Published on Nov. 18, 2004
in Music.
It’s sad to see such a great band retire. In the past few months, I’ve really come to appreciate Sixpence None The Richer and their unique style. Matt Slocum’s introspective writing with Leigh Nash’s expressive voice is such a perfect combination. I really wish that this would just be a pitstop, rather than an ending to their career; however, I wish them best of luck in the rest of their endeavours.
This compilation CD has eighteen tracks, which is a great deal for $16. I only have their two latest CDs, so I didn’t end up with too many overlap songs. However, listening to some of their older songs really make me want to hunt down their previous albums. I like how there is such an interesting mix of songs on this album. There’s everything from power pop (”Kiss Me“) to angst (”I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times“) to worship (”Brighten My Heart“) to a cover of ABBA’s Dancing Queen. And there’s even a Japanese version of Kiss Me.
I’m more used to Sixpence’s ambiguous lyrical style, so it was surprising to hear honest, straightforward songs like Brighten My Heart and Trust. I’m not normally a big fan of the “worship” genre, since most of the songs tend to sound the same, with slightly reworded sentiments, but I love these songs. It’s nice to hear a band that can pull off a variety of genres, yet stay true to their own unique style.
My heart is as dark as the soil
Sodden with winter rains
Lord, brighten my heart
My soul is as heavy as the peat
Freshly dug from the bog
Lord, lighten my soul
My thoughts whirl like willow branches
Caught in autumn wind
Lord, still my thoughts
My body is as tense as cat’s
As it stalks its prey
Lord, relax my body
Help me open my heart to you
Help me open my heart to you
Help me open my heart to you, Jesus
It’s what I long to do
Published on Nov. 9, 2004
in Tech.
After two years of development, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 has finally been released. The first time I tried it was a little less than a year and half ago, back when it used to be called Phoenix. But even then, it was an excellent browser that was a pleasure to use. It’s hard to explain why, but to me, using Firefox is just more fun than Internet Explorer. And it’s not just me - for the first time in years, people are moving away from Internet Explorer. Plus, pop-ups and pop-unders are a thing of the past. With an excellent built-in pop-up blocker, I can surf without annoyances. I’m so used to not seeing pop-ups that I nearly forgot to mention this nifty feature.
These days, it’s just a little too insecure to browse with Internet Explorer. A friend of mine keeps complaining to me that her computer keeps getting infected with viruses that cause severe slowdowns. Even after virus-checking, they keep coming back again and again. I installed Firefox on her computer a few months ago and her problems have reduced significantly since then. Almost all browser-borne viruses attack security flaws in Internet Explorer, so using Firefox drastically cuts down your chances of infection. It’s also a good idea to turn on Automatic Updates and to check Windows Update periodically, too.
I tried downloading the new Firefox release this morning and it warmed my heart when I couldn’t. Why? Mozilla.org was flooded with so many requests for the new release that their homepage barely loaded. But now that the initial excitement has worn down, the site is snappy again. It’s a most excellent release too - it’s fast, compact, simple, secure and powerful. If you haven’t already: Get Firefox. You won’t regret it.
Published on Nov. 7, 2004
in Music.
Ah … a night at the symphony is a truly wonderful thing. It would have been nice to have gone with a friend, since I felt very awkward being one of the very few young people there; however, once the show started, it didn’t matter anymore. Ten dollars for an excellent concert is very well worth it, especially since the regular price is something like $70.
The opening overture was excellent, so it makes me want to go see a production of Fidelio, the opera from which it was taken. I like the dramatic elements in it. The piano concerto that followed wasn’t quite so entertaining - it was a bit dull, actually. I think that it’s probably due to its length and the fact that I didn’t know it beforehand. The pianist wore a very pretty dress though. At first, I was afraid that she was only there to be pretty, since she sat down at the piano and … just sat there. The orchestra began playing and she just stared at the keys. About four minutes into the movement, she finally began playing. It was great to hear such a great pianist and it makes me want to improve my deteriorating piano technique.
After the intermission, we finally got to hear Symphony No. 3. I love works from Beethoven’s “heroic” period, when he became all passionate and Bohemian. The only criticism that I have about this performance was that the themes weren’t always clearly stated. Some entries were muffled and lost under the ornamentation. I specifically remember one part when the brass section totally overpowered the strings with loud blasts that covered up the theme. However, all the fugatos were done well, especially the one in the second movement, which is my favourite. The passion! The drama! I love it. The scherzo and trio was good too because I love bright, catchy, poppy music. I think I’m a sucker for pop and melodrama in general. Jennifer Hudson, anyone?
Wow. I’m turning into a classical music geek. I’m getting old.
