Wednesday, September 14, 2011
somewhere in middle america
listen up, buddies. it is very close to list time. we should do some pre-list lists. for real. let's do it! i already have some ideas for my pre-list list. don't leave me hanging. let's do it to it.
let's not flake out.
let's make this year's lists the best lists ever.
amen
Saturday, January 01, 2011
bring it down to a slow dance
Okay, 2011, listen up. 2010 was a year for the books - these past few days I have been trying to decipher the code and deem 2010 either a bad year or a good year. Guess what? I can't. The jury's out and will remain out on this issue for me personally. So, I've decided to compile a list of the top Life Altering Events of 2010, (the order of events lack significance). They are both grand and terrible. I will note on which side the event is on by a unicorn icon for good, sad puppy face for bad. If you, the reader, only want to read the good ones, find the unicorn. If just the sad ones, as some of you sadists are, search for the puppy.
Commence.
I LOST MY JOB.
What a dumb ass year for employment nationwide. Non Profit institutions in Indiana had high death tolls this year. Dumb ol' Mitch Daniels slashed budgets by about a gazillion dollars. Somehow in my pompous youth, i thought for sure that I was safe from the lay offs. I was definitely wrong. In April I was told that i could continue working until August, and I tried. But every day was torture. Let's remember, I was very good at being a social worker. and by very good, I mean it. Passing out my clients to some social workers who were far less compassionate and thorough was torture. (Some of my colleagues were super great) So, though I got laid off, I felt bullied out of where I called home for nearly 5 years. Bull shit alert.
BEAR TOWN.
This may not seem awesome to anyone but andy and me, but we took an awesome vacation to the Smokey Mountains this year. It was glorious. Andy, Blue Ridge Mountains and BEARS! Once, when I was in middle school, I saw, for a few seconds a Grizzly Bear and that was sweet. But this trip was FULL OF BEARS, beautifully cute black bears. It was totally tubular. For real. We felt threatened a few times, we felt warm hearts a few times and mostly we just felt like "these bears rule the school". Honestly, may sound lame to everyone but me, but for sure worthy to be called mind blowing.
MORTALITY SITS NEAR.
This year was a tough year for my family on my dad's side. My papa, who happens to be one of my favorite men of all time, had a fire in his barber shop, he had mutiny in his shop, sold all his father's belongings... AND nearly died in a terrible car accident. He said it started because he was sneaking ice cream and he didn't buckle his safety belt due to needing two hands for the delicious treat. Anyways, some little 16 year old idiot ran a stop sign, hit his truck and flipped it. My papa went flying out of the truck and into the field. He didn't sustain too many injuries, but when something like that happens, it hits you, ya know? Like, tiny details of every day can cause a life to spiral down hill in a matter of minutes. I asked for the name of the kid. All I wanted to do was bully him into apologizing to one of the men who make my world a brighter place, but being graceful and full of mercy, he wouldn't give me the little jerk's name. Sometimes a girl just thinks about life and death and even the thought sitting near is sad and scary.
INDECISIVE BROTHER FINDS HIS WAY.
I remember the days my brothers were born. Never, ever, ever was I jealous. Having siblings is one of the best parts of my life. It's definitely one of the saddest things in my life that I don't get to see my brothers on a more regular basis. It's heart breaking really because I think there is nothing cooler than having people who are part of you yet so different. The family of origin is a tricky beast sometimes, but mostly, in my case, it's an okay thing. My brother, roger, who rules, btw, he had a rough time deciding where to put all his talent. Because he is talented beyond belief. He's so smart, athletic, super social, so adaptable and sensitive to people around him. He's the full package. Anyways, this year, he enlisted in the Navy - which some on this blog might not love, but I love it. I love it. and i'll yell it down every street in fort wayne that I love it. He's been hand picked for the Honor Guard in DC - which is awesome. He did amazingly well in boot camp and I just know, as corny as this sounds, he's where he belongs at this moment in his life. it's a beautiful thing, really, seeing someone bloom over the span of his life.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE GROW UP.
It's been sort of heart breaking watching my little community disband. I fought with myself whether or not to put this event on 'ze blog, but it seemed obvious. Some people will disagree and argue that I shouldn't feel this way. But i got big news for you people, i feel deeply and I am sad that Bryce is moving to Korea. And I am sad that Jim and Anna moved out of the house. I have lived with Anna since 2003. For a short time in 2007, we lived 30 seconds apart, but basically, that still counts. Sometimes, you build a need for people to be close physically. My definition of survival looks differently than most. And even though it's a good thing for them, Bryce and Anna and Jim, when I come home to a home without them, I feel incomplete.
I BECAME A LIBRARIAN AGAIN.
So, after months of waiting tables (and loving it). And months after applying and interviewing for a sundry of jobs around fort wayne, BOOM, the Allen County Public Library hires me as a Children's Librarian at the Main Library. This is earth shattering in a terrific way: watch out, let the Outside Hire through. I still can't believe it, seriously. I suppose I just decided in the interview, welp, yeah right, like I'll get hired, let's go all out. So I did. And so I got the job. It's weird. And it's hard. But it's good. I get to walk to work every day and a residual effect is better cardiovascular health. I get to wear these fabulous green pants at least once a week and I get to help kids who like to read. I get to know the low down on all the best kids' books and I get a magnetic name tag that unlocks doors! All of these things are pretty radical. I also get to write incident reports, see poop in the Great Hall and hear people being really mean to kids - which, that's not so awesome, but e'ry thing good outweighs the crazy.
A DECADE LATER.
Time has this way of completely obliterating my mind. I turned 27 in the summer. And on June 11, 2010 - my dad's death-iversarry was TEN YEARS. Ten years is a long time. Ten years is a long time to be without someone. Mostly, I still feel 17 about this whole ordeal. I still can't believe it. But when I realized that a it's been a decade, well, it blew my mind. The thing about time is, it just is so fake. I can't believe we measure years the way we do, I guess it's good otherwise we'd all be confused. For instance, if we didn't, i wouldn't know if my dad died yesterday or eons ago, because basically, that's how it feels: so far and so close simultaneously. But, here we are, a decade has passed. Does that make sense to any one else?
APRIL & POEMS. This past spring, you'll never guess what i did. Maybe you will, especially if you know me at all. But i'll got ahead and say it, since it changed my life. I wrote a poem a day every day for the month of April. I've never done that. Along with the writing, I was always super afraid of writing about certain items... but in April I was all like "watch out, bitches, imma go there and go there with grace. " and I did. I basically like lots of my April poems, but I like what happens after you know you can do something that seems hard. Pride. Achievement. yada. yada. yada. Brett Jenkins was instrumental in this whole ordeal and basically, she's totally awesome. Also, I'm going to do it again some time. Just, it's hard to do. :)
Let's face it, this list isn't complete. Tons more shit went down then i have documented, but, at it's core, this list represents the major life changing events in 2010. I left out little stuff, like kids throwing trash in my face, some other events that went down in the summer, dropping my phone in the lake, getting my ear lobes pierced at the mall and promptly removing them... you know, big stuff that has happened, but didn't change me drastically.That's what i left out.
so, there you go, list friends.
a real, vulnerable list that blows the internet apart.
welcome home, 2011.
2010, see ya never.
Commence.
I LOST MY JOB.
What a dumb ass year for employment nationwide. Non Profit institutions in Indiana had high death tolls this year. Dumb ol' Mitch Daniels slashed budgets by about a gazillion dollars. Somehow in my pompous youth, i thought for sure that I was safe from the lay offs. I was definitely wrong. In April I was told that i could continue working until August, and I tried. But every day was torture. Let's remember, I was very good at being a social worker. and by very good, I mean it. Passing out my clients to some social workers who were far less compassionate and thorough was torture. (Some of my colleagues were super great) So, though I got laid off, I felt bullied out of where I called home for nearly 5 years. Bull shit alert. BEAR TOWN.
This may not seem awesome to anyone but andy and me, but we took an awesome vacation to the Smokey Mountains this year. It was glorious. Andy, Blue Ridge Mountains and BEARS! Once, when I was in middle school, I saw, for a few seconds a Grizzly Bear and that was sweet. But this trip was FULL OF BEARS, beautifully cute black bears. It was totally tubular. For real. We felt threatened a few times, we felt warm hearts a few times and mostly we just felt like "these bears rule the school". Honestly, may sound lame to everyone but me, but for sure worthy to be called mind blowing. MORTALITY SITS NEAR.
This year was a tough year for my family on my dad's side. My papa, who happens to be one of my favorite men of all time, had a fire in his barber shop, he had mutiny in his shop, sold all his father's belongings... AND nearly died in a terrible car accident. He said it started because he was sneaking ice cream and he didn't buckle his safety belt due to needing two hands for the delicious treat. Anyways, some little 16 year old idiot ran a stop sign, hit his truck and flipped it. My papa went flying out of the truck and into the field. He didn't sustain too many injuries, but when something like that happens, it hits you, ya know? Like, tiny details of every day can cause a life to spiral down hill in a matter of minutes. I asked for the name of the kid. All I wanted to do was bully him into apologizing to one of the men who make my world a brighter place, but being graceful and full of mercy, he wouldn't give me the little jerk's name. Sometimes a girl just thinks about life and death and even the thought sitting near is sad and scary. INDECISIVE BROTHER FINDS HIS WAY.
I remember the days my brothers were born. Never, ever, ever was I jealous. Having siblings is one of the best parts of my life. It's definitely one of the saddest things in my life that I don't get to see my brothers on a more regular basis. It's heart breaking really because I think there is nothing cooler than having people who are part of you yet so different. The family of origin is a tricky beast sometimes, but mostly, in my case, it's an okay thing. My brother, roger, who rules, btw, he had a rough time deciding where to put all his talent. Because he is talented beyond belief. He's so smart, athletic, super social, so adaptable and sensitive to people around him. He's the full package. Anyways, this year, he enlisted in the Navy - which some on this blog might not love, but I love it. I love it. and i'll yell it down every street in fort wayne that I love it. He's been hand picked for the Honor Guard in DC - which is awesome. He did amazingly well in boot camp and I just know, as corny as this sounds, he's where he belongs at this moment in his life. it's a beautiful thing, really, seeing someone bloom over the span of his life. SOMETIMES PEOPLE GROW UP.
It's been sort of heart breaking watching my little community disband. I fought with myself whether or not to put this event on 'ze blog, but it seemed obvious. Some people will disagree and argue that I shouldn't feel this way. But i got big news for you people, i feel deeply and I am sad that Bryce is moving to Korea. And I am sad that Jim and Anna moved out of the house. I have lived with Anna since 2003. For a short time in 2007, we lived 30 seconds apart, but basically, that still counts. Sometimes, you build a need for people to be close physically. My definition of survival looks differently than most. And even though it's a good thing for them, Bryce and Anna and Jim, when I come home to a home without them, I feel incomplete. I BECAME A LIBRARIAN AGAIN.
So, after months of waiting tables (and loving it). And months after applying and interviewing for a sundry of jobs around fort wayne, BOOM, the Allen County Public Library hires me as a Children's Librarian at the Main Library. This is earth shattering in a terrific way: watch out, let the Outside Hire through. I still can't believe it, seriously. I suppose I just decided in the interview, welp, yeah right, like I'll get hired, let's go all out. So I did. And so I got the job. It's weird. And it's hard. But it's good. I get to walk to work every day and a residual effect is better cardiovascular health. I get to wear these fabulous green pants at least once a week and I get to help kids who like to read. I get to know the low down on all the best kids' books and I get a magnetic name tag that unlocks doors! All of these things are pretty radical. I also get to write incident reports, see poop in the Great Hall and hear people being really mean to kids - which, that's not so awesome, but e'ry thing good outweighs the crazy. A DECADE LATER.
Time has this way of completely obliterating my mind. I turned 27 in the summer. And on June 11, 2010 - my dad's death-iversarry was TEN YEARS. Ten years is a long time. Ten years is a long time to be without someone. Mostly, I still feel 17 about this whole ordeal. I still can't believe it. But when I realized that a it's been a decade, well, it blew my mind. The thing about time is, it just is so fake. I can't believe we measure years the way we do, I guess it's good otherwise we'd all be confused. For instance, if we didn't, i wouldn't know if my dad died yesterday or eons ago, because basically, that's how it feels: so far and so close simultaneously. But, here we are, a decade has passed. Does that make sense to any one else? APRIL & POEMS.
This past spring, you'll never guess what i did. Maybe you will, especially if you know me at all. But i'll got ahead and say it, since it changed my life. I wrote a poem a day every day for the month of April. I've never done that. Along with the writing, I was always super afraid of writing about certain items... but in April I was all like "watch out, bitches, imma go there and go there with grace. " and I did. I basically like lots of my April poems, but I like what happens after you know you can do something that seems hard. Pride. Achievement. yada. yada. yada. Brett Jenkins was instrumental in this whole ordeal and basically, she's totally awesome. Also, I'm going to do it again some time. Just, it's hard to do. :)Let's face it, this list isn't complete. Tons more shit went down then i have documented, but, at it's core, this list represents the major life changing events in 2010. I left out little stuff, like kids throwing trash in my face, some other events that went down in the summer, dropping my phone in the lake, getting my ear lobes pierced at the mall and promptly removing them... you know, big stuff that has happened, but didn't change me drastically.That's what i left out.
so, there you go, list friends.
a real, vulnerable list that blows the internet apart.
welcome home, 2011.
2010, see ya never.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Best Christmas Alumns!
Christmas music is rad, man. And so is making lists. Like the best Listservs on the planet! So let's make a Christmas list. But with a couple of stips: One, no Bing, Dean and Peggy Lee. Great Christmas warblers, sure, but they have so many albums that it's unpossible to pick one. And two, no comps, even though there are some sweet Christmas tunes from Starflyer, Pedro and JJ on Happy Christmas or Maybe this Christmas or Christmas for Goyims. Alright, enough small talk. Hit it!
15. Amy Grant - A Christmas Album
So many great synths and keytar solos. But this was Amy Grant back in tha day, before the drama, before Baby Baby, when all she wanted was a Tender Tennesse Christmas. Cheesy? Yes. Feels like home? Absolutely.
14. Enya - And Winter Came
Yes, Enya is on my list. Deal with it. These guys were Sigur Ros back when Sigur Ros was Sigur Who? Ceewatididthr? THERE ARE NO MUSIC RULES AT CHRISTMAS!!!
13. The Blind Boys of Alabama - Go Tell It on the Mountain
These guys are blind and they sing the blues and the gospel. That's hot.
12. The Beach Boys - Christmas Album
A little old, but Brian Wilson is the sweetest man since ever. That means he's sweeter than Moses. MOSES MAIMONIDES!!! Vocal cords from God herself. I'm such a feminazi.
11. Leonard Bernstein - The Joy of Christmas
Lame alert! Jonny likes the Nutcracker. Taylor Townsend, I love you. Leonard Bernstein, you're a close second.
10. Tim Dinkins - Christmas on the Moon
I found this little gem on TPB. I have no idea who Tim Dinkins is/was/is yet to be, but he's amazing. Kind of twangy, lo-fi, x-mas joy. On the moon.
9. Low - Christmas
Quite quiet tunes from everybody's favorite Mormons. What? Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker aren't your favorite Mormons?!? You're a sick human being. Go drive your Hummer and destroy another rain forest sick human being!!! Exclamation!
8. Christmas in Russia
Russians singing Christmas carols? Yes, like angels! Like angels on the head of a pin! A beautiful choral pin topped with gorgeous choral voices! On a pin!
7. A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector
Cheater! No, really I'm not. Sort of a compliation, I know, which breaks the rules. But it's from/produced by Phil Spector, man! That hair, man! And good rock music, man! Making the kids dance like demons, man! It's bad in Bomont, I hear.
6. Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
Vince Guaraldi, basically you're a peach. Thanks for the best Christmas special ever.
5. Rosie Thomas - A Very Rosie Christmas
Oh Rosie, I saw you once at a house show in Seattle. You were beautiful. Basically, you should have my Christmas babies. kthnxbi!
4. Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Christmas
Yeah, possibly my favorite Sufjan song of all time is Sister Winter. All the volumes are streets ahead. Don't be streets behind, Listen!!!
3. John Denver and the Muppets - A Christmas Together
Goodness from my childhood! John Denver melts my six-year-old heart. And my current one, too. Also, did you hear they're making a new Muppets movie? And it's supposed to be not just for kids? Like the old days!!! Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!
2. Michael W. Smith - Christmas
Best Christmas album of the 80s. Best album of W's career. Circa some time around 1988 he birthed this beautiful thing full of carols and choirs and pop songcraft. His duet with Amy G? Fabulous! That sounded gay. Tis the season!
1. Over the Rhine - The Darkest Night of the Year
Number one with a bullet. Linford and Karen own my music liver along with Jesus. B/c my heart is full with possiblity. Don't worry, it's cool. This is literally the saddest, most beautiful Christmas album of all time. It kills me. In my bones. It's like death marrow. But in a good way.
So many great synths and keytar solos. But this was Amy Grant back in tha day, before the drama, before Baby Baby, when all she wanted was a Tender Tennesse Christmas. Cheesy? Yes. Feels like home? Absolutely.
Yes, Enya is on my list. Deal with it. These guys were Sigur Ros back when Sigur Ros was Sigur Who? Ceewatididthr? THERE ARE NO MUSIC RULES AT CHRISTMAS!!!
These guys are blind and they sing the blues and the gospel. That's hot.
A little old, but Brian Wilson is the sweetest man since ever. That means he's sweeter than Moses. MOSES MAIMONIDES!!! Vocal cords from God herself. I'm such a feminazi.
Lame alert! Jonny likes the Nutcracker. Taylor Townsend, I love you. Leonard Bernstein, you're a close second.
I found this little gem on TPB. I have no idea who Tim Dinkins is/was/is yet to be, but he's amazing. Kind of twangy, lo-fi, x-mas joy. On the moon.
Quite quiet tunes from everybody's favorite Mormons. What? Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker aren't your favorite Mormons?!? You're a sick human being. Go drive your Hummer and destroy another rain forest sick human being!!! Exclamation!
Russians singing Christmas carols? Yes, like angels! Like angels on the head of a pin! A beautiful choral pin topped with gorgeous choral voices! On a pin!
Cheater! No, really I'm not. Sort of a compliation, I know, which breaks the rules. But it's from/produced by Phil Spector, man! That hair, man! And good rock music, man! Making the kids dance like demons, man! It's bad in Bomont, I hear.
Vince Guaraldi, basically you're a peach. Thanks for the best Christmas special ever.
Oh Rosie, I saw you once at a house show in Seattle. You were beautiful. Basically, you should have my Christmas babies. kthnxbi!
Yeah, possibly my favorite Sufjan song of all time is Sister Winter. All the volumes are streets ahead. Don't be streets behind, Listen!!!
Goodness from my childhood! John Denver melts my six-year-old heart. And my current one, too. Also, did you hear they're making a new Muppets movie? And it's supposed to be not just for kids? Like the old days!!! Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!
Best Christmas album of the 80s. Best album of W's career. Circa some time around 1988 he birthed this beautiful thing full of carols and choirs and pop songcraft. His duet with Amy G? Fabulous! That sounded gay. Tis the season!
Number one with a bullet. Linford and Karen own my music liver along with Jesus. B/c my heart is full with possiblity. Don't worry, it's cool. This is literally the saddest, most beautiful Christmas album of all time. It kills me. In my bones. It's like death marrow. But in a good way.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Top 36ish Drone/Ambient/Ex-spearmintal Jamez of 2010: Part 2 20-1
Yes indeed. The dream is over. Time for the wrap up of this sweet music of 2010 based frenzy. As I said before these 20 are all awesome. Get on the ball and grapple them up.
20. Pulse Emitter - Cosmic Images (Expansive)
Although I have a few Pulse Emitter releases I'm still a Pulse Emitter beginning. This is some great synth action here. It's a very patient album and it might be a little too emotionless for some but its good.
19. Sovetskaya Gone - Smiling Skies on the Back of Airplanes (Cylindrical Habitat Modules)
SG was the king of the roost in 2009 but they had some good releases this year two. For example this one. SG is also generally a purveyor of lo-fi noisy staticy drone. This is really nice. I feel like if you read this recommendation you won't check this out cause this recommendaiton is kinda boring. that's cause I'm tired. But you should check this out.
18. Driphouse - 50/50 (NNA Tapes)
Driphouse used to a be a lot more noisy and abrasive but has gotten gentler as time goes one. While I like most Driphouse releases, I think this is a good thing. This tape is good and interesting work and packs a lot into a mere 24 minutes. That's enough time to have a nice listen and not shirk any duties you might have. Plus It seems longer (in a very good way). see you at goodway!
17. Bernardino Femminielli - La Montaña del Capricornio (Hobo Cult Records)
For some reason as i was writing about these I started at the beginning so I would be able to describe what I liked best without being tired and then as I worked down I realized this list was long so I needed to split it up so I skipped to describing the bottom so I could post that first. But then I just went ahead and finished it all and somehow this ended up being the last thing I wrote about on the list. The point of this ramble? I'm really tired of writing and also actually physically tired cause its late at night. So I can't do this justice. But you should check this out. It's two 30 minute tracks that take you on a sweet synth journey. It starts with a kraut-rock buildup and then moves into more expansive style drone wash as you soar from Montana to Capricorn. The B side is more mysterious, starting and ending in gentle suds of static sea with mysterious unanswered questions from mysterious synthy inquisitors sandwiched in between.
16. 1958-2009 - II (Ekhein)
These guys are Alex Twomey and Matthew Sullivan, they of many other projects, but I like Sullivan best as Earn. This is apparently a tape trilogy (plus a live one) only moniker tribute to Michael Jackson. It doesn't sound anything like MJ unless MJ is in heaven and this is the soundtrack of heaven. Some seriously nice beautiful ambient drones. Actually all 4 tapes are pretty much the same (which is a good thing) but I feel for some reason that this one is the best. Really nice, especially for sitting down, lying down, staring, being motionless in complete darkness, thinking, being at total peace with the universe or other such like activities.
15. Mohave Triangles - Astral Holograms (Digitalis Limited)
Astral Holograms indeed! This is great release by relatively new artist Mohave Triangles (formerly Realms) (who is also a nice guy). This release is good but real Gem here is the A Side of the tape. I I could listen to this track again and again. Blissful noisy lo-fi psych drone with a great messed up sample of a guy talking about secret mind control projects. That probably sounds either awesome or cliche to you and I'm here to tell you that its awesome. It's a great little 30 minutes, especially side A.
14. Rene Hell - Porcelain Opera (Type) / 18:54 Torture Highway (Agents of Chaos)
Jeff Witscher here again. Jeff releases a lot of stuff under a ton of names. This year (and maybe last year) my favorite, and the most unique/creative one is Rene Hell. Of his many releases this year, I suggest these two which are both equally great. I keep saying I don't know how to describe things but I really don't know here. Hmm...a pleasant and relaxed version of being an Apple II hard drive as its crashing after you (as the drive) consumed some serious downer drugs (Codiene? Is Codiene a downer? What is Codiene exactly?)? The exact audio representation of a Paik Nam June installation, only better, plus sudden moments of serene bathing in an digital waterfall? Walking down a really long corridor with fake digital echos and then sometimes realizing you are flying on poorly rendered clouds? I dunno, basically its like carrying around a heavy handbag coated in lots of weird and digital murk and then opening the bag sometimes to discover glorious and lovely moments of mildly krautrocky drone and ambient (If you like ambient by the by, Jeff also does that really well as Marble Sky). Porcelain Opera is a little more hi-fi sounding than his normal no budget jams but no less good or weird. 18:54 is more like the rest of his stuff which is to say like Porcelain Opera but more lo-fi.
13. Concessionaires - Skyline (Gift Tapes)
I wasn't disappointed when I heard this like Jim, but it definitely wasn't what I expected. This sounds nothing like Pete Fosco's or Brad Rose's regular stuff and its not what you would think the sound like together. Which is pretty exciting. Personally, I loved this bad. It's definitely very slow moving and takes some patience but there is a lot of stuff to explore inside here and some really great sounds which make me feel some very interesting feelings. I don't know how to describe this really. The synths are both very crisp and also ancient and far away. Also the album art is really cool. (this isn't a very good pic of it. I think discogs has a better one) I want that on a shirt. A shirt made of gold!
12. Brett Naucke - Southern California (Arbor)
This is another great relaxing tape. Pretty new agey but I like that. It's really great for your life. If SoCal is like this then I guess I need to live there for ever. But I don't think its like this. But anyway this is fantastic. I listened to this a lot this year. It's good all the time for everything, except maybe party time. Or when you are wearing one of your gold encrusted shirts.
11. Bee Mask - Canzoni Dai Laboratorio Del Silenzio Cosmico (Gift Tapes)
Bee Mask is a guy that is pretty diligent at making good sounds. I like a lot of his stuff (not all) but until now I just thought he was good. But this one breaks new ground for him and its an awesome tape from the venerable Gift Tapes. Lots of beautiful synth sounds here. Not as droney or quiet as some of his other stuff.
10. Flower-Corsano Duo - You'll Never Work in This Town Again (Non-Label)
This is pretty different from most of my list here but it belongs here because its insanely good. Flower and Corsano are improv noise rock/free music/free jazz dudes and the are two of the baddest dudes in the game. And these three songs are powerfully awesome. They are long and full power all the way through (I mean there are some dynamics here and different things happen sure, but...) so they might be hard to get through for some of you but man, I love it. Despite the fact that it ought to be played as loud as possible I love it best on headphones. I can't really understand the energy here especially on the first song its long, (17 minutes) and they just keep going at full speed. I suggest being in a mood were loud stuff doesn't annoy you, putting on headphones and listening to this straight through for all 43 minutes. You'll probably be tired afterward. But it'll be great. Maybe. Or maybe you hate it. I would really love to see this duo live.
9. Sean McCann - Lower Decks (Ekhein) / Open Resolve (Stunned)
as Jim mentioned, Sean (as usual) released a buttload of stuff this year. Although he is too creative and varied to pin down he generally takes two forms, one of a top notch ambient/drone creater, and the other as a noisy (not noise) experimental rock folk whatever guy. I did not hear it all, but what I did hear (a lot of it), I have sifted through with my drone sifting pan and would like to suggest that you check out these two. If you are an ambientist/dronester then Lower Decks will immediately strike you as ol' sean at the top of his form. Open Resolve is the other side of the McCann coin and is one of his best releases ever. It's not as easy to get into as its more noisy and wild, but let it hit you off guard in the right mood and you'll be trapped forever in spinning cage of your own desires. but, like, in a good way.
8. Lee Noble - Darker Half (Bathetic Records) / Our Star, The Sun (Moon Glyph)
Here's a fine fellow I knew nothing about before this year with 2 releases on 2 labels I knew nothing about before this year (thanks radiant now blog) It was difficult to choose between these two as they are both great. I imagine more of you might be into Our Star, The Sun, as Darker Half is, well, a little darker. But not really dark. Just lightly creepy. I don't really know how to descibe it. It's great. And its what I heard first so I for now I love it more. The first track (poorly named, Halloween Kiss) is the best.
Despite its title Our Star, The Sun really reminds me more of the moon. But then what is the moon after all but a barren, smaller, fireless, more relaxing, version of the Sun? In any case, this is some serious astral travel. And who doesn't love drifting in space for 93,000 miles until you crash into the sun (but like I said it turns out that the sun is the moon but a really far away and more mysterious version of the moon)? The tracks are pretty varied actually from noisy drone to acoustic laced psych to some modular sounding wonky space synths, but all maintain a delicious cohesiveness.
7. Brainworlds - ••• (Sonic Meditations)
Except for maybe emeralds or yellow swans there is not a lot of hype in tiny world of drone/psych/etc listeners. But perhaps one of the most underhyped dudes ever is Brainworlds. I don't think anyone ever talks abou him. Which is unfortunate both because his name (well probably not his real name but that would be even more amazing) is Brainworlds and because his music is awesome. Seriously meditative, shimmering, gentle ambient. I like all his stuff that i've heard but this is his best yet in my opinion. Top shelf relaxing gentleman's ambient right here. And its 60 minutes long so the goodness just keeps going and going. I know many of you are perhaps not into really long songs but for me, especially when we are talking ambient or drone, I hope that the songs are as long as possible, hopefully lasting forever without any interruptions. This gets pretty close. Plus Sonic Meditations is the label of the Expo '70 guy (Justin Wright) so you know you can trust this to be awesome. Even better, this album is available as a pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp, something I always respect and love when bands do. What have you got to lose? click that link and go check it out! (P.s. I just found out that •••• is already out on Hooker Vision and ••••• is coming out next year. Stoked!)
6. Lunar Miasma - Crystal Covered (Basses Frequences)
I heard this around the same time I heard the album following this on the list so although they are different they stick together with me as a kind of double album or perhaps split release. Lunar Miasma is Panos Alexiadis who is from Greece. I don't know anything about Greek music. But If he is not the top of the Whatever size drone/psych scene they got there then they must have some amazing crap going on there. I love the cover of this album. I wish I had a huge version of that. Look at the cover there. That's pretty much what the music sounds like really. Jim is write that he has probably travelled in actual space. This album is mindblowingly good for me. Grade A Noisy Space Psych Dronebient.
5. Black Mountain Transmitter - Theory & Practice (Lysergic Earwax)
These dudes came out of nowhere for me and I loved this tape so bad from the moment I heard it. I wanted to buy it so bad but I went away or something suddenly and then i was all sold out. Although in real life I'm a bigger fan of Practice than Theory in this album life Theory is the best track. This should be rated higher on Jim's list. This is just some beautiful tones which develop into some more heavy beautiful tones. find a nice place to lie down.
4. Pete Fosco - Breath Radiant (Dial Square)
To use one of his apt song titles, Pete plays Infinite Starlight Blues. I think Jim is underrating this one, but then again Pete Fosco is my boy. I love everything he does but his solo stuff is the best (at least until he does my dream collab with Barn Owl, good idea right Pete? Do it man!). I don't know if Pete is actually good at playing guitar in a traditional sense but he's a guitar master. I've never seen him live but I imagine his guitar is not shaped like a guitar but like a vast mountainous mass of energy. Another thing I like about his jamz is the sound behind the sound. You know when you are listening to something (esecially something reverby or noisy or echoy) and there becomes several layers of sound some of which are intentional but some of which just happen because of physics or some science BS? This music has lots of that. And that's my favorite part of music or sound in general. Listen for that sound. It's in there. It's about 3 or 4 feet back in and its only about 2 inches tall and wide. It's fading in and out, its moving very slow and its also moving very fast.
3. Yellow Swans - Going Places (Type)
This is the last testament of the legendary Yellow Swans (and all other 1000 name varations) and although I was not one of their major fans this is their best to me. An impressive way to go out. Similar to the album that comes after it on this list but a bit more melancholy. I've never been in harsh noise or noise for noise sake. I suppose I didn't have a bad enough childhood or something. But this kind of melodic noise I could listen to forever. That's why it dominates my top picks. At first noise is noise and then there is a certain level it reaches where it becomes something different. Where it so intense that it doubles back on itself and becomes a new kind of quiet. The eye of the storm and and that perhaps? This is ambient music for a hurricane.
2. Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - Love is a Stream (Type)
I agree with everything Jim says about this. This is a monster and a monument. A friendly monster and a kind monument. Will be hard for him to top this or for anyone to top this ever. It's probably too noisy for many of you but its the most beautiful life affirming noise.
1. Brian McBride - The Effective Disconnect (Kranky)
Bum ba Dum! Stars of the Lid could have a mondo huge BM on a Skateboard and then push it towards high school jocks hanging out in cool cars at an abandoned gas station and it would still be my number 1. This is up there with any other and all of their amazing releases. It's a soundtrack for a movie about bees dying. I don't know how it works there but it works fine here in my grubby lil' mind.
Phew! Well, that list was pretty much incredible. And what a huge rodsworth of lists I just did done with those! Time for bed. Hope there is something here you could find and like for future findlikes.
Although I have a few Pulse Emitter releases I'm still a Pulse Emitter beginning. This is some great synth action here. It's a very patient album and it might be a little too emotionless for some but its good.
SG was the king of the roost in 2009 but they had some good releases this year two. For example this one. SG is also generally a purveyor of lo-fi noisy staticy drone. This is really nice. I feel like if you read this recommendation you won't check this out cause this recommendaiton is kinda boring. that's cause I'm tired. But you should check this out.
Driphouse used to a be a lot more noisy and abrasive but has gotten gentler as time goes one. While I like most Driphouse releases, I think this is a good thing. This tape is good and interesting work and packs a lot into a mere 24 minutes. That's enough time to have a nice listen and not shirk any duties you might have. Plus It seems longer (in a very good way). see you at goodway!
For some reason as i was writing about these I started at the beginning so I would be able to describe what I liked best without being tired and then as I worked down I realized this list was long so I needed to split it up so I skipped to describing the bottom so I could post that first. But then I just went ahead and finished it all and somehow this ended up being the last thing I wrote about on the list. The point of this ramble? I'm really tired of writing and also actually physically tired cause its late at night. So I can't do this justice. But you should check this out. It's two 30 minute tracks that take you on a sweet synth journey. It starts with a kraut-rock buildup and then moves into more expansive style drone wash as you soar from Montana to Capricorn. The B side is more mysterious, starting and ending in gentle suds of static sea with mysterious unanswered questions from mysterious synthy inquisitors sandwiched in between.
These guys are Alex Twomey and Matthew Sullivan, they of many other projects, but I like Sullivan best as Earn. This is apparently a tape trilogy (plus a live one) only moniker tribute to Michael Jackson. It doesn't sound anything like MJ unless MJ is in heaven and this is the soundtrack of heaven. Some seriously nice beautiful ambient drones. Actually all 4 tapes are pretty much the same (which is a good thing) but I feel for some reason that this one is the best. Really nice, especially for sitting down, lying down, staring, being motionless in complete darkness, thinking, being at total peace with the universe or other such like activities.
Astral Holograms indeed! This is great release by relatively new artist Mohave Triangles (formerly Realms) (who is also a nice guy). This release is good but real Gem here is the A Side of the tape. I I could listen to this track again and again. Blissful noisy lo-fi psych drone with a great messed up sample of a guy talking about secret mind control projects. That probably sounds either awesome or cliche to you and I'm here to tell you that its awesome. It's a great little 30 minutes, especially side A.
14. Rene Hell - Porcelain Opera (Type) / 18:54 Torture Highway (Agents of Chaos)Jeff Witscher here again. Jeff releases a lot of stuff under a ton of names. This year (and maybe last year) my favorite, and the most unique/creative one is Rene Hell. Of his many releases this year, I suggest these two which are both equally great. I keep saying I don't know how to describe things but I really don't know here. Hmm...a pleasant and relaxed version of being an Apple II hard drive as its crashing after you (as the drive) consumed some serious downer drugs (Codiene? Is Codiene a downer? What is Codiene exactly?)? The exact audio representation of a Paik Nam June installation, only better, plus sudden moments of serene bathing in an digital waterfall? Walking down a really long corridor with fake digital echos and then sometimes realizing you are flying on poorly rendered clouds? I dunno, basically its like carrying around a heavy handbag coated in lots of weird and digital murk and then opening the bag sometimes to discover glorious and lovely moments of mildly krautrocky drone and ambient (If you like ambient by the by, Jeff also does that really well as Marble Sky). Porcelain Opera is a little more hi-fi sounding than his normal no budget jams but no less good or weird. 18:54 is more like the rest of his stuff which is to say like Porcelain Opera but more lo-fi.
I wasn't disappointed when I heard this like Jim, but it definitely wasn't what I expected. This sounds nothing like Pete Fosco's or Brad Rose's regular stuff and its not what you would think the sound like together. Which is pretty exciting. Personally, I loved this bad. It's definitely very slow moving and takes some patience but there is a lot of stuff to explore inside here and some really great sounds which make me feel some very interesting feelings. I don't know how to describe this really. The synths are both very crisp and also ancient and far away. Also the album art is really cool. (this isn't a very good pic of it. I think discogs has a better one) I want that on a shirt. A shirt made of gold!
This is another great relaxing tape. Pretty new agey but I like that. It's really great for your life. If SoCal is like this then I guess I need to live there for ever. But I don't think its like this. But anyway this is fantastic. I listened to this a lot this year. It's good all the time for everything, except maybe party time. Or when you are wearing one of your gold encrusted shirts.
Bee Mask is a guy that is pretty diligent at making good sounds. I like a lot of his stuff (not all) but until now I just thought he was good. But this one breaks new ground for him and its an awesome tape from the venerable Gift Tapes. Lots of beautiful synth sounds here. Not as droney or quiet as some of his other stuff.
This is pretty different from most of my list here but it belongs here because its insanely good. Flower and Corsano are improv noise rock/free music/free jazz dudes and the are two of the baddest dudes in the game. And these three songs are powerfully awesome. They are long and full power all the way through (I mean there are some dynamics here and different things happen sure, but...) so they might be hard to get through for some of you but man, I love it. Despite the fact that it ought to be played as loud as possible I love it best on headphones. I can't really understand the energy here especially on the first song its long, (17 minutes) and they just keep going at full speed. I suggest being in a mood were loud stuff doesn't annoy you, putting on headphones and listening to this straight through for all 43 minutes. You'll probably be tired afterward. But it'll be great. Maybe. Or maybe you hate it. I would really love to see this duo live.
9. Sean McCann - Lower Decks (Ekhein) / Open Resolve (Stunned)as Jim mentioned, Sean (as usual) released a buttload of stuff this year. Although he is too creative and varied to pin down he generally takes two forms, one of a top notch ambient/drone creater, and the other as a noisy (not noise) experimental rock folk whatever guy. I did not hear it all, but what I did hear (a lot of it), I have sifted through with my drone sifting pan and would like to suggest that you check out these two. If you are an ambientist/dronester then Lower Decks will immediately strike you as ol' sean at the top of his form. Open Resolve is the other side of the McCann coin and is one of his best releases ever. It's not as easy to get into as its more noisy and wild, but let it hit you off guard in the right mood and you'll be trapped forever in spinning cage of your own desires. but, like, in a good way.
Here's a fine fellow I knew nothing about before this year with 2 releases on 2 labels I knew nothing about before this year (thanks radiant now blog) It was difficult to choose between these two as they are both great. I imagine more of you might be into Our Star, The Sun, as Darker Half is, well, a little darker. But not really dark. Just lightly creepy. I don't really know how to descibe it. It's great. And its what I heard first so I for now I love it more. The first track (poorly named, Halloween Kiss) is the best.
Except for maybe emeralds or yellow swans there is not a lot of hype in tiny world of drone/psych/etc listeners. But perhaps one of the most underhyped dudes ever is Brainworlds. I don't think anyone ever talks abou him. Which is unfortunate both because his name (well probably not his real name but that would be even more amazing) is Brainworlds and because his music is awesome. Seriously meditative, shimmering, gentle ambient. I like all his stuff that i've heard but this is his best yet in my opinion. Top shelf relaxing gentleman's ambient right here. And its 60 minutes long so the goodness just keeps going and going. I know many of you are perhaps not into really long songs but for me, especially when we are talking ambient or drone, I hope that the songs are as long as possible, hopefully lasting forever without any interruptions. This gets pretty close. Plus Sonic Meditations is the label of the Expo '70 guy (Justin Wright) so you know you can trust this to be awesome. Even better, this album is available as a pay-what-you-want download on Bandcamp, something I always respect and love when bands do. What have you got to lose? click that link and go check it out! (P.s. I just found out that •••• is already out on Hooker Vision and ••••• is coming out next year. Stoked!)
I heard this around the same time I heard the album following this on the list so although they are different they stick together with me as a kind of double album or perhaps split release. Lunar Miasma is Panos Alexiadis who is from Greece. I don't know anything about Greek music. But If he is not the top of the Whatever size drone/psych scene they got there then they must have some amazing crap going on there. I love the cover of this album. I wish I had a huge version of that. Look at the cover there. That's pretty much what the music sounds like really. Jim is write that he has probably travelled in actual space. This album is mindblowingly good for me. Grade A Noisy Space Psych Dronebient.
These dudes came out of nowhere for me and I loved this tape so bad from the moment I heard it. I wanted to buy it so bad but I went away or something suddenly and then i was all sold out. Although in real life I'm a bigger fan of Practice than Theory in this album life Theory is the best track. This should be rated higher on Jim's list. This is just some beautiful tones which develop into some more heavy beautiful tones. find a nice place to lie down.
To use one of his apt song titles, Pete plays Infinite Starlight Blues. I think Jim is underrating this one, but then again Pete Fosco is my boy. I love everything he does but his solo stuff is the best (at least until he does my dream collab with Barn Owl, good idea right Pete? Do it man!). I don't know if Pete is actually good at playing guitar in a traditional sense but he's a guitar master. I've never seen him live but I imagine his guitar is not shaped like a guitar but like a vast mountainous mass of energy. Another thing I like about his jamz is the sound behind the sound. You know when you are listening to something (esecially something reverby or noisy or echoy) and there becomes several layers of sound some of which are intentional but some of which just happen because of physics or some science BS? This music has lots of that. And that's my favorite part of music or sound in general. Listen for that sound. It's in there. It's about 3 or 4 feet back in and its only about 2 inches tall and wide. It's fading in and out, its moving very slow and its also moving very fast.
This is the last testament of the legendary Yellow Swans (and all other 1000 name varations) and although I was not one of their major fans this is their best to me. An impressive way to go out. Similar to the album that comes after it on this list but a bit more melancholy. I've never been in harsh noise or noise for noise sake. I suppose I didn't have a bad enough childhood or something. But this kind of melodic noise I could listen to forever. That's why it dominates my top picks. At first noise is noise and then there is a certain level it reaches where it becomes something different. Where it so intense that it doubles back on itself and becomes a new kind of quiet. The eye of the storm and and that perhaps? This is ambient music for a hurricane.
I agree with everything Jim says about this. This is a monster and a monument. A friendly monster and a kind monument. Will be hard for him to top this or for anyone to top this ever. It's probably too noisy for many of you but its the most beautiful life affirming noise.
Bum ba Dum! Stars of the Lid could have a mondo huge BM on a Skateboard and then push it towards high school jocks hanging out in cool cars at an abandoned gas station and it would still be my number 1. This is up there with any other and all of their amazing releases. It's a soundtrack for a movie about bees dying. I don't know how it works there but it works fine here in my grubby lil' mind.
Phew! Well, that list was pretty much incredible. And what a huge rodsworth of lists I just did done with those! Time for bed. Hope there is something here you could find and like for future findlikes.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
TV APPEARING PATTINSON
Not that any of you need this, because you already have all of these appearances memorized like that backs of your palms.... but here are MY top ten Robert Pattinson 2010 TV Appearances....
10. March 2nd - The View (with Emilie de Ravin)
09. March 2 - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
08. June 14th The Today Show
07. June 15th - Jay Leno
06. March 1st - The Today Show
05. March 9th - The Early Show
04. June 23rd - Jimmy Kimmel Live
03. May 13th - Oprah
02. May 19th - Ellen Degeneres Show
01. Mar 1 - The Show with Jimmy Fallon
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