# obviate media > Public Ghost publication content. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About this site URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/about/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T03:23:51.000Z obviatemedia.net is an independent publication launched in June 2026 by Brendan Hilliard. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website as well as email newsletters about new content when it's available. Your subscription makes this site possible, and allows obviatemedia.net to continue to exist. Thank you! ### Access all areas By signing up, you'll get access to the full archive of everything that's been published before and everything that's still to come. Your very own private library. ### Fresh content, delivered Stay up to date with new content sent straight to your inbox! No more worrying about whether you missed something because of a pesky algorithm or news feed. ### Meet people like you Join a community of other subscribers who share the same interests. --- ### Start your own thing Enjoying the experience? Get started for free and set up your very own subscription business using [Ghost](https://ghost.org/?ref=obviatemedia.net), the same platform that powers this website. ### Brendan Hilliard URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/brendan-hilliard/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:23:07.000Z [![12188895_10101352395650557_6256630670941450661_n](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/12188895_10101352395650557_6256630670941450661_n-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/12188895%5F10101352395650557%5F6256630670941450661%5Fn.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Hey! I founded this site in 2006\. It has been a lot of things over time – a hub for my friends to write whatever they want, a web magazine, the home of The Eternal Mixtape Project, and for the better part of the last half-decade, a place for me to put whatever I’m thinking. It’s the longest-lasting creative endeavor I’ve ever had and I’m proud of the body of work that’s here. I’m a writer, editor, and social media manager. I currently live in Chicago, where I was born and raised. I am the Social Media Manager for recording artists [The Hold Steady](http://theholdsteady.net/?ref=obviatemedia.net) and [Craig Finn](http://craigfinn.net/?ref=obviatemedia.net), and I contribute to [Men’s Journal](http://mensjournal.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net). I graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a focus in magazine writing. I have previously worked at U.S. Cellular and Apple and I interned at Flavorpill when I lived in New York City. I like record collecting and professional wrestling. ### Podcasts URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ Last updated: 2008-07-07T14:34:50.000Z ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 7/06/08 | [listen](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ayvee%5Fctl%5Fpodcast%5F070608.mp3) We’re back from break and Alexander P. is as well. Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez – AN EXCLUSIVE PODCAST PRESENTED BY OBVIATE MEDIA – is back for yet another superb installment. We’ll spare you overlong introduction this time – and let the songs speak for themselves. [playlist](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/?p=435) ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 6/15/08 | [listen](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ayvee%5Fctl%5Fpodcast%5F061508.mp3) It’s been about a month – but the heart keeps on beatin’. ayvee has returned from touring with Walter Meego and has a brand-spanking new edition of Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez, the only and best podcast you’ll ever need. The podcast master has whipped up hearty portions of The Ronettes, Aretha Franklin and Todd Rundgren, as well as cuts from N.E.R.D., Air and Left Banke. [playlist](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/?p=426) I ♥ MOM Podcast 5/24/08 | [listen](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/D%5FPC.mp3) Ayvee’s out this week, but his associate Dylan has stepped in this week for a cast all of his own. This week, we get a smattering of tracks from Dr. Dog, the Shortwave set, a bit of Blonde Redhead and even…Aaron Neville. Says it’s creator: “If you are seeking other men and looking for that special connection listen to this podcast. Get what you want.” ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 5/18/08 | [listen](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ayvee%5Fctl%5Fpodcast%5F051808.mp3) This week has the podcast king a bit sentimental with graduation on his mind. This week, most of the tracks are centered around that one theme. Take a look out for some Times New Viking, Clinic, Sparklehorse, some classic cuts from Stevie Wonder, Dusty Springfield and even Three Dog Night. Also, make sure to look out for a cut from the irrepressible Walter Meego. Ayvee’s on hiatus for a couple weeks make sure to check this one – looks like we may have a guest podcast. Stay tuned. [playlist](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/?p=395) ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 5/11/08 | [listen](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ayvee%5Fctl%5Fpodcast%5F051108.mp3) On this Mom’s Day, ayvee is back at you with another edition of the world-renowned Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez. Looks like there’s a diverse list of artists in the pipe today – a smattering of new hits from N.E.R.D, Santogold, and Cut Copy. We also get a taste of an instrumental off of ScarJo’s new record and a brand new track from The Rapture. The centerpiece, however, is the trio of Bernard Butler produced tracks – the man behind the Black Kids, Cajun Dance Party and Duffy. As always our podcast is exclusive, and always innovative. Enjoy CTL for 5/11/08. [playlist](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/?p=383) ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 5/04/08 [(listen)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ayvee%5Fctl%5Fpodcast%5F050408.mp3) A bit tardy this week – blame the admin – but ayvee’s got a couple new cuts mixed with a bunch of great tracks from the archives this week. Not surprisingly, it’s a great listen and always completely exclusive to obviate media. [playlist](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/?p=370) ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 4/27/08 [(listen)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/podcasts/ayvee%5Fctl%5Fpodcast%5F042708.mp3) If it wasn’t already a part of your Sunday schedule, it will be now. ayvee’s podcast has reached critical mass. This week, the man with the ‘p’ in his middle name spins some spankin’ new tracks, bangin’ remixes, 80’s radio faves and tossing in a few pre release tunes to complete the perfect recipe. Sit back or throw this on the digital music player of your choice and enjoy Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez for 4/27/08. [playlist](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/?p=355) ayvee | Crayzee Tayztee Layzeez 4/20/08 ## Posts ### Quicksand's Bring On the Psychics: What I Needed at 40 Was a Band Closer to 60 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/quicksand-psychics/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T12:22:16.000Z I turned 40 last November. It was a milestone I was weirdly looking forward to, but pretty much immediately after it happened I started to feel an imminent sense of dread, something like how the hourglass might be dwindling a little more than I had expected. Almost immediately some weird, not-terrible health things started happening. More annoying than anything. I started to feel like a cliche. No one does anything great after 40\. That's clearly a young man's opinion, and now, with some clarity, I can see that. A month ago, I'd never heard of Quicksand. Seriously, not a note. I could tell you who Walter Schreifels was, but I had no real mental connection to him outside of Gorilla Biscuits and maybe Rival Schools if I thought about it hard. Then my friend played me "Thorn in My Side" off of 1995's *Manic Compression*, and a portal opened up in my brain. I've spent the last month digesting everything this band has put out: their 1990 self-titled EP, their original two records including 1993's classic *Slip*, and then learning the band took a long layoff, 24 years between albums, before releasing 2017's *Interiors* and 2021's *Distant Populations*. It's all so damn good. So imagine, in the midst of this, I was completely unaware, and then totally thrilled, that another album was on the way, which brings us up to the release of *Bring On The Psychics*. As I've gotten older, and especially as I've started to navigate being a husband and a parent to boys whose development seems to advance at light speed, I've had to work extra hard at maintaining a sense of self and individualism. It was always really important to me to find a way to keep up with the things I cared about. I'm always trying to find new music to listen to, watch a new show or a new movie that interests me, or I'll even stay up on a week night to watch some old movie I'd thought about watching for years. I want to keep learning. I want to soak it all in while I'm still able. I'm sure this sounds like a lot of navel gazing, but I assure you there's a point to this. I'm listening to this group at such an intense clip because I think they're proving to me that, deep into their 50s, they're making music that's just as relevant, powerful, and provocative as what they made when they were younger. I need that right now. I don't know how qualified I am to say this, having only known this band for a month, but I can tell you this much: *Bring on the Psychics* holds up next to everything else in the catalog I've been tearing through. No two Quicksand records have ever really sounded alike, and this one lands with the intensity and relentlessness of a band that sounds like it's still trying to prove its place. They absolutely do not have anything left to prove, but that hunger is palpable throughout the album, and honestly, it's inspiring, especially from where I'm sitting. Quicksand's dynamic shifts and nuance are such strong hallmarks of their sound, and here they're at the forefront. "Get To It" opens with a slow boil before Alan Cage's drums and Sergio Vega's bass swell to gigantic size under a stinging Schreifels guitar line, and "Regenerate" pulls off the same trick even bigger. I keep finding myself repeating Schreifels' *"Balance / Pride / Humility"* in my head like it's some kind of mantra, which honestly feels like the whole record in three words. Then there's "Supercollider," which first appeared on the band's 2024 split with Hot Water Music. Meaty chords dance with jangly verses, Cage and Vega sounding so locked in that it's an absolutely thrilling storm. It's one of the best songs on the album, and it fits perfectly here despite technically being a leftover, which feels about right. I've spent the last month learning this band backward, out of order, decades compressed into weeks, and somehow it all still adds up. Through all of this sound, the real magic of the group is never more evident than on "In Full Color." The guitars, bass, and drums tumble into focus almost immediately, giving the impression that you're in for a loud/quiet/loud jam. But then Schreifels marries it all together with a clarity and self-awareness: *"Life can really pile up / Before you know, you've got all this stuff / Weighing down on your head / Wish you were somewhere else instead."* I know that feeling, because I'm feeling it right now. *"It's all there in full color / It's not one or the other."* I understand this feeling is universal, but I'm certainly glad I heard it now. The cover of the album appears to be a white Iceland poppy. Poppies are commonly associated with remembrance, but also with purity, peace, serenity, and sleep or dreaming. I can't say for certain what the intended meaning is here, but I like to think it's some combination of all of these. *Bring On The Psychics* feels like an album made by musicians closer to 60 than they are 50, still making provocative, powerful music that pushes boundaries and feels vital, but also aware that there's less time left than there used to be. That comes through clearly on "Moving Forward": *"No defences, swinging for the fences / Moving forward / Always forward."* It's a beautiful line, and one I can genuinely take to heart. Even the changes that came with this new decade of my life turned out to be thankfully minor, more annoying than anything, but they're still a reminder that more are always coming. It'll be a constant effort to outrun the dread and root myself back in reality, and that's okay. No one does anything great after 40? Not true. It's happening all the time. Quicksand is a band making music that feels just as vital as they did at the dawn of the '90s. *Moving forward. Always forward*. Way to blow past that tired cliche and remind us we're all capable of doing something awesome at any age. *Bring On The Psychics is* [*out now*](https://equalvision.bandcamp.com/album/bring-on-the-psychics?ref=obviatemedia.net) *on Equal Vision Records.* [Bring On The Psychics by Quicksand](https://equalvision.bandcamp.com/album/bring-on-the-psychics?ref=obviatemedia.net) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/07/Quicksand-Credit_-Annette-Rodriguez-3-1.jpg) ### Songs of 2025 and Other Stuff URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/songs-of-2025-and-other-stuff/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T17:09:40.000Z Best Box Sets: Bruce Springsteen - ***Nebraska '82*** Drive-By Truckers - ***The Definitive Decoration Day*** Husker Du - ***1985: The Miracle Year*** The Replacements - ***Let It Be: Deluxe Edition*** Bruce Springsteen - ***Tracks II: The Lost Albums*** Best Reissues: The Jesus and Mary Chain - ***Psychocandy*** Neil Young - ***Official Release Series Discs 26, 27, 28, & 29 (Harvest Moon, Unplugged, Sleeps With Angels, Mirror Ball*** The Hold Steady - ***Separation Sunday (20 Year Anniversary Edition)*** My Morning Jacket - ***Z (20th Anniversary Edition)*** Best Live Album: Husker Du - ***1985: The Miracle Year*** Phish - ***Live at United Center 7/18/2025*** Best 2024 release I discovered in 2025: Cameron Winter - ***Heavy Metal*** Catalog Releases I spent a lot of time with: Duster Catalog Oasis Catalog Cocteau Twins Catalog ### Favorite Albums of 2025 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2025/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:07.000Z 1. ****Geese – *Getting Killed*** *Getting Killed* is an album rightfully deserving of all the hype that's surrounded it. It sounds like something you recognize, but then nothing like you’ve heard. Think about everything you liked about ’00s and ’10s indie rock, throw that in a Cuisinart, then pile on the Velvet Underground, Television, Captain Beefheart, and very specifically *OK Computer*, and press start. That might get you there. The album is a tectonic jump from the competent indie rock of 2021’s *Projector* and the 2023 Exile-era Stones rave-up of *3D Country* to this: primal, percussive-heavy, bent riffs with Cameron Winter’s baritone leading the charge. You just need to hear it. The skronked-out ripper (and album opener) “Trinidad” is one of those songs where I remember exactly where I was when I first heard it. When the chorus breaks into that roar — “THERE’S A BOMB IN MY CAR!” — it felt like a new window to my brain opened up. I was in a hotel room in Los Angeles. I took out my headphones and said to Ali, “This album is blowing my mind.” We headed to Amoeba Hollywood as it opened and I grabbed one of the last three copies off the shelves. Something was happening. You could feel it in the air. From the creeping groove of “Husbands” to the euphoria of the title track, they’re completely dialed in. The record peaks with the piano rush of “Long Island City Here I Come.” It’s a jaw-dropping spectacle that loops like a Möbius strip until it suddenly tears, unleashing a feral cacophony. Geese right now is a band at the vanguard. The torch has been passed. The kids are alright — and what a joy it is to hear them as they hit the stratosphere. **2\. **Bon Iver – *SABLE, fABLE*** Justin Vernon gets unfairly dunked on for the one record he made roughly twenty years ago that shot him to superstardom. Fair to say a lot of people stopped paying attention after that, because he never made another record like it. 2011’s *Bon Iver, Bon Iver* dove headfirst into becoming the greatest soft-rock record of this century, while 2016’s *22, A Million*’s severe, distant veneer showed an artist obfuscating his talent to create a record that feels tortured but deeply emotional — someone skirting dangerously close to the heavens while keeping it just earthbound enough. 2019’s *i,i* continued that trend, but felt a little more human, like being let in on secrets long kept. He’s built one of the most awe-inspiring careers of the past two decades. The records don’t arrive quickly. They’re labored, provocative, and usually stunning. They also take forever to arrive — usually a half decade passes with a few loose singles and guest spots here and there. So when *SABLE, fABLE* arrived this spring as a complete work (the acoustic *SABLE*, a wink and nod to *For Emma, Forever Ago*, had been released as an EP in the fall), something was different. This was someone looking back for the first time. But when bridged with *fABLE*, it feels like something else entirely — a joyous celebration, clear-eyed and open-hearted. Whether it’s the “Kansas turning to Oz” effect of the brilliant, buoyant “Short Story,” the instant classic “Everything Is Peaceful Love,” or the jubilant gospel flecks of “Day One,” featuring newly minted superstar Dijon and the powerhouse voice of Jenn Wasner of Flock of Dimes, it’s pure joy. “From,” featuring Mk.gee on guitar, will stick in your brain like gum on the sole of your shoe. Vernon has hinted that this record might be it for the Bon Iver project. If that’s unfortunately the case, the album closer “There’s a Rhythmn” says it best: *“I’ve had one home that I’ve known* *And maybe it’s the time to go* *I could leave behind the snow* *For a land of palm and gold* *But there are miles and miles to go* *And I’ve been down this road before* *There’s another chance to show* *No need to crow no more”* Whatever that next turn of the road looks like, *SABLE, fABLE* is a beautiful demarcation. **3\. **Tyler Childers – *Snipe Hunter*** The year’s most surprising release comes from a guy who has consistently found ways to confound his audience since the start of his career. *Snipe Hunter* kicks off with “Eating Big Time,” which includes lyrics about blowing a grand on a luxury boutique watch, before careening into other songs that reference syphilitic koalas (“Down Under”) and the *Bhagavad Gita* and the *Mahabharata* (“Tirtha Yatra”). That’s just three songs in and I still haven’t mentioned “Bitin’ List,” about what he’d do if he got rabies: “*If there ever come a time I got rabies / you’d be high on the bitin’ list.”* It’s Childers’s weird, wild, great psych awakening. There’s plenty to love here for the traditionalists, too — longtime fan favorites like “Oneida” and “Nose on the Grindstone.” But just in case you think this is some blip on the radar, the weird swamp groove of the album-closing “Dirty Ought Trill” will convince you to buy the ticket and take the ride. **4\. **Wednesday – *Bleeds*** *Bleeds*, the sixth album from Wednesday, isn’t a reinvention so much as a refinement — sharper, heavier, and somehow more vulnerable at the same time. It’s the sound of a band that knows exactly what it does best and digs in deeper. Karly Hartzman’s songwriting has always balanced heartbreak and humor, but here it feels stripped of pretense. These songs don’t reach for beauty; they stumble into it. The images come fast and real — half-lit porches, late-night drives, bad habits you never quite kick. They’d been circling this approach before, but 2023’s *Rat Saw God* fully locked it in. *Bleeds* pushes further. The album opens in a haze with “Reality TV Argument Bleeds,” guitars building pressure before chugging and finally breaking loose. There’s plenty of noise, but it’s controlled — more tension than chaos. The band sounds incredible. Hartzman, bassist Ethan Baechtold, drummer Alan Miller, guitarist MJ Lenderman, and pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis have a sound that feels entirely their own. The guitars cut without overwhelming, the lap steel drifts in at just the right moments, everything slightly frayed at the edges. “Townies” is a twangy looper that nails that feeling in miniature. “Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)” captures a weary resilience, while “Elderberry Wine” aches in softer focus and “Pick Up That Knife” crashes with a mix of rage and release. What ties it together is the pacing — the quiet moments carry weight, the loud ones hit when they need to. By the time “Gary’s II” closes the album, it feels less like a collection of songs and more like a conversation. What lingers isn’t the riffs or the volume, but the humanity. Hartzman sings like she’s figuring it out in real time. *Bleeds* is one of the best and most honest records of this moment by an emerging master storyteller. **5\. **Sharp Pins – *Radio DDR*** A total revelation upon its release, *Radio DDR* is the crown jewel in the early career of Chicago’s Kai Slater, who this year alone released two records under the Sharp Pins moniker and managed to get the debut by his main project, Lifeguard, out on Matador. This collection — which I’m resisting extremely hard to compare to middle-aged guy records (and will fail in the next sentence) — feels like a fusion of Big Star and Guided By Voices. It’s that tender sort of songwriting Alex Chilton spent his career fighting, thrown through the same devil-may-care guitar and vocal filter Robert Pollard still uses to this day. Somehow, Slater makes it all his own, and the result is something wonderful. The Beatles-esque “Lorelei” absolutely shines, “Every Time I Hear” cascades into a beautiful jumble, and songs like “Chasing Stars” and “With a Girl Like Mind” will confound you when you realize they were written by someone born the same year YouTube launched. **6\. **Craig Finn – *Always Been*** Since his first solo album in 2012, Finn has found ways to break new sonic ground to accentuate his songwriting. After a series of records with producer Josh Kaufman, he teamed up with The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel to produce his sixth — and best — album, *Always Been*, backed by a majority of Granduciel’s bandmates. The result is less Craig Finn + The War on Drugs and more vivid stories painted with new hues on a sonic paintbrush. **7\. **Big Thief – *Double Infinity*** Since Big Thief formed, the interplay between the band’s four members has been so dramatic it almost felt like they functioned as a single organism across their first five records. So when bassist Max Oleartchik departed in 2024, it raised real questions about how the band would — or could — move forward. It turns out they’ve never sounded so free. Now a trio — Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, and James Krivchenia — they decamped to the Power Station in New York City and recorded with ten different session musicians. The result feels no less organic than previous Big Thief albums, but there’s an open-ended, clear-eyed atmosphere that feels brand new, especially on the shifty “Incomprehensible” and the loping, wistful “Los Angeles.” This approach is never more apparent than on “Grandmother,” credited to the band alongside ambient artist Laraaji, whose vocals intertwine with Lenker’s over cosmic guitars and earthy percussion. It’s a great addition to the catalog of a band that continues to push itself as a towering creative force. **8\. **Greg Freeman – *Burnover*** Isn’t it great when a record jumps out at you out of nowhere? I hadn’t even heard of Greg Freeman prior to this April, much less listened to him. But when “Point and Shoot,” the first single from his excellent sophomore album *Burnover*, dropped, it was immediately clear this was the work of a singular talent who’d been making great music under the radar for years. The word of mouth that lifted 2022’s *I Looked Out* from obscurity to buzz was completely warranted. The Burlington, VT-based Freeman built irresistibly catchy songs like “Colorado,” “Come and Change My Body,” and the drowsy “Long Distance Driver” out of dissonance and noise, creating that feeling of being nearsighted and putting on glasses for the first time. With *Burnover*, Freeman’s talents come into focus with LASIK precision. The herky-jerky “Rome, New York” stumbles forward on clunky percussion and barroom piano before breaking into a singalong chorus. The breezy, twangy “Gallic Shrug” sounds like Malkmus in miniature, but with less wink and more heart. “Gulch” is a straight-up ripper, all slapdash chords and horns cresting at just the right moment. If there’s one thing about *Burnover*, it’s that Freeman took what worked best on *I Looked Out* and ran it through the “enhance” filter. The riffs hit harder. The rough edges are smoothed just enough. It’s still plenty noisy, but with that Maldon finishing-salt kick. The record closes with a hell of a one-two punch — a sad, seasick ballad with a cassette-tape sample cutting through the haze, followed by “Wolf Pine,” an atmospheric track of piano and strings that drifts before careening into a full-on wall of guitars. *Burnover* is the sound of Greg Freeman arriving. Be ready for it. **9\. **The Tubs – *Cotton Crown*** The second album from the Cardiff-based band is full of jangly chords and fleet-fingered leads. Every note feels propulsive, accompanied by the vocals of Owen Williams, often described as a cross between Richard Thompson and Bob Mould — a spot-on comparison, especially when he sounds like both on the same song. I can’t overstate the thrill and breath of fresh air on the gliding opener “The Thing Is” and the chugging “Freak Mode.” It’s an absolute joy to listen to. The crown jewel, though, is the stellar “Chain Reaction,” a song about being a jerk and being fully aware of it: “I am a scammer in the game of love / I take it all and I won’t give it,” Williams sings over guitars and keys that take flight. Who knew self-deprecation and self-awareness could be so damn catchy? **10\. **Florry – *Sounds Like…*** A behemoth of a record from an alt-country band from Philly, of all places. “First It Was a Movie, Then It Was a Book,” with its synchronized leads and Francie Medosch’s twang, feels like a brawny Wilco track — a high compliment. While the verses sail with the confidence of a band together for a decade, it’s staggering to remember this is just their third album, seven years in. “Waiting Around to Provide,” with its early-’70s Neil Young harmonica and crashing chords, nods to familiar sounds without becoming a facsimile. The scuzzed-out “Truck Flipped Over ’19” builds dramatic fiddle lines before unhooking into a thrilling racket. It’s a record that sounds lived-in but alive. With each listen, you half-expect some improvisation you missed before. Even when it doesn’t happen, the feeling that it *might* is a pretty wonderful magic trick. 11\. Hotline TNT – *Raspberry Moon* *12\.* Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band – *New Threats from the Soul* 13\. Sam Fender – *People Watching* 14\. Dijon – *Baby* 15\. Jason Isbell – *Foxes in the Snow* 16\. Blood Orange – *Essex Honey* 17\. Jeff Tweedy – *Twilight Override* 18\. End It – *Wrong Side of Heaven* 19\. Turnstile – *Never Enough* 20\. **Pig Pen - Mental Madness* ### Wednesday’s Bleeds Shows a Band Leveling Up in Every Direction URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/wednesday-bleeds/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:08.000Z *Bleeds,* the sixth album from Wednesday, isn’t a reinvention, but it’s a refinement that is sharper, heavier, and somehow more vulnerable at the same time. It’s the sound of a band knowing exactly what they do best and digs in deeper. Karly Hartzman’s songwriting has always carried a mix of heartbreak and humor, and on *Bleeds* it feels stripped of any pretense. These songs don’t reach for beauty, they somehow stumble into it. The images come fast and real: half-lit porches, late-night drives, bad habits you swear you’ve broken but never really do. They've been doing this on their previous records, but on 2023's *Rat Saw God,* they completely refined the process and in turn made an all-time classic. The album opens with a miasma of guitar with “Reality TV Argument Bleeds”. As they start to build, they then chug, and finally crest and caterwaul. There’s noise, but it’s purposeful, more like pressure building than chaos exploding. The band behind her sounds incredible here. Hartzman, along with bassist, Ethan Baechtold, drummer, Alan Miller, guitarist MJ Lenderman, and pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis have created a sound all in their own. The guitars cut but never overwhelm. Lap steel glides in perfect moments. Everything feels lived-in and slightly frayed around the edges. “Townies” is a twangy loper that is a snapshot of what you’d exactly think. “Wound Up Here (By Holdin On)” sets the tone. It’s a weary kind of resilience, the kind that comes from surviving rather than winning. “Elderberry Wine” is a showstopper. It leans softer but still aches, and “Pick Up That Knife” hits with a messy mix of rage and release. Each track builds its own world, but they all orbit the same feeling — trying to keep it together when everything around you is bleeding out. What’s different this time is how deliberate it all feels. The pacing is perfect. The quiet moments have weight, and the loud ones crash through like they’ve been waiting for their turn. Even the sequencing feels thoughtful, pulling you through a story without spelling it out. By the time “Gary’s II” rolls around to close it, the album feels less like a set of songs and more like a conversation — between the band, between the listener, maybe even between versions of yourself you don’t talk to that often. What sticks with you isn’t the noise or the riffs — it’s the humanity. The way Hartzman sings like she’s sitting next to you, trying to figure it all out in real time. It’s messy and raw, but that’s the whole point. *Bleeds* doesn’t try to patch the wound. It just stares at it and says, “Yeah, that’s what it feels like.” It’s another extraordinary leap from one of the best bands making music today. **Bleeds is [out now ](https://wednesday.lnk.to/bleeds?ref=obviatemedia.net)on Dead Oceans.** ### Greg Freeman Levels Up on 'Burnover' URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/greg-freeman-levels-up-on-burnover/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:09.000Z Isn’t it great when a record just jumps out at you out of nowhere? I hadn’t even heard of Greg Freeman prior to this April, much less listened to him. But when “Point and Shoot,” the first single from his excellent sophomore album *Burnover*, was released, it was immediately clear this was the work of a singular talent who’s been making great music under the radar for a few years now. The word-of-mouth that lifted 2022’s *I Looked Out* from obscurity to buzz was completely warranted. The Burlington, VT-based Freeman built irresistibly catchy songs like “Colorado,” “Come and Change My Body,” and the drowsy “Long Distance Driver” out of dissonance and noise, creating that feeling of being nearsighted and putting on glasses for the first time. Plain and simple, it was a gem. With *Burnover*, Freeman’s talents come into focus with LASIK precision. The herky-jerky “Rome, New York” stumbles forward on clunky percussion and barroom piano before breaking into a singalong chorus. The breezy, twangy “Gallic Shrug” sounds like Malkmus-in-miniature, but with less wink-and-nod and a little more heart. “Gulch” is a straight-up ripper, all slapdash chords and horns cresting at just the right time. If there’s one thing about *Burnover*, it’s that Freeman took what worked best on *I Looked Out* and ran it through the ‘enhance’ filter. The riffs hit harder. The rough edges are smoothed out just enough. It’s still plenty noisy, but with that Maldon finishing-salt kick. The record closes with a hell of a one-two punch—a sad, seasick ballad with a cassette tape sample cutting through the haze, followed by “Wolf Pine,” an atmospheric track of piano and strings that drifts before careening into a full-on wall of guitars and noise. For an artist who just spent a record writing songs that crackle and zip, the sheer weight of the closer is a reminder of Freeman’s range and ambition. *Burnover* is the sound of Greg Freeman arriving. Be ready for it. [It's out now on Canvasback/Transgressive](https://gregfreeman1.bandcamp.com/album/burnover?ref=obviatemedia.net). ### Japanese Breakfast Shifts Gears on For Melancholy Brunettes (And Sad Women) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/japanese-breakfast-melancholy-brunettes/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:09.000Z Japanese Breakfast’s new album, *For Melancholy Brunettes (And Sad Women)*, is a study in restraint and reflection. Where 2021’s *Jubilee* reached for the sky with lush, sparkling pop anthems, this record is more grounded—not somber, but deliberate, with a widescreen scope. It steps away from the exuberance of her last release and the grief of Michelle Zauner’s earlier work to explore something quieter and more interior. Following the breakout success of *Jubilee* and her memoir *Crying in H Mart*, Zauner’s fourth album is full of nuance and detail, drawing you in inch by inch instead of hook by hook. The record opens with a swirl of mandolin and gamelan on “Here is Someone,” immediately plunging you into a new world. It’s almost trance-like, lilting you along until you’re carried into the first single, “Orlando in Love”—the lyrics of which inspired the album’s title, itself lifted from a John Cheever short story. The song is a meditative piece, lifted by romantic, rising strings. Both opening tracks serve as sonic tablesetters for songs with slightly more heft. That shift arrives with “Honey Water,” a dark, churning track about an unfaithful partner. “Mega Circuit” moves through glassy percussion before giving way to the delicately picked “Little Girl.” Much of the album feels intimately constructed, made for quiet downtime, low moments, and deep listening. The twangy “Picture Window” is about as loud as it gets—until the dusty duet “Men in Bars.” Out in the distance of the setting sun comes a voice as familiar as it is surprising: Jeff Bridges. It’s the biggest left turn on a record full of them. *For Melancholy Brunettes (And Sad Women)* feels elemental. It’s as light as air, yet as dense as packed snow. It may not be the record most expected to follow *Jubilee*, but it reveals an artist in full command—creating as she sees fit, guided by instinct, not expectation. *For Melancholy Brunettes (And Sad Women)* is out now on Dead Oceans. ### Songs of 2024 and Other Stuff URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/songs-of-2024-and-other-favorites/ Last updated: 2024-12-31T06:01:00.000Z Best Box Set: Tsunami - **Loud As Is** Best Reissue: John Cale - ***Paris 1919*** Best Live Albums: The War on Drugs - **Live Drugs Again**, The National **\- Rome** Best 2023 release I discovered in 2024: Zach Bryan - **Zach Bryan** Catalog Releases I spent a lot of time with: Noah Kahan - **Stick Season (Forever)** Pearl Jam - **No Code** Zach Bryan Catalog Title Fight Catalog ### Favorite Albums of 2024 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2024/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:09.000Z 1. **Good Looks - *Lived Here A While*** When anyone asks me what this record sounds like, I say it’s “indie rock made by 38-year-olds.” While I’m probably off the mark—singer/guitarist Tyler Jordan is only 36—these breezy, beautiful, and propulsive songs soar with solos that truly take flight. They’ve soundtracked a year filled with high highs, low lows, and gut-wrenching heartbreak. “If It’s Gone” is an all-timer with lines like “*May you always know your value/Don’t let fuckers sell you short*,” while the crackling “Can You See Me Tonight?” is simply an intensely enjoyable listen. “Self-destructor” will burrow into the deepest recesses of your mind, as will the sweet love song “Vaughn.” There are few better lines than right before invoking the song subject’s name, “*In a year when everything was going wrong, I’m so glad that I met you.*” Certainly true. Turn this one on, close your eyes, and let it flow through you. It’s complicated, stormy, beautiful, and, most importantly, so much fun. **2\. Zach Bryan - *The Great American Bar Scene*** Zach Bryan is one of the biggest stars in the world right now, so it’s pretty strange that he released an album this year that feels weirdly slept on. *The Great American Bar Scene*, released only 314 days after his self-titled album, is another step in his transformation from country-rock poster boy to a singer-songwriter blending rock rave-ups and Bon Iver-infused folk. While many of these songs might not contain the firepower you’d expect for massive crowds, they’re some of the best of his career. There’s the bubbling bass undercurrent in the morally murky “Oak Island,” the stellar duet “Sandpaper,” where Zach and Bruce Springsteen sound like younger and older versions of the same man singing in tandem, the solemn harmonica of “Pink Skies,” the rave-up energy of “American Nights” (sure to be huge live on subsequent runs), and the mounting singalong of “28.” There’s so much to love here. Dig in and listen deep. **3\. Waxahatchee - *Tigers Blood*** Katie Crutchfield, recording as Waxahatchee, has once again delivered an album brimming with timelessness. *Tigers Blood*, her sixth record, builds on the sonic rebirth of 2020’s *Saint Cloud*, where a pivot to country-inflected songwriting and the clarity of sobriety under Brad Cook’s stewardship set a new high-water mark. If *Saint Cloud* was a rebirth, *Tigers Blood* is the sound of that new life fully realized. These songs transcend mere craftsmanship; they feel like standards, rooted in authenticity and earned emotional depth. The record brims with standout moments. “3 Sisters” shifts from harmonized beauty to a driving stomp, while “Ice Cold” blends twangy guitars with Crutchfield’s soaring vocals. MJ Lenderman, Spencer Tweedy, and the Cook brothers contribute to the warmth and immediacy of the album, with tracks like “Right Back to It” embodying the perfect marriage of their talents. Crutchfield’s duet with Lenderman is a career highlight, her falsetto soaring over his sleepy drawl in one of the year’s best songs. From the southern slow burn of “Burns Out at Midnight” to the communal title track, *Tigers Blood* captures Crutchfield at her peak, documenting a moment where everything—challenges included—feels beautifully and profoundly okay. **4\. Japandroids - *Fate and Alcohol*** How do you make peace with something you thought was over? That question lingered as I spent months with *Fate and Alcohol*, the fourth and final album from Japandroids—a band that defined my twenties and carried me into my thirties. When they announced the record, it was a shock. The fact that it’s their last? Not so much. Japandroids always burned like a firework, bright and intense, and every album cycle felt like it might be the end. After seven and a half years of silence, they’ve returned with a record that isn’t a grand goodbye but something more satisfying—a rediscovery of the chaotic, joyful energy that made them unforgettable in the first place. *Fate and Alcohol* kicks off with “Eye Contact High,” a ripper that immediately pulls you back into their world of rumbling riffs, splashy drums, and Brian King’s howl. From there, it rolls into standouts like “D&T” and “Positively 34th Street,” a miniature epic about regret and second chances that ranks among their very best. Tracks like “Upon Sober Reflection” and “Fugitive Summer” channel the *Celebration Rock* era, while “All Bets Are Off” feels like the final page of their story—exhausted, bittersweet, and ready to go home. These songs aren’t meant to be overanalyzed; they’re meant to be blasted through speakers or devoured on late-night headphone listens. Japandroids gave us one last shot at full-throttle, messy, romantic chaos, and while it’s imperfect, it’s everything you could hope for from a band that always left it all on the table. 5\. **MJ Lenderman - *Manning Fireworks*** *Manning Fireworks* isn’t an album that introduces the next great songwriter—it’s a definitive confirmation of what you might already know if you’ve listened to MJ Lenderman’s previous work: he’s already great. This album is where it all comes into focus. Songs like “Wristwatch” and “She’s Leaving You” are so perfectly crafted that it’s hard to believe they’re not covers of timeless indie rock jams from 30 years ago. And then there are the lines—memorable, quirky, and spot-on. I can’t count how many times I’ve found myself referencing a “houseboat docked at the Himbo Dome” in conversation, or how true the line “*Don’t move to New York City, babe / It’s gonna change the way you dress*” feels. "*A-woo! Bark at the Moon"*, indeed. 6\. **Johnny Blue Skies/Sturgill Simpson - *Passage Du Desir*** There’s no point in trying to figure out what motivates Sturgill Simpson. Right now, it seems like he’s embracing a completely different moniker, creating some of the best songs of his career with a jam band-like energy and a tour to match (some shows stretching over 3 hours!). “If The Sun Never Rises Again” is gorgeously delicate, with Simpson’s voice gliding effortlessly over the track, while the easy country vibe of “Mint Tea” transitions smoothly into the stunning “One For The Road.” It’s one of the year’s best and most surprising releases. 7\. **Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - *Wild God*** Nick Cave has masterfully navigated grief through immense heartbreak and tragedy in his recent albums, which have served as beautiful meditations on the subject. *Wild God*, his first with the Bad Seeds in five years, however, feels like a sliver of light, like on "Joy," where Cave is visited by a 'flaming boy in giant sneakers' saying *“we've all had too much sorrow is over/now it’s time for joy*. It's the cresting over the darkness of an endless night. *Wild God* is awe-inspiring, heart-filling, and, at this moment, desperately needed. 8\. **Hurray For The Riff Raff - *The Past Is Still Alive*** Hurray For The Riff Raff continue their impressive hot streak with *The Past is Still Alive*, reuniting with producer Brad Cook to craft a record that feels a little more direct than 2022’s excellent *LIFE ON EARTH*. Alynda Segarra delivers standout tracks like the pastoral “Buffalo,” the vigorous “Hawkmoon,” the swirling beauty of “Colossus of Roads,” and the poignant duet “The World is Dangerous” with Conor Oberst. It’s a record that manages to feel both intimate and expansive at the same time. 9\. **Jack White - *No Name*** Jack White surprise releases a record with no title consisting of 13 songs that sound like lost White Stripes classics. It’s unrelenting, hard rocking, and most importantly, the most fun thing he’s done in years. That’s it. That’s the writeup. Crank this one up loud. **10 . Restorations - *Restorations*** Restorations have always occupied that hard-to-define space between raw nerve and quiet resolve, where vulnerability meets defiance. For me, they’re more than just a band—they’re a tether to a self I barely recognize anymore. Their music found me before what I now think of as “The Thousand Yard Stare,” before life split wide open. Three months into COVID lockdown, I became a Dad three months prematurely. My son came into the world weighing 1 lb, 11 oz, in the care of masked doctors and nurses whose faces I can’t even picture. Those months rewired everything—how I connected with people, how I saw the world, even how music moved through me. What once flowed easily now feels like it takes blunt force repetition to hit my bones. But Restorations? They still get into my marrow. Their fifth album, their first since 2018, is no exception. Restorations remain a band that thrives on uninhibited passion and crackling energy, crafting songs that feel lived-in and alive. But this record hits differently. The band—Jon Loudon, Dave Klyman, Dan Zimmerman, Bean Friend, and Jeff Meyers—had to reimagine their creative process, spread out across Philadelphia, Asheville, and Buffalo. They carved out focused bursts of time at Retro City Studios and Gradwell House to meticulously shape and reshape each song. The result feels deliberate yet visceral, kicking off with “Field Recordings,” a track that announces this new era with all the unrelenting force and heart you’d expect. Restorations are still here, still vital, and still finding ways to speak directly to the space between your throat and your heart. **11\. Touche Amore - *Spiral In A Straight Line*** **12\. Vampire Weekend - *Only God Was Above Us*** **13\. Karate - *Make It Fit*** **14\. Jamie xx - *In Waves*** **15\. Cindy Lee - *Diamond Jubilee*** **16\. Kendrick Lamar - *GNX*** **17\. High Vis - *Guided Tour*** **17\. Mk.Gee - *Two Star and the Dream Police*** **18\. Father John Misty - *Mahashmashana*** **19\. Pearl Jam - *Dark Matter*** **20\. Cassandra Jenkins - *My Light, My Destroyer*** ### Saying Goodbye to Younger Us with Japandroids 'Fate and Alcohol' URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/japandroids-fate-and-alcohol/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:09.000Z How do you make peace with something you thought was over? Do you throw yourself back into it full force, or do you acknowledge the passing of time and approach it with the tentativeness of someone who has to keep two small children safe on a daily basis? I’m not sure how to write this review. I’ve spent the better part of the last two months listening to a record by a band that defined my twenties and carried me into my thirties. Japandroids threw everything they had into every song, every note. All you could do was marvel at the fact that the firework even lit in the first place. When the band announced *Fate and Alcohol*, their fourth—and final—album, it was a massive surprise. The fact that it was their last? Not so much. Every Japandroids album cycle always felt like it could be the end. Each release took longer, followed by an intense tour, and then radio silence. Their music was so labored, intense, and physical that it never seemed sustainable. Towards the end of the *Near to the Wild Heart of Life* run, I saw them as a surprise opener for a show in Asbury Park, NJ. After the headliner started, I stepped outside the hot venue and saw singer/guitarist Brian King pacing in the parking lot. I asked if he was okay. He said, “Yeah, I just can’t handle the noise. My ears are cooked.” That summed it all up. Months later, they played what ended up being their last show in Toronto. Years went by, and it felt like they quietly called it a career. By this year, they hadn’t released a record in seven and a half years or toured in six. They even canceled a 10th-anniversary celebration of *Celebration Rock* at Shaky Knees Festival in 2022\. In the end: three albums, a singles compilation, a few other assorted tracks, and some ripshit, sweaty-as-hell live shows. We were lucky to get that much. While nothing happened with Japandroids, everything happened with me. I got married. I had two kids. My brain is scattered across several places at once. Is this why I’m bottlenecked writing about this album? Is it because I can’t access how music used to make me feel? Am I sad or angry that the band is effectively over, or am I grateful for what’s in front of me? I don’t know if I have an answer, but I can tell you what it feels like to rediscover a familiar thrill when you least expect it. “Chicago” hit my earbuds at 3:45 a.m. one night in late July. A friend on the West Coast found it after midnight on a streaming service. Brian King’s echoed vocal before the opening guitar riff sounded like a satellite transmission from the void. But then there it was. Those jangly, messy guitar chords, the splashy drums, and that verse: *“GOD DAMN MA’AM I’M SWEATING THROUGH MY SHIRT/ANYMORE, MY BODY’S GOING TO BURN/RIGHT IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.”* Then came the chorus, something that hits my bones as a Chicago native: *“I’m sorry baby/we call it like we see it in Chicago.”* I never fell back asleep. I listened to it 25 more times on my drive to work. Just like that, I felt like I was 15 years younger. [Fate & Alcohol by Japandroids](https://japandroids.bandcamp.com/album/fate-alcohol?ref=obviatemedia.net) I found Japandroids the way many in their early twenties did in the late 2000s—through music blogs. Their raw 2009 debut, *Post-Nothing*, was buzzing everywhere. At first, I dismissed them as a No Age ripoff, but then I realized that their murky gang vocals, serrated guitars, and crashing drums stirred something in me. And I could pinpoint that feeling to a place. In early 2010, I found myself in their hometown, Vancouver, taking the SeaBus across the harbor with *Post-Nothing* on my iPod. I experienced Darkness on the Edge of Gastown. I was a rocker in East Vancouver. (Not really, but they have song titles that let you make cool hyperlocal references.) By 2012, I was living in Chicago after moving out of NYC. I was in a gray period, unsure of my direction. That summer, *Celebration Rock* arrived—a youthquake of a record that quickly became one of my all-time favorites. It’s a testament to being young, wild, lost, and romantic, all while going full throttle. It remains one of the few bright spots from an otherwise tough time. Then came 2017’s *Near to the Wild Heart of Life*, their jump into more polished, textured songs with synths and layered guitars. It showed maturity from a band that had exclusively written about high-stakes love and thrills with the pedal to the floor. As I entered my thirties, it felt perfect. The record didn’t launch Japandroids into the next stratosphere, but it’s criminally underrated. I hope time is kind to it. *Fate and Alcohol* doesn’t feel like a final goodbye. It wastes no time, starting with the no-holds-barred ripper “Eye Contact High.” King narrates falling in love at first sight while walking the streets of Toronto. It’s classic Japandroids: rumbling riffs, thunderous drums, and Prowse’s backing vocals—*“On an eye contact high/right there, in the street/on an eye contact high/I can barely breathe.”* Just like that, you’re back in their world. From there, the album rolls into “D&T” and then “Alice,” continuing to build on that frenetic energy. The band returns to their guitar-and-drum ruckus from the first two records but pulls back slightly from the sonic ambition of *Near to the Wild Heart of Life*. The songwriting remains strong—“Upon Sober Reflection” has an all-time Japandroids chorus: *“How can someone so careful with their touch?/At the same time be so careless with their love,”* while “Fugitive Summer” sounds like a *Celebration Rock*\-era track with a bit more grit. “A Gaslight Anthem” even features a rare lead vocal from Prowse over soaring guitars. Then there’s “Positively 34th Street,” easily one of the ten best songs they’ve ever written. It’s an epic in miniature, a capstone song about regret, lost love, and second chances, culminating in the choice whether or not to hit send on a text message that could change everything. It’s life-affirming in a way that words can’t fully capture—just listen to it. “All Bets Are Off” comes towards the end. It’s another screeching rocker, but King sounds exhausted. He’s boarding a plane, ready to go home: *“I wanna cry, my way, back to America/and I don’t give a damn, ain’t even/trying to hide, gimme two bottles/of anything, leaving, one I love.”* A verse later: *“This thing, baby, I’m all in/lost and lovesick/until I see you again.”* In a recent interview, King revealed he’s now living in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with a baby on the way. It’s all over, because it has to be. Maybe that’s what makes this album satisfying—it’s not about a grand goodbye. These songs aren’t made to be overanalyzed; they’re meant to be blasted through speakers or listened to too loudly in your headphones. It’s one last gift from a band that made fucking up and getting fucked up sound romantic. It’s a last chance to go full throttle, to throw everything you’ve got at the wall. It gave me a little closure and a lot of joy. Like the band, the album is imperfect, but it leaves nothing on the table. The fireworks have exploded, the stars are fading, but the smoke still hangs in the night sky. The thrill was always in the fact that it burned so brightly to begin with. [*Fate and Alcohol* is out October 18 on ANTI -. ](https://japandroids.ffm.to/fateandalcohol?ref=obviatemedia.net) ### On 'Tigers Blood', Waxahatchee's New Life Blooms URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/waxahatchee-tigers-blood/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:10.000Z It’s a special thing when a record arrives with a sense of timelessness and a feeling that the songs have always somehow existed in the echelon of popular music. Katie Crutchfield was already a decade into her career recording as Waxahatchee upon the release of 2020’s *Saint Cloud*, a sonic rebirth, pivoting from indie rock to more country inflected tunes. Her sobriety, coupled with the stewardship of the recording by Brad Cook, brought a new clarity in songwriting and sound that immediately became the band’s new high water mark. That is until now. If *Saint Cloud* was a rebirth, *Tigers Blood* is the sound of that new life well lived. The sixth album under the Waxahatchee moniker moves the goalposts yet again - it’s an artist that’s completely hit her stride and making something that sounds less like a band and something more like transcendence. These songs feel like standards, imbued with a sense of authenticity that has been attempted to be manufactured and commodified by so many artists who never truly get it right. Here, everything feels like it’s been earned. “3 Sisters” is a beautiful blend of harmony and organ before delving into a propulsive stomp, while “Ice Cold” blends twangy guitars with Crutchfield’s soaring vocals. It sounds like a band having a great time playing in a room together. The personnel on this record might have something to do with that. MJ Lenderman, known both for his own recordings and as the guitarist of Wednesday, plays rhythm guitar on the record as well as harmonies on several tracks, while Spencer Tweedy shows up on drums and percussion. Brad Cook handles bass and a few other instruments while Brad’s brother, Phil, contributes banjo, organ and piano. There truly is no greater example of the marriage of these elements than on Crutchfield’s duet with Lenderman, “Right Back to It”. Cook’s banjo intertwines beautifully with Lenderman’s guitars while Tweedy’s backbeat binds it together. Then Crutchfield’s voice sails in: *“Photograph of us/In a spotlight/On a hot night/I was drifting in and out..”* and then you’re right in the middle of a scene you can almost reach out and touch. Crutchfield and Lenderman sing the next lines together, blending beautifully. her falsetto over his sleepy drawl *\- “I've been yours for so long/We come right back to it/I let my mind run wild/Don't know why I do it/But you just settle in/Like a song with no end If I can keep up/We'll get right back to it*”. It’s easily one of the best songs of the year, if not this young decade. “Burns Out at Midnight” is a killer blend of southern fried slow burn harmonica and clodding chords, “Bored” is an excellent rave-up rocker with a soaring chorus. “Lone Star Lake” is a beautiful loping ballad that will be covered by another artist in no time flat. These songs simply are just so full-bodied and formed that it’s impossible to believe that they are new to 2024. The record’s final three songs - the astonishing acoustic “365”, the easy beat of “The Wolves” and the rousing, communal title track really deliver the message of *Tigers Blood*. Waxahatchee, or Katie Crutchfield is at that sweet stage that so many of us hope and aspire to, in that liminal middle stage, where it can all just feel okay, the challenges are still challenges but hinge a little less on blowing it all up. *“You know I stay in a hurry, babe/I miss a lot of good things,”* she sings on a verse of “The Wolves”. Not on *Tigers Blood*. They’re all right here, perfectly captured and documented to enjoy for all time. [Tigers Blood is out now on ANTI-.](https://waxahatchee.ffm.to/store?ref=obviatemedia.net) [Tigers Blood by Waxahatchee](https://waxahatchee.bandcamp.com/album/tigers-blood?ref=obviatemedia.net) ### Songs of 2023 and Other Stuff URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/songs-of-2023-and-other-stuff/ Last updated: 2023-12-31T04:33:15.000Z My favorite songs of 2023 and other music related faves I spent time with this year: Best Reissue: The Replacements - **Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)** Best Live Album: Sonic Youth -***Live in Brooklyn 2011* (8/12/2011)** Best 2022 release I discovered in 2023: High Vis - ***Blending*** Catalog Releases I spent a lot of time with: Harmonia & Eno '76 - ***Tracks and Traces*** (1997, Recorded Sept 1976) Robbie Robertson - **Robbie Robertson** (1987) De La Soul - ***3 Feet High and Rising*** (1989) Gauze - ***Equalizing Distort*** (1986) Unwound - ***Leaves Turn Inside You*** (2001) Talking Heads - ***Stop Making Sense*** (1984, 2023 Reissue) ### Favorite Albums of 2023 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2023/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:10.000Z 1. **Ratboys - *The Window*** I don’t know what it is about *The Window* that I keep coming back to it so consistently. From the slow boil of “Making Noise for the Ones You Love” to the jangle pop of “Morning Zoo”, the anthemic “It’s Alive” or the raging tides of 8 minute plus jams (“Black Earth, WI”, looking at you.). It’s just a total breeze. It’s a record not married to a time and place and would be imposible to pinpoint that without context. It’s one of the most purely enjoyable records I’ve heard in some time, and a runaway pick for my album of the year. **2\. Wednesday - *Rat Saw God*** Wednesday have quietly and quickly become one of the best bands today based on their varied and quickly growing catalog. *Rat Saw God* is their fifth LP since 2018 - this one coming off of 2021’s *Twin Plagues* quickly followed by their knockout covers LP “*Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling 'Em Up*. Here, singer/guitarist Karly Hartman writes in slice-of-life specifics take the riff and lap steel instant classic “Chosen to Deserve” - “*I was out late, sneakin' into the neighborhood pool/Then I woke up early and taught at the Sunday school/If you're lookin' for me/I’m in the back of an SUV/Doin' it in some cul-de-sac/Underneath a dogwood tree*”. On the flip side, there’s a small observation about being in love while experiencing chaos on the quasi duet with Hartzman’s partner, Jake Lenderman, (also known as MJ Lenderman): “*I like sleepin' with the lights on/You next to me watching Formula One/Truck was too tall for the overpass/Got the top ripped off/didn’t see it happen/I just saw the aftermath”*. It’s the tiny details that are woven into the noise and twang tapestries Wednesday creates that makes them so memorable. **3\. Hotline TNT - *Cartwheel*** It almost feels a little weak to make the following comparison because it’s just so readily apparent, but hearing Hotline TNT’s *Cartwheel* for the first time reminds me of the first time I heard *Loveless* by My Bloody Valentine when I was 17\. I am not a musician by any stretch, but for someone with the ability to pull sounds out of a guitar that sound like they’re vacuuming up the universe with every strum is something I marvel at. It’s thrilling to hear the opening bass and feedback blips of “Protocol” that seemingly jangle into infinity with Will Anderson’s voice gliding over it all. This continues over the album’s twelve tracks, whether it be the see saw riffs of “History Channel” or the woozy atmospherics and chitter-chatter of “That Was My Life”. I truly don’t know how this was made, but damn if it doesn’t feel effortless. **4\. Sincere Engineer - *Cheap Grills*** Deanna Belos has always made good records, but her third *Cheap Grills* is truly **great**. She’s sharpened her songwriting skills even further that every hook is memorable - I find myself singing passages of the album's songs all day long. I think it’s because something about her music feels so familiar to me, emblematic of the bands I would see in the northwestern Chicago burbs as a teenager. Not that I was ever really *consistent* with that, but I remember lineups of local groups in parking lots of VFW halls, battle of the bands in school gyms and random one-offs at other venues in the area. It feels like a reminder of that time in the early 00’s where kids I went to school with spoke of seeing bands at Fireside or Metro like The Lawrence Arms or listening to the dearly-departed Slapstick or another burgeoning Chicago group you might have heard of - Alkaline Trio. Sincere Engineer’s music is not really like that at all, but it feels spiritually connected. On “California King”, she sings, “*Maybe everything around me is too slow/Baby, in this city I've been feeling so alone/Lately I've been thinking 'bout leaving Chicago”*. That’s something I actually felt and ended up doing. It didn't stick, but you learn from those experiences. Nothing drove this home more than one of the album's best tracks, “A Touch of Hell”. It’s about going back home after a long time, noticing all the changes and trying to take stock of what that means in the context of your present life: *“Can't believe everything I did since the last time I was here,”* she sings. *“I took a train ride out to Elgin/Yeah, I took a train ride out to Elgin.*” Just like that, there I am again. It’s the middle of the first decade of the 00’s, I’m on the Metra coming home from college, looking out the window as the landscape zooms by, still trying to figure out who I was going to be. \*\*\* *Big Timber is the final station on this train. Everyone is expected to exit\*\*\** As I walked to the parking lot under the halo of the lamppost, I'd wonder blankly what the next day would bring. Now it’s a little more certain, but this album is a great reminder of the journey it took to get there. **5\. Zulu - *A New Tomorrow*** Zulu’s blend of hardcore is wildly intense, running the gamut of hardcore, metal, disparate samples, spoken word interludes and powerviolence. I guess the fact that their Instagram handle is @blackpowerviolence is apt. It's a stunning document that really can't be quantified in a way to write down other than to sit and listen to it. For a band from Los Angeles, it’s weird it makes me think of Birmingham, England. That’s where I first heard of the record from my friends who lived there, as we watched videos in their apartment of the band playing a festival in the states the year prior. I’ll always think of that weekend on the other side of the world, exploring a place I’d never been, being dazzled by those sights and sounds but still feeling like my ears just discovered something revelatory from back at home. **6\. The Gaslight Anthem - *History Books*** One of the most unlikely comebacks in recent years, *History Books* is a rebirth for a band that was so easy to pigeonhole and poke fun at for making what felt like the same record over and over. Of course, that never really was the case, but it was easy to say they were writing "Songs About Maria" and "More Songs About Maria". The band entered a hiatus in 2014 and only emerged once in 2018 for a short 10th anniversary tour behind *The '59 Sound.* Nine years later, they returned with what's their strongest and most consistent record ever. It's a record they never could have made without the downtime and distance - it's the work of a veteran band who have found new life. While their earlier material might crackle and pop, what is in place here is a little more evenly paced and measured. The sonics are deliberately murky. Brian Fallon's workman approach to songwriting has paid off. It's a record designed for repeat listens and worth your time and effort to discover. **7\. Wilco - *Cousin*** I was of the belief that Wilco might have already made all of the music I’d ever need to hear from them and every record since that was just a simple pleasure that I’d eventually put back down. With *Cousin,* I’m happy to report that I’m wrong. With Cate Le Bon behind the boards, the band is officially out of their comfort zone here making noisy, cooked/burnt out jams that don’t really sound a whole lot like anything they’ve done before. A common complaint from fans these days is that Jeff Tweedy doesn’t emote in the same ways he might have on previous records, but that's really in part to his evolution as a songwriter. It’s a record of nuance and small moments and works perfectly here. “Infinite Surprise” bubbles to the surface before swelling into feedback. “Pittsburgh” hits you with slabs of synth stabs. There’s dozens of tiny moments that build up into a very satisfying whole. It’s not a record to be slept on. **8\. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - *Weathervanes*** With 20+ years in to a career and a decade since his breakthrough record, Jason Isbell really doesn’t have much left to prove. It’s been a career year for him - a significant part in Martin Scorsese’s *Killers of the Flower Moon* and a retrospective box set of *Southeastern*, it’s actually easy to forget that this all kicked off with one of the best albums of his career, *Weathervanes.* Isbell self produced the album after working with Dave Cobb on nearly all of his records in the past decade, and the switch seems to have done him well. Both he and the 400 Unit sound more relaxed and have a willingness to mine and stretch the material a little more than they have on their previous releases. “King of Oklahoma” ranks among one of his best songs ever “When We Were Close” is a fitting and stunning tribute to Justin Townes Earle”, but the one-two punch of “This Ain’t It” and “Miles” show the brawn and technical prowess of the band’s showstopping live act, finally committed to tape. **9\. The Hold Steady - *The Price of Progress*** The Hold Steady have long been untethered from the expectations brought upon by their first four records, and with *The Price of Progress,* that point has only become clearer. It’s easily the band’s darkest record and a sonic spiritual successor to 2021’s *Open Door Policy.* There’s the sweeping vistas of “Grand Junction”, the Lebron James namedropping in “Sixers” and The Birdwatchers with this visual: *“Cause the rockets sound like ravens/when they're skipping off the pavement/And if you ever hear the church bells then get down on the ground”.* Twenty years in their career, it’s great to see them pushing. **10\. The National - *Laugh Track*** The National releasing an album always feels a bit like an event - and with Aaron Dessner’s foray into the Swiftiverse has amped that up a bit. *First Two Pages of Frankenstein* arrived in April and was perfectly fine, but the surprise release of *Laugh Track* in September felt a little more exciting, and for good reason: it’s the far better record of the two they’ve released this year. The National have had a tendency in the past decade to sound a little too in their heads when it comes to their recorded material, that’s why they’re such a crucial live act, where the songs transform into a form that can sometimes seem staggeringly unrecognizable. On *Laugh Track*, that nervous tension has seemed to ease. The sounds are a little weirder - “Space Invader” and the soundcheck-recorded “Smoke Detector” feel freer than anything they’ve released since maybe even *Alligator.* The previously released “Weird Goodbyes” with Bon Iver is a sweet treat near the top of side A. *Laugh Track is* snapshot of a band trying a bunch of different things at once and leaves a whole lot to discover. 11\. Be Your Own Pet - *Mommy* 12\. Jeff Rosenstock - *HELLMODE* 13\. Sufjan Stevens - *Javelin* 14\. Olivia Rodrigo - *GUTS* 15\. Foo Fighters - *But Here We Are* 16\. Hiss Golden Messenger - *Jump For Joy* 17\. Young Fathers - *Heavy Heavy* 18\. Peter Gabriel - *I/o* 19\. Marnie Stern - *The Comeback Kid* 20\. Empty Country - *Empty Country II* ### Songs of 2022 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/songs-of-2022/ Last updated: 2022-12-31T03:39:27.000Z **Top Songs of 2022, followed by everything I listened to monthly in 2022.* ### Favorite Albums of 2022 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2022/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T02:28:45.000Z *My favorite records of 2022 below, with a playlist at the end.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/b710937b-bf09-47fc-938a-cb24f03a64a9_1_105_c-jpeg.jpg) 1. **Gang of Youths - *Angel in Realtime*** In March, I flew to London by myself. It was my first time on an airplane since March 2020\. We made it home literal days before the US started restricting travel because of the quickly emerging COVID pandemic. Less than three months later, I became a father three months earlier than expected. My entire world changed twice in a very rapid amount of time. During his time in the NICU, I listened a lot to Gang of Youths “The Heart is a Muscle” as an anthem of sorts - (the heart/the heart/the heart/is a muscle/and I’m gonna make it strong!”) seemed appropriate for a premature baby. Although I was overjoyed at the birth of my son and his very speedy recovery and continual good health, I became overwhelmed with the trauma of the situation for over a year. It was complicated by an ever changing COVID situation and having an immunocompromised baby. I felt like I didn’t know where I fit anymore in the world and none the vestiges of my life prior felt like they fit me anymore. I needed to try to break the spell. By springtime, with our son almost two, my wife and I decided we should try to venture out with our trip to London. I’d go first, with Ali joining me the next day. Flying London to see friends I had not seen in two years, being anywhere within a short distance for the first time without my son weighed on me heavily. On my flight over, I became enamored with their newly released *Angel in Realtime.* There was something exquisitely hopeful, heartbreaking, elegiac and rousing about it in one shot. It’s David Le’aupepe’s examination of the life of his father, one where he explores some pretty staggering revelations about his life, all filtered through the lens of him passing. The record is sweeping, messy, broad and beautiful - huge guitars, heavenly vocals from the Auckland Gospel Choir and a piano ballad titled “Brothers” that will make your jaw drop. At the end of the record comes the one-two punch of “Hand of God” and “Goal of Century”, a hymn coupled with an astonishing, rousing finale, with truly heroic strings and a beautiful piano outro. The breadth of it gives me immense peace. I listen to both songs any time a plane I’m on is landing. The first time I did that was that trip. When I got to London, I met with my friend Mozy - Gang of Youths was actually playing an in-store at Rough Trade the day I landed. We stood at the back of the store as the band played, and I felt my voice catch in the back of my throat. It was the first time I’d heard live music in 723 days. So much had changed, but everything I remembered about how sound moved me came rushing back. Songs like “You in Everything” and “In The Wake of Your Leave” communicated the feeling of what it’s like to love someone so much but get that sinking feeling of it slipping through your fingers. That happened to David, I am unbelievably grateful it did not happen to me. After the set I was pretty emotional, but invigorated. The band was doing a meet and greet. I went up to the members and quickly told them the story about my son and how early he was and how important one of their songs was. David gave me a gigantic hug and looked me in the eyes and said “You’re a good dad, man.” I’ll never forget it for the rest of my days. *Angel in Realtime* is the only choice for my favorite record of this year. It reconnected me to sound, to soul, and gave voice to my feelings when I thought mine was lost. 2\. **Big Thief - *Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You*** Many great records came out this year, but none were more adventurous than the double album *Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You* by Big Thief. The 20-track collection feels like a little bit of everything from a group that sounds less like a group of four musicians in a room, than a singular organism shifting in sequence with each other. The songs here are kaleidoscopic in their sound - quiet acoustic ballads, celestial folk, bubbling rock squalls, and of course, a song about a potato. There’s a sense of wonder and playfulness found on this record that doesn’t exist on previous Big Thief LP’s. In turn, it makes it some of their most approachable, exhilarating and inviting work - the sound of one body and one circulatory system working to keep the blood pumping. 3\. **MJ Lenderman - *Boat Songs*** It shouldn’t sound so easy to write songs like this. *Boat Songs* is twangy garage rock that comes off as effortless - take “Hangover Game” where Lenderman speculates that Michael Jordan’s legendary “Flu Game” was not caused from illness or food poisoning but, well, you get it. There’s also songs about buying boats (of course), pro wrestling and Dan Marino. It glides by you so quickly and then you just want to replay it again. It’s so hooky, honest and at times, hilarious that you just keep replaying it, always wanting more, exposing that hidden detail in the fuzz that you missed the last time around. 4\. **Alvvays - *Blue Rev*** The first album from the Toronto-based group in five years is a straight-up masterpiece, a perfect amalgamation of power-pop fuzed with shoegaze guitars and singer/guitarist Molly Rankin’s hazy vocals. *Blue Rev* somehow manages to feel both huge and intimate in tandem - this is a record to be played both loud on a car stereo with the windows down, or on a cold winter day snuggled up with headphones. It’s an environment within its 39 minute runtime - sometimes stormy, other times sunny or in its most quiet moments, completely serene. No matter the weather, it glistens. 5. **Black Country, New Road - *Ants From Up There*** This peculiar sophomore release from the Cambridgeshire, UK group starts with a deluge of horns before breaking into a series of songs that can only be described as epics in minutes. Much of the record’s release cycle made buzz came on the heels of the departure of frontperson Issac Wood, and if it’s the final chapter in this era of the band, then what an exhilarating way to go out. It’s an indie-rock record that subverts every expectation, and takes such severe left turns that every song feels like a mystery box waiting to be opened. They’re so in the groove here, that even without their co-founder, they’ll be more than capable of creating more music that truly sounds like nothing else before it. 6\. **Craig Finn - *A Legacy of Rentals*** Craig Finn’s continual evolution as a storyteller is never more evident here. On *ALOR*, he and major collaborator Josh Kaufman paint with a new sonic palette than their previous three collaborations. The results will stop you in your tracks. 7\. **Harry Styles - *Harry’s House*** Our family is one of divergent music tastes, but *Harry’s House* is one roof we all live under comfortably. Also, seeing him live in September was one of the year’s live music highlights Ali and I listened to this record on so many car rides this summer, as Remy requested “Harry” from the backseat. Whether it was our British friend or the puppet he likes from YouTube, we’ll never know - although he never complained when “As It Was” started to play. 8\. **Spielbergs - *Vestli*** Spielbergs are the best band that you might not have heard of. It’s pretty simple: They’re from Norway. They make 3-4 minute punk songs that feel like mini movies - ripping solos, whoa-oh vocals and choruses that will stick to you like jolly ranchers embedding themselves to the top of your teeth. The trio imbues these songs with such verve and high energy that when the band takes a breather with passages of cool synths or piano and strings before shifting back into exhilarating anthems, you can’t help but feel like they’re moving toward a level of world building we’ve yet to see in punk. 9\. **Goose - *Dripfield*** Goose are quickly becoming the standard bearer in this age of jam bands, and their recent tour with Trey Anastasio and sold out shows across the country are perfect evidence of this. Besides their obvious chops, the band has been known to cover a vast number of influences (think The National, OutKast and Nina Simone) but on *Dripfield*, it’s a surprisingly tight, tuneful and slick collection of songs that acts as a great entry point for a band that’s certainly more known for their live shows. It’s a collection of songs featuring excellent musicianship that is impressive but not egregious, a record that makes a statement but feels easy, breezy and ultimately joyful. 10. **Gladie - *Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out*** Gladie’s sophomore LP starts out with about a minute of acoustic guitar that bleeds into hazy feedback before crashing into one of the year’s best, greatest songs, “Born Yesterday”. Frontperson Augusta Koch states: “It takes me me more time/I’m a little unsteady/I was born yesterday/I forgot I could be somebody”. Words from someone trying to find their place with clear eyes. A few lines later: “Now the floodgates are open/The way I feel could fill the ocean.” She repeats it four times. I know that feeling. Then: “…when the wave comes crashing in, it said I'm not a fixed thing/I'm changeable”. It’s an anthem for anyone who has felt unmoored, who has lost their sense of self, unsure of their identity or how to navigate a new world. Maybe that’s in more ways than one. *Don’t Know What You’re In Until You’re Out* is full of songs with this level of relatable intensity. It’s hard to capture that feeling so perfectly, but they’ve done it. 11. **Hurray For the Riff Raff - *Life on Earth*** 12\. **The Beths - *Expert in a Dying Field*** 13\. **Soul Glo - *Diaspora Problems*** 14\. **Wednesday - *Mowing the Leaves Instead of Piling ‘Em Up*** 15. **Caroline - *Caroline*** 16\. **Yeah Yeah Yeahs - *Cool It Down*** 17\. **Wet Leg- *Wet Leg*** 18\. **Taylor Swift - *Midnights*** 19\. **Titus Andronicus - *The Will To Live*** 20\. **The 1975 - *Being Funny In A Foreign Language*** ### The First Week in June URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/june-7-2020/ Last updated: 2022-06-09T19:13:03.000Z I feel like my brain is broken. I’ve probably thought about how to write this for two months, but I can’t get it to sound right or write how it is in my head. I know from therapy and experience that this is certainly post traumatic stress disorder. It mostly comes in waves these days, multiple times a day. I can look at Remy doing something simple as rolling his toy tractor across the floor, or giggling when he sees Mortie and Stanley and instantly be transported back to two years ago this week when all of that seemed.. tenuous. Before I go any further, I should note I feel so grateful - we’ve got a great, healthy, robust kid who will be two on Friday. He’s amazing. Handsome, bursting with personality an has an incredible sense of humor. But there’s just a lot that this week has brought to me in the past two years. — About a month ago, Remy tripped and split his head open on an end table. Despite the amount of blood, and initial crying out of shock, he was fine and acting like himself. Ali was at her first day of work at a new job and my Mom was watching him at her house where I work out of. We took him to immediate care. As I watched the doctor sew him up, I cried. I held his right foot down and my mom held his left. The nurses kept his arms down to their sides in a pillow case. Then, from my perspective, I could see his teeth. He had almost all of them in the top row. It was amazing that he had teeth. It started to calm me down. To watch him here, less than a month short of two years since he was born. Crying, with teeth, living. It brought me back to when I saw him in an incubator for the for the first time as they wheeled him from delivery to the NICU. — I can’t hear the chorus of “Rise Up” by Andra Day without the blood feeling like it’s draining from my body. They played it over the loudspeakers it at the hospital Remy was at whenever a COVID patient went home. It certainly was a sweet sentiment, and a true triumph for sure, especially in those early months prior to the vaccine. It's just sonic wallpaper for me at the most intense moment of my life. It’s the gauzy sound from the hallway in Ali’s hospital room for eight nights. We didn’t know what it was in the first place, but we just kept \*hearing it\*. Meanwhile, we had a baby down the hall in the NICU fighting for every inch. It almost felt perverse in some way. I would hear it I was scrubbing in to go see him for every one of those 75 days. With some distance now and experience with my volunteering, I’ve learned about other NICU experiences, but I’m left wondering what to do with those feelings the firework fizzles out and the gunpowder drifts away in the sky. I’ve never learned how to connect the dots of having a kid who is doing so well health wise and to somehow match that with his violent and traumatic beginning. I really cannot relate to the sleepless nights of being a new parent at home. We had sleepless nights not knowing how he was doing overnight in the NICU, and then again, when he finally came home like any other newborn. Or to stick to an already established feeding schedule. What I do know, though, is to have a baby home finally after two and a half months and then ten days later need to take that same baby back in for surgery where they’ll be put under. Neither of us knows of going down this whole road for nine months and then have the journey feel complete and new. I’m not complaining - truly - I just feel like that’s lost. I have a very hard time with that. I think I try to compensate with that by trying to cliffnotes the story with the addendum ‘BUT HE’S GOOD!” so often now. I want to talk about the journey. But it doesn’t always feel right. What’s most difficult its that the outcome we have had is good. I carry this with me every day, and I don’t know why. I love being a father. I really do. But I feel like this specific becoming a parent burnt something in my nerves and receptors. For the longest time I could not handle loud noise or intense music. I am certainly more fearful. I am deeply a homebody. I’d much rather be to myself than I used to be, and I don’t find it as easy to share or be open anymore. I know I’ll get there, I know as he starts to be able to converse with us a little more I’ll learn from his perspective and maybe this experience wont be so insular. The intensity of these feelings will start to fade and I’ll look at these days between now and June 10 as ones that were some of the hardest and scariest in my wife’s life and mine and they’ll be even more reason to celebrate. I know this. I just know I’m not quite there yet. ### Songs of 2021 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/songs-of-2021/ Last updated: 2021-12-31T16:14:54.000Z Top Songs of 2021, followed by everything I listened to monthly in 2021. ### Favorite Albums of 2021 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/top-albums-of-2021/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:11.000Z My favorite records of 2021 below, with a playlist at the end. Songs to come soon! 1. **Turnstile - *Glow On*** In an era where it’s hard to feel like just letting loose and purely enjoying anything without some sort of fear or apprehension, there’s one record that reminds you that time did exist and will again. *Glow On* is a kaleidoscope of hardcore rave ups, sinewy, left field instrumental flourishes and moves so deftly that it’s a genuine shock when the record is over. Turnstile have their sights set on something bigger without even having to declare it - Glow On is both a natural evolution and a giant step at the same time. I listened to this more than anything else this year, and most days, it’s all I want to listen to. 2. **The Hold Steady - *Open Door Policy*** *Open Door Policy* is the album The Hold Steady were destined to make. After the reconfiguration of their lineup in 2016, it is no secret how incredible the group is live, but it hasn’t really translated to a record until now. The depth and breadth of their talent is on full display here, their most textured work to date. It’s ten songs full of rich storytelling -*(“I know a perfect place to go/slide your little phone into airplane mode*” a saga in a sentence) painting with the deepest hues they’ve ever used. They’re a band who are aging marvelously, creating new and provocative work nearly two decades into a career of a band that against all odds has shown a staggering resiliency that would end a lesser group. 3\. **The War on Drugs - *I Don’t Live Here Anymore*** There’s something mesmerizing about almost every record by The War on Drugs. They’re endlessly replay-able, and just ephemeral enough that the memory recall of their hooks are broken into tiny bits, leaving you wondering if you imagined that melody or verse. *I Don’t Live Here Anymore* retains that quality but something here feels more solid. The band congeals all those elements of what made them special and refines them. Passages don’t linger as much as they push for emotional resonance. While records like *Lost in the Dream* and *A Deeper Understanding* invite you in, this one comes to you, bold and openhearted. How they’re able to do that but still feel like a secret is part of their magic. 4\. **Low - *HEY WHAT*** Over their past two records, Low have made music that sounds like they’ve reached the end of music itself. Something is damaged, degrading. It’s as if the notes are being vacuumed, all while these human voices cling to whatever hasn’t left the surface. Then the crunch returns, and everything starts sounding mechanical. *HEY WHAT* doesn’t necessarily feel crafted as much as captured, a moment in time that’s fleeting, sounding just as gorgeous and profound as it does desperate. 5\. **Little Simz - *Sometimes I Might Be Introvert*** I’d never heard of Little Simz before this album, but what an astounding introduction. On *Sometimes I Might Be Introvert,* the UK-basedSimz has created a record that does the deep dive about the divide between her private and public lives and how to reconcile the two. It’s such an enveloping listen, built on exhilarating orchestral swells and exquisite samples that make it feel purely cinematic. 6\. **St. Lenox - *Ten Songs of Worship and Praise for Our Tumultuous Times*** No record this year gripped me nearly as immediately as *Ten Songs of Worship and Praise for or Tumultuous Times*. St. Lenox, aka Andrew Choi, is a Brooklyn-based attorney who’s been releasing albums for years now, cultivating a nervy, breathtaking style where his words don’t as much flow as they rush out. However, *Tumultuous Times* is a little different - it’sa record of songs cultivated over the past decade that loosely have to do with religion. Something here feels so much more openhearted and raw, whether Choi bares his heart over church organ or propulsive synths. It’s a one of a kind record by a singular artist who is just beginning to share the breadth of his talents. 7\. **Lucy Dacus - *Home Video*** *Home Video* is Lucy Dacus’s best album to date - a vibrant mural mining the songwriter’s memories that is staggeringly reflective as it is bracingly honest. The sonic depth here is unlike anything Dacus has attempted to this point, and it pays off wonderfully. Looking back can often be painful, but here Dacus does it with clear eyes and a full heart. 8\. **Brandi Carlile - *In These Silent Days*** Brandi Carlile is the standard bearer for all things singer-songwriter these days. While it’s showing off her astounding vocal range, doing her best Joni Mitchell impression or ending the argument why she should be the next singer for Soundgarden (that’s on Side A alone) *In These Silent Days* feels part victory lap, part magnum opus. She can do anything, she can sing anything. It’s just a damn good record of damn good songs by someone who can sing the hell out of them. 9\. **Origami Angel - *GAMI GANG*** A double album of fun, bouncy emo jams by a Washington D.C. based duo. At least a quarter of the song titles are puns. What more could you ask for? One of the songs samples Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones. Ridiculous, Not enough people heard this album. Go look for it. Go! Now! I mean, finish reading this, then go! 10\. **Foxing - *Draw Down The Moon*** After 2018’s *Nearer My God*, Foxing made it abundantly clear that they were going to bend rock music as a form to its limits. It was a staggering achievement, and easily stands as one of the best records of the past ten years. Where do you go from there? Even weirder, it seems. On *Draw Down the Moon* songs are angular, anxious and paranoid, kind of like fever dreams committed to tape. It’s a band continuing to push themselves sonically, even if they don’t seem like they’re on even footing. What an exhilarating, cool trick. 11\. **Floating Points + Pharaoh Saunders - *Promises*** 12\. **Aeon Station - *Observatory*** 13\. **Hiss Golden Messenger - *Quietly Blowing It*** 14. **Telethon - *Swim Out Past the Breakers*** 15. **Sincere Engineer - *Bless My Psyche*** ### First Few Desperate Hours URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/first-few-desperate-hours/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:11.000Z First, today is not Remy’s birthday. That’s this Thursday. June 7, 2020 was a year ago today. It’s an anniversary that I’ve anticipated with a variety of feelings: intense trauma, grief, fear, gratitude and a delayed sense of joy. It is the beginning of three days that inextricably changed our lives forever, resulting in the birth of our son. I have spent a year in the darkness trying to make sense of it all, how today I can look at the face of an extraordinarily, happy healthy baby boy and watch him squeal when he sees his Mom, and then know that in a flash that they both could have been lost in the blink of an eye. This year has been filled with the true greatest joy in my life, but I have found it extraordinarily difficult to shake what I saw and what we have experienced. It’s a curtain that no one should have to look behind. We’ll never know what it’s like to become parents and be engulfed in joy of the moment – it will always be tinged with the fact that it could have ended as quickly as it began. I know I will grow past this, I don’t know when that will be.I am writing this today because I want June 10, 2020 to always be a day of celebration for Remy. It was our hardest day, but he shouldn’t need to know that burden. His progress, growth, spirit and joie de vivre is something I marvel at every day. I know every parent shares these platitudes, but this baby has just astounded us literally from his first moments. Written below is pretty much a blow-by-blow account of the three days leading up to Remy’s birth. It is not even remotely close to the whole story and ends on the night he was born. There is so much more to say about his time in the NICU and those that worked to save his life, and how we learned to be parents without being able to be with him together. It is unsparing and graphic, but in hopes of writing it here it will help other parents that are going or who have gone through a similar experience. Thank you again to all of those who offered any type of support to us during this time, it will never be forgotten. \---- I woke up before 3 am on June 7, 2020 to the sound of Ali in pain and doubled over. She kept saying it felt like she had bad gas in the top of her abdomen and I suggested we go to the ER. I’d suggested it before and didn’t want to go. I understood. The idea of going to the hospital during COVID, while pregnant is not something either of us were particularly thrilled about. We checked with the doctor on-call and he suggested that we should go. During the call, I did a quick search for “abdominal pain pregnancy” and one of the results said preeclampsia. I didn’t tell her that, but knew it was important to go. She finally agreed. We got to the ER at 4 am. She was quickly taken upstairs to the labor and delivery unit for monitoring. A series of nurses entered covered head to toe in scrubs, masks and face shields. It was, jarring like it was out of some movie. The nurses put the blood pressure cuff on her right arm and it started to constrict every fifteen minutes. I started to track the readings: An astronomical 174/111. 159/105\. Not much better. 165/107\. Higher, again? 166/101\. What… 164/102\. …Is. 161/96\. Going… 150/88.… 148/92… 166/96… 155/104… ON? This continued for hours. Ali was getting progressively more nervous, and me with her. No one had said anything, but I knew well enough that if things didn’t chill out soon that we might be in trouble. I looked up “27 weeks premature” on my phone. I saw that the survival rate was decent, if not obviously optimal. That’s the last time I looked up anything. Her blood pressure was still not regulating and was high. She vomited and they said it was either a side effect of the preeclampsia or the medication they were giving her. Her labs were fine, and the baby was still fine. They called her doctors to formulate a plan. If the plan was not strictly medication, they told us she’d have to be transferred to Illinois Masonic, a level 3 hospital specializing in babies pre-30 weeks gestation. Sherman, the hospital we were at, could not support babies that early. Masonic, though? It was 40 miles away in Chicago. I only knew of the hospital because I briefly lived down the street from it and saw it out the window of the L train. They also told us that the specialist doctor who had warned her about preeclampsia worked out of there. More importantly, they stressed that just because she might go there, it didn’t mean the baby was going to be born. They just wanted her to be at the best place for her in case she’d need to deliver. Sometime between 9:30 am and 10:30 am, it was determined that Ali was indeed suffering from severe preeclampsia. The medical staff started her on magnesium sulfate, or ‘the mag’ as it’s commonly known - a medication that is used to treat women with preeclampsia that would prevent Ali from having a seizure or a stroke or causing cerebral palsy in the baby. Even with it’s lifesaving abilities, it gave her the side effect of a sensation that her skin was on fire. Just as this was beginning, the doctor on call entered the room and said eleven words that inexorably altered our lives forever. “They are delivering the baby when you get to the hospital.” Complete terror washed over Ali’s face. I immediately steeled myself. I thought: “I cannot be afraid right now. Do not let her know you’re afraid.” I had to be calm. Then I felt it wash over me. This was the worst-case scenario. The memories of our last minutes at Sherman kind of liquefied at this moment, and I remember short scenes more than anything. Ali and me desperately asking questions, both frightened. Ali very sick, and the doctor cracking a joke to set us at ease and assuring us our baby would be ok, but would spend a long time in the NICU - a word I’d \*heard\* before but just really did not understand what it was. Then he gestured to her wedding band and engagement ring. “You’re swelling. You will want to take those off before they have to cut them off.” I put them on my pinky for safe keeping. Immediately after that, they told Ali she’d need a COVID test, in which they administered in the thick of her suffering through the mag. It was negative. This would keep us out of the ICU. They got Ali in the ambulance. I wasn’t able to join her because of COVID restrictions. My mom drove me to the hospital. I made a few phone calls – I’m told I was strangely calm, but I think the shock of knowing that our world was in the midst of being flipped upside down gave me the sense there was nothing I could do to change that. When we got to the hospital they quickly took Ali to the labor and delivery wing. Incredibly, her blood pressure had stabilized in the ambulance, which means they were not going to have to deliver immediately. From that point on, every hour she had her vitals checked. She continued to stay stable, so they gradually increased from 2-3 hours, then every six hours. The 24-hour course of the mag tended to ebb and flow, and she felt good enough to make a few phone calls along with me. A series of doctors and specialists came in and told us about their roles in a potential delivery. Even with a baby potentially arriving at 27 weeks, they told us that natural delivery was possible. In other scenarios, there would be a planned c-section, or worst-case, an emergency c-section. In the first two, I could be present and Ali would be awake. The last one I could not be, and Ali would be out under general anesthesia. When it was determined that Ali was suffering from severe preeclampsia, the medical team decided to treat her with dexamethasone, an antenatal steroid therapy that speeds up the development of the baby's lungs. Administering “the mag” would also buy her some time, prolonging pregnancy for up to two days. These two shots, spread over twelve-hour periods, are effective in reducing the risk of potentially life-threatening complications and improving the long-term health of babies. If they can be administered before birth, the babies can get the drugs through the mother’s bloodstream and basically matures the baby’s lungs in a few ways: they increase the production of surfactants - lipids and proteins the body makes that lowers surface tension within the lungs and makes respiration easier. It also reduces fluid in the lungs, helping increase lung volume. Getting these two doses can make a huge difference in a baby’s prognosis. By the evening, “the mag” had its way with Ali. Sweaty, exhausted and hungry, she chewed on ice chips. Eventually, she’d get so sick that she’d vomit and urinate herself repeatedly while nurses dutifully and wordlessly swapped out her vomit bags and changed the pad out from under her mattress. This was happening with an alarming frequency to the point where they went to check her urine and reflexes and learned that she’d accidentally been administered a toxic level of magnesium which was making her extra sick. On top of this, she was administered a medication that was designed to counteract the toxicity. I tried to sleep on a chair that converted into a pull-out bed that first night next to Ali. In the late hours, nurses would float in and out of the room like specters. In more than one instance after Ali vomited, one simply laid a cold wet washcloth across her forehead and stroked her hair. This was a theme the entire stay – those simple gestures are things you never hear about. I will forever be grateful to the women in labor and delivery for the care and attention to detail they paid to her. Ali remained stable most of Monday and Tuesday after ‘the mag’ wore off. She regained some of her energy and was able to eat. We took phone calls from family, friends and answered texts from well-wishers. When she stabilized, we got some unexpected news - she’d be transferred to the Mother & Baby wing of the hospital just down the hall. There was one catch - because of COVID regulations, I would not be able to join her until she delivered. This was a purely mind boggling policy decision because other spouses/parents would be allowed there once a baby was born. Ultimately, it was a set of doors on the same floor and a convoluted, shifting series of rules that was causing us unintentional agony. Ali was already told she’d be in the hospital until she delivered. None of her family could visit her. It was already isolating. But to be told your spouse could not be there, when you’re combating a disease that involves heightened blood pressure, and that your baby could come at any moment? How did that make ANY sense? What took place over these days were appeals to both the hospital, the medical team at the hospital, and the specialist doctor that Ali worked with where they presented a solution where I’d be able to be there a series of days until she delivered. Turns out that this really didn’t matter by mid-week. I arrived at the hospital late in the morning on Wednesday, June 10\. Ali seemed upbeat, in better spirits and had looked a lot better than she had even the day prior - and was able to use the bathroom to get a little cleaned up. We watched a lot of daytime TV and ate snacks. She even was cleared to take a little walk around the mother and baby floor. We sat for a few minutes in a wait room where you could grab a quick coffee or some water. When we got back to the room, it was time to do routine fetal monitoring. Ali commented that the baby was moving less than usual. Nurses strapped the sensors on Ali’s belly and waited. Usually, you’d hear a rapid sucking sound in the midst of the fuzz. That was the baby’s heartbeat. We heard it, but it was fleeting. They kept applying gel to Ali’s belly and adjusting the monitors. If one nurse couldn’t get it, then another would enter. We both got a little concerned. The blood pressure monitor delivered it’s routine 15-minute reading. It was starting to go up. Was she stressed because of the back and forth? Maybe. The next reading: High. The one after that: still high. The doctor determined that she’d need a course of medication to lower her blood pressure. The caveat was that she could be administered up to six doses of this particular medication, and if that did not work, she’d have to be transferred to the ICU, or she’d need to have the baby. On top of this, she’d have to endure a second 24-hour mag drip. When she heard this, she burst into tears, as the first round was tortuous enough. With the situation changing rapidly, they moved us down the hall to labor and delivery again, where I was able to stay with her. By dose five, Ali’s blood pressure started to stabilize. It seemed like we were out of the woods. However, they weren’t feeling the baby kick the way they expected, so they were going to do an ultrasound. That seemed like a good time to grab my things, as I’d be staying again. Since I had to leave the hospital because of their ‘policy’, I stayed with our friend Alana, who lived nearby. I asked her to come by to bring my bag I had left there that morning. As we got settled in, I lined the window with the bouquets of flowers that had come in throughout the past few days. Then Alana called to say she was there. I made a quick trip downstairs to grab all of the items I’d left there in a laundry basket. Figuring we had a few minutes before the ultrasound tech would get there, I took my time getting back upstairs, taking the long walk from the lobby to the back building where Ali was located. When I got upstairs, I was surprised the room was filled with several nurses and a doctor administering the ultrasound. The doctor listened carefully, and after a minute she looked Ali in the eyes and said calmly but sternly, “His fetal tones are dropping. You’re going to need to deliver.” The room began to shift like a set change during a play. Bodies crisscrossing, swapping out devices, administering medications, and Ali, laying there, terrified, knowing that she wouldn’t be awake to experience her baby coming into the world. I kissed her goodbye, told her it would be okay, even if I didn’t really know, and then they were gone. I took out my phone and to a group of friends and family, simply wrote “Emergency c section please pray”. The delivery room was a small room that Ali estimates was ten by ten and filled with nearly a dozen people. On the overhead, sirens blared. They were for her. She was placed on a small metal slab, arms tied down and legs folded open. An anesthesiologist tried to put a mask on her, and she slapped it off. He looked her directly in the eyes “This is what’s going to help you breathe.” She relented, and everything went black. I was back alone in the recovery room with no bed, no wife, no family support, no idea what was going on. The isolation at this moment - not present for anyone having a child before this pandemic was wrenchingly clear. The only thing I could think to do was to call Ali’s best friend, a dermatologist who had a fellow doctor friend who could tell us what to expect. Melanie stayed on the phone with me as I wept, bewildered and confused. What felt like hours later - only truly one minute - a nurse ducked in the doorway: “**Congratulations**, you’re a Dad!” Shocked and disoriented, I asked the nurse, **“Is he ok? Is he alive?”** “He came out very vigorously and was breathing on his own. That’s a really good sign.” **"How much did he weigh?"** “1.67 pounds. Do you have a name for him?” **“Remy.”** I cried harder. Melanie, on the phone: “Remy! Oh, congratulations Brendan, you’re a Dad!” Remy Matson Hilliard was born at 7:28 PM on Wednesday, June 10, 2020\. He came into this world swinging his arms and legs, trying to breathe with lungs that were twelve-and-a-half weeks premature. His mom was asleep and being put back together after a crash C-section, and his Dad was down the hall, crying alone in a hospital room. There was no sweet release, no feeling of pure joy. No placing the baby on Mom’s chest after delivery. No family to meet in the waiting room to proudly announce his birth. No celebration at all. Just pure fear. I got off the phone and typed another message: “Baby has been born. He came out very vigorously and was breathing on his own. “1.67 pounds,” I thought. “That’s, what, 1 lb, 7 oz? I don’t know. I’m bad at math. No, that’s 1 lb, 11 oz. The ultrasound the day before said he was measuring 2 lb, 2 oz. That’s a way smaller estimation.” I paced up and down the hallway. It was a few moments before it occurred to me that in my shock, I had forgotten to ask about Ali. I ran up to the nurses station and asked about her. A woman who was going to the operating room, covered in scrubs, a mask and a face shield said “She’s doing great! They’re sewing her back up. She’ll be back in probably a half hour.” Very matter of fact, upbeat even? Just like that? Another few minutes passed and they told me they’d be wheeling the baby by. I waited anxiously to see him. It felt like hours, but it was only 11 minutes. In a tiny plastic isolet, they wheeled him past. I saw Remy for the first time. I was actually surprised at how he looked - impossibly small, eyes looking like they were fused closed. I was surprised. Alive. But so tiny. They removed his oxygen mask very quickly for a photo and hurriedly mentioned they’d need to get to the NICU. I was a dad. Ali was a mom. Here was living proof. After about a half hour, Ali was wheeled back to the room. She was still somewhat in twilight, but as she came out of it she was irritated by the hard-plastic mask giving her oxygen. She started asking “How’s Remy?” As far as I knew, he was doing well, and I told her as much. Nurses tended to her and got her set up for a pain medication drip. As she started gradually coming more and more out of the anesthesia, she pointed to her chest and began to say “Boobies. Boobies.” The nurses were really confused, and I started to laugh for the first time in what felt like forever. “Boobies,” she said again. I knew what she meant. “Oh, someone told her that she could start pumping right after the baby was born.” They laughed. That was true, but, not \*minutes\* after. Ali drifted in and out of sleep and they told us they’d have to put her on a magnesium drip again to prevent her from having any seizures post-childbirth. She was wildly uncomfortable. The doctors kept telling me I would be able to see the baby soon, but I was getting anxious because the minutes were turning into hours. Around 11 pm, the neonatologist entered the room. She told us very plainly that the news wasn’t initially as rosy as we were told. They had considerable trouble stabilizing him and that his very premature lungs were coming up very cloudy on x-rays. Her tone was clinical, and she seemed to indicate to us this could go either way. I cut to the chase: ‘What’s his chance for survival?” “I’d give it 50/50,” she said, sternly. I felt the air come out of the room. The doctor told me I’d be able to see him soon, but Ali would have to wait for 24 hours until the magnesium wore off and she was able to walk. This wasn’t ideal. Ali, exhausted from the gauntlet of the day, still waking up, still on magnesium, said it plainly with her eyes closed. “Brendan, I understand what’s going on, I am just too tired to react.” A little before midnight, the nurses brought me to meet my son.They told me I would have to enter the NICU and scrub up to my elbows, take off my wedding ring and sanitize my phone in a UV box. The entry to the NICU was friendly, somewhat homey, probably as a result of the hospital being decades old. It was somewhat of a relic compared to the unrelenting sameness of the modern corporate hospital look. The smell still was antiseptic, considering the fragility of what existed behind its doors, it made sense. I heard beeping. All sorts of mechanical, soulless beeps. High pitched, low pitched, fast, slow. I noticed in front of me, behind the front desk was a large TV monitor that had a heart rate monitor for all of the patients currently in the NICU. HILLIARD, BOY was at the top. They took me to the back of the room. I waded through two or three babies with a parent, carefully tending to their children in isolets or open air cribs. They took me to the isolet closest to the door of the back office. I noticed a machine that sounded like a washing machine spinning with a bearing loose. Then I saw him. Remy. He looked nothing like the baby I had seen wheeled past me. Instead he resembled a baby bird that had just hatched from the nest, his mouth wide open waiting to receive a worm. His worm, though, was a tiny plastic tube that intubated him. A flexible orange orogastric tube was in his small stomach, and he had heart monitors the size of the fingernail on my pinky. His skin was reddish orange and vaguely translucent. I started to cry again. The machine was shaking him. It was a high frequency ventilator that was designed for very small and sick premature babies that didn’t have the ability to breathe on their own. Traditional ventilators can pump about 20-60 breaths a minute, this one could do as much as 1,000\. I wish I could tell you more than what I saw that first night. Any memories I have are videos I took in the moment; well aware I was in far too much shock to commit any to memory. In them, I sound terrified, sweetly talking to my hours-old son whose rib cage I could see, like it was cling wrap on leftover dinner. Every exhale was labored, like the air being filled into a balloon and deflated. Over and over. I remember bursting into tears while talking to two nurses, telling them unspecifically that “My wife deserved so much better than this,” not angry, but upset that someone who so badly wanted to be a mother had such a violent experience. In front of me was a miracle. Seventy-two hours earlier we had been nothing but relative newlyweds, expecting our first child, and planning to put a new bathroom on our house before our baby came in September. There was no time to anticipate the changes we thought that a baby would bring. They came to us - more of them than we ever anticipated - on a hot summer night in Chicago. Now we were parents to a very sick little boy who needed all of the love, hope, faith and energy we could muster. ### Songs of 2020 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/songs-of-2020/ Last updated: 2020-12-31T18:11:48.000Z Top Songs of 2020, followed by everything I listened to monthly in 2020. ### Favorite Albums of 2020 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2020/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:12.000Z **1\. Fiona Apple – *Fetch the Bolt Cutters*** Fiona Apple’s records are always reasons to turn your head, but it’s hard to think that any of her records challenged the perception of how to interpret recorded sound, until now. Quite simply, I’ve never heard anything like it. I think about the percussion. I think about the lyrical web she weaves, and mostly, I think of the dogs barking. There’s something hypnotic about hearing those dogs bark in rhythm. It, like everything else on this record, feels like the sound of life. **2\. Phoebe Bridgers – *Punisher*** Technically, *Punisher* is Bridgers second album but she’s been present in a big way since her 2017 debut, *Stranger in the Alps*. Whether it’s through her work with Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker in boygenius or with Conor Oberst in Better Oblivion Community Center, she has been able to leverage her tectonic songwriting chops any where she chooses. It’s purely a great collection of songs from an artist who can spin them effortlessly. Literally any of these songs could functionally be her signature song, any one of them another artist would be glad to write one of in their career. She has dozens. **3\. Bruce Springsteen – *Letter To You*** In a year when we’re all acutely aware of our mortality, Bruce and the E Street Band seem to be heading it down directly. The band is mostly in their seventies, and Bruce is well aware of knowing he has more years behind him than ahead of him. Decamping with the E Street Band last winter, the band cut most of this album live in the studio, including recording three songs he wrote in the 1970’s. This approach to recording gave birth to the most effortless, least-fussy sounding recording since *The River*. It’s the sound of old friends forging a future together, however long, knowing at some point they’ll be memories themselves, encased in amber for all time. It’s one thing to look back on all you’ve done and think of all of the ‘could haves’. It’s another to do it with an incredible, resounding triumph that could very well be an elegy. How can you have anything else other than gratitude for that? **4\. Taylor Swift – *folklore*** My son was born three months early this summer, and my wife and I made 80 mile round trips every day to see him in the NICU. We’d play this album exclusively on most of the drives. Swift’s turn into homespun folk both here and on the recent follow up, evermore is some of her best songwriting to date. However, *folklore*, with its cool tones and lush melodies, will forever be the balm that helped soothe us during our toughest moments. **5\. Waxahatchee – *Saint Cloud*** Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose – that’s what comes to mind listening to this instant classic. Katie Crutchfield gave 2020 its first great album, a jaw dropping set off songs from a songwriter who was already writing unforgettable ones. Crutchfield’s decision to get sober has been well documented in the run up to this album, but long after that narrative fades, what will exist are these perfect, breezy songs. Writing with a country verve more than ever, it’s a record for today tomorrow, a few years from now – all while using sounds from yesterday. It’s essential listening. **6\. Run the Jewels – *Run the Jewels 4*** With 2020 being a club sandwich of cataclysmic moments, it only felt right that Run the Jewels would emerge with the soundtrack to our furious, fucked up times. *Run the Jewels 3* felt like the duo might be missing a step but with its follow up they doubled down, creating an unrelenting set of songs that burn in your psyche, much like the events of the year where it felt like everything was on fire. **7\. Young Jesus – *Welcome to Conceptual Beach*** No rock record this year gave a better glimpse and exciting look into what could be the future of the genre than this gem from this Los Angeles based group. Part post-rock, part jazz, part jam, ALL beautiful. It’s expansive, emotional music that takes form, dissolves, atomizes and then reconstitutes as something just as breathtaking. Just when the album ends, you can’t help but wonder what comes next from them. **8\. Jeff Rosenstock – *No Dream*** A breathless blast by one of the best songwriters working today. His albums are always essential listening, always finding ways to push forward, always sounding effortless but still tightly constructed, always feeling of the moment but still living outside of it. There are always moments that stop you in your tracks when listening to his records. This one has, like, AT LEAST seven of them. **9\. Drive-By Truckers – *The Unraveling*** The DBT’s often try to meet the moment with their songs, and they only seem to get more political the longer their career goes. That said, sometimes they don’t always hit the mark, like 2016’s *American Band*, lyrically dense, but short on dynamic songs. Here it’s, just the opposite. On the first of their two 2020 albums, DBT documents what felt like a democracy in full collapse, before the pandemic changed life as we know it. They’re a band that’s often great when they’re pissed off. This is a collection of those kinds of songs. It’s a document of the time before everything changed, and hopefully, as the year comes to a close, changes again, this time, for the better. **10\. The Killers – *Imploding the Mirage*** The year’s biggest surprise comes from The Killers, who 16 years after their blockbuster debut, *Hot Fuss*, have made an album with a sound that finally matches the broad and lofty ambitions they’ve literally been trying (and failing) since their first record. It’s open hearted, big, bright synth-pop rock without a trace of being self-conscious, and that’s exactly why it works so well. **11\. Taylor Swift – evermore** **12\. Dogleg – Melee** **13\. The Mountain Goats – Songs for Pierre Chuvin** **14\. Gil Scot Heron & Makaya McCraven – We’re New Again (A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven)** **15\. Paul McCartney – McCartney III** **16\. Spanish Love Songs – Brave Faces Everyone** **17\. HAIM – Women in Music, Pt. III** **18\. Bartees Strange – Live Forever** **19\. Lawrence Arms – Skeleton Coast** **20\. The Strokes – The New Abnormal** ### On Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit's "Reunions", the Songs Feel Like Old Friends URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-jason-isbell-and-the-400-units-reunions-the-songs-feel-like-old-friends/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:15.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/JI400U_Reunions_Cover.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/JI400U%5FReunions%5FCover.jpg?ssl=1&ref=obviatemedia.net)On *Reunions*, the latest record by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, finds the songwriter pushing himself in new sonic directions and writing songs about fear, anxiety, sobriety and being a parent. It all seems pretty standard for him, and I’ll probably listen to it forever. That’s the point. Isbell’s ascended to a plane of ubiquity few songwriters reach. His songs are detached from a time and era and instead weave a larger tapestry. In essence, just like Tom Petty. No, this is not some review with a bloviated comparison calling Isbell “this generation’s Petty” – he’s not. Petty wrote pop songs, Isbell really doesn’t. But what I am saying is that you can pretty much throw a dart with either artist and find a song that in their catalog that you immediately may not be able to place on a particular album. Perhaps that summary is a little cursory. Here’s an example: I heard “Chaos and Clothes” on the radio recently and I couldn’t place the record it was on. It was 2017’s *The Nashville Sound*, when I thought probably it was 2015’s *Something More Than Free*. Same with Tom Petty – off the top of your head, would you really know “Refugee” and “The Waiting” are on different records? Probably not. Both of these guys have catalogs that play like greatest hits collections. Make no mistake, Reunions is a very good album, and Isbell’s most direct attempt at making album oriented rock. The stormy, sprawling opener “What’ve I Done to Help” is a near 7 minute showcase for the skillfulness of the 400 Unit as a band, full of Allman style guitar shifty organ and urgent percussion. David Crosby appears on background vocals, and it sets the tone for the record as something that maybe Crosby would have made 40 years earlier with his CSNY cohorts. “Dreamsicle” brings things back to the familiar, Isbell’s baritone up front while he sings about the joys of being a kid in the face of some very adult issues. “Overseas” features searing, pained guitar. Isbell has been on the record saying the recording process for *Reunions* was tense, and you can almost feel that anxiety and frustration come out in his guitar. “Running With Our Eyes Closed” bubbles with a swampy intensity, while “River” is a beautiful piano-driven song with Amanda Shires sweet sounding fiddle. “It Gets Easier” is a song about Isbell’s hard-won sobriety, while “Letting You Go” is a heartstopping, gorgeous story about becoming a parent and watching your child growing up. As a Jason Isbell, what do you want as a fan? You want good Jason Isbell songs. They’re here. Years from now, you’ll hear one of them somewhere and maybe you’ll fire up a Jason Isbell playlist. There will be the signature songs – “Cover Me Up”, “24 Frames”, “If We Were Vampires” and “Be Afraid” from this new album. Maybe you’ll get ambitious and listen to all of *Southeastern* the same way I’ll occasionally put on *Damn The Torpedoes*. Does it really matter, though? They’re no lesser quality, but you expect them that way. I’ll look forward to the next Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit record as I have every one prior: eagerly, unsurprised and comforted. That’s a compliment to the quality of his songs and songwriting. Reunions is out now on [Southeastern Records](http://www.jasonisbell.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net). ### The Strokes "The New Abnormal" is Perfect For Our New Normal URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-strokes-the-new-abnormal-is-perfect-for-our-new-normal/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:17.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/newabnormal-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/newabnormal.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)I am really enjoying *The New Abnormal*, the latest record by The Strokes. It’s funny, so many people have been quick to dismiss anything after the first two records, myself included, but as time has passed, I’m revisiting that stance. In 2020, are we looking for a Strokes record to really wow us? No. We’re just looking for a Strokes record. I’m not trying to make some claim that the three records that came after *Room On Fire* are completely on par with those two – in some cases, far from it, but they truly haven’t made a \*bad\* album. They never became parodies of themselves, They just kind of were in the business of being a band on their own terms and really didn’t negotiate with what that meant, and a lot of fans didn’t really jive with that. It’s a popular complaint that “Julian (Casablancas, singer) doesn’t care”, but i don’t know if I buy that. I just think the five members of the band that have been together for the past 22 years (I know!) just don’t make a bigger deal about what the group needs to be at this point. Also, at 40, does anyone have that laser focus and the exacting intensity like Casablancas reportedly did in the early days in his early twenties? I’d say not likely. Nor do I think they ever really cared about living up to the expectation of being the biggest band in the world. They chafed against it, more than anything. Bands just last longer now, too. The Strokes never broke up. They never experienced a lineup change. They just kind of show up and go away fairly intermittently. It’s pretty common for many groups to knock out an entire career in a five or six year stretch. But groups now take better care of themselves, makeups and breakups are a little more fluid, and the start and stop of many groups hardly makes a wave anymore, unless you’re Oasis. Was I waiting for a new album by The Strokes? No. Am I happy to see one? Of course. Nothing is going to replace the feeling of being 16 in the fall of 2001, in the wake of a major crisis and seeing the video for “Last Nite” on MTV. I went to buy the *This Is It* CD with the US-edition cover and being blown away by what I was hearing. I didn’t know 70’s-era NYC punk then, but I did think that these guys playing in lockstep with darting, angular guitars and a dude sounding like he was singing through an old landline was fucking awesome. That was then. The world is different. I’m different. I think anyone trying to compare *The New Abnormal* to the first two Strokes records is looking for the nostalgia that they’ll never find. Nothing will make you feel like those two records did. They’re from a different time and world. With any band you love, I think you’d be hard pressed to truly any record from the present will make you feel the same way the first one you feel in love with. *The New Abnormal* won’t make new fans, but it is a record that is a worthy chapter for longtime fans of The Strokes and very honestly, it’s fascinating chapter in the band’s long career. It’s moody, a little off kilter, and strangely irresistible. After several listens, it might be my third favorite of their albums after the first two. I can’t exactly pinpoint why I like it, but I like that it exists. It fits like a worn-in dress shoe. You probably could get a nicer, cleaner pair, but when they fit the purpose you need them for, why switch it up? You can count on them, and that’s all that matters. *The New Abnormal is out now on Cult and RCA Records*. ### Review: Bonny Light Horseman - "Bonny Light Horseman" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/review-bonny-light-horseman-bonny-light-horseman/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:19.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/blh_lp-artwork-hires-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/blh%5Flp-artwork-hires-scaled-e1582064517528.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Listening to the eponymous debut album by Bonny Light Horseman, it’s really hard to escape the feeling that the songs on the record feel as old as time. Songs like “Jane Jane” and “Magpie’s Nest” have atmospheric flourishes that place them as contemporary songs, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that the well-worn, pastoral beauty of this collection is really a reworking of ancient folk songs of the British Isles. The group is a collaboration between Anaïs Mitchell – the singer-songwriter responsible for the Tony-winning *[Hadestown](https://www.hadestown.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAs67yBRC7ARIsAF49CdW5WMiYhrgEoJGcdC55ye8MQNtKJHYyYYYazDFmgclKjsCnAObR34waAnjgEALw%5FwcB&ref=obviatemedia.net#subscribe)*, Eric D. Johnson, the musician behind the indie folk stalwart Fruit Bats and Josh Kaufman, a musician and producer known for his work with Craig Finn, Bob Weir and The National. The trio got together in 2018 and found common interest in the songs throughout the rehearsal process. It’s a truly extraordinary collection – Johnson’s vocal on “Deep In Love” and Mitchell’s on “The Roving” are two highlights that send send it from being merely ‘good’ to soaring. What’s most amazing about it how effortless and breezy the record feels – it’s not a stunt or a clever marketing gimmick. It celebrates the true beauty of music-as-tradition and a truly modern update of songs that have been reinterpreted for hundreds of years. It is the type of record that rewards deep listening. Each composition feels like the sonic equivalent of a wood carving – natural, detailed, with a built-in history of the form it once held. *Bonny Light Horseman is out on 37d03d. Get it [here](https://www.bonnylighthorseman.com/shop?ref=obviatemedia.net).* ### Top Albums of the Decade 2010-2019 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/top-albums-of-the-decade-2010-2019/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:20.000Z I’ve considering albums of the decade for a while now, and this where I’m at. I went through all of my lists for the last decade and pulled from that, plus how much I honestly listened to each of them for the past decade. Spotify playlist below. I don’t know if this really merits full write-ups, but some short thoughts for the top 10: I think I was fairly certain that even at the halfway mark in 2015, MBDTF was the one to beat. No one did. The Monitor, despite the very up and down decade Titus had is still is their high water mark, despite what its creator has said. Celebration Rock could be two, but I think had I switched those spots it might have been a contrarian pick where I had no argument. High Violet is not only a great record, but had the best artwork. Southeastern. Come on. Robyn’s songs on this collection are modern classics. Run the Jewels 2 is a record people are going to be catching up on years from now. Somehow both of it’s time and ahead of it’s time in 2014. David Comes to Life brought Fucked Up to the next level. and some days I like Dose Your Dreams more. But ‘David’ means more. In Colour is the sound of 2015 for me, the same way A Deeper Understanding was for 2017\. — 1\. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 2\. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor 3\. Japandroids – Celebration Rock 4\. The National – High Violet 5\. Jason Isbell – Southeastern 6\. Robyn – Body Talk 7\. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 2 8\. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life 9\. Jamie XX – In Colour 10\. The War on Drugs – A Deeper Understanding 11\. Bon Iver – Bon Iver 12\. Modern Baseball – Holy Ghost 13\. Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit 14\. Craig Finn – We All Want the Same Things 15\. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth 16\. Jeff Rosenstock – WORRY. 17\. Telethon – The Grand Spontenaean 18\. Deafheaven – Sunbather 19\. John Moreland – In the Throes 20\. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City ### Favorite Albums of 2019 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2019/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:23.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_4470-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG%5F4470.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) This year featured a lot of veteran artists pushing themselves outside of their boundaries to make records that in some cases, were career-bests. There was so much great music to sift through this year, almost any of these could be interchangeable on this list. A Spotify playlist with every album is at the bottom. 1\. **Sturgill Simpson – *SOUND & FURY*** Every record by Sturgill feels like a dare to his audience to follow him. Take the two albums that precede this one. The psych country of 2014’s *Metamodern Sounds in Country Music* evaporated in favor of 2016’s rock-soul hybrid *A Sailor’s Guide to Earth*. So, it’s no surprise that *SOUND & FURY* is a hard left turn. It’s a record full of scuzzy guitars and squelchy synths, each song crashes in to one another often without notice. Songs like the nervy, ass-shaking “A Good Look” slips right into the mechanical terror of “Make Art Not Friends”. Then you head into some seriously dystopian ZZ Top shit when you get to “Best Clockmaker on Mars”. That’s three of them in a row. The whole thing is a ride. Get on. P.S. – Watch the accompanying anime film on Netflix if you want your brain bent just that much more. 2\. **Big Thief – *Two Hands*** What does it sound like when a band gets white-hot? Big Thief answered that twice over this year with two distinctly different records. Their first album of the year, May’s *U.F.O.F.* is full of dreamy, astral folk, including the instant classic “Cattails” and the album’s slippery title track. It’s a gorgeous collection that threatens to vanish in the ether, but always keeps its glow. Surprisingly, the band released another, and ever better album in October. *Two Hands* feels firmly planted on the ground, the band playing both to and for each other. The killer “Forgotten Eyes” shuffles and stomps and lightly rocks, with Adrienne Lenker’s tense vocal lighting the way. “Not” is simply one of the best songs of the year, and maybe the band’s best ever. Adrianne Lenker’s vocal performance on this song – a building, insistent vocal that eventually breaks briefly into a roar before the band kicks into a jam on a two minute long guitar solo that reaches out skyward. Briefly Crazy Horse in miniature, but then something totally of its own – breathing, vibrant, feral. *Two Hands* and *U.F.O.F.* are staggering achievements – two career-defining albums, completely independent in their own sounds, released only months apart. Big Thief is a band that is operating at such a high level with impermeable intimacy that many bands work their whole careers for and may never find. How lucky we are to experience their band in this moment in time. 3\. **Bon Iver – *i, i*** Justin Vernon’s most famous project has had quite a decade putting together a gorgeous collection of records each representing a different season. First came his spring record – the soft rock thaw of *Bon Iver, Bon Iver* in 2011, then a five years wait before releasing the glitched out the digital ash of *22, A Million*, a record he refers to as “our crazy energy summer record”. This year, Bon Iver released the ‘autumn record’ in the cycle – *i,i,* – one that is both one of the brightest and best collections of songs he’s ever done. It’s difficult to describe a record so rooted in feeling – but when you hear things like the persistent digital heartbeat that connects the synths, orchestral swells and Vernon’s falsetto on “Hey, Ma” – you’ll then know the pure privilege of experiencing the alchemy of seemingly disparate sounds. Every listen unfolds some new element that doesn’t feel like it was there before. 4\. **The Hold Steady – *Thrashing Thru The Passion*** Brevity is important with this one – simply it’s a return to form. There was a time that another record with this band was not guaranteed, much less one with the six piece lineup. *Thrashing* is a joyous record that is full of human disasters, big riffs and life lessons. It’s the sound of a group having fun again, and after 17 years, that’s all you can ask for. 5\. **The National – *I Am Easy To Find*** Up until this year, The National had kind of been coasting on the dense, occasionally gorgeous sound they’d perfected with 2010’s *High Violet*. While subsequent records had plenty of bright spots, the returns diminished. They began to sound too tightly managed by their creators. The band could have made the same brand of moody, broody “The National ™” albums over and over again, but with *I Am Easy to Find*, they blew it all up to start over again. It’s a record heavy on female vocalists – Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten and Gail Ann Dorsey. It leaves singer Matt Berninger a featured guest on his own band’s songs to thrilling effect. With a runtime over an hour, it’s the band’s longest record, but it also has some of their highest highs – the gorgeous “Quiet Light”, the four-way vocal treat on the delicate “Hairpin Turns”. Then, of course, there’s the real treat for longtime fans of the band, “Rylan”, a song they’ve played live for almost a decade before it finally found a home on their last album of the ’10s. Just when you thought you had the answers with The National, they change the questions. 6\. **Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – *Ghosteen*** Grief is both impossible to quantify or adequately express. Nick Cave’s teenage son Arthur died in 2015 when he fell from a cliff near the family’s home. Recording was underway for his 2016 album, *Skeleton Tree* at this time, an album not so much about the tragedy but still informed by it. It’s a staggering portrait of a man trying to come to terms with something that happened recently. It’s follow up, *Ghosteen*, examines that grief in greater detail. It’s a disservice to try to talk about any of these songs individually. Take time with it like you would if you were listening to anyone who has had to endure something unimaginable. It is a record of incredible beauty and intense sadness. 7\. **Oso Oso – *Basking in the Glow*** Leave it to Oso Oso to fill The Hotelier-sized hole in the hearts of emo fans. Somewhere in the past few years, emo has felt less-like a catch-all genre name/light insult to describe a full-hearted strain of indie rock and instead now is a bit of a badge of honor to describe lyrically intense, musically complex songs by quiet guys. *Basking in the Glow* sounds like a record I may have loved somewhere in late 2004 early 2005, with none of the confusion or angst beset by band of the era. By nature Jade Lilitri’s songs feel a little more reflective and lighter on their feet. “The View” with that incredible hook – *“My eyes lit up when I saw it/The view from where you sit/and apathy, I was in love with it”* and the fluorescent brilliance of “A Morning Song” – *“Living on my knees/Praying my sins crash into me/And now back up on my feet* *I was so lost and alone/I was so far out and it shows”*. *Basking in the Glow* is a big, bright record that has just the right amount of introspection in a genre that could always use more of it. 8\. **Sharon Van Etten – *Remind Me Tomorrow*** Sharon Van Etten spent most of the early 10’s making enduring records like 2012’s *Tramp* and 2014’s classic *Are We There*. Then she took a break. In that time she had a child and planned a move from New York to Los Angeles. At the top of this year came her first record in five years, *Remind Me Tomorrow* \-new songs that disassemble her guitar based singer-songwriter confessionals and reconstitute them in exhilarating ways. The aptly named “Comeback Kid” is a fist pumping miasma of dry drum hits and thick organ while “Jupiter 4” is a theremin backed dystopian love song. Moments like this are plenty on Remind Me Tomorrow, but the album’s true gem is “Seventeen”. In the song, 30-something Van Etten talks to her younger self about her time in New York City. *“Sure of what I’ve lived and have known/I see you so uncomfortably alone/I wish I could show you how much you’ve grown”*. It hits right home for someone who spent the early years of this decade with those same romantic ideas of New York and survived to tell the tale about it in their 30’s. 9\. **Vampire Weekend – *Father of the Bride*** After 2013’s staggering *Modern Vampires of the City*, Vampire Weekend parted ways with multi-instrumentalist/producer Rostam Batmanglij. With losing a key element and member of their sound, it’d be easy to assume that may have been it for the group. Instead, they took some extra time and released the double album Father of the Bride in May. It’s a kaleidoscope of many styles – rock, folk, jazz, psych and soul – there’s also elements from jam bands and samples of ambient Japanese tracks. With almost a dozen collaborators and disparate sounds across the album’s 18 tracks, it’s be reasonable to think that a record this big with this many cooks in the kitchen would be a mess. Listen to “Harmony Hall” then “Sympathy”, then “Stranger” – all different, but all unmistakably Vampire Weekend. 10\. **Spielbergs – *This Is Not The End*** The Norwegian trio seemingly came out of nowhere – and have seemingly stayed there. This Is Not The End is a collection of crunchy punk/atmospheric power pop that that’s irresistible on the first listen and every subsequent one. Just play it. – 11\. **Telethon – *Hard Pop*** 12\. **Garcia Peoples – *Natural Facts*** 13\. **Craig Finn – *I Need A New War*** 14. **Lana Del Rey – *Norman Fucking Rockwell!*** 15\. **Pkew Pkew Pkew – *Optimal Lifestyles*** 16\. **PUP – *Morbid Stuff*** 17\. **Jamila Woods – *LEGACY! LEGACY!*** 18\. **Jeff Tweedy – *Warmer*** 19\. **The Highwomen – *The Highwomen*** 20\. **The Mountain Goats – *In League with Dragons*** ### Strand of Oaks "Eraserland" is an Essential Visit URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/strand-of-oaks-eraserland-is-an-essential-visit/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:26.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/a3452871080_10-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/a3452871080%5F10.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Strand of Oaks – *Eraserland*** Let’s get it out of the way: *Eraserland* is a career-defining record from Strand of Oaks. That’s saying a lot, as the project from Tim Showalter is punctuated by plenty of highs and lows. He’s an underrated songwriter that exists in starts and stops. For every *HEAL*, his breakthrough 2014 record, there are records like 2017’s *Hard Love*, which was not as warmly received. After thinking that Strand of Oaks was done after jettisoning his former backing band, he teamed up with members of My Morning Jacket for this, his sixth record. Don’t be mistaken – this isn’t Strand of Oaks fronting My Morning Jacket. It’s a statement that’s far more consequential. The album opens with “Weird Ways,” where a dejected Showalter sings “*I can’t feel it anymore/somehow I feel clearer than before*”. He sounds dejected, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar as a slide guitar begins to accent his vocal. As the song nears its chorus, it begins to sweep, and at 1:30, a thunderous electric riff and drumbeat. It’s an incredible statement, invigorating life in to a group and proving that this is very different iteration of the band. This continues with “Hyperspace Blues”. It is an apt title, as it feels like you’re zooming forward with Showalter in the Millenium Falcon. The guitars sound like the future, scribbling, squalling and fuzzing. Both ballad “Keys” and “Wild and Willing” sound like the most traditionally-sounding SOA song on the record, but it’s still a nice departure from the electric jolts of the first few tracks. “Moon Landing” feels anxious. It’s full of squelching guitars (provided by Jason Isbell, sounding nothing like you’d expect from him) and humid rock organ. This fits completely in line with the lyrics, where Showalter ruminates on the death of Malcolm Young, the downside of being a professional musician when you’ve got a family, and Chris Cornell. There’s a lot going on here, but the last verse is both a little sad and a little true: “*Cornell was born on the 20th of July/Same day I was born back in ’82/Same day Neil Armstrong took Buzz’s spot on the moon/Sometimes you get there first*”. The album’s title track feels positively huge – huge walls of synthesizer and monolithic guitars, it feels like you could live there. It sounds like Showalter wants to. He addresses someone named Mary who has been gone for some time, singing about wanting to “*build a house where no one lives/get away from my phone and drugs/just my wife and people I love*”. It sounds part fantasy and part hope. Then, moments later: “*I am the Eraserland/I can start again*“. Then it just feels like confidence. That’s real. It’s album of authentic, brutal moments and crafted by a band that can support the weight of Showalter’s conviction of a songwriter. Here’s hoping we make another few trips to *Eraserland* with this version of Strand of Oaks, because it seems like the right place to be. *Eraserland is [out now ](https://www.strandofoaks.net/?ref=obviatemedia.net)on Dead Oceans.* ### Favorite Albums of 2018 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2018/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:27.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG_4470-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/IMG%5F4470.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)As usual, extremely hard to make a list of my favorites this year. There are plenty of great records from 2018 to check out beyond these ten! Spotify playlist of the top ten at the bottom of this article. 1\. **Foxing** – **Nearer My God** I’m still overwhelmed by *Nearer My God* after all of these months. It’s an album title that smacks with the air of supreme confidence and ambition, one that too many bands fail to live up to. Foxing somehow does. It’s one of those super-rare occasions where a band somehow hits their stride as artists and hits a creative peak. Songs like the opener “Grand Paradise” with its blippy churn and the horn swells of the single “Slapstick” really are just setting up for sonics that are weirder and more ambitious. “Lich Prince” sort of feels like a woozy 2011 Drake ballad before it opens up to a gasping, monolithic rock song. Have the lyrics “*I feel like a houseplant*” ever been used before? Have they ever given way to a cataclysmic world-burning guitar solo? Has that ever segued into falsetto harmonizations all in the course of a minute? Of course not. That’s what makes it so awesome. The album’s title track is a soaring, chugging power ballad, perhaps the most traditional thing on the record. “Heartbeats” doesn’t sound like a rock band at all – soundscapes tempered with program drum hits and orchestral samples that sound super familiar but transformed into something that feels entirely fresh. *Nearer My God* packs so much detail per song it’s impossible to quantify the breadth of what an accomplishment it is. It’s brazen, daring and still somehow so organic. It somehow feels we’ll be talking about it further down the line than we do now. 2\. **Lucy Dacus – *Historian*** I first heard about Lucy Dacus the way a lot of people hear about new bands: from the playlist of the 2016 VP-nominee, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. Seriously. He included her song “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” on a streaming playlist. Turns out his daughter is friends with Dacus. Obligatory next-door neighborly plug it wasn’t: Dacus’s 2016 debut *No Burden* is seriously great. *Historian* is even better. The Richmond based singer-songwriter builds on the confidence and songcraft of her debut by re-teaming with producer Collin Pastore, which was then mixed with John Congleton, who is known for his work with St. Vincent, among others. The result is a record that feels weightier and enveloping in sound opposed to the lo-fi sounds of *No Burden*. Dacus is 23, but the rich tone of her voice begets a singer whose doing it much longer. From the chugging opener “Night Shift,” a classic breakup song – “*You got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift/And I’ll never see you again if I can help it/In five years I hope the songs feel like covers/Dedicated to new lovers*” the sweeping, gorgeous “Body to Flame” and pop bite of “Next of Kin” – “*I am at peace with my death/I can go back to bed*”. It’s a career defining collection that’s worthier than the words written here, or like she says on “Addictions” – “*invest your time in what’s worthwhile*”. 3\. **Low – *Double Negative*** How preposterous is it a group like Low, in their 25th year, makes the best album of their career? Double Negative sounds like a Low record, in the sense you hear the vocals of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Rogers, but everything else sounds…different. At times *Double Negative* feels like a hymn. Other times it sounds like the instrumentation is disintegrating between your ears. Then it just sounds like the death of sound. It’s a masterwork that deserves and should be digested at once. Occasionally while, there are special albums sound like they’re living organisms. None have ever sounded like they’re coming to terms with the end of their existence. Until now. 4\. **Fucked Up – *Dose Your Dreams*** For a group already known for their ambitious 2011 rock opera *David Comes to Life*, the thought they would top it with another double album seems patently insane, but they actually \*did it\*. It’s an overwhelming assortment of punk, psych, digital hardcore with elements of arena rock and other genre experiences. That said, it represents everything great about them to this point and pushing them in completely new directions for the future. It’s an album elevating a ‘great band’ to an ‘all-time great band’. Vocalist Damian Abraham has taken a less active presence in the group, being deployed a little more carefully across 13 of the album’s 18 songs – and it works beautifully. Whether it’s the catchy-as hell glam rock stomp of “Normal People,” the disco-psych of the title track, and the gutbucket hardcore of “Living in a Simulation,” the throbbing snyth pummel of “Mechanical Bull” or guitarist Ben Cook’s shredded lead vocal on “Accelerate”, there’s a staggering amount to get into. *Dose Your Dreams* is the sound of six people with disparate influences pushing outside what it means to \*be\* a band. No longer confined to traditional roles – there’s no longer one singer, one guitarist, one drummer, so on and so forth – they have made a record that’s messy, fearless and totally original, so much so that it needs to be heard to be totally understood. If it’s the last record the group makes then holy shit, they went for broke and nailed it. 5\. **John Prine – *The Tree of Forgiveness*** John Prine’s first album of new material in 13 years is a great place to start with the legend’s career, as it kind of covers the ground of the sometimes funny, sometimes terribly sad songs he’s known for. Working with Dave Cobb (known for producing both Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton) Prine focuses on the mundanities of everyday life, and some of those songs like the humorous “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)” and the tender “I Have Met My Love Today” is a gorgeous little love song that comes and goes in under two minutes. “Summer’s End” is probably one of the most beautiful, weightless ballads I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a record that’s a small gift, one that you’re welcome to have but did not at all expect. That’s the best kind. 6\. **Restorations – *LP5000*** On Restorations first album in four years, the group delivers an emotional wallop over seven songs in a 25-minute span. It’s a look into being in your thirties – appreciating all the things that the age brings – love, stability and the prospect of a bright future still ahead, but sometimes just falling short. “The Red Door,” *LP5000*’s best song, addresses the process of gentrification. *“Feel my pulse pick up with/every building that’s built/haven’t we all felt a little/a little in between before?”*, Loudon says. Sure, he could be talking about the band’s hometown of Philadelphia, but it also doubles of the transitional point of your life of moving from one constant to something totally unfamiliar, with one of your favorite places being wiped away without a trace in favor of something hollow and empty, or worse, replaced with nothing at all. It is a complicated record that has remarkable highs and lows in such a short amount of time. Restorations have always been a band that crushes with dynamic sonic shifts paired with bone-cutting truths. They’re a band trying to live the best they can and admitting it’s fucking hard. We’re people less about where we’re from and more about how we relate to each other through our experiences. In the unbearable nowness of now, it’s the best we can do. It’s good that records like *LP5000* exist to remind us of that. 7\. **Kacey Musgraves – *Golden Hour*** Let’s get it out of the way: Believe the hype. All of Kacey Musgraves’s records are the real deal – slices of contemporary country that don’t sound like shit and hint at something greater and more progressive. Hint no more. *Golden Hour* is Musgraves best and most fully realized record, one that transcends country, or any genre really, with the focus on crystalline songwriting, and gorgeous arrangements. It’s the career-defining achievement of an artist who still might have not peaked yet. That’s inspiring. Just don’t waste any more time not listening to it. 8\. **Young Fathers – *Cocoa Sugar*** It’s hard to classify exactly what genre the Edinburgh, Scotland-based group are, because they encompass so many different ones at once. It’s a little hip-hop, it’s a little indie rock, and then there’s some weird touches of R&B. They won the Mercury Prize in 2014 for their debut album *Dead* and were featured prominently on last year’s *Trainspotting 2* soundtrack. Their latest, Cocoa Sugar is a breathtaking, densely layered collection melding Gospel choirs, skitter-stop raps and Radiohead-inspired sound beds. I keep coming back to it time and time again because I’m always hearing something a little different each time. There’s not really any sort of comparison I can make for it from anywhere. Listen to “In My View” for some burnout balladry, the buzzing aria of “Lord” or the narcotic daze of “Wow”. It all changes from song to song and it couldn’t come from anywhere else. Like all great records, it rewards with multiple listens. It’s an excellent record which positions them on the cusp of greatness. They’re building a hell of a case for it. 9\. **Janelle Monae – *Dirty Computer*** This is not a knock on Janelle Monae’s past records, but *Dirty Computer* blows them out of the water. While she’s always been ahead of the vanguard with her high concept records, sound and style, she’s never sounded as loose and comfortable within her own sound than she does here. Melding R&B, hip hop and pop, she’s doing it in a way few have attempted. There are Brian Wilson and Pharrell guest spots. Stevie Wonder shows up. The guitar heavy “So Afraid” will stop you in your tracks. Plus, those synths sound positively freaky, none more than “Make Me Feel”, which may or may not have had some assistance from the dearly departed Purple One. 10\. **Jeff Rosenstock – *POST-*** Jeff Rosenstock seems to be advancing as an artist at hyper-speed, creating higher concept, epics-in-minutes style punk. 2016’s *Worry* was a landmark record in terms of Rosenstock’s ability to stitch together his euphoric, nervy style. *POST-*, however, feels like the other side of the coin. Surprise-released on New Year’s Day, Rosenstock has made a record that’s emblematic of the year that followed. Frantic, pissed and often ebullient, he’s doing his best work of his career now, and this record feels like another effortless classic. 11\. Culture Abuse – *Bay Dream* 12\. Boygenius – *Boygenius* EP 13\. Hop Along – *Bark Off Your Head, Dog* 14\. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – *Hope Downs* 15\. Deafheaven – *Ordinary Corrupt Human Love* 16\. Joyce Manor – *Million Dollars to Kill Me* 17\. Lucero – *Among the Ghosts* 18\. Superchunk – *What A Time to Be Alive* 19\. Wild Pink – *Yolk in the Fur* 20\. Father John Misty – *God’s Favorite Customer* ### Drug Church's "Cheer" is an Excellent Punk-Pop Evolution URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/drug-churchs-cheer-is-an-excellent-punk-pop-evolution/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:27.000Z ![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/a3817718574_10.jpg?resize=300%2C300) What does it mean to be a punk band in 2018? It’s hard to say, really. Ten, fifteen years ago if a band with the reputation of Drug Church made a record so explicitly poppy and clean sounding, it was nearly a guaranteed ticket to losing any kind of credibility they’d earned on their way up. However, making this sort of leap is to be expected now, because rock economics simply don’t add up. That’s not to say this is why Drug Church have made this stylistic choice, instead that it just doesn’t mean as much as used to. Regardless, on *Cheer*, Drug Church take what made them great on albums like *Paul Walker* and *Hit Your Head* and really hone in on them. The result is an album that’s no less hard hitting and way more immediate sounding. “Grubby” is a tectonic rager of an opener, with vocalist Patrick Kindlon sounding higher above the mix than he’s ever sounded. “Avoidarama” starts with a killer bass riff that settles into a classic verse-CHORUS-verse hook. It’s an unavoidably great song. “Weed Pin” is buoyed by an amazing watery guitar riff with Kindlon espousing about frustrating career prospects. Plus, it’ll stop you dead in your tracks when he sings: “Fuck you at $12.50 an hour/I should have started a chemical fire/I should have burned this fucking place to the ground.” Simply, *Cheer* is a great record from a band who’s growing by leaps and bounds by slightly altering the more hardcore elements of their sound and making them a little more palatable. On “Unlicensed Guidance Counselor,” Kindlon sings “If you live long enough/you’ll do something wrong enough/that you’ll feel shame enough/to say enough’s enough”. That’s 100% relatable. There’s no shame here. Drug Church swung for the fences, and that’s the most punk thing they could do. ### On "Nearer My God", Foxing Craft an Instant Classic URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-nearer-my-god-foxing-craft-an-instant-classic/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:27.000Z ![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/a2636077121_10.jpg?resize=300%2C300) I’ve been struggling to write about this album since I first heard it a few months ago, and it’s mostly because I’m overwhelmed by every listen of *Nearer My God*. It’s an album title that smacks with the air of supreme confidence and ambition, one that too many bands fail to live up to. Foxing are not one of them, I am happy to say. It’s one of those super-rare occasions where a band somehow hits their stride as artists and hits a creative peak. For their third record, Foxing paired with former Death Cab for Cutie member/producer Chris Walla. It’s abundantly clear that his steady hand has guided the group in a way they haven’t even bothered to attempt on record before. Songs like the opener “Grand Paradise” with its blippy churn and the horn swells of the single “Slapstick” really are just setting up for sonics that are weirder and more ambitious. “Lich Prince” sort of feels like a woozy 2011 Drake ballad before it opens up to a gasping, monolithic rock song. Have the lyrics “I feel like a houseplant” ever been used before? Have they ever given way to a cataclysmic world-burning guitar solo? Has that ever seagued into falsetto harmonizations all in the course of a minute? Of course not. That’s what makes it so awesome. The album’s title track “Nearer My God” has already made waves as the band released it in five different languages total – Spanish, French, German and Japanese. It’s a soaring, chugging power ballad, perhaps the most traditional thing on the record. Once you hear it, you can almost understand the universality of that melody and how it would translate into other languages. “Heartbeats” doesn’t sound like a rock band at all – soundscapes tempered with program drum hits and orchestral samples that sound super familiar but transformed into something that feels entirely fresh. Also, go listen to all nine minutes of “Nine Cups” and try to figure out what it is. I have a feeling it’s going to take a lot longer than I’ve already spent with it. *Nearer My God* packs so much detail per song it’s impossible to quantify the breadth of what an accomplishment it is. Make no mistake Foxing have made an instant classic. It’s a template for going forward and a record we’ll look to as ‘emo’ (or whatever this is) makes the great leap forward. Very rare does an album come along that perfectly captures what it’s like to push the boundaries of an established sound and do it so brazenly and make it sound so organic. What a gift that is. ### On "Lessons", The Sharp Shadows Show Off Some New Skills URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-lessons-the-sharp-shadows-show-off-some-new-skills/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:27.000Z ![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/a1044374412_10.jpg?resize=300%2C300) On *Lessons*, The Sharp Shadows sophomore album, it’s clear the band has learned something after 2016’s *Small Victories*. The Brooklyn-by-way-of-Boston power-pop trio led by Stephen Bailey has returned with a collection of songs that feel a little more lived in then its predecessor. “Believe In Yourself (But Don’t Take On The World Alone)” feels a little Nick Lowe and a little Ted Leo, while “Don’t Say You’re Sorry to Me” feels straight out of a 50’s sock hop. (That’s a good thing.) The album’s first single, “Push Push Push” is unlike anything Sharp Shadows have done before – a nervy, shifting punk track where Bailey duets with Michelle Hutt of The Royal They. It’s barely over two minutes long and infectiously catchy – Sharp Shadows execute a perfect song in half the time it takes other bands. With *Lessons*, it’s abundantly clear that Sharp Shadows have mastered their craft of big guitars and even bigger hooks. Bailey is no question a student of the power pop game – there’s a little Graham Parker, a little Big Star and plenty of confidence here. If there’s something to learn after this album is over is that Sharp Shadows are continuing to evolving in their quest to create the perfect pop song. They’re pretty darn close as it stands. ### On "Dose Your Dreams", Fucked Up Return to Their Magnum Opus With an Even Better One URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-dose-your-dreams-fucked-up-follow-up-their-magnum-opus-with-an-even-better-one/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:29.000Z Let me be very clear here: *Dose Your Dreams*, Fucked Up’s first album in four years, is unquestionably their best record. ![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/a0465328280_16.jpg?resize=297%2C297) For a group already known for their ambitious 2011 rock opera D*avid Comes to Life*, the thought they would top it with another double album seems patently insane, but they actually \*did it\*. It’s an overwhelming assortment of punk, psych, digital hardcore with elements of arena rock and other genre experiences. That said, it represents everything great about them to this point and pushing them in completely new directions for the future. It’s an album elevating a ‘great band’ to an ‘all-time great band’. There’s an incredible amount of ground to cover here, so I’ll provide some cliff notes. For an album that’s this ambitious, it’s also a bit of a changing of the guard – band mastermind/guitarist Mike Haliechuk and drummer Jonah Falco are in firm control of the band, pushing Fucked Up in directions they couldn’t have dreamed up. Vocalist Damian Abraham has taken a less active presence in the group as priorities in his life shift, being deployed a little more carefully across 13 of the album’s 18 songs – and it works beautifully. Whether it’s the catchy-as hell glam rock stomp of “Normal People,” the disco-psych (yes, you read that right) of “Dose Your Dreams” the gutbucket hardcore of “Living in a Simulation,” the throbbing snyth pummel of “Mechanical Bull” or guitarist Ben “Young Guv” Cook’s insta-classic shredded lead vocal on “Accelerate”, there’s a staggering amount to get into. Jonah Falco handles vocals on two songs, including the standout Beach Boys-ian “Love is an Island in the Sea”. Even J Mascis shows up to duet with Jennifer Castle on “Came Down Wrong,” which sounds like a little Dinosaur Jr. tribute in miniature. *Dose Your Dreams* is about many things. Sure, it’s about Fucked Up’s most famous character, but it’s also the picture of a band – six people with disparate influences pushing outside what it means to \*be\* a band. No longer confined to traditional roles – there’s no longer one singer, one guitarist, one drummer, so on and so forth – they have made a record that’s messy, fearless and totally original – so much so that it needs to be heard to be totally understood. If it’s the last record the group makes – which always seems to be a threat – nearly every interview highlights how different each member is from each other, then holy shit, they went for broke and nailed it. Given their track record in the last fifteen years, it would also not be surprising to see Fucked Up again reinvent themselves as something less recognizable, more fluid, more daring, and more powerful than we could ever possibly imagine. That’s what they’ve done here, because that’s what truly great bands do. [*Dose Your Dreams is out Friday on Merge.*](https://www.mergerecords.com/dose-your-dreams?ref=obviatemedia.net) ### Restorations Tackle The Tough Stuff on "LP5000" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/restorations-tackle-the-tough-stuff-on-lp5000/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:29.000Z ![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/a1852033240_10-1.jpg?resize=300%2C300) On Restorations first album in four years, *LP5000,* the group delivers an emotional wallop over seven songs in a 25 minute span. It’s a look into being in your thirties – appreciating all the things that the age brings – love, stability and the prospect of a bright future still ahead, but sometimes just falling short. In addition, with what feels like a scandal-a-day in the news, the world seems to be retching at this point. Like vocalist/guitarist Jon Loudon says on the creeping, anxious “Nonbeliever”: “*I love your protest lines/oh, but who has the time*?” coupled with “*Got a partner for starters/and a kid on the way/can’t be doing all this dumb shit no more*”, it’s pitting ideology vs. reality. How are you supposed to stay engaged when there’s all this other stuff that needs your attention? That’s just a part of it. “The Red Door,” *LP5000*’s sweeping, totally anthemic first single addresses the process of gentrification. “*Feel my pulse pick up with/every building that’s built/haven’t we all felt a little/a little in between before?”*, Loudon says. Sure, he could be talking about the band’s hometown of Philadelphia, but it also doubles of the transitional point of your life of moving from one constant to something totally unfamiliar. It’s a clever sleight of hand, until the final dead giveaway: “All I want is to see you comfortable/In your own skin/In your own way.” It’s a simple statement conveyed with the disappointment and exhaustion of emotion of watching one of your favorite places being wiped away without a trace in favor of something hollow and empty, or worse, replaced with nothing at all. *LP5000* is a complicated record that has remarkable highs and lows in such a short amount of time. Restorations have always been a band that crushes with dynamic sonic shifts paired with bone-cutting truths. That’s no different here. “*And now you can’t afford to live in the town you were born in/When they ask you where you’re from, you tell them the truth/You don’t know, and who does anymore?* *“*, Loudon sings at the end of “Remains”. They’re a band trying to live the best they can and admitting it’s fucking hard. We’re people less about where we’re from and more about how we relate to each other through our experiences. In the unbearable nowness of now, it’s the best we can do. It’s good that records like *LP5000* exist to remind us of that. [*LP5000 is out September 28 on Tiny Engines*.](https://restorations.bandcamp.com/album/lp5000?ref=obviatemedia.net) <a href=”http://restorations.bandcamp.com/album/lp5000″>LP5000 by Restorations</a> ### Lucero Address Change on the Magnificent "Among The Ghosts" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/lucero-examine-change-on-the-magnificent-among-the-ghosts/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:31.000Z **Lucero – *Among the Ghosts*** ![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/81KpwupahAL._SY355_-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300) 2018 marks twenty years together for the Memphis-based Lucero, a group no stranger to making classic record after classic record. That’s why it’s not surprising that their ninth, *Among the Ghosts* might just be their best. On the whole, the album sounds like Ben Nichols coming to terms with a new phase in life – both as a husband and a father, and the double edge sword that can be. It’s an album that shows the true breadth of their talents – the album’s title track starts on a mediation about a lot of things – Nichols talks about leaving his family behind on the road – specifically his young daughter – and the toll it takes. *“The first words she said to me were ‘goodbye’”*, he sings. It almost breaks your heart to hear the resignation in his voice. Nichols sounds a little hard on himself about how life transforming has impacted those around him. That’s apparent on “Everything Has Changed,” charged by Rick Steff’s inimitable keys. *“Looking like darker days/ain’t nobody else to blame/somewhere down in hell they call my name.”* It’s a classic Lucero slow-burner, but seems to hold so much more weight in the light of the birth of his daughter. One of the album’s best tracks, “For My Dearest Wife” was inspired by Civil War soldiers writing back to their families, however, it’s really feels like a storytelling device about Nichols missing his wife. The band offers an interpolation of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” in the song, backed by Roy Berry’s marching drums. It’s a beautiful piece to talk about something personal and relatable with a historical context in a way that many musicians could not execute as well as this, or even bother with attempting. Has this band ever written a song as tender as “Loving”? That’s debatable, *“It might not be good enough for them/but I just want to be good enough for you”* may be one of the most realistic and honest lines in a love song in recent memory. It’s a song Nicohols originally wrote for a film of the same name about Richard and Mildred Loving, whose interracial marriage in the late 50’s was illegal where they lived, and their challenging of the law resulted in a Supreme Court decision ruling the law unconstitutional. While the song is referencing the film, the feeling is universal. *Among the Ghosts* shows a band still growing after two decades together. For a band to be making music this good, an album that feels so consequential and full this late in their career is incredible. Yes, the stakes are higher, but Lucero is there to meet them. *[Among the Ghosts](http://luceromusic.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) is out August 3 on Thirty Tigers.* ### Wild Pink's "Yolk in the Fur" is Grand Ambition Unfolding in Real Time URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/wild-pinks-yolk-in-the-fur-is-a-major-leap-forward/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:35.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/a0957402743_10-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/a0957402743%5F10.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Wild Pink – *Yolk in the Fur*** Any band’s second album is cause for concern. It can go two ways – a retread of the first, a brand new direction, or something entirely forgettable. *Yolk in the Fur* is none of those. In every way, it’s the sound of a New York-based Wild Pink accumulating mass, becoming something bigger than they seemingly ever intended, reaching beyond what they previously thought possible and forging something far different than you’d expect from a band out of New York City. Opener “Burger Hill” is an excellent table setter, kicking off the record with placid synths and reverb-heavy guitar. “Lake Erie” is a majestic, sweeping single reminiscent of the last few The War on Drugs albums, while “Jewels Drossed in the Runoff” with it’s crashing riffs and Ross’s slightly above-a-whisper voice creating a song that’s both anthemic as it is gorgeous. Shortly thereafter comes “There Is A Ledger”, that churns only in a way that 1980’s pop-rock singles do – it’s a hard sound to describe here, but the jangly guitars and whooping synth feel so out of time but amazingly refreshing. *Yolk in the Fur* is a major leap forward for Wild Pink. It communicates that they’re a band that’s deploying only a modicum of their skillset. The first two records show potential and possibility. Whatever is next feels like the scope will be much wider. Wild Pink’s wave is about to crest. This is your chance to catch it. *Yolk in the Fur is out today on [Tiny Engines](http://www.tinyengines.net/bands/wild-pink?ref=obviatemedia.net).* ### Hear/Here: John Prine, Courtney Barnett and Maps & Atlases URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/hear-here-john-prine-courtney-barnett-and-maps-atlases/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:38.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/jp_photos3-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/jp%5Fphotos3.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)**John Prine – *The Tree of Forgiveness*** John Prine’s first album of new material in 13 years is a great place to start with the legend’s career, as it kind of covers the ground of the sometimes funny, sometimes terribly sad songs he’s known for. Working with Dave Cobb (known for producing both Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton) Prine focuses on the mundanities of everyday life, and some of those songs like the humorous “Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)” and the tender “I Have Met My Love Today” is a gorgeous little love song that comes and goes in under two minutes. “Summer’s End” is probably one of the most beautiful, weightless ballads I’ve heard in a long time. It’s a record that’s a small gift, one that you’re welcome to have but did not at all expect. That’s the best kind. **Courtney Barnett – *Tell Me How You Really Feel*** Courtney Barnett’s output is usually a sure thing – which is why it’s strange her latest, *Tell Me How You Really Feel*is weirdly disappointing. It’s not bad, it just lacks the punch found on 2015’s *Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit*. “Hopefulessness” is a strange, dissonant opener that casts a bit of a pall over the record, while first single “Nameless, Faceless” is a fine midtempo rocker that’s hook doesn’t really burrow in, say, like the classic “Pedestrian at Best”. There are some great moments like “Crippling Self Doubt and a General Lack of Self Confidence” buoyed by contributions by Kelley and Kim Deal and the relationship ballad “Need a Little Time”. It has been home run after home run until now. It’s just a bit of a bummer to hear Barnett sound tired and and actually a little bored. Sure, she’s sang about it, but it’s never really felt like it until now. **Maps & Atlases – *Lightlessness is Nothing New*** Chicago natives Maps & Atlases first new release in six years shows them down a member and finding that their tightly constructed guitar and rhythm pieces turning up to something a little brighter and buoyant with synths taking more of a larger role in their sound. First single “Fall Apart” sounds just as slick and rubbery as singer/guitarist Dave Davison’s voice, while “Ringing Bell” has a mechanical riff with a punchy rhythm accompaniment that will sound great coming out of a car stereo. It’s an album where Maps & Atlases just \*sounds\* the biggest they’ve ever been. They’ve always had the chops. All that extra time produced something really great. ### Hear/Here: New Hop Along, Young Fathers, Kacey Musgraves and Wye Oak URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/record-roundup-april-2018/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:47.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/a3262994134_10-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/a3262994134%5F10.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)**Hop Along – *Bark Off Your Head, Dog*** Hop Along have been on a tear since the release of their 2012 debut, *Get Disowned* and came to proper prominence with 2015’s *Painted Shut*, a showcase of a young band coming into their own, and placing the extraordinary voice of singer/guitarist Frances Quinlan center stage. It’s a low-key classic in it’s own right, so the release of *Bark Off Your Head, Dog* comes with some high expectations. Happily, it doesn’t disappoint. The nine-song collection adds some new hues to Hop Along’s rapidly kaleidoscoping sound – the rawboned riffs of the first single “How Simple,” the acoustic guitar and strings of the gorgeous “How You Got Your Limp” and the funky-mathy rhythms of “The Fox in Motion”. Then there’s some littler experiments: “What the Writer Meant” starts with brushed drums that break into a gorgeously power-pop chorus while “Look of Love” fucks with some serious psychadelic-era Beatles harmonies. *Bark Off Your Head, Dog* is album that pushes Hop Along forward, showing band striving to find what’s *possible* in their sound, opposed to making something that *sounds like them*. It makes sense – that’s never quite been their DNA. Hop Along sound a bit restless here, but that’s why it works. It’s very clear that *Bark Off Your Head, Dog* is just the tip of the iceberg. [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/a1022040919_10-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/a1022040919%5F10.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Young Fathers – *Cocoa Sugar*** Every once and a while there will be an album that pretty much levels the musical plane, one that becomes an earworm in the most serious of ways, rendering everything else kind of secondary. For me, right now, that is “Cocoa Sugar” by Young Fathers. It’s hard to classify exactly what genre the Edinburgh, Scotland-based group are, because they encompass so many different ones at once. It’s a little hip-hop, it’s a little indie rock, and then there’s some weird touches of R&B. They won the Mercury Prize in 2014 for their debut album Dead and were featured prominently on last year’s Trainspotting 2 soundtrack. “Cocoa Sugar” is a densely layered collection melding Gospel choirs, skitter-stop raps and Radiohead-inspired sound beds. I keep coming back to it time and time again because I’m always hearing something a little different each time. There’s not really any sort of comparison I can make for it from anywhere. Listen to “In My View” for some burnout balladry, the buzzing aria of “Lord” or the narcotic daze of “Wow”. It all changes from song to song and it couldn’t come from anywhere else. Don’t sit on this record or this group. It’s an excellent record which centers them on the cusp of greatness. They’re building a hell of a case for it. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/kacey-musgraves-golden-hour-300x300.png?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/kacey-musgraves-golden-hour.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Kacey Musgraves – *Golden Hour*** Let’s get it out of the way: Believe the hype. All of Kacey Musgraves’s records are the real deal – slices of contemporary country that don’t sound like shit and hint at something greater and more progressive. Hint no more. *Golden Hour* is Musgraves best and most fully realized record, one that transcends country, or any genre really, with the focus on crystalline songwriting, gorgeous arrangements and something entirely different with the startling disco bump of “High Horse”. It’s the defining career achievement of which there are already many moments that have had that mantle previously. Just don’t waste any more time not listening to it. **Wye Oak – *The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs*** Wye Oak have never made the same record twice, and on *The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs*, it’s not about to change. Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack grow by leaps and bounds on each release, and this, their first proper studio album since 2014’s *Shriek* has them taking the synth heavy sounds of that record and Wasner’s excellent Flock of Dimes side project and bridging that with the hypnotic drum and guitars found on 2011’s classic *Civilian* in a way that sounds panoramic. “Lifer” sounds like a conservative synth track before it blows wide open into Wasner’s gargantuan guitar solo, while “Symmetry” sounds like a track from an 80’s action flick doused in nightmare fuel and lit ablaze. Wye Oak always make records worth checking out. Dig right in and stay for a while. This one is damn near untouchable. ### What I'm Listening To: February 2018 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/what-im-listening-to-february-2017/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:50.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/5a2ff5489674d-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/5a2ff5489674d.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)**Lucy Dacus – *Historian*** I first heard about Lucy Dacus the way a lot of people hear about new bands: from [the playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/hillaryclinton/playlist/0y0kxJvEx0T97sbZScv0Ol?ref=obviatemedia.net) of the 2016 VP-nominee, Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. Seriously. He included her song “I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore” on a streaming playlist. Turns out his daughter is friends with Dacus. Obligatory next door neighborly plug it wasn’t: Dacus’s 2016 debut *No Burden* is seriously great. *Historian* is even better. The Richmond based singer-songwriter builds on the confidence and songcraft of her debut by re-teaming with producer Collin Pastore, which was then mixed with John Congleton, who is known for his work with St. Vincent, among others. The result is a record that feels weightier and enveloping in sound opposed to the lo-fi sounds of *No Burden*. Dacus is 22, but the rich tone of her voice begets a singer whose doing it much longer. From the chugging opener “Night Shift,” a classic breakup song – *“You got a 9 to 5, so I’ll take the night shift/And I’ll never see you again if I can help it/In five years I hope the songs feel like covers/Dedicated to new lovers*” the sweeping, gorgeous “Body to Flame” and pop bite of “Next of Kin” – *“I am at peace with my death/I can go back to bed”*. It’s a career defining collection that’s worthier than the words written here, or like she says on “Addictions” – *“invest your time in what’s worthwhile”*. *Historian* might be the album of the year. **Titus Andronicus – *A Productive Cough*** If you’ve followed Titus Andronicus for a few record cycles, you know they tend to work on an odd-even structure: They start with a relatively straightforward rock record (2008’s *The Airing of Grievances*) coupled by an ambitious high concept record (2010’s all-timer T*he Monitor*). Repeat with 2012’s *Local Business* and follow it up with the even more ambitious *The Most Lamentable Tragedy*, released in 2015\. The band’s latest A Productive Cough seems like the most personal record yet from Patrick Stickles, something that plays less like a shambolic punk collection and more like “Exile on the New Jersey Turnpike”. “Number One (In New York)” is a bombastic opener that never really crests, while “Real Talk” feels a lot like the Stones “Rip This Joint”. “Crass Tattoo” pretty much eschews Stickles’s vocal, instead, sung by Megg Farrell who brings the house down. There’s also a really fun cover of “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan that Stickles changes the tense to first person. It’s totally unnecessary, but what really is here? Ultimately, it’s a minor work in the Titus canon that will have its fans and detractors. **Caleb Caudle – *Crushed Coins*** If you haven’t heard Caleb Caudle yet, start here. The North Carolina native has been making records for years, but on his eighth, *Crushed Coins*, his classicist country voice bends to explore different genres. Whether it’s the Laurel Canyon expanse of “NYC in the Rain” or the 60’s psych elements of “Empty Arms,” Caudle winds them together with ease. Guided by the steady hand of producer Jon Ashley, Caudle’s made his best record yet. There’s so many great moments, but the stripped down acoustic ballad “Until It’s Over”, is probably the sweetest. *“There’s a light inside of her/cuts through my darkness/steals away these broken blues/punch for punch I’ve got an honest love/it’s true,”* Caudle sings. He nails the words exactly. Way to put the rest of us to shame, dude. Also check out Screaming Females – *All at Once* Turnstile – *Time & Space* Camp Cope – *How to Socialise & Make Friends* ### Superchunk's "What a Time to Be Alive" Handles the Turbulence with Confidence URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/superchunks-what-a-time-to-be-alive-handles-the-turbulence-with-confidence/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:51.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/10_404_404_620_mini_3000.jpg?resize=404%2C404)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/10%5F404%5F404%5F620%5Fmini%5F3000.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)The world feels like it’s coming apart at the seams, some new scandal or piece of terrible news hits daily, or sometimes with even more frequency. It takes more effort to simply *keep up* than it does just to be able to digest the news. The result is mind numbing. Then you look to find respite from these things. There’s music. Superchunk knows this well, and somehow they found a way to channel the rage and anxiety of this turbulent time in history into their 11th album, the sardonically titled *What a Time To be Alive.* Since the band’s return to recording at the top of the decade after taking most of the ’00’s off, 2010’s *Majesty Shredding* reintroduced listeners to Superchunk as a punk band with power-pop leanings, but imbued with an immediacy that at times make them sound like a different band from their earlier years. This continues on the album’s opener, the title track, a cascading ripper which pretty much puts this administration in the crosshairs – *“There’s a crooked line that runs/through every crease in this map/and you want to take us all the way back”* singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan sings. There’s virtriol in his voice – by the time the chorus hits *“the scum, the shame, the fucking lies/oh what a time to be alive”*, there’s barely a moment to catch your breath. Just as that song halts, the punk stomp of “Lost My Brain” begins. McCaughan echoes the sentiment felt by so many pretty early – “*I surrendered to the flow of shit/I gave up all my all my sleep/and I didn’t learn anything from it”*. It’s a sobering lyric, but the rhythm section of bassist Laura Ballance and drummer Jon Wurster are pummeling, keeping the band buoyant despite the desperation of the lyric. If it already wasn’t clear,”Lost My Brain” makes it crystal – this is an album about trying to make it day by day living under the Trump administration. Yet, the record is hardly downcast. McCaughan is pissed, but many of the album’s angry statements are filtered through classic Superchunk – the hooky as hell earworm “Bad Choices” with guitarist Jim Wilbur’s zig-zag leads and the similarly catchy “Dead Photographers”. Among these is the soaring standout “Erasure,” which is like a Merge Records roster showcase with Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee and Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields guest on background vocals. What these songs all have in common is that Quicksilver energy and pitch perfect execution of a band who has played together for decades. Perhaps that is what makes *What a Time to be Alive* a great record. Nearly thirty years in, Superchunk are not only still making music, but they’ve made a vital record that rivals even their classic material. It’s a near impossible task, yet they keep accomplishing it time and time again. Now, during a time where getting up every day means feeling like you have to brace yourself for something terrible, there’s a record that comes out swinging in the face of that ugliness. It’s an album referencing a time and a place that somehow feels timeless. Superchunk’s exuberance and confidence in pushing forward is a good example that everyone can learn from. *What a Time to Be Alive is out February 16 on Merge.* ### Favorite Songs of 2017 and Other Stuff URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-songs-of-2017-and-other-stuff/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:52.000Z My Top Songs of 2017 playlist, favorite non-2017 discovery and Honorable Mention albums, as well as my Favorite Moments of 2017. **My Top Songs:** Also, [4:44 ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSkA61esq%5Fc&ref=obviatemedia.net)by Jay-Z. **Everything I Listened To:** I made a playlist for every month this year of everything I listened to individually (excluding albums). Check it out. This will have additions through December 31\. Favorite Non-2017 Discovery: Silkworm – *Lifestyle* Culture Abuse – *Peach* Honorable Mention Albums: Broken Social Scene – *Hug of Thunder* Daddy Issues – *Deep Dream* Thundercat – *Drunk* Cory Branan – *Adios* Jay Som – *Everybody Works* Iron Chic – *You Can’t Stay Here* Worriers – *Survival Pop* Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile – *Lotta Sea Lice* Telethon – *The Grand Spontanean* Arcade Fire – *Everything Now* **Other Stuff** **Personal:** [Writing for Noisey](https://noisey.vice.com/en%5Fus/article/3dmye5/hear-cory-branans-death-record-adios?ref=obviatemedia.net), [being published in an actual magazine](https://s3.amazonaws.com/content.sitezoogle.com/u/217427/e8bc3151a797e5b06e649c8b723604239d31beaa/original/35-daddyissues.pdf?response-content-type=application/pdf&scheme=&X-Amz-Expires=7200&X-Amz-Date=20171221T153209Z&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAJUKM2ICUMTYS6ISA/20171221/us-east-1/s3/aws4%5Frequest&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=15112b4a9bcb074c5db6e5706df094f0b8b586312a5e0f622f5b0bd904211377&ref=obviatemedia.net) writing about music for the first time in New Noise Magazine. All the cool opportunities through [Riot Fest](https://riotfest.org/author/brendanhilliard/?ref=obviatemedia.net), [VinylMnky](https://www.scenepointblank.com/staff/brendan-hilliard/?ref=obviatemedia.net), [Scene Point Blank](https://www.scenepointblank.com/staff/brendan-hilliard/?ref=obviatemedia.net) and others. Seeing Springsteen on Broadway. I think about it every day. Hamilton on New Year’s Day. Meeting musicians I admire all year long. **Travel:** Louisville, Memphis, New York a few times, my first trip to Vegas (which I loved). Eau Claire for a quick weekend trip (It’s a cool little town!) **Health and Wellness:** PRing my fourth 5K on the April 29 Race to Wrigley. Going to the chiropractor, massage and acupuncture for the first time in my life. **The Hold Steady:** Two residencies in Chicago and Brooklyn. The Empty Bottle show is and will remain a great and perfect show in my memory. Stage invasion. Helping develop the coffee blend with Dark Matter is a personal sense of pride for me. Brooklyn, also fun, crazy busy as usual. Watching everyone freak out about “Entitlement Crew” and “Snake in the Shower” was awesome, too. **Wrestling:** Witnessing Pete Dunne vs. Tyler Bate at NXT Takeover: Chicago, Finn vs. AJ, Cena vs. AJ at the Rumble. Good shows generally all year. I purchashed my first Bullet Club shirt. Found myself watching less this year than last, but it was still very enjoyable and match quality is so good these days. **Food:** SO MANY great spots. Chicago area: Mi Tocaya Antojería, Fat Rice, Wyler Road, MingHin Cuisine, Bleuroot, River Street Tavern, Proxi, Big Jones Cleveland: Bakersfield Cleveland, Sokolowski’s University Inn, Mabel’s BBQ Eau Claire: The Lakely Grand Rapids area: Spanky’s Pizza Las Vegas: China Poblano, Yellowtail Sushi Louisville: Grale Haus, Milkwood, Steel City Pops Memphis: Hog and Hominy, Tops BBQ, Catherine and Mary’s New York: Frankel’s Delicatessen, Má Pêche **Music:** Trash Pandas released an album this year called[ Apocalypse Nah](https://wearetrashpandas.bandcamp.com/album/apocalypse-nah?ref=obviatemedia.net). No one bought it. We were very tired and in a hot basement. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2017-12-21-at-1.41.21-PM-1024x106.png?resize=830%2C86)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2017-12-21-at-1.41.21-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Shows** I saw a personal record 47 shows this year. [Take a look](https://www.concertarchives.org/brendan-hilliard/years/2017?ref=obviatemedia.net). ### Favorite Albums of 2017 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2017/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:54.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_0275-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG%5F0275.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)This year was an extraordinarily strong year for music, so much so that ranking my top 10 favorites was not an easy feat. That said, I included a supplementary 11-20 for some of my favorites from this year. I have linked to some of the reviews for some of those records below. Enjoy! **1\. The War on Drugs – *A Deeper Understanding*** How do you describe an album that feels like a living document? *A Deeper Understanding* balances the line of immaterial and extraordinary weight, songs that feel huge in their emotion, sound and place, but have an incredible quality of reshaping themselves with every listen. The War on Drugs fourth album feels familiar – Dire Straits guitars, heartland rock propulsion with a Don Henley-esque delivery, but it’s not a tribute to those things. There’s something about it that combines these elements and infuses them with a feeling that’s impossible to explain without hearing. Frontman/mastermind Adam Granduciel labored for years combining synths, guitars, bass and drums that effortlessly weave into each other. Whether it’s the shimmering guitars that open “Pain,” the dramatic landscape of “Thinking of a Place,” or the E-Street Band-iness of “Holding On,” it runs the gamut of human emotion: It’s pensive, driving, achingly sad and at many points, euphoric. Pick any of these instruments or emotions and follow the thread. Then replay the song and pick something else to immerse in. It’s a revelatory, choose-your-own-adventure listen. *A Deeper Understanding* is an album about feeling, understanding and exploring. It’s a prism that refracts its light in endless directions. No matter the approach, no two experiences will ever be the same. **2\. Japandroids – *Near to The Wild Heart of Life*** Here’s the thing – Japandroids were never going to make another *Celebration Rock*, and it would be foolish to think they were going to in the first place, if ever make another record at all. After five years, what we did get was *Near to the Wild Heart of Life*, the third in the line of great Japandroids albums. The production is larger and the songs have a sense of space not found on previous Japandroids records. The album still has plenty of the fiery romanticism and the hooks that made the band so irresistible, but there is simple separation in the sounds to take that all in. There’s prominent synthesizers, acoustic guitars –just small touches that show the band was creating distance from the bash-and-blaze chaos of the first two albums. In a sense, *Near to the Wild Heart of Life* reminds us of some truths that we all eventually face. Everything is constantly changing. Right now is the youngest you’ll ever be. Eventually, we have to all take chances if we want evolve. Sure, the album is not perfect, and some experiments don’t work. That sounds like life. It won’t bring us back to the time where we felt infinite. But when it’s over, it’s a small reminder to keep going in hope that next day will be better than the last. That in itself is a victory – at this moment in time, that is exactly what we need. **3\. Julien Baker – *Turn Out The Lights*** On 2015’s *Sprained Ankle*, Julien Baker somehow was able to reinvent what it is what a songwriter can do with guitar and voice. Two years later on her follow up *Turn Out The Lights*, there’s a little more experience under her belt, but her songs – deep meditations on spirituality, mental health, relationships – and simply what it means to exist – pack an even stronger emotional wallop with the simple addition of piano, woodwinds and strings. “Appointments,” the album’s meditative first single hits an unforgettable climax, revealing an expressiveness in her voice not previously heard in her songs. The album’s title track continues this feels like it could be a full-throated punk ballad, but the guitar’s ambience bypasses that and sends it into the stratosphere. But it’s those moments that reveal an intense vulnerability that are the album’s best. “Hurt Less,” is a gorgeous piano ballad with backing vocals by her Forrister bandmate Matthew Gilliam. It’s a song about losing someone important and having to live with it. Baker sings, *“I just don’t want to be alone/And as long as you’re not tired yet/of talking, it helps to make it hurt less.*” Julien Baker’s ability to take her emotions and filtering them with intense focus is only scratching the surface of what she’s capable of as a songwriter Take a seat. You’ll be grateful you did. **4\. Hiss Golden Messenger – *Hallelujah Anyhow*** Released under a year after last year’s magnificent *Heart Like a Levee* (and the deluxe edition bonus album *Vestapol*), M.C. Taylor and company return with a looser sounding collection of songs than the more pristine sounds of its predecessor. That’s not to say it’s any less gorgeous. Opener “Jenny of the Roses” kicks things off rather breezily, but sets the tone pretty quickly as he sings, apparently quoting the subject of the song: *“I’ve never been/Afraid of the darkness/it’s just a different kind of light.*” This theme continues with “Lost Out in the Darkness,” buoyed by an insistent kick drum and choppy acoustic guitars. Harmonica bleeds in and out of the song as Taylor sings something that sounds optimistic – “I’ve been waiting for you patiently/I’m trying to be hopeful for you, brother” and *“If you carry the good news/show me/I’ve been looking for a sign down among us.*” Hiss Golden Messenger crafted a record to be the balm for a persistent burn. It is not a record made as a reaction to terrible times, instead it is a beautiful example of creating great art in spite of them. What it says is that we’re all in this together, moving forward and doing the best we can. That, truly, is *Hallelujah Anyhow*. **5\. St. Vincent – *MASSEDUCTION*** Annie Clark’s fifth record under the St. Vincent name again blows the debate wide open as to if she’s created her best record. Each record seems to build on the last, and this one might somehow be the most obtuse and accessible yet. It’s a diverse collection of neon-hued pop – the slinky “Los Ageless”, title track “Masseduction” with the lyrics *“I can’t turn off what turns me on”* to the devastating “Happy Birthday Johnny” and piano ballad “New York”. The arrangements are just as dense as they have been on previous releases, but here they feel streamlined and tighter. Highfalutin it is not. It’s St. Vincent, David Bowie and sex filtered through hell. **6\. The Smith Street Band – *More Scared of You Then You Are of Me*** Over three albums, The Smith Street Band, a Melbourne-based foursome have earned fans with emotionally unguarded songwriting that tiptoes the line between from totally moving to pure euphoria. Frontman Wil Wagner has never been one to pull punches with his confessional songwriting. On their fourth album, *More Scared of You Than You Are of Me*, Wagner and the band doubles down, creating their best record yet. On the unforgettable “Birthdays,” Wagner spells out his feelings pretty clear: *“And I’ll be intense/And I’ll be too much/And I’ll get too high/And I’ll get too drunk/But in between episodes/I will love you more than anyone you have ever known”* – it’s a perfect encapsulation of starting something new but setting expectation early. Those are things that sound scary in theory, but through the lens of a new relationship, their impact is dulled. Immediately after is “Death to the Lads,” a shitkicking rocker with one of the most over-the-top hair-metal guitar solos in a punk song in recent memory. This is a band with a mastery of dynamic shifts – starting with the pensive light guitars that bloom into a march on “Passiona,” or the atmospheric “Run Into The World” where the band gets some vocal help from Laura Stevenson and Tim Rogers, many songs on the album seem to tide with Wagner’s full-throated delivery. But some of the most fascinating moments are when they step outside the box. The album’s closing track, “Laughing (Or Pretending To Laugh)”, is a classic New York story that finds Wagner with far more tender deliver. It feels like he’s letting us on a secret. The song never explodes, just gently crests, while he sings *“And just because I’ve got a lot to learn/Does not mean that I am inherently a piece of shit/Just because I don’t think I know everything/Doesn’t mean that I don’t know anything”.* Sure, he’s talking to someone specific, but it’s a good lesson to learn. With just a little foresight, tomorrow’s another chance to be better than yesterday. **7\. Craig Finn – *We All Want The Same Things*** I’m obviously very close to this project, so I’ll make it brief. It’s the strongest solo record yet from CF – he has found a very game collaborator in Josh Kaufman. The songs feel lush and full, stories that hit hard where they need to. Tracks like the flute accented “Preludes” and “Be Honest” contain some of his best lines (“My password is be honest/my network is evolved,” while the sweet wash of synths on “Birds Trapped in the Airport” hint at a sound that couldn’t have been dreamt of from the sound of Hold Steady records. But all of this centers around the all-time great “God in Chicago,” a sad meditation that’s less song as it is story, exploring the aftermath of loss. Just listen to it and let the feelings wash over you. **8\. Waxahatchee – *Out in the Storm*** If you’ve followed the career of Katie Crutchfield and her albums under the name Waxahatchee, it’s clear that she never rests on her laurels. Whether it’s the lo-fi intimacy of *American Weekend*, the assured full-band sound of *Cerulean Salt* or the atmospherics of *Ivy Tripp*, each record shows Crutchfield confidently adapting new elements to her sound. On her latest, *Out in the Storm*, Crutchfield makes Waxahatchee’s best album to date. “Never Been Wrong,” the album’s opener, makes this abundantly clear. A distorted, plunging riff form the backbone of the song as Crutchfield’s voice takes front and center in the verse. It’s an awesome loud-quiet-loud rock song, full of driving guitars, pummeling bass and an insistent beat. Elements of Crutchfield’s earlier songwriting find a place here, albeit improved. Both “Recite Remorse” and “Sparks Fly” are built on beds of keys and percussion that wouldn’t sound out of place on *Ivy Tripp*, but here they feel less weightless and more grounded, something only a seasoned musician and performer could pull off. Out in the Storm is the best work from a musician and songwriter who has grown up band-by-band, album-by-album in front of an audience through much of her adult life. Everything up until this point has shown Katie Crutchfield’s ability and brilliance, its an album that represents the point when Waxahatchee’s ambition and ability and confidence run alongside one another. Where she goes next is anyone’s guess. The bar has been raised. *Out in the Storm* sets it high. **9\. The Menzingers – *After the Party*** We’re in the golden age of “crisis rock,” a term I’m playfully using about bands that write songs about the fading embers of youth, crystallizing when the sun starts to set on the familiar and new responsibilities and realities take hold. On “Tellin’ Lies,” the opening track on The Menzingers latest record, they make the album’s thesis abundantly clear: *“Where are we going to go when our twenties are over?”* The answer hits like a ton of bricks. *After the Party* is 13 songs that revive the feelings about being “*in your adolescent room”* rummaging *“through the boxes labeled “former you”/The souvenirs of happiness in the moment”* on “Your Wild Years,” the duality of living different lives to different people” *“To everyone, you’re such a sweet church girl/But I know your secret”* on the aptly titled “Bad Catholics,” among others. It’s a wistful, sometimes celebratory, often elegiac love letter to youth. The open-heartedness is palpable and authentic, but on “Lookers,” it feels personal. Co-vocalist Greg Barnett sings, *“We were both lookers/In a 5″x8″ black and white/On the night stand of my mind/From a time I hardly recognize.”* Suddenly, all those half-memories from high school and college come rushing back in full color. **10\. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit – *The Nashville Sound*** After two major critical successes under his own name, Jason Isbell restores his backing band The 400 Unit to top billing on *The Nashville Sound*. It’s for good reason, returns, as they take more of a central role on Isbell’s songs. What’s immediate from the album is a sense of looseness in Isbell’s songwriting and the band’s playing that hasn’t really felt a part of their sound since 2011’s *Here We Rest*. Whereas songs on 2013’s *Southeastern* and its follow up, 2015’s *Something More Than Free* sounded great, but had a sort of insularity absent on the earlier 400 Unit albums. Album opener “Last of My Kind” fades in, as if you’re getting a glimpse of a group of people playing together in a room, as Isbell sings about being left behind by the changing world. The song picks up with subtle intensity with every verse. This naturalistic style of production is a hallmark of longtime producer Dave Cobb’s style – here, it reintroduces the The 400 Unit as, well, a unit. “If We Were Vampires,” is an arresting duet between Isbell and his wife, Amanda Shires. The song sounds gothic on title alone, it’s anything but. Essentially, it’s an acoustic ballad where Isbell and Shires ruminate on the limited time they have together while they’re alive. “*It’s knowing that this can’t go on forever/Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone/Maybe we’ll get forty years together/But one day I’ll be gone/Or one day you’ll be gone.”* It’s spare, beautiful and nothing short of a classic. “Anxiety” is a seven-minute epic about just what the title suggests. The guitars are stormy and the rhythms insistent. Isbell’s lyrics may be familiar to those who struggle with it: *“You got to give me a minute/Because I’m way down in it/And I can’t breathe so I can’t speak/I want to be strong and steady, always ready/Now, I feel so small, I feel so weak”*. They eventually give away to a furiously strummed bridge which kicks into a wily guitar solo. The lyrics, although familiar, may be a tough sell and with many artists shouldn’t have worked, but Isbell’s earnestness and the mastery of The 400 Unit sell it. *The Nashville Sound* is a record that may have gotten lost in the shuffle of a glut of great 2017 releases, but it is a testament to excellent songwriting from a group in its peak. 11\. Gang of Youths – *Go Farther In Lightness* 12\. Priests – *Nothing Feels Normal* 13\. White Reaper – *[The World’s Best American Band](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2017/04/12/white-reapers-the-worlds-greatest-american-band-is-not-just-a-clever-title/)* 14\. Kendrick Lamar – *DAMN.* 15\. The National – [Sleep Well Beast](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2017/09/08/the-national-shake-things-up-on-sleep-well-beast/) 16\. LCD Soundsystem – [American Dream](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2017/09/01/lcd-soundsystems-american-dream-is-a-remarkable-return/) 17\. Run the Jewels – *Run the Jewels 3* 18\. Ted Leo – *The Hanged Man* 19\. Sincere Engineer – *Rhombithian* 20\. The World Is A Beautful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – *Always Foreign* — ### Hiss Golden Messenger Find Hope in the Dark on "Hallelujah Anyhow" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/hiss-golden-messenger-find-hope-in-the-darkness-on-hallelujah-anyhow/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:57.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/10_404_404_605_hiss_hallelujah_900-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/10%5F404%5F404%5F605%5Fhiss%5Fhallelujah%5F900.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)It’s hard to feel good about the world right now for a variety of reasons. Take your pick: politics, natural disasters and the simple passage of time claiming many of our heroes are just a few examples. It would be easy to be resigned and depressed about all of this, but thankfully there are reminders of some light peering through the darkness. M.C. Taylor seems to think that, or that’s the idea you get on Hiss Golden Messenger’s latest album, *Hallelujah Anyhow*. Released under a year after last year’s magnificent *Heart Like a Levee* (and the deluxe edition bonus album *Vestapol*), Taylor and company return with a looser sounding collection of songs than the more pristine sounds of its predecessor. That’s not to say it’s any less gorgeous. Opener “Jenny of the Roses” kicks things off rather breezily, but sets the tone pretty quickly as he sings, apparently quoting the subject of the song: “*I’ve never been/Afraid of the darkness/it’s just a different kind of light*.” This theme continues with a song succinctly titled “Lost Out in the Darkness,” buoyed by an insistent kick drum and choppy acoustic guitars. Harmonica bleeds in and out of the song as Taylor sings something that sounds optimistic – “*I’ve been waiting for you patiently/I’m trying to be hopeful for you, brother*” and “*If you carry the good news/show me/I’ve been looking for a sign down among us.*” The instrumentation feels more like a delivery device for Taylor’s searching than it has previously – there’s simply much more that needs to be heard this time. It’s an album that’s feels like shades of color than a progression of sound. The songs here sooth in their autumnal hues – “Gulfport You’ve Been on My Mind,” and “Domino (Time Will Tell)” feel like sunsets, and “John the Gun” reappears here, revived from a serene acoustic take first found on *Vestapol*, fleshed out with an awesome full band arrangement. There are also moments on the album that strike familiar tones. Multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook’s piano flourishes combined with soft horn hits and the roughhewn texture of Taylor’s voice lends itself to some irresistible Van Morrison comparisons, especially on “Harder Rain”. The song carries the intimacy and romance of people playing in a room together. It doesn’t break as much as it crests, building to a dewy crescendo. You can almost feel the collaborators looking to each other where to go next. The album’s finest moment is it’s last – the instant-classic “When the Wall Comes Down”. It’s unclear if Taylor is referincing about *that* wall, but moments here feel more like advice than political statement. “*What you oughta do is let it lie*,” Taylor says. Then some more advice. “*Step back, Jack, from the darkness*.” Taylor is talking about being hopeful when there’s something in your way. “*It’s a beautiful world but painful, child/Tear it down.*” He’s right. Hiss Golden Messenger group has crafted something to be a balm for a persistent burn. It is not a record made as a reaction to terrible times, instead it is a beautiful example of creating great art *in spite* of them. What it says is that we’re all in this together, moving forward and doing the best we can. That, truly, is *Hallelujah Anyhow*. *Halleujah Anyhow is out today on Merge.* ### The National Shake Things Up on "Sleep Well Beast" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-national-shake-things-up-on-sleep-well-beast/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:18:59.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5913672e1d363-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/5913672e1d363.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)When you talk about a new album by The National, there’s a few concessions you make. You’re not really stressing sound and progression but you do detail the mood and intensity. They’re a band of Midwestern men, two sets of brothers, and a guy that has a brother (as the excellent 2014 documentary [Mistaken For Strangers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%5FOeSAUNvpvY&ref=obviatemedia.net) shows), that define themselves by both their creative and personal tensions. They progress in inches, not leaps. Well, that is until now. *Sleep Well Beast* feels somewhat like a sonic redefinition. While each record from 2005’s *Alligator* felt like a deeper descent into an emotional and sonic black hole, there’s an electricity that runs through their latest that feels like a band reacting against their darker impulses. Opener “Nobody Else Will Be There” creeps up on you – Berninger sings like he’s telling a secret, backed by nocturnal percussion and string swells. It’s a beautiful, but odd opener, as the pulsating “Day I Die” kicks into gear. The balance feels off The band experiments with synths and guitar solos all over the place – including the ripshit “Turtleneck”. The National have not made a song that has let Berninger go this loose on record since “Abel”. The guitars are nervy and suspenseful. It’s going to sound awesome live. The three song run of “Guilty Party,” “Carin at the Liquor Store,” and “Dark Side of the Gym” are some of the most gorgeously staggering songs that the band has put together about love and relationships. “Guilty Party” talks about a failing relationship, while “Carin at the Liquor Store” is a piano ballad that’s apparently about guitarist Aaron Dessner’s mother-in-law that passed away during recording. “Dark Side of the Gym” has ‘wedding song’ written all over it, Berninger, evokes Renaissance imagery as he sings in duet with Irish singer Lisa Hannigan: “*I have dreams of anonymous castrati/Singing to us from the trees/I have dreams of a first man and a first lady/Singing to us from the sea*“. It’s language ripe for a first dance. Despite these high points – there are some moments that don’t feel right. The intro to “I’ll Still Destroy You” feels a little out of place, perhaps like an *Amnesiac*\-era Radiohead outtake, as well as the first single “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness”, has a lot going on – keys, guitar stabs and some synth hits. It’s also got sickly-sweet guitar solo which is the best part of the song, mainly because they are rarely, if ever heard on National albums. At its core, *Sleep Well Beast* is a very good album by The National. The band backed itself against the wall with 2013’s *Trouble Will Find Me*, hewing a little too close to the sound they’d cultivated with their previous three albums. It’s the sound of a band taking chances with an established formula, spreading out and showing that after nearly twenty years together they can find ways to create something deeply engaging. Is it the album to start a new fan with? No. Is it a worthy addition to their catalog? Certainly. They have consistently made records that try to top one another. Perhaps they have yet to create their best. If anything, *Sleep Well Beast* shows that all bets are off. Keep listening. *Sleep Well Beast is out now on 4AD.* ### LCD Soundsystem's "American Dream" is a Remarkable Return URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/lcd-soundsystems-american-dream-is-a-remarkable-return/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:03.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/lcd-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/lcd.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy has always been obsessed with aging, the process thereof, and the self-awareness of coming that you are no longer the cool person in the room. One of LCD’s most enduring songs, “Losing My Edge” – is about that. I’m a few months away from being 32, the same age when he wrote that song. I get it. I’m still heavily involved in being a music fan when many of my peers have turned their attention elsewhere. Even with that, the pulse of pop culture is evaporating under my fingertips. We live in an era of ‘everything now,’ but culture now moves so quickly, it’s almost impossible to decode the latest meme without a Google search or find yourself realize that you’re *technically* old enough to be the parent of some of the artists in the Billboard Top 100. Then, of course, “I was there”. I love to gloat that I was at the ‘final’ LCD Soundsystem show at Madison Square Garden. The documentary of the final show, titled [Shut Up and Play The Hits](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=%5FFAUyrFWDvw&ref=obviatemedia.net), is a defining moment in rock history, sort of a next gen version of [The Last Waltz](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077838/?ref=obviatemedia.net). It was a four hour long show, a sort of euphoria mixed with a wry sadness. In essence, it was a really big Irish wake. Hearing last year that the group was reforming, I couldn’t help feeling a little put off by it. But it wasn’t without precedent – even The Band mostly got back together after The Last Waltz. The difference here is that they never truly released an album that stood next to their classic material. But with *American Dream*, LCD Soundsystem managed to. Released today, the album is not exactly about that, but there are parts of it that show a wisened Murphy bringing the sounds of his youth to the forefront. Many of songs on this album are reminiscent so much of Robert Fripp or coke-era Bowie – a sound that somehow hasn’t been strip-mined within an inch of it’s life – recast as a way to transmit Murphy’s state of mind. As with any LCD Soundsystem album, there are endless quips that strike with their \*realness\* – take “Emotional Haircut” for example: “You got numbers on your phone of the dead that you can’t delete/And you got life-affirming moments in your past that you can’t repeat,” or on “Tonite” which sounds the closest thing like a paint-by-numbers LCD song as it gets before Murphy observes – “Everybody’s singing the same song/It goes tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight, tonight/I never realized these artists thought so much about dying”. Dying. The album’s most emotional moment is the 12-minute closer “Black Screen” which is clearly about Murphy’s friendship with David Bowie during his final years. Murphy contributed elements to Bowie’s final album *Blackstar*. Words here really can’t do it justice. Listen to it in a quiet space when you’re alone. It may be the most vulnerable Murphy has ever sounded on record. *American Dream* is an album that in no way sounds like a rehash. Even the songs that sound like “Classic LCD” have an undercurrent that places them out of time. The themes that Murphy sings about might be similar, but make no mistake, this is a band that has been somewhere, has grown older and better. By all accounts, they’re here to stay. May we all accept aging and the evolution of “cool” as well as they have. What a great example to have. By all accounts, they’re here to stay. May we all accept aging and the evolution of “cool” as well as they have. What a great example to have. *American Dream is out today on Columbia.* ### Coming Closer with The War On Drugs "A Deeper Understanding" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/coming-closer-with-the-war-on-drugs-a-deeper-understanding/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:06.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/war-on-drugs-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/war-on-drugs.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)My first experience with The War On Drugs is in 2009 when I saw them open up five times for The Hold Steady. They had just released *Wagonwheel Blues*, a promising, if not wholly remarkable debut. Adam Granduciel quickly identified me night-to-night as “Phillies shirt guy” because of the shirt I wore one of the nights. He and Dave Hartley and their drummer at the time signed my copy of the LP. I saw Adam play with Kurt Vile the next few years, was surprised by the release of 2011’s *Slave Ambient*, and watched the band skyrocket on the heels of 2014’s brilliant *Lost in the Dream*. It’s been remarkable to watch a band like that come full circle, but nothing could prepare for the release of their latest, *A Deeper Understanding*. To put it bluntly: this is a really special album. It’s both accessible and ethereal, somehow operating as both a passive listen and intensely rewarding for much more detailed listeners. I keep playing it over and over, revealing bits I simply missed before. How often is an album both good for the passivity of a long drive but dense enough for headphone listening? There are moments that exist here that you don’t really notice until you focus, sort of like when you focus on taking a deep breath. You’re always \*doing\* it, but not until you take time to really concentrate, it’s then you are cognizant of the process. *A Deeper Understanding* is an album that passes through your body with each inhale and exhale, with an ability to make you feel \*something\*. Sometimes that feeling that doesn’t always have a word to describe it. It envelopes you in sound, feeling heavy without the properties of being solid. Maybe that’s not for you, but damn if it’s not remarkable that something like this can exist today, when there are so many options to blunt those feelings. It invites you to come close, to be intimate, and reminds you what it’s like to be alive. *A Deeper Understanding is out now on [Atlantic](http://www.atlanticrecords.com/artists/the-war-on-drugs?ref=obviatemedia.net).* ### On "Everything Now", Arcade Fire Sound Infinitely Content URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-everything-now-arcade-fire-sound-infinitely-content/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:08.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/unnamed-2-1-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/unnamed-2-1.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)There’s a real problem of being fatigued through overconsumption. It feels like as a culture we’re maxing out: we now have access to an endless pleasure funnel. If you have the means, you can gorge on all the music, movies, television and food you want. There is *so much* of everything. It’s perpetuating a practice of going-until-you-can’t, exhausting yourself and starting all over again. It never stops. There’s always “infinite content”.This is the thesis of Arcade Fire’s new album *Everything Now*. Arcade Fire are one of the last bands to be born before the culture of critical mass, releasing one critically acclaimed record after another, culminating in a Grammy for Album of the Year for 2010’s *The Suburbs*. Every one of their releases has been an event, a sort of take on the modern blockbuster. You know when it’s coming, you know what it’s about. You’re immersed. The records themselves – always a little stuffed to the gills and a little long. Let’s be real: there’s always a few bummer tracks. While 2013’s *Reflektor* was actually a really great late-night dance record, it often got maligned self-indulgent. Self-Indulgent? Isn’t that what got them here in the first place? *Isn’t that what we want?* Pretty succinctly, *Everything Now* is a solid Arcade Fire record, and at this point in time, that’s good enough. From the title track where Win Butler singing about “Every room in my house is filled with shit I couldn’t live without” to the middle-era Talking Heads groove of “Signs of Life,” these are some of the more accessible singles they’ve put out in a long time. Then, with one of the best tracks is the synth boom of “Creature Comfort” where Butler and Regine Chassagne talk about the desire of those who want to be famous, and if they can’t, dead. It gets real meta: “Assisted suicide/She dreams about dying all the time/She told me she came so close/Filled up the bathtub and put on our first record.” This sort of self-awareness from such an image-conscious group is a bit jarring. “Chemistry” sounds pretty hokey at first, but then there’s a weird butt rock breakdown midway through that’s irresistible to want to play over and over. “Electric Blue” is a breezy showcase for Chassagne, but it doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch of her earlier tracks, like “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” from *The Suburbs*. The album both begins and ends with a track called “Everything Now (Continued)”. Both songs feature a tired Butler singing “I’m in the black again/Not coming back again/We can just pretend/We’ll make it home again/From everything now.” The difference is that opener builds towards what ends up being the title track, while the closer the other forms a horn swell and cuts off abruptly. If the songs are left to repeat, the end of the album loops with the beginning. The album doesn’t truly begin or end until you’ve had enough. It’s literally “Everything Now”. It *is* infinite content. Wait to for the prompt to ask “Are you still watching?” — *Everything Now is out on Columbia Records.* ### Waxahatchee Return with the Career-Defining "Out in the Storm" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/waxahatchee-return-with-the-excellent-out-in-the-storm/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:11.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/594_waxahatchee_900-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/594%5Fwaxahatchee%5F900.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)If you’ve followed the career of Katie Crutchfield and her albums under the name Waxahatchee, it’s clear that she never rests on her laurels. Whether it’s the lo-fi intimacy of *American Weekend*, the assured full-band sound of *Cerulean Salt* or the atmospherics of *Ivy Tripp*, each record shows Crutchfield confidently adapting new elements to her sound. On her latest, *Out in the Storm*, Crutchfield doubles down, making Waxahatchee’s best album to date. The album was recorded last December in Philadelphia with producer John Agnello, best known for his records with Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth and The Hold Steady. Crutchfield employed her sister Allison Crutchfield on keyboards and percussion, Katherine Simonetti on bass, Ashley Arnwine on drums and Katie Harkin on lead guitar. Agnello suggested that the band record most of the music live in the studio, which brings a heavier guitar element to Waxahatchee songs than ever found before. “Never Been Wrong,” the album’s opener, makes this abundantly clear. A distorted, plunging riff form the backbone of the song as Crutchfield’s voice takes front and center in the verse. It’s an awesome loud-quiet-loud rock song, full of driving guitars, pummeling bass and an insistent beat. Plus, *“Everyone will hear me complain/And everyone will pity my pain”*is going to be a great refrain to sing live, an eternal wink-and-nod fuck you to whoever inspired it. Songs like “Silver” sound like a blue-album era Weezer song with “woo-ooh” backing vocals and a muscular riff with a runaway lead guitar on top. Here, Crutchfield sings *“If I turn to stone/The whole world keeps turning’/I went out in the storm/And I’m never returning”*. The sound and “world has turned” lyric similarity aside, it’s a three-and-a-half-minute power-pop blast that sounds like being over a bad relationship and wanting to get away from it. Despite the brawny sound of much of Out in the Storm, elements of Crutchfield’s earlier songwriting find a place here, albeit improved. Both “Recite Remorse” and “Sparks Fly” are built on beds of keys and percussion that wouldn’t sound out of place on Ivy Tripp, but here they feel less weightless and more grounded, something only a seasoned musician and performer could pull off. “Sparks Fly” with brushed drums and swirling acoustic guitar at the forefront is one of the album’s best songs, both a beautiful ballad and a showcase for Crutchfield to do what she does so wonderfully – write songs of pure emotionalism that convey both vulnerability and strength. That’s not the only example. There are the moments that just plain break your heart, the plaintive and spare “A Little More”. It may be one of the best recent songs describing what it is like to fall out of love. *“I move delicately/I slowly choose my words”* she starts *“when my presence is felt/I’ll fly away just like a bird/a jagged truth left unheard”* hurt plenty. Then she illustrates what it’s like watching the flame go out. *“And I live a little more/and I die a little more.”* It’s an unforgettable moment. *Out in the Storm* is the best work from a musician and songwriter who has grown up band-by-band, album-by-album in front of an audience through much of her adult life. Everything up until this point has shown Katie Crutchfield’s ability and brilliance, but finally, she’s created a work that’s a complete statement, a seminal work for longtime fans and a starting point for both new ones. It’s an album that represents the point when Waxahatchee’s ambition and ability and confidence run alongside one another. Where she goes next is anyone’s guess. The bar has been raised. *Out in the Storm* sets it high. There’s no doubt to believe she meets it next time around. — *Out in the Storm is out now on Merge.* ### Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Reinvent "The Nashville Sound" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/jason-isbell-and-the-400-unit-reinvent-the-nashville-sound/ Last updated: 2017-06-25T12:02:15.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/jason-isbell-the-nashville-sound-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/jason-isbell-the-nashville-sound.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Had Jason Isbell stopped making music after his run with the Drive-By Truckers, his output would have already been legendary enough. “Outfit,” and “Goddamn Lonely Love,” alone are inches away from being modern standards. After a few promising records in the midst of a drugs-and-booze phase, Isbell got clean and released *Southeastern* in 2013, a stunning record of recovery and personal and professional redemption, followed soon after by 2015’s *Something More Than Free*. Despite releasing these albums under his own name, his backing band The 400 Unit performed with him on those records. Now on his latest, *The Nashville Sound*, their top billing returns, as they take more of a central role on Isbell’s songs. What’s immediate from the album is a sense of looseness in Isbell’s songwriting and the band’s playing that hasn’t really felt a part of their sound since 2011’s *Here We Rest*. Whereas songs on Southeastern and it’s follow up sounded great, they had a sort of insularity absent on their earlier albums. Album opener “Last of My Kind” fades in, as if you’re getting a glimpse of a group of people playing together in a room, as Isbell sings about being left behind by the changing world. The song picks up with subtle intensity with every verse. This naturalistic style of production is a hallmark of longtime producer Dave Cobb’s style – here, it reintroduces the The 400 Unit as, well, a unit. “Cumberland Gap,” is next, and it’s probably the most galvanic rocker that Isbell has written in some time. It has the propulsion of a later Springsteen and the E Street Band track, full of hardscrabble guitars and a soaring chorus. That’s not just only in the band’s sound. Isbell borrows from Springsteen’s populism, as Isbell sings about the working class, in this case, the families of miners. Then there’s “If We Were Vampires,” an arresting duet between Isbell and his wife, Amanda Shires. The song sounds gothic on title alone, it’s anything but. Essentially, it’s an acoustic ballad where Isbell and Shires ruminate on the limited time they have together while they’re alive. *“It’s knowing that this can’t go on forever/Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone/Maybe we’ll get forty years together/But one day I’ll be gone/Or one day you’ll be gone.”* It’s spare, beautiful and nothing short of a classic. The sweet irony of the song is unlike the two that sing it, it will live forever. “Anxiety” is a seven-minute epic about just what the title suggests. The guitars are stormy and the rhythms insistent. Isbell’s lyrics may be familiar to those who struggle with it: *“You got to give me a minute/Because I’m way down in it/And I can’t breathe so I can’t speak/I want to be strong and steady, always ready/Now, I feel so small, I feel so weak”*. They eventually give away to a furiously strummed bridge which kicks into a wily guitar solo. The lyrics, although familiar, may be a tough sell and with many artists shouldn’t have worked, but Isbell’s earnestness and the mastery of The 400 Unit sell it. The last two songs on *The Nashville Sound* are songs of great reflection – “Hope The High Road,” and “Something to Love”. On the upbeat “Hope The High Road,” Isbell takes stock of everything he’s learned over the years, through sobriety, marriage and fatherhood. *“I know you’re tired/And you ain’t sleeping well/Uninspired/And likely mad as hell/But wherever you are/I hope the high road leads you home again.”* It feels like a salve for the wounds inflicted on the world of the past few years, what feels an endless string of bad news. “Something to Love,” is very much a song where Isbell sings to his young daughter. Paired with Shires on background vocals, the parents sing about hoping she finds ‘something to love, something to do when you feel like giving up’. It’s a sweet and easy ballad, but it feels like the song order should be reversed. Maybe. “Hope the High Road” feels like a pep talk to everyone. “I’ve sang enough about myself,” he sings. Ok, fine. Makes sense. “Something to Love” is the denouement and a look into the future. On *The Nashville Sound*, it’s clear his focus has shifted. It’s less about him, and more about his family. It’s remarkable watching Jason Isbell grow as both a person and a musician. Through his daughter, more stories are to be told. Perhaps as a result, Isbell’s next act will be even better than the first two. ### MUNA Offer More Than Just Making People Move URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/muna-offer-more-than-just-making-people-move/ Last updated: 2017-06-22T19:38:16.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MUNA-About-U-Album-Artwork_r1_B-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/MUNA-About-U-Album-Artwork%5Fr1%5FB.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Listening to the debut album from Los Angeles-based trio MUNA, it would be easy to assume that based on their sunny synth compositions, they’d make propulsive music for the dance floor set. Part of that is true, but it’s apparent that with A*bout U*, they have a lot more to offer than just making people move. The Los Angeles-based group – Katie Gavin (lead vocals / production), Naomi McPherson (production / guitar / synths / vocals) and Josette Maskin (lead guitar / vocals) – formed in 2013 and released a series of EP’s of various evolutions of what they’ve described as “dark pop.” These eventually earned them tours with bands like Of Monsters and Men, a slot at Lollapalooza, and even a TV appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.” The band’s early success is apparent from the leadoff track So Special, full of cyclical, moody synths that would not be out of place during cinematic nighttime desert drive. It’s a great table setter – quickly breaking into something brighter, bursting into a chorus about the disappointment of lost love. The band plays with atmospherics in the bridge through manipulating vocals and slick guitars that show their dexterity. Songs like End of Desire and Everything, with their multi-layered vocal approaches, sound like they’ve taken a page out of the HAIM playbook, and it works great. But then there are songs take a decidedly more serious turn. The lead single, Loudspeaker, is a slow burn anthem – the lyrics: *what you’ve done to me/well I’ve seen many a friend be silenced/thinking nobody would believe them/well baby you’ve got another thing coming*, is a direct reference at the band’s intent of the song to bring awareness of how common it is for women who experience sexual assault. The chorus drives it home – s*o if I feel real good tonight/ I’m gonna put it high on the loudspeaker/and if I feel like crying, I won’t hide it / I am a loudspeaker*. While nothing can truly ease that trauma, “Loudspeaker” is a great respite, even if just for a few minutes. “I Know a Place”, imagines an actual respite. It starts pretty syrupy with its ooh, yeah background vocals and stratosphere-stretching chorus, but a little context changes that perspective. MUNA’s three members identify as queer, and the song talks of a safe space where everyone will ‘lay down their weapon’ and ‘giving me trust and see what will happen. The band released it in the wake of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub Massacre in June 2016\. With that knowledge, it feels more purposeful than a simple pop song. While songs like “I Know a Place” are about an idea that is utopian, achieving what MUNA describe doesn’t feel completely out of the realm of possibility. *About U* is an album with plenty of imagination and a fearlessness to talk about things that matter in a way that a wide audience can understand. Their sound is perfect for their message, and if this album is any indication, what’s to come may soon offer MUNA a bigger platform than they ever expected. — *This review was written originally for [VinylMnky](https://www.vinylmnky.com/blogs/new-music-radar/muna-about-u?ref=obviatemedia.net).* ### On "Big Bad Luv", John Moreland Widens His Scope URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-big-bad-luv-john-moreland-widens-his-scope/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:14.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/John-Moreland-Big-Bad-Luv.fca2bc9-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/John-Moreland-Big-Bad-Luv.fca2bc9.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)You don’t find John Moreland. He finds you in the sneakiest of ways. Whether it’s a [hat tip from Rachel Maddow](https://twitter.com/maddow/status/404367189894905856?lang=en&ref=obviatemedia.net) or [an arresting performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2017/04/30/on-big-bad-luv-john-moreland-widens-his-scope/), Moreland is weaving his way into the public consciousness with gorgeous tales of faith, heartbreak and loss. It’s almost impossible to listen one of his songs without feeling impacted in some way. So, it’s no surprise that on his latest album, *Big Bad Luv*, there are those in spades – perhaps with a little bit more optimism this time around. The fourth solo album from the Tulsa, Oklahoma native represents a shift from his most recent prior records. While records like *In The Throes* and *High on Tulsa Heat* represent a kind of inwardness, utilizing accompaniment when necessary, they feel more like solitary experiences – Moreland’s words hit like hammers in his sandpaper croon. Here, that’s still true, but these are the definitely songs of a band. He’s made that clear with luminaries like John Calvin Abney and Lucero’s Rick Steff. This wholeness makes songs like album opener “Sallisaw Blue” shimmy, instead of feeling like being the witness to a confessional. Songs like “Love is Not An Answer” and “It Don’t Suit Me (Like Before)” have an easy, propulsive quality that feel like feel like quiet anthems more than anything. Despite the more muscular nature of the songs on *Big Bad Luv*, it’s hard not to think what these would sound like if it were mostly just Moreland. It’s a formula that’s worked so well prior, and with a voice and as distinct as his – it almost feels unnecessary to disrupt. That said, he’s a songwriter who has hit an incredible stride and deserves the victory lap. The album’s most poignant moment comes on the album closer “Latchkey Kid” – accompanied by nothing other than acoustic guitar and elegiac organ, he sings “Won’t you tell me how the story goes and goes/I’m too lost to tell my temples from toes/But I’ve got too many pages left to turn/To sit and wonder why that book won’t burn” – it’s unclear who he is talking about, but that sort of exhaustion and frustration and heartbreak is relatable. Later, he flips it on its head: “I found a love that shines into my core/I don’t feel the need to prove myself no more/When I look into the mirror now I see/The man I never knew that I could be.” The guitar stops, the organ tracks out. Moreland’s sounds like he’s found some peace on the other side of the road, waiting for the rest of us to join him on his next journey. *Big Bad Luv* is out May 5 [on 4AD](http://4ad.com/releases/846?ref=obviatemedia.net). ### Vinyl Moon's Wild Approach to Monthly Vinyl Subscriptions URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/vinyl-moons-wild-approach-to-monthly-vinyl-subscriptions/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:30.000Z *Quick heads up: I was provided a complimentary product from Vinyl Moon to review, but all opinions are my own, and no compensation was received.* — [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_6459-2-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG%5F6459-2.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)[Vinyl Moon](http://vinylmoon.co/?ref=obviatemedia.net) claims to be The Planet’s Only Mixtape Record Monthly. That’s a weird concept – a limited edition record with different mixtapes every month – and every record sleeve is designed by a different visual artist. Each of the [seventeen records](http://vinylmoon.co/thecollection/?ref=obviatemedia.net) in the series prior feature different art and vinyl colors to boot. This already separates itself from the pack. Most vinyl subscription services consist are special editions of existing records or often just represses of different colors. Maybe some limited edition artwork, but more or less you know what to expect. So, when Vinyl Moon’s [*Volume 18: Intrepid Curves*](http://vinylmoon.co/volume018/?ref=obviatemedia.net) edition arrived in my mailbox, I have to say that I felt their claim was a bit dubious. After opening the packaging I am happy to report I’m very wrong. In short, *Intrepid Curves* blew me away. The packaging is curated by French cartoonist [Samplerman](http://samplermantumblr.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net). Based on collages of vintage American superhero comics, the art blends familiar elements of art that’s existed in your mind for years and repurposes it for this collection. It’s staggering. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_6462-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG%5F6462.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) The gatefold cover features original art both on the front and back covers, and inside the gatefold image that’s just so cool it’s hard to photograph and do it justice. The full page booklet (seen below) contains no credits – it’s just pages of full 12×12 comics. I’ve spent hours looking at them. You can see some of the detail here with the colored vinyl called “used Silly Putty”. Apt, I think: [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/vm018-inside-w-book-open-1024x768-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/vm018-inside-w-book-open-1024x768.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Images courtesy Vinyl Moon [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/vm018-inside-w-book2-1024x768-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/vm018-inside-w-book2-1024x768.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) It almost feels weird to say that reviewing a vinyl subscription service that the music almost feels secondary. That it isn’t, exactly – the playlist feels seamless, synth pop wonders like [“Lauren” by Men I Trust](https://menitrust.bandcamp.com/track/lauren?ref=obviatemedia.net) and the sunny buoyancy of [“Cigarette Buzz” by Jane’s Party](https://janesparty.bandcamp.com/track/cigarette-buzz?ref=obviatemedia.net) fit really well with this collection. None of the songs here are ones I’ve ever heard, but they almost seem to enhance the experience of just sitting on your floor and listening to your records. My only criticism here is that I wish there was a download card to listen to the songs on the go. Vinyl Moon of flips the idea of a vinyl subscription service on its head. It calls to attention of music as art – or art as music? Either way, the roads intersect in a really unique way. You WANT to spend time with this collection – there’s so much to look at. Also, each record comes with a mini booklet and artist information and some postcards. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_6461-281x300.jpg?resize=281%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG%5F6461.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) “Used Silly Putty” vinyl. Vinyl Moon made me feel approach listening to records differently with this release. It’s to slow down, step away from whatever else you’re doing and to immerse yourself and pay attention the nuance. There’s so much here and it feels like you’re getting something special. Hopefully this immersive, major attention to detail experience will move towards whole albums by bands or reissue projects. This is an excellent place to start. ### White Reaper's "The World's Best American Band" is Not Just a Clever Title URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/white-reapers-the-worlds-greatest-american-band-is-not-just-a-clever-title/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:33.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/prc323-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/prc323.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) You’d think that a band that titled their album *The World’s Best American Band* may be getting ahead of themselves. But not every band is White Reaper. They might have just done it. The second album from the Louisville, Kentucky natives somehow takes elements of ear-pleasing 70’s hard rock a-la Van Halen and a very coked-up Aerosmith, but imbues a punk immediacy that basically says ‘we can’t fuck with these theatrics if we can’t get out of this jam in 3 minutes or less’ – only two songs pass four minutes – one of those just barely does it. The album’s best song is “Judy French,” a simple love song full of compressed guitars and keyboards that dance together with vocalist/guitarist Tony Esposito’s wild wail. Just as it sounds like the main riff is about to end, another grows in its place like some sonic hydra before launching into a blistering solo. It is one of 2017’s best songs, no matter what else is released this year. “Little Silver Cross” slows things down a bit on a bed of synth keys, but the pace picks up quickly edging toward the chorus, as Esposito seems to almost command singing ‘too slow’ – the chorus bursts into something sounding a little euphoric – the message going from ‘too slow’ to ‘you gotta be good to yourself’. It’s a great catch your breath moment on a record with serious power riffage. Songs like “The Stack” disarm with its glam stomp – the rhythm section on this album is VICIOUS – before it launches into some serious barroom piano shit. Sure, the lyrics indicate this is song about boys and girls in America – just like so many others on this record, but it doesn’t matter. They all just rule. If I’m being honest, it really doesn’t matter where you start on *The World’s Best American Band*. Any point is fine, and that is not a usual recommendation. I’ve spent the past few weeks playing it start to finish, finish to start, and even shuffled it for shits and giggles. It’s a rock and roll prism that refracts its light in any direction. Sometimes the most revelatory things you come back to don’t really to teach you anything. Just like Esposito says on “Tell Me” – sometimes you just need to hear about “the mean kids crashing the bars and the good kids torching their cars”. Depth is for the birds. The World’s Best American Band is out now on [Polyvinyl Records](http://polyvinylrecords.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net). ### Khalid's "American Teen" is a View to the Future URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/khalids-american-teen-is-a-view-to-the-future/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:38.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/american-teen-1160x1160.jpg.pagespeed.ce_.JkD4MwaZc8_ioytk4-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/american-teen-1160x1160.jpg.pagespeed.ce%5F.JkD4MwaZc8%5Fioytk4.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Plenty of musicians can write about the experience of being a teenager, usually long after the time they were one. It’s one of those few experiences that’s almost certainly better examined in hindsight. Almost. That was the case until the release of *American Teen* by Khalid. Born Khalid Robinson, the El Paso, TX, artist recently came to prominence after his track Location was in one of Kylie Jenner’s Snapchats. It’s a bit of good luck for the 19-year old artist who manages to capture the feeling of exactly what it’s like to be a teenager in the 2010’s, but with the self-awareness and maturity that artists twice his age still struggle to possess. The album’s self-titled opening track begins with the sound of an alarm going off, blending into a pastiche of airy 80’s synths. Khalid’s easy croon sings, “So wake me up in the spring / While I’m high off my American Dream / And we don’t always say what we mean / It’s the lie of an American teen”. It’s instantly-relatable moments like these that separate Khalid from the pack of forward-thinking R&B. The slow burn of “Young, Dumb & Broke” – about, yes, being just that, as well as ruminating on not wanting to commit but still having ‘love to give’. Then there’s “Location”, a blippy slow-burn ballad that has certainly earned the attention it’s getting – here, Khalid humorously states that “I don’t want fall in love off of subtweets, so let’s get personal, I’ve got a lot of spots we can go,” It’s the latest in the line of communication-as-an-obstacle songs, a sort of an update on Hanging On a Telephone for the data plan era. For being his first album, Khalid’s debut is an assured piece of work. Coaster, with its ghostly choruses and mournful vocal – “So I’ll be coasting, roller-coasting / Through my emotion / I will be coasting, roller-coasting / I’m hoping that you’ll come back to me,” illustrates beautifully what it feels like to be young and in love that doesn’t exactly feel balanced. It’s not long after that his optimism in the face of uncertainty on Hopeless, an up-tempo jam where he’ll remain “hopeless, hopelessly romantic”. On *American Teen*, Khalid has crafted a debut that negotiates the distance between the ambitiousness of someone with a bright future coupled with the actuality of being young and maybe not having all of the resources just quite yet. Khalid’s desire to ascend to the next level is coming to the surface, but as the phrase he uses says, being “young, dumb and broke” just a little longer might suit him (and the rest of us) until he’s ready. — *This review originally posted on [Vinylmnky](https://www.vinylmnky.com/blogs/new-music-radar/khalid-american-teen?ref=obviatemedia.net). Check out their great vinyl subscription service and site!* ### L.A. Takedown's "II" a Journey Worth Taking URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/l-a-takedowns-iia-journey-worth-taking/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:41.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L.A-Takedown-II-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L.A-Takedown-II.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) You don’t need to have been to Los Angeles to best experience L.A. Takedown’s latest album, *II*. It’s an album that’s evocative of a time and place, though it’s one that may or may not exist. The fact that it’s almost entirely instrumental (save for some lightly sprinkled vocoder in its final moments) doesn’t provide any concrete evidence. It’s an album length mystery, and one that’s worth the patience of letting it unfold. Led by Los Angeles-based composer/multi-instrumentalist Aaron M. Olson, the seven-piece band’s follow-up to L.A. Takedown’s 2015 self-titled debut is the first release featuring the full band – keyboardists Ryan Adlaf and Jonah Olson, guitarists Miles Wintner and Stephen Heath drummer Mose Wintner, and bassist Jessica Espeleta. ‘Composer’ is not a loose term in this case – Olson studied classical music history and theory at San Francisco State. Full of perfectly slick guitars, heavy beds of synths and keys and crisp drums, *II* feels less like the work of a rock band, and more like the score to a night out in one of the west coast’s foremost cities: a place where it seems permanently dusky and all the signs are neon. Effortless syncopation of guitars on tracks like “L.A. Blue” and “City of Glass” have the warmth of a Xanax buzz. Everything feels a little out of focus, the kisses are a little softer, and sleep feels imminent the minute the eye settles behind the eyelid. (It probably doesn’t hurt that the album cover is an illustration of a similar-looking pill between two fingers.) Songs like “Night Skiing” feel like hero’s journeys – driving percussion and synths give away to the album’s loosest shredding eventually building to a climax that would get a nod of respect from the most ardent Van Halen devotees. Each song has a way of feeling like a mini symphony that fits perfectly in the whole of the album – the most 80’s dry-drum sound of “Bad Night at Black Beach” is even worthy of its place, even if it doesn’t feel much more like an extended interlude. What L.A. Takedown have done with *II* is create a record that forces a listener to really feel. It’s imaginative, ambitious and in a weird way, a little ponderous. It feels like a place you can visit, look around and feel the breeze. Is it Los Angeles? Is it somewhere in the desert, or the sound of driving down an empty highway with the top down? That’s not entirely clear, and maybe it’s best not to think about it. It will take you somewhere new each time. — *[II](http://smarturl.it/NightSkiingStream?ref=obviatemedia.net) is out May 12 on Ribbon Music. Listen to “Night Skiing” below.* ### Restaurant List - 2017 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/restaurant-list-2017/ Last updated: 2018-07-12T14:20:29.000Z **Hot Dogs/Sausage** [Portillo’s](http://www.portillos.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net)– The standard bearer for Chicago style eats since 1963 – Hot dogs and Italian beef are specialties. If you haven’t before, at least once in your life, try a Chicago-style hot dog: yellow mustard, bright green relish, chopped onions, red tomato wedges, a kosher-style pickle spear, a celery salt and sport peppers. Remember, NO KETCHUP, which can be controversial in these parts. [Hot G Dog](http://www.hotgdog.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – For all intents and purposes, the spiritual successor to Hot Doug’s, run by two of the restaurants former chefs. Similar dogs in taste and style to Hot Doug’s, and they are open seven days a week and serve Duck Fat Fries on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sidenote: Wrigley Field opened a Hot Doug’s in the bleachers, so if you are sitting therethis year, try it out. You won’t be disappointed. **Pizza** [Piece](http://piecechicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Great pizza, creative toppings, and I hear the beer selection is good? I. I like the pizza. This is not deep dish, but probably the best non deep-dish in the city. If I’m going out for pizza in the city, nine times out of ten I’m going here. Go early, gets SUPER packed on weekends. Deep Dish Pizza: Literally anything except Giordanos, which I find to be low-level garbage. Lou Malnati’s, Pizzeria Uno/Due, Gino’s East are acceptable, but Peaquods is a personal favorite. [Spacca Napoli ](http://www.spaccanapolipizzeria.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net)– Neopolitan Pizza. It is great, awesome vibe too. **Logan Square (My neighborhood)** [Longman and Eagle](http://www.longmanandeagle.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Think of this as a modern take on a neighborhood tavern. Cutting edge menu – there’s elevated takes on burgers, strip steak, gnocchi and that’s more of the standard stuff. I love their brunch and the bone marrow – yes, bone marrow – was so rich and delicious I still think about it and I had it once two years ago. [Yusho](http://yusho-chicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Modern Japanese food, not sushi. A shared plates/entrees place. I had the skin trio, chicken wings, steam buns and we split Ramen. Well worth it and to sample all the different things. Lots of flavor, great environment. [Lula Cafe](http://lulacafe.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Café in Logan Square with a crazy good menu, all locally sourced, blah blah. My favorite thing to get is the Lula ’99 turkey sandwich – avocado, chile aioli, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and onion with bacon and cheddar cheese. [Fat Rice](http://www.eatfatrice.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – This is Macau cusine, which is a little bit Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. One of the more interesting meals of my life and it’s in a really intimate space. The menu is pretty crazy so I suggest looking it up and trying it. I had potstickers, piri piri chicken and some other crazy appetizer there. They tell you to get the “Fat Rice” when you’re there. That’s what I’ll get next time. [Reno](http://www.renochicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Great for brunch for for lunch or dinner. I love the bagel sandwiches and Chilaquiles, here – at lunch they have great sandwiches and at night the pasta and pizza are really fabulous. [Parts and Labor](http://www.renochicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Bar/restaurant that has one of my favorite burgers in the city. I love the vibe here – they play movies on big screens here and the music pretty good. Had my 30th birthday party here. [Boiler Room](http://www.boilerroomlogansquare.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Owned by the same people that own Parts and Labor. Pizza place. People get the ‘PB&J special” – PBR, shot of Jameson and a piece of pizza. **Stephanie Izard Restaurants** *Stephanie Izard won Top Chef Season 4\. She’s since opened three restaurants in the West Loop.* [Girl and the Goat](http://www.girlandthegoat.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – This is a shared plates restaurant and EXTREMELY hard to get into. Lots of crazy concoction. Plan ahead. Food was really good, very different. I had something called “Pig Face” last time I went – yes, that was actual pig face. [Little Goat](http://www.littlegoatchicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – This is directly across the street, it’s Izard’s take on a diner. Great food, they also serve breakfast all day. Menu is really fun and diverse and good for even picky eaters. Easier to get into but you can call ahead for a rest I think. Favorite of mine and Marge – we recommend tempura mashed potatoes and the pork belly pancake. [Duck Duck Goat](http://www.duckduckgoatchicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Izard’s take on Chinese food. Went here for my birthday recently. Another shared foods place, served family style. Great stuff – both things you wouldn’t try normally – forbidden goat rice – black rice with goat meat with pickled quail eggs and more traditional meat and noodle options. Really, really amazing. **Rick Bayless Restaurants** *Rick Bayless has been in Chicago since the late 80’s doing his spin on Mexican foods.* [Frontera Grill](http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/frontera-grill/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Standard spin on Mexican food – it’s really good, sort of pricey, so plan an ight out if you’re going here. Really worth it. Reserve a table though [XOCO](http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/xoco/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – The Street food restaurant adjacent to it. The tortas are amazing. [Topolobampo](http://www.rickbayless.com/restaurants/topolobampo/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Definintely the most pricy and challenging of the three River North restaurants. Stuff that’s off the beaten path menu-wise, I had some ceviche here that was really great. **Restaurant Row** [The Publican](http://www.thepublicanrestaurant.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Amazing, amazing, amazing meat-centric restaurant. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s like a spin on classic American foods that makes them modern but not unfamiliar to the palette. I have been here a few times and the meals have been some of the best of my life. [Publican Quality Meats](http://www.publicanqualitymeats.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Publican’s sandwich shop. Think it’s a daytime-early evening spot. Closes at six usually. Great sandwiches. [Au Cheval](http://auchevalchicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Incredible burgers, always try it with an egg on it. See also: [Small Cheval](http://smallcheval.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) in Bucktown. Easier to get into, relatively same food. **BBQ** [Smoque](http://smoquebbq.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – A Tina recommendation. As far as I’m concerned, the irrefutable king of Chicagoland BBQ. This is what we had in the office for Tina’s 20th Anniversary. Just amazing stuff. [Lillie’s Q](https://www.lilliesq.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Barbecue in Wicker Park. Lots of sauces. I had Kool-Aid pickles last time I was there, which were kind of wild. **Wicker Park** [Schwa](http://schwarestaurant.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – This maybe was the best meal of my life. This is a molecular gastronomy restaurant, where the food is like art and is designed to taste different than it looks. I don’t know how to explain this place other than you get the tasting menu. They blare loud hip-hop music and there are no servers, just chefs. It’s an experience and it will impact your wallet. Only way to get in is by reservation on the phone if they decide to pick up. Worth your time and money and go in with an open mind. One of the more unique things I’ve ever done in my life. Just Google it to see what it’s like. [Antique Taco](http://antiquetaco.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – If Pinterest was a taco place. Menu can be kind of cutesy – I recommend getting two different types of tacos if you’re going with someone and splitting them, as they come two a plate. [Big Star](http://www.bigstarchicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – One of Wicker Park’s standard-bearers for tacos. Great, cheap tacos, apparently the margaritas are great. I recommend the pork belly taco. [Mindy’s Hot Chocolate](http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Killer brunch, even better hot chocolate. Just go. If you’re going for brunch, get there as they open or make a reservation, it will fill up FAST. Other notables [Kuma’s Corner](http://www.kumascorner.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Burgers named after metal bands. Don’t let this scare you. It’s legit and voted one of the best burgers in the city. Kuma’s Too serves the same menu. Opened one in Schaumburg in the last year and a half so you don’t have to go into the city if you’re not up to it. Worth it at least once! [Demera Ethiopian Restaurant](http://www.demeraethiopian.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Research Ethiopian food. It’s fantastic. Go in with an open mind and tastebuds. [Big Jones](http://bigjoneschicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Southern restaurant in Andersonville. Loved this place. As Eater 38 says, “Chicago’s best Southern restaurant culls dishes that revive and update centuries-old recipes with unique ingredients and documentation on the menu, making it not only delicious but a learning experience to boot”. That’s accurate. [Parachute](http://www.parachuterestaurant.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Amazing Korean restaurant brought to you by Beverly Kim of Top Chef fame. I tried the sesame leaves, baked potato Bing bread with bacon, scallion and sour cream butter then cured hiramasa “bulgogi” with spruce, Paris mushroom and buckwheat, and dolsot bi bim bap with BBQ tripe, nettles, soft egg and gochujang. Sounds exotic, it sort of is, but it tastes SO good. [Honey Butter Fried Chicken](http://www.honeybutter.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) – Playful fried chicken place. Nothing fancy. Go try it. The Honey Butter is as good as they say it is. ### Japandroids Return with the Right Album at the Right Time URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/japandroids-wild-heartis-the-right-album-at-the-right-time/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:46.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Japandroids_NTTWHOL-1-300x300.jpeg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Japandroids%5FNTTWHOL-1.jpeg?ref=obviatemedia.net)It’s a weird feeling to be in transition: constantly thinking about where to go next, the thrill of excitement just out of reach, and possibility feeling so endless that it’s overwhelming. What do you do? With *Near to the Wild Heart of Life*, Japandroids first album in almost five years, that feeling of being flux is everywhere – literally. Song titles contain words like “near” “to” and one song is simply named “North East South West”. It’s a record about growing up, moving on, and exploding the tiny moments in life that feel so much bigger in retrospect than they do in the moment. Both 2009’s *Post-Nothing* and 2012’s *Celebration Rock* faced some criticism for sounding somewhat piecemeal in their sequencing. The latest album represents the first time the band feels like they’ve done something deliberate – and it works. As two guys from Vancouver bashing out some of the most euphoric jams that could be made two people at a time. By slowing down and looking a little more inward, they have made something that really feels like an album, as they’ve detailed in notes for the release. “Side A and side B each follow their own loose narrative. Taken together as one, they form an even looser narrative, with the final song on side B acting as an epilogue.” While they’ve succeeded, they may have done it at the cost of throwing off any fans who were expecting *Celebration Rock II*. The production is larger and the songs have a sense of space not found on previous Japandroids records. Make no mistake, this record still has plenty of the fiery romanticism and the hooks that made the band so irresistible, but there is simple separation in the sounds to take that all in. There’s prominent synthesizers – the warped 7-minute “Arc of Bar” is a great example– and then another sound not found on previous Japandroids releases – acoustic guitar strums on the gorgeous “True Love And A Free Life Of Free Will”. Just these small touches alone show that the band is taking small steps to distance themselves the bash-and-blaze chaos of the first two albums. Like every Japandroids record, this one feels kind of like a small miracle. They are a band who feels like they’re just on the verge of disappearing at any time. They make some of the most immediate and visceral sounding rock and roll and really seem to take that role seriously. Perhaps that’s why they take long gaps between albums with nary a hint of when they’ll resurface. In a sense, *Near to the Wild Heart of Life* reminds us of some truths that we all eventually face. Everything is constantly changing. Right now is the youngest you’ll ever be. Eventually, we have to all take chances if we want evolve. Sure, the album is not perfect, and some experiments don’t work. That sounds like life. It won’t bring us back to the time where we felt infinite. But when it’s over, it’s a small reminder to keep going in hope that next day will be better than the last. That in itself is a victory – at this moment in time, that is exactly what we need. *Near To The Wild Heart Of Life is due out January 27, 2017 on Anti- Records, with a special early release for vinyl on January 24*. ### Favorite Songs of 2016 (And Other Stuff) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-songs-of-2016-and-other-stuff/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:47.000Z My Top Songs of 2016 playlist, favorite 2015 discovery of 2016 and Honorable Mention albums. Heads up, the song list is 80 songs long, so hit shuffle and enjoy! Also, [“Home”](https://bigskyhunters.bandcamp.com/track/home-2?ref=obviatemedia.net) by Big Sky Hunters **Favorite Non-2015 Discovery**: *Sprained Ankle* by Julien Baker **Honorable Mention Albums:** *Carolina Ghost* by Caleb Caudle *If You See Me, Say Yes* by Flock of Dimes *A Seat at the Table* by Solange *Robert Ellis* by Robert Ellis *Southern Family* curated by Dave Cobb ### Favorite Albums of 2016 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-albums-of-2016/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:49.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-19-at-5.52.56-PM-300x224.png?resize=300%2C224)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-19-at-5.52.56-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) Lots of great music was released in 2016, so much so it was hard to decide what made the list. This year, I also included a list of my favorites ranked 11-20\. Favorite songs/moments to follow soon. 1\. **Modern Baseball – *Holy Ghost*** In a year that seemed anything but normal, a relatively conventional record made by a young group of friends talking about the issues they face every day – both small scale and impossibly large – was my favorite thing I heard all year. *Holy Ghost* from Philadelphia-based Modern Baseball is an exemplary piece of songwriting buoyed by the band’s two principals, Jake Ewald and Brendan Lukens. While Ewald’s compositions feel more patient and hew more towards a verse-chorus-verse structure, Lukens’s feel messier, willed into existence as they went to tape. The group detailed their personal journeys leading up to the album’s release with the excellent “Tripping in the Dark” mini-documentary, but what really stands out is how much they care about each other. *Holy Ghost* is the sound of friends sticking together through the hard stuff. It’s sweetly inspirational, and personally motivated me to create something meaningful with my friends for the first time in years. In a year where everything seemed unpredictable, something as simple as that concept just feels right. 2\. **Sturgill Simpson – *A Sailor’s Guide to Earth*** How is it that a singer with an outmoded country lilt can make a sonic love letter to his young son, and manage to make it sound so universal? Well, Sturgill Simpson did it. *A Sailor’s Guide to Earth* is a song cycle that serves as the “oh-shit” kit to fatherhood, full of life lessons (including, humorously, “motor oil is motor oil, so keep your engine clean”), stories about his time in the Navy, and (maybe for the first time ever) a truly great Nirvana cover with “In Bloom”. The presence of the Dap Kings horns section adds some looseness not previously found in his catalog – *Sailor’s Guide* doesn’t really sound like a country record and doesn’t really sound like a rock record, either. It doesn’t sound like anything else, anywhere, which is probably why he’s now the enfant terrible of the Nashville country scene. Whatever. Keep going, dude. 3\. **Diarrhea Planet – *Turn to Gold*** I made around a half-dozen trips to Nashville this year, and spent most of the summer there, witnessing a place in transition. The city is dramatically different than when I was there in 1997\. Back then it still felt a little hokey country-uncool, but almost twenty years later it has given way to Williamsburg South – artisan coffee shops and restaurants, an exploding population of millennials looking to find something authentic. What that is, well, it’s not really clear, but the city seems to be in a bit of an identity crisis as it deals with these changes as it moves away from being a hotbed of southern tradition. But then, there’s Diarrhea Planet, who really have nothing to do with that. One of the tentpole acts of the city’s Infinity Cat Records, the group that has four guitarists made THE seminal party rock record of the year with *Turn to Gold*: one that strikes the balance of premiere musicianship and finally marries it with the grand ambition that they have teased over the course of their previous two records. It sounds bigger, more triumphant, and wildly confident, as if the band just decided they were going to clean up their production because it was just the next logical move they’d make towards world domination. No one can touch them at this point. Don’t even try. 4\. **Bon Iver – *22, A Million*** Justin Vernon started the Bon Iver project in 2007 as a guy with an acoustic guitar, and pretty quickly morphed into something that was less guy-with-a-guitar and by 2011’s *Bon Iver* it thawed into an album of the most deliberate soft rock-as-soul, lush, organic soundscapes this side of Bruce Hornsby. But with *22, A Million*, another transformation. Obscured by technology, bending the realm of what’s physically possible through a literally invented filter – his engineer literally created an instrument called the Messina – Vernon presents another chapter of the Bon Iver story that feels familiar, but still deeply distant. What’s contained on the record is just fractured bits of a life, forget song structure. “Verse chorus verse” means nothing. It’s a whole statement, a composite of parts, not whole wholes. It’s easy to be fascinated by Vernon’s mindset, someone who seems by all intents very accessible, maybe even \*normal\* by today’s standards, but that’s totally not it. The sounds, his words, almost feel elemental. I don’t know how else to put that. Get a pair of headphones, close your eyes and immerse. It will reveal its gifts to you. 5\. **Chance the Rapper – *Coloring Book*** To the rest of the world, Chicago is rapidly becoming the place in the news where you pretty much hear about climbing murder rates, corruption in city politics and the police department but not a whole lot else. As anyone from a place with a bad reputation, it’s hard to see that there’s so much to be proud of that comes from here. Chance the Rapper is one of them. That he’s gone from a blog rap favorite to world champion in the span of a few years is pretty amazing. He’s a hometown hero just now peaking, and bending the will of the hip-hop world to his vision. On his third mixtape *Coloring Book*, with the use of sped up samples, euphoric choruses and gospel choirs, so much of Chance’s sound belongs to early Kanye West – especially that of *The College Dropout*. Kanye had a chip on his shoulder. Chance doesn’t. His confidence is fully formed. There is real joy and heartbreak in these songs. It’s a kaleidoscopic collection of sounds that are a suite for the Snapchat generation. It’s music that says something and sounds good. If you turned on the radio this year, could you escape “No Problem”? How many times have you heard mention of “Blessings” since they (both songs) entered the lexicon? *Coloring Book* is genre defining stuff, and Chance is just getting started. It’s impossible to figure out where he’s going next. 6\. **Pinegrove – *Cardinal*** Montclair, New Jersey’s Pinegrove released *Cardinal* in February, but there’s something about it that doesn’t feel of the season. It has worked for all of the changes in climate.. What’s here is eight songs brimming with confidence – emotional without exactly being emo, complex without being cocky, but mostly, having a gorgeous homespun, tossed off nature that seems so unreal when you factor in the with the careful shading in the songs. “Aphasia,” with its slide guitar solo and slow burn climax, may not just be one of the best songs of the year, but maybe one of the best I’ve ever heard. 7\. **David Bowie – *Blackstar*** Losing Prince this year was hard – a life very much still in progress, always poking his head out to remind us that he was here and he could do what he wanted when he wanted. With him, there’s a void that will never be filled. But with David Bowie, a man he will cosmically be tied to forever due to the proximity of their deaths, an entirely different story. Largely in retreat from the public eye for the last decade, David Bowie surprise-released The Next Day in 2013 to massive critical acclaim. He made no statements or appearances related to the album, instead letting the music speak for itself. So, when Blackstar was announced late last year, it was expected this would be more of the same – a quiet late-period reinvention by the artist who did them best. It turned out to be anything but. Blackstar, released only two days before Bowie’s death in January, is the climax to Bowie’s long goodbye. It’s a record that remakes him one last time, an icon coming to terms with his mortality, filtered through the sounds of the moment (allegedly, the major influence of this record was Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 release, To Pimp a Butterfly.) The title track and “Lazarus” stack up to anything he’s ever released, but the gravity of his situation comes clear with the album’s final “I Can’t Give Everything Away”: “seeing more and feeling less/saying no but meaning yes/this is all I ever meant/that’s the message that I sent.” Man. Ad astra, Starman. 8\. **Hiss Golden Messenger – *Heart Like A Levee/Vestapol*** Hiss Golden Messenger, the name of the group led by M.C. Taylor, completely obliterated any false notion I had of the group. I assumed with the name it was some sort of art rock project and never truly paid attention. That is, until I heard the title track from *Heart Like A Levee*: a beautiful, galloping ballad that is the centerpiece of a gorgeously constructed album full of songs that teeter lines of folk, country, bluegrass and rock. It’s just brilliantly pretty shit. Songs like “Biloxi” and “Happy Day (Sister My Sister)” flow like water. Also, be sure to listen to the bonus album “Vestapol” (included with deluxe editions of the album) that stack up to anything on the record it accompanies. 9\. **Touche Amore – *Stage Four*** Grief and loss are an impossible thing to quantify. Is there a way to even begin to convey the experience of losing someone? Not really. But with Touche Amore’s fourth record Stage Four, they get as close as they can to illustrating the unending bottom of having your life completely rocked. *Stage Four* deals bluntly through the harrowing experience of vocal Jeremy Bolm losing his mother to cancer in 2014\. There are only a few moments on the album’s eleven songs that relent. You feel Bolm’s raw throated vocals nearly moment, with one more line bruising than the other – “like a wave/like the rapture/something you love is gone/someone you love is gone” and the soul annihilating, hope-this-is-not true: “she passed away about an hour ago/when you were onstage living the dream”. Only on “Skyscraper,” the album’s closing track, a duet with Julien Baker, is there some kind of resolve – “you live there under the lights”, before segueing into the last voicemail Bolm’s mother left for him. It’s about picking up a prescription at CVS, but there’s something beautiful about how innocuous it is, and fitting that she’s the last voice you hear. If only this album never had to be made in the first place. 10\. **Beach Slang – *A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings*** tied with **A Tribe Called Quest – *We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service*** **Beach Slang – *A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings*** Sometimes there are records that exist just to get you through. The stuff that’s always worked for me is the confessional, heart-on-your-sleeve, big guitars and shouty choruses. Beach Slang makes those kind of records. The band’s pair of EP’s in 2014 and last year’s insta-classic debut *The Things We Do To Find People Like Us* were thrilling documents of Replacements-style slop and romance with a Jawbreaker glaze. It’s kind of hard to hate. Less than a year later, they returned with their second full-length, *A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings*, a record that takes what works and refines the focus and gets in and gets out before the sun sets. The album establishes James Alex as a workmanlike songwriter. Nothing here is particularly revelatory, but it strikes me as more of a continuation of what makes Beach Slang great – driving rockers like “Atom Bomb” with the irresistible lyric “I was born with trouble in me” and “Spin The Dial,” which is probably the sweetest song on a list of songs with harder edges. The Jawbreaker influence is a little stronger here: James Alex’s vocals are a little more obscured by fuzz, and his and the guitars cut like sharpened knives. The effect is twofold – If you’re a fan, you’ll notice the nuance, and if you’re just coming to them for the first time, it’s a complete introduction. Their music sounds shambolic and sweet, full of positive energy and tales of raging against the dying of the light. It feels instant and pure, and *A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings* captures that energy again. Since its release, the band has experienced some major lineup turnover. Whether that influences the next record they do remains to be seen. But for now, we have this to hold on to. **A Tribe Called Quest – *We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service*** With A Tribe Called Quest widely being heralded as the greatest hip-hop group ever to do it, it felt hard to contextualize being a generation removed from their heyday. Their albums – classics like The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders still feel like classics today, but sometimes it was hard to find where they fit in the deluge of great hip-hop that exists today. That is until they released their final record, *We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service*, recorded in the last year of Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor’s life. Recorded and almost produced entirely by Q-Tip at his home in New Jersey, the final chapter of the ATCQ story is full of rhymes that feel classic Tribe, guest spots by longtime associates (Consequence, and an insanely inspired Busta Rhymes) and heavy hitters like Kanye West, Elton John and Kendrick Lamar. Phife Dawg feels alive and vibrant on this material, and you find yourself reminding yourself he didn’t make it to the end of the recording process. The result echoes in something that *feels* like Tribe, current without sounding wholly modern. In a time where many hip hop records are piecemeal done by different producers in different studios, the effort here feels unified – everyone working towards one vision to make one final product. The sound here is a little hazy, the samples tastefully chosen, led by a group of individuals hellbent on giving a sendoff to the greatest group to ever do it. It worked, but it also showed us that almost twenty years after their last album, they are still without peers. What a legacy to leave. **Albums 11-20** 11\. Kanye West – *The Life of Pablo* 12\. Car Seat Headrest – *Teens of Denial* 13\. Amanda Shires – *My Piece of Land* 14\. PKEW PKEW PKEW – *PKEW PKEW PKEW* 15\. Margo Price – *Midwest Farmer’s Daughter* 16\. PUP – *The Dream is Over* 17\. The Hotelier – *Goodness* 18\. Music Band – *Wake Up Laughing* 19\. Angel Olsen – *My Woman* 20\. Cymbals Eat Guitars – *Pretty Years* ### The Chicago Cubs Won the World Series URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-chicago-cubs-won-the-world-series/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:56.000Z The Chicago Cubs won the World Series. I have been repeating this to myself since Wednesday just to make sure it’s real. It can’t possibly be. But it is. They went to the World Series, were down three games to one, and won. This team won a championship for the first time in 108 years. There are so many ways and historical benchmarks to point to in just how long that is. There is no way to describe what it’s like to root for a team that literally never won, has never gone to the World Series in your lifetime (or in the lifetime of anyone under 71), and do it. I remember 1998\. I remember 2003\. I remember 2007 and 2008\. Last year, too. This year had to be more of the same, right? [![img_1845](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_1845-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG%5F1845.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)No. It wasn’t. Sure, they were competing some years, frustratingly, sometimes epically bowing out when they really needed to win. More than the Boston wins, more than the White Sox win, the Cubs World Series win challenges what you know about, well, anything. How do you even make sense of something that just feels purely wonderful when you’re predisposed to expect the worst? Neither of my parents are sports fans. I came to baseball when I was seventeen, around the time of the Cubs 2003 playoff run. It was thrilling – six outs from the World Series before the collapse. But that didn’t break my heart. Game 7 did. I remember being hopeful the next morning after Game 6 and Steve Rizzo painfully contorting his face and saying “no, you don’t understand, it’s over.” I didn’t want to believe it. He was right. They lost 9-6\. [![img_1954-jpg](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_1954.jpg-225x300.jpeg?resize=225%2C300)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG%5F1954.jpg.jpeg?ref=obviatemedia.net)When I got my first apartment in college, I lived a mile from Wrigley Field. I could see it out my window. My school offered discount bleacher tickets through the newspaper, and I’d go more than a few times and soak up the atmosphere – this was the early Lou Pinella team. Ted Lilly was my guy, basically on the premise that he inexplicably signed on with the Cubs after Toronto offered him an identical deal to stay there. He declined, citing a “change of scenery”, but that’s just because he got in a fight with the Blue Jays manager. That’s beside the point. His actual full name is Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III, which is just ridiculous. He’s still the only individual player I own a shirt for. Apparently he’s a Special Assistant to the President/General Manager so I think that means he probably gets a ring. Amazing. [![Portrait of a young Jordan at 13.](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/jordan98-241x300.jpg?resize=241%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/jordan98.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Portrait of a young Jordan at 13. That was almost the fun of being a fan. Through the playoff run, Jordan, who has loved the Cubs since I have known him, just texted each other names of Cubs of years past that we knew better for their funny names or terrible play. How would the team pull defeat from the jaws of victory this time? During the rollercoaster of Game 7, a masterpiece if there ever was one, maybe the greatest game ever – no, fuck it – DEFINITELY the greatest game ever, I felt stricken after the two run homer to tie. But then they bounced back in the tenth after the rain delay. I jumped into Jordan’s arms not unlike Jason Varitek did into Jonathan Papelbon’s arms when the Red Sox won in 2007\. We looked at each other in disbelief. This World Series victory is for everyone who ever cared about the team. Die hard, bandwagon or lapsed. It’s a feel-good story by a team that was so fun to watch. With the Bryant to Rizzo final out, every disappointment we had about the Cubs and what we thought knew about them evaporated, leaving nothing but unbridled joy. There are so many more words and things I could say about this. Baseball is a sport that you can access on so many different levels. If you want to obsess about the history like me, that’s all available. If you like stats, you can do that. If you don’t get any of it, watching players hit baseballs into the stands or watching a guy masterfully throw pitches that dudes whiff on is your thing, go nuts. You don’t have to be totally invested if you don’t want to. The Cubs have always been a great example of that. But now, somehow, improbably, we are on the other side of that. Of course, this team was built to accomplish this specific goal, but it doesn’t mean anything unless there’s the follow through. The Cubs are champions, and for future generations, it won’t carry that same desperation and crushing feeling of failure. Maybe they’ll win more championships in the next few years, and fans will complain about their dominance. Maybe they never win another and the 2016 Cubs will turn into this generation’s version of the 1985 Bears – one magical team surrounded with a few years of really good teams. Whatever happens, there will always be 2016\. A year that’s just wrought with so much horrible shit and an election that never seems like it’s going to end also contains a World Series between two teams that never won and they captivated us until the final moment (and then some). They really didn’t win that game as much as they didn’t lose it. The margin of error in the 10th was either get the out, or have the other guys swing a bat into the record books. It’s amazing as something as simple as a game can make a person so happy. [![screen-shot-2016-11-06-at-4-02-12-pm](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Screen-Shot-2016-11-06-at-4.02.12-PM-1-300x225.png?resize=300%2C225)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Screen-Shot-2016-11-06-at-4.02.12-PM-1.png?ref=obviatemedia.net)Walking around Chicago and seeing all of the hats and shirts and jerseys has been remarkable. We’re all sharing in this one moment together. Even Steve Rizzo, who I haven’t seen in a decade, has checked in: “This is unbelievable.” It’s uniting generations, giving us reasons to celebrate those who didn’t quite make it to see this moment, and turning what we know to be real and true about something as escapist as a baseball team on its head. Enjoy the moment as long as you can and cut out the outside noise. Even if the Cubs win the World Series again, it will never be quite the same as this. It couldn’t be. It’s a singular moment that comes once in a generation. I am so grateful I lived to see it and be part of it. ### Mourning View URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/mourning-view/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:57.000Z [![morning view](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/0e45663da6b2211dcda20aed18f4d3bc-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/0e45663da6b2211dcda20aed18f4d3bc.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Earlier this week, *Morning View* by Incubus turned fifteen. While it may not have aged as well as some, it very much played a part in my musical development and remains one of my favorite records. It’s a good one, and one that somehow manages to sound of its time and completely out of it all at once. October 2001 was a bottomless, scary time. 9/11 had just happened, the country was literally putting the pieces back together. Every news report fixated on the wreckage at Ground Zero. I was a sophomore in high school, cognizant that something massive had taken a few hundred miles from me – but I didn’t know anyone that had been affected, or anyone that I knew that was directly impacted. But you could tell in the air that things were about to change in a big way. Rock music at that time was probably in one of the worst periods as it ever had been – rap rock was still very much en vogue – and I was still consisting on a steady diet of whatever I heard on the radio and was still months away from hearing about a local Chicago site called Pitchfork Media. Incubus, at the time was not far separated from the pack of the rap rock bands, a shapeless group of Southern California dudebros with loud guitars and a dude who sang with soul but none of the chutzpah. 1999’s *Make Yourself* was a bonafide hit, containing “Pardon Me” and “Drive” both nice singles, especially the latter, which appealed to the sensitivity and found in 14-year-old boys living in the suburbs. These songs have somehow have survived through the years on alt-rock radio in varying forms, which is kind of amazing, considering so many of their peers have not. For their follow up, Incubus famously decamped to a house in Malibu on a street called “Morning View Drive”. The resulting album from the sessions is something that feels a little spacier and what is probably best described as “pocket ambience”. (Also, before we go any further, I want to mention this was the first and last record I pre-ordered at Sam Goody at Spring Hill Mall.) For those weightless moments, there are also the hard-edged rock ones – “Nice to Know You” and “Circles” with punishing guitars, “Wish You Were Here,” one of last decade’s very best alt rock singles, all ‘Bob Marley poster on the walls of my room at my parents house” poetry aside. Songs like “Warning” with a slow-burn churn and “Echo” were soft without being entirely saccharine. “Aqueous Transmission,” with its use of a Chinese instrument called the pipa, was unlike anything any teenage suburban midwesterner had ever heard. Somehow, in pre-9/11 America, Incubus made a record that soothed what was about to come. Released a month after the attacks, It was angry and sensitive, but nuanced enough for teenagers to find *meaning*. It was art for people who didn’t really get art, and was a direct route to making new friends and relating through music at school. Incubus never again made a record as balanced as *Morning View*. What has come since has always been intriguing (seriously, *Light Grenades*, people), nor did they ever make something as fluid, either. It’s a record that legitimately feels hazy, capturing the mood of its era, but somehow cutting through the gritted-teeth anxiety of a terrible time. That’s why I remember it. ### John K. Samson's "Winter Wheat" is Part Postscript, New Beginning URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/john-k-samsons-winter-wheat-is-part-postscript-new-beginning/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:19:58.000Z [![jks_winterwheat](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/JKS_WinterWheat-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/JKS%5FWinterWheat.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)I dont claim to know the entire Weakerthans catalog, or really know much about John K. Samson, but I can tell you that the release of “Winter Wheat” is an album that hews closest to a new Weakerthans release as we may ever get. Perhaps that’s why he utilizes the band’s former rhythm section throughout the release. Samson’s work is kind of a curiosity to an American like myself. Pastoral descriptions of Canada, a place that is easy to generalize as one-note, nice and America-lite, are always fascinating. He’s a songwriter whose turn of phrase strikes the balance of sensitive and strange – opener “Select All Delete” begins with the lyrics “That hashtag wants me dead/but I don’t mind.” Virtute the cat reappears, a reoccuring character from Samson’s Weakerthans songs A warning: that song, “Virtute at Rest,” is a goddamn heartbreaker. Samson’s lyrical prowess is not done justice through an album review. He’s definitely one of the world’s greatest living songwriters, lesser known to a mass audience, ducking out and re-emerging every few years with songs that have earned the right to be dissected, quoted and shared by those that know his work best. Whether “Winter Wheat” is truly the postscript to the Weakerthans or is the next evolution in the long musical history of John K. Samson remains to be seen. We’ll know eventually. For now, take your time, listen over and over and pass it on. Like all great stories, they’re meant to be shared. “Winter Wheat” is one of them. *Winter Wheat is out today on ANTI-.* ### The Wild Heart URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-wild-heart/ Last updated: 2016-10-16T23:12:00.000Z [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPEhIoKeTg0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPEhIoKeTg0&ref=obviatemedia.net) This video has been making the rounds lately in large part is that it is an uncredited sample found on “10 d E A T h b R E a s T” by Bon Iver from his new album, “22, A Million”. I can’t stop watching it. While getting prepped for a Rolling Stone photo shoot, Stevie Nicks effortlessly (and gorgeously) performs “Wild Heart” like it is as essential as breathing. It’s a performance that never was supposed to be, somehow surviving so many changes in technology to make it to the internet 30 years later. It’s remarkable that something as tossed off as this has impact now. Watch it. You will more than once. ### Every Song Was Right: 10 Years of "Boys and Girls in America" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/every-song-was-right-10-years-of-boys-and-girls-in-america/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:03.000Z [![dc69676781d3af88-holdsteadycover](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/dc69676781d3af88-holdsteadycover-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/dc69676781d3af88-holdsteadycover.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Today marks the tenth anniversary of *Boys and Girls in America* by The Hold Steady. Even the casual acquaintance has heard me stump for this album pretty much any occasion I get. But it’s the most meaningful and impactful musical document I know, and quite literally changed the trajectory of my life. I went from mopey college kid to someone who found a sense of purpose and community along the way. Of course that’s not without speed bumps, but that’s a different story. I have so many thoughts about the record itself that are best said loudly and in person, preferably while playing the songs. This is still a common practice. Simply put, it’s a marvel of rock and roll construction: “Stuck Between Stations,” is quite possibly THE best leadoff rock song in history – the opening lyrics reveal the thesis: “There are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right…Boys and Girls in America have such a sad time together.” Crashing guitars, dancing pianos, a tight-as-hell rhythm section and Craig Finn’s lyrics and BOOM, we’re in to the thick of one of the most essential albums ever. What I loved about this record as a 20-year old has morphed over time. While I loved the songs and the lyrics that made great Facebook statuses (I’m learning this daily thanks to the ‘On This Day’ feature) it’s been so much less about the music and more about the people. That’s continued for a decade. My college friends sort of tapered off in the months after the album’s release, so I joined the band’s message board in 2007\. There, I found a bunch of like-minded individuals and families filing scene reports from all over the states and Canada, sometimes Europe, or proselytizing for bands I’d never heard of – Drive-By Truckers, Lucero, some group called the Mountain Goats. It became a place of community and education. These were lawyers, students, photographers, people with insisted on being called by their pen names instead of their real names, a lady who talked about how much she liked a group called the “Ass Ponys”, bible salesmen and self-described “rabble rousers”. I’d never met anyone like these people before. But they welcomed me in, for better or worse. The next year, I started traveling to see the band. I’d crash in strangers hotels when our car would get locked in a garage overnight, get rained on all day in an abandoned pool and meet my best friend in the process, end up in parts of North America I’d otherwise have no business being in. Friends of friends I’d met through the band would help me move to New York. I’d forget to close my mouth more than once when throwing confetti and gambled for the first time in a casino in the middle of nowhere, Wisconsin. There are so many other stories, but they’re just not fit for public consumption. I’d get to know the group, slowly, some of the members better than the others, and be able to call them friends or temporary roommates. For someone who has seen them at such an exaggerated clip, their good-naturedness and trust that I was not completely insane was always appreciated. That extends to their crew, an extremely patient bunch that went out of their way countless times to be kind to us in whatever city we were in. Eventually, we’d all work together, which still is a total dream come true. [![screen-shot-2016-10-02-at-8-21-11-pm](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-02-at-8.21.11-PM-300x224.png?resize=300%2C224)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-02-at-8.21.11-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net)As with time, I’m grateful for all the people that have come in and out of my life. So many of these are true friends I’ve been able to lean on when things did not look that sunny. Some I’ve met in person once or twice, or not at all, but we maintain that closeness. You know who you are. Growing older along with a band and its fans doesn’t really happen a lot, especially when you’re just starting your 20’s. I know many times and for many years I was not the best version of myself. So, if you’re reading this and knowing what I’m talking about, thanks for sticking around. Ultimately, *Boys and Girls in America* is the story of the people that The Hold Steady brought together through their music, who built a community and changed the lives of a lot of people. As I look back on the past ten years, I’ve still got a lot of work to do, but through the totality of the experience of just playing some songs, I’ve grown into someone that I like being. It’s given me so many people important to my everyday life, incredible experiences and stories that no one else will ever have, and mostly, a freedom to just be who I am and love what I love. When we eventually dry up and crumble into dust, hopefully it will inspire a new group of people to do the same. ### Bon Iver's '22, A Million' is Fascinating Transformation URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/bon-ivers-22-a-million-is-another-transformation/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:08.000Z [![phppjp](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/PHPpJP-1-300x300.jpeg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/PHPpJP-1.jpeg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Today, Bon Iver releases their third album and first in five years, “22, A Million”. Justin Vernon started the project in 2007 pretty much as a guy with an acoustic guitar, and pretty quickly morphed into something that was using a lot of digital manipulation – one song on the follow up EP, “Blood Bank” is literally just him building layers of his voice with autotune. Years later, Kanye West would find this song “Woods,” and use it as the template for “Lost in the World”. On 2011’s “Bon Iver,” another about-face. Here was an album of deliberate soft rock-as-soul, lush, organic soundscapes on this side of Bruce Hornsby. Deeply touching, somehow feeling both in and completely out of time. But now, with this new record, another transformation. Obscured by technology, bending the realm of what’s physically possible through a literally invented filter – his engineer literally created an instrument for this album called the Messina – Justin Vernon presents another chapter of the Bon Iver story that feels familiar, still deeply distant. What’s contained on the record is just fractured bits of a life, forget song structure. Verse chorus verse means nothing. It’s a whole statement, a composite of parts, not whole wholes. I am always fascinated by Vernon’s mindset, someone who seems by all intents very accessible, maybe even \*normal\* by today’s standards, but that’s totally not it. There’s always a mystery of what goes on in his head. The sounds, his words, almost feel elemental. I don’t know how else to put that. Get a pair of headphones, close your eyes and immerse. It will reveal its gifts to you. ### Amanda Shires's 'Land' Is Her Best Record Yet URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/amanda-shiress-land-is-her-best-record-yet/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:11.000Z [![amandashires](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/51blucJP-BL-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/51blucJP-BL.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Amanda Shires has been an excellent solo musician in her own right for years, a fact that’s been partially obscured by the runaway success of her husband, singer-songwriter, Jason Isbell. While that fact is never exactly forgotten, her place is often cast as a few things – the fiddle player in Isbell’s backing band the 400 Unit, or as a central figure in his recovery from addiction or even in stories about their family life. While that’s certainly a part of her story, it’s not all of it, and her newest record solidifies that fact. On *My Piece of Land*, her first record since 2013’s *Down Fell The Doves*, Shires creates a compelling and gorgeous portrait, putting all of her abilities at the forefront. Helmed by producer Dave Cobb, (responsible for producing the last two of Isbell’s records), “Land” tackles subjects such as relationships, anxiety, fear, and of course, love. Shires has been working towards a M.F.A. in creative writing from The University Of The South (Seawanee) over the past five years. As part of her studies she workshopped poems, which she credits with strengthening her songwriting. “Slippin” is a mid-tempo ballad that includes acoustic guitar and Isbell’s guitar leads and deals with the anxiety of a partner being gone for long stretches of time. “Tonight could be the night that you could go slipping away from me,” sings Shires. Isbell’s background vocals provide context, creating a dialogue between the two singers. It’s a song that presents a problem and offers the solution all at once. Immediately following comes the torch song “Harmless,” which creates a scene of infidelity. Barely-there acoustic guitar melts into a hazy, aqueous lead. “It might have been cheating/where exactly is the lie?,” she asks. Shires’s ability to break up a note in the middle of singing – in this case, the word “breathing” is nothing short of masterful, and makes the song all that more delicate. It’s one of the best songs of the year, and with the proper attention, will be a standard for years to come. Uptempo songs like “Nursery Rhyme” and “When You’re Gone” are a welcome change of pace and showcase Shires’s dexterity. Her fiddle playing has always been a highlight whether recorded or in live performance. It’s lyrical in nature, and adds drama to songs like “My Love – The Storm”, and “You Are My Home”. *My Piece of Land* is a welcome return from one of the sneaky-great musicians of this era. Shires’ songcraft bridged with excellent playing and nimble voice is so rare. Here’s hoping she makes more records like this sooner than later. ### Lydia Loveless Keeps it Close on "Real" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/lydia-loveless-keeps-it-close-on-real/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:13.000Z [![lydia_loveless_cover](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/lydia_loveless_cover-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/lydia%5Floveless%5Fcover.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)I saw Lydia Loveless play a street fest this summer and I was wowed by her presence and power. She’s a complete force of nature, synthesizing sorta-country with sorta-punk but maintaining an edge found in only the most classic singer-songwriters. There is not a whole lot like that. That feeling of Loveless’s power extends with her records – she has always seemed older and wiser beyond her 25 years. She sings with the strength and world-wearniness of a veteran performer. Just listen to “Crazy” from 2011’s “Indestructible Machine”. There’s some decades-old heartbreak in a song by someone who had just turned 21\. That’s continued with 2014’s “Somewhere Else” and with “Real”, due Friday. “Same to You”, full of crashing chords is a propulsive, arresting opener, and the first single “Longer”, with its power-pop leanings is equally memorable. They’re two great songs back to back. “Heaven” with its dry drum hits and dancing bass lines feel unlike anything in Loveless’s catalog – it feels almost something like you’d hear on 80’s pop radio. This is a good thing. Still, with these early bright spots, something about this collection feels like it’s a portrait of an artist in transition. “Out On Love” with its atmospheric guitars never really seems to leave the ground, “Bilbao” feels a bit like it plods and has an almost saccharine refrain. These complaints are small, but definitely noticeable. Loveless has worked with the same producer, Joe Veirs on her last three releases, and while he’s done an admirable job serving her songs thus far, “Real” feels less like a step forward and more like an artist that’s maintaining the status quo. That’s okay for now – but after two back-to-back classics, it feels like a deliberate attempt to not shake too much up. Perhaps she’ll paint with a new sonic palette next time. Regardless, she remains one of the most gifted young artists of her time, and that alone is reason to pay close attention. ### "Holy Ghost" Showcases Modern Baseball's Growth URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/holy-ghost-showcases-modern-baseballs-growth/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:17.000Z [![a4043831127_10](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/a4043831127_10-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/a4043831127%5F10.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Modern Baseball is a great band, but they’re not even as good as they’re going to be. I saw the Philly-based group recently play a show at Empty Bottle in Chicago to a sold-out crowd. The venue was perfect – it’s a bar that Pitchfork recently said was the “[last great indie rock dive bar](http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1174-an-ode-to-chicagos-empty-bottle-the-last-great-indie-rock-dive-bar-standing/?ref=obviatemedia.net)“. It’s intimate, with great sightlines and plenty of space to move around. The crowd and the band were so excited- most of the guys in the group are in their early 20’s and they looked to be having the time of their lives. Modern Baseball mostly consists of friends who’ve known each other for years. The joy of playing music was so evident. For someone who like me whose youth gets farther in the rear view with each passing day, they represent that ‘playing music with your buddies’ ethos that drew me to bands like them in the first place. I love that. I’ve been completely enamored with “Holy Ghost”, Modern Baseball’s third album for about a month now. The themes of loss (co-frontman Jake Ewald lost his grandfather) and establishing life after illness (co-frontman Brendan Lukens [entered treatment last year](http://www.thefader.com/2016/04/11/brendan-lukens-modern-baseball-holy-ghost-interview?ref=obviatemedia.net) for Bipolar disorder) have resonated hugely with me. Ewald and Lukens admittedly took a “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” approach to this album – with Ewald taking the first half of the record while Lukens’s songs taking up the rest. The result is something I can best describe as the most incomplete complete record I’ve heard. Ewald’s songwriting has evolved hugely over the course of Modern Baseball’s three records- the one-two punch of “Holy Ghost/Wedding Singer” is a group vocal that hits the ground running into a racing textured guitar jam – and “Mass” reminds me so much of the speak-sing of Craig Finn – assumedly this is unintentional. It’s really wonderful. However, what’s captured me most is the collection of Lukens’s songs – short crashing, shouty punk blasts that seem like they were absolutely willed into existence at the last moment. They’re sudden, blunt and confrontational. His voice sounds warbly, unconfident, the sound of a guy who’s been through hell and back emotionally. I can absolutely sympathize. They almost sort of sound like one big song – from “Breathing in Stereo” to the Killers-esque “Apple Cider, I Don’t Mind”, and then “What If…” with the unforgettable hook – “It’s not/what I’m not/it’s what I believe in – It’s not what I’ve got/it’s my peace of mind.” Mental illness is a bitch, and these songs illustrate that in full color. “Holy Ghost” showcases a band that is growing in leaps and bounds with each record. These dual suites of songs between Ewald and Lukens show that they’re evolving as musicians and lyricists almost quicker than they can record. As they gain more life experience, it will inform the music they make. As evidenced by that show the other night – their audience, including me, is willing to grow with them. Until then, this is an incredibly tantalizing preview of what’s to come. ### Seasons URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/seasons/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:17.000Z The only album released in Arthur Russell’s lifetime, [1986’s “World of Echo”](https://play.spotify.com/album/7qTGji0zymCBgWDSukQq1J?play=true&utm%5Fsource=open.spotify.com&utm%5Fmedium=open), is a staggering, ethereal masterpiece. It’s a look at a wildly underrated artist, almost unknown during the time he lived, creating something so overwhelmingly breathtaking that it is hard to believe it is real. It’s a record that relies heavily on effected cello and Russell’s paper-thin voice. The result is something that cannot accurately be described by words – you really have to hear it to capture it’s breadth. The results feel nearly elemental – somehow lighter than air but dealing with emotions so much deeper – almost dense. You cannot help but feel totally devastated by the listening experience. Russell died in 1992 of AIDS. There’s not much footage of him performing outside of these clips. In the intervening years, material has trickled out in one way or another through compliations of his recordings or songs he produced. Lots of it is fractious, with occasional highlights coming to the surface. None of it quite feels like “World of Echo”, a work that for some reason feels strangely spiritual. Perhaps it is the fact that there’s so little about Arthur Russell available that clips like these are so tremendous. It’s like a fresh blanket of snow. You know what will happen eventually – it’ll melt and evaporate into the air, but damn if it didn’t look pretty for a minute. “World of Echo” is that last little bit that refuses to melt – a reminder of what happened before the seasons change and it just becomes another memory. ### On Pablo, Kanye’s State is Cause for Concern URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-pablo-kanye-is-cause-for-concern/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:21.000Z **Kanye West – “The Life of Pablo”** [![pablo](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/pablo-300x300.png?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/pablo.png?ref=obviatemedia.net)Kanye West has proven peerless in the hip-hop world. No one can quite do what he can in terms of his creative process. Take any two albums in his catalog – the plastic pop-rap of “Graduation” that dives headfirst into remote, cold AutoTune territory of “808’s and Heartbreak,” or the grandeur and maximalism of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” to the mechanical grind of “Yeezus”. The left turns are so sharp, so staggering, that any time he’s put out a record we debate endlessly about the merits of his work in contrast to the difficult public persona he’s fashioned over the last decade. For as messy as his personal relationships and personal life seem to be, his records have always been infused with a brilliant cohesion – perfectly crafted, no loose threads. Always a statement. Until now. West’s new record, the long-gestating “The Life of Pablo,” was finally released over the weekend after several starts-and-stops, a laundry list of album title changes and diluted by West’s penchant for making headlines for every seemingly ill-advised move. It still staggers, but for a different reason. It’s fractured and often gorgeous, but feels like there’s something deeply alarming, the work of someone that may not quite have command of their mind. There are GREAT moments on the record, no doubt – the opener “Ultralight Beam” with its gospel choir and brilliant spot by Chance The Rapper, the synthy sweep of “Waves,” and that *perfect* understated Arthur Russell sample which provides the backbone of “30 Hours”. Some of these without question are Kanye’s best work, but for those, there’s moments where Kanye raps about himself in an acapella track titled, of course, “I Love Kanye”, or the audio-equivalent of a Pollock splatter with “Freestyle 4” with an ominous string sample. With that dichotomy, you can’t help feel like he’s losing the plot a little, and there are moments – like where he talks about being off Lexapro – make the case he’s suffering mental illness. Perhaps that’s the case. Much of “Pablo” seems to come from a specific type of mania. Moments that masquerade as lucid and in full color, just might be elaborately constructed delusions. The best stuff is euphoric, but the experiments that fail are scary and cause definite concern. Like it or not, West is one of the most – if not the most – vital artists of our time. Hardly anyone with his reach attempts to bridge the gap between art and popular culture, and some may argue he’s the last true titan standing. He ignites the collective consciousness, for better or worse, and that’s important. Here’s hoping that he finds a path to what likely ails him. But for now, we have “The Life of Pablo”. It’s like a Polaroid developing. Slowly coming into focus, second by second, minute by minute, creating a whole, but never quite crisp, clear and with the depth you’d get from another kind of camera. What finally appears is sort of hazy and dreamlike, telling a story far different than the one captured when the shutter closed. ### Ten Years Ago...This Week? URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/ten-years-ago-this-week/ Last updated: 2016-07-26T19:53:52.000Z [![lgobviatelogo](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/lgobviatelogo-1-1024x195.png?resize=830%2C158)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/lgobviatelogo-1.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) Ten years ago last Sunday, February 14, 2006, I started this website. It’s fitting I’m writing this AFTER the anniversary, as nothing with this site ever gets done on time. It’s been a lot of things over time. A hub for my friends to write whatever they want, an ill-conceived web magazine, the home of The Eternal Mixtape Project, and for the better part of the last half-decade, a place for me to put whatever I’m thinking…occasionally. It’s the longest-lasting creative endeavor I’ve ever had (if you don’t count my two-decade association with Jordan), and I’m proud of the body of work that’s here, both of my own and so much of what anyone that ever contributed did. It mattered to me then, and it still does today. ### Favorite Songs of 2015 (And Other Stuff) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-songs-of-2015/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:23.000Z In no particular order after “Maggie”. Enjoy as a Spotify playlist this year! “Pedestrian At Best” – Courtney Barnett “Maggie, I’ve Been Searching For Our Son” – Craig Finn “Need You” – Royal Headache “Depreston” – Courtney Barnett “Hard Luck Kid” – Beach Slang “No Cities To Love” – Sleater-Kinney “Gimme Love” – Sleater-Kinney “SeeSaw” ft. Romy by Jamie xx “Loud Places” ft. Romy by Jamie xx I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times)” – Jamie xx, Young Thug, Popcaan “Where Do I Begin” – Wilco “Taste The Ceiling” – Wilco “The Knock” – Hop Along “Powerful Man” – Hop Along “No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross” – Sufjan Stevens “Should Have Known Better” – Sufjan Stevens “Alright” – Kendrick Lamar “The Blacker The Berry” – Kendrick Lamar “The Magic Morning/Lookalike/I Lost My Mind (DJ)/Mr. E. Mann/Fired Up/Dimed Out” – Titus Andronicus “I Love You Honeybear” – Father John Misty “True Affection” – Father John Misty “Can’t Feel My Face” – The Weeknd “Want To Want Me” – Jason Derulo “Speed Trap Town” – Jason Isbell “24 Frames” – Jason Isbell “Return To The Moon (Political Song for Didi Bloome to Sing, with Cresendo)” – EL VY “I Can’t Control Myself” – Strange Names “I Don’t like Who I Was Then” – The Wonder Years “January 10th, 2014” – The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die “Flesh Without Blood” – Grimes “Realiti” – Grimes “Warm Blood” – Carly Rae Jepsen “Living My Life” – Deerhunter “Snakeskin” – Deerhunter “Got To Work It Out – Original Mix” – Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique “Hotline Bling” – Drake “Style” – Ryan Adams “Baby Don’t You Want Me” – Lucero “Desire” – Dilly Dally “Norf Norf” by Vince Staples “Copper Canteen” – James McMurtry “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas” – Beach Slang “Big Decisions” – My Morning Jacket “Lay It All On Me (ft Ed Sheeran) – Rudimental “Cool For The Summer” – Demi Lovato “What Do You Mean?” – Justin Bieber “Shock Me” – Baroness “Mutineer” – Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires “Making The Most Of The Night” – Carly Rae Jepsen “All You Had To Do Was Stay” – Ryan Adams “The Yabba” – Battles “I Can’t Lose” – Mark Ronson & Keyone Starr “Sunday Candy” – Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero” – The Mountain Goats “Foreign Object” – The Mountain Goats “Newmyer’s Roof” – Craig Finn “You, In Weird Cities” – Jeff Rosenstock **Honorable Mentions:** “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Theme Song” and “Peeno Noir” **Favorite Non-2014 Discovery:** “Nothing Feels Good” by The Promise Ring **Honorable Mention Albums:** “I Love You, Honeybear” by Father John Misty “The Waterfall” by My Morning Jacket “Summertime ’06” by Vince Staples “Complicated Game” by James McMurtry “All A Man Should Do” by Lucero “Art Angels” by Grimes ### Top 10 Favorite Albums of 2015 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/top-10-favorite-albums-of-2015/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:20:23.000Z **1\. Jamie xx – *In Colour*** **2\. Beach Slang – *The Things We Do To Find People Like Us*** In any year but this one, Beach Slang’s aim-for-the-stars would be a no-brainer for number one in my list. But this has not been just any year, and that’s why it’s firmly entrenched in the two spot. There’s something to be said about this type of rock and roll. Heart-on-your-sleeve, confessional, young, fucked up. The Hold Steady have done it for years with a decidedly Catholic bent, and Japandroids purified that form most recently with 2012’s *Celebration Rock*, but there really hasn’t been a band game enough to take that mantle until Beach Slang. James Alex and company blister through 27 minutes of songs that are simply worth hearing. “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas” synthesizes the most Westerberg-ian of vocal performances and pairs them with chunkier riffs and splashier drums. “The night is alive/it’s loud and I’m drunk” on “Noisy Heaven”, and “Hard Luck Kid” and “Dirty Lights” may be the best one-two album closer of the year. Or any recent year, for that matter. **3\. Courtney Barnett – *Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit*** It takes a lot of effort to make a great record sound effortless, but when it comes to Courtney Barnett, I want to believe that her debut released this March simply came in an afternoon. *Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit* is likely this year’s purest example of a perfect debut – two rockers up front – “Elevator Operator” and this year’s song-of-the-year “Pedestrian At Best”, a rager that sometime soon will take up whatever iteration of “Guitar Hero” the kids play down the road. The crunchy jag of that opening riff and the soaring chorus has a stadium-ready energy that will keep it long past the life of its performer. “Depreston” is a simple, jangly ballad that makes me think about on the the precipice of true adulthood, what’s felt like an infinite, distant horizon of negotiating what it truly means to be on your own away from what’s familiar and easy, thinking about the time of trading your sneakers and hoodies for blazers and dress shoes on a daily basis. There’s so much on this album to like, from the rave-ups of “Aqua Profunda!” to the nightmare fuel of “Kim’s Caravan”. Barnett pulls you into her world with the slightest of ease, so much so that you forget you’re in the middle of it all. **4\. Sleater-Kinney – *No Cities To Love*** The confidence of the material on the first Sleater-Kinney album in almost ten years should come as no surprise; just listen to any of their albums. A casual listener with working knowledge of their catalog will be able to tell just what song is from each record. The sonic differences are that apparent on each release. After the Zeppelin overtones found on 2005’s *The Woods*, S-K comes back with something more focused and compact than that record, but sacrificing none of the sheer power that comes when these performers get together. *No Cities To Love* cuts no corners – all the songs here stand up to the band’s previous work. Lead single “Bury Our Friends” with it’s irrepressible gallop and cyclical riffage is a perfect example, as does the wiry “A New Wave”. The title track noodles about with an unforgettable chorus and “Gimme Love” shows the white-hot, thermonuclear power of Corin Tucker’s vocals. It’s everything you could want from a Sleater-Kinney record, but in typical fashion, never what you’d expect. That’s perfect. **5\. Craig Finn – *Faith In The Future*** It would be disingenuous to write about this record without directly editorializing, so I’ll put it this way. With The Hold Steady existing in somewhat of a grey area, *Faith In The Future*, like Finn’s band, seems to center on uncertainty of all things. Life, death, people in transition, problems left unsolved or what’s to come after we leave this world. For myself personally, this record has transformed many times over since I first heard it. From at first what sounded like a hearty sonic departure from Finn’s 2012 debut, *Clear Heart Full Eyes*, it’s turned into a record that encapsulates my deepest sympathies. If *In Colour* is the sound of my year, *Faith In The Future* are the words. **6\. Wilco – *Star Wars*** *Star Wars*, the free surprise release album from Wilco is the band’s best record since 2007’s meditative *Sky Blue Sky*, and certainly their most noisy and unconventional since *A Ghost Is Born*. What’s great about *Star Wars* is that it’s the sound of a band reshuffling the deck for the first time in a while. It’s a jumble of guitars that pan left and right, riffs that stick like glue, disarming tempo changes and staggering brevity. Clocking in only at 34 minutes, it’s almost tantalizing in how short it is. Just when it feels safe to peg this band with a certain sound, this album comes from out of nowhere. That claim doesn’t feel that safe to say anymore. **7\. Hop Along – *Painted Shut*** The second album by Hop Along is a perfect showcase for singer Frances Quinlan, all in her dexterous-voiced glory, bending, pushing, pulling in all directions. It’s a true marvel, backed with punky, propulsive guitars that careen around her rough edges. Opener “The Knock” and the chunky “Powerful Man” are perfect examples of it. *Painted Shut* is something truly special and shows a band on the edge of something really great. **8\. Sufjan Stevens – *Carrie & Lowell*** Through Sufjan’s long and varied catalogue, there’s a wild amount of material that is designed to challenge his listeners – from the meditative *Seven Swans* the complexities of *Illinois* and the freakiness of *The Age of Adz*. That’s really just the cliff notes version of some of the stuff he does. Anyway, as a slightly-more-than-casual listener, I don’t think there’s anything that quite touches the barren-soul nature of *Carrie & Lowell*. It’s a portrait of the artist at 40, drawing heavily on the theme of loss. Every track on this eleven-song collection is purposeful and finely tuned to break your heart. Just listen to “No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross” and try to come out of it unaffected. You won’t. **9\. Kendrick Lamar – *To Pimp A Butterfly*** *To Pimp A Butterfly* is a bit of a confounding listen, a record without a true access point, which, in a way, is part of its charm. The follow up to 2012’s perfect *good kid, m.A.A.d. city* doesn’t feel of this world. There’s an alarming amount of music on this release in conjunction with Kendrick’s rhymes. It’s an unbelievably dense piece of work that demands your attention with listen after listen. It’s an album that makes you want to work for its message. As with any of his releases, Kendrick feels steps ahead of his time. I don’t feel the impact of this one has truly been felt yet, as we’re all still experiencing the aftershocks. Check back with me when the next *Star Wars* movie comes out. Until then, we’re gonna be alright. **10\. Titus Andronicus – *The Most Lamentable Tragedy*** A 93-minute, 29 rock opera about manic depression. Mammoth, moving and hits all the right notes. I don’t think there’s much else to say other than it may be the finest example of a concept seen through from beginning to end – and actually delivering. It rocks, it hurts, it’s everything in between. Just listen to it. ### Favorite Songs of 2014 (and Other Stuff) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/favorite-songs-of-2014-and-other-stuff/ Last updated: 2014-12-28T22:29:21.000Z No particular order outside of “Grand Canyon” which is #1. **Favorite Songs of 2014** “Grand Canyon” – Drive-By Truckers “Spinners” – The Hold Steady “The Only Thing” – The Hold Steady “i” – Kendrick Lamar “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” – Against Me! “Fuckmylife666” – Against Me! “Black Me Out” – Against Me! “Ain’t Got Nobody” – Weezer “Go Away” – Weezer “New York Kiss” – Spoon “Do You” – Spoon “Echo Boomer” – Fucked Up “Glass Boys” – Fucked Up “Red Eyes” – The War on Drugs “Under The Pressure” – The War On Drugs “An Ocean In Between The Waves” – The War on Drugs “Waste Your Time” – Ex Hex “Gimme Something Good” – Ryan Adams “Change Your Mind” – Ryan Adams “Low Key” – Tweedy “A Little God In My Hands” – Swans “She’s Not Me” – Jenny Lewis “Oh My Darling Don’t Cry” – Run The Jewels “Blockbuster Night Part 1” – Run The Jewels “Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)” – Run The Jewels “Bury Our Friends” – Sleater-Kinney “Afraid of Nothing” – Sharon Van Etten “Our Love” – Sharon Van Etten “It’s Time To Come Home” – The Rentals “Seventeener (17th and 37th)” – The Lawrence Arms “Beautiful Things” – The Lawrence Arms “Maidenhead” – Protomartyr “Trust Me Billy” – Protomartyr “Break Free” – Ariana Grande & Zedd “Problem” – Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea “Rattlesnake” – St. Vincent “I Prefer Your Love” – St. Vincent “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars “Champions Of Red Wine” – The New Pornographers “Ain’t That Easy” – D’Angelo “Make You Better” – The Decemberists “Can’t Do Without You” – Caribou “Seasons (Waiting On You” – Future Islands “Tell You (Today)” (Arthur Russell Cover) – Robyn “Chandelier” – Sia “I Wanna Get Better” – Bleachers “Out of the Woods” – Taylor Swift “Style” – Taylor Swift “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift “I”m Not Part of Me” – Cloud Nothings “Jealous (I Ain’t With It)” – Chromeo “Two Weeks” – FKA twigs **Favorite Non-2014 Album Discovery** The Long Winters – **When I Pretend To Fall** **Honorable Mention Albums** D’Angelo and the Vanguard – **Black Messiah** (came as I was writing my list) Swans – **To Be Kind** The New Pornographers – **Brill Bruisers** Jenny Lewis – **The Voyager** Spoon – **They Want My Soul** ### Live at Winterland - Live Forever URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/live-at-winterland-live-forever/ Last updated: 2014-06-17T14:15:17.000Z I stood outside of Lee’s Palace on a rainy Toronto night in September 2009 chatting with a stranger waiting in line for the same show I was, discussing Bruce Springsteen. I’d mentioned to him I’d seen him and the E Street Band before and then he started talking about the shows he’d seen and how he collected bootlegs. He mentioned that the “Live at Winterland” show from December 15, 1978 was one of the best. Given how these conversations usually go when you steer into bootleg territory, I kind of though little of it until he contacted me with a link to the set a few days later. The truth is, it’s fantastic. Particularly this version of “Prove it All Night”, with over an eleven-minute running time that annihilates the studio version found on “Darkness on the Edge of Town”. That’s for so many reasons – the cinematic piano, the otherworldliness of Clarence Clemons’s saxophone bookended by THOSE savage guitar solos and Bruce’s fervid vocal. Unbelievable. This performance – this band – that tour – is a snapshot of a group running white hot after spending years on the road together with the power to transform a great song into something absolutely transcendent. Yes, it’s long, but you won’t want it to end. ### On new album, The Hold Steady bare their "Teeth" URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/on-new-album-the-hold-steady-bare-their-teeth/ Last updated: 2014-03-10T14:09:44.000Z **The Hold Steady – *Teeth Dreams*** (Positive Jams/Washington Square) [![Teeth Dreams Album Cover](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1391467387TeethDreams-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/1391467387TeethDreams.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)I thought about how to best collect my thoughts on *Teeth Dreams*, the sixth album by The Hold Steady, for several weeks after I first heard it. I’m intrinsically tied to the band in more ways than I can articulate, so giving anything less than my feelings surrounding this release would feel totally inauthentic. It’s probably best to start with some context. *Heaven is Whenever* was the sound of transition. A lot was happening with the band in 2010\. Keyboardist Franz Nicolay had left, taking with him the barroom drama that permeated their first four records. Sonically, they took many chances with instrumentation and production that took the focus away from the trademark guitar element and focused more on atmospherics. The result was admirable, but came away feeling a lot less like a Hold Steady record than anything that preceded it. Less celebration, more darkness. The scene seemed a little less sunny. That wasn’t the only change. The album’s first tour showed the band trying out a six-piece three-guitar, bass and keys lineup. It didn’t quite gel as much as it powered through each show with sheer force. By winter, they’d pared down to a five-piece. Steve Selvidge was installed as a full time member, bringing with him guitar texturization and muscle that wasn’t present with Tad Kubler and Craig Finn’s previous interplay. Just like that, the band pivoted from ‘bar band’ to ‘guitar band’. You wouldn’t have picked up on the change if you didn’t see them live in the interim. For many, *Heaven* felt like an abdication, going from one knockout record after another to something that felt less full and more like it was compensating for a missing element. Perhaps that was the case, but it could also be said it was also the product of trying to do too much in too little time in the face of major change. But here we are four years later with *Teeth Dreams*. To put how long that is into context: in that time, their contemporaries Guided By Voices got back together and released five new albums while singer Robert Pollard put out SEVEN of his own. Sure, it’s an extreme example, but it’s not entirely far off. These guys made their name trying to keep up with Uncle Bob in more ways than one at some point in their career. The album begins with the propulsive rocker, “I Hope This Whole Thing Didn’t Frighten You”, which quickly gives way to the shimmering “Spinners”. Here Finn sings “Heartbreak hurts, but you can dance it off,” Full of bright guitars and a propane-fueled solo, it’s the closest thing The Hold Steady has ever written as a crossover hit. Next up is “The Only Thing”, a slice of jangle pop infused with organ by studio musician Al Gamble that’s both a wink to their past as well as a distillation of present. It’s a dexterous move by the band, a song only accomplished by a few years away from recording, and in turn it is one of the album’s best. Speaking of highlights, “On With The Business” comes at the album’s midpoint. Here, Finn reaches “maximum Craig”, spitting a dizzying array of lyrics (“Blood on the carpet/mud on the mattress/waking up with that American sadness”) over anxious guitars, building towards a vocal delay bit that replicates his lyrical repetition off mic at their live show. Finally, it segues into an absolutely face-melting guitar solo. [![The Hold Steady in 2014](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/139033336614374S4A3503-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/139033336614374S4A3503.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Overall, the album showcases another layer of depth that was not apparent in previous Hold Steady recordings. This is for a few reasons. Producer Nick Raskulinecz, who admittedly did not know much about the band prior to recording, seemed to instinctively know how to handle the band’s lineup and play best to their strengths. The guitar duo of Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge provide stunning guitar textures, while bassist Galen Polivka and drummer Bobby Drake (who has never sounded better) re-establish themselves as one of rock’s best rhythm sections. While this collection of songs mostly focuses on loud, immediate rock and roll, the emotional one-two punch of “Almost Everything” and album closer “Oaks” cannot be understated. “Almost Everything” is a quiet ballad that is a sonic cousin with earlier songs like “First Night” and “Lord I’m Discouraged”. While it doesn’t crest quite like those songs, it’s just as beautiful. There is nothing The Hold Steady has ever created like “Oaks”. Clocking in at over nine minutes, it’s a sprawling masterwork that kneads and twists through peaks and valleys, with Finn conjuring dreamlike images as the song turns the corner with a gorgeous melodic solo carrying the song through its final minutes. Kubler stated that at one point he felt that this would be the last record he’d make with Finn. If this were goodbye, it’s a hell of a way to go. While there has always been sentimentality in Hold Steady songs, this one feels like it has real stakes. It’s just heavier. For a band that looked like they may not make another record, *Teeth Dreams* is an album that pulls off an impressive magic trick. It’s a return to form for a group that looked like they lost their way, while alternately showcasing who they are now. Ultimately, it’s a portrait of a band that has the gift of hindsight and the confidence to make changes when they’re most critical. We benefit from it, and they’re better for it. ### Getting Up Seems Impossibly Grand URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/getting-up-seems-impossibly-grand/ Last updated: 2014-10-13T21:34:24.000Z With the year in its final days, I’m giving some last thoughts to all of the amazing stuff I’ve been able to do this year. I saw the Rolling Stones. Ate amazing food. Went to more live professional wrestling shows than I’d like to admit to. I even learned to appreciate certain types of mayonnaise. But that’s nothing, really. I don’t think there’s anything I’m more proud of this year than getting back on an airplane for the first time in almost five years. It wasn’t always like this. My first flight was at two-and-a-half weeks old in December 1985 when my mother took me to New Jersey. My grandmother was terminally ill and it was one of the few opportunities she’d have to meet me before she passed. The first I remember was another trip out east a few years later. My mom surprised me after a day trip on a Metra train in preschool. When she went to pick me up, she asked; “Do you want to take an airplane too?” She had packed my bag and we went straight to the airport. I remember sitting in the window seat staring out the window, looking at the ground below and wondering where the adventure would take us. Taking a plane was always something special. We didn’t do it all too often, but when we did, it was always very exciting. Little did I know that some people I knew didn’t have that opportunity until they were older. But when I turned 21, it changed in an instant. On another trip out to New Jersey (I apparently don’t go anywhere else), I was with friends that were several rows in front of me. I’d never been by myself where someone I knew wasn’t arms length of me on a plane. The anxiety started to build. The sensation of takeoff – what seemed like a ceaseless climbing feeling was unbelievably intense. Every synapse fired. I gripped the armrests and my palms sweat. Slight turbulence was heartstopping. I have no idea how I got there and back. I managed to fly two more round trips the following year, and after that, September 28, 2008 would be the last time I’d get on a plane for four-and-a-half years. I’m positive that after that flight I didn’t actively decide to stop flying, but after abruptly canceling a plane trip that December it started to come into focus that it wasn’t going to happen. After that, I wove an artful tapestry of excuses and devised alternate routes of travel to get me where I wanted to go. Oddly enough, these were the most active travel years of my life so far, as I saw The Hold Steady perform nearly fifty times in cities across the United States and Canada. I’d carpool with friends, take Amtrak or make creative and elaborate Megabus itineraries. One time I even took a 40-hour train trip from Chicago to Spokane where my friend from Vancouver picked me up, and then we drove the eight hours back to Vancouver. On the way home, I took the same train back, only to stop in Minneapolis before taking another bus ride. It was not for the faint of heart. For that first year it was easy to say that my travel-by-ground scheme was cheaper since we were going to so many cities in such a short time to see one band. But after that, it was a hinderance. It became an avoidance of a very obvious fear. I was openly admitting I didn’t like to fly. It was a way of life. In 2010, I moved to New York. Every time I came home it was a 20-hour Amtrak ride. Once was in a car, but the trip was cut down only by a few hours. I had lost touch of the problem. I’d lost the feeling of what it was like to be up there. All that was left was bad memories and a lot of wasted time. In retrospect, this was a relatively innocuous personal issue. By 2011, my health took a serious downturn. I was also deeply depressed and made the decision to return to Chicago and seek help. The first six months of my illness were the most difficult. I was very paranoid and fixated on fears that had no bearing on my current situation. A major focus point? You may have already guessed. Flying. At this time, I was unemployed and spent most of my time watching reruns of “The Wonder Years”. That was most of my day. If I wasn’t doing that, I would be thinking about flying. If I could do it again. If I could go anywhere, really. I wasn’t much for leaving the house at that point either. I knew it was time to go back into therapy. After spending most of that year learning how to refocus and deal with my issues in a proper manner, I started to focus on smaller issues and knew in my heart it was time to face my fears. I had bought a ticket to WrestleMania in November, and by the time it came in April, I wanted to be on a plane to New York to get there. It helped that my Mom would be joining me on the flight because her sister lives nearby in New Jersey. So, I wouldn’t be alone. My therapist and I strategized about what exercises I could use to preoccupy myself when I got on the plane. I have never told anyone about this, but I watched videos on YouTube of people secretly recording takeoff so I could remember what it sounded and looked like. Lastly, I got a low-dose prescription to help settle my nerves and curb a potential anxiety attack. April 3, 2013 came quickly. I remember waking up very calm. No real nerves. As we rode to the airport, I sat quietly and stared out the window, and noticed a plane in the sky. I realized that would be me in a few short hours. It was here. It was happening. No turning back now. We sat at our gate for what felt like forever. As we boarded, I remarked how little room there was between rows of seats. It seemed so much more compact than I remembered. Soon after, the plane taxied down the runway and time stopped. The moment was here. The rumble began, it moved forward. I stared out at the ground, and almost effortlessly, we were in that “precipice between groundlessness and flight”, as Ani DiFranco once said. I was in disbelief until I saw Allstate Arena below me out of a window on the opposite side of the plane. It was over. I was in the sky. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to do something that absolutely terrifies you. The moment you cross through that passage is like nothing else on this Earth. It’s a revelation. Any construct you have immediately crumbles. It empowers you. You’ve conquered it. I’ve flown three more times this year – home from New York and a round trip to San Francisco. For the most part, it’s been fine. Flying takes you places you could never go any other way. Or maybe that it’s simply convenient and time-saving. There’s many ways to look at it. For me? I suppose I’ll be staring out the window, looking at the ground below and wondering where the adventure will take me. ### Top Albums and Songs of 2013 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/top-albums-and-songs-of-2013/ Last updated: 2013-12-19T09:10:38.000Z Without further adieu, here’s my top ten favorite albums of this year (in order), and then my favorite songs of the year (in no particular order). **Top Albums of 2013:** **1\. Jason Isbell – Southeastern** The story goes like this: Former Drive-By Trucker who regularly outshines his peers with his contributions leaves the band amidst a variety of personal issues. Spends the next few years cutting good-not-great solo records. Finally sobers up and puts out this collection of crystalline beauties that are not just a stone-cold classic this year, but in ANY year. *Check out: “Cover Me Up”, “Flying Over Water”, “Relatively Easy”* **2\. HAIM – Days Are Gone** Hearing “The Wire” for the first time was one of those fulcrum listens. Either it was going to be the best thing HAIM ever did, or it was just a taste of what the band was capable of. Luckily, it was the latter – the sisters beat the hype and wrote a record of sun-kissed classics. Make no mistake, this is pure pop appropriated for an indie audience. You know that’s true. “I know, I know, I know, I know” that too. *Check out: “The Wire”, “Falling”, “Running If You Call My Name”* **3\. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels** El-P and Killer Mike took the hip-hop world by storm last year with their solo releases – El’s “Cancer For Cure” and Killer Mike’s “R.A.P. Music” (which El-P produced in its entirety). Both guested on each other’s records. Both also landed on many year-end lists. So what to do for a victory lap? Join forces, obviously. The eponymous debut from Run the Jewels was released for free on the internet this June. What could have been phoned in with the cut-and-paste feel of a mixtape is instead a tight collection of straight-up bangers with monster beats. El-P and Killer Mike seamlessly flow into each other’s rhymes with bravado. No – scratch that. Gusto. *Check out: “Run the Jewels”, “36” Chain”, “Sea Legs”* **4\. The National – Trouble Will Find Me** The National – at least from “Alligator” and forward, have brilliantly constructed top to bottom classic records that give the air that they were furniture, they’d be refined from the most skilled of woodworkers. Every sound is considered before the final product. Allegedly, on an earlier release, they recorded the same drum sound an exhaustive number of times until it ‘sounded right’. If anything, “Trouble Will Find Me” is a surprise. It’s the sound of a band loosening the reigns for the first time. The songs feel more organic. They have a sense of space that’s not part of any of the earlier releases. If there’s any knock on it, is that it sort of feels like a band in transition. What you get here is a band pushing the boundaries out just a little more. It’s exhilarating for them, and it’s exhilarating for the listener. But you can’t help but think what they’ll do next time. *Check out: “I Should Live In Salt”, “Sea Of Love”, “I Need My Girl”* **5\. John Moreland – In The Throes** Admittedly, this is a late addition to this year’s list, but a well-deserved one. Oklahoma-based Moreland delivers a thirty-eight minute gut punch. It’s intimate. It’s vulnerable. It’s big-hearted. It’s an album full of simply great songs delivered simply. No bullshit. *Check out: “I Need You To Tell Me Who I Am”, “Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore”, “Break My Heart Sweetly”* **6\. Kanye West – Yeezus** At this point, even giving a brief rundown of Kanye’s album-by-album trajectory is pointless. His public persona and his role of an artist are now so diametrically opposed that the thought he’s actually a working musician is an afterthought. Everyone has an opinion about Kanye West. He has many about himself. The amount of noise between the artist and the public is overwhelming, from fans to non-fans. That’s the best thing that ever happened to him – it freed him to do whatever he wants in the studio. So, he does. For as spontaneous as some of his other career moves seem, “Yeezus” is quite the opposite. It’s a carefully crafted, reductionist masterwork, laying waste the grandeur of much of his previous work. The beats are brutal, guest spots as brilliant as they are puzzling (Justin Vernon and Chief Keef on the same track?), and the message unfettered: he’s taking no prisoners. We’re far past the point where a Kanye West album is a showcase of peerless production and top-notch talent. It’s art for art’s sake. He might even agree with that. Everyone else might too, if they stopped talking and listened for a change. *Check out: “On Sight”, “I Can’t Hold My Liquor”, “Bound 2”* **7\. Laura Marling – Once I Was An Eagle** The sense of insularity and delicate nature of Laura Marling’s fourth album leaves me fighting myself to compare it to the great early records of Joni Mitchell. Obviously by typing that sentence, I’ve failed. Perhaps the best way to put it is to suggest “Once I Was An Eagle” is its spiritual cousin. The four-song opening suite is startling and effortless, delivered with the maturity of a person far beyond her 23 years. From there it ebbs and flows, (“Master Hunter” is a definite highlight) one beautiful melody and texture after another. It’s an album best experienced in one sitting. You’ll know that as soon as it begins. *Check out: “Take The Night Off”, “I Was An Eagle”, “Master Hunter”* **8\. Deafheaven – Sunbather** We live in the time of the egregious usage of the word ‘epic’. Here’s an album worthy of the phrase. On “Sunbather” walls of whatever-brand-of-metal you call it and sweeping melodic passages combined with bridge effortlessly with vocalist George Clarke’s screams to create a whole that is like nothing else I’ve ever heard. I may not understand a damn word he’s saying, but the sheer ferocity of his vocals seize your attention. It’s metal for non-metalheads – beauty in a genre where you expect something ugly. *Check out: “Dream House”, “Irresistable”, “Vertigo”* **9\. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City** In the summer of 2008 I watched Vampire Weekend perform selections from their debut album to a crowd of thousands at Pitchfork Music Festival. Then, they were a relatively unseasoned live act, a fine listen, but not quite capable of that knockout punch of the others that played the stage the same day. My feelings of their debut album and it’s follow up were similar to this – songs that were okay for the moment, but didn’t hold a whole lot of resonance. I figured they’d be fun to bring up for a laugh a few years down the road or to recapture that moment when we were just a little bit younger and thought we were a little bit hipper. Instead, they grew up with us. “Modern Vampires of the City” is a headfirst plunge into uncharted territory. It’s a series of calculated risks for a group that treaded dangerous waters as a very (popular) one trick pony. Here, the band deals with heavier themes such as life and death. Look no further than the pitch-shifting prowess of “Diane Young” (Get it?) for example. The differences are also textural – the wispy “Step” and soothing synths of “Everlasting Arms” are obvious departures. The big takeaway though – there’s plenty of nuance here when none was ever really expected. *Check out: “Unbelievers”, “Step”, “Everlasting Arms”* **10\. Disclosure – Settle** The debut by English brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence kind of passed me by on first listen. I didn’t think much of it and shuffled it away pretty quickly. Then I heard “Latch”, a perfect piece of elastic electro-pop. It turns out that’s just the gateway into the many gifts that this record holds. Jessie Ware drops in for the robot slink of “Confess To Me”, and “F For You” competes with London Grammar on “Help Me Lose My Mind” for the second best hook on the album. I’m going to stop now – play this album and get ready to dance. *Check out: “Latch”, “F For You”, “Confess To Me”* —— **Top Songs of 2013:** HAIM – “The Wire” Drake – “Hold On, We’re Going Home” Disclosure – “Latch (feat. Sam Smith)” Superchunk – “Me & You & Jackie Mittoo” The National – “I Should Live In Salt” Jason Isbell – “Cover Me Up” Run the Jewels – “Run The Jewels” CHVRCHES – “Gun” John Moreland – “Break My Heart Sweetly” Laura Marling – “Take The Night Off/I Was An Eagle/You Know/Breathe” (Opening suite) Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun” Zedd – “Clarity (feat. Foxes)” Jai Paul – “Crush” (Jennifer Paige cover) Kanye West – “On Sight” Vampire Weekend – “Diane Young” HAIM – “Forever” Jason Isbell – “Relatively Easy” Deafheaven – “Dream House” Arcade Fire – “Afterlife” Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors” Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake – “Holy Grail” The Replacements – “I’m Not Sayin” (Gordon Lightfoot cover) The National – “Sea of Love” CHVRCHES – “Recover” Arcade Fire – “Reflektor” HAIM – “Don’t Save Me” Neko Case – “Man” Paul McCartney – “New” CHVRCHES – “The Mother We Share” Jason Isbell – “Flying Over Water” The Dismemberment Plan – “Daddy Was A Real Good Dancer” ### Haim - The Wire URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/i-love-this-song-you-should-too/ Last updated: 2013-08-11T16:21:24.000Z This song has been on constant repeat for me all week. I can’t get enough of it. Their debut album “Days All Gone” is due September 30th. Enjoy! ### The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-mountain-goats-transcendental-youth/ Last updated: 2012-09-13T16:41:27.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tumblr_ma9v06BH9b1qz4d53o1_500-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "tumblr_ma9v06BH9b1qz4d53o1_500")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tumblr%5Fma9v06BH9b1qz4d53o1%5F500.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)**The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth** John Darnielle can be a frustrating dude. The highs are high: 2005’s “The Sunset Tree”stands tall as a bonafide masterpiece, but the lows are just as low – try the heavy handed 2009’s “The Life of the World to Come” if you’re curious. It seems that every other Mountain Goats record hits a high note. Last year’s “All Eternals Deck” was fine, but it doesn’t come close to the mastery of their latest, “Transcendental Youth”. In the two distinct eras of this band – the pre-2002 low-fi boombox recordings and the subsequent studio recordings, Darnielle’s catalog is a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. There’s a startling emotional undercurrent to his work, and here it clicks perfectly. Horns are all over the album, from the upbeat ‘Cry for Judas’ to the meditative dirge of ‘White Cedar’. It’s lovely, lush with it’s perfectly timed swells. Followed by the acoustic ‘Until I Am Whole’ it creates a great compliment to the previous track’s delicateness. ‘The Diaz Brothers’ is a propellant number that’s akin to Mountain Goats classics like ‘This Year’ and ‘Dance Music’, and the title track has a horn intro that wouldn’t be out of place in a fifties sitcom. Unlike some of it’s predecessors, none of the elements of ”Transcendental Youth” are overbearing. That’s plagued some of their previous albums. Every arrangement is carefully chosen. There’s no ‘square peg in a round hole’ effect that comes with some of Darnielle’s songwriting. This album plays like a hits collection from the studio-recorded era of this band. “Do every stupid thing that makes you feel alive,” advises Darnielle at the beginning of ‘Amy (aka Spent Gladiator 1)’. Those are pretty wise words. Maybe with album after album that’s what he was doing. This time, he got it right. ### The Men - Open Your Heart URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-men-open-your-heart/ Last updated: 2012-03-28T14:53:34.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/the-men-open-your-heart-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "The Men - Open Your Heart")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/the-men-open-your-heart.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)**The Men – Open Your Heart** There’s something special about a group that entirely shifts their sound from one record to another. Brooklyn-based The Men are one of those bands. With their new record, *Open Your Heart*, it’s apparent that it’s miles away from 2010’s *Immaculada* and last year’s *Leave Home* both in sonics and songcraft. Tuneage instead of tonnage is the real story here. For the uninitiated, the prior two albums were variants of blue-in-the-face scuzz rock, low on songcraft and high on volume. (Stuff not for the faint at heart, but if you want to try it, “Night Landing” will surely be disorienting.) Their latest is anything but. They have have ditched that formula for something way more basic, and brawnier. There’s no better example than the album’s title track, a *Let It Be*\-era Replacements cataclysm. Strong on hooks, pleading vocals and an earworm of a bass line, there’s no reason it’s not a song-of-the-year candidate. “Turn It Around,” the album opener, is four minutes of fist pumping heroism and an undeniable show-opener. “I wanna…” choruses and wild soloing will ignite crowds everywhere. Then there’s the oddly named “Country Song,” which sounds more like incidental music from *Friday Night Lights* than it’s namesake. (“Candy,” which comes later on the album would be more aptly named.) What’s most impressive about this album may not be the songs themselves. It might be the fact that the band that created it was able to turn out a release so confident in a sound that is nothing like they’ve released before. It also leaves those to wonder what’s next for The Men. They’re a band that’s yet to peak, and every record they’ve made is a fine example of that. *Open Your Heart* isn’t just a clever title. It’s a request. ### For Lucero, It's Not Work URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/with-lucero-its-not-work/ Last updated: 2012-02-14T16:50:52.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/lucero-women-work-300x300.jpg?resize=250%2C250 "Women & Work")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/lucero-women-work.jpeg?ref=obviatemedia.net)**Lucero – *Women & Work*** Lucero are on a hot streak. While they’ve made dependable records with tracks that absolutely slay, it wasn’t until 2009’s 1*372 Overton Park* did they create an album that fully combined their rough-hewn songcraft with hooks that last for days. Punctuated by Memphis horns and Ben Nichols signature rasp, the record was nothing short of an instant classic, and this year’s *Women & Work* expounds on the work the last record started. “Downtown (Intro)” is a great table setter for the pulsating “On My Way Downtown”. Singer/guitarist Ben Nichols showcases his sandy croon on the drowsy balladeering of “When I Was Young”, later followed by the ragtime rave-up “Like Lightning”, this album’s best entry into their already impressive canon. Unlike many of their roots-punk contemporaries, Lucero has had a half-decade head start in record making. With that, they’ve accomplished something rare in the genre: shaving down the rough edges of their material without actually *sounding* like it. It’s a tribute to the band’s decade-and-a-half together, showing that after all this time, they’re actually just getting started. ### Top 10 Albums of 2011 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/top-10-albums-of-2011/ Last updated: 2012-01-01T22:27:26.000Z Top Ten Albums of 2011 1\. David Comes to Life – Fucked Up 2\. Killing The Darlings – Pearl and the Beard 3\. Bon Iver – Bon Iver 4\. Wild Flag – Wild Flag 5\. Long Live All Of Us – Glossary 6\. Strange Mercy – St. Vincent 7\. The King is Dead – The Decemberists 8\. Civilian – Wye Oak 9\. Nine Types of Light – TV on the Radio 10\. The Whole Love – Wilco ### A New Renaissance City URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/new-renaissance-city/ Last updated: 2016-03-23T19:36:03.000Z Detroit is a forgotten city. While it was victim to the urban decay and abandoned structures that is so often written about, it didn’t, based on appearance alone, seem all that worse than what the rest of this country looks like these days, with shuttered storefronts and high unemployment. But something feels a little more desperate in Detroit. The streets are mostly unoccupied, save for a few residents and homeless. For every shiny new structure like Ford Field or Comerica Park, there are three or four houses with collapsed porches and boarded up windows within walking distance. The city’s various architecture gives off an air of wasted elegance, hearkening back to the city’s golden age as a bastion of the Midwest, before the rapid ascent of crime and automakers begging for government bailouts. The International Riverfront is a site to behold from Detroit and neighboring Windsor, Ontario. A short chat with Detroiters near the riverfront revealed city pride. They explained that the downtown had plenty to offer (and it does, in sections) and made a point saying, “It’s not as bad as they say it is.” But in the next breath, they warned to stay away from the outlying neighborhoods. There’s something beautiful about a three-hundred-year-old city seeking to rise above decades of neglect. Art installations are in some storefronts. Once abandoned neighborhoods are gentrifying and home to new restaurants and shops. There’s also The Heidelberg Project, which takes abandoned houses and turns them into art projects. The heartbeat is faint, but it’s growing stronger block by block. As the United States recovers from its financial problems, there’s hope that this city can and will follow suit. Detroiters are certainly trying. While so many seek to cling to the city’s past, it’s critical to see Detroit instead for its possibility. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2964.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2011/09/28/new-renaissance-city/img%5F2964/) [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2965.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2011/09/28/new-renaissance-city/img%5F2965/) [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2946.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2011/09/28/new-renaissance-city/img%5F2946/) [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2938.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2011/09/28/new-renaissance-city/img%5F2938/) [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2943.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2011/09/28/new-renaissance-city/img%5F2943/) [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/IMG_2931.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2011/09/28/new-renaissance-city/img%5F2931/) ### Kings Without a Crown URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/kings-without-a-crown/ Last updated: 2011-08-11T13:12:06.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/watch-the-throne-cover-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "watch-the-throne-cover")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/watch-the-throne-cover.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album as “The Throne” will survive buoyed on the lofty expectations and reputations of the people that made it. *Watch The Throne* is not a good album. In fact, it’s not a halfway decent album. It’s microwaved hip-hop for an audience that expects something oven-baked. Unsurprisingly, the production is real swing-for-the-fences, bombastic stuff. From the triumphant horns of “Lift Off” to the skitter stop beats and violins of “Welcome To The Jungle”, there’s little room for subtlety. There’s an exception or two, notably “No Church In The Wild” It prowls, propelled by the all-star performance by Odd Future crooner Frank Ocean. There’s underlying menace in the hazy synths and fuzzy bass thumps. Yes, the album sounds huge, the performances are not. Still, it’s remarkable to listen to a record by artists that are renowned for their wordplay, and to find so few that are memorable. So much vanishes into the ether here. There’s not one track that really has a truly great hook. There’s no better example than the first single, “Otis”. Kanye’s usually the master of sample re-appropriation. Here, he just abandons it completely. It’s a simple slice-and-dice of “Try A Little Tenderness” with few flourishes, leaving the rapid-fire verses between the two rappers to sound like a mixtape castoff. This off-the-cuff approach works well on rock records, but given the scope of the production on the rest of the record, it’s lazy. That’s alarming, considering Kanye’s track record. ‘Kanye the Artist’ is an entirely different person than ‘Kanye the Superstar’. In public, he can come off as angry and self-absorbed. In the studio, no one pays as close attention to detail and nuance as him. His productions are usually thick, densely layered compositions. There’s not that same feeling here with this material. He’s abandoned that approach to placate Jay-Z, who all too often hides behind his braggadocio and expensive beats. He hasn’t been the same rapper since his 2006 return. To ape from the sports metaphors he so often uses, he’s like late-period Griffey. A fine athlete when he’s healthy, but he’s no longer the kid with sweet swing. Given the right track, the right collaborator, and the right frame of mind, the flashes of brilliance spark, reminding listeners that the old man still has game. Not enough to last an entire season, though. Make no mistake, Jay-Z and Kanye West are two of the past decade’s most important artists. Jay was untouchable during his initial 1996-2003 run, and that’s before Kanye got rolling with arguably the best five-album streak of any hip-hop artist. West has always been a big picture guy, preferring to make albums over hit singles and a bunch of filler. It’s art. Jay-Z is a guy that values commerce over art. Age has shifted his viewpoint. He’ll always only have one foot in the pool. Ultimately, what *Watch The Throne* shows two people with major ideological differences attempting to unite with one vision – and failing. ### Somewhere Between The Sleeves URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/somewhere-between-the-sleeves/ Last updated: 2011-07-30T20:50:49.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Patti_Smith_Group_-_Radio_Ethiopia.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "Patti_Smith_Group_-_Radio_Ethiopia")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Patti%5FSmith%5FGroup%5F-%5FRadio%5FEthiopia.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)“Horses” is not the best record Patti Smith has ever made. It’s one of rock and roll’s best opening acts, but it’s dwarfed her career with it’s gigantism. *That* album cover, *those* opening lines. Great moments, sure, but not everything. “Radio Ethiopia”, her 1976 follow-up, is almost never mentioned. Where its predecessor bridges the logical gap from artist-as-poet plus rock and roll star, the follow up ditches the first half of that equation and shoots straight for affectation. The result – something way more raucous and virile. It’s pretty clear from the get-go. The woman that opened her first record with the line “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine” opens the second with the exuberant “Ask the Angels”. Chunky chords, a firm low end and wild guitars are a ways away from the slow-burn intensity of tracks like “Gloria”. But that’s not the only difference. “Pissing In a River” is frighteningly E-Street, predating future collaborator Bruce Springsteen’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town” sound two years ahead of time. The hallmarks are there – dramatic piano, penetrating organ and downright cinematic soloing. Smith’s performance, her voice cresting with each wave, only adds to the intensity. There’s a lot to like here: “Poppies” is a narcotic ballad with some of Smith’s most curious lyrics: “Everything is soakin’ and spread with butter.” The title track is a full ten minute auditory assault where Smith attacks primal drums and a scribbly guitars with imitable swagger. She glides across the mess with conviction, leaving no doubt, it’s a noise rock track, but with the added lyrical curiosities (sample: “When I See Brancusi/His Eyes Searching Out The Infinite Abstract Spaces”), it ends up being a satisfying experiment. Side two unveils the album’s best moment – the riotous “Pumping (My Heart)”. It’s a masterful three minutes of seventies New York City punk. The keys are carnal, guitars oscillate furiously and Smith is in full howl mode. As the song hurls towards its climax, Smith keeps shouting “Total abandon!” It’s a perfect phrase to encapsulate the entire record. It’s an artist acting on instinct instead of playing to popular sensibilities. It’s wild, ugly and not an easy listen. Perhaps that’s why it’s been forgotten over time. Most people prefer to spare themselves the difficulty. Patti Smith never cared to begin with. ### Pearl and the Beard: The obviate media Interview URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/pearl-and-the-beard-the-obviate-media-interview/ Last updated: 2011-05-12T22:42:54.000Z *Unless you’ve been privy to their touring in the past few years, primarily over the east coast, midwest, and at this year’s South By Southwest, chances are you haven’t heard of Pearl and the Beard. Comprised of percussionist Jocelyn Mackenzie, cellist Emily Hope Price and guitarist Jeremy Styles, the trio has made an impact with a string of great releases, including this year’s [Killing The Darlings](http://store.thefamilyrecords.com/products/killing-the-darlings?ref=obviatemedia.net). It’s hard to truly define their sound, but their killer melodies and perfect three-part harmonies pack more of an emotional punch than bands twice their size. Jeremy took the time out of his schedule to chat with obviate before a string of New York City shows next week.* ——— [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/1302721104-300x200.jpg?resize=300%2C200 "1302721104")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/1302721104.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) **YouTube has some early videos like [a version of ‘Twice Today’ from March 2008](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOwm-SET0c&ref=obviatemedia.net) as well as some from Pete’s Candy Store that show just you and Jocelyn performing. How and when did the band begin, and when did Emily join?** I met Jocelyn at Pete’s Candy Store as she was there for happy hour and I was there for the open mic. We began working together, quickly wrote songs, and recorded 4 of them. About 4 months later we were at Sidewalk Cafe promoting a show we had soon and saw Emily and fell in love. We asked her to join, and she said yes, and we solidified our lineup. **Are you all classically trained musicians? If not, how did you come to playing your particular instruments?** Only Emily is classically trained. I took guitar lessons, but then just did self teaching, and just watch what other guitarists do. We tricked Jocelyn into playing her instruments, and she’s a good sport for learning them and mastering them so quickly. **Pearl and the Beard don’t really sound like anyone else. What artists influence your sound? Did those influences factor in when recording the new album?** I think we’d all say different things have influenced us, and have changed over the years. I know for me personally I am influenced by the things that are literally around me. Weird noises, or songs I sort of think I hear coming from cars, the shower, or whatever band I am seeing live. **As more people catch wind of what you’re doing, there are more faces at each show. How are you handling that? Is there a particular audience you’d like to cultivate?** Literally everyone is welcome. I’ve often tried to figure out our demographic, and guess who is at a show to see us, and I can’t, and I definitely prefer it that way. We want everyone to feel welcome and loved at a show, because at the end of the day, everyone deserves to feel like they belong somewhere and are loved. **You guys recorded for Daytrotter last July. It’s been almost a year and no sign of a release. What’s going on with that?** What IS going on with that? I have no idea. I recently saw that they put up Best Coast’s session, and that had been recorded over a year and a half ago, so who knows? Those guys record like 4 or 5 bands a day, so they have some backlog I’m sure. I’d write to them and ask for the session before those songs are too old. **The Black Vessel EP is a very interesting piece of Pearl and the Beard history. In a way, it’s sort of a mini “White Album”. There’s the group track, and then a solo track by each of the three members. Was this deliberate? Above all, it seems like a really creative way to peel back the layers.** Thanks. We wanted to release something in between albums, and didn’t want to put album songs on it. Since we are always writing, some songs work for the group and others don’t. We decided just to release something from each of us, since we’re all fans of each other. **Franz Nicolay was a co-producer on your latest record. How familiar were you with his work before you recorded? What was it like having him in the studio?** Working with Franz was great as was working with Dan Brennan, our other producer. We’d been familiar with both folks’ work naturally over the years, as each person is a musician. Working with them in the studio was awesome. Both were focused, and really supportive and gently pushed us to get better performances as well as offer new ideas to songs. **“Hot Volcano” is definitely a standout on *Killing The Darlings*. It’s always ripped live, but there’s something different about the recording and what you played at the album release show, so it begs the question: Where’s the [kazoo solo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laAvowU6338&ref=obviatemedia.net)?** We like to do it different each time we play it live. Kazoo doesn’t seem to translate as well over recorded material, and I think half of its charm is seeing it be played. We like to make it a little special treat for folks who come out to the shows. Just a little something different. Even each kazoo solo is different. **There’s a certain stigma of what a band is supposed to sound with relatively spartan instrumentation, and then you guys get on stage and have such an enormous sound. Is this something you’re aware of? Does the size or location of each show influence how you build your setlist or do you usually go through a particular set from city to city?** I don’t think any of us know how enormous of a sound we have. We are aware of the space we are playing each night and try to be respectful of each venue, so we don’t turn up to 11 in a room the size of an acorn. Every show is different. We vary on which songs we play and how many quiet versus loud songs, we think are appropriate. **Do you have any pre- or post- show rituals?** Usually before a show we like to connect with each other and give ourselves a hug, just to let each other know we are here for the other no matter who is out that, and for that emotional support. After, we usually just talk to people, pack up, and sleep. **What are your day jobs outside of the band?** Jocelyn is a freelance knitter, I bartend and do production work, and Emily is a full time cellist. **Finally, what are your favorite places to go in New York?** To bed? ——— To learn more about Pearl and the Beard, find out tour dates and to hear and purchase their records, [visit their website](http://www.pearlandthebeard.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net). *Pearl and the Beard perform ‘Reverend’ from their [Subway Sessions](http://www.subwaysessions.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) appearance.* *Interview by Brendan Hilliard* ### Still, I'm Gonna Miss You URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/still-gonna-you/ Last updated: 2011-10-14T23:50:27.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ruby-224x300.jpg?resize=224%2C300 "Ruby")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/ruby.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) My parents had to put Ruby down today. In June, she would have been fourteen. She most likely was a Collie – German Shepard – Golden Retriever mix. We didn’t get her from a breeder or an animal shelter, so it’s impossible to know. We didn’t find her. She found us. While my dad was out working on his antique pickup truck at my grandparents house in Eagle River, Wisconsin in September 1997, a small puppy wandered up to him and immediately lended herself to my dad. She had no tags, seemed in good health and there wasn’t any way to tell who she belonged to. He took care of her for a couple days before he came home. When he went back, he took the dog to a family friend’s in hopes that someone would claim her. They didn’t. So, on October 15, 1997, we took her home. She slept on a pillow between Drew and I on that first car ride. At first, she didn’t lend herself to our Cairn Terrier, Ozzie, as he proved temperamental around every other animal that came in his presence. He tried to attack her at first, but Ruby, big, dumb and completely incapable of hurting anything other than herself, recoiled. After Ozzie realized she wasn’t going anywhere, they bonded by barking at the neighbors coming and going, or chasing squirrels up trees in the backyard. Then, there was the last few weeks of Ozzie’s life where he was so sick that he didn’t feel like doing anything but sleeping, mustered up the strength to go into Ruby’s bed and curl up with her. For as much as I will miss her, I think it’ll be hardest for my Dad. They found each other. Until a few years ago, she’d always be eager to go for rides in his pickup truck. I’d often hear stories from my friend’s parents that would see them around in town. There was something special with them. They’d walk out to my Dad’s shed for the day every weekend when the weather was nice enough. He’s going to take her ashes out to the shed and spread them so she’ll always be there, somehow. The last memory I had is the most bittersweet. That was last Tuesday, when I was leaving Illinois to return to New York after visiting my family. She’d been having trouble with her legs, sleeping most days, and it was apparent this may be the last time I’d see her. As I moved toward the door, I took the above picture, put a treat down for her and kissed her on the head three times. As I exited, I said “Bye, puppy,” and she looked back, just as sweet and unassuming as she always was. ### Ellis Island and Lady Liberty URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/test/ Last updated: 2011-03-07T10:14:58.000Z Took these photos last weekend at Ellis Island. I’m really just posting them to test out the Lightbox feature we’ve got rolling on the site now. Enjoy! [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Zero.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Zero-e1299478865983.jpg?ssl=1) [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Three.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Three-e1299478754761.jpg?ssl=1) [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Two.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Two-e1299478846446.jpg?ssl=1) [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/One-e1299478703526.jpg?resize=150%2C100&ssl=1)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/One-e1299478703526.jpg?ssl=1) [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG_2010.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG%5F2010.jpg?ssl=1) [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG_2082.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1)](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/IMG%5F2082.jpg?ssl=1) ### 'The King of Limbs' is a stretch URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-king-of-limbs-is-a-stretch/ Last updated: 2011-02-20T19:57:06.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/radiohead-the-king-of-limbs-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "radiohead-the-king-of-limbs")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/radiohead-the-king-of-limbs.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Few rock and roll bands these days elicit a global response to their every move. Sure, the world has progenitors like Lady Gaga, but there’s not a collective that captures our imagination these days. Except for one. Radiohead. Through the years, they’ve gone from alt-rock afterthoughts to oh-no-maybe-not’s and evolved into unparalleled innovators of their craft. Whether it’s the man-machine tumble of *OK Computer*, or the heartbreaking disconnect of *Kid A*, Radiohead has made records that stand not only as critical achievements, but as unmatched classics. Since then? They’ve stopped. It can be argued that they haven’t made anything nearly as impressive in over a decade. *Amnesiac*, released in the summer of 2001 is more or less a sister record to its predecessor, with songs recorded in the same sessions. It’s spotty at best. 2003’s *Hail to the Thief* was a return to guitar rock, but meandered and has left a small imprint. Four years later, there was “In Rainbows,” released with a week’s notice through a “pay what you want” system that shocked a fractured music industry. While the songwriting is strong, it suffered from flat production and lazy sequencing. Radiohead’s albums are drenched in ambiguity and have always been geared by subtlety. They are not a group that cares much about hooks or riffs these days, as they did with 1995’s *The Bends*. Instead, they live in the abstract: grooves and textures. Friday’s release of *The King of Limbs* drives that home. Unfortunately, it’s colorless. The album’s opener, “Bloom,” begins with a distant piano loop that melts into a series of blips and drum hits. Thom Yorke’s recognizable croon follows, but the song doesn’t seem to DO much. There’s a desire to hear this it build and crescendo, but the song refuses, staying firmly in the middle. And this is the problem with so much of the album’s material. It plays too much to the center and not enough to the extremes that Radiohead has excelled at. “Morning Mr. Magpie and “Feral” suffer from this same fate. “Little by Little” apes their *OK Computer*\-era sound, but it sounds awkward, nestled in a collection of dour material. Of course, there’s things to like with each of their releases. “Lotus Flower” is a slinky lead single powered by a gorgeous Yorke falsetto. “Codex,” a haunting piano ballad, is treated with care. The vocals are to the front, atmospheric loops sprinkled throughout, with a tasteful horn and string accompaniment to usher it forward. It concludes as a great addition to their catalog. Still, Radiohead sounds bored. While it’s fair to assume that a band of their caliber has reached the point in its career where they’ve done everything they could have imagined musically, they must now face the challenge of keeping it interesting. Both for themselves and their listeners. This may very well be Radiohead reaching middle age. It may be painful, but they’ve got the drive to continue. It’s just now time for them to step outside of the realm of possibility and capture listeners imaginations once more. ### Zeroing in on Heads Up Display URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/zeroing-in-on-heads-up-display/ Last updated: 2011-02-11T21:28:04.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/950134737-1-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "950134737-1")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/950134737-1.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)We’re not so far away from the time where technology didn’t dictate every second of every day life. Listening to Heads Up Display’s eponymous album, it’s a reminder of when the world was just a little less complicated. This record bleeds familiarity in the squall of the guitars, wholehearted vocals and a post-punk rhythm section. Which is not an insult to the Brooklyn-based trio, their impressive synthesis of the sloppy guitar rock that permeated the 90’s, with a punk urgency layered with vocal stylings by singer/guitarist Joshua Davis Dillard that would make the crustiest Sunny Day Real Estate fan perk up. The rhythm section of bassist Steve Pellegrino and drummer Kevin Colden get a nice showcase on “2020 Hindsight”. They’re a remarkably tight duo throughout the record, and on this track, the slow-burn quality fits the band perfectly. They maintain this energy perfectly throughout the song without predictably breaking into a loud verse – chorus – verse structure. The album’s best moment comes with the penultimate track, the grungy and reckless “No, It’s Not What You Think”. Frantic harmonics punctuate the opening seconds before it breaks into short, violent bursts. It’s got the same urgency and emotional insecurity of *Pinkerton*\-era Weezer, complete with an atmospheric breakdown mid-song. In an era that evolves quicker than we can document, it’s pretty special that homespun albums like these still exist. Heads Up Display’s ‘no-frills’ approach is refreshing, showing nothing beats strong hooks and killer riffs. Wearing your influences on your sleeve just might be cool again. ——- *Visit the website for Heads Up Display [here](http://www.headsupdisplay.net/?ref=obviatemedia.net).* ### Top 10 Albums of 2010 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/top-10-albums-of-2010/ Last updated: 2010-12-20T11:12:37.000Z I stuck strictly to albums and omitted late additions (things I started to listen to after other lists came out). Therefore, Pearl and the Beard’s *Black Vessel EP* and other 2010 discs did not qualify. **10\. River City Extension – *And The Unmistakable Man*** I’m tentative at putting this at the ten slot. This New Jersey based band has all the promise of the greats from the state of their origin, (Springsteen, et al) and so does their expansive debut. At the same time, they’re tip-toeing the line of obscurity. What I do know is this: From the anthemic “Something Salty, Something Sweet” to the morning after dizziness of “I Still Own A Bible” followed by the furious “Too Tired To Drink” show that this group has a ton of great ideas. Now all they need is focus. **9\. J Roddy Walston and the Business – *J Roddy Walston and the Business*** Imagine Jerry Lee Lewis on speed, kicking out the piano bench, then taking a sledgehammer to the piano. That’s pretty much J Roddy Walston and the Business in a nutshell. These are jams designed to make you sweat. “Don’t Break the Needle” is a monster opener, “Full Growing Man” with it’s “Woo-oohs” and “Ahh-ahhs” is a glam rock mess-terpiece and “Brave Man’s Death” with it’s unforgettable chorus: “I don’t wanna die a brave man’s death/spitting gasoline/burning my teeth, getting salt on the fields on my past/and the sun’ll come down with a milky white flash/I’ll get my brave man’s death at last”. Sounds exactly like what you’ll want to listen to when the ship’s going down. **8\. Arcade Fire – *The Suburbs*** I understand the reverence that many have for Arcade Fire. I’ve seen them live. It’s a moving experience. But on record, I don’t really feel it. Simply, they are a very good band that makes strong records. Have they done anything truly great? Yes. *Funeral*. Their second record, *Neon Bible* was several shades of grey and their offering this year kind of meets the middle ground between the two. There are things to love here, of course: the slow-motion run of “Half Light II (No Celebration)” the nascent punk energy of “Month of May,” and of course, the record’s crown jewel, “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”. Timeless. While this record does sprawl, as two of the songs suggest, in some strange way, really works. **7\. Franz Nicolay – *Luck and Courage*** Franz Nicolay’s songs are a gift. They reveal themselves over time. The album had little impact at first, but with repeated listens, it literally bloomed in my ears. What’s great about Nicolay’s songs is that they have this unforgettable emotional undercurrent that leaves a lump in your throat (see “Felix and Adelita” and “This Is Not A Pipe”). Then there’s moments like “My Criminal Uncle” that practically beg an “It’s Oh So Quiet” by Bjork-style video treatment. **6\. Robyn – *Body Talk/Body Talk Pt. 1/Body Talk Pt. 2*** It’s hard to pick from Robyn’s 2010 output, mainly because there’s so much strong material. So, I’ll settle for bits from all of her releases. What’s so remarkable about Robyn’s Body Talk series is that there are bangers that other artists would kill to have once in their career. Here, she has almost a dozen. The classic throb and hook of “Dancing On My Own,” the infinite summer of “Hang With Me” and the distressed-future by way of nineties throwback “Time Machine”. That’s just three of them, folks. **5\. Kanye West – *My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy*** No hip-hop artist has commanded the attention of his listeners like Kanye West. In essence, he’s peerless. There are artists that will dazzle you with their wordplay (Lil Wayne) or their production expertise (The-Dream), but neither can marry both of those concepts together quite like Kanye. With West, every album is an event. If you listen from *The College Dropout*, the stylistic leaps he’s made are Beatlesque. *Fantasy* is fully realized – nine minute epics that hinge on one piano note, star-studded guest verses (Nicki Minaj’s verse-of-the-decade nominee on “Monster”) and staggering reworkings of indie-folkie Bon Iver tracks. It’s all here in one giant stew. Everyone else, go back to your corners. Kanye’s got this round. **4\. Glossary – *Feral Fire*** The little record that could. At it’s core, Feral Fire is a straight up alt-country record with a power-pop kick to the balls. “Lonely Is A Town” is a spitfire opener, with the sandpaper and silk vocals of husband and wife duo Joey and Kelly Kneiser punctuated by a guitar solo that would make Cheap Trick proud. These moments are abundant throughout, but be careful, the gentle “Hope and Peril”, sung by member (and sometimes Lucero slide player) Todd Beane – will stop you dead in your tracks. **3\. The Hold Steady – *Heaven Is Whenever*** A sentimental number three, and likely here because I played the hell out of this summer. In a year where they lost Franz Nicolay and gained two auxiliary members, The Hold Steady got their bearings and managed to release an incongruent disc that just barely eclipses 2008’s *Stay Positive*. Gone are the trademark piano dramatics, and in place are a healthy dose of extra guitars. It’s not perfect, considering the seismic lineup change, this record feels very transitional. The band’s last two records seems like they’re yielding diminishing returns, but don’t count them out quite yet. Songs like the shimmering opener “The Sweet Part of the City” and late-era Replacements of “Our Whole Lives,” will do for now. **2\. Titus Andronicus – *The Monitor*** Consider The Monitor as a call-to-arms more than a record. Titus Andronicus’s 2008 debut, *The Airing of Grievances* was an accomplishment in itself, but no one could have expected the mammoth they unleashed this year. Chock full of guitar heroics (pretty much ALL of “A More Perfect Union”) sing-along phrases – ‘The enemy is everywhere!’ ‘You’ll always be a loser!’ and a hell of a lot of bravado, it’s nothing short of perfect. What blows my mind is that the median age of this band is twenty-five, and they’ve already put their blood, sweat, tears and beers into a record so fully-realized. What’s next? There aren’t enough words. Gushing is the only thing that does *The Monitor* justice. **1\. The National – *High Violet*** The one and two slots on this list are essentially interchangeable. But at the last minute High Violet eked out the top slot. For myself, 2010 was the year of The National. While I had heavily anticipated this record, I wasn’t prepared for the stranglehold I’d be put in by it. Way darker than I expected, I felt drawn to the little things – the unforgettable splash of drums in “Bloodbuzz Ohio”, the altitude change of the opening chords of “Lemonworld,” and the delightfully icky chorus of “Conversation 16”: “I was afraid I’d eat your brains ’cause I’m evil.” It doesn’t get better than that. Most importantly it’s the soundtrack to my New York experience. It was with me on my move here in July and hasn’t left me since. Put this one on and stroll through the streets of Manhattan at night. Listen to it while taking the L into Brooklyn and get off at Bedford Avenue before walking through McCarren Park. With *High Violet*, everything sparkles just a little bit more. ### Jim Joe. Jim Joe! URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/jim-joe-jim-joe/ Last updated: 2010-12-19T23:05:00.000Z When I visited in May in the run up to moving here, I spotted this tag on a garbage can in Greenpoint. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Screen-shot-2010-12-19-at-10.52.20-PM-223x300.png?resize=223%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-12-19 at 10.52.20 PM")](http://www.flickr.com/photos/obviatemedia/sets/72157625489675411/?ref=obviatemedia.net) Womp Womp! Since then, I’ve seen Jim Joe’s handiwork everywhere, and I’ve tried to capture it every time I can. So, who is Jim Joe, you ask? According to [this link at Subway Art Blog](http://subwayartblog.com/2010/07/02/this-is-jim-joe/?ref=obviatemedia.net), he’s > “…a graffiti artist, currently hyperactive in New York City. He has made quite a name for himself with his simple, sometimes humorous writings, especially in the Lower East Side and East Village, where his tag is ubiquitous. He first caught the attention of Subway Art Blog in February for hitting up the Essex Street station on the J train.” Fascinating. He’s got a website [here](http://www.jim-joe.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net), and is also on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net#!/jim%5Fjoe). The Subway Art Blog link above has the most comprehensive info I’ve seen so far. You can see my photos by clicking on the Flickr badge above or [here](http://www.flickr.com/photos/obviatemedia/sets/72157625489675411/?ref=obviatemedia.net) if you’re lazy. I’ll be posting more as I see them. But if you spot any, please feel free to send along at [staff@obviatemedia.net](mailto:staff@obviatemedia.net)! ### Up "All Night" with Houses URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/up-all-night-with-houses/ Last updated: 2010-09-08T23:29:23.000Z [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Houses_Cover2-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300 "Houses_Cover")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Houses%5FCover2.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Imagine losing your job without any idea of what to do next. Well, other than looking for another job. There’s also that romantic idea of moving somewhere tropical, living off the grid and enjoying what’s around you. It’s fun, but not something that’s easy to do with bills and responsibilities in the way. Not for Houses. They just took off. It’s an admirable, albeit unsustainable idea. I’ve always dreamed of doing what they did, but never had the guts to see it through. It seemed on the whim, and one enormous leap of faith. Not much later, they were working and living in Papaikou, Hawaii, learning the basics of sustainable living. More often than not, this lifestyle does not work out for most people. But Houses are not most people. After finally running out of cash several months later, they returned to Chicago, but not empty handed.. With them, they had a gorgeous snapshot of their time on the island, *All Night*, their debut on Lefse, due next month. Rarely do I hear a record so elemental and effortless. Its title track is the sound of those first few moments of waking up on a spring morning while rays of sunshine bleed through the blinds. Other moments are dewey eyed and bleary, like taking a long nap in the grass. Perhaps the freshness of these moments is best exemplified with “Endless Spring,” a glistening pearl where frontman Dexter Tortoriello’s vocals mesh beautifully with the sounds alongside them. The same goes for the harmonies provided by Houses’ other half, Megan Messina. This is consistent throughout: never once on the disc do their vocals feel put-upon. They’re just as organic as the field recordings they made in Hawaii. These moments are bountiful on *All Night*. There’s “Soak It Up,” sounding devastatingly like a late Arthur Russell composition, “Wash,” with its deliberate rhythm would make David Byrne proud, and of course, the sweeping, resplendent surge of “Sleeping” and “Sun Fills”. With that final fade, we’re back to the beginning again, if you see it that way. I don’t. It lacks a beginning and end point. It just simply *exists*. It was always there, just captured and put to tape at the right moment. That’s doesn’t happen too often in music, and when it does, like *All Night*, it’s something incredible. —— [Houses – Endless Spring](http://lefserecords.com/tracks/Houses-EndlessSpring.mp3?ref=obviatemedia.net) (mp3) [Houses – Soak It Up](http://lefserecords.com/tracks/Houses-SoakItUp.mp3?ref=obviatemedia.net) (mp3) Tumblr: [http://housesmusic.tumblr.com](http://housesmusic.tumblr.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) ### Eddie Argos: The obviate media Interview URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/eddie-argos-the-obviate-media-interview/ Last updated: 2010-05-07T11:39:56.000Z *Interview by Brendan Hilliard* *Transcription assistance by Mike Ross* > [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2-300x202.jpg?resize=300%2C202 "2")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/2.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > *Eddie Argos and Dyan Valdes of Everybody Was in the French Resistance…Now!* > > *Eddie Argos, the frontman known best for the three albums with his band Art Brut, has returned with another project titled Everybody Was in the French Resistance…Now!. The group, including keyboardist Dyan Valdes and Art Brut guitarist Ian Catskilkin, is on the road in support of Fixin’ The Charts, Volume 1, an album full of ‘response songs’ to tracks like Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” and Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”. Eddie took a few minutes out of his busy day to chat with obviate before the band played Schuba’s on Thursday evening.* > > —— > > **I’m from Chicago, and it seems to me that with Art Brut has played here quite often in the past year – including that five night residency at Schuba’s last June. What keeps you coming back to the city with such frequency?** > > Well, we like Chicago a lot. We did maybe overkill it a little bit. What, we played Chicago eleven times last year? Five at the residency, we played the Green Festival, and then a few others. So yeah, we like Chicago. It was good to place the residency at Schuba’s, but the fact that I got to try everything on the menu, I quite liked that. They have a very nice french onion soup there. > > **That’s excellent. I saw you at Lincoln Hall last year. That was the only time we were able to get around.** > > Lincoln Hall? I like that venue. It’s the same guys that own Schuba’s. > > **What was the reason behind starting “Everybody was in the French Resistance…Now”? How did you choose the songs to write responses to?** > > I always write songs, really. I was in a car with Dyan \[Valdes, Eddie’s bandmate and girlfriend\] and that song “Jimmy Mack” came on the radio? I’ve always had a problem with that song. I think I’m quite a bad passenger in the car. I was like “I love the music, but she’s so terrible! She’s such a bitch! She said she’s gonna cheat on the boy unless he comes home.” It’s inappropriate ’cause it’s 1967, and the Vietnam War, so I was kind of grumpy about that. I think I was in Dyan’s head a little bit, so she said “Look, write some words down, and we’ll record them when home.” So, I spent the rest of the journey writing the words in my head, and being quiet. That was the trick. It was just fun to write and record that song. Then we thought we could do more responses. It was a fun challenge. > > **That’s pretty cool. Was there one in particular that was most fun to write a response to?** > > I really like Elastica, and I like Bob Dylan a lot. So there’s songs on the albums because I liked the bands. For the one I don’t like, were kind of more fun to write. The Avril Lavigne one was fun to write because it was telling her she’s got mental health problems. > > **Are there any particular differences that you find between touring England and the United States?** > > Obviously, America is much, much bigger. Even in Europe – we just drove from Seattle to Minneapolis, which is like three days pretty much, that’s a lot of driving. There’s no way you can do that, even in Europe. You’d be out on the side of it. That’s different America’s my favorite place to tour, really. > > I like the culture, here. I like comics. I like…food. I like hanging out. It’s a fun place to play. Europe is too. I don’t know. I just like touring America. I like the way it’s different as you drive across it, yet everyone speaks the same language. > > **Is there any city in particular you like coming to?** > > We do love playing in Chicago. That’s why we’ve played it so much. I kind of live on the…west coast now. I had to think about that. West, yeah. \[Laughs\] I do really like playing on the East Coast. > > …Yeah, I mean Chicago mainly, and I really like playing LA, it’s like a hometown show. Those places. We played Madison last night. That was kind of fun, because was quiet. > > **Madison’s kind of an interesting town. It’s kind of in the middle of the nowhere, but it’s kind of hip. I’ve liked it whenever I’ve been there.** > > I liked it there, it was good. It was kind of fun. > > **I know you like comic books, and May 1 was “Free Comic Book Day”. Was there anything you were able to pick it up then?** > > I knew it was Comic Book Day, because literally every year on Comic Book Day, I’m in a van hundreds of miles away from a comic book shop. That was the first day we drove from Seattle to Minneapolis. There was no comic book shops in North Dakota and Montana on that route. \[Laughs\]. I didn’t get any comic books this year, or last year. I was doing the same drive last year. Or maybe different part of the world. No free comic books for me this year. > > **That’s really depressing.** > > I mean, I bought a lot of comics…I bought the new Flash comic. That was pretty good. I think I’m going to try to find a comic book shop when I’m Chicago tomorrow. > > **There’s a lot of good shops for that here.** > > I’ve bought comics in Chicago before. > > **Quimby’s is a good alternative one in Wicker Park, if you ever get over there. Indie comics and stuff.** > > Oh, I’ve been there. We did pretty much live in Chicago last year. \[Laughs\]. We’re playing in Detroit tomorrow. It’s only a four-and-a-half hour drive. So, I think we might have time to take a look about before we take off. > > You talked about all the comics you do like, but is there one that’s been absolutely terrible? > > I like Mark Millar, who wrote a comic I really like, *Superman: Red Son*, which I thought was brilliant. I thought because of that, maybe Mark Millar was a really good writer. Then I read *Wanted*. There’s a film with it too. That was pretty much the worst one I’ve ever read. I read *Kick-Ass*, and I really didn’t like it. I haven’t seen the film yet. I’m still undecided on Mark Millar. I really like *Red Son*, but I think *Wanted* is probably the worst thing I’ve ever read in any format of anything. Book, signpost. Just terrible. > > **So, you’re in a bunch of bands. I think I counted eight when I was doing my research? Other than Art Brut and French Resistance, what other projects do you plan to record and tour with?** > > I think my main bands are French Resistance and Art Brut. I’ve got a band Glam Chops, which is just fun, really, because I really like glam music, and everyone in that band loves glam music. > > **Do you have any upcoming plans with Art Brut at this point?** > > Oh, yeah, we’ve just started writing the fourth album. Ian \[Catskilkin, Art Brut guitarist\] is in the French Resistance now, so we’re going to try to write some of the album on this year. It should be out later this year or early next year. > > **Is anyone producing in particular?** > > Hopefully Frank Black again. We met him lunch the other day and he seems into it. I like to I’d like to do it with, you know, “Black Francis” again. > > **He must have been a pretty interesting guy to work with.** > > He took us out for lunch in his car. He’s got a great big Cadillac. It was loads of fun. It made me really want to start recording an album with him. It felt weird, we were just hanging out \[instead of making music\]. I want to start recording a new album for Art Brut now! \[Laughs\] > > **What is your favorite show moment you’ve been a part of, both as a fan and performer?** > > We played a college place somewhere, Philadelphia. It was like a weird… just, like, college… We played in a basement and there was a secret stash of beer in the laundry \[room\] they’d all be drinking. At the end of the show, the entire room fell over. It was so packed in. Literally everyone fell to the floor. But no one got hurt, which was very funny. I think that was my favorite moment of one of our shows. Watching an entire room of people fall over. > > Shows to watch? I really like when people talk in between songs. I could watch John Darnielle from The Mountain Goats in particular. I could watch him just talk. Something like that, yeah. Mountain Goats. > > **What are you listening to as of late?** > > Future of the Left, I like them a lot, I listen to that. All of us have suddenly gotten into the Super Furry Animals again. I love the Super Furry Animals. I don’t think they’re very famous here though. Do you know of the Super Furry Animals? > > **Yeah, but I haven’t spent a lot of time listening to them. But they’ve been on my radar, for sure.** > > I thought I had all of their albums, but there was like three I didn’t have. We listen to them when we drive. In the van, I listen to a lot of Led Zeppelin that Ian plays. > > **Which records?** > > I don’t know, it’s a long drive, I think he has all of them. \[Laughs\] > > **Yeah, the Dakotas and that whole thing – it’s a long drive. There’s just nothing there. It’s really boring.** > > Super Furries are good for a bit. > > **So, I know you’re a big Replacements fan. If there’s one song you had to hold in higher regard to any others, what would it be?** > > Aw man, that’s impossible to say! Maybe “Here Comes A Regular”? I love that song. When I first started listening to the Replacements, when I first heard that song, it made me cry a little bit. It’s really embarrassing. I was like, on the train to meet Dyan for lunch. Oh, “Bastards of Young,” they’re all good. I can’t pick one. > > There’s a guy in Chicago, whenever he comes to see us play, he brings me like, an amazing Replacements thing. Tonight, he’s bringing me a bootleg DVD of when they played in Amsterdam in 1991\. I can’t wait to see that. > > **Wow! Their last show I think was the “Taste of Chicago” in July of ’91\. I thought that was interesting.** > > Yeah, they did this whole thing where like, the handed the instruments to their roadies, or guitar technicians so the whole set ended with an whole entire different band playing the stage. The Replacements had left. > > ***It Ain’t Over ‘Til the Fat Roadies Play*, or something like that.** > > I think I’m getting a CD of that. It’s weird, when we did that residency in Chicago, every night someone would bring me a present with a home recorded Replacements thing. Chicago’s brilliant, you know? Where else would someone bring you presents like that? It’s awesome. ### Six shows, Five days, One car URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/1827/ Last updated: 2010-04-29T18:39:57.000Z Things are a little less cloudy and my ears have stopped ringing. It turns out the pain I was experiencing was actually a developing ear infection and it’s slowed me down considerably until I went to the doctor and got some nifty antibiotics. I’m just going to ramble here, so if that’s not what you expected, it’s probably best to hit the “BACK” button on your browser right now. The last week of the tour was probably the most fun I’ve had traveling to see The Hold Steady since I started leaving the region in summer of 2008\. The band was incredibly, impossibly tight every night (I’ll admit, the addition of the new dudes left me having some doubts), but as soon as they kicked in with “Sweet Part of the City” that auspicious Tuesday night in Cleveland, it was GAME ON. The song is a prelude. Think about it. “We were bored so we started a band. We’d like to play for you.” It’s a totally brilliant “welcome to the rock show” introduction. **Day 1** Cleveland, as attendees have previously reported, was a bit out of control. To point fingers – there were a group of kids (allegedly close to two-dozen) at the gig to celebrate their friend’s 21st birthday. No one really seemed to inform them that extreme, belligerent drunkenness pre-show may not be the healthiest decision for anyone. They didn’t respect personal space before the music began, which was the first issue, and the fact that they were openly antagonistic to bystanders was just too much. I can understand the lack of personal space while the music is going on, but before is a big no-no in my book. People were hit. There were the police. The band stopped. Craig said “It can’t possibly be worth it that much”. He was right. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.08.48-PM-300x228.png?resize=300%2C228 "Screen shot 2010-04-29 at 6.08.48 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.08.48-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Day 2** My first impressions of Pittsburgh: It’s a city with an east coast mentality featuring an impressive array of subcultures. To name a few: Hip-hop heads, crust punks, goth kids, indie rockers, and a hell of a lot of Penguins fans. I had plenty of time to people watch outside while I waited for doors to open. The venue, Diesel Club Lounge, was most certainly a dance club, and I couldn’t help but crack Wayne’s World jokes, as it reminded me of the place where Crucial Taunt played that revved-up version of “Ballroom Blitz”. The show itself was certainly unique – a smattering of old jams and an abnormally high number of unreleased b-sides – “Criminal Fingers,” “Touchless” and for some, the why-isn’t-this-on-the-record WTF of “Goin’ On A Hike”. The first few rows of the crowd seemed to contain most of the jumping up and down and singing – while the back rows seemed to watch almost pensively. Highlights of the evening – my buddy Whiskey Daisy finally hearing “Arms and Hearts” after close to twenty shows – totally special.Also, that ridiculously great steak sandwich I had at Primanti Brothers, post show. Oh my word. Steak. Cheese. Tomatoes. Cole Slaw. French Fries. ALL ON THE SANDWICH. [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/photo-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225 "photo")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/photo.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Day 3** The next morning, we headed for Morgantown, West Virginia. Our drive there was encumbered by an hour and a half long shutdown on I – 376/US 22 Monroeville. Turns out that there was a pretty bad accident where an SUV had flipped over several lanes of traffic. I found it easier just to blame the Canadian that was driving our car. Actually, that was our excuse for a lot of things that week. Anyways: Morgantown. Very unique place. I made some cracks about meth-heads and Mountain Dew on Facebook, and got an earful about them before I got there. I now regret that. The show at 123 Pleasant Street (not surprisingly, on the street of the same address) was one of those tiny club shows that stick with you for ages. It was so small that rumor had it that there wasn’t a ‘traditional backstage’ area. The instruments were packed in so tight that Bobby had to jump over his drum kit to get behind it. My thoughts of this intimacy and closeness hearkened back to the Iowa City show at the Picador last April. The crowd was jacked that a band of THS’s caliber was in town, and everyone was excitable and great to be around. No brutality, just a lot of high fives. These super small shows are where the Hold Steady really thrives. The energy is so concentrated and infectious and there’s an entirely different sense of togetherness compared to that at some of the larger shows. A friend of mine wondered out loud if the band would play “Girls Like Status”. Some of us were skeptical. When the band unleashed in in the encore, it was great to see his face light up at the sound of the opening chords. It’s nice how things work out like that. [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.12.56-PM-233x300.png?resize=233%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-04-29 at 6.12.56 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.12.56-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Day 4** Earlier in the week, someone mentioned to me “Jersey Mike? Mike Van Jura? That dude seems to know how to throw a party.” Yes. I remarked that I hadn’t been so excited for a music-related event since prom like I was for Harrisburg. That’s kind of the truth. The family reunion vibe to this gig – the fact that so many US-ers had come in from all over the map and were mostly at the same hotel heightened the excitement. Jersey really pulled all the stops out for this one – the “Steadheads” flyers he dropped off in the hotel lobby – the “Stay Positive” symbol entrance stamp, the confetti cannon that didn’t quite work (no fault of his own). All totally silly and totally great ideas that led to the “THIS IS A BIG DEAL” feeling surrounding the show. We felt it. The band knew it, and they killed it. To exhaust a tired statement: the bar band was back in the bar. It needs to be said. “Barfruit Blues,” “Most People are DJ’s,” and “The Swish” – all AKM era favorites, all perfect, sounding totally and completely infinite. Everything seemed to pop. (Download the recording of this show from the archive. Essential.) So sweaty, so much confetti, punctuated by a divine version of “Killer Parties”. Catching up with and meeting new people post-show was awesome. It makes me wish that more shows I attended were more like that. I’ll never forget that night. One for the ages. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/24891_1440414571563_1269020906_1230483_836004_n-300x120.jpg?resize=300%2C120 "24891_1440414571563_1269020906_1230483_836004_n")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/24891%5F1440414571563%5F1269020906%5F1230483%5F836004%5Fn.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Photo courtesy of Rich Tarbell **Day 5** New York was the perfect postscript to the storybook week that preceded it. Dually, it was the most ambitious day of Hold Steady show-going that any of us had undertaken. Why? It’s simple. Two shows, two venues in one night. One Hold Steady show can be a throughly exhausting physical and mental experience. Two, well, getcha’ Gatorade ready! So, um, let’s call a spade a spade here and say that I’m ‘particular’ about when to arrive for shows. The fact that there were two shows at two different venues, (and that the doors for the second venue opened before the first show was even over) was a logistical nightmare. How could we possibly wrangle get close up for both? By the time we arrived at Bowery Ballroom, I was shocked to see that there was a line of people that had arrived *over an hour before us*. I was astounded, and to tell you the truth, kind of impressed. One of the guys in line got my attention immediately. A precocious young guy – ‘hollywasahoodrat’ on this board – had some seriously infectious enthusiasm. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the fan of the future – a total encyclopedia. One moment still has me rolling: During the J. Roddy Walston and the Business set, he turned at me after he saw bassist Zach Westphal’s trademark mustache and exclaimed, “Oh, that’s delightful!”. Absolutely perfect. Oh – a note about J. Roddy – there’s something richly authentic about them. From the piano rave ups, the huge choruses and the totally unbridled sexuality of their performances. No matter which way you swing, you sense it. They creep up behind an unsuspecting audience and shake them until they’re a bunch of believers. There’s no reason even try to fight it. Drink the Kool-Aid. It tastes good. [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.23.06-PM-222x300.png?resize=222%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-04-29 at 6.23.06 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.23.06-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) Back to the Hold Steady – it’s astounding how night and day different the show at Bowery felt compared to the show in Brooklyn at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The Bowery show was very relaxed and the crowd seemed to ruminate every note. It’s rare, but that crowd seemed like they were there to appreciate the music more than participate in it. That’s fine. The setlist was conducive to that, especially starting with a stellar “Positive Jam”, the pleonastic (and that is not a complaint) “Cattle and the Creeping Things” to the sedate roll “A Slight Discomfort”. Not to give the false impression that the show consisted of slower numbers, but they seemed to leave the most lasting impression at the first event of the evening. We made the decision to split before the encore of the first show. Let me tell you, there’s nothing like going from rocking at maximum intensity to turning on your heels, wading through a crowd, running down two back staircases in the venue then right out into the street. We somehow flagged down a cab in under two minutes, have him be apprehensive about going into another borough, then spending another three minutes convincing him to drive us to Brooklyn to the show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. There was very little time to think about anything else then the task at hand. The five of us had a goal. Six minutes later we arrived at the venue, made it indoors, and to our amazement, found hardly anyone occupied the front area. At this point, you’re probably scoffing. That’s understandable. I don’t care though. It was a lot of fun. Another mission accomplished. The Oranges Band opened up the second show, as they had all week for the Hold Steady. If you have not heard them, they are a really great, totally underrated group out of Baltimore. Lots of fun, hooky pop songs, including one called “Open Air”, that’s stuck in my head nearly two weeks later. Well worth checking out. Just like that, The Hold Steady were suddenly on stage again to the strums of “Sweet Part of the City”. With the additional lighting on the stage and the energized crowd, it felt cinematic. I don’t know if the cameras there to capture the event were able to harness that feeling. [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.17.49-PM-300x228.png?resize=300%2C228 "Screen shot 2010-04-29 at 6.17.49 PM")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.17.49-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) The set was peppered with old favorites – I’m assuming “The Swish” was there was a wink to the days when the band played there when venue was known as North Six – to unreleased tracks like “Goin’ on a Hike” and other nuggets like “Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night”. My favorite moments came with the flashes of guitar interplay between Koob and Steve. The synchronized solos during “We Can Get Together” were Allman-esque (that’s meant to be complimentary) and the the double acoustic guitars to start “First Night and “Citrus” were a nice twist as well. With one more set closing “Hoodrat,” it was over. I don’t know what else to say other than what I already said above. It was an amazing week with some great music, excellent friends, and some nice new faces. I can’t wait to do it all over again. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.16.45-PM-300x225.png?resize=300%2C225 "Screen shot 2010-04-29 at 6.16.45 PM")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Screen-shot-2010-04-29-at-6.16.45-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) ### Chris Stringer's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/chris-stringers-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-23T14:16:37.000Z Okay, this is a bit long. Partly because out of the thousands of songs that mean stuff to me, I’ve picked the ones with the most interesting stories – well, I think so anyway. Some of them are funny; some of them broke my heart to tell. But these are the songs I carefully chose to map some really important times in my life – be that a life changing experience, or a time where everything was right. I’m not so good with dates, but I’ve put these as chronologically to my life as I can recall. You can download it [here](http://www.mediafire.com/?ezrzammxyy3&ref=obviatemedia.net). I hope you enjoy. Also, Mum, if you read this… I’m sorry. But I’m sure you already knew. **The B-52s – Love Shack** I think this may be the first song I loved. To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t remember. But it came out in 1989, and I was around 1 by then, and my mum says that I loved it. She says that when I was a baby I loved it, and I used to dance to it all the time. She tells me EVERY time it comes on. I still think it’s a rad song, but it just makes me happy to think my mum will think of me every time she hears that song, and not the 1994 Flintstones movie. **Tracy Chapman – Baby Can I Hold You?** My parents split when I was young. Before my father moved away, he lived in a house just round the corner from ours, and my sister and I would stay there sometimes. It’s not until writing this that I’ve realised that he was only renting a room, rather than a flat or house; and it’s not until this age and this realisation that I understand how crushing that must have been for him. I remember once, he put this song on, and told my little sister, Sian and me, how he wanted to play it to our mum in the hope that she would love him again, or something. To this day I can’t hear the song without thinking of how broken a man he was, and how little I knew. I wish only that he wasn’t such an asshole, so that I could feel sorry for him for longer. **Alanis Morissette – You Oughta Know** We never had a car when it was just Mum, Sian and me, so Mum would often borrow her friend Debbie’s car for whenever she needed the use of it. I remember *Jagged Little Pill* being one of the few cassettes we had, and this song really sticks out. I think it may have a lot to do with this: Whenever Alanis hit that line; my mum’s hayfever kicked in, or something. Seriously, it’s one of life’s great mysteries. “It was a slap in the face/how quickly I was replaced/and are you thinking of me when you f-” “AAATCHOO!” Weird, right? Perplexes me to this day. **The Offspring – Want You Bad** This is the song that got me into ‘rock’ music. I was in year 8, I was on a school trip to Germany. Up until this point I’d been friends with the townie kids in my class (‘townies’ were kids from Townhill and Mayhill in Swansea – kind of like how ‘chavs’ started; before the mindless violence – anyone else was a ‘surfie’, regardless of whether you surfed or not), and although they were good fun friends, they just weren’t my ‘sort’ of friends. Then on the ferry from Dover to Calais, I became friends with these other kids. We were sitting around this touch screen thing, which was a jukebox that played videos. And this was one of the songs they played. I think it’s worth telling you that they also played ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. And I actually was lent one of my new friends’ tape walkman with *Nevermind* on it during the journey home, so by all means it would make sense to say that Nirvana were my induction band. But ‘Want You Bad’ was my new favourite song. And I’d found a new buncha kids who I was more alike. I’d found my ‘place’ in school. **Limp Bizkit – Rollin’** Right. So… *Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water* was the, uh… Man, I don’t know how to put this… It was… It was the first album I ever bought. I know, I know. That’s not the worst part, though. I really liked it. And, you want a confession? If I’m out with my friends and this song comes on, we have a blast. We ‘sing’ along. We bounce around. We even do the dance. Then we have another drink, and laugh about how bad our taste in music was. **Lostprophets – Shinobi vs Dragon Ninja** Lostprophets are that band from round here that made it big. Turns out, really, really big. But I remember when they first came out, there was loads of buzz around ‘cause they were only from the Rhondda, so it was really close to home. ‘Kerrang!’ was all over them like fake tan on a Swansea girl, so us kids were way excited. I remember hearing this song and being blown away – it was so different to what everyone was listening to (which in my group of friends, I’ll be honest, was only Nirvana), and it was really big. I really don’t think there’s anyone my age, especially from around here, who was into ‘alternative’ music that hasn’t owned or doesn’t still own *The Fake Sound of Progress*. And I’ll be honest – I don’t think there are many of those kids that weren’t at that gig. They played at this tiny, amazing venue in Swansea called the Patti Pavilion – it was my first ‘rock’ gig, my first gig sans-family; and it was fucking heaving. So many of us there; from my school, different schools – kids from all around, queuing outside, all meeting, talking to one another. Seriously, I even meet people now, and if the conversation somehow comes round to it, I’m surprised how many people say, “I was there!” My English teacher’s band (more on those later) were the support, and rocked the fuckin’ house. And ‘Prophets? Kicked ASS. It’s true. There was a time when they were exciting; electric and eclectic. And Hardcore. The room was packed; there wasn’t even enough room to sweat. Literally, shoulder-to-shoulder with about 900 other kids – so close, in fact, that if one person jumped, the rest of us jumped. It was amazing, and as much as I hate to admit it – it was one of those generation-defining moments. **Liberty 37 – 1942** So, Liberty 37 are my most favourite band. Ever. It’s my band that I don’t care what anybody else thinks, they are mine and they will be forever. And the weirdest part is, the singer was my English teacher. It started off as “hey, have you heard Mr. Lewis’ band?” It continued with me getting hold of their second album, *God Machine*, and seeing them at Lostprophets. I regrettably only got into them as much as I am now after the ‘Prophets gig. But I absolutely adore them. Ishmael Lewis (the singer, my teacher) is the reason I started singing, the reason I started playing music. To be honest, if there were a John Hughes-esque Rite du Passage movie about me, the soundtrack would be almost solely Lib. I learned to sing by singing along to the songs. I learned to play guitar by working the songs out. I try and show them to everyone at some point. This song has one line that has spoken to me and meant the most to me from any song: “What’s a boy to do?” **Pitchshifter – Microwaved** I was in year 9, so I must have been about 14 when Pitchshifter came into my life. I think ‘Microwaved’ was on a ‘Kerrang!’ (oh yes) mix CD, and I thought it was fucking ace. None of my friends got it. We always used to go to town, my friends and I. We’d go wander round town, I’d wander off while my friends stole shit from HMV (that was too high a risk for me) and then we’d go to Hyper Value, steal loads of random shit that we could mess around with then go get high at the colosseum by the leisure centre. This is what we’d do every weekend. We wouldn’t even steal proper stuff – it was always really silly things like neck ties and flammable shit. I once took a whole Santa costume, too. This one Saturday, the 5th of October 2002 (I most certainly did have to look that up), Pitchshifter played the aforementioned Patti Pavilion. We’d just stolen some dust masks and kneepads from Hyper Value, and we were using the dust masks as some weird smoking implement (take a huge toke, place the mask on; breathe recycled smoke), and we made friends with these two guys who asked if they could borrow a lighter. They were going to Pitchshifter. I wanted to go to Pitchshifter. None of my friends would, but we persuaded them to go. My friends went home to get some money and I went to the venue with the two guys. While we were sitting on the grass outside the Patti, we made friends with this other kid and two girls. Jon, Louise and Ellie. We met Jason Bowld the drummer, and Jim Davies the guitarist (also from the Prodigy – he’s the dude in the stripy top in the Firestarter video). The gig was fucking incredible. Not only were Pitchshifter amazing, but also the then-little-known (and now defunct and unremembered) ThisGIRL were fantastic. I never saw those two dudes again. Saw Ellie around the scene for a few years. Louise was seeing a friend of mine for a while recently. My friends never came back. Oh yeah, and Jon became my best friend, and still is to this day. **Johnny Cash – A Boy Named Sue** At the age of about 14 I got my first ‘job’ – delivering papers. On a Sunday. For £7\. Not £7 an hour, just £7\. Sunday papers in the UK are packed chock-full of supplements and ‘better living’ mags and… Well, just shite, basically. And carrying bags of them around the way-too-hilly area where I lived, at 7 in the morning was way crap. And way heavy. So sometimes, my Bamps (my grandad – it’s a Welsh thing, apparently) would drive down and take me round in the car (that way, it only took one to two hours). He had (well, probably still has) this tape of ‘Country Classics’, and we’d always listen to it, without fail. It’s where I first started to love country. One of the songs was this, and we’d always crank it up and sing along together. I loved how crazy and random I thought the lyrics were – “Well I hit him once right between the eyes and he went down, but to my surprise, he came back with a knife, and cut off a piece of my ear”. Some of the most beautiful moments in my life happened during those car rides, I think most notably the bonding with my Bamps. **A – Nothing** I could pick any ‘A’ song, really. They were a huge part of my early teens; their ridiculously happy pop-punk and ‘everything is ace’ attitude just really, really appealed to me. But Nothing was the first track I heard of theirs. This was the first (of many) bands that I liked and no one else did – and I didn’t give a shit. This was my band. And I absolutely love them still. I know; the nigh-on-22 year-old in me says “no man, don’t do it!” but there’s something in them fitting Billy Joel lyrics into a pop-punk song that really does it for me. However, the album Hi-Fi Serious was the soundtrack to my early teens, from age 12 or 13 until about 16 or so. I even had… The hoodie. Indeed. ‘A’ also hold a very special place in my heart – for W.D.Y.C.A. I being the one and only song that I have ever been caught air-guitarring and miming (into a mirror, no less) to. Let’s face it though – there are plenty worse things my mum could have caught me doing, like, I could have been jerking off to Tool or something. **Tool – Schism** So, I’m about 14 or 15\. And I hear this track on some TV station, probably ‘Kerrang!’ or something. And at first I’m like, ‘whoah, this bass line is awesome’ which then becomes ‘this guy’s voice is awesome’, and then ‘this song is awesome’… Thus began my love affair with Tool. I remember the day I bought… Well that’s not exactly true, I remember picking the album up, and I remember listening to it. Tool were the soundtrack to my mid to late teens. Lateralus pretty much being the only thing Jon and I listened to for a while. One night, Jon and I listened to the whole album and stayed up really late. It was about 3 AM and the final track, Faaip de Oiad came on. That track features a sound clip of some dude, sounding like he is shitting himself, calling the Art Bell radio show. He basically talks about how he worked at Area 51 and that there’s stuff the government’s hiding, and he’s being chased across the country, blah blah. Needless to say, the two of us were fucking terrified. All I could see were Jon’s eyes about at wide as mine, staring at me as helplessly as I was he. “Turn the light on! Maaaaaan that was fuckin’ scary!” I couldn’t listen to the track alone for a long time afterwards – it really freaked me out. **Paul Weller – You Do Something To Me** Jess and I had started going out in March. Toward the end of May, just before my 16th Birthday, the two of us along with Jon and Danielle (another couple, my best friend and hers, respectively), went camping. There was no campsite so we just set up our tents behind the summer shacks along the beach. My mum had no idea; I’d told her it was a party at my friend’s. She’d bought me a small crate of beers to take – along with a pizza (which we barbecued for breakfast the following morning and was fucking gross). That night was the first night Jess and I spent together. I remember the four of us sitting in ‘our’ tent (I’d borrowed it from a friend – yes he was disgusted when he found out) drinking a bottle of Cava, I remember running into the sea, Jon shouting ‘don’t go, man! You’ll die! Your mum AND Chris Young dreamt you drowned!’ and later on, Jon saying that he thought he may lose his virginity that night. And me replying, “I already have!” and waving the condom at him (and they call it ‘maturing’!). For the rest of the night, Jess and I stayed up just talking, and spending time together. As we watched the sun rise, I sang this to her. It was ‘our song’ (even though she hated to admit that we had one) for years, and I guess, it always will be. **The Who – Baba O’Reilly** The first time I heard this song I was asleep. Seriously. I think it was possibly the first time I visited my father’s home in Spain, and I had fallen asleep in the car on the way from the airport. I had this crazy dream of kids, hand in hand, at night time, running through whatever barren junk filled landscape they were in; the only light coming from flaming torches held by the guy and people in the far background. It felt like escaping everyone, and it felt like young love. I was woken up when we got there, and I just kept singing “teenage wasteland… it’s only teenage wasteland”. I had to ask, ‘what were we listening to in the car? Did they sing about teenage wasteland?’ When I listen to the song now, I still see the same image of what is my subconscious’ idea of a ‘teenage wasteland’ – and I’m almost moved to tears every time. **Tenacious D – Rock Your Socks** It’s summer. I’m 15, and I’m down the beach with Jon. We’re really high, we’ve been smoking that hash that he got all day. We’ve been smoking our ‘trademark’ joint: the Naked Lady. We’ve had a few ‘Ladies, and we’ve been sitting on this rock singing the Tenacious D album from the start. We stop singing due to laughing so much during this song, at the point where the guitar becomes all fanciful and kind of medieval. We’re watching some people play football; because light travels faster than sound, the sound of the kick comes later than the kick. Kick… “thupp”. Kick… “thupp”. We laugh so hard we can’t even sit up. **Free – I’m A Mover** I want to say ‘I first heard Free when…’ but the truth is, who the hell my age remembers when they heard a song as radio-played as All Right Now? It’s like asking a 14-year-old girl when they first heard Calvin Harris. Having said that, I remember when I got into Free. It was one summer when I went to visit my Dad in Spain – and Jon came with us. That holiday was when I heard other Free songs, and loved them. The reason I picked I’m A Mover is because it stuck out. That holiday was amazing. One of the only times I ever got high at my mum’s house (I’m sorry, mum) I was about 16 or 17, leaning out my bedroom window, in the sun, listening to this song. One of the best and last practices my old band with Jon had included a ten-minute jam version of this song. We totally winged it – there were guitar solos from both Jon and myself, as well as a bass solo from our friend Owain. And it was fucking awesome. **Nizlopi – Extraordinary** The first time I saw Nizlopi I was pleasantly surprised. I’d only heard JCB and was less than impressed. However, live they were something different entirely – so much energy; so much unparalleled soul. The second time I saw them was with Jess and our friend Lewis, in a tiny room in a club in Swansea. We danced and sang all night, and I even sang on stage with them. This song was both the funkiest and most romantic song ever. She always wanted me to sing it to her; and I never did. Although I did send all the lyrics in a text to her, safe for changing the line “you ride a bike and read Rilke; so it’s meant to be, Love” to “you love movies and Zombies, so it’s meant to be, Love”. **John Williams – Journey To The Island** I’m a big fan of John Williams’ compositions. And I’m an even bigger fan of dinosaurs. Jurassic Park is my favourite film. Ever. This is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard – that scene in Jurassic Park when Alan, Ellie, Ian and Genarro see the Brachiosaur for the first time; I feel an unbelievably overwhelming sense of happiness and want to cry. It’s ridonculous. This track features that moment, and it all begins around the 4:30 mark, and at around 5:07, the recognisable theme begins; softly at first and then building and building. At my cousin’s wedding, we all had to R.S.V.P with our favourite film – basically it was at our table place, on our name cards; an idea to get the two families talking. Not only that, but they had music from all the films playing throughout dinner. That’s right. I ate a fancy ass dinner in a suit to the Jurassic Park theme. It’s one of my most favourite meals I’ve ever had (right after my Nan’s Christmas dinner – bliss). I’m listening to it now and I’m close to tears. I urge you; I implore you to listen to it – for me, please. Every single time, I get goosebumps, and feel that same euphoria. It’s also no secret, if you know me, that one of my only regrets in life is that I’ll never see a real dinosaur. **Elbow – One Day Like This** After hearing about Elbow for years but never actually hearing them, you can imagine it was quite a surprise to discover them while I was working in a JJB clearance outlet. Yes, among the bargain USA PRO tracksuits, Reebok Classics and a music playlist consisting of mainly Taio Cruz and Kelly Rowlands, I found salvation in Elbow. I just remember hearing this song break out of the mundane day, just making me feel really, really happy. I couldn’t hear any of the words properly, other than ‘throw those curtains wide’, so when I got home I Googled the shit out of it, finding my way to the video – which was a dude letting loose and having fun in his mundane job (check it out). I got hold of The Seldom Seen Kid, adored it and went about acquiring the rest of the albums – loving all of those too, I decided I needed to see this band live. So my good friend Matt and I went up to Manchester for their homecoming, ‘so-long-for-a-bit’ gig. We had the ‘limited rear view’ seats, which we thought was a bit sucky, but while we were sitting there some tour people were coming round with t shirts. I asked around, “is that free shit? Hey! We want free shit!” (like a true Swansea boy), and it turned out that those of us in the limited rear view seats were to be the Elbow Choir for the night – the 2,700 of us singing the backing vocals to The Stops was especially beautiful. But even though it’s generally frowned upon by hardcore fans to love a band’s most recent and most popular single, after years of trying… I can still come back to One Day Like This and just be overwhelmed with happiness. No matter where I am, or what the weather’s like, I listen to this and I just feel like the happiest fool around. **Soil – Halo** You have to realise that my generation was the ‘Nu-Metal’ generation. There are a few songs that everyone would go mental and unified for in the weekly under-18 rock night, “Teen Spirit”. Drowning Pool’s Bodies, Metallica’s Enter Sandman and, among more, Soil. We all fucking loved it, about a hundred of us all piled into one giant, bouncing ball of teen love and sweat and heart. Just before I started uni, Jess and I went on holiday. We were staying at a family hotel, with reps and entertainers and stuff. There was music playing over the PA all day – from Coldplay to the Spice Girls; radio-friendly crowd pleasers, basically. While we were sitting by the pool one day, all of a sudden, those thumping drums began. I think the opening scream to that song, combined with the utter discomfort of all the families there, as well as the reps’ rushed attempt to skip the track, makes that memory one of my favourites. **Iron Maiden – Run To The Hills** This song means so much, it’s difficult to know where to start. It’s being 15 and wailing with your best friend in the world, Jon, who loved Maiden as much as you – probably more (he certainly had more t shirts). The first Maiden album I bought was actually Rock in Rio, and I bought it from a tiny record shop called The Musiquarium, next to the fish stall my Nan worked at in Swansea Market. I listened to it so very much – pretty much all the time until I left my CD wallet either in school or on the school bus, where some dick face that probably wasn’t into anything other than Scooter didn’t hand it in. Maiden played in Cardiff in December 2003 on the Dance of Death tour, so Jon and I went up to see them. It was a huge ‘controversy’ (read: pile of wank) that Funeral For a Friend were supporting. We got there, queued up and got in, and FFaF had already started – I actually felt sorry for them seeing as they were still letting people in and the house lights weren’t even down. I remember looking at the room full of big, fat, sweaty, mullet-ed aging rockers, and thinking ‘shit… I don’t want to be back here the whole time’. We quickly devised a plan, which worked better than I think either of us had imagined – within 3 minutes of shouting “we love Funeral For a Friend” (a phrase I still feel dirty for using), we were at the FRONT. I mean, right at the barrier. The only thing in the way was an aforementioned mullet-ed leather clad fat guy exclaiming that he’d been there since 5pm and no one was getting past him. As soon as Maiden came on, the rush was so huge that he couldn’t handle it and got pulled out. Run To The Hills is rocking out with your best friend. I got Rock Band a while back. We’d had a few drinks and weren’t doing too well, and were getting kind of bummed out by it. If you haven’t played Rock Band, on certain songs there’s the chance for each of you to simultaneously ‘rock out’ by hitting any buttons you want, like a solo, (especially fun on the drums) at the end, upping your score like crazy – but you have to hit a predefined note, like in normal play, right after it for the bonus score to count. We’d missed the little ‘wig out’ bonus opportunity for every single song. Then this came on. Me on guitar, Jon on drums and Pete on bass; The Shaven Sushi rocked the fuck out for 3 minutes and 54 seconds, each of us wailing along. And we NAILED the ending. **Counting Crows – Anna Begins** If you’ve ever seen the *VH1 Storytellers* recording of this song, you’ve heard Adam Duritz’s explanation of this song. If you haven’t, I’ll explain it briefly – boy meets girl, boy has fun with girl. The lyric “I’m not ready for this sort of thing” is with regards to getting into a serious relationship. But he goes on to say how, by the end of the song, it means he’s not ready for it to end. Not emotionally ready, whatever. The day before Jess and I broke up, I knew it was going to happen. And I was in my bed, listening to music. And this came on. As soon as it hit the line, I got it. I realised that everything was going to be different, I realised that after nearly 6 years it was over, and I realised that the biggest part of my life didn’t exist anymore. And what’s more, I realised I was in no way ready for it. I don’t care if ‘Boys Don’t Cry’. I fucking cried. I cried the hardest I think I ever have. Thanks a lot Adam Duritz, you wonderful jerk. **Dan le Sac VS Scroobius Pip – Look For The Woman/Get Better** Messrs Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip are whom I owe thanks to, for getting me into hip-hop. The album Angles blew my fucking mind! I just couldn’t believe there was intelligent hip-hop and oh – what was this? Sick, sick beats, my friends. But it took a long while, and a certain point in my life, for me to realise the sheer gravitas these words held. I remember the day, towards the end of my relationship with Jess, hearing these words: *“We got together so young/before our real lives had begun/but flowers don’t grow up as one/each finds it’s own route to the sun/and that’s exactly what we’ve done/we’ve grown up separately, too. But for a few years now, it’s been a problem/and these realisations, I wish that I could stop them/but I’ve realised that love is all we had in common/and deep down, you know that’s true.”* Yeah, that was big. And yeah, it broke my heart. But it helped me realise that I could find a way to understand what was going on. Funny then, that the first single off of their second album helped me start to feel better after I’d hit my depression. The song itself is a view on British youth and their way of life, but the chorus just struck a chord with me. Every morning I’d listen to it; that beautiful melody, and the repeating chorus, “Get better. Get better, get better, get better. Get better.” And I did. **The Hold Steady – Your Little Hoodrat Friend/Hurricane J** The Hold Steady have brought me so very far. And I don’t even mean physically, in terms of distance. I’ve met some amazing people due to this band – they are what brought me here and I’m sure, for a lot of you reading, they are what brought you here too. I’ve got these two songs because; Hoodrat is the song that got me into THS. I heard it on Tony Hawk’s Project 8 on my Playstation2\. And I just thought, “This rules”. But it did, and still does kind of speak to me. Especially the line “the City Centre used to be the centre of our scene; now City Centre’s over, no-one really goes there”, because it’s true. When we were kids, the City Centre was the only place to go. We’d walk round the shops, we’d sit in Castle Square, we’d talk to eachother: skaters, goth kids, alt kids, punk kids – hell, even the select few dance kids who didn’t want a fight. We’d go to the Colosseum, we’d meet kids we knew there, we’d get high, and we’d piss about. We were part of a Unified Scene before I even knew what it meant. And now, there’s nothing. The Colosseum’s been filled in with concrete and plants. The only people who hang out at Castle Square are scallies, tramps and smackheads. There is a scene though, I do see it: hundreds of “emo” kids outside McDonalds. You know, the really annoying type. And now whenever I go back to Swansea I see what it’s become, and it’s so radically different. When I first heard Hurricane J, I was in love with it immediately. Just exactly what I needed. Since Jess and I broke up, I’ve been to both ends of the spectrum. I’ve been happy and clear that it was the right decision and that I’m better. And I’ve hit the polar opposite, and not wanted to do anything with my life, because, what’s the point now the future I’d planned for, the future I’d sorted myself out after failing at school, the reason I changed my ways, worked harder and got into uni doesn’t exist anymore? It’s been a horrible time. But the friends I have, and believe it or not even more so, the friends I’ve made through this band, were there for me. Then the new album and tour were announced. I was going to have a chance to meet all these people, soundtracked by how we met. Not only that, but international friends were going to make the trip. I thought, “This is going to be the point where everything gets better; this is what it’s building up to”. Then Hurricane J happened. It was so upbeat, so summery. Then I heard the lyrics. “Jessie, I don’t think I’m the guy”. Were they fucking kidding? What were the chances? My heart broke and leapt at the same time. I was happy. **Stevie Wonder – Superstition** Okay, I know I said that it was as chronologically to my life as I could remember, but… Well, I figured this is an ace song to end the mixtape on. I love this song. Besides Lately, it’s my favourite Stevie song. It is also the one, and only song, that will get me up to dance. Now, I don’t mean like in rock clubs where you stand around in a circle with your friends, pint in one hand, fist pumping with the other, screaming the lyrics. I love that, too. I mean if I’m in a horrible club, which I’m only in because the majority want to go somewhere other than Live Lounge or the affectionately – and completely accurately – named Sweatro’s (Metro’s to daytime people), and all they’re playing is Lady GaGa and Taio Cruz (seriously, I hate that guy). If this song comes on, I will groove like a motherfucker. It reminds me of when I used to go out with my friend Ami and the boys from her uni halls, to this night called ‘Funked Up’. Even though they played awesome music all night, it wasn’t until this came on that I really let loose. Maybe it was the drink. Maybe it was the amount of people smoking weed. Maybe, just maybe… It was Stevie’s little funky blind ass. I’ve been in some shit clubs with friends before. But sometimes my friends will request this, and I’m THERE. I also swear I’m the only person in the club who actually knows the words. In fact… Come on; join in. Get involved. Get on it. If you’ve downloaded the mixtape, skip all the other tracks. And dance with me. ### Hannah Smart's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/hannah-smarts-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-07T01:41:00.000Z *When I entered into this project, I had no idea just how much work would have to go into it to make it perfect. This mixtape does not work when listened to in this order, but I decided to go with chronological ordering to show you just how much I have changed, my music has changed and how the two really are interlinked constantly. I have so much music that means so much to me that this really was difficult to write in places. Some of the memories here were painful to recall, but all of this made me stronger and I’ve tried to see this as some sort of healing exercise. I hope you find something here to relate to. Here is my eternal mixtape – for better or worse.* **The Stone Roses – Made Of Stone / She Bangs The Drums (Summer 1989)** The very first one. This was the record that changed everything for me. I was 18 months old and we were on holiday in Yorkshire, Northern England. My Dad has a cassette of The Roses eponymous debut record and had played it to my Aunt’s boyfriend, Colin, while we were away. I became obsessed with it instantly. I had never heard anything like it before: the guitars, the hazy vocals, the big choruses. I was hooked on it and it became the only cassette that I let Colin and Dad play the entire time we were there. I have returned to it constantly over the past 20 years. At 7, when I was meant to be all about the Spice Girls and Britpop, I had stolen that old cassette and played it to death (literally). At 15, when I was going through a particularly rough patch in my life, I returned to it to find comfort in those songs. I still get goosebumps when Ian Brown sings “the past was yours but the future’s mine” on ‘She Bangs The Drums’, but ‘Made Of Stone’ was the song that I played constantly for 20 years. It was the one that I declared my favourite at the age of 18 months old, and it still holds a great power over me to this day. It started it all. **The Rolling Stones – Bitch (1991-1993)** My Dad’s favourite Stones song, which would later become my own favourite Stones song. I remember hearing this from a very early age. I wasn’t at school yet and dancing to my Dad’s records was always one of my favourite things to do. The riff on this one, the horns!, was what grabbed me. It was something that I could dance to and that was all that mattered at the age of 3, but it planted a seed in my rock ‘n’ roll education. I had discovered The Rolling Stones and I was 3 years old. Every last second of this song reminds me of my childhood and how much fun Dad and I had when he put those records on. My sister was born the same year as I first heard this song and I distinctly remember hearing this not long after she came home to live with us for good. There were huge changes happening in my life and I wasn’t even aware of it. **Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run (1992)** What does one say about Bruce Springsteen? I was 4 years old when I heard this song for the first time and I remember the day. Dad has always been a fan of Springsteen, but he didn’t play him a lot when I was very little. It would be later when I went to school that he’d play me the masterpiece that this song is the title track from. I remember feeling euphoric when the chorus kicked in and being completely blown away by the wall-of-sound guitars that was blasting from the speakers. When the E Street band hit “the highway’s jammed with broken heroes” that first time, I had some sort of epiphany. I became inconsolable with joy. Springsteen had arrived. I’d only just started school. I never looked back. **Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning To Fly (1992)** One of those songs that my Dad played a lot when I was very young. The whole ‘Into The Great Wide Open’ record was a soundtrack to those early school years. I fell in love with this song and, for a very long time, wouldn’t let my poor father listen to anything else when he opened the doors on his stereo cupboard. It was always “the flying song!” first. Times were simpler then, and I distinctly remember having a lot of fun to the sound of this song. Singing all the words at the top of my voice and telling my Dad that I wanted to be in a band when I was all growned up. Rock music was becoming part of the fabric of my life now, not just something to dance to. **The Smiths – What Difference Does It Make? (1994)** Just listen to the riff on this one and you’ll see why the 6 year old Hannah fell in love with this song. I knew about The Smiths from the beginning of school, but this is the first song I remember hearing and falling completely, head over heals in love with. Morrissey’s voice was alien to me and the sounds that Johnny Marr was getting out of that guitar was nothing like anything I’d heard before. I’d asked about The Smiths because of Oasis citing them as an influence and Dad gladly educated me on their existence and their music. This was the song that made the biggest impact and I did an awful lot of dancing, singing and playing air guitar to this one. It’s still my favourite Smiths song and it never fails to raise a smile. **Alanis Morissette – You Learn (1995)** “You live, you learn.” Those words hit me like a cricket bat across the face. I may only have been very young when this record came out, but my Pa played this one a lot to me and my younger sister. We loved ‘Ironic’ but it was this song that would go on to become the new ‘Made Of Stone’. I have revisited this song more times that I care to mention. I loved it when I was 7, I went back to it again when I was 10, then again at 13 and 15 and I still put it on after a bad day even now. The words held a lot of meaning at all stages in my life and it’s one of the few constants of my teenage years. When you’re young, it’s the dancing that matters, but when I was young it was the words that mattered and they mean even more now. I’ve grown up with and to this song. It still has the power to make me feel better about everything. **The Lightning Seeds – Imaginary Friends (1996-7)** I cannot ignore the fact that The Lightning Seeds were my favourite band for so long. They were a classic British pop band. They made proper pop music – beautiful, tuneful, catchy as hell. Ian Broudie was my hero when I was 8 years old and I’m not joking when I say that I literally wanted to be him. It was this band that I wanted to be in. It was Ian Broudie that I loved the most. He was incredible to me. The whole of the ‘Dizzy Heights’ record changed everything for me. I fell hard and fast for it and it’s still one of my all-time favourite records. This song – a song about not having any friends and being branded ‘odd’ – became my anthem from a very young age. I wasn’t like other kids and I didn’t want to be like the other girls; I liked rock music, guitars, singing and daydreaming about being able to be in a band. They liked synchronised dancing and platform shoes. I never fitted in like I should’ve and this was the song that made that feel okay. It became even more relevant when I hit secondary (high) school and got me through a lot of bullying. It became my go-to record when someone had made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. **Pulp – Disco 2000 (1996)** Pulp were the best of the ‘Britpop’ bands. In fact, grouping this band with that tag feels wrong somehow – they were better than that. They were outsiders, oddballs and eccentrics. They had Jarvis Cocker at the helm. They made records that I could relate to AND dance to. This was the one I remember seeing on Top Of The Pops and being completely taken in by. The way Jarvis looked, the way he sang, the way that Pulp didn’t look like any other band on the circuit – they were weird and I liked that. That sense of the alien was something that I really hooked onto and this song is still one of my anthems of the 90s because it was such a great epiphany. Thank you Jarv, you gave me hope of being uncool and yet, still deemed extraordinary. **Robbie Williams – Old Before I Die (April 1997)** This was the first single I ever bought. On cassette. And I still have it somewhere. Robbie Williams was in a boy band. A boy band that I was too young to understand. I didn’t think he was particularly attractive, I was 8 years old! But this song, this song was great. The riff, the massive “screw you!”, the fact he was clearly stealing from Oasis was something I really enjoyed. It was the beginning of a wonderful love affair with Robbie’s music. I own a lot of records by the man and I know it’s not “cool” or whatever, but his honesty astounded me then as it does now. He was cheeky and charismatic – he could hold your attention when he got on stage. And although I didn’t know what that was, I was fascinated by him and I would later be fascinated with how he dealt with all the pressure and his drug abuse. This was the first song that I loved by the Robster, but his record ‘Sing When You’re Winning’ would be a milestone in my life. A huge one. His lyrics about everything from alienation, broken relationships, depression and suicide really struck a chord with me, but it was this one that started it all. Pure pop from start to finish via stolen Oasis riffs and big choruses living your life long enough to see a few things. **Feeder – Sweet 16 (March 1998)** Anyone remember Gran Tourismo? For the PlayStation? Oh hells yes. This was one of the songs on the soundtrack and it was the one song that I’d play over and over and over. It was my introduction to the slightly harder rockin’ side of rock ‘n’ roll and it grabbed me in a way I can’t describe. There was something so dark and dangerous about it. Something fast and exciting. That guitar sound sounded like hell on earth, but louder. It was to begin a short period of heavier rock and roll in my life and my long lasting affection for Feeder as a band; it would be Feeder that would later be cited as a favourite band, but it was ‘Sweet 16’ that started my fascination with the heavier rock and roll that would become so dominant in my early teens. **Elvis Costello – Alison (1998)** My Mum loves Elvis Costello. My Dad loves Elvis Costello. My Aunt loves Elvis Costello. I come from a family where it is compulsory to enjoy the sounds of this man on and off for, well, ever. I heard this one late in life when my Dad went out and replaced his vinyl on CD. This was the song that made me sit up and listen. His voice, the laid back guitar sound, that fact he was singing about my Mum (well, in my head he was. My Ma’s name happens to be Alyson). I was completely taken in and not even because my parents adored him so much. I made the connection myself and since then I’ve been playing him loud and proud for everyone to hear. I have been told off for playing ‘My Aim Is True’ too loud everywhere I stay for more than a week. It’s one of those albums that never ages and ‘Alison’ remains one of the high benchmarks from it; reminding me of my parents, my house, my Dad’s old headphones and being a kid in general. It reminds me of simpler times. **Derek & The Dominoes – Layla (1999)** My Dad informs me that this song was played to death just before I left Junior school. It was one of those songs that should be played to all budding rock and roll fans from a very early age. It’s like a rite of passage into the realm of guitar solos and big choruses. I remember being enthralled by the fact that I could sing-along from the second listen and the fact that, when you listen to the words, it’s actually quite sad but it sounds so uplifting on the surface. I was fascinated by the power it held and I loved that my Dad clearly adored it so much – gushing has occurred countless times. It reminds me mostly of my little sister and he first brush with guitar solos. I’ll never forget that look of complete wonder on her face when she heard Clapton play. It was the first time I remember being really excited to see someone else’s reaction to music. It didn’t disappoint. **The Clash – London Calling (1999-2001)** Joe Strummer changed my life. The Clash changed the way I listened to music, the way I thought about music and how I felt about punk rock. This record and song was one of the few genuinely easy choices from my list, because it was such a massive impact album. It’s perfect even now. This is the song that changed it all for me. I was not enjoying school – I hated every single second I was in that place and I hated the people I was there with even more. I resented the fact that they’d branded me as a loser before I’d even opened my mouth and they’d judged me on the way I looked. I resented the fact that they’d decided who was going to be in the cool crowd and who’d be subjected to misery for the rest of their school life. I fell neatly into the second category and they made my life hell. I rarely spoke. I got a lot of abuse if I did dare to defend myself. I was called names and no one talked to me if they could help it. I became a very solitary little thing and took to taking comfort from my records. The Clash’s ‘London Calling’ helped me through a lot of that. It was a record that taught me to take the abuse and the high ground. It taught me to tell people to get fucked when they treated me like crap. It helped me to realise that I was not the one in the wrong – that I was better than that. Although, it took it some considerable time to break through my already very thick exterior shell, it made an impact on my life and the way I thought about myself. It just took a lot of time for it to penetrate that shield. **Led Zeppelin – Rock ‘n’ Roll (2001)** Here lies another rite of passage for all budding rock fans. If you’re a parent and you want to educated your young’un early, put this song on and leave them to it. This was like being shown the gateway to heaven (not Stairway, a pun!) in my eyes. I was completely thrown by it. It was big, bold, brash, exciting. I remember the adrenaline rush the first time I heard Dad play it. I may have been late to the party, but it still managed to rock the hardest when I got there. I’d never heard anyone sing like Robert Plant before and the guitar sound sent the blood pumping through my veins at such a rate that I got a rush of blood to the head. It was like nothing in my (then quite modest) record collection at the time. And it would be start of a beautiful relationship with the Led. That riff still gives me a rush even now. **Elbow – Red (June 2001)** Some days, I have no words for what this song means to me. Other days, it’s hard to articulate exactly what I felt the first time I heard it. An old friend of mine but ‘Red’ on a mix CD for me. I was going through a lot with the kids at school and I didn’t really have a lot of people to talk to about that. This friend handed me the mix and said “track 4, listen to the lyrics”. Track 4 was this song and I remember exactly how I felt when I heard it that first time. How this song made me feel less alone in the world – like someone, somewhere understood the loneliness, the heartache, the isolation. That was just the lyrics. Hearing Guy Garvey’s voice for the first time was a beautiful moment. That purr in my headphones would become one of my favourite comforting sounds; like an old sweater or a blanket. The beauty that radiated through my headphones – such as they were – would be the start of a love so deep that I would fall for this band and still be raving about them nearly 10 years later. They are my favourite British band and no one comes close. This song gave me hope for a brighter future somewhere else i.e. not school. And restored a little bit of faith in my own abilities to carry on. **Coldplay – Amsterdam (September onwards 2002)** I was excited for the second Coldplay album when it came out. I’d liked ‘Parachutes’, but once I’d heard the first single to come from ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’, I knew that it was going to be something special. It came out in the August and, in the September, I was back at school for another year of name-calling and isolation. That year was rough from the start. I remember feeling like I had no one in the world and spending an awful lot of time sitting in the dark with my headphones on. When I heard this song after a particularly hard week at school and one of those days where I shut down completely and isolated myself further – a habit I never really grew out of. This song came on and the words, although spectacularly depressing, gave me an enormous amount of hope. When Chris Martin sang “I know I’m dead on the surface, but I am screaming underneath” it was like someone understood what I was feeling. This dark cloud of depression that had consumed me so readily when I went back to school was understood by someone and that was both terrifying and liberating to the 14 year old me. I wasn’t on my own, even if my only real friends were records. **The Verve – The Drugs Don’t Work (February 2004)** I’ve done some stupid things in my time. My teenage years were questionable at best. Especially the early ones. I did a lot of searching for something more than what I was getting at school and I hung out with the wrong crowd for a while. I did some things that I was not proud of and things that, really, weren’t advisable behaviour for someone so young. This song, although it had been in my life for some considerable time previous to the moment it made the big impact, came along at a time when I needed someone to stop me. I needed to be given that gentle nudge away from what I was up to and shown that I had other things to live for. This had to stop and when I heard this after a particularly heavy session and a lot of life changes going on around me, I knew it was time to make a change. **Pink Floyd – take your pick from ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ (July 2004)** This band, and this record, had been in my life from a very, very early age. Pink Floyd is one of the few bands that my parents agree on and this album is one that every home should have. This record made an impact much earlier than I have listed here, but it was July 2004 that it would really start to make waves. That Summer was the one between my GCSEs and the beginning of my A-levels. It was an incredibly long one, too. We spent a lot of time wandering around, going to shows, hanging around my friends’ houses, stealing shopping trollies and having house parties. It was the Summer that my best friend, Hannah, and I became incredibly close. We spent a lot of time in my friend Tash’s garden, listening to punk and ska in the sunshine. This was the record that reminds me of coming home from the parties, going straight to my bedroom and locating my headphones. It was the comedown, it was the blissful moment just before the inevitable sleep that would eat into the morning (and the afternoon) after. It was the soundtrack to the memories that were made. **Brand New – Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don’t (Summer/Autumn 2005)** In the haze of Summer 2005, many events occurred. The band we were good friends with played some fantastic gigs, we got completely wasted in Tash’s garden, I went to countless rock shows, Hannah had passed her driving test and we spent a lot of time driving around to great music. This song was one of them. It played wherever we went and whoever we went with. Hannah’s boyfriend, Rob, played it to me the first time and since then, it’s been an anthem for that part of my life. When we all had to go back to school and give up the fantastic Summer we’d had, this song still played and it sound tracked my entire first term of my final year of school. I was just coming out of my most emo of phases and starting a brand new one – without many of the friends I’d had in the Summer previously. It was the beginning of a new era. ‘Okay I Believe You…’ was the sound of one chapter ending and a brand new one beginning. After that Summer, with all the fun and parties and questionable activity, we’d go our separate ways and finish school, make new friends – some of whom would become lifelong friends – and grow up a little bit. Things changed, but this song new fails to remind me of all the great times we had that year. **The Hold Steady – Stuck Between Stations (December 2006)** I’m not entirely comfortable with putting this story here, but I will share what I feel I can. 2006 was, without question, the worst year of my life. Nothing comes close to how horrific that year was for me. It was my final year of school and there’s never more pressure on a kid than when they’ve got A-levels to pass. You’re entering the last chapter of what you’ve always known (school) and what could be the next chapter of that education (university) or you could be facing unemployment. I fell ill in the April of 2006, with suspected glandular fever; they were never really sure. I was tired and I was desperately trying to get all my coursework and revision done for the impending important exams. I was exhausted, but I was still standing. I managed to do the exams and then it was Summer. A Summer where I would spend as much time with my friends as possible before we all headed off around the country to various universities. The Summer was hard; everyone was incredibly worried about the results of those important exams. We didn’t see as much of one another as we’d planned. In the August, I got my results. I got an A and three Bs – an incredible feat considering just how ill I was. Everyone got into their university. I decided that I’d reapply to a better one and have a year off – get away from school for a year and do something with my life. September came and I waved goodbye to my best friends in the entire world. They were off to start the adventure and I was off to try and find a job. I found one. It was a miserable experience. I’ve never felt so low and I suffered from a huge wave of depression. A really dark, deep depression. I shut myself off from the world and I stopped talking. To anyone. I hated my job, my life, myself and I was stressed out enough to make myself ill. I quit my job and felt like I’d let everyone down. I was not in a good place mentally at all. I ended up doing something stupid that I’ll never, ever forgive myself for. The next day I heard ‘Stuck Between Stations’ by The Hold Steady on the internet. I’d never heard the band before. I had nothing to lose. Those 4:10 seconds of rock and roll spoke to me on a level that I didn’t even know existed. It was like someone had sat me down and told me that whatever happened, it was going to be okay – you just have to look at it differently. Whatever it did, I promised myself never to go back to that dark place and I sorted my life out. I became a stronger, more determined person and I looked at the world with a slightly more positive slant. It changed how I viewed the world and myself. I start something huge. **David Bowie – “Heroes” (January 2007)** For my 19th birthday I had requested only two things: The Hold Steady’s ‘Boys And Girls In America’ and some – any – David Bowie. My Aunt had always been a massive fan of Bowie’s stuff but in the Smart household, he was scarce at best. My Dad didn’t own any, my Mum doesn’t even like most of his stuff. I lived in a Bowie-less universe and that, my friends, is no fun. So my Aunt got me ‘Changesbowie’ and “Heroes” for my birthday. Her advice to me? “If you don’t like any of the stuff on the former, then don’t bother with the latter.” I fell head over heals in love with the best of and putting “Heroes” on for that first time, I was excited to hear what all the fuss was about. I’d always liked ‘Space Oddity’ and ‘Changes’, but it would be “Heroes” that blew my mind. Over 6 minutes of perfect song writing. So full of hope and wonder, it left me with tears in my eyes on the first listen and it still holds the power to bring to inconsolable tears or ecstatic joy on any given day. It marked a big moment in my life: I’d discovered Bowie properly. I now own more music by this man than anyone else. I fell hard and fast. **The Hold Steady – How A Resurrection Really Feels (April 2007)** Whatever ‘Stuck Between Stations’ started, ‘How A Resurrection Really Feels’ finished. When I heard this for the first time in April 2007, I was completely blown away by it. The closing track on an album that would later become a) my most played record of all-time and b) one of the few records in my collection that I can honestly say changed everything; this song intensified whatever love was started by that first Hold Steady track. When I heard it for the first time, I sat completely speechless for about ten minutes. I had nothing to say. I couldn’t put what the song made me feel into words. It was like someone had just come along and put everything I couldn’t articulate into a song and it was a beautiful moment, but one that I cannot fully explain to the outside world. It was this song that made me fall so deeply in love, travel all over the country (and the world), brought so many wonderful people into my life and changed what was a sad little world into something much, much more vibrant and exciting. My life would be so very different if it wasn’t for this track. It would be later, in October 2008, that this song would come back to change everything yet again – for very different reasons. Having been incredibly ill for a while, I was finally given my diagnosis and this song came up on shuffle. The line “she’s been disappeared for years, today she finally came back” hit me like a bolt of lightning through the heart. Yeah, I was going to get fixed and I think ‘… Resurrection…’ went someway to helping that along. **Whiskeytown – Not Home Anymore (January 2010)** This is the sound of me realising that there is much, much more to life than my degree. After working so hard on something for so long, it all caught up with me during the Christmas “break”, December 2009\. Heading back to uni for the second semester of my final year, I wasn’t filled with a great amount of hope, but I’ve always been a determined little soul. In the middle of my exams, my friend Dave died in a tragic accident. I was – and still am – devastated by the news. I was so upset that I didn’t know what to do with myself for a few weeks. This song, a song that hasn’t been in my life for all that long at all, came up on shuffle and its timing struck me as something that could only really happen in movies. It was then that I realised that I’d put my life on hold for what was basically a piece of paper. I’d worked so hard and made myself ill for this piece of paper. I’d neglected friends and relationships that meant a lot to me. Losing Dave kicked me into a different gear, but it was this song that made me realise that there is much, much more to life than a degree or a job or a helluva lot of things. Since then, I’ve taken more time to be who I am and do the things I love instead of getting buried in that piece of paper and losing sight of what matters to me; the people in my life that matter to me. ### Kelsey Pierson's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/kelsey-piersons-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-02T02:27:41.000Z When the task was imposed of writing a paragraph about every song that’s ever mattered to me, I thought “oh, that’s gonna be easy.” It isn’t. And as others have said, this project will never been finished, since music is always changing, and my tastes will always be moving forward. But it’s wonderful to look back. It’s like putting on a comfortable pair of pants, because you know how they’re going to fit. All of these songs fit me, and in a sense, they’re old favorites I’ll see hanging in the back that need to be put on every once in a while. **“If I Had a Boat” – Lyle Lovett** My parents really like Lyle Lovett. I remember listening to this and thinking how absurd it was to have a horse on a boat. I still like it. **“California Girls” – The Beach Boys** I’m not really sure who was listening to the Beach Boys during my childhood, but someone had to have been, since I know all the words to this song without really seeking it out myself. You know what California? Fuck you and your beautiful women. I like this song, since I like the organ part, but I also love my fishy white pastiness, and I ain’t no farmer’s daughter. **“Heartbreaker” – Mariah Carey featuring Jay-Z** This song. Oh…this song. Ok, so my father once described me in my early teen years as “hell on wheels.” I’d believe it. I was pretty damn sassy and, most of the time, flat-out rude. And I had a candy-coated Mariah Carey soundtrack to go with it. This part, I feel, legitimately describes what I was like: *“When we apart, makes her wanna take a piece of paper, scribble down I hate ya.”* Yeah, I’m pretty glad we’re past that. But damn, Mimi’s got pipes. **“Just Like Heaven” – The Cure** I saw this video when I was maybe 11\. I probably wasn’t supposed to be watching MTV or whatever it was on. I remember a dude with crazy black hair singing into the ocean over a cliff, and I was intrigued. And I liked the synth part. Never figured out who they were. Fast forward to freshman year of high school. I was listening to newish music. I wasn’t listening to ‘NSync anymore, that’s for sure. I got *Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me* from the library, and I remember sitting in the music hallway before class one day and listening to this song on my blue DiscMan and realizing that track number nine was THE SONG! **“Trying Your Luck” – The Strokes** April 23, 2004\. For a hot minute, I was Kelsey Pierson: Beatles Fan circa 1964\. I cried when they played this. CRIED. I don’t really know why I glommed onto this song the way I did, but I did. **“Let it Ride” Ryan Adams & The Cardinals** The lap steel in this song still gives me chills. It sounds like a hot knife slicing through butter. This song makes me want to move to Tennessee. This song makes me want to “dance in the endless moonlight.” This song reminds me that life isn’t anything if you can’t let it ride easy down the road. **“Blue in the Face” – Alkaline Trio (2005)** I fell into a really deep depression after I finished high school. More specifically, I missed my friends. I didn’t like going to community college. I didn’t like that my friends seemed to have these amazing new lives that I wasn’t experiencing at all. I didn’t know what I was doing, nor did I know the outcome to whatever it was I was doing. I was just…alive. I could not make friends. I didn’t want to be that girl that peaked at 17, but I certainly felt like I had. So my reaction was to listen to Alkaline Trio, of course. *Good Mourning* is pretty much standard issue for kids growing up in the greater metropolitan Chicago area. I used to drive around aimlessly for hours, lighting a fresh cigarette with the ends of the last one. I used to listen to this song in particular, over and over again. I used to cry so much that sometimes I wouldn’t even produce liquid. Just a horrible contorted face that I didn’t even know as my own. I couldn’t make myself function with the people I did have. I couldn’t make myself feel better. I spent about 4 months feeling like a wet towel that had been shoved into a corner. Songs can be like salve, or they can be like vinegar: they’ll help or hurt a wound. I still don’t know if the hours I’ve dedicated listening to Good Mourning have made me feel better or not. **“Do Ya” – Electric Light Orchestra** The Jeff Lynne wars of 2006 made for some pretty amazing discussions between two good friends of mine. One highly in favor of Lynne, the other wishing him dead for what he thought were crimes against music. Two households…. Anyway, long story short: this song rules. **“He Can Only Hold Her” – Amy Winehouse** First off, I really want Amy Winehouse to stop being crazy and go back to singing, because I love her voice. Second, I hate the person that this song reminds me of. Well, no. I don’t hate him, but if I saw him, I hope I sprout claws so I can at least mess up his face a little. All I think I wanted from this person was to be pacified a little. I listened to this a lot after this person hurt me. I hadn’t really felt pain like that before. I hated that he was, for a little while, the last person I thought about before I went to sleep. In hindsight, he really didn’t deserve that. Anyway, I really adore this song for it’s horn line. **“First Night” – The Hold Steady** “BRENDAN! I DO NOT LIKE THE HOLD STEADY!” Well, wrap that in cheese. I’m eatin’ it now. I just hadn’t heard this song. I don’t really want to wax on how much I like them, or how they’ve changed my life, or how many cool people I’ve met and had the opportunity to spend hours in a car with. Just know that part is there, and all that stuff makes it awesome. This still breaks my heart: *“Don’t bother talking to the guys with the hot soft eyes, you know they’re already taken.”* **“The Chain” – Fleetwood Mac** Those of you who know me will likely remember that this is my favorite album of all time, and this is easily the best song on *Rumours*. It’s like a miniature rock opera sandwiched in between two huge poppy songs. I imagine two tango dancers circling each other until POUF! The argument starts. Not only that, but it’s pretty powerful to say to someone, “If you don’t love me now, then you will never love me again.” I guess it made me realize that you have to be careful about saying “I love you.” It’s so easy, but it might be taken out of context or misconstrued. **“Jessica” – The Allman Brothers Band** There are two instances in which this song will always be awesome: 1\. Driving 2\. Porch Drinking Now, I’m not sure if this is a universal phenomena, but porch drinking is awesome. Leaving the case on the patio and sitting on the stairs is one of the higher points of living in Chicago, mostly (if you live where I used to live) since your entertainment is about to go down in the alley behind your apartment. As far as the driving part goes, this simple equation should clear it up: Songs With Girls’ Names as the Title + Car = AWESOME Age of Car **“Videotape” – Radiohead** I was walking home from the El one night while listening to *In Rainbows*. It was raining pretty hard. I didn’t have an umbrella, and my train ran express to Division. About 5 blocks out of my way. Fabulous. I hadn’t lived in Chicago for very long at this point. I was still kind of grappling with how big it really was. How many people are there and alone all the time. Walking home in the rain and listening to Videotape seemed to seal that for me. **“Apartment Story” – The National** This song makes me want to fall in love, but be at the comfortable, “hey look, I’m wearing my pajamas in front of you and you don’t care” stage. I think part of the reason I sort of live vicariously through this song is because I cannot make a relationship work. I am perpetually stuck at the stage where you have to go to movies and dinners and coffee places and bars. I don’t know what it is that I do that blows it spectacularly to smithereens, but I’ve got to be doing something wrong. I don’t even want to be in a relationship. I want to be in THIS relationship. Maybe I’ve set myself up for failure because I love this song so much, but it really is a wonderful picture. This song IS that comfortable stage. The couple in this song, to me, don’t have to go to any of those places I listed above. They’re in their apartment. **“The Greatest” – Cat Power** Chan Marshall came into my life at a time when I really needed her. I was left high and dry, with only a carrot dangling in front of me. I didn’t want to get out of bed. I didn’t want to do anything except drink IN my bed (which can be awesome, but not in this situation…). *The Greatest* was a lullaby to me. I DID once want to be the greatest, but looking at myself then, I was far from the greatest. I was needy. I didn’t know what I was going after. I still don’t know what I’m going after. Thanks, Chan. **“Lovesong of the Buzzard” – Iron & Wine** One of my favorite memories of my old apartment was bringing Lauren’s little speaker thing into the bathroom and listening to music while I was in the bathtub. Our bathroom had this amazing window right in the shower that was unfortunately at boob level when one was standing up, but during a leisurely soak, was perfect to open up and soak up the summer breeze. There’s something about the pure earthiness to this song (I think it might be the bongos…or whatever) that makes sitting in tepid water and counting the tiles a reasonable way to pass time, which is really a root of a greater pleasure I have. For some reason, if I need to think about something seriously, I usually take a bath. I have notebooks that have terribly crinkly pages, from the water and steam, and I keep pens in my vanity drawer. **“Old White Lincoln” – The Gaslight Anthem** Summer in Chicago smells. I still don’t really know if I like it or not, but it’s kind of a mixture of people’s body odor, cooking grease, and exhaust. Lauren and I spent a lot of time driving around listening to this song, mostly because it was on one of the three CDs Lauren had in her car. People roast to death in their cars in Chicago during the summer, since traffic is as common as oxygen, and everyone knows what happens when you leave the A/C on for too long. Lauren’s the pilot, and there we are, windows down. I’m always in the passenger seat. We rock out to this song. The end. **“This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” – Talking Heads** Let it be decreed: If someone out there is wacky enough to want to marry me, I would like this to be our wedding song. Why? *“And you’ll love me ‘til my heart stops/love me ‘til I’m dead.”* How romantic. **“Mama’s Eyes” – Justin Townes Earle** This is a brand new addition to the list. I just got this record a few weeks ago, but this song is so simple and so sweet that I have listened to it probably 87 times since I got it. He talks about standing in the kitchen at 3 a.m., and I constantly find myself doing that. What is it about kitchens that’s such a comfort? There is something about leaning against the counter, enjoying the weird limbo between night and day that makes it prime thinking time. I feel like this song encapsulates that perfectly. ### Andy Hess's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/andy-hesss-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-06T23:46:35.000Z When I first read about this mix tape project I was hesitant to submit something. I have a pretty embarrassing music history. It’s grounded in Top 40 and classic rock formats, but the songs I picked for this were ones that I remember listening to until the magnetic tape broke, CD scratched or I accidentally deleted the MP3\. Music means a lot to people so I know I’m not the only one who is an obsessive like myself. I sequenced my playlist as if I was recording to a cassette tape from the radio like I used to do. I tried to limit myself to an hour on each side, but Side B ran a little over. I really, really enjoyed revisiting the songs I have come to love and loath over the past 23 years. \-Andy [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/songsonholidayfront.jpg?resize=474%2C295 "songsonholidayfront")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/songsonholidayfront.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Side A:** [Download](http://www.zshare.net/audio/74458326224cca17/?ref=obviatemedia.net) **Amy Grant – “Baby Baby”** I don’t know what’s more groan worthy on this mix-tape. The first two tracks on the entire thing or the unnecessary amount of post-hardcore on the b-side. Regardless, this song was my first love. I bought the cassingle. I professed my love for this song during show and tells in elementary school. I literally played this tape until the tape was caught in the car tape deck. This was because my mother really liked Amy Grant. Thanks mom for the pro-tip. It’s still one of my favorite songs to annoy people with at karaoke. **Real McCoy – “Another Night”** I listened to this song for the first time in nearly 17 years when I was putting this mix-tape together. It’s still pretty terrible. Like “Baby Baby” I spent a lot of time with this song. I also remember calling in to every radio station in Memphis, Tenn. asking them to play it. None of the DJs ever played that request. I’m glad they didn’t. **Green Day – “She”** I didn’t have cable and I only listened to the 80’s, 90’s and today station. I never heard of Green Day until my cousin gave me *Dookie* for my birthday. Sure, it has the monster hits of “Longview” and “Basketcase”, but neither of those songs caught my ear like “She”. It also led to claiming Green Day as the best band in the world until they released *American Idiot*. **Nirvana – “All Apologies”** I didn’t care for grunge music or Nirvana. It was too loud and angsty for my 7-year old tastes. But I remember watching the news of Kurt Cobain’s death. I was touched by how much his music meant to everyone. I don’t remember much from the events leading up to his death, but I remember getting chills the first time I heard the Unplugged version of “All Apologies”. It’s still as haunting on the thousandth listen. **Tom Petty – “Free Fallin'”** I. Hate. This. Song. The only reason this song is even on the list is because it was on the 10 music video rotation on VH1’s daytime programming. **Spice Girls – “Say You’ll Be There”** Out of all the embarrassing music on this mix-tape, this song is, er, queen. I loved the Spice Girls. I had a tomboy step-sister and she didn’t care for them so I really have no idea how I became such a fan. I remember them being fairly attractive so that might have been it. I haven’t listened to this song since I lost my cassette of SPICE, but I probably still know all the words. **Busta Rhymes – “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See”** This was the first rap record I bought. I remember being entranced the video and how one person could spit out that many words at once. I still love Busta Rhymes, but this album will be my rap album of choice with Wu-Tang Clan’s 36 Chambers coming in a close second. **Hanson – “Man From Milwaukee”** No comment for this Hanson bonus track. (Really, Andy?) **Savage Garden – “I Want You”** I tried Cherry Coca-Cola for the first time after listening to this song. That’s essentially the significance of this one: it made me try my favorite soft-drink. **Foo Fighters – “Everlong”** The Color and the Shape was the first CD I ever owned. I always feel like Dave Grohl gets shafted when it comes to discussing Nirvana. Kurt might have written some great songs, but Dave was always the most talented member of the group. **Will Smith – “Will 2K”** I remember this being my New Year’s ’99 anthem. It also got me into The Clash after my step-mother picked out the sample while I was watching the absolutely ridiculous music video. **Counting Crows – “Hangin’ Around”** Counting Crows were the first band my dad and I really bonded over. I don’t care what you think about Adam Duritz’s hair because this song is a stone cold jam. **Blink 182 – “What’s My Age Again?”** I have always thought Blink 182 is the perfect soundtrack for middle school: It’s dumb, it’s fun and the songs don’t require much attention to enjoy. I listened to so much Blink 182 in middle school I kind of regret giving everything else a cold shoulder. Those other bands probably didn’t have many dick and fart jokes in their songs. **Linkin Park – “Cure For the Itch”** I think everyone in my eighth grade class had this CD. I remember it being the first album I bought for myself after saving up for a CD player. While the obvious choices for this record might have been “Crawling” or “In The End” I chose the beat-filled instrumental, sample based song. I always thought it was the best track on the album. After this record I found myself more open to electronic based music, but I still preferred loud guitars instead. **Weezer, “Tired Of Sex” and “Hash Pipe”** I didn’t know who Weezer were in the early 90s. I actually picked up *Pinkerton* in the used bin at a Sam Goody’s (Remember those?). I liked the cover. I ended up loving the album. The next month I saw the video for “Hash Pipe” and immediately picked up the Green Album. It disappointed me compared to Pinkerton so I worked backwards. Even though Rivers Cuomo has taken terrible songwriting to an R. Kelly like level, I still have a faint hope that he will release another Blue Album. **Thursday – “Understanding In A Car Crash”** Thursday kicked off my obsession with breakdowns and the unnecessary third guitar player. I spent the majority of my high school years feeling angsty for no real reason. I had a decent life. I had no reason to hate my parents. I still don’t know why I loved screamo and post-hardcore so much. **Thrice – “The Artist In the Ambulance”** Like Thursday, Thrice’s second record holds up surprisingly well after a few years. This is probably the only song I can stomach all the way through, but it reminds me of the days where staying after school with your friends in some lame club was better than sitting at home. **Side B:** [Download](http://www.zshare.net/audio/744587470c75f824/?ref=obviatemedia.net) **The Strokes – “Last Nite”** I absolutely hated The Strokes when this song premiered. Hated. And then one day out of the blue I met this girl who loved them and naturally I loved them too. I faked liking them for a long time and then one day I realized I actually enjoyed the songs. *Is This It?* had earworms for days and this song isn’t even the best on the record. **The White Stripes – “Ball and Biscuit”** I didn’t understand the hype until I heard “Ball and Biscuit”. This song literally changed the way I listened to music. That blues riff. Hell, that solo. I don’t listen to The White Stripes as much as I probably should nowadays, but this song still kills. **Ted Leo + The Pharmacists – “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?”** I heard this song for the first time while watching *Late Night with Conan O’Brien*. At the time I thought Ted Leo was the savior of rock and roll and picked up everything he ever recorded promptly. I don’t think that now, but he’s still one of the most consistent, talented and friendly people I have ever encountered in music. **Brand New – “Jude Law and the Semester Abroad”** Thanks Steven’s Untitled Rock Show on FUSE TV the tip on this one. **Taking Back Sunday – “Cute Without the E”** This song was my definitive high school jam. I still love this album. No shame. **Fugazi – “Waiting Room”** I bought this record during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. I had read about Fugazi, but I never heard them. I remember hearing the bass line at the beginning of this CD and having my world flipped upside down. After listening to *13 Songs* I started listening to everything with a more critical ear. If I had to pick a CD from this mix-tape that has done more for my listening habits than any other it would be this one. Since moving to DC, I’ve see Ian MacKaye around town. One of these days I’m going to go shake his hand and tell him thank you for all he’s done. **The Decemberists – “Sixteen Military Wives”** In high school I was a movie snob. I was also a moving snob that really knew nothing, I would just act like I knew what you were talking about. I had recently watched *Rushmore* for the third time and I came across the video for this song. I figured any band that spoofed *Rushmore* in their music videos would be the band for me. I downloaded this album track by track on Kazaa (I feel old) and burned it to a CD. I’ve gone from hardcore Decemberists fan to a very casual one in recent years but this record will always be my favorite of the bands. **The Mars Volta – “Inertiatic ESP”** The Mars Volta was the first concert I ever attended. They didn’t play this song. Actually they played a lot of songs from Frances the Mute. It was the album they were touring after-all. I remember being very bored by the end of the show. While this album still retains the spirit of their former band At the Drive-In, The Mars Volta have become an exercise in excess. I hate that because *De-Loused in the Comatorium* is a classic. **TV On the Radio – “Staring At the Sun”** When I finally got a car when I turned 17 I spent a lot of time in the Barnes and Noble music section. Their prices were cheaper than Best Buy and we didn’t have a local record store in Pensacola, Fla. I grabbed *Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes* because I liked the album cover (I did this a lot since our Internet connection sucked at home). It turns out that I managed to pick up some of my favorite albums ever this way. “Staring At the Sun” is still the best song written by TV On the Radio. **Sufjan Stevens – “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.”** This was the album that everyone of my friends could agree on our first year in college. I remember loving the *Garden State* soundtrack that I checked out those bands further, which eventually led me to Sufjan Stevens. I’m still not a convert to everything he’s done and I haven’t cried at his shows (though I know a lot of people who have), but this song is equal parts beautiful and depressing. Any song that makes me feel sorry for a serial killer is always worth a listen. **Neutral Milk Hotel – “Holland, 1945”** The first time I heard Jeff Mangum’s warble was at a house party. It was decade’s themed where we started in the 70s and every two hours we changed it over to the next decade. This was the first song to be played for the 90s section of the evening. I immediately ran over to one of my roommate and asked him what it was and that I needed to have it. **Talking Heads – “Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On)”** I remember really liking “Once In A Lifetime” but I didn’t really listen to the Talking Heads until one of my college roommates suggested them to me when I was looking for new music. This was the first band I ever became really obsessed with. A completist at heart, I went around buying everything I could by them. This lead me to David Byrne’s solo stuff and the Tom Tom Club. Man, I love the Talking Heads. **Bright Eyes – “Four Winds”** On April 11, 2007 my mother died. I woke up to a phone call from my step-father who was boarding a plane to Memphis in tears. She died in her sleep — the way anyone wants to go. I never liked Bright Eyes other than *I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning* but I had picked up the mediocre *Cassadaga* that week. When you’re hit with news like that you don’t really know what to do. I did the obvious things like call my professors and tell them that I wouldn’t be coming to class until the following week if not later and reached out to my family. I was in Mississippi without a reliable car and waiting for my dad to pick me up on the way to Memphis. I don’t remember much from the next few days, but I know I spent a lot of time driving for no real reason listening to this song on repeat. I still haven’t listened to that song since that day. I’ve come to terms with her passing, but I don’t think I’ll listen to that song again. **The Hold Steady – “Stuck Between Stations”** This song has lead me to making this mix tape. Like usual I was looking for something new to listen to and I came across a glowing review of *Boys and Girls In America* in Rolling Stone. I had gone to see my girlfriend in New York at the time and picked up this CD while I was there. I listened to it here and there, but it wasn’t until I had a long drive that I really clicked with this album. It’s a driving record that’s for sure. But there’s a certain grace and sophistication other than music that keeps you awake at the wheel. Since stumbling upon that review, I’ve driven countless miles to see this band — the first being Bonnaroo ’07\. I met them the same day. I didn’t have anything for them to sign so they signed my Bonnaroo map. Craig wrote “Stay Positive” on it while I blabbered about how much they “wailed” (apparently I had watched *Wayne’s World* recently) and asked Franz how he grew such a killer mustache. These are things that a normal human being wouldn’t say to their heroes. **LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends”** I ended up getting pretty depressed after my mother died. I wouldn’t interact with people, I was generally crabby and I drank more than I probably should have. The summer of 2007 was more formative than any other year. I studied abroad that summer. I ended up meeting my future roommates and best friends. I got a chance to do something I never thought I would do. It made me realize that I want to work in journalism and that I absolutely loved dancing. Holy crap, do I love to dance and cut loose. This LCD Soundsystem song isn’t their most dance filled number but the lyrics make me nostalgic for that summer where I stumbled home most nights and learned more from my friends than any book could have taught me. **Titus Andronicus – “Titus Andronicus”** I lived in a house that was notorious for their parties in Mississippi called The Belafonte (I don’t really know why it was named that so don’t ask). I moved in after I got back from London in the fall of 2007\. Halloween was a particular fun time, but in 2008 we started throwing house shows. Titus Andronicus were the first touring act to make a stop at The Belafonte. My roommate Eric and I fell in love with *The Airing of Grievances* and decided to shoot the guys an e-mail. They said yes and ended up being some of the coolest people we’ve met. **Andrew Jackson Jihad – “Brave As A Noun”** We booked Andrew Jackson Jihad for our second house show. They played at midnight on Halloween night to a room full of my closest friends and acquaintances. No microphone. No amplifiers. Just two dudes with an acoustic guitar and bass. They did this between their New Orleans show date and their date at The Fest in Gainesville, Fla. (which is roughly 9 hours away from my old house). They played, had a beer or two, sold some merchandise and hit the road. The set might have been 20 minutes long, but it was still the best I’ve seen in a long time. **Daniel Martin Moore – “It’s You”** This past August I got married to my girlfriend of six years. This was the song to our first dance as husband and wife. It’s still one of the happiest days of my life. I got to celebrate with my family, her loving family and my great, great friends who I miss dearly. Two days after my wedding we moved to Washington, DC so she could start graduate school. I know a few people around town, but we don’t hang out much so right now it’s just me and her versus the world. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. It might be lonely at times but I’m glad I have her. ### Amy Powell's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/amy-powells-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-06T23:01:29.000Z *MY PARENTS – Roots* **Family and Friends at the Ridge – Copper Kettle** You can hear the folks on this recording claiming that it is an old folk song, but it is usually credited to Albert Frank Beddoe and was popularized by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. I think this is a late ‘60s recording of my mother, my grandparents and some of my grandparents’ friends at a hootenanny in the NC mountains where they have a campground. My mother and one of my sisters now own little pieces of that campground, and my baby sister got married there last fall. But at the time of the recording, I guesstimate my mother is a medical student in her 20s, younger then than I am now. She has probably met my father at this point; they may be dating. But this was a weekend or summer trip back home to the mountains, where she sat around the campfire with family and friends and played music. It’s not a great recording, and there’s a disagreement about what key to play in. The other voices and sounds are friends and family who have since passed away but whose names are dear to me and whose voices vividly call to mind summer camping trips where I sat around the fire listening to them play and sing. The main male voice here is a mountain man named Ed; he and his wife were my grandparents’ best friends. Ed built most of the structures up on the Ridge with his bare hands, and he was the primary guitar player most of the time (also, as I dimly recall, banjo and harmonica). I think, however, that my mother is doing most of the playing on this recording. (I’m going to try to spare the Eternal Mixtape any further family recordings. There are very few good ones and even fewer of them have been digitized.) **Floyd Kramer – Last Date** My father, much like me, lacks any discernible musical talent or skill. During medical school, he took piano lessons so that he could play this song. He then quit taking lessons and hasn’t touched a piano since. Maybe the attempt to impress a girl flopped, I dunno. But apparently it worked. *CHILDHOOD – Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’* **Jimmy Durante – Hi Lili Hi Lo** I’m only being a little cute with this one. My mother sang it to my sisters and me occasionally as a lullaby. I have a vivid memory of it in the crib. **Ricky Skaggs – Honey, Open that Door** Okay, my father was obsessed with Ricky Skaggs for awhile. I heard this tape as a child more than can possibly be healthy. It was constantly on in the car for driving to school. for road trips. Bluegrass, country, folk, and oldies (like, from the 1940s and 50s, kids) were always on in the background. And lets not talk about yodeling tapes. **Michael Jackson – Bad** I was 8\. This is the first time I remember paying any attention whatsoever to current popular music, and it was all about the video, which seemed amazing. I was never fascinated by MTV other than Michael Jackson videos. I was too young to notice “Thriller” when it came out, but I distinctly remember watching it for the first time around when “Bad” came out. I also remember my parents being briefly outraged by the later video for “Black or White” in which Michael smashes up a car and grabs his crotch. It seemed very provocative at the time. Some years later, I danced to “Black or White” in my last dance recital. In a stupid costume. And no, you can’t see pictures or videos. Not ever. **Rosemary Clooney – Sisters** Since I have 3 sisters and we all took dance lessons, we were occasionally called upon to dance together in public. Our original tap performance of “sisters” was stunning, endearing, and enduring. It has also been reprised at each of our weddings. And no, you still can’t see pictures. **Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water** No doubt introduced to me by my parents, this was the first tape I ever bought for myself. I thereafter bought pretty much everything Simon & Garfunkel that I could lay my little hands on. I was an awkward middle school child, as you might imagine. I have two very vivid memories of listening to this tape. Once, I was at summer camp, and a bunch of girls went out robi-dosing. I found out I was intentionally not invited because I was presumably a “narc.” I’m pretty sure I had no idea what that meant. I know I had to ask what robi-dosing was. But I also ditched evening camp activities and laid in my bunk alone listening to Simon & Garfunkel. SUCH A DORK. The year I started middle school, I met the girl who was to become my bestest best friend in the unique tortured intimacy shared only by angsty teenage girls. I recall making her listen to “I am a rock” the very first time I invited her over to my house because I thought it said so much about me. SAD AND PATHETIC DORK. She later told me that she found it very intimidating at the time. We were probably about 12. **Jimmy Buffett – Son of a Son of Sailor** Another favorite of my father. I’m pretty sure Jimmy Buffett was also my first live concert – with the family. To this day, it takes no effort and very little beer to induce Jimmy Buffett sing-alongs. My husband, however, finds this horrifying and generally suggests putting on some Franz Nicolay to prevent this from happening. *HIGH SCHOOL – Don’t Call Me Daughter* **Nirvana – Jesus Don’t Want Me for a Sunbeam** I remember the shock, the girls crying, the teachers’ halting attempts to talk to us about suicide that day. Only 14-year-olds could have been shocked by Kurt Cobain’s death. But we were. I was not really a Nirvana fan; I don’t think I cried. But one had limited choices for sub-genre identity in a small and socially segregated town. One either liked “country” or one was “alternative”. A few white kids were into “rap.” But that was pretty much the range of identities available to our imaginations. “Alternative” just sounded better than just “nerd” (which was probably more accurate in my case). Also, fashion sensibility and I only ever intersected in the grunge era. So, notwithstanding my general indifference to Nirvana, Kurt Cobain was a cultural icon. One of my cultural icons. I think my continued indifference to Nirvana is less about their music — I really rather like many of the bands that influenced Nirvana and the bands that followed them — and more about the fact I am still angry at Kurt. **They Might Be Giants – Birdhouse in Your Soul** My bestest best friend and I made all things They Might Be Giants into an important staple on debate team trips in high school. They are charmingly nerdy, delightfully catchy, lyrically engaging. What’s not to love? Loud nerd sing-alongs ensued, much to the chagrin of the drama team nerds, who believed themselves ever so much cooler than the policy debaters. This reminds me of long cross-state bus trips where the driver had to stop every 30 minutes to use the bathroom, and I taught myself how to bottom-deal (poorly) while playing Uno in the back of the bus. After dark, the debate team bus games turned to truth or dare. But the music stayed nerdy. TMBG and Ben Folds Five were awesome. I had a brief fascination with ska. And I kept some of my parents’ non-country-sounding oldies in rotation. Because, you know, I wasn’t “country.” **Oasis – Champagne Supernova** I rode my bike back and forth to the barn where I cared for my horse everyday. The barn was not far at all, but it felt far on a rainy winter day. The ride back home after dark — after a full day of school and then a few hours of intense exercise and then working in the barn — felt brutal. I remember a winter where this song had been on the radio constantly and had become another incessant earworm. I shouted it into the wind to make myself keep going. **James Taylor – Fire and Rain** James Taylor was the first concert I went to of my own volition, and even then I knew it wasn’t cool. But he was so dreamy for an old guy. This song I first heard on the soundtrack for “Running on Empty” (Oh, River Phoenix, I will always love you) which I rented on VHS. Back then, I heard an entirely apocryphal origin story for the lyrics to this song, which I believed to be true until googling the matter in 2010 to write this paragraph. Damn you, internets. Damn you, Brendan. Anyway, it was a sad and sweet song by a broody Carolina boy with a guitar, and it moved me to go to a live concert at the newly minted Virginia Beach Amphitheatre. I think my friend’s mom drove us. **Indigo Girls – Watershed** My brief adolescent fascination with Simon and Garfunkel not withstanding, this was the first band I ever loved. My bestest best friend and I added a third young woman to be our bestest best friend about this time and we all became completely obsessed. We dissected the lyrics. We tried to track down rumors. We talked about how their bands were like our lives, how they shaped my philosophy – both personal and epistemological. When my English teacher asked us to bring in music that we thought of as poetic so that we could dissect the lyrics, I had trouble choosing an Indigo Girls song. I owned everything they ever recorded until someone stole my CD collection in college. \*sigh\* I’ve never entirely rebuilt my IG collection. First scene. Driving to the beach, 100 degrees, windows down, music cranked up, chocolate malts. Three young women, an inseparable trio, belting it out. We ridiculed our philosophy teacher who had derided the Indigo Girls as “average lesbian folk rock.” **Indigo Girls – Reunion** Second scene. The three of us ditch school on a Friday and sneak out of town to go to an Indigo Girls concert at a club in Virginia. We wanted to show up super-early to get good spots. And Michelle Malone, also awesome, was opening. So, yeah, we wanted to get there Brendan-early. A tire blew out on the drive through the swamp. The drive through the Dismal Swamp is a little less treacherous these days, but in those days there was no shoulder, a few blind turns, and no civilization in easy walking distance. I was opining on how I thought a tire should be changed (I had strong opinions on the subject, having seen it done once) when a very nice, very drunk old man driving a tow truck stopped to help us change the tire. He was fortunately not a serial killer. Then, we got lost in the one of the not-so-nice parts of downtown Norfolk. Still, not killed. Some nice young men on a street corner gave us directions. We arrived at the concert venue a little before doors. We eagerly rushed in, only to find ourselves directed to the “under-21 section”, where we were corralled off to the side with no decent lines of sight. We were extremely grumpy about this development. As the BIGGEST FANS, we were clearly ENTITLED to better treatment. Our various complicated schemes to sneak into the drinking section were stymied by intimidating bouncers and our own compelling desire to not get kicked out. But then the music started and it all washed away. I have no recollection of what we told our parents. **Air Force Academy Cadets – On Eagles Wings** The February of my senior year of high school, my mother’s mother died. The next month, my father’s father died. I was maimed. We sang the same two hymns at each of the funerals. In March, my dog died. No one sang. I have no particular attachment to the Air Force Academy version of this hymn; it sounds in my head like it is sung by as many friends and family as can be crammed into an old church. *THE COLLEGE YEARS: Amy Discovers Classic Rock (and Napster) and tries to stop feeling like a jackass* **Jimi Hendrix – Easy Rider** The boys ran the squad-room stereo on my college debate team. No longer in control, I learned about classic rock and its slightly more recent incarnations. There was a lot of Led Zepp, a lot of Pink Floyd . . . some Stones . . . very occasionally Bruce . . . some Guns and Roses. There was a running argument about whether Jimmy Page or Jimi Hendrix was the greatest guitar player of all time. I listened carefully and expressed no opinion, being only vaguely familiar with the names. I didn’t mind, really. It turned out that I pretty well liked guitar heavy rock and roll. Although every now and then, the women would hijack the stereo, play some “chick angst music” and drive away the boys. **David Bowie – Rebel, Rebel** My boyfriend (now my husband) was comparing some musician to David Bowie when I broke my usual stay-silent-and-listen rule and asked him who David Bowie was. Much mockery later, someone asked me if I had seen *Labyrinth*. “Oh! Oh yeah, that guy. ” Even more mockery later, I borrowed the boy’s David Bowie CDs to catch up. I have jumped around to this song a lot. But I still refer to him as “that guy from Labyrinth.” **Naughty By Nature – Feel Me Flow** My husband-to-be really liked hip-hop. I tried to appreciate it for awhile. I found a few good lyricists, a few good songs here and there. But this was pretty much the only song that I already knew and liked when we met. So we listened to it together a lot. This is the sound of young and awkward love to me. **Indigo Girls – Least Complicated** Scene Three. My senior year, second semester, the Indigo Girls played Wait Chapel, the campus church. I secured front row seats for me, a group of college pals and my bestest best friend from high school. She was in a rough patch and had dropped out of school. The third of our trio was not speaking to me. We suddenly felt very distant. But, girl, we could re-live our glory days like champs. **Simon & Garfunkel – Keep the Customer Satisfied** One of my sisters lived in Chapel Hill, a couple hours down the road from me. During my college years, we would frequently meet up in Chapel Hill and drive home together. If you start this track just as you turn off of Edgewood Drive in my hometown, crank it up really loud and drive just as fast as the music takes you, the really cathartic bit with the horns sounds as you round the big curve on our street. And it finishes up right after you park in my driveway. This works best if you both shout along at the top of your lungs. And whoever isn’t driving should mime the horns or the drums or both. We both still queue up this song like clockwork when we turn off Edgewood. *NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Amy’s college laptop crashes; she loses all her stolen Napster tracks, and she starts over again.* **Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight** This was my first dance with my husband. Neither of us can dance worth a damn. But still, it was our dance. In the space of about 3 weeks, I graduated from college, got married, moved to New York, and started a new job. **Ben Folds – Your Redneck Past** I recently re-discovered a mixtape my best friend made me around this time. It was intended to tweak me about abandoning my roots and seeking a new life. It was sweet and funny and moving, and it had this song on it. **Neil Young – On Broadway** A few months later, I stood in the street and watched the second of the Twin Towers come down. That’s a longer, sadder story, and it has its own soundtrack, and I don’t tell it. **The Clash – Death or Glory** I didn’t discover punk rock until I went to law school. That may seem counterintuitive and unreasonable. Or at least somehow hypocritical. But it was the first time I was living in a city. And having moved in with my husband, I had the run of his CD collection – which included heavy doses of early punk rock. I wasn’t going out to shows at all. Actually, for the first couple of years of law school, I wasn’t going out at all. And I was only listening to enough new music to conclude that very little of it was interesting to me. But the internets were a wide and wonderful place to learn about old punk music, even if you didn’t want to steal it. **Lucinda Williams – I Lost It** Studying for a tax law exam has a peculiar effect on one’s mind. I had this song on constant repeat for about a month. I also had an awkward conversation with my mother about what it was about. This album — which I had owned for a long time before putting it on repeat — was actually my first inkling that I had been lying to myself for many, many years about whether I liked country music. So, I said for awhile that I liked “alt-country”. And then that I liked “old-timey” country. It turns out, I LOVE country music. So, having moved to the great Sodom in the North, I started to explore country and bluegrass music. I found an old Doc Watson cassette in my car last week; I’m pretty sure I stole in from my parents on a trip home. **The Hold Steady – Cattle and the Creeping Things** I wanted to hear more new music but I wasn’t hearing much that interested me. A colleague at my job told me that I should check out Arcade Fire, who had just made “the greatest album of all time” and that they were Pitchfork-approved. I glowered at him but bought the album. It was fine. A buddy from law school told me about the Hold Steady around the same time. It’s hard to describe, he said, it’s like this spoken word thing but over rock and roll. And, there’s this line about the bible “the dude blamed the chick and the chick blamed the snake.” I glowered at him too and bought the album. I found it kind of hard to listen to on the first run through. But I kept coming back to it. *BANNED IN DC: A new obsession, live music, and D.C. hardcore* **The Hold Steady – How a Resurrection Really Feels** So, not long after I moved to DC, the same law school buddy called me up to rave about the new Hold Steady album and the show he went to. I picked up two tickets to the show at the Black Cat. There are a lot of stories from that night, but they’re a little blurry. Some whiskey. Some dancing. One fistfight. One wholly embarrassing moment. And a hazy light gives everyone and everything a halo. Resurrection segues into Killer Parties and a stage invasion. A fire was lit. The next morning, I sent emails to everyone, everywhere about how they need to see this band. I started to lurk on the Hold Steady message board, where I eventually started helping out as a moderator. A year or two later, I fly to Ybor City to see a Hold Steady show, and I met the fans known affectionately as the Unified Scene. These days, I have traveled thousands of miles and made many dear, dear friends from several countries. I jumped the border once myself. These songs have soundtracked my life more than any other since 2006\. Next month, the Unified Scene invades Harrisburg, PA, and I’ll be there too. Look for me up front in my nerd shirt – #0. **The Dismemberment Plan – The Ice of Boston** Having (re)discovered live music, I searched around for other shows. I found myself in the audiences for They Might Be Giants, The New Pornographers, Lucero, Against Me, Constantines, Drive-by Truckers, the summer shows out at Fort Reno, and many more followed fast upon. Hip indie bands. Serious noodly bands. Big band. House shows. Joke bands. Friends’ bands. Punk shows in suburban garages and urban basements. I started to consume music at a frenetic pace. Good music is great, but the perfect live show was the one sweet fleeting feeling. There have been a few here and there. The Dismemberment Plan reunion shows at the Black Cat have to be near the top of any list. There was pornographic cake! And a stage invasion! And I did not know it at the time, but there were at least 2 Unified Scene folks in the crowd that I would soon consider near and dear. **Minor Threat – Bottled Violence** So, I knew a little about DC’s hardcore scene before moving here. But living here, I decided to explore it more – Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Teen Idles, etc., and then their current offspring. These songs soundtracked my life as a government lawyer under the Bush Administration who drinks too much in her spare time. If you think that involves a degree of cognitive dissonance, you would be right. But anyone who works in government and doesn’t occasionally want to burn it all down is either dense or dissembling. Or both. So, imagine these songs occasionally reverberating in the halls of the Justice Department. You can hate it if you want, but we’re better off. **World/Inferno Friendship Society – Zen and the Art of Breaking Everything in this Room** Exploring the back catalogue of Hold Steady people led me quickly to WIFS. Riveting. The fans seemed kind of toxic on the internets, but have always been pretty decent bunch of kids in person. Well, except for that first time. The husband and I were visiting NYC for the weekend; seeing some pals, some sights. Somehow, in the 6 years he lived in NYC, my husband had never visited Coney Island, which seemed important to rectify. In my zeal to spread the word about this stunningly awesome band, I planned the trip around a World/Inferno show. Also, the opening act was billed as pirate puppet rock opera; key chorus – “dirty, dirty scurvy pyrate love.” So, it was like they designed a show just for me. I took the husband and a friend. We hung in the back by the bar with the old people. The pirate band was sans puppetry that evening, but still pretty swingin. The show was oversold; the 15-year-old punks were packed in skinny jean-clad cheek to temporary-tattooed jowl. They chatted and chewed gum right through the pyrate set, which was a shame for those of us in the back. But my between-sets conversation with the professional clown was interrupted by the band taking the stage. The tweeny-bopper punks became a single, seething mass. I was utterly entranced. I suppose it’s not possible that I really didn’t breathe for the next 20 minutes or so. The band was stunningly awesome, but the real spectacle was in the free space they created for the kids. Being kids with visions of punkdom, they used their newfound freedom to tear down the kitsch from the walls and the ceilings, to jump off the stage, the railing, the bar, each other, and to become one flesh with many flailing arms and legs, soundtracked by WIFS. When the owners asked Jack to tell the kids to settle down, he said something precatory and launched into the next song on the setlist – “zen and the art of breaking everything in this room.” The hive-mind energy was overwhelming. I passed back the crowdsurfers. I saw the broken glass and pressed closer. A boy with too much eyeliner tugged on a live wire from the light fixture he had just smashed, apparently because he enjoyed the sparks. I’m pretty sure most of the blood was fake. I was just enough outsider that it fleetingly occurred to me that I was an adult and should do something about the kid playing with the live wire; but the thought was lost in the tumult. The plug was pulled. The music kept going. When one of the owners climbed on the soundboard and begged everyone to stop destroying her bar, I momentarily thought it was a bit of performance art. They jeered her. Peter and Jack eventually led the kids pied-piper style out of the bar. I stood transfixed until being surprised to see that I was still holding the remains of my drink. By the time the police arrived, the band had played all of about 20 minutes. The bar was all demolished stuff and broken glass and unidentifiable stains. The seabreeze soothed our crashing adrenaline and then our arguments. There was a cop with one hand on a gun, performing his best command presence and ordering people to disperse. He ignored the three of us for a while – I assume we didn’t look the type — but he couldn’t avoid our scrutiny after awhile. He gave us a funny look and glanced at our wristbands. “Uhhhh, I don’t know if you were part of all this but you need to move along.” **Faith of our Fathers** In summer 2008, my husband and I traveled to Italy. Part of the trip was with a group to study the church my mother’s family comes from. They were pre-reformation Protestants in the Alps near the French border. About 30 of us climbed the rocky slope in the rain. There was nothing but old forest, not even the occasional stone home with a garden we saw elsewhere in those hills. It was grey and cold in the wind, even at midday in June. Some of the more frail turned back to the bus, but my 85-year-old great aunt soldiered on, as did I, my husband, a sister, my mother, some cousins, both preachers, and a large crew from the church my mother grew up in. One by one, using flashlights, we ducked and clambered into the rock cave through an entry barely big enough for one, hidden by the same rockfall that formed the cave inside. Once past the dark, damp, and claustrophobic entrance, the cave opened up. The ceiling was 20 feet high at least, and the cavern could have uneasily hit 150 people. And did at one time. I have been hearing about this cave since I was crawling. They held church services in secret here hundreds of years ago. 2 thin slats of light at either end of the cavern let us see each other’s faces dimly. One ray of light fell directly on a raised rock at one end of the cavern – a natural pulpit. No one re-told the legend. We all knew it. Christ, I think I first heard it before I could read. It’s possible this cave wasn’t even actually the cave from legend but our collective imaginations made those walls echo with the screams of the slaughtered, choking on the smoke, mothers choosing between letting the children smother in here or running outside so they might be gutted. So, we beat back the darkness. A few people climbed the pulpit. The preacher said a short blessing. But only music could fill the space. We made a circle and grabbed hands. I was between my husband and my mother – both clammy-handed – and we sang faith of our fathers. And the walls sang back. **Franz Nicolay – Hi Lili Hi Lo** I like this song. I love this guy. And tonyrockyhorror for recording this guy singing this song. And DC9 for putting on a show where tony records this guy singing this song. And everyone everywhere who buys music, goes to shows, offers up their couch, some food, a drink to help this guy sing this song and any other tune he feels like playing anytime and anywhere he wants. And everyone everywhere who lends a musician a hand. ### Rich Tarbell's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/rich-tarbells-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-08T23:41:19.000Z [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Rawk-Eternal.jpg?resize=360%2C341 "Rawk-Eternal")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Rawk-Eternal.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) :: 88 lines about 44 bands :: carroll was a catholic boy he held out until the bitter end exene was a different type she’s the one who put it in violent femmes sand about black girls never been afraid of a girl like that david lowery painted pictures sitting down like the buddhists sat stipe was an aimless man With geographic memory tweedy wasn’t a jesus freak but he seemed to dig the misery liz had this special way of turning sex into a song bun e. couldn’t sing kept the beat and kept it strong suicidal were the archetype A voodoo king, king of rap mbv were just loud as shit no rhyme goes with this rotten was an anarchist he really had that gift of gab devo’s point of view was this can’t take whatever you can grab mclusky was another band who left their mark upon the map material issue tied me up then left us all hanging by a strap urge overkill had this nightclub walk that made grown women feel underage chrissie who had a son said “i must go” but finally stayed mick had the last taboo shattered by his tongue one night iggy brought the taboo back and held it up before the light alex chilton who knew little fame was never satisfied d. boon came and went so fast he couldn’t even say goodbye well dulli had a house in n’awlins lived on brown rice and cocaine alejandro had a house in Houston shot cough syrup into his veins paul thought his life was empty filled it up with alcohol lftr pllr was much too pretty they didn’t do that shit at all uh-uh. not lftr (yeah right) lou said that love was simple turn it on and turn it off bowie was complicated like some french filmmaker’s plot sweet was like a perfect lady always kept their stocking straight julian was a rich punk rocker silver spoon and china plates david byrne was a modern dancer lean pristine transparency morrissey wrote bad poetry in a crazy kind of urgency lux interior liked to fuck while wearing leather biker boots craig’s strange obession was for certain alcohols and fruits mark sandman was an artist’s son the deeper image shook him up dee-dee’s mother left her father took his money and his truck bill carter had no such problems perfect norman rockwell home black francis had his band then he kind ended up alone kim joined a new wave band and changed her name to the breeders bob mould who played guitar sang songs of loss and regret killing joke didn’t give a shit just a nihilist joe was much more my style he wrote songs just like this kim gordon went 40 days drinking nothing but perrier jello drove his chevrolet into the san francisco bay gbv came from ohio i am a scientist the nails – here’s a kiss i chose you to end this list. :: endnotes :: jim carroll band – “people who died” x – “Johnny hit and run pauline” violent femmes – “black girls” camper van beethoven – “tania” r.e.m – “maps & legends” wilco – “jesus, etc.” liz phair – “Stratford on guy” cheap trick – “surrender” suicidal tendencies – “institutionalized” my bloody valentine – “sometimes” public image ltd. – “fff” devo – “uncontrollable urge” mclusky – “to hell with good intentions” material issue – “Valerie loves me” urge overkill – “sister Havana” pretenders – “tattooed love boys” rolling stones – “can’t you hear me knocking” iggy pop – “the passenger” big star – “watch the sunrise” minutemen – “king of the hill” afghan whigs – “rebirth of the cool” alejandro escovedo – “last to know” replacements – “here comes a regular” lftr pllr – “nice nice” velvet underground – “pale blue eyes” david bowie with arcade fire – “life on mars” sweet – “ballroom blitz” strokes – “new york city cops” talking heads – “life during wartime” the smiths – “what difference does it make?” the cramps – “goo goo muck” the hold steady – “barfruit blues” morphine – “buena” ramones – “Havana affair” screaming blue messiahs – “wild blue yonder” pixies – “tony’s theme” breeders – “hellbound” husker du – “makes no sense at all” killing joke – “eighties” the clash – “the right profile” sonic youth – “kool thing” dead kennedys – “too drunk too fuck” guided by voices – “shocker in gloomtown” the nails – “88 lines about 44 women” ### Camie Heller's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/camie-hellers-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-01T01:33:52.000Z *There is no recognizable order to this list whatsoever.* **Thriller – Michael Jackson** The twelve top singers of the school… something I wanted to be a part of since making it to MSHS. The show choir, or Choraliers as it is called was the top of the performing arts in my high school. If you made that group by trying out in your Freshman year, you were considered arts wing royalty. In the end of my Freshman year, there were only four spots available to this group, two spots for boys, and two for girls. There were a lot of hopefuls, so many that instead of the normal singing try out, they were adding a dance portion as well. This did not bode well for me. In drama, dance had never been my strong suit. The dances that I had to perform for drama took me hours to figure out, mostly due to the fact that I had never taken a dance class in my life, and simply couldn’t be told how to dance. I needed to see it so I could copy. Luckily, we were told to do exactly that, copy a music video. I decided that Thriller would be quite fun, but different, since most of my peers were planning on performing as Brittany Spears, or some other popular pop bimbo of the time. I spent all of my spare time working on this dance sequence, making sure that I covered as much detail as possible. I wasn’t disappointed, I was first pick after the list went up. **I Got Lost In His Arms – Annie Get Your Gun** The name of this song could tend to make this story a bit creepy, but it is completely innocent and actually a moment that I would never want to give away. I was having a really rough year. My aunt and uncle were going to get married, and the original plan was for the kids in the family to be the wedding party. They won a wedding in Hawaii, so that plan went away, but they were going to have a party for us anyways. While this does not seem like a bad moment of anyones life, the situation thickens. Two of my cousins who I used to see all the time were going to be in the wedding party. They had left recently, with their mother who put my uncle through a nasty divorce. They would come over during the weekends and stuff, but that had even stopped because my uncle was dying of cancer, and it was getting bad. Knowing I wanted to take advantage of getting to see my cousins, I had asked my drama director if I could go to this party. It was falling during a dress rehearsal in hell week, but considering I was an extra, that meant nothing in the full long run, I thought maybe she would let me go. Not only was I shot down, I was shot down with a hell of a rant that reverberated into the classroom wing of my school. So, in tears I run to the stage crew director. He knew a lot of what was going on within my family, and the hard time I was having with everything. I cried to him, and we plotted a rebellion. We were on stage during the same time in the show for a scene. We were to be getting into place behind the sheer curtain (sheer if lighted from The thrill of rebellion (if we were ever caught at this, there would be some serious hell to pay) and the thrill of getting caught helped put a smile on my face, and the dress rehearsal went off without a problem. We then became superstitious… we performed that slow dance every performance afterwards, including the actual ones the next week. (and were caught, the last night… where we got the evil eye, but laughed it off.) **MMMBop – Hanson** Every pre-teen has a band that they become obsessed with, and Hanson was my boy-band. I remember the first time hearing the song, and my best friend at the time saying “Listen to this bunch of girls.” I of course, later that night, found out from another friend that they were not girls, but teenage boys. (Teenage boys to my pre-teen eyes were very attractive). Well the obsession grew, and grew, and grew to the point of my entire bedroom walls being covered with their faces. I also had a huge stand up of them from a record store, which thinking back on it now was extremely, extremely creepy. Hanson was the reason I took drum lessons during that summer. My friends and I wanted to form a band. It was pointless though, my friends at the time had no musical talent, and in all reality I had no time for drum lessons, (between sports, and scouts, and everything else) even though they were free from a neighbor. Hanson was my first concert (nose bleed seats!) they were the first band I completely fangirled, and hearing this song now and then still gives me a bit of a smile. **Your Little Hoodrat Friend – The Hold Steady** This is not only the song that introduced me to my favorite band, it is also a song that started a friendship that I truly cherish now. My friend Alex was in town, and had a show at Bucknell University in PA. Alex had invited along half of Draco and the Malfoys (Brian) to play the show with him. A friend of mine (Rory) brought two of her friends and all six of us were going to share a hotel room for the night. Since I only knew two people, I was a bit shy when we finally all got to the hotel room, but the shyness didn’t last long. We rushed to dinner, where small chat happened and everyone who didn’t know each other broke the ice. We got to the venue for sound check where I helped both boys with cables and instruments (what I usually do at shows of theirs, besides taking lots of pictures). Alex sound checked quickly, and then it was Brian’s turn. He messed around with some Malfoys songs for a bit and for his full song.. he started playing this song. I was enthralled. After he was done playing I went up to him and asked who originally made that song. He explained about the Hold Steady, and said he would send me the song via email. We all had our laptops at the venue (we were there so early, and the campus had free wireless). Instead of sending me the song, he sent me the whole album Separation Sunday. I was content knowing what was in my inbox, so for the rest of the night we talked music. What types he was into, what types I was into. This lead to guitar discussion because I brought my newly acquired acoustic along for the trip (I SUCKED SO BAD, but he helped me learn my first three chords) I didn’t listen to the whole album until the drive home, and I became instantly HOOKED! I went out and bought the first three albums that same weekend (Boys and Girls In America had come out that past summer, this went down in the middle of winter). What was really interesting was that the email where Brian sent me the song became more like a conversation. I would write him questions about music, guitar, or wizard rock. We became friends quickly. The best part about this story is not the fact that he was the one who introduced me to this band… we have since had some funny moments because of the mutual like of The Hold Steady. We had both gone to different Hold Steady shows of the same tour, we texted each other throughout the shows we attended. Later that month, there was a wrock show in NYC. We showed up to that show in the same Hold Steady hoody that we both bought… completely not planned (which was quite a laugh). I also got to cover Hoodrat with him and his brother at a house party show in Rhode Island. We are possibly going to the same Hold Steady show this April in New Haven.. kind of pulls this story completely full circle! **Looking For Trouble – The Remus Lupins** First things first…. every wrock fan remembers the first time they heard their first wizard rock song. I am not a typical wizard rock fan. Most of the fans who got into wrock the time I did heard Harry and the Potters as their first band… I heard The Remus Lupins first. I was in my dorm… and was bored. I decided to put campus radio on. There was some random DJ on (it was super early in the morning) and they were playing random stuff off of MySpace (yeah.. MySpace… before it became a burning ring of hell). I don’t remember the intro to this song, but I vaguely remember the mention of Harry Potter. I listen in and I was intrigued. I turned off the campus radio, and booked it to The Remus Lupins myspace. I listened to the song, and then looked at the friends… and found the amazing world of Wizard Rock (I then became obsessed). To continue this story, Alex (The Remus Lupins – yeah at the time he was a one man band with a photographer… the plural band name was a joke. He now has a full band behind him) was playing a show in Philadelphia. It was at a place called the Spazz House, near St. Joe’s University. He was set to play at like 7pm. I was thinking this was a type of club/coffee joint, but when I pulled up it was a residential house. I thought I had gotten the address wrong, but right after I pulled up, Alex pulled up with his friend/roadie/photographer Brandon. I had never met Alex before, and was extremely nervous (First wizard rock show… I was guilty of fangirldom GASP!) So I slowly walked up. I was wearing a hp shirt, so he walked up to me like I knew what was going on, which I didn’t. The house was deserted… no one was there. We sat outside of the house on the porch, until two girls showed up. The two girls owned the house. They said that nothing was going to go down until around 9pm and that there were two/three bands before Alex was to play. So we decided to chill out on the porch. I met Alex, we listened to his iPod, Brandon searched for a wireless signal, and we got some apple juice from some store called Bill’s Market. The girls who owned the house started being complete jerks and almost set their own porch on fire. Alex thought they were trying to be funny and just messing around, but I could tell that they were being complete asses. I stood up for Alex (without actually knowing him all that well) and tada, the start of our friendship. Alex finally went on the stage (which was in a dingy basement, empty kegs were the only seating) around 11pm. He played a 5 song set, asking me which songs of his I wanted him to play. Not having his cd yet.. I asked for only one… Looking For Trouble, and sang the bah bahs for him when he played that song last. (he tells this story so much better than I do). **Follow the Yellow Brick Road – The Wizard of Oz** When I was little, my parents had a bright yellow carpet that covered the living room, dining room, and went all the way up to the upstairs hallway. I believe it was the original carpet of the house from when my grandparents owned it. I was all of 4, and I was obsessed with The Wizard of OZ. At that age, many cheapy stores have crappy cheap shoes that little girls can wear. I found the ruby slipper kind, and insisted that I have them. I would frolic around my house with the shoes on, pretending to be Dorthy singing Follow the Yellow Brick Road over and over and over again until one day one of the shoes broke. At this time of my life, I believed that my dad could fix anything (He was a carpenter… so my 4 year old mind believed he could fix anything) and brought my shoes to him to fix. He took them out to the shop, and used some glue and a clamp.. and got my shoes to work again for a bit (like a day) until I broke the shoe again. Unknown to me at the time, after the first series of shoe breaks.. he asked my mom where the shoes came from, and then went out to the store and bought the rest of them. Every time I broke a ruby slipper, my dad would take me out to the shop.. put on a show of “fixing” the shoe, and he would grab a new shoe from his stash. Oh what parents do to make their children believe. **The Weapon – Harry and the Potters** Every scene has an anthem. The anthem in Wizard Rock is Harry and the Potters – The Weapon. During their longest summer tours (So summer 2006, and summer 2007) Harry and the Potters would finish off their shows with The Weapon. At their live shows, the boys start this song at their instruments (Paul on his red Gibson SG and Joe on the keys and if they have a drummer (whoever that may be, whether Brad from the Malfoys or someone else) on the drums) About halfway through the song they ditch their instruments (the drums go to backing track – Brad usually takes a quick break here) and Paul and Joe (or Harry year 7 and Harry year 4 respectively) jump into the crowd with their mics and rock out with the crowd. At some point or another, the drummer returns, and Paul jumps back up on stage. He grabs another guitar, a yellow Gibson Explorer with an orange lighting bolt painted on it. He finishes the song with an epic jump high into the air. (This song live cannot be explained with text.. it has to be experienced). This song has become an anthem of sorts. The Potters don’t even have to be at a wrock event… large conferences usually end with another wizard rock band covering this song if the Potters cannot supply the song themselves. It usually involves a lot of hugging (usually a large group hug involving everyone in the room – those are the best!), or it is just a massive sing along. This song is what every wrock fan wants to see at a wizard rock show. This song is the experience that everyone wants to have. I hear this song and realize the amount of fun I have had at these shows. I remember when I saw the Potters, Malfoys, and Matt perform three nights in a row in two different states, and this song finished every night. I remember the sleep over where we all (the group listed above) came up with countless Hedwig is Dead jokes, and then the next morning called Melissa (a NY Times best selling author) and told them all to her. It was the summer of 2007, everyone thought it was all going to end and come crashing down… but it hasn’t. **Screening Process – Lauren Fairweather** The full story behind this song is extremely complicated and emotional and I will not go into it because while I was somewhat involved… the song has nothing to do with me. My feelings towards this song are what I am going to write about. My friend, Lauren, has a way with words. She has the uncanny ability to be able to put words to music and basically say everything that you have ever felt in a situation and completely capture it. Lauren wrote this song during a hard time in her life, and I am not going to go into it because in all reality, the song basically covers it. This song also explains something that I have always done. I have a “Screening Process” so to say. I hide, I put up a front, and it takes a little while to fully get to know the real me. With certain people this doesn’t last long, and with other people it can take years for me to truly show myself. I have trust issues, and I feel this song really kind of explains some situations. Again, without Lauren’s skill of putting words to song, I wouldn’t have a song to explain this part of me, and I am grateful for her talents. **High Hopes – Harry Kalas** It was the song of a season, and a song of remembrance. Harry Kalas, beloved voice of the Philadelphia Phillies sung this song for the fans one day. After his death, after every home win, the fans would wait for the recording of this song to be played so they could sing along. In my household it was sung, as a family after every win. It was the hopes for a repeat, as well as a high remembrance to a beloved person of the franchise. Will High Hopes continue to be played this season after home game wins? Who knows, but I do know if it is, Philadelphia fans will continue to smile in remembrance of a city icon. **The Sign – Ace of Base** This was the song of summer during my childhood. Summer officially started when my friend Ryan’s pool was opened for the year. Every weekday (and some weekends, but those were usually for sports) we would go swimming at his house from 10am till dark (and on some special occasions, after dark). My mom would donate a box of ice pops at the beginning of the season (and whenever the supply ran out), and lunches would be switched between the group’s parents at various times. We would have a mix tape (or as we got older, a mix cd) for every year, but one constant song, “The Sign” was always present. It was necessary, it was tradition. We would sing it at the top of our lungs throughout the summer. I still smile every time I hear the song. Its a reminder of more innocent times. **See You Again – Miley Cyrus** The song of the 2008 softball season. Every softball team in the NJAC (the NJ NCAA div 3 conference) has a mix cd for each season. Usually these mix cd’s are completely random and have no relation whatsoever (due to every team being completely different). There was a common thread in the 2008 season, and it was Miley Cyrus’s See You Again. At the beginning of the spring season (so… like January) this song was one of the most popular songs on the radio, so hearing it now and again on mix cd’s was never an issue. Quickly, as the season progressed, the song became very old. It was overplayed on the radio, and EVERYONE had it on their mix cd. There was no escaping the song. Even when I hear it now, there is a cringe. **Lovegame – Lady Gaga** This is a song that will forever be highly awkward, just because of the story. We were playing an away game at Ramapo College. During the warm up time, Lady GaGa’s Lovegame came on the their warm up cd. We were stretching with our coaches sitting right in front of us. For our warm up cd, our coach required everything to be family friendly and appropriate. We have a lot of young girls come to our games to watch and learn, so our music is not just for us, it is for everyone in attendance that day. When this song came on we were all shocked at the inappropriateness of it and everyone was embarrassed. Awkward doesn’t even come close to the amount of emotions going on at that time. That song is perfectly acceptable at the club, or at a party (and in that atmosphere, I have no problem with the song, I like it. It’s creative.) but it was completely unnecessary on the softball field that day, especially with 8 year olds in front of you watching. **Transparent – The Moaning Myrtles** This is the song that fully explains what wizard rock did for me. Wizard rock is not just a niche music genre (well it is, but hear me out). To a lot of people it was a place to make friends as well as a place to break out of their shell. Before I entered this niche of music, I was never one to make friends easily. I was a floater, I was active in a lot of different places, but I never truly fit in anywhere or with anyone. When I found the wizard rock scene I made great friends quickly, and truly found who I was through the community. I was myself here. This song basically puts my experience into music, as well as the experience of many others (of course including the two girls who wrote the song, Lauren and Nina!) **A Conversation with my Demons – The Whomping Willows** The album that this song comes from was not a wizard rock album in my opinion. While it was under the artist’s wizard rock name, this album was an album about the person behind the music, not the character (or in Matt’s case… the tree) that he portrayed in his music. (You see in wizard rock, the band name usually tells you what to expect, With Harry and the Potters, you have two guys dressed as Harry Potter, singing songs from Harry’s point of view, same with Draco and the Malfoys… the Whomping Willows.. sing songs from the tree’s perspective – quite humorous.) Going into listening to this album I knew he had some really bad times in his past, and heck I had some really bad times in my past as well. When I first heard this album I instantly loved it. It was humorous at parts, but at other times, such as this song, it was straight from Matt’s soul. This was him getting rid of his demons, this was him coming completely clean and fully starting over. The first time I heard this song I cried. I cried for Matt, as well as for myself. Hearing your friends face their past, and for them to put it out there in public is a freeing experience. I sometimes even now listen to this song, not out of sadness, but to help me keep my head up. If Matt can face his demons in front of the world, I should be able to as well. It keeps me in check. **What’s Left of the Flag – Flogging Molly** On my college softball team, every senior gets to have at least one song on the mix cd that does not go to vote by the rest of the team. I tend to like pretty much whatever everyone else chooses for our mix cd (we only play 60 seconds of each song… that way we get to have a lot more songs, and a lot more variety). My senior year came up and I had a few songs I would like on the cd, again, most of them were already picked by other girls, so I knew that they would be put on. The only song that was not chosen for the cd by other girls was What’s Left of the Flag. The girl putting together the cd started to listen to the song in front of me. The song starts out a bit slower, and then changes tempo quickly. She started to argue that this was not a song that could pump anyone up, or a song that anyone would like. I told her to wait a minute. When the song switched tempo, her jaw sort of dropped and she started to like it. Later, she mentioned that a lot of my songs were chosen by other people and that I would have a song on the cd. I looked at her and just said “I want What’s Left of the Flag” on the cd, senior choice.” It was the 7th song on the cd, and it quickly became a team favorite. **If You Were Gay / The Internet is for Porn – Avenue Q** Senior year of high school field hockey. We were going to have a rare night practice under the lights because we were going to have a rare night game under the lights in a few days. While the team was in the parking lot waiting for the coaches to arrive, a fellow senior started playing music out of her car. All of a sudden she proclaims: “You all have to listen to these songs, they are very funny. They are from a musical that my Uncle is in, it’s called Avenue Q. It might go to Broadway soon!” So of course, we all crowd around the car. The first song she plays was If You Were Gay. The girl’s uncle was Johnny Tartaglia (who voiced the puppets of Rod and Princeton (male lead) in the original cast of the show). We were all laughing so hard by the time this song was over. Right after the first song, she put on The Internet is for Porn in which caused even more laughter. The coaches still did not turn up, so she continued playing random songs from the cd. I eventually got to go up to NYC and see this show on Broadway, fully enjoying the show even more because of how my discovery of the show occurred. **Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) – Bruce Springsteen** I missed the epic Hold Steady show in Brooklyn where the venue pumped this over the house system and the party ensued. While I did hear about this amazing occurrence, as well as seen various videos of the event on youtube. Being there would have been an amazing story to have in my mixtape list, but alas it is not to be. Why then, do I have it? This song has been strangely present in one way or another during some interesting times recently. I was teaching my brother how to parallel park (which basically determines pass or fail on the NJ test… if you fail parallel parking, test is over), and his ah ha moment happened when this song came on the classic rock station. I was listening to my ipod and this song came on when I got the news that I had passed my praxis (my teaching certification test). I was visiting a friend at TCNJ in the Rat (a restaurant/bar on campus) and hearing some interesting team news (cannot explain fully to you guys.. team stuff) when this song came on the jukebox. The most recent occurrence of this song playing at a weird time was when I was talking to a friend about how this song was played at the show in Brooklyn. I had just finished that line of conversation when again, the song came blasting out of the bar’s jukebox. I don’t know why this song seems to be following me. Maybe I was supposed to be at that show in Brooklyn, and this is the universes way of making it up, or it’s just a complete coincidence that a lot of good things (or random, however you see it) seem to happen when this song is playing, I don’ t mind though, it is my favorite song, from my favorite Bruce album! **Belle – Beauty and the Beast** Everyone has their favorite movie when they were a kid. One (well in my generation) where you watched the movie so much that you wore out the VHS. My movie was Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. While my favorite song from this show is not even in the movie (it is in the play – Human Again) I am using Belle for my story, because there actually is something there. I did not know the origins of the story when I was little, I just liked Beauty and the Beast because Belle had brown hair (LIKE ME) and when the movie came out, I was the target audience. Now I fully understand the story, I understand the origins of the story, and I know what Disney did to it to make it marketable (like most of their adaptations of fairy tales.) While taking French in high school we had the option of watching this movie, but not in English, we had to watch it in French (since the DVD gave us the option). In high school, I fell in love with this movie again, and the love was instant. Belle is chosen as the song for this story because when I first watched the movie in French (around 3rd/4th year…) for the first time, it was the first song that I completely understood the French language in. It may have been because I knew the songs so well in English, or it may have just been the timing of watching that movie, and my AHA moment in the class, but I will always remember finally being able to know what was going on during a French language movie that did not have subtitles. **My Dad is Rich – Draco and the Malfoys** I have seen Draco and the Malfoys perform a large number of times. At first, before the first song was sung, I found it quite funny that everything they did was a complete parody to Harry and the Potters. I also found it funny that you couldn’t find two guys that looked less like the character of Draco Malfoy (Harry and the Potters look like Harry Potter). The first song of Draco and the Malfoys I ever remember hearing live is My Dad is Rich. It is a delightful song about how the Malfoys have money, and Harry’s parents are dead. While the two performing look nothing like Draco Malfoy, they get his character to a T through their lyrics. They pack that punch of ‘evil’ just enough to make it believable. It also helps that the boys are also in character the entire show, taking jabs at the Potter’s, and whatever other character they decide on mocking at the time (usually Harry, or Weasleys). This song is probably the second most popular DatM song… with the first being their cover/filk of 99 Red Balloons – 99 Death Eaters. This was the first song of theirs to make me laugh out loud… In fact I believe that I sprayed a room with water the first time I heard this song. They got it just right, the right amount of maliciousness mixed with the right amount of humor. **Defying Gravity – Wicked** This song is one huge fuck you, and that is why I completely relate to it. In high school I was never one to fit in anywhere. I floated around yes, and was accepted places, but I never found where I FIT. I saw this play in the middle of high school, and yet the message never fully clicked until after I had graduated. Elphaba (or the wicked witch of the west) gives up everything that she ever wanted, to do what was right. When I finally realized the implications of this song, I knew it was a plea for everyone to do what they believe in. I finally got this message in college. I stopped caring what people thought of me, I started being myself, and I have ended up happier than I would have if I did the exact opposite. **Don’t Stop Believing – Journey** This is a song that was also overplayed on many softball mix cd’s throughout the years I played in the NJAC, but the overplaying is not the story here, the story is how much Coack K hated the song. Coach K was an assistant coach on the team, and she would normally be the one who warmed us up in the batting cages before the game. We of course had this song on our mix cd (luckily it was only 60 seconds of the song) and the first time it was played, Coach K started to complain. We thought it was funny. We then started to notice that whoever was in the cage when this song came on the mix cd, was going to be challenged a lot. For the rest of that season, I tried to be in the batting cage during this 60 second period. The song angered her so much, she hated it so much, that she would pitch to beat us. It was some of the best practice ever! One practice that season when we were playing the cd (because we desperately needed music) she screamed for us to turn it off. So, of course, what do we do the next three years, put this song on the mix cd – I wasn’t the only one who figured out that there was more of a challenge when this song was playing. (the next three years she just sort of rolled her eyes at us over this song. She knew it was there just for us to be annoying.) **Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd** It was my freshman year in college, middle of the spring semester actually. It was starting to get warm outside, and the campus was becoming lively again. One night, my roommate’s best friend comes to our dorm, and she is really upset. There was a kid missing on her floor, no one had seen him since the night before, and campus police were searching the entire floor for information. We talked and we all decided that it really was just an overreaction, but little did we know the chaos that was about to ensue. The missing kid was John Fiocco Jr, and if you were paying attention to the national news at this time in spring 2006, you know the story of how he was missing, there was a huge search. Blood was then found in the trash chute of his dorm, and then near the trash bins. John was later found in a landfill in Pennsylvania, and to this day the who, what, and why of this tragedy has never been discovered. That next morning, all three of us (My roommate’s friend never go the call that she could return to her dorm, so she slept over) were awoken by a campus police officer banging on our door. The police were asking everyone who lived in the towers (Travers and Wolfe. I lived in Travers with my roommate, and her friend (as well as John) lived in the connected tower of Wolfe (my roommate’s friend and John actually lived on the same floor)) where they were the night that John disappeared, if we knew John, and a whole bunch of other questions. If this wasn’t enough, security throughout campus was increased, which meant that it was nearly impossible to get around campus without feeling like you were in a different world. Later that week, the news vans showed up, and you were being attacked walking into your dorm, going to eat, walking to class. The media was horrible. Soon the campus made the media stay in a parking lot away from any academic buildings and residence halls. It was close to some huge tests and students were starting to get annoyed. We needed to blow off some steam. I was writing some huge freshman paper for a class we have to take freshman year, and my roommate was busy with a project for her Russian class. We were fried from being harassed by the media for living in the adjacent dorm of the kid who was missing, and the rumors flying around campus didn’t help either. We needed a release. My roommate had her iPod on and Free Bird came on. We both looked at each other, she cranked the music up, and we went out into the hallway and danced. We danced for the entire song. A few of our floor mates heard the music, and saw what we were doing and joined us. It wasn’t about the song, it was about needing a release. **Colors of the Wind – Disney’s Pocahontas** Being Greek and Italian means I tan easily. When I was younger, saying that I tanned easily was a complete understatement, I tanned in 30 seconds in the sun, and for the entire summer I was always, always very dark skinned (I actually have to try now.) It was the summer that Disney released Pocahontas, and of course I was out playing the entire summer. That summer I had gained the lovely privileged of being allowed anywhere in the area that we live, not just around the block, but anywhere in the area. This freedom was great, a lot more kids to play with, and with new kids to play with, new parents to interact with as well. One of the parents immediately identified me as looking like Pocahontas, and the name stuck. That entire summer I was either called that or the reference came up some way or another. **End of an Era – Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls** In the winter of 2006, most Harry Potter fans thought that it wasn’t going to be until 2008 when we would receive the final installment of the Harry Potter series. We were all theorizing this and that. Christmas came, and the huge announcement was made. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be released on July 21st 2008\. We were shocked, it had taken longer than that for the 6th installment to come out, and waiting for the 5th book was a nightmare. Flash forward to the end of spring beginning of summer. There was a song, End of an Era by Oliver Boyd and the Rememberalls (one man band). It became the song of the summer. It was a semi-sad song, one about how the series was coming to an end, but how we would not forget our friends we had made because of the series. This song made me think, what is going to happen to the fandom as the series comes to an end. Yes we would have the movies (but they usually just caused aggravation to the book fans), and yes we would still have the internet (where most of fandom occurred) but we would not have the anticipation of the next book to keep the interest. The wizard rock portion of the fandom insisted that they would continue to pay shows as long as their was a fan demand for the shows to be played. This statement has proven to be true, it is 3 years after the final installment has come out, and the wizard rock portion of fandom has pretty much remained constant. Bands are still writing new music (they are taking a lot more liberties, but still, new music is new music) bands are still playing shows, and fans are still attending those shows. This song just hit a chord that year. It is now a song that makes me smile, where that summer, it made me contemplate what may/could have been. **Tick Tock – Stevie Ray Vaughan** This was a constant song of my childhood and will always be remind me of my father. One summer my father decided to put a sound system in the back porch so there could be music for gardening, swimming, and general entertainment. My dad listens to a lot of blues and one album he had was Stevie Ray Vaughn. Tick Tock People came on and my little brothers fell in love with it. Soon every time we were outside with dad, the song had to be played. Until the song was played, my brothers would chant TICK TOCK, TICK TOCK until our father relented and finally put the song over the speakers. I remember one time well, where we were all gathered in the porch doing something (what it was is insignificant.) We all danced around and sang along to the song. I got to dance with my dad, and even dance with my brothers (we were all little). While it is something small, it is something significant that I will always cherish. **Most People are DJs – The Hold Steady** It was your favorite song of theirs ( I say was, because I really don’t know if it currently is your favorite song of theirs anymore.) I remember the dinner we went to at the crepe place before the show. How it was kinda awkward. I associated that place with friends (I still do, most of my meals there have been large parties of friends), but that night it was just the two of us and the lights were low, and I think it was more ‘date’ like than we both wanted. When we got to TLA you confessed the one song you wanted to hear was DJs. I wanted to hear “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” (which, seriously… I should have known that it was going to be played.) We were up front and there was a lot of violent pushing and shoving going on. You stood behind me, taking the brunt of the violence, whether or not you meant to do this or not, I remember how protective of me you were that night. I don’t remember if it was the end of the set, or during the encore but when the first chords of this song came on, you were so happy. I remember the look on your face, and your whoop of appreciation. (I remember now.. it was during the encore, because the next song was Killer Parties, and there was a stage invasion. You helped me up to the stage when I was too scared to go on the stage myself, you boosted me up, while Franz pulled me by the arm.) I think of you every time I hear this song now… “a thousand kids will fall in love in all these clubs tonight.” Well it wasn’t that night when it happened, but somehow, someway, I fell for you. While I know you probably don’t feel the same, it’s out in the open now, and I have to say that it’s a bit freeing to finally say it. ### John Nagle's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/john-nagles-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-04-04T16:09:42.000Z *“The Best Mixtape I Have”* **George Harrison: “I Got My Mind Set On You”** My parents got MTV and a VCR around the same time. When my dad saw a video he liked, he taped it. “I Got My Mind Set on You” was the first video on the tape, and the first music video I ever saw. I didn’t know anything about song structure, or lyrics, or even that George Harrison was a Beatle, I just liked the way his vocals melded with the kick drum. Fine Young Cannibals: “She Drives Me Crazy” “She Drives Me Crazy” also begins with a pounding kick drum, but Dave Cox’s guitar was what hooked me. I can hear the riff in my head to this day. If you listen hard enough, you can hear “fallen logo,” whatever that means. I went through three copies of The Raw and the Uncooked before my third copy mysteriously disappeared. I guess someone was tired of hearing Roland Gift’s falsetto 3,000 times a day. **The Beatles: “She Loves You”** The Beatles are so ubiquitous in our house that it’s a miracle I can still listen to them. When music nerds name their favorite Beatles song, they usually try to go as obscure as possible. Screw that. *Abbey Road* is my favorite album, 1965-1966 is my favorite period, but “She Loves You” is the best thing the Beatles ever did. Every time I hear McCartney hit the final “be glad,” I wonder what it’s like to feel that kind of joy. **Smashing Pumpkins: “Today”** Travis Brown was as cool as a kid could be in the third grade. Travis had a much older sister, so he had unlimited access to popular culture. When his sister discovered The Smashing Pumpkins, he became obsessed with them. He even wrote a story about them in Storybook Weaver. I can’t remember the plot, but it probably involved Billy Corgan riding around in a van solving mysteries. I think he wore a kerchief. I wanted to be cool like Travis, so I took my allowance to Waxie Maxie’s and spent the astronomical sum of $12.99 for a *Siamese Dream* cassette. It was the first album I bought with my own money. **Green Day: “When I Come Around”** I was the only suburban kid in the United States that didn’t own a copy of *Dookie*. My mom’s best friend told her that it was the worst thing she had ever heard, so I was told that it would never enter the house. Oddly enough, she had no problems with NWA’s 1988 opus, Straight Outta Compton. Figure that one out. **No Doubt: “Sunday Morning,” Hootie and the Blowfish: “Time,” Bush: “Greedy Fly”** These records started thousands of collections, including mine. We all began by listening to the radio and copying our friends. Then you either continue on the main road, or travel down the rocky road of music geekdom. **Guns n’ Roses: “It’s So Easy”** My family belongs to an exclusive country club. At the end of the summer, they have a back to school cookout. I was always forced to attend. During one of these cookouts, I was playing catch with a group of kids. The ringleader decided that he wanted to play football in the volleyball pit, which is covered in sand. I asked if we could play somewhere else, since my wheelchair can’t go in sand. He flatly refused, and the kids left me there. As I was going back to our table, the DJ played Dave Matthews’ “Ants Marching.” I remember thinking, “I am going to find the exact opposite of this.” When I went to the record store the next day, I found a little record called *Appetite for Destruction*. The cover was a crucifix with five skulls on it. The dudes on the back were drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. The one in the corner was wearing leather pants and had a look on his face that said “If you fuck with me, I will beat the shit out of you.” I took it home, and Axl Rose became my first musical confidant. He was saying everything I wanted to say, but couldn’t. My favorite track on *Appetite for Destruction* is “It’s So Easy,” because of this line: “I see you standing there/you think you’re so cool/why don’t you just FUCK OFF!” Those kids couldn’t fuck with me anymore. I had Axl, Slash, Duff and Izzy on my side. **Poison: “Talk Dirty to Me”** Poison is the most significant band of my teenage years. Some of you are probably rolling your eyes, but put yourself in my Chuck Taylors for a second. Imagine you are in a body cast for two months. After you get the cast taken off, you have to spend three weeks in the hospital for rehab. After you get out of the hospital, you have to go to a special school so you can get physical therapy every day. The teacher hates you for no apparent reason. You have no confidence in yourself whatsoever. Then you hear a song about the most glorious, sinful, carnal, inappropriate, un-Catholic sex in the world, sung by the coolest guy you have ever seen. Instead of telling you to go away, he invites you to join the party. You’d take him up on it, right? **Limp Bizkit: “Hot Dog”** If you are a white male born between the years 1984 to 1987, you have a Limp Bizkit record in your collection. You may listen to Grizzly Bear now, but you once gave it all for the nookie. I spent many lunch periods discussing the pure awesomeness of Limp Bizkit with my esteemed associates, Jeremy and Steve. Fred Durst was like, so cool man. We eagerly awaited the release of *Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water*, which was going to be the Sgt. Pepper of our generation. Brother Fred was going to reveal some deep truths. Finally, after months of anticipation, the big day arrived. My mom took me down to Waves music and I proudly gave my allowance to the clerk. He rolled his eyes as he rang me up, but what did he know? I raced home, put the sacred disc in my Sony boombox and shut the door. One day, I was going to tell my grandchildren about this moment. My ears were greeted with this: “CHOCOLATE STARFISH!” What? That was weird. Why is Fred breaking the fourth wall? What does he have against Trent Reznor? Does he really need to say “fuck” 45 times? I listened to the album five times in a row and came to a conclusion. “This album sucks.” My inner critic had arrived. **The Replacements: “Unsatisfied”** I discovered *Let it Be* without any recommendation from Spin or Rolling Stone. I found it in a Best Buy one day, and was impressed that they had the balls to steal a title from The Beatles. I was the perfect age. Paul Westerberg became my second musical confidant. If Axl Rose said the things I couldn’t say, Westerberg was articulating the way I felt. I was sixteen, stuck in the suburbs wondering when life would begin. Paul didn’t have the answers to my questions, but he let me vent. **Pretty Boy Floyd: “Wild Angels”** All music geeks have asked themselves this question: If you could make any album in the world, what would it be? Most people would say *Blonde on Blonde*, *Sgt. Pepper* or *OK Computer*. Not me. If I could make any album in the world, it would be *Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz*. Poison was my gateway drug to hair metal. By my senior year in high school, I listened to them all; Skid Row, Motley Crue, LA Guns, Ratt, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P., Danger Danger, Faster Pussycat, Stryper, Whitesnake, Dokken, I could go on for days. If a band had big hair and obscenely tight pants, I bought their record no questions asked. By 2003, the critical opinion of hair metal had slightly shifted. It still sucked, but you could like it ironically. In the spirit of irony, Spin ran a cover story about the Sunset Strip. At the end of the story, the author singled out Pretty Boy Floyd as the band that killed hair metal. Wow. That was a pretty strong statement. I had to hear that record. I mean, they killed an entire genre. The album was long out of print, so it took me about six months to track down a copy of *Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz*. It was worth the wait. *Leather Boyz With Electric Toyz* is not the record that killed hair metal. If it had been handled properly, it would have saved it. PBF are not great musicians or talented lyricists, but they captured the sheer joy of rock n’ roll. They never aspire to be anything more than the most over the top glam band in the world. When Steve “Sex” Summers talks about running away to Hollywood and rocking all night long (like he never could), he means it. I played this record for a friend recently, and he put it best. “This is the sound of hair metal clawing its way back.” Indeed. **Butch Walker: “Mixtape/”Best Thing You Never Had”** “Mixtape” and “Best Thing You Never Had” are forever linked in my mind. One represents the awkward joy of telling someone how you feel, while the other is the pain of unrequited love. I had discovered Butch Walker in my freshman year of college. I bought his first solo album, *Left of Self Centered*, on a whim. I liked him a lot, but Letters changed my life. Throughout high school, I was in love with a girl. We sat next to each other in history class, and eventually became friends. She would argue with her boyfriend and then come crying to me. I would tell her how beautiful she was and how he didn’t deserve her, yadda yadda yadda. This went on for almost three years. The week Letters came out, we had a huge fight. I don’t remember what it was about, but we stopped talking. “Best Thing You Never Had” summed up our relationship in four minutes and 30 seconds. I spent a lot of time riding around Towson playing that record over and over again. Butch tried to tell me it would be OK, but I didn’t believe him. In the fall of 2005, I met a girl named Monica. She complimented my Nine Inch Nails patch. We went out to dinner, watched John Cusack movies, and went to wrestling. It was a mutual thing rather than a one-sided therapy session. After a couple months, I had to tell her how I felt and I chose Butch Walker’s words; “You gave me the best mixtape I have. Even the sad songs ain’t so sad. I just wish there was so much more than that, about me and you.” She cried. Although it didn’t work out romantically between us, Monica is one of my best friends. Butch was right. **Bob Dylan: “Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat”** I bought my first copy of *Blonde on Blonde* because it was on sale. I thought I had finally sold out. After years of decrying the rock critics who pretentiously worshipped Dylan, Sonic Youth and Pavement, I had crossed the line. I was treating it like the musical equivalent of Schindler’s List; nobody wants to see that film, but you have to. I think you can guess what happened. It’s B*londe on Blonde*. I like Pavement and Sonic Youth now too. My fourteen year old-self wants to kick my ass. **The Rolling Stones: “Sister Morphine”** Like every other person with Baby Boomer parents, I was exposed to The Rolling Stones at an early age. The first album I ever heard was *Steel Wheels*. *Steel Wheels* is a decent album, but it’s a latter day Stones album. The Stones were not really a band in 1988, but a corporation. My mom told me that she wasn’t allowed to listen to the Rolling Stones, because they were bad boys. I looked at the pleasantly wrinkled face of Mick Jagger and wondered what was so threatening. I didn’t find out until many years later. I bought *Sticky Fingers, Beggars Banquet* and *Let it Bleed*. When I heard *Sticky Fingers* in its entirety for the first time, I understood. The Rolling Stones were not always elder statesmen who performed “Satisfaction” to stadiums of yuppies. Sticky Fingers shows a weary band mired in drug addiction. Jagger’s voice is so weary that you feel like you have done heroin with him. **David Bowie: “Lady Stardust”** I’ve always been fascinated with David Bowie, because I’m fascinated with the idea of personal transformation. How did a kid with an ordinary name become a bisexual space alien sent to save Earth? Bowie has something that not many people have anymore; complete and total mystique. When people talk about David Bowie, they usually talk about his recurring motifs, but he’s also one of the most underrated singers of the rock era. “Life on Mars?” is the best known, but “Lady Stardust” is my favorite vocal showcase of his. He lets his vocals soar without overdoing the pyrotechnics. “Lady Stardust” is a masterpiece of grandeur and restraint. **Elvis Presley: “Unchained Melody”** The King has entered the Eternal Mixtape. I spent way too long debating which Elvis song to include here. I almost went with “Suspicious Minds,” which is his masterpiece and my favorite Elvis song. Then I switched to “Jailhouse Rock,” which was the first Elvis song I ever heard. Then I decided to go really obscure and pick something like “(Marie’s the Name) His Latest Flame,” or “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road.” I even considered my two least favorite Elvis songs, “No Room to Rumba in a Sports Car” and “Who Needs Money?” so I could argue for his greatness. I went with the song that revived my love for Elvis, and turned him into my favorite artist of all time. I went through a brief but intense Elvis phase as a kid. When I grew out of it, I started to subscribe to the theory that Elvis was flat out racist and plain (motherfuck him and John Wayne). I had no grounds for believing this theory, other than what I read in music magazines. Then Rolling Stone pointed me to this video of Elvis singing “Unchained Melody” during his final concert. He’s fat, bloated, and dripping with sweat, but he summons the notes from the depths of his soul. When he hits the first few high notes, the suit, the fat and the bloat melt away. He is the King again. I think I have something in my eye. **Bruce Springsteen: “No Surrender” (live, acoustic)** On his blockbuster album Born in the USA, “No Surrender” is a fun song. On this version, recorded during the Born in the USA tour, The Boss strips it down to the bare essentials. It’s just his guitar and his words. He sums it up so succinctly: “Here’s one for friendship.” Bruce’s best songs are about friendship and loyalty, and this one is my favorite. **Cheap Trick: “Clock Strikes Ten”** “I’m not going to cry this time,” I thought, as I prepared to see Cheap Trick for the third time. “They are just a band. I see bands almost every week. It’s only Cheap Trick.” My resolution lasted about 30 seconds. I can’t really explain why Cheap Trick makes me so happy, but they do. They are my vision of a perfect rock band. They have the matinee idols, but they also have two nerds. Rick Nielsen’s guitar riffs are really heavy, but are offset by killer harmonies. The choruses are big, but the lyrics are complicated. Christ, I sound like a Pitchfork writer. I think it can be summed up in one sentence: “ON THE DRUMS, MR. BUN E. CARLOS!” If that doesn’t get you, nothing will. **Radiohead: “Black Star”** My first exposure to Radiohead was in the ninth grade. My best friend, Steve, had a crush on a girl who liked them. He went out and bought *Kid A*, which was their newest release at the time. He listened to it for about three weeks and then went back to Disturbed. I inherited Steve’s copy of *Kid A*, and I didn’t get it either. So because I was fourteen, I decided that I didn’t like Radiohead, even though I’d never heard anything else. By my sophomore year of college, I was more enlightened. I was listening to everything, from The Smiths to John Coltrane. Since I was giving everything else a chance, it was time to reevaluate Radiohead. But where to begin? I went to the record store that weekend and bought *The Bends*, because I knew “Fake Plastic Trees.” When I finished the album, I understood Radiohead. Why did I respond to *The Bends*, but not Kid A, which is their masterpiece? It’s quite simple; *The Bends* is an arena rock record. The songs had riffs, choruses, bridges and hooks. The conventional structures were twisted with avant guard flourishes; a tape loop here, distortion there. It’s easy to get sucked in. From there you get *OK Computer* and then go into *Kid A*. Once I had a firm foundation in Radiohead’s music, I understood *Kid A*. My experience with Radiohead taught me that a gateway is everything. If you are looking to get into an established band and get the wrong record, it can influence your opinion for years to come. If only I’d heard *The Bends* first. **The Gaslight Anthem: “High Lonesome”** As an acclaimed music journalist, I have to listen to a lot of music. Once in a while, I encounter something that reminds me why I started writing about music in the first place. “High Lonesome” is one of them. **Ramones: “Cretin Hop”** Finally, “Cretin Hop” has been on every mixtape I’ve made since I was seventeen. Why break tradition? This tape only scratches the surface of my musical life. Here are some songs that missed the cut. Skid Row: Monkey Business Warrant: Heaven Metallica: One Pantera: Revolution Is My Name Marvelous 3: Beautiful Prince & The Revolution: When You Were Mine Elvis Costello: Hand in Hand Joe Jackson: Happy Loving Couples The Smiths: I Know It’s Over Thin Lizzy: Romeo and the Lonely Girl The Faces: Flying Notorious BIG: Big Poppa The Hold Steady: Constructive Summer The Clash: Brand New Cadillac Iron Maiden: Aces High The Ronettes: Be My Baby ### Brendan Hilliard's Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/brendan-hilliards-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2014-10-08T11:54:03.000Z I’m not quite comfortable with the fact that the work for this project is done. I’ve learned that it’s always going to remain unfinished, despite my best efforts. There are still songs out there that I have yet to hear. There’s still those songs that I’ve heard and have yet found a meaning for. That’s both exciting and frustrating. Many of these stories I’ve never shared before with anyone. That was the real challenge of creating an Eternal Mixtape, committing these memories and feelings to words. There were difficulties translating the vision in my head to the final result you see here. I did my best to overcome that. This project has been liberating. It represents for me is the end of an era in my life. I’m ready to close this chapter and start a new one. Thanks for the support and encouragement of all the people who worked along with me on this project. It means more than you can imagine. Also, I wanted to give big thanks to those brave souls who helped me edit. For those just reading, I hope the littlest bit of something you see here inspires you to make your own Eternal Mixtape and share your stories. [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mixtape-272x300.jpg?resize=272%2C300 "mixtape")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mixtape.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) ——— **Kokomo – Beach Boys (1988)** It’s the first song I remember. It’s the memory of the “Welcome to Chicago” sign at dusk while entering O’Hare for the first time. It’s an innocuous recollection of Alan Krashesky anchoring an ABC7 newscast. Also, it’s Luke Mycyk and I claiming we knew ‘every word’ when we were eight and then singing nothing but the chorus while on the swing set in my backyard. Despite the fact that it’s not *truly* a Beach Boys song and I’m old enough to know better doesn’t really hold any weight. I’ve said many times before that “Kokomo” may be my favorite song of all time. I suspect it’s because of those memories that it conjures, not because I really appreciate how it sounds. There’s a lot of random images that come to mind when I hear this song, and none are about being on a beach. I like it that way. **Got My Mind Set On You – George Harrison (1988)** I don’t think I’ll forgive myself for including anything that Jeff Lynne has put his stink on, but that’s what the idea of this whole project was: warts and all. When it comes down to it, this was a hell of a cover song. Also, It’s entirely successful at appealing to a toddler who can appreciate a good hook. The second (and far superior) music video to this song features a stuffed squirrel playing a pipe as if it were a saxophone. If that is not meaningful to you, eat a dick. **Listen To The Music – Doobie Brothers (Summer 1991)** Misery. That’s what this one is. I must have been no older than five when I first heard this song, on one of the oldies stations during an excruciatingly long car ride to a lumber yard with my parents. That summer day was blazing hot, unfathomably bright, and made my head sweat something fierce. Zapped of every last ounce of energy, I laid my head back against the seat, my bare legs kept sticking to the hot vinyl seat, begging my parents to turn the air on even though all the windows were open. Through every moment, those soaring voices on the radio kept telling me to listen to the song. It was awful. **Karma Chameleon – Culture Club (1991-1993)** I remember listening to this album on the stereo system in our living room and staring at the cover of an effeminate looking Boy George, asking my parents frequently if he was “really a boy”. It was some time later that I learned that “Well, that’s just what some dudes do.” Culture Club has left an elephantine impact on my musical consciousness, mainly because I heard them ALL THE TIME, and it’s one of the four groups I can guarantee that my dad will listen to. The others? Late 60’s Stones, AC/DC, and Hootie and the Blowfish. Why Culture Club? He doesn’t have even the slightest propensity towards new wave, or even any real knowledge of anything else that came out during the 1980’s. Why such a niche group? It’s one of life’s mysteries. Let me ask you this, though: Does your dad make “Church of the Frozen Mind” jokes? **Don’t Speak – No Doubt (February 14, 1996)** The 1990’s were a musically-deficient decade in my life. I didn’t care at all, except for “Weird” Al Yankovic, The Beatles *Anthology 3*, and that week where I begged my mom to let me get *Jagged Little Pill* by Alanis Morrisette. (She said no.) Oh, and No Doubt. When I was ten, I loved *Tragic Kingdom*. I mean, at least the singles that everyone knew. I don’t think I still know anything else on it. Every Saturday morning early in 1996, I’d go downstairs and sit in the kitchen watching VH1’s Top 20 countdown. “Don’t Speak” and “Lovefool” by the Cardigans would trade the top spot for what seemed like months. There was so much going on in the “Don’t Speak” video. It was a third “performing in a warehouse”, a third “doing a photo shoot where the dudes were cropped out in favor of Gwen” and a third of “performing in a club”. How these elements created an effective video is something I still wonder. Gwen was all over the place in the performance clip. She was mesmerizing, even to a little kid. The band seemed wild. Also, I really liked that song “Spiderwebs” because it had horns. I never understood why anyone liked “Lovefool”. The video was stupid and their singer looked really bored. She probably was. **Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (October 1999)** You never forget your first time. You’ve got butterflies. You’re nervous, but there’s an energy that keeps you going farther. You’ve been waiting for this moment your entire life, prepared as much as you can, and constantly daydreamed what it would be like. Then it comes in one big rush. This is what it was like when I purchased *Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix.* Until then, music was incidental. I actively tried not to find anything to listen to. All it took to change was an episode of *WCW Monday Nitro*. Yeah. Pro wrestling. “Voodoo Child” was Hulk Hogan’s theme music. I thought the way the guitar sounded was something that no one would ever be able to duplicate. There was so much noise coming out of one instrument. It was colossal. Hendrix experimented with so many styles in a short period of time, and the disc is a great sampler of that. It’s the one that opened the door and showed me the real possibilities of music. **Dear Prudence – The Beatles (Fall 2000, Winter 2001)** Any true music fan I’ve ever known has gone through a very serious and very crucial Beatles phase. This happened at a big moment: when I switched from St. Edward Central Catholic High School to Dundee-Crown High School. St. Ed’s was a miserable experience. I entered the school as a public school kid for life, and with only eight other kids from my middle school attending. I was awkward, very shy, and completely destroyed that I wasn’t going to school with the rest of my friends. To add to this, I resented the fact that most of the kids I was going to school with were mostly rich kids or were part of a long family lineage. Without provocation, these kids obviously were not chill with the fact that I had a bowlcut and bad posture. This got me the nickname “Quazi”, after the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I remember the really hot girl turning to me in History class and calling me it for no real good reason. Balls. I cried for weeks and pleaded with my parents to leave the school. For a while, it didn’t work, and the Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers I was listening to wasn’t giving me a lot of comfort. During one of my regular Best Buy trips (my record store of choice as a kid, gross, I know), I picked up the Beatles *1* compilation on a whim. From “Love Me Do” to “The Long and Winding Road”, I had found myself playing in an entirely new ballgame. Whatever bad vibes I had from the school day were gone them moment I came home and put one of their records on. I left St. Ed’s for Dundee-Crown a few months later. While that another set of changes, they stayed the same. At fifteen, The Beatles were my salvation. **Sorrow – Bad Religion (Fall 2001)** It’s not so much that September 11 didn’t have a tangible impact on me (I don’t think I realized the gravity of what had happened until many years later) but geographically, I was so far away and lived a life where I couldn’t possibly imagine something that catastrophic happening so close to home. It was another image of a far away place on TV. For quite some time, MTV played music videos about songs full of hope (a hastily put together video for “Freedom” by Paul McCartney, U2’s “One”, and the stark and stellar “Gone” by \*N’Sync). But it wasn’t until the dust had settled (both figuratively and literally) did a song pop out of the woodwork that I understood: the entirely understated “Sorrow” by Bad Religion. Perhaps it’s not entirely about the tragedy, but it’s the song I immediately attribute to the time period. Simply, It’s a beautiful little power ballad by a band that doesn’t usually make beautiful little power ballads. **When The Stars Go Blue – Ryan Adams (November 23, 2001)** There is nothing more stigmatizing to the idiot music listener than this phrase: “I really like everything, except for country.” Dirty, dirty words. I was that idiot. The idiot who stood at Best Buy under the section titled RYAN ADAMS, praying that no one would see me pick *Gold* up out of the rack, and take it to the cash register. The idiot who was buying a New Order greatest hits album along with it so he didn’t feel so goddamn embarrassed. I was doing this because *Rolling Stone* told me to. I’ve harbored a not-so-secret ambition for many years to write a music review for the publication. I used to love scrutinizing the pages of each issue, listening to the bands based on the recommendations of the writers. I was dazzled by the wordiness of some, and frustrated by the brevity of others. *This was something I wanted to do,* I told myself. Listening to Nirvana and Lucky Boys Confusion wouldn’t cut it if I ever wanted to make it big. *“Sixteen-year-old boys don’t listen to country, much less ‘alt-country’,”* I thought. I took a step back. *“But Elton John really loved ‘Heartbreaker’…”* I took two steps forward. *“Widen your horizons.”* I snapped it up and beelined to the register. **Hurricane – Something Corporate (Spring 2002)** Immediately with that acoustic guitar noodling, I’m transformed back into that pimply, metal-mouthed, bowlcutted sixteen year old. We’re riding in Jordan’s brown 1988 Taurus, expounding on our love for our these pop songs, belting out the lyrics with complete earnestness. We’d comment on how amazing this song was and played our favorite songs off the newest albums by Incubus and Red Hot Chili Peppers. These were the red-and-khaki Target days, the Steak N’ Shake-after-work nights, swimming-in-Luke’s-pool-with-an-Aspen-t-shirt summers. No bills to pay, no real big responsibilities, no one had babies yet – in fact, very few of us had even seriously kissed a girl. **Falling For You – Weezer (July 11, 2002)** Weezer were my Hold Steady before The Hold Steady was my Hold Steady. My love/hate relationship with Weezer over the years has been well documented – so much so, I’m tired of writing about them, so I’ll keep it brief. Here’s where I’m at now: I feel like a parent who’s child quit medical school to become a garbage man. That said, *Pinkerton* is still magic. It’s holding as my favorite record of all time (tied with *Boys and Girls in America*, of course.) I don’t think I’ve ever dissected a piece of music so intensely as that. Eight years and hundreds of listens later, I’m still finding things on it that I’ve never heard before. Way to set the bar and give up trying, dudes. **Echo – Incubus (August 27, 2002)** On August 27, 2002, my friend Luke fell off the back of a moving automobile and fractured his skull in two places. When we found him, he was unconscious, facing the opposite direction from which he fell, and bleeding from his head. It was horrifying. After being admitted to the hospital, he was put in a six-day medically induced coma to reduce the impact of swelling on his brain. No one knew if he’d really come out of it. I was walking to a mutual friend’s house the next day when I passed his house. This song was playing in my ears as I glanced at his emerald green Jeep Cherokee. It was in the driveway where it always was, but he wasn’t. We didn’t know if he was ever going to be there again. It finally seeped in: *This is real. This is actually happening.* No one I knew had ever been sick before. No one had died. My world was a big bubble. “Echo” is the sound of it popping. **Big In Japan – Tom Waits (Fall 2002)** Mike Pearson, my English teacher during my junior year of high school, was one of the coolest teachers I ever had. I can’t speak for my classmates, but I looked forward to his class every day, partially because I enjoyed the class, and because we had something in common. Music. Before teaching, Mike was the guitar player in the legendary Chicago punk band the Blue Meanies. It wasn’t long after that I started asking him a bunch of questions and we got to trading music. I have no idea what I possibly could have made him copies of, but I still have the small collection of albums he gave to me. Some of these albums have changed my life. Others, I’m still trying to understand. Records like Talking Heads *Remain In Light*. Gang of Four’s *Entertainment/Yellow EP*, Frank Zappa’s *Lumpy Gravy* and *We’re Only In It For The Money*. Brainiac’s bizzare *Hissing Prigs in Static Couture* and finally, *Mule Variations* by Tom Waits, which I’m not sure I even get *now*. Regardless, I absolutely loved this song. I’d never heard anything like the albums he gave me. They changed my listening experience permanently. For that, I’m eternally grateful to him. **Ressurection – The Misfits (Fall 2002)** My familiarity with the Misfits begins with “Last Caress,” makes a pit stop with “Die, Die My Darling,” and ends with this, a tossed off cut from their 1997 American Psycho album with Michale Graves, who’s probably known more for his conservative political views than being Danzig’s replacement. I have fond memories of the fall of 2002, riding around with Ty Lederer in his little beater car, talking about punk rock, (what we thought were) cool jams from Phish records and most importantly, his steadfast view that “Civil War” by Guns N’ Roses was one of the best songs they’d ever recorded. I still don’t understand that one. He’d play this song for me on those car rides, doing his best to convince me that this was even better than one of the Danzig compositions. He may be right, for all I know. I liked the song a lot and I still do. At that time, I was just glad that I had a friend who loved music just as passionately as I did. **This Time – Smashing Pumpkins (July 22, 2003)** If 2003 had a sound, this was it. (Well, this and Justin Timberlake. Many sweaty car rides were to “Senorita”. Rightfully so. That track is HOT.) This dewey-eyed little number was really about the first breakup of the Pumpkins, when Billy still had some goodwill to spread – but for me, I’ve re-appropriated it to soundtrack my first kiss, my first heartbreak, and a really good time with some really good new friends. It never was really easy for me with girls in high school, which I’m sure was the case for a lot of dudes at seventeen, so the first time a girl really liked me, or gave me the idea that maybe she liked me was a pretty big deal. “This Time” is the nonsensical moments hanging out doing nothing that crystalize and feel pure and perfect, and replay endlessly through your head for years. It’s the sound of going to Six Flags Great America and riding my first rollercoaster. It’s the sound of watching *Some Like It Hot*, *Kramer vs. Kramer* and *The Bridge on the River Kwai* all in a row leading up to the first big kiss. It’s also the sound of the girl abruptly leaving, crying after she kissed me because she thought she made a mistake.\* I said dewey-eyed, didn’t I? *\*It’s cool. We made out a couple days later.* **Train In Vain (Stand By Me) – The Clash (November 19-23, 2003)** File *London Calling* under “should be issued at birth”. (Along with Journey’s *Greatest Hits,* a DVD copy of *The Good, The Bad and the Ugly*, as well as, um…a Chipotle gift card?) It’s that essential. The Clash exist in a precipice between the easy and accessible, and the intelligent and complex. No matter what type of music fan you are, you can find something to like about their sound. At seventeen, any semi-serious listener is undergoing this transformation. “Train In Vain” is the story of my trip to Washington D.C. with my Journalism class. I was a senior in high school, had never been away from home without my family, and I was faced with the prospect of being my own boss for five days. It was awesome. I got to know my classmates better, took the Metro pretty much everywhere, stood where Reagan was shot, and even got the opportunity to tour the Pentagon. (It’s huge and has a Sbarro. Sold.) The best part? Anonymity. During my free time, I’d take off down the streets, wander into restaurants and record stores, completely faceless and unrecognizable to residents. It was intoxicating being in a new city with a whole new set of possibilities. I’ve never forgotten that, and I’ve been in love with that feeling ever since. **Float On – Modest Mouse (Summer 2004)** Just a few words: Graduating high school. First girlfriend. Getting ready for college. Saying goodbye to the past and most things familiar. A new set of challenges. “We’ll all float on, all right.” We did. **Somebody Got Murdered – The Clash (December 28, 2005)** To you, for that moment of infamy. I have and always will admire you. I’ve never stopped asking, “Well, why the hell not?” **Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel (January 20, 2006)** I’ve suffered from a combination of anxiety and depression for most of my life. Which consequently has lead to some pretty bleak moments. But if I had to pinpoint the lowest of the lows, January 2006 would be the part where it all broke. It was less than a month from my first real breakup and a falling out with longtime friends. Obviously, I was devastated. I spent a lot of time watching this brand new thing called YouTube. One of my favorites were watching re-cut movie trailers.One in particular was a comedic re-invention of *The Shining* with this Peter Gabriel song. Funny? Certainly. But the middle verse was magnetic: *“So I went from day to day / though my life was in a rut / until I thought of what I’d say /which connection I should cut / I was feeling part of the scenery / I walked right out of the machinery / my heart going boom boom boom/ “Hey” he said, “Grab your things, I’ve come to take you home.”* It’s funny, because the most important words seemed frivolously tossed right in the middle. No. It was a a rallying cry. Those words weren’t his anymore. They were mine. With that in mind, the sun started to rise again over a very dark hill. **Maggie May – Rod Stewart (February 2006)** If “Solsbury Hill” were the motorcycle riding into the sunset of my bad times, “Maggie May” would be in the sidecar. Rod Stewart’s pretty much done two earnest things with his career: 1) The Faces. 2) This song. Other than that, it’s just a bunch of crappy Great American Songbooks, and an unforgivable desecration of a Tom Waits classic. Not with “Maggie May”. The dude sounds miserable, but you can’t help but hear a tinge of hopefulness in his rasp. The message is simple: “This sucks right now, but I’ll get through.” I take comfort in the bowing guitars, and the way it builds like a wave before cresting with that sublime mandolin solo. If you listen closely, it’ll make you feel infinite. **Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye (March 2006)** I always feel like the over-the-top vibe of this jam is what often derides it. People really tend to forget how perfect of a song it really is. It’s hilarious and serious all at once. Example: who doesn’t need sexual healing? On the other side, I really think I just like this song because my friend Andy and I thought it was really funny to sing along to in the car. You can follow that impenetrable groove the entire four minutes. It never gets old. **I Want You Back – Jackson 5 (March 2006)** So many of these songs come from the spring and summer of 2006, where I essentially spent most of my waking moments either: a) Alone in my room. b) With my friend Andy Wyslotsky. Andy was the best friend I had at the worst possible time in my life. I wasn’t making much sense to anyone in those days. I was socially awkward, beaten down and generally unconfident, and he was there providing support and being a true friend when he could have been doing plenty of better things with his time. I’ll never forget that. We listened to a lot of kitschy songs in car rides back and forth to Woodman’s to buy Raspberry-flavored canned peaches and Minute Maid Cherry Limeade. So many of these car jams have been playlist regulars over the intervening years. Especially ones with a monster hook like “I Want You Back”. Where do you start and end with a song like this? The killer piano bounce, strutting baseline, and that vocal by a young Michael Jackson. There’s something magical about it. For exactly three minutes, you forget it’s a kid singing a song of such intense longing. He feels it. *You* believe it. **Dear Yoko – John Lennon (April 2006)** I once said that this song makes me want to fall in love. Still true. But really, it’s one of two things. 1) It makes you want to fall in love if you aren’t. 2) If you are, it makes you glad you are. **Stuck Between Stations – The Hold Steady (October 26, 2006)** What else can I say about these dudes that I haven’t yet touched on? Okay: Pressing ‘play’ to start *Boys and Girls in America* burned the roadmap for the rest of my life. Frankly, if I had not decided to give these guys a second listen (I hated them at first), I probably wouldn’t know most of you reading, and frankly, wouldn’t be having nearly as much fun in life right now. My love for this group has followed me to 35 shows in eight states and two countries in a shade under four (!?) years. I’ve made countless, lasting friendships, a few girlfriends, and some remarkable acquaintances. I’ve found myself in places on the map that I’ve had no business being in. All the better. I’ll quit with the qualifying statements there, because there’s the music to write about. I’ve never been a ‘lyrics guy’, don’t drink and have never done drugs. I’m engrossed in more of an overall sound, and that makes The Hold Steady a very odd choice for a favorite band. I can’t quite pinpoint it. Maybe it’s the riffs. Maybe it’s Craig Finn’s wordplay. Maybe it’s the sing-a-long choruses. Maybe it’s the fact that every time I hear these songs live, there’s the guarantee that there’ll be a moment where it all boils over. It’s feeling completely in tune with the music and the people around you experiencing something so overwhelming and awesome that you can’t put into words, but you know when it’s happening. Regardless, The Hold Steady aren’t just a band to me. They’re my heartbeat. **Storms – Fleetwood Mac (October 29, 2006)** I’m an idiot. Until two weeks ago, I thought this song was sung by Christine McVie. Definitely not. I had this phase for about a week my junior year of college while living at the University Center in Chicago where I was really into *Tusk*. Not surprisingly, this is really the only jam from that coke-rock masterpiece that’s stuck long term. Totally beautiful melody. **The Magic Position – Patrick Wolf (February 23, 2007)** I’m almost embarrassed to have a song this dopey to remember such a profound turning point. However, it’s REALLY GOOD. I often forget it came out only a few years ago because the melody has been floating out in the cosmos forever. While I’m sure this is probably some over-the-top song about boning, it’s the farthest thing from what it reminds me of. In the Spring of 2007, I was a junior in college. I’d made a really stupid decision changing my major from Journalism to Interactive Arts and Media (I corrected this nearly a year later), had very few close friends in my building, and was generally, well, bored. Around this time period, I was introduced to a friend of a friend I’d met while visiting with a classmate in another building. It was apparent that we’d hit it off, so I we decided to meet up at the dingy, disgusting South Loop Club and hang out. My new friend – a few years older than me – immediately took me to task for not drinking. That’s fine, because I’d made my mind up long ago about how I’d felt about that. It wasn’t my thing. But there was something else I drew from the conversation. She drove the point home that I was more or less denying myself certain experiences and not really getting the most out of my life. This may sound like an attack on my person, but it didn’t feel like that. Quite the opposite. She was right. I think that was the night where I stopped being totally naive to the world around me. I was a really lucky guy from a good family and I had a good group of friends that cared about me. Most importantly, I had something entirely valuable: time. The opportunity to do something was there, and I just wasn’t taking it. I had to do something about it. Almost immediately, I started making decisions on the fly. It’s that impatience that’s gotten me to travel. It’s why I’ve followed the same band around the country and into Canada. I don’t want any regrets. Now is the time to milk every free moment I have. **Wagon Wheel – Old Crow Medicine Show (September 17-22, 2008)** There’s a certain level of insularity in upstate New York – very hard to believe that this is the same state that harbors the world’s grandest city. It’s quaint, very quiet and completely beautiful. “Wagon Wheel” is the adventure to the small college town of Potsdam. It’s the homemade sound that defined the thirteen-hour-train, plus three-hour-car ride that I endured to see my friend Kim. It’s all of the sleepless and breathless moments that followed. It’s the drive to Montreal the Saturday I first left American soil. It’s the anxiety and culture shock of being in a province that didn’t speak English and left me not knowing how to order a ham sandwich for lunch. The overwhelming disbelief I felt as I watched one of my favorite musicians play this song on Kim’s dorm room bed with a ukelele (mind you – an instrument he allegedly didn’t know how to play). It’s Emilyn Brodsky spitting out olive pits and then doing the worm on them. It’s the bookstore built into a barn. It’s the diminutiveness of the town that felt like a warm blanket. I may have been far, but I’ve never felt so at home. **July 4, 2004 – Jason Anderson (December 3, 2008 – Winter 2009 & February 6, 2010)** It’s me falling in love with Kim, deconstructing the notion that I’d ever fall in love with a girl so hopelessly again after my first, soul crushing heartbreak when I turned 20\. It’s the early days in her apartment, following the patterns of her children’s IKEA moose blanket, huddling under any extra cloth we had to keep warm when the heat was off. She was exciting, entirely different than anyone I’d ever met before. I was amazed. It’s also the song that reminds me of our final goodbye, at the Megabus station outside the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Crystalized in my memory; she stood in the parking lot to wave me off, texting me the numbers ‘7404′ as I sat looking out the window, alone, clawing at every shred to keep it together in front of a group of strangers. Even at the end, it reminds you there’s always another beginning. **Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) – Bruce Springsteen (June 10, 2009)** The intensity of Bruce Springsteen’s early material relieves me of my inhibitions the way that alcohol does for the rest of you. There’s something about those songs – especially rollicking numbers like Rosalita – starting off feeling a little a buzz – but as they sashay and shimmy, you’re powerless to not follow suit. This song does everything right. The brave, earnest vocal, petrol-powered horns, venereal bass, the handclap breakdown, and Clarence Clemons’s sax up front, kicking everyone in the nuts before the troops roll in. Words only go so far to explain. To understand the true power of this song, watch this video. Over and over. **Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill – Hüsker Dü (February 3, 2010)** Dear you, You’re taking the blame why i can’t comfortably listen to this band. Especially after I heard your stories – those ones, awkward and ugly, half-truths and not entirely put together. I really don’t think about you all that often (or as much as you’d like to think I do), but as I sit here and write these stories, I can’t help but think about what’s going through your head if you’re reading them. I’d imagine you’ll probably smirk and scoff at the poor word choices and roll your eyes at the (sometimes) trite descriptions. Maybe you’ll give me the benefit of the doubt on the stronger ones. I’m not counting on that, though. Also, I imagine you’ll think about how in love you were with your own writing, which more or less is hazy, melodramatic teenage wordplay that looks pretty – if you’re seventeen. I hope you’re happy. I mean that. You have every right to be, I guess. I pray for the next person who goes through the Play-Doh mold with you. They’ve got their work cut out for them. Oh, and one more thing. “The one whose heart I broke”? Darling, you didn’t break my heart. You just pushed too hard for me to care anymore. “xoxob” **It’s All Gonna Break – Broken Social Scene (March 2, 2010)** Since this project began, I knew I wanted to include this song. I’ve played it countless times since I started writing and I don’t know what to say other than it’s a life cycle. There’s an ebb and flow that gets the blood pumping. Its ability to move from being tense and meditative to carnal and urgent, while repeating the miserable phrase, “Why are you always fucking up?” is arresting. (A note to singer Kevin Drew: I *know* what you mean. I ask myself that quite often.) One recent evening during a long walk home through Lakeview, I put in my earbuds and blasted this song. For those ten minutes, we were fused together. I felt those shifts. They were as incongruent as I am. At nine minutes, they reached euphoric heights. Those horns – monolithic and walloping, overwhelmed my head and heart. It was cathartic. After that, anything feels possible. It really is. ### The VISUAL Eternal Mixtape URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-visual-eternal-mixtape/ Last updated: 2010-03-08T11:55:08.000Z [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mixtape.jpg?resize=500%2C550 "mixtape")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/mixtape.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) Check out this amazing logo by [Ashley Elander](http://elandash.blogspot.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) for The Eternal Mixtape Project! Still in the dark? The rules and place to enter are [here](https://www.obviatemedia.net/wordpress/2010/02/23/the-eternal-mixtape-project/). ### Young Hearts Spark Fire (Part III) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/young-hearts-spark-fire-part-iii/ Last updated: 2010-02-25T14:26:49.000Z *Entries logged on Saturday, January 30, 2010 6:36 PM PST – Seattle, Washington* ——— **Friday, January 29, 2010** We left for Seattle late Friday morning in hopes of pretty much having most of the day to waste. Our residence for the next few days was to be Hotel Max, a sister hotel of Hotel de Luxe. Think sort of the same idea as the de Luxe, but in black and hot pink. also, the bathrooms are tiny for a slightly larger guy like myself. > [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.37.15-PM-201x299.png?resize=201%2C299 "Screen shot 2010-02-25 at 12.37.15 PM")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.37.15-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > The doors at Hotel Max all have full door images like this. > > After check in, we beelined it to Pike Place Market. The week before, Kelly had fallen in love with a Pastrami sandwich at “I Love New York Deli”, and conversely, I enjoyed the California Roll that a sushi place kitty corner to it had. This experience allowed me to really soak in the market. It’s hopelessly diverse. Foods, textiles, flying fish – everything everywhere. I love it. > > [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.39.06-PM-300x224.png?resize=300%2C224 "Screen shot 2010-02-25 at 12.39.06 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.39.06-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > I guess what’s so nice about Seattle is that it sort of feels like home, without the cold. It’s friendly, comforting, has a lot of record stores and a lot of great food. The way it’s laid out – almost everything we wanted to do was either in walking distance and reachable all together by car within five-ten minutes. Just great. Looking out on the water at the mountains? Breathtaking. > > We sort of dilly-dallied around the city the rest of the day, ducking into the GAP, Urban Outfitters, and a bunch of places that we could have easily went to at home. Dinner was Ivar’s Seafood bar, the fast food version of the more famous seafood restaurant. Fish and chips was pretty good, but probably not worth the six bucks I paid for it. I sort of wish I budgeted it a bit more to truly appreciate the fish in the area. I guess I can’t always win. > > **Saturday, January 30, 2010** > > Today we were pretty much dead set on accomplishing as much as possible. I had a very hard time sleeping last night and didn’t get to bed until after four AM. I woke up before my alarm a little after 8, and was pretty cranky. Kelly and I set out for Capitol Hill for breakfast, It was probably about a mile away in the rain – wet, and we kept getting lost. Not happy. Kelly ended up finding this great little breakfast place called Glo’s. For $5.45, I found myself with a scrambled egg, hash browns, bacon, and a biscuit in the shape of a muffin. Good stuff. > > [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.42.35-PM-300x223.png?resize=300%2C223 "Screen shot 2010-02-25 at 12.42.35 PM")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.42.35-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > After our Capitol Hill breakfast, we went to the Space Needle (just to look, not go up) and to the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum. The EMP’s architecture is pretty wonderful – it’s a really colorful Frank Gehry design. The EMP itself? Thorough, for what it was, but sadly, somewhat underwhelming. There’s only a handful of exhibits – the Hendrix one was especially thoughtful. The interactivity was fun as well. I found myself at a mixing console, creating my own mix of “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics. > > [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.45.53-PM-300x226.png?resize=300%2C226 "Screen shot 2010-02-25 at 12.45.53 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.45.53-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > The EMP is kind of a big mass of crazy. This was my best attempt at a full photo. > > Lunch was at the “Man v. Food” cited Red Mill Burgers. Burger was above average for 4.39, and their onion rings were pretty much some of the best I’ve had. They’re also the reason I got sick later on. > >> [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/photo-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225 "photo")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/photo.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) >> >> Red Mill onion rings. So good. So bad for me. > > The Fremont neighborhood was next up. Probably my favorite of the ones we’ve been to so far. Tons of places to find old rock records, vintage clothing and grab a bite or get some coffee or something to drink. I picked up a Bob Dylan 1992 tour t-shirt at some junk shop. Not too bad. We grabbed a London Fog and headed to Gasworks Park, which feels like some Steampunk drawing come to life. Really cool to see all the gas rigs set right on the water. It’s too bad that they were all graffitied. I got some great pictures of the Seattle skyline. We made a quick stop in the U-District at few stores, got bored, then decided to come back to the hotel. > > Dinner was a bit of a struggle tonight. We walked around for a good 45 minutes trying to find a place before settling on Palomino’s. I got the worst Tomato Basil soup ever. I promptly came home and got sick, and since then have been sitting here. Kelly brought me back from a cupcake shop, banana with chocolate frosting. I ate when it felt better. Not bad. > > I’m ready to head to Minneapolis tomorrow night. It’s been nice out here, but I think I’m ready for yet another change of scenery. Overall though, I guess there’s just three words to sum it up perfectly. > > It’s been great. > > [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.51.09-PM-300x226.png?resize=300%2C226 "Screen shot 2010-02-25 at 12.51.09 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-25-at-12.51.09-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > ——— > *View over 200 photos of the entire trip [here](http://gallery.me.com/brendanhilliard?ref=obviatemedia.net#100866&bgcolor=black&view=grid).* ### The Eternal Mixtape Project URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-eternal-mixtape-project/ Last updated: 2010-04-11T12:48:12.000Z This is a project that I have been working on intermittently for years. Now, it’s something I want to put in action. It’s called The **Eternal Mixtape** Project. From when I was in elementary school up until the eighth grade, I didn’t have much use for music. However, when I got “Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix,” when I was thirteen, my world completely changed. I turn twenty-five this year. I feel that’s a good time to take stock of what’s happened in my life as I hit the quarter century mark. Why not look back on it with the songs that shaped me? So, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to assemble a list of every song that’s meant any significance in my life thus far. I want you to do it too. Send it to us. Let’s hear your story. That’s the only catch. There needs to be a substantial story (at least a paragraph long) attached to each song that you must write along with it. They’re due **~~Saturday, March 20~~ Wednesday, March 31 by 12:00 AM CST**. **Sign up by placing a comment below**, and when you’re done, e-mail the list to [eternalmixtape@obviatemedia.net](mailto:eternalmixtape@obviatemedia.net). They’ll all be listed on the site, and a prize will be awarded to the person who best exemplifies the idea of the project. One more thing. There’s no song limit. It will be as long as it needs to be. Your life can’t be dictated by just a number. It’s all about the experiences you have. ### The Boys are Leaving Town (or Part II) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-boys-are-leaving-town-or-part-ii/ Last updated: 2010-02-22T19:28:07.000Z **Monday, January 25, 2010 10:26 AM PT – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada** This is easily the most gorgeous place I’ve ever seen in my life. Nothing can beat it. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.02.12-PM-300x198.png?resize=300%2C198 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.02.12 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.02.12-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) The Sea To Sky highway contains the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever experienced. It makes you appreciate things in an entirely different way. I cannot believe what I am seeing. The mountains are impossibly huge – it looks like some serious “Avatar” CG, but then you’re snapped back to reality and that this is all actually REAL. The pine trees roll forever, the water is impossibly so crisp and blue. Nestled at the end of this majesty is downtown Vancouver. I can’t figure out how to capture this in words, but it’s so unbelievably huge and majestic, I just want everyone I’ve ever cared about to magically be transported there, right by the point where we stopped the car and got out in the rain. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.05.58-PM-300x224.png?resize=300%2C224 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.05.58 PM")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.05.58-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) Whistler is a ski town with an incredible amount of snow, considering it’s relatively temperate in Vancouver. It took us two hours to get there, ten minutes to walk around (we weren’t skiing) and then went down the mountains and stopped at Tim Horton’s (the Dunkin’ Donuts of Canada) and McDonalds. McDonalds BBQ sauce in Canada is VERY different and still delicious. Also, I somehow got charged $119 for gas in Canada despite spending $31.02 Canadian ($29.11 USD). Called the bank, we’ll see how that pans out in a few days. We attempted to go Granville Island (a market similar to Pike Place) but it was closed, went back to the sushi place, got my roll, then we went and got cupcakes and headed home. Pretty action packed day. **Friday, January 29, 2010 12:09 AM PT – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada** The last two days in Vancouver were relatively low key – the first I spent the morning and Lonsdale Quay, a marketplace about three blocks from Kelly’s. Aside from the standard tourist fare of t-shirts and other assorted trinkets for two floors, the bottom floor is your full-fledged market with just about anything you could ever want. For me, this meant sushi. I tried a BC Roll (BBQ Smoked Salmon) and then just kind of piddled around the market. Also, I tried an overly icy green apple smoothie from another stand in the market and it was ok at best. Then, I found ANOTHER sushi place called “Little Toyko” and found another Negitoro roll. Probably my favorite sushi roll of the moment. I spent the rest of the afternoon home on the internet, and staring out the window. > [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.09.26-PM-300x224.png?resize=300%2C224 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.09.26 PM")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.09.26-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > Seabus > > After that, Kelly came home, and I took my first ever Seabus ride. The Seabus is pretty cool. It’s like a high speed….water bus. It’s a ten minute ride on Burrard Inlet where you can see a variety of ships on the shore. Really pleasant ride and makes for nice pictures. Anyways, we headed downtown to go to Earl’s for dinner. It ended up being ho-hum. In the meantime, we did some shopping at the Hudson Bay Company and I picked up my official Team Canada shirt. It’s pretty rad. > > [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.10.40-PM-226x300.png?resize=226%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.10.40 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.10.40-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > Olympic Countdown clock > > The next day, I woke up an headed down to Little Tokyo for my last few sushi rolls (or so I thought at the moment). Then I took the Seabus by myself downtown. I spent a good part of my day locating “Sharks and Hammers,” a store which had a really great t-shirt that one of the dudes from Japandroids was wearing on Fallon. Ultimately, I decided I could not spend 35 bucks on a shirt, with my trip funds already dwindling. > > [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.13.18-PM-300x215.png?resize=300%2C215 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.13.18 PM")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.13.18-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > Either way, I found my way around with a map and was proud of the fact that I’d successfully navigated a city, considering I’m terrible with maps. I darted back in forth between sushi places and Waves coffee, each of us getting nanaimo bars and a London Fog. Kelly and I ran some errands and ordered a really bad pizza, then got some snack food at the local grocery store for tomorrow as we’re off to Portland. > > **Saturday, January 30, 2010 6:36 PM PST – Seattle, Washington (Concerning Portland, Oregon)** > > Portland seems like a cool place to hang out, but no one really seems to live there. It’s got an incredibly small-town feel for being a major city. Kelly and I got up at 3 in the morning to depart for Portland from Vancouver – it’s approximately a five hour drive. We made crossed the border at about five, (relatively hassle free by our border guard who only asked a few questions). The drive felt really long, based on the fact that I only slept about two hours previous to it. > > The city is remarkably quiet. We stayed at Hotel de Luxe, a renovated old place converted in to a golden age of Hollywood Boutique hotel. It’s unique in the fact that it’s one of four Provenance hotels – Boutique places with a major focus on customer service. The bed was great, super comfortable – and probably the only reason I’ve slept decently on this trip. > > [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.15.10-PM-300x223.png?resize=300%2C223 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.15.10 PM")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.15.10-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > After checking in, we went to Powell’s Bookstore, a massive store that takes up an entire city block. Rooms are color coded by genre of book, and since I had a particular title in mind, I beelined it upstairs to find John Sellars “Perfect From Now On,” which to my understanding is an indie rock memoir. Kelly and I were pretty hungry, so we tracked down Portland’s premier (at least to us) Jewish Deli, Kenny and Zuke’s. The Pastrami was pretty great (albeit a bit dry), and the “South West Hominy” soup was pretty decent as well. A nice meal. > > The crowning moment of our day in portland came with Living Room Theaters, a movie theater that specializes in smaller independent movies as well as older classic films. Kelly has been imploring me to watch Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest” for some time now. As it so was, the theater was actually showing an HD projection of it! The theater itself had nice, large reclining chairs, and gourmet food that you could eat in the theater. We settle for some chicken skewers, pita and hummus, and Kelly got a cheese plate. Well worth it. > > [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.16.06-PM-221x300.png?resize=221%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-02-22 at 6.16.06 PM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-22-at-6.16.06-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > The ODB and I. > > Of course, Portland would have not been anything unless I talked about our trip to Voodoo Doughnut. Voodoo Doughnut is a sort of hole-in-the-wall punk rock donut place. They make more traditional fair like “The Marshall Mathers” (Cake donut with mini m&m’s and white frosting) to the ODB (Oreo cookie crumbles, frosting, drizzled with peanut butter.) Some of the best donuts I’ve tasted. So, so good. > > ——— > *View over 200 photos of the entire trip [here](http://gallery.me.com/brendanhilliard?ref=obviatemedia.net#100866&bgcolor=black&view=grid), and check back for more entries from the trip!* ### Rockers East Vancouver...and a bunch of other places URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/rockers-east-vancouver-and-a-bunch-of-other-places/ Last updated: 2010-02-20T12:51:40.000Z I recently returned from a two week, four city trip out west. I spent time primarily in Vancouver, British Columbia, Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis. In order to get there, I took an Amtrak train, since I don’t generally prefer to fly. Also, because it’s awesome. Here are the first few days of my journals and photos. ——— **1/21/10 10:58 PM CST – Minneapolis, Minnesota** The sleeper car room is actually pretty cool. I don’t know how else to explain it other than it’s an oversized closet. There’s two seats on the bottom, then a top bunk that pulls down, a table in the middle that folds out so you can set drinks, computers or even play checkers with the checkerboard pattern built in. There’s a nice set of toiletries in a bag – soap, shampoo, etc, and and a box of Kleenex. It’s private and quiet. Happy to be in here. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.17.47-AM-221x300.png?resize=221%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-02-20 at 11.17.47 AM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.17.47-AM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) **1/22/10 7:24 AM CST – Rugby, North Dakota (approx.)** So, turns out a sleeper car is not entirely conductive to sleeping. I took a Tylenol PM last night to help aide me in napping, and instead, it just gave me these wild hallucinations you get from staying up too late with night time cough medicine. I just ended up tossing and turning a lot, and compulsively checking my phone and trying to find music on my iPod. I think I tried to turn on Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports” on several occasions. I don’t remember a lot of it, and that’s probably because I was really tired. I dared to look out the window in the morning. If there’s one thing about the Dakota’s – at least North – there is absolutely nothing but land. Hardly any trees in site. I’m looking forward to Montana, seeing some mountains and feeling like we’re getting somewhere. The Midwest is like one big vacuum. I always thought it was special that Illinois didn’t have mountains. I always wished it did. It was always kind of a treat to see them. I haven’t seen any substantial western ones since I went to visit my grandfather in New Mexico ten years ago. It being nearly seven thirty without a sunrise sort of freaks me out. I don’t really ever recall it being this dark out ever so late in the morning. It doesn’t even look like it’s coming up anytime soon. Eating on the train has been an experience each time. To conserve space, they group you into fours at a table. Last night for dinner, it was me, two Minnesotan women in their fifties (likely) and a slightly larger college freshman girl going to visit her friend at Winona State University. The Minnesotan women were returning from a ski retreat in Michigan, and it seemed that they were generally interested in hearing about my Minnesotan girlfriend. The Winona girl tried out for American Idol in Chicago, making the second cut before she got eliminated. She attends UW Milwaukee. This morning, I sat with two older men and this completely green-behind-the-ears kid traveling to Minot, ND from Fayettville, NC. He asked a lot of questions about politics, the underwear bomber and other stuff people don’t generally bring up in a conversation. The man next to me – whom I’ll call Jerry, because I don’t really remember his name – was a former band teacher in Manhattan. We talked about jazz and he told me about Gene Shepard and some other radio guy I can’t remember the name of. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.21.21-AM-300x221.png?resize=300%2C221 "Screen shot 2010-02-20 at 11.21.21 AM")](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.21.21-AM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) Both the Minnesotan women and this man Jerry were very interested in talking about Apple. The man across from me was a machine parts repairer or something. He was from near Milwaukee. Nice enough people. **1/23/10 1:52 AM PT – Sandpoint, Idaho** I’m way past the expiration date on this train as we accidentally took a two hour break due to some wheel trouble. This was doubly aggravating, considering that no one was available on the train to talk to about this particular incident. I think I freaked myself out awake because of it. Either way, I’m likely in Idaho now, waiting for one last stop before the final one hour and 45 minute trek to Spokane. I don’t anticipate being there anytime before 4 am, which means it’s about six am my time. Ugh. There is one cool thing about this whole situation though. Being insulated by the mountains in this train car. I can’t necessarily see anything outside, mind you, but I feel like we are the pigs in a very big blanket. That’s kind of cool. This woman that I met on the train along with this guy Liam who I met in Chicago (he effectively drank all the way from New Jersey to Montana.) Anyways, the woman wanted me to call her MA (for Mary Alice or Mary Ellis?). I don’t know. She had a new white MacBook and the first two Beatles Anthologies. She said being on this train was like it’s own little town. I liked that. **1/25/10 10:26 AM PT – Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada** As Friday bled into Saturday and the train trip continued, we made a scheduled stop in Libby, Montana and ended up not leaving for over two hours. Turns out there was some issues with the wheels or the engines on the train that resulted us dropping an engine in Montana. I dozed off for an hour when we had stopped. When I woke up, I was slightly delirious, trying to find a conductor or an attendant for no luck. I was with this older woman named Nancy who was coming back from her mother’s funeral, and some older headstrong guy who claimed to be a former conductor. He was wearing a brace on his arm. We got to Spokane two hours late. Kelly picked me up and we got to the hotel where we talked for a bit then got ready for bed. I was so amped up from the ride that I didn’t end up falling asleep until 5 AM PT (7 AM CT). Needless to say, after a few interrupted hours of sleep, I was still pretty tired. With that, we set out on the road for Vancouver. First was a stop at Jack In The Box where I got a decent chicken sandwich and curly fries. I’m amazed at how “not present” I feel on this trip. It was no different on our way back up to Vancouver. I found myself constantly in awe of the mountains, how big and frankly, perfect they looked. They weren’t like those on the east coast – these had more definition – pine trees, rockier cliffs. In the decent towards Seattle, these mountains bordered the water (which was impossibly blue) and were punctuated by great blue and grey cloudscapes. It’s truly Pacific Northwestern. There’s something so inherently free and open and goddamn clean about the whole thing. I just consistently can’t believe that this is my life at this moment. Also, we stopped at a Starbucks on the way and i had my first London Fog, which was absolutely terrible. Subsequent ones since then have been much better. Don’t trust a Starbucks in it’s home state, it’s bound to disappoint. After four hours of driving, Kelly and I decided to stop in Seattle for lunch. (This was a decision we weren’t sure we were going to make, as we had a scheduled White Denim concert at the Media Club that evening. Because of our 8 + hours of driving later, we didn’t end up going, but that didn’t deter us. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.19.28-AM-224x300.png?resize=224%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-02-20 at 11.19.28 AM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.19.28-AM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) I don’t think that there’s a much better place to go for an introduction to Seattle other than Pike Place Market. It’s incredible. Kind of like a flea market on steroids, with fresh food. Also, it’s a complete sensory overload. Fresh fruit and veggies everywhere. The seafood is at every corner. I saw enormous shrimp for sale, so fresh that I just wanted to pick one up right off the ice. I saw the guys throw the fish at the Fish Market. There is so much going on in every corner of the market, it’s like a different world with each space. I’m excited to go back this weekend to discover it even more. With this little bit, Seattle seemed very, very livable. Hopefully next weekend does more to persuade me in that direction. Note: It’s here I have had the biggest and some of the best sushi I’ve had. HUGE California rolls with REAL CRAB MEAT. Not the imitation stuff. Delicious. (I should note, when we parked the car, we accidentally parked next to human feces. It’s very clear that it indeed was human feces, mainly because the person used a paper plate or some sort of paper product to wipe. It was pretty gross. It also prompted my mother to send me an email saying she saw some people doing crack by the market when my parents were in town there. Hilarious. I took some of my best photos by the market – the sky seems tailored to for really vibrant photos. The colors are amazing at sunset. After a few hours in Seattle, we decided to head back to Canada. This, on the last few trips I’ve made has always been my favorite thing: Crossing the border. This trip, it seemed a bit more labored. We were both kind of concerned crossing the border with an American passport and a Canadian one. Lucky for us, we didn’t have a lot of trouble. [![](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.25.16-AM-300x225.png?resize=300%2C225 "Screen shot 2010-02-20 at 11.25.16 AM")](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.25.16-AM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) First impressions of Vancouver: It’s probably the least Canadian city of the three major Canadian cities I’ve been to. Perhaps I feel like it’s more of an extenuation of what I saw in Seattle – but with a different flag and kilometer signs. It’s still pretty, but not in the ways I thought when I was entering. It seemed kind of ho-hum, but after the Sea To Sky Highway drive on Monday (more on that later) I got shut up pretty quick. Sunday, we went downtown. First stop was a place called “Honey’s” that Kelly swears by. They have these gigantic, homemade donuts that were unlike any other donuts I’ve had before. They’re more mini cakes than anything. Delicious. We also had the “Coveman” breakfast, which was your standard eggs/bacon/potatoes with some amazing potato bread. Well worth it. [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.26.18-AM-300x222.png?resize=300%2C222 "Screen shot 2010-02-20 at 11.26.18 AM")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-20-at-11.26.18-AM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) Going downtown on Sunday was cool enough. I liked the Hudson Bay Department Store with all of the Official Olympic Merch – kind of reminds me of a Canadian Marshall Fields – not Macy’s, natch. We visited a couple of lackluster record stores, Gastown (nice steam clock), dodged into some decent coffee shops, stopped by the Amsterdam Cafe (The legal weed cafe. You can’t buy it, but you can smoke it there.) Not that it mattered. At dinnertime, we met up with Kelly’s friend Tess, someone I have been a casual acquaintance with through messaging for a couple of weeks now. We went and got late night sushi at Shima Sushi. It was a great hole in the wall place that Kelly and I visited the next day after. I must put a Negitoro roll (Tuna belly and green onion) on my list of favorite rolls. Hopefully I can track it down when I get back. Probably – definitely – won’t taste the same. ——— *View over 200 photos of the entire trip [here](http://gallery.me.com/brendanhilliard?ref=obviatemedia.net#100866&bgcolor=black&view=grid), and check back for more entries from the trip!* ### St. Vincent at Metro, 2/18/10 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/st-vincent-at-metro-21810/ Last updated: 2010-02-19T14:50:23.000Z St. Vincent is for lovers. Or, that’s what it seemed like Thursday night Metro, a post-Valentine’s smattering of pairs, tall and short, black and white, fat and skinny. To the guy behind me: I swear, if I overhear you again telling the obviously bored chick you’re with about how awesome your music collection transitions from Billy Holliday to the Dead Kennedys, I’ll smack you. The stench of your smugness discussing your Yo-Yo Ma jams was equally disgusting. > [![](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-19-at-2.21.33-AM-203x300.png?resize=203%2C300 "Screen shot 2010-02-19 at 2.21.33 AM")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-19-at-2.21.33-AM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) > > St. Vincent at Metro, Thursday February 18, 2010 > > All asides, Annie Clark’s nom-de-plume return to Chicago was nothing short of gorgeous. By that, I mean both the tunes AND the performer. > > Her two albums – 2007’s *Marry Me* and last year’s *Actor* are two gems of strangely damaged pop music. They’re lush with jagged, uneven soundscapes, nestled with her delicate falsetto. It’s like an angel narrating your nightmares. > > I suppose that’s part of St. Vincent’s appeal. She’s pretty, diminutive even, and she makes a lot of noise. Big noise. > > What’s great about her music is that is contains a “this-could-go-off-the-rails-at-any-moment” energy without entirely deviating from conventional song structure. The arrangements on her records are meticulous. That insularity doesn’t always translate live. > > Quite the contrary. It was striking to find how wide open each song seemed to be. They were airy and almost malleable. This was put to the test very early on. > > Her band, (four scruffy dudes) started with a diaphanous version of “The Strangers”, where Clark struggled with the volume malfunction of her guitar during the song’s midpoint. It didn’t really seem to matter though, as the swell of brass instruments easily compensated for the guitar’s absence. > > One of the night’s best moments was “Marrow,” a stomp full of guitar squalls and an uneasy, audible tension. Clark’s plea of “H-E-L-P, help me, help me”, followed pounding her guitar’s body during the song’s breakdown showed some of her uncharacteristic wickedness. > > Unexpectedly, she eventually abandoned her guitar in favor of keyboards during a gentle version of “The Bed”, a mellow ballad. It was quiet enough to hear the conversation of those inconsiderate enough in the back of the club. > > Clark’s music commands seriousness, it’s a relief to find she has a sense of humor. As her band left the stage briefly so she could perform solo, she explained her love for “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube, which was the song that proceeded her on stage. She gave a quick narration of the song, then played another song she considered similar in theme, a sterling version of Jackson Browne’s “These Days”. > >> [![](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-19-at-12.50.15-PM-300x223.png?resize=300%2C223 "Screen shot 2010-02-19 at 12.50.15 PM")](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Screen-shot-2010-02-19-at-12.50.15-PM.png?ref=obviatemedia.net) >> >> St. Vincent at Metro, Thursday February 18, 2010 > > The breadth of Clark’s powers were on display with the encore of “Your Lips Are Red”. A tension filled mess of guitar, bass and brass instruments, Clark attacked her guitar with the same gesticulation Gena Rowlands displayed during one of her psychotic episodes in John Cassavetes’s “A Woman Under The Influence”. Both were unnatural, unorthodox and generally terrifying. > > I suppose there’s another parallel between those two. In the film, Gena Rowlands is a woman who looked crazy and tried to convince everyone she wasn’t. Here, St. Vincent is a woman who doesn’t look crazy and wants to convince everyone she might actually be. > > —— > *View more photos from the show at [our gallery](http://gallery.me.com/brendanhilliard?ref=obviatemedia.net#100858).* ### The End of the Beginning URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-end-of-the-beginning/ Last updated: 2010-01-01T23:03:43.000Z This is a brand new decade. It can’t be any newer. The one that ended yesterday seemed to go at a traumatically brisk pace. The 1990s seemed to exist way longer than they actually were. This, in part because there was a mélange of cultural moments, styles and ideas that shaped each year and still make them easy to define. This decade? Not so much. Every cultural phenomona seemed to hit at once, and then linger. There were so many things happening, they packed every square inch of calendar space. The two-thousands are the first decade I can remember from beginning to end with clarity. Most of my formative years- the things that shape your life and set you on the course you’re on now happened. It was a unique time to be growing up, because instead of the glacial change and relative peace of the decade before it, the world seemed to rise and fall just as I hit highs and lows as well. This decade was a hyper intense cycle of life and death, war and despair, hope and loss and and an overwhelming amount of information coming all at once. So much, I’ve struggled writing this because I don’t know exactly what to include. It was an insane time to grow up – both good and bad. The wars, the endless stream of controversies, the first two presidential elections are some of the least proud moments – but at the same time, there was the music, the movies, and the people who worked to make this world (and my life) a better place. I feel privileged to have had a front row seat. I got to form my opinions on a world that was experiencing growing pains just as I had mine. I learned nothing was easy, dreams can die, and things don’t always turn out the way they’re supposed to. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit fatalistic. If I’ve learned anything else: there’s almost always second chances. There are ways to get the things you want. There are ways to better yourself and the world around you. There’s always the time to dream bigger and make them a reality. I now know more than ever, this is my chance to. ### 2009 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/2009/ Last updated: 2009-12-26T17:19:39.000Z I felt like Lewis and Clark traveling in a sedan caravan. I suppose what I remember most about my first excursion this year was that endless stretch of Ohio that bleeds into Pennsylvania – the precipice between the hills that age and become mountains when you cross the border. It’s like watching the evolution of nature with each mile. These memories are at the crux of every road trip. You have the enthusiasm at the get go, then the reward at the end. The middle – that’s where the magic is. I find myself thinking about these middles a lot more than what bookend them. I think that’s what I like most about traveling – getting there. There’s nothing more than getting to lay your eyes on things you haven’t seen before. Sometimes it’s boring (ie: cornfields) or exhilarating (ie: the Appalachians). I constantly find myself in awe that I’m actually *doing* it, escaping from my house and making a future for myself. When I was younger, I don’t think I afforded myself that kind of freedom in my head. I had my own restraints. I honestly didn’t think I was going anywhere – nor did I really know I had the power to. I guess that’s why I do it now. That’s why I’ve been to so many different states (and one other country) in this past year. I’m making up for lost time. I want to experience it *now*, not wait for some other time that I don’t know that I have. I understand how that may sound morose, but it’s true. I constantly feel I’m working against a clock. I feel I’ve woven a pretty nice tapestry: Baltimore, D.C., New York City (x2), Albany, Buffalo, Urbana-Champaign, Bloomington, Iowa City, Toronto, Minneapolis (x3), Madison, and Memphis. The problem with this is that I haven’t gone that far West of the Mississippi, but I’m working to rectify that as early as January. You’ve been a part of these memories – reading, encouraging, experiencing with, filling in the blanks. Coloring in between my lines. ### Higher and Higher URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/higher-and-higher/ Last updated: 2009-11-17T11:19:16.000Z I’ve been to shows, but not **THAT** show. Sure, I could expound forever on the trope of a Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band show being likened to a religious experience, but I won’t because I feel I can do better than that. Forget it. Who am I kidding? If I didn’t before last night, I BELIEVE now. ![Screen shot 2009-11-16 at 5.22.56 PM](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Screen-shot-2009-11-16-at-5.22.56-PM-300x196.png?resize=300%2C196 "Screen shot 2009-11-16 at 5.22.56 PM") It’s a pastiche of images swirling through my head. You have Bruce’s first descent into the middle of the crowd for ‘Hungry Heart,” crowd surfing back to the stage to continue the show – or the abscess of horns magically bringing “10th Avenue Freezeout” to life. A marathon lasting over three hours; it felt as if no stone was left unturned, from first album classics (“Growing Up”) to the prowling, elemental (“Kitty’s Back”) to the ‘WTF?’ (“Jole Blon”?) Of course, the main attraction came with the complete performance of the group’s 1975 stone-cold classic, *Born To Run*. Any way you look at it, the album is colossal. Every track has a mammoth emotional hook. The way the piano dances in “Thunder Road” as Bruce’s vocal gets more urgent each verse, his shredded vocal in the chorus of “Backstreets,” and the mournful trumpet that wades through “Meeting Across The River”. These moments are at every turn. There’s the album’s title track, which really is the only song to actually capture the naïve, blazing intensity of being young and in love – so powerful, so hopeful, one wrong move and it could crush you under its weight. All of these emotions translate live. The songs feel otherworldly – Clarence Clemons’s majestic solo on “Jungleland,” – yes, THAT solo – is something I could live in. It peaks and valleys with grace and complete effortlessness from it’s performer. It’s the end of a musical journey, and a hell of a fitting epilogue it is. That wasn’t even the end of the evening; an entire set of songs followed the album. The award for “Too Soon?” goes to “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” based on a Christmas tree (complete with working lights) cardboard sign request collected by the Boss during the “requests” segment. Fans in the pit threw Christmas hats at the band, and both Clemons and drummer Max Weinberg obliged them. (Also, it should be said, Max wearing a Christmas hat does nothing to overwrite his classic perv supreme image on *The Tonight Show* in my mind.) The one-two punch that really brought the evening full circle came at the end of the evening – the jubilant (and personal favorite) “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” which [has been documented by us before](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3Ql1qBHqs&ref=obviatemedia.net), and it was great that we finally heard it by the person who wrote it. Jaw dropping. No other words other than those are coming. The night’s final song – a cover of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher” was the other moment. The normally three minute rave up expanded to an epic thanks to Bruce and his band, taking advantage of this by making their way to the center of the arena to sing the chorus amongst the faithful. At that moment, it was clear: together, we were already on a higher plane, if only for a couple hours. ### These Projectors Need Cleaning URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/these-projectors-need-cleaning/ Last updated: 2009-11-15T01:59:08.000Z > ![Screen shot 2009-11-14 at 1.00.45 PM](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Screen-shot-2009-11-14-at-1.00.45-PM.png?resize=390%2C535 "Screen shot 2009-11-14 at 1.00.45 PM") > > Dirty Projectors at Bottom Lounge, Friday, November 13, 2009 Dirty Projectors’s Friday night show at Bottom Lounge was a definite contrast to the other two bands we’ve seen in the past few days. John Darnielle and his Mountain Goats teeter on the line between celebratory and morose, and Art Brut remains indie rock’s funniest (and musicially exceptional) inside joke. With vocalist/guitarist Dave Longstreth’s group, there is no humor. It’s a collective of very serious musicians that conciously take the fun out of rock and roll. It’s impossible not to detect a cultist vibe that runs through the Dirty Projectors when they’re on stage. Longstreth is clearly the leader, and everyone seems to be under his spell – the girls especially. Singers Amber Coffman, Hayley Dekle shimmied unconvincingly like 60’s girl group backup singers. Rarely did anyone else challenge his stage presence or his acrobatic guitar stills. This was painfully apparent as his guitar essentially drowned out Coffman’s soaring vocal on “Stillness Is The Move”. What was terribly disappointing is the lack of the camaraderie between the group. None of them really seemed to enjoy what they were doing on stage. Multi-instrumentalist Angel Deradoorian, a talented solo musician in her own right, remained far stage right all evening and hardly cracked a smile. On *Bitte Orca*, the band’s latest record, the songs are infectious. They breathe. They have great hooks and incredible vocal interplay. Live, they’re a mess of noise that is opposite the album’s calculated synchronization. For what Longstreth and Co. have finally accomplished on record, they’ve got a ways to go with their live performance. There are glaring rough edges, and perhaps with a little more collaboration live – stretching the songs with the same kind of elasticity that permeates their singer, they’ll have a more engaging live show. Until then, they’ll continue to sound like a gaggle of sound without a clear direction. ### A Tale of Two Rock Shows URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/a-tale-of-two-rock-shows/ Last updated: 2009-11-15T02:00:51.000Z > ![mountaingoats](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/mountaingoats-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225 "mountaingoats") > > The Mountain Goats, Thursday, November 5, 2009 at Metro The Mountain Goats played to a mostly packed crowd at Metro last Thursday. John Darnielle and the lineup consisting of bassist Peter Hughes and drummer Jon Wurster leaned copiously on last month’s release of [The Life of the World To Come](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The%5FLife%5Fof%5Fthe%5FWorld%5Fto%5FCome%5F%28album%29?ref=obviatemedia.net), a record tackling religion, specifically inspired by certain Bible verses. Heavy themes for sure, and maybe that’s why the record really hadn’t sunk in for most of the crowd – certainly less sing-a-longs than expected. That said, the show was immensely powerful, especially as Darnielle played several songs solo. He was chatty and engaged the audience on multiple occasions, often deflecting obscure song requests. The best moments came when his collaborators returned for classics like “No Children,” “This Year,” and at the very last minute, the stunning, sparkling “Going To Georgia”. > ![photo](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/photo-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300 "photo") > > Art Brut, Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at Lincoln Hall Art Brut took the stage with the shit-kicking “Formed A Band,” an easy (and awesome) set opener. Frontman Eddie Argos commands so much attention from the crowd it’s easy to forget that there’s a talented band behind him. Argos’s long winded ‘Where- is-this-going?’ storytelling and jumping into the crowd during “Modern Art,” was excellent, as it built into an exhilarating pit around the singer. Replacements references were abound, (the band couldn’t remember their song about the Replacements in Minneapolis the night before, and therefore, did not play it as a tribute to them) as well as Ian Catskillin’s “Bastards of Young,” tease at the beginning of their set. It was a total pleasure to get to see a band with such an outsized personality at such a small venue. Unfortunately, save for the front section, the rest of the crowd stood dazed and mostly unresponsive of guitarist Jasper Future’s efforts to get the crowd clapping. Perhaps it was the location, Chicago’s brand new [Lincoln Hall](http://www.lincolnhallchicago.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net) opened just three weeks ago. It’s a converted one screen movie theater that’s part bar and restaurant, and venue with a total capacity *just* over 500\. Gorgeous woodwork, exposed brick and muted colors are a nice theme for the place, which put it a level above most Chicago venues. Perfect for the size of Art Brut’s audience, but still too small for Art Brut’s collective ego. ### Tad Kubler: The obviate media Interview URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/tad-kubler-the-obviate-media-interview/ Last updated: 2009-09-22T16:47:00.000Z *Interview by Brendan Hilliard* *Editorial Assistance by [John Nagle](http://www.rantnravewithjohn.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net)* obviate spoke to The Hold Steady’s Tad Kubler last week just as the band was about to play their first-ever Alaskan tour and first full-scale tour of Canada. The band is currently winding down promotion and touring of 2008’s *Stay Positive*, and preparing to enter the studio to record their fifth album. ![koob](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/koob-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225 "koob") **You guys are touring Canada for the first time extensively. What was the impetus to go there now and not schedule a full scale tour before?** Well, I guess, the way we kind of planned out our year was to sort of wrap up touring and then get home and take a little bit of time off to get ourselves together physically and emotionally and do a little bit of recording. We’ve really been technically working on material since last fall. We went to this house down south when I got out of the hospital and holed up there about ten days and did some writing and rehearsing and some recording. Then we obviously did a lot more touring throughout that year and earlier this year. The UK thing came up pretty quickly. We’ve had a couple of offers to do Alaska over the last few years. I guess finally we were able to put something together that made sense for us to come up here. We haven’t spent any time in Canada other than the coastal cities Toronto – which is close to New York, Montreal, and we’ve fit Vancouver into a couple of west coast tours. We’ve never toured through Canada. Now that the Alaska thing came up, it allowed us to be this far north and west and then start in Vancouver and make our way back to New York. To be honest – border crossing with Canada can be really difficult on bands. I don’t know why it’s been so hard, but it’s been kind of a chore for us. It’s hard to go up just for a show here and there, just because it takes so much time at the border. **Do they just want to go through the bus and search the trailer and stuff?** Yeah, and they tax you. I don’t want to say they intentionally fuck with bands, but it almost seems that way sometimes. So, we figured if we’re going to be up here, let’s spend a little bit of time once we actually get across the border. We’ve always treated touring as a supply and demand thing and it got to the point where we hadn’t spent any time here yet and there’s obviously a demand for it so we thought we’d do it. **Now, have you spent any time in Alaska before or across Canada for that matter – other than the coastal cities?** None of us have ever been here before. **Where are you? In Anchorage?** Yeah we’re in Anchorage. We’re in a crappy part of town. I don’t know where the theater is that we’re playing tomorrow – actually, we get another day off. We were going to go home initially after this UK run. But, it would have just been home for roughly 24 hours, and we thought “Well, fuck it, if we’re already out in and in that mode of traveling”, that we’d just bite the bullet and do the long flight here and just spend a couple days off resting and readjusting to the clock. **Do you know if the show’s sold out or anything or if there’s going to be a big turnout?** To be honest, I have no idea. I haven’t even checked. That would be something I used to check in with, keep in touch with our booking agent, and talk to Q (Craig McQuiston), our touring manager and stuff. But i just kind of try to take myself out of that aspect of the business and try to do a good show. **I guess that kind of makes me think of something when you said that. For a while there, you definitely had more of an internet presence, especially on the message boards. Now, was there any particular reason why you said ‘no more’?** Time was obviously an issue. That’s a hard question to answer. It’s just something I didn’t have time to do anymore. It didn’t seem like the best way for me to spend my time. **Sure.** You know, with everything that’s been going on, “Well shit, if I spend two hours answering emails and trying to get back to people, that’s two hours I technically could be writing songs.” And also, you know I won’t lie, it was a bit of a privacy thing too. Sort of an availability thing. You get to the point where you can’t really please everybody all the time. I just felt it was time to step back from a little bit. It wasn’t like there was anything that happened, an incident or anything. With our schedule it just got to be too much. **Yeah, I guess you guys started to get a reputation for being particularly accessible in certain ways and I think that obviously made sense to step back from.** I’d hate to give the impression that we’re not that way, or that wasn’t the case. It really just became a matter of how I was managing my time. Also, to be honest, the message board in particular is a forum for people to kind of talk about the band and it’s a community that surrounds the band, and I didn’t want people to think like I was checking in or patrolling that in some sort of way, where people couldn’t really say what they wanted to. **So, more or less not being there promotes people being able to say whatever they wanted to talk about.** It started out as this core of twenty people you’d see at a lot of the shows and become friends with and you kind of got to know. It grew to something that people were finding the band for the first time and that was sort of a different perspective. **Yeah.** You don’t want to read about yourself all the time, that’s not healthy. **Are you actively now recording the new album?** We’ve been spending time in our practice space, which has kind of become a studio for us, recording ideas and stuff like that. We have spent a little bit of time, and the bulk of it will be when we get back – we’re looking at a couple of different studios where we can go in and start to record and do it at our own pace. **I guess it’s not like the earlier years when you guys just started out – you were putting out a record every year. You’re definitely not writing at that kind of pace anymore.** Well, we still work pretty quickly. At this point, the time we spend on the road won’t allow us to do a record every year. I think we’d still like to, obviously for us to do what we do, which is touring, we need to be able to tour behind a record, so we like to get them out as quickly as we can. I don’t know if is so much “Let’s put out a record so we can go on tour,” but “Let’s record because we write songs, it’s our livelihood, it’s what we do.” So, if we’re not going to be on tour, let’s get back in the studio. **When would you like to have it out?** I mean, obviously, I’d like to have a record out early next year, but there’s a lot of other variables that are involved in putting out records. There will be a lot of things that will depend on when we can release it and when it’s finished. We’ve always sort of put a deadline of when we’d want to have a record out or a record finished. This one I’d like to be at a little more relaxed pace rather than block off two months in the studio and saying “Alright, this is the time we have to do the record, this is when we’re in the studio, this when we’re finished with it.” We just kind of want to go in and record without a real deliberate date in mind for when things need to be wrapped up. **Even if it’s still early in the process, do you have a direction or a certain sound you’re going with on this record?** No, we’ve just been writing it. I think that sort of presents itself when you get in the studio. For me, in terms of writing songs I’d like to try to have a little bit of a different approach to what we’ve done in the past. Try and to go into the studio not as rehearsed as we’ve been before and see what happens and maybe use the studio as a little bit more of a tool in creating a record as opposed to having songs going in and just playing them together as a band and compiling twelve songs or whatever into an album. **Are you working with anyone in particular on the new record?** I think Dean (Baltulonis, Separation Sunday co-producer) is going be involved in it. In kind of listening back to the record’s we’ve made, I kind of always liked working with Dean. He’s done so much stuff since we did Separation Sunday with him. I think he’s in a really good place. He and I worked on a bunch of the stuff for a soundtrack I worked on earlier this year around February. We had a really good time together kind of creating stuff in the studio. That was sort of my impetus for how I wanted to approach this next record. **Going into the next year, are you guys going to be on the road again still or is it solely dedicated to recording?** We’ll, we’ll see what happens. I mean, it’s September now, so we’ve still got a lot of time this year to be writing and recording. When we feel we’ve got enough stuff together for an album, and then set down and then listen to everything and see where we’re at. I guess if there’s any real deliberate idea, it’s not really having a deliberate idea. **Do you guys plan on sticking with Vagrant for the next record or are you looking for something else?** We’re still under contract by Vagrant. They’ll put out this record. I’ve been really happy with Vagrant. They’ve been good to us. **What are you listening to lately?** Not a lot. When I start writing and start coming up with ideas for songs, I try not to listen to a lot of anything because you really tend to repeat what you hear. Whatever goes in, comes out eventually, so I try to be real cautious of that. I guess any time I’m in the writing process, most of the stuff I listen to is older records that had a real impact on me. Or, if there’s something that will catch my ear. Maybe I’ll hear something on a Calexico record that I love, and then I’ll listen to nothing but Calexico for three weeks. Or, I’ll hear an old Stones record and go “God, the drums sound good on this album!” and then I’ll spend the next month listening to nothing but the Rolling Stones. Maybe somebody will play a Kinks song and I’ll go “God, I forgot how good that record was!”, and I’ll go back then I’ll go obsess over that for weeks at a time. **So, your said on Twitter that you had an incident with a guitar and the airlines? What happened?** Yeah, you know, to be honest, I’m kind of surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. You know, we got into the airport last night after a totally grueling day of traveling and Dustin’s (Miller, The Hold Steady’s guitar tech) pulling stuff out of oversized baggage and he’s like ‘Uh-oh’, and I’m like “Oh, don’t say that, what happened?” and he opened the case and one of my guitars had been smashed from being mishandled. That was kind of a drag. But, we remedied that pretty quickly. For as much time as we spend in airports and throwing gear around and traveling with gear, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I have never had anything lost or stolen yet, thank God. Thank God it wasn’t a guitar that can’t be replaced. It was a newer one at least and not one of my older ones. **Do you have a particular favorite you play that you’re always bringing out on the road?** No, that switches up a lot. I’ve got a couple of old ’60’s Gibson’s that are my go-to guitars when we’re recording, especially when I’m writing. I like to get new stuff all of the time. Guitars are like anything else, they can be inspirational and forcing you to approach things differently. Maybe a particular guitar will play a certain way and it kind of takes you out of that comfort level a little bit where you have to think a little bit more about what you are doing. I mean, it’s always an excuse for me to go out and buy new shit. **How do you get the names for your guitars with? People I’ve been in the crowd with have always remarked that you see names like “Eat It!” and “WMD” (on the set lists). Are those just inside jokes?** Yeah, Dustin and I usually come up with those. I don’t know, it’s just stupid little things. I have so many guitars that are similar models, so if I were to write the model or the year down, it could be one of a handful of different guitars. We name them to avoid any confusion. **Makes sense. It just seemed kind of funny.** Most of them are just stupid inside jokes. There’s no real method to it. **I figured as much. You guys have been on the road most of the year, is there a favorite gig you’ve played this year, or really, one overall that stands out?** Oh god, the End of the Road Festival was really great just because of the people that were there, and the overall setting of the festival was so fantastic. Obviously that’s fresh in my mind because it was just a couple days ago. The shows in New York were fun, it was good to be home, the show in LA was really great that we played with The Bronx, those guys have become good friends of ours. It was nice to see them and hang out with them. It’s different from show to show. You remember different gigs for different reasons. **Is there anybody you haven’t toured with that you’d like to get on the road with?** There’s a handful of bands that we’d like to go out with. We haven’t done a whole lot of support gigs until this year, and going out and being able to play arenas and bigger venues was fun. The Counting Crows and Dave Matthews Band were great, but it would be nice to go out with a band that maybe suited our style, something that’s a little closer to us stylistically that we listened to more. The support gigs are always interesting because you never know what you’re going to get in terms of the audience and it makes you work a little bit harder. **How did those DMB shows go from your perspective? I mean, playing to a group of people that may not be so familiar with the kind of music you guys play?** You know, they were okay. It’s always interesting seeing how the other half lives, kind of. For us, it was more than awareness campaign than anything else. Dave Matthews, at the time, had the number one record record in the U.S. He’s somebody who sells millions of records and has such an enormously high profile. It’s weird, because it seems a lot of the people who go to his shows maybe go to one or two concerts a year. To play in front of a crowd like that was interesting. **Now, did he pick you guys personally, or was that through management? Because I hear he picks a lot of the bands he plays with. I wasn’t sure if you guys were one he was aware of.** Yeah, he definitely expressed that he was a fan and watched our set on a nightly basis. I think that he’s involved in a lot of those decisions. But in the end, it’s got to make sense on paper and numbers wise for everybody, so that’s when you get booking agents and managements involved. It seemed to work, it wasn’t something we’d done before, so we’d thought we’d give it a shot. **I know you did photography before you were in the group and I know you’ve done a little bit (since then), and you have a book that you’re doing?** Yeah, that’s been, once again, me totally biting off more than I can chew. Craig and I get approached a lot to write different stuff. Craig, especially because he’s the literary one and the lyricist and his craft is words – but I did a piece on Jimmy Page for a Led Zeppelin book that came out last year, and after that they asked if I had any interest in doing a Hold Steady book. I thought it was a little premature to be writing a book on our band, but they do a lot of real graphic stuff, and I said “Hey, would you want to do a photography book that would be kind of loosely based around my life in the band?” I guess I conned my way into that and they said yes. So, I’ve been working on that and going through just thousands and thousands of photos I’ve had from the road over the years, trying to put something together somewhat interesting and hopefully unique. But yeah, that’s been a major undertaking. **Do you know when that’s coming out, or is that way too early?** I’ve got to have turned in around Halloween. Turn around times are a little bit longer than something like an album, which I’m a little bit more used to how that works. So that will probably come out sometime next spring. **How was it taking a picture of Leonard Cohen? Did you get any time to talk to him? *(Tad photographed him for a Rolling Stone piece earlier this spring.)*** I had about two and a half minutes with him. **That’s nothing.** He was really nice. In doing stuff like that – I’ve worked for celebrity photographers over the years living in New York – it really depends on the day and somebody’s like that – it can be hard to get someone to cooperate. **Have you shot anyone else since then?** I shot the Arctic Monkeys six weeks ago. That was a decent shoot. Our relationship with Rolling Stone has always been really good, so it’s always been an easy thing to transition to – shooting for them, it’s been great. **Have any other publications approached you to do anything else?** No, there’s so many photographers and it’s such a competitive industry, it’s not unlike playing in a band that way. Obviously, with the profile of the band the way it is, it’s been easier for me, but I haven’t tried to hustle any work because I’m not around enough. If and when we have some more time off, that’s something I’ll peruse more. Until then, it’ll probably stay focused on taking portraits on the road and stuff. **Okay, if you had to pick one or the other, being a full time photographer, or being in the rock band…which one would you choose?** Oh, being in a rock band! You don’t get up in front of thousands of people and take photos. The performance element I think is something i’ve always loved to do. It’s like a drug. There’s nothing comparable to walking up on stage having thousands of people shout the lyrics back at you. **Are you a person that likes being on the road, or are you a homebody, or what? I know there’s some musicians that hate it but do it anyways.** Yeah, no I mean, it’s funny how many people that you meet that really just can’t stand being out on the road and away from home. There are times when it’s obviously harder, but for the most part – the travel is nice – we’ve gotten to a level as a band where the traveling has become comfortable and easier for us to enjoy things. **Yeah, you’re not traveling in a truck anymore, right?** God no. It’s a miracle that none of us had a serious accident or were hurt in that. We really lucked out. **Yeah, I think one of the first times I saw you guys you were still in that. It was like one of the first tours I saw you guys and you were playing Milwaukee at the Miramar Theatre and Franz stepped out of the truck and we were like “Whoa, that’s a little truck..with a lot of people in it.”** Yeah. It was really good to us. it was a great way to tour at that point in time. It really got to the point it wasn’t safe anymore and it wasn’t big enough and it wasn’t a good way to travel. **Is there any place you haven’t performed that you’d like to perform?** I’d like to go to Greece, I’d love to go to Italy, I’d love to go to South America, we haven’t played Hawaii yet, it would be the last of the fifty states we haven’t played – we’d hopefully be getting there on this next record. Japan is definitely somewhere we’d like to travel to. We’ve done some shows in Eastern Europe, we’d like to move further east – we’ll see what happens on this next record. **Is it hard for you to adjust to home life when you’re not on tour?** It used to be a lot harder. The way that we tour now, it is more comfortable so you’re not quite as spent and exhausted when you get home. There is that period of adjustment, obviously. You’re kind of this little gang on the road all the time. You’ve got your little clique and all the little inside jokes and mannerisms and stuff that you do. Then you get home and it takes a while to shift out of that mode and get back into being a dad – my daughter started school last week, so when I get home I’ll go to PTA meetings and stuff like that, obviously that’ll be a big change for me. ### The Gaslight Anthem @ Double Door 8/8/09 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-gaslight-anthem-double-door-8809/ Last updated: 2009-08-10T09:25:47.000Z Out in a sea of Gaslight Anthem fans – especially those at the Double Door Saturday evening – there’s a meshing of two very distinct types of music fans. In one corner, there’s the punk rock fans – kids who get their kicks from groups like Alkaline Trio, Against Me!, and the Lawrence Arms. Those bands are scruffier, edgier versions of their pop-punk counterparts that probably spent more time with the first three Clash records than the three hit Blink-182 albums. In the other corner, there’s the always mercurial indie rock fans, who have been won over by the band’s roots-rock Americana and cinematic lyrics. The band’s working class image is the in rock-and-roll trend right now – it’s a template that they follow like their counterparts Lucero, the Drive-By Truckers, and The Hold Steady. There’s a simple reason for that: it never gets old. The Gaslight Anthem took the stage shortly after midnight. By then, the club had turned into a sweatbox. Any hopes of recycling a pair of pants or t-shirt for the next day were dashed. Those in the first few rows were dripping from head to toe – it was overwhelmingly soggy. For a band with as much positive buzz as The Gaslight Anthem, it’s hard to believe that they’d be anything but a sure-thing live act. In that category, they disappoint. Rock and roll to me, comes from the interactivity. I enjoy watching frontmen like Eddie Argos of Art Brut treat his songs as if they were his own personal theater, jumping into the crowd, faux-sulking while sitting on a monitor, and acting as if his band members are just some second-rate session musicians carrying out his bidding. So, it’s was a bit maddening as a concertgoer to watch The Gaslight Anthem with a such a short range of motion. Strumming the guitar and occasionally playing to the drummer caused my mind to wander more than I hoped. There’s a barometer I carry to measure my enjoyment level at a show: my cell phone. If it’s out, and I’m texting someone, the performer’s lost me. If you don’t see it, we’ll, let’s just say, I make myself seen. Despite the glaring shortcomings, the heroic chords of “High Lonesome” were an inspiring open to the set, supercharging the crowd worn out by the heat. “And Maria came from Nashville with a suitcase in her hand/I always kind of sort of wished I looked like Elvis”, vocalist/guitarist Brian Fallon sang. It’s funny, because it’s true. On stage, he and bassist Alex Levine are a study in contrast to their counterparts, guitarist Alex Rosamilia and drummer Benny Horowitz. Fallon and Levine have adopted a nu-greaser look – short, high and tight haircuts and white tees and Dickies – while the other two deliberately eschew it for more modern stylings. > ![IMG_8955](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG_8955-225x300.jpg?resize=225%2C300 "IMG_8955") > > Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem The set was culled heavily from the band’s breakout disc, last year’s *The ’59 Sound*, and a generous heaping of songs from the band’s more aggressive debut disc, 2007’s *Sink or Swim*. The reason for this, explained Fallon, that after 50 festival shows, the band was excited to be playing another club show. Despite the band’s lingering greenness, there were moments of brilliance. “The ’59 Sound”, propulsive guitars, huge chorus and all made standing in the heat worth it. The mixture of the stage lights, pumping fists and the room screaming at the top of it’s lungs was a classic rock show moment. Ditto for “Great Expectations”, which produced a similar, equally passionate response. Then came the lasting image of the evening. The set closing tune “The Backseat” (which Fallon called ‘Backseats’ – Springsteen nod?). As a crowd surfer made his way towards the front, the song climaxed at the chorus, the surfer rose on his hands and knees, mere feet from Fallon, screaming along the words: “In the backseats/we just try to find some room to breathe”. For those fleeting moments, The Gaslight Anthem’s deficiences were forgotten. Both fan and artist were just two people sharing the same experience: The pure, infectious energy of rock and roll. Exactly how it should be. ### Portrait of the Author as a 10-year-old URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/portrait-of-the-author-as-a-10-year-old/ Last updated: 2009-07-23T16:43:55.000Z After years of searching, I’ve found the Holy Grail of my personal writings. ![Picture 6](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Picture-6.png?resize=434%2C452 "Picture 6") It’s the ‘Goosebumps’ Journal I wrote in from 1996-1997. I initially thought it was lost to the sands of time. I know I hadn’t thrown it away, but I didn’t know where I put it either. Walking on to the loft where we keep most of our books today, it just stared me right down in the face. I didn’t write very long – there’s probably about ten entries total, and most of the time it was about what I ate, or Beanie Babies. Anyways, I thought I’d share some select, unedited lines from the journal today, and maybe some more at a later date. Until then, experience the bowlcut and the mid-nineties stench of Alanis. > March 5, 1996 > > Dear Journal, > > Today at school I felt lousy, when I got home I had a fever of 100.8\. I was “suffering” at school today. I was at the office 4 times today. But man, I really feel sick. I probably wasn’t sick. This was during my compulsive ‘go down to the office cause they’ll send you home’ phase. I think I was lying to the journal in case anyone else read it. > March 10, 1996 > > …We are just to about to have lunch. We are going to have chicken nuggets. Sometimes when I’m writing I will stop and wait. Then I will keep going. Well as I always write, “I gotta go, bye! First documented signs of my still-undiagnosed ADHD. Stop and keep going. Like a car. Honk Honk! > March 11, 1996 > > …Tomorrow I have a Pizza Lunchable. They are awsome. They come in Extra Cheesy and Pepperoni. I am going to go to bed now. I think what’s more awsome is my spelling of aw**e**some. Pizza Lunchables, for reference: ![lunchablespizza](https://i1.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/lunchablespizza.jpg?resize=399%2C407 "lunchablespizza") WTF is a “Pepperoni Flavored Sausage Pizza?” You ate these COLD. Gross. Papa Murphy’s now makes a business out of this shit and calls it “Take and Bake”. Back in those heady days, we just TOOK, and **WE LIKED IT.** > April 10, 1996 > > …I feel kind of dizzy. I am going to wear shorts tomorrow. Some of my friends are too. Hopefully! I have no idea. And this was the year *after* I got heat stroke. ### Buses, Trains and Automobiles URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/buses-trains-and-automobiles/ Last updated: 2009-07-14T18:37:27.000Z I’m always out of town now. I’m constantly documenting where I’m going and what I’m doing when I’m out of town, but never how I get there. Since I turned twenty-one, I have developed an aversion to flying. I can’t tell you why, exactly – but if I don’t *have* to fly anywhere, I won’t do it. So I resort to the many different ways of transportation to get me across these great United States. **[Megabus](http://www.megabus.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net):** Far and away the most hassle-free and pleasurable traveling experience. Super cheap fares (I just got back from Minneapolis for **NINE DOLLARS**), clean double decker buses, and get this – Wireless Internet. You can’t beat that. However, they’re the way of transit I’ve had the most trouble with as well. Our bus up to Minneapolis at the end of June broke down outside Janesville, Wisconsin. We had to wait close to three hours for a new bus. That bus had no A/C on the upper level. On our return trip, our bus for the ride home missed our stop completely, and we had to wait another two hours there for a new one. That bus didn’t have internet, even thought it said it was supposed to. Little complaints, I know. I guess I get what you pay for. **[Amtrak](http://www.amtrak.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net)**: The most comfortable way to travel. Big seats, footrests, power supplies for electronics, and cars dedicated to looking out the window. It’s all pretty cool, but it takes FOREVER to get anywhere. For a guy like me who’s really impatient, that’s not good. It’s great if you want to see the country, but not ideal if you are planning on getting somewhere exactly on time. In our case on our return trip from New York, we chose to stay an extra day because they wanted to bus us three hours away to get to a train. No bueno, Amtrak. **Emily’s 2005 Saturn Ion:** Okay, a close runner up for best way to travel. In the past year, this is probably the car I’ve spent the second-most amount of time in next to mine. > ![ion_side](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/ion_side.jpg?resize=400%2C243 "ion_side") > > Actual car not pictured. It’s pretty close. I swear. It’s a beast. After all of the miles Emily’s put on it just going back and forth from Chicago to Minneapolis, not to mention the east coast drives AND the upcoming Canada excursion, it’s proven reliable and also fun to drive. There’s a bonus of being able to stop where you want with it too. The only things that keeps this from the top spot is the lack of internet, comfortable sleeping spots and the lack of a tape player or auxiliary port for uninterrupted iPod stereo access. You can’t always win, but I’m grateful for being able to go along for the ride. ### Around The World In Three Days (Spread Apart by Three Weeks) URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/around-the-world-in-three-days-spread-apart-by-three-weeks/ Last updated: 2009-07-14T00:10:42.000Z I get asked often “Why do you keep going to Hold Steady shows?” After thirty-two of them since October of 2006 – I can tell you it has a lot to do with the community of people surrounding the band. Throughout the years and in my travels, I’ve met so many great people from all walks of life – people I can legitimately call my friends. They’re not just people I talk to on a message board. It’s a really good feeling to know you have this crazy, wide-ranging support system that’s all over the place. I love it, and wouldn’t give it up for anything. It’s that important to me. Enjoy the experiences, sights and sounds of the three most recent below – Chicago, Madison and Minneapolis. ### Jason Anderson: The obviate media Interview URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/jason-anderson-the-obviate-media-interview/ Last updated: 2009-05-04T14:50:43.000Z ![index](https://i0.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/index.jpg?resize=498%2C225 "index") Very few musicians can match the pure joy that emanates from Jason Anderson. If you are unfamiliar, you probably should watch [this video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsUKVKfLxUk&ref=obviatemedia.net) before you read the following interview. The prolific (and incredibly gracious) singer-songwriter took some time out of his day to chat with obviate. ——— **obviate media: First off, how are you doing?** **Jason Anderson:** Feeling great right now, thanks. How is Chicago? I miss that place. The Chicago Diner and Veggie Bite are two of my favorite restaurants in the USA. Oh, also, thanks for taking the time to ask me some questions. **Chicago’s pretty good. I’ve never been to either restaurant, but I’ve heard good things. Also, No problem. Thank you! So – Jason Anderson is a fairly common name. Have you ever felt like you had a hard time because of it? Has there ever been any mix-ups?** Not so far. Oh! Once at a show I was announced as Jason Alexander aka George Costanza on Seinfeld. That was very, very awesome. People started booing when I came out because they wanted the Seinfeld dude (just joking about this last part). That also would have been very, very awesome, though. **How old are you, and what’s your day job?** 31\. I am a music teacher at both a pre-school and a wonderful afterschool center. To give you a sense of how amazing this afterschool center is, we are working with 4th and 5th graders on an original play called JAWS: THE MUSICAL. i am very, very lucky. The center is part of The Children’s Aid Society, which has been around since 1853 in NYC. **And Where do you currently reside?** Brooklyn, NY. **What would you consider your influences (musical or not)?** Lots of stuff. Friends, travel, politics, food, bikes. **Your website shows you recorded an extraordinary amount of material. How do you write so many songs? Where do you draw your inspiration for most of material?** I’m really not sure. Good question, though! I just love music. Also, I have no life. Kidding. Sort of. **I’m curious what the songwriting process is like for you. Are you the type of musician who I could give a person’s name and a few details to and say ‘write a song’, or just the opposite?** I am the first type. It’s funny how specific your example was, too, because check this out: Once my friend and I went to a crowded waterfront on a sunny day, and made a sign that said “Will Write a Song About You for $1.” It was great! I think we made about eighty bucks, and took our friends out to dinner. It was a great day. **You use a lot of sing-alongs in your music, and in your recordings. How did you start doing this? Who comprises the chorus in your recordings?** I just thought it would be more fun to have everyone involved, instead of the strangely skewed, standard orientation of a bunch of people (often) paying to stare at one person or group of people. My goal is connection, not disconnection. And I don’t need a bunch of people standing still looking at me, because I’m really not anything special. The point is that we’re ALL special, and when we ALL sing the music is only better for it. I am not that good of a singer. All the voices help not only the music, but the feeling, and the sense that this night is a unique moment in our lives that will truly NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, and if it’s our last night here–our last chance–then we better make it count. As to recording, on the TONIGHT thing I invited whomever wanted to come to this big wooden gymnasium and we taped the group parts. It was so fun. **The ‘Ghosts and Goblins’ video implied that you used to teach music for kids. What is your background – teaching? Playing? etc…** Yes, I am a teacher. I am almost done with my second year of teaching at two wonderful places in New York City. I work every day. And before I toured for 5 years straight I was a music teacher for 2 years at a private studio. So I did have some background. I also worked at a middle school for one year with special ed kids. That was wonderful. **What have you been listening to as of late?** Phish, Sun Kil Moon, Propagandhi, My Morning Jacket. **Do you have plans to record a new album anytime soon?** Yes, I have one that needs to be mixed and then it will be done. I also have songs for a new one. **How do you choose where you play shows? Do you have a manager or do you do it yourself? I know you played here in Chicago in January at an unlikely location and apparently invited everyone out to eat beforehand? Do you have any plans to tour soon?** I spent five years simply touring and the deal was that anyone who emailed me about playing their town, their house, etc. I would go and play there. Now I have more of a set schedule because I teach, but I still have summers off and a couple other holiday breaks throughout the year. I can also play a bunch in New York City, which is what I’ve currently been doing. I am still really excited to email back and forth with people about show ideas, especially non-traditional ones. For example, I am talking with my friend Mike about playing a bowling alley show soon. He set up a great show last summer at an outdoor basketball court. I’m also hoping to play some more islands this summer. So far I have played Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, Star Island and Monhegan Island. Anyone can email me here: [wolfcolonel@hotmail.com](mailto:wolfcolonel@hotmail.com). I’ll write back. **Watching some of your live videos, it seems like you use the audience as an instrument, or do as much as you can to get them to participate. How important is this for your music? Do you find the audience is generally receptive to it or not? Are there any really good crowd participation stories? Or not so good ones, for that matter?** It’s important to me sort of personally and politically in terms of wanting to involve everyone and try to break down that weird dumb (to me, anyway) wall between “performer” and “audience.” The person being looked at and those doing the looking. So much of that seems like ego stuff and creating these divides, these perpetually reinforced levels of social or, maybe worse yet, “artistic importance.” That might sound too much like fancy talk, though. Mostly I just want people to have a blast, and remember that music (I think anyway) is about singing and dancing and sweating and connecting and thinking and feeling and being ALIVE. Not just dressing up “hip” (like everyone else) and trying to be cool (which is apparently accomplished by standing still and looking bored) and then going home and blogging or twittering (is that how you say it?) about “just another indie show.” But at the same time I don’t want to give the impression that I’m super hardline about it or anything. I totally understand that people enjoy music in different ways. If you don’t want to sing along or stand up, that is okay with me, too. There are other powerful ways to connect that are often removed from tradtional shows, like eye contact, smiles, etc. I really just want to feel like something positive is happening and that everyone in room acknowledges that we are together and we are experiencing something and it is our present tense. And seriously, isn’t it time to remember the catharsis and release and simple JOY that can be found in a show and how this can maybe be an important catalyst in thinking about looking for beautiful, perfect, exciting moments in our day to day lives, and how they are actually everywhere, if we are open minded and open hearted??? **Besides your solo work, do you play in any other bands?** I am always up for playing with my friends and helping them in any way, on drums, piano, guitar, bass, etc. I usually have just as much if not more fun playing and supporting and being a part of their awesome music. I just love it. **What’s one detail about you that a lot of people may not know?** I’m vegan. **Are there any musicians that you would like to play with that you haven’t?** My Morning Jacket is definitely one of my favorite active bands. They seem to come from such a good place; I feel like they love music, love playing music, and really do things the way they should be done, in terms of putting on an awesome show and really believing in that power, in that positive energy. It seems like they are not overly concerned with the fashion of things, but just kind of do what they love to do and I think when you do what you love to do and are sincere and earnest about it, it’s totally contagious. But I doubt I will ever get to play with them. That would be awesome, though. **What’s next for Jason Anderson?** Well I have to go to the afterschool center in about fifteen minutes. Today I have 5 piano lessons. One of them is a group lesson with Sam and Spencer. They are really great kids. Thanks for the questions, Brendan. **Thanks for your time, Jason!** ——— *You can visit Jason’s website [here](http://www.jasonandersonswebsite.com/?ref=obviatemedia.net). His albums are available on iTunes or by mail order. He also has selectr free downloads available as well.* ### Dinosaur Jr. at Otto's - DeKalb, IL 4/11/09 URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/dinosaur-jr-at-ottos-dekalb-il-41109/ Last updated: 2020-04-30T08:44:21.000Z Dinosaur Jr.’s choice to play DeKalb, Illinois, a town 65 miles west of Chicago was a weird one. Then again, Dinosaur Jr. is a weird band. In 2005, the capricious ‘classic’ lineup of the band that fell apart shortly after the release of 1988’s *Bug* reunited to much fanfare. The legendary feud between singer/guitarist J Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow was finally put to bed after over a decade. Along with drummer Emmett “Murph” Murphy III, the ensuing tour was a triumph, and was followed by a successful comeback album, *Beyond* in 2007\. ![img_7640](https://i2.wp.com/obviatemedia.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/img_7640-300x225.jpg?resize=300%2C225 "img_7640") Two years later, the band is gearing up for the release of *Farm*, due in June, with a run of dates across the US. The band took the stage in pieces for Saturday’s’ set. Murph and Barlow were first – Barlow, a legend in his own right for his work with Sebadoh and Folk Implosion, was especially well received. Minutes later (or so it seemed), a sedate Mascis wandered on stage and picked up his guitar, standing in front of his giant wall of amplifiers. The band then launched into bouncy “In A Jar” off of 1987’s *You’re Living All Over Me*. The thirteen-song set was heavy on cuts from the band’s most recent disc, as well as their 1985 debut, *Dinosaur*. Highlights came in the form of “I Don’t Wanna Go There”; a track off of their forthcoming disc (and being handed out as 7-inch or digital download with every concert ticket purchase) as well as the gorgeous Barlow sung “Back To Your Heart”. The band is not only a formidable live act, but also a fascinating character study. It’s as if none of them would have anything to do with each other if they weren’t in a band. Then again, they probably don’t. It should be noted that Dinosaur Jr. are an incredibly loud band – to the point where earplugs were not only recommended, but also sold at the merch table. On stage, Mascis a bit of an artifact – silver haired, stoic and reserved. His guitar playing was sinewy – alternately invigorating and demanding of the concertgoer’s attention. On occasion, he rocks from side to side. Barlow, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. He was energetic, hardly able to stay in one place and conversational with the crowd, to the point where it’s fair to suspect that he may have been indulging a little too much. Murph, seated between the two, was the perfect conduit, providing the steady beat and acting as the glue keeping the two personalities working together. It seems to work well for Dinosaur Jr. As the band’s original lineup celebrates the twenty-fifth year since it’s inception, they seemed to do something in DeKalb that not many bands that have reunited after a long wait can claim. They picked up exactly where they left off and showed no signs of losing a thing in the process. *See more photos from the show on our [Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/obviatemedia/?ref=obviatemedia.net) page*. ### The Greatest Spectacle In Sports Entertainment and A Dream Come True URL: https://www.obviatemedia.net/the-greatest-spectacle-in-sports-entertainment-and-a-dream-come-true/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T15:23:16.000Z [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00282-w-830.jpg)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00282.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) If you were a guy growing up in the 1990’s, there’s a pretty good chance you were a fan of professional wrestling. Admit it. There’s something in all our DNA that attracted us to this flashy, ridiculous form of entertainment that mixes athleticism with soap opera and violence. No matter how book smart you are, or how much of a pretentious indie fuck you act like when it comes to the music you listen to, there was still something strangely appealing to this ‘sport’ a level above barbarianism. My brother and I were no different. I suppose it makes more sense for him, because he’s the athletic type, always interested in any type of sporting event to come on. The Olympics are like Christmas morning for two straight weeks for him. Don’t even get me started with basketball. Me? Not so much. I always liked to read and watch movies. Sports were boring. Professional wrestling was for *idiots*. However, on a boring June night in 1998, I found myself watching an episode of WWF *RAW IS WAR* (now WWE *RAW*) with my brother. It was some segment featuring WWF Champion ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and Kane hyping their First Blood match at the upcoming Pay-Per-View. It ended with Austin getting dumped with fake blood and Kane vowing to set himself on fire if he didn’t win. With that, I was hooked. Kane ended up winning the title that weekend, but he lost it back the next night to Austin. As the summer wore on, my brother and I educated ourselves in wrestling history with viewing countless hours of tapes (this was before DVD’s, children). Out of all of these tapes, we tended to enjoy the annual WrestleManias the most. WrestleMania was a pay per view started in 1985 by the WWE that would feature the best of the best wrestlers. It’s where feuds culminate and grudges are settled. It’s also chock full of celebrities and features some of not only the best wrestling ever put to tape, but also some of the finest dramatic moments, if you understand the history. It’s widely considered to be the ‘Super Bowl’ of wrestling. Just like the Super Bowl, it’s held somewhere different each year. We vowed that if it were ever to return to Chicago, we’d be there, hands down. Drew and I gradually burnt out of watching wrestling on a regular basis somewhere around [![](https://i0.wp.com/photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1379/880/200/FACEOFF2.jpg?w=830)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/faceoff2.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)2000\. This was after forming our own backyard wrestling federation where we defended title belts that I designed and we had a hand in writing our own feuds. I went as Dude Love one Halloween and Cactus Jack the next. Drew went as Sting the first year and Spike Dudley the next. A friend of ours even went as ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin the first year. It’s all hilarious to think about now, but it really showed how much we loved something so stupid. [![](https://i0.wp.com/photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1379/880/200/WTITLE7.jpg?w=830)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/wtitle7.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Anyways, even though our fandom eventually dwindled, one thing we always did each year was rent WrestleMania on pay-per-view. Since 1999, we hadn’t yet missed one. Even if we didn’t exactly know what was going on with some of the feuds, it became somewhat of a tradition that we refused to break with. Last year, when we rented Wrestlemania 21 on pay-per-view, it came time to announce the location of next year’s WrestleMania. Immediately when we saw the promotional video featuring the Chicago skyline, we freaked out. It was coming back to Chicago! Only two times in the 21 year history of the event had it even taken place in Chicago – parts of WrestleMania II were held at the Rosemont Horizon in 1986, and the entire WrestleMania XIII event was held at the same arena. We vowed at that very moment to get tickets. We kept enough attention to know that they were going on sale in mid November. Then, out of nowhere… WE FORGOT. Tickets literally sold out in two minutes, as reported by Ticketmaster. The feelings of shock and disappointment were quickly stifled with “Oh well, I guess we’ll just watch it on pay per view again this year.” It was an okay consolation, but we were still bitter at the fact that we totally slipped up and missed our chance to go to our favorite event when it FINALLY came back to our town. We largely forgot about it for the next couple of months, until somewhere around mid-March where we realized we’d better start paying attention so we know what the hell was going on leading up to the big event when we’d get it on pay-per-view. Then, like a godsend, we saw it. Two weeks ago, in the Daily Herald, I spotted an advertisement in the form of a WrestleMania trivia quiz. It said that the winners of the quiz would get two free tickets to WrestleMania 22 on April 2! Then I looked at the questions. I knew almost all of them off the top of my head – and what I didn’t know, Drew did. “What do we have to lose?” I said. “Nothing,” he replied. So we sat up in my room and filled it out. After clicking send, I said “We’re going to WrestleMania.” “No we’re not,” Drew said, walking out of my room. I insisted we were. For the next few days, I talked as if we were going. He was getting angrier and angrier with every mention of it, stating “DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE PROBABLY DID THAT THING?” I just laughed. Anyways, two Wednesdays ago I got out of my Copy Editing class early and sat at the computers in the Journalism Department. I checked my e-mail. It was from some woman from the promotions department at the Daily Herald. Right at the top, it said. ***“CONGRATULATIONS! You have been selected as one of the winners of our WWE WrestleMania 22 trivia contest!”*** I nearly jumped out of my seat. Confident after filling out the quiz that we had them all right, I never really *thought* we’d win. But we did. I tried to hold back my excitement to prevent the risk of embarassing myself in the middle of a lobby full of people. Needless to say, I’ve never heard Drew more excited about something in my life. We finally were accomplishing the goal we’d set so many years before. He convinced it was a joke. It wasn’t until we picked up our tickets did it finally become a reality. WE WERE GOING TO WRESTLEMANIA!! [![](https://i0.wp.com/photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1379/880/200/DSC00287.jpg?w=830)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00287.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)Anyways, we left at around noon Sunday to get to the event. It didn’t start until five thirty, but I knew that there was going to be some stuff to do in the parking lot. The lines were incredibly long, so we decided to line up to get into the arena. We talked to two guys who worked at a Wal-Mart somewhere in the suburbs most of the time. They were total wrestling geeks, just as we were. I have never seen so many grown men dressed up as their favorite wrestlers, and so many people carrying around $300 plus dollar replica title belts. Even we weren’t that bad, and trust me, we were *bad.* Anyways, after several hours of waiting in line, we finally got inside. It really hadn’t hit either of [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00338-w-830.jpg)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00338.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)us that we were at WrestleMania. Something we’d been watching for years. Something that’s first fourteen installments got us through an extremely long car ride to Virginia. Finally, we were a part of the big event. The set was incredible. It was constructed to look like the Chicago skyline, with each individual section being part of a giant TV screen. Yes, there were a lot of lights. Yes, there were a lot of fireworks. Yes, there was a lot of FIRE. I could run down the entire card, but it won’t make much sense to the non-fans. However, I will I will say, I never will forget how the crowd was cheering for the bad guys and booing the good guys. I will never forget the night I saw Edge spear Mick Foley through a flaming table. I will never forget the night Shelton Benjamin did a springboard from the outside apron onto a ladder. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00339-0-w-830.jpg)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00339-0.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net)I will never forget Shawn Michaels (my favorite wrestler as a kid) doing a sixteen foot elbow drop off a ladder, onto 60-year-old WWE owner Vince McMahon, who was layed out on a table with a trashcan on his head. I will never forget the Undertaker’s dive over the top rope, clearing a casket, and colliding with a 400 pound man. I will never forget the 5’3, 165 pound Rey Mysterio winning the World *Heavyweight* Championship from guys a half foot taller than him. I will never, ever forget Triple H, the company’s top ‘bad guy’ tapping out to the WWE Champion John Cena’s submission hold to end the show. I’ll never forget being one of the 17,155 in attendance that night. Yes, it’s fake, the outcomes predetermined, but the athleticism is not. To see the stories told in front of you is a lot of fun. My brother and I always don’t get along. We’re pretty much exact opposites. But wrestling is something we’ve always had in common. I’m glad I got to experience this with him, as opposed to someone else who really wouldn’t care. It was nice to spend a couple of hours with him even though we are on very different paths in life. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/4f/db4fe82b-bf01-49bc-9ea3-4f34eb866250/content/images/2026/06/dsc00299-w-830.jpg)](https://i0.wp.com/photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1379/880/1600/DSC00299.jpg?ref=obviatemedia.net) As corny as it sounds, it was a dream come true for the both of us. Even though we’re pretty far removed from the extreme fandom we immersed ourselves in nearly ten years ago, it was pretty awesome to be able to just sit back, forget about all the complications of everyday life, and just be a kid again.