Sniffles

Ahhh...my favorite mid-winter friend has returned yet again. In the past we have grown close, cuddling next to each other when the wind blows to coldly. We have found solace in the fact that, no matter what the snow tried to cover, it cannot hide our bond.

I have a sinus infection.

There are countless reasons why I get sick every year. They are the exact same things that doctors warn you about. I don't get nearly enough sleep on a nightly basis, I have a terrible diet, I am (at least this semester) far too stressed for my own good, I have no free time to make relaxing good use of, and I rarely exercise.

On the whole, this doesn't bother me.

I have grown accustomed to my yearly reunion with this little fellow. We take naps together, sip tea and orange juice while wrapped in fleece blankets, and collectively moan every time a breeze tries to push us apart.

This, however, does not excuse Mr. Infection's rude behavior. I don't enjoy having to skip class because my head is too heavy to lug around. My nose has become sore and blushed from the countless amount of nasal tissue (or toilet paper for the collegiately challenged) that has scraped
against its soft exterior. More than anything, I despise it keeping me awake at night. The last few nights have been accompanied by constant stirring, waking up at almost hourly intervals, and, my assumption would be, a less than ecstatic roommate.

So this is my plea. As close as we have grown, I am now asking you, Mr. Sinus Infection, to vacate my body. Pack up, eviction notice has been posted.

Now...where's my Sudafed?

Re:Search

I turn my mind, occasionally, to love. At this stage in my life, as for most people of my age, I have established the fact that I know nothing about love. I have had experiences with the word love: my family, my friends, and a couple of the people I spent large amount of time holding hands with when I was younger. This idea of a romantic love, something so deep it cannot be explained, is still foreign to me.

That I do not understand this does not concern me. I'm a sophomore in college, and I have no plans for settling down. At the same time, I adore being in a relationship. The euphoria, camaraderie, excitement, and insecurities that ring-around-the-rosy and encapsulate budding romance thrills me to no end. I also feel a bit more like myself when there’s that special person, one who exceeds regardless of how slightly, the title of friend.

I am single, happy, but definitely keeping my eyes open.

I have also found, through keeping a skeptic eye on myself, that I can establish an idealistic crush in an instant that can trail me for ages. These can be focused on friends, acquaintances, coworkers, performers, baristas, secretaries, or essentially any girl I pass who is singing. A friend and I had a conversation through letters a few months ago about how she had a tendency of developing harmless crushes an a heartbeat that could easily dissipate when needed. I see this in myself.

Perhaps I am confusing infatuation for admiration or a simple want to converse. I’ve seen Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind in Chicago three times now, and each time I have been mystified by the strength, forwardness, honesty, and pride that I have found in one of their members. Does this mean that I would like to become in someway romantically involved with this person? No. I simply want to sit down with her and two cups of coffee and absorb everything she has to say.

There are others that fit into this category.

I say all of this because my relationship status has been the subject of conversation lately. Times it has been brought up by myself, times by others. I’ve been asked why I find it so hard to find a girl on a small liberal arts college campus where I am one of few males known for being extremely outgoing, humorous, and (to a degree) confident (I hate myself for even typing that). One person even brought to my attention that a lot of what girls look for is in facial expressions, so I should watch how I position my features while speaking.

All of this has me very aware of myself, something I find completely unnerving.

The facts are: I am loud, somewhat obnoxious, eccentric, liberal, radical, socially deviant, creative, overweight, near sighted, passionate, eager, supportive, sarcastic, demeaning, introspective, brutally honest, often dishonest, judgmental, uncaring, apathetic, devoted, regretful, loving, confused, isolated, out of place, teddy bear-ish, masked, serious, lazy, completely insane, logical, satirical, disrespectful, stubborn, argumentative, begrudging, hopeful, optimistic, a Johnson, a Bobst, a Smolinski, and many more. I wear brightly colored button down shirts or baggy, earth toned sweaters, knit “newsy” caps or trucker hats, skate shoes or blue and yellow basketball shoes. I’m an English and Creative Writing major who is finding it increasingly difficult to read and write for class. I second guess almost everything I do while rarely thinking it over first, and I constantly let the people closest to me know both how much I love them and how easy I find it to tear them down. I try harder than I know. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

I have not typed this out of loneliness, sorrow, self deprecation, or to be told by anyone that “there are plenty of fish in the sea” or that I “really am a good person.” I said this merely because I wanted to.

I find solace in the fact that I will never stop examining myself.

I hope you can too.

Top Ten Albums of 2007

Rolling Stone? Pitchfork? Spin? Sure, these publications rake in millions of dollars due to their well established knowledge of the music industry, but what do they really know? I have a blog, which is free to operate, and earns me a meager income of absolutely nothing. However, it does afford me the opportunity to publish my thoughts with alongside those of the big boys (thank you net neutrality). Thus, I present unto you, my version of the top ten albums of 2007.

10) Elvis Perkins – Ash Wednesday – February 20

The debut album from this bicoastal folk-rocker did not take the world by storm (a common trend for this list). However, it did stamp the college scene for a good portion of early ’07. Maybe it’s because Ash Wednesday sounds like a cross between late John Lennon and Neutral Milk Hotel’s On the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Maybe it’s because Perkins’ voice grasps the sorrow that clutches at the insides of anyone in earshot. This album is the honest soundtrack to one of the most tragic events in a person’s lifetime: the death of a parent. With the first half of this album written prior to the passing of his mother and the second half coming after, this record takes a sudden turn in mood. This shift feels skillful and real, avoiding any awkward compilation. For those who have already absorbed and enjoyed this album, Perkins has rerecorded the lead single, “All the Night Without Love” with his band, Elvis Perkins in Deerland, and producer Chris Shaw (of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and Public Enemy fame), and the new version is available on iTunes.

Favorite Tracks: “All the Night Without Love” and “May Day!”

9) Sage Francis – Human the Death Dance – May 8

The pride of Providence, Rhode Island returns to the underground scene with his third studio album. Though produced by twelve different producers (including Ant of Atmosphere, rapper Buck 65, multi-instrumentalist Mark Isham, and Odd Nosdam of anticon.), this record is incredible tight. Francis’ poetic flow in as present as ever, with allusions and complex metaphors abound. While there are a couple misses on this album (the interlude “Broccoli Break” being the worst), they never seem to infect the other tracks. While critics still to slap him with the term ‘emo,’ Francis marches forward, corporate flag in hand, and continues to produce honest, heavy, honest music.

Favorite Tracks: “Good Fashion” and “Going Back to Rehab”

8) Panda Bear – Person Pitch – March 20

I’ll be honest, I got this album after reading about in on a music blog (Colour Me Impressed, check the “Procrastination Relievers” section for a link), listened through it, and didn’t touch it again for months. Then, in research for a top ten I have to put together for the campus newspaper, I saw it topping many a list. That sparked a re-listening, which subsequently sparked a renewed interest. This definitely wins the award for the most experimental record on the list. Panda Bear, a founding member of Animal Collective, and known to his family as Noah Lennox, has now released three solo albums under his stage moniker. This is, by far, the most accessible of his releases, which is saying something. The album starts off with a clapping backed, echo ridden track that suddenly drops into a digital drone, which then takes listeners into the foggy, unsettling mood that carries through the remainder of the album’s seven songs. While this is far from an easy listen, it is worth every second.

Favorite Tracks: “Comfy in Nautica” and “Good Girl/Carrots”

7) Bright Eyes – Cassadaga – April 10

Though one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2007, this record seemed to drop from the public spectrum quickly. This should come as no surprise. Though Bright Eyes has maintained constant alternative attention (even debuting at number four on the Billboard 200 with this release), Conor Oberst and company have never been able to step into mainstream light. Cassadaga is, like every release before it, nothing like its predecessors. The first album since the dual release of Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning was thought to be a reunion of the electronic and acoustic elements of Bright Eyes’ music. Those expecting that were handed quite the surprise with the first single, “Four Winds,” which widely represented the new record’s sound: alt-country western. Packed with fiddles, organs, and enough vocal contributors to make the Polyphonic Spree look understaffed, Cassadaga, more country western than alt-country, helped restore college radio’s faith in roots music. But don’t fret, there is no doubt that this is still Bright Eyes. Though the overall feel is very western, there are constant, subtle electronic undertones that allow this record to breathe as a unique piece.

Favorite Tracks: “Four Winds” and “Middleman”

6) Dan Wilson – Free Life – October 16

How Dan Wilson found the time to record a solo album while also producing Mike Doughty’s 2005 release Haughty Melodic and his upcoming release Golden Delicious is beyond me. Oh wait, he’s been working on it since before 2005? Oh, so that’s how he found the time. Anyways, completely worth the wait. Former Semisonic frontman, Wilson had disappeared from the public eye outside of Minneapolis when his band went on hiatus in 2001. Though he did release two live discs prior to this, one at the Cedar Cultural Center and one at Bryant Lake Bowl, his debut solo album far surpasses any other piano rock record since Ben Folds’ Songs for Silverman. Any fan of Folds, or Semisonic for that matter, should pick this up immediately.

Favorite Tracks: “Free Life” and “Cry”

5) Against Me! – New Wave – July 10

I know, it isn’t like Against Me!’s old stuff. I don’t care. I picked up New Wave after being told to by, essentially, everyone whose musical taste I trust. They earned my trust. This is far from the grit and grime that overwhelmed their classic, Reinventing Axl Rose. As Ausie singer/songwriter Ben Lee said on his blog when he decided to cover the entire album, “it’s unmistakably a pop masterpiece.” It’s still edgy, it’s still angry, and it’s still as wordy as everything else Tom Gabel has written. The song structures hint, and the story telling lyrics point towards, what Gabel calls a more optimistic view of the world. “Sell-out!” criers can scream all they want, but Gabel will still sound better doing it himself.

Favorite Tracks: “The Ocean” and “New Wave”

4) Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth – April 10

The Twin Cities hip-hop scene knew it would have a good year the instant Brother Ali announced he had a record to release. The Undisputed Truth is, without question, the most candid, lingering, sincere rap record I have ever heard. I’ve heard people claim this record as the very definition of underground hip-hop: soulful, truthful, and with a flow that could make the Nile look like a pond. You cannot, regardless of mood, listen to this record with out at least bobbing your head. It’s impossible. Atmosphere’s Ant produced the entire album, interlacing reggae, soul, and just a little bit of funk into the mix to match Ali’s voice perfectly. Subject matter ranges from Ali’s divorce to his son to racism to the government, churning up his share of controversy with the heavy lyrical content of the second single, “Uncle Sam Goddamn.” Buy it, play it, dance to it, absorb it, and let it flow through you.

Favorite Tracks: “Truth Is” and “Ear to Ear”

3) Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass – August 28

Welcome back, Mr. Rock. Four years since his last full album, Aesop Rock comes back with an album that crushes anything else he’s ever touched. “Keep Off the Lawn,” the album’s opener is the reintroduction fans have been waiting for. Producer extraordinaire Blockhead returns, crafting half the album including, winner of best beat of the year award, the title track. Aesop’s voice is, as always, hypnotizing, and the higher production value only adds to that entrancement. What really gives this album the push over Brother Ali is the final track. “Coffee” features John Darnielle of the folk project The Mountain Goats, a collaboration no one saw coming. As outstanding as the song is, the hidden track “Pigs” is equally impressive. Backed by a kazoo, Aesop Rock wraps up his best work in a style that only works for him.

Favorite Tracks: “None Shall Pass” and “Coffee”

2) Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog – September 25

Sam Beam outdoes himself every time he steps into a studio. This record, however, takes a leap of immeasurable height from anything in his previous catalog. Iron & Wine’s third full release sounds nothing like the last, but a clever listener could see this coming from their last EP, 2005’s Woman King. The heavy reliance on unique percussive elements and dense instrumentation returns hear, with Beam’s effortless, floating vocals resting on top. His guitar playing has improved dramatically, this album being laden with alternative tunings and picking patterns. The motif of dogs only serves to further unite this already beautiful stream. There isn’t a miss anywhere near this record. From the opening of the welcoming “Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car,” to the soul emptying closer, “Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” Beam breathes with nature’s lungs.

Favorite Tracks: “Boy with a Coin” and “Wolves (Song of the Shepherd’s Dog)”

1) Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

The diligent reader will notice that there is no release date listed for this record. That’s because it was self released by Mr. Justin Vernon himself, aka Bon Iver. Vernon began shipping copies of his solo debut sometime after spring of 2007 to anyone who sent in five dollars. Coming in a stamped cardboard sleeve that resembled a postcard, For Emma, Forever Ago is the most lingering album I have ever heard. The soundtrack to fog and trees, this record oozes loneliness from every chord. Vernon’s wrenching croon and falsetto are the essence of heart and soul. It sounds like someone mashed Iron & Wine with TV on the Radio, then let it grow into its own mighty tree. Using a slow mixture of strumming and picking patterns, accompanied by a layering of his own vocals and the occasional subtle bits of percussion, Vernon has crafted something absolutely breathtaking. This is the album that can restore faith in music, but more importantly, it can restore faith in the ability to persevere through one’s art. For Emma is sitting outside alone after dark, feeling the moisture of the air press against your skin and watching as the light dissipates. It is abandonment of the most beautiful kind, the kind you know you can grow from. For those interested, Bon Iver was signed to Jagjaguwar Records and will be re-releasing For Emma, Forever Ago on February 19^th, 2008. There’s a remarkable chance it’ll make your list.

Favorite Tracks: “Skinny Love,” “Re: Stacks,” and “Blindsided.”

Runners Up:

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

The opening to this record is gorgeous and saddening at the same time. Jeff Tweedy and company released their simplest album to date, but Elvis Perkins was just a little more cohesive. I still say that I liked these guys best on the Mermaid Avenue albums.

Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight

Though it has its moments, too many misses keep this record off the list. Jenny Lewis and friends are still incredibly talented musicians, I just don’t understand a couple of these songs.

Atmosphere - Sad Clown Bad Summer/Fall/Winter #8/9/10
They're good, but they're EPs. Check 'em out. New one comes out in Spring '08 as well.

Biggest Disappointment:

Say Anything – In Defense of the Genre

My close, personal friends will tell you how I feel about double disc releases. Don’t release them! They’re called b-sides. Cut them, release one solid disc like 98% of albums ever. Max Bemis clogged this record with guest appearances (of practically everyone in the genre of pop-punk) and this album never got to breathe.

Looking Forward To:

New Doomtree Releases

These five Twin Cities rappers are the best collective I’ve ever heard. Their full crew album should hit shelves in the spring, followed by an avalanche of solo efforts.

Mike Doughty – Golden Delicious

This guy’s incredible. End.

New Mountain Goats Record

It’ll be great. Fingers crossed.

Atmosphere - When Life Gives Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

It's gonna be sooo good.

There's a Room Where the Light Won't Find You

I had a somewhat massive amount of dental work done a few days ago. By somewhat massive, of course, I mean three fillings. This caused my teeth to scream in reaction to the small bit of ice cream I just attempted to devour. Some may call me unintelligent for complaining about the pain that my teeth cause me while eating ice cream when they were only drilled into because of my assuredly overly sugary diet and my acknowledged poor dental hygiene. Trust me, I know this is my fault. I simply felt it was a good way to start of this post. By the way, I go in for two more fillings (yea, five total) on Tuesday. I brush twice daily now. And floss.

iTunes may be, in my opinion, the greatest invention of all time. Hear my out, I know there are a lot of Mac haters out there, but...it categorizes my music so efficiently! I love the ease with which I can travel from jazz to hip hop, create playlists (or allow the genius the program is to create one for me!), listen to podcasts (podcasts!), as well as purchase, for a fairly decent price, some rather hard to find albums. For a music whore such as myself, how could I not love this? Sure, it takes up a lot of RAM on my laptop since I'm not running it on a Mac, but it's so many eons past Windows Media Player that I don't see why I wouldn't prefer it. Also, it is the only thing that works with my iPod, which literally never leaves my side.

The Bad Plus have so thoroughly invaded my life that I can no longer run from it. I do not mind. I blame it on their covers, mainly of "(Them from) Chariots of Fire" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." As previously mentioned, and in all likelihood, previously known, music is one of my strongest passions. This results in me constantly having music stuck in my head. I hum it, I imagine the lyrics scribed onto my eyelids, I dissect every part of the song I can wrap my mind around. This usually results in a bit of deconstruction, leaving me with skeletal forms of songs masquerading through my synapses. This is what Bad Plus covers sound like to me. They take (usually) rock songs, and form them into jazz songs through what I can only imagine is days of menacing and acute tweaking and turning until the song can breathe again in its new form, while still existing as its original self.

I've noticed that I write this blog as though the people reading it are people I have never come into contact with in my life, when in reality the only people reading it are, probably, the people who know me best. I don't care, though. I have hopes that one day, many people who know nothing about me will become as addicted to this blog as I have become to, say, PaperGirl or Super Special Questions Blog. True, these blogs are owned by people who are, to an extent, in the public eye (a playwright/poet/actress and a musician/poet) and I am still a student, but I can dream, right? Is that egotistical of me? Probably.

By the way, Mr. or Ms. Reader, please do peruse the blogs listed to the right of this one. These are my friends and my drugs, the pages I turn to when I need to think about someone's life other than my own. These people tell their stories in unique, engrossing, and completely addictive ways. I literally cannot stop reading them.

Four more Vonnegut books to go, all four of which I have already ordered online and should be arriving shortly. Goal of 17 Vonnegut books has been achieved. Does it count as a goal if it's required for a course? Eh, don't rain on my parade.

The beard is making a comeback. Be prepared.