BEST ALBUMS OF 2009

For flexing to


So, sometime after I went to North Carolina and ate a giant hush puppy stuffed with pulled pork and slathered in some amazing vinegar based sauce (which, Texas, is nowhere close to being as good as our shit, but still some good shit nevertheless), as well as the best Bojangles chicken biscuits ever, I came to the conclusion that I was getting kind of fat. I mean, really. Like, the fat where you still can sort of wear your pants you wore when you were not fat, but it hurts to button them, and it turns into a kind of corset and you go numb. That kind of fat.

I decided I would work out more often. This began with signing up for another 5k, wherein I developed shin splints and couldn't run for 2 weeks before the race. And truth be told, I didn't really do much besides run down my road for approximately a mile and turn back around. But, I ended up going to the Belmont gym and using the bicycle machine to try to sweat and keep my heart rate up before I did the race (which, I did complete, and yes, my mother did beat me).

I started going to the Belmont gym every day before work, which I've kept up since June, so yay for me. Doing this has given me time to listen to music on my ipod while I'm sweating, and so instead of my usual Best of list, I'm devoting this years list to music that I work out to, because basically, it's all I care about because I'm a giant douche bag who cares little for subtlety in my music these days.

I am basically this kid now. What up, lil' Hercules

So, here's the music I cared about for the past 6 months. Everything else sucks.

1. JAPANDROIDS - 1st 3 tracks of Post-Nothing on repeat

2. MASTODON - Crack the Skye

3. FUCK BUTTONS - Tarot Sport

4. THE JUAN MACLEAN - The Future Will Come

5. MARNIE STERN - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (Per Chris Sakaguchi)

6. THE MARS VOLTA - Bedlam in Goliath

Everything else put out this year was unworthy of my sweat.

Also, this was my favorite musical moment of 2009. HARDER FASTER STRONGER.

-ed

PS. at least 2 of these are from 2008. Oh well.

Thoughts on being 24 and feeling old.

One of my best friends from high school just had a daughter. There have been other people in my life who have had kids, and I have friends with kids now, but this is the first child that I actually feel like I have an interest or obligation to. And it's strange. My friend and I have been apart for nearly 5 years, only seeing each other sporadically, and keeping in touch through e-mail and phone calls. In my mind and memories, she's still the same girl who obsessed over NSYNC, gave me my first cigarette, and went through countless schools, jobs and homes, going through life at what seemed to me, in my stable college and professional existence, a chaotic and exciting way. Now she's a mother, and it will be interesting to see how that takes with her. I don't think we can know how anyone will react to such a dramatic change in life, even though she's had 9 months to prepare. Luckily, in a strange turn of luck, Tara and I will be passing through where she lives now next week, and we'll get to see her and her new family. I'm sure it will raise even more strange feelings in me, as I'm suddenly very aware of being 24, married, having the same job for over a year, and not feeling even remotely ready to raise children. huh.

-ed

New Dime Store Keats Songs

I had some spare time this weekend, so I recorded 2 songs that don't really fit in with any of the groups that I play with right now, so they became default Dime Store Keats songs, which is what I fancy calling anything that I recorded entirely by myself.

Download Here

Song 1 - "The Same"
Fairly ridiculous Stones type song, with a 80's synth thrown in over the chorus. Also, I just finished off 2 Dogfish Head 60min IPA's, when I recorded the backing vocals, which apparently renders my voice the same frequency as that Dainelson guy. Huh. Enjoy the stomp.

Song 2 - "Fredonia"
Much lower key, jazzy...continues my frequency of jamming on a riff, thinking of a 2nd part, and the just killing the song after that. The title is in reference to a hotel in Nacogdoches, TX.

Recording Notes - Vocals were done with the API pre I built in college, with an AKG C3000 mic. Guitar tones with Guitar Rig 2 (Nashville Deluxe Telecaster for "The Same", Ibanez AS-73 for Fredonia). Reason for drum loop on "The Same"...some loop I picked up a long time ago from drums in "Fredonia"

-ed

Bon Iver

I spent a year avoiding Bon Iver. Not through any effort on my part, just a general lack of effort to hear anything by them/him. I didn't want another Iron and Wine.

I wasted a year.

-ed

My Favorite Albums of 2008

Nothing good comes out in December anyways. Here's looking at you, Killers.

5. Brian Militana/Fell Trees - Territory

Full disclosure - I worked on this 6 song EP, but it's still awesome, and it's a
shame it probably won't get the credit it deserves.

4. The Constantines - Kensington Heights

Better than whatever Bruce Springsteen is putting out these days

3. Chet - Fight Against Darkness

Okay, it's 2007, but I found it in Canada in May. Thanks tiny store
in downtown Victoria, and the clerk who recommended it.

2. Abe Vigoda - Skeleton

I'm beginning to think every song sounds the same, and my wife can't understand
why the title track is my ringtone now, but whatever.

1. Parts & Labor - Receivers

Better than Mapmakers? No. Better than everything else? Yes.

Biggest Disapointments:

1. Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams

Why, Dan?

2. Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

STDs.

3. The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath

I wanted so badly for this to be awesome. I even reconsidered that Omar
might not be terrible. I was wrong.

4. No new Thermals album.

I wore out The Body, The Blood, The Machine this election year. I
need something to help me celebrate, Hutch.

Office Tunes

When I landed my current job, I thought it would be cool to have a little iPod speaker thing to enjoy some music as I sat in my cube all day long. I bought this tiny little iHome, single speaker thing for $50 and deemed it a wise investment, as I would not go insane at work with some smooth jams calming me. However, this iHome thing apparently only has 2 volumes: Loud and Super-Loud. Putting it on Vol 1 with music mastered with the current high levels is really too loud to play in an office setting, and I've tried various ways to lower the apparent level, from wrapping the player in blankets to my current set up: surrounded by a sweater, with a 3M Post-it Note pack taped to the speaker front, with a thick book in front of that. That lowers the level enough that I can listen to a very select number of artists on my iPod without feeling like a total douchebag for the volume being too loud. Mainly, these are classical artists and things recorded before 1990. Here are my office jams:

Avro Part
The Band
Brian Eno
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska
The Clash
Debussy
The Faces
Fleetwood Mac
Husker Du
Iron Maiden
John Fahey
Kate Bush
The Mercury Program
The Microphones
Pixies
Red House Painters
Talking Heads
Tindersticks
XTC

repeat ad nausem.

-ed

Best E-mail of the Day:
Names have been changed to protect the guilty

From: Friend 1 Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 4:21 PM
To: Eric

I think you will love this. the lead singer of (band) is here today writing. writing with who? try (singer) from the 80's super band hall & oats. they are writing about 20 feet away. this has been the best day ever.

On Feb 1, 2008 4:22 PM Eric wrote:
no. way. can you go up to (singer) and whisper in his ear: "private eyes...they're watching yoooooooou" I swear to god I will give you anything you want if you do this.

From: Friend 1 Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 4:25 PM
To: Eric
i am sooo scared. he is literally about 4'8'' at best.
and there are sounds coming out of this writer's room that have never been made by humans before

On Feb 1, 2008 4:25 PM Eric wrote:
does he still have the (distinguishing feature), or did he shave that off yet?

From: Friend 1:
I cried when he came in because it is gone. but his (some color), goofy-ass hair makes up for it.

-ed