I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a video game to install properly on the first go. Case in point – my copy of Neverwinter Nights. Instead of ‘insert disc – follow instructions – run – fight evil’, it’s ‘insert disc – follow instructions – start creating character – crash – reboot – run – recreate character – crash – reboot – update soundcard driver – reboot – update Direct X – reboot – update video card driver – reboot – run – recreate character – start playing – get optimistic that it’s fixed – crash – reboot – uninstall game – reinstall game – run game – cross fingers that improved performance means problem is fixed but never EVER feel 100% comfortable that things are running properly’. Yeah, and sadly this isn’t the first time this has happened. The moral of this story? Keep your drivers updated and get all that shit installed before you try installing a game. And eat your vegetables.

Went to a little party last night at Clay and Jules’ last night. I want a coolio apartment like theirs. Though their place is technically a one-bedroom (one and a half if you count the solarium), it’s massive. Exponentially more space than I could ever fill up, but damn it would be fun to try. I have yet to see a storetop apartment that’s not got loads of character. I like character.

This year’s hockey pool ends with a whimper. I managed to hang onto third place, meaning I take a net loss of nothing, but at the moment so do most everyone else since NO ONE HAS PAID ME YET. Jeff and Lee will have to wait to collect their winnings cause I’m not taking a loss on this thing. And I may be done with running the hockey pool, it’s just getting to be too much hassle for not a lot of reward – there’s not even trash talk. What’s the fun without the trash talk?

np – Lambchop / How I Quit Smoking

I managed to make it to paintball this morning for Scott’s bachelor party, despite being up late last night and horribly misjudging how long it would take me to get to the place by bus (it didn’t look that far on the map!). I’d been paintballing once before, and have the scars to prove it (literally – have a look at the top of my wrist sometime), but that was outdoors and this place was very much indoors. The field was a large sand-covered warehouse with a variety of buildings, walls and abandoned cars set up for cover. I got there late enough that the exclusive time booked aside for the bachelor party was over, and it was now a free-for-all with other patrons. What this meant was two teams of two dozen or so a side, the majority of them gun-toting 13 year olds. Think about that for a minute. A lot of these kids had their own guns. I find that unsettling.

From the first blow of the whistle, it was chaos. You start off immediately pinned down by opposing fire – mind you, the other side probably feels the same way, but that doesn’t really ease things much. In the dim light, it’s nigh impossible to tell your teammates from the opposition – hell, my one kill was from the other guy pretty much giving himself up. I’m camped out behind a building, he dashes behind the building directly ahead of me, not seeing me, and is directly in my sights. Only problem is, I can’t tell if he’s got a bandana or not (not means he’s meat – I’m Skins). He spots me and shouts, “Don’t shoot, I’m bandana!” Thanks. FFFAP. Easy peasy, but I got my payback in the next game when I tried to make a dash to the lower level and got nailed in the head, chest and gun. It was not pretty. All in all, I think I prefer outdoor paintball. There’s more opportunity for strategy and stealth – indoor is bedlam.

A nice score last night en route to the Delgados show – a used copy of Jeff Mangum’s (mastermind of Neutral Milk Hotel) Live At Jitter Joe’s. Recorded in Athens Georiga in 1997, between the releases of On Avery Island and the magnificent In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, this is about as raw and basic a live album as you’ll find. Recorded by Apples In Stereo mainman Robert Schneider, it’s little more than a single mic placed in front of a man with an acoustic guitar. The tape hiss and crowd noise (including a jubilant baby) really add to the cozy ambience of the recording, but its the songs that really make this worth having. As an extra bonus, there’s also a Quicktime movie of the entire show which shares a similar aesthetic with its aural counterpart – Mangum is shrouded in shadow for pretty much the whole show.

In other Elephant 6 news – Beulah have finished recording their new album with Roger Moutenot. They also state that, “as concerned citizens and patriots of this great country, profusely apologize to the rest of the world for the impending war and moronic actions of our leader. It’s just embarrassing, plain and simple, and we encourage all of you to protest in whatever way you can”. Thanks guys (he says “impending war” because the note was posted on March 19).

np – Beulah / Handsome Western States

An impressively packed house braved one of the freakiest ice storms we’ve seen in ages to catch The Delgados kick off their North American tour in support of Hate. Openers Aerogramme were remarkable in their blandness. By halfway through their set, I was more interested in watching people walk up and down the stairs at the back of the club. They had some interesting musical moments, but torpedoed them with unnecessary screaming. Oh, I see. You’re emoting. Thanks. And that’s all I have to say about that.

The Delgados came on just after midnight, touring again as a nine-piece with a string section, flautist and keyboardist accompanying the core quartet. I think last time through, there were 11 of them, but I may be wrong. What I found most remarkable about the show was the sound – they had brought their own soundman to handle the board, and the result was by far the best live sound I’ve ever heard at Lee’s. Everything was perfectly balanced and audible, from the strings to the vocals, which is essential for a band with a sound and lush and dynamic as the Delgados. While their between song banter was scattershot and increasingly incomprehensible as the night wore on (boozing, don’t you know. Scots, y’see), it was forgivable thanks to their innate charm, the fact that it was the first night of the tour and they’d already gone through the horrible injustice of losing ALL their guitar pedals that day and having to run out and replace them, and because as soon as they started playing, they were all business. Each song was note-perfect and awe-inspiring (except when Alun botched the opening to “American Trilogy” and called for a do-over, but he’s allowed) and for myself at least, there was a certain je ne sais quoi throughout the show that elevated it from good to great that was lacking their last time through in November of 2000. The first great show of 2003.

I took a handful of photos – have a look here.

np – The Delgados / Peloton

The jackpot in tonight’s Super 7 lottery is a cool $25,000,000 Loonies. That’s a lot of scratch. I’ve bought a couple tickets, and in anticipation of my impending windfall (I am SO due!), I’ve decided to do a little something for all my readers. If I win tonight – and I’m not talking whole jackpot, let’s say more than $10,000,000 – I will buy everyone who responds to this post a large, 3-topping pizza. You have to leave me your proper email address, but you have my word that if I do end up filthy rich, I will kick-start my inevitable transformation into a raving eccentric with a giant world-wide pizza party.

Mogwai’s new long-player, Happy Songs For Happy People, drops on June 10th. Eardrums everywhere tremble in fear.

np – Rilo Kiley / The Execution Of All Things

This from Fluxblog – The Kronos Quartet doing a string arrangement of Television’s “Marquee Moon”. I think it’s masterful, but I am a sucker for strings and for Television covers. I’m not sure how long the link will stay active, but I’ve saved it and will probably make it my mp3 of the week at some point.

The track is from a double disc compilation called Rubaiyat : Elektra’s 40th Anniversary which features a slew of Elektra artists doing covers of other Elektra artists. It’s out of print now, but is definitely going on the eBay watch list. There’s some damned good stuff on there.

“Guitar with just enough twang to remind me that girls who smell good don’t like me.”

I think I’ve just found the perfect phrase to describe my musical aspirations. I lifted the above quote off the webpage for The Scud Mountain Boys. It’s a great line, and one that deserves to be immortalized in these virtual pages.

We are currently being buried under ice pellets and freezing rain, and this is supposed to carry on through tomorrow and maybe into the weekend. It’s quite obvious that we’ve displeased the weather gods somehow, and they are punishing us. I will be going onto the roof to sacrifice a goat after dinner.

np – The Scud Mountain Boys / Massachusetts