SOME THOUGHTS ON BANDCAMP

Bandcamp's a cool little thing I think. It's like purevolume gone sick DIY. I hear murmurs that some people don't dig it. I dig it lots. I wish they had a little better search/suggestion system like purevolume, but when I can listen to, and sometimes even download, majorly wicked tunes that the bands thumbs-up, I'm good and hand-clapping. Here are some thoughts on bandcamp:

- Laminar Excursion Monthly was this cool year-long subscription joint effort between Crossroads of America Records and Flannelgraph Records a while back. Each month two mini-cds with exclusive-ish music came spinning up to my mailbox. Sometimes they rocked sometimes they sounded like lawnmowers. Osteoferocious' output for LEM was their longest and totally best release. Nine songs of fast clanky rock n' roll, just the way I like it. Favorite tracks: "Fix Me," "Underage Drinking," and "I Don't Mind."

- Bunch of weirdo dudes from Muncie pumping out loud music in various shifted shapes: Support The Troopz, Acid Devils, and Indiana State Park. Get over your squiggly sideways face staring at the troopz page. That stuff shreds. And Acid Devils should be played at the top of every parking garage. And I heard Indiana State Park is finishing up a full-length, okay, thanks. "Cigars" is a summer rock tune if I've ever heard one.



- I'm not sure why I haven't bought Apache Dropout's full LP yet. I know it's at VGR. They have Side A up on bandcamp FOR FREE. Been shaking my body to these songs for months now.

- Half Raptor seemed like a bunch of (cool) dweebs when they played VGR awhile back and man do they make some killer gritty songs. Check out their discography FOR FREE. Favorite tunes: "Our Death," "Sadley But Surely," and "Andy Warr."

- Two soothing albums to buy on bandcamp for cheapz if you don't own a record player or JUST CAN'T WAIT: Oscillate Wisely by Mike Adams At His Honest Weight and Life But No More by Frank Schweikhardt. These are awesome albums for sitting on your roof or making out or walking your dog.

- I'm not sure why you wouldn't buy "Post-Nothing" by Japandroids for EIGHT BUCKS. I'm not sure why you would go see them with me for my birthday.



- LOOK AT ALL THOSE HUSBAND&WIFE TUNES YOU CAN LISTEN TO.

Alright alright alright. WHAT AM I MISSING ON BANDCAMP?

BACK TO BACK BOO YEAH

Tuesday, my bloof book pals Jennifer L. Knox, Shanna Compton, and Peter Davis invaded Ball State. My good pal Cody Davis got to kick off the reading with some of his hard hitting short poems. People laughed, people bought books, people talked to me. Three things that make me go WOAH.

Great things are happening for the Bloofers. They are on the road right now for their new books. Shanna has a new chapbook that is a pretty little thing and is a teaser for her new book out early next year. Jennifer tore down the house with her "slam poem" from her sweet book A Gringo Like Me. Also, it was great to hear her read from her new book, The Mystery of the Hidden Driveway. Those neat pages are sitting on my shelf, waiting on things to slow down. And Pete, oh Pete, with another reading from his new book Poetry!Poetry!Poetry!, delivered his usual stuff, a heartfelt, funny, and cool reading. They all ruled it for real.

I AM ON THE BEST AMERICAN POETRY BLOG. WHAT?!

Then last night, I was still reeling from all that coolness and Sara and I drove down to Bloomington for the evening to see No Age (along with Osteoferocious and this other band I won't talk about because I was bored and don't remember anything.) Osteoferocious, besides being pals of mine and having a sweet band name, do some pretty mean No Age-influenced jams, short, clanky, and fun. They real brought it last night. And then, No Age, I mean really, oh really, these guys, with their electronics, and their lead singer-drumming, front and center. IVE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT HONEST. Their first full-length just rules and I listen to it regularly and the minute I got the Facebook event invite I RSVP'ed. (SCHOOL NIGHT WHAT?) BUT I HAD NO CLUE WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO. One thing I can't get out of my head is the confidence and the complete control they showed, especially the drummer/singer, seeming so flawless, so smooth, yet so intensely insane, while managing to howl and buzz his vocals the whole time. And in between songs, he would stand up and talk to people in the crowd or just laugh and joke. I RESPECT THAT MAN. They have a new album coming out September 28th (Shame on their label for not letting them bring it with them), and the new songs sounded so killer. Oh MAN I CANT STOP. WONT STOP. BYE.

Wait:
- I have some words to say about the new elimae and also a Kim Chinquee story at Vouched.
- The new Collagist is out!
- Next weekend is my birthday weekend and The XRA Fest. DANG.

3 Cool Salamanders on a rock

1. Kim Chinquee is a cool cool writer. She edits Elimae, writes touching little stories, and answers questions at The Collagist blog (again).

2. Bye Indiana come Friday. Hello, RV. Hello, Open Road. Hello, Colorado and Utah. Hello, non-Indiana disc golf. Hello, Tattered Cover Book Store. Hello, family time. Hello, hot outdoors. Hello, reading time. I'm diving into some books (blog post to come?). See you mid-August real world.

3. NO AGE IN BLOOMINGTON WITH OSTEOFEROCIOUS 10 DAYS BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY!