Eingya

I would play this record when/if:

I was lying haphazardly on top of my exhausted horse, my mighty steed that had carried me away from the din and clamor of a blood thirsty war, and I had come to an anomaly - a beautiful river with lilies and sparkling, flawless water. After using all my strength to lift my samurai awesome body off my horse, I'd fall with a defeated splash into the welcoming crystalline water. Unable to do anything but gaze blankly at the sun, who conversely was sparkling all the brighter while my life force grew faint (asshole sun!). With gaping mouth and multiple holes ridden in my war defeated body, arrow heads embedded in my arms and chest, I'd lay, quiet and content. Ribbons of blood would swirl away, making intricate patterns that added a strange incarnidine beauty to the otherwise unperturbed body of water - the water which flows through my very japanese pony tail and kimono (which is probably why I would be dying - kimono's do not offer much in the way of protection, you see), my dying body which diverts the flow of the peaceful water. Nature sounds all around me - the sounds of life and living, of simplicity and an age old wisdom for all ages; almost mocking man's folly at the conquests and idea of war, which is an idea brewed and concocted by the so called thinking ape. And all around me, the sound of nature, while just yards away, I know in my weakly beating heart that...

EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING!!! DOODODODODODO DOO DOO DOO!THOSE CATS WAS FAST AS LIGHTNING! HUH!

Helios - Eingya

Czech it out, seriously. An electronic/post rock/ambient gem, created by Keith Kenniff.

Helios' Myspace

Rome Neighbors With Devendra Banhart remix

Big ups to Ces for this - the story isn't about you haha (except for the good song rec)

You know when you just put on a track and can feel that you're gonna dig it? Or, actually, back up - you know how people say 'you've gotta listen to this track!'?, and they build it up to be something great, and you're let down most of the time - some staggering number or percentage that makes you lose faith in humanity and that particular friend's taste in music?

I hate that, because I'm too nice (or too spineless) to say how I really feel about the song to their face (worst song ever, abomination in song form, could crap out better tunes with my musical farts et-cetera and so on and so forth), yet enough of an asshole to just secretly hate that person for the next five or ten minutes; depending on the severity of the letdown/how shitty/length the song was.

...But how good is looking back on that heartbreak, when you're 'musically inclined' friend comes through - and you sit there, unconsciously bobbing your head and raising the volume, and opening up your ears (if that's even possible - maybe good songs do that to you) even wider then the preset holes God/Allah/Homo Neanderthalensis gave you in your head... And you tell all your other friends, 'you've gotta listen to this track!".

That is something I love. But seriously, you guys gotta listen to this track

Download - Phoenix - Neighbors with Devendra Banhart remix

(link taken from Phoenix Diary)

*after writing this, I feel like all my friends will be afraid to rec me something, or they think I'm some sort of elitist - but I seriously like whatever you guys show me - if you know you have good taste, don't sweat it.

**there I go being spineless again, I am the boneless chicken of music critiquing.

***I just like to over-exaggerate to a fault to make my writing more interesting, sometimes fabricating scenarios like the one above (but it has happened before).

****no more explaining myself!

What We Must

This album is simply amazing. I haven't dug anything hard upon first listen in a long time. I normally would be bummed I just discovered it now, but I'm just happy I've had the pleasure of hearing this record. It's beautiful.

JAWSOME (or an ode to Jimmy)

(this is seriously 1/8 of all the shark action - facebook chat automatically deleted the rest of the feeding frenzy Jimmy and I spent creating for the better part of an hour - give or take)

Jimmy : hahahaaha. man this is hardcore.these sharks are rutheless motherfuckers.

...if you think about it, man... sharks haven't got much of a presence in the music scene
if any at all. we could change that

Eddie: duuude! sharkcore! post sharkcore

Jimmy: ship-shop (shark hip-hop)

Eddie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ETxDHXBeCE
who is your daaaaadddy hahaha! duude...that would be sick...findie rock?

Jimmy: hahaha

Eddie:grunge white sharks. fuck. dude please - lets make a shark themed band, name and everything.

Jimmy: hahaha that was the plan!

Eddie: your plan is THE plan

Jimmy: hahha. we can infuse metal with gangster rap, and all our lyrics will be about sharks

Eddie: hahahah

Jimmy: our first single will be S.H.A.R.K.S. MAN

Eddie: hahaha...
im tryin to come up with the acronym
...
sharks hate all reef killers son get the harpoon W.W.E. YAAAAALL

Jimmy:

hey you, get off mah sand,
you don't know me and you don't know mah band,
who be getting flam when it come to the jam,
here i am, here i am, the SHARK man
baby seal baby seal HEY the SHARK man

Eddie: hahah YES! see? this shit writes itself!

Jimmy: sharks hate all reef killers son SHARK get the harpoom, WWE yall

bring da motherfuckin manfelsh, bring da motherfucking manflesh

Eddie: hahahaha YES! duuude, that shit's so good...

sorry i was listening to austrian death machine. hahaha! bring the muthauckin manflesh

Jimmy: haha, its ok

Eddie haha gold. i feel like im not participating in the song writing.
every guitar riff will just be the!!!oooh shit - some heavy ass break down!

Jimmy: yeah

Eddie: - just minor 2nds all over haahahah, like the jaws theme song

Jimmy: hahaha.

shark-cunts rule everything around me SCREAM get assistance, chomp-a chomp-a dead yall

Jimmy: well, laptop battery is dyin, catchya later

Eddie: aright man, sorry i was cookin dino chicken nuggets. im saving this convo, cuz its so awesome.

Jimmy: hahaha, maybe post on your blog?

- WORD, son, damn straight this went on the blog!

Best facebook chat convo ever? - I think so! Jimmy never fails to make me laugh, just because he's one of the few people who would get as excited about this as I would, and would play along with it for so long. That's why he's a great friend, and why we have a million inside jokes in the short time we spent being black and kickin' it - I miss ya brother.

CHIKKA CHIKKA SLIM SHAAADYYYYY

The most awesome thing I've discovered today (maybe in years)

You all may already know about Austrian Death Machine, the Shwarzenegger centric metal band, but I just stumbled upon this most amazing group today (5 minutes ago to be exact). The cover art for their album Total Brutal (dropped in 08) really sums up how bad ass these guys (and the Governator) really are. There is nothing else that needs to be said, except...

GET TO THE CHOPPA!

WHO IS YOUR DAAAH DEEEEEEEEEEE!!!?!?!?

+63 Emergency

(I'm from the Philippines, and Typhoon Ondoy is devastating the country at the moment - Typhoons aren't uncommon back home, but there hasn't been one this bad as far back as I can remember. As I sit comfortably dry in Southern California, I can't stop thinking about all my family and friends affected - rich and poor are struggling through the onslaught of rain.)

Please check out my cousin Lille's post on the current crisis effecting the Philippines - Typhoon Ondoy.

+++More Than A Month's Worth Of Rain Fell In Just 12 Hours by Lille Bose

All the information I know about the natural disaster is coming from her and relatives dealing with the onslaught of rain back home. It bothers me that there seems to be zero coverage about Typhoon Ondoy on mainstream media networks, and the devastating affects it is having in the Philippines. The large population of poor people will have no means to deal with the mass flooding - many people's homes will have been destroyed, or in extreme cases, swept away in the torrential rain. I've seen video footage of underpass walkways that were completely flooded to the brim - underpasses I've taken myself and I can't believe the extent of the flooding! Busy streets in the central business district have had their pot hole marked streets covered in a milky, destructive layer of brown rain water.

More information from a local source can be gleaned from checking out this link here:

+++Typhoon coverage

If you are able to help (and plead you to do so), think about donating money to the Philippine Branch of the Red Cross. Lille used a U.S credit card to donate to help the cause, so don't feel like you can't help.

+++Red Cross

Keep the Philippine people in your thoughts and (if you believe in a high power) prayers.

Much Love,

Eddie

Needless To Say

It feels like I always say, 'needless to say' when I write up here.

Needless to say, this probably won't be the last time you see that phrase used on this website.

Mo' Updates, Mo' Problems

Since it's rare I'm in an update-y mode, I might as well post a link to a new John Mayer track. 'Who Says' can be streamed here preceding Battle Studies release on November 17

---> Who Says.

Needless to say, I'll most probably pick this up once John Mayer drops his new full length - ever since hearing The John Mayer Trio and seeing some of his stand up, I've had mad respect for this guy. This song's pretty dope. Who says I can't like John Mayer, and write shitty haiku's all morning (don't ask)?

Bon Iver tonight! = panties on stage.

So my man crush will probably soar to its homosexual zenith when I see Justin Vernon tonight in the flesh at the Wiltern. I just want to document my man love, for a before and after comparison. A gay gauge if you will.

Fig. 1

*** starred data is speculation. Number may sky rocket to infinity.

Obviously, I'm joking, and obviously I'm stoked, and obviously I have too much time on my hands today, but I really think this is one of those moments in my life that I'll remember for a real long time. For Emma, Forever Ago is such a special record to me, that I feel like I can't listen to it as often as I'd like to - I don't want it to be overplayed, to lose its shine that it has in my eyes. I don't want too much of a good thing - and this is the only time I've ever felt this way about a record. Justin Vernon's first full length under the Bon Iver moniker is easily one of my top records of all time, and I can say that without a moment's hesitation (an unheard of feat for me personally, and my easily persuaded monkey mind). Every time I play this record, no matter where it is, everything takes on a special significance and gets me lost in my thoughts. It could be a car ride down Lincoln, where everyone in the car silently appreciates Vernon's croon on Re: Stacks, or it could be how perfectly Bon Iver plays in the background when writing the most important letter of your life...

Tonight is going to rule. I wish I could bring everyone I know to the Wiltern tonight, to share in Justin Vernon's music tonight. To share in my happiness! To share this life changing moment (I need to calm down!)

Paramore - Closer (also me losing street cred)

Of COURSE I would like something like this. When the palm mutes come into the verse I'm all like 'daaaamn', and when Hayley opens up on the chorus I'm all like 'daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn!'.

Don't deny it - you dig this track too!

Letters

Thanks to Cat for the heads up on this track :)



I used to live in Sydney, and to cut a long story short, I was relocated to California against my will. Sob story aside, I was recently made aware that it's been a year since I've lived in Australia. Maybe it's fitting that I've recently been thinking about every little thing I used to love about living in the ambiguously laid back metropolis. It's funny the things you find yourself missing, when your staring headlong into nostalgia's wispy allure. I miss taking the bus and the train (admittedly to someone very special), walking at night through Town Hall station, mind wandering, weaving automatically through people hurrying in their suits. I miss Woolworth's, and just walking down the aisles with muesli and milk in my basket (the extent of my cooking abilities was based on my skillful use of bowl and spoon, which ultimately chose for me what I ate on the regular). I miss the way nature was seamlessly intertwined with the granite and roadways, how the beach was a stone's throw from stoplights and shopping malls. Looking back, I appreciate the balance of modern city and the undermined subtlety of nature more than I ever did when it was a simple bus ride from the poster adorned walls that made up the tiny apartment I rarely slept in.

Random things will force themselves to the top of my subconscious, and I scoop out these memories delicately, like those green nets you use to scoop up a brand new goldfish - precious and carefully, yet intently focused. I miss scrubbing the dishes after being treated to a home cooked meal (an event that I ashamedly feel happened to often, but was never unappreciated), and hastily putting them away for a certain someone, with the only thing left on the agenda was to watch whatever was on TV. For me, I would've been happy if the screen was broadcasting snowy static - it was just being there that made me feel content.

The more I scoop, the more I feel like things that were so miniscule are the most important things - trips to the park, sharing a pack of chips from Homer's (ok that was always the most important thing to me!), shifting your girlfriend's gears while she drives through the suburbs with the sun setting low, being hyperactive and shouting the Red Hot Chili Peppers' nonsensical lyrics in the same car ride.

The more I scoop, the more I realize every little thing was important, and I'm sorry I overlooked every waking, important memory.

...phew! To get back on topic, I remember watching this kid, Matt Corby on Australian Idol, and being impressed with his natural talent at a very shallow level. After being shown this video yesterday, it makes me glad to see his sound so...mature! Definitely a throw back to Justin Vernon's style of heart felt folk music, with finger plucking that calls to mind Jose Gonzalez, Letters is a great tune. If this track is any indication, its great to see that Mr. Corby isn't resting on his laurels and the fame his brief stint on Australian Idol has brought him - he's produced a track a true artist would be proud of - heartfelt, emotional and NOT commercially formulated to encompass the masses.

Letters are a powerful thing - if you send one make sure you always mean what you say. I know I do

"Prepare to get Rushified!"

"... it sounds better on louder speakers..."

I've just picked up Moving Pictures and 2112 (finally) and can't stop listening to both albums.

"Do you wanna get some Neil Peart all up in ya?!"

Oblivion Ep. 1 - Blueprint For Joy

(let it load all the way first when you stream it so it doesn't keep stopping to buffer)

While waiting on tables in downtown LA, director Mike Cuenca asked my sister Sara to try out for a part in his slapstick comedy, Oblivion. Hosted on the web, the highly stylized and quick witted web series debuted today! Funny characters and dialogue are packed into the 1st episode, which you can stream above, or click on this link to access it. ---> Oblivion Episode 1

Check it! Really cool stuff, and look out for Faye, the best character for sure! (but I'm biased :p)

I am on the mend.
At least now I can say that I am trying.
And I hope you will forget things I still lack.

Yeah

Beautiful.

Look Out

Helter Skelter! Thrice is including a studio version of their take on the perennial, energetic Beatles classic in the physical copy of Beggars (which is out September 15.) Their cover of Eleanor Rigby was pretty awesome just in it's conception and putting it into practice, but this! This cover just straight up rocks! Check out this live clip, even though the studio version craps all over it.

...

I was on my way, I swear

But I lost my way somewhere...

i always knew i was stupid, but i didn't realize it would take me this long to figure out just how stupid i really was. i always knew i was stupid but i didn't realize it would take me this long to figure out just how stupid i really i was. i always knew i was STUPID, but i didn't realize it would take me THIS long to figure out just how stupid i really was. i always knew i was stupid BUT i didn't realize it would take me this long to figure out HOW stupid i really was. Ialwaysknewiwasstupidbutididn'trealizeitwouldtakemethislongtofigureoutjusthowstupidireallywas.

Panic Attack!

Something about this song doesn't sit right. While the old man in me is digging the more accessible nature of this cut ahead of 'In The Unlikely Event''s October 6 release (The Fall of Troy's upcoming album), it's just not as all over the place as I know they were in the past (Their self titled comes to mind).

The Unlikely Event's track list:

1. Panic Attack
2. Straight-Jacket Keelhauled
3. Battleship Graveyard
4. A Classic Case of Transference
5. Single
6. Empty the Clip the King Has Been Slain
7. People and Their Lives
8. Dirty Pillow Talk
9. Nobody's Perfect
10. Webs
11. Walk of Fame
12. Nature vs. Nurture

Still gonna try and grab this the moment it drops - I've got a soft spot for their (Thomas Erak's) spastic vocals and jabbing guitar riffing brand of progressive punk. Dude's a G!

Time Flies

...Unless you're waiting for the release of some heavily anticipated new tunage - case in point, Porcupine Tree's latest album entitled 'The Incident". Fear Of A Blank Planet was awesome, and if this single is any indication, The Incident will follow suit.