Shameless Self-Promotion

So . . . I just released a preposterously no-fi three song digital EP which is available for download exclusively on my Bandcamp site (free or fee, your choice). It was originally going to be four songs, but then I realized that by not releasing the other song right now, I was already one-third of the way to completing my next potential EP. Brilliant, I know. Hope you enjoy, though if you don't I will not be feeding the trolls.

Releases I'm Psyched to Hear, Winter '10 Edition [Addendum]

Today, I write from the freshly snowbound wastelands of Vermont, where cold and shoveling grow in unrivaled abundance.

Yesterday evening, some much-delayed inspection of the ol' RSS reader brought to my attention that I'd failed to include the few different things that Andrew Jackson Jihad are putting out this year in my Winter 2010 list; I await them with bated breath.

Andrew Jackson Jihad have announced a slew of new releases for 2010. First is a live LP recorded on a 4-track at a hotel after party during The Fest 7 in Gainesville, FL. Said LP saw a limited release with a special pressing at The Fest 8, and will receive a wider release in January through Asbestos Records.

Second, the band will release a split 7" with Chicago's The Gunshy via Silver Sprocket; this record should be available by February.

Last but not least, Andrew Jackson Jihad will do a split with O Pioneers!!! that will see a vinyl (and perhaps CD) release via No Idea Records, and a limited cassette release through Underground Communique.

(via Punknews)

Oh yeah.

Releases I'm Psyched to Hear, Winter '10 Edition

Did something along these lines several months back; figured it was time for another round.

January 26th, 2010 (Apparently Romanian/Apparently clumsy)

John Vanderslice - D.I.A.L.O. 7" [Dead Oceans]
Earns a spin by virtue of last year's Moon Colony Bloodbath collab with John Darnielle.

Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring [Arts & Crafts]
Cheeky, almost-too-catchy Welsh band. I liked We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed a lot. Blame Dana, I suppose. The road trip to RVC ruined me.






February 16th, 2010 (Because I've been lazy for half of my life)

Jason Falkner - I'm OK, You're OK [Cobraside]
I heard "Author Unknown" on the SMF2 Mountain Dew sampler CD over a decade ago and I still can't get it out of my head. But I haven't listened to anything else of his. Probably high time to see if there's more to like here or not.



February 23rd, 2010 (So I can feel better about my guitar-playing abilities)

Lil Wayne - Rebirth [Cash Money/Young Money Entertainment/Universal]
Weezy played guitar
Jamming good with Weird and Gilly
And the Spiders From Mars
He played it left hand
But made it too far
Became the special man
Then we were Weezy's band



March 9th, 2010 (The day that all the others pale in comparison to)

Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks [Fat Cat]
2008's The Midnight Organ Fight was beyond fantastic. I'm very excited to hear the follow-up.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks [Matador]
Not many people are still making vital music when they're pushing 40, but this elder statesman of indie rock soldiers on, new label and all. I'm also holding out hope that I bald as gracefully as he has.





March 16, 2010 (Because the robots told me so)

Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do [ATO]
If one of your similar artists on last.fm is Two Car Garage, you are likely to get added to my listen-to list.






March 23, 2010 (Shame on me)

She & Him - Volume Two [Merge]
There were a handful of songs on Volume One that were super catchy. It's Zooey Flippin Deschanel. Guilty pleasure central.

Meet the New Year, Same as the Old Year

...except for that whole annoying thing about having to learn to write the date mm/dd/10. It usually takes me six months to stop writing the previous year down. Do other people suffer from this affliction, or is this yet another stunning indictment of my feeble-mindedness?

Steve Jobs vision. Also includes $$$$$$$ (not pictured).

So what else does the purchase of that new wall calendar/planner mean?

• I'm that much closer to graduating in the spring. I'm not really ready, and also super ready, if that makes any sense. 
• One of the cable movie channels is doubtlessly going to put that godforsaken 2010 film on a cycle of ironic showing after ironic showing. I don't have cable so this only has a marginal negative impact on me. But consider yourselves forewarned. Edit: not more than a few hours than originally posting this I discovered much to my dismay that some birdbrain at TCM had decided to show the film. Good riddance.

Don't let the novelty of the title draw you in. Or Cletus the Fetus.

• According to some whackjobs, there are two years until the apocalypse, so let's use that as an excuse to engage in the hedonistic. Therefore, put your glad rags on and join me hun, Bill Haley style.

NO, NOT YOU ATILLA.

• Maybe The Weakerthans will start recording a new album? Please? (I'm assuming that it's also 2010 in Canada, which may or may not be the case)
• Not that I particularly care, but Soundgarden is getting back together. All the classics, reinterpreted by Chris Cornell's rapidly deteriorating voice (to be fair, the man is old). But you'll probably still have to take out a second mortgage on your house to get a decent seat.
• Billy Corgan will continue to be whiny and ungrateful. And bald.
• My puppy will eventually stop being a puppy.

I don't really believe in making New Year's resolutions because life throws you too many curveballs to really make setting goals like that feasible. However, music-wise, I suppose there's some stuff to catch up on. I really want to listen to that Micah Schnabel LP that I didn't get a chance to spin this year. I got a turntable as an early birthday present so I fully intend to start hoarding vinyl now, George Carlin rant on stuff be damned.



CDs are SO 2002. Plus I've come to the realization that being overzealous about accumulating as many last.fm scrobbles as possible is REALLY not the best use of my time, and there's just something about vinyl that's awesome. Thus, I will gladly sacrifice cold, heartless scrobbles for analog awesomeness any day of the week. I'm also probably gonna try to get my hands on some stuff that was on just about everyone's year end best of lists over at punknews and assorted music blogs I frequent. I can't stop, won't stop finding new stuff to listen to.

Since I now see a light the end of the academic tunnel, that's lit the fire in my belly to make some music (it's also about as productive a way of procrastinating as I can think of). So to that end, I'm going to try to get at least an EP's worth of songs written, recorded and posted on the interwebs before the beginning of the spring semester. That doesn't seem like too tall of an order. And of course there will be the requisite open mic performances (let's heed Arlen's call) and whatever The Kid Omega can scrape up in the weeks and months ahead.

2009 was pretty good. Let's make 2010 better.

Top EPs of 2009

Well, I tried to stretch this list to at least five, but being the lazy fellow that I am, I think I'll stick with the four I've got.

4. The Mountain Goats & John Vanderslice - Moon Colony Bloodbath
How could these two get together and not produce something excellent?

"Surrounded"
"Emerging"

3. Britney's Spear - Britney's Spear
In the interest of integrity and full disclosure, I am friends with these guys, and even the guy who recorded them. But I promise that I'm mentioning them here because this EP is honestly really really good.

"Burning Billboards"
"Dream Big"

2. Cory Branan & Jon Snodgrass - S/T
Cory Branan's boys can indeed break a heart. Mr. Snodgrass ain't so bad himself.

"Alone & Distanced"
"Walk Around"

1. John K. Samson - City Route 85
In lieu of there being any new Weakerthans material, I rushed to grab this when it came out. And now the vinyl's on the way (with two t-shirts). John K. Samson wins at lyrics, 'nuff said.

"Heart of the Continent"
"Cruise Night"

Top 10 Albums of 2009

¡Merry Christmas!

10a. Rock Plaza Central - ...at the moment of our most needing
God these guys are weird. And pretty good too. Keebler Elves FTW.

"Oh I Can"
"(Don't You Believe the Words of) Handsome Men"

10b. Chuck Ragan - Gold Country
"Glory" sounds an awful lot like "California Burritos," but I'll allow it. Solid neo-folk from a seasoned veteran. Gruff-arse voice.

"For Goodness Sake"
"Ole Diesel"

9. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
It feels like a regression from the older material, but that's still good enough to make the list. Plus, in the words of NPR, they are "a world-beating colossus" live.

"I and Love and You"
"Laundry Room"

8. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Can't Maintain
Not even electrified guitar can stop the AJJ train.

"Self Esteem"
"We Didn't Come Here to Rock"

7. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. But if you have the time, this is an treat.

"Isn't It a Lovely Night"
"The Rake's Song"

6. The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Glen Hansard's just GOT IT. The debut was better, but this is pretty darn good.

"In These Arms"
"Low Rising"

5. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Now this is someone with real vocal range. And probably the strongest collection of songs she's put together. My friends Joe and Fardeen love this. And I have to admit that I have a soft spot for it too.

"This Tornado Loves You"
"Middle Cyclone"

4. The Thermals - Now We Can See
If The Body, The Blood, The Machine was the midst of a war, Now We Can See is the fatalities making small talk. And do they ever talk.

"Now We Can See"
"At the Bottom of the Sea"

3. William Elliot Whitmore - Animals in the Dark
He's declaring a mutiny on this ship, ya hear?

"Old Devils"
"Hell Or High Water"

2. The Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
John Darnielle has to do me great injury to not make a year end list (or two) of mine. No great injury done here. An awfully reserved, and yet awfully powerful record.

"Psalms 40:2"
"Isaiah 45:23"

1. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
Ben Nichols and company do it again. Better than everyone else? I'll bite.

"Mom"
"Hey Darlin' Do You Gamble"

William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark

William Elliott Whitmore, purveyor of a fine sort of backcountry Midwestern blues-folk, is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore.

From the call and response of the opener "Mutiny" to the closing bars of "A Good Day to Die," there's 37 minutes of one pissed off man spouting about issues of the corruption and evil that surround us in life, of the need to stop dwelling on questions of salvation, and the virtues of hard work. Don't trust the cop ("Johnny Law"), don't trust the politician ("Old Devils," "Who Stole the Soul"), and most certainly don't trust the preacher. Life is a bitter struggle ("Hard Times"), and it's difficult to navigate the way, but it's well worth carrying on and even celebrating the journey ("Hell or High Water").

This is an album autobiographical and incendiary, rustic and timely. Favorite record of the year? Maybe. I'm gonna wrestle with that question for the next few days before I put up a year-end post. So be sure to check back.

Hell or high water - William E...

Old devils - William Elliott W...