Dive into the archives.
- A Rainy Day Full Of Summer Albums.
What a better way to kick off rain in LA, than to listen to pop albums (and some good old Americana)?
Sherwood – Qu – iTunes
I’ve know the Sherwood guys for years, dating back to working on their first full length when they were on Sidecho. They write some ridiculously catchy songs with gorgeous harmonies (and [...]
- A Little Update & Something For The Ears.
So I’ve been a resident of the “Ciudad” of Los Angeles for a whopping 4 weeks now, and I believe this is the first Friday night that I have stayed in. I owe that mostly due to the fact that I have great friends and way more people close enough for a last minute hang [...]
- Lefsetz.
So I posted some hate on Lefsetz, and really I’m not a fan of the guy. However, in fairness let me tell you guys why I do read what he says every now and then; He gets passion, he gets what music should be about. He doesn’t really get the realities of the industry (i.e. [...]
- An East Coast Update.
So I’m sipping on some Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, and it’s quite lovely. That’s pretty much going to be the best part of this update, for some of you. I’m sitting in JFK, it’s snowing outside, it looks gorgeous. This is the second time I have been in New York in the past week. I head [...]
- Early Zeroes Nostalgia.
This would be another installment of “Maps And Notes” however, this one really only took place in the city I lived in. San Diego, circa 1999-2001. There was a lot of great different music being played around then. Remember this was the peak of Blink 182, so not much else besides Blink, UL, Fenix TX, [...]
- Music You Should Like.
So Friday & Sunday (not, Saturday, because Saturday I drove to AZ and back, well I passenger’d mostly) I was helping my good friend Rohan out on his battle with MySpace and code. MySpace, albeit a great company to work with (yes, I’ve cashed a couple of their checks), can be kind of a mess [...]
- Reason #182809 Why I Love Letterman.
Vinyl.
The man has musical performers on his show and doesn’t hold up the CD, he holds up vinyl. Gorgeous, circles of black, grooves of uncompressed, vinyl.
And it’s not just once in a while
It’s always.
It must be show policy. I wonder if a band is allowed to play if they can’t get the vinyl there? I [...]
- Awesomenents, The Cure For All.
So this weekend I was in and out of an ongoing funk that I would like to attribute to the still ongoing pounding in my head. All weekend I woke up feeling unrested, and chose to blame it on falling asleep weirdly to whatever I fell asleep to. At some point yesterday after complaining about [...]
- It’s The “Of The Year” Time Of Year. Part III (EPs).
This will be an ongoing journey through the best of 2008. Thank you for caring.
Best Songs of 2008
1. Third Eye Blind – Red Star
2. Mike Dunn And The Kings Of New England – The Edge Of America*
3. The Jealous Sound – Got Friends
4. The Summer Set – …In Color
5. Coldplay – Prospekt’s March
My only real [...]
- It’s The “Of The Year” Time Of Year. Part II (Songs).
This will be an ongoing journey through the best of 2008. Thank you for caring.
Best Songs of 2008
1. Augustana – Sweet And Low
2. Gavin Rossdale – Love Remains The Same
3. Mates Of State – The Re-Arranger
4. My Favorite Highway – Getaway Car
5. Jack’s Mannequin – The Resolution
6. Estelle (ft. Kanye West) – American Boy
7. Katy [...]
- It’s The “Of The Year” Time Of Year. Part I (Albums).
This will be an ongoing journey through the best of 2008. Thank you for caring.
Best Albums of 2008
1. Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
2. The New Frontiers – Mending
3. Katy Perry – One Of The Boys
4. My Favorite Highway – How To Call A Bluff
5. Augustana – Can’t Love, Can’t [...]
- Got Friends?
The Jealous Sound, where do I start? This band holds such an emotional attachment to myself. One song off Kill Them With Kindness was pretty much the anthem for an entire relationship. When I was at The Militia Group and J Sound was signed the entire office was ecstatic. Over the years I was there, [...]
- Things For Your Eyes.
Earlier Today Chad Pearson sent over a link to this lovely video of Mike Dunn playing at an instore in the FLA. I have raved about how great “The Edge Of America” is before, but I’m gonna do it again. Watch this while you are downloading it from Amazon or iTunes.
As a bonus to all [...]
- Slam Crunk.
Do you like pop music? Do you like all those Hip Hop songs that make you sing along? Do you like amazing covers that combine the two into one?
This is for you. Holiday Parade presents “Slam Crunk”, the newest in a bunch of white guys remixing through guitars and instruments to bring you a jewel [...]
- Maps And Notes I.
It’s been a while since I blogged, because I’m busy with things I will fill you in on later, but I brought out a post that I had stashed away as a draft and never finished. Today I finished it.
I was recently listening to a few older records, and started remembering these amazingly vivid memories [...]
- Skip Next Week, Start Fights.
This post serves 2 purposes. Some might say it has duality, but I don’t like to brag, I’m humble.
The first is that next week I will be rafting rivers, yes more than one. So if you also will be rafting any of California’s greatest rivers (the Tuolumne and Kings) let me know, and we can [...]
- APB.
Anyone who can be in contact with Jessie Poland, please let her know I want to marry her. Mostly because of the words she sings (and probably didn’t even write).
P.S. Jessie Poland is the real name of Charlotte Sometimes.
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- Random Recommendations 6.2.08
Mates of State – Re-arrange Us
Utterly amazing, the best album they have ever written. Chock full of hooks, sugary, angelic, hooks.
Chip Kidd – The Learners
I finally finished this on my trip up North. It’s a powerful book, anyone who went to art school or designs will probably enjoy it, though I think you should read [...]
- Escape.
I sat down tonight to watch the first episode of the new season of This American Life. TAL is a program about people and their stories, it first aired as a radio program on public radio (which is where the sometimes infamous parrot story originated) and last year was turned into a television show by [...]
- Random Recs 3.22.08
Solea – Finally We Are Nowhere – Texas Is The Reason recorded one of the most perfect albums ever, Garret Klahn can do no wrong.
Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart (Single) – I started listening to this “single” and the vocals didn’t come in till the 4 minute mark, Death Cab [...]
- Remembering, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
So FSM comes out next month. I’m rather excited, and you may remember my earlier post about FSM, if not head over there to get filled in on what will either be my favourite film of 08, or the end of my crush on Kristen Bell.
Recently in the village of Los Angeles the FSM marketing [...]
- I’m Not One For Whiskey, But I’ll Drink It Down Tonight.
That title is a lie, I love Jameson, however the title was amazingly fitting considering today is St. Padraig’s Day. In order to celebrate, I will leave you with this video of a pretty great song which I stole said title from it’s lyrics like a child with no morals.
Damion Suomi – GhostYou might also [...]
- Random Recs 3.11.08
We The Kings – We The Kings – Yes I love pop music, so sue me.
Accepted – I still haven’t seen it, true. However I lied about seeing it last week, this weekend watched a good 45 minutes of it, and set the DVR to record it for next weekends viewing. Justin Long + Jonah [...]
- Random Recs 2.26.08
Coconut Records – Nighttiming – So I got addicted to “West Coast” way late in the game, and the full album finally came last week, and yeah… I’m pretty much in love with this record.
Wearing A Watch – After some six years without, I am back to telling time on my wrist.
Scissors For Lefty – [...]
- Amazing Campaign By-products.
I really cannot decide which is better:
Barack Obama being my new bicycle; or Hillary Clinton being my new bicycle.
However, I definitely know which candidate I would support by wearing baseball inspired campaign shirts.
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- What It Is: What It Is.
My good friend and former roommate Paul G. Maziar once said the following:
Paul G. Maziar
“Banning AIM is like so ‘01.”
That however is a different story, for a different day. Paul wrote a book of words called What It Is: What It Is, and the best way to describe it is to write down your train [...]
- Okay, I Really Found The Cloverfield Monster This Time.
Andy Hull (of one of my favourite bands of the last few years Manchester Orchestra) recently sat down to record a Daytrotter Session. ManchOrch recorded a stellar album called “I’m Like A Virgin Losing A Child” that I couldn’t stop listening to for months. Andy also has a side project called Right Away Great Captain [...]
- Starry Nights & Salty Seas Tour.
I recently did some work for my friends in Sherwood for their first headlining tour, dubbed Starry Nights & Salty Seas. The tour goes around the United Stated in vectors and along with Sherwood you can see The Matches or Houston Calls, The Higher and We Shot The Moon. The tour marketing art was based [...]
- Super Tuesday.
So recently I was un-registered to vote due to crimes against the State (I’m just trying to sound edgy, I have no idea why it happened), which is probably for the best because it forced me to register in Los Angeles County, where I actually live. Due to these events becoming known to me a [...]
- Glow In The Dark.
Is it wrong that I’m looking forward to this tour more than anything this year? It is the absolute perfect line up to quench my inner urban self. I am officially forming a crew to journey with me to this event, bright all over printed hoodies and sweet kicks will be mandatory, call or write, [...]
- Rob’s Party Mix.
A few days ago I managed to secure a copy of “Rob’s Party Mix”, which was given out at the NYC Cloverfield Party that was effectively Rob’s Party. Supposedly there are only a few hundred of these things, you know how I love “limited edition, hand numbered” items and collecting music, so this will be [...]
- Random Recs 1.24.08
Cloverfield – Of course.
Weatherbox – Their new album American Art is quite lovely. Rocks a little heavy, lyrics like a prose.
“Tom Brady is a Yankee at heart” Shirts – I will be making these, he just deserves it. He is everything a Bostonian isn’t.
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- Cloverfield’ing.
So I saw Cloverfield last Friday. It was pretty much exactly what I was hoping for. The writing was spectacular, the character development was far deeper than what you normally find in Monster/Horror films, the cinematography was a work of art. I know a lot of people in the theatre I was in wanted it [...]
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Judd Apatow likes to make movies we can all relate to.
I remember not long ago when I was dating the last famous girl I dated (coincidentally also named Kristen Bell), and things just started to feel different. I knew it had to end, and I knew it had to end in a flurry of comedy [...]
- Inquisitor.
For all of my Apple loving friends out there, I present a bit of genius to you.
Cue some dramatic music…
Inquisitor.
It’s pretty much like what happens when Spotlight gets drunk, calls up Safari, and that sultry little temptress invites Spotlight over for a night of passionate meshing of features. It’s been around for a while, but [...]
- The Best Of 2007 List(s).
Let me start by saying this:
There were plenty of amazing albums/songs/books/films/shows this year;
There were plenty of mindblowing Indie darling albums that are at least 87 million times better than all the albums I list below. Problem is, I didn’t listen to those albums, I listened to these albums. Best of lists are no good for [...]
- Random Recommendations 11.22.07
So it has been a while since I have spewed out a list of what I am currently loving.
Maritime – The new album “Heresy and the Hotel Choir” is fabulous in a way that I really needed lately. Got me back into “We The Vehicles” as well, which is such an under-appreciated album.
Roomba – Yes [...]
- Random Recommendations 9.20.07
So I thought it would be fun to start throwing out random things I am currently supporting, and see how it makes the rest of the world feel.
Everything Bagels – I’ve been going back to an old friend here, and it’s making every day start out right.
Kanye West – Love everything this guy does, I [...]
- Random Recommendations 8.28.07
If you are into music and read my little piece of the internet, you should already be listening to the following;
Earlimart
Cartel
The Honorary Title
The Starting Line
All their newest releases from the past month or so. They are all fantastic. You like how I sprinkled some Indie into the pop that is my life?
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- Best Of 2006.
Top 10 Albums of 2006:
1. The Appleseed Cast – Peregrine
2. Brand New – The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me
3. Snow Patrol – Eyes Open
4. Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead
5. Rocky Votolato – Makers
6. Brandtson – Hello, Control.
7. Sleeping At Last – Keep No Score
8. Manchester Orchestra – I’m Like A Virgin Losing [...]
