Lazy Cats, Contracts, and Music you Should be Listening To December 16, 2005 – Posted in: Aberrant Normalcy, Sybil's Garage

Every morning I have a routine. I wake up, head to the loo, come back and put on some warm clothes, then head into the kitchen for breakfast. At some point either my cat is the one waking me up, or she soon follows me into the kitchen as soon as she hears the pots banging as I boil some water for cereal. But not this morning. Somehow she managed to crawl underneath the covers. And she stayed there as I boiled and ate my cereal. I listened to the squirrels frolic above me in the attic, their usual winter home this time of year, and I saw a hawk alight on a building in the distance, a rare sight in this part of town. Nearly done with my breakfast, Lucy the cat sleepily crawled over to me and said, “Meow.” Who wants to wake up from underneath warm covers when it’s so cold out?

Sybil’s Garage contracts were mailed recently to all the authors. It will be good to have that portion completed so I can focus on the layout and design phase of the magazine. It seems that all things will be slowing down in the next two weeks for the holidays, and I look forward to using that time for the magazine. There are just some things I have a good feeling about, and this issue is one of them.

Another thing I feel good about is a new CD I started listening to called Scout Niblett, “Kidnapped by Neptune”. Kind of like a cross between DQE (Dairy Queen Empire) and the experimental sounds of the new White Stripes, Niblett is my new favorite album. Delightfully edgy, filled sometimes with more space than sounds, but soon the guitar riffs come in that could easily be heard in a Queens of the Stone Age song. Other bands to take a look at: She Wants Revenge , Animal Collective, and Sigur Ros. My personal favorite of the year though is Maximo Park.

Speaking of music, every Christmas, for seven to ten days, WKCR 89.9 FM in New York plays the Bach Festival, an uninterrupted musical medley from the greatest composer who ever lived. This year they’re trying a new chronological format, playing the composer’s compositions in order of their creation. You can listen live on the net if you aren’t in the NY area (it starts on the 22nd). There’s something about listening to Bach while Orion rises in the east and my stomach is warmed by liquor while outside the air is frigid and crisp that just kills me every year. This year will be no different.