Happy halloween!

This Halloween has seemed much less festive than recent years. I don't know if it's the general social climate, or the fact that it's no longer a big drinking or partying holiday for me any more, or what. But hey, it's still one of my favorite holidays of the year, so however you're celebrating, have a good one!

Industrial Age.

Jesus Jones Liquidizer (1989)
Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking (1988)
Walt Mink Miss Happiness (1992)
Flaming Lips In A Priest Driven Ambulance (1990)
Mercury Rev Yerself Is Steam (1991)
Pavement Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (1994)

The above albums are listed in the order I experienced them from a period ranging from Junior in High School to a few years after I initially dropped out of college. (I have since gone back and graduated with my Bachelors so don’t use Tankboy as an excuse to drop out of college. Be cool! Stay in school!)

The reason these albums are important to me is they serve as touch-stones in particularly powerful moments in my musical development. Each album struck a deep chord in me by creating noises I’d heard in my soul, had been yearning to hear reconstructed and touched off great joy through the realization that other people heard the same weird sounds I did.

Jesus Jones were the first to really meld the electronic with the rock and /or roll with results that actually sounded organic in a day before samplers and synths could easily reconstruct organic bliss out of beats.

Jane’s Addictiction did for me what Led Zeppelin did for a generation before me as it melded the primal and mystical and plugging directly into my inner anger and hopefulness.

Walt Mink just kicked my ass. Period. Guitars ruled the world and J. Waronker’s drumming inspired me to learn the skins myself. Plus I won a t-shirt at one of their concerts becasue I knew Rosie Grier sang "It's Alright To Cry." Yay for trivia!

Both The Lips and Mercury Rev provided the soundtracks to my acid-soaked era and reassured me through the proof that there were indeed people out there far more fucked up than I could ever hope to be.

Finally Pavement provided the perfect segue from the hangover induced by the early ‘90s hopefulness brought on by the alterna-rock boom. It was growing obvious that Indie would not, in fact, rule the world but we could take solace that groups like Pavement still existed.

There are loads more albums that have deeply affected me but this small sampling seems to me the most personal and probably some of the deepest hitting. Tons of discs have continued to influence me but as time grows on their influence grows weaker and my tastes grow ever more defined. I’m still surprised by a bit of bliss out of left field but rarely does anything make me feel as giddy as these discs did at the times I encountered them.

These are the albums that made it impossible for me not to fall in love with music.

BONUS ROUND

Chemical Brothers Exit Planet Dust (1995)
Fatboy Slim Better Living Through Chemistry (1996)

I always loved dance music.
These two albums taught dance how to truly rock.
It was about here that I stared spinning lots of electronic music.
I have since rotated back into the rock and soul category but these discs still pop up occasionally.

GREAT FOR FUCKING

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Orange (1994)

Really.
Take my word for it.
Grabbed a loved one, snuggle through the intro and then get down and dirty.
Truuuuust me...

Age of Enlightenment.

The ground work was laid so it was only a matter of time before my music collection began to grow exponentially with the crossing paths of college and my first credit card.

It took me seven years to pay off that initial debt and music was the reason. Okay, some cigarettes were involved as well but most of my dough was blown on music.

Chia Pet, The Blue Meanies, N.I.L.8., Operation Ivy, Psychic TV, Public Enemy, Sisters Of Mercy, Smashing Pumpkins, The Stone Roses, Blur

Notice how there are no dates above? This is because at this point specific albums had less effect on me and the cumulative presence of a group really began to get its grasp on my head and heart. Each of the bands above made a singular mark on me and caused me to shake my ass and bob my head whenever one of their songs came on.

It gets increasingly difficult to track what effected me now in this time period since I was immersed in just this total flood of new music. In addition I was getting turned on to catching as many live shows as I could bluff my way past the bouncers at the only dive bar in town that put on live music worth seeing named The Gallery. Incidentally The Gallery would figure large in my future as it’s where I got both my DJing and bartending start.

Nothing really stands out from this time period due to the immense amount of tunes I was processing but I do remember the feelings generated by lots of cool live shows and sitting on the hill outside of my dorm with my stereo speakers facing out the window at top volume. Oh yeah, once I moved into an apartment my time was consumed with making mix-tapes for our weekly parties. This is back in the days when the kids danced to the rock and my downstairs neighbors would grab me every Thursday and make me watch their ceiling as it bounced back and forth under the weight of the mad dancing occurring upstairs.

It was at this time that I realized music was a powerful communicator and I needed to spread its gospel. It’s also about this time I started my first band and got in the habit of wearing a hockey mask and a skirt onstage. Also I learned that a girl dancing naked to The Cult was a good good thing.

God the late ‘80s and early ‘90s kicked ass.

BONUS ROUND

The Grateful Dead. I literally went through every single fucking musical genre at this point in life to see what stuck and what didn’t. I tried to dig The Dead since I dug smoking pot and hippies seemed okay (my view on this was to change soon enough) but I just couldn’t stand the band. I hated them. They became my musical arch-nemesis. I still think they are totally evil.

I do dig the Jane's Adiction cover of "Ripple" though. Funny, huh?

I hated the band so much that when Jerry Garcia died a number of my friends wouldn’t accept phone calls for weeks from me for fear I was only ringing them up to tease ‘em. Jesus, I'm not that heartless.

Renaissance.

I, much like most other folks, really hit my musical stride in high school. In junior high there was this girl at the Catcholic School I went to named Mary Jo Gormley. She had hair dyed gold and wore fishnets on her forearms and she kept carving the initials DK and mumbling about some guy named Jello. In a different world I might have been thrown head first into the punk scene but it was at this point I moved to Illinois and took up residence in a suburb just outside of Chicago.

It was right about then that I was introduced and immersed in my adolescent holy quad.

David Bowie Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (1972)

The Who Quadrophenia (1973)

Pink Floyd Dark Side Of The Moon (1972)

Rush 2112 (1976)

This was probably the time period that cemented my future. I couldn’t live without the artists named above and I bought every single thing I could get my hands on to further my knowledge of each group. Pink Floyd appealed to the bleak outlook that permeates every teen’s brain from time to time. The Who provided the optimistic drive and bombast that surges through the veins of every hormone ridden boy. Rush continued that sugar rush with precisely pounding rhythm and soaring vocal melodies that I didn’t realize until later in life tend to make girls’ ears bleed.

And Bowie.

Bowie was the one that taught me styles were malleable and that sometimes the look was as important as the song when it came to the live presentation. He appealed to the art student in me and provided a catalog so huge and diverse I took endless delight in swimming through it and educating myself based on his influences. As time went on Bowie was one of the few that remained a brightly burning constant – as long as I overlooked most of the ‘80s which wasn’t hard since he had just so much to digest – and in recent years has pleased me with a fine return to form. As a matter of fact I saw him just last night in Chicago [This was originally written in 2004 and OH MY GOD how did I just toss that observation off ... it would end up being his final tour.] and he provided proof that rock and/or rollers need not relegate themselves to greatest hits tours or laughable albums of new material as long as they are willing to constantly challenge themselves in an effort to stay fresh without fear of falling flat on their face. Actually the aging artist that falls on his face grandly, as Bowie did on his outside album, often garners greater respect for at least being brave enough to take a risk when they could be coasting.

I digress.

It should be noted that none of the above artists were enjoying particularly wide-spread popularity at the time. I discovered all of them on my own with the aid of The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and The Trouser Press Record Guide as I thumbed through both while working a part-time job at my local Waldenbooks. This would also be the period of time I learned you could “trade” books for bootleg vinyl with the local head-shop/record store owner. It was the introduction to these bands that began to pave the way for the next, and most powerful, wave of musical influences…

SIDENOTE:

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

It should be duly noted that I really enjoyed this album and its movie's attendant Saturday night midnight movie showings as well. I was an artsy, freaky kid in the late ‘80s and unlike today there weren’t many places for us to congregate unless you traveled into Chicago and hung out at Clark and Belmont.

The Dark Ages.

Streets Of Fire (1984)

Ghostbusters (1984)

Footloose (1984)

Top Gun (1986)

I think the next major stage in my musical development must have come at the hands of the movie soundtrack explosion in the early '80s. Sure, some radio had begun to filter into my ears -- and some of it was so racy that my babysitter had to cover my ears (cue The J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” right about now) and that song about Johnny coming out to an empty garden to play got turned up every time it came in over the FM dial—but what truly marks this time in my musical development would be my discovery of the soundtrack.

To a little kid with not too much cash to his name, the soundtrack was an endless sampler of musical talent culled from my favorite movies of the time. The Jim Steinman led Fire Inc.’s rumbling anthems, Kenny Loggins both ushering me into the danger zone and teaching me how to cut loose, footloose and put on my Sunday shoes and Ray Parker Jr. and a dazzling array of celebrities invited me to call up the Ghostbusters. In retrospect a lot of these tunes were total crap. Hell, most soundtracks only have one or two good pop tunes on them and then an endless sea of filler that plays for three or four seconds in the background of a scene because the label needed to get the band some exposure. At least that’s the way it was in the ‘80s but I’m sure labels don’t do that sort of anything anymore in out illuminated world.

Anywho.

The main influence I think soundtracks had on me was getting me to accept various musical styles, side by side, as being equally worth my attention. It’s cheesy but impressive that Streets Of Fire mixed bombastic rock, doo-wop and ballads and to a kid that was pretty freakin' cool.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1971)

This is my musical grail...I can't even write about it. One day I will play Judas and get to sing those songs.

Let's move on.

Michael Jackson Thriller (1982)

Huey Lewis and the News Sports (1983)

Madonna Like A Virgin (1984)

Prince Purple Rain (1984)

Bruce Springsteen Born In The U.S.A. (1984)

Now we really begin to enter the world of albums. I was now growing addicted to both the radio and my walkman but the biggest development here was the idea of an extended long playing piece of work by a single artist actually being appealing.

I think Queen's soundtrack to Flash Gordon might have helped bridge this gap.

My taste was still crap but it was slowly improving. I had begun to grasp the important tools to separate pop from pap and was beginning to flex my own consumer dollar to reinforce my beliefs. Unfortunately this was in the days before SoundScan so my consumer vote was thwarted at every corner but dishonest retailers and shady accounting. No matter.

The above albums are really the first ones I can remember playing until they were nearly worn out. I owned both Thriller and Sports on vinyl and cassette tape so I could listen to them everywhere. As a matter of fact this is where cassettes begin to rule my life as I would sit next to my parent’s television, gaze into the ol' MTV and hold my little tape recorder up to the speaker to tape the songs I loved the most. “Goonies,” Don’t Come Around Here No More,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It”…it was here that my love of the mix-tape found its seed and it was here that I learned the lengths I would go through just to possess that…one…song…I just had to have...as I would sit up until 3 A.M. waiting for the new Murray Head video to come on so I could tape that damn song about Bangkok…

QUERY: Just who the hell was Johnny and why was DeBarge constantly asking about him? Loved the song but I guess I never paid much attention to the lyrics…

ADDENDUM: Kick. I'm not sure how this missed the original cut when this series first ran in 2004. Maybe the headspace of that guy was just overlooking that very important album as he tried to look cool? I doubt it—there's plenty in this series that makes me look like the dork I am. I think the most obvious explanation is I hadn't recently listened to the INXS catalog for pleasure at the time, though I know they made MANY appearances in my DJ sets.

I suspect I'll wrote something longer next week about INXS in general, since the 30th anniversary of Kick has resurfaced, erm, a LOT. But for now, let's readjust my 2004 timeline and admit that INXS firmly fits within this era as having a profound effect on me.

Original version of this post published on January 13, 2004

Prehistory.

As the high and low-brow seem to decrease the expanse that divides the two and sentimentality begins to overtake ironic detachment I think the world is finally prepared for music writers, or rock crit lit types, to begin unleashing the real songs and albums that helped inform our musical worldview.

Over the next week I’m going to try and outline the albums I believe, at my core, made me who I am today. Some of them will be old chestnuts that have been critically lauded from the get-go. Some of them are going to definitely fall into the “what-the-fuck?” category and some are probably best left in the “where-are-they-now?” files. Regardless, these are the albums and songs that turned me into a musical obsessive and a rock and/or roll convert for life.

KISS Ace Frehely (1978)

The Beatles Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

These are the first two albums I ever bought and I bought them together. I grew up in South Texas and the musical climate was rather, um, one-sided. I heard music with lots of horns and singing in a language I couldn’t quite decipher along with the occasional honky-tonk hit but for the most part is was a late ‘70s sequestered life-style.

My mom used to take me to this Mexican flea market frequently and it was there that I discovered the above two albums on vinyl. I knew the Beatles were cool because we had all kinds of songbooks of theirs by our piano. I had never heard KISS but I knew they were cool because there was a comic book that they were in put out by Marvel comics and Marvel comics was the coolest. Later, Marvel would also do a comic about Pope John Paul II. Ultra cool!

Anyway, I still remember throwing these discs on the record player at home and playing with the cardboard insert in the Beatles album but no being gutsy enough to actually detach and wear the cardboard moustache that was included with the album. The music kicked in and the squawking guitar, chugging drums and straining vocals hooked me immediately. I played that album over and over and it easily overtook the soundtracks to The Muppet Movie and The Jungle Book I had been grooving to at the time. Then Ace hit the turntable and while the effect wasn’t as powerful I did quite enjoy the massive amount of noise his guitar seemed to make in comparison with George and John’s more controlled effects.

Soon afterwards we got a station wagon with an 8-Track and it was in that wood paneled behemoth that I was introduced to Chuck Berry and his ding-a-ling and learned to rock out with Neil Diamond and his hot August nights.

The corruption had begun.

DISCLAIMER: For the record, I still love the soundtracks to The Muppet Movie and The Jungle Book as well ... it’s just that, well, the Beatles were just more rockin’, dig?

Original version of this post published on January 12, 2004

Oe of my favorite Chicago rock albums turned 20.

Before we dig into my deep musical past, let's celebrate Triple Fast Action's Cattlemen Don't, released 20 years ago this week.

Coming up this week...

So I uncovered a series of posts I did for Done Waiting back in (gasp!) 2004 that tracked my musical milestones from grade school through early college, and since that site has long since been dormant (sadface, pour one out for departed legends), and the majority of my writing there has been buried in the Wayback Machine, I think this week I will recreate that series almost verbatim. I may take the opportunity to update a bit or a piece here or there, but for the most part I'll leave everything intact. Please enjoy some of my more, um, unrefined musings.

Oh who am I kidding, since when did I ever become "refined?"

On some level I must have known this music video existed.

How is this the only time I recall actually seeing it, though?!

30 years since 'Kick,' huh?

God I'm getting old.

It's hard to convey just how huge this album made INXS. And that they were kind of considered "underground" and edgy prior to their world domination. Listen Like Thieves is still probably my favorite but Kick loomed large over my junior year of high school. Especially since it was directly connected to the girl I had a huge crush on at the time. I think I may have had a crush on Michael Hutchence too, and just not really known it.

Here's the original one-two video punch.

He's always been an asshole, people.

The new series of Embedded examines Donald Trump's past in hopes of shedding light on what to expect from his political future. At least I think that's what their goal is.

Perhaps what's most stunning is that the man is the same as he's always been. He's always been awful. This isn't a new development or some early onset dementia. He's just an asshole.

I also realized I have never liked Trump. I thought The Apprentice was terrible and didn't like how it painted him as some rich scrapper who beat the odds when he was in fact on the edge of bankruptcy. But it wasn't that show that sparked my initial dislike of Trump.

I think it goes back to Sy magazine, something a kid my age barely understood in the '80s, but read because it had the air of being witty and sharp and not suffering fools gladly. Back then they called Trymp out for venal pettiness and a glaringly obvious case of the crushing fear of inadequacy that drives lesser men to bully and dodge the truth.

As you can see little has changed.

Anyway, I've gotten off topic. Subscribe to and listen to Embedded.

"This isn't pizza. This isn't even human food!"

The Daily Show is in town taping four episodes in Chicago and Mich and I were lucky enough to get invited to tonight's taping. I should probably make the embarrassing admission that I realized I haven't actually watched a full episode of The Daily Show since Trevor Noah took over (?!). Well, now I have. I've always appreciated his combination of sharp, intelligent humor tempered by laid-back demeanor, and seeing him live—he continued his stand-up approach even during the commercial breaks and kept us all in stitches the whole time—made me appreciate his control of his craft even more.

As for the title of the post, you'll just have to watch the episode to understand why that quote made me laugh so hard, but I'll give you the hint that correspondent Ronny Chieng and I both have a similar view of Chicago deep dish pizza.

UPDATE: You can now read my recap, and watch videos, of the episode on Chicagoist!

Wand stopped wandering and found their focus, for now.

Wand, photo by Sofia Arreguin. Which, I guess, makes this a sort of selfie?

On Plum, Wand is less a psych band and more a classic rock band. This ends up delivering a solid album that, for me, doesn't have many highs or lows, but instead feels mostly ... competent. Don't mistake this as a negative observation. The band had been veering around a bit during their first burst of productivity, and the result was unpredictability, but not always of the best kind. Their sound differed from album to album, and I always got the impression the changes were driven more by a search for identity; a drive to flip over new musical stones and dig deeper into one sound or another without really making a commitment.

Plum is the band's first new album in two years, for Wand an eternity, and in many ways it feels more conventional, inasmuch as it profiles a band that seem to be happy with the sound they've chosen. This move allows the band to stand on an album that feels like they finally flipped over a stone and found a mirror that reflected their true intentions back at them.

"Bee Karma" is a scorcher I've got on repeat.

'Legion' is easily my favorite soundtrack of the year thus far. If you're logging that sort of thing.

Note: I just noticed this draft has been sitting around since the first half of this year! I think I remembered it primarily because I was listening to the Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack earlier this week and was struck by how great it was when matched against the visuals, and how flat so much of it felt when it was just left to stand on its own merits. Anyway, it's probably better I didn't publish this way back when, because I don't think the Bandcamp page was live at the time, so the only placeI could have directed you was iTunes—where I bought it from—since I don't think it existed anywhere else at the outset. Anyway.

The Legion soundtrack is like a lovely mixture of Vangelis, Pink Floyd and ‘60s Mod. And it works even better than most, since the instrumentals can mostly stand as songs on their own and not just snippets of music to match a 30 second scene or transition.*

Which isn’t to say these compositions didn’t perfectly, perfectly, fit the visuals in the series they were created to complement. They did. They just happen to accomplish the unusual feat of a soundtrack album also being engaging outside its prime reason for existing. Most that do this tend to skew more on the atmospheric side, but for whatever reason Russo’s work here also has a weird prog sensibility that puts it in a slightly different swim lane than you’d expect it to occupy.

You can’t just listen passively to Legion. It digs in and creates its own space within you whether you want it to or not.



*There are a few “snippets” but they act as welcome interludes in the album’s sequencing. Actual interludes!

Liam Gallagher's AMA had some genuinely wistful and emotionally revealing moments.

Photo via Liam Gallagher's Instagram

I know you think I'm kidding, but I'm not. First of all, Liam Gallagher's AMA was remarkably straightforward. There was some humor, to be sure, but he actually went ahead and answered questions thrown his way with a forthrightness usually pretty foreign to these exercises nowadays.

And there were three questions that actually elicited answers that felt, well, emotional, wistful and honestly sentimental.

Comment from discussion I'm Liam Gallagher. And you are not.

Comment from discussion I'm Liam Gallagher. And you are not.

Comment from discussion I'm Liam Gallagher. And you are not.

But of course, because Liam is Liam, there was still this…

Comment from discussion I'm Liam Gallagher. And you are not.

Gallagher's new album, his first 100% solo effort, As You Were is out now. And you know what? It's really great. It makes me even more sad his Lollapalooza set got cut so short this year, because the kid is on a hot run right now.



It might just be my favorite post-Oasis release from either Gallagher brother!

Resurrect summer vibes with WATERS.

WATERS, photo by Cara Robbins

Wow, I really sat on this one. You see, since I have long lists of albums to listen to, I often spin the ones that seem like they might be more "difficult" and save the ones that sound like they'll just be pure fun to take in until later. What this means is that ofttimes albums keep getting pushed further and further back in the line. It's kind of like when you know the bartender but you tend to get passed over for newer customers because they're trying to get them out of the way so they can spend quality time with you. But what actually happens is you end up waiting forever to get a drink.

Such was the case with the WATERS album Something More!, that came out in ... May?! What was I thinking?! Because it's so much fun, and would've made the perfect summer soundtrack for me. But of course, instead, here I am on a dreary October day now dreaming of sunshine powered by huge guitars and group choruses. Let's go straight to the notes I jotted down after first listening to the album at the gym this morning (which, by the way, definitely contributed to me logging 10,000 steps before 10 a.m.!).

If 5 Seconds Of Summer wrote good songs they might sound like this. I can't tell if this is kids with great production or pros who are aiming for super accessible HUGE pop-rock. Ah ... the press release says "Written and recorded over the past year in LA, following big-time touring runs with the likes of Weezer, Tegan and Sara, and Matt and Kim, the album came together after the five-piece band returned home and were forced to confront the day-to-day realities of everyday life." Yup, that sounds about right. 

It's super dumb but super fun and I think I super like it.

I mean, that about super sums it up. Check out two of the LP's tracks below and snag a copy of the album if you like them. If you're looking for a shortcut to blast out ever shortening days with an extra dose of psychic sunshine, this should do the trick.

Quick tips to keeping your sanity in an unending political news cycle.

I don't know if this will help you, but I've found it helps me. Here are a few tips on how to consume political news in a relatively responsible manner that may help you from constantly freaking out.

1. Don't watch cable news. At all. 
2. Avoid news sources that either directly align with or contradict your political beliefs. Submerging yourself in either isn't really helpful. (Unless you're a journalist trying to get the full picture of what each side thinks is going on. But the average person should save themselves the blood pressure raising hassle.)
3. Check in with AP and Reuters throughout the day. Once things filter through those two sources you can be reasonably assured you're getting something real and more balanced.
4. Don't get your political news from Facebook. It's an echo chamber that will only feed you your own viewpoint, and that is completely useless.
5. Take up meditation. Even if only in brief bursts.

UPDATE: I added the photo of Pickle to make this a little more inviting. Tips are always better with kittens!

Two new Diane Coffee songs are just making me hungry for more.

Photo by Photo by Cara Robbins Photography from the Diane Coffee Facebook page.

Diane Coffee's new 2 song release, Peel, is out later this month. It glam-tastic. And fabulous. And really makes me wish he was releasing a full album. Here's the A-side, but I assure you the B-side "Get By" is just as excellent.

I've been following Shaun Fleming (they who are "Diane Coffee") and their work for quite a while now and they've progressed from a quirky psych wunderkind into a mini-symphonic stomping genius. If they continue in this direction, I am prepared to get very excited for their next full-length, whenever that might finally arrive.

You can order a copy of Peel today.

Just 4.5 hours away.

I really wish my dad were alive to see the Blade Runner sequel.

Getting heavy with Mothership.

Mothership sounds exactly like this photo looks. Photo by James Villa via the band's Facebook page.

Short, sweet and to the point today.

Mothership, a Texas groovy power trio, bears a lot of similarity to Fu Manchu's skate metal. Their latest album isn't exactly a mindblower, but if you're looking for a sharp, solid collection that will get your head swaying, then this will fit that bill.

"Ride The Sun" is my clear favorite from the LP, so let's use its forward momentum to get us ever closer to the weekend.

Dig it? The band has a short tour out west coming up.

How much new music did I listen to in September 2017? Let's find out!

On my way to Riot Fest a few weeks ago...

2017 is really shaping up to be a pretty mediocre year, musically. At least based on my personal rating system and the hundreds of albums I’ve listened to thus far. Don't get me wrong, there has been a LOT to like. I'm not hurting for enjoyable tunes. There's just precious little that has been GREAT.

On one hand, it’s a great time to be a sentimental 30- or 40-something, since the indie guitar rock of the late ‘80s and ‘90s has made a roaring comeback. But that ain’t exactly new or groundbreaking, no matter how much it is a direct hit on my pleasure centers.

Pop and hip-hop are dominant, which in no way bugs me, but neither is doing anything new. In fact, due to the Soundcloud and Spotify nation, I’d argue much of this stuff is more disposable since it is literally built without longevity in mind. So as far as snapshots of a moment, this is great! But it evaporates almost instantaneously upon landing.

I have a feeling the above grafs will end up forming the backbone of my year-end piece, so don’t be surprised if you get a sense of déjà vu come December. Anyway, here’s how September shaped up!

As always, here’s a guide to my rating system.

Total number of new/upcoming releases listened to in September 2017: 44

Number of those releases that rated 7-10: 2

Number of those releases that rated 4-6: 31

Number of those releases that rated 1-3: 11

Highest rated album: The National’s Sleep Well Beast. Believe me, no one is more surprised than me. I suspect that the new Foo Fighters album will edge up a point or two by year’s end, which would give it the win for September. But as of now it’s the NYC crew by way of Ohio.

New band I’d never heard of that caught me off guard: Deep State! For so many reasons, I think they actually won September.

Most surprising discovery: Tub Ring has a new album! Who knew they were even still together?! I remember booking them waaaaaay back when. If you need your Faith No More / Mr. Bungle / accessible Mike Patton itch scratched, then grab this album.

Tom Petty and me.

Photo by me.

My earliest memories of Tom Petty were of his videos on constant rotation in the earlier days of MTV. I always thought the videos were inventive, but my pre-teen tastes ran more towards poppier stuff, so while I always thrilled to see Alice turned into a huge cake, there were times I tires of watching Petty wander through a wasteland since it meant some of the frothier fare I preferred wasn't on the screen.

In my early teens, I appreciated his work, but thought hm a bit of a fuddy-duddy as I ventured into punk, metal and college rock (what you would now call indie, I suppose). I dug the hits, but didn't dwell on them. I do think it was probably around this time my brothers got hit by the Tom Petty bug though—they latched onto his genius before I really recognized it, that's for certain.

In my '20s I dutifully became aware of his broader catalog, the deeper cuts, and started to delve into unreleased tracks. It was probably about then that something clicked and the guy I thought was a dinosaur when I was a kid suddenly revealed himself as a visionary and a songwriter of almost scarily excellent consistency. My blind spot cleared up and what my brothers had known for years suddenly hit me as well.

I spent the next decade or so in this state, and unusually for me, didn't really do a deep dive into Petty's personal history. I think perhaps that once his genius became apparent to me, that was sufficient. Perhaps I preferred him to be more a cypher and an icon, and less flesh and blood? But in October of last year, my then-co-worker Dave suggested I read Warren Zanes' Petty: The Biography, so I took it on vacation to Florida, devoured it, and spent that week playing nothing but Tom Petty non-stop as I sat my the pool behind the house we rented.

It's only now I realize the irony of reading a Petty biography and gorging on Petty music while in Florida. How did I never make that connection before?! No matter.

Instead of his personal history demystifying his musical output, it intensified the work, in my eyes. It was the final piece of the puzzle. I had at last walked through the mirror with deep appreciation on one said and absolute fandom on the other. Sure took me long enough, huh?

Photo by me

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played Wrigley Field the day before my birthday this year. I didn’t have a +1, so I couldn’t bring Michelle, and I seriously considered giving up my ticket because I felt guilty I couldn’t take her.

Then I realized that even after all these years I had never seen Petty play live, and the word was this would be his last “big” tour, so I smartened up and went. It was pouring for the first half of the set, but even though I was soaked I was smiling he whole time.

It’s bittersweet, but I’m glad my only time seeing Petty on stage measured up to all my hopes and expectations. I spent most of yesterday hope, hope, hoping he’d pull through once the initial news reports were debunked, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Sad though today is, the man attained immortality, because his songbook will never go out of style.

How to decipher breaking news.

Below is an incredibly useful guide for translating what is what in a breaking news story. Given the horrific events of the past couple of hours, and the non-stop media coverage that has followed, I know it is tempting to listen to every single development. Personally, I prefer to check in every couple of hours to see what new things have surfaced, but we all have our own methods of dealing with mind-bending events. You should do what's best for you.

However you chose to consume updates, though, I can't recommend enough to keep the below "handbook" in mind as you do.