They Came From Brooklyn

In issue 1 of Anecdotal Evidence, I reflected on a couple of my favorite bands from NYC. As some of you might be aware, the totally awesome French Kicks have released their first full length One Times Bells (Startime). It has gotten tres bien reviews (for good reason) and the band has popped up all over the place, even in Vanity Fair. Interpol was signed to Matador Records. ‘Nuff said. Ben Goldberg, who works for Matador publishes an awesome zine called Badaboom Gramophone and I highly recommend you check it out if you like to read about the rock.

Music always reflects a lot of what is going on in my life. When I’ve not been listening to it very much, I’ve usually been pretty miserable. The times when I have been listening to it constantly have often been the best times of my life. From incessantly replaying “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog” on an old record player when I was 5 to constantly listening to the likes of Jeff Buckley and Pavement when I worked in college radio to this point in my life where I’ve learned to recognize that the one real joy of the open road is the ability to listen to 7 straight hours of music (unless you are in a blizzard and fending for your life on the road…then, you should listen to the news).

While I zoomed throughout the Midwest and to the east coast, when I was packing and unpacking and repacking, when I was designing and writing this zine, lots of records provided soundtracks and inspiration, but here’s a little bit about two records that have truly knocked my socks off…

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It’s a funny thing being a freelancer. Record promotions companies and some of the smaller record labels have me on a list and when they are set to release something, they send a copy to me free of charge. The fact that a relative nobody like myself acquired two free copies of Stephen Malkmus’s self-titled solo record or that I get the latest Bright Eyes release months before all the 17 year old emo kids who truly desire it is a strange combination of luck and charm and blatant self-promotion. Often, when I open a manila paper and bubble wrap parcel, the CD contained inside is a definite disappointment. But, every once in a while, I stumble upon an album that I listen to over and over and over again.