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Our two favorite Sunbears have graduated. Visit them here at Watch Your Sunbears. I created a Promo Poster for when they leave their homeland and venture into the wild. I also created some Bedroom Wall Art for a friend and began working on a portfolio.
Sincerely,
Chris
I’ve noticed via my Site Tracker that many of you are trying to reach sunbears.thesundayidiom.com. The problem is that when I took control of myserver it dropped ALL sites. If you know them and want them back again tell them to call the Sunday Idiom and that Chris is waiting. I miss those guys.
This whole concept of Kickstarter is pretty cool, but most importantly have to tip my hat to Gaily for making Kickstarter special by allowing those who pledge to bring their artwork to the table as well. It kinda gets around the entire invitation problem and I am more than happy to get involved. I am going to challenge myself to take things to the next level. I also want to challenge you to pledge the project and submit a self-portrait.
Take it as you will- my favorite albums of 2009. I would like to avoid a lengthy editorial about people and their opinions and simply mention that there is plenty of music I regret not knowing about. I hope that this list will lead others in the right direction. These albums were chosen for their full and unfaultering delivery. They also tend to be very emotive and progressive in nature.
Mumford and Sons “Sigh No More”
Progressive Folk Music that bellows passion. Unlike anything I’ve heard.
Manchester Orchestra – “Everything to Nothing”
My most listened to album of 2009. Every listen made the album more special.
Thrice – “Beggars”
Forward-Explosive and probably one of the best “rock” albums of 2009. The song Beggars is unyielding and is one of my favorite songs of the year.
Mew – “No More Stories are Told Today Sorry They All Washed Away”
Experimental-Progressive and right up my alley. Others my find this a difficult listen.
Julian Plenti – “…is skyscraper”
A suprisingly special album from the lead singer of Interpol. It reminds me of winter in the city.
Florence and the Machine – “Lungs”
This album makes me want to go to a concert every time I hear it. It causes me to dance. To cry. To Laugh.
Dredg – “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion”
If I could be in a band- this would be the one. Progressive rock founded in deep thinking. It sounds pretentious- but its just too advanced for some people. (Its hard for me to write with humor. Its my New Year’s Resolution.) You either love dredg or could give a shit.
Brand New – “Daisy”
This album is pure intensity and compassion.
Regina Spektor – ‘”Far”
An album full of unique songs driven by piano and vocals. A refreshing release from the angry rock music I listen to.
Mastodon – “Crack the Skye”
My favorite metal album of the year. Mastodon continually releases focused albums that surprise me. Metal music has been lost for quite sometime and Mastodon proves that hope is still out there. Isis’s “Wavering Radiant” is fantastic too.
The Mars Volta – “Octahedron”
One of my favorite bands since high school. I loved this album and its my favorite Volta album since Frances the Mute. Its not for everyone- also another band you either love or hate.
VAST – “You and Me”
Vast is special. Jon Crosby has evolved relentlessly since his first release back in 1997. “You and Me” is an Americana driven rock album that I’ve listened throughout the better half of 2009. Jon Crosby has also always been the underdog. Please don’t forget him.
Arkaea – Years in Darkness
Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle
Constants – The Foundation-The Machine-The Ascension
Fever Ray – Fever Ray
Junius – The Martyrdom Of A Catasrophist
Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
The Fall of Troy – In The Unlikely Event
Karen O and the Kids – Where the Wild Things Are
Mew- No More Stories Are Told Today Sorry They All Washed Away
Bell X1 – Blue Lights on the Runway
White Rabbits – It’s Frightening
A Camp – Colonia
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
And so I watch you from afar – And so I watch you from afar
Animals as Leaders – Animals as Leaders
Anti-Flag – The People or The Gun
As Tall As Lions – You Can’t Take it With You
Baroness – Blue Record
Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Beirut – March of the Zapotec and Holland EP
Better Than Ezra – Paper Empire
Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
Billy Talent – 3
The Dirty Projecters – Bitte Orca
Bon Iver – Blood Bank
Bowerbirds – Upper Air
Brand New – Daisy
Built to Spill – No Enemy
Cage the Elephant – Cage the Elephant
Camel – Moonmadness
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
Clutch – Strange Cousins from the West
The Gallows – Grey Britain
Say Anything – Say Anything
Heavy Trash – Midnight Soul Serenade
Dark Night of the Soul – Dark Night of the Soul
Dead Man’s Bones – Dead Man’s Bones
Dead Prez and DJ Green Lantern – Pulse of the People
Diane Birch – Bible Belt
Dinosaur Jr. Farm
Discovery – LP
Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King
Dredg – The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion
Eg White – Adventure Man
Imogen Heap – Ellipse
Metric – Fantasies
Felt – Felt 3
Fiery Furnances – I’m Going Away
Florence and the Machine – Lungs
Girls – Album
God Help The Girl – God Help the Girl
Great Northern – Remind Me Where The Light Is
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health
School of Seven Bells – Alpinisms (Techincally 2008 with re-release in 2009)
Hayden – The Place Where We Lived
Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
The Dead Weather – Horehound
Ida Maria – Fortress Around my Heart
Idlewild – Post Electric Blues
Polvo – In Prism
Iron and Wine – Around the Well
Isis – Wavering Radiant
Japandroids – Post Nothing
Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3
VNV Nation – Of Faith, Power and Glory
Julian Plenti – is… Skyscraper
K-OS – Yes
La Roux – La Roux
Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel
Little Boots – Hands
Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine
Matthew Good – Vancouver
Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything to Nothing
Monsters of Folk – Monsters of Folk
Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More
Murder By Death – Finch (Book Soundtrack)
Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis – White Lunar
Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring
Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Linx
Owen – New Leaves
Our Lady Peace – Burn Burn
P.O.S – Never Better
Passion Pit – Manners
Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms
Peaches – I Feel Cream
Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Pelican – What We All Come to Need
Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson – Break Up
Placebo – Battle for the Sun
Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Pure Reason Revolution – Armor Vincit Omnia
Rebelution – Bright Side of Life
Amazing Baby – Rewild
Riceboy Sleeps – Riceboy Sleeps
Rihanna – Rated R
Basement Jaxx – Scars
Akron/Family – Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free
St. Vincent – Actor
Simian Mobile Disco – Temporary Pleasure
Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Taken By Trees – East of Eden
Tegan and Sara – Sainthood
The Big Pink – The Big Pink
The Bird and the Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future
The Black Heart Procession – Six
Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life
The Decemberists – Hazards of Love
The Longcut – Open Hearts
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
The Most Serene Republic- …And the ever expanding universe
The Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Vast – Me and You
Muse – The Resistance
The Rifles – The Great Escape
The Swell Season – Strict Joy
The Temper Trap – Conditions
The Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead
The Felice Brothers – Yonder is the Clock
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Those Darlins – Those Darlins
Thrice – Beggars
Tiny Masters of Today – Skeletons
Volcano Choir – Unmap
Two Fingers – Two Fingers
Tori Amos – Abnormaly Attracted to You
Wilco – Wilco
Wale – Attention Deficit
White Lies – To Lose My Life
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers
Wye Oak – The Knot
Moby – Wait For Me
Prodigy – Invaders Must Die
Idlewild – Post Electric Blues
The Dodos – Time to Die
My Dear Disco – Dance Think LP
Mastodon – Crack the Skye
Regina Spektor – Far
The Flaming Lips – Embryonic
Bogarts featuring Murder By Death, The Loved Ones, The Gaslight Anthem and Ninja Gun
My friend said, “Just laugh. And they’ll think you’re crazy. But next time you see someone you think is crazy, ask yourself what it is they know that you don’t.”
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| From Salsa at the Fountain |
And I have. Charles Z. Thomas draws portraits for children at a school in Cincinnati for free. Charles proudly proclaims that he has been in jail, sickly disabled, suffered mental illness, and horrible family dysfunction. Even with all of those past problems, he has found happiness with loving people. It was his wish that we (society) could take all the strong and beautiful people in the world and rub off their positive traits on Iraq, Africa and all over the world because in Charles’ words, “It needs to be like this.”
Charles was dancing to Salsa music at the Fountain in downtown Cincinnati; he was so intriguing I had to take pictures. Towards the end of the performance, I asked him if he wanted to meet other people I met while at the conference. Charles obliged with an insanity and craziness that only those excited to be alive can appreciate. We talked. And talked. Charles is an educated man and has seen things I’ve never seen, but he assured me I was a great person, a wonderful person.
Most others at this conference remained unadventurous. With a slight bit of resourcefulness, I was able to find my away around town. I went to Harbor Front in Kentucky and met a man named Keno; he travelled to Kentucky/Cincinnati from LA. Keno said, “I love seeing things I don’t normally see.” Keno took the picture of me at the bridge and I am glad for such a moment.
A wonderful woman from Sycamore St. gave me all the information I needed to find Bogart’s, a Cincinnati alternative/Indy rock venue. She also equipped me with a 24-Hour taxi card so that I could make it home safe. We talked a lot about our own cities and I left with a better understanding of Cincinnati because of her.
At Bogart’s, I met a girl from Glasgow, Scotland and Nashville, Tennessee as well as two individuals from Louisville, Kentucky.
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| From Bogarts |
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| From Bogarts |
The valet driver was from Europe near Yugoslavia and when I asked him if everybody outside of America hated Americans he said, “It seems that pretty much everybody hates everybody.”
I’ve gathered that if I didn’t take risks I might not have met the people I had on my trip. And I hope that one day I can be crazy, but I think I still have much to learn.
Ninja Gun was led by a singer who smiled like a Teddy Bear and who had a quick-witted attitude; it was fun to listen to him talk between songs. It was infectious to watch. The drummer was all over the place and had more energy than the entire rest of the band, put together. Sadly, the lighting wasn’t in his favor and the pictures of him didn’t turn out. Ninja Gun is regular rock and roll with a free-spirited, punk rock attitude.
The Loved Ones reminded me of what punk rock used to be, and because of the adult beverages, I heckled the band by screaming, “MURDER BY DEATH!” The singer of The Loved Ones reminded me that regardless of how long I screamed for Murder By Death, they would still play the same amount of time. I laughed. The singer had balls, even though it seemed as if he was hiding underneath his hoodie while he sung his punk rock ballads. In the end, The Loved Ones put forth a lot of energy and were well received by the audience in Cincinnati.
Murder by Death is a fantastic band and they hold my attention with utter awe, a feat most other bands cannot accomplish. This time, Murder by Death came on stage and played through their songs with swiftness. This disappointed me. Murder by Death usually sets an atmosphere and builds an explosive tension with their live performances and this didn’t happen in Cincinnati. This was my third time seeing the band and sadly, it was the most disappointing. However, Murder by Death still outshined all the other bands on the ticket. I feel that the energy and atmosphere Murder by Death lacked is because the crowd in Cincinnati lacked the energy as well.
The Cincinnati concert goers wield little to no energy while watching a concert. They stand in one place, bob their heads, and clap when needed. There is very little screaming and almost no dancing. Me and another guy were the only two people moving in the whole crowd. I looked around and the place seemed utterly unmoved. Maybe when bands come to Detroit, Michigan and say “Detroit is one of our favorite places to play,” they aren’t lying. This is also the reason why I think my Murder By Death experience was much different in Cincinnati than when I’ve seen them perform in Michigan.
At the end of the night, I had to get back to my hotel and only caught a couple of songs by the Gaslight Anthem. They too were stripped down rock and roll with clever lyrics.
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If you look around I used a new wordpress theme that allowed me to be more customizable. Let me know if you like the new site. My email is christopher@thesundayidiom.com
I am now under complete control of the web server- terrifiying.
Lists and other year end things to be posted soon. I would have posted sooner but the entire takeover happened new years eve. I’ve been working through the bugs and so far I making decent progress.
Richard Buscemi’s Examiner Articles on Food