facing a whole weekend with nothing much I have to do and a whole Richard Thompson mix

Jaime’s post reminded me that there’s a lot of Richard Thompson on YouTube:. Just imagine hearing him play in your living room. Or someone’s living room, anyway:

And if you click on that video and go over to YouTube, on the right side of the page you see the “Richard Thompson mix”. After 1952 VIncent Black Lightning it went straight to my other favorite of his, Beeswing.

Which reminds me by a not-too-circuitous path, for those of you knitters who haven’t seen it yet, there’s a thread on the Ravelry Shadow U-knits group asking “If you could knit something for one of the Shadow Units characters, what would you make?”

(Not too circuitous path: Emma Bull has Tick-Tick refer to 1952 Vincent Black Lightning in Finder, and Elizabeth Bear has an anthology whose name comes from – or at least matches – a line in Beeswing, The Chains that You Refuse.)

Extra treat in the mix Thompson covering Britney Spears’ Oops, I Did it Again, with an instrumental break where he somehow makes the guitar part sound like a madrigal.

Also, while I’m rambling (both mentally and around YouTube): if I love Richard Thompson and Townes van Zandt, why did no one ever sit me down and make me listen to Nick Drake? (Even more random Shadow Unit thought: Chaz Villette probably doesn’t listen to Nick Drake much – I picture him mostly liking stuff a bit louder and further out. But I bet his *mom* liked Drake! And Townes, who even looks a little like Chaz.

Further ETA (the things you learn on YouTube): I didn’t know Kate McGarrigle died this year. Crap.

Also, kind of interesting seeing Teddy Thompson (Richard and Linda’s son), Rufus and Martha Wainwright (Loudon Wainwright and Kate McGarrigle’s kids) and Sean Lennon (duh) performing together. I guess they have a lot in common. Talent, too.

Mirrored from Dichroic Reflections.

Rube Goldberg’s great-grandsons

I have a relative-in-law who occasionally sends us forwarded emails that mostly range from mildly annoying to mildly amusing. He just sent the best one ever, a link to the video below. It was titled “WHAT ENGINEERS DO IN THEIR SPARE TIME”; I’d have titled “Adam and Jamie’s favorite music video”. Besides, what engineers do in their spare time is apparently to watch YouTube and blog about it – today at least. I should know. (Later I will be going outside to the Fiesta del Sol – the website doesn’t say much about what’s happening but last time I went they had stages with a lot of good music. It’ll be in the 90s, so hopefully they’ll set up the sprinklers they had going for last Tuesday’s World Cup game.

Mirrored from Dichroic Reflections.