records '09

here are some records that i thought were pretty great last year.

Alberta Cross - just cool. dirty alt. rock with a unique voice and great production
Bazan - Curse You Branches - heartbreakingly honest
Bob Dylan and the Band - The Basement Tapes - trapped in some unpublished purgatory since the early 70s these tapes remind us what rock and roll is all about. Buy this now.
Castledoor - Shouting at Mountains - fun indie rock in which redemption is definitely afoot
Dawes - North Hills - new classic rock, great harmonies, sing along songs
Karli Fairbanks - Followed EP - her best (i think) and most rocking effort, solid songs and production
Liza Day and the Northbound Tresste Singers - self titled - Lindsey took stage name, rounded up a great band and continues to bring us honest stories and simply put wisdom
Sara Watkins - self titled - disappointing production by John Paul Jones, nice originals, fantastic covers, magical vocal delivery, magnificent session playing
Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers - Songs In the Night - the endearing "frog in my [her] throat" doesn't stop this Okie from belting out what she knows in front of a tasty and tasteful rock/county band
Sarah jarosz - Song Up in Her Head - songs and mandolin playing way beyond her 19 years

2009 goal report

so i'm a little late on my 2009 wrap up posts...first is the goal report.

Journal More- well i did more, but the 'at least once a week' plan feel off the last few months

Guitar Pracitce - while i was in school i did my 18 hours a week at least. after school i had a bit of burnout and didn't keep up or even close...getting back on the horse shortly.

Send Snail Mail- this i for sure accomplished. but the only semi-normal real mail correspondent i found was my grandma. I loved this little interaction and hope to continue, but i wish i could get more people to take the time to write physical letters...

Finish at least 2 songs- well i procrastinated this one on out to the end. I had about 70% of a new song going by mid-december, and then my dad died unexpectedly and things have been a bit topsy-turvy since. but i can't forget how long i procrastinated.

Memorize more scripture- the time i picked to memorized was while i was waiting for the subway. this worked great until figured out how the subway worked exactly and didn't make a lot of time for it otherwise. Still i got the first 3 chapters of James down and into the 4th! the trouble is that i didn't revisit it often enough, so i couldn't just bust it out without some preparation. this was a great experience and i need to get back on it. it really was transforming me when i was in it deep consistently.

new goals coming soon.

always

Lately i've been pretty podcastalicious as i am trying to find a new local church in Spokane and still keep up with my brothers and sisters in Hollywood. There's been a lot of good stuff but two things have come at me that my mind and face immediately followed with the non-verbal equivalent of (or maybe i actually just said it aloud...) "zing!" And i give them to you.

"...or whatever we're doing when we think we're not worshipping." - David Dark

"There is no worship neutral." - Joseph Barkley

something good on the radio!

Last week the Paste blog gave me the heads up that Wilco was playing on the live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion. Yep it's true, Garrison Keillor and crew are still broadcasting from Saint Paul, Minnesota with their old-timey live radio show, complete with the chronicles of Guy Noir private eye, the news from Lake Wobegone, silly commercials read by the host, and all the goofs and stumbles of doing it all live. You can check out the list of local stations that broadcast the show or stream it online from the website, saturdays at 5pm Central.
Wilco was good, but they played all new stuff which i haven't really gotton into yet. The bluegrass/country singer Patty Loveless was on the show too. She was great and did a Don Williams tune with some lines i particularly enjoyed:

Hand fulls of dust, hand fulls of dust
Sums up the richest and poorest of us
True love makes priceless the worthless
Whenever its added to a hand full of dust

Throughout the show, from music to comedy, they kept bringing the little jabs of truth to keep you thinking. And it's all wrapped up in a nearly forgotten art from- the live radio show. Tune in next week for special guest Neko Case!

don't miss the boat...like it did

So i know i'm getting to this a little late, but my listing is largely consumed by the Jon Foreman seasons EPs right now. If you didn't know, the Switchfoot singer made a 6 song EP for each of the 4 seasons. I knew they were out there but until recently had only heard a couple tracks, and since they didn't come to emusic (basically my only music source this year) i hadn't picked them up. Anyway, they're fanTAStic! Really fantastic. If you don't have them already, go get them! they're all on itunes. it's easy. Now, you may be thinking, 'marc, 4 EPs is kind of a big commitment...' But it's ok. just buy Fall today and after you see how marvelous it is you can pick up the others as their seasons come...if you can wait that long!
On Fall The songwriting is brisk, smart, and stirring. The instrumentation is driven by a beautiful, natural, clear, acoustic guitar; with lots of chamber orchestra sounds giving the mixes body. The percussion is simple and unique, driving where needed without being overbearing.
Each EP is equally good, and each fits its title season faithfully. They're magic. Go buy them.

back in The Kane

so i'm back in spokane for a while. a long while. it hasn't really set in yet. it still feels like i'm just here for a holiday or something and i'll be going back to where ever else i live and whatever else i'm doing with my life in a week or two. it's kinda weird. what was weirder was a few things that happened when i went down town (in contrast to the LA experience i just finished) to the coffee shop to get to the bottom of my google reader and see who i could run into.

• i found parking
• a quarter got me a whole hour in a meter
• two complete strangers walking toward me greeted me politely
• got an invite to sit in on a blues gig
• paid a mere 4 bucks and change for and iced americano, cup of drip, and a pastery
• after i finished my coffee i was served up with a "welcome home beer," a free Black Butte Porter. mmm.

none of this happened in LA. as weird as it is, i think my time in The Kane is gonna turn alright.

a real gig!

During part of my break from classes i had the honor of joining the guys formerly of Plumbline and Fin who are now under the front man's name Joseph Barkley. Joseph is the music pastor at my church. They needed a guitarist for a camp they'd booked in Montana, and they asked me to go. It was a blast! They had all some fun stuff planned for us and the speaker during the day, which we didn't really expect. We did a little rafting (which was freeeeeezing), some hiking, and some skeet shooting. It was great getting to know the guys in the band and i get to head back next week! Yeah, that mean missing a whole week of school, but i figured i came hear to learn how to make money playing guitar, so i may as well go do it.