World Inside the World

So. Big Changes in the past month. None of them documented yet and at this rate I'm bound to forget stuff. Feel free to remind me.

1. I have joined the ranks of the unemployed.

2a. I'm sort of not exactly unemployed. I'm just unpaid. Shortly after being laid off I found a new internship which will (hopefully) turn into a real job in the next couple of months.

I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING! "But Ashley," you say, "haven't we heard that line before?" Yes. Yes, you have. But I really, REALLY mean it this time. Just like every other time. But for real.

Here's the thing. I can't NOT try. There are some horrible cliches I could employ but I think Okkervil River's "A Stone" sums it up best somehow. And in the meantime, I'm getting some valuable hands-on experience doing radio and internet marketing so win-win-win.

2b. There's a kid at "work" (seriously, he's like, 12 or something) who's really into the Chicago punk scene (Alkaline Trio, Lawrence Arms, etc). It's kind of neat being able to discuss that genre with someone again. It also makes me feel old and ridiculous. Like Liz Lemon going to the night club with the coffee guy on 30 Rock but without any romantic overtones whatsoever. So maybe not really like that at all. Maybe like someone's parent trying to be "cool" and "hip" in front of the child's friends. Except I can't think of a pop culture reference for that.

3. Along those lines (i.e. music) I am still doing my quasi-new radio show. It's on WLUW in Chicago. Monday mornings from 2-4am CST.

4. Guitar lessons are almost over. Next Thursday is our big recital. It involves getting up on stage at the Old Town School of Folk Music with the whole class and playing REM's "The One I Love." The ending of the song is awesome because it's an exaggerated up-strum on the E minor chord. Basically, it's a lot of fun to play, very rock star. I sneer a little when I do it and then promptly laugh myself silly. Sadly I'm going to have to wait until my financial situation is more secure to continue on but it'll work out.

5. New blog layout! Briefly, I spend 6-8 hours in a room with people working on web development at my new internship and I've been slightly inspired to try some stuff out. So...hopefully you like it. If the middle bar isn't centered you may need to re-size your browser (make it narrower!). I'm still learning. But I think it's neat looking...

6. Speaking of being unemployed (like four points ago, whatever) I applied for a job at our local record store. And was rejected. I'm not bitter. Really. I would totally still shop there if I had any disposable income right now. Which I don't (see point #1 above).

The deal is that they have a music quiz for potential employees. And I'm pretty sure I failed it. Here's the thing, I can wax poetic for hours about post-emo indie rock and the evolution of punk (with an emphasis on the Dischord scene and early Epitaph bands). I can discuss current buzz bands, alt-country, riot girl, twee, dancey-dancey indie rock and outlaw music. I even have a faint understanding of modern pop. But I have limited interest in so-called "classic rock" bands. And that seemed to be the emphasis of the quiz.

I understand that knowing the basics is important. But I think in an independent store you'd have more opportunities to discuss, say, Cocorosie or Park Ave than the Beatles. I mean, suggestinga patron check out The Who is all well and good but if I owned a record store I'd recommend Mousetrap* instead.

C'est la guerre.


*Disclaimer, Mousetrap was originally recommended to me by an employee at the Antiquarium. I'm sure I've mentioned it to you before. It's the best store ever, seriously. The Antiquarium is in Omaha and it is an art gallery/used bookstore/record store. The video doesn't show the record store in the basement but it does show the books. Oh man, the books. Simply put, the Antiquarium is my idea of heaven.

Milk Thistle, Milk Thistle

After two guitar lessons I can awkwardly fumble my way through several songs including "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash. I feel ridiculously proud of my limited musical skill and painful fingertips. The instructor has promised that by the third week we should have callouses. I'm very, very hopeful.

This is basically the guitar I ended up renting from the school:

but mine is more banged up (that's what she said...?)

I don't know. I feel like this is the best thing I've done recently. I've been meaning to sign up and learn something for awhile but this is the first time I was actually organized to register before classes started (I even got an early registration discount). I had a short internal debate, banjo? guitar? banjo? HARMONICA! guitar?, but guitar won in the end. Maybe if I ever conquer this I can try another instrument.

My teacher is really awesome too. She's hilarious and makes us sing. Most of the songs we've learned so far are folk/alt-country so it's generally in my limited range and enjoyable. I try not to deafen others but singing makes the experience even more fun. I know it sounds cheesy but for that hour or so I feel free. Incredibly awkward, self-conscious and self-critical but lighter too.

After class everyone reconvenes in the music hall and all the guitar classes play a few songs together. I haven't been able to participate much yet since I only know five chords but it's still neat. And I get to practice my right hand technique (a fancy way to say muting all the strings and strumming along).

I've also been enjoying watching movie previews online. Of all the movies coming out soon (and there's a lot of garbage) I want to see this most.



It's called Nights and Weekends. It reminds me a lot of Quiet City which I loved.

Apparently the kids are calling this "Mumblecore" cinema. Per le infamous Wikipedia, Mumblecore "is primarily characterized by ultra-low budget production (often employing digital video cameras), focus on personal relationships between twenty-somethings, improvised scripts, and non-professional actors." It sounds kind of pretentious but Quiet City at least was really beautiful.



This is the sort of experience that I will never, ever have even were I to be set down in an identical situation. Which is regrettable.