GJ Willis' Art Notes

I finally finished my goal!! A couple of minutes ago I completed wishing all the people on Crablogs who regularly update their blogs and have a comments section a Happy New Year.

I still couldn’t post a message on Supafine’s site. This is a shame because for the past few years I’ve really enjoyed visiting her site but never bothered to post anything. I think there might be something wrong with her server?

Also, it was too mush of a hassle to post to Data Angel’s site. I did eventually register with Data Angel but I still feel grumpy with the set up over there. With the way the comments section is set up over there it makes me wonder if Data Angel is in the CIA or something....Anyway, I’d Like to Wish Everyone an Extra Happy and Safe New Year!

In case your wondering like the majority of sane 30somethings I’ll be spending my New Years at home in front of the tube.

Old cd’s I bought this year that didn’t qualify include: Nilsson(3cd’s)-Nilsson Schmilsson, Son of Schmilsson, and Greatest Hits, Fountains of Wayne-Welcome Interstate Managers, Los Lonely Boys-self titled cd, Tears For Fears-Tears Roll Down Greatest Hits (82-92), INXS(2cd’s)-Greatest Hits and Shine Like It Does Anthology, Squeeze-Singles 45’s and Under, Joy Division(2 cd’s)-Unknown Pleasures and Substance (1977-1980), The Smiths-Singles, Jesus and Mary Chain-21 Singles, Glenn Miller(2 cd’s)-Golden Great and The Popular Recordings (1938-1942), Interpol-Turn On the Bright Lights, Violent Femmes(2 cd’d)-Reissue of debut album and Add it Up (1981-1993), Harry Connick Jr.(3 cd’s)-Blue Light/ Red Light, She, and We Are In Love, Big Audio Dynamite(2 cd’s)-This is Big Audio Dynamite and Super Hits, Elvis Costello-The Very Best Of..., The Damnwells-Bastard of the Beat, Peter Cincotti-self titled cd, The Beatles-#1, Ryan Adams-Rock N Roll, The Classic Film Music of Ennio Morricone,Jay-Z-The Grey Album, and the Rushmore Soundtrack.

Compilation cd’s I bought this year include stuff covering the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. For the 60’s I have Nuggets From Nuggets: Choice Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era, the 70’s(Time/Life Sounds of the 70’s Collection), and the 80’s(Time/Life Modern Rock Collection).

As you have probably guessed by now I’m an obsessive compulsive record buyer. What can I say, I love music! My father always jokes with me that I own enough music to open up my own record store. I have music from almost every genre except opera. I look at a movie like High Fidelity and I always think, "Hey, I am that guy!! Only I’m a girl...."

So, as you can imagine I really had to search through my cd’s to see what was actually released this year. The number of cd’s I own that were released in 2004 came up to 12. First off I have too say that I really like all of them for different reasons. It was extremely difficult for me to rank them. All this week I’ve been listening to them all trying to get an idea of how to put the list together. So here goes....

TOP 2004 cd’s
1. Franz Ferdinand-self titled cd
2. Marc Broussard-Carenco
3. The Killers-Hot Fuss -
4. Dean Martin Dino: The Essential Dean Martin
5. U2-How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
6. WilcoA Ghost Is Born
7. Interpol-Antics
8. Modest Mouse-Good News For People Who Like Bad News
9. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-Original Soundtrack
10. Now That’s What I Call Music #17
11. Ray Lamontagne-Trouble
12. Air-Walkie Talkie

TOP SINGLES OF 2004

Again these are songs that I really liked listening to on the radio. To some I’m sure this is the list of the music that’s currently playing in hell.

1. Usher-Yeah!
2. Franz Ferdinand-Take Me Out
3. The Killers-Mr. Brightside
4. Terror Squad-Lean Back
5. Lil-Flip featuring Lea-Sunshine

The #2 bus was on time. It was again being driven by the Dionne Warwick clone. It seems the replacement drivers are doing a good job matching the schedule of the drivers they are filling in for. However, the light rail train again arrived ten minutes late. I suppose right now they probably don’t care much. Next week the light rail will be shut down for about a year or so. They will begin construction of a double tracking system. So I will have to take either a #8 bus or a light rail shuttle bus to work.

The shuttle bus is out of the question it is supposed to run once every 15 minutes. The problem I find with this is that they do not list any estimated departure and arrival times. And if I know the MTA they will also not be providing enough buses for people to get on.

My best bet I feel is to take the #8 bus because they run on a more regular schedule besides they stop right in front of my job. The bus is always passing by just as I’m about to cross the street to get to work after I get off the light rail train.

I hate the fact that I will have to put up with this for about a year or so.

WHAT I’M WEARING: Today, I have on a gray v-neck sweater blue jeans and blue suede shoes.

The bus was on time this morning. It was being driven by the same black potbellied John Waters look alike. The light rail train however, was 10 minutes late. I hope the time difference isn’t enough to make me late this morning. If it does that would be two days that the light rail train has delayed me this week.

WHAT I’M WEARING:
Today, I have on this dark multi-colored v-neck sweater. Underneath the sweater, I’m wearing a dark blue mock turtleneck pullover. The pants I’m wearing this morning are as usual, blue jeans. My shoes are brown leather lace ups.

I again got on the #2 bus. The driver again was the Dionne Warwick clone. The train was on time with no mishaps on the way

Mark Harp
I was saddened yesterday to find out that Artmobile luminary and bon vivant, Mark Harp, had passed away. I found out yesterday when I ran across the Atomic Books blog.

True, I did not know Mark Harp personally but only knew him through the mail list.

This is all so hard to believe because I was just thinking of him yesterday when I was going through the cd’s I bought this year.

You see this summer I bought a lot of Nilsson reissue cd’s. I mentioned it on Artmobile. He wrote back that he really liked listening to Son of Schmillsson when it first came out. Also, he was the only other person I knew of in this town that knew of and liked The Raveonettes.

His posts were always fun and playful. I greatly respected his opinion on music. This is all so hard to believe.

This makes the second person that I knew of from the Artmobile mail list who has died this year, the other being Dawn Culbertson.

WHAT I’M WEARING:
Today, I have on a yellow fair isle knit sweater with blue, black, and white detailing. A blue flannel shirt, blue jeans, and blue suede shoes.

This morning I got on the #2 bus. The substitute driver for that bus looks like Dionne Warwick. The train was on time. However, it kept breaking down. I was 18 minutes late for work because of the train.

I was very sleepy at work because I had a hard time falling asleep last night. This week I’ll be ranking all the cd’s I bought that came out in 2004 for the continuation of my year end Best of list(s).

WHAT I’M WEARING: Today, I have on a green, brown, and ecru fair isle knit sweater. Underneath the sweater I have on a blue long sleeve cotton pullover. The shoes I have on are brown leather. You have have to tie them up when you put them on.

Two sites I found it next to impossible to leave messages on were Supafine and Data Angel. To leave a message on Data Angel’s site you have to sign up through Data Angel. Geez!

Anyway, those were the two sites so far that are blocked from leaving comments. I noticed that Cranky Mommy just has e-mail. So I guess I'll be shooting her an email before the week is out.

Like, I’ve said before I tend to read all the blogs up on Crablogs. However, I’ve never attempted to leave comments on all of them that are active. Then of course the dilema comes up as to what constitutes an active blog. I see a number haven't been recently updated. Perhaps they got caught up in the Christmas rush or are students on break?

BALTIMORE RADIO 2004 Since everyone else will be doing it. I figured I’d might as well jump into the fray and put out my very own year end Best of List(s) this week. These lists are entirely my opinion.

BEST BALTIMORE RADIO 2004
1. Out To Lunch With Miles and Thrill....Live 105.7
2. KML Morning Show...98 Rock
3. The Howard Stern Show...Live 105.7
4. The Don and Mike Show...Live 105.7
5. Car Talk...NPR

I think Out to Lunch has really held it’s own and it’s nice to hear people on the air who are two unabashed Gen-Xers. However, listening to their show sometimes makes me feel old. Especially, when it turns into a remember when show. You know when they have a show that's basically like, remember: pop rocks, Garbage Pail Kids, break dancing, etc.

KML never fail to please. Also there show has been filled with an urgency to listen to ever since there newsman, Robert, "don’t call me, Bob" Lopez got diagnosed with cancer. I grew up listening to this guy doing the news on the radio. I can’t think back to a time when he wasn’t on the radio. I still feel that Kirk is a talent less yet lovable hack. Hey, I’ve got my opinion. Besides everyone knows that Mark is the talented one. Producer Stephanie, I’m still not quiet sure what her purpose is on the show..... However the stories of her drunken escapades and party excesses have been fun to hear.

Howard Stern the original shock jock. Need I say more! I can't wait to see what he does on Siruis. Also loved the win Stuttering John's job contest.

Don and Mike are always fun to listen to. Although I think there show has been a little lame lately. There on this list mainly out of habit.

Car Talk is fun to listen to even though I don't own a car. The show is always entertaining. I can't think of a single show where I didn't feel like they didn't give it there all. Then again they just come on once a week.

WORSE BALTIMORE RADIO 2004
1. Jo Jo and Kenny...MIX106.5
Listening to there show is as fun as having a root canal. Amatuer show and lame jocks. How the hell have they've managed to have kept there jobs for so long is beyond me? They do lame ass parady songs. Why does he keep singing. He can’t sing his way out of a paper bag. The show is lame. It’ a show meant for incontenent elderly mental patients who don’t know better.

2.Micky and Amelia...98 Rock
Micky has the most annoying voice in the history of Baltimore radio. His voice is like nails on a chalkboard.

3. Chip Franklin...WBAL
I hate this man with every fiber of my being. He’s the absolute worse talk show host in Baltimore. He’s another guy where I wonder if he’s keeping blackmail pictures of the boss somewhere. Adolescent nonsence. Conservative radio for morons. As far as Chip Franklin’s intelligence is concerned I’m sure a goldfish could out score him on an IQ test.

4. Tom Leykis...LIVE 105.7
Most evil and annoying talk show host in American. He’s fat and he hates woman. I can't believe idiots call up to ask advice from this loser with an Elton John haircut.