12 Asprin

Here goes my entire set from Silent Barn a few weeks ago, thanks to Matt & Acid Marshmallow, who has been so supportive and entirely amazing in documenting the live sets in NYC. I'm always struck that it feels like my sets are hours long, but they're usually a little shy of 15 minutes. Or 12 in this case. Maybe if I smoked weed it would be the inverse, but actually, I think it's best as is, for so many reasons.

DEEPFREEZE/GIRLFRIEND/LONG LOOK BACK

Covers for the split 7" came in today, they look amazing. It's been ridiculously cold for a while in New York, and today was that kind of fake-out spring feel at the start of winter. Where you can smell the ground a little bit in the air, everything thawing for a second before/after/always preceding the deep freeze. I got this song in my head sometime today and had to record it complete the circle and bury the idea in the almost-melted ground.

A happy person in a rough person's body. Eyes of/the world.


City Center "Girlfriend In A Coma"

Here's a song I recorded in the springtime or last winter maybe. I think at the time I thought it wasn't that good, but listening back it seems pretty nice, especially since the lyrics are about the never-finished endlessly open sense of everything. Appro!

City Center "Fin"

If Brookl

Does anyone who lives in New York read this blog? Or is it mostly Michigan and West Coast homies? Anyway and IR-regardless, I forgot to mention I'm playing a show tonight at Death By Audio in Williamsburg with Crash Diet Crew, Talibam!, Brando Skirts & Apse. It's all ages and should be a lot of fun. I play fourth of five cause I'm working late. If there are some Brooklyn-dwellers in the subspace, please come by.

Sound Byte Of The Night.... Why??????

Oh, And....

I forgot, I finished the record.
Ten songs, 43 minutes about. Maybe I can convince some fool-hearty label to let me add some songs and do a double LP!!! I am super excited about how it turned out, and I'll have complete details (and all the possible incentive for everyone to NOT download it before it comes out that I can imagine) up here soon.
The first song on the record is called "Killer Whale" and you can hear it on the myspace page now.
Tentative title: "FULLY".

1993

You Had A Bad Year Cause You Stayed Inside

Surprise! I'm in a new band. I've been playing guitar for my friend Brian's band World Atlas for a while now and we're playing our first show tomorrow in Brooklyn at Glasslands. For everyone who has been less into the fucked up direction of City Center and misses the indie-pop jams, you may be sated or amazed by Brian's super poppy and melodicly viral songs. If you're in NYC come check it out.

Lake-deep/Isolated Wilds

semi-last minute show with K homies Lake & Desolation Wilderness tomorrow/tonight. I work until 10, so I will roll up a little late, but the entire show is one worth seeing. I got to check them both (on tour together) at Cake Shop tonight, and maybe you remember my endless adoration of Lindsay of Portland/Islinds Jams/Lake band/driving me to the Grouper show in Olympia/having a cat with FADES/etc... that's her band. She rules. Hope you can come if you live in Brooklyn or the world. Directions are below. I didn't make the flyer, but it's a good one.

City Center "Endless Endeavors"

Battleground Vibrations

Jammed at Silent Barn last night for an accidental noise fest. It was supposed to just be a show for touring Michigan homies Slither & Evenings, but then about seven other bands jumped on the bill. Then the show got double-booked, so there were twelve bands/acts total! Slither blew minds, as did everyone who played, really. Not much in the way of bad vibes or inconsiderate moments that usually pop up when more than ten bands play in one night. Just a rad party. Matt over at Acid Marshmallow did almost everything for the show, and rules in general, so thanks a lot Matt! You rule.

Evenings

Slither

Ducktails

Unknown/Unwarranted

Hyper quick, out the door style Fall Mix #5!
Juliana Barwick "Untitled 1"
Joy Division "Exercise One"
Gang Gang Dance "House Jam"
The Upsetters "Bird In Hand"
Sun City Girls "Space Prophet Dogon"
Royal Trux "I'm Ready"
Sylford Walker "Deuteronomy"
Big Youth "Natty Dread She Want"
This Heat "Water"
Charles Manson "Look At Your Game Girl"
Total Running Time: 36min 43sec
Download the mix here!
BRB!

Hundo

The world looks so different now. It always does, and it's odd to feel completely submerged in an awful sad-times vibe and also be taking in huge, massive positive changes. But it's a constancy. I looked back at the first entry on this blog. 100 posts and a little less than a year later and I'm on the same shit I was then. Talking about the Grateful Dead and Li'l Wayne and posting songs aiming to find the middle-ground through my own braying tactics. But in that time there have been boxes of other times, and new things forming endlessly. Three months without a cigarette and the whole world smells different, reminds me of a youth I no longer have emotional access to, but feel in an updated way. Four months out of the most serious love I've known and spinning out in slow, onion-skin style, losing layers of understanding as the time goes on rather than finding the core and toughening up/making sense. A year and a half of living in the apple and the streets seem smaller, less insane and menacing, if at all. Even in Times Square, or even at the top the Empire State Building with my folks. Another friend died too young this year and there's no amount of feeling a shift in perspective that makes it feel any better or makes me less mortified for the people I love in Michigan (or with roots there) who feel this loss with me through emails and phone calls. I saw a kid once at my work with a home-made t-shirt that said "2002 FOREVER" on it in magic marker, and it lit my heart up in a way that was more funny than nostalgic. The other night when I was on the phone with a friend in Ypsilanti, talking about records, songs, the usje, screaming and fireworks started happening in my neighborhood and I realized it was time to hang up and feel the most important moment in U.S. history that's happened so far in my lifetime. A call from Somes minutes later and words came about feeling just a little bit less like the things me and everyone I love do and create will never make any difference. Feeling a growing sense that maybe there's more and it all matters, more. I got a new portable recorder and started wearing my headphones and taking in everything I walked through, basically putting my ears at waist level, becoming acutely aware of every bike chain, every truck whistle, every passing car, jogger, click of the gate and twitch of the eyelid. Everything is different now. I hear it coming from all sides and I see it like a memory sees all of us.

Talking with Avi at the store last night, then on the train.