for now. we'll see.

Apr 21
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DFEST 2009 HEADLINERS

So I’m live-blogging orwhateveryoucallit from the DFest Press Conference.

14 stages. They’re opening the PAC this year!

Working with the PTA. Proceeds from concessions going to Grissom Elementary.

Grammys, NARAS and MusiCares are conference sponsors.

HEADLINERS: black crowes, citizen cope, blue october, metro station, delta spirit, gol manteras party dream, other lives, the knucks, the uglysuit, dove trio….. (and more at dfest.com)

Emerging artists: ali harter, callupsie, nightlife, unwed sailor - more on dfest.com.

Feb 04
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this should be good.

anxiously awaiting more news/details about this rumored live nation / ticketmaster merger.

call me a pessimist, but this this is already reeking which is pretty substantial considering the whole music industry is in the crapper.

has anyone thought that maybe you could sell more tickets, and create new fans by lowering ticket prices and slashing these rediculous (and non-refundable…see langerado festival) fees. oh wait, live nation and ticketmaster don’t want to do that because it would turn a larger profit IN THE LONG RUN and they’re only playing the short game.

idiots.

Jan 09
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Jan 07
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if i made mixtapes...

i’m not one for being cheesy and sending songs to people and saying “just listen to this and you’ll know how i feel.” i love when a couple lyrics hit you in the face with relevance, and i like to quote them sometimes, but a song has never suited any of my moods or situations 100% so i prefer to be able to write my own thoughts. but i was listening to the jonathan tyler and the northern lights cd in my car at lunch and this song that i’ve always loved musically just smacked me in the face. specifically, the lines “i took your pictures off the wall / stopped waiting for your call / i finally thought of what i’d say / but ain’t no difference it would make.” i started it from the beginning to listen more carefully and think i’ve found the first song that’s ever summed up everything i wanted to say into once nice, concise package.
jonathan tyler & northern lights - “she wears a smile”

she wears a smile on her face
and it’s more than i can take, yeah

done up like marilyn monroe
she’s a darlin don’t you know it

but she’s got these secrets that she hides
i can see it in her eyes
she’s going crazy inside

my love you’re breakin my heart
you’re breakin my heart
my love don’t make it so hard
don’t make it so hard

i took your pictures off the wall
stopped waiting for your call

i finally thought of what i’d say
but ain’t no difference it would make, no

‘cause you got these secrets that you hide
i can see it in your eyes
you’re going crazy inside

my love you’re breakin my heart
you’re breakin my heart
my love don’t make it so hard
don’t make it so hard

don’t it always go to show in time
you never ever really know what’s right

people run for all their lives and never find
you can’t control your heart and soul
she’s living in your mind (?)
she’s living in your mind

yeah you’re breaking me down
breaking me down
breakin you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin
you’re breakin me down
breakin me down
breakin you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin yeah you’re breakin
you’re breakin me down
breakin me down
breaking me down
Jan 03
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best albums of 2008

i apologize for the lack of consistency here. see, i used to have a lot of free time during the day. now i don’t. which means fewer blogs for you kiddos.

BUT. i did find a spare minute at work to scribble some of my favorite albums of this year onto a post-it note and it’s been stuck to the inside of my wallet for the past three weeks. so now [that i’m on day five of this cold/flu/thing], i’m finally getting around to blogging the list for you. i don’t know how much commentary (if any) i’ll give for each one, but hey, it’s better than nothing at all.

(that was an admiral twin reference…)

NUMBER ONE ::

kings of leon - only by the night
i wrote a blog about this album and, however many months on, i don’t have anything new to add. the record is still amazing, phenominal, classic. i still listen to it as much as i did right after i bought it. my dad bought it for me on vinyl for christmas. i haven’t listened to it yet though because i need to hook up some better quality speakers so i can enjoy it in all its imperfect, vinyl-y goodness.

NUMBER TWO ::

oso closo - rest: remixed

i don’t know how much more i can say about oso closo either. this is THE best band i’ve heard all year. incredible musicians, killer songwriting, and the live show. the live show! they’re going on tour early next…er…this year and i strongly suggest you see them for yourself.

NUMBERS THREE - TEN ::
i can’t rank the rest, so here they are…


jonathan tyler and the northern lights - hot trottin’


ludo - you’re awful, i love you


death cab for cutie - narrow stairs
“i will possess your heart.” enough said.


coldplay - viva la vida


john mayer - where the light is


the effects - …and it is


the raconteurs - consolers of the lonely


david cook - david cook
(that link is to the old one, i don’t remember the “official” link off the top of my head). i’m sure this album won’t make many (any?) other “best of” lists, but i like it. i still listen to it. it’s not great, but it’s not terrible. i think there are some really awesome moments on the record. “lie” is one of the best songs i’ve heard a while. the lyrics are so honest and spot on. i can’t wait to hear “a daily anthem” live again, but this time with a thousand people singing the end part instead of fifteen.

anyway. i had a good year in music terms. there were these releases and i was also introduced to jeff buckley and dredg and ryan adams. i rediscovered the feds and the foo fighters.

Dec 12
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best shows of 2008

aforementioned blog. still in my head.

but sudden inspiration struck on the way home from the limbeck show just now and i just couldn’t wait ‘til morning.

BEST SHOWS OF 2008* **
*that i attended
**in chronological order

january 17 :: umbrellas @ meacham auditorium, norman
this one might have been awesome simply because of the fact that it was the most awkward show i’ve ever been to. it was SILENT in between sets. and not because no one liked the band. because i know for a fact that most of the people there were umbrellas fans/friends. but it was still the only time i saw umbrellas all year. that makes me a little sad.

march 8 :: wilco @ cain’s, tulsa
sadly i’ve tried to block part of this show from my memory, but what i can and do allow myself to focus on is the brilliance of the song “impossible germany” and how it was 10,000 times better live. jeff tweedy seemed geniunely impressed at the turnout and enthusiasm of the tulsa crowd, which always makes me a little proud of tulsa. and his coat was FABULOUS.

march 21 :: admiral twin @ los cabos, broken arrow
the first outdoor show of the season always puts me in good spirits. and i love going to see admiral twin. it feels like family.

march 22 :: phantom planet @ diamond ballroom, okc
the bravery played too. and, going in, i was more excited to see them. but phantom planet absolutely stole the show. they know how to interact with the crowd and make you feel like you’re at a private show (though, to be honest, there weren’t that many people at this show). i hate that they’re breaking up.

march 25 :: dave cook - “billie jean”
ok, so i’m totally cheating on this one since i wasn’t actually in LA or hollywood or wherever they film the show. but come on, this was one of the best, most goosebump-inducing performances of the year. and it was on fucking american idol. i’m sorry, but i’m cheating and putting it on my list. after he sang that, i knew he was never coming back here.

may 18 :: black rebel motorcycle club @ the granada, dallas
the. best. show. of. the. year. period. it was a “private” jack daniels promo. no support, just BRMC. amazing sound. perfect view. not crowded. just….i can’t put into words how incredible this show was. they are absolutely amazing and i’m DYING to see them again.

july 17 :: oso closo @ exit 6c, tulsa
this is the night that oso won the hearts of pretty much everyone in tulsa. i remember being absolutely blown the fuck away by how GOOD they were (and by “GOOD” i mean, superlatives just don’t cut it, so i’ll just revert back to “good” but type it in all-caps for added emphasis). seriously. i’d heard a track and thought it was good (lowercase good) but oso’s forte is the live show. so much energy and talent and passion. i remember shawn from swampfox turning to me after oso’s set and saying, “well fuck. i don’t want to go on now!”

july 26 :: taddy porter @ dfest (mcnellie’s), tulsa
they rock. they packed the room. they gave away their music. they know what they’re doing.

july 26 :: jonathan tyler and the northern lights @ dfest (dirty’s tavern), tulsa
probably my favorite discovery of 2008. it’s close between them and oso closo. this band, jonathan tyler and the northern lights, stopped time at dfest. i planned to hear a few songs and move on. i was rooted to the spot for their entire set. there needs to be more bands like them in the world. take the best parts of kings of leon, the allman brothers… any of the good blues-rooted rock bands from the early ’70s. just…captivating.

august 2 :: oso closo, the feds, & fair to midland @ house of blues, dallas
i didn’t know how oso would fit with the feds and FTM, but they killed it. the feds made a shoutout to tulsa since there were a TON of us in town for the show and well, we were more awesome than that majority of the texans in the room. unfortunately i don’t remember much of FTM. we had a rule, no shots after fair to midland starts. or maybe it was the feds. either way, the rule was broken.

august 28 :: the feds @ belle isle brewery, okc
kind of an all-around awesome show. they sounded good (especially for belle isle). the crowd was such that the show was pretty much all-request. and afterward i got to hang with all the boys. i’ll admit i like being with “the guys” more than “the girls.” Conversation’s almost always better.

august 29 :: ludo @ the marquee, tulsa
the feds & my solstice (yes?) played too. i hadn’t seen ludo in AGES. i’d forgotten the lyrics to “good will hunting.” i love going to see bands like ludo. bands who spent a lot of time in tulsa and then scored some radio success or what have you. i love when they come back and the crowd is bigger and more into it and they get to turn more people on. love it love it love it.

september 23 :: the parlor mob @ diamond ballroom, okc
…should go here, but i suffer from chronic tardiness and missed all but two and a half of their songs.

october 24 :: dredg @ the marquee, tulsa
second best show of the year. dredg falls under the same category as blue october for me. blue october’s music/shows have always been extremely theraputic for me. there’s something about justin furstenfeld’s lyrics and/or writing style that just pulls me in. regardless of whether i’m listening to the cd or to him live, it’s like you’re sitting down with a good friend and having a one-on-one conversation. it’s just…music as it should be. but i digress. though not as much lyrically, dredg also makes me feel like that. it’s always been there on the cd, but i didn’t really notice that peaceful calm until i saw them live.

november 14 :: the feds @ dan’s silver leaf, denton
the feds are on here a lot. probably because they’re breaking up and i’m making up for the years that i kind of shrugged them off and didn’t go see them all that much. but this was a FANTASTIC show. not as good as tulsa will be, i’m sure, but the tulsa show isn’t for another month, so. the feds last texas show ever. on the list.

november 16 :: coldplay @ ford center, okc
better than the 2006 show. kind of peaked early at “fix you” but that’s ok. i hate going to arena shows, there’s no intimacy, but somehow coldplay seems to get to you.

december 6 :: taddy porter & jonathan tyler and the northern lights @ the colony, tulsa
i’ve already told you about these two. and they played TOGETHER. musical orgasm! of note: the northern lights covered “crosstown traffic,” making them even more awesome in my book.

and that’s all kiddos. i’m exhausted. this took longer than expected. it’s now 2:30am and i have to be at work in a few hours.

stay tuned for my (now) annual best albums of the year list very soon.

Nov 20
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i'm working on a new blog

i promise. it’s all in my head, i just need to find the time to get it out.
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Nov 14
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great white. really.

i just heard a great white song (“house of broken love” i think?) on the radio and loved it. that’s what’s so great about music. i can’t stand great white, but i love that i can really dig one song and dislike all the rest.
Nov 13
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Stop trying to jam stuff down our throats. Stop asking for bailouts, stop complaining. Just make good music for an audience. Don’t model on selling MILLIONS, plot costs according to what’s reasonable, which in this day and age is very small. Know that low price, even free availability, helps build your act.