Wednesday, February 17, 2010

sometimes

there are things that are worth posting about on this blog that aren't solely involving music. although this post definitely does have something to do with music. but other stuff too.

so there are all these things all over the internet, facebook, myspace, twitter, whatever, and since i started at the beginning by getting a blog, i feel like i need to keep it up so i try and get whatever stupid bullshit people come up with to interact with each other through the interweb.

but there is this new website called formspringme and i have to say, it actually is a lot of fun. basically you set up an account and people visit your page and randomly, and most importantly, anonymously, ask you questions. it's like a little social interview done by all your best friends without you knowing who any of them are. it's kind of great.

so my most recent question was:

"If there is one moment in your life where you were truly inspired, what is it? "

and i answered that question, quite well i might add, with three specific moments from my life that hold great significance with me. and i thought i would share those moments with some other people too, because, why the fuck not?

now i realize this is my third blog post within the last three hours, so i promise i'll lay off, because my eyes are starting to hate me for how much i stare at my computer screen. but here is my response...

if there is one moment in your life where you were truly inspired, what is it?

when i was fourteen years old i went to st andrews hall to see the killers. they were my favorite band at the time (hot fuss is still a killer album) but one thing i realized when i was there was kind of the ugly truth of rock and roll. listening and following and watching the killers (until that point) was one of the main thing that really inspired me to try and just, do it, ya know? brandon flowers made me want to grab a microphone and just own it i guess.

but then i saw them. and they weren't bad live or anything, it was just kind of at that point (RIGHT before they blew up) i realized they were kind of douche bags. which is okay, because pretty much anyone involved with music is a d-bag.

anyway, the most important thing that happened that night was that ambulance ltd (one of my now all time favorite bands) opened up for the killers. ambulance fucking killed it. they just got up there, just the four of them, their lead singer dreamily strumming his guitar and crooning, and the rest of the band kind of just effortlessly making this gorgeous music.

and here is the real kicker: ambulance almost got booed off stage. people were drunk and pissy and, well just being detroiters and they wanted the killers so boos were yelled and beer bottles were thrown but ambulance soldiered on and, i really just looked at them in such awe. with such respect. that was kind of a moment where it all came together for me. my first real live show in a club, seeing bands with real talent, and getting no respect for it. and now that is kind of the way i live my life.

so that's big for me.

i'm sure there are some other times too but really there are just a few main ones. there are a couple brilliant and just incredible people i've encountered over the years that have really inspired me, most of them being teachers.

my fifth grade teacher was a woman named mrs. boik. she was simply one of the most incredible educators i've ever had the pleasure of being taught by and one of the most amazing human beings i've ever had the pleasure of knowing. she was just one of those people that knew how to handle EVERYTHING. she was just so fucking good at her job it was just like nothing could stop her.

then right in the middle of that year, tragedy struck, as it does, and mrs. boik got cancer. she didn't make it. she passed on that summer after that year and it was so fucking sad but every time i saw her, even right up to the end, she never lost that spark in her eye. she was just an incredible human being and if i could ever affect even one other person in this world as positively as she did to me (and countless others) then i would be truly happy.

as cheesy as it sounds that is pretty much why i want to be a teacher. i think people loose focus of what is important. so what i might not make a shit ton of money, i get to mold little minds and that is just incredible.

the third and final story i will recount happened more recently. it involves my father, who has always been a big part in my life, because he has paid my expenses since birth, provided for my family, worked his ass off and been a generally good dad.

but it wasn't until recently that i got to level with him as an adult. and that is something really special when that happens. when you can look your own father in the eyes as your own man and have a real conversation.

we were driving somewhere, maybe to or from atlanta, maybe to or from a movie or something but we were just talking and it hit me mid conversation how real we were being. and it made me realize how much i respect and adore my father and it made me realize how important he really is in my life. because he is the one person that when he turns to me and says "it's going to be all right," i actually believe him. and that is big.

ps. my formspring account can be found here if you want to ask me questions, and i highly suggest to everyone that they immediately download the latest album, "big echo" by the band called - the morning benders. it is a gorgeous album, and as i told my friend, it makes me think of a darker dr. dog. take care.

valentines 2010


so to counter my slightly love lacking valentines post from earlier, i will upload this gorgeous mix of mine for this years valentines that is just full of love. these are really the only mixes where i dig deeper and go for lyrical content of the songs, and as usual the placement of the songs is key. but that's just me being a nerdy mix maker. maybe that's why i don't have a girlfriend to give theses mixes too.

booo hoooo i know i know woe is me

seriously though, check this mix out. valentines 2010. it's a (newer) mix of songs that actually make me think about that special spark and make me feel like the people who wrote these songs maybe, possibly, still believe in love. probably not though. because let us be real folks. love is a lie and valentine's day is a complete sham put on by flower and chocolate companies. the whole holiday is designed to make people who are (or at least think they are) "in love" shell out cash just to try and prove it and then it makes people who are are alone just feel worse about not having anyone to love.

but i'm used to this. i've known these facts for a while. and i find comfort in these ugly truths.

anyways, i hope you enjoyed these mixes stretching back to when i was a naive little freshman in high school, to now, where i type before you as the jaded and pessimistic college freshman that you've grown to love due to his incredible taste in music. really, i'm just working on being the next generation of these douchers.

these songs are good though, this mix is really kind of a list of my favorite songs from 09 (as well as some from 2010, duh) but i really will be posting some year end 09 list shit soon. better late than never right? considering it's already past valentine's day anyways.

this mix is a lot more light hearted though, in the songs and in my general attitude towards it, because i can't take myself too seriously. because then i really would be a douche bag and i'd hate to parade that around for people to read on the internet. wait... is that the definition of a blog? either way...

happy valentines day people. now please go fuck off :)


valentines 2010

00 song - artist

01 love you better - the maccabees
02 crystalized - the xx
03 alley cats - hot chip
04 let's go surfing - the drums
05 lover of mine - beach house
06 change of heart - el perro del mar
07 falling over - the pains of being pure at heart
08 should have taken acid with you - neon indian
09 luv goon - pearl harbor
10 blessa - toro y moi
11 cynthia - millionyoung
12 kurgan wave number one - deastro
13 run - vampire weekend
14 sheila - atlas sound
15 about face - grizzly bear
16 velvet - the big pink
17 icarus - white hinderland
18 i'd have it just the way we were - white denim
19 love you so - king khan + bbq show
20 laura - girls
21 hey you - pony pony run run
22 girlfriend - phoenix
23 happy as can be - cut off your hands
24 feel it all around - washed out

hey. sorry i'm late.


a day late a dollar short.

okay, a couple days late, and a couple dollars short.

so valentines 2010 has come and gone. yet here i find myself, still reminiscing about februaries past and valentines spent alone, alone, alone. on a good note though, i did something today. i donated blood today. so my thinking on that is, if my heart isn't beating for my lover on valentine's, it can be pumping for someone else, right?

maybe i'm just weird like that. anyways, this mix is valentines 09.

when i was a senior in high school, i hated everyone. i went through roughly around three to four relationships when i was 18 and all of them ended badly, and if not badly then just abruptly. one girl in particular (i think she knows who she is) left a particularly deep scar on my heart and so as a senior in high school, i really began to figure out that being alone is the most realistic way to live life because a) love doesn't really exist and b) all women are lying whores. seriously though.

but i guess i shouldn't say "hated" because that is past tense. so i should really say, when i was a senior in high school, that was the beginning of me hating everyone. joyous thoughts, right? so on that note, of all my hate, i embraced my loneliness on valentines once again and made this joyous mix, that was partly arranged for an ex girlfriend (we broke up that january) and partly arranged out of my own, whatever you wanna call it that i have. side note: there are also two amazing songs by two of my favorite bands FROM DETROIT on this mix, so that makes me happy.

sorry i'm late, but it is still february and the snow is still falling and visions of red and pink and feelings of love gained and love lost are all floating around in my head and in my heart. so enjoy this mix, and enjoy the 2010 valentines mix i will upload later. check back. take care.


valentines 09

00 s0ng - artist

01 used to be (single) - beach house
02 agoraphobia - deerhunter
03 paris - friendly fires
04 no one does it like you - department of eagles
05 you and i are a gang of losers
06 little bit - lykke li
07 my mistakes were made for you
08 flightless bird, american mouth - iron & wine
09 bruises - chairlift
10 bluish - animal collective
11 love in the ruins - french kicks
12 skinny love - bon iver
13 the shaded forests - deastro
14 yesterday never tomorrows - the stills
15 blood red sentimental blues - cotton jones
16 aisleways - the silent years
17 french kiss - the teenagers
18 flakes - mystery jets
19 german love - starfucker
20 when i said goodbye - mayer hawthorne

ps. the picture above is the album cover for my bloody valentine - loveless. there may be no songs by them on this mix (i really don't care for that album much besides the song "sometimes", i prefer the band slowdive) but, really. my bloody valentine. loveless. get it?

ps2. my band, the kodaks, has a new demo up, the song is called "rough sleeper" you can listen to it here and download it here

Saturday, February 13, 2010

black love

alright. this is a big one. a real doosey. in all my years of mix making, this stands out as one of my all time best, definitely in my top ten best mixes. if you don't like this mix, you really shouldn't be reading this blog. so without further a do, i am presenting what was once "the kia love mix" that has since went under a transformation that only years of (unrequited) love and even more years of intense music listening would warrant. guys, this is what i would call a "panty dropper" mix. girls, this is the mix that is going to melt your heart (and your under garments) because this is one of the best mixes i've made in my life, it's great to fall asleep to, it's even better to drive to, it's amazing to sit back and think about life to and most importantly, if anyone is having sex this valentines weekend (which i'm pretty sure is a lot of people, excluding myself) do it to this mix. listen to this mix, track by track, do it in the order presented here, and really let it sink it. every song is placed a specific juncture for a specific reason and there is no song out of place, i promise you. love this mix, love this mix, whatever. happy valentines day. ladies and gentlemen, i present to you.

black love


00 song - artist

01 lover's spit - broken social scene
02 sparks - coldplay
03 retour a vega - the stills
04 wonderwall - ryan adams
05 the funeral - band of horses
06 somewhere a clock is ticking - snow patrol
07 salvation - black rebel motorcycle club
08 country gentleman - ambulance ltd
09 strange and beautiful - aqualung
10 sewn - the feeling
11 i want you - third eye blind
12 marching bands of manhattan - death cab for cutie
13 covered in rain - john mayer
14 selfless, cold and composed - ben folds five
15 paint the silence - south


valentines 08

when i was a junior in high school i'm pretty sure i was way more worried about not having a girlfriend than, well, just about anything else. i'm not sure anything has changed in two years. this mix is specifically geared toward being down on valentines day, at least i'm pretty sure that was my thinking when i made it. that sentiment makes sense now anyway. i'm pretty sure my good friend, sam, got the most use out of this mix. there are some kinda cheeseball tunes still present just like in 06 (rhett miller/thirteen senses) but they are good songs and they are on there for a reason and there are some real winners on this mix too (brookville/soft) so i hope everyone enjoys my diverse cast of love songs. i'm still gearing myself up for tomorrow with these mixes. trying to be lovey with nothing/no one to love. there's nothing wrong with being alone on valentine's day. (right?)


00 song - artist

01 hey you - tommy stinson
02 fair - ben folds five
03 lake michigan - rogue wave
04 rewind - paolo nutini
05 into the fire - thirteen senses
06 tiny vessels - death cab for cutie
07 diamonds (live) - the a-sides
08 empty room - marjorie fair
09 golden - brookville
10 midnight - red hot chili peppers
11 campus - vampire weekend
12 brother down - sam roberts
13 sideways - citizen cope
14 come around - rhett miller
15 pretty (ugly before) - elliott smith
16 droppin' - soft
17 ask her to dance - coconut records

Friday, February 12, 2010

valentines 06

because when i was a freshman in high school i listened to music like i was in my mid 20s. adult alternative for valentines. yum. seriously though, i'm pretty sure my mom got the most use out of this mix. it's not bad though. a little yawn (jamie cullum/ james blunt) but a little great too (marjorie fair/ sam prekop) so enjoy. more lovey mixes later.


00 song - artist

01 selfless, cold and composed - ben folds five
02 mr. ambulance driver - the flaming lips
03 cry - james blunt
04 i love you - a band of bees
05 love is a marathon - teddy geiger
06 waves - marjorie fair
07 high & dry - jamie cullum
08 chocolate - snow patrol
09 this mess we're in - pj harvey & thom yorke
10 showrooms - sam prekop
11 fade into you - mazzy star
12 earth angel - death cab for cutie
13 please forgive me - david gray
14 love and some verses - iron & wine
15 i summon you - spoon
16 quiet - john mayer
17 for the widows in paradise, for the fatherless in ypsilanti - sufjan stevens
18 venice queen - red hot chili peppers

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

february bullshit


i'm trying to finish a paper and study for two exams all at once, yet i find myself retreating to this god forsaken blog to escape. this post will be short a sweet. there have been a couple tracks lately that have really caught my eye beyond just putting them in a mix. pretty much anything by beach fossils, wild nothing, a sunny day in glasgow, caribou, and the aforementioned coyote clean up and millionyoung have me just smitten right now. so what do i do? put them on a mix. (really though, the new caribou single (odessa) is out of control good)

next week, if this goes according to plan, i will be posting the big valentines 2010 mix. this is a big fucking deal. i create one of these "FLAWLESS" mixes for every year that i am alone for valentines day. kind of a valentines mix to myself. sad and pathetic eh? you can laugh now

maybe, if i can remember, i will upload one or two or three of these flawless mixes from the past up to this site next week before my actual 2010 mix. my friend just reminded me of the term "panty dropper" and a couple of the mixes i have made in my life time definitely fit that title. one specifically on my mind was originally dubbed "the kia love mix" (my kia actually had a bike rack on top which made it look much more manly) but the mix was then renamed "black love" for the obvious reason that there was just no love going on in that kia except for my creepy love/obsession for music. so maybe these mixes will make you people find some love this year instead of staring at your computer all day like i do.

but until then, there is this mix, february 1. it is too long to fit onto a cd so for that i'm sorry, but i believe a couple i've uploaded onto here have been over that limit anyways so oh well.

some more info on feb. 1- be forewarned, this pretty much a chillwave/shoegaze mixtape. looking over after i was finished compiling the songs together i realized there were probably only six or maybe less bands that probably used real drums in recording their song. but don't worry, bear hands will wake you up after a sunny day in glasgow puts you to sleep. also, the first song might not appear to make sense, it's by this band called the takeover uk. they added me on myspace a long long time ago. they can appear so fucking cheesy (and they might be) yet some of their songs are just perfect pop songs with great guitar lines, like the one on this mix specifically. the new shy child single is just undeniably catchy and great and you should really watch the video. and the new lemonade single is delicious, tacky, and cool all at once. that's all. really.

props to andrew paleno for turning me onto this specific mew song, and props to the dude from surfer blood who suggested the song by grooms.


february 1

00 song - artist

01 running with the wasters - the takeover uk
02 stylo (faet. bobby womack & mos def) - gorillaz
03 beach - mew
04 odessa - caribou
05 vendela vida - dinosaur feathers
06 disconnected - shy child
07 to the light house (millionyoung remix) - memoryhouse
08 nosummr4u - OoOoO
09 daydream - beach fossils
10 this boat is making me sea sick - coyote clean up
11 dreamsucker - grooms
12 waves (rodiadh radio edit) - holly miranda
13 shy - a sunny day in glasgow
14 vietnam (eli janney demo) - bear hands
15 i remember - yeasayer
16 as far as i can see - phantogram
17 diplomat's son - vampire weekend
18 chinatown - wild nothing
19 lifted - lemonade
20 melody day - caribou
21 anna - taken by trees
22 ox4 - the postmarks
23 no. 6 von karman street - a sunny day in glasgow
24 soft denial - millionyoung

ps. the image at the very top is an image i plan on having tattooed on my body at some point in the near future. laugh if you want. two points for anyone that gets the point.