2009: a year in Music

So yeah 2009 is basically over, and a few records made me smile. Here is 25 of them in no order. Only thing I know is that Pearl Jam - Backspacer is my record of the year.

1. Tombs - Winter Hours
2. Sylosis - Conclusion of an Age
3. The Sleeping - What It Takes
4. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
5. Set Your Goals - This Will Be The Death Of Us
6. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Links Pt. 2
7. Poison The Well - The Tropic Rot
8. Placebo - Battle For The Sun
9. Pearl Jam - Backspacer
10. A New Found Glory - Not Without A Fight
11. Morrissey - Years of Refusal
12. Mew - No More Stories are Told Today, I'm Sorry, They Washed Away
13. Living Colour - The Chair In The Doorway
14. Kylesa - Static Tensions
15. John Mayer - Battle Studies
16. Irepress - Sol Eye Sea I
17. God Fires Man - Life Like
18. Gallows - Grey Britain
19. Frank Turner - Poetry Of The Dead
20. Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive
21. Converge - Axe To Fall
22. Clipse - Till The Casket Drops
23. Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect
24. Behemoth - Evangelion
25. Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster

"She walked slowly across the young man's room .... "

Some songs still bring goosebumps across my body as I hear them. Certain combinations of phrases strung together to convey one person's view, interpreted by me can have a different meaning that what was originally intended but can still make my mind flash with an emotion. Been spending a lot of time lately just listening to tunes, and reading and writing and trying not to think of things that I have no control over. Just doing my best to avoid them, and delay the result and outcome. Ultimately hoping to eradicate them completely. This is change.
Last night Shepard Fairey was on Charlie Rose and it was a great interview. It was really awesome to see someone whose art I always liked end up on a show that I totally enjoy. I don't know exactly what it is about Charlie Rose, but there is always a certain comfort I get from watching his show.
New season of Heroes started last night, and it was very refreshing to see the direction the show is going in. Very enjoyable, and didn't seem as cluttered as the last season. Well for one episode at least.
Lineups have been posted for 2 of the biggest festivals that happen each year: Bonaroo and Coachella. I must say the ticket prices are a little insane, but the line ups are pretty awesome. In the end though, the nod goes to Bonaroo, but Coachella has Morrissey, so that is my deciding factor in going since I will Morrissey when he is NYC. Knowing me I will end up at both shows, and enjoy it plain and simple. The one show I trully want to go to, I can't because of schedueling obligations: Scion Rockfest in Atlanta. Mastadon, Converge, and High On Fire are just some of the highlights. Really wish I could be there. Oh well, work is work.

" Hear my name, take a good look, this could be the day ..... "

" I watched a change in you .... "

Sitting here listening to the speech being given by Obama, and hoping that this change in power truly inspires people to change. Many speak of change, and sit there waiting for things to happen around them. Change must begin within ones own self, and then sprout outward from one person to another. But as cynical as it seems, it's true that many people will continue and sit and wait for change instead of grasping life and changing it. Waiting for things to change around you does nothing but constipate the flow of things. Yes, people got out and voted, it's true, but they voted for something that they don't believe in helping. The time has come for people to get off their soapboxes and DO SOMETHING. Don't just speak hollow words, make your life worth something and live the words that you speak. If not you are just as guilty as the regime that was just voted out.

Oi to the world ...

Random thought in my head on this "Christmas" eve, if people call "Christmas" "X-Mas", does this mean that Christ=X, if so does "Malcolm X", become "Malcolm Christ" ? And if so, does that mean that Christianity and Islam are that much closer?

Oh yeah, and Notre Dame won a bowl game, sorry Hawaii. Hawaii is Just Another Vicitm kid ......

No one on the corner has Swagga like us

Ain't that the truth for these things which I have deemed as my personal faves of the past year. Records, Movies, TV, life happenings, plain and simple my top of 2008. Of course in order, because order is over rated.

Albums:
1. Alkaline Trio- Agony and Irony
2. Bloc Party- Intimacy
3. The Bronx- The Bronx (3)
4. Counting Crows- Saturday NIghts and Sunday Mornings
5. The Cure- 4:13 dream
6. Damiera- Quiet Mouth Loud Hands
7. Foxy Shazam- Introducing
8. The Gaslight Anthem- The '59 Sound
9. Girl Talk- Feed the Animals
10. H2O- Nothing to Prove
11. Ill Bill- Hour of Reprisal
12. Less than Jake- GNV FLA
13. Michael Franti- All Rebel Rockers
14. NIN - The Slip
15. The Offspring- Rise & Fall, Rage & Grace
16. Pennywise- Reason To Believe
17. Russion Circles- Station
18. Shinedown- Sound of Madness
19. T.I.- Paper Trail
20. Tim Barry- Manchester

some songs I really dug:
Arab Money- Busta Rhymes
Brooklyn Go Hard- Jay Z
Believe- Staind
The Dirt Whispered- Rise Against
Sulfur- Slipknot
J- Reggie and the Full Effect
Nine in the Afternoon- Panic! At The Disco
NIGGER - NAS
I.R.S.- Guns N' Roses
Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown - Fall Out Boy
You and Me- Attack! Attack! UK
The Atom- Ani DiFranco
Touch Too Much- Hot Chip

MOVIES:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Hancock
3. Iron Man
4. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
5. Pineapple Express

TV:
1. My Own Worst Enemy
2. Life on Mars
3. SportsCenter
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. The Ultimate Fighter
6. DEA

there were many happy and sad events in life this year, kidna too many to recount, but pure highlights include:
The Best Wedding Ever, my Birthday party, Halloween, 2 days off in Grand Rapids, watching Manchester United win the double

"Say goodbye to part of me I miss with a drive-by kiss."

I have found my self listening to a mixture of Dixie Chicks, The Dambuilders and Liz Phair lately. The quote above is from The Dambuilders. I dunno where this has come from, but I have been very accepting of it. It is really relaxing, and mentally stimulating music.
So week one of the tour is over, and we have a day off is Kearney, NE. It's a quiet lil town, and everything is along one street. But my hotel does have a water slide, and that rules.
The band is pretty cool, the crew the same, and the bands we have been playing with are the same. All in all good times. I do feel a lil burnt, but it's nothing I can't handle. Tomorrow starts the string of dates with Puddle of Mudd. Should be good times. I think Wes is an good guy, and the music is pretty good.
Actually the most relaxing part has been the money counts at the end of the night, which I handle with ease. All of the shows so far have been in lil towns in red states. Places I have never been before. Seriously, Harrison, AR. A town of about 15,000. And a dry county on top of that. Really odd. Surprisingly some of the most fun I had on this tour was in Hammond, LA. Which is a really tiny town, but the venue was freakin awesome.
Hardest part of being out here is the downtime spent alone, thinking too much about what isn't here. The friends, the music, the shows, and her. At least one of those will be happening again soon.

And how long would it take me to walk across the United States, all alone?

Been listening to alot of Jimmy Eat World today, along with the new Girl Talk, and Pearl Jam. The Pearl Jam stems from one of the best concerts I have ever been to. Last week PJ played 3 hours of songs that brought memories, and I sung my heart out to ever song. I knew every word, and listened intently to every note played. They didnt even bother to play some of thier biggest songs, instead they trotted out some fan favorites such as Release (which they opened with), Garden, Rats, and many more. It was brilliant.
The GirlTalk, is because of my buddy Justin's insistance that it is brilliant. He is correct, the new disc is just great. It intruiges me how the dude behind GT comes up with these ideas to mix certain songs seemlessly.
As for JEW, it was played in the car last night and just makes me smile, so I decided to listen to all of the discs and smile more.

As for life, Juice and I spun a great set on saturday at Royal Oak. Seriously great. I don't think I have had that much fun spinning in a long time. All of the songs were chosen carefully, the people were dancing all night long, and i just fely right. Minus the asshole bartender.

At the moment I am trying to figure out the rest of my summer after Thursday night. Thursday night Juice and I are spinning again, this time at Angels & Kings. But after that, I might be getting on a plane and leaving for tour. Need to finalize this part of my life by tomorrow morning.

Arg, Decisions.