#14

"Spring was confusing, a little bit scary. Summer was much of the same."

This issue's title comes from a track from the bass driven, sludge-metal band Big Business. The song is "Just As The Day Was Dawning" from their debut album Here Come The Waterworks and is pretty much my credo for the way 2009 has treated me. The first part of the year being very tense and emotional. One day I would be on my A-game- creating things and tying knots to the strings that linked all the things coming undone in my life. The next- wanting to hang myself from that very string. What I aimed to do wound up tearing me apart. Sure, I did some good things. Hell, I started this blog, and even though I haven't updated it much lately, it still stands. That counts for something. I did some bad things too. Things that lingered into the latter part of the year, but it's getting better.

In the beginning of '09 there was mania. Not in the sense of a bipolar disorder though, at least I don't think. I tried going to therapy and to have myself tested. It wound up being a waste of my time and $50 a visit. Besides, sometimes I have the tendency not to take advice from the people who matter most in my life. Family. Friends. Musicians. So I asked myself, "If you rarely listen to them, what makes you think you're going to listen to a shrink, Nick?" Well played, brain, well played. Back to the subject at hand, my manic impulses caused me to overload on thought, but with that came a lack of reason. I had so many ideas and I was in such a rush to start on them that I never focused on any kind of approach or vector. It was as if I had a sword and was just waving it blindly in the direction of my adversary hoping it would strike. That sword was heavy and in time I could no longer hold it up. My arms gave out. I conceded to defeat.

Now, as 2010 approaches, I feel reinvigorated. My usual penchant for camaraderie and "ruling" has returned. I don't make resolutions, or promises, or goals. I just let things flow but I direct the current toward a more favorable avenue that will lead to my and other's well-being.

Aside from all of that nonsense though, I wish to divulge to you my top 5 albums of the year. I was originally going to do 10, but I figured A: After album number 5 there's a really big drop off in how much I liked 6-10, and B: It's called 5songsinarow for a reason. Five being the magic number. So, you will get the five albums that I listened to the most this year that I thought were uber-worthy. Let the madness end!..er..begin! Whatever.

5. Sleepy Sun - Embrace

Classic psyche-rock/blues sound akin to Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane, and more recently Black Mountain. Big guitar and cymbal sounds with lots of distorted bass just like dad used to love before he started listening to Celine Dion and "settling down". I say fuck that. Put this album on and crank your stereo to it's highest volume possible. An album like this deserves to be listened to as loud as possible. If you don't you will miss the subtle nuances throw in from the sparse harmonica and wha pedal. Also, having a female vocalist always adds some points in my book.


4. Mew - No More Stories...

These Danes do it up with their usual throw of prog-rock, odd-tempo weirdness with big atmospheres that probably make Muse blush and feel bad about themselves. Speaking of Muse, their new album this year wasn't so hot. I was actually quite disappointed in it. Thankfully Mew's new album was released and I could not stop listening to it. I love an album that everytime you listen to it it provides something new you didn't hear before. This was a big one, and for some people it's at the #1 spot on their list, and I'm okay with that.


3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

There aren't enough good things to say about this album, but then again, I am one of those Veckatimest people - the distant cousins to the Merriweather Post Pavilion people. We see each other maybe once a year during Thanksgiving and don't really talk much. We have that one conversation about football while waiting for dinner to be served since it's the only thing we share in common. Seriously though, people have been quite divisive about who to give the #1 spot to this year. It seems though that Animal Collective is the Obama of 2009 in music world.


2. Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth

I think I wet myself a little bit when I first listened to this album in its entirety. And here I thought indie/electronic was going toward the way of suck. Oh how wrong I was. This album bumped GB off the #2 spot to snatch the silver right out of their hands. They do have one thing in common though, they are both from Brooklyn. It seems as if that NYC borough has been an automatic indie band dispensary lately. Remember back in the early part of the decade when it was Omaha? Yeah, so do I. I'm glad that's over. Long live the east coast.


1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

Honestly, none of the albums on this list could hold a candle to Middle Cyclone. It's not so much the music that makes this album so unbelievably incredible, it's the lyrics contained within that make it so special. As a writer I always gravitate toward albums that are heavily literary oriented. Add Neko's voice to these triumphs of fiction (and non-fiction) set to flawless fundamental folk/americana and you have a masterpiece. "This Tornado Loves You" is still the reigning champ as being the most played song on my iPod. When you fall in love with this album you'll understand why. From her cover of Nilsson's "Don't Forget Me" to the dragging march and drone of "Prison Girls" Ms. Case as proved once again that she is a force to be reckoned with. Respect her.

That's it folks. I will see everyone in 2010 with a new edition of 5SIAR. Much love to you all!