What a beautiful face

I have found in this place

That is circling all round the sun

What a beautiful dream

That could flash on the screen

In a blink of an eye and be gone from me

Soft and sweet

Let me hold it close and keep it here with me

And one day we will die

And our ashes will fly

From the aeroplane over the sea

But for now we are young

Let us lay in the sun

And count every beautiful thing we can see

Love to be

In the arms of all I’m keeping here with me

Anna’s ghost all around

Hear her voice as it’s rolling and ringing through me

Soft and sweet

How the notes all bend and reach above the trees

Now how I remember you

How I would push my fingers through

Your mouth to make those muscles move

That made your voice so smooth and sweet

And now we keep where we don’t know

All secrets sleep in winter clothes

With one you loved so long ago

Now he don’t even know his name

What a beautiful face

I have found in this place

That is circling all round the sun

And when we meet on a cloud

I’ll be laughing out loud

I’ll be laughing with everyone I see

Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all

– Jeff Mangum, “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea”

…No reason. Or some reason but not much of one. It’s sad and beautiful and mournful and transcendent, all at once.

Adbusters is going into the sneaker selling business, ostensibly to ‘take on Nike’. I don’t know about this, it seems naive at best, hypocritical at worst, but a curious course of action any way you slice it. From where I stand, Adbusters stands to gain very little, but lose a lot.

The Death Cab For Cutie/Nada Surf/Long Winters show is confirmed on the Barsuk website and will take place at the Opera House on October 16. And it’s all ages. It better be a damn good show, cause Lord knows I don’t love all ages shows or the Opera House, let alone both at once.

Excellent Online has links to a couple streamable tracks from the new Spiritualized album, Amazing Grace, out in a couple weeks. Go have a listen.

Still no word as to when the shotgun conservation efforts around the province can be reduced. Not to say waste is preferable to conservation, but work has been suffocatingly hot without A/C and home is better, but not great. The sword of Damocles dangling up above is getting mighty old.

np – Matthew Sweet / Altered Beast

I WANT ONE OF THESE. A pox on Largehearted Boy for introducing me to this marvel of modern technology and making my life feel so inadequate for want of this fantabulous contraption.

It’s a New York City double-shot on October 22 at Lee’s Palace, with Longwave and Calla.

JAM! has an interview with the Jayhawks, in town tonight to play with Blue Rodeo. I’m missing that show, but aren’t sure where I stand on their October 13 show at Massey Hall opening for Lucinda Williams. I’m not really over the moon with World Without Tears, but she apparently puts on a barnburning show and has a terrific catalog of material to draw on. Tickets aren’t cheap, though. Still – I’ve never seen either artist live, and would like to. Update: Okay, Kyle sweet-talked me into it. We’re going to see Lucinda.

The Weakerthans snag to cover of NOW, with accompanying interview. Don’t forget their free show at the ElMo on Tuesday! I can’t go but if you can make it, you should. They’re a lot of fun live.

Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka? Seems like it could happen. It’s got my thumbs up.

There are new posters for Return Of The King. This one really doesn’t need any commentary… “Oh, Sam!” “Oh, Frodo!”

I’ve been getting shitloads of hits from google searches on “Neil Gaiman“, “1602” and “boycott”. Something going on that I don’t know about?

np – Luna / Bewitched

The Life Of David Gale posits some interesting moral and philosophical points, but buries them in massive plot holes underneath some horrid melodrama. Kevin Spacey and Laura Linney do their best with their parts, only occasionally slipping into overacting, but Kate Winslet is pretty awful. And her character’s name is Bitsy. What the hell is that?

Such a time choosing what to get at Soundscapes yesterday afternoon. The new Superchunk compilation got the nod. Cup Of Sand trots out two discs of b-sides, demos and live material from Foolish through Here’s To Shutting Up, picking up right where Incidental Music left off. There’s nothing really essential here but I love it when bands see fit to make their non-album tracks available, trainspotting completist that I am. More ‘Chunk is always a good thing – I’m quite happy with the choice. I figure the new Sloan will be easy to find second-hand within a week or two.

Matador Records has taken out a banner ad atop Friendster, shilling for Mogwai, Stephen Malkmus and Pretty Girls Make Graves. I guess they know their target market.

It’s going to get hotter before it gets cooler. We’ve been flirting with rolling blackouts the last two days. For God’s sake, get those nuclear reactors online!!! It’s just stifling at work. Stifling, I say.

np – Superchunk / Cup Of Sand

JAM! talks to Sloan about Action Pact. I’m on a Sloan kick right now. Hell, I’m on a power-pop kick right now. Turn it UP!

As I mentioned yesterday, Death Cab For Cutie, Nada Surf and The Long Winters will be coming to a venue to be announced in Toronto on October 16 and Montreal on October 17. I will guess the Opera House for the T.O. show. Barsuk loves Canada.

Sub Pop has retracted a bunch of the announced Shins tour dates, saying they’re still unconfirmed. Yeah, you forgot the Toronto date! I better get some satisfaction when the dates are announced again. Or else.

I’m looking around for some more interesting news to post, but coming up empty. Sorry.

It’s damn hot in the office. We’re being good corporate citizens and keeping the A/C off, save for periodic blasts of the cold stuff to lower the room temperature. I want to nap.

np – Nada Surf / Let Go