Darkness fell across the land
Our hope fell in the sand
And there it was
Though for certain we stood still
The earth shook and spilled
Then gave it up
Could we believe our eyes
When life has tossed us aside?
So turn and hang your head
He is given up for dead
And so am I

So give me the light to understand
The fight to comprehend the whys
So give me the mind to step ahead
When I hear what You’ve said and hide

The night turned to day
The days fade away
And so it was
The hours wouldn’t pass
And forever couldn’t last
We gave it up
We were fixed on the door
Waiting for… is this a dream?
Tell us how to feel
Can it be that this is real?
What am I?

So give me the light to understand
The fight to comprehend the whys
So give me the mind to step ahead
When I hear what You’ve said and hide

We once were full of hope to know
He’s opened up our eyes
But if He walks across the sea
What does any of it mean
If He has died

But the stone was rolled away
And the angel came to say
He’s alive, He is alive
But the stone was rolled away
And we just have to say
He’s alive

So give me the light to understand
The fight to comprehend the whys
So give me the mind to step ahead
When I hear what You’ve said and hide




"Friday to Sunday" by
Poor Old Lu
From the album "The Waiting Room" (2002)
Words by Scott Hunter

As long as I have been listening to music, I have been making year-end lists. I have favorites for everything, and I always make a top 10 album list at the end of every year. Thanks to the fact that I am a pack-rat (and keep a blog), I have located my top 10 lists for the last 10 years. I am going to post them here just for kicks. Some inclusions (Five Iron Frenzy) and exclusions (Radiohead) are fairly embarrassing, but what can I say, my musical tastes are constantly evolving (and hopefully improving?).

Within the next week I am going to make new updated top-10 lists for every year starting with 1991. (I own very little music pre-1991.) I also plan to make a best-of mix for every year from 1991 to the present. My top albums have generally stayed the same, but the rest of the lists have changed drastically in some cases.

The stars (*) represent which albums are available on vinyl. Three stars (***) represent which albums I actually own on vinyl (I am in the long process of getting all of the starred albums on vinyl.) If you are aware of any of these albums being available that I don't have starred, please let me know.

1997:
1. Sixpence None the Richer**
2. Stavesacre- Absolutes
3. Model Engine- The Lean Year’s Tradition
4. Velour100- Of Colour Bright**
5. Luxury- The Latest & The Greatest
6. Rose Blossom Punch- Ephemere
7. Dear Ephesus- The Consolation of Pianissimo
8. Christine Glass- Human
9. Havalina Rail Co.- Russian Lullabies
10. Starflyer 59- Americana*
11. Five Iron Frenzy- Our Newest Album Ever
12. Vigilantes of Love- Slow Dark Train
13. Pedro the Lion- Whole EP*

1998:
1. Sunny Day Real Estate- How It Feels to Be Something On*
2. Jennifer Knapp- Kansas
3. Pedro the Lion- It’s Hard to Find a Friend*
4. REM- Up*
5. The Smashing Pumpkins- Adore*
6. Mineral- EndSerenading*
7. Circle of Dust- Disengage
8. Aunt Bettys- Ford Supersonic
9. Starflyer 59- The Fashion Focus*
10. Common Children- Delicate Fade

1999:
1. The Juliana Theory- Understand This is a Dream
2. Vigilantes of Love- Audible Sigh
3. Fleming & John- The Way We Are
4. Jimmy Eat World- Clarity**
5. P.O.D.- The Fundamental Elements of Southtown
6. Stavesacre- Speakeasy
7. Luxury
8. The Innocence Mission- Birds of my Neighborhood
9. Lost Dogs- Gift Horse
10. Starflyer 59- Everybody Makes Mistakes*

2000:
1. Sunny Day Real Estate- The Rising Tide*
2. The Juliana Theory- Emotion is Dead*
3. Cush
4. Elliott- False Cathedrals**
5. Pedro the Lion- Winners Never Quit**
6. Aaron Sprinkle- The Kindest Days
7. Smashing Pumpkins- Machina*
8. Kerith Ravine- The Streams of Jettison
9. Evanescence- Origin
10. Blindside- A Thought Crushed My Mind

2001:
1. Tess Wiley- Rainy Day Assembly
2. Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American**
3. Thursday- Full Collapse
4. Over the Rhine- Films for Radio
5. Death Cab for Cutie- The Photo Album*
6. POD- Satellite
7. Appleseed Cast- Low Level Owl Vol. 1 & 2**
8. Starflyer 59- Leave Here a Stranger*
9. Aaron Sprinkle- Bareface
10. The Lassie Foundation- The El Dorado LP

2002:
1. The Gloria Record- Start Here*
2. Poor Old Lu- The Waiting Room
3. Sixpence None the Richer- Divine Discontent
4. Pedro the Lion- Control*
5. Blindside- Silence
6. The Anniversary- Your Majesty*
7. Brandtson- Dial In Sounds**
8. The Beautiful Mistake- Light a Match, for I Deserve to Burn**
9. GRITS- The Art of Translation
10. Chevelle- Wonder What’s Next

2003:
1. Fountains of Wayne- Welcome Interstate Managers
2. Thrice- The Artist in the Ambulance**
3. Death Cab for Cutie- Transatlanticism**
4. Over the Rhine- Ohio*
5. Nada Surf- Let Go**
6. The Appleseed Cast- Two Conversations*
7. Sleeping at Last- Ghosts
8. Elliott- Song in the Air**
9. Zwan- Mary Star of the Sea
10. Mates of State- Team Boo**
11. Brown Feather Sparrow- Wide Awakens Everything
12. The Jealous Sound- Kill Them With Kindness

2004:
1. Brandtson- Send Us A Signal
2. Lovedrug- Pretend You're Alive
3. Tess Wiley- Not Quite Me
4. Jimmy Eat World- Futures**
5. Blindside- About a Burning Fire
6. Mindy Smith- One Moment More
7. Pedro the Lion- Achilles Heel*
8. Jump (Little Children)- Between the Dim and the Dark
9. Demon Hunter- Summer of Darkness
10. Starflyer 59- I am the Portuguese Blues

2005:
1. Eisley- Room Noises**
2. Sufjan Stevens- Illinois**
3. Thrice- Vheissu**
4. Luxury- Health & Sport
5. Starflyer 59- Talking Voice vs. Singing Voice**
6. Over the Rhine- Drunkard's Prayer
7. Fiona Apple- Extraordinary Machine**
8. The New Pornographers- Twin Cinema*
9. Rosie Thomas- If Songs Could Be Held
10. Death Cab for Cutie- Plans**
11. Coldplay- X & Y*
12. Nada Surf- The Weight is a Gift**

2006:
1. Fair- The Best Worst-Case Scenario
2. Mates of State- Bring it Back**
3. Jeremy Enigk- World Waits
4. Manchester Orchestra- I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child*
5. Neko Case- Fox Confessor Bring the Flood*
6. Starflyer 59- My Island
7. The Be Good Tanyas- Hello, Love
8. The Appleseed Cast- Peregrine**
9. Brandtson- Hello, Control
10. Sleeping at Last- Keep No Score

Remember, these were my top-10 lists at the time, and not currently!

Well I woke one morning,
found you staring down at me,
you said "I'll take my share now, father please",
and you took your money,
and you took your leave,
you drilled my heart and turned your back on me...

And you hit the town,
and you hit the bottle hard,
you race 'round in your fancy cars and you blow all your money,
on brothels, beds, and bars,
before you know your broken times get hard...

I still stand here waiting,
with my eyes fixed on the road,
and I fight back tears and I wonder,
if you're ever coming home,
don't you know son that I love you,
and I don't care where you've been,
so please come home.

And now you've hit bottom,
all those open doors have shut,
and you're hungry stomach's tied in knots,
but I know what you're thinking,
that you troubled me enough,
nothing could ever separate you from my love...

I still stand here waiting,
with my eyes fixed on the road,
and I fight back tears and I wonder,
if you're ever coming home,
don't you know son that I love you,
and I don't care where you've been,
yes and i'll be right here waiting,
'til you come around the bend,
and I run to you and hold you close,
won't let go again,
so please come home,
please come home...

Don't you know son that I love you?
And I don't care where you've been,
so please come home




"Please Come Home" by Dustin Kensrue
From the album "Please Come Home" (2007)
Words by Dustin Kensrue

She stepped outside into the morning air
To watch the cars go by and let the sun dry her hair
I wanted to tell her how beautiful she was
But I just stared

I sat behind the wheel and watched the raindrops
As they gathered on the windshield
And raced down into the humming motor
And she folded up her fears like paper airplanes
And lost them in the trees

And I know I don't deserve this
The capacity to feel
To laugh and cry and to praise
For that I live and breathe and wake each day clean
Is nothing less than your grace
In awkward and glorious movement



Mineral- "If I Could"
From the album "The Power of Failing" (1996)
Words by Chris Simpson

I know one day, all our scars will disappear, like the stars at dawn
and all of our pain, will fade away when morning comes
and on that day when we look backwards we will see, that everything is changed
and all of our trials, will be as milestones on the way

and as long as we live, every scar is a bridge to someone's broken heart
and there's no greater love, than the one shed his blood for his friends

on that day all of the scales will swing to set all the wrongs to right
all of our tears, and all of our fears will take to flight
but until then all of our scars will still remain, but we've learned that if we'll
open the wounds and share them then soon they start to heal

(as long as we live, we are bridges to someone's broken heart
there's no greater love, shed your blood for your friends)

we must see that every scar is a bridge, and as long as we live
we must open up these wounds
when some one stands in your shoes and will shed his own blood
there's no greater love. we must open up our wounds




Thrice- "For Miles"
From the album "Vheissu" (2005)
Words by Dustin Kensrue

now the light is fading fast
if only it would last
our time has come and gone
yet i'm still holding on
to words i should have said
and what they would have meant
between old friends like us
between us

how do i begin to say
i've loved you since the day
we waited for the rain
and how it never came
and for the years to come
through a thousand moons and suns
how you've remained my friend
remember

one thing will never change
and that's how i feel today
i know you're closer now than ever
let me close my eyes a minute
i'll start from the beginning
before life takes you from me
you have to know

now the night has come at last
our time is fading fast
just let me say
that i will love you always




Mortal- "Moons & Suns"
From the album "Wake" (1994)
Words by Jyro

New Blindside EP coming out next week, you can listen to all of it on their Myspace site and it sounds great.







One week until Cornerstone! I haven't been in 5 years, and I am very excited. Very few artists I love are playing, but there are some good ones: SF59, Rosie Thomas, Leigh Nash, MeWithoutYou, the Violet Burning, and most notably Tess Wiley.

I have been listening to the New Pornographers new album a ton: Challengers. They have this thing called "Buy Early, Get Now" that allows you to listen to it early, plus all kinds of bonus things. The title track is a beautiful slower-tempo track featuring the lead vocals of Neko Case.

Other upcoming albums I am excited about:
Tegan & Sara- The Con (July 2007)
The Smashing Pumpkins- Veitgeist (July 2007)
Eisley- Combinations (August 2007)
The New Pornographers- Challengers (August 2007)
Pinback- Autumn of the Seraphs (Sept. 2007)
Zookeeper- Becoming All Things (Sept. 2007) (Chris Simpson of Mineral & The Gloria Record)
Theft- Nothing Gold Will Stay (November 2007) (Matt McCartie of Driver Eight, National, etc.)
Thrice- TBA (4-disc) (Fall 2007)
Jimmy Eat World- Chase This Light (Fall 2007)

My previous post is about the NBA, which is ironic considering I have almost lost all interest in the league. In a way I wish the Pistons would just suck next year that way I wouldn't watch any games. I did not see any of the NBA Finals and apparently I didn't miss much. I am now counting down the days until football starts- ready to watch the Washington Redskins and the Auburn Tigers again.

Last night the Pistons won one of the best NBA games I have ever seen. The Pistons had won games 1 & 2 against the Bulls convincingly, by over 20 points both times, but I really expected the Bulls to win game 3. The Pistons over the past few years have typically had game 3 let-downs on the road.

The first quarter was just like I expected, the Bulls playing better and up by 2. The second quarter was horrendous for the Pistons, only scoring 10 points. They trailed 43-28 at the half. Yes, they only had 28 points at half-time, I don't remember the Pistons ever scoring that few in 24 minutes of basketball.

At the beginning of the 3rd quarter it got worse, the Bulls widening their lead to 19 points. Then the Pistons took over, dominating the game offensively and defensively. Rasheed Wallace hit a 3 as the buzzer sounded closing the defecit to 61-60.

The 4th quarter was dominated by the Pistons, yet very, very ugly for both teams. The Pistons now lead the series 3-0, a lead that has never been overcome in NBA history.

In music news, Tess Wiley's new album is on iTunes now, although CD copies are only available in Germany presently. I plan to get my physical copy of the album when I see her play at Cornerstone. Speaking of Cornerstone, my wife and I are tentatively planning on attending. It will be my first Cornerstone since 2002 (my 4th overall) and her first. The line-up is actually pretty decent- Tess Wiley, Leigh Nash, Rosie Thomas, Over the Rhine, Starflyer 59, MeWithoutYou, among others. I am hoping Fair and Neon Horse will be playing Tooth & Nail Day. Dakoda Motor Co. unfortunately is only playing Cornerstone California.

The new Tess Wiley album isn't yet out, but here is a new free mp3 from Tapete's website to tide you over:

http://www.tapeterecords.de/index.php?id=3

So, anyone know who is in the band Neon Horse? The only obvious member is Mark Salomon, but I have my guesses for the rest of the line-up. Seems very similar in a way to the failed Emergency/Enemy Ships project.

I have been getting a lot of requests lately for two items, so here they are!

The first is Kerith Ravine's music. Kerith Ravine is essentially the band Lovedrug before it was called Lovedrug. They had one LP, two EPs, and then a couple of other tracks. Here are the EPs, long out of print.

The next is All Things Bright and Beautiful. This is the project of Luxury's Lee Bozeman. He has a full length All Things Bright and Beautiful LP that was released a couple of years ago and is available from Northern Records. There were two independently released EPs before that, and they are also both long out of print. Download them here.

NCAA Tourney starts tomorrow- woo hoo! Go Vandy!