the genius of danielewski

a friend just asked me a question that made me think. if i were to suggest one book, and only one book what would it be? out of all of the books i have read (about 75 per year for the past 4-5 years and i should get to over 100 this year) which one would i choose to suggest? would it be divine misfortune by a. lee martinez, a wonderful book that follows a couple as they attempt to choose a god who can bring them some ease in life. would it be jonathan strange and mr. norrell by susanna clarke, a novel that follows two magicians in their trek to become the best at what they do? would it be musashi by eiji yoshikawa, a novel set in the edo period in japan and following the exploits of the famous samurai ronin, miyamoto musashi? perhaps i would choose the eyre affair by jasper fforde, a book that is perfect for bibliophiles? or maybe i would choose the hunger games by suzanne collins, a dystopian novel that elicits multiple emotional reactions.

no, the novel that i would choose is house of leaves by mark z. danielewski. it is a fantastic post-modern work that follows a tattoo parlor employee and he searches out the truth behind a documentary called the navidson report. it is told is a large amount of footnotes and with a style that mirrors what is happening in the story. for example, at one point mirrors play a large role. when this is happening the text in the book is backwards, thus making the reader hold the novel up to a mirror in order to read it. it follows in this manner throughout the book thus making it an intimidating read, but one that is totally satisfying. it has some horror elements, but it is more than a horror story. i would highly suggest this to anyone who wants a great read...and it is probably my favorite book.

















well there it is. so tell me, what book would you pick?

cinematic genius...just one christopher nolan away

my fiancee and i are big cinema buffs. we both love hitting up our local theater (regal showcase 16) to catch the newest movies...and we really aren't picky about what we see. this causes quite a dichotomy in our cinematic endeavors. on one hand we see alot of fun movies, however, on the other hand, we see alot of movies that we probably could have waited to see on dvd. does this matter to us? not at all. i think that part of the fun is the two of us going to a place that isn't our room in front of a tv that we see all the time. it is simply nice to go into a theater, sit in the row that has the bar right in front of you (our favorite spot) in order to prop our feet up, and soak in the ambiance that is the theater-going experience. lately we've seen some pretty decent movies...and two great movies. let me preface this by saying...the two i'm saying are great...are incredible-great, not just okay-great. following are some of the movies we've seen in the past couple of months and my personal opinions regarding them...

inception

this is the first of the "incredible-great" movies that we've seen recently. it is a head-trip and a mind-screw all in one...and it is brilliant. christopher nolan is the writer/director of this movie and it is solid gold. he is one of my favorite writer/director's out there. he has done memento (amazing), the prestige (amazing), batman begins (amazing), and the dark knight (i think you see where i'm going). i mean, come on, anyone who can bring back the batman mythos from the dead is genius in my book. inception is amazing, but know what you're in for. it is weird, visceral, and brilliant, but may be tough for some people to get into.


toy story 3

this is the second of the "incredible-great" movies that we've seen recently. toy story 3 is the...wait for it...third installment in the toy story brand by pixar. this one is the best of the three in my opinion. it amazes me that no matter what pixar does, it is genius. every year the movie that pixar puts out is in my top 10 of the year...no matter what it is. i think it is the way that pixar has learned to connect to the audience (kids and adults alike) by making their characters jump of the screen with human-like traits. they are the best computer animated studio by far...and i don't think anyone will touch that streak any time soon.


the sorcerer's apprentice

we just saw this movie along with inception as a double feature this past weekend. we caught this one first and then went to see inception right afterwards. this was actually a fun movie, and a good one to see in the theater. nicolas cage was good as the slightly mad sorcerer who needs to find the next powerful sorcerer. it ends up being a magical romp that takes "the sorcerer's apprentice" mickey mouse cartoon and turns it live-action in a fun way. i would recommend this is your looking for a fun and magical way to kill a couple of hours...and it looks really good on the big screen!



despicable me

this was a fun animated feature staring steve carell as the lead character. steve carell is always great in my opinion, and this is no exception. while it doesn't even come close to the brilliance that is toy story 3, it is still a fun movie to watch. this would be a great movie to take the kiddies to see if you are looking for a good family-friendly movie. there is nothing parents would have to take exception to outside of a little cartoon violence. actually, it is quite the heart-warming story of a villain who adopts three little girls and learns to love them as their new dad. a little sappy at times, but fun throughout...and ya just gotta love the minions...they are the funniest part!

the last airbender

we caught this movie while we were visiting my birth-town, portsmouth, virginia a few weeks back. i keep hearing that it was hated by the critics...but i think it is being unfairly criticized. i really liked this movie. it was fun, bold, and epic...and that is what i was expecting of it. i understand that it may not have lived up to the animated show, but then i haven't seen the source material yet. regardless, i think this movie stands on its own. no, the acting is not great nor is the script great...but it is still a good movie. it is a martial arts, mystical romp through a fantasy world that is well thought out. i really hope the sequel comes out in the next couple of years...i hate waiting for resolution!

the a-team

apparently my fiancee had never seen the original 80's television show, the a-team. in an effort to improve upon this sacrilege, we went and saw the movie that is based upon that show. in the end i think she saw the only thing you really need to, and that is the movie. while the show was fun, it is really dated when you go back and watch it now. this movie did what needed to be done, drag the brand into the 21st century and make it huge! this is an epic action film that has an incredibly funny script. we founds ourselves laughing our way through this movie as the jokes and witty repartee kept coming. final word...great action film...go and see!


the twilight saga: eclipse

if i didn't make myself clear in my previous post...this movie is unnecessary. if you have read the books then that is all you need to do...the movie is some pretty rough emo-drivel. it is watchable...but just barely...do yourselves a favor...if you see only one movie this summer...don't make it this one! make it inception instead! you'll thank me in the end!

emo has never been more emo than "the twilight saga: eclipse"

so this past week my fiancee and i went and saw "twilight saga: eclipse" at our local theater. for those of you who like it, i'm sure you've formed your own opinions. for those of you who don't like it, i'm sure you, too, have formed your own opinions. for those of you who don't know what i'm talking about...what hole have you been under for the past five years? "the twilight saga" is a series of book by the now world famous stephenie (yes, with an "e") meyer. it takes place in the seattle, washington area and centers on the most emo girl in the entire world. her name is bella and she is best described clinically as an "emo-girl." in the movie she is played by kristen stewart, one of my least favorite actors out there right now, which is a shame because i do kinda want to see her movie where she plays joan jett. she give the same character she plays in every movie, a constantly stoned teen with a attitude problem and a seriously creepy lack of facial expressions. i'm not sure there is anyone out there right now who annoys me more than she does...i just want to see a little emotion from her. ironic right? the most "emo" movie i've ever seen, with the lead character cast as the least emotional person in the world! an interesting dichotomy to say the least. the movie was at times cringe-worthy, and at other times somewhat entertaining. don't get me wrong...i actually liked the books...quite alot. the movies however, i could take or leave. i'll still see the last movie (or two is the rumors are to be believed) because i am somewhat anal and have to finish what i started...crappy movies and all. again, i'm sure all of your opinions have been made...all i want to portray is this...if you want to see the most emo movie of all times...then look no further than that newest twilight saga movie!


the good
















the bad
















the emo

ode to a suicidal gnat

so there i am...walking down the hall at work...and a gnat flies directly into my mouth and down my throat. why? why would you do this little gnat? was my throat that inviting that you decided to commit suicide and jump down into the endless abyss? or were you having problems at home? perhaps the strain of day-to-day living was getting the best of you and that lead to the decision to eliminate your existence from this cruel, cruel world. i must say that i don't understand why you did what you did...but i suppose i must accept it, after all, you are in my stomach now. rest in peace, little gnat, rest in peace.

ps...if you give me indigestion i will hunt your family down and eat them too!

the alterna-indie folk-punk revolution begins!

for those of you who don't know me, i am a huge bob dylan fan. listening to him really opened up my entire musical repertoire and made me appreciate not only folk but other styles as well. in the end however, folk has really dominated my listening tastes in the past eight to ten years. i find myself always draw to the acoustic stylings and what they are able to do with the simplistic instruments and interesting tones. in the past few years indie music, punk music, and folk music have come together to form a new style that isn't easily definable. this has become one of my favorite styles of music in the past few years and more bands are popping up and taking this new/old style to new levels. the first band i heard that i think really typifies this style is murder by death. they are a perfect example of the punk traditions added to the folk styling and they rock hard! the avett brothers were the next band i heard that i felt really grasped the feeling of this new indie music and they make folky-punk awesome! the felice brothers have a similar sound to the avett brothers but really amp up the punk feeling by making things chaotic. the two new additions to this music are mumford and sons and river city extension. mumford and sons have the banjo and acoustic attack with the passionate vocals that tend to typify this style while river city extension adds in a brass sound to make things even more interesting.

murder by death












the avett brothers












the felice brothers












mumford and sons












river city extension












so this post got me to thinking, if i were to form an epic alterna-indie folk-punk band along with some famous (or maybe not so famous) musicians, what would it look like? what follows would be my dream band of this style if i could choose from anyone anywhere...

myself - lead vox, acoustic/electric guitars, harmonica
aaron sprinkle (solo, fair, poor old lu) - acoustic/electric guitars, bgv's
the edge (u2) - electric guitar, bgv's
bela fleck (bela fleck & the flecktones) - banjo
chris thile (solo, nickel creek, punch brothers) - mandolin, bgv's
mike herrera (mxpx, the cooties) - bass guitar, bgv's
norah jones (solo, the little willies) - piano, bgv's
jenny conlee (the decemberists) - hammond b3, keyboards
mike marsh (dashboard confessional) - drums
rashawn ross (studio session work, dave matthews band) - trumpet
lee loughnane (chicago) - trumpet
jeff coffin (bela fleck & the flecktone, dave matthews band) - sax, clarinet, flute
sara watkins (solo, nickel creek) - violin, fiddle, bgv's
sarah balliet (murder by death) - cello, bgv's
karen bernquist (over the rhine) - bgv's
sarah jarosz (solo) - bgv's

so there it is. i know what you're saying, "aaron that is way too many people." i beg to differ! what i have created is the ultimate epic alterna-indie folk-punk band! the epic sounds would never stop and would create an awesome wall of sound to rival the greatest music ever created! mwa ha ha ha ha...

okay...that rant is over now. now i am going to list the band that i would create with friends and people i have known and/or played with in the past is some form or another. i can't even promise that some of these people even play their instrument any more, but hey, that's what fantasy is about right? here goes...

myself - lead vocals, electric/acoustic guitars, mandolin, harmonica
josh jacoby - electric/acoustic guitars, banjo, mandolin
matthew gromis - electric guitar
jenny fretz - acoustic guitar, bgv's
kevin ward - bass guitar
kaley keener - piano, bgv's
kathrin thawley - hammond b3, keyboards, bgv's
adam rohrer - drums, bgv's
matthew wertz - trumpet
bradley gromis - trumpet
katie huston - clarinet
andy fretz - cello
amanda vining - bgv's
tara towner - bgv's
emily mcallister (soon to be rohrer!) - bgv's

i know all of you are looking at that list and saying, "seriously?" yes seriously! how awesome and epic would we be! i believe we will be called "the epic revolution." plus we would take over the world, mwa ha ha ha ha! okay, enough evil, taking-over-the-world laughs. let me know what ya think people! till next time, rock 'n' roll!

the epic revolution

i pose to you the question, "what are your top 10 albums?" "go."

this post is for my boy matty mcclure of the clan mcclure. all throughout college (and many years afterward) we would pose "top 5" or "top 10" list questions to each other. for example, one of us would ask the other "what are your top 5 action movies?" we would pose these questions anywhere and everywhere just because we could. anywho...this one is for you matty. the question posed today is "what are your top 10 albums?" just to make this easier on myself these are in no particular order, just alphabetical, and they are my personal favorite albums and are always subject to change...but probably not. so here goes...

1. the avett brothers "i and love and you"

this is a great folk/country/punk/whatever album by the incredible avett brothers. a band consisting of the two brothers (generally playing all instruments except bass) and a bass player, these three play tight folk music with raucous abandon and rock out in the process!


2. coldplay "a rush of blood to the head"

the second mainstream lp by the british pop rock band took the sounds heard off of their previous album "parachutes" and adds a level of production and epic grandeur that turned them into the superstars they are now.



3. bob dylan "blonde on blonde"

this album took the beauty of the the plugged-in sound that dylan explored on "highway 61 revisited" and turned up the eclectic sounds and genre twists. never has dylan sounded so great!



4. green day "21st century breakdown"

the most recent album by the punk pop superstars takes their sound to the next level. they have proven that they aren't the burp-and-fart-joke punkers that they may have started out as, but have grown into a legitimate pop rock band...heavy on the rock! this concept album proves that a story can be told and totally rock out at the same time.

5. shooter jennings & heirophant "black ribbons"

this is the first album that shooter jennings (son of waylon jennings) put out with his newest band hierophant. his previous albums would best fit under the title of alternative country but this one takes a decidedly different turn. someone smarter than myself describes this album as "the allman brothers meets pink floyd" and jennings himself says he made it with nine inch nails in mind. this is an incredible album, enough said!

6. jimmy eat world "clarity"

this is the third studio lp by the emo/alternative/pop band jimmy eat world, and it is an amazing album. this is often considered (along with weezer's "pinkerton") one of the penultimate albums of the third wave of the loosely titled emo genre. because of it's resonance with fans jimmy eat world actually recorded the whole album live (sold out shows across america) and released it ten years after the initial studio release.

7. pink floyd "dark side of the moon"

this is easily one of the most beautiful albums i have ever had the pleasure of listening to. this is a concept album and pink floyd used the opportunity to take their epic rock sound and add a more progressive sound to really make it lush and beautiful. what came together is one of my favorite albums ever. plus, you can sync it up with "the wizard of oz"...i mean how cool is that?

8. aaron sprinkle "bareface"

this may have been my most difficult decision due to my absolute love of aaron sprinkle and all of his incarnations. these include his solo work and his bands, poor old lu, rose blossom punch, and most recently, fair. i ended up choosing this album because i think it gives the best overall view of aaron sprinkle as an artist...and it is a beautiful folk/rock album.

9. u2 "joshua tree"

is it possible to do a top 10 music list without adding the most epic rock album of all time? no, i think not. and with u2's "joshua tree" album that title is now taken. the irish rock band took their sound to new epic levels with this release. on another note, it contains one of my favorite songs (another list!) of all time, "with or without you."

10. wilco "yankee hotel foxtrot"

this album is the fourth by the pop/rock/alternative/alt country band wilco. while it was well received by critics (and fans alike) it was dismissed by their record label as too "offbeat" to be received by their peers...a view that was found to be incorrect. this album takes their sound and adds beeps, clicks, synths, and other oddities to create a lush and beautiful album that now takes it's rightful place on my top 10 list.


honorable mentions...


ryan adams "heartbreaker"






the decemberists "hazards of love"






elliott "false cathedrals"






the get up kids "something to write home about"






led zeppelin "led zeppelin iv (aka zoso)"






lynyrd skynyrd "pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd"






bill mallonee "friendly fire"






rolling stones "let it bleed"






elliott smith "either/or"






butch walker & the let-go-out-tonites
"the rise and fall of butch walker & the lets-go-out-tonites"






well, there you are, a comprehensive list of my favorite albums in no particular order. i would be interested to hear some of your favorites. till next time, rock 'n' roll!

first post

what's up? the name is aaron and this is my blog. if you've stumbled upon it then sit back and enjoy a view of life through my eyes. if you know me, then i'm sorry you have to read this! with this blog i plan on just writing about life...hopefully it will be funny at times, but i make no promises. we'll see what will come about with future posts...i must say that i am interested to see where it will go. follow along and we'll see where it goes...and buckle up, because if i flip this ride i want you all to live through it!