Stereo-forked

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...; hopefully it won't blow its load early.

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The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

A solid debut record from a group of young Brooklynites. Just the right amount of Jesus and Mary Chain guitar-fuzz, a few scattered synth melodies, and some fantastic drumming. The vocals are an instrument unto themselves, non-descript enough to blend into the music and catchy enough to remember. The band as a whole is great but but I think the drummer (and probably a few other members) threw on some Teenage Fanclub records before writing these songs...and there's nothing wrong with that. This record is everything I wanted the full-length Dirty On Purpose record to be..no matter, I'll take this and the "Like Bees" EP.

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These guys are playing Bowery Ballroom Tuesday, May 12th if anyone wants to come with me!

http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart

IN PROGRESS

---

OK, so my top 30 records for the year…I thought about keeping it at 40, as I did last year, but records 31-40 didn’t feel as though they deserved a spot on the “best of” list (See: MGMT-Oracular Spectacular). Also, last year I tried writing reviews for each of the 40 records; that got old fast, so I’ll stick with reviews for the top ten and limit myself to 5 words or less for the remaining 20. I’d love to see your lists. Post them in the comments section, if there’s anyone out there that still updates this thing.

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1. Cut Copy- In Ghost Colours

2. Vampire Weekend- S/T
People tend to seem bitter because these guys are young, smart, and have money. They're a bunch of kids who went to Columbia and ended up making a really good pop record. What's wrong with that? I have no problem with unabashedly white, Paul Simon-influenced indie-rock. Great vocal melodies, great instrumentation, and great arrangements. The album is great from beginning to end. Enough said.

3. Frightened Rabbit- Midnight Organ Fight

4. The Raveonnettes- Lust, Lust, Lust

5. Fleet Foxes- S/T

6. Coldplay- Viva La Vida

7. Sigur Ros- Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

8. Elbow- The Seldom Seen Kid

9. Born Ruffians- Red Yellow Blue

10. Portishead- Third

11. Santogold- S/T
Consistently eclectic, consistently good

12. Magnetic Fields- Distortion
solid, sonic return to form

13. Lil Wayne- Tha Carter III
Best hip-hop record this year

14. TV on the Radio- Dear Science
No "Cookie Mountain," but good

15. Santogold and Diplo- Top Ranking
Holy shit, this is great!

16. Deerhunter- Microcastle
Awesome; sounds like Starflyer 59

17. M83- Saturdays=Youth
This guy loves the 80's

18. Evangelicals- The Evening Descends
Flaming Lips-style craziness

19. Mountain Goats- Heretic Pride
Energetic and surprisingly consistent

20. Lykke Li- Youth Novels
Minimal sexy pop; sexy voice

21. Okkervil River- The Stand-Ins
They've definitely hit their stride

22. Shearwater- Rook
Dramatic, sounds like Mark Hollis

23. Sun Kil Moon- April
Sad-sacks are my weakness

24. The War on Drugs- Wagonwheel Blues
Dude loves drugs and Dylan

25. Conor Oberst- S/T
Better than recent Bright Eyes

26. Hot Chip- Made In The Dark
Catchy, dancy, nerdy...hipsters rejoice

27. The Gaslight Anthem- The ’59 Sound
Springsteen+Replacements Jersey Rock

28. Of Montreal- Skeletal Lamping
these guys are rarely boring

29. Apollo Sunshine- Shall Noise Upon
Solid psych-folk record

30. El Guincho- Alegranza!
Spanish version of Panda Bear

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JOHN'S TOP 40 RECORDS OF 2007

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40.
The Good, the Bad & the Queen: S/T

39.
Koop: Koop Islands

38.
Bat for Lashes: Fur and Gold

37.
PJ Harvey: White Chalk

36.
Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War

35.
Apostle of Hustle: National Anthem of Nowhere

34.
Sigur Ros: Hvarf/ Heim

33.
Broken Social Scene Presents-Kevin Drew: Spirit if...

32.
Feist: The Reminder

31.
Bishop Allen: Bishop Allen and the Broken String

30.
A Pleace to Bury Strangers: S/T

29.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Living With the Living

28.
Low: Drums and Guns

27.
The Go! Team: Proof of Youth

26.
Liars: Liars

25.
Mum: Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy

24.
Loney Dear, Loney Noir

23.
!!! : Myth Takes

22.
Caribou: Andorra

21.
The Besnard Lakes: Are the Dark Horse

20.
Field Music: Tones of Town

19.
Burial: Untrue

18.
Jay-Z: American Gangster

17.
Radiohead: In Rainbows

16.
Battles: Mirrored

15.
Menomena: Friend and Foe

14.
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible


13.
Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

12.
Les Savy Fav: Let's Stay Friends

11.
Blonde Redhead: 23


10.
M.I.A. : Kala

9.
Beirut: The Flying Club Cup

8.
Panda Bear: Person Pitch

7.
Jens Lekman: Night Falls Over Kortedala

6.
Iron And Wine: The Shepard's Dog

5.
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

4.
Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam

3.
LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver

2.
Okkervil River: The Stage Names

1.
The National: Boxer

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---

So I met Neil Young not too long ago. Yes, that happened. My girlfriend went to school with his daughter...long story short, I met him backstage at a show and nearly shat myself. What do you say to Neil Young? Not much. I shook his hand, cracked a joke about how sweaty everyone was..a couple other sentences I don't remember, and that was that.

Anyway, every year he puts on a concert for the benefit of children with physical and speech "issues." This year's line-up includes: Jerry Lee Lewis, Metallica, Regina Spektor............and Tom Waits with The Kronos Quartet!!?!?!?!?!?

If I wasn't lying on the beach in St. John that day, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

Kronos Quartet performed a score for the original 1931 "Dracula" movie, composed by Phillip Glass (whose influence is painfully obvious in Sufjan Stevens' records). The score follows Bela Lugosi scene by scene and..it's awesome.

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Try to imagine Tom Waits singing over this:

Dracula:http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/clipserve/B00000JZCI001001/0/ref=mu_sam_wma_001_001/104-2812599-1567931

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My favorite Tom Waits song:http://www.captainsdead.net/records/I/10%20-%20Hold%20On.mp3

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So...the new Animal Collective. I'm a big fan of just about everything they do, so it's no surprise that I think their new record Strawberry Jam. is awesome. If you own a copy of Feels, you've probably already scoured the Internet and found the leak.

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What does it sound like?

It sounds like a combination of Sung Tongs and Feels, with production that feels more crisp than their previous records and lyrics that are more easily understood. Songs bounce back and forth, some sounding more like the deranged circus merry-go-round melodies on Sung Tongs; others are closer to the more psychedlic, 6-minute build-ups on Feels. All are good. The album feels more electronic than anything they've done...crazy filters, freak-out arppeggios, strange vocal effects, and...you know, weird noises. I don't have many complaints...though I would have liked to hear more of those tribal toms and clicking sticks (they're pretty low in the mix). Definitely one of those records I'll buy even though it's already on the iPod.

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Listen:

Peacebone:http://www.fileden.com/files/2007/7/5/1241144/peaceboneanml.mp3

Fireworks:http://www.box.net/shared/static/qe80azrd0u.mp3

#1:http://www.box.net/shared/static/20fa2bmlht.mp3

Derekhttp://iguessimfloating.net/assets/mp3s/09%20Derek.mp3

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Lastly, they'll be playing Webster Hall September 30th and October 1st. Let me know if you're interested in coming with me!

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So, going forward I'm turning my journal into a music blog. I've been working in Connecticut since May and have about a month of free time (busy work) until my next project starts. I am no longer interested in writing entries about how I'm feeling or what I've been doing..who the fuck cares where I work? Or how my day was...I know how my day was. It was good. Anyway, I'm just gonna start randomly posting music/music news that interests me. So there.

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River to River Festival

The South Street Seaport has been putting on some good shows this summer. Despite the rain, I made it out for The National, whose set was amazing. Personal favorites were "Mr. November" and "Abel" They're playing again on October 16th if anyone in the city is interested.

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The National: "Fake Empire"
http://www.seeqpod.com/api/best?m=088fb9230334054d007bc67224ede7584a1b4d74

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Who's coming with me? I know Megan's in. Mari, you and Chris need to buy tickets.

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-The new National record is great..better than the new Arcade Fire. Recorded very well, great lyrics and, well..just really good songs. He doesn't scream like he did on Alligator, but that doesn't matter so much. They're playing 5 shows at Bowery soon. Who's coming with me?

-Made meat sauce with Chris and watched Casino Royale last night. Sauce and movie were both very good. I specifically like that Daniel Craig is dick to everyone (it is based on the first Bond book, in which he is supposed to be younger and a bit brash..so it makes sense). Also, the best ballsack torture scene ever. Pierce Brosnan was a pussy. I mean c'mon, Daniel Craig seduces a woman by staring at her!

-I've been spending my time on the weekends mostly with Megan. Being the beautiful day that it is, we're going to take a stroll down Bedford, get some Thai, and be back in time for LOST.

-Not much else to get excited about. I put a mini fridge beneath the bar in my living room, in which I keep juice, tonic water, and usually some vodka. That's pretty exciting I guess.

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Oh yeah, and I'm going to St. John in September. Beach cottages, rental Jeeps, and a jacuzzi on the front porch. Can't fucking wait.

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New Year.
Quite a bit has happened since my last update.

Christmas and New Year's were both wonderful. Mari and Chris got me an awesome new robe..I wear it all the time. Had to come back to Queens on Christmas Day and didn't have money to buy many presents, but at least I made it home..and I'm sure there are other people who had a worse Christmas than I did..so I suppose I should be thankful.

I was part of a crime scene the night of Steve's Christmas party. I ended up witnessing a stabbing in Williamsburg. An off duty cop was stabbed at Kellogg's diner around 4am..so much blood. I had to give a statement and such..and I ended up on the news briefly, so I guess that was exciting. The cop survived and the stabber was apprehended, so all is well.

I've been spending a lot of time with Megan, who is one of the coolest girls I've ever met. I enjoy her company very much. Spending time with her has pulled me out of the rut I was in. I am very happy.

We are going to start playing shows again..a few here in NY, one in Fredonia, and one at Hamilton College..I believe with Mates of State. This I am looking forward to. We got a new practice space in Brooklyn, so we'll actually have somewhere to play and store our stuff.

I think I'm going to continue in the field I am currently working in..risk analysis. I'm about to hit my first year..once I get up to about 5 years, I could potentially get a position making at least 100K. That would be wonderful. It's not the most rewarding job, but it's not that hard and I don't mind it at all. It's just the assholes that I work with that make it miserable at times.

I'm going to Santa Monica in February. Time for bed.

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I'm not sure why I do these..mostly because I enjoy thinking up smart ass answers, I suppose


70 QUIRKS ABOUT ME -

1. Initials: JWLWM

2. Name someone with the same birthday as you
Rufus Wainwright, Alex Trebek, Willem Dafoe

3. Last thing you ate:
i'm currently eating beer.

4. for or against same sex marriage?
I'm not an old, white conservative..so "for"

5. I say Shotgun! You say?
I called it before we even got to the car..asshole.

6. Last person you hugged?
Steve, I think.

7. Do you believe in God?
No

8. How many U.S states have you been to?
At least 25

9. How many of the U.S states have you lived in:
2

10. Ever lived outside of the US:
no

11. Name something you like physically about yourself:
lips

12. Something non-physical you like about yourself:
musical inclinations

13. Who is your best friend?
I've got a few: my cousin Ryan, Jay Sallese, The Gritty Midi Gang

14. Why are you still up?
Because it's 6:50 PM

15. Who made you angry today?
I haven't been angry yet today.

16. Favorite type of Food?:
Meat.

17. Favorite holiday:
Christmas

18. Do you download music:
I stream it..Rhapsody, motherfucker.

19. What illegal things have you done?
Stealing, drugs, random acts of vandalism, and I believe I own a few illegal arms

21. Would you date the person the posted this?
You? Definitely not.

22. Has anyone ever sang or played for you personally?
Yes

23. Do you love anyone?
Of course I do.

24. Do you like Bush?!
Presidentially..no, sexually I would have to say yes.

25. Have you ever bungee jumped:
no

26. Have you ever went white-water rafting:
Kayaking..probably not as exciting.

27. Has anyone ten years older than you ever hit on you?
Yes

28. How much money ya got?:
50 bucks?

29. Have you met a real redneck?
Yes, I believe I'm related to a handful..

30. How is the weather right now:
unusually warm

31.What are you listening to right now:
M. Ward

32. What is your current fav song?:
Neil Young- Out on the Weekend

33. What was the last movie you watched?
An Inconvenient Truth

34. Do you wear contacts:
No

35. Where was the last place you went besides your house?
work

36. What are you afraid of?:
being struck by lightning. I'd be lying if I said flying didn't scare me. Car crashes. Failure, generally.

37. How many piercings and tattoos do you have?:
None and none

38. How many pets do you have?:
My son, Arby

39. Have you ever loved someone:
Many many people

40. What turns you on?
intelligence..boobs

41. What do you usually order from Starbucks:
Everything I've ever ordered from Starbucks tastes like hot milk

42. Have you ever fired a gun:
Air rifles and BB guns

43. Are you missing someone?
Yes, friends in Buffalo and my cousin in California

44. Fav. TV show?
Currently, Arrested Development

45. Do you have an ipod?:
yes

46. Has anyone ever said you looked like a celeb?
yes, several people at work say JFK Jr. I disagree. This girl in one of my classes in college once told me I look that guy that fucked Annette Benning in American Beauty. I resent that.

48. Who would you like to see right now?
Megan

49. Favorite movie of all time?
Tough one..I really like Royal Tenenbaums and Big Lebowski

50. Do you find yourself loved?
All the time.

51. Have you ever been caught doing something you weren't supposed to?
See #19

52. Favorite flower:
I don't have one.

53. Butter, plain, or salted popcorn?
Buttered with some salt

54. What Magazines are you reading:
None

55. Have you ever ridden in a limo:
Yes

56. Has anyone you were really close to passed away?:
Yes

58. What's something that really bugs you?
chewing with mouth open..impatience..bad driving..messy living habits

60. Do you like Michael Jackson?
I like some of his music

61. What’s your favorite smell?
that's a good one..the smell of airport terminals, the fall, air-conditioned hotel rooms

62. Favorite basketball team:
None

63. Favorite cereal:
Don't eat much cereal..something with nuts and fruit I guess

64. Do you drive:
I pride myself in my driving skills

65. What's the longest time you've gone without sleep?
2 days

66. Last time you went bowling?
Too long..years

67. Where is the weirdest place you have slept?
on a front porch..I got locked out

68. Who was your last phone call?:
Answered: Megan, Unanswered: Jeremy

69. Last time you were at work:
5:30 PM

70. What’s your favorite state to be in:
California if not NY

---

I'm going to Buffalo this weekend. I don't really have the money to do that, but fortunately Chase Bank has agreed to finance my trip. God bless little plastic cards and endless debt. I just have to get out of the city for a few days. I haven't been very happy..and I'm trying to figure out how to fix that. At the risk of sounding like a tool, I just feel very alone. Every day is the same: go to work, come home, sit in my chair, drink, go to bed. The job has progressively gotten shittier. I hope to hell this Japanese Bank calls me back and hires me. I just need some kind of change..you know?

---

---

I have generally been bored with everything. I do very little these days, and not much is making NYC feel worthwhile. I still miss Buffalo and would like to go visit soon.

Went on a nice weekend tour of Boston, Syracuse, and Rochester (a while back). Stayed with some of Jeremy's magician friends, who made me want to buy a pool table and maybe a unicycle.

Played a show with Evamgelicals, Cheyenne, and Building the State last night. Evangelicals blew my mind..Chris and I went to see them the night before, with Annuals, the A-Sides, and El Perro Del Mar. Amazing show. I got real sloppy drunk, pissed on some guys front door, stole a pitcher of sangria, hit on a random girl on the street very blatantly and sleazily, and witnessed a spitting match (between a deaf woman and the guy behind the counter at the CHEESE-STEAK Factory). Woke up with a doorknob in my pocket and no money. That was a pretty fun night though.

Been job searching a bit lately. Had a second interview at a Japanese Bank on Park Ave. Should hear back from them this week. Also, JP Morgan Chase is taking over some of Bank of New York's shit, so I might get a job with them..they have expressed some interest.

---

wow. that's it. most boring post in the world

---

This weekend was enjoyable.
Went home Saturday morning, instead of the usual Sunday.
Took my Dad to see the Departed, which was great. Matt Damon was actually..good. I can't believe I just said it, but it's true.
Mom made a great dinner: Turkey, mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole...that reminds me of a concotion I used to make in Buffalo: the asserole, which is basically made with noodles and anything else you can find in your apartment. Throw some cheese on top and bake it in the oven..the one I'm thinking of involved hamburger meat, BBQ sauce, and onions. Kind of like a cousin to the garbage plate, I guess.
Went through some old Halloween decorations at my parents' house..which I brought back to Queens.
Came home, did some serious cleaning, went to my new favorite bar in Astoria. It's quiet..just a few Greeks smoking cigarettes with plastic cup ashtrays, and game two of the series. Very exciting last three innings.

I plan on decorating tonight.
Next weekend: more pumpkin carving back home. I love the fall.

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---

"A national release containing sodas flavored like Brussels Sprout with Prosciutto, Cranberry Sauce, Turkey & Gravy, Wild Herb Stuffing, or Pumpkin Pie."

"A regional release with sodas flavored like Broccoli Casserole, Smoked Salmon Paté , Turkey & Gravy, Corn on the Cob, and Pecan Pie."


What???

Am I the only person who hasn't heard about these?

..I just can't imagine a situation where someone would say, "Wow. I thoroughly enjoyed that Salmon Pate soda..let's move on to the broccoli casserole."

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I also read on Stereogum.com there's a new energy drink called "Cocaine." Apparently it contains 3 times the amount of caffeine that's in one Red Bull. It's made with cayenne pepper, looks like "clown piss," and is said to cause chest pains not unlike a heart attack. I don't think think they said that in the press release though...

---

Top Ten lists. I'm not big on surveys but I enjoy finding out what people listen to. I own quite a few records that are seasonal...I don't listen to them much unless it's a particular temperature outside and the lighting is just right. So, ten records that I listen to when it starts getting cold (in no particular order)

Fall
1. Bright Eyes- Lifted
2. Azure Ray- S/T
3. Rilo Kiley- Execution of All Things
4. Rogue Wave- Out of the Shadow
5. Magnetic Fields- Get Lost

Winter
1. Elliot Smith- XO
2. The Cure Disintegration
3. The Shins- Chutes Too Narrow
4. Sigur Ros- ()
5. Echo and the Bunnymen- Ocean Rain

Spring and Summer? Eh, too many.

---

Your turn...

---

Great video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bSdRizGYb0

---

---

Good performance Bono.
The Superdome has re-opened.
And all that money spent to fix it?
Totally worthwhile.
Maybe that guy down the block can come watch a Saints game.
Besides, it's not like he has a house to go back to or anything...

---

---

Went to the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show in Central Park thursday night, which was fantastic..I try not to care about the live sound and just enjoy the performance, which I did. ANTHONY BALONE came down for the weekend. It's been great to see him again..haven't seen him in at least a year i think. Annie also came down and Chris Dyeroff, who just moved to Williamsburg. I somehow spent $150 in 5 hours..but I guess that's not too impossible in Manhattan, right?

Played a show at Trashbar last night. 5 of my Bank of New York Co-workers came out. They were probably the rowdiest and the drunkest people there. It was hysterical. It was an interesting mix of college friends, new york friends, co-workers, etc. Everyone had a good time. Ate some pizzas at Alligator Lounge and played some wild buck hunter.

Tonight I'm going to a party with Mari and her salon friends..hopefully I won't come home with a faux-hawk. Should be fun.

---

---

Of Montreal song in the Outback Steakhouse commercial? Yeah, it happened. It's not them singing and instead of "Lets pretend we don't exist/Lets pretend we're in Antarctica," the words are "Lets go Outback tonight.." and something else about food.. Weird right?

New season of Lost starts October 4th. I've got a lot of questions that better get answered. I'll tell ya, this J.J. Abrams fellow knows what he's doing. Alias was pretty addictive as well..but gayer than lost. I started watching Veronica Mars..Chris and Mari swear by it. I couldn't really get into to it until the end of the first season. There's a lot of horseshit inbewteen. But that Kristen Bell is fantastic.

That new Microsoft Zune thing? Supposed to be like an IPod but better. It's got some cool features, particularly the capability to "beam" songs between Zunes..no wires of course. So you could be like "Hey, have you heard this Hall and Oates song?" And they'll be like "Yeah sure, I love Hall and Oates. I own all their records but send it to me anyway," and it'll zap that shit right up their Zune. What I'm waiting for is the player that has Rhapsody on it. It does exist but it's about $1000 bucks. Rhapsody? Yeah, it's awesome. You pay a small monthly amount, and you have access to most any record you can think of, to listen whenever you want. But if you're looking to make playlists, you can't..and if you're looking to burn a CD you have to pay $10 bucks to do it. Who cares though..you can listen to whatever you want from any computer with Internet. It's like a way better version of that DMX shit that they used to have in the mid-nineties, except it's not on a TV and it doesn't suck my balls.

---

that's all I got for now. I should probably be doing my job.

---

So what have I been doing lately?

Not a lot. This summer has been a broken record, skipping at 7am every morning.

Living situation: reversed since February. Instead of being jobless on a pull out couch, their are four people living in our two bedroom apartment..with employment issues. I get a bit claustrophobic at times but, being that Chris and Jeremy were so kind to me, I have no problem returning the favor

Job: I'm sick of it. Sure it pays the bills, but every day is a fucking soap opera. Between incompetent quasi-supervisors, bickering co-workers, and mind numbing computer work, I'm ready to move on. I thought I'd stay here at least a full year for resume's sake, but it's not worth it at this point. So, I've been interviewing. A Japanese bank on Park Ave. seems interested in hiring me as a compliance officer. It would be permanent; a nice salary, benefits, bonuses, etc. Hopefully that will pan out.

Music: Aside from being closer to my family, this is still the only reason I'm here. If we weren't playing shows almost every weekend I would'nt be able to deal with all of this repetition. Our live show has evolved wonderfully. We set up and tear down like the Indy 500 pit crew. The songs have really fleshed out and progressed the way I had been hoping they would. We are playing CMJ fest next month, and doing a small Western New York tour in November.

Entertainment: There isn't much of it these days. A few exceptions: I bought an XBox, I have become obsessed with LOST (thank you to Jay Sallese), when I'm drinking in Manhattan I frequent a karaoke bar on Avenue A called Sing Sing.

---

Guess that's it...Kate will be here Friday. I'm excited about that. We've been seeing each other about once a month, alternating between NYC and Buffalo. It's difficult but I always have a good time when we're together..plus it gives me something to look forward to.

---

I know. THE Internet. I finally got it.

Anyway, I really don't have much to say now that I have it.

-We played a shitty show last night in the heart of Chinatown.

-My job ain't so bad

-A manhole cover blew up outside my house the other day, resulting in loss of electricity, horrible black smoke, and lots of noise and construction for the several days that followed.

-I got a new bed...no longer sleeping on the one I had when I was six
going to Buffalo next Thrusay-Monday. I have a list of things to do while I'm there...most of them involve eating at certain places.

Not doing much other than work and music. It's too expensive to party in Manhattan on the weekends.. I always end up 1. hopping from bar to bar, spending way too much money and 2. getting too drunk to find the subway and spending 20 bucks on a cab ride home. So, I've been staying in and playing the X-Box I just bought.

That's it for now.

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