Dos and Don'ts

That doesn't look grammatically correct, but I think it is. So, hi, friends! I've been yelled at for not posting anything. "Is your blog dead already?" asks one person. No, it's just been a busy... life. Nevertheless, I'm bringing you this lovely post full of good advice. I call it... Dos and Don'ts.

Do go see Danielson if they come to your area. The band is going on quite a whirlwind tour of the states and abroad, so if you get the chance, they come highly recommended. Do also get their new album, Ships, on May 9th. It guest stars Deerhoof and, of course, Sufjan Stevens.

Don't (as we are already well aware of) piss off Neil Young, or he will make an album about how pissed off he is at you. Then he will get a lot of publicity in his home country and in yours. Then people will talk about the lyrics and spread them all over the internet so that everyone knows how horrible you are even before the album comes out. Do, however, listen to his new album, Living With War, when it is released in a few weeks.

Do listen to more records (i.e. vinyl, not CD), and start with John Tejada's May 28th release, Eurotunnel/Calibration.

Don't get confused when you see the name James Figurine. It's really just Jimmy Tamborello. As I have already reported to you, Mr. Tamborello... ahem... Mr. Figurine is coming out with a new album. Although it was first thought to be part of his band Figurine, it's now becoming clear that this is a solo album under the moniker James Figurine. What's the difference? Uh, I don't know. There are still guest singers, so that's not different. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one. Mistake Mistake Mistake Mistake comes out July 11.

Do hold out hope that, at long last, Sparklehorse has finished a follow-up album to their 2001 release, It's a Wonderful Life. While the album remains unnamed, the talk is that there are a lot of collaborations, including an appearance by Tom Waits on an unreleased track from the aforementioned last album. Sweet!

Don't do what I did and miss John Vanderslice. Ugh. Well, I guess I'm alright with it, but I still would have liked to see him. At least I get to see pictures. Do go read this interview with him at Now Magazine, though.

Do live your life on 6.6.6. They're just numbers. Plenty of people are going to live it up like any other normal day, including some people releasing new albums. Coolfer has a list of 6.6.6 releases.

Don't miss any of these shows if you don't have to:
04.29: The Bell Orchestre and Snailhouse - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.10: Prefuse 73 and Edan - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.17: Heather Waugh and Ellery - Little Brother's
06.26: We Are Scientists and The Double - Little Brother's
07.06: Panic! At the Disco, The Dresden Dolls, and The Hush Sound - The LC Pavilion
09.27 Built to Spill - Newport Music Hall

Do be patient with me as I am trying to graduate college here. I can't promise I'll be regularly posting, but know that I will be attempting to when I have the time. Until the next...

Neil Young Still Knows How to Protest

Hey everyone! Hope your Easter was fantastic, and I hope everyone had a chance to celebrate. People in the UK certainly did, but more on that later.

Neil Young was known for his protest songs in the mid seventies. The song "Ohio" was easily his most famous one, documenting his thoughts on the shootings at Kent State in Kent, Ohio. If you know the song, you'll remember that the words of the refrain, "Four dead in Ohio," repeat over and over, calling to mind the tragedy and asking people to face that harsh reality.

As Harp Magazine reported in an article last week, the SXSW Managing Director Ronald Swenson addressed Young with the simple request, "Neil, we need a new song." Now Swenson gets his wish; the song is called, "Impeach the President." Controversial enough for you?

The song is the feature track for Young's new album, Living With War, a spontaneous album recorded in only three days. Accompanied by a 100-member choir, Young cries, "In the mosques and the doors of the old museum, I take a holy vow, to never kill again, try to remember peace."

No exact date has been announced, save the suggestion that it will be in stores soon. Meanwhile, apparently there are rumours about a CSNY reunion tour. If that's the case, maybe you'll get to hear it live soon, too.

In other news...

Back to the whole Easter in the UK thing. If you haven't heard about the Manchester Passion, you really need to read this, because it's seriously one of the funniest things I've ever heard of. As a Christian I should probably be offended by it since it's kind of a mockery of Jesus' death, but I can't help but find it slightly humourous. So here's what happened: On the streets of Manchester, England, a group of mostly unknown actors performed a passion play that featured Jesus, Peter, Judas, and others singing hit songs from British bands such as Stone Roses, Joy Division, and Oasis. A crowd of 7000 witnessed the spectacle live and in person, but you can witness it for yourself via YouTube.

And while we're on the subject of videos on the internet, you can see Jack White's new Coca-Cola commercial courtesy of Miss Modernage.

You know, I get really frustrated when things like this happen. It really isn't fair, especially when you're touring, to get all your things stolen. So it's really a shame that it happened to Rosie Thomas and her band, especially since they are currently mid-tour. The theft occurred after a show in Philadelphia, so if you live there, please keep an eye out for all the equipment on the list. It's just such a horrible thing. I really hope things work out for Rosie and company.

Congrats, on the other hand, to The Flaming Lips! Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots has officially gone gold, according to Filter. The article also reports that you can buy a special edition copy of the new LP, At War with the Mystics, exclusively on the internet, and it features three extra tracks, including a rendition of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." The Lips are going on tour as well, and they'll be in Ohio on August 3rd at Blossom.

A couple interviews to exercise your eyes to (links courtesy of Largehearted Boy)
Rainer Maria's Kyle Fischer with The News Observer
Wilco's Glenn Kotche with Jambands.com

It's so nice to see awesome bands getting respect and blog coverage not once but twice! My buds Anathallo have recently released a new album entitled Floating World, and Skatterbrain likens it to Sufjan Stevens, Animal Collective, and maybe a hint of Frank Zappa. You Ain't No Picasso describes it as "a delightful folk/pop mix that flies in the face of everything we consider to be a ‘normal’ pop song." Spot on. Go listen/buy/fall in love with the new album immediately! The blogosphere has spoken!

Lots more album release news! This one is featuring Jimmy Tamborello. You may know him from his more famous project, The Postal Service. Yet even without the crooning of Ben Gibbard, Tamborello is a ridiculously talented guy. Coming to a store near you on July 11 is his latest release: Mistake, Mistake, Mistake, Mistake. Jenny Lewis is just one of the several guests on this album. It's probably a keeper, so I recommend it.

A re-release is on its way from Sigur Ros to your ears. The hit single "Hoppipolla" will be back on May 1. It will also feature a new version of a song previously released on their first album, Von, but it's way too difficult to type out so I'll just let you read the article to figure it out for yourself.

I first heard about Aloha from my friend John, and now I'm reading about them on Cokemachineglow. Looks like Some Echoes is a pretty solid album after all. Consider checking that out too.

And while you're checking out all of these albums, here are a couple other ones scheduled to be released tomorrow that you might want to look for:
Dresden Dolls - Yes Virginia
Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and a Curse
Elefant - The Black Magic Show
Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea

Upcoming Columbus Shows
04.17: John Vanderslice, Wooden Wand, and Eric Metronome - High Five
04.20: Invisibile Children Benefit featuring John Reuben, House of Heroes, Everyday Sunday, and Secondhand - The LC Pavilion
04.21: Heavy Mole - High Five
04.21: Enon, Black Cloud, and Stylex - Little Brother's
04.29: The Bell Orchestre and Snailhouse - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.10: Prefuse 73 and Edan - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.17: Heather Waugh and Ellery - Little Brother's
07.06: Panic! At the Disco, The Dresden Dolls, and The Hush Sound - The LC Pavilion
09.27 Built to Spill - Newport Music Hall

Okay I spent way too much time on this post... See you guys next time.

Stellastarr* at The Newport Music Hall

It was not my intention to go to any shows yesterday. In fact, at 3:00pm EDT, I had no idea that I would be going to see Stellastarr*. Sometime yesterday afternoon, I got a phone call from my friend John informing me that he had four free tickets to the show. I cancelled my plans and accepted his offer almost immediately. I had been thinking about going, but without tickets and with my money a little limited these days (bills, bills, bills), I had already disregarded the notion. Quite a turn of events!

As far as we knew going into the event, only two bands were playing: Editors and Stellastarr*. This was, however, not the case, as we quickly learned. The first band to mount the stage was Mobius Band. They played so early that there was only a handful of people there. To be honest, no one missed much. They were an okay band, a decent opening act I guess. The problem was really not their fault as much as it was the venues. I really think they did a poor job of mixing the sound for these guys. There was way too much high and low end and not enough mid-range. It crapped up their sound a lot, made it really fuzzy. I'm sure they're an alright band; it just wasn't their night, I guess.

Next up was South, a band out of the good ol' UK. They were pretty good. Nothing incredibly spectacular or anything, but they were very talented, and I especially liked the dueling vocals they had going for them. But yeah, other than that, there's really not much to say about them. They were just good.

Now Editors finally took the stage. I had been previously warned that their sound would be similar to Interpol, who I happen to pretty much abhor, so I wasn't expecting much, and they met my expectations. It's not that they're a terrible band. They're not; in fact, their instrumentation was incredibly together. They're very tight. It's just that, for one, I don't like monotone vocals. It gets on my nerves so easily. Second, I felt like every song was the same song as before, same chords just in a different pattern. The songs even followed a very similar formula each time: start with a drum or guitar fill, two verses and refrains, and then bang on everything. Repeat. Granted that's a pretty standard formula, but they didn't even attempt to meander away from it for anything. The set dragged on; I wasn't into it at all. I was grateful when they finally were done. Maybe I'm harsh, but I just couldn't stand it.

At long last, it was Stellastarr*'s turn. The stage was set with pieces of white cloth draped all over the stage, which gave them a really cool presence. I wasn't expecting that. One thing I enjoy a lot about Stellastarr* is how energetic their live shows are. I don't think you really get the feeling from the record that they would rock out as hard as they do, but their live performance is just outrageously hyped up. They bring the crowd right in, too. I don't really ever dance around at shows, but even I had to move around a little bit. I couldn't help it. And of course they saved "My Coco" for the encore. I could have seen that coming a mile away. What I was surprised by was that they followed it right up with "Pulp Song," which, admittedly, I had completely forgotten about. Those two songs were like icing on a super awesome cake. I left The Newport a bit tired, a bit hot, and a bit raspy, exactly as I should be after a good show.

I guess the overall show wasn't so bad, although it took waiting through bands I didn't necessarily enjoy to get to the good stuff, but it was definitely worth it.

For a completely different opinion of South and Editors, visit Donewaiting.com.

Once again, I digress back to Sufjan Stevens. Okay, this isn't exactly news about him per se. Today I bring you a little 50 states humour. Kevin over yonder at Random in NYC has been compiling submitted track listings for what he refers to as "hypothetical Sufjan Stevens albums" for states he has yet to do. Some of these are just ridiculous. Here are my favourites from each one he has up so far:

From New York, New York - It's a Helluva State!:
"Suburban Tracksuits Represented by a Collection of Swishing Noises (Long Island Lolita! I Hear You!)"

From Connecticut: The New England Tri-State!:
"Stratford-on-the-Housatonic or William Shakespeare Lives on in the Rivers of Connecticut"

From Indiana: We're Proud to be a Hoosier Even if we Don't Even Know what One is!:
"If You Ain't Rubbin' You Aint' Racin' or How I Love NASCAR"
"My Ex Took My Broaster"
"John Mellencamp or is it John Cougar Mellencamp or just John Cougar or is it just Mellencamp?"

From Massachusetts: A State At Bay:
"Marriage: It's Legal for Everyone Here"

From Florida, the Sunshine State, Welcomes You:
"Jacksonville" (That's just too funny. I hope he actually does this one.)
"After Surviving an Alligator Attack, My Great Uncle is Run Over by an Airboat, and We Grieve for Him"

From Texas: The Lone(ly) Star State:
"Old El Paso is Not Just a Brand of Condiments, They Also Have a Pretty Good Basketball Team"

Wow, yeah, some of them are absurd, and I like that. You can submit your own to him, too, so just go over there and check them all out. And hey, if someone wants to conspire and come up with some sweet sweet Ohio song titles, let me know and I'll contribute.

How about some real news now? Looks like six record labels in Canada, including Linus Entertainment and Anthem Records, have the right idea. They've split from the Canadian Recording Industry Association, citing that they want up-and-coming artists to have more support. Good for you guys up north. Hey, what do you think Sufjan songs would be titled if he wrote about Saskatchewan? Is that even how you spell it?

Sad news over on the Mew front. Bass player Johan Wohlert has parted ways with the band to take care of his new family. Now that's a guy with his priorities straight. The band has already found a replacement, so things should run smoothly during the transition.

Someone buy these guys a card, because Boards of Canada have hit a milestone: their first music video! Awww! So cute! They're growing up so fast...

Well if there's one man in indie folk who is incredibly elusive, it's Damien Jurado. Consider yourself lucky, then, if you made it to The Troubador in Los Angeles to see him come out of hiding for a few songs. If you're like me and were unable to attend, this little ditty over at Prefix will give you at least some insight into what it would be like.

A few sweet interviews to read if you're bored:
Isobel Campbell with Chartattack
Ben Gibbard with Harp Magazine
Of Montreal with The Athens Exchange

A big huge thank you to The Guardian for confirming my suspicions: the boy band fad is over!

Matt thinks you should listen to Tilly and the Wall's new album, Rainbows in the Dark.

And last but not least, I would like to extend a very happy birthday to Music (for Robots). The blog just turned two years old and is celebrating with a mix for your listening pleasure. Indulge!

Upcoming Columbus Shows
04.14 Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, The Slide Machine, and Moonlight Chemist - Skully's Music Diner
04.15 Switchfoot and Lovedrug - The LC Pavilion
04.17 John Vanderslice, Wooden Wand, and Eric Metronome - High Five
04.20 Invisibile Children Benefit featuring John Reuben, House of Heroes, Everyday Sunday, and Secondhand - The LC Pavilion
04.21 Heavy Mole - High Five
04.21 Enon - Little Brother's
04.29 The Bell Orchestre and Snailhouse - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.10 Prefuse 73 and Edan - The Wexner Center Performance Space
07.06 Panic! At the Disco, The Dresden Dolls, and The Hush Sound - The LC Pavilion
09.27 Built to Spill - Newport Music Hall

Okay guys that's it! I think I'm going to do some laundry now. See you again soon!

Gibbard: Dead at One Year and Seven Months

Gibbard (September 10, 2004 - April 11, 2006)

Today is a very sad day in my life. My beloved friend and confidante, Gibbard (no, not Ben Gibbard... my pet fish Gibbard), passed away overnight. He was just over one year and seven months old. I met him at my brother's wedding reception; he was in a centerpiece. Following the reception, he was given to me to keep as a lasting reminder of the day. I took care of him, fed him, occasionally changed his water, played with him, and defended him against those who said, "Hey, I think your fish is dead." No, he was just resting. He always liked to rest. Gibbard was not a very active fish. He did in fact spend much of his time sitting at the bottom of his bowl, although from time to time you'd see him swim about, especially at feeding time.

Gibbard and I have been through a lot together. He was a well-travelled fish, having accompanied me from place of residence to place of residence, from dorm to apartment to apartment. He had no family, but he had many friends. He is only survived by his lasting memory.

As would only be proper, Gibbard's body was returned to the waters (via my toilet) where he came from. I officiated, with my roommate Christine as a witness. In lieu of flowers and cards, I ask that you instead simply say a prayer for my dearly departed friend. Gibbard, you are free again.

Okay, enough melodrama. On with the post.

One thing I had forgotten about since I stopped blogging is how utterly boring the blogosphere can be, so there's no really big news story, just a lot of little quips and such.

I suppose first and foremost is the announcement that Wilco is working on some new material and have been test-running it in various live shows, and they are planning on touring this summer. This is obviously great news, since now we know there will be new music and that there's a chance we'll get to see them again sometime soon. Their last tour was a phenomenal experience which I was so blessed to have been able to see at the Mershon Auditorium. I can only imagine what sort of production they will tour with this time. Of course there are no official dates announced, but we'll just be on the look-out for that one.

In other vague touring news, it's rumoured that Radiohead will be going on a North American tour. Details are very few and very far between, but a few cities, including Chicago, have been mentioned. Add that to the list of things to be keeping an eye on.

As for Gorillaz, our time with them is apparently rather limited. Frontman Damon Albarn has said that their last shows will be in Las Vegas. They are putting the project on the back burner perhaps indefinitely, but not before releasing a movie and a computer game, according to NME. If that's the case, maybe it won't be so soon. Again, we'll have to wait and see.

After a three-year recording hiatus, Unwed Sailor will soon be returning with their latest LP, entitled The White Ox. Also recorded while in the studio was a new EP, Circles, slated for release sometime in the spring.

And now, an update on a story that I brought to you yesterday. Not that I or anyone else really cares all that much, but Bright Eyes is still releasing a new album. NME is reporting that the album won't feature just our beloved emo hero Conor Oberst but also indie favourite M. Ward and my not-so-favourite Sleater-Kinney. Anyway, not a big deal, but it's something to write about.

I saw a couple really sweet shows while I was on hiatus, including Sigur Ros and Mogwai. Indieworkshop has a great little featurette detailing a recent Sigur Ros show in London, and it's a very accurate portrayal of what was experienced here in Columbus. It was such an epic show. And as for Mogwai, Prefix has a great big interview with them. Check out both of these articles. They're good reads.

This I forgot to include last time, so here you go:

Upcoming Columbus Shows
04.12 Stellastarr* and The Editors - Newport Music Hall
04.15 Switchfoot and Lovedrug - The LC Pavilion
04.20 Invisibile Children Benefit featuring John Reuben, House of Heroes, Everyday Sunday, and Secondhand - The LC Pavilion
04.21 Heavy Mole - High Five
04.21 Enon - Little Brother's
04.29 The Bell Orchestre and Snailhouse - The Wexner Center Performance Space
05.10 Prefuse 73 and Edan - The Wexner Center Performance Space
07.06 Panic! At the Disco, The Dresden Dolls, and The Hush Sound - The LC Pavilion
09.27 Built to Spill - Newport Music Hall

And that's all for tonight, because I have a few things to do before I go out. Goodnight!

An Evening with Half-Handed Cloud

Alright, you guys are in luck because I'm back from obscurity to tell you more about how wonderful last night was. Now as I said in my previous post, I went to see Half-Handed Cloud last weekend here in Columbus. It was a great show, but it was my misfortune that I had to leave before having the opportunity to say hello to the fellow. Yesterday I felt spontaneous, and so did my friend Derrick, so we embarked on a miniature road trip to Dayton, Ohio, to the dump also known as Elbo's for an evening with John Ringhofer and his pal Justin Vollmar.

And it was a wonderful evening. The two are so incredibly talented and so friendly! They took us in practically as their old friends. I feel so indebted to them for their kindness to such silly little fans as we are. During Justin's set, my friends, John, and I pulled up chairs and sat right in front of him, providing for a more intimate feel. Justin (a.k.a. Vollmar, for those who are interested in looking up his sweet, sweet music) is wonderfully talented. He sings rather shy and timid, but listen closely, because his words are phenomenal. He also happens to be a lefty, which I realized last night, and my friend Elizabeth tells me he can even play right-hand guitars upside down. Pictoral evidence of this may be found at his myspace profile.

My friends and I kept our front-row (or only-row...) seats for the Half-Handed Cloud set, which was identical to the one played at the High Five last weekend, but still just as fun as I remembered. It was like they were playing just for the four of us. I wish there had been more people to experience this; you don't get to go to shows so intimate very often. John and Justin goofed off a lot, as the music permits, with both entertaining and enjoyable results. Of course the music was fantastic; the two of them haven't disappointed me yet.

I was sad to part ways with these lovely gentlemen, but they are amidst a five-week tour that will take them all over the states, from Virginia to Colorado and many places in between. If you have the chance, I most certainly recommend attending. So amazing. I cannot stress that enough. So yeah, look and see if they're playing nearby and go and buy merchandise and tell them that omnichords are the hottest instruments ever created, because they are.

Tue.Apr.11th: Gettysburg, PA @Emmaus
Wed.Apr.12th: Brooklyn, NY @Fireproof Gallery
Thu.Apr.13th: Bennington, VT @Bennington Cg.
Fri.Apr.14th: ???, MA @ TBA
Sat.Apr.15th: Philly ,PA@Circle of Hope, East
Sun.Apr.16th: Arlington, VA @Galaxy Hut
Mon.Apr.17th:Charlottesville,VA@U of VA Chapel
Tue.Apr.18th: Raleigh, NC @Bickett Gallery
Wed.Apr.19th: Norfolk, VA @Relative Theory
Thu:Apr.20th: Atlanta, GA @Trinity Vineyard
Fri.Apr.21st: Chattanooga, TN @Barking Legs
Sat.Apr.22nd: Nashville, TN @Lovejoy House
Sun.Apr.23rd: Jonesboro, AR @Guit-down
Mon.Apr.24th: Ft.Worth, TX @Metrognome
Tue.Apr.25th: Dallas, TX @Good Records
Wed.Apr.26th: Albuquerque, NM @Harlows
Thu.Apr. 27th: Phoenix, AZ @Trunkspace
Fri.Apr.28th: San Diego, CA @The Habitat
Sat.Apr.29th: Pasadena, CA @Fuller Seminary
Mon.May 1st: Davis, CA @Delta of Venus
Tue.May 2nd: San Francisco, CA @Hemlock Tavern
Wed.May 3rd: Eugene, OR @TBA
Thu.May 4th: Olympia, WA @Yes-yes
Fri.May 5th: Seattle, WA @TBA
Sat.May 6th: Portland, OR @TBA
Sun.May 7th: Boise, ID @TBA
Mon.May 8th: Salt Lake City, UT @TBA
Tue.May 9th:Grand Junction,CO@Coffee Muggers
Wed.May 10th: Denver, CO @ Magick! House
Thu.May 11th: Kansas? @TBA
Fri.May 12th: St.Louis, MO @TBA
Sat.May 13th: Bloomington, IN @TBA

Well, while I'm on the subject, I might as well just talk about Sufjan. I mean, seriously, when do I not talk about him? He's pretty awesome. So while I've been somewhere galavanting off the face of the blogosphere, Mr. Stevens won the first ever New Pantheon award. How about that? That's pretty fantastic. Some of the nominators included Benjamin Gibbard, Margaret Cho, and Beck. An ecclectic grouping, but Sufjan still comes out on top. It's no surprise to me, really, but I'm biased.

A few new Sufjan mp3s have popped up:
"Adlai Stevenson" courtesy of I Guess I'm Floating
"The Avalanche" courtesy of Stereogum

Over at Asthmatic Kitty, Sufjan's label, a new band has been signed, and they're called Shapes and Sizes. I've not heard them yet, but I anticipate good things. Their debut full-length will be released on July 25, the same day as The Avalanche. Sounds like that day is shaping up to be a great day in the land of music releases.

File this one under WTF, Rebecca! I've been way too out of it lately to find out that my friend Boy Makes Music was featured on Radio Free Polygon. Check it out; there are mp3s involved. This boy is super super talented, well worth your time and effort to listen to. So stop reading and go listen and then come back and finish reading. I'll be here when you get back.

Ah, you're back! Wasn't that fantastic? I know. So speaking of new music, it sounds like Bright Eyes will have another album out this year. Will it include the same self-loathing and bitterness? Will Conor ever get over himself? Will he ever write a song that is semi-positive about life and love? Mmm, I doubt it, but enjoy the record anyway.

Just when you thought the corporations weren't big enough, Warner Music had to go and buy Rykodisc. Nothing witty to say about that, really, since we're all used to this these days.

Another thing we all saw coming: Smoosh signed to Barsuk. It figures they're such good friends with Chris Walla that they'd eventually get their way there.

Okay, so Tuesday is tomorrow and that means new music. Not that I can afford to purchase any of it, nor do I own any advance copies downloaded illegally from the internet. Really, I don't. I'm being honest. But I'm sure these are all pretty decent so if you're in the mood to spend a few bucks this week, these are my suggestions:
Ladytron - Extended Play
Innocence Mission - Birds of my Neighborhood (reissue)

Extensive list, I know. So if that didn't satisfy you, might I suggest indulging in the All Things Go Sleep Mixtape, which I am going to put on here in a few minutes. Lovely selections including Sigur Ros, Explosions in the Sky, Ben Gibbard, and our old pal Sufjan.

Alright, that's all for tonight. I'm getting high on paint fumes right now thanks to my roommate's new art project (hurray for drying spray paint and no venilation!), so I'm gonna go pass out. Hopefully I'll have enough brain cells left to grace the blogosphere with another post sometime in the near future. Until we meet again...

Since no one reads this anyway...

I feel no qualms about making just one post and seeing what happens. I was going to throw out a complete post but I don't have time. I just made plans to hang out with a friend and that cuts into my blogging time.

Anyway, I went to an amazing show last week. Half-Handed Cloud, Liz Janes, and Create(!) at High Five here in Columbus. There were so few people there, it was pretty ridiculous. Liz even took the opportunity to sing us a song on the ukelele. Her music consists of renditions of old hymns and folk songs, and she more than does a good job with them. It's different, but in a very good way. At one point the man playing the upright bass looked like he was tickling his bass. It was really funny to me. I'm pretty entertained by silly things like that.

It was really interesting to see Half-Handed Cloud, a.k.a. John Ringhofer, for the first time. He's got a lot of instruments for just one man. Well, two, actually, since Justin Vollmar joined him on drums and other various music-making machines. I'm particularly fond of his banjo and the omnichord, which I'll be honest I'd never seen before. It's a sweet little machine; I'd like to have one. Now that I have the banjo I've been longing for, I've got to have something new to covet, right?

Anyway, it was a brilliant show, although small, and very intimate. I would have liked to have stayed and spoken with everyone, but the people who came with me apparently didn't want to stay so we went on our merry way. Half-Handed Cloud is playing again in Dayton tomorrow, at Elbo's I believe (which may or may not be a good thing... I've heard nasty things about the place). I'm thinking about going. We'll see what happens.

I had no idea, but Robert Duffy from Donewaiting.com was there, too, and he posted some mp3s here.

So the rumour had it that Sufjan was going to be a daddy. I didn't believe it, but it's true... to an extent. He's the father of a new album of outtakes from the making of Illinois, and it's slated for release on July 25, over a year after the release of Illinois. Now this is rather precarious, Mr. Stevens, because you want to put out fifty albums but haven't put out a new one in a year! You're going to get mighty old doing this. I heard he might be working with Rosie Thomas (his baby's mother... tee-hee) and Denison Witmer on an album of sorts, but whether it's a states album or not I haven't heard. At this point, I don't even know if that rumour is true. We'll see, I s'pose.

Okay, well, that's all I guess. I would spend more time on this but I just don't have it. I miss posting things; it was always so much fun to me. Right now I'm working on graduation and everything -- it's in two months! -- and then maybe I'll have more free time. We'll see, but I want to come back to the blogosphere. It's not like I ever had a very big readership, but I enjoyed myself anyway, and I liked being "in the know." So yeah, no promises on a big return but enjoy the post and maybe I'll come back for another.

Peaceout, homes.