America's Next Top (Numerical) Modeler

Top Ten Albums of 2008

2008-12-16T16:58:00.001-08:00

Here's my annual list of top ten albums, for the year 2008. I know that every year I claim it's the most difficult and competitive year in choosing these albums... But this year I mean it. Not only that, but it was the most difficult year to pick the top album; not because of a lack of quality of albums, but quite the opposite. Typically the top disc for the year is obvious, whereas this year I was wrestling between the top six or so (any of which could easily be the top). As far as the artists who released excellent discs this year but were not included in the top ten, a few which immediately come to mind are: Vampire Weekend, The Mountain Goats, Kelley Polar, Cut Copy, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Frightened Rabbit, Sybris, Spiritualized, Wolf Parade, Sigur Ros, The Hold Steady, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Harvey Milk, The Walkmen, Stereolab, The Uglysuit, TV on the Radio, Blitzen Trapper, The Week That Was, Marnie Stern, Gang Gang Dance, Deerhunter, and El Guincho to name a very select few. I could go on and on with the honorable mentions.

10) This Gift - Sons and Daughters

Winner of the “most overlooked” or “least appreciated” album of the year, This Gift, is a relentless rocking album. It is also winner of the “car album” of the year award. Released very early in the year, this disc has been in constant rotation for my monotonous drives to work or ventures cross country. And you know what... It has never gotten old or sounded stale (as most discs of the genre often do). This Glasgow band is fronted by female vocalist Adele Bethel, who turns in some of the most convincing and effecting female vocals ever. If Bethel doesn't end up attaining “superstar” status, then it's hard to say who will. From the raging opener “Gilt Complex” to the rolling and fantastic closer “Goodbye Service”, This Gift never lets up. The fact that the album is in such high octane mode the entire time could be perceived as a major point of criticism. But if each song maintains such high quality, who cares?! Pick any song off of this disc, any one at random, and that song could be a bona fide hit. In fact, This Gift is so consistent that it almost plays out as a “best of” album. Those looking for wimpy ballads should check out Iron & Wine; while those looking for god's gift to rock music should check out This Gift. Tis a gift indeed.

9) Offend Maggie - Deerhoof

Is it too early yet to call Deerhoof the band of the decade? If it is, then I think it's fair to say that they are at least the most polarizing and uniquely creative. However, for those who have been put off in the past by this band's flights of cuddly and maniacal fury, it's not hard to imagine these people actually enjoying Offend Maggie. I prefer to title this album: The Deerhoof Album for Those Who Do Not Like Deerhoof. Now, this isn't to say the band has sold out or gone pop. Deerhoof still requires you to meet them on their terms, these just happen to be the easiest terms to meet them on. While it may not be the obvious masterpiece that The Runners Four was, the album nearly shines just as bright and is a definite improvement over the relatively (key word: relatively) disappointing Friend Opportunity. Offend Maggie is such a solid album that it's hard to pick out highlights. If pressed, the rocking opener “The Tears and Love of Music”, the funky “Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back”, or the mini-epic “Eaguru Guru” would all be contenders. But that would be neglecting the beautiful “Chandelier Searchlight”, the jazzy closer “Jagged Fruit”, and the whimsical title track. Part of Offend Maggie's success lies in the fact that it manages to be both eclectic and cohesive. In addition, Satomi Matsuzaki's vocals have never sounded better and more natural. Offend Maggie, is likely to offend very few people.

8) Hold On Now, Youngster... & We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed - Los Campesinos!

Okay, okay... So I know that I cheated by listing two albums for the number eight slot. But then again, it's not every year that an artist releases their debut album the same year as their sophomore album. Even more rare is when both albums are extraordinary and both worthy of recognition (yet I'm refusing to offer each album it's own spot to make room for others). Approaching these albums you're going to have to ignore (or embrace) the fact that Los Campesinos! sounds nearly identical to the childlike joyness of Architecture in Helsinki. While critics of the band will scathe them for unoriginality, the others will notice that Los Campesinos! actually does a better job than the excellent Architecture in Helsinki. Many of the songs (notably “My Year in Lists”) features a chorus of what sounds like twenty heavily caffeinated band mates singing in the background. This giddiness carries over into both albums and once these songs dig into you, they will play out in your head for days. Both the overtly exuberant Hold On Now, Youngster... and the slightly more subdued We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed are the feel good soundtracks to this year. Give them a spin, and just try to tell me you didn't smile!

7) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair

Oh Antony, when I heard you were part of the ensemble known as Hercules and Love Affair, I just couldn't resist to buy this album. But instead of slow moving and beautiful ballads that dominate your solo albums, you are part of the group which released the most colorful album I've heard in quite some time. None-the-less, a DANCE album!!! “Blind” is one of those songs that finds me dancing in my underwear, should it come on when my Ipod is on shuffle while getting ready in the morning, while “You Belong” pumps out of my car stereo speakers without guilt or volition. It's so refreshing to hear your voice displayed with such color. But that shouldn't discount the rest of your imaginative group, which also contributes immeasurably to this wonderful disc. The other two vocalists, Nomi and Kim Ann Foxman, force you to share the spotlight. What with the sexy “Athene” and utterly gorgeous “Iris”, could you expect anything else? This is more than a dance or an electronic album, it is also an insurmountable work of art that overshadows other great albums of the same genre released this year. Antony, I know you'll go back to making your solo records laced with beautiful sadness; but oh what a joy it is to hear you having fun.

6) Visiter - The Dodos

The opening number to Visiter is a pretty little ditty that sounds a whole heck of a lot like Sufjan Stevens. But, before all of you Stevens fanatics avalanche into your local record store to buy minted copies of this album; it's only a taster. The rest of the disc bursts with original ferocity that makes it one of the most refreshing albums I've heard in years. Not only that, but it's addictive as all hell! This relentless album can only be listened to all the way through; from the crashing toy pianos of “Red and Purple”, the fierce “Fools”, which sounds like Bob Dylan revved up with two gallons of coffee, the delicious Magnetic Fields-esq “Winter”, and the gorgeous closer “God?”. This album is a gleeful winner. The frenetic guitar playing and the folky melodies almost make it seem as if Metallica joined up with Joni Mitchell; making you question whether any other music out there sounds quite like this. Not just recommend, but highly required!

5) The Airing of Grievances - Titus Andronicus

FUCK YOU!!! Or so Titus Andronicus announces on their full length debut. They are probably referring to the endless reviewers comparing the lead vocalist to Conor Oberst. Conor Oberst this, Conor Oberst that... I mean, after being compared to Oberst so much, wouldn't YOU want to scream “fuck you”? Don't let that skew your notion of Titus Andronicus, however; while the lead singer may sound a tad like an angry Oberst, their music sounds nothing like Bright Eyes. This is hard driving, compelling, and heart wrenching music that manages to be both distant and triumphant. The music has that introspective and white trash feel that hasn't been heard since the likes of early Modest Mouse (think Lonesome Crowded West). Once the epic duo of “No Future” hits you, it's like that profound feeling of hearing “Trailer Trash”, and the guitar part on “Upon Viewing...” will unapologetically tear your heart out. This is a challenging album, but manages to scatter brief moments of accessibility to keep things palatable on first listen. Such moments are the groovy “My Time Outside the Womb” or the anthemic “Titus Andronicus”. Fuck Conor Oberst and his pansie Bright Eyes... Titus Andronicus will render Oberst obsolete.

4) Nouns - No Age

It seems as if everyone is searching for the next Daydream Nation. What about the other, less discussed, Sonic Youth masterpiece: Sister? Well, any indie hipster looking for this generation's collection of tightly constructed and powerful noise/art rock will strike gold with Nouns. This thirty minute sophomore album brilliantly combines edginess and accessibility for what is guaranteed to be the most obsessively played disc of the year in your collection. Anthems such as “Teen Creeps” would be well suited for top 40 radio, had they not been drenched in glorious noise. Then there's the epic two and a half minute “Sleeper Hold” which will have you turning up the volume at each unpredictable twist the song takes. No Age manages to slow things down a few times, both the on surreal ballad “Things I Did When I Was Dead” and the two essential instrumental palette cleansers of the album. With Nouns, No Age have established themselves as a force to watch in the future; and who knows... Perhaps next we will get this generation's Daydream Nation.

3) Third - Portishead

Even though it was eleven years ago when Portishead released their self-titled sophomore album, it only takes about ten seconds after hitting the play button for you to know that they are back. Not only have they returned (seemingly out of nowhere), but they are stronger than ever (yes, I went there). From the spy car chase scene-esq opener, “Silence”, to the final echoing drones of “Threads”, Portishead create a deep labyrinth of claustrophobia and terror, with pockets of redeeming beauty. While that description may not render an enjoyable experience, one just has to surrender themselves to this music to fully experience the significance. Amy Gibbon's vocal delivery has never been more on target, one can hear the fear in her voice on “Machine Gun” or the sincerity on the gorgeous “Nylon Rip”. The real stunner of this album is the dynamic “We Carry On” in which the pounding percussion and the distorted guitars nearly steals the show. It's arguably the finest song Portishead has ever done. Third is the type of album that makes one nervous. While it's thrilling that such a great band came out from under the woodwork with little herald to deliver us a stunning album; fans can't help to feel a little dread that we'll have to wait eleven more years for another album of such stature.

2) April - Sun Kil Moon

Released on the first of the month in which the album is named after, April seems to get better as the year wears on and as Autumn grasps it's hand on us. After a successful career with Red House Painters and the beauty of the first two Sun Kil Moon albums, Mark Kozelek has finally dropped his fully realized masterpiece. This massive work is mostly comprised of repetitive ballads which clock in over the seven or eight minute mark. In the hands of most artists this would render disastrous and boring results, yet Kozelek makes repetition work to his advantage, similar in the way of Bob Dylan. Take for instance the winding opener “Lost Verses” (also the best song of the year), the warm countrified tones of “The Light”, or the unbelievable tension in the brilliant “Heron Blue”. Had these songs been edited their power would have been restrained a hundred-fold. April is not for anyone who is looking for quick gratification, catchy hooks, or a bitchin party. No, April is one of those rare albums, that given the patients it deserves, ages better with time than almost anything I've ever heard. Perhaps that is the reason Kozelek released this album in April, so that the autumnal bliss can fully be enjoyed in the season the music most matches. Sometimes I just can't get over how beautiful April is.

1) London Zoo - The Bug

Angry liberals... They sure give Democrats a bad name, and from the fiery album opener “Angry”, you can sure bet that Kevin Martin has a lot to get off his chest; from the war to Katrina to the ozone layer. However, his rant is far from being whiny and it's not offensive or overtly confrontational, and likely not to put off any conservative dubstep lovers (if there are any). But you know what... That's just the first number of this politically diluted and triumphant album. After a five year absence from the moniker of The Bug, Martin returns with work that can only be called career defining. Screw the dubstep label, and screw dancehall or electronic labels. While London Zoo may fit into those descriptions, it is best described as an album in a league of its own and one that raises the bar and sets precedence for all other albums which follow (much the way My Bloody Valentine achieved with Loveless).

More hook driven than the ethereal Pressure, London Zoo finds Martin recruiting a larger ensemble of cohorts for this set of songs. Most notably is Queen Warrior, who delivers the album knock out “Insane” and follows up later in the disc with the nearly as good “Poison Dart”. But what's most stunning about the album is perhaps the flawless track ordering. Coming out of the gates on fire with the aforementioned “Angry” and the equally massive (and addicting) follow up “Murder We”, the intensity and piss and vinegar of the tracks slowly diminishes to minimum mid album. This isn't to say these tracks aren't as good as the fiery ones; the two track duo of “You & Me” and the dizzying instrumental “Freak Freak” serves perfect complement to each other and acts as a welcome reprieve. When the thunderous claps of “Warning” kicks in, you're sure to form a thick layer of goosebumps; it is the finest single musical moment of the year.

London Zoo achieves similar success as last years top pick, Drums and Guns, in that it is culturally significant to our time. Martin spends much of London Zoo reminding us that there is in fact a war still going on overseas. With so much talk about the economy, it's amazing that the war has taken such a background position in our lives. Martin is that singular voice, still screaming in protest (most notably on “Jah War”). In the hands of other artists this all may sound outdated but London Zoo is remarkably fresh. When you hear somebody ask if anything good came out of the Bush Administration, just throw London Zoo in their faces.

Spitting Venom

2008-06-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

So... I've had a bit of dental drama going on in my life. Last week I developed a tooth abscess, thanks to going nearly two years without seeing a dentist. Over the week when my brother got married I noticed I had a dull toothache but didn't do anything about it. Well, last week the tooth started poisoning itself.

I woke up one morning last week with swollen gums. At first I didn't think too much of it, as my gums have always been sensitive to brushing/flossing too hard or when I switch toothpastes (and I did just switch to using Baking Soda to brush my teeth). In addition, there was really no pain with the swelling.

Well, as the week went on the swelling got worse and became more painful. Come Monday it hurt to talk/eat and the left side of my face looked like John McCain's. I gave in and called my dentist and he diagnosed me with an abscess. There are two options: get a root canal or get the tooth pulled. I'd much rather save the tooth and get a root canal, but I don't have dental insurance and it's expensive as hell. Oh well, in any case I have time to think about it because they can't do anything to my tooth until the infection is gone (I'm on antibiotics for ten days).

Luckily, Tuesday night the abscess ruptured and I woke up at 3 am and for two hours I was spitting out the most disgusting smelling pus you could ever imagine. I couldn't go back to sleep because the pus is poison and could make me very sick if I swallowed it. But I didn't mind! Once the abscess ruptured it was like heaven because all the discomfort/pain I was in the past several days instantly and completely went away.

The antibiotics started to kick in yesterday so I'm on round two of pus spitting out, although this time it's a lot less prolific and smelly. I feel like a rattlesnake with all this poison coming out of me. No making out for me until this stops! But that's completely different drama all together.

My Ridiculous Tuesday

2008-06-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

So... Several friends I've told this story to think it's hilarious. I thought I would share it on here (although it's probably not as funny as if I told it).

Last Monday I was going to bed pretty early and I decided not to set my alarm for the next day. I figured I would wake up at my normal time, no problem. Well... Tuesday morning I end up waking up at 10:30. I felt so groggy and blah from sleeping so long and couldn't believe I slept in so late on a weekday. I was moving pretty slowly around my apartment, getting ready and all and by the time I was ready it was noon. I decided that I might as well just stay in and work from home, since it would be so late by the time I got to work.

I took my laptop and set it up on the desk, plugged it into the Ethernet (so I could have faster connection than wireless), made myself some tea, put on some tunes, and opened up my unix window. I opened up the program I was working on and wrote one line of code before delving into an intensive internet surfing session. After an hour or so of looking up ridiculous stuff I deemed it time to eat lunch.

So I fixed a sandwich and took a journal article into the living room. I thought that maybe I could get some reading done while eating lunch, then I wouldn't feel so bad for slacking off the past hour. Of course, I thought that my reading would be enhanced if I turned the television on (great logic, huh). I flipped though a little bit until one show caught my eye. I've never seen this show but heard about it. I watched the first episode and was drawn to it, so drawn that I had to watch the second episode.

Yes, my friends... It's true... I ended up watching an eight (yes EIGHT) hour marathon of:

THE BACHELORETTE!!!!

I'm not proud to admit this; but I was TOO emotionally involved in the show to turn it off! It was so ridiculous... I got no work done at all. At one point, around 5 or 6 I deemed that I wouldn't get anything done that day and thought I could escape and go for a hike; do something somewhat productive. But I felt guilty for leaving my apartment where my journal article was. AND, I had to see who Trista picked!

So sad. I never watch reality tv crap and I know why now; I would become addicted!

Skiing In June

2008-06-06T15:38:00.000-07:00

Typically, every ski season I'm done by April; then my focus turns into hiking and backpacking and getting down to southern Utah. That was the same situation this year, by early/mid April all my ski gear was stowed away in the reckless fashion it usually is. Even though I'm done by April, skiing in Utah goes on much longer; thanks to the greatest snow on earth. Snowbird usually stays open as long as they can, which is typically into June (sometimes even July); but both years I've been here they closed in May (one year due to low snow year, the other due to a very HOT Spring).

This year is ideal for late skiing. We've had a bitchin snow pack (Alta got over 700" this season) and it's been an atypically cool Spring. Thursday at work Clint and Betsy were talking about going up to Snowbird since they received 8" of new snow the previous day. Even though I said I was done with skiing for the year, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say I've been skiing in June! Fuck, I've never even been skiing in May.

This morning I checked online and saw that Snowbird was only one of two ski resorts in the U.S. still open, the other being A-basin in Colorado (although Snowbird's 104" base depth looked quite impressive compared to A-basin's 33" base). Pulling up to Snowbird I was amazed by all the snow still there in June.

It was a great morning but felt very surreal to be skiing in June! We took the tram up to 11,000 ft Hidden Peak and had our choice of either skiing in Little Cloud Bowl or Mineral Basin Bowl (the only two lifts operating... but my favorite two lifts in the resort). The snow was very different than the waist deep Utah powder I'm used to skiing, but it was soft and really fun to ski in; although south facing Mineral Bowl became a bit sticky as the day wore on.

At the end of the day we had the option of riding the tram back down to 7,000 ft (which is what Snowbird recommends), or skiing to the base ourselves (considered "backcountry" conditions by the resort). We skied down the Gad Valley and it was so surreal as we were the only people in that section of the mountain. In some sections it looked as if they drove a truck through the snow, but there was definitely still plenty of snow for us to get down to the car.

Shit... It looks like this year I'll be able to say that I've been skiing in July, if this keeps up!

Memories of Megan

2008-05-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

So... Megan is moving away from SLC (for the second time). It's always sad when a friend moves away and being a grad student it's something that happens quite frequently and I should be used to it (ironically though Megan isn't a grad student so SHOULDN'T be moving). Anyway, I thought I would compile a list of my favorite Megan memories / stories.

1) Right before she moved away from SLC for the first time a couple years ago (it was one of the first times I met her) we went on our first hike with Lis. Among some of the ridiculous moments of that day the one that stands out is "My family come from Miami" incident.

2) When Megan moved back to SLC a few months later she fell madly in love with me. Not knowing much about each other, Jenny set us up on a hike in Neff's Canyon. Megan has a Moose hat and she wore it the ENTIRE hike. One of the most ridiculous things ever.

3) I wrote a short story about Megan because she wanted me to. To this day it's one of my favorite stories I have ever written. That also sparked a big creative burst (I was in quite a drought) and went on to write several more stories I'm proud of within a short period of time.

4) Even though I wasn't there, the story about the three-centers is a classic (made even more classic by Sameera's claims that "I was there... I was driving behind you" a couple years later).

5) Megan was responsible for my favorite quote of 2007 (and possibly of the decade)... "I have to get my mouth ready". I giggle every time I think of that. HILARIOUS!

6) For our birthdays in 2007 we had a sleepover birthday party. We played games and our pinatas hooked up in Megan's bed. Steamy night for sure.

7) Megan had never heard of Slush Puppies. She thought they were just called Slushies. I told her I would google it and she said "it's going to say... 'did you mean Hush Puppies?' ". Needless to say, I was right.

8) Our last hike together: "I've been on this hike three times... three times"

9) The hiking game we made up (which we only played twice... but can't remember the name to save our lives)... It was basically exactly like rollerderby, except completely different.

10) The email from Megan's mom this week, which states: "Who is this new Pete guy with all the photos??? You and Greg didn't break up did you??? Just wondering..... Love, mom". Too funny!

I'm sure there are plenty of other things that I am forgetting here. Too bad Megan has to move, but at least Julie is coming to replace her. Megan doesn't think she can be replaced; but we'll see... we'll just have to see. But seriously, Megan has one of the sharpest / unique sense of humors I know and I for one will miss her quick wit.

Should Be Working, Blogging Instead

2008-05-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Since last post I've taken two great trips down to southern Utah. One to Moab with Jenny for four days and the other to Escalante with Sebastian, Sameera, and Dina for a weekend. Both were excellent trips! I'm thoroughly convinced now that southern Utah is one of the most gorgeous places on Earth; I simply cannot get enough of the place.

On the way back from Escalante we were discussing our best and worst trips we've ever taken. Everyone had lots to chose from for their best trips, but no one could think of anything for their worst trip; including me. I'm so thankful that I've had so many great trips; especially since I've moved to Utah. Knock on wood of course! Don't want to jinx myself for future trips.

I also feel so grateful that I live in such a beautiful state. People travel from all over the world to visit southern Utah and for me it's just a few hours of driving. Plus I have the beauties of mountainous northern Utah right at my door step. I'm just trying to explore as much as possible while I'm here cause I know when I move I'm going to terribly miss all the wonders of the west.

What Am I Doing?

2008-04-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful Saturday; the sun is out full blast and the temperature is comfortable and some of my friends are out hiking antelope island. Yet... Here I sit in my office all afternoon, diligently programming tracers into the model I'm using. What gives? Well, earlier this week I was having dinner with Jenny and she is going to conference in Moab next week. She asked if I wanted to go and stay in her hotel room and go hiking when she's not in sessions. I told her "no way" since I was just in Orlando for a week. But then I got to thinking that if I work THIS weekend and NEXT weekend then I would totally make up for the four days I will be gone. Thus, here I sit.

I've actually been more productive today that I normally am on weekdays. I'm SO excited about Moab too. It's nice that I have a job where I can take off middle of the week and make up the time. Lately I've been getting very excited about summer and all the trips I've been planning. Here's a run down of the trips I plan to take this summer:

1) San Rafael Swell in spring
2) Return to Needles District of Canyonlands (spring)
2) Glacier National Park (July or August)
3) Teton National Park (July 4th weekend.... CROWDED, I know)
4) Uintas backpacking trip to Ottoman basin and summit of Cleveland peak (sometime in July or August)
5) Wind Rivers backpacking trip to Cirque of the Towers (on way back from CMMAP conference in August), probably a solo trip since I'll be driving back by myself
6) Uintas backpacking trip to one of the many destinations I want to go to (Deadhorse Lake, Allsop Lake, Kings Peak, and so forth... prolly August or September)
7) The Annual Wind Rivers backpacking trip over Labor day weekend (destination to be determined)
8) Wasatch backpacking trip up Thunder Mountain and Hardy Lake (prolly September when it starts to get cool)
9) And I want to make it up to the Sawtooth's in Idaho or the San Juan's in Colorado.

OMG... this is a lot and I hope to do most, if not all of it. My advisor will be traveling a lot this summer so I'm sure I'll be able to take plenty of three day weekends (but working A LOT during those four days). This list doesn't even include all the day hikes I want to do in the Wasatch and Uintas. June is going to be the red headed step child month... Because it will be too hot at that point to go to southern Utah yet still too snowy in the mountains up north to do any backpacking trips. Oh well, I'll just work a lot that month I guess.

Back in the Grind

2008-04-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

Coming back from Florida I was instantly thrown back into the world of numerical modeling. All week I scrambled to submit my diagnostics for the SAM model so they could be ready for the super simulation we are doing soon. But hopefully all is well with that. Yay for Fortran!

But the week provided some ridiculousness as usual. The surprise twist of the week is that I adopted another cat. Yes, I have two cats now and that officially puts me in lesbian status. I'm fine with that. I'm not fine with getting a third cat though because that would put me in old maid status. Not cool. Her name is Pandora and I got her from Jen and Brian. Right now she is still getting used to things, but she has warmed up to me. Her and Nico are still a little eh with each other. There have been a couple cat fights but overall they are coexisting in the same space. Should be interesting.

Saturday I helped Trevan move his massive Sea World size fish tank from Provo to SLC. My Element officially smells like an aquarium. After that I did a short hike in the foothills then met a big group of people at Bombay House. It was SO fucking good! Sunday (today) I went up Grandeur Peak with Sebastian and Sameera. As always, hiking with those two is ridiculous with lots of laughs. Even though Grandeur Peak is a foothill, it's not an easy hike (at least the route we did... the standard route from Millcreek Canyon is quite easy), as it gains 3,300 ft in just 1.5 miles. Yes, my friend, that is freaking steep! My legs are feeling it and I'm happy about that. It's a great hike to do to get in shape for the bigger and better peaks.

Week in the Tropics

2008-04-07T12:59:00.000-07:00

Currently I am sitting in the Orlando Airport waiting for my flight back to SLC. For the past week I've been down here for my brother's wedding. It was a really fun week. We went to a bunch of parks and relaxed and just had a lot of fun together. It's not often that our family gets everyone together so I really enjoyed it. The wedding itself was very nice; it was supposed to be an outdoor wedding and unfortunately the weather yesterday was awful here so it had to be moved indoors. Shame because the garden it was supposed to be in was beautiful. I'm so happy for John and Shelley, they make such a great couple!

I guess on the flight home I'll continue to watch Planet Earth on my Ipod and maybe nap. I'm always bummed at the end of vacations, but looking forward to getting back to Salt Lake. Always nice to get back to some normalcy.

Who Gives a Fuck About an Oxford Comma?

2008-03-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

This past week was busy busy busy but lots of fun. I had to get a ton of stuff done before I take off this week for my brother's wedding and had some sort of social engagement each night. When Friday evening rolled around I was so tired and all I wanted to do was crash. But Mikey called me and I ended up going to Johnny's on Second to play pool for a couple hours with him and Floyd. It was a great/mellow time and I actually did VERY well at pool! I won three games against Mikey (and well, lost miserably to Floyd), and won a game in cutthroat. Usually I'm terrible at pool but I was on FIRE that night. Afterwards we made a much needed late night stop at Taco Bell (sooooo good after a couple beers) and hung out at their house for a while.

Saturday turned out to be a somewhat beautiful day, albeit chilly. I'm sorta kicking myself for not hiking on Saturday because it would have been fun. Saturday night Jenny, Megan, Brian, Sebastian, Jen, Lis, Jon, Lindsay, Sameera and I met at Jenny's place to have a yearbook signing party. Yes, you read right... a yearbook signing party. I don't even know if I could write about how ridiculous it was or how the idea came about... But basically Jenny put together a VERY impressive looking yearbook (it's actually better quality than my high school yearbooks) about everything our group of friends has done the past couple years.

It's SO funny and was so well done. Looking at all the pictures of party's, hikes, and dinners brought back so many memories. It actually made me a little sad and nostalgic; in a month Megan will be moving away (for the second time from SLC) and not too far after Sebastian will be going back to Europe. I'm going to miss them so much! It didn't help that Sameera started talking about moving away after defending her dissertation in a year (engineering). She's one of my favorite people ever! Looking at the yearbook made me want to embrace those friendships while I can. That's what sucks about having friends in grad school, people are always moving! I'm fortunate enough though to have plenty of friends who live in SLC and have real jobs (hence, not moving anywhere anytime soon!). But I know that decades from now I'm going to look back on that yearbook I'll remember all the ridiculous times I've had with some of the most ridiculous people ever!

Okay, so I need to pack... Real excited about spending a week in Orlando and with my family. Oh, and if you don't know the reference to the title of this post; well, then maybe you should start listening to good music! (just kidding)

Explosions in the Sky

2008-03-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

My friend Chris asked if I wanted to join him and his friend Beau to see Explosions in the Sky on Monday evening. I'll be honest and admit that I didn't even know they were coming to town and also admit that it was a band that I hadn't listened to in quite some time. But I was definitely down for it, especially since I had never seen them live before.

I was first introduced to Explosions in the Sky back in my Florida State days by Jordanna. She forced me to listen to them as she claimed that it was "life changing" music (or maybe that was Natalie Portman who said that about The Shins?). So I gave it a shot. I enjoyed the music quite a bit and found that it was great music to work and program to. For those who aren't familiar, Explosions in the Sky is an instrumental rock band and I've always had a hard time getting into all instrumental bands (save for Godspeed You! Black Emperor).

When I was asked to go to the show, it was almost like a blast from the past. The first thing I thought of was Jordanna (oh how I miss her)! I didn't think there would be many people at the show but when we arrived at In the Venue there was the longest line I had ever seen in my life! This band has quite a following, apparently. But the line moved rather quickly and before you knew it we were inside with our beers listening to the very Brian Eno-esq (from his ambient days) opener. Chris said the music made him feel like he was in his mother's womb again.

Truth be told, I really wasn't that excited about seeing Explosions in the Sky. However, when they took the stage I was captivated from beginning to end. I have NEVER had as many goose bump inducing moments at a concert before and have never had tears swell up in my eyes at a show. Holy shit, they put on a good show. I recognized many of the songs and it brought me back to four years ago when I was in Florida (when I listened to the band the most) and took me back to so many memories. I had forgotten how powerful their music is... Without words and lyrics they managed to put on one of the most emotional, fiery, beautiful, and captivating concerts I have ever been to. It sounds cheesy, but their show and music evokes emotions that rarely gets tapped into for me.

At the end of the show the band left the stage and the lights came on. Most people stuck around expecting an encore, however the concert staff tried to get everyone out saying there wouldn't be one. The band members came on stage to get their equipment and one of them announced they don't do encores because the break ruins the intensity and emotional atmosphere they created during the show. I completely agree. If they had started playing again it wouldn't have been the same. So glad I made this show!

Dating Drama

2008-03-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Can I just be frank and say that I HATE dating! Hate... HATE! Well, maybe it's not dating itself I hate... Just the flaky people that I end up going on dates with.

You know, I date quite a bit... and you'd think that I would finally date someone decent who can actually communicate and not totally flake out; but no. It really really blows my mind.

I'm DEFINITELY not one of those guys who walks around lamenting about how their life sucks because they are single. I actually like being single. There are too many great things going on in my life and my relationship status doesn't define me what-so-ever. I'm a very independent person who has many passions in life and tons of awesome friends. But, as many chronically single people get, I occasionally get down about it.

All my friends always tell me what a great catch I am and how they are surprised I've managed to remain single for so long... Maybe they're just blowing smoke up my ass or who knows what it is. Whatever the case, I'm definitely very happy with my life and where it is going. If the worst thing in my life is a string (albeit, a VERY long string) of bad, but harmless, dating experiences then I consider myself to be very lucky!

And I'm not going to use my famous "I'm done with dating for a while!" line. We all know that's bullshit. As soon as I say that someone who catches my eye shows interest and before you know it I'm in another sucky experience. Oh well.

Spring Break '08

2008-03-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

So this morning I was quite motivated to get to work early (for a Monday), and pulled into the empty parking lot. I thought "damn, I must be here REALLY early". Then I was walking to my building and there was no one on campus... NO ONE (except for the tumbleweed)! I take the elevator up to the 8th floor (I'm going to start taking the stairs again to prep for hiking season), and notice every single door closed in the main hallway. It was then when my friend Brian sends me a text message wishing me a happy St. Patrick's day. For a moment I wonder "do we get off for St. Patrick's day?". It's not a few seconds later that I realize it's Spring break for the U this week.

Not that Spring break really matters for me... I'm a PhD student and expected to work until someone walks in and finds my bones laying on my desk. It was quite nice to not have under grads flooding campus in the Union and such; although it did feel quite lonely in the building because I really felt like the only grad student working in the department. I kinda felt like I was in a PhD comic. LUCKILY, Steph and I played Scrabble on Facebook all day, so that made things a bit easier. Especially given the fact that I took the lead today and am kicking her ass.

When Maura came in for coffee today, we decided that we were going to go CrAzY for Spring Break '08. Ya know, go bowling one afternoon for a break from work... or maybe slip something fun in our coffee's one morning. Who knows where Spring Break '08 will take us. Who the hell knows!?

Today I did manage to write my best man toast that I will be giving in a couple weeks at my brother's wedding in Orlando. I'm really looking forward to going down there in early April.

Other than that, things have been going well. I find myself starting to look forward to hiking season more and more; but still enjoying this amazing ski season we've been having out here. Going to take a long freaking time for this snow to melt though, that's for damn sure! Just been having fun with friends lately and having a great time.

Everything is Coming Up Roses

2008-03-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

This past week as been one of those where I feel completely motivated at work; meaning that I've actually been looking forward to going into work and I actually have a great time while I'm there. It's not because I'm surfing the net or talking all day to my co-workers (like what sometimes happens), it's because I LOVE my project I'm working on. It's a great feeling really. We'll see how long this lasts, probably only a week or two before I'm back to surfing facebook and interrupting people.

Other than work life is going along well. Lately I've been so busy with social engagements, skiing, hiking, and work that I haven't had a chance to just sit down and breathe. That is what I'm doing tonight!

Sunday I had plans to go skiing, but I woke up so late because I was out late Saturday night that I decided against it. Sunday afternoon I ended up going on my first hike of the season in the foothills near campus. A cold front had just moved through, so the air was chilly (but clean and brisk) yet felt great. It would have helped if I hadn't of forgotten my gloves but such is life. I was amazed at how much snow was still left in the foothills, on the north facing slopes and in the canyons... In one canyon I was in the snow was up to my waist basically! While the ski areas in the Wasatch currently has base depths of 150" (or 12.5 feet), this was at Salt Lake elevation! Yay for high snow years.

In addition, last night Hillary Clinton (or Hill-dawg) had a great night! Honestly, I was not expecting her to do well since so much momentum was on the Obama Bandwagon; yet I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, she didn't pick up many delegates, but it's all about momentum. In the national polls last week Clinton trailed Obama by roughly 8 points. Today she trails him by 1.4 points. I still think it's a long shot for Clinton to get the nomination, but things are certainly looking much better than they were. At the very least, we have an interesting couple months ahead! I think which ever candidate gets the nomination, that person owes it to the runner up to ask them to run on their ticket. Both have campaigned their hearts out and I feel that is the most reasonable option. Plus, it's really the only way to mend the democratic party which is currently torn between these two candidates.

Just hoping to ride the high wave I'm going through now for a while

Built to Spill

2008-02-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night Trevan, John, and I headed to The Depot to catch Built to Spill; a long running and critically acclaimed indie rock act. Even though this band tours more than any other I know of, it seems as if whenever they are in my town I am always out of town. So I was excited to finally catch this act live! Built to Spill have been around since the early 90's and have released an impressive catalogue of albums. Most commonly they are compared to the legendary indie band Pavement, although I never quite got that comparison. Built to Spill could probably be best described as a jam band with prominent pop elements. I remember discovering their phenomenal 1997 release, "Perfect From Now On" sometime in 2001 and falling into a deep obsession with the band. That album is a pure 90's masterpiece that never looses it's appeal.

While The Depot is my favorite venue in SLC, I do have one gripe about it. Since it is a 21 and over venue, you can drink while watching the band. Yeah, this is cool and all; but they totally take advantage of this by scheduling two openers at every concert (and letting those two openers play for an obscene amount of time) and put 30 minute intermissions in-between each opener; just so they can make a lot of bucks at the bar. While this wouldn't be an issue during the weekend; a weekday concert makes for a very late night (and long, hard morning the next day). Maybe I'm just getting old... But regardless, I had a blast hanging out with Trevan and John during the opening hours.

Built to Spill finally took the stage after two lackluster opening bands, opening with "Traces" which is one of my favorite songs from their newest album. From there the band played songs from all different albums, instead of just focusing on their more recent material. I enjoyed this since their stuff from the late 90's is far superior to their previous two albums (don't get me wrong, their new stuff is pretty damn good too). There were even about four or five songs that I didn't recognize, which I suspect are tracks from their forthcoming (yet to be announced) album. Highlights for me were "Carry the Zero", "Stop the Show", and "Sidewalk". However, the best moment of the show for me was their cover of the Brian Eno song "Third Uncle". Fucking amazing!!!

Although they put on a great show I couldn't help to be slightly disappointed with the fact that they didn't play an of the songs that I REALLY wanted to hear; such as "I Would Hurt a Fly", "The Plan", "Car", or their very best song "Randy Described Eternity". But it's all petty complaints for a truly great and varied show by an awesome band that I will definitely see again next time I have the chance.

Missed Opportunities

2008-02-24T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today I couldn't help but to think about recent missed opportunities; especially one in general which happened a few months ago which I'm fully realizing just now. I guess it's easy to look back on moments and think of how you should have reacted and how things just might be different. I'm hoping to salvage whatever I can from that missed opportunity, but kicking myself at the same time. At the very least I think I learned my lesson... and hoping never to repeat my mistake.

Bear Lake

2008-02-18T21:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend John, Brian, Lance, Drew, and Josh went to Bear Lake in Northern Utah. It was my first time in this portion of Utah and I was pleasantly surprised with the scenery. The mountains weren't rugged and prominent like the Wasatch, yet the rolling mountains and trees provided a beautiful backdrop amongst all the snow. Plus Bear Lake was better than I expected it to be and I have coined it the "Lake Tahoe of Utah". Honestly, I don't think that description is too far off. Sure the lake isn't as big, but it is just as blue and without as many tourists.

On Saturday we went snowmobiling. Brian and I got paired up for a snowmobile, which was quite interesting as we were the only two who were novices (I had never done it before). Our lack of experience showed as we tipped three times within fifteen minutes, followed by almost crashing into a tree, getting stuck in deep snow three times, and almost falling off a cliff. Despite all that we remained in good spirits and just ended up laughing about it all. I was really glad to try snowmobiling and I did have a great time, although I can't say it's something I'll do again. Sitting down all day kinda drove me crazy (I need to do things more active-involving) and I'm not a big fan of snowmobiles running rampant through the beautiful forest scenery. But it was a great day with beautiful weather and lots of laughs!

That night John and Lance made an amazing dinner and we all ended up crashing pretty early due to the early wake up call that morning.

Sunday we headed up to Beaver Mountain Ski Area. Beaver Mountain is a small (for western standards) family owned ski area real close to Bear Lake. The weather was wonderful and we had a great time on the slopes. Since I've had a pass at Snowbird (the most difficult ski area in the U.S.) for the past two years, I enjoyed the relatively mellow terrain and just took it easy that day. John had just started skiing a few weeks ago but he did great and was able to do all the blue runs on the mountain. Brian and I were thankful that this day provided much less near death experiences than our snowmobiling fiasco the day before.

Sunday night Brian and I made Tacos for everyone and we ended up playing some games that night and having lots of fun. On the way back today John, Brian, Lance, and I stopped in Ogden for a charming lunch at Karen's cafe. It was a great trip that was very active and relaxing at the same time. I had a lot of fun and it seemed to end much too soon!

Birthday and Reflections

2008-02-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

I'm not one to make a big deal out of my birthday. Usually I'm just like "eh, I'm a year older"; but it usually seems like my friend's always want to celebrate it and throw parties... and I'm never one to decline that! Last night Jenny decided to through and spur of the moment pizza party for me at her place. Brian, Jen, Sebastian, Sameera, and Lis came. It was such a fun small get together filled with lots of ridiculous laughs.

Today was my actual birthday and this morning I went skiing. We've been getting so much snow this year that all 30 or so times I've been this season has been powder. Today was the first hard pack day and completely different conditions than I'm used to here in Utah. I had a blast though and got some practice on the moguls. Then I went into work and my day was filled with random texts, emails, and phone calls wishing me a good day. Near the end of the day Sameera came into my office with her violin and played Happy Birthday. It was such a hoot! She even gave me a lesson. These are exactly the types of moments I love about birthdays; not about getting gifts, but about heartfelt fun and laughter. She ended up playing a couple other songs we found on the internet. I'm sure my labmate was not too happy with the noise. Then I went to my creative writing group where we had cake and indulged in more laughter and conversation. A great day!

This brings me to something that I would rather not mention, but I feel is important and has been on my mind throughout the day. Today marks the year anniversary of the Trolley Square mall shooting here in Salt Lake where a gunman entered the mall and killed five people, wounding many others. Last year we decided to go there for my birthday dinner and got there just minutes before the chaos started. It really was the worst and scariest night of my life and an experience that I truly wish I could forget, although I know I never will. Sometimes I think about writing a narrative about the experience, but often shy away from doing such. I'm not sure I have it in me to do that.

The experience didn't change who I am or didn't have any significant effects on my psyche. But I believe that I rose from what was the darkest night of my life and truly embraced life this past year. This past year of being 28 really was the best year of my life and I think it may have to do with that tragic night. My relationships with people are stronger because I make more of an effort, I find myself taking risks more often, and I just feel like I don't pass up any opportunities to LIVE life. I feel so grateful that my friends and I were safe that night; because we really did dodge a very close bullet. I just hope that 29 treats me half as good as 28; besides those first few weeks, it was a damn fine year!

Farewells Etc.

2008-02-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Last week was a great week, although I didn't get up to ski nearly as much as I would like. Oh well, I'm sure there will be plenty of other opportunities. One thing I've taken for granted living in Salt Lake is how unbelievably close I am to great skiing (and the greatest snow on earth). I can literally roll out of bed at 8:20 in the morning and still get up to the mountain in plenty time for first chair at 9. Sometimes I forget how special this is; especially when I talk to my brother in Denver who says he has to leave the house by 6:30 am to get up to the slopes by 9. I just absolutely love living in Salt Lake!

This weekend was so much fun. Thursday night Ryan, Steve, Jeff, Trevan, and myself watched the Exorcist. I'm a huge wimp when it comes to scary movies, yet the Exorcist really wasn't that scary (of course, I really wasn't paying attention to the last half of the movie for various reasons... so I'm really not one to judge).

On Friday a bunch of my friends went to see The Savages but Sameera and I decided we wanted to catch up since we haven't seen each other in a while. So we decided to stay at her apartment and play Scrabble. Well, we never made it to playing scrabble but instead ended up talking for two hours. Sameera has to be the funniest person I have ever met in my life and every time I hangout with her I have such a blast, no matter what we are doing. After our ridiculous conversation we met up with Margaret, Rob, Jenny, Sebastian, Miriam, Jen, Megan, and Greg at Cocoa Cafe. It was great to see everyone.

Saturday was SUCH a lazy day for me, but I'm kinda glad I just took it easy because Saturday night was Curtis' farewell party at Brian Doughty's place. Let me tell you, it was the craziest party I've been to in a while and probably the most fun I've had a party since I cannot even remember. So great to see a bunch of peep's that I haven't seen in a while and meet new ones. The party didn't end until about 4am, although it didn't seem that late at all (probably cause I was so drunk). I'm bummed to see Curtis leave to Italy though. I only met him about five or so months ago but he was always a great concert going buddy or just someone to hangout and drink with. Plus he's from Kentucky as well... now that he's gone I'm probably the only person in Utah from Kentucky. I'll miss you Curtis and hope to see you in Italy sometime!

Ann Coulter and Hillary Clinton (The Odd Couple)

2008-02-07T17:27:00.001-08:00

A few mornings ago when I was getting ready for work I had Fox News on (yeah, I know). Ann Coulter was a guest on some talk show and she was stating that if McCain and Clinton got the nominations for their respective parties then she would DEFINITELY vote for Clinton. At first I wasn't sure if she was saying this for pure shock value, but she seems pretty set on those words. She claims that Clinton is far more conservative than McCain. I'm not sure I agree with that statement overall but I think I could see how Clinton could be considered more conservative than McCain on a FEW issues (perhaps the only issues that really matters toward Coulter).

At first I didn't like this endorsement from Coulter (since I can't stand Coulter). But the more I thought about it, the more I thought it could help Clinton in general election time (if she gets the nomination)... All along Republicans have done nothing but bash and abuse Clinton; yet if she can get an endorsement from a very conservative and (unfortunately) influential columnist then I think that says a lot. As much as I hope Clinton gets the nomination, I have serious doubts that it is going to happen at this point. Too much (undeserved, in my opinion) momentum has been transfered to the Obama campaign. It's going to be a tall order for Clinton to overcome that, unfortunately.

BUT... the other night I had a dream where Clinton got the nomination and Coulter was selected as her running mate! Wouldn't that truly be an odd couple!

Shredding the Gnar

2008-02-03T17:26:00.000-08:00

Thursday morning and Friday afternoon were phenomenal powder days up at Snowbird. Currently it is snowing here and I look forward to going up tomorrow morning to take advantage of this snow. I would love to take the whole day off but given the fact that I have a shit load of work to do, that probably wouldn't be the smartest idea. Oh well, maybe I can get some work done tonight.

This weekend was a fun one. After skiing on Friday, I went over to the Miller's (Jen and Brian) for a game night. Despite many people canceling due to illness or other engagements or being out of town; there was quite a good turnout as Rebecca, Keith, Sarah, Lis, Jon, Jon, and Winston showed up. It was mostly a Wii night yet we also played "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" or as we called it "Who Wants to be Rebecca".

Saturday I worked during the day to make up for Friday. Saturday night I went over to Ryan's place (a guy I met at Trevan's birthday party a few weeks before) for yet another game night. This night it was Ryan, Jeff, Trevan, Jerry, Steve, and Klay partaking in the fun. Most of us ended up getting drunk pretty quickly thanks to strong margaritas and the shots that Trevan made me take; and we started the night off playing Clue. Clue is not the best game to play while intoxicated yet it was hoot. After that we played The Great Dalmuti and some random game where you stick your finger in a slot and wait for it to get shocked (not sure what was up with that game, yet it felt good).

Today I am trying to get some random stuff done and enjoying staying inside while it snows drinking warm beverages. I was invited to a couple Super Bowl parties yet got caught up in my chores and lack of motivation to leave the house. In all honesty, I could really give a flying fuck about the Super Bowl... and I'm much more concerned with what happens on Super Tuesday. It is fun to hang out with people on Super Bowl Sunday but I really want to try to get work done tonight so that maybe I can take the whole day to ski tomorrow. Seems like I'm always a lot less social in the winter than in summer; I guess cause skiing just takes priority over everything else. But this winter I'm finding a nice medium, as I've had a very healthy social life lately.

My Political Rant

2008-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

Today Chelsea Clinton came to speak at the University of Utah on her mother's behalf. Usually Utah doesn't have a big role in the presidential primaries, since they are held after super Tuesday. This year, however, Utah Democrats will actually have a voice since the primaries are being held on super Tuesday. I'm excited that I will actually have a say in things, especially since my vote will pretty much not matter in the general election.

Before Chelsea started answering questions she stated it was her first time on stage speaking about her mother's campaign. Even though she was quite a low talker (a bit hard to hear), she did do an excellent job of answering questions as she is very knowledgeable about her mother's stances on views. It would have been nice to see more personality out of her, but I guess she was just bit nervous.

For many months now I have been a strong supporter of Hillary Clinton. I have watched most of the debates and have researched both her views and Barrack Obama's views extensively. Overall, Clinton and Obama have very similar viewpoints; but what sells me with Clinton is her wealth of experience. I do like Obama, and should he get the nomination I feel that I will be content... But with that said, I honestly don't understand the strong support that this new face has received lately. It seems to me that many people are simply jumping on a 'bandwagon'. In fact, in many of the primaries held thus far Clinton has received an overwhelming majority of the vote from long time registered Democrats; whereas Obama has received the majority of his vote from independents and people who have never voted before. Thus, the more 'experienced' voters are opting for the more experienced candidate. In my mind Obama has gained the vote from this new young crowd since he's a new 'hip' face that their celebrity/music idols are endorsing (in fact, many of my favorite bands such as Arcade Fire and Fiery Furnaces, to name a few, have openly endorsed Obama and bashed Clinton).

I have heard many people state that if Clinton gets the nomination she would likely not win the presidency because she is a polarizing figure in politics; and that Obama would likely stand a better chance. In my opinion, I think quite the opposite. Come general election time, when the Republicans start to lay on the heat on the Democratic nominee; who do you think is going to take the shots better? Clinton has been through this many times before... Yes, Clinton is a polarizing figure, yet there is nothing new that the Republicans can say about her. She faced incredible challenges and criticism throughout her career and running for office; she's been through this several times and ended up being successful! I have my doubts that Obama will be able to handle the big mean Republican attacking machine.

The past days Obama has received much attention from his endorsement from some of the Kennedy family. Where was all the attention when Clinton got endorsements from the New York Times or from the REST of the Kennedy family (which happened today)? I realize that people might be wanting a fresh face in politics; since we have been through the Bush-Clinton-Bush-potentially Clinton cycle. For me that is the wrong reasons to vote.

Everyone has their opinion, but this is mine. Experience for me trumps any endorsement from a rock band or talk show host or a 'like-ability' factor that many claim Obama to have (which frankly, I don't see).

In any case, I am proud that our country is open minded enough to have a female and an African American as the front runners of a political contest. I feel that is excellent... and even though I am strongly for Clinton, I will be proud and satisfied if Obama gets the nomination and wins the presidency. I feel he is a viable candidate, yet my head and my heart lies elsewhere.

DWD

2008-01-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

After Vegas this past weekend, normal sober life went on. The week was busy but fun, filled with a couple great powder mornings! Thankfully the weekend was a mellow one, which is what I needed after three crazy weekends in a row. Friday night a large group of us (Sameera, Sebastian, Ben, Christy, Dina, Rebecca, Brad, Angie, Pender) went to see the Vagina Monologues at the U. Our friend Maura was in it and even though she had a small role, she did great. The actors performing the monologues were amazing; and since I don't know much about... uh... female anatomy and such, it was quite the learning experience for me. Afterwards we went out for a couple beers and food.

Saturday night I had plans to go on a date with someone I had been out with a few times before. Let's just say that I'm DWD (done with dating) for a while... As he ended up canceling (well, he forgot about it). Truth be told, I was quite glad it was called off because for some reason I was actually dreading the date. It's just hurtful to be forgotten about... Although he did apologize profusely and claims that he still wants to see me, and asked me out tonight. But I'm pretty sure I'm done with him, except of course in the friend sense.

Right after my plans got canceled, Trevan and Jeff called me. We went out to dinner at the gateway and went back to Jeff's and watched Poltergeist. Turned out to be a relaxing and fun night, since I hadn't hung out with Jeff and Trevan in a few weeks. I think today I'm just going to have a lazy day of staying at home, drinking coffee, and watching movies. I'll continue to watch the weather to see if I'm going to be going skiing Monday or Tuesday. The storm is supposed to good!

Vegas Fun

2008-01-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

Since Curtis is leaving town near the end of February I went to Vegas with him and some of his friends this past weekend (MLK weekend). It was such a fun weekend of relaxation and drunken debauchery that I totally needed. Along for the ride was Nick, little Ryan, averaged sized Ryan, John, and Tim. Cameo appearances were also made by Kevin, Shawn, Drew, Becky, Joel, and Curtis' friend Melissa. We spend the weekend just walking the strip, going to bars, eating, being ridiculous, and having a great time!

Curtis was the only person on the trip that I knew well. I had met the other cohorts a couple times before at random parties, but didn't get to know them real well until this trip. What a great and fun group of people and I'm glad I went on the trip so I got to know them better! I had an absolute blast with them and there's nothing better than making cool new friends.

Another Week in the Books

2008-01-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

Nothing really else to say but busy week; what with the non stop powder skiing in the mornings and having to meet several deadlines.

This weekend turned out to be another fun one. Friday night I was extremely tired from the busy week so Jen, Brian, Jenny, Sameera, Megan, and myself hunkered down in Cocoa Cafe to play FLUXX (a random but fun game of nothing but luck). Was an early night which I was thankful for.

On Saturday Night Wes, a guy I met at Trevan's party the weekend before, invited me over to his friend Cody's house along with Wilson to play guitar hero and pool (and consume beverages). Was a fun and late night which I felt this morning by sleeping in till practically 11. This week looks like it will be a little less crazy; which is good because I'll need my rest for VEGAS this coming weekend!

Weekend Update

2008-01-06T22:44:00.001-08:00

What a great weekend! Friday night a large group of us (Brian, Jen, Megan, Jon, Lis, Winston, Sameera, Jenny, Miriam) went to Noodles and Co. and saw Juno. Juno was an awesome movie, despite the fact that the main character dissed my favorite band (Sonic Youth). Afterwards we went to Cocoa Cafe for some ridiculous convo (always to be expected from this group) and plenty of laughs.

Saturday got off to a late start since I couldn't sleep Friday night... but ended up going to see Margot at the Wedding with Curtis. It was great movie, with an original and weird presentation which made it stand out. Nicole Kidman was great in it (even thought I didn't even know it was her until the ending credits). After that we went to Trevan's birthday party, which was a hoot. It was one of those parties where I didn't know 90% of the people and at first was shy; but once I started talking and meeting a bunch of peeps I had an absolute blast.

Tomorrow morning I'm headed up to Snowbird before work, hoping that Mineral Basin will be open. That section of the mountain has been closed the past three days due to avalanche concerns. Hoping I can get in there to get some fresh tracks! Damn, I LOVE Winter! I wish it would never end.

2007 Wrap Up

2008-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in the mail I got a DVD from my brother with pictures he's taken this year set to music. It made me look at my pictures from this year and it actually made me kind of sad. It made me remember what an amazing year I had! Most (well... all) of my pictures are from my plethora of outdoor adventures I had this year and it made me feel so fortunate that I got to experience everything I did with such amazing people. I guess I got sad because I'm not sure how 2008 could possibly be any better! Such a pessimistic point of view, but looking at my pictures... It's hard to imagine 2008 topping 2007. I'm probably just feeling a little sappy right now, that's all. :)

Attached is a pic from the Wind River Mountains, a four day backpack trip over Labor Day weekend with 13 people. It was my favorite four days of the year and this picture is taken from probably my favorite place in the world. After we climbed Fremont Peak (3rd highest peak in Wyoming); Colby, Christy, Jo, Betsy, and myself opted to climb a small peak on the same saddle as Fremont. This was the view we were treated to, looking into Titcomb Basin. The five of us sat on that peak for two hours, just enjoying the views, talking, and basking in the great weather. It's memories like that which I will remember for the rest of my life. Here's to making 2008 an even more phenomenal year!!!

Oh... and I actually have a new years resolution. It's to take more pictures. I take plenty of pictures when I go on outdoor trips but never take any in everyday situations. Looking through my pictures I realized I had ZERO pictures of my non-outdoorsy friends. That's awful! That's going to change now though.

Cabin Fever

2007-12-29T22:31:00.000-08:00

After rustling around with numerical modeling problems on Friday all I wanted to do was go home and curl up in bed. Really that's all I had planned since my flight had gotten in late the night before and I still needed to unpack. But Trevan and Jeff called to see if I wanted to go to a party and I went. I don't even know who's house it was at but it was a pretty good time. Saw a couple people I knew and met some new people. I'm always totally shy though when I'm around large groups of people that I don't know.

Today I slept in and finally unpacked. Tonight my friends Megan and Greg rented a cabin up in Big Cottonwood Canyon; so Jen, Brian, and myself went up there for dinner and to play games. It was a great time! I especially liked the fact that the cabin had no road to it so we had to snowshoe in for about a half mile, added some adventure to the whole experience. We played in the snow for a bit, and skied down the hill in the backyard. The drive down was a bit slow since it snowed some seven inches while we were up there. All in all a good time.

Demon Barber of Fleet Street

2007-12-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Currently I am waiting in the Orlando airport to go back to good ole SLC. It was a great trip in Orlando visiting some of the family and meeting John's fiancee, Shelly, and her son Daniel. They are both wonderful and glad they will be apart of the family. I am looking forward to returning back home and back to cold weather. I'm a cold weather person and this 80 degrees in December just isn't working for me, although it was sort of nice to wear shorts.

I'm feeling kind of gross right now, sore throat and headache. Hopefully it's just because I haven't ate much drank much water yet today. Oh well, if I'm coming down with something I guess staying home from work tomorrow and laying on the couch wouldn't be the worst thing.

Oh and we saw Sweeney Todd this morning. While my dad didn't like it and John seemed to only think it was okay, I thought it was excellent. Definitely a dark movie and not something you should see if you don't like blood. But it's SO well done with a twisted and unique storyline.

Top Ten Albums of 2007

2007-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2007

as reviewed by Pete Bogenschutz

Here's my annual list of top ten albums, for the year 2007. This year I decided to write a blurb about each album for my creative writing workshop and I'm glad I did; writing about the albums makes me feel more solid about my choices. Many artists which released fantastic albums were unfortunately left off the list, and some of those casualties are: LCD Soundsystem, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Modest Mouse, Panda Bear, Andrew Bird, Bright Eyes, The Shins, Deerhunter, The Besnard Lakes, Feist, Patrick Wolf, Frog Eyes, Grinderman, Dinosaur Jr., The Clientèle, Wilco, The National, Battles, Menomena, Deerhoof, White Rabbits, Dan Deacon, Blitzen Trapper, The White Stripes, Ryan Adams, Spoon, The Polyphonic Spree, Stars, Architecture in Helsinki, The New Pornographers, Caribou, Angels of Light, Liars, Animal Collective, The Most Serene Republic, Black Lips, Kevin Drew, Les Savy Fav, Devendra Banhart, Joni Mitchell, The Field, Thurston Moore, M.I.A., The Fiery Furnaces, PJ Harvey, Iron & Wine, The Go! Team, Radiohead, Beirut, Phosphorescent, and Burial... to name a select few. Onto the list!

10) Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? - of Montreal

With Satanic Panic In the Attic in 2002, of Montreal let their fans know they were not satisfied with standing still, making a dramatic change from their psychedelic pop to their current electro pop styling. With Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? of Montreal keeps the fans on their toes with yet another stylistic change, opting for a darker and more in-your-face affair. While the album as a whole takes a few spins to fully digest, the disc contains several of the bands most immediate and excellent tunes; such as “Suffer for Fashion”, “Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse”, and “Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider”. “She's a Rejector” sees of Montreal rocking out with a ferocity uncharacteristic of the band's sound, yet it works brilliantly and “Gronlandic Edit” contains the best lyric of the year (“Physics makes us all its bitches”). “The Past is a Grotesque Animal”, a twelve minute emotional ejaculation, is by far the most personal of Montreal song recorded and shows Kevin Barnes has some interpersonal demons to work out. Sure, Hissing is darker and harder to penetrate than the band's previous works; but it's their most rewarding outing to date and stands among their best albums, and besides... it's still a hell of a good time!

9) The Stage Names – Okkervil River

I have a friend who refuses to give Okkervil River a chance because he thinks they make “vampire music”. To that comment I have two questions: what the hell band have you mistaken them for?, and how can you live with yourself for passing up such incredibly humane music? One of the most brilliantly cohesive albums of the decade, The Stage Names begins with three rousing numbers (and some of the three best tunes of the year), followed by a series of wonderfully crafted ballads. Just listen to the lyrics and ask yourself how one cannot relate to this in one way or another? William Sheff's passionate vocal delivery will have you jumping out of your seat with excitement, most notably on “Our Life is Not a Movie Or Maybe”. The finale of the album, “John Allyn Smith Sails”, manages to be depressing, spellbinding, and hopeful all at the same time. As an added bonus, “Sloop John B” works its way in at the end in a way that is creative and unassuming, and it will make you think Okkervil River wrote the tune. The Stage Names will leave you both breathless and exhausted; but with a thirst and passion to get out and live life. This is music which sucks into your bloodstream and never lets go of you, and if that is what my friend is referring to as “vampire music”... Well, then I think I would have to agree.

8) Neon Bible – Arcade Fire

Let me list the reasons I love this album: 1) The band avoids recreating their phenomenal and impossible to top debut Funeral, opting for a completely new sound. 2) “Intervention” is simply the best song recorded this year. Period. 3) If you read between the lines, there is some Republican bashing going on here, although in a tasteful non-confrontational way (not that a tasteless, confrontational way would have been bad). 4) Organs, organs, organs, and more organs! The last track explodes into a symphony of... well, organs! 5) I, personally, couldn't agree more with the message Arcade Fire is portraying about people becoming too illusioned by religion. 6) The moment the tempo and vocalists change in the middle of “Black Wave” is quite a magical, brain shifting moment. 7) Arcade Fire is one of the very very few bands which actually lives up its massive hype, without coming off as pretentious. 8) Even after over forty listens, I have yet to tire of this record (something I cannot say about Funeral). 9) It would change Natalie Portman's life. 10) It may even change your life too.

7) 23 – Blonde Redhead

There is a high probability that during the opening (and title) track of 23 the listener will shout “My Bloody Valentine!”, and with good reason. Not because Blonde Redhead is intentionally ripping off the legendary shoegazing band, but due to the fact that the track oozes with a delicious epic quality of multiple layers. For a moment you might actually think this album will be as good as Loveless, until you come to the reality that NOTHING will ever be as good as Loveless. But the fact that Blonde Redhead actually makes one think that, even if for only a second, is a high compliment. “The Dress” drips with remorse, with Kazu Makino stating “the tears you see on my face, yes you have something to do with” then topping it off with “love you less.” It's simple, but highly effective; so much that you actually feel as if you are to blame for the song's dark stature. The following track, “SW” swirls and climaxes in dizzying fashion that will have you hitting repeat for hours. While purists may complain at Blonde Redhead's new found slick production (and it's not a stretch to imagine “Spring and by Summer Fall” being played on modern rock radio stations... and given more proper pop vocals, “Silently” would certainly be a top 10 hit), there's no reason to cry “sell out”; this music is challenging with a replay-ability factor out the ass! By far the most addicting album you will hear this year.

6) Marry Me – St. Vincent

Annie Clark, member of The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Steven's backing band, makes her solo debut under the moniker St. Vincent. But what I want to know is: Annie, where the hell you been all my life?! To sum up in just a few words; holy shit, what a debut! Quirky yet heartfelt energy drips from every note in this unique disc and it contains everything a great album should; unforgettable vocals, odd instrumentation, witty lyrics, humor, emotion, and even blasphemy. “Jesus Saves, I Spend” could be the best song title ever made in the world (the song itself isn't too shabby either). “Now, Now” kicks off the album in grand fashion, Annie declaring “I'm not your mother's favorite dog” followed by the song climaxing with squalling guitars, underlaid by what sounds like a school girl chorus. Brilliant! The beautiful “Apocalypse Song” is the closest thing on the disc to traditional pop, while the title track sounds like it came straight from a loungy Broadway musical. Congratulations Annie, you've managed to make this reviewer a die hard fan from just one album. In a better world this is the type of high quality music that should be playing on top 40 stations and ipods all over America. In fact, just talking about this album makes me want to place it higher on this list. Oh the temptation; fight it, FIGHT IT!

5) Ears Will Pop and Eyes Will Blink – Bodies of Water

No doubt winner of the 'Most Underrated Album of the Year' award by a crashing landslide; and if you ever wondered what Arcade Fire and Polyphonic Spree would sound like if they procreated, look no further. This is the epic debut by the twelve (!?) piece, apparently made up of members from a variety of religious backgrounds. And the subject of religion seems to take on a primary role in the theme of the album, although not in an overbearing/annoying way. “Our Friends Appear Like the Dawn” gives the Christian point of view, nicely contrasted by the Atheist point of viewpoint “I Turned My Face”, and wrapping things up nicely with “We Are Coexisters”. Possibly the most gorgeous song of the year appears on this disc, the moving “I Heard it Sound”, with its touching lyrics and unforgettable melody. The entire album flows effortlessly between the multiple vocalists, random manic choral arrangements, and constantly shifting tempo changes. In fact, the album is reminiscent of a mixture between Funeral and more grounded Blueberry Boat (the polarizing 2004 release by The Fiery Furnaces). It leaves one to question how such powerful music can be so untouched and un-listened to? The proper name of this disc should be Heads Will Turn and Jaws Will Drop, and if you give it a few spins, I believe you will concur.

4) You Follow Me – Nina Nastasia & Jim White

Nina's music has always been a thing of uncharted beauty; darkly original and oddly unique, yet hard to dislike. Don't even get me started on her voice, which is so intriguing I could write endless prose of endless poetry about. In You Follow Me, however, Nina really drops a bomb on her fans; pairing her delicate music over the relentless and crashing drumming of Jim White. On paper this is an absolute disaster, but listening to it you can't help to be blown away. This is some powerful stuff, and Nina's best album in her already impressive catalog. Not only that, but the track “Late Night” manages to be one of the most emotional songs recorded this decade; in fact, it's just a shade from being overbearing, yet falls just below the boundary thus making it one of the best tracks of the year. Let's not even get into the lyrics of this album (such as “The Day I Would Bury You”), or the magnificent subtleties (her singing/whispering on the stunning opener “I've Been Out Walking”), or White's drumming (most notably on “Our Discussion”) which adds to the monumental emotion and theatrics of the album. On top of all that, let's not forget that the cover art is arguable the best of the year. Subtly addicting, this album will play out as the soundtrack to your inner thoughts and emotions, and you too will hope that the Nastasia / White collaboration will be a long term one.

3) Random Spirit Lover – Sunset Rubdown

One of my favorite memories in my music listening career is the first time I heard Sonic Youth's “Teenage Riot”; the joyous taps of the drums during the opening tempo change to be precise. Supreme euphoria, and it's been a while since I've had a musical orgasm that comes close to that experience; yet the opening moments of Sunset Rubdown's sophomore effort gives me the closest feeling to that I've had in a while. In fact, the entire first song (“The Mending of the Gown”) is simply a stunning moment in music; vibrant pianos, whimsical guitars, and Spencer Krug's brooding yet bouncy voice creating a collage unforgettable imagery. One might initially think the remainder of the album pales in comparison to the opening track, however repeated listenings renders that hypothesis wrong. The album is so dense and filled with such haunting and lovely melodies that they only gradually reveal themselves. Eventually you will be led into a magically strange world; one that is reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands (certainly evident in “Courtesan Has Sung”). After you give it a chance you will wonder how Krug manages to keep Sunset Rubdown as his side project, along with the excellent acts of Wolf Parade and Frog Eyes. Even further, you will wonder why he calls Sunset Rubdown a 'side project' in the first place (especially since Random Spirit Lover is the best offering from the aforementioned bands), as it is a top notch undertaking worthy of every praise thrown its way. Recommended for anyone who appreciates Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, or music that will blow you away!

2) Night Falls Over Kortedala – Jens Lekman

Oh Jens, how could you not show up on this list? Any album which includes a song about accidentally cutting your finger off while slicing an avocado (and managing to make it lovingly effective) just HAS to show up on a top ten list. Or what about the magical do-whop of the closing song about play bingo at a drive-in, in a seemingly futuristic 1950's? Then there's “Postcard to Nina”, a song so sweet and catchy you find yourself singing along with it even on first listen, and even on the hundredth listen when it still hasn't lost it's appeal. Even better are “Sipping on the Sweet Nectar” and “Opposite of Hallelujah”, two songs so good they can't even be described well enough by the English language. This is pop music that should make all other pop artists want to give up and put their instruments away, as they realize they will never be as good as Lekman (which is probably the reason why no other pop albums made it on this list, since they are all overshadowed by this masterpiece). This music is so uplifting and life affirming, yet whimsical and weird enough to keep it from crossing over to the sappy side. It's music that rocks my world; and for people who think Peter, Bjorn & John are the end-all-be-all of Swedish pop music, just wait till Jens has you burning all your PB&J albums (no offense PB&J). Oh the strings, oh the back beats, oh the witty lyrics, oh the sweet sweet sound of Lekman's delicate voice! Please excuse me, I must go now and listen to Night Falls Over Kortedala!

1) Drums and Guns – Low

Through the opening moments of dissonance and unease, when Alan Sparhawk casually states that all soldiers, babies, poets, liars, and pretty people are “all going to die”; you know this isn't going to be your typical Low album. Low has traded in their sweetly quiet and beautiful music, for a set list which is remarkably dark, striking, and brooding with unspeakable intensity. You also know it is not going to be a typical anti-war / anti-violence album for that matter; avoiding all pretense and cliché which typically comes from music of that subject matter. Instead of preaching against violence, much of the album is told from the point of view of the killers, drug dealers, nazis, murderers, and war mongers themselves. The end result may render unsettling and heavy for some, but those who commit to this disc will be compensated with artistry of the highest form.

Where do you even begin to dissect such an album packed full of memorable and effecting moments? If one does not develop a thick layer of goosebumps from the ominous hand claps in “Breaker”, then a pulse should certainly be taken. What about the way Sparhawk and Mimi Parkers voices collide with each other through out the album? While their vocal chemistry is apparent in every Low album, it has never reached the climactic power as on this disc. “Murderer”, is perhaps the best display of this and arguably the strongest track of the album; a multi-layered song which begs to be listened to with good headphones. The track appears to be narrated by a brainwashed nazi during the Holocaust, with it's haunting lyric “if you need a murderer... someone to do your dirty work”. Then there's “Dragonfly”, a song pertaining to drug use and it's role in random shootings. Low even manages to pack in a couple whimsical moments in this somber album; the groovy “Hatchet” sees the band pleaing for peace with the chorus “let's bury the hatchet, like the Beatles and the Stones.” By the time the glorious noise of the finale, “Violent Past”, settles in the listener is left with sense of hopeful-hopelessness; the sense that we all desire to band together in hopes of seeing an end to mindless violence, yet the realization that things will inevitably only escalate. It's a bold, sad, ironically beautiful, and necessary statement.

If you want to hear something more accessible, upbeat, diverse, adventurous, beautiful, or uplifting; there's plenty of releases from 2007 you could choose from. However, you will be hard pressed to find something as striking and relevant to our current society as this album. That alone forces this disc to bear the 'essential listening' label, more so than anything released this decade thus far. Low have made the album of their career. Simply put, best in show.

Smells Like Florida

2007-12-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I arrived back in the ole stompin ground of Florida. I'm here to visit my brother, his fiancee, and my dad who came down for a week. I spent seven years of my life in Florida getting by B.S. and M.S. and haven't been back here for two and a half years. In fact, it is the first time I have been east of Denver in two and half years. Right when I stepped off the plane and smelled the Florida air, hordes of memories came rushing back. I just can't get over how different this place is than Utah... Flat, moist, warm, completely different vegetation, diversity, and so forth.

It's great to be back, but I totally miss Utah. I miss the mountains, I miss snow, I miss my friends so much! Maybe it has to do with the fact that since I've left the ski areas have gotten a ton of snow and my Snowbird pass is sitting in my apartment unused! Oh well, it's basically paid for itself already anyway. Even though I'm a bit homesick it's great to see my family and look forward to the week ahead. I'm sure once I'm back at work a week from now numerically simulating things I'll be missing my vacation.

Feeling Blah

2007-12-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Starting Friday morning I wasn't feeling well at all. I don't think I'm sick yet but it feels like my body is trying to fight off something, perhaps a cold or the flu. It worries me because this is exactly how I felt two years ago when I got the flu. I feel really tired, drained of any energy, and lethargic as hell.

Friday night was cyberslut bingo night, but since I wasn't feeling well I opted for a mellow game night at Jen & Brian's which was very fun. Last night Maura hosted sushi night in honor of Margaret's birthday. I went and had a blast, got to see a lot of people I haven't seen in a while. At the end of the night though, I had to leave because I started to feel awful. I came home and slept for 11 hours.

I woke up today feeling ok at the best. I go through waves where I feel normal then where I feel like I just want to sleep. I don't have a sore throat or a fever or anything like that. It's troubling because I'm supposed to go on a date tonight... and I think I'll probably have to cancel. What luck, I don't date much at all anymore but when I get the opportunity my body apparently is telling me to reject it. Oh well.

Perhaps its best that I get rest since I leave town on Thursday morning and have a very busy week coming up. In other news, the minute I leave town it's supposed to start dumping snow at the ski resorts. What luck! LOL.

Nuclear Meltdown

2007-12-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

I nearly had a nuclear meltdown today at work when it seemed as if nothing was ever going to work. The life of a numerical modeler is not all fun and games (and not nearly as glamorous as it's made out to be). My advisor saw I was frustrated and gave me sort of a "pep talk", which made me feel a bit better. I'm ready to go in tomorrow though and solve this problem! (but after getting a few turns in at Snowbird in the morning to clear my mind). So WATCH OUT!!!

In other news, I weighed myself today for the first time in three months. Not that I'm concerned with my weight at all; but I was expecting to have lost a couple pounds since I've noticed that my jeans are considerably looser around the waist. To my surprise, I'm up from 170 to 177 pounds! Oh well, perhaps I've just been gaining muscle. Who knows. Or maybe it's just our natural response to wintertime, to gain a little more weight for the cold months ahead.

An Ode to Shouser

2007-12-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

This past Friday Steph (aka Shouser) came back to SLC to defend her masters thesis. Within ten seconds of seeing her I almost forgot how hard she makes me laugh. Of everyone I've ever known in my life, I cannot think of one person who shares such a similar sense of humor to my own. Thursday evening we went out to dinner with Colby and Christy (where I almost threw up several times from laughing so hard); and afterwards retreated to Maura's place where I listened to Steph practice her defense until the wee hours of the night.

Saturday I hung out with her all day. We really didn't do anything too exciting, but we don't have to. Just being around each other and cracking ourselves up is all we need. That night there was a party for her at Maura's place where we got pretty drunk and ended up entertaining all the sober people with our drunken shenanigans. She left Sunday and it was sad to see her go!

The rest of Sunday I spent lazy getting recovered and Sunday night Megan had a movie watching party of Elf at her place. Brian, Jen, Sameera, and myself came up with a great idea for a reality show; "Meet the Millers" which we will film soon (after I film "Sameera Vs. Wild"). And this morning I ended up going skiing before work... ah, life sure is tough, huh?

Iron & Wine

2007-12-08T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to see Iron & Wine perform at the Salt Air Palace. Let me start off by saying that I've never really been a big fan of Iron & Wine. I think Sam Beam makes quiet and mellow music which is pretty, but I've always felt that his contemporaries (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, etc) make the same style music in a much more creative and effecting way. I've always felt that Beam's music is bit too boring and well... plain. However, his most recent release, The Shepard's Dog, sees Beam expanding his musical palette, speeding things up a bit, and adding more colorful instrumentation. It's the first Iron & Wine album I can say that I really enjoy and the first that I don't label with the “overrated” sticker.

It was my first concert at Salt Air Palace, and besides the long drive to get there, I must say that I am favorably impressed with the venue. For some reason I thought it was going to be some massive, impersonal venue, but turned out to be very similar to The Depot (my favorite venue in Salt Lake). Brian, John, and I hunkered up at the bar during the opening act; who's name I cannot recall, but they sounded pretty good with a southern country-indie vibe. Certainly they were more lively and into their music compared to what we were about to hear.

Iron & Wine took the stage with seven people total; two drummers, a keyboard-ist, a pianist, a violinist, a guitarist, and Beam. Initially I was impressed at the large backing band, since many of Beam's albums are just him and his guitar. Beam announced that he was getting over a cold, and although it was hard to hear him talk, it didn't seem to affect his singing at all; and I appreciated him giving it his all. Despite the fact that Beam was sick, he was the only person in the ensemble who seemed to be giving at least 50% into the concert; as his backing band seemed lifeless and disinterested throughout the concert.

Actually, the first few tunes started out favorably for me; but not too long after, things went downhill. My biggest beef with the concert is how SLOW all the songs were. Granted, most Iron & Wine songs are down tempo; but Beam was making the excellent upbeat songs from The Shepard's Dog so slow and even making his slow songs even slower! I just couldn't get over why they were doing this. While there were songs here and there that I totally enjoyed, I just couldn't get past the fact that the ensemble was totally ruining and making most of the songs so uninteresting. The concert also seemed to go on too long... and at one point Brian (who's a big Iron & Wine fan) turned around and asked “do you all want to go?”, and it was the first time that I actually wanted to leave too. But then Beam announced he was on his last song so we decided to stay.

I feel like if the ensemble actually acted like they cared to be there and actually put some sort of life or emotion into their performance, the concert would have been so much better. The night wasn't a total waste though, like I said there were a few songs that I got into and it's always a blast to hang out with Brian and John (especially on the hour long car ride back because of the heavy snow). Overall though, you can bet that you'll never see me at another Iron & Wine concert; but if Beam continues to make albums as good as The Shepard's Dog, I'll definitely keep supporting his music by purchasing it.

The Most Serene Republic

2007-12-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

A few months ago I made a spontaneous download on emusic.com of The Most Serene Republic. I had never heard of this band, nor read any reviews, but for some reason I still downloaded their sophomore effort, Population. After giving the record a couple spins I thought the music was original and pretty fun but didn't give it any more listens for some reason. A month ago I saw that they were going to be playing at Kilby Court and I considered emailing some of my concert going friends to see if they wanted to go; but decided against it, since the band is super obscure (yes even too obscure for us) and didn't think anyone would want to go. Luckily, Brian emailed us on Sunday night and I did not pass up the opportunity... and man, was that a great decision!

The Most Serene Republic is a seven piece that hails from Ontario. They signed onto Broken Social Scene's home grown record label Arts & Crafts two years ago and they have the distinction of being the first band to sign onto that label with no connections at all to the Canadian supergroup. With that said, their sound is very influenced by Broken Social Scene, although they do have an original sound all their own.

I was excited about the concert at Kilby Court, a very small and personal venue basically held in a garage. They also have an outdoor section with a fire pit. When I say personal, I mean personal... as there were about 25 people in attendance at this concert and Brian and I were right up front, close enough to get spit on by the band (one of the guitarists accidentally dropped his hotel keycard at Brian's feet... or maybe he was coming onto him). The day before the concert I had been obsessively listening to their new album and found myself addicted. Their sound so complex and too deep to grasp on first listen (which is probably why I only initially listened to it a couple times, then set it aside).

Their set list was outstanding, pumped full of energy and the small crowd was definitely digging it. They had everything from trombones, violins, keyboards, and a shit load of guitars. My favorite tunes were “Compliance”, “The Men Who Live Upstairs”, and “Present of Future End”. The lead singer was a hoot to watch, with his goofy facial expressions and I appreciated the heart he put into the performance. The other vocalist, Emma Ditchburn, was cute as a button with such a sweet voice. Overall, it was one of the funnest concerts of the year for me and one of the most surprising. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that when I got home, I downloaded all their other music as well (legally).

For their encore, they took us outside and around the campfire where they played a really awesome acoustic tune. What a cool group of people... and when this band becomes superstars of the indie scene (because they will, believe me) in a couple years, Brian and I will be able to say that we chilled with them around an intimate bonfire. Truly an awesome night!

Weekend Update w/ Pete B-shoots

2007-12-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

Besides some drunken debauchery on Friday night, this weekend turned out to be nicely low key; filled with dinners and coffee conversations with friends, and of course laying around my apartment watching it snow. I worked a bit on Sunday so I could take today off and go up to Snowbird. I felt kind of worthless having such an unproductive weekend... but the past two months my weekends have been jam packed of activities so I figured I deserved to be lazy.

Today I got my first turns in. We finally got a semi-decent snowfall this year and the snow coverage up at The Bird was better than I expected, albeit still WAY behind where we should be. I started out a bit shaky in the day, but ended up having a ton of fun once I got going. The snow was nice and soft, not a sheet of ice as I was expecting. Only a couple runs were open and it was a Monday, so crowds were non-existent.

Tonight I am enjoying a moment of sanity before this week kicks into high gear. Between some deadlines, a couple concerts, and Steph coming to town at the end of the week it's going to be non stop fun and excitement fo sho. However, tonight I am putting the finishing touches on my top 10 list of 2007, which I am going to distribute at creative writing workshop on Wed night (along with a companion mix CD of some of my favorite tunes of the year). Some people have asked "isn't it too early to make your list, it's barely even December". Well... Albums rarely get released in December (mostly just live albums and compilations and such), and this past November was a VERY lackluster month in music releases. So I've basically had my list ready to go for a month or so.

In Memory of Roxy

2007-11-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

After work today I called my brother Ralph, in Denver. We usually talk about once or twice a week so I thought it would be one of our normal conversations. When he picked up the phone I could tell he was not well, as he usually is very ridiculous and annoying (in an endearing way). This morning when he woke up his dog, Roxy (a boxer), could not get up out of bed. At first he thought it was just her hip, in which she has had problems with in the past. However, when he brought her into the vet (after hours of examination) they found out one of her blood vessels had ruptured (or something like that). They had no choice but to put her to sleep.

Roxy was only five years old, so her death comes as a shock. My brother loved that dog so much; in fact everyone did. Roxy was the cutest, sweetest dog I have ever met and she definitely found a place in my heart. Whenever I would visit my brother I would always look forward to seeing her! I still remember the first time I saw her, 2002 in Decemeber, when Ralph picked me up at the Sacramento airport when he lived in Tahoe. Roxy was sitting in the back seat and she was still a puppy; damn cutest thing I have ever seen.

My heart is broken and I can't even imagine how Ralph feels. Luckily, Ralph is very popular and has hordes of friends that I am sure will help him through this.

omg pgf

2007-11-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

So I decided to give this whole blogging thing a whirl... Since I keep a private journal which I am very committed to, it may be hard to keep up with both. But since I'm the king of slacking off at work (hey my model is running, I can't really do anything right now! lol), I'm sure I'll have no problem keeping up with this.

For some reason I've been kinda crabby this week, which is unusual for me. Maybe it's just male p.m.s., or maybe it's the fact that I've had to come back to work after one of the best trips I've been on this past weekend, or maybe it's the fact that the ski conditions are totally sucking ass. There's nothing remotely bad going on in my life and I know it's ridiculous to feel crabby... I have so much good stuff going on and so much to be thankful for that I should be SO happy. I blame it on the good ole male p.m.s. (which men DO get). Damn testosterone.