Rainy day playlist...

Oren Ambarchi - Audience of One

My vinyl copy arrived this week!  Great stuff, and as I mentioned before, my new fave by Ambarchi (was Tima Formosa)...

Cat Power - Jukebox

My old fave by Chan Marshall!  Still haven't heard the new one yet, but this one got me through the weekend.

Eyvind Kang - Athlantis

...where to start with this one?!  A more recent discovery, but it grows on me with every listen.  Multiple "wow" moments on this disc.  And yes, it is spelled "Athlantis" on the album cover.

Fennesz - Black Sea

And what would a rainy afternoon be without Fennesz?

Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country and Ravedeath 1972

Can't seem to get enough of these two this week.  Rain or sunshine.

Karp - Mustaches Wild and Thrones - [self-titled]

Jared Warren, Joe Preston, why not?!  A couple of oldies, and definite goodies.

So much work to do!

… that I needed a mid-week update on the old playlist in order to get re-motivated.

Big Business – Mind the Drift

Converge – Axe to Fall

Kevin Drumm – Imperial Horizon

Fennesz – Black Sea

Tim Hecker – An Imaginary Country

High on Fire – The Art of Self Defense (2012 Reissue)

Scott Kelly – The Forgiven Ghost in Me

Prurient – Bermuda Drain

Weekend Playlist

Boris - Flood  A recent acquisition...  I've wanted this one for a while now.  Great stuff!

Melvins - Electroretard  Another recent one, for me at least...  and more great stuff!

Aethenor - Deep in Ocean Sunk the Lamp of Light  Ever wondered what an Aphex Twin and Sunn O))) joint LP might sound like, well...  Not sure if that's what Stephen O'Malley and crew were going for here, but it reminds me of a cross between RDJ's early ambient works and recent Sunn O))) albums.  Incredible!

Boris - Soundtrack from the Film "Mabuta no Ura"  Another recent acquisition.  More good stuff.

Amon Duul II - Phallus Dei  File under "way out there" but... amazing!

Jesu - Silver EP   More music from that sweet spot between his self-titled LP and Conqueror.  These were mountaintop days for Broadrick, in my humble...

Boris with Merzbow - Rock Dream   More Boris!  More great stuff!!!

Oh yeah...  I didn't include a photo, but the new Ben Folds Five album is working for me too!  Picks right up where The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner left off.  I know, I know, it seems out of place with all of the above "heavy stuff", but hey, I listen to what I like... 

The (New) Usual

It may seem random to note the following, but I am just under 6 feet tall.  And...  just over 200 lbs.  I wouldn't mind if a few of those pounds were re-distributed a little, but when I graduated Marine Corps boot camp in 1992, I weighed 185. 

In other words, I haven't let myself go over the last twenty years.  I work out 1 to 2 times a week, and try to run as often as I can, which usually ends up being about 3 or 4 times a week. 

I'm not bragging at all, on any of this.  I'm only laying the groundwork for my next few paragraphs...

That much activity requires fuel, and by fuel I mean 2,500 - 3,000 calories per day, depending on the day and the workout.  Obviously, a long run (~ 6 miles) would be a 3,000 calorie day.  But anyway...

In terms of fuel, I have my favorites in the area:  It's hard to beat the burgers at Huey's, or their shrimp po' boy for that matter!  And the fajitas at La Perla Tapatia are always a 12 on a scale of 1 to 10.  The sushi at Osaka is some of the best I've ever had.  I also love the sopa de pollo at El Mezcal, the Chile Colorado at El Porton.  The pizza at Russo's!  The brisket sandwich at Captain John's!

But, let me stop there before I get too excited.

Today, I would like to add a new item (and establishment) to the proverbial list of "usual places".  Drumroll please...

At the Java Cafe on Forest Hill-Irene in Germantown, they have breakfast sandwiches... and not just any breakfast sandwiches.  We're talking oh-my-gosh, call-home-and-tell-Mom-about-'em breakfast sandwiches!  And they make them just about any way a person can imagine. 

Sometimes I want egg and bacon on thick cut sour dough bread (toasted of course).  Some days I want two pieces of sausage (homemade?) on a bagel.  Wonderfully fresh bagels by the way.  Sometimes I just want a BLT for breakfast.  Yeah, they'll do that too, with thick slices of beautiful plump red tomatoes.

Are all of these options incredible?  Yes!  Are they healthy?  Well, they're probably a lot better than whatever grease-soaked thing the fast food place wants to hand out of their sliding glass drive through window.

So anyway... the new "usual" for breakfast out -- for me, at least -- is Java Cafe!

(And no, this isn't a paid endorsement.  It really is that good.)

An all Hydra Head playlist!

These are by no means my favorites from Aaron and co.  Just the ones that have been working for me lately.

The Austerity Program – Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn

Cave In – Planets of Old and White Silence

Daughters - Daughters

Jesu – Heartache/Dethroned

Keelhaul – Triumphant Return to Obscurity

Old Man Gloom - No

Pelican - Australasia

Pyramids/Horseback – A Throne Without a King

Other than that...  Still keeping my head down.  Lots to be done!  Not enough hours in the day.  Not enough days in the week.

But I did take a break last week to watch The Green Mile Wednesday night on AMC.  And then again on Thursday night!  Great movie.

Homage

hom-age [om-ij]

noun

1.       Respect or reverence paid or rendered.

2.       The formal public acknowledgment by which a feudal tenant or vassal declared himself to be the man or vassal of his lord, owing him fealty and service.

3.       The relation thus established of a vassal to his lord.

4.       Something done or given in acknowledgment or consideration of the worth of another.

Source:  Dictionary.com

For me, the word 'homage' means gratitude.  And respect.  An acknowledgment of reverence towards another person.  Appreciation for things they've done that have mattered to you or the people around you.

Please excuse the poor quality of some of these images, but I wanted to pay homage, show some respect for all of the incredible ways in which Hydra Head records impacted my life over the years.

A Boris album, with art from Stephen O'Malley, released on Aaron Turner's label...  Add all of those together, and how could it not be one of my favorite releases of all time!  Thank you for this one.  Sincerely.

 ...and where to start with all of the various Jesu LPs, EPs, splits and other (e.g. Greymachine).  Again, thank you!

...and for bringing Cave In back to us...  Thank you.

...and for all the other Turner related projects...  Old Man Gloom, Jodis, Mammifer, etc.  Thank you.

...for taking us to the finges of what we thought music could be -- everything from Oxbow to Xasthur to Ocrillim (shown), thank you again.

...and for introducing us to bands like Pyramids, Daughters, Knut and Keelhaul, stuff we might not have heard otherwise...  thank you.

And for all the other releases...  everything from Pelican to Big Business, Botch to Cavity, Bergraven to Prurient, and all that I've missed...  Thank you.

Still Workin'!

More music for keeping my head down and getting things done! 

Oren Ambarchi – Audience of One (This is my new favorite by Ambarchi.  I especially love the last two tracks.  The transition from “Passage” to “Fractured Mirror” is sublime in every sense.)

John Fahey - America

Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972 ("In the Fog" - all three parts!)

Locrian & Mammifer – Bless Them That Curse You

Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder

Neurosis – Through Silver in Blood, Sovereign and Given to the Rising

Pyramids/Horseback – A Throne Without A King

Shrinebuilder – s/t

And when I've not been workin', I've been reading.  The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy…  So far, one of the best books I’ve ever read.  Ever.  Period.

Fingers crossed!

Finished two new short stories over the extended weekend...  Labor Day indeed!

Spent the evening tidying up the formatting and adding nice little cover letters.

Then I closed my eyes, and hit "submit", as in "submit your story here". 

Such a funny word.  It hardly describes what it means to send one of your darling creations over the wire to some gifted, but underpaid, underappreciated editor, who will incidentally be more than just a little tired and fussy when he or she opens your original and oh so special little attachment.  Editors!  I feel for them.  I really and sincerely do.  It's a wonder anything gets published!

...and substantive proof that every writer is at least 51% optimist!

Oh, and while I was in the mood for formatting and typing up cover letters, I decided to send Shira out for another spin on the digital waves.

...workin'

This is a playlist for keeping my head down and getting things done (more on that later)! 

Boris – Attention Please and Heavy Rocks (2011 Version)

Ludicra - Tenant

Mastodon – The Hunter

Melvins – The Bride Screamed Murder, Sugar Daddy Live and …

... Melvins Lite – Freak Puke

Neurosis – Live at Roadburn

Old Man Gloom – No

Wolves in the Throne Room – Celestial Lineage