I'm not much of a sports fan, but

I used to be, back in the days.

The recent deaths of Tom Seaver and now Lou Brock remind me of when I watched those men and others play ball. I wish I had something clever and insightful to add, but no. This is just a bit of my childhood that I'd forgotten until recently.

Another musical entry

It's looking like squib posts are working for me now, so here's another one-shot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IowGrGWzecQ
Bob Mould's just-dropped third single off his latest album. It's short and right to the point, like punk should be. Last time he was in town it was at the Paradise and I broke my rule about not seeing shows there. I was severely disappointed. The Paradise is a tough venue to watch any show in and their sound system and sound tech are abysmal. One of the things I like about Mould is his vocals and in this track you can hear how to mix them properly. I just wish I could get that experience live.

Mould released this statement about “Siberian Butterfly”:

The genesis of “Siberian Butterfly” spoke to the notion of “collectors” – people with excessive means who gather the works of creative folk for their ego-driven portfolios.


As I kept writing, the narrative shifted toward themes of change, growth, and freedom. These motifs are central to how we become our true selves. This is how we begin our journey toward our true identities.


It’s autobiographical as well. I put myself through some self-hating years as a young gay man – never feeling “good enough,” not recognizing the positive qualities I had to offer, while inhibiting the development of my gay identity.


I hope for a world where all people can be what they want to be. Life seems shorter every day; maybe this simple song can be of use to people who are struggling to find their true selves.

Amanda Palmer, Rhiannon Giddens, and Portishead

https://amandapalmer.bandcamp.com/track/its-a-fire

Amanda Palmer just released her duet cover of Portishead's "It's A Fire" with Rhiannon Giddens. The arrangement (by Jherek Bischoff, natch) is a little heavy-handed, I think, but it's one of my favorite Portishead tracks and I think the dual voices works well. Neither of these singers is Beth Gibbons and neither one is trying to be.

There doesn't appear to be an official video for the song; this fan vid is quite popular though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y26KpgZknY&ab_channel=Qz45

There's also a popular cover by Amy Lee (of Evanescence fame) who I think does make the mistake of trying to be Beth Gibbons and I am not fond of the result.