Pssst

I'm revamping my blog. I have to learn a little about Wordpress first, but look for new stuff sometime before the end of the year.

It's Like I'm Sayin'

Damn, it's been a while. I've been way too busy to post, I guess. Lots of crap going on lately.

Anyway, if you hadn't already guessed, I'm not updating this blog anymore. I won't be posting here for the foreseeable future.

Though there's nothing there yet (first post: best of's 2006, I will be writing occasionally about music and other media stuff at http://glueslabs.vox.com.

Cheers...

Guitar Girls

It's true--my parents have terrible taste in music. It's something I suffered through as a child. I found myself listening to either the oldies stations (i.e. the same 20 songs over and over), my dad's classical stuff (boring!), or Mom's...*shudder*...Julio Iglesias. There were no classic gems in their record collection--just a bunch of watered-down crap. And if it hadn't been for the guidance my brother provide me, as I discussed in a previous post, who knows what might have become of me.

Even if they had been hip to good music, there's little chance my parents would have been into the Pacific Northwest's minor folkstress Linda Perhacs. Her only LP, Paralellograms (1970), was recently rediscovered after being buried in obscurity through a few reissues, starting with a bootleg CD of the original vinyl released in 2003. An expanded edition, with demos and such (five previously unreleased tracks), was more recently remastered and reissued by Brooklyn's The Wild Places label in 2005. Her gentle, flowers-in-her-hair folk is liberally enriched with psychedelia. There is a somewhat ominous/sinister tone to some of the songs, and except in cases of the few upbeat numbers like "Paper Mountain Man," calling her material "trippy" is neither an exaggeration nor a cop-out. It's beautiful, strange and manages not to verge too close on the hippy-dippy.

Relatively speaking, Bridget St. John is substantially less obscure. Her 1969 debut album, Ask Me No Questions, was the first to be released on the late John Peel's short-lived Dandelion Records label. It was reissued in recent years by Cherry Red, along with her other two albums for Dandelion. With a deep, sort of husky voice which reminds me of the VU's Nico (with less of an accent) and some nimble finger-picking reminiscent of Nick Drake (she was friends with him, apparently), this album is filled with mostly sad songs--the kind of Pink Moon melancholy I prefer in my folk music. There are a few brighter spots, one of which I'm including here, but on the whole the material is wistful and gray. It's perfect for watching those dead leaves blowing down the street in the late Fall.

And then there's the one practically nobody has heard of until just recently. Sibylle Baier recorded an album as a young woman in Germany in the early 70's. It was recorded at her home and never released. As her son states in the liner notes for the first official release of Colour Green (2006, Orange Twin), "Sibylle is a star who chose to shine for her friends and family instead of the whole world." It's a recovered gem of a record, for sure. Soft, lower register vocals (again, a bit similar to Nico) with some interesting phrasings are paired with sparse acoustic guitar. It was apparently written and recorded during a particularly difficult time in this woman's life. This is evident in songs like "The End," which tell stories of loss and the dissolution of friendships. Others like "William" and "Forget About" provide a little comfort and hope in the midst of young Sibylle's confusing discovery period. Most of these songs, intimate and lonely, are reflections on memories, passing time and entering adulthood. Best of all, they exhibit something not often found these days--beautiful honesty.

The Druggy One
Linda Perhacs: "Chimacum Rain" [MP3]

The Sad One
Bridget St. John: "Lizard-Long Tongue Boy" [MP3]

The Lost One
Sibylle Baier: "Forgett" [MP3]

And on it goes, someway somehow...

The only truly good thing about breaking up is the music. Whatever pain and heartbreak you may endure, at least there is an inordinate number of sad, down-on-yr-luck, fuckitall songs out there to comfort you in your misery. And if you're like me, you spend a substantial amount of time wallowing in it before moving on. What better way to wallow and embrace the pain than to throw on some lonely sad bastard shit and wile the night away?

Vancouver, BC's The Organ recently provide yours truly with a fitting soundtrack. The debut album from this female five-piece, Grab That Gun (Mint Records 2004, and Too Pure 2006), borrows heavily from early 80's post-punk and new wave. It's full of energy yet overwhelmingly dark and melancholy. With pronounced basslines, minor key melodies, melodramatic vocals which remind me most often of something like a cross between Morrissey and Debbie Harry, and--yes--a Hammond organ, their sound definitely isn't anything amazing or new. I don't really care, though; I guess it scratches an itch. Those of us who have not yet grown completely tired of this unending 80's revival will find something to like here. There are plenty of hooks, and the vocals add a little something to usually male-dominated post-punk stuff. But mostly it's the feeling.

The song here is included on the album but is a slightly different (and slightly superior) version. I dunno--I've listened to it so many times it no longer makes any sense. How appropriate.

The Organ: "A Sudden Death" [MP3]

Cerulean

In 1991, I was fourteen years-old and living in California with my family. My older brother was back home living with us after completing basic training for the Army Reserves. We shared a room for about a year, and I was given access to his massive tape collection, a blessing which helped foster my ever-growing obsession with music.

It was at this time that I began graduating from my 80's roots. I'd been listening to a healthy dose of some of the more well-known "modern rock" bands of that period for a few years. Bands like The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, and REM were my musical universe, ever since the same older brother introduced me to a path at least slightly removed from the dark side of mainstream radio with a mixtape of assorted Cure songs (with everything from Boys Don't Cry up to Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me) which he layed on me in the fifth grade. While those bands were certainly a decent foundation, I was naturally starting to want more variety.

So I dove into my brother's tape collection and began listening to some newer bands like Ride, Chapterhouse, and Lush--basically bands in the poppier end of the shoegaze pool and what is sometimes referred to as "dreampop." [It would be several years before I heard MBV and Slowdive, unfortunately.] There was something very fresh sounding about those bands. Effects heavy and with plenty of swirling distortion, it was like nothing I'd heard. I remember walking around my neighborhood listening to Whirlpool on my walkman and being filled with this crazy energy. I was inspired to make a music video for Ride's "Vapour Trail" with my parent's camcorder which consisted of me basically riding around on my bike and shooting the scenery and people in highspeed shutter mode. What can I say? I've always been really into bike safety.

LA's Cerulean reminds me a bit of that time in my musical life. The music of their 3rd album, No Sense In Waiting (2005, self-released) certainly mines some of the same territory of those early 90's bands. And though they tend toward the more compact, song-oriented rock side of things, they do convey a similar vibe. There's not much drifting feedback or jam-y parts going on here. All but one track is up-tempo. On the other hand, the album is laden with overdriven melodies and cascading guitars, with plenty of delay effects. A few even approximate something like the rush I feel when I hear those opening reverbed toms of "Decay," one of my favorite tracks from Ride's Nowhere. My one real gripe is what I can only describe as the somewhat heroic quality of the music and of the male vocals, which I find mildly annoying. That, and the album has a sound that is maybe a little too consistent. Otherwise, this a pretty solid record and well worth checking out. And hey--with all these bands still mining the 80's post-punk/new wave sound, these guys actually sort of sound ahead of their time. What irony?

Cerulean: "In Pictures"

Stop-Gap/Premonition

Hey folks. Just a quick update in lieu of a real post (coming soon!!1)...

First off, did I call it or what? Pitchfork gave the Band of Horses record a glowing review yesterday (along with an eight-point-eight and a "best new music" tag). The significance? Well, lets just say that when I was logged into my favorite P2P app yesterday afternoon, practically everyone downloading from me had Band of Horses queued. I counted at least fifteen or so. I was wondering what the hell was going on, but when I checked Pitchfork it all made sense. I'd had a hunch, and sure enough there it was. Hype machine or not, it can't be denied that those people are tastemakers.

Also, the new Stereolab record, Fab Four Suture, is actually pretty damn good! Listen to "Get a Shot Of The Refrigerator" and tell me it's not bad ass. More of the same is not a bad thing when it's quality stuff.

The French film, Cache, is excellent but very frustrating. A good review can be found here. [Warning: kinda spoiler-y]

New updates coming soon:

Hey, Remember the 90's? - a new band sounds like bands did when I was new to new bands.

Girls With Guitars - a trio of intriguing folky females from the past.

A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock y Roll

Band of Horses is a local Seattle band about to make it big. They recently signed to Sub Pop to release their debut album, Everything All the Time, which comes out on March 21st. While I try never to play favorites when it comes to music (because, lets face it, there's just way too much good shit out there at any given time), I have to admit they are indeed my current favorite band. I just can't stop listening to them.

Solid indie rock (a la its 90's heyday) and lonesome country-ish tunes combine to deliver one of the strongest debuts I've heard in a long time. The midtempo rockers remind me a bit of Built To Spill, especially when it comes to the vocals. Some of the slower, twangy tracks like “I Go To the Barn Because I Like the,” “Monsters” and “St. Augustine” wouldn't sound out place on an Iron & Wine record.

There was a substantial article published in this week's Stranger to coincide with their show last night at Neumo's. I definitely recommend checking that out for a more in-depth look at the band. And you can bet that yours truly was in attendence at the show, but guess what? I was sick with the flu and had to leave after only three songs from Band of Horses because I couldn't stop shivering. Oh, what luck! Anyway, last night was the first stop on tour which will take them through most of the Western half of the country, including a spot at SXSW on March 17th. If I remember correctly, the band mentioned they'd be hitting the East Coast sometime after that. I urge you to see them without a fever.

Since the band's MySpace profile currently features my absolute favorite song from the album, “The Funeral,” here's another song to enjoy, the appropriately-titled album opener.

Band of Horses: “The First Song” [MP3]

Shala-lala-la-la

Yes, I'm still here. I guess writing this crap has taken a backseat to things like work and being social. It's not such a bad thing really. After what seems like one of the rainiest Januaries in Seattle history, we're finally getting some sunny days again. I can't wait for the Spring.

I've been in a real pop phase recently. I'm not completely sure why; I think it has something to do with going through all this change in the past six months or so. After moving to the West coast back in the Fall, I went through a few minor hardships, and I think I needed comforting. That's what I like about good pop music, I guess--it's so damn right. It's like well-made home cooking or a good friend: nice and cozy...inviting. There's still something to be said for that, especially in light of all the awful news these days. It makes things a little better.

Case in point: The Brunettes, a New Zealand band who recently signed to Sub Pop to release their 3rd album, finally calling themselves to my attention. They are a male/female duo clearly (and pretty wonderfully) inspired by 60's girl group. Their music has a weird bent to it, though. At times it's definitely silly and happy, but there's a darkness there too. And they're not so innocent. I like their first album, Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (2002), a bit better than the 2004 follow-up, Mars Loves Venus. Both records are kinda bubble gum and nearly every song is about love, but the debut has something about it. It's a little weirder, a little more daring. I prefer those moments, rather than the super peppy, hey-everybody-let's-dance stuff.

"Talk to Jesus" [MP3]
"End of the Runway" [MP3]

[Speaking of 60's girl group, I recently picked up Rhino's awesome boxed set, Girl Group Sounds, Lost and Found: One Kiss Can Lead to Another. Highly recommended if you like that sort of thing. One minor gripe: it gets my vote for most embarassing packaging ever. Where the hell am I supposed to keep this thing???]

Wonder Katzen

Fans of twisted, subversive comedy take note: The first season of MTV2's often brilliant "kids" show, Wonder Showzen (which I first gushed about here), is set to be released on DVD March 28th according to this and this. I'm psyched, are you? (You sicko creep.)

And if that weren't already enough, there's even better news. According to an interview with (H.) Jon Benjamin on the January 7th episode of the Sound of Young America, Dr. Katz is finally coming to DVD! Benjamin discusses doing the commentary for the Season 1 DVD in the interview, as well as his thoughts on Squigglevision (the style of animation used on Dr. Katz and on the 1st season of Home Movies, another show which features his voice), hosting the ongoing comedy thing Tinkle with David Cross and Todd Barry, and why he doesn't do traditional stand-up. You can hear the unedited Jon Benjamin interview here.

Anyway, this is awesome news for fans of Dr. Katz who have been petitioning for a DVD release for quite a while. My "temporary" copies of the series (previously discussed here), while good for quick fix, obviously can't compete with high quality editions with commentary and all that. I can't wait. [No release date has been set so far, and sites like Amazon aren't yet listing it.]

Favorites

My new favorite ice cream is...
Ben & Jerry's Half Baked Frozen Yogurt

My new favorite cartoon character is...
The grandma on Adult Swim's Squidbillies

My new favorite stand-up comic is...
Louis CK

I remember first seeing him on Dr. Katz back in the mid 90's. He did a bit about going in Wal-Mart and buying a bunch of weird, unrelated stuff just to freak people out. It was funny, but I soon forgot about him and carried on with my sad, pathetic Louie-less existence.

Flash forward to August 2005, when I was lucky enough to catch a particularly good episode of HBO's newly-resurrected One Night Stand featuring, yes--you guessed it, the comedy stylings of Mr. Louis CK. And it was good. It was so good, it was more like fucking excellent. In fact, I actually el-oh-eled quite a few times, despite watching it alone. I'd even go as far as to say it's a damn near perfect half hour of comedy. If you have the means I highly suggest you Tivo that shit or something. Here's an audio clip (NSFW):

+ Louis CK: HBO One Night Stand clip [MP3]

He's got an album called Live In Houston for sale on his site, too. It's not quite as tight as the HBO special, but it's definitely worth checking out. Some klips (mostly NSFW):

+ Louis CK: Diner Ordering [MP3]
+ Louis CK: Diet [MP3]
+ Louis CK: Itchy Asshole [MP3]

So apparently the guy's been busy since that Dr. Katz episode. In addition to the stand-up, he's written for Conan, Letterman, and the Chris Rock show, among other things. And now he's taping his own sitcom for HBO. It's called Lucky Louie and will premiere sometime in 2006. You can read all about it in a hefty article from a recent issue of the Boston Globe Magazine here.

Despite his busy schedule, Louie was kind enough to grace the boards at A Special Thing, a site that started as a Tenacious D fan site but has become a haven for comedy nerds everywhere. Actual, life-sized comics like Brian Posehn and Scott Aukerman (Mr. Show), Andy Kindler, and Patton Oswalt sometimes stop in for a chat. Louis CK recently started a “Question and Insult” thread there by promising “anyone can ask me any question and I will provide an answer that is deeply insulting to the person who asks the question.”

Here's what BrickSprickly (aka me) had to say to Louis and the insult offered in return:

BrickSprickly wrote:

Louis:

I know you're busy with your fancy new show, but do you think you'll do a stand-up show in Seattle in the near future? Will you tour after your show doesn't get picked up or what?

PS: I hope your show does get picked up. I'm gay for you.

It will be very hard for me to hit the road for a while. Once the show hits the air, however (in june) I'll probably to go on the road and make some cash. I miss standup and being on the road a lot. And I love working in Seattle.
And you're not gay for me. You're gay for the trillions, literally trillions of cocks that have been in your ass. Do you realize what that means? Trillions of cocks. There have never been trillions of people alive ever. That means that, on top of the billions of cocks that have been up your ass, meaning the cock of every man that is and ever was, there have been billions, trillions more up there, cocks that must just exist on their own without people attached to them, that were conjured by your wizard friend, just so they could go up yoru ass and die.

LCK

http://www.louisck.com

ps. you are not good.

If that's not awesome, I don't know what is. Oh, and by “I'm gay for you” I meant “I really enjoy your work.”

So there you have it, folks--my new favorite ice cream. [Sorry, David Cross. You've been crossed out, my man. Yeah, I'm still a little gay for you too, but you have to understand that things change.]

She Can Let You Down (Part 2)

Sometimes a band transcends the new-band-gone-old paradigm by instead taking on an old-band-going-older role. It just takes a little time. Such is the case with LA's 80's-gone-60's Paisley Underground scene which spawned several worthy bands, including the Dream Syndicate, early Bangles, The Three O'Clock, super group covers project Rainy Day, and future Mazzy Star guy David Roback in his early bands Rain Parade and Opal, among others. I have to admit I'm not really through checking out these bands and exploring this "scene," but so far Rain Parade has sort of stood out to me as a band worth going back to. Their debut album, 1983's Emergency Third Rail Power Trip does a commendable job at sounding like 60's psychedelic folk rock (i.e. The Byrds). It's nearly tranparent. I've found that this song in particular manages to both sound old and authentic and still sink it's fucking hooks inside my brain. That's timeless magic. What's it done to my mind? I can't stop listening to it!

+ Rain Parade: “What's She Done to Your Mind” [MP3]

Jumping back to the present day (or a present-day reflection on the past), England's The Clientele have released a few good records recently. First came their second album, Strange Geometry, released in the US on Merge Records back in September. The follow-up to their solid debut album, The Violet Hour (2003), and the excellent preceding singles collection, Suburban Light released back in 2000/01, Strange Geometry shows the band changing things up just a bit. Without sacrificing much of their core sound (wistful, melancholy, shimmery, dreamy, and yes, 60's-ish), they've made a few alterations this time around: First and most noticeably, they turned down the reverb considerably on the vocals, so they're a bit more clear and upfront than usual. They rock out a little more on tracks like “Impossible,” which at its climax features something of a psych rock guitar solo. There's also the inclusion of spoken word vocals on the track “Losing Haringey,” which is pretty interesting. Aside from these small details, and maybe a bit of a cleaner, more well-recorded sound overall, they're still putting out the good ol' reliable dreaminess that I can't seem to get sick of.

I got to see the band play here recently, and they were excellent. I can't think of a more suitable vibe for the rainy days of the Seattle winter. They played a good range of material, centered of course on their new album, including several of my personal favorites from Suburban Light. At the show, I picked up the early/unreleased songs collection just put out in time for the tour entitled It's Art Dad. It's self-released and currently available only at their shows or by mailorder from the band. The songs included (which were recorded from 1991-96) are lo-fi, with a home demo sound that might be a put off for some. I think it actually works pretty well for them. In most cases, it suits their warm-n-fuzzy sound just right. This disc may only appeal to big fans like myself, but there are actually a few gems that are worth checking out.

+ The Clientele: “Dear Jennifer” [MP3]
+ The Clientele: “The Evening In Your Eyes” [MP3]
+ The Clientele: “St. James' Walk” [MP3]

Before I go, I want to get back to something I mentioned in first part of this post, about how comforting I find old (and old-sounding) music. The Clientele, more than any other band I've mentioned here, typifies this feeling I'm failing to accurately describe. And not only do they seem to match so well the dreary weather of Seattle (which is probably pretty similar to that of the band's London home), but they seem to match me, too. It's strange. I can't think of any other band that so often suits my mood these days. I've really connected with it. Yeah, I need to get fucking happy, right? Well until I do, there's this band that seems to know exactly how I feel. That's just magic.

She Can Let You Down (Part 1)

There's something about old music that just does me right. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can come close by saying that I find it very comforting. But it's not just comforting--it's something more. It's like a favorite sweater and a good cup of coffee on a saturday morning: warm, well-worn, and cozy.

I wasn't lucky enough to be born to parents with good taste in music, so I missed out a little growing up and have had quite a bit of catching up to do. Every so often, I seem to reach back for something that I've missed. Sometimes I find something cool, sometimes I don't. Either way, I learn something new. One thing I learned recently is that new music is sometimes very good at sounding old. This is good news because, let's face it, some day we're gonna run out of real old music, aren't we?

Yes: Espers, a psych-folk band from Philadelphia, has recently released an EP of covers. The songs are old. The band is new. Blah blah blah. Weed Tree (Locust) is Espers turning it's dark, folky hymns to the past. The covers include songs from Nico, Blue Oyster Cult, Durutti Column, and a few traditionals like “Black Is the Color,” as well as one original song, “Dead King.” Espers do a good job at sounding kind of old already, so songs like the medieval-y traditional “Rosemary Lane,” which makes me feel like I'm at a Reniassance Fair (minus the cleavage and weird sticks of meat), tend to fortify the vibe they're kinda going for. Seriously, this song isn't just old--it's olde:

+ Espers: “Rosemary Lane” [MP3]

Speaking of dark and old, Tarnation was a great band who was a big part of that whole dark, spooky Southern gothic country explosion that happened in a dream I had recently. Seriously, I don't know who you could compare them to, but the mostly female vocals sound a little like the ghost of Patsy Cline's equally talented lovelorn younger sister, Petula. The music is slow, twangy and with lots of reverb and only brightens up occasionally for a few upbeat numbers here and there. This song, featured on both their debut, I'll Give You Something to Cry About (1993) and their second and best album (and first for 4AD), Gentle Creatures, is especially good at sounding old, if maybe at the risk of sounding slightly affected:

+ Tarnation: “Game of Broken Hearts” [MP3]

'Cause She Never Dreams

Whoa. I haven't posted in a while, huh? Don't worry, nothing much has really happened. I'm still looking for a job. It's real fun stuff. (Not really; it's utterly depressing, but I'll spare you.) Otherwise, there's not much more to report. Things could be better; things could be worse. Nothing new there. I've been trying to decide whether I should even bother with this site. It's embarrassingly out of date, for one thing. And well...I'm not sure my heart is in it anymore. Whatever. Who knows. I'll figure something out.

I did get to see the Dirty Three a few weeks back. They were excellent, and the show really gave me a new appreciation. It suited my mood so well it was almost kind of creepy. But it was good. Really good. Would've been even better had they played in my living room. There are quite a few shows coming up that I'd like to attend. Guess we'll have to see if my wallet cooperates.

Upcoming “Jeff” Shows:

10.25.05 - American Analog Set/Verevin @ Chop Suey
10.27.05 - The Decemberists/Cass McCombs @ Showbox
10.30.05 - Broadcast/Gravenhurst @ Neumo's
11.12.05 - Broken Social Scene/Feist @ Showbox
11.15.05 - The Clientele/Radar Bros @ Chop Suey
12.03.05 - Echo & The Bunnymen @ Showbox

I've been without extra money for a while now, but it hasn't stopped me from hearing new stuff (hooray for slsk). I'll post something soon about music stuff. For now, here's a little mix of a tracks I put together in some of my hopeless-est moments as of late. Enjoy.

Sad Bastard Anthology Vol 2: Modest Melancholia
[Deleted]

1. David Pajo: Oh No No
2. Tarnation: The Well
3. Do Make Say Think: The Apartment Song
4. Colin Newman: Alone
5. Malcom Middleton: Loneliness Shines
6. Vincent Gallo: A Wet Cleaner
7. The Places: Program Ten

Here I Am

I'm in Seattle now, living with Wally (my cat) in a 1 BR apartment in Capitol Hill (which is sort of like a less yuppie Dupont Circle, for all you folks back in DC). It's not too bad--I've been getting along just fine, though reality has set in and I am definitely not on vacation. The weather is weird. It feels like Fall already here.

Moving across country has proven to be a pain in the ass, but what did I expect? My Charlie Brown luck was not left behind. But, despite trouble getting back online and issues with my new bank and a few broken dishes, I am settling in pretty ok. I have a bed and a couch and new set of speakers for my stereo. No TV/DVD yet; that will have to wait until after I've secured employment. I made one trip too many to Ikea and dropped a hefty chunk of change at Target for household supplies. Feh.

I've begun to send out my resume, to temp agencies and to a few local companies. Wish me luck. I need to start working again very soon.

I'd planned to write a bit more, about the moving process and my adventures so far, but I'm not feeling up to it. But if you want to check out some photos of my new place, you can do so here.

Last, but surely not least, I just want to say thanks to everyone back in DC (especially my old housemates) for the going away party. It meant a lot. Thanks also to The Antiques for a playing a great little set in my (old) dining room. It was awesome. And many many thanks to Sara for all the help in transitioning to the next phase. You rock.

Gimme Shelter

I'm writing this post from tens of thousands of feet in the air, old-fashioned style (on paper), on my return trip from Seattle, currently en route to DC via JFK in New York. I am extremely happy to report that my apartment-finding mission was a success.

After three long days of Craigslist checking, bus riding, walking up and down hills, calling, asking, and being disappointed by no-pet policies and rents just out of reach, I found a place for me and Wally to call home. The apartment is a spacious one-bedroom in a neat building a few blocks off of the main drag in the thriving, fashionable neighborhood of Capitol Hill.

While the location of the building isn't exactly where I wanted to be—I was shooting for closer to 15th Ave., in the more grown-up part of Capitol Hill, rather than Broadway—I can't really complain. Finding an apartment in a strange new city in less than a week's time is no easy feat, but I did it. I fucking did it! And thank god, because I was nearly losing it this week worrying and wondering about my oh so uncertain future and what might happen (or not happen). Now that I found a place of my own, I have one major goal off my back.

With all the running around this week, I didn't have much time for fun. I hardly took any photos. I ate quickly and cheaply. And I made no unnecessary purchases (i.e. records). I was however able to hang out with a few friends. Sara, an ex-girlfriend who has been in Seattle for a while, was kind enough to help me out by letting me use the store she works in as a sort of home base for my apartment search, offering free Internet access and a clean, private toilet. As thanks, I treated her to tasty dinner at Thai Tom over in the U District before heading to the Bus Stop back in Capitol Hill for a beer.

And then last night, after handing over the deposit for the apartment and breathing a huge sigh of relief, Kevin swung by and picked me up from my new neighborhood and we drove out to West Seattle and Alki Beach, both of which I had failed to see during my June trip. It was beautiful and awesome driving along the coast. The sun was setting with the Olympic mountains in the distance to one side and the downtown skyline and Queen Anne to the other. Keving and I chatted as we wound our way around West Seattle and took in the sights. That's when it hit me—I live here now. I'm looking at home. I felt a strange mixture of contentment and anticipation, and I knew I'd made the right choice.

C Ya

Now that the cat's out of the bag at work (and has been for a while—Friday was my last day!), it can now be told: I am moving to Seattle at the end of the month. For those of you who didn't already know, I've been planning this for a quite a while. My trip to the Emerald City back in June was in fact part vacation and part reconnaissance mission. And having checked it out as thoroughly as possible, through my visit, personal recommendations, and reading through several books (namely, this and this), I have decided to give a whirl.

As for my reasons for moving, I won't get into the details. It's just not that interesting. DC isn't doing it for me anymore. That's basically it.
And I picked Seattle because, in all my years as a so-called “army brat,” I never spent any time in the Pacific Northwest. So why not?

I'm flying out tomorrow to find an apartment. I've got three solid days of looking and hopefully securing a place to live and then it's back to the east coast to pack my stuff, sell whatever else I can, and then get the hell out of here on the 1st. Oh, and I guess I've got some hanging out to do before I go. I'm heading to the beach to spend some time with my brother and his family for a few days next week, for one. And then there's the going away party that's supposed to happen here at the house. More on that later, though.

I'm pretty fucking excited—I've never lived in my own place before. And I wanna do it right. It's supposedly a renter's market out there, but they go quick. I have only a few neighborhoods in mind and what I want is pretty specific (old building, 1BR, hw floors, cats allowed, in hip-but-not-too-hip neighborhood). Still, I am cautiously optimistic.

Wish me luck.

With or Without Darwin

Seven Words You Can't Say in Kindergarten [maybe NSFW]

RE: Creationism, intelligent design, etc. Save it for church why don't you? Remember that place? It's God's house. Why, in Sunday school, you can teach kids all sorts of cute fairy tales! Here in reality, on the other hand, evolution—a scientific theory which has about a shit ton of evidence to support it—is what we subscribe to.

Evidence...? I see you're a little confused, my little faith-based friend. Evidence is what people who care about the truth use to support what they believe in and usually consists of things that can be observed and that follow logic and stuff. Shhhh. It's OK. I know it's a lot to take in. You just go on back to pretend land now. (Eat some body of Christ. You look famished!)

I'd much rather discuss a different sort of evolution, anyway. Broadcast, a rock band from England, is set to release their third album, Tender Buttons, on Warp Records September 19th (the 20th in the US). And in the spirit of Karl Rove, the CIA, and matters of national security, the album has been leaked recently. So I've taken a few listens and would like to offer my first impressions to you. Quickly, before there's a cover-up.

For a band who, according to at least few short-sighted individuals, started out as a mere imitation of Stereolab, Broadcast's sound has progressed rather nicely. From the spacey 60's sound of The Book Lovers EP back in '97 to the more electronic, even spacier (dare I say otherworldly) debut album, The Noise Made By People, to their great follow-up album (and best record yet), 2003's Haha Sound, they've been honing their sound ever closer to that wonderful line between synthetic and organic.

It's this balance between warmth and coldness that's kept me interested in the band over the last eight years. Unfortunately for me, with Tender Buttons Broadcast has tipped the scales heavily in favor of an electronic sound. Turns out they are down to two members and the amazing drummer featured on Haha Sound is not one of them. And so goes the aforementioned warmth that was provided by a terrific acoustic rhythm section. What the new album is lacking is what previously gave the buzzing and the bleeps a place to live. Sure there are still some guitars in there. One or two tracks even feature live drums, or maybe what I'm guessing are leftover drum tracks from the sessions of the last record. And one track, the sad and serene “Tears In the Typing Pool,” is mostly guitar strumming and Trish Keenan's lovely vocal melodies. Still, the majority of these tracks feature simple drum machines and square wave synth sounds, a combination which reminds me at times of early Lali Puna or, more accurately, a little group called Tree Wave. Trish's vocals do help a little, of course, but her voice can be pretty cold—almost icy at times. To make matters worse, the band has thrown in a lot more of the digital distortion they're so fond of (see roughly any Autechre record from the 2nd half of their discography).

Don't get me wrong—it's not as if I dislike electronic music. And I don't think this is necessarily a bad album (in fact, it's been growing on me), but I suppose I'm just slightly disappointed by this new direction. It almost feels like a step back in a way. Maybe this is a progression and I'm being too close-minded. At any rate, if this is the sound of progress, I'm not sure I'm ready to move on.

MP3 - Broadcast: “Corporeal”

Closer to home, in a town to my north called Baltimore, there is a band called Wilderness. They released their self-titled debut album, which incidently happens to have been recorded in my backyard (no—not my actual backyard), on JagJaguwar back in July to some critical acclaim. They're being described as sounding like Johnny Lydon fronting Explosions In the Sky or Savage Republic; even the label says so. I can hear the Explosions connection, in those soaring guitars and in the rhythm. But instead of all the snare drumming of EITS, you get lots of tom. The Lydon thing, with vocals that are more bellowed than sung, is there too, and it almost turned me off to this band. On my first listen, I found myself thinking um...you gonna keep doing that? I got over that, though. This record is awesome.

MP3 - Wilderness: “End of Freedom”

Getting even closer to home, there is my new favorite DC band. They're called The Antiques and I'm predicting that they're gonna be huge. OK, maybe not huge, no one can predict that, but they certainly have what it takes to make some noise.

I first heard of them back in January, when I met Gregg (guitar, vocals) and Theresa (keyboards) at a show at 611 Florida. Months passed. I then learned that a friend of mine (John Rickman - Eggs, EBSK) joined the band on drums. This piqued my interest a bit, and I always try to do my best to support my friends' projects, so I made it a point to catch one of their shows. Unfortunately, it wasn't until a few weeks ago when they played a show on the back stage of the Black Cat that I finally really heard them.

And whoa. I've slept on this band way too long. How many shows had I missed? Why did it take me so long to come out and see them? This is what was going through my mind. The show they put on was just great. I was hooked from the first few songs. I'm not sure how to describe their sound, but comparisons have been made to bands like the Smiths and Felt. The guitar is jangly and tremelo-y and the vocals low and almost monotone. The rhythm section is adept—very active basslines and some incredible drumming. [When everything else dropped away during one of their songs at the show and left the bass and drums to do a sort of solo, I almost freaked out and ended up giving a yelp of approval.] The organ sounds of the keyboards compliment everything else nicely, filling out the sound a bit. Man, it's so exciting to hear a band at this stage. They only have a few singles and demos out and have just been playing shows here and there, right around town. Word is they're finishing up work on a new EP which features the updated line-up. Best thing to do is try to catch them live. The recordings I've heard so far don't quite do them justice. Still, check out one of my favorites so far, from their split single with Unlucky Atlas, and take a look at their website and MySpace page for more.

MP3 - The Antiques: “There's Nothing To Explain”

Red Rover

There's a great little bio summary here (with a timeline) of Karl Rove and his political games, up-to-and-including the Valerie Plame stuff. Best of all, this page is the first thing that comes up when you Google “turd blossom.”

I do hope you know about this already, but the short of it is: Karl Rove (aka “Bush's Brain” and, yes, “turd blossom”) Bush's top advisor dude and all-out eggheaded nerdboy revenge-fantasy, leaked the identity of an undercover CIA agent named Valerie Plame to reporters. Plame just happens to be married to Joe Wilson, a former US ambassador sent to Niger in 2002 by the CIA to investigate the possibility of Iraq buying uranium (for nuclear weapons) from them. Wilson found no such evidence and reported this back to home base. The Bush administration ignored his findings and used the lie (that is, that Iraq did buy uranium from Niger) as one major reason to invade Iraq. Wilson spoke out about his findings when he heard this, which in turn prompted Rove to speak out (albeit very super secret backgroundishly) about Wilson's wife's indentity as pay back. Oh, and it's important to note that knowingly outing an undercover agent is a felony. Although he didn't point to Plame by name (haha), the Bush twins could have figured out who was talking about. So here you have Rove enacting revenge on a WMDs naysayer and trying to discredit a credible source by bringing his undercover CIA wife (who actually specializes in finding WMDs, btw) into the story.

Why is Rove not saying anything? Why hasn't he been made to sit his fat ass down in front of Congress and the television camera and explain what the fuck he was thinking? What can't these people get away with?

From Seattle

Just a quick update here, since I'm currently at this coffee house on a free 20 minutes of Internet.

Seattle is amazing. It's all hills, trees and water. I never knew, but it actually rivals SF in steep inclines and houses built on crazy angles. Huh. It rained for the first time today. Otherwise, the weather has been gorgeous everyday since I got here on Saturday. Sunny, low 70s. Fucking beautiful. And here's a factoid for all you Seattle naysayers: it actually rains less here than in New York. That is, Seattle gets fewer inches of rain per year. What makes it seem worse is that it rains more frequently here, especially in the winter. So, yeah. It's not as bad as you think, sucker.

I've been doing lots of fun shit, trying to balance touristy stuff (Space Needle, Pike Place, etc.) with less typical things. Jennifer and Kevin (my roommate's sister and her bf) took Jason and I out for a great night of seeing some really oddball/out-of-the-way stuff (the Museum of Mysteries, for example), so I got to see a few things I probably never would have otherwise. I saw Apostle of Hustle last night at Chop Suey and they were surprisingly really fucking good. I have their record and am pretty ambivalent about it, but man—the keyboardist was doing this crazy flamenco dancing on this platform and their drummer was brilliant. And there was hardly anyone there, but the club was cool. The openers were some local band called Slender Means who reminded me at times of the Pernice Brothers. They were actually really tight and made for another great surprise.

Speaking of music, Seattle has a plethora of awesome record stores. Sonic Boom, Easy Street (amazing, just went there today and had to force myself not to spend too much money), and Wall of Sound, just to name a few.

I've been taking a ton of photos, editing as I go to save room. I'll definitely have plenty to flickr when I get home.

Well, that's all I have time for. I'll post a full review when I get back to the east coast. Ugh—the east coast.

Say hi to Wally for me, Tim.

Vacation

I guess I forgot to check it earlier this week, but there are a couple of interesting inteviews over on the Onion AV site in their Animation Issue: the creators of Aqua Teen Hunger Force discuss the origins and success of the show, as well as an upcoming project called Squidbillies, and they talk with Billy West (of Ren & Stimpy fame) about working on Futurama, a possible Futurama movie and the demand for classic voice actors being replaced by big name Hollywood types. Excerpt:

The minute they mention a CGI film, they're already looking to see what Renée Zellweger is doing. They're already looking to see what Billy Crystal is doing. This doesn't make sense, to do what they do—spend zillions on visuals, and then have this totally fucking flat-lining voice track. You know, "Hey, I'm Will Smith, I'm a clam! I'm Will Smith, I'm a kangaroo!"

Anyway, I'm leaving for the other side of the country tomorrow morning for a week-long vacation. Having never been to Seattle (or any part of the Pacific Northwest for that matter), I'm really pretty excited about it. A friend recently visited and says I will love it. I think so, too. After reading through a few travel books, it seems like a very interesting town.

I still have a little packing to do, but what I'm really trying to get straight is how to handle having nearly a week to myself without any sort of agenda. I have few people to meet up with while I'm out there, and there is certainly plenty to see and do, but I don't have any real plan. On the one hand, it's ok; I can be as leisurely as I like and just roll with it. On the other, I want to make the most of my visit. In a way, it's actually kind of important that I do so. Well I'm sure it'll be fun, no matter what.

In the meantime, hold all my calls. I may try to do a few audio posts while I'm away. Forgive the mess; AudioBlogger tends to wreak havoc on my formatting. I'll fix it when I get back. I'll leave you with a few interesting music links:

Lemon-Red has a 30-minute+ mix from DJ/rupture available for download. Booty music from the likes of M.I.A. and some ragga jungle stuff. [via Pitchfork]

And speaking of M.I.A., KEXP in Seattle has an in-studio live performance and interview with her available here (WMA unfortunately).

To the West coast...