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Thursday, January 01, 1970
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- Elliot Smith -
From a Basement on a Hill. This may be one of the only "new" records I purchased all year. Certain artists inspire intense loyalty from me, and Elliot has me, for sure. This record probably isn't all it could've been had Elliot survived to finish it, but the gaps also give you a little glimpse into his creative process. This record scared me on my first listen, it's so drenched in loneliness and dead end despair, but by my second time through the hooks began to emerge. Elliot was a great drummer, too, as well as the creator of beautiful internally complex guitar figures...
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| Favorite Live Performance of 2004 |
- Railroad Earth -
For the sheer relief of hearing structured songwriting and good singing among the thousands of jams at High Sierra. I remember this joyful exhilaration coming over me. Thanks, guys...
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| Favorite On-Stage Moment/Show of 2004 |
- A couple of things come to mind....a really moving, grooving show in Binghamton NY that was inspired, I think, by one of the worst drives ever, and the engineer there loves it loud with plenty of reverb in the monitors....tentatively stepping onstage to play "Waltz #2" at an Elliot Smith tribute show and really locking in with the audience, one of those beautiful silences that temporarily transformed the bar...the honor and privilege of playing bass three nights in a row with my family over Thanksgiving in my parent's living room.
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| Classic Album or Artist You Rediscovered This Year |
- The Smiths -
The Queen is Dead, Louder than Bombs, Meat is Murder. These are all great albums...what a band! Johnny Marr needs to be sampled and be forever known as one of the most humble sound shifters ever...talk about serving the song.
- King Sunny Ade - When I first heard this African trance-pop, I right away re-understood the Grateful Dead's approach to group improvisation...and poly-rhythm, though this might be a tad bit more organized than what the Dead were going for. And Ade's slide playing is a big influence for me.
- Joni Mitchell -
Turbulent Indigo. Amazing songs, awe inspiring insight,great production. And will someone please give Joni props for groundbreaking guitar chops?
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| Artist You Are Most Excited About in 2005 |
- I just heard Bright Eyes for the first time and was pretty taken with it,the narrative lyrical flow, the left field production quality...I'd like to see where he takes it on his next project.
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| Best New Gadget You Can't Live Without |
- The Boss RC20 Loop Station has totally redefined what I can do as a solo performer on stage. I will probably move on to a more sophisticated pedal soon, but I can't say enough about this thing....and I'm not the most technologically astute guy. It really requires that you focus intently on your rhythmic pocket as your creating layers of sound, 'cause once you lay 'em down, your stuck with them. I love that element of risk.
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| New Hobby Discovered This Year |
- Watering the garden, and using this little, non-powered push mower to cut the grass in our little back yard...a first for me since moving to San Francisco eight years ago!
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| Guilty Pleasure of the Year |
- Watching too much sensationalized cable news and reading stupid magazines.
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| The Retro Comeback You're Hoping for in 2005? |
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| Selection for Person of the Year |
- The voter, the person who registered for the first time, or encouraged someone else to...because we did make a difference.
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| A Memorable Moment From the Road in 2004 |
- Between getting lost every day and eating some really bad food, we managed to stop at Busch Gardens in Tampa on a day off and had a blast riding roller coasters...I think I'm in love.
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