STAY DON'T GO.

I just got the .pdf design proof back for my mewithoutYou feature in the September/October issue of RELEVANT, and although I can't post it, trust me, it looks HOTT! Thumbs up to Jeremy and the design team down in Orlando. If you don't already subscribe, do yourself a favor and head over to relevantmagazine.com and do it! It's pretty much the greatest magazine ever.

Anyway, as I was looking at stuff for the new issue, I was trying to think of all the bands and other people I've gotten a chance to interview and/or write about in my short time here on earth as a rock and roll journalist. Seriously, it's crazy when I realize how many people and bands I've written about through my jobs in radio or magazines. A lot of people don't really know that at night, when everyone else is out at parties or bowling, I am at home, usually writing.

"Wait, you're a writer? Really?"

Photography is just my cover!

Anyway, I think I've got a somewhat complete list here, from what my flustered head remembers. The years all seem to run into each other.

Edit: I attemped to put (circa year) by each one, but my memory isn't that good, and having to research the dates of my own writings just seemed pathetic.

Here goes:

The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Interview (Radio)
The Ataris - Interview (Radio)
Burden Brothers - Interview (Radio)
Talib Kweli - Interview
Rye Coalition - Interview
The Hives - Interview + Article
Mellowdrone - Interview + Article
The Arcade Fire/Belle Orchestre - Interview + Article
Copeland - Interview + Article
Shane & Shane - Interview + Article
mewithoutYou - Interview + Article
Athlete - Interview + Article
Kieran Kelly - Interview + Article
Pete Grieg - Interview + Article
Rob Bell - Interview + Article
Rudy Carrasco - Interview + Article
Bright Eyes - Album Review
The White Stripes - Album Review
Amber Pacific - Album Review
French Toast - Album Review
Damone - Album Review
The Higher - Album Review
Veda - Album Review
World Leader Pretend - Album Review
Levellers - Album Review
The Mars Volta - Album Review
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Album Review
Spoon - Album Review
Millencolin - Album Review
Daphne Loves Derby - Album Review
Petra Haden - Album Review
ASG - Album Review
Exit - Album Review
The Fire Theft - Album Review
Adam Watts - Album Review
Denver Harbor - Album Review
Showbread - Album Review
Unwritten Law - Album Review
Hot Water Music - Album Review
Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Album Review
Ditty Bops - Album Review
Aloha - Album Review
Dakah - Show Review SXSW
Underoath - Show Review SXSW
Rufio - Show Review SXSW
Breakestra - Show Review SXSW
4th Avenue Jones - Show Review SXSW


Whew. So yeah, the original point of this post was to say that my latest writing endeavor, mewithoutYou (the lovely band from Tooth and Nail Records) is finally done. Whew. On to the next assignment.

After more than a month of NO BLOBBING, you weren't expecting this, were ya!



But I'm going to bed now. I'll be back later. Before a month's time has passed, hopefully. I'll try and write something interesting tomorrow. Maybe the next day I have lots of random, intriguing thoughts bouncing around chaotically in my head right now. These thoughts include but are not limited to:

-Wombats
-The Go! Team's lead singer
-Totino's frozen pizza
-Why I am not already asleep when it's one thirty in the morning and I have to be at work in a few hours
-Wheat Thins v. Triscuits
-My parents are moving out of their house in San Antonio, and put the house on the market today, and got three offers immediately, which is awesome
-Author Dave Eggers and how I want to someday write a novel that is as brilliant and moving as 'And You Shall Know Our Velocity'
-This photo really matches my blob
-This photo really ties the room together
-I need to watch the Big Lebowski soon
-I hate bullet points
-But it sure beats real sentences
-My Last Supper mirror will follow me everywhere until the end
-Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (for XBox)
-Will it snow tonight?

Now that those thoughts are out of my head and into the blob, hopefully I can get some peace and quiet.

Jeff: You owe me that much.
Thoughts: I know, but it's so hard.
Jeff: I'm going to bed now.
Thoughts: Okay.

During my recent trip to Washington D.C. (in which I mostly did the tourist-y things like see the Hope Diamond and Declaration Of Independence, but also cooler things like go see a production of the Damn Yankees at the world-famous Arena Stage, and go to the International Spy Museum, which is also kind of tourist-y I suppose), I, uh, did all of those things I just talked about in the little parenthesis aside interjection.

Wow. And to think I've actually made money writing. People pay me to write things for them. I am a professional writer.

Of course, when I'm writing something that others will read (unlike this) I usually proofread and, you know, have a point, and don't directly type out what I'm thinking like I am right now.

Although, I guess I should care. This is, after all, my blob. (I refuse to say the word "blog" after this one time telling you of the word I don't like. I think it's dirty, it gives me a weird feeling. Hence, this is my blob.)

I have to realize that I am attaching my name to this thing. I'd hate to become a famous writer and then be quoted out of my blob, saying something like "I hate it when you totally want to eat something, but you're too lazy, so you just stare in the direction of the kitchen, waiting for someone to look over to the couch, realize you're probably hungry, and offer you some nachos. And then you remember you live alone."

Let's start over. I went to D.C. and had the pleasure of paying ten dollars for a McDonald's "Extra Value" meal. Not sure where the extra value is coming from. Granted, I was in the heart of the "let's take advantage of the tourists who will pay ten dollars for nuggets" Mall of America, or America's Mall. The part with all the museums.

Anyway, I met up with a friend I made over the internet! Even though that statement should be qualified, because the source of our friendship is Flickr, and that is totally legit as far as getting an idea of whether someone is creepy or normal. My flickrfriend is normal on Flickr, and hence, a totally fun, normal meeting in real life! For people who always think that the people they meet on the internet are creepy, well, they probably are, unless you meet them on Flickr. Everyone on Flickr is cool. It's kind of one of their rules.

Anyway, the picture for this blob entry is one I took at the Hirshorn Museum. I like it a lot.

I like D.C. and I will probably go back for a Capitals game, or if I can get my hands on Belle & Sebastian (with the New Pornographers) tickets, although they've already sold out the Two shows and are selling on eBay for over a hundred bucks for one ticket.

Which brings me to my last point. Indie kids who live in Washington D.C. must be rich.

Just wanted to give credit where credit is due. After seeing Lydia's video in which she sings along to the Christian Country radio station, I think I have been motivated to but myself a little camera like she has with video capabilities. That way, when inspiration strikes, there will be permanent proof. So thanks, Lydia. Between you and the State Troopers of Virginia, there goes my paycheck.

RICHMOND - I'm looking out of my bedroom window right now, in my new apartment, which happens to overlook a lake. Series of ducks get taken by the current, from right to left, two, three at a time. They enter the view of my window and slowly pass like clouds, mechanically like luggage on a conveyer belt, until they are no longer visible. Maybe the ducks are paddling with their webbed feet, it's hard to tell from three floors up exactly how these ducks manuever. Allegedly there are fish in the lake. I am led to believe this because several times in the past two weeks, I have noticed an elderly woman (probably friends with Maxeen and Brenda, two other elderly women that live in my complex) with an oversized fishing net, a large rod, and a tackle box. What kind of fish she is planning to catch, I have no idea. Dinner, maybe. The big one. She seems a little too serious about this whole fishing thing. The lake is of the man-made artificial variety, and has a sign posted that warns me not to ice skate on the lake when it freezes. I wonder if the old lady will go ice fishing when the lake freezes.

Virginia is nice. The people here are lovely.

The road looked like an autobahn. Straight and stretched over, fading into the sky. Four lanes each way, wide grassy median, nobody else on the road. Just me, my car, and my thoughts. All alone. Noone in sight. Virginia sure is spacious. I wonder what the average space per person is. Probably at least a square mile. I bet there is no one within one square mile of me. Wow, what a feeling!

65 in a 45.

"Welcome to Virginia," mused the officer. "I don't know what the speed limit is in Texas, but here it's 45 miles per hour, not mach one. If I don't give you a ticket for this reckless driving, I might as well go home and watch television."

Oh, and this gem:

"What time are you supposed to be at work? 9:00?! You'll never make it!"

Virginia, where dreams really do come true.

Seriously though, it's really nice here. The people are lovely. A little cold though. No one told me it was going to be this cold. I thought Virginia was south of Florida. Turns out that was the U.S. Virgin Islands.

I need to learn how to use Mapquest correctly.

So this is my first time to use the internet to record my thoughts, and I don't know how I feel about it. I am not sure who will read this, but I've been told it's therapeutic, and probably a good idea for me, mostly because of my horrible memory, I can look back years from now, read these entries, and remember:

"Wow, I lived in Virginia?"