philly town, represent

Alright...so my life post shitty job has been nice and fulfilling. I mean, when I
think that I was only making 80 dollars a day, i don't miss that shit too much. I mean, I can make that straight up hustling. or even fucking day laboring.
ahh, i gotta bounce....i'm in philly so that means i take shit from my chocolate fountain employer andrew when i'm here. and he says we gotta bounce. so i'll be back in a bit and finish.
alright, i'm back...weak ass lunch at the counter on spring garden where andrew accused me of chinsing out on tip. i'm pretty sure i didn't unless they overcharged us but whatever.
the ride down here was pretty quick once i got over the tunnel. it took me like an hour to get from my house to hoboken but i ripped it all down the turnpike and ending up pushing an hour, 15. while i only had two cigarettes to get me through what is usually a five cig trip, i had just gone through a raw download session. after taking forever to get all my dirty laundry and snowboard gear together in two bags,
i finally left my block trying to get down with the daniel johnston tribute album i had just burned. i don't know the real track listing so i just burnt it with the original songs first and the covers afterwards. but in retrospect, i really should have put the covers first. a cover by an already accepted band is always easier to swallow. having never really listened to johnston aside from a few random tracks on compilations, i knew it would be an upward battle enjoying this album.

his ultra-quirky, old-timey folk songs are the type of material that really has to catch me in a good mood to get a fair shake. i mean, listening to it now as i write this the next day, i'm really enjoying the rawness and sincerety and unrequited hopefulness and all those other pretentious reasons for liking a singer who's voice cracks for emphasis. if you've never heard him before, think about an orgnan grinder or a 1930s ragtime record or something along those lines. his songs sound like he's singing into a coke can while showering with his clothes on. usually only accompanied by accordions, guitars and someone stomping their feet and clapping, johnston sings songs from the perspective of a loner who tries real hard but doesn't ever seem to succeed at anything worthwile. the man is trying to keep him down and women keep leaving him. however, on the positive side, it doesn't seem like its just one chick and on the occasional rock-outs, he seems to remember and celebrate the good times.

in fact, i really like this now. and now that i remember, i'm pretty sure i told myself i wasn't in the mood yesterday when i really was getting into it. i got in the car and tossed ths disc on (i had put it on cd because its length meant it would have been a big pain in the ass to clear space for on a stacked 20 gigger) with the intention of only listening while i hooked up the fm transmitter and scrolled around. i had it on for the first three or four tracks until i settled on the recently aquired hot chip album to replace it. 'nah, i'm not trying to listen to this shit now,' i told myself. 'i need something where i don't have to try, something easy; i'm driving for shits sake. uhh,l give me something british, give me hot chip.'

so i preemptively took the johnston cd out, not to be re-visited til this afternoon. i've since listened to all the original johnston songs and i've definitely enjoyed it. in fact, it wasn't even the hard sale and sketchy 'mood music' i promised myself it would be. all the reasons why i told myself i wasn't going to dig it yesterday have made me dig it today. plus, i've discovered that its all those characteristics that put shit on the fence, plus it tends to rock too. its got a total bill haley chuck berry vibe to all the songs with a real band. they are the type of songs i get drunk and claim i want to make one day: total pre-elvis bangers with sentiment. now wait til i get to the covers. then i'll really have some respect for this dude. as for hot chip...lets give it another listen before i judge. i'm about to go delvier food all night so i'll have plenty of time to digest my new pick-ups. later.