Hating To Write, Loving To Have Written

This Year's Model

2007-04-05T04:25:55Z

2007 Summer of Music:

05.18.07 - Elvis Costello @ 9:30 Club, DC
07.11.07 - Spoon @ Battery Park, NY
07.13.07 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
07.14.07 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
07.15.07 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
07.29.07 - TV on the Radio @ McCarren Pool, NY
08.09.07 - The Hold Steady @ Prospect Park, NY
08.12.07 - Ted Leo/Rx, Thermals @ McCarren Pool, NY

2007 Spring Semester:

01.19.07 - The Hold Steady @ Stone Pony, NJ
02.10.07 - Yo La Tengo @ Trocadaro, PA
04.28.07 - Dismemberment Plan @ Black Cat, DC

2006 Fall Semester:

10.15.06 - Okkervil River @ Bowery Ballroom, NY
10.21.06 - TV on the Radio @ Starlight Ballroom, PA

2006 Summer of music:

06.12.06 - Be Your Own Pet @ Knitting Factory, NY
06.21.06 - David Bazan @ Maxwell's, NJ
06.30.06 - TV on the Radio, Voxtrot, Matt Pond PA @ Prospect Park, NY
07.13.06 - Okkervil River @ Castle Clinton, NY
07.27.06 - Bloc Party @ Stone Pony, NJ
07.29.06 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
07.30.06 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
08.13.06 - Deerhoof, Beirut @ McCarren Pool, NY

I clock 99 cent wristbands and still know the time when your record flops.

2007-02-09T18:58:33Z

Who's Got Catching Hands?

2006-07-02T06:29:20Z

Summer of music:

06.12.06 - Be Your Own Pet @ Knitting Factory, NY
06.21.06 - David Bazan @ Maxwell's, NJ
06.30.06 - TV on the Radio, Voxtrot, Matt Pond PA @ Prospect Park, NY
07.13.06 - Okkervil River @ Castle Clinton, NY
07.27.06 - Bloc Party @ Stone Pony, NJ
07.29.06 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
07.30.06 - Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, IL
08.13.06 - Deerhoof, Beirut @ McCarren Pool, NY

Fall Semester:

10.15.06 - Okkervil River @ Bowery Ballroom, NY
10.21.06 - TV on the Radio @ Starlight Ballroom, PA

Spring Semester:

01.19.07 - The Hold Steady @ Stone Pony, NJ
01.26.07 - Ted Leo/Rx @ Northsix, NY
02.10.07 - Yo La Tengo @ Trocadaro, PA
:-)

Save Yourself, I'll Save You All The Time

2006-05-23T06:26:00Z

It is Monday night, 2:17 AM and I have to be up for work in under seven hours. I'm sitting on AIM without a single conversation going. The next few days will be filled with book slaving. I am poor. The sun and the moon force the days along; summer insists on dragging it's feat and kicking up just enough dirt to leave me confused.

And yet, I am smiling. Yes, tonight I am regretfully smug.

Earthquake Party!

2006-04-29T08:06:48Z

ATTN: FRIENDS!

The semester is ending! A trip to the city for some Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre is in order. I'm looking to make this a large outting including the usuals (Frank, Liz, Trish, there's others but I know many of you won't be in Jersey any time soon) and many people who have not joined us in the past. For the uneducated, the UCB Theatre provides cheap (under $10) improvizational sketch comedy from many of the most talked about comedians in New York.

I'm thinking the last Sunday of May or perhaps the beggining of June. I just need some time to earn a little cash as is the case with others I'm sure. I'm planning this early and ahead of time so we can have as many people in for it as possible.

Call me, IM me, stalk me, comment here, whatever. Just let me know that you want to come. It will be grand, I'm sure.

I Can't Stand the Rain

2006-04-18T07:10:27Z

Untitled (For Now)

It sounded like rain. Tired, he lay beneath his faux night sky and slowed down the sound of falling water in his head. He tried to hear the landing of each individual drop. It was a soothing practice and with one foot now dangling over the edge of consciousness, the seductive undertow of sleep nearly submersed what existed of his morning cognizance. Then came a startling bang on the door.

“Just a minute!” he yelled, quickly shoving the down quilt off of him. A green and blue cartoon fish looked him in the face. An entire school of them covered the shower curtain.

“You better not be asleep in there again! ‘Get out of bed’ does not mean ‘go sleep on the bathroom floor while you waste water and my money’!”

Supressing a yawn, Rage scrambled to his feet. The cold tiles of the bathroom floor were slippery beneath the superfluous fabric of his oversized blue, fleece pajama pants. He grabbed a hold of the towel rack to bring poise to his morning dance of broken ballet.

(To be continued...)

Hershey's With Almonds

2006-04-07T06:14:33Z

Around Back

Green, red, yellow, green, red, yellow, green, red, yellow, Chinese lanterns hung at various heights around the perimeter of the backyard. They looked like UFOs hovering midair if you squinted. Only the occasional flytrap interrupted their repeating pattern. Hanging along side them in the thin July air was the faint sound of polka music. It was barley audible to the ear but the second half of its syncopated rhythm managed to quietly assault its way into our heads. Similarly, the light smell of sizzling meat on a grill permeated the yard and snuck its way into our nostrils. The large backyard was mostly empty but a moderate sized dilapidated jungle gym took up space at the center of the open yard like a sunken ship frozen in time at the bottom of an ocean floor. An old slide lay nearly horizontal in the dirt alongside monkey bars and various pieces of splintered wood. Torn strands of yellow cargo netting were spread randomly atop it all.

Mike stood next to it, a musket pointed to the sky above the woods. He was whom we were there to see. On the phone he had simply said to meet him “around back”. He patiently steadied his hand as if he were taking aim at a particular cloud. Before long he didn’t seem to be moving at all, a mannequin in the middle of the yard. I looked at my friend and little sister with a puzzled expression.

“Uh, should we approach him?” I asked.

My sister, who had been timid so far had now reached a state of nervousness, “Let’s just turn around,” she said.

We stood still and waited a little longer. The only thing more deafening than the silence was the burning, dry heat.

Without further discussion Anish broke the silence yelling the thoroughly thought out greeting of, “Uh, Mike?!”

Startled, Mike jumped straight up parallel for a fraction of a second to his unintentional musket fire. Once grounded, he swung himself around, his free hand on his heart, the other hand choking the barrel of the gun.

“Fuck!” he yelled, realizing who had scared him. He walked over to us.

“Hey man! What are-“ I tried to ask him just what he was doing.

“Happy fuckin’ fourth!” he cut me off, extending his hand in greeting. His handshake was incredibly strong. Marine trainee strong.

Anish tried to finish the question that I had started, He pointed at Mike’s gun asking, “So what are you up to?”

“Just celebratin’ the US of A! Want some Italian sausage with peppers?”

My stomach growled, “Is that what that smell is?”

“Yup, dad’s grillin’,” he pointed over to the corner of the yard. His dad was indeed sitting in the shadows, next to a grill and a small junky boombox.

“How about you Anish? Or Liz?” He offered the grilled food to them.

“I’m a vegetarian,” responded Anish.

“Still? What’s that about man?” Mike responded before looking to my sister. “How about you?”

Still very startled by the strange events and surroundings she shook her head and pointed at the gun, “What were you doing out there Mike?”

“Just shootin’ off my musket,” he said in a strange tone as if it were obvious in it’s simplicity.

We made our way to the edge of the yard, towards the grill and polka music and Mike put together a sausage sandwich with some peppers and onions. His dad sat in an old lawn chair, wearing a few of his old war medals and puffing a cigar. He offered one to Anish and I without so much as a greeting.

“You boys want a cigar? They’re Cuban.”

“No thanks, we don’t smoke,” Anish responded politely.

“Why isn’t he eating?” Mike’s dad asked Mike before coughing up cigar smoke.

“He’s a vegetarian dad,”’

“Still? You are a man, aren’t ya’?”

“Heh, yeah…” Anish forced up a chuckle.

There was a short silence while Mike scrapped together bits of meat off of the grill and onto a roll. The grill’s flame was barley an ember anymore and so Mike picked up the bottle of lighter fluid, recklessly squirting it all over the grill and food.

“So what are you fags up to tonight?” asked Mike’s father. Liz grimaced at the slur. “Oh sorry honey,” he apologized.

“We’re not gay dad…” Mike told him.

“So what are you doin’ then? You have guests over and you don’t do anything?”

“We’re eating. We’re talking. Let me enjoy my friend’s company dad.”

The sandwich was delicious as was the dessert of French pastries that Mike’s mother brought out for us. We all sat and ate and laughed about old times and assumptions of the future.

Finally, after midnight, we started to gather our things and make our way to the car. We stood at the gate to the backyard and we each shook Mike’s hand.

“When’s your vacation over?” asked Anish, “When are you going back to the Marines?”

“Tomorrow morning actually,” Mike answered.

“Oh wow…”

“Yeah… that’s why I had you guys over here tonight. So I could remember what I’m working for when I’m there.”

Under the lights of the Chinese lanterns, with the Italian sausage in our stomachs and among the polka music, somehow Mike was right.

Before I Had Status and Before I Had A Pager

2006-04-03T03:50:05Z

70 degree weather, windows down, "Low End Theory" blastin' on the stereo. Today was summer vacation.

I said, "I'm so happy, I could die." She said, "Drop dead," then left with another guy.

2006-02-22T05:58:28Z

365 Days.

Tiger!

2006-02-16T06:56:46Z

Richard's Writings: http://richardvarall.typepad.com

Richard's Ruse: http://richardvarall.typepad.com/life

Vespertine

2006-02-12T23:36:13Z

Esther and I totally just made snow angels.

It's This 1 Thing That's Got Me Trippin'

2006-02-10T02:04:49Z

- 90.3 The Core Promotions Assistant

- Rutgers Review Managing Editor

- Fall 2006 Easton Ave Apartments Room 1203

Yay!

This Isn't My Dominos, It's Rich's. He Couldn't Finish It 'Cause He's A Pussy.

2006-01-23T05:53:30Z

Saturday Mornings

With unexplained energy, not by parents
Not by alarm, only of sun and free will
I was in the kitchen, spoon in hand
Refusing fruit, passing by oatmeal
Pouring milk on top of sugar

Wrapped in a wool cape
Upon a reclining throne
My clicking scepter summoned jesters
Of brightly colored fantastics
Until men in suits yelled and took back the day by noon

Using words unknown
About inequalities unimagined
Their wars weren’t waged by superheroes
Or wizards or robots and lacked the magic
That entertained all mere hours before

And so I clicked them off

Time Goes By

2006-01-07T09:49:00Z

Winter Break

Clearly I’m attached to you
Though not at the hip
And not by glue
We haven’t spoken in a year
And I rarely speak your name

And yet once in every few
Days I hear from lips
Bad interviews
In regards to us and I fear
We have an undying fame

Some pose the thought of hate
Because such a sound
It fascinates
Our story a script acted
Out like 30-minute liars

But the next episode’s late
It will never air
No future date
I am cutting you all off and
I’m setting myself on fire.

All's Well That Ends Well

2006-01-02T09:42:47Z

Here's my mix of 2005. As many of my favorite songs of the year that I could fit on one CD. The ordering is an attempt at some sort of flow but, well, it's futile. If you want a copy just comment or call or IM me.

1) Kanye West ft. Adam Levine - "Heard 'Em Say"
2) Fiona Apple - "Not About Love" (Jon Brion version)
3) Broken Social Scene - "7/4 (Shoreline)"
4) Love Is All - "Felt Tip"
5) DangerDoom - "Crosshairs"
6) The Futureheads - "Hounds of Love (New Mix)"
7) Wolf Parade - "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts"
8) LCD Soundsystem - "Disco Infiltrator"
9) Art Brut - "Formed A Band"
10) Feist - "Gatekeeper"
11) Sufjan Stevens - "They Are Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come To Take Back The Night!! Ahhhh!!!!"
12) Bloc Party - "Like Eating Glass"
13) Final Fantasy - "This Is The Dream of Win and Regine"
14) Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."
15) Robyn - "Konichiwa Bitches"
16) Bright Eyes - "Landlocked Blues"
17) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - "Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"
18) Amerie - "1 Thing"
19) Common ft. Last Poets and Kanye West - "The Corner"
20) Antony and the Johnsons - "Hope There's Someone"

BONUS EP! (In other words, I loved these songs too and wanted to mention them)

1) Madonna - "Hung Up"
2) The Hold Steady - "Cattle and the Creeping Things"
3) Cam'ron ft. Kanye West - "Down and Out"
4) Aesop Rock - Zodiaccupuncture"
5) White Rose Movement - "Love Is A Number"
6) Iron and Wine - "Jezebel"
7) Spoon - "Sister Jack"
8) Stars - "One More Night"
9) Out Hud - "How Long"
10) Ris Paul Ric - "Daft Young Cannibals"

Failure's Always Sounded Better

2005-12-23T03:05:45Z

She planted the bomb and ran.

Explosion.

Forced back to the outskirts he looked through it all. The dust settled. Things were broken. Things were destroyed. Absolutley nothing was ever again the same and now he wanted to change the few pieces which went untouched. He wanted to fuck with life to come.

She planted the bomb and ran. He helped. He handed her the bomb and stood still. He was flung to the outskirts. He walked through the carnage and created more.

She planted the bomb and ran.

Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk

2005-12-21T07:11:10Z

Top 10 Albums of 2005:

#10) Aesop Rock - "Fast Cars, Danger, Fire, and Knvies EP"

#9) Spoon - "Gimme Fiction"

#8) LCD Soundsystem - "LCD Soundsystem"

#7) Art Brut - "Bang Bang Rock and Roll"

#6) Sufjan Stevens - "Illinois"

#5) Kanye West - "Late Registration" - While it's lack of obvious singles (compared to The College Dropout anyway) may first lead to dissapointment, this is truley a step forward for hip hop. Jon Brion's production aid and Kanye's pomp covered insecurities make for memorable tracks from start to finish. Except for "Celebration" of course. Fuck that song.

#4) Bloc Party - "Silent Alarm" - Few American punk bands are actually being, in fact, punk. This UK band picks up the slack. Menacing political and social messages wrapped in dance rock goodness.

#3) Bright Eyes - "I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning" - With this record Oberst finally lives up to his hype. Both he and his song writing have matured immensley.

#2) Wolf Parade - "Apologies to the Queen Mary" - Yes, they've got friends in high, Arcade Fire-ish, Modest Mouse-ish, Frog Eyes-ish places. This debut album shows that all of that doesn't even matter. They can stand on their own two feet just fine.

#1) Broken Social Scene - "Broken Social Scene" - This somehow makes their sublime classic "You Forgot It In People" sound empty by comparison. An album perfect to get lost to only to later love finding your way out of.

Song of the Year:

Antony and the Johnsons - "Hope There's Someone" - It's beautiful. Listen to it now.

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning.

2005-12-05T05:10:10Z

I am entirely tired of assumptions. It's true, I don't drink or smoke. This does not mean I am any sort of religous. This does not mean that I am a shallow minded, brain washed D.A.R.E. victim. This does not mean that I'm afraid. This does not mean that I think that I'm better than anyone else. This does not mean that I'm just trying to be different.

Apparently my not drinking can ruin others days. Apparently my refusal to consume alcohol has a heavy impact on whether I'm a worthwhile friend. Apparenetly, if I don't drink then I'm not worth it. Apparently, if I don't drink then I'm a rela asshole. Keep talking, you're just convincing.

Sharp, Spiffy, and Cute

2005-11-28T08:43:26Z

In order of importance to humanity and general awesomeness:

Penguins
Ninjas
Puppies
Zombies
Dinosaurs
Vampires
Secret Agents
Pirates
Robots
Ghosts
Werewolves
Cowboys
Kittens

Believe it.

State of Emergency Is Where I Want To Be

2005-11-18T05:51:06Z

Before I die there are a few things I'd like to do. Scratch that, there is, of course, a ton of things I'd like to do. But there are a few, relatively simple things I'd like to do with a specific soundtrack in mind. What I mean is, I want to excecute these actions while specific songs are playing. They are:

Slow dance with a gorgous woman while playing Cibo Matto's "Sugar Water".

Maintain a speed well over the speed limit for the duration of M83's "*".

Be introduced to a large (preferably enthusiastic) crowd to The Walkmen's "The Rat".

Swindle someone in poker via a large bluff to the tune of The Rolling Stone's "Sympathy For the Devil", slowly revealing a large, evil grin.

Wake up for my first day of my first job in the real world and stop my CD player alarm clock from playing Elvis Costello's "Welcome to the Working Week".

Drift off to sleep next to someone, reaching slumber land before My Bloody Valentine's "Sometimes" is even finished.

I don't even want to break anyone's heart but if I do, I hope they have it coming and I hope I sing Rilo Kiley's "Portions For Foxes" as I walk away.

Dance to Annie's "My Heartbeat" with a complete stranger.

Watch the sun rise while sipping coffee on a brisk morning humming along to Feist's "Gatekeeper".

Take off in a plane headed to London chanting with The Clash's "London Calling".

Pull away from my house and leave my hometown with Ted Leo's "Parallel of Together" in my car's CD player.

Be completely content with my life and sing Bjork's "Joga" along with the love of my life.

Better get started I suppose, 'eh?

November Has Come

2005-11-05T05:26:07Z

"I Want In This Life"

He sat and stared and the song repeated. His head and vision swayed slightly in a haze. A slightly swaying haze mirrored and kept in time by the guitar's thick buzz and faint melody. He didn't hear it though. He stared and stared into that mirror and things changed and changed. He had come to the mirror to remember who he was but after looking for so long he found himself staring down a character. He inspected the man in the glass infront of him. That man was calm, collected, together. That man knew where he had been, what he was doing, where he was going. That man was scholarly. That man could write. To that man, things made sense. Things worked out. That man knew himself. That man had a purpose. That man was loved. That man didn't hurt.

The song repeated again and suddenly he couldn't look anymore. An exhausted fist pounded the glass. He grabbed at the mirror trying to take ahold of it and pull it open. He wanted in.

Saw II

2005-10-29T03:47:18Z

I see Alison about once every two months. I pick up the phone, dial a number, and agree on a day and time to meet up. We share stories, fill each other in on our lives, and laugh; all the while she runs her fingers through my hair. Alison is one of my favorite people to talk to.

Alison and I talk about everything. Work, school, video games, movies, go-karts, music, World of Warcraft, halloween, Alcatraz... Alison keeps things interesting. What I enjoy so much is the genuine enthusiasm Alison brings to conversation. If I let her, Alison would talk for the entire duration of our 30 minute meetings without stopping for anything but asking me if I'd like to use hair gel. This shouldn't be interpreted as Alison being a pompous or viewing her life and opinions as any more important than mine. Quite the contrary, Alison is always interested in my opinions and makes sure to take the few breaths that she pauses for only for my insight. Alison is just that excited about Zelda, horror movies, and the third lap of her last go-kart outting.

Simply, Alison is one of the small relationships in life that I cherish more and more every day. Alison works for Hair Plus Day Spa and Alison is the woman that cuts my hair. Today Alison and I discussed horror movies as she snip, snip, snipped away. Enjoy the friendly and caring people in your life no matter how minor your relationship with them may seem.

Throw Me The Idol and I'll Throw You The Whip

2005-10-21T02:58:18Z

"I'll Never Fold"

Things were a mess. The greens were in the blues, the reds were in the whites, and no one seemed to think much of it. "Had to happen eventually..." the player said with Cheetos in his mouth. Everyone one laughed at the mess of chips left infront of him and started dealing the next hand. Just seconds ago that mess had been neatly stacked piles of his winnings. He hadn't lost all night. In fact, he hadn't even folded a single hand yet. Even more impressive; this was the first game of cards he had ever played. Two pair, full house, a few straights, a flush; even the occasional bluff had returned the chips he bet to him and only stacked his now familiarly organized piles all the higher. He had crafted his stacks of chips with the intense care that a serious beach goer uses to sculpt a palace of sand. There had been architecture to this. There had been stability. Now, having finally lost a round, quite a commotion had been made and down fell his towers of security. The poker neophyte sighed, admittidly envious at his opponent raking in a good deal of his missing elements of architecture. He thought about arranging them again staring down at the mess but his attention was stolen by a sudden call of, "You in man?" The bet was to him. He thought about it a moment and threw a few chips in the pot. The others grinned and someone asked, "You sure man? Now that you've lost a hand you sure you don't want to fold now too?" The poker player smiled, and quickly responded as a veteran, "I'll never fold." And so the game continued...

Your Hand Is Shaking

2005-10-17T01:43:14Z

First Radio Show. 10/16/05. 3:00 - 4:00 PM.

Playlist:

Top of the Hour Sounder with Sponsorship
Radiohead - "2 + 2 = 5"
Broken Social Scene - "7/4 (Shoreline)"
Rejoin w/ bed (15 sec VO, 15 sec bed)
Mic Break
Sponcership Announcement
(Live Performance) Sparks Fly From A Kiss - "Fearless"
Enon - "Knock That Door"
Spoon - "Two Sides of Monsieour Valentine"
The Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"
Annie - "My Heartbeat"
Modest Mouse - "Paper Thin Walls"
Rejoin w/ bed (15 sec VO, 15 sec bed)
Mic Break
Cibo Matto - "Sugar Water"
Sleater-Kinney - "Oh!"
Rilo Kiley - "Hail to Whatever You Found In the Sunlight That Surrounds You"
Elvis Costello - "Clowntime Is Over" (was supposed to be "King Horse". Played wrong track. Oops.)
Rejoin w/ bed (15 sec VO, 15 sec bed)
Mic Break
Q and Not U - "So Many Animal Calls"
Ted Leo/Rx - "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead"

Bitches Ain't Shit But Hos and Tricks

2005-10-14T03:53:15Z

If only he had played "Song For the Dumped". I would have screamed, "well fuck you too!" louder than I had ever said...