Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

-Alexander Pope-

Orphan

Church seats are empty and the words do not come
I have nothing for the stables, so glorious run
The gleaming saint feelings of fearful regret
sit alone in this room, haunt poetry and song

Alone and bewildered and set in those ways
Along comes a nothing and stands in the way
Home is no home and I know I can’t stay
Extremities is all I can do for the length of the day

Sold off and tossed out and owned as a slave
The poise of a shackled, less wanting abode
It begs and it differs and fades in the wind
Seldom its innards come trailing kin

Wandering solely with heaven in doubt
The train loses baggage as it’s carried about
Till nothing is left, it’s just me and the rain
a little pain is just a norm across the jostling scape

Caroline Lufkin - "Murmurs"

It's not often that you run into a musical artist with any sort of true talent as far as vocals, let alone writing. In today's music industry, it can sometimes feel as if we are being spoon fed manufactured pop music which is no better for your soul than fast food is for your health. Through my various ventures in the world of music outside of the United States, I've happen upon a handful of truly terrific artists who definitely bring something to the table when it comes to real talent. One of my first discoveries was Olivia Lufkin. With her array of pop, rock, punk, electronica and, at times, borderline metal sounds, I figured her for one in a million. Little did I know that musical talent seems to flow through the blood of not only her, but most of her family. While checking out the latest Olivia news, I came across a lesser know artist which turned out to be her sister, Caroline.



While not nearly as successful as her famed sister, Caroline has slowly emerged as a force in the realm of eletronica and experimental sound. While she did recently release an album in January of this year, I'd like to focus on her first full length album. Murmurs, at a glance, doesn't seem like much, as it's cover art lacks the flash and glamor of many Japanese Pop artists. All you see is simply a girl laying about with a flower in her hair, and across the top of her record reads simply "Caroline." Nothing flashy in the least by todays standards, but this is a classic case of you cannot judge a book by its cover...or in this case, an album. Once you pop in your disc, you are greeted by the warm and, at times, seemingly playful voice of Caroline as she spreads her appeal out for all to admire.

The standout track, which you are sure to find on Youtube, is "Bicycle," a haunting yet angelic tune that finds it's way into your heart and proceeds to take you on a journey. It's softened trumpet opening caresses your ears right before Caroline's angelic voice pulls you in and asks you to give her your attention. It's slower paced and story-telling theme almost reminds you of something you may have experienced in your childhood; perhaps the first time a young girl discovers love and the effect it has on her soul. As the song progresses, you are lulled into a sort of trance that envelops your senses and just as you think you have developed a liking, perhaps even a love for the journey, it is indeed over. As soon as it concludes, oddly enough, you may find yourself looking for the back button on your player, the feelings of listening to it again overtaking you.

Another standout is "Drove Me to the Wall" which has faster pacing than that of "Bicycle," but just as haunting. It's soft musical accompaniment works well with Caroline's light voice as she stretches her singing talents, pulling off a superb vocal performance.

"Everylittlething," which is spelled correctly in this case, introduces a slightly heavier electronica sound. Still bringing the goods vocally, Caroline explores a more playful and somewhat less serious side to her music while still pulling you into her world. The track sounds as if it could evolve into a dance number if she'd decided to speed up the tempo. However, you will find yourself thanking Caroline for keeping it mellow as the song brings a comfort into your heart and lets you relax instead of beating your head against a wall as most dance music seems to do.

While far from mainstream, Caroline lets everyone know that she isn't just another Pop Princess (she is known for turning down a major label recording contract simply because they wanted to make her "too pop") as her music and voice are more than enough to make her a well respected artist in the industry. Filled with airy and wonderful vocals as well as soothing and sometimes fragile beats, Murmurs is a rare gem in this watered down, manufactured pop era.

Home, and My Company

I watch the breakers as they approach the shore,

Their frothy texture bubbling up

The distance exposes the horizon

My hand in his, and I feel home again.

 

Exceeding vistas caress my view

We go walking between the trees

The cherry blossoms, aiding my demeanor

Stroll along and smile, beside me, he breathes

 

The bustling rush and the crowded streets

Remind me of things I’ve grow tired of

While my work keeps me traveling, on the go

I long for serenity, a peaceful scene

 

Still I find myself missing this place

I’ve moved on to another

Quiet nights, and I watch him sleep

I touch his hand, and thank him for coming

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

The Infamous Hamster Tonic Murder

The Infamous Hamster Tonic Murder


June 22nd 1996


Fuzz


Rain


Kill


Pain


Steal


Force


Coming home


Of course


It bit me


It bit me


It bit me


It bit me

Juicy

Working on Chapter 11 and it seems I have a new fan. I let her read a chapter, and now she is asking me for more. It's a good thing. It pushes me to continue my revising and it seems like she is giving me some really helpful feedback as far as pacing and flow. This is all good stuff that I will take into account when I go back over it a third time. This is the kind of fire i need right now. The fact that she literally lit me on fire has no bearing on this at all...ok, maybe a little.

"And if you don't know, now ya know!"

-Biggie Smalls-

Book Update: 9 Chapters in the eBook Master Document

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Cover via Amazon"][/caption]

I have my good days, and then i have my...not so good days. Today, I am making myself work on the master document as much as possible. While I have only 5 chapters in in, I have 4 others that had gone through their second revision and are getting added today. I want to get through at least 10 and 11, as far a revisions. If i am plugged in, I am going through 13 also. I want the master document completed by no later than the end of April which will be a small challenge since the end of the semester is quick approaching. I don't have much work for school which is surprising. I have maybe 3 papers left to write and thats it. I have one more group activity for Speech and then thats over. As far as math, I know enough to pass and move on so I am glad to be done with it.

Back to the master document...

Once they have all through their second revision and are added, I will go through them once again, checking for essentially the same things. Grammar, continuity, lack of details, etc.

I want to have this out and available no later than mid May. I am currently researching various avenues for self publishing on the web. Most eReaders will be able to handle the PDF format I am going with and I am currently figuring out how to make it available on Amazon as well. I've spent so much time on this that I would be happy to sell 1000 copies. If i sell more, then that'd be awesome. Enough of the jibba jabba...back to work.