Heavy-hearted in the Midwest since 2011
Justin Vallesteros makes music that puts you in a particular place and time. He goes by the band name Craft Spells but like many younger, shy songwriters he’s really the only guy making all that magic and putting it to tape. Idle Labor was Craft Spells debut for the Brooklyn record label Captured Tracks and […]
Read More Craft Spells :: NauseaSomewhere, located in this universe, is a couch. It’s a pretty regular couch. It’s one you can sit on and maybe kick back, drink a beer, and listen to some records. But unbeknownst to the naked eye this couch is something more than just a receptacle for lounging. It’s a couch that offers more […]
Read More Cozy Couches and Strummed SongsHi. I’m currently staying indoors as nature is most certainly trying to kill me. Cottonwood falling like snow in January, mold spores at an all-time high, the sky raining cats…okay, no cats. But all that other crap is real. Trust me. So instead of boo-hooing about my lack of allergen-fighting chromosomes I thought I’d look […]
Read More My Favorite Albums of 2014 So Far…The title of Alex Calder’s newest album couldn’t be more accurate. Listening to Strange Dreams is indeed like having a strange dream. The music wobbles and shimmers. It hops along like a hurt animal doped up on narcotics. It’s hallucinogenic demeanor oozes out of the speakers as if some symbiotic creature wanting to meld into […]
Read More Alex Calder :: Strange DreamsHello folks. It’s Friday night. There are four 14 year old girls giggling uncontrollably in the living room and I’m delegated to my bedroom to type this. Why can’t I go out there and take my seat back? Am I afraid of their laughing and somewhat distressing way of communication(quiet, loud, quiet…they’re like the Pixies.) […]
Read More There Are Teens In My Living Room….Help!Despite the fact that as I sit and type this my house is filled with a hazy smoke emanating from my oven, I’m very happy to be here. Yes, last night’s dinner dripped onto the bottom of the oven and as this morning’s cinnamon rolls cook, those drippings burn into a black sludge and fill […]
Read More “D” Is For Denver….”H” Is For HomeMay is a month of birthdays and madness. It’s a month where each week brings some new wonderful disaster to plan and execute. May is a month to second guess everything I do as a parent and wonder if it’s “good enough”. Two birthdays and expectations sky high. April showers may bring May flowers, but […]
Read More Disposable Dixie Cup DrinkerSo what do I know about Wye Oak? Well, I know Jenn Wasner has one of those voices you want to hear sing just about anything. It’s a dark and breathy kind of voice. It’s the kind of voice you want to crawl into and take a nap in. There’s an all-knowing maturity in her […]
Read More Wye Oak :: ShriekWhen I was in high school Sonic Youth were this mythical band. They were one of those 120 Minutes bands that I couldn’t relate to at all. In fact, there weren’t too many 120 Minutes bands I could relate to. Sonic Youth, Pixies, Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and other bands of that […]
Read More Jim O’Rourke Made Me Love Sonic YouthI’m not sure what happened to me as a child that had something to do with a filthy public restroom, but whatever that repressed memory is it must be a doozy. As far back as I can recall I’ve had nightmares about dirty public restrooms. I don’t know, maybe they’re more anxiety dreams than nightmares. […]
Read More Another Nightmare About A Dirty Toilet