Friday, January 29, 2016

Song of the Week: Lost Weekend

While listening to PAWS radio I rediscovered this dance punk single from the very eclectic and very erratic 2013 record Blowout by the So So Glos. With a style reminiscent of Generation X, it serves as a perfect addition to a long head-nodding weekend playlist.

"Lost Weekend" by The So So Glos


When the work week's through,
Kelvin

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Song of the Week: Lone Star

In honor of the 500,000+ individuals taking part in the March for Life (amidst the most intense blizzard in a while), the theme of the following song revolves around the consequences many would rather ignore from the ugly reality of abortion. With spare instrumentation and straight-forward, no-nonsense lyrics, The Front Bottoms depict a fictional account of a young couple coping with the aftermath of their decision in this track from their 2013 folk punk album, Talon of the Hawk.

"Lone Star" by The Front Bottoms


Not just preparing for nightmares,
Kelvin

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Casting Pods

When I was younger, I thought that podcasts were just glorified radio shows that only old people listened to. Now that I'm older, I think that they are one of the greatest media avenues ever created! Though I don't claim to know the first thing about podcast broadcasting, it is suffice to say for the layman still living under a rock that a podcast is an audio / video channel where the channel's host can upload episodic content to the podcast client server (which I presume is maintained by Apple) which is downloaded by the subscribers as often as the channel is updated. Basically, it's like TV for your earbuds.

The genres of podcasts seem as varied and versitile as what you could find on your phone's app store: news, sports, music, food, history, religion, comedy, education, etc. And I've yet to find any podcast whose content isn't free! So whatever you're into, it's likely that there's a podcast about it and that it's being regularly updated.


Below I've listed the podcasts I'm currently subscribed to and the reasons why I keep listening. I know there's dozens more I should also check out (some of which I'll list at the end), but I've kinda got my hands full with the content I already get from these 20 podcasts. If you have any suggestions, though, don't hesitate to leave a message on the (very lonely) comment bar :)

1. Lanky Guys (Runtime: 45 mins) (Updated: once a week)


This list is structured in the order that I have my podcast app (Podcast Republic) check for new updates and it's no surprise that I have it check for Lanky Guys first. Every week, Scott Powell and Fr. Peter Mussett call in from Bolder, Colorado, to break open the Scriptures and try and find the themes and topics that tie together each of the Sunday Mass readings from the Catholic Lectionary. I can always trust on the duo to be well researched, but far from sounding like a graduate lecture they do a good job of interspersing light banter and offering concrete take-aways that are pertinent to the Christian of today.

2. Word on Fire Sermons (Runtime: 15 minutes) (Updated: once a week)


On Word on Fire Sermons, Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles, California, shares his homily on the upcoming Sunday's Mass readings which is regularly dense with theological, philosophical, sociological and historical discussion.

3. St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology (Runtime: 3 minutes) (Updated: once a week)


Every week Dr. Scott Hahn from Steubenville, Ohio, offers in his podcast a short reflection on the Sunday Mass readings and draws out the implications of not only where do the readings fit in Salvation History but also how we are called to participate in the same.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Song of the Week: Anchorage

I assume the rest of the music blogosphere is replete with coverage of the lives and influences of Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister (who passed away shortly after Christmas) and David Bowie (who passed away this past Sunday), especially with the latter's release of Blackstar the Friday prior which is thick with themes of death and life hereafter. So instead of adding more to what better minds have already tackled, I'll share a simple discover from one of my favorite bands. Australian post-punk powerhouse The Church released their 23rd album, Untitled #23, in 2009 which featured this song with simple, poignant poetry and somber, abrasive melody which was the closest I've ever heard the band getting to "mainstream" alternative.

"Anchorage" by The Church


Living here in the future,
Kelvin

Friday, January 8, 2016

Song of the Week: I'm Not Part of Me

It was suggested by Spotify that I listen to Ugly by Screaming Females (probably because of my interest in Titus Andronicus) and I was going to post something from that album (most likely the song that's featured in Rocksmith 2014) until I tuned in to the Screaming Females radio station and came across the following song by Cloud Nothings. When I heard this lead single from 2014's Here and Nowhere Else I was struck with a peculiar feeling of nostalgia, as if I was transported back to my teenage years and listening for the upteenth time to Taking Back Sunday, Green Day and other pop-punk heart-on-your-sleeve sing-alongs.

"I'm Not Part of Me" by Cloud Nothings


Leave it all to memory,
Kelvin