This is the introduction of my new Formative series in which I recount, somewhat autobiographically, how an artist or band lent itself to substantial moments in throughout my life. These are pivotal moments, both from an obsessive, music-loving sense, as well as the personal lifetime milestone sense. Through time, I hope to discuss the works…
I’m sure I’m not the only one who has really been enjoying the latest from Austin, TX band Spoon. Britt Daniel and company are at it again with a new release called Hot Thoughts, and today they dropped the album’s first video, “Can I Sit Next to You?” The black and white video was directed…
Another variety show, no particular theme. It was set to be a sunny weekend, and that meant hitting the road. After a late Friday night at the station, I woke up early, grabbed my bike and went on a solid 10 mile ride. It was the first of the sort for 2012; the first of…
Being sick is terrible. I’ve been fighting something nasty since Tuesday. Luckily the worst was out of the way fast — after recording a 101 degree temperature Tuesday night, the fever subsided and I’ve slowly returned to a state that’s manageable. I was still a bit stuffed up on the 25th, but by 10pm all…
The problem with so-called best-of lists, is that they are really just a collection of items organized based on experience and time, in that there will be plenty of albums heard the following year and beyond that will hold just as much weight as these we dub as “Best.” So, as of right now, at…
I know, I’ve owed this one to you, my readers, for a few months now. The plan originally was to concoct a sort of mid-year recap of the first half, dictating a slew of wonderful albums that may or may not come to find a spot on the inevitable end-of-year list. A hint at what…
Let me tell you a story. In 2007 some notable things happened. I attended the annual music festival SXSW (the image above is of myself and The Lovely Sparrows’ Shawn Jones, taken by Abandoned Love Records/Virgin Of The Birds’ Jon Rooney), I grew a mustache, and I met a beautiful girl named Andi at the…
2005 opened my eyes to a world of new music. I joined the crew at KZUU over the summer, my first summer back in Pullman working toward my Masters in Business. I’d spend my two-hour show pouring over thousands of obscure albums, looking for anything that might spark my interest. While music had always been…
The third installment of A Retrospective, this time the focus is on 2002. The year of rebuilding, so to speak. It was the year I discovered Cider Jack (and did so plentifully) at the local Pullman bar Rico’s, and we all would rehearse Bill Brasky skits (from the SNL spots, and made up on the…
