2013 So Far (musically speaking, of course)

FAVORITE 2013 SONGS THUS FAR
1"Step" // Vampire Weekend
2"Mute" // Youth Lagoon
3"She Found Now" // My Bloody Valentine
4"Give Life Back to Music" // Daft Punk
5"Retrograde" // James Blake
6"White Noise" // Disclosure ft AlunaGeorge
7"Shut Up" // Savages
8"Wakin' on a Pretty Day" // Kurt Vile
*OTHER GREAT SONGS*
"Dumb Disco Ideas" (Holy Ghost!)
"Suit & Tie" (Justin Timberlake)
"So Good (Good Ass Intro)" (Chance the Rapper)
"Get Lucky" (Daft Punk)
FAVORITE 2013 ALBUMS THUS FAR
1Modern Vampires of the City // Vampire Weekend
2Settle // Disclosure
3m b v // My Bloody Valentine
4Random Access Memories // Daft Punk
5Wondrous Bughouse // Youth Lagoon
6Yeezus // Kanye West
7Silence Yourself // Savages
8You're Nothing // Iceage
*OTHER STUFF I'M DIGGING*
...Like Clockwork (Queens of the Stone Age)
We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic (Foxygen)
Wakin' on a Pretty Daze (Kurt Vile)
Shaking the Habitual (The Knife)
:( DISAPPOINTING ALBUMS :(
The 20/20 Experience (Justin Timberlake)
Amok (Atoms for Peace)
Monomania (Deerhunter)

* The year holds more great tracks, great albums and great disappointments to come.  My opinion could very possibly change over time. *  

The Death of the Singer Songwriter

Does anyone remember The Great Singer-Songwriters?  Not me.  I wasn't alive for any of them.

The term "singer-songwriter" doesn't have a strict definition.  I suppose if you look at the album covers on this blog, you could say a "singer-songwriter" is a person who gets pictures of themselves with their name next to it.  I suppose there are a lot of artists like that these days.  The difference now is the personality behind that picture.  Or more importantly, the personality behind the microphone.
All (or most) of the artists portrayed here actually have unique voices and full sounds to back up their names.  Some are born entertainers (Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen).  Some never even toured (Harry Nilsson, Nick Drake).  Some were just flat-out depressing (Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake again).   I believe there are still great singer-songwriters out there, but the title doesn't mean the same thing as it did in the early-mid-70s.  I'd say there's a difference between being a "singer-songwriter" and a "solo artist."  There are plenty of great solo artists out there talented in lyricism and songsmith.  There are even great artists who are frontmen for great bands, but their solo work doesn't add up.  I think that singer-songwriters have a different edge though.  What artists these days live up to the title next to folks in these pictures?  That new Fiona Apple album definitely does.  Joanna Newsom.  Sufjan Stevens.  Nick Cave.  What else do all these artists have in common?  They're not popular.
Looking back on the 70s, I could've added plenty of other artists to this blog post- Elton John, John Denver, Carole King, Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce- and you would all totally know who I'm talking about.  But today?  The billboard chart is full of solo artists, and for that matter, CRAPPY ONES.  Not like there wasn't any crappy music back then, but you gotta admit, it was a better place.  The singer songwriter died.  I couldn't tell you when, but looking at these album covers tell me when they were alive and kicking.  So here's to one man or woman who uses all their energy, heart, wit and honesty behind the microphone.
Now go make a serious face and put your name next to it!

SUMMER: 2008

I am wearing this hat today for the first time since this very backpacking trip.  I thought I lost it in the mountains that week, but found it in my closet about 5 years later.  I put it on this morning, and all the sudden, it was the summer of 2008 again!  All these songs I was into at the time kept popping into my head!  It was like something from a cheesy fairytale movie full of nostalgia!  All morning, I've been listening to bands I got into at that time of my life.  I was 17.  I just finished my junior year of high school.  I followed Rolling Stone and the alternative rock chart, in the music world.  My favorite

song was "Time to Pretend" by MGMT.  I was working part time at Ridley's.  Life was a joke.
When it comes to the cliche definition of summer, I feel like I never really had one in my youth. 2008 was the summer where I stayed out too late and got grounded.  AKA, it was awesome.  I, of course, was 17, so I was awesome, too. 
I remember my brother Kieth was engaged, and that was weird.  Todd was on his mission.  I had an excellent trip back to my homeland, CA, with my family.  I was doing The Laramie Project with the RAT Performers, which was one heck of a show.  I met a lot of new friends from that.  I remember after each rehearsal, a few of us would ride 

our bikes from the high school to the county fair.  One night in particular, Mr Brown and Patrick Rexroat created the classic "Mutton Busters" story that Brown still tells his students.  I remember me, Tom, Michael, Jeff and Luke all asked people for quarters so we could play a game to win a poster of a hot chick.  It totally worked, and we came across this Creepy Black Carnie Guy who was serious about his posters.  Meanwhile, Joey Avila lost millions of dollars to Bingo.
Another highlight was a 3-day backpacking trip to Alice Lake with Jeff Horgan, Wade Sugden and Wyatt Shewmaker.  It was my first time in the Sawtooths, and little did I know that I would be spending my next summer there.
I didn't have a crush on anyone that summer... I may have had a cliche summer, but it wasn't that cliche.
I remember watching The Dark Knight with a bunch of guys, and Michael Rexroat and Ross Irwin came up with the series of "Man, f*** you, Batman" stories.  Why do I still remember those?  I'll never know.
I could go off on a list of names of people I met that summer, but that's not the point.  The point is: Being young and stupid with a lot of free time is awesome.  And I think there is a magical time machine in that "England" hat.  And my summer ended like all good stories:                                       

EVERYONE GOT MARRIED!!!

 "This is our decision/To live fast and die young/We got the vision/Now lets have some fun"