Heavy-hearted in the Midwest since 2011
It’s that time of year again. Yes, it’s the “My Favorite Albums of 2013” list time of year. I’ve been feverishly working on mine, and I’m nearly done. It’s probably the most detailed and agonizing list I’ve made yet. Before I started this page I loathed those lists. I felt they were pretentious, overzealous, and […]
Read More Honorable Mention Part I : The Knife’s Shaking The HabitualSeconds into “Be Gone”, the lead off track from Brad Laner’s newest solo album Nearest Suns you know this isn’t going to be your average listening experience. Part psych-pop, part Eastern-influenced, and all aural sunlit grandeur, Laner takes his Medicine magic and spreads it over 60s-influenced pop and makes a record that sounds quite magical. […]
Read More Brad Laner :: Nearest SunsMiracle’s Mercury is a loving homage to early 80s synth pop, much like Quentin Tarantino’s loving film homages to 70s exploitation films and the entire career of Sam Peckinpah. Like Tarantino, Steve Moore and singer Daniel O’Sullivan have created a debut album that’s steeped in inspiration, all the while never blatantly aping that inspiration. Unlike […]
Read More Miracle :: MecuryIt was two years ago today that I took the plunge and decided to start a blog. It was something I’d been considering for a long time, as I felt I needed some sort of outlet for all the thoughts and opinions in my head. So on December 8th, 2011 I did it. I created […]
Read More Two Years Here…A few months back I heard this great new psych pop/rock band out of Italy named The Vickers. They play a great mix of classic psych pop. Think a nice mix of Sgt. Pepper and Something Else by The Kinks and you’ll have a good idea of what these guys do. But along with that classic […]
Read More The Vickers’ “I Don’t Know What It Is”It’s usually this time of year when I really start to think about my obsession. It’s not something I’m necessarily proud of, but it’s not something I’m ashamed of either. It’s not an obsession that will land me in rehab, jail, or divorce court. There’s no lurid tales of back alley smack shooting, or maxing […]
Read More Seeing Black Circles: Confessions of a Music JunkieWarning: The following post contains sentimentality. I sit here typing on my lousy HP computer with my sinuses feeling as if they’re packed with Quikrete, lungs prickly as if they’re lined with insulation, and a face pulsating with pain like I just finished bare-knuckle brawling with the late, great Jake LaMotta and I wonder to […]
Read More Over The Hill(not so far away)Welcome back, heartfelt Wayne Coyne. That’s the first thing that came to my mind as I listened to The Flaming Lips Peace Sword. Sure, it’s songs from and inspired by some lousy movie based on a cultish sci fi book from the 80s called ‘Enders Game’, but that’s not the point. It’s those ideas put […]
Read More The Flaming Lips :: Peace SwordThis is my jam tonight. Lights down low, Christmas lights blazing in the corner of the room to give the proceedings a ethereal vibe. My wife and oldest daughter headed to the big city to do some clothes shopping while my younger two and myself stayed home. My 10 year old daughter has a head/chest […]
Read More TwoismYou know, for a Black Friday it’s pretty damn beautiful out. Brisk bordering on damn chilly, but the sun is shining like the blazing star it is. Skies are blue, with a hint of purplish hue near the horizon. Trees are bare and skeletal, showing their naked winter fashion with pride as they occasionally shake […]
Read More Thoughts for a (Black)Friday