make music with the chatter in here

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

2010-07-29T14:41:00.001-07:00

Tutoring Nijay and writing for other places! It's true! In fact, if you somehow missed it because only like, 9 people read this and all of those 9 people probably already saw this, I wrote this!

This Right Here.

Thanks, Relevant Magazine. Wohoo!

Bonnaroooooooo

2010-06-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

As i write this, I lay in bed in expensive air conditioning trying only to recover from the 4 day heat fest of Bonnaroo. Having only experienced Lollapalooza in 2007, Bonnaroo 2010 was a whole new world. Some highlights, including, but not limited to:

1. Mumford & Sons joined by Old Crow Medicine Show, Dave Rawlings, and Gillian Welch to perform Wagon Wheel. And the entire M & S set before that. I've never had goosebumps for over 40% of a concert until this show.

That video captures it pretty well. And Rolling Stone was correct, choosing between Mumford and Avetts was nearly impossible, but one had to choose.

2. Dawes. For those of you who know me, this is obviously a biased choice, but the Troo Music Lounge was my home away from home this past weekend and I'm at least partially inclined to lust any band that played there. (It was tiny, had chairs, a water-spray/fan station, and was located about twenty feet from a budwesier stand). I can't blog anymore about them, but just know it was a highlight and go google them for yourself if you're still interested.

3. Angus and Julia Stone. Despite Weezer being SO F-ING LOUD, Angus and Julia (brother and sister, we finally discovered) played a hauntingly beautiful acoustified set in a cafe tent off the beaten path to a crowd full of adoring (and surprisingly male dominated) crowd.

4. The Middle East. Once again, Weezer can burn in hell for its obnoxiously loud set that nearly dominated these guys in the Troo Music Lounge (yes!), but they still managed to capture my ears. Great Lake Swimmers meets The Low Anthem meets.....a girl with a flute.

5. Dave Rawlings Machine, mostly because of this insane song:

6. Kevin Devine. He changed his lyrics to include the oil spill and other pertinent and disastrous world events, and he proved to everyone that he needs to be f-ing listened to. So, if you haven't heard him by now -- even though you're about three to four years late -- go listen to him for your own good.

I feel like giving only six highlights because I could mention Regina Spektor's scintillating voice and Jonathan Tyler's pervasive sex appeal, but perhaps I will save that for a later date. Oh, but if you ever go to Bonnaroo, make sure you hit up the silent disco. It will be the most shameless experience of your life.

Tallesttt Man On EARTH!

2010-06-01T08:10:00.001-07:00

Obviously I loved The Tallest Man On Earth before I went to the show this past Fri @ Lincoln Hall, but now i really love The Tallest Man On Earth. To avoid being cliche and redundant with all the Dylan comparisons and lengthy descriptions that nobody will read, I'll just say this: It's amazing that one guy with one guitar can captivate an audience like this guy. He literally needs no support whatsoever. He played nearly an hour and a half set, and only at the end for an encore of Dylan tunes (no, but seriously, he did some covers--so i had to reference) did he bring anyone else out on stage. And here's the magic that happens when he did:

first yearrrr

2010-05-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

i'm sorry, i just love this video.

Two things.

2010-05-18T20:21:00.000-07:00

There's a few reasons I teach, and this video is one of them.

and there's a few reasons i teach english, and this poem is one of them. glad you agree, quille.

Song-Allen Ginsberg

The weight of the world
   is love.
Under the burden
   of solitude,
under the burden
   of dissatisfaction

   the weight,
the weight we carry
   is love.

Who can deny?
   In dreams
it touches
   the body,
in thought
   constructs
a miracle,
   in imagination
anguishes
   till born
in human--
looks out of the heart
   burning with purity--
for the burden of life
   is love,

but we carry the weight
   wearily,
and so must rest
in the arms of love
   at last,
must rest in the arms
   of love.

No rest
   without love,
no sleep
   without dreams
of love--
   be mad or chill
obsessed with angels
   or machines,
the final wish
   is love
--cannot be bitter,
   cannot deny,
cannot withhold
   if denied:

the weight is too heavy

   --must give
for no return
   as thought
is given
   in solitude
in all the excellence
   of its excess.

The warm bodies
   shine together
in the darkness,
   the hand moves
to the center
   of the flesh,
the skin trembles
   in happiness
and the soul comes
   joyful to the eye--

yes, yes,
   that's what
I wanted,
   I always wanted,
I always wanted,
   to return
to the body
   where I was born.

                       San Jose, 1954

Vooooteee for your (least?) favorite blogger to go to bonnaroooo!

2010-05-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

Go vote for us over at

http://www.lightning100.com/bonnaroo.php

we are video # 4--"Bonnaroo Band" --You can vote everyday til Friday. Caitlin Stubner will make out with you if you vote every day!

josh ritter, joe pug, and two double gin and tonics later

2010-05-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

The minimum charge for a credit card at the vic theatre in chicago is 25 dollars. this is also how much it costs to park directly across the street. two things i learned the hard way. luckily, one can get two double gin and tonics and a bottle of water for just this price. (I would never pay such a price at Mercy Lounge)--HOWEVER, josh ritter and joe pug did not play @ mercy lounge, but they did play "speak plainly, diana" together--a song that's somewhere else on this blog-- and rock a sold out crowd for abbbouttt 3 hours last night.

and then joe pug seemed really creeped out when i told him i had his phone number already and then asked where he lived. i'm not sure why.

he's really sexy. got some smashing blue eyes. i don't think i told him that. he'd heard enough.

anywho. josh ritter's epic set made me feel good about the state of the musical world, and joe pug standing on a huge stage playing just a little ol' acoustic guitar while douchebags talked too loudly =awesome.

i think this was one of my faves. it is so obvious that he loves what he does.

steeplechase and 3 nights at mercy lounge later...

2010-05-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

i'm still alive. barely. local natives last friday, no school all week due to flooding, delta saints on tuesday, deer tick X2 and dr. dog on thursday, apache relay & space capone on friday, steeplechase all day saturday. needless to say, intense week. caitlin managed to score 4 free wristbands to steeplechase (unfamiliar? think: huge frat party with horse races) from a 50 year old rich guy named bill who hangs out with titans cheerleaders and us, apparently.

the door guy at mercy said this to us on friday night:

"I'm just checking IDs. But I've already seen yours like, 3 times this week. Wait. What? You guys are teachers? No. No way. You've been here a million times this week. Out all night? No way."

WE DIDN'T HAVE SCHOOL THIS WEEK, SIR; DON'T JUDGE US.

and in case you missed the nashville floods:

and for good measure

Josh Ritter: Change of Time

the dead weather. that's all.

2010-05-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

i was recently told that if i blogged about my life, people wouldn't believe it. but, i beg to differ. if i blogged about my life (like i pseudo do now), people wouldn't read it. haha. this much is true. yesterday, the stubs and our lovely neighbor rafael went to an invite only dead weather show downtown at thirdman records.

no, we weren't invited. who the hell would invite us? did we just stand outside until some of the lameass industry people didn't show up? yup. open bar and everything. open bar with patterson house cocktails, to be specific. who doesn't want an 11 dollar cocktail served in a plastic cup while the super-douche "door guy" drinks an entire fifth of jameson during the show? SWEET.

Watch the stream on their myspace here.

oh, and tonight it's off to the rabbit release party and the delta saints DVD release/hollywood ten show. two places at once. we can do it.

Rabbit Press

Delta Saints

Hollywood Ten

I wonder if it bothers bands when people arbitrarily leave off the "the" in their band name?

Also-check out the new good old war album review/sample track!

No i didn't forget about the flood. it's insane. went around and saw a lot of the damage--hoping my students and their families (and others as well) are doing okay. second school day off because of the damage/road closings etc.

oh my god charlie darwin

2010-05-01T08:21:00.000-07:00

well, not really, but i finally got to see local natives last night and dear lord it was a beautiful thing. i also appreciated them letting me walk in and sit in the van for no good reason, store my posters behind the merch booth that a rando bought for me because i didn't have any cash, leave my phone number for whenever they inevitably will not need me on tour, and take brian, the drummer from suckers, to late night at cabana with my new friend samantha where we stayed until 3 a.m. eating pie and bbq sliders and cheese plates and french fries and, well, anything... for free.

A little moment with suckers: that's my new buddy in the stripes.

suckers were wild and the lead singer asked me if i had any coke, and then asked me if i had any LSD, and i had to explain the misleading look of my appearance (or perhaps my approach to interpersonal interaction in general?) and that no i didn't have any drugs. and local natives couldn't get their bass right so they played world news ( my new fav song) twice through and then proceeded to play a lengthy set to the BEST CROWD i've ever seen in nashville. usually we're kind of assholes to play for.

good stuff.

other things that happened this week:

auditioning for a jewel music video (hmm?)
black and milds + fat tire in the courtyard of a retirement home
"ms. riggs, you look like a hot mess!"
dominating yazoo brew with 3 growlers needing to be filled
a solid neon leggings purchase
being in the car with someone getting a field sobriety test (SHE WAS SOBER)
meeting my favorite japanese person, shuhei yamamamamamtytfou, and getting locked out of my apartment while he had to pee in the bushes (make sure you check out his band, pet lions)
and, seeing local natives and suckers. and naturally being the last person to leave the venue.

oh my god mumford and sons. oh my god.

2010-04-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

WATCH THIS NOW.

i don't know why i can't embed this video, but it's so amazing. plus, that accordian player. yes please.

voxtrot broke up and yazoo retweeted me

2010-04-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

BAH! Voxtrot broke up. Short lived but with some GREAT tunes that I quite enjoy rocking out to often. These guys from Austin made some indie-pop gems, but I guess that's all we got. I know all my ferocious readers are wildly disappointed and will probably use this as an opportunity to drink themselves into a coma, but please refrain. Other delicious bands will come your way soon.

This song, if I didn't have 3 or 4 versions of it, would be one of my top 10 most played songs on Itunes. It's invasively catchy and it will take over your soul. I promise.

Voxtrot- The Start Of Something
Voxtrot- Raised By Wolves

on another note, my favorite place in the world, yazoo brewery, has been retweeting me whenever i talk about them. is that super super sad? most likely. SORRY I'M NOT SORRY! until next time.

i may have missed coachella...

2010-04-20T16:13:00.001-07:00

but, if i had gone, i probably would have ended up like this guy:

i nearly cried this was so funny. thank you, wyatt. in other news, i've been doing a bunch
of phone interviews over the past few days with bands, so keep a look out on here and
Ear It Now. I've talked to The Poison Control Center, Pet Lions, and The Literary
Greats. What I'll probably end up doing is putting some of the less "informative" interview
stuff up here and put the full articles on Ear It Now. also. thank you to grimey's, the worlds
greatest record store, where i left my keys on saturday after enjoying record store day more
than the average person.

Oh my goddddd, I'm like, ten years late and saying what everyone else on every blog has been
saying, but, like, oh my goddddd that new Dr. Dog album is so yummy! I'm so indie and cool!

best lyric? I JUST CAN'T SIT AROUND AND WAIT FOR YOU.

this album is a straight-through listen of deliciousness. i hope there are no wedding rings in
this band.

Dr. Dog: Later

oh, and for all you nashville folks, make sure you get to rites of spring this weekend. phoenix,
passion pit, cold war kids, ben harper, DRAKE!!!!!!, etc... so, let's watch the ungodly good
phoenix blogotheque sesh. quote from caitlin stubner, "thank god that guy is the lead singer of
phoenix or he would have never gotten laid." definitely a fair statement.

Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from

La Blogotheque on Vimeo. and instead of overloading

you with videos, just go watch the other one here.

until next time.

the sidewalk ends in NASHVILLE

2010-04-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

CHECK IT OUTTTTTTT

jack white creeps the shit out of me. but i love him. and brendan benson.

2010-04-16T07:11:00.000-07:00

so tomorrow is record store day, which may or may not be a thing completely fabricated by desperate store owners (think: high fidelity) to get people to show up to their businesses on a day they would normally be at the bar. regardless, all the cool kids release limited edition vinyls/singles/albums/etc. and some pretty sweet record stores have all day event situations. aka: grimey's. Grimey's will have American Bang, YAZOOOOOOOOOO, and all kinds of other stuff going on. Food too.

And, just a little bit further downtown, The RaconTWOers will be playing a gig @ third man records. I am pretty sure it will just be Brendan Benson and Patrick Keeler, but its still cool enough for me. AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE POPSICLES! They're also promising to be joined by "some friends." HMMM. (But, don't get too excited--Jack White is playing Coachella w/ the dead weather right now) Man. Still, when Ms. Stubner and I saw Jack White walking down the street a while ago, we almost killed a few people trying to swerve into a parking spot so we could chase after him. Reason # 09328402398 why I love Nashville: The Raconteurs randomly decide to put on a free show and sometimes Jack White is just stumbling down the street. And, this video is the essence of why he creeps me out. Great song, though.

The Raconteurs "Old Enough"

can we get a f-ing blog update?

2010-04-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

god. these assholes who start blogs and then never update them. they think they're so cool and trendy and enlightening us with all this super obscure music we haven't heard yet. bleh.

i've been sickly and state-test-preparation consumed over the past few days, and i've been adulterously contributing to a chicago blog Ear It Now, but i'm back now. i know hundreds of thousands of you have been wandering around confused and lost without this blog.

A couple of things:

1. There are approximately 30 days of school left. it's more exciting than summer when i was in high school.

2. Pearl Jam is touring with Band of Horses this summer. How fantastic is that? Which means....new Band of Horses album aka a track from it. (See tour dates at the bottom and if you live in a city where they are coming --aka not nashville-- and feel the need to purchase me a ticket, I completely understand)

From what I can hear, his howling voice isn't quite as prominent, which disappoints me a little bit; it's more subtle in a way. bleh. (At least on the sample track "Laredo") BUT, i love band of horses, and I would doubt this album, Infinite Arms, is a disappointment.

Band of Horses: Compliments

And, for good measure:

Eddie Vedder: Hard Sun

TOURRRRR DATESSSSSS (band of horses doesn't join pearl jam until the kansas city date, FYI)

Apr 16 2010

8:00P

Rockefeller

Oslo

Apr 17 2010

8:00P

Tradgarn

Gothenburg

Apr 18 2010

8:00P

Vega

Copenhagen

Apr 23 2010

8:00P

Walnut Creek Amphitheater

Raleigh, North Carolina

Apr 24 2010

8:00P

Walnut Creek Amphitheater

Raleigh, North Carolina

Apr 26 2010

8:00P

40-Watt

Athens, Georgia

Apr 28 2010

8:00P

The Fillmore

Miami, Florida

Apr 29 2010

8:00P

House of Blues

Orlando, Florida

May 1 2010

8:00P

Jazzfest

New Orleans, Louisiana

May 2 2010

8:00P

Beale Street Music Festival

Memphis, Tennessee

May 3 2010

8:00P

Sprint Center

Kansas City, Missouri

May 4 2010

8:00P

Scottrade Center

St. Louis, Missouri

May 6 2010

8:00P

Nationwide Arena

Columbus, Ohio

May 9 2010

8:00P

Quicken Loans Arena

Cleveland, Ohio

May 10 2010

8:00P

HSBC Arena

Buffalo, New York

May 13 2010

8:00P

Jiffy Lube Live

Bristow, Virginia

May 15 2010

8:00P

XL Center

Hartford, Connecticut

May 17 2010

8:00P

Verizon Wireless Music Ctr.

Noblesville, Indiana

May 17 2010

8:00P

TD Garden

Boston, Massachusetts

May 21 2010

8:00P

Madison Square Garden

New York, New York

May 30 2010

8:00P

Les Schwab Amphitheater

Bend, Oregon

May 31 2010

8:00P

Sasquatch

George, Washington

Jun 4 2010

8:00P

The Academy

Dublin

Jun 5 2010

8:00P

Ward Park

Bangor

Jun 7 2010

8:00P

Junction

Cambridge

Jun 8 2010

8:00P

Ritz

Manchester

Jun 9 2010

8:00P

Roundhouse

Camden

Jun 11 2010

8:00P

Oxford Academy

Oxford

Jun 12 2010

8:00P

Bellahouston Park

Glasgow

Jun 19 2010

8:00P

Olympic Island

Toronto, Ontario

Aug 7 2010

8:00P

Summersonic

Tokyo

Aug 8 2010

8:00P

Summersonic

Osaka

Aug 28 2010

8:00P

Leeds Festival

Leeds

Aug 29 2010

8:00P

Reading Festival

Reading

Sep 25 2010

8:00P

Greek Theater

Los Angeles, California

gang fight at school; i love my job

2010-04-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

what else can i say? there's nothing like going to work knowing you might get punched. changing lives, one semi colon rule at a time. oh wait, mr. quille, did i use that incorrectly? at least while i'm at work, i can get on spin.com and pitchfork and earitnow.com and scroll through my itunes to try to figure out what song best describes my (halfhearted) misery.

Since i've recently started helping out a friend with his much less popular and presumably less visited blog, Ear It Now, I've been busy sorting through emails of shitty music and trying to find the hidden gems. regardless, i've been listening to Joe Pug a lot lately--thank you (long overdue) to robby (vinnie) pollock.

In regards to JOE PUG, not vinnie (no offense), I just realized how incredibly hot he is, and I'm pretty amped to be seeing him in Chicago in May. apparently that's where he resides.

hopefully he never reads this.

how do i describe him without completely pigeonholing him into the new age dylan category? welp. i don't know. so just listen.

Joe Pug: I do my father's drugs

Joe Pug: Speak Plainly, Diana

the desk where you sit inside of a frame made of wood

2010-04-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

i couldn't be more obsessed with this badass local natives song. everyone in the world is blogging about them so i'm just a self aware (at best) redundant cliché right now; however, i don't care. i guess there's a reason a lot of people write about the same bands at the same time--because they're good. except grizzly bear--that's one i still don't understand.

anywho--they're on tour this spring/summer so you should check them out and try to hook up with one of them if you can. what? who says that?

Tour Dates:

Apr 18 2010

3:00P

Coachella

Indio, California

Apr 20 2010

8:00P

Solar Culture

Tuscon, Arizona

Apr 22 2010

8:00P

Sons of Herman Hall w/ Suckers

Dallas, Texas

Apr 23 2010

8:00P

Antone’s w/ Suckers

Austin, Texas

Apr 24 2010

8:00P

Mango’s w/ Suckers

Houston, Texas

Apr 26 2010

8:00P

Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack w/ Suckers

Little Rock, Arkansas

Apr 27 2010

8:00P

Thirsty Hippo w/ Suckers

Haittesburg, Mississippi

Apr 29 2010

8:00P

Cafe 11 w/ Suckers

St. Augustine, Florida

Apr 30 2010

8:00P

The Basement w/ Suckers

Nashville, Tennessee

May 1 2010

8:00P

Masquerade w/ Suckers

Atlanta, Georgia

May 4 2010

8:00P

Local 506 w/ Suckers

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

May 5 2010

8:00P

SOLD OUT Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Suckers

Washington DC, Washington DC

May 6 2010

8:00P

SOLD OUT Bowery Ballroom w/ Suckers

New York, New York

May 7 2010

12:00P

WXPN Free At Noon

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

May 7 2010

8:00P

SOLD OUT Bowery Ballroom w/ Suckers

New York, New York

May 8 2010

8:00P

SOLD OUT Great Scott w/ Suckers

Allston, Massachusetts

May 10 2010

8:00P

Blind Pig w/ Suckers

Ann Arbor, Michigan

May 11 2010

8:00P

Beachland Tavern w/ Suckers

Cleveland, Ohio

May 12 2010

8:00P

The Basement w/ Suckers

Columbus, Ohio

May 14 2010

7:00P

SOLD OUT Schubas (early show) w/ Suckers

Chicago, Illinois

May 14 2010

10:00P

SOLD OUT Schubas (late show) w/ Suckers

Chicago, Illinois

May 15 2010

8:00P

Rock Island Brewing Company w/ Suckers

Rock Island, Illinois

May 17 2010

8:00P

400 Bar w/ Suckers

Minneapolis, Minnesota

May 18 2010

8:00P

The Mill w/ Suckers

Iowa City, Iowa

May 19 2010

8:00P

Mojo’s w/ Suckers

Columbia, Missouri

May 21 2010

8:00P

Larimer Lounge w/ Suckers

Denver, Colorado

May 22 2010

8:00P

Kilby Court w/ Suckers

Salt Lake City, Utah

May 25 2010

8:00P

Empyrean w/ Suckers

Spokane, Washington

May 26 2010

8:00P

Neurolux w/ Suckers

Boise, Idaho

May 27 2010

8:00P

Mississippi Studios w/ Suckers

Portland, Oregon

May 28 2010

8:00P

Media Club w/ Suckers

Vancouver, British Columbia

May 30 2010

8:00P

Sasquatch!

Quincy, Washington

Jun 2 2010

8:00P

Rickshaw Stop w/ Suckers

San Francisco, California

Jun 3 2010

8:00P

Bottom of the Hill w/ Suckers

San Francisco, California

Jun 10 2010

8:00P

Bonnaroo

Manchester, Tennessee

Jun 15 2010

8:00P

Shepherds Bush Empire

London

Local Natives: Airplanes (buy)

also, note to everyone: start eating more sweet potato fries. particularly in combination with tacos. hmmmmmm.

MIA IN NASHVILLE

2010-04-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

whoops. i know people have been just on the edge of their seats waiting for me to update this, and i say with confidence to my avid fans: i'm back. it's been a wild week in the nash. over 7 guests in the past 2 weeks, some broken chairs, a lot of empty natural light cans, and some serious time spent on broadway later--it's time to get serious.

ridiculousness? this. (note: bill pendergast just makes up nonsense and sings about it.)

the one and only ms. stubner and i ran into butch walker last night in the alleyway behind the ryman while we were out with our new best friends who we're not sure if they're famous or complete bums. (awkward sentence but i don't know how to fix it) either way, they drank all our whiskey. nashville is a wild place. for those of you who don't know who butch walker is (i can't say he was really on my star radar)--he's written and produced for, like, everyone in the world that's famous. he's got his own band (on tour now with the band we all thought would never really be that big but is somehow still touring and playing venues like the ryman--train--), and he writes/produces/etc/etc/etc for EVERYONE. seriously. his track record is insane.

he does hilarious/awesome "covers" of a lot of popshit.

Butch Walker: Since U Been Gone (Oh yeah.)

i'm gonna mail you your hair

2010-03-25T16:43:00.000-07:00

what? if you leave your dreadlocks in my home, i will mail them to you in an unmarked white envelope with no return address. i think it's a fair trade.

so i've been MIA this week-much to the dismay of my very loyal fans--due to some visitors and some unfathomably irritating 15 year olds. but, here i am, ready to tell you about a little group i like to call (and presumably, as it is their band name, they like to call themselves) pet lions.

(pet lions. who's in the button up?)

as my friend bobby (and my heart) tried desperately to get me to fly down to SXSW on a whim last week, bobby told me about this lovely band he was staying with who was playing a few shows at austin's most drunken week. they're chicago based and have a free EP for download on their myspace, and i think both of those things are beyond sexy. there are few things i enjoy more than chicago and free music. and most people know what those few things are. [read: certain beverages and cheese plates] They remind me a little bit of a less sunny Voxtrot, and well, you should listen.

Pet Lions: Roman History

a great dawes cover of the beatles/joe cocker(whomever you please)

2010-03-21T20:06:00.001-07:00

just loved this and had to post it.

annnddddd the 'original'...

CHUCK KLOSTERMAN WEARS GREEN SWEATERS

2010-03-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

and he has red hair, bright blue sneakers, and he even wears blue jeans! and he swears, a lot. and he comes to middle tennessee to speak to 400 kids about his career as half of them scour facebook while they receive extra credit.

for those of you who don't know, Chuck Klosterman is easily our nation's most prominent (and simultaneously ubiquitous) pop culture writer. He's written about everyone from Jack White to Val Kilmer, and his quirky analytical essays ranging from The Sims to Saved by the Bell have earned him the title of a pop culture guru. ALSO--this just in: his last name is pronounced with a LONG "O" sound, like in OPEN, not like CLOCK. so KL-OH-STER-MAN. crazy.

(our favorite redhead)

Klosterman is just as hilarious and quick witted in person as he is on paper, and his side tangents and irreverent commentary are nothing short of endearing and insightful. He spoke extensively about his career and about how his boredom of growing up in a town of 500 people in North Dakota led to an ungodly amount of time to think about what little culture he was exposed to. I believe his exact words were, "I could watch an episode of The Wonder Years, and then I could think about it for, like, a year." I wish I had time to think about Fred or Ben Savage for a year. Or do I do this regardless of time commitments?

Anywho, because I'm unabashedly and abrasively outspoken, I made sure to ask Klosterman a question during the Q & A as all the less cool people sat shyly and timidly around me. I was curious about his most bizarre interview, and luckily for me (not so luckily for the guy who asked him how big of an asshole he thought Don Henley was and a professor stepped in and said that Henley was a good friend of hers and he was fantastic), Klosterman had a lot to say about this--particularly in regards to the one and only Britney Spears:

"Because she was the most famous person I ever interviewed, the conditions were very interesting...We had to sit in a corner; she had to face into the corner because people would come up to her all the time...or they would come up to her and they would notice her, and really notice her [demonstrates a gawking passerby who drops a book],..."

He went on to talk about her confusion between herself and herself as a marketed product; and as he says in his book IV, "She's either a genius, or she's the least self aware person I've ever met." Love it. Oh, and then he mentioned an interview with a Civil Rights leader who had 18-20 kittens that crawled all over him while he during the interview. Bahaha. F-ing hilarious. Hate cats. (Sorry, Chels.)

For those of you who have never read Sex, Drugs, & Cocoa Puffs, Killing Yourself to Live, IV, Fargo Rock City, Downtown Owl, or Eating the Dinosaur, it'd certainly be in your best cultural interest to enlighten yourself. Here's a clip of him reading from IV...I think.

and my favorite Chuck Klosterman quote ever? Chuck Klosterman on hipsters: (who undeniably make up the majority of his fan base, making this all the more hilarious) Close friends of mine,I apologize, as I've definitely made you read this before and/or had it in my facebook profile for a solid six months.

Chuck said, "it's like this. You used to be able to tell the difference between hipsters and homeless people. Now, it's between hipsters and retards. I mean, either that guy in the corner in orange safety pants holding a protest sign and wearing a top hat is mentally disabled or he is the coolest fucking guy you will ever know."

Oh, and a new song I like from a band name I can't f-ing stand?

Deer Tick: Smith Hill (buy)

do not spill water on your computer

2010-03-17T07:53:00.001-07:00

especially if you're in the middle of the good old war album. now, it's been a while since my last post; and, i know people have just been pacing around in front of their computer screens waiting for an update. it's okay, folks. i'm here.

after a computer crash, a trip to virginia, some new tires, and a speeding ticket, i'm ready to tell you about the good old war/circa surviv e show last friday at exit/in.

(good old war) (stripes on the left. yeah)

first of all, if you haven't heard good old war yet--you've clearly been living in a hole for a while. which is fine, you should just crawl out now. when i first heard good old war's 'coney island' around this time last year--i knew i had heard it: the quintessential folk pop song. once you hear it, you will NEVER forget it. and nor will you ever be able to get it out of your head. i've been known to dub it the greatest pop song i've ever heard.

Good Old War: Coney Island (buy)

regardless of the greatness of the song, and the three-part harmony that played out quite well during a live set performed for a bunch of questionably eighteen year old emo kids, good old war was oddly misplaced in this setup.

why? well they were third among the line up of Christmas Lights (a less-than-mediocre band with the most abrasive merch guy i've ever encountered; he actually hit me during good old war's set to try to get me to buy a cd of what i can only imagine was a band he was refused entry into), Terrible Things (not bad, but still confusing genre-wise), and the band that is quickly building a cult following: circa survive.

apparently, good old war is anthony green's favorite band. still, he is like, an emo-king. (forgive me as i horribly misuse that word, but the guitars are loud, his voice is high and whiny, and his fans are trying to molest him from the front row. soooo...) so it confused me. plus i had to sit through some interesting thrashing, screaming, and general pissed-offness to hear good old war. regardless, circa survive is going places. and anthony sings on good old war's 'weak man.'

I guess listen to the difference yourself and help me figure out just why they're on tour together.

Circa Survive: Semi Constructive Criticism (buy)

Good Old War: Weak Man (ft. Anthony Green) (buy)

until next time--

we'll miss your old home, yazoo.

2010-03-12T09:06:00.000-08:00

yazoo brewery, my third home (a close follow up to mercy lounge), is officially closing their doors at marathon village and heading to the gulch. not that i've been here for years or anything, and certainly not that i've lived or worked there, but i do love that place.

plus, after my very nice, albeit expensive, sweater--i'm ready to promo yazoo wherever i may roam.

(p.s.--if you live anywhere in yazoo's distribution area: tennessee...etc,

check out hop project #27. just got bo

ttled. it tastes like the milk of the gods. and i'm pretty sure it gives you the ability to see through people's clothes. but only the attractive ones)

and then, whilst you drink a bottle of hop project #27 or the pale ale, listen to this band:

Ha Ha Tonka.

I call the one in the back center. Hailing from Springfield, MO, these 4 guys put out what they call, "foot stomping indie rock." Annnnnd, I wouldn't disagree. I think part of the reason I have taken such a liking to them is through their use of Dostoevsky in a lyric. ( I saw someone mention this elsewhere and immediately took notice.) Nothing like a good literary reference to catch my attention.

Oh, and Ha Ha Tonka is the name of a state park in Missouri. Look at that. They're nature lovers. Humanitarians. Naturalists. Also. I have no idea how I heard of these guys. I literally think I just stumbled across them one day. Maybe saw their name on Paste or something. But here they are, having conveniently fallen into my lap...ooooohhhhhhh....a girl can only hope.

Ha Ha Tonka: Close Every Valve To Your Bleeding Heart (buy)

Ha Ha Tonka: Walking On The Devil's Backbone (buy)

cadillac sky can be my hangman

2010-03-10T06:51:00.000-08:00

in case by some bizarre chance you hate reading whatever i write about before i mention some ungodly cool band that you've never heard of, the bands i'm gonna post about in a minute are cadillac sky and jeremy fisher. ok?

the other day i asked nijay what first person point of view was and he responded simply with the word "adjective." i'm changing lives down here, definitely.

went to the freelance whales, bear in heaven, and cymbals eat guitars show last night, and it was pretty solid. the cymbals guys were kind young gentlemen (who, i can only imagine, were incredibly frightened by my bar-conversation attack), and the show was great--although not really anything to write home about.

my new friends. cymbals eat guitars.

tomorrow, at station inn, the one and only apache relay will be playing with a badass group, cadillac sky. they're from texas (TEXAS FOREVER), and their blend of bluegrass/pop/folk/acousticity makes me dream of tim riggins and consider moving my life to dillon.

cadillac sky: hangman (buy)

then, while i was on www.thesixtyone.com, i came across this charming young lad:

jeremy fisher: scar that never heals (buy)

he's attractive, plays a great simple tune, and is from vancouver. what more could you need? also, i believe his album was just on itunes' indie spotlight, so take that as you will. oh, and one more thing. a guy that looks like that and plays multiple instruments (including, but not limited to, the accordion) is nothing short of awesome.

he's sex in suspenders

2010-03-08T13:27:00.001-08:00

i won't state explicitly whom that refers to or who said that, but i will say that it refers to a certain banjo player of a certain band from a certain failing michigan city. and while i like to keep chelsea doyle's anonymity most of the time, i'll just go ahead and say she might be involved in this. either way, frontier ruckus, the apache relay, rayland baxter, and rev. peyton's big damn band put on a damn fun show at the end on saturday night. it was complete with michael ford jr's enigmatic/remarkable stage presence, rayland baxter's soothing tunes, the raw sexual prowess of frontier ruckus and their ever-elusive lyrics, and washboard playing extroardinaires-rev peyton.

(frontier ruckus. banjo player stage right. left. ah. you can see the suspenders)

all in all, a solid saturday night.

tomorrow, freelance whales: generator ^ first floor (buy)

I believe they're from queens, and i believe they're often compared to owl city. well, no offense, owl city; i like these guys much better. they're playing with cymbals eat guitars and bear in heaven. never heard the latter two. should be interesting. particularly if there is a facial-haired banjo player.

On another note, I have a couple short vids from the show. Although, I was playing a decent amount of air violin (much to most everyone's dismay,) so there's not much.

Apache Relay:

Frontier Ruckus Vid to follow...

until my next and inevitably embarrassing social experience...

HAPPY GREEN BEER DAY, SOBRIETY!

2010-03-04T13:41:00.000-08:00

as i sit here in my GBD '09 tshirt and cowboy boots, drinking a homemade magic hat green beer and munching on some smart food, i allllmmostttt feel like i'm in college. Except I'm not at CJs, there's no one around (Except the maintenance guy), and my responsibility today is much more than it was this time last year.

BUT IT'S STILL A BEAUTIFUL DAY!!!

A wise young writer once said,

"There is a bar somewhere in a magical alleyway that smells like vomit. It has a scintillating drink menu, an awe-inspiring staff and door security that could catch bin Laden. The bathrooms are spacious, the liquor is top shelf and the atmosphere is unbeatable. (Actually, the last detail might be true). Most importantly, however, is the fact CJ's is a one-of-a-kind haven for the weak, the weary, the underage, the overage, the tired, the restless, the abandoned, the broken hearted, the poor (always) and the forgotten. Or, perhaps, those who are too drunk to remember."

a wise one band once kicked ass and covered vampire weekend after writing a slew of their own hauntingly beautiful songs: MUMFORD & SONS.

Mumford & Sons: Cousins (Vampire Weekend Cover)

Mumford & Sons: White Blank Page (buy)

if you wanna come to band practice, you have to bring wine.

2010-03-03T15:04:00.001-08:00

that's what my mother always told me growing up. and look where it got me. it's hard to explain why there is a dashboard confessional screaming infidelities tab open on my computer, why three guitars are in random places on my living room floor, there are 3 dozen chocolate cookies on my stove, but i'd be willing to say that you missed out on a good night last night.

yeah, you.

YES. the videos from Grimeys of Daniel Martin Moore and Ben Sollee. Love it.

more vids from the in-store show here

so i went to see dawes/cory chisel/jason boesel again on sunday night @ eddie's attic in atlanta. sorry i'm not sorry; they're all great. except i missed jason (again), but rilo kiley and bright eyes lead me to believe he's quite fantastic. in fact, since i'm nearly positive he's reading this and is offended that i missed his set, i'll go ahead and put up a rilo kiley song so we can hear-at the very least-his impeccable drum skills.

on a side note, i'm realizing that blogging while in the bathtub=not the most prudent decision one could make.

my mp3's won't upload, so no rilo kiley for now.

but, because david supica has bomb ass dreads and doesn't mind when cait and i are abrasive and invasive, you should check out the delta saints. no, not delta spirit, the delta saints. saints, like of the lord.

The Delta Saints. It's like the first time you had beer and liked it. Beautiful.

But, Matt Costa did mention loving Delta Spirit when I interviewed him at WMSR, and, well, they're pretty damn talented too. More on that later.

my sweater has pockets in the back.

2010-02-28T08:47:00.000-08:00

that's what i tell people about my fantastic yazoo sweater.

and if they are a member of dawes or cory chisel & the wandering sons, i also tell them that their band sucks(ha)/i'd like to tour with them/do they have any extra 7" records i could ... purchase?

the day finally came. dawes was here. and, i wrote this yesterday, and i'm excited to comment on it now:
"if dawes for some godforsaken reason dawes sucks live, i vow to still love them and share their music with my unconceived children. the album is just that good"

luckily for them (and my unconceived children)-they do NOT suck live. in fact, both cory chisel and dawes were so impressive, that i felt the need to buy many of the band members whiskey and then 1. step on stage and play guitar with them 2. load all of their gear into their truck 3. offer to go on tour with them this summer.

and people call me invasive.

a couple of short vids from the show, but nothing fantastic because i couldn't fully be a fan while filming.

First, a short clip of a Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons. I'm not sure what this song is called, but it's amazing. He told a back story about how he was trying to write a dylan-y song, and this is what came out.

Dawes. The beginning of 'love is all i am.' i had to stop filming so i could dance.

there is one more vid to post that is taking too long to upload. maybs later.

And, for good measure, the song they cowrote with the lovely Brendan Benson (whose 4 foot album cover now hangs in our living room)

Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons: Born Again (buy)

local natives on a merry go round!

2010-02-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

i think this is brilliant.

see you in april, local natives.

it's almost as brilliant as grimey's allowing me to see ben sollee and daniel martin moore in a couple hours, but i'm not sure. i just had to put this up. mostly so i could visit my own site over and over and pretend like i filmed it and just watch it repeatedly. great song, better video.

windbreakers are terrorists, yeah?

2010-02-24T14:00:00.000-08:00

i hate the way eric taylor's dillon panther's windbreaker sounds as he walks through his living room. it scratches the ear. sort of makes me think about the true motivation of a windbreaker. anti american? insurgents? pure evil?

thank god eric now coaches the lions. i hate you vehemently, jd mccoy.

if you've completely missed this Friday Night Lights reference, you don't really deserve to be conscious right now, but we'll let it slide and hope you never contribute to any popular culture conversation in the near future. anyways, those of us with DirecTV (or those of us who sometimes stumble across the show elsewhere), season 4 is over and we must replace our time with other things. (after this great promo video)

Other thing number one:

Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore. Playing @ Grimey's TOMORROW at 6 and then later at Mercy Lounge. Ben is a CELLIST and songwriter. From Kentucky. Album out on Sub-Pop. Also, did I mention he's from Kentucky? The bluegrass state? He's escaped! I don't know much about Daniel, but after we hang out tomorrow I will fill everyone in.

"If I wounded you, i'm sorry. it happens all the time." what a brutally honest line. This song is badass. That's all I've got. (I like to put pictures of artists up, because let's face it: everyone wants to know whether there going to see just ear candy or ear and eye candy. It's almost not worth it if you don't want to gawk at the stage)

Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore: Something, Somewhere, Sometime (buy)

Other thing number two:

The O.C. Enough said.

have you ever changed your pants while driving?

2010-02-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

i'm not sure i would suggest it. just some sage advice from a world-renowned writer.

now, today, as my students watched O Brother, Where Art Thou? and attempted to grasp its connection to The Odyssey (and inevitably failed at doing so) I tried desperately to explain the connection between "Man of Constant Sorrow" and the super sexy poster of Bob Dylan on my wall.

As usual, I don't think they got it.

But, nevertheless, it reconfirmed my love for bob dylan, ray bans, and all those who can successfully cover a dylan song. that being said, if you like the tallest man on earth, but don't have this song: you don't like the tallest man on earth. you probably don't even like music. you should just go hide in a closet. it's a bit faster and brighter than the original, but no worries--not even jakob in all his brooding glory could replace bob. anywho, the tallest man on earth is actually a guy named Kristian Matsson from Sweden. and he has a mustache and what sounds like fluent english.

look at the way the light hits his mustache just right. the following song title takes the words right out of my mouth.

The Tallest Man On Earth: I Want You (buy)

I want to have (3-10) drinks with DAMIEN RICE

2010-02-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

If i lived in Ireland, all I would do is walk around with a bottle of jameson and a sandwich board that read, "do you know damien rice? is he looking for a female companion? an alcohol provider? a dog groomer? will work for ...... "

fill in that last ......... with whatever is least appropriate. i've been waiting around since 2006 so hear something from damien rice. it's as if he didn't get my phone calls. but, just about a week and a half ago he performed the song he wrote for the movie When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun with a new girl singing with him. See ya out there, Lisa Hannigan. what's important here is that damien rice has one of the most devastatingly poignant voices today. he pretty much always sounds like he's singing to save his life, and the little bits of double strum we get to hear make it appear like he's usually playing to save his life too.

somebody pour him him a drink. also, i think the new chick's name is julia. here is a video of the performance (no microphones, no nothing, how raw and edgy and awesome) and an MP3 as well.... still, damien (first name basis) is almost always more powerful to watch. plus. he's really sexy.

Damien Rice live from the Santa Barbara International Film Festival:

I once heard that in order to make the recording of cannonball as emotionally charged and powerful as it ended up being on the final record, damien had the girl who the song was about brought in from across the country to sit in front of him so he could sing it with her sitting there. BRUTAL.

Damien Rice: What If I'm Wrong?

"ms. riggs, we gonna bring you a nickel sack"

2010-02-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

that's what my kids told me after school today when they were studying for their unit test. i guess the drug trade between students and teachers is the least of our worries?

or, is it just cutting out the middle man?! make sure you note the disclaimer at the bottom of this earth-shattering blog.

so normally i don't like songs on the "most blogged about" lists and what not, but there are a couple that i just keep boppin around my apartment too. yeah, boppin.

(Check the bottom of the post for samples of Yeasayer and brakesbrakesbrakes)---

which reminds me--bopping-- how great is the game bop it? except when students bring it into class to play. that's just weird. you know what else is a bit strange?

the sparkle that floats down as a means of being an "obstacle" as competitors climb the AGGRO CRAG. Yeah, I'm talking GUTS. (OR, for you more cosmopolitan readers, GLOBAL GUTS) I've been contemplating this more lately as I've started rock climbing more regularly, and I have no light to hit at the top of the route when I get there. Nor do I have Mike O'Malley commentating or MO timing/judging me. My life sucks.

But, not as much when I watch this and secretly hope that someday the background music will be played at my wedding. Except at the end, instead of saying GUTS!, all the people in the world will shout, RIGGS!

brakesbrakesbrakes: worry about it later (Buy)

yeasayer: ambling alp (Buy)

tie a chicken to a desk! where do they all come from?!

2010-02-17T18:16:00.000-08:00

do you know how much chicken is in a regular grocery store in a regular town on a regular day? now think about how much chicken is at the restaurant across the street. and then the one down from that. and then think about the chicken in your freezer. and the mcdonalds mcnuggets. and then all the other cities and towns and countries and houses and restaurants and mini marts that have ALL THAT CHICKEN TOO. where does it all come from!?!! something i've pondered for quite some time.

i think i'll ask my students. they usually have the right answers.

i can not stop listening to this song. i added it yesterday, but now we've got a download for SAMPPPPLEEE. i'm going to listen to this and dance around my apartment banging together pots and pans instead of grading papers. and then my students will ask, "ms. riggs, why ain't my quiz graded?" and i will say, "ms. riggs was busy." and i will hum this tune and pretend i'm not in a high school.

What's crazy about Steel Train is listening to a song of their 2003 EP (1969)--all covers of songs from that year. It's hard to believe its the same band. I want them to come to bonnaroo, and i want them to crash in our tent. it will be overcrowded. aka, perfect.

Steel Train: Turnpike Ghost (FREE DOWNLOAD ON STEELTRAIN.COM)

Steel Train: Hopelessly Hoping (CSYN cover) (BUY)

also, if you read this (yes you) and you like it, you should follow it. even though i'm not quite positive what that means. ask sam hughes, he's a follower. of this blog. i'm sure he could give you feedback on its benefits.