Valentine's Day What???

After two flights, a layover, and no rest whatsoever, upon arriving in Florida yesterday my first and only instinct was to sleep for 13 hours. And so now it is Valentine's Day, and I didn't even realize that.

Whoops, my bad. In other news, it's good to be home, tomorrow's my birthday, and this kid's a dad.

And now, a song for lovers.
***
L-O-V-E - This Is My Suitcase

My Five Most Anticipated Albums of 2009

Maybe it's just me, but 2008 was a rather slow year for music - or, at least, for the sort of music that I listen to. In actuality, it was probably an average year, seeing releases from names like Lil' Wayne, Fall Out Boy, and Beyonce, as well as countless others.

But what about kids like me? You know, the insufferable fucking hipsters? That's not to say that I don't enjoy the music of the aforementioned (although Fall Out Boy is pretty hit or miss), it's just that 2008 seemed to bring little more than teasers and disappointment. The hiatuses of Godspeed and The Blood Brothers were made permanent, Stars and Manchester Orchestra released short EPs to whet the appetite, and Glassjaw remained silent (again). And all the while, heavy hitters like Death Cab, TV On The Radio (I seem to be alone on this), M83, and Of Montreal rested on their laurels, turning lackluster efforts that underwhelmed in every sense. Sure, there were some great releases, but that's for another post. The point here is that, after the year this has been, I am particularly excited to see what the next twelve months has to offer.

And so, without further ado, the five albums that I cannot wait to hear, be it in 2009 or 2099...

***
1. Brand New - ?

It took 3 years and a couple of leaked demos between Deja Entendu and The Devil And God (released in 2006). So, now it's 2009 - time for some more Brand New. As mentioned in their recent e-mail, Brand New should start touring sometime this year with an album to hopefully follow.

I'll be first in line to hear it.

2. Glassjaw - Glassjaw!

(You Think You're) John Fucking Lennon was a nice start, but amounted to little more than a tease. No more Head Automatica, no more United Nations. Daryl Palumbo, it's time to put up or shut up. I want Glassjaw, and I want it now.

3. This Is My Suitcase - ?

They're fun, and I want to hear more. Duh.

4. mewithoutYou - mewithoutYou & Friends

I know that nothing's going to top Brother, Sister. But I'd really love to hear them try.

5. Manchester Orchestra - Mean Everything To Nothing

I'm Like A Virgin Losing A Child was a great major debut, and I think that Manchester Orchestra has a few great records left in them. When I saw them a couple weeks ago, they played a few new songs (one of which had the chorus "Mean everything to nothing"), and I was pretty impressed. Their EP was enjoyable enough, and I have high hopes for the forthcoming LP.

This Is My Suitcase to embark on tour?

If you're one of the other ten people who are in the know, yes, you read that right. My favorite unsigned act, This Is My Suitcase, is making plans to hit the road for the first time in their still young career, and I couldn't be more excited. On their blog, they've listed a shortlist of cities that they are interested in hitting. Luckily for me, both Florida and New York are included in the group of potential stops. Unfortunately, for all you guys out there running on Pacific or Mountain time, you're S.O.L. They're not going anywhere west of Louisiana, at least not for now.

Here's the catch though - they don't really know what's good in all the cities on the east coast, so if you live in or near one of the places below, be sure to hit them up with the downlow on the local scene, bands, venues, and the like. The best way to get in touch would probably be through MySpace.

Here's hoping they make it to Albany as planned.

***
1. Mansfield, Oh
2. Oberlin (or Kent), Oh
3. Soggy Dog (or tower in Cleveland?)
4. Ann Arbor, MI
5. Saginaw, MI (and Detroit maybe?)
6. Buffalo, Ny
7. Rochester, NY (or anything close)***
8. Syracuse, Ny (or anything close)***
9. Albany, Ny (or anything close)***
10. Burlington, Vermont
11. Concord, New Hampshire
12. Portland, ME, Portsmouth
13. Boston, Ma
14. Providence, RI
15. Hartford, Connecticut
16. New York City, Ny
17. East Brunswick, NJ
18. Allentown, PA
19. Philadelphia, PA
20. Baltimore, MD
21. Washington, D.C.
22. Richmond, VA
23. Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Greensboro
24. Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston
25. Athens, Ga
26. Savannah, Jacksonville (or anything close)****
27. St. Augustine, FLA
28. Gainesville, FLA
29. Orlando, Tallahasee, FLA
30. Pensacola, Fla
31. Mobile, Al (or anything close)***
32. New Orleans, LA
33. Houma, LA
34. Jackson, MISS (or anything close)***
35. Memphis, TN (or anything close)***
36. St. Louis, MO
37. Western Springs, Il
38. Chicago, Il
39. Rock Line, Il
38. Bloomington, IN (or Indianapolis)
39. Louisville, KY
40. Lexington, Ky
41. Cincinnati, OH
42. Athens, OH

Songs of the week: 10/7/08

It's already starting to get cold - this is all happening so soon! But winter means a new wardrobe, so I guess there's a plus to everything. Not a ton of new music, but whatevs, I can deal.

***songs of the week #7
1. A Thread Cut With A Carving Knife - Stars (A standout track from Stars' new EP)
2. Distant Street Lights - Codes In The Clouds (Electronica #1)
3. Kitsch - Rival Consoles (Electronica #2)
4. Me And You - This Is My Suitcase (Questionable grammar aside, you just might O.D. on cuteness from this little ditty)
5. Where Have You Been? - Annuals (A quirky cover of a superlative Manchester Orchestra song)