Filed Under: Songs That Take You On A Journey Through Melody.
Filed Under: Indie-Rock Songs Michael Cera Would Put On A Mixtape.
(I despise that guy, mind you. But this song is lovely.)
Band of Horses-No One’s Gonna Love You
**found this on the Revok blog, pretty neat.**
An artist uses a freeway as his canvas, all in the name of public good.
The freeway sign arrived in Los Angeles five days after I did. It appeared out of nowhere, a valiant attempt by one of its citizens to help drivers make sense of their city, just as I appeared in a silver Subaru, valiantly attempting to make sense of what were apparently not called “highways” but “freeways.” Not that you should ever refer to them that way, I was constantly reminded. “Just say the number,” a friend sighed-the route number, which I kept forgetting should always be prefaced with a “the,” a colloquialism my plain-speaking Midwestern brain couldn’t register. Nor could I comprehend being strapped into a car for hours a day, the sheer inhumanity of a Sigalert, a sweeping six-lane interchange as vast and impossible to navigate as the Pacific Ocean.
I remember, for example, the first time I tried to head north on “The 5″ from downtown, when I missed the exit completely, sailing obliviously towards Pasadena. The second time I found myself frantically crossing dashed line after dashed line, more like Frogger than in a car myself, in a last-minute attempt to relocate from one end of the 110 to the other. Even once I reached the exit, I was still in danger: The 5′s onramp twirls violently to the left like an unfurling banana peel; without knowing exactly where it is, it sneaks up far too fast for anyone operating an automobile, and especially a non-local. I sped uncontrollably up the 5′s incline, panting all the way to Burbank.
An artist named Richard Ankrom had the same experience, and so he did what any fed-up Los Angeles driver would do: He began designing a simple directional tool to help drivers prepare for the 5′s poorly-marked, hairpin exit. He designed and sewed a Caltrans uniform, cut the shield-like “5″ shape as well as a “NORTH” from sheet metal, and affixed the reflectors to match the existing system. He even gave the signage a nice dusting of L.A. smog-sheen so it wouldn’t look glaringly new. And on August 5, 2001, in broad daylight, he hoisted a ladder onto Gantry 21300, walked onto a catwalk above one of the city’s busiest arteries, and installed his own freeway sign. This collage of six time-lapsed photos shows how he did it. There are more on Ankrom’s site.
modified sign with 5 and north (arrow) installed August 5, 2001. The signs were replaced, with the improvements, November 22, 2009
Song of the morning. I’ve posted this a few times, but it’s such a dope track. Food for thought. Stay humble, stay focused, get love, give love.
One of the most refreshing and uplifting hip-hop tracks I’ve heard in a minute. Never heard of this cat but I like his sound, Asian-American emcee hailing from Portland, OR. Currently checking out his music. I’ll hit you with more recommendations in a few days.
Also, Live From Nowhere Near You is just a fantastic project.
If I was being held by Armenian terrorists and was forced to delete the contents of my hard drive or risk persecution or worse and the US Government bought me enough time to save 50 songs, this would be one of them. Sheer perfection.
A funeral service for [Nate Dogg] is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday with a celebration at 7 p.m., both at the Dome. A viewing will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New Hope Baptist Church, 1160 New York St. No cameras are allowed.
About 1,000 people will be allowed into each of the two Saturday events if the issues are resolved. If the obstacles are not overcome, the event will be private. If the event goes forward as planned, a phone number will be publicized and tickets will be given away on a first-come, first-serve basis. Callers will be told where to pick up tickets. That information will be reported at presstelegram.com when it is available. There will be no public parking at the Saturday events. A shuttle will be provided and those planning to attend will be screened before boarding the bus and at the events. Tickets given out will have two bar codes and will be good for both Saturday events. If you’re in LA you must go! 40s will be passed liberally.
