Okay, I might as well put some music up, but don't expect anything thought out, because I still really haven't slept yet. My diet for the past 24 hours has consisted of 4 Vitamin waters, 1 bowl of cereal (berry cheerios), 2 bites of pasta, and a chocolate filled with whipped peanut butter. awesome. There's all sorts of news today, including the revelation that 1 in 8 (and almost 1 in 4 African-) Americans live in poverty. This is the first year since the Clinton administration that that rate hasn't risen. What the fuck? How depressing is that? Think of the tax cuts, and the coroporate giveaways we've seen in the last 6 years, then think of 1 IN FUCKING 8 CITIZENS LIVING IN POVERTY. sigh. I'm sure they're all drug addicts and lazy immigrants (as I'm sure some a-hole on Fox news wil claim), but seriously this is not right. At all.

Anyway, I was trying to think of good somes for sick people, and the first thing I thought of was the Jesus Lizard. Unfortunately, though, that gives me too much energy and it doesn't really seem fitting for right now, so I went with some sad, sad stuff. Usually when I'm sick I don't listen to anything, ("When Cotton was in Egypt land...") but that's no fun to post now, is it.

It's hard to mention Ralph Stanley without bringing up both his brother Carter and the movie O Brother, Where Art Though? The movie featured some of Stanley's songs (incluing a reworked version of "Man of Constant Sorrow) and really brought him back into the forefront of modern blugrass just as it was getting a huge push from said movie. about 40 years previous, The Stanley Brothers had become superstars with the Clinch Mountain Boys and were changing the face of country music when Carter fell sick and slowly succumbed in a hospital. It supposedly destroyed Ralph, who made the decision to go on without him, but not replace him. Which is sort of complicated, considering that the two were known for their harmonies. Hence the high, thinny tone of Ralph's voice. It always haunts me a little, and it makes me feel okay about lying in bed a little longer. From the sound of it this album was aiming for the sparsity of those Def American records Johnny Cash made, but might've fallen a bit short. I can only assume that the murder ballad "Henry Lee" is about Henry Lee Lucas, though I could be wrong entirely.

"Henry Lee" - Ralph Stanley

"The Girl from Greenbriar Shore" - Ralph Stanley

Buy Ralph Stanley here

I feel like this next song is about a hundred years old. In reality it's about 8, but let's not let that get in the way of my feelings. Anyway, Mia Doi Todd is classically trained singer, and you can hear it pretty easily. She's got a fantastic voice. I wish that more of her songs had this sort of melody, but to be honest the rest of the 2 albums this song appears on sort of bore me. The newer one I've really liked so far though. Go to her site for a free mp3 (click on the free mp3 link. duh.). Anyway, this song is moving and sad and makes me think of apple cinnamon tea. Whatever that means.

"Autumn" - Mia Doi Todd

Buy The Golden State here.

*not really, but there certainly is one that meets that standard.