Summer

Well, it's been summer vacation for a few days now. I've been bumming around my mom's apartment while "housesitting," which has involved a ton of Simpsons, plenty of sleep, some plant-watering, some eating, some running, and lots of metal.

My mom's neighbor just came in with either one or two dudes (I'm not going to guess what their relationship is) and said that she learned at the bar the other night that my mom had a son who is staying here right now (true, that is me), and that "he watches the Simpsons and listens to hardcore music a lot." I'm going to go ahead and say that she pretty much hit the nail on the head with that one, for an OUTSIDER.

Anyway, it's 3 AM, so I guess I'm getting back into my terrible sleep schedule. I need to wash all the dishes and hide my 40s before I go to bed. I brought two here, drank one, and couldn't bring myself to have the other, so it's still unopened and in the fridge. My mom would have a heart attack if she saw that, oh man.

I had a long conversation with Julia today (via ichat, naturally) about our definitions of "love" and it was weird. I like to tell her that I love her because I do, and I associate tiptoeing around the word with being fourteen and having no idea what it meant, but I guess I can see where she's coming from. I miss her.

Musicwise, yeah, it's been all metal so far. At first it was looking like all-black metal, but I'm in love with the new Darkthrone, Circle the Wagons. It's so, so good, I've listened to it about ten times in the last two days and I've started to write a review of it for posting on one of the websites I contribute to. I also just keep coming back to Possessed's Seven Churches, which is considered a prototype for "death metal" but to me just exists as a somewhat-sloppy thrash album with this really fucking evil tinge to it, which, I think, is why it stands out to me versus something like the second Kreator album, which is considered a classic but which I never really got, for some reason.

I am also currently just getting beaten over the head by the fourth Coroner album, Mental Vortex. Coroner's one of those bands who you never really hear about, at least in the US, I think because everything they did that wasn't fairly par-for-the-course (though technically adept) thrash was just too progressive for your average thrash fan. However, I'm really looking forward to memorizing all the time changes and sweet guitar parts this baby has to offer. Jesus Christ, these guys were technical. One of the reasons I love, say, Carcass (who I compare almost every early-90s metal band to) is because they could write fairly straightforward, awesome metal while adding little flourishes to it to remind you that they could shred. At this point, though, Coroner were nothing short of mindbending: their guitarist's all over the place while remaining completely in control, and his rhythm section is with him every step of the way. Somehow I have little difficulty seeing these dudes pull these nightmarishly complex songs off note-for-note live. They also hit you with a tambourine during the groovy 4/4 parts, just to show you who's boss. I've had this album for a while and it never hit me, but now that it has, I have a feeling that this is gonna be on repeat all summer long. Dare I say this is more complex than later Death? Or do I have an... OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION?

We never dove for the truth...

So it was abnormally warm and sunny outside. I wore a shirt with sleeves rolled up in the middle of February and did not feel cold at all. This has been a three-day warm spell here in Annandale, and since it sounds like it's raining outside, I think it might go back to being cold as balls like tomorrow. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this year, so this was really more of a pleasant interlude than actual spring. Last year I noticed myself appreciating the changing seasons much more than I had before, so the warmth and sunlight today put me in a really good mood.

When I think about it, nothing particularly amazing went on today. Well, actually, it definitely was above-average. Met a girl who I might be into although my natural fear of rejection makes me think I didn't impress her at all. That's neither here nor there, though. Who cares.

Also went to a Root Cellar pot luck briefly and saw the same people who always hang out at these things, which is good. I like them. Brought Quinn along and introduced him, so he might get in on it and it'll rule.

Biggest news: Daniel might be coming to the city over (his) spring break. Really miss that dude and I hope that whole thing works out. Also might go to Phoenix for a few days over the summer before heading to Dude Fest and flying out of Indianapolis. However, all this costs money, and I don't have much. So realistically, Dude Fest probably isn't happening and I will miss Black Ships/Comadre/Coke Bust (whose link isn't working)/everyotherbandiwanttoseeever. I am very optimistic.



I said I'd post some music on here and I haven't forgotten because I only said that a little over two days ago. So here it is:

Pygmy Lush are my favorite band in existence right now. I only really, really like a few bands in existence right now anyway, because everyone is always breaking up, but I really liked Bitter River the first time I heard it, at first enjoying the heavier songs more, but soon realizing how fucking brilliant the folky stuff is. Then they released the entirely-folk Mount Hope last year, which was one of my favorite records of '08 because it ruled. Anyway, I only got wind of this live recording recently, and it fucking kills. The audio quality is about on par with Mount Hope and better than Bitter River, and since there's no clapping, I'll take a wild guess and say it was recorded in a studio. The songs are mainly drawn from Mount Hope, which means that they're great but essentially the same, but the two off Bitter River, "Headless" and "Throw the Jockey," are rearranged and generally better. Sadly, no "Hurt Everything" or "Send Bombs," but in its place are the three surprises: a new, as-yet-untitled song which absolutely rules, a cover of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" which sounds nothing like the Ramones but also absolutely rules, and a REWORKED PG.99 SONG. Granted it is one of the least abrasive songs pg.99 ever did, but I was very pleased with how a folked-up "Lonesome Waltz of Leonard Cohen" turned out. Love this shit.

DOWNLOAD PYGMYLUSH HERE

Also, if you're in the mood to hear something I really can't vouch for in terms of quality, I learned about fifteen minutes ago that Dan and Amit from Mother Night have formed a new band, Torchbearer. I saw Mother Night open for 108 (whose link also isn't working) in New York in '07, and they were very good. I was similarly impressed by their full-length, Lifestyle/Deathstyle, which was a good, creative hardcore record. I haven't listened to this Torchbearer EP, which they are offering up for free download (as everyone should), but I probably will tomorrow, and I'd expect something similar to Mother Night, which is a good thing.

DOWNLOAD TORCHBEARER HERE