My favorite Jams of 2009 ( In No Particular Order)

Favorite Jams of 2009

Kurt Vile- God is Saying This to You/ Childish Prodigy

Kurt Vile manages to blend elements of Lo-fi, Acid Folk, Drone and Classic Rock into something that is all his own. Listening to either of these records is like experiencing episode of sleep paralysis. Hazy and cerebral. I'm a huge fan of everything he does.

Cass Mccombs- Catacombs.

This is his most accomplished and ambitious album to date. His songwriting is honest and his production techniques are unique and reveal different qualities with each repeated listen.

Cold Cave- Love Comes First

Amazing lo-fi dark wave electronica with some noisy elements. Love Comes First is easily one of my favorite jams.

Smith Westerns- ST

It’s as if Marc Bolan formed a scrappy teenage garage pop band. Catchy, fun and sexy.

The Hunches- Exit Wounds

The Hunches bury some pretty infectious melodies under layers of noisy and sometimes thrashy garage rock. Not invented is quite possibly my favorite song of the year, “today is not birthday, I was born today.” So good.

The Mantles- ST

The Mantles make psychedelic lo-fi garage rock but what sets them apart from their other Silt breeze contemporaries is they actually know how to play their instruments and write good songs.

Tune Yards- Bird Brains

Creative multi-layered eccentrics female freak folk with tribal elements and lots of howling. This girl recently signed with 4AD. I’m sure she’s going to blow up hug in the next year. Listen to “Sunshine”

Micachu and the Shapes- Jewelery

More eccentric female vocals with angular art punk leanings. Simply AMAZING. Possibly my favorite of any of these albums on this list.

Fever Ray- ST

More creepy sytnh (not really poppy though) from the chick from The Knife. The layered analog production on this record is mesmerizing. Best album to smoke weed to of the year.

Ganglians- Monster Headroom

Another lo-fi band that’s actually talented. They blend psychedelic rock with sunny Beach Boysesque melodies and manage to do a lot with very little. Another good album for a hazy afternoon bud session.

Chain and the Gang- ST

Funky, hip, cool garage rock with brilliant lyrics. Completely underrated. Check out

“Death Bed Confession”

The Clean- Mr. Pop

New Zealand’s seminal indie rockers still have it. Listen to “Are you really on drugs” and “In the dream life you need a rubber soul” easily two of their best songs.

Atlas Sound- Logos

Brafford Cox sophomore records is very ambitious. Easily as good as some of Deerhunter’s best stuff

Julian Lynch- Orange You Glad

More pschedellic lo-fi music. Julian Lynch is headed places. Check out “Andaza”

Almighty Defenders-ST

Drunken doo-wop,soul-funk garage rock from the collective talents of Black Lips and King Khan and BBQ. Ghost with the most is one the most groovy and sexy jams ever.

King Creosote- Flick the Vs

Oddball experimental folk from Scotland with elements of electronic and strangely beautiful lyrics.. Check out “Two Frocks at a Wedding”

Woods-Songs of Shame

Earnest lo-fi pop with wonderful songwriting and lyrics. I thought the lead singer was female for the longest time it turns out he’s actually a dude. A perfect album

The Middle East- Songs of the Middle East

Under heard, epic and sad indie with folk elements. Why this didn’t receive more buzz is beyond me. Absolutely beautiful. Put this on when you are in the company of pretty lady.

Black Lips- 200 Million Thousand

I think this is my favorite album by them. Sleazy, druggy garagerock with good songwriting to boot.

King Khan and BBQ- Invisible Girl

This white boy and Indian have a lot of soul. Their catchy jams go well with a night of debauchery.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes- Up From Below

One of those records by indie band that sounds like a classic album from two decades ago. A few of the track off this album are the best songs of year. Epic glam rock hippies if that makes any sense.

Antony and Johnsons- Crying Light

More beauty and more sadness from our favorite transgendered eccentric, Antony is one of the best living artists today.

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Amen Dunes- Dia

Hazy stoner jams. Fucking Great.

Girl-Album

If Elvis Costello was bisexual , smoked weed and listened to 90’s indie rock. You’d have this record.

Cloud Nothings-Turnining On.

Super catchy lo-fi indie pop. I just got this record and I can't stop listening to this record.

Pissed Jeans-King of Jeans

Noisy, cathartic. Good for the gym

The Bitters- Super catchy boy-girl 60's style garage from member's of Canada's Fucked Up.

The Pink Pink-ST

A more bombastic Stone Roses with elements of Primal Scream. Dominoes is one of the best misogynistic songs about being a player ever. Probably my theme song for 09.

Deerhunter-Rainwater Casette Exchange

Proving that Deerhunter aren't just a shoegaze band but capable of writing good pop songs too.

Disappointments of the Year : Fuck these bad records by otherwise good bands.

Grizzly Bear'-Veckaticmist- lame, coma inducing new age shite.

Jay Retard- watch me fall.- Lame

Clipse- Til the Casket Drops.- Lame

All overrated shitgaze and chillwave bands like wavves and Washed Out.

Stability

I'm housesitting for an older more established friend. The house is nice to say the least. It's incredibly spacious, has hard wood floors and a spiral staircase which leads to what is currently being referred to as the "dude room." The dude room is carpeted basement area with electric guitars, amplifiers and a gun safe. Everything is nice and works. It's like staying at a five star hotel or something that requires taking care fat needy cats and one very neurotic dog.

Being here is nice. It gets me in touch with a yearning for stability. Stability is pretty illusive to me. Sometimes i feel like it's just right around the corner and other times i feel like its mostly unattainable. I look foreword to the time in my life where there won't be strange stains on my wall from leaks in the ceilings that deadbeat slumlords refuse to fix. I look foreword to a time where my fridge will be stocked with healthy food and sink will only have a few dirty dishes in it.I look forword to having fat lazy cats lounging on my well designed matching furniture.

But at the moment, I must confess that I am happy despite my lack of stability. I'm not ready to give up aimless nights of successive parties. Mingling with random people and developing shallow acquaintanceships. I like entertaining cheap party girls once in a while, I can't deny it. I'm not ready to give up getting high and talking shit with my friends until 4 am in the morning and the late morning early afternoon coffee sessions that follow. I must admit at the moment. I love this lifestyle.

It is strange growing up and watching your friend grow up. Watching them transition slowly into the more stable lifestyle your just not ready for. The steady girlfriend, the "real world" job that pays well, the closet full of suits. The boring dinner parties and the early bed times.

It's bound to happen eventually, or not. I can still choose a nihilistic and hedonistic lifestyle and chances are no one would stop me. It might be something that makes me happier then my "stable" friends. Of course, just as easily the opposite is also possible.

I'm not worried about it. I'll leave it up to fate and drift foreword and go with flow. I have a good head on my shoulders and things will turn out exactly as they should.

Wilder then the Wild Things

This week was good. In fact this week was excellent. After conquering or at least doing averagely on my last mid-term, I embarked on what would become a five day bender. During five days, much drinking, hash smoking and general hedonism occurred.

- Drunken Monopoly topped off with late night Waffle House invasions. Karanina stole their hot sauce.

- Thursday night, drunken oldies dance parties downtown with the girls.

- Coffee with an ex, topped off with a argument about politics (welfare,crime,social Darwinism).

I told her that her argument was filtered though a white upper middle class place of privilege. Seriously, that chick as no concept of reality. She had nothing left to say and we changed the subject matter to something lighter.

- Lewis and Tyler’ serious rager. Who would of known these guys were capable of a party of that magnitude. Fun, but topped off with drunken girl drama which resolved itself upon sobriety.

-Getting “eighty sixed” from a lesbian party. Silly dykes.

- Where the Wild Things Are with Manan, Greg and Emily. I can’t think of anything good about this movie aside from some visual things. In short in was boring and depressing .It’s “deeper” elements regarding politics, social power, relations ships and divorce came off as heavy handed and failed to move me. I love Dave Eggers and Spike Jonez but this was a creative mess that wasn't even that creative. The monsters came off as spoiled Californian Urbanites wallowing in a self-pity induced quarter life crisis. It wouldn’t be hard to picture some of them sitting at the coffee shop and blogging their Mac book pro. Total waste of time and money.

I would have been better off seeing a cheesy slasher film at the peasant theater. I feel sorry for the kids who went expecting to have a fun time and ended up sitting though a two hour long mope fest.

- Then a pub quiz.

Well, benders may not be healthy I think they are good for the soul once and a while.

Now, I will return to my regularly scheduled life of eating well, working out and doing homework.

Let my spark die out in a brilliant blaze

Ah, midterms are upon us and Albuquerque’s weather is pissing me off. One minute it’s cold and windy the next it hot. Controlling temperature in this apartment equally frustrating, if I leave my window opens it’s cold if I keep it shut I burn up.

The last week was pretty eventful. I saw Brooklyn buzz band Passion Pit who’s brand of Post- Jamiroquai elect- pop left me underwhelmed and made me retreat further into my barricade of lo-fi , garage and punk rock. You know, music with an edge. Don’t get me wrong they have a couple bangers but the fifteen dollar cover was too steep for what I got out of it. Passion Pit are essentially Maroon 5 for Urban Outfitted high school kids and college students who have yet to discover something awesome and real like Pavement or the Stooges… sucks for them. On the plus, I did get to hang out with a cute girl.

This weekend was partytacular. Thursday I went to mediocre “art show” at a nice two story house being rented by some homosexuals hipsters. Christian referred to their house as the “Queen’s castle,” we all had a good laugh about the shitty “art.” I swear these days some people think that just because they were a stupid scarf and do something a little unorthodox with their hair they are some sort avant-garde bohemian wet dream. Yeah dude, your magazine cut out collage work is really challenging and lady, the Polaroids you took of your hipster friends looking particularly quirky are really moving and really raw.. Fuck that shit, some people shouldn’t be allowed to “express” themselves, not at the expense of me having to suffer looking at it.

After that we went to Anodyne and Burt’s and got tremendously drunk. I lost my keys (probably doing something stupid) but got a free lap dance from my sexy stripper friend. Jessi and Rosie gave us a ride back to Jodie’s, where I slept that night. The next morning I drove her “still drunk” ass to court and she bought me breakfast.

After recovering from our respective hangovers, we preceded to go to more parties. After getting drunk yet again we went Manan’s and smoked weed, Me and Christian also had the bright idea to each drink half a bottle of Robotussin which further fucked out shit up but I managed to ride Manan’s bike to my house where I passed out into a blissful slumber.

The night consisted of even more parties, which I shouldn’t have gone to considering the fact I think I may be getting sick..

OH , I'm also kicking ass in school and I got some bitches on the chain, so watch out!

Fall on Me

Fall is here, the trees are getting naked and everybody is dressing layers. I’ve noticed that the when the temperature drops, especially here in Albuquerque single people usually cling to whatever romantic prospect hovers closest to them. It makes complete sense really, It’s better to have a warm body next to you on cold nights. It’s nice to feel combine body temperatures with another person and create a warm caccoon of bed that is immune to the earth’s actual climate. Another person’s body is a luxury, but in all honesty as nice it would be, I feel like it’s a luxury I could live without. I don’t mind spending cold nights by myself. I remember a time when I felt lonely and I felt the empty space in my bed next to me was some sort of personal void.

I’m past that, maybe it’s been years of telling myself that I don’t need anyone and at some point I actually began to believe myself. I think that the truth is, I actually feel quite empowered to be emotionally independent, I feel an immense degree of satisfaction knowing that I can go wherever I want whenever I want with whoever I want without having to explain myself. I like the that I can ask out several girls all at once to the same event and pick which one I want to be with based on the responses I get. I like the idea that I may end up going to the event by myself and have opportunity of meeting someone else. Friend or lover. Seriously, being single is vastly underrated .

I hung out with a girl last night. We shared a pot of tea and went for a walk till we found a tranquil setting where we could just talk and enjoy each other’s company. I must admit I felt a little soft in this woman’s presence. For as much bitterness as I harbor for the female species once in a while, one will come along and remind me that intimacy can be quite nice. I will hang out with this girl more and things will develop or they will stay the same and I’m okay with either possibility. I’m happy that it’s fall. I’m happy to be independent. I’m happy it’s fall and I can wear sweaters and drink tea at anytime. I’m happy that I have surrounded myself with good friends. I’m happy that for whatever reason I have several beautiful women wanting to spend some of these cold nights with me. I’m happy I can walk around in the cold and get lost in the sounds of Neil Young and Galaxie 500, Silver Jews, Kurt Vile and Califone and listen to their guitars guide the crunchy leaves to the ground where they rest next cigarette butts from the mouths of people falling in and out of love.

Music can be as warm as a woman but sometimes the two go very well together. Bring on the fall

LOVE

I've noticed recently that many people I know are lonely,depressed, unssatisfied or all of the above. These feeling usually stem from the fact that they are painfully single or in a relation, where thier heart is being gradualy broken over time.

In response to these feeling, I thought I'd sort some shit out for them. No doubt we all experience these feelings from time to time. Here's a cut and dry breakdown of your flawed thinking.

Theses large brains, let's face it they're doing us no good. Humans are fundamentally impractical little creatures. Unfortunately, part of being impractical means being selfish. It's true, we are all inherently selfish. Very, very few of us are donating money to charity or volunteering in soup kitchens. I'm no different, I don't do these things. I think they are indeed, noble gestures, but I feel the best thing I can do for humanity is increase my own personal station- this may entail doing good things for my health or heaven forbid, bringing my brilliant babies into this shitty world. Even if I committed my life to helping the less fortunate, I would still be poor and disadvantage and so would they.

(sorry, world)

All things considered, there really are only two types of human relationships. Altruistic, meaning you do things for the benefit of someone else and selfish…meaning just that, looking out for number one. In terms of romantic relationships, they can only be selfish.

To love is to be selfish, there is no such thing as altruistic love. A beautiful woman will not date, marry or fuck a fat, unattractive and stupid man because he needs her. Likewise, a man is not likely to look at a fat, unattractive and stupid woman, and say to himself "Poor thing, If I don't marry her, no one else will." And if for whatever reason they actually entertained such a thought . It wouldn't be love.

Love is a feeling. When you are in love you feel good. Love is a perfect drug. It's a free high created by your own brain that exist for the soul purpose of facilitating sex, pair bonding and raising children in a stable family. In a healthy relationship (even before actual 'love') you stay in it because it benefits YOU (sex, money, stability, she has a car, gives you a feeling) and she stays in it because it benefits HER (sex, money, stability, you have a car, you give her a feeling.) Simple reasoning, right?

Once a relationship like this fully blossoms, and becomes "mature" it begins coasting on this feeling that I believe Elvis, ( or was it Brian Setzer?) at one point dubbed "a crazy little thing called love." Love aka, that "perfect drug." Which may or may not been first dubbed by Trent Reznor. Never has someone written a song that goes "I got a girl, she drives me places. / I got a girl, she bought me something expenisve. / I got a girl, she gives great head." outside of gangsta rap (and society villifies these rappers because they discount 'love' aka the greatest drug in the world.)

So how does any of this apply to you? Well if you've ever been in love with someonel who didn't love you back, it was a a specific kind of fucked up gut-wrenching feeling, like somebody had stepped on your heart. Maybe he or she never wanted you, maybe he or she wanted you for awhile and they decided that they didn't . The beauty of it is that this feeling you had was is NOT love, because the definition of love is a GOOD feeling. You're experiencing one or both of two things.

a) withdrawl,s you were in love and now your brain isn't giving you those nicedrugs, so you feel shitty
b) You're horny, and you wanna fuck but society has hyped love and shoved concepts such as "soul mates" and "crimes of passion" down your throat.. You know you want something, so you think and assume that it's love.

If you are in this mental state that you call love, and you say "I'm crazy about this person or , why don't they love me back! They are tearing my guts out I HATE them I LOVE them I HATE them I LOVE them!" you need to step out of your self . This person does not exist to complete your life, they only lives in service of themSELF and so do you, so does everybody. And they are worthless to you now because they make you feel BAD and what is the point of that? You don't want them, you want the FEELING that you believe they will create. There are lots of people who will give you that feeling if you give them a tiny chance.

The point:

People stay in all relationships because of direct personal benefits.
If you aren't benefiting from a relationship you're missing the point.
Love is a feeling, a drug that is free and readily available

All things aside, I myself used this word many times in may contexts ranging from telling a girlfriend that I loved her in an intimate moment to saying that I loved with a sandwich, that may or may not have been as tasty as I made it up to be, as I may have just incredibly hungry having skipped a meal or something, I've also said that I love, weed, The Clash, comic books, tacos, my guitar, the rain, a t-shirt I found in the trash, a girl,cookies, another girl, Dr. Dre, Woody Allen, the smell of Play-Doh ,my parents, my sister ,sleeping , baths, anything free,England, Sweaters, David Bowie, Tums, the list goes on infinitely.

As you can see, most of time when I use this word it's pretty benign. With that said, I love sitting in my underwear and writing insipid little musings.

Keep on rockin in the free world.

The Dog Days of Summer

This weekend more less your average idiotic college drinking binge with the exception of last night.

Friday was Robyn’s birthday and she had pretty big kegger. Since the party was walking distance from place I thought it would be ok to indulge just a little bit by a little bit since I’m usually pretty responsible when it comes to boozing it.

Well apparently, I got profoundly intoxicated and did a lot of things I don’t remember like hit egregiously on some girl right in front of her boyfriend, fall down, eat a girls face and puke in my own bed. I remember none of those things but I do remember mingling about and general fun times. People told me that I was pretty happy go-lucky

After spending the next day cleaning and recovering. Tyler, Lindsay and Greg came over and we bullshited on the porch and smoked hookah. We also caught a glimpse of my new neighbor whom appears to be a sexy older woman. Then we went to a hipster party/ house show. Most of my friends were there but I got annoyed with all the idiots doing coke in the bathroom and trying to be inconspicuous even though they come out with big glazed eyes and shit eating grins only to look sad and empty twenty minutes later.

I Look Better Naked

Once was I was sitting at the bus stop on Cental and Wyoming with my friend Brian and out of nowhere or perhaps the McDonald's parking lot behind us a homeless man wearing a filty oversized t-shirt that read, " I Look Better Naked" emerged and started talking to us in a deluge of words which for the most part sounded like gibberish. I nodded along so as not to offend the vagrant and Brian stayed quiet and lingered in the background. He was a shy guy.

Amongst what I suspected was crackheaded nonsense, the man said somthing that I will never forget.

"How old are you boys?' He said.

"Eighteen," I told him.

"Eighteen...let me tell you boys somthing ..."

Our ears perked, or at least mine did as I could sense some sort earnest wisdom comming on or at least somthing entertaining and bizzare.

"It takes ten seconds to get into touble and a lifetime to get out."

He went on to say somthing else, but right then the oncomming traffic from Central drowned out voice.That's it and then he dissapeared. Actually he went accross the street to ask people for spare change.

Sometimes wisdom comes in the most unlikely and unsuspectiong packages.