't think of
>
I do wish there was more mature addressing of the topic in hip hop. Maybe that's why I've kind of left it behind: it's just not very mature in some aspects. The closest thing that I can think of is Pos from De La Soul addressing the situation in different songs. But even then, he's approaching it more from the vantage point of being a parent.

>also, did you give up on making music on your own, or do you
>think she/your marriage influenced the decision, and if so, do
>you think you'll start playing/making more now, and did she
>play anything?
It was inevitable that I stopped because I was getting tired of hip hop and trying to be a beatmaker at the same time — talk about recipe for burnout. But the relationship definitely expedited my cynicism towards music making in that respect. I did take up playing guitar very casually, which never would have happened were it not for her. So I'd like to think it evened out. I definitely have more time to focus on it now though, that's for sure.

~Austin
2529288, how about the Pernice Brothers?
Posted by lonesome_d, Thu Mar-24-11 09:08 AM
I used to champion their first record around these parts... Overcome By Happiness. Great melancholy jangle/chamber pop.

Crestfallen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzhtnloQk94

Clear Spot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqWafBs7_vg&feature=related


2529420, RE: I know the name.
Posted by Austin, Thu Mar-24-11 01:02 PM
Will definitely check those links when I get home, thanks.

~Austin
2529446, Concept Albums
Posted by Harlepolis, Thu Mar-24-11 01:31 PM
List whatever you want, and explain why each resonate with you,,,,,,assuming you're not among the "the whole idea of concept albums is bullshit" crowd.

And oh yes, you're DEAD WRONG about Don Blackman lol how can you go wrong with "Peanut Butter"? C'mon now....

And I'm a fresh lessonhead too and I don't think I had a convo with you prior to the Beatles discussion.
2529475, RE: I think most of the 'major' concept albums are overrated.
Posted by Austin, Thu Mar-24-11 02:00 PM
And I'm not as militant as 'concept albums are bullshit' but I find that most concept albums are pretty poorly executed. Like, 'We have an idea and nothing else!'

David Axelrod's the Auction is excellent in terms of music and idea and is pretty much the only good one that comes to my mind.

Hmph, now that I think about it, my list of things that qualify is not very long.

What Beatles discussion?

~Austin