the heat death of the universe

Maybe it's the heat--no, definitely it's the heat--but a certain lethargy has set in over and around my steaming home in the foothills. What with all the trees and greenery surrounding it you'd think some milder temperatures would be in the offing, but, sadly, we've been toward the front of the field in Southern California. The air hangs over the whole city like a wet cableknit sweater, thick and sticky , while the sun flexes its favorite muscle groups and dares you to go outside. Your only comfort, only solace is, if you're lucky, whatever room in your home you've designated a 'safe zone' with, in our case, an air conditioner in the window.

The mayor wants us to lay off with blackouts on the way and my gentle, environmentally conscious ways should comply. I'd love nothing more than to not sit in my living room and watch the equivalent of ten and twenty dollar bills fly out my window...nothing more, that is, except feeling cooler. Now I understand why people live on the beach, why people swallow an extra $500 per month in rent to not...feel...like this. For another month.

The news is calling it a heatwave, but I'm pretty sure it's just called 'July' at this point.

'Amber Canyon Magik,' by Brightblack Morning Light

This song sounds like my weekend felt. Slow and hazy. Relaxed, but enrobed in something cool and anesthesizing.

First off I want to thank Rajeev at One Louder for posting "Everybody Daylight" from Brightblack Morning Light a month or so ago. That coupled with KCRW's Jason Bentley latching onto the song pretty much sealed my trip to Amoeba last week, and the whole CD is just as rewarding. I can see some folks (like our helpful Amazon reviewer) getting overcome by the post-hippie, somnabulent vibe soaking every note of the album, but let go of all that, especially you fear of 'Magic' spelled with a 'K.' Silly sure, but sometimes it's okay to get swept away by your music to someplace slower, a little calmer, and maybe a lot weirder.

I'm not sure what the lyrics are saying here, but it doesn't matter very much. Suffice to say there's a lot of sighing and a watery guitar line surrounded by some gentle hand percussion that will either make you nod your head or nod out. Fair and fine. If you're not moving you're not sweating, and given the days ahead we might need a lot more of that than we'd think.