nah pop, no style

I think at the end of the 2009, I could count the number of national-level releases that I had listened to and enjoyed and that really stuck with me on one finger. I could be forgetting something right now, but it wasn’t pretty, I know that.

However, right now I find myself jamming three new discs on the regular: Bear In Heaven’s Beast Rest Forth Mouth, which was actually from last fall but I didn’t get it until last week; Beach House’s Teen Dream, which is brandy-new, to the point where I’m not supposed to have it yet; and Tortoise’s synthy new groove, Beacons of Ancestorship. Does this mean music is getting better again, or just that I’m getting to be willing to listen to things that aren’t Arthur Russell again? Maybe a little of each.

In other news:

• Tomorrow’s Third Thursdays show at the WYEP studio is my esteemed colleague Aaron Jentzen, playing along with Cello Fury.  Worth a check-out!
• I’ll repeat it so that it comes true. My new year’s resolution: Better high-fives, more often.
• Some new stuff in the CP that came out today — I’ll post links when everything’s live online tomorrow. In the meantime, PICK UP A REAL COPY SO THAT PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE IN IT SO THAT IT WILL CONTINUE EXIST AND I’LL CONTINUE TO BE EMPLOYED!

This is my friend Lena’s brother. It’s no Hall & Oates, but watch it, seriously. I promise it’s a funny song. PROMISE!