This is going to be a fun one...

I like lists and I haven't made one in a while, so I'm going to make one now about the best concerts that I've seen. So here we go.

#'s 11 & 12. Thrice and Brand New. I put them on here together because they're here for the same reason and it was the same concert These guys are on here simply because they sound so stinking GOOD live. Seriously. Thrice sounded even better than they do on their CDs. Plus, I hadn't really heard much of either band's stuff before I saw them perform and that was what got me into their music.

#10. Newsboys. I don't care how dorky I sound; I like these guys' music and they put on an awesome show. I can honestly say that they have the best lights I have ever seen, not to mention their drum platform and wonderful devotion to their faith. Plus, they simply know how to perform and they sound fantastic live.

#9. Project 86. Hot, bumpy, choking, noisy, angry, and intense, seeing P86 at Creation was so much fun. These guys' fans are insane. Theirs is a show that is more fun to participate in than to watch. That's not to say they're slouchy performers; they're just not the best (though Andrew Schwab gets right out into the crowd, egging on the violence and screaming). They sound good, too.

#8. MuteMath. These guys are so underrated, and as good as their recorded work is, it sounds even better live. When I saw them at Creation, there were only like two dozen people there at first, but these folks were RABID. Their performance didn't hurt, either; once I saw their drummer take out a roll of duct tape and wind it around his head to keep his headphones on, I knew we were in for something good. Even Tim liked them.

#7. mewithoutYou. Fantastic performers, these guys are so much fun to watch. Although when I saw them, they had a criminally short set, it was still a quality concert. They sound great; scratch one off the list of bands I need to see before I die.

#6. Andrew Bird. All I have to say is that I want to be Andrew Bird. It was fascinating to watch his incredible display of violin virtuosity, as well as how he looped everything in order to construct his songs one element at a time. He also took the time to stop and make jokes to the audience, which was quite nice. I don't think there is anybody out there quite like this guy. Overall, he is nothing short of jaw-dropping live.

#5. Family Force 5. These guys give a pretty unique concert experience. They interact with the audience a lot and they possess this goofy sort of energy that encourages lots of dancing, jumping, and singing from the crowd.

#4. Phil Keaggy. His was the single most impressive concert I have ever seen. No exaggeration, I don't think that there is another human being alive who is as good at guitar as this old man. When he was done, he literally got a ten-minute standing ovation. I think seeing him was one of the defining moments in my life. Well, maybe not, but it was still awesome.

#3. Showbread. Narrowly eclipsing Keaggy's prowess is Showbread's energy. I was giddy when they first came onstage and was not disappointed. I'll never forget seeing that keytar flying wildly through the air. There is so much movement that Showbread onstage kind of reminds me of an antill. I don't know how they don't hit each other with their instruments. Always entertaining, Showbead comes in at number three.

#2. John Reuben. Didn't see that one coming, did you? I have never seen another artist who gets the audience involved as much as this singular rapper does, and for that reason, his concerts have been the most fun for me to attend. He's witty, funny, and wild, his music is surprisingly good, and he sounds great live. Nothing like a good John Reuben concert to put you in a good mood...

#1. The Chariot. The top three were hard to put in order, but I put The Chariot at number one because they're like nothing I've ever seen. I mean, when their equipment first came into view, I did a double-take because it was so trashed! There was a huge gash in one of their big amps, the microphone was horribly dented, and the guy's bass looked like it was about to come apart. Then they started playing, throwing themselves (and their instruments) all over the stage in a manic fashion that I can't even describe. It was so fun to watch and they sounded surprisingly good, despite all the chaos. This sort of thing could only come from the South. It's great.

Hooray for all-nighters!

I'm such a good student.

2:15 P.M. Tomorrow

Thanksgiving break begins. I am so stoked.

Whoa!

I just hiccuped and sneezed at the same time. I didn't even know that was possible!

Hmm....

I wonder if there are swimming pools that play music underwater so you can hear it while you're doing laps.

I really like punk rock...

And that's just what I need: another temptation to spend money I don't have.

In other news...

Thanksgiving dinner in Saga was way early, but just what I needed. Two evenings of good food (thanks, Dad) in a row is a rare thing around here. I seriously think that was the most all-around enjoyable on-campus meal I've had this year. I was quite content.

I wish I had more latter halves of weeks like this one. I hardly have any homework and I'm free to enjoy myself. Life is good.

Tropic Thunder is at the Garland, which is pretty much the greatest movie theater ever. Movies are just three bucks and only one on Wednesdays. Tempting...

Just finished my francais homework for now. Great success!

Go Lions!!!! Heading home tomorrow for Tim's soccer game this weekend. Soooooo stoked!

Love, love,
- Andrew

Ho-Hum

I'm sitting in Chem and I don't have my notebook, so I can't copy down any of the stuff that he's drawing. Bummer.

Ben Is A Tool

Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

I was thinking...

When I finally get the right prescription for my glasses and contacts, I'm going to feel like a god. I'll be able to see for miles! It's going to be great.

It's great when it's already Wednesday and you don't even realize it.

I want to grow a beard, but I'm scared.

Cooking dinner...

Let's hope pork chops will cook fully if they're put into the skillet partly frozen. Mom told me that overnight in the fridge was enough to thaw them! I hope I don't kill my friends.

College Life

What's this? I have two exams tomorrow and I actually feel ready for them? Wowie! I am king of the world right now! Also, my professors are all pretty cool.

Funny story. I went to sleep Sunday night (or should I say, Monday morning?) at 4:30, and managed to get through the day alright. Of course, I went to bed at around 7:00 last night. It was cool, though; I woke up real early (before 7) and felt like a million bucks all day! Maybe this sleep thing really is worthwhile...

What I've been listening to: Mew, Bloc Party, and The Shins

Maybe I should get back to work. I do have a midterm this Friday, after all...

In other news, it was really cold and windy today. It finally really felt like fall. I'm kind of excited because I like cold-weather clothes and how warm I feel when I'm all bundled up. Of course, I'm probably going to go broke buying coffee.

Fun, fun.

I'm pretty proud of myself

I have five papers to do. However, none of them are due tomorrow, so it was really tempting to go play basketball instead of write them. I denied myself, though, and here I sit. Of course, I'm writing here instead. NOW I'm going to write. Au revoir.

So I was going to do my homework...

But I left my backpack in the HUB, and it was locked by the time I noticed. Idiot. At least I live on the safest campus ever and I have complete confidence that it will be in the exact same place tomorrow. I love Whitworth. Who wants to take a backpack with nothing but a notebook and chem book in it anyway?

*gasp!* It has my fingerprints in it!

In other news, I just bought a Beck CD for very cheap and it's excellent!

I'm hungry.

Animal Collective Makes Really Happy Music

It makes me feel a bit better.

Friday Comes, and Not a Moment Too Soon!

Wowie. I'm worn out. I should be asleep, but I'm not. Want to know why? Because my mind has been going at about 100 miles an hour since about five o'clock today. That's also why I haven't done all the homework I want to do. Oh, and I just saw that I have a huge load of French homework to do. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! Well, at least everything should get better at about two o'clock tomorrow. Until Saturday, that is, when I give my live utterly away by dropping off my nicely filled job applications. Poop.

I've Been Sick

...but I kicked it in the butt! I slept for 13 hours last night and I did the absolute bare minimum of homework on Thursday and Friday, opting instead to take three-hour naps both days. It paid off, too; I felt pretty good today. Hopefully I'll be fully recovered by tomorrow or Monday.

Now, off to study!

Soundtrack of my Summer

Here it is. I'm kind of sad summer's over...

- Custom Concern by Modest Mouse
- Banshee Beat by Animal Collective
- The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows by Brand New
- Flannigan's Ball by Dropkick Murphys
- King of the Rodeo by Kings of Leon
- Million Pieces by Newsboys
- Tracy by Mogwai
- Boo by Pinback
- Hospital Beds by Cold War Kids
- Cowboy Dan by Modest Mouse
- Balaclava by Arctic Monkeys
- Uppers Aren't Necessary by Rocky Votolato
- Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly) by Sanctus Real
- My Eyes by Travis
- R U Still In 2 It by Mogwai
- Creating Something Out of Nothing, Only to Destroy It by Norma Jean
- Death Valley Queen by Flogging Molly
- Price of Gas by Bloc Party
- Armchairs by Andrew Bird
- Turn it On by The Flaming Lips
- Maps by The Snake The Cross The Crown
- Matthias Replaces Judas by Showbread
- Glósóli by Sigur Rós
- Austrailia by The Shins
- Secondhand Dreaming by Ruth
- Divine Romance by Phil Wickham
- A Glass Can Only Spill What it Contains by mewithoutYou
- We Need Each Other by Sanctus Real
- A Different City by Modest Mouse
- One Night by Travis
- Stare at the Sun by MuteMath
- Everyone's Someone by Newsboys

Yeah...good music...

School Is...

So I had my first (half) week of class and here's how it's shaping up:

British Literature before 1800 is going to be glorious, but difficult. I was told it's probably the hardest 200 level class that Whitworth offers. I like it, already, though. It's nice to be around folks who are actually enthusiastic about the same things I am.

Reading Literature is going to be a very different sort of fun. It's so much more laid-back and the prof is hilarious. It's not meant for English majors, so it has a different, more enjoyment-oriented feel. Plus, it's going to be a cakewalk. ^_^

French might be hard, but I already love my teacher. She's one of the most enthusiastic people I've ever met, and she's funny to boot. I think it'll be a decent class.

I can't believe I'm excited for chemistry. It's the only science class I'm taking, and for some reason, I'm stoked. I think since I'm actually interested, I'll do well.

Finally, there's Interpersonal Communication. It's going to be boring as watching grass grow, but I've been told it's super easy, so I'll take comfort in that. I know some folks in that class, too, so it should be alright.

All said, I'm pretty excited. I can already tell that most of my professors are really cool and that should make things very bearable. I just don't expect to have much of a social life this fall.

I draw on my arms too much

There's just four things that gross me out: ticks, leeches, flies, and barf.

Oh, and Moby Dick is a brilliant book. Go read it now.

Hey Looky!

I managed to go all summer without posting anything here! Cool!

Another Music List

OK, so I'm real excited for this one. This will be a list of my favourite albums and I'll throw in a few sentences to summarize and kind of review each. Perhaps the most difficult thing I've put together this year, I hope it's good. Enjoy.

11. Business Up Front/Party In The Back by Family Force 5
- What better way to start than with a party? Perhaps the most lighthearted, shameless, plain old fun album I own, this has something for everybody, whether it be heavy guitar licks, catchy, rappy lyrics, or an overriding sense of childlike fun. This band is a gem.

10. Robbers & Cowards by Cold War Kids
- Just plain brilliant. This band's singer possesses one of the most unique, inimitable voices in rock music. The fusion of old-school jazzy influences with modern indie sensibilities makes for one heck of an enjoyable experience.

9. Funeral by The Arcade Fire
- Sad, yet full of life, this album is a smörgåsbord of styles, ranging from classical to ballroom to indie pop. It's an acquired taste, but for those who fell in love from the start (such as myself), there is always something new to be found here.

8. Brother, Sister by mewithoutYou
- Lyrical perfection defines this album. Love him or hate him, Aaron Weiss manages to touch a chord with listeners and his bandmates provide an excellent backdrop for his half-sung, half-shouted, half-spoken (Yes, it is possible. Shut up.) words. This is essential.

7. OK Computer by Radiohead
- I'm limiting myself to just one Radiohead album, so I'll go with this one. Although all their records are different and brilliant in their own individual right, if you put a gun to my head and made me decide, I'd say this one is best. Nobody does rock like Radiohead. I can only dream of making music like this...

6. No Sir, Nihilism is Not Practical by Showbread
- The lone screamo project to make it onto this list, Showbread does so by sheer creativity and diversity. I've never heard anything like this album. Brilliant lyrics, brilliant music, brilliant performance. If nothing, one must at least appreciate this band's fearlessness and creativity.

5. Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
- For a long time, these guys were my favourite band and they easily are in my top five now. The mixture of pop accessibility with angular, old-school guitars and Alex Kapranos' beautiful voice makes for an almost perfect record. Sheer perfection. It's only this low on the list because of the strange, disturbing song "Michael."

4. Z by My Morning Jacket
- Called "The American Radiohead" by some, My Morning Jacket puts forth an excellent effort here. Very original, very catchy (in their own strange way), and very high-quality, I do not get tired of this. The words are excellent.

3. Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós
- Just plain gorgeous, this album never ever ever gets old. It gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Not to hear this band's lush, string-heavy, atmospheric sound is criminal. I can't even describe it properly. It just needs to be heard.

2. The Earth is Not a Cold, Dead Place by Explosions in the Sky
- Another incredibly beautiful work, this is less melancholy than Sigur Ros and a bit more hopeful-sounding. Completely instrumental, this music can be fit to a variety of moods and maybe that's why it is the most-played album on my computer. This is the classical music of our day, and it's a shame more people don't know about them.

1. Cotton Teeth by The Snake The Cross The Crown
- This was tough to put ahead of The Earth Is Not... but since this list is off of how I feel right now, I'll put it up here, because right now, this is definitely my favourite album. I absolutely love the world-weary feel (probably because I am right now mired in finals) and often easygoing instrumentation of this album. Lots of brilliant acoustic work with a singer's voice and delivery perfectly matched to the melancholy lyrics. It sounds quite blue-collar, easy to relate to. The perfect fusion of country and rock (thankfully with rock overwhelmingly prevalent), this record is a shining light for me. It somehow manages to be catchy and unforgettable, while also deep and meaningful. Buy it and listen to it until you die.

There isn't enough I can do by myself

I was thinking about life and stuff and how some people kind of strike out or get just plain unlucky. So I wrote a poem that kind of expresses how I feel. This one's for the down-and-outs: may you never be ignored.

Squinting sadly toward the sunset

Sucking on his cigarette

He’s lonely and unloved much like his college years

The families all have moved away

Left dusty trails and unshoed bays

They never thought again of him or shed a tear

As he reaches into his coat

He pulls out a jagged old note

Wond’ring how the world so quickly got away from him

And oh, how we all knew

This would eventually happen to one of us

And we all breathed a sigh of relief

That it was Jim and not us that turned out this way

He knows just what this trail holds

Gradually just growing old

And every single time he thinks of it he cries

The bright glad sun it cheers him not

He savors every gloomy thought

Although he wishes they would all just go away

We never knew what came of him

We all just figured poor old Jim

Had done disappeared into the bitter past

And oh, how we all knew

That he would eventually lose himself

And we all breathed a sigh of relief

That we had gone through school and turned out okay

Well, you will imagine my surprise

When Jim appeared before my eyes

One cold fall afternoon around dinnertime

His beard is grey with blistered lips

Cold as wintry fingertips

He looks like something straight out of a book

Life rolls like an avalanche

Jim’s was fast approaching death

It’s a shame he never knew what it could have been

And oh, how we all knew

That life’s bounty isn’t given equally

And we all breathed a sigh of relief

When we all got a liberal portion

P.S. Brian, I want to set this to music, so you better get practicing that acoustic of yours. ;)

The Evolution of Andrew's Nickname

This is too good a story not to be written somewhere. It's kind of embarrassing for me, but whatever. I think it's funny, too.

Being a Gjefle, I've been dubbed with a number strange nicknames over the years, usually related to my unusually-spelled surname. I expected no less going into college, but what has happened this year quite exceeds anything that has yet happened. People here often pronounce my last name "jeffles," which is quite common for me. It's quite prevalent, too; it's probably what people call me more than any other name. So it was no surprise when my friend Chelsea called me that early in the year. No big deal, right? Well, my other friend, Kip, misheard her and thought it sounded like she said "chuckles." So he thought that sounded funny and for most of this school year, Chuckles has caught on and I am now called so by a good number of folks (keep in mind that none of this bothers me; I just think it's funny). Well lately, due to laziness or simply a strange sense of humor, my RA has simply shortened it to Chuck. Now this I find quite funny. My nickname has gone from a strange last name to a bastardization of that same surname to an utterly unrelated word to an actual name. Funny how things like that work.

...though I think I still would have preferred Jonny Awesome. XD

School's a Pain

So I'm stupid and stuff and found out that I have a term paper due tomorrow. Oh, and I'm only like half done with it. Hooray for me.

So I'm sick...

But Family Force 5 is in two days! I'm so excited! If I can get through this week and next Monday, I will be a happy man.

Homework sucks.

I'm thinking about making an arty video of some sort. However, that would require a camera, so it'll probably have to wait till summer. Oh well.

Oh, and I just realized that my creepy song list is missing a very important addition: Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge. It seriously should be number two. Listen to it at your own risk. (They make really freaky music videos, too)

I finally got a haircut. Hooray for me. It actually feels really good and is one of the few haircuts I've been immediately satisfied with.

So yeah, there's my life right now. Send me food and I'll give you a giant hug when I see you next! Yeah for incentive! Now I'm off to study...

Andrew's Creepy Song List

Because creepy songs are the best! I'm going to offer a small explanation for each as I go. So here they are...

15 "The Sinner In Me" by Depeche Mode
- Who better to start off a creepy song list? These masters of dark synth pop manage to throw an unsettling doozy with this one. With the skittery effects and lines like, "I'm still recovering, still getting over all the suffering. More known for my anger than for any other thing," it manages to give me chills just about every time.

14 "A Cautionary Song" by The Decemberists
- A song about a prostitute. 'Nuff said.

13 "Hunted By A Freak" and "Moses? I Amn't" by Mogwai
- These first two songs off their album "Happy Songs for Happy People" instill an unsettled feel before the happier middle section. The organ, especially, in the latter of these instrumentals gives an uneasy mood. The name of the first says it all.

12 "Time To Waste" by Alkaline Trio
- Perhaps the most depressing pop-punk band out there, these guys really need to open the windows every once in a while. I think I'll send them some chocolate.

11 "Your Algebra" by The Shins
- At the least, the Shins are always depressing. Always. This song, though, just sounds evil. Plus, there's the line, "Cole and Macey lost their eyes on the finer points. Roll them up in the coffee cake and dine." The fact that they use an inhuman amount of reverb in this song does everything to enhance the total wrong-ness of their lyrics.

10 "Mein Teil" by Rammstein
- I don't want to talk about it. All I have to say is DO NOT watch the music video to this song!

9 "Scorched Earth Policy" by Far-Less
- This is actually a really cool song with some excellent screaming. The lyrics are a powerful call to rely on God, but overall, it's a rather scary picture painted with screamed lyrics like, "I witnessed you caught the Judas sickness," and "We're burning everything down." It's all about the self-destructive nature of humanity, which is always rather scary.

8 "Yes Please" by Muse
- The thing that makes this song so disturbing is the manic laughter and guitar work by Matt Bellamy. You don't even have to hear the words (every single one is distorted anyway). Muse is weird. (but oh, so good!)

7 "Morning Bell" and "Knives Out" by Radiohead
- Ah, Radiohead, how do you creep us out so? I'll tell you why! It's all in the lyrics. Knives Out is actually quite pleasant until you hear the words. With Morning Bell, though, you know something is wrong right off the bat, especially on the remake on the Amnesiac album. Then you hear the stark words, "cut the kids in half" without any reconcilable reason. Ugh. Let me go die now.

6 "Obstacle 1" by Interpol
- When Interpol isn't being sexual with their lyrics, they're bound to be creepy. Besides the words in this song, Paul Banks' wailing and bellowing of lines such as, "It's different now that I'm poor and aging, I'll never see this place again. You go stabbing yourself in the neck," in an incredibly pained fashion manage to put this song high on this dubious list.

5 "Michael" by Franz Ferdinand
- It's all in the words here, as the music is undeniably excellent (I should note that I enjoy the music to each and every one of these songs immensely), but the apparently blatant homosexuality of the lyrics is rather shocking. It was only later on that I found out that they were making fun of a friend who got plastered at a party, but the impression had been made. It's still the one and only song in Franz Ferdinand's repertoire that I do not enjoy.

4 "We Suck Young Blood" by Radiohead
- The slow, plodding piano line, plus the handclaps give an ominous backdrop to the utterly disturbing lyrics of this song. Thom Yorke sounds like a tortured banshee on this song.

3 "Chimes" by Project 86
- Lyrics partially about demons and death + hypnotic bassline + Andrew Schwab's wrenching vocals = one freakin' creepy song.

2 "Time Is Running Out" by Muse
- Always paranoid, always expressive, always brilliant, Matt Bellamy manages to express deep fears. This song is terrifyingly great.

1 "Climbing Up The Walls" by Radiohead
- As well as Matthew Bellamy expresses deep fears, not even he holds a candle to the disturbed, paranoid brilliance of Thom York and the rest of the Radiohead gang. This song effectively captures a fear that I think we all in part have of intruders coming into the house and killing you. Not to mention the music itself sounds like the soundtrack to every slow-motion nightmare you've ever had. Always the creepiest song on every creepy song list, this is should be appreciated for its expressiveness if nothing else.


So there you have it. Some of my favourite creepy songs. They're all worth listening to (except maybe for "Michael") and, of course, they're good for when your life gets boring and you just need a little jarring experience.

Springtime in Spokane sucks

Dude, the weather past couple days was gorgeous: sunny, warmish, and generally pleasant. Now it's raining and I've got nothing to do but sit here and whine. So that's what I'm doing. Blasted weather. I was just beginning to enjoy myself...

Guess What!

I know that nobody at Whitworth looks at my blad, as it is only like a week old, but I feel that I should put it out there that I'm running for McMillan Senator! Hooray! Vote for me!

I hope I don't have much homework next week

...because my sleeping schedule has been absolutely DESTROYED by Spring Break.

Music Review

I'm going to start doing this once a week: I'll take a record I like, listen to it, then talk about it here.

Since it's almost one o'clock, I'm going to cheat on this first one and just talk about House of Heroes' three new songs that they so generously are offering for free before their new album comes out. Thanks to this little sample, I'm super excited for the full offering. It definitely carries the old HOH feel, especially in the guitar playing, but there are definitely some new progressions. Most obvious is in how Tim Skipper has taken almost complete control over vocals, a far cry from their debut, where he and A.J. Babock split almost 50/50 with drummer Colin Rigsby throwing in background stuff every once in a while. Now, the latter two are mostly used for background harmonizing. It's not bad, but I kind of liked A.J.'s voice in the forefront on some songs and kind of miss it. As for the music itself, it is much slicker, the bass is much less noticeable, and as a whole, it is catchy and enjoyable as ever. I'm pretty sure they added another guitarist/keyboardist recently, which has led to a much more full sound. It kind of reminds me of what Sullivan did between their two albums, except this is better. The song Sooner or Later is excellent, though a little predictable, with an impossibly catchy singalong chorus. I'm not a huge fan of the acoustic By Your Side, but it is by no means a bad song. Neither, though, holds a candle to the fascinating and fantastically misleading In The Valley of the Dying Son. This song is the entire reason I want to buy their new record when it comes out. There are surprises around every turn. From its initial driving bassline to the bouncy falsetto chorus to the little keyboard effects sprinkled throughout to its epic ending, this song is incredible. What's most incredible is that, despite its multiple changes and touches, the it manages to be enjoyable on the first listen. I don't know how they do it. Overall, this little set of songs has me shaking with excitement to buy The End is Not the End.

New Blog

So I finally jumped on this bandwagon! Or something. Cool.

I'll think of something interesting to put on here later. It's late and my brain is numb.