What I'm listening to: Aesop Rock

This is not for all of you. Maybe not for any of you. Depends on how you feel about hip hop music.

"That's not what I call music," some say. Fair enough. But I do like it, have liked it, LOVE to dance to it, and have recently rediscovered some of those hip hop muscle memories I've been hiding away. My main criteria for hip hop yumminess are:
1) clear enunciation (no marble mouths, please)
2) some kind of melodic line (doesn't have to be vocal)
3) interesting, clever, non-repulsive lyrics
4) a beat that takes over my central nervous system

During my weekend in Austin, I wanted to catch some live music. Kyle located this show, two blocks from my hotel, and it was electric. It was hip hop. Underground hip hop by way of Aesop Rock (ne Ian Matthias Bavitz.) Here's a clip of Aesop Rock's song "None Shall Pass."

This may feel a little gritty, a little grimy. It was also completely great - an outside stage in downtown Austin with an enthusiastic crowd. A.R. kept doing this adorable teapot M.C. move too. He's a lyrical genius and electrifying to watch. Actually, there were three guys on stage: Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic (also rapping) and D.J. Big Wiz.

Here's the truth: I love live music.

I love this too: I'm on the cusp of something. It involves new experiences, old memories, a synthesis of my 37 year old and 25 year old selves. Some of this process is very lonely and some of it is very scary. So scary that I occasionally try to self-medicate with comedies and Spoon albums. (Could be worse!)  But I seem to be in an acquisition life phase, gathering in experiences, flavors, sounds, tastes and connections that both build on and depart from who I have been.