These Days...

...I'm procrastinating writing my three summaries that are due today for my critical pedagogy class that starts Monday in Minneapolis. I will be in the Twin Cities for the next two weeks. Should be a nice little radical adventure, as the class is about as leftist in theory as you can get, and I'm taking the overnight Megabus to get there. For $50, I ain't complaining. That's one mofo tank of gas these days. Should be able to blog a lot from up there, probably about what I'm reading, which should at best inspire discussion and at worst piss some people off.

So, I'm at Hartford bumming their free WiFi, drinking an iced coffee, working on the second of nine pages, and listening to this awesome song that I heard live twice this week. It's Mates of State covering Nico's "These Days". Did you know Kori Gardner is a mother who blogs? Her recent entry is about being on Yo Gabba Gabba. I heart her as she is totally adorable and kickass.

HumpDay Playlist

These days, work is sucking my soul dry and I'm yearning for weather warm enough to sit on my front porch with a beer and a book (one I'm reading for pleasure, please). Music is getting me by. What's poppin' today as I write curriculum and lesson plans, corral kids, and try to read for school? How about a little playlist to feel empowered and happy?

Another Sunny Day--Belle and Sebastian
Breakin' Up--Rilo Kiley
Young Folks--Peter Bjorn and John
All the Young Dudes--Mott the Hoople
Brass In Pocket--The Pretenders
Shiver--Coldplay
Cut Your Hair--Pavement
Race for the Prize--The Flaming Lips
My Name Is Jonas--Weezer
Trying Gets You Nowhere--Goodnight Ghost
A Better Son/Daughter--Rilo Kiley
Take Me To The Riot--Stars
Good To Know--Stephen Brodsky
We Do Not Fuck Around--Viva Voce
What's Mine Is Yours--Sleater Kinney

Brief Note

If you want to feel good, listen to Golden Smog's cover of The Kinks "Strangers" on their disc Another Fine Day featuring the sweet, sweet vocal harmonies of Jeff Tweedy and Gary Louris. You heard The Kinks version on The Darjeeling Limited soundtrack. So good, I got up and went across the room to replay the song on vinyl. Oh, wait, you can listen to it (and the rest of this kickass album) streaming online here.

P.S. If you don't know Gary Louris from the awesome band The Jayhawks, you should, at least, if you like alt-country. If you don't know who Jeff Tweedy is, then you are dead to me.