Painful yellow sunrise.

A moment from my travels in January.

HEY EVERYONE. I HAVE A POOOOOOORTFOOOOOLIOOOOOO SITE NOW. CHECK IT OUT!

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Hala Strana - Fielding

Download: Bandcamp
Tags: Experimental folk, psychedelic, Eastern European

So I've been recently introduced to the work of Steven R. Smith, a self-taught experimental guitarist that has released enough music to hold me over until I'm old and don't care about music anymore. This is merely the first album I was introduced to and I'm all about it right now.
Listen to it if you're down with atmospheric textures and peaceful dissonance (which I know doesn't make any sense). Stuff gets pretty heavy at points, as well.
Smith is also a crazy talented printmaker and is the artist responsible for most of his album covers.

Kids on Holiday.

Life of Fog

And when the fog rolls in, you question everything.
There's no answers in these shades of gray
but some people want the security
of knowing what's surrounding them.
And when the fog rolls in, you question everything.
Who's your king? Is he your friend?
Is there freedom to be found in the fog
when you don't know where to stumble to?
When the fog rolls in, you question everything.
Are those distant shapes your home?
Now there's nowhere we have to be
but with nowhere to be, where should we go?
Anywhere you walk is just a blur.
It's up to you to give it form.
Everything was simpler back then.
Now when I question anything, the fog rolls in.


"But I thought you said ambiguity was a bad thing."
"It isn't if you're not a wuss!"

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Juana Molina - Un Dia

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?ofzrg46dqfl0udm
Website: http://juanamolina.com/
Tags: dream pop, folk, electronic, experimental

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN ARGENTINIAN AMBIENT DREAM POP. I know next to nothing about Juana Molina. Thunderbolt Jackson gave me this just yesterday and I spent my whole morning listening to it while struggling to mount a heavy, wooden frame with push pins.

"What's the point if there is no point?"

The current art piece featured in Madison Square Park is real cool. It's this giant, elongated stark white head that's probably about three or four stories tall. It has such a weird, ominous presence and it really makes you stop and question if it's actually existing in the space that it's standing in. If you find yourself at the bottom of Midtown, go check it out! It's way neat.

Inspired by a shelf of knickknacks in a friend's house.

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What We Need to Hear on the Subway

There really isn’t much point in

overthinking how you feel about something

because at the end of the day,

the thoughts that made the most sense to you

were probably the first ones you had.

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The Slick Skillet Serenaders - My Four Reasons

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?xctbdd0g3788nll
Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/theslickskilletserenaders
Tags: ragtime, blues, jazz

If you're into the Inkwell Rhythm Makers, Sour Mash Hug Bang, Crow Quill Nite Owls or any of the other really cool ragtime revival bands the Northwest keeps churning out, this is for you.

Speaking of the Crow Quill Nite Owls, who can hook me up? Anybody?

We're meeting people; nice people like you.

So I've seen a lot of things in the past few years that have been really important to me and they've all certainly influenced whatever it is I am now. I feel if I'm trying to be one of these artist-types, I should be able to communicate the significance of an experience, right? I'm so envious of people who can make something that just grabs me by the hand and shows me the world that its creator has seen. And there's always that perfect balance of ambiguity that lets you just plug yourself in.
So here's some sketchbook-extractions that try to accomplish that.

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Sxip Shirey - Sonic New York

Download: Removed by request
Tags: experimental, world, hip hop

Speaking of plugging yourself into a world, Sxip Shirey does it really well. New York City is clearly a place he feels really strongly about and he does a really good job romanticizing the day-to-day drudgery of a New Yorker, whether it be wasting away time in the park or falling asleep on the subway.
And sure, his lyrics are a little... blatant but there's some really creative instrumentals on this album. The man makes beat-box harmonica sound so right.

Edit: Album download has been removed per request. You can listen to the whole thing through Sxip's Bandcamp!

Sketchbook menagerie

Ink-soaked thread pressings

Charcoal & watercolor

Ink-soaked thread pressings & pen

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How to Write a Song

Occasionally,
I’ll look in the mirror and
wonder how I would look in that red shirt.
So I take off what I was
already wearing,
put on that red shirt,
stand in front of the mirror
and find out what I look like
when I wear that red shirt.

But other times
I just take all my clothes off
and stand in front of the mirror
completely naked
and say to myself
Hey,
that’s what I look like.

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Dandelion Junk Queens - No Amps No Masters

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?862pj3t5jlcc8i8
Tags: punk, junk, folk, jug

"Dandelion Junk Queens is not a Jug Band, nor are we pirates, nor Gypsies/Roma. Dandelion Junk Queens is a Junk Band."

I know I'm a little behind with this one, but I just got my hands on No Amps No Masters this winter and I figure there may be some fans out there who may still be looking for it. So here's Dandelion Junk Queens' latest album (And last too, I think. Sad!)

This release ensures that gang vocals, animosity towards adults and hilarious percussion remain a constant in this band's discography.