Dan Deacon - When I Was Done Dying

| Keith
When I was done dying, my conscience regained
So I began my struggle, a nothingness strained
Out a flash made of time, my new form blasted out
And it startled me so and I burst out a shout
At which my legs ran frantic like birds from a nest
And I ran until drained, leaving no choice but rest
So I fell asleep softly at the edge of a cave
But I should have gone in deeper but I'm not so brave
And like that I was torn out and thrown in the sky
And I said all my prayers because surely I'll die
As I crashed down and smashed into earth, into dirt
How my skin did explode, leaving only my shirt
But from shirt grew a tree and then tree grew a fruit
And I became the seed and that seed was a brute
And I clawed through the ground with my roots and my leaves
And I tore up the shirt and I ate up the sleeves
And they laughed out at me and said "what is your plan?"
But their question was foreign, I could not understand
When then suddenly I'm ripped up and placed into a mouth
And it swallowed me down at which time I head south

"When I Was Done Dying" is sort of like listening to a loopy, trippy dream. Which, I guess can be said of many Dan Deacon cuts. It's fun, awkwardly catchy, rhythmic and full of fun, odd little sounds. And it's today's Most Important Song because it does a good job of expressing how my jet lag and information overloaded brain feels right now. Enjoy. Oop. App. Eeep.

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Woodlock - Sirens

| Keith
They say the work is hard,
but when I get younger.
Even as the lights dim low,
even as a high winds blow.

I'm writing this as the lights dim low, after a long couple days work, with quite a few ahead of me. Woodlock is a Melbourne-base folk/pop outfit who've got a really pleasant, fun sound. I don't know too much about them, but "Sirens" is an earworm that's been in my heavy rotation for a few months now and well worth your time to check out.

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Camouflage - That Smiling Face

| Kerri
All these words I try to find to say to you
I can't stand a thousand dreams I dream of you,
while you stand beside me,
while you move into my arms.

Driving home Saturday night, listening to the "Safety Dance" set on 1st Wave/SiriusXM, I heard a remix of this song and couldn't believe it. I used to wear this cassette out back in 1988 (or probably '89-'90, wasn't really an early an adopter back in 8th grade). Anyway, despite it's time in heavy rotation on my boom box, I didn't repurchase Voices & Images on CD, and subsequently didn't think to purchase (or otherwise) the mp3s, and just completely forgot about anything other than The Great Commandment. Until this weekend. So, when I saw Keith picked a song from 1988 for Monday, it felt like an invitation for me to do the same. Great minds, and all that jazz.

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Fugazi - Waiting Room

| Keith
I am a patient boy
I wait, I wait, I wait, I wait
My time is water down a drain
Everybody's moving
Everybody's moving
Everything is moving,
Moving, moving, moving
Please don't leave me to remain
In the waiting room

1988. The year before I graduated from high school. Also, the year famed post-hardcore band Fugazi released their self-titled EP. 1988. It was a good year.

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Iron & Wine - Walking Far From Home

| Keith
I was walking far from home
Where the names were not burned along the wall
Saw a building, high as heaven
But the door was so small, door was so small 
I saw rainclouds, little babies
And a bridge that had tumbled to the ground
I saw sinners making music
And I dreamt of that sound, dreamt of that sound 
I was walking far from home
But I carried your letters all the while
I saw lovers in a window
Whisper want me like time, want me like time 
I saw sickness bloom in fruit trees
I saw blood and a bit of it was mine
I saw children in a river
But their lips were still dry, lips were still dry 
I was walking far from home
And I found your face mingled in the crowd
Saw a boat-full of believers
Sail off talking too loud, talking too loud 
I saw sunlight on the water
Saw a bird fall like a hammer from the sky
An old woman on a speed train
She was closing her eyes, closing her eyes 
I saw flowers on a hillside
And a millionaire pissing on the lawn
Saw a prisoner take a pistol
And say join me in song, join me in song 

As this is posting I'll have arrived in Australia. For the second time this year. Yep, I took the longest non-stop in the world from Dallas to Sydney. I love to travel but, if I'm being honest, this year has been a bit much, and we're only half way through! I'm sure I'm missing Kerri something awful, and I don't even want to think about my poor cat, Danger.

But enough of that! Travel is a joy. It's probably the best way a person can learn and become more at one with the world. My favorite thing to do when I'm away is to walk. I love exploring and getting lost in new places. I love making up stories about the people and places I see. I love listening to music in a new environment, finding art and taking photos and breathing far away air.

"Walking Far From Home" one of my favorite songs, and easily my favorite from Iron & Wine, who've got a lot to choose from. I included a fair bit of the lyrics because they're so damn good (Samuel Beam is an amazingly gifted songwriter) and evoke almost exactly my own feelings as I'm walking far from home.

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