The big news!

A short story I finished earlier this year will be published in this month's issue of Aphelion!

www.aphelion-webzine.com


The piece is titled "Shirasawa's Promise", and I really hope you like it, because I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.

It is indeed a Happy Holiday so far!

2012: Going... going....

And just in case you were curious...

I worked out the math, complex algorithms and what not, and numbers 25 - 11 were as follows:

25.  Saint Vitus - Lillie:  F-65

24.  Spectrum Road - [Self-titled]

23.  Deerhoof - Breakup Song

22.  Old Man Gloom - No

21.  Marillion - Sounds That Can't Be Made

20.  Ty Segall Band - Slaughterhouse

19.  Baroness - Yellow & Green

18.  The Evens - The Odds

17.  Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Allelujah!  Don't Bend, Ascend!

16.  High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

15.  Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind

14.  Storm Corrosion - [Self-titled]

13.  Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

12.  Tift Merritt - Traveling Alone

11.  Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light, Vol. 2 

Top 10 Albums for 2012

Should have some news about a short story publication later this week...  so check back.  Soon.  And often!

Until then, here's my top 10 albums of 2012, an eclectic list, as always:

10.  Jodis - Black Curtain

9.  Giant Sand - Tucson

8.  Melvins Lite - Freak Puke

7.  Oren Ambarchi - Audience of One

6.  Alejandro Escovedo - Big Station

5.  Dinosaur Jr. - I Bet on Sky

4.  Neurosis - Honor Found in Decay

3.  Dwight Yoakam - Three Pears

2.  Rush - Clockwork Angels

Honorable Mentions...  Tift Merritt - Traveling Alone, Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball and Storm Corrosion

And now the envelope please...

1.  Calexico - Algiers  What can I say?  This album just really worked for me.

And thanks for reading along this year.  It's been a good one!  And assuming we all survive past Friday -- 12.21.12 -- we'll try to do even better next year.

Stay tuned...

...big news (at least to me) coming soon in this space!

Right here!  Big news.  Here.  This space.

Just checking in

…and oh yeah, I've been doing a lot of writing recently.  I’ll need to post an update on that later, but here’s what’s been spinning while I’ve been busy… 

Can't seem to get enough of Calexico, Pat Metheny or Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson these days.

Calexico – Carried to Dust and Algiers

Iron and Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

Pat Metheny – One Quiet Night and Day Trip

Modest Mouse – The Moon and Antartica

Okkervil River – I Am Very Far

Porcupine Tree – In Absentia and The Incident

Bruce Springsteen – Magic and The Promise

Storm Corrosion – [Self-titled]

Tortoise - A Lazarus Taxon

Steven Wilson – Insurgentes and Grace for Drowning

Good ole Texas music!

…they’re not all from The Greatest State, but their music – at least on these albums – definitely fits the mold.

Alejandro Escovedo – Real Animal

Joe Henry – Blood from Stars and Reverie

The Jayhawks – Mockingbird Time

Robert Earl Keen – Ready for Confetti

Lyle Lovett – Natural Forces

Old 97’s – The Grand Theatre, Vol. 1

Old Crow Medicine Show – Carry Me Back

Gillian Welch – The Harrow and the Harvest

Wilco – Wilco (The Album) and The Whole Love

Dwight Yoakam – Three Pears

Led Zeppelin

Celebration Day

On repeat, repeat, repeat...