Congratulation

The best moments in life is when there is a change in the right direction. The fear of during that change is anxiety driven, sure. Once that peak is over you find yourself fall into this few minutes of bliss. This is better than drug. The brain has become so translucent to the world around you find so much endorphin driven distraction nothing under the sun matters. It is all just a somber background in a life that used to be filled with distraction. Eventually that feeling will rust into a sense of dis morphia.

"Out with a whimper, it's not a blaze of glory."

You do need to realize that falling back into that state of contempt is complete inhalation of what you have built. Keep in mind that there is more to life than the than the good feelings. So many people hide under the guise of depression not realizing that most of life is a bit of a downer. Unless you conquer the down there is no way to truly enjoy the uppers. Be more conscious of times when you feel really good even if there is nothing good happening.

"And lay down the quilt upon the lawn, spread my arms and soak up congratulations."

Sorry Charlie

It will be okay because I say so. Don’t worry about the doubts you used to have. You might think there is no future, but there is. You don’t really have a choice in the matter. It’s a cerebral feeling, yet one you need to accept. I know you remember your youth and expected better. I know it is not fair what happened to you. It might be time to get over that. There is so much ahead and so much behind that the best way to act is with no emotions but love. Keep it up or you will decide to fail. And in failure you are not a failure, but a long intricate string of those who tried and weren't successful. Shatter those desires of the past and realize what is important. Stand alone and be proud. Do not let your younger self control the future promise of what you have to offer. There is more to life than just morose thoughts and self destruction.

“Hold on to those you thought were your love ones. They’ll be the ones you missed.”

That past keeps lingering on in a way that will never go away. There will always be those crispy intellects who decide to invade once again. Become who you were born to be. Let your beard grow and don’t disinfect the intellect you have to offer to the world. Let all that is pain slip away and let the man child unleash itself on the world. Give all the love you can before it is too late. Your biggest enemy is yourself. New experience will guide you. Stop being so bored and create exuberance into your life. 

Star Power III

There is this perpetual feeling that keeps lingering. It makes me wish I would have done more in my life until now. This life has been wasted in a way that is kind of sad. No production and little result. A feeling of self doubt stutters up to the forefront. There is a helplessness in feeling this dross. Seeing all those faces that feel the same. Maybe they don’t realize that they are completely oblivious to their own features. We are all just a chaotic mess of spilled milk. But there is that little shred of hope lingering in the subconscious. Every dream we have is like a cool breath of oxygen. Oh wow it feels so good to get a grasp. The problems never become anything but distilled liquor in our frontal lobe. So please tell me my friends.

“What are we good for? If we can’t make it?”

Green Typewriters [I]

In a world where there are no stars and moon there is no pressure to be cool. No tiny elements to be conscious of what is never going to come or be. Eternity is a stop watch that will only come to be if you recognize the matter as it floats by. Not to be confused with the electric pulse of the cursed blood of the tepid matter passing by so fast we see it as dust and bone. Then there are those times in life when all just fades. The sunshine doesn't seem to be in view, but just kind of whistles at you and smiles. It's not like we don't decide to accept the fate. We are soaked in green paint. So step up into our gross world and feel the pain. It's not like you haven't been here before.

"Perception is an ocean, your days are like eternity."

Taking Tiger Mountain

The intensity is milked in such a way that makes reading so unreal. I'm not a bad person. There's this mountain that can never be peaked. No matter the creative output or input, this is where we are at. There's a tiger in the mountain. She growls at me like a civilized slope unforgiving to my needs. Then the reasoning is blurred into a satanic message from the stars. Nebula's are forming as we speak of this meaningless force lining through the snow. Can I please just figure out how the rain falls with no reciprocation. I'm sick of being this insect solving the puzzle that will never be a real thing. It's not that the snow won't fall, but that when it does it will remind me of her. The hope in the weeds, it will become clear soon.

"Over the stars to top tiger mountains"

AT&T

Honestly I smoke because I want to die. I do drugs because I want to live before I die. I fuck because it feels good. Skinny bitches don't care when it feels good. Don't judge the turn when it comes so cold. Feel the burn no matter the color. Now is the time to let the tides turn. So let the bad things flood in because that's where the happiness lives. Cockiness and spite for the past. Don't let your imitations become a burden. She walks away like a golden trench of love. It is a fucking pity to let the ghosts take over. Listen to the voices in your head, it doesn't make you crazy. Just take a moment to know how fine you feel. So come along lads. There's not much more to feel. It's only this one little spurt of sprite forgiveness. I'll swim a thousand laps. But you know what I'm starting to not give a shit.

"Maybe, someone's going to save me, my heart is made of gravy."

Awful Bliss

"You chose a giant step, caught your eye."

And in that moment of pure love and joy every moment of the past dissolves into a melting pot of intrepidity. A rush of blood to the stars below blurs what could never be. Flashing a glimpse of desuetude collapses the montage of certitude. 

"Guaranteed sweetness that you thought broken."

Can we please forget the longing for companionship for two seconds if only to come to a realization of ourselves. Having another soul to worry about is comforting. Loneliness is underrated. Cold enough to the touch that warmth is only a lukewarm wonder. 

"And you were not fine, and bearing in mind."

Nothing can be taken away from us. Our memories function as a reminder of the unrest that is felt in times of purity. Do what you want and love it. Love yourself to the infinite amount possible. Forget about any insecurity and get lost inside of the rhythm. 

"Other ones that you could have wed, and hopefully dread."

They can be seen on Halloween dressed in drag. Reminding you of how imperfect all relationships will always be. Stone statues turn to religion to balance their stiffness. And when the aliens come down they will play songs of hatred for memory. If only to remind themselves of the hurt that lies at the fingertips. 

"And I wouldn't dare to bring out this awful bliss."

Only you can. 

"No I wouldn't dare to bring out this awfulness."

Maybe Tomorrow

The feeling won't quit lingering downstairs. It's made its way into the lobby and is prying by the mailboxes. Hungry and reckless, it has no sense of time. Sliding around around on skates the yellow punishes those who flirt. Strength is uniform when dealing with decadence such as this. If the tears cease to fall it will all become a bluish gray. Drink up the solids to ward off the emptiness. Start to feel good except it won't last. Dread is creeping up under the lake. Green eyes and scales compose the skin. Meet it at the mid point and give right in. Easy enough to start. Harder still to stop. The end will come soon. Being alone with this burden is no good. 

"I'm going to walk around until I find. Somebody to treat me, to treat me kind."

A Big Fan of the Pigpen

Beauty is best as an imperfection. Mistakes breed life into a house of order. Get knocked off your feet just for the thrill. Succumb to the poison worming its way into your soul. Say 'hello' to the demon waiting where the inside and outside meet. Lose yourself in the sound of those still squirming. Cook it up for three minutes and let the strips cool. Abuse the growth of decay. Cater to an unwilling world. A smile that lights the stars unseen in the city sky. The clocks menacing stare questions sense of direction. Cozy covers wrapped up in curtains. Claw your way to the bottom. Resurface at the pinnacle. Indulge in a binge of grease. Take note of everyone's game. Let hours create sensation. Dip the last of your victory into the little hope still clinging to the edges. Beat on the drums to tame the beast. Sing out nonsense to confuse the masses. Come back down for a quick refresh. Shallow seeds will soon bloom. And the meaning will be lost in the albatross.

  "Give me time to light a sentimental torch tonight."

"Heroes"

Live in the moment so nothing can bring you down. There will be no tomorrow to prepare for because it will never come. This is the only reality worth aspiring to. The creation of an alternate future is denying the actual truth. Considering that there is no way to predict what will happen next there is no reason to attempt to alter the future. So today let us become people and things we've always dreamed of. Make room for the king, queen, jack and joker, we no longer to wish to wait outside the palace of incalculable dreams. It is time to come forth and embrace the love that has so long been vacant. Slip into the a state that lies on the edge of the galaxy. A good place to live, even better place to die.

"We could steal time, just for one day."

In the Year Two Thousand and Thirteen

"The heart is not like a box that gets filled up, it expands in size the more you love."

Her Spike Jonze
Drift into a Buddhist like state of pure Zen. A totally original piece of art, Spike doesn't know how to do anything but.

The Wolf of Wallstreet Martin Scorsese
Carnival of cocaine frenzy. A group of friends completely losing control of their lives, similar to the last third of GoodFellas, but here Scorsese keeps the momentum for a full three hours.

Frances Ha Noah Baumbach
This film has probably been made before, but adults acting like children will never get old. There is only one way to be happy these days, and that is to embrace your inner child.

Inside Ilewyn Davis Joel and Ethan Coen
Dark comedies are the Coen's specialty, mix in folk music, being in a coming of age time vortex, gold. I found myself dying with laughter every time Ilewyn's ex goes on her terrifying rants ripping the young singer/songwriter to shreds.

Nebraska Alexander Payne
Not sure if Payne will ever make a better film, hopefully he does, but if not at lease he finally used his talents correctly. Give this man a perfect script and he will produce gold.

American Hustle David O. Russell
Found it difficult to find a character to root for, eventually getting lost in the vivid characters, before realizing the tragedy in each of these people's twisted minds.

The Way Way Back Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Every scene with Sam Rockwell is an absolute delight. An expertly paced treat with many very subtle life lessons squeezed in.

Mud Jeff Nichols
Everything about the film is perfect from the tight script, perfectly acted cast and the beautiful cinematography. Why Nichols chose the upbeat, but lyrically meaningful Beach Boys tune "Help Me Rhonda" for the credits is the only question mark.

Don Jon Joseph Gordon-Levitt
A truthful look into the warped sense love that exists all too frequently in today's twenty-something's. Levitt asks us if it is possible to rectify this fault through the guidance of an older generation.

Blue Jasmine Woody Allen
When Woody decides to go dark, he goes very dark. This doesn't have as much trademark Woody thrown in, which is a good thing. Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins are perfect but Bobby Cannavale has quickly emerged as a must watch in every role he plays.

Upstream Color Shane Carruth
Came upon this film randomly on Netflix because the plot description sounded interesting. Little did I know that the story would be shrouded with mystery even after the second and third viewing.

This is the End Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
My only friend. Making the characters play themselves allows viewers to imagine that they are trapped inside the house with their pretend movie pals.

The East Zal Batmanglij
A thriller with no true villain or hero. The film simply presents the facts without choosing sides in the battle between big businesses and those who wish to drag them down.

Gravity Alfonso Cuarón
Pure entertainment done with class. Unrealistic at times, but still educational. Moral is that the Russians will screw everything up, but it's okay because the Chinese will save the day.

The Worlds End Edgar Wright
Behind all the witty comedic dialogue and superb action sequences lies a man struggling with severe depression and substance abuse. All it takes is the apocalypse to fill that empty void he felt since his high school heyday.

Behind the Candelabra Steven Soderbergh
A perfect love story without feeling too campy or gay. It's just a simple tale of love, loss and celebrity guiding the decisions of lives.

Before Midnight Richard Linklater
It was very difficult to watch these two fight, especially after almost twenty years of watching them fall in love over and over again. It still delivered on Linklater's trademark way of feeding us dime store philosophy through excellent dialogue.

Stoker Park Chan-wook
A combination of beautiful cinematography and creepiness. Nobody really does is better than Chan-wook. Hope Oldboy re-make doesn't disappoint.

Side Effects Steven Soderbergh
I only wish more films would have Channing Tatum die at the beginning of act II. The overall annoyance level of actors like Jude Law and Catherine Zeta-Jones is toyed with until finally the beloved Rooney Mara is turned evil.

Star Trek Into Darkness J.J. Abrams
The only difficult part to watch is the climax. It's very apparent that the film is coming to an end and the characters won't be seen again for another five years.

Only God Forgives Nicolas Winding Refn
Kristin Scott Thomas comes on like a typhoon of destruction that only a higher power could grant severance to. Boring film, but nevertheless brilliant.

"Au Revoir."

Not Dark Yet

"I still got the scars that the sun never healed."

And when I look at those blurry times I do so with pride. It isn't a lose state of pride. It isn't a lost state of fear and self loathing, but a blemished reality coaxed in love. The man I have become is strong enought to reach otherwise unreachable stars. 

Random plays come on like fearless players. Humanity has gone down the drain. She wrote me a letter so kind, but I don't care cause I'm totally blind. 

"Sometimes my burden is more than I can bear."

My prose will kindly tell you what is true, it isn't my will. I'm so dumb in reality that it doesn't even what matters that I'm trying to say. I'm lost and confused to a point where I have to acre of truth. 

How about you? 

Wraith Pinned to the Mist and Other Games

Let's have outrageous parties that allow us to lose ourselves in the craze. Then maybe for a couple of moments our dizziness will die away. Expand on the fantasy of what is already a bogus trip. Nobody asked for this life. From the very beginning the choice was made for us. So why not just reverse the process and delve into a state of non existence, if only to say 'fuck you' to the creator. 

"Maybe we'll never die, I'll just keep growing younger with you and you'll grow younger too."

Stevie (Song for Stevie S.)

"Once you step into the scene that's when the whole thing blows." 

 

The defender of the underdogs is finally on track. Race away man, we all want you to thrive. Maybe you need to go miles away to be satisfied. People think flowers are made of plastic, and if they break there'll always be someone there to fix it. Your my inspiration buddy. Convincing us all it's okay to lay down on the pavement, without feeling the crass torture of the masses. Thank you with sincerity sir, but...

(You Better Love Me) Before I am Gone

"When I think about the good times and bad, of being so happy and sad."

It reminds me of all the wasted time quarreling. How it's all just an exercise in boredom. The anger is so pitiful, destroying any hope for a future or past. Enjoy the present like there is neither. Come the fuck on man, blow that harmonica harder. Blow it like it's a god damn call to the spirits. Spirits above and below. Spirits long gone who have the pleasure of knowing what lies ahead and regret what has come before. 

"Who are you trying to save?"

Angel in Heaven, Angels in Hell

"Feels like I'm just avoiding the truth."

There must be two sides to everything. Upon this realization of being self aware a duality was born. It can seem like a chore to be a part of this world. That's why heaven and hell are filled with both the wicked and the good. Earth is just a battle ground, constant war for the chance to to end up in whatever paradise wants them more. 

 "It makes me want to crawl back in my shell."

El Pasado Es Un Animal Grotesco

"Project your fears onto me, I need to view them."

This is my favorite scene, where the cruelty is so predictable. Let's ravage our bodies to the pint where we've somehow transformed into alterations cresting coldly on the feeding apocalypse. Break the mold of beauty and see the terror as a betrayal that crowds the rejection. Promise that I'll be made to feel like a criminal and the passion will spurn from the electric secrets of sexuality. The past is a grotesque beast, demeaning and spiteful, with fangs of never ending proportion and depth. Spinning in circles is all we do, try and reverse, it'll work. hammer the lengthy prose into a fire burning with cold air below. Tyrant, please leave me at peace in my own little corner of the world. There I feel safe as the moon becomes clear and my own stars appear. Help me please I'm not this dreary. help now before I' lost in this wormhole of money and cost. Sirens begin to blare in my already tender ears, make it stop I say, but you cannot. Night will last for days, so learn how play. 

"But at least I author my own disaster."

Cause when the happening comes it'll be to late. They will stop the spinning leaving you square, baking in the sum. Music they'll play will blow you away, off the earth and onto their ship. No worries bro' they have games. Hold your breathe if you want to see, the toys they got are electric. All you need to do is say 'hello' and ask kindly which way to go. 

(Straight Down to the) Bitter End

"Now the world keeps spinning when you die."

Impassive fools are an enigmas wrapped within several layers of their shrouded past. A person without at least a sense of this trait quickly becomes an exercise in boredom. Everyone should have a touch of mystery hidden deep within their soul. As a courtesy to those surrounding you in this world, do all you can to keep several secrets locked up. Every now and again release the secret like a typhoon of fact, even if the secret is a lie. When your loved ones look at your body in the casket the last thing you want is to be transparent. 

"Stunning tricks, bottomless pits, they remind me of where I don't want to be."

Unable to succeed within the low end confines of the truth, we let our breathe out to slowly ease the constant pain of life. So reach out and let loose. Let your voice be heard and leave that mark on the world. Together we can climb to the higher places, but if anyone stumbles the system might break. Unwarranted sanctions dwell in the turmoil of each daily event. The pain exists eternally. We dread the future like it only exists on a far away cloud. You don't need to see the entire staircase to take the first step. Anxiety is fear of the future. To set the mind free we must follow our own path. Simply being yourself is not enough. We must free ourselves. Set the mark high, but not too high. Our goals must be reached. 

"Sun sets down on your skittish heart."

Temptaion

There’s this lingering feeling that I can’t seem to shake. It quarrels with my inner friend to the point where there is no reason to really resist. There's no longer any confusion. It all seems so clear. There’s not a doubt as to this now being a conscious choice.

“Time is made of honey slow and sweet, only the fools know what it means.”

It’s hanging out there like an apple for the plucking. So easy and so free to grab. Everybody here is not going to judge so let us all allow time to begin that transformation into a purity of unpublished smoke. Don’t let your better half win. The only real security is in knowing that the devil will devour your soul.

“My will has disappeared, now my confusion is oh so clear.”

King's Crossing

Man it feels like the world is a barrel. Why can’t we just be set free from all this meaningless captivity? Listen to the free floored tandem of sections that have been created from the turmoil of a single life. There isn’t much to attract me to anything except a solemn oath to the main attraction. How the hell do we deal with the chaos?

“They tell me whiskey works better than beer.”

But every wave is tidal, right? So open your parachute and grab your gun because who really gives a shit? There's only a select few chosen to go down into Strangelove’s caves to live out the rest of their solitary lives.

Inlitterati Lumen Fidei

Every time someone takes a picture of another human being a ghost is born. Every time a recording is made a ghost of that voice and surrounding sound is created. And every time a life is created that ghostly energy will never leave this universe. Those who choose not to believe in the faith of any god are doing so with the faith that this energy carries on until the reflection of our universe is somehow demolished by something powerful beyond belief. When does the motion of our lives begin? Is it before we are created or after? This eternal loop is such a complex puzzle. Are we simply placed back into a file cabinet until that exuded energy is ready to come forth once more? The duality of man will never end without intervention either coming from a greater understanding of astrophysics or billions of years of evolution. 

"I'm an ocean, abyss in motion."

Difference is Time

"On my headstone it will be written, 'Life is hard even if you cheat'."

Let us drink a toast to the times in life when everything seems to be going just right. When the world kindly decides not to throw any curve balls in your direction. There is truly nothing wrong in your life. So then ask yourself the question, "What is the difference between now and then?" You are the same person living in the same convoluted world as before. Yet somehow things have kindly fallen into place as if some high power has granted your soul a brief yet full fulling gauge on what happiness feels like. Looking at this a little closer it becomes clear that rationally the good times will end and we are left to feel the emptiness of knowing that at one time we were on top of the world. So does that mean the true desire is mediocrity? Or can we realize that life is just a dream followed by a nightmare followed by a dream. Just make sure there is blood left in your heart to make sure your still alive.

Miss June '75

Can't take the fact that my mind is bound to be completely lost to a woman. The woman, or maybe just women in general. Chances are almost certain that the opposite sex will creep their way into my thought dreams. How can you really hide that feeling buried deep within our genetics to lose ourselves to that special someone. It's as certain as the moon. But the moon has many colors. I see red, orange, green, purple, blue all surrounding it like a luminous aura shedding a glorious ferocity that is not to be defeated. There is truly no way to escape the encapsulating feeling brought on by the wave of sexuality that engulfs the mind every day. Subtract loneliness and you still have that potent lure of a warmth cured by only one thing. The quenching thirst can never be relinquished because on the other side there is always a constant sound. 

"Don't stop. I'm almost there." 

Father to a Sister of Thought

Normality is such a rotten little device. We are all so uncomfortably and it hurts. So please everyone stop trying to pretend that you are comfortable, because we are all looking for unsure faces that have no clue as to where they will be in the end. Nobody knows the future, they can only grasp on like a roller coaster for dear life and hope they end up in the free world. I'm just a man and I bind with my hooks while I read my fictional books. But I do know that I'm leaning into the end. There is no other way to lean. We all wish and hope that the tires will tread lightly on the fault line. But in the end we will pray that we'll never go. The truth is that we are all going to slide guitar into the gully, and when that sled comes we may as well be poetic in our departure. 

"Angel of Corpus Christi you're so mystic."

Stay Gold

"The stars are always shining, while the world is sadly pining, for something so meaningless and small, hoping not to fall."

Finding and keeping a job isn't the difficult part. The key is to stop yourself from getting lost in the rut of a singular existence. The appearance of love is always special, but as the world turns so do the circumstances. Regardless of whether your significant other firmly plants their roots into your life, there will always be cracks. They may be tiny to begin with, but slowly they will open and the bane of what you have created will slip and melt into the sun. Look into the wide open ocean and realize that every day is special despite the constant rising and setting of the sun.

Tom Courtenay

Childhood is over once we realize that our dreams will never come true. The dreams still persist, but rarely will they come ever to pass. Thus life becomes about finding an inner peace in knowing that our childhood fantasies are going to fade with time. Eventually even the memories are either blurred or forgotten completely. So why waste any time thinking about the past or the future when all we truly have is this moment in time. Sure the needle will keep spinning on the record player and every song will eventually fade, but that doesn't take away from the moment of happiness we felt during a certain chord. 

"So now I'm looking for a lucky charm, with a needle hanging out of its arm."

Silverado Days

Youth is a moment in time. A past monument that only exists in a saturated velocity of intrepid memories. Crazy times await in the future of what is to come. There is rarely an experience worth remembrance that doesn't feature brief breathes of embarrassment. Then they get replaced like the tide washing upon the sand. The words lose all meaning when they are said. Shot out like cannons into a dust bowl, we don't intend to reciprocate our thoughts into a fixed point in time. Without intention or maybe even a lack of correspondence to the repercussions of our youth that is tender than ever.

 

"Cause even though we don't mean what we say, we throw our words like bombs and hand grenades."

 

The Beulah tune always ignites all those trap door memories. Those times you'll never forget, but you wish you could. That heavy feeling that erupts wishing you could disappear into the mountains, change your identity and live the rest of this brief light slowly burning out. Then there are those arms always out stretched with snug warmth making escape only a dream.

Liar

There are times in life where nothing seems to be going your way. That is when you brain decides to lie to itself. Does that make you a liar? Or is it just our way of deciphering the faults that can so often overwhelm. These are just decisions that make up our existence. Nothing matters when it's all just pretend. There is such comfort in falsity that it can blanket the sensations that are real. Just take a step back an realize that all these little tremors are minor clogs in a uniquely ambivalent machine. Finding ways to avoid the tremor is the key. Mother nature has a kind way of allowing the mixed up images and making them a simple disposition. So remember to always create and never destroy. And always remember that if something seems too real to be true, close your eyes and forget about it all for a little while.

 

We Dance

"Check that expiration date man, it's later than you think."

We all just prance around this life in a bitter misunderstanding as to what to feel and do. There is no true presence of mind to call our own. It is only a tiny light that shines with little direction. Enjoyment comes in places where you least expect them, in a smile or a phrase or a melody. There is no timetable as to when you will expire. So enjoy yourself while you can, because I won't be there to lift you.  

 "First time you see and then you'll be five times forever and you'll never get lost." 

Doctor Sleep

Stephen King's sequel to The Shining is a kick ass story, but it's not scary. In the afterword King is baffled as to why Stanley Kubrick's film version of his novel is so universally considered one of the most terrifying films of all time. So why did King pen a sequel that fails to scare us? There have been five adaptations of King's work that are even worth viewing and the only remotely scary film is Carrie. Kubrick's film is more of comedic take on horror films, which is likely why King show's such disdain for the film. Light's being placed where ghosts appear, arrows pointed towards the sky suggesting aliens, chairs misplaced in what may or may not be continuity errors, televisions working without electricity, these are all clear clues that Kubrick is poking fun at the work of a really talented writer. I enjoyed Doctor Sleep immensely, but for King to state this is a follow up to the book and not the film is just plain silly. Images from the film are so aggressively engraved into so many people's minds it's impossible not to compare the bucked tooth Wendy Torrance with the villainous Rose the Hat, or the irony of Jack mocking Wendy for wanting to take Danny to a Doctor. In the end Doctor Sleep is like a great big Cadillac with no scares inside. It really should be pushed as a fantasy novel instead of horror.

Nirvana

Music from the 90's is vastly underappreciated. Kurt Cobain had his day in the sun, so here are five other bands that stimulate the emotion the late rock star named his band after.


The Brian Jonestown Massacre

All it took to fall in love with this band was to take one listen to "(David Bowie I Love You) Since I was Six", a blissful love song from their best album Take it From the Man. The fifth track on the album comes after four hard hitting rockers tasty enough to fall head over heels before singer Anton Newcomb spouts the indecisive lyrics, "Does she love you? You suppose.". The album ends with the fantastic seventeen minute jam session "Straight Up and Down", with the band so caught up in the moment they begin chanting "Hey Jude". With my excitement at its peak of discovering Jonestown the previously mentioned song burst onto the opening credits of prohibition drama Boardwalk Empire, giving me hope that more folks would catch on to the bands excellence. However, Newcomb claims to have never even seen the show, appearing content to stay under the radar. The 90's should have belonged to this band who released seven different, progressive, and artful albums before the core of the group broke up. Yet, with a mind as active as Newcomb's the music continues to be delivered with the same passion to this day. I only wish I could go back to the first time someone played "Anemone" for me so I could feel that excitement of hearing The Brian Jonestown Massacre again for the first time.

Pavement

With five superb and radically different albums the Stephen Malkmus' lead band is able to lay claim to the only group with a perfect catalogue. Slanted and Enchanted begins the journey with the group sounding raw and edgy. Filled with improvisation from a band mates getting to know each other. Malkmus is quoted as saying this is probably their best record simply for how it created a new Indie genre. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain follows with their most accessible and critically acclaimed set of songs. The album gave the group a following which seemed to irk the slackers the wrong way. In response they recorded Wowee Zowee, an assorted mess of genres ranging from folk "Father to a Sister of Thought" to borderline techno "Western Homes". Of the eighteen songs at least half seem to have inspired the sound for newly formed bands. Still, being a group of seemingly well educated members were once again eager silence the critics when they released Brighten the Corners. As the title implies there doesn't seem to be a throw away track on the entire track list. Kicked off with the sarcastic "Stereo" and finishing with the epic "Fin". Like all bands who spend countless hours together on tour emotions began to cause riffs. The turmoil is apparent in their finale Terror Twilight. Sounding more like a Malkmus solo piece, the songs focus on life after fame and settling back down into the middle class blur from whence they came.



The Apples in Stereo
There's nothing wrong with basing your groups music off another. The Beatles have inspired countless bands and were themselves inspired by early blues. The Apples quickly find their own sound with each progressive record. Happiness gushes from their songs usually keeping things light. Tracks featuring drummer Hilarie Sidney on vocals "Stay Gold" and "Winter Must Be Cold" give me goose bumps with every listen. It's also a nice change of pace from the whiney vocals of Robert Schneider. Even though the band has slowly shifted from psychedelia to techno pop, their early albums are amongst the best of the 90's.


Built to Spill

This group took a while to build on me, until a few months ago the music is now spilling out into my ear drums on a daily basis. The reason for this could be that for years the only record I owned was Perfect From Now On, which like the name suggests is a batch of eight perfectly crafted songs. Yet, there is not a stand out single in the bunch. Perhaps if I first listened to There is Nothing Wrong with Love, before handing out judgment I could have enjoyed this band for a longer span of time. Much like Pavement, band leader Doug Martsch adds an incredible intellectual touch to the music. They aren't some group of noisy misfits, but a well educated band with the ability produce songs of purposefully guided misdirection. The swirling dual guitars are constantly reaching a point of apex, while Martsch's lyrics keep everything grounded. Nirvana is no channeled in songs like "Some", but the lyrics are somewhat tongue and cheek, "Some people like her for her charm, some people take her for granted." Nobody sees one another in the same vein, all the more reason to give people second chances, because sometimes you might miss out on a hidden gem.



The Olivia Tremor Control
Despite only releasing two magnificent opus's, Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss are among the most innovative minds ever to make music. The beautiful musical collages of Dusk at Cubist Castle and Black Foliage are works genius beyond any doubt. There are enough ideas on each of the two records to have enough material for a ten disc catalogue. It's difficult not to mention Neutral Milk Hotel who also only dropped two records of superior quality, but the Jeff Magnum led band had to have lent some inspiration. Both albums, at times, seem to teeter off into obscurity with prolonged journey's into Pink Floyd type noisy banter. However, the wait for actual music is well worth it. At one point on Dusk the words "How much longer can I wait", are uttered before a epic guitar solo in the vein of Jimi Hendrix. The same such tease occurs on Black Foliage as we lulled away from melodies for over ten minutes before the bands best song "California Demise" hits the air waves like a jolt of thunderous melodic bliss. New ideas and sounds appear with each listen, expanding each and every moment of sound glorious, introspective, and always enjoyable.

All five of these bands are likely considered classic rock here in 2013. I wonder how coincidental it is that my love of these five 90's bands is so strong despite never hearing them as I grew up. A recording is locked in time, so even though it was radio heavy bands like Weezer, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Green Day that were among my record collection during the decade, these five bands were inspired by the same satellite of time. Thanks for the eternal nirvana.