New Mt. Inadale release & release show - ((sounder)) 7"

Austin based Mt. Inadale Records is pumping out the releases these days like mixtapes. Just a few short months after the Monahans/Sad Accordions EP, the label is introducing a 7" blue vinyl from ((sounder)), the music project of Mike Aho.

Track listing:
1. We'll Turn the Coffins into Gardens
2. Don't Bring it to Life

The release will be on baby blue vinyl with a limited pressing of 500 copies. The songs were co-produced and mixed by Matt Wignall (Cold War Kids). Art by Travis Millard. Pre-orders are going out this week!


This Saturday, 9/24, Austin folks should catch a Mt. Inadale deluxe release party, featuring both ((sounder)) and Sad Accordions, for a double release show of both the ((sounder)) and Sad Accordions vinyl. It's also a rare opportunity to see Sad Accordions in Austin. The show is at Mohawk. Doors at 9, show at 10 PM. Cover $6/$8.

Sad Accordions/Monahans Split 12" giveaway

Austin based Mt. Inadale Records recently offered up its second release as a label, this time with releases from Austin bands Monahans and the Sad Accordions. The 12" vinyl split features two songs from each band. For Monahans, the release follows last year's 2010 Recordings, with the outstanding "Bridge Commander" and the instrumental "Stationed." For the Sad Accordions, this release follows on the heels of the band's 2011 digital EP the colors and the kill. The band's contributions to this release are the previously unreleased "Denial Takes the Train" and "Sweet Cocaine." The bands complement each other very well, and while their respective "sounds" differ to a reasonable extent, they blend together nicely on this record.

This release is an excellent listen throughout, and features the added bonus of a digital download of all four songs, which I appreciate, because my record player always skips when I try to use it in the car.


GIVEAWAY
Mt. Inadale has been kind enough to provide me with a promo copy to give away through the blog. Follow the instructions below and, after the deadline, I will randomly select one winner to receive a free copy of this release.

Here is how you enter:
1. First, check to see if you live in the U.S. I apologize for the inconvenience, but due to postal fees, I can only mail within the United States.
2. Next, send me an email at windfarmblog (at) gmail.com. (of course, replace the "at" with @)
3. In that email, include your state of residence
4. Also in that email, tell me who is the famous country/folk songwriter that is from the town of Monahans, TX
5. I will close the contest at 11:59 PM on Monday, July 25th, so make sure to get your email in by then.

Of course, none of your personal information (not even your name), will ever be posted on the blog.

2011 Ramble Creek Day Party - 03/18/11

Perhaps my favorite day show from last year, the amazing folks at Ramble Creek Recording Studio will once again be providing a fantastic lineup for their 2011 day party. This year's show includes the talents of a diverse group of bands, including west Texas' own Thrift Store Cowboys and One Wolf. Last year's party was the model of a perfect SXSW day show -- great atmosphere, great music, and great people. See the schedule below and see you there!

The Ashes (Austin, TX) - 12:15pm
One Wolf (Athens, GA/Lubbock, TX) - 12:55
The Georgian Company (Austin, TX) - 1:25pm
Collin Herring (Austin, TX) - 2:05pm
Thrift Store Cowboys (Lubbock, TX) - 2:40pm
Graham Weber (Austin, TX) - 3:25pm
Seryn (Denton, TX) - 4:00pm
Brian Martin (Hot Springs, AR) - 4:55pm
Monahans (Austin, TX) 5:30pm
Telegraph Canyon (Ft Worth, TX) - 6:15pm

Find all the information you need about the show at the Facebook Event Page.

Show poster by Greg Vanderpool.

Monahans - ACL Satellite Set

Last October (2010), Austin-based Monahans performed an Austin City Limits Satellite Sets session at the now-former ACL studio. Sources in attendance reported that it was an amazing show, and now, we can all see and hear it ourselves, as KLRU has posted the performance online. Below are the performances of "Diamonds" from the 2010 Recordings and "I Run to You" from 2009's Dim the Aurora.

Check out the main page for the session here to find video of additional performances.

Please note that videos may not play in Google Reader or other blog aggregators.

Watch the full episode. See more ACL presents Satellite Sets.

Watch the full episode. See more ACL presents Satellite Sets.

Windfarm 2010 All-America Music Team

In an attempt at doing something other than a traditional "best of 2010" list, I've taken a bit of a different route, and instead, listed my favorite albums in the form of an All-America Team. What you'll find are not necessarily the best musicians at every position, but players from my favorite albums of the year broken out by position. Thus, many great musicians get ignored, although my main concern was including at least someone from each of my favorite albums this year.

Yes, I also know some of these are a stretch, but I couldn't just have 14 first team vocals, so there are a few picks that aren't necessarily full time on the instrument they are assigned to. Next year hopefully I can solicit votes from readers and bloggers alike to get a better compilation for this list.


Most Valuable Musicians
Every member of The National - High Violet

First Team
Vocals: John McCaulley III, Deer Tick - The Black Dirt Sessions
Harmony Vocals: Julie Davis & Joseph Pope III, Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss
Guitar: Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues
Bass: Murry Hammond - Old 97s - The Grand Theatre: Part I
Drums: Brian Moen, Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be
Banjo: Munly Munly - Munly & the Lupercalians - Petr & the Wulf; Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Buried Behind the Barn
Keyboard: Benjamin Tanner, Dylan LeBlanc - Pauper's Field
Pedal Steel: Jon Graboff, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - III/IV


Second Team
Vocals: Win Butler, Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Harmony Vocals: Ryan Monroe - Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Guitar: Seth Avett, The Avett Brothers - Live Volume 3
Bass: Reid Perry, The Band Perry - self-titled
Drums: Julian Harmon, The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Banjo: Winston Marshall - Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Keyboard/Piano: Eric Earley, Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void


All-Texas Team
Vocals: Will Johnson, Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Eyas
Guitar: Daniel Markham, One Wolf - One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf
Pedal Steel: Colt Miller, Thrift Store Cowboys - Light Fighter
Bass: Brooks Kendall, Jr. - Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward - The Apology, Part I
Drums: Rob Sanchez, Monahans - 2010 Recordings
Banjo: Glen Farris - Doug Burr - O Ye Devastator
Keyboards: Adi Kanlic - The Lusitania - Rain & Rivers


Other First Teamers

Autobiographer: Keith Richards - Life

Documentarian: Gandulf Hennig - Merle Haggard: Learning to Live With Myself

Live experience: singalong of "When My Time Comes" - Dawes - Fox Theatre, Boulder 06/19/10

Shameless Self Promotion: Windfarm - "The Proud Colorado Mountains of Townes Van Zandt" (Hey, I spent a lot of time on that post, so why not give it one more mention?)

Venue: Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Song of the Year: "Red, Red" - Doug Burr - Specifically, the moment the drums come in on this song is the best musical moment of 2010 for me.

Close second place for song of the year: "Christchurch Woman" - Justin Townes Earle

Radio station: 1410 AM, KRIL, Odessa, TX

Record store find: Vic Chesnutt, Little (vinyl first printing)

TV show(s): Southland, Modern Family, Hard Knocks, Friday Night Lights, Dexter, Eastbound & Down, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, No Reservations, Human Target

Magazine Interview: "The Lost Lennon Tapes" - Rolling Stone

Sports blog: Feinstein on the Brink

Odd Celebrity Sighting: Vijay Singh on Pearl Street in Boulder (might have been 2009)

Best Daytrotter sessions: Nathaniel Rateliff - 06/21/2010; Dawes - 07/08/2010

Non-fiction book: Welcome to Utopia - Karen Valby

Album I rediscovered: The Dark - Guy Clark

Person who deserves Supporting Actor Nomination: John Hawkes in Winter's Bone

Best pick-up truck ever: This baby blue Chevy Scottsdale I saw at HEB -

Monahans - 2010 Recordings

Today, Austin-based Monahans releases the final track in a 10-month project, known as the 2010 Recordings, in which the band has released a new free download every month since March. This great collection of new material followed on the heels of 2009's magnificent Dim the Aurora. Quite a brilliant plan, both artistically and from a marketing standpoint. You've gone to great lengths to get everyone's attention with the release of a new LP, so why not keep their attention?

Many independent bands often have long periods between albums, and there are always plenty of excuses to explain such times. What better way to make yourselves stay productive than to commit to a project like 2010 Recordings? Not only does it force you to keep the creative juices flowing in the realms of writing and recording, but it's also an innovative medium through which to distribute your music. I don't know that Monahans is the first to release a record in such a manner, but I can't think of any other artists that have made such a concerted effort to release an album of new material in this manner. Sure, plenty of bands release b-sides and various outtakes for download, but 2010 Recordings stands far superior to such ventures.

While they were at it, Monahans decided to go big on the final track, "Seabirds," although they still only subtly mention on the download page that Sinead O'Connor provides back-up vocals on the track. This on the heels of Robert Plant recording a version this year of "The Only Sound That Matters," a track from a previous project of some of the members, Milton Mapes. It's been a pretty good year for Monahans, and largely because they just keep making the music they want to, and releasing it the way they want. Don't pass up the opportunity to pick up this great collection of songs from Monahans while it is still available.

I guess the thought I'm left with is, why stop now?

Mind blown

So I've been way off the radar for the past 6 weeks or so, but I will be back more regularly soon. I'm sure you're all anxiously awaiting the day.

But seriously, I had to take a second to post about this, because I can't even really wrap my head around it yet.

To summarize, one of Austin's best bands right now, Monahans, contains members who were once in a band called Milton Mapes. The band put out some fantastic material, my favorite being Westernaire, which I just so happened to mention on Windfarm about a year and a half ago.

It's an amazing album, and the news today (full press release here) is that a song entitled "The Only Sound That Matters," off of the aforementioned Milton Mapes album, will be covered by Robert Plant on his upcoming album Band of Joy.

Yes. Robert Plant. The guy who was in that band. The biggest rock band of all time. Yeah, that Robert Plant. I can't even bring myself to type out the name of the band because I think my head would explode. Listening to the track today, it makes total sense. Should be a perfect fit.

I highly recommend that you track down a copy of Westernaire, and I don't know about you, but I'm definitely going to have to check out Robert Plant's new record this September as well. In the meantime, check out Monahans' 2010 Recordings, a project where they are releasing one new song a month through their Web site as a free download.

(image source)

SXSW - Ramble Creek and Mile Hi Fidelity parties

Day Three - Friday

Friday morning we proved to be a bit less energetic than Thursday, and without any specific early plans, we took our time before heading to the Ramble Creek day party. We arrived just before 1 PM, with the primary intention of catching the set by One Wolf, who interestingly had played a party less than an hour before across town and still somehow managed to make it on time to the Ramble Creek show, held in a perfect backyard setting.

At that precise point, the random craziness of SXSW hit full force, as H. called to inform me that she and her friends had just gotten in a minor car accident. Thus, for obvious reasons, One Wolf did not happen for us, but most importantly, everyone involved in the accident was okay. While the cars received a good bit of damage, the accident wasn't our friend's fault, and after taking care of the necessities involved with that situation, we all returned to the Ramble Creek party for some much needed stress relief.

The first act we got to see was Collin Herring, an awesome artist currently based in Austin (formerly of Fort Worth) who I've been a fan of for a number of years now. Herring played a number of tracks off of his new release, Ocho, recorded of course at Ramble Creek, and produced by Will Johnson, and also mixed in some of his earlier songs. If I hadn't mentioned this before, Collin has about the coolest steel player around, Ben Roi Herring, his dad, and their duo performance (and banter) were a real pleasure to watch/hear.


















Did someone just say Will Johnson? Yes, that's right, THE Will Johnson of Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, and most recently, the drummer for the Monsters of Folk, graced the Ramble Creek party with a beautiful solo set. I hope I didn't embarrass myself as I sat roughly 10 feet from Will with my jaw resting on the ground, but hearing "Just to Know What You've Been Dreaming" in this particular setting was on par with the very best experiences of my entire SXSW, or maybe more accurately of the past few years. Whatever it took to get him to come play at this show, I can't thank the folks at Ramble Creek enough for making this happen.























I haven't described the exact locale of the Ramble Creek show yet, but it was by far the most enjoyable day party of SXSW by far. It was held in a backyard with the perfect set-up and perfect weather to accompany, and to boot, a big tub full of Lone Star was available for all in attendance.

The next act was one I have missed seeing live ever since we moved to Colorado. Doug Burr has written some of my favorite songs of the last decade, and in my book he has about as much integrity as any artist I listen to. He has recently recorded a new album, from which he played a number of songs. In short, I couldn't be more excited for these songs, as they are absolutely phenomenal. Doug has crafted a career in exactly the fashion that he wants, and this diligence has surely paid off as more and more people begin to take notice. He was backed at this show by his frequent collaborator Glen Farris, as well as members of Seryn and Monahans drummer Roberto Sanchez for some songs.



















































Next up was Austin band Monahans, who include Ramble Creek owner/engineer Britton Beisenherz on guitar. I had not seen this band before, although a number of years ago I saw a previous project of some of the musicians called Milton Mapes, and was a fan of all of that band's material. Monahans, however, is a new project, and as I think was the intention, the transition has infused a new energy into their music. The band is tighter than ever as a performing group, and their set at this day party was absolutely flawless and one of the best of the entire SXSW for me. The band has two albums to their name, although they are in the process of a project in which they will release one song a month for download for the rest of 2010. The first track is already available, and you can check out their Web site for details on how to get in on this opportunity. Monahans is a band on the rise and I fully hope they can ride the momentum to more widespread success and notoriety in the near future.



































Alas, as much as I hated to leave, I had to take off after Monahans because I wanted my Austin friend to see Denver's Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and knew this would be our best chance. While I missed Telegraph Canyon's set at Ramble Creek, I was able to make up for my exit by catching them on Saturday night.

After some frantic traffic navigation and hurried walking, we made it to the Mile Hi Fidelity party just in time to catch the latter half of Slim Cessna's set. Do I even have to mention that Slim did not disappoint? Munly was in top form, having just arrived from the year 1840, performing an extremely high energy set as co-frontman to Slim, just as we have all come to expect out of him and the Auto Club. Very few bands can claim to hold a foot firmly in the alt country legacy of the early 1990s while also remaining relevant for modern Americana/Southern Gothic music as well. In short, SCAC brought their tent revival to Sixth Street, and the end of the set no doubt saw a new group of converts leaving their first Slim show. Please see Slim if you get the chance. Sadly, even though they were the last band, Slim's energetic finale didn't lead into any encore, despite my desire to hear their epic "He, Roger Williams."

SXSW Axiom #4: No encores necessary at SXSW. There is simply too much music during the week for 99% of crowds to ask for another song. Few listeners even catch full sets, and no matter where you go you hear more music, so the encore is largely absent at SXSW, probably to everyone's benefit.

As you can see in the pictures below (click to enlarge), Slim and Munly's crowd involvement made for some of the best action pics of the festival, although "best" is a relative term with my crappy camera. You can't see it that well in the small version, but I love Slim's look in the background of the second picture below.

Austin Bands in Austin for SXSW

Every March brings thousands of bands to Austin in search of record deals, women and free booze. There are unspoken contests on who has the coolest sunglasses at most venues in which normal people do not participate. Most locals attend some free show while others lock all of their doors and board up the windows. Local bands tend to play around the party scene and take part in at least one showcase during the week. Here’s a short list of Austin bands that I recommend. (Disclaimer: all of these bands are better than whatever “wave” party Pitchfork is hosting.)

Monahans – I’ve seen this band live around ten times in the last few years and they’ve all been enjoyable experiences. But, the band is truly firing on all cylinders since last fall and is riding the streak into SXSW. They’ve perfected their live set and mix a good number of old tunes with songs from their latest album, Dim the Aurora. Be sure to check out their “song a month” plan for the rest of 2010 at their website.

Thurs., 3/18 – Space12 (3121 E. 12th St.) - 2 PM
Thurs., 3/18 – TwangFest at Jovita’s – 4:30 PM
Fri., 3/19 – Ramble Creek Party at Show Lush’s Backyard - 3 PM

Sat., 3/20 - Alejandro Escovedo Maria's Taco Express - 11:45 AM
Sat., 3/20 – Spune Party at J. Black’s - 5:30 PM

Cory Branan – His live shows are a unique experience to say the least. If you’re in the need of an attitude adjustment then this is the man to see. He will hopefully be playing some new songs from his upcoming album as well as his crowd pleasing classics. A Cory Branan show will improve your SXSW experience beyond all reason no matter your preference of musical genre.

Thurs., 3/18 - Barbarella - 10 PM

Fri., 3/19 - Continental CLub - 2:45 PM

Sat., 3/20 - Music Gym - 9:30 PM

Centro-Matic – One of the most prolific bands to come from Texas will break their silence starting at this year’s SXSW. It’s been a while since we’ve seen the band perform on stage together. They band splits their time and members between Denton and Austin but I consider them to be more of a local act than most of the transplant bands in this town. I’m sure new songs will be revealed and loved by people who enjoy great music.

Thurs., 3/18 - Emo's Annex - 12 AM

Fri., 3/19 - Will Johnson solo Ramble Creek Party Show Lush’s Backyard - 3 PM
Fri., 3/19 – Brooklyn Vegan at Club DeVille - 4:30 PM

Sad Accordions – If you’re in the mood for music that prohibits you from sitting still then you should check out this band. Just listening to their recorded work doesn’t do the group justice. You have to see them in person to experience the force of their new songs and how each one builds into a storm of sound. That’s right, a storm of sound. They will be previewing songs from their soon to be released EP.

Thurs., 3/18 – Space12 (3121 E. 12th St.)

SXSW preview - 2010 Spune day party

While you may see some of these bands at the Ramble Creek party on Friday, if you happen to miss it for some reason, you can catch some essentials, like Doug Burr, Telegraph Canyon, Monahans, and Doug Burr on Saturday at the Spune day party.

You can find the Facebook event page here.


































Poster design by Brandon Lesley.

SXSW preview - 2010 Ramble Creek day party

Of all the SXSW shows that we preview on Windfarm, we can't possibly attend every single one because of various time conflicts and the like, but every now and again, there's comes along a "can't miss" day party that we hope we can convince you to attend. Hopefully you've not yet grown tired of the previews, and haven't enacted any kind of a self-imposed boycott on blogs that are covering SXSW. In short, Ramble Creek has put together one of the best day show line-ups I've seen thus far. While the line-up should be enough to get you there, there's the added bonus that Lone Star Beer and Waialua Soda Works will be providing you with refreshing beverages as well.

Ramble Creek is an Austin-area recording studio that has been gaining a very solid reputation in Texas because of the great work they have produced. The studio has recorded some of my favorite albums of the last few years, most notably those from the likes of Doug Burr, Monahans, Telegraph Canyon, and Collin Herring. Additionally, they recorded forthcoming albums from Lubbock-scene stalwarts One Wolf (One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf) and Denton-based songwriting genius Doug Burr (O Ye Devastator) that I am quite excited about, to say the least.

I'm less familiar with Seryn, Austin Collins and The Georgian Company, although I expect they will be of similar high quality as the rest of the line-up. While I hear promising rumors here and there about the "Special Guest," no official announcements have been made about who this artist might be. We'll pass that info along in coming weeks if we hear, but I expect whoever it is will be well worth your time.

Everything you need to know is on the poster below. Check out Showlush for additional details. I know I said your SXSW schedule will fall apart after the first day, but the beauty of this show is you can just show up and stay all day. See you there.

Favorite Albums of the Decade from Our Favorite Artists

(Design credit Julie Cope)

In the face of all of the "best of decade" lists, we...well, we did some too. However, we reached out to a substantial number of indie artists that we are fans of and asked them what albums made the most lasting impression on them over the course of the past decade, in hopes that we would turn up some records that you won't find on the typical lists. We left the format open and welcomed multiple lists from each band. We are extremely grateful to all who participated. Below is the response. As an added bonus to you, the reader, feel free to post your own list in the comments section.

Greg Vanderpool - Monahans

"Even though this has been the decade of iTunes and shuffle playlists, I still love the album format. When a record locks into a mood from beginning to end yet still has enough contrast from song-to song to keep things interesting, it's a beautiful thing. I also love consecutive albums that complement each other so much so that they become a sort of saga (the same way Godfather I & II could be considered one film). It's hard to deny the body of work that Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Spoon and Wilco created over the past 10 years, alone. Aside from those, these are some of the ones that stick out in my mind..."

Chris Whitley - Soft & Dangerous Shores
Califone - Roomsound
Crooked Fingers - Crooked Fingers & Bring On The Snakes
Centro-Matic - South San Gabriel Songs/Music

The Court & Spark - Bless You

Bexar Bexar - Tropism & Haralambos

Steve Earle - Transcendental Blues
The Damnations - Where It Lands

Rob Lowe - Piano & Guitars; Balmorhea

"I am surprised at my list. I think most of the music that I really love and respect happened before 2000. It's hard for me to have a lot of perspective on music since 2000. I guess these records are the ones that I find the most affective, the ones I want to listen to all the time. They don't particularly represent the records that I think are the most innovative or even the most interesting (although most of them are both), but these are definitely the ones that I am closest to. And I guess that is what I like most in a record, something mysterious that just makes you keep listening over and over and over."

In alphabetical order:
The American Analog Set - Know by Heart

Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)

Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Rachel's - Systems/Layers
Sigur Ros - ( )
Smog - A River Aint too Much to Love
Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highways

Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Winston Chapman - Drums; Bosque Brown

Strokes - Is This It? (2001)

Bill Calahan - Woke on a Whaleheart (2007)
Dr. Dog - We All Belong (2007)

Mara Miller - Bosque Brown

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master and Everyone

The Shivers - Charades
Beach House - Beach House
the Knife - Deep Cuts
Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)

Jeremy Buller - Guitar, Keyboards, Miscellaneous, Vocals; Bosque Brown

John Vanderslice - Time Travel Is Lonely- Not his first solo album but, to me, the one with which he found his voice - settled into a style of writing, production, and engineering that all continue to influence me a great deal. His adaptation of Robert Lowell's 'The Old Flame' is perhaps my favorite of JV's recordings.

Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther- Though Midlake has had several markedly different-sounding records prior (and all of them very good), this one is another 'settling' album - they really found their sound here. A few critics thought the first three tracks left the album too front-loaded; they're idiots. Tracks 5-7 ('Young Bride', 'Branches', and 'In This Camp') make up my favorite three-songs-in-a-row of any album, ever. Magical moments include the vocal delivery of the second verse of 'Roscoe' ('now it's filled with hundreds and hundreds of chemicals that mostly surround-you-you-wish-to-flee-but-it's-not-like-you-so-listen-to-me-listen-to-me...'), the bowed strings and shakers that creep in at 1:27 in 'Head Home' (and Paul's most excellent guitar solo, and the dueling-guitars freakout slow-fade that closes the song), the lone snare hit that punctuates the second verse of 'Young Bride,' the way the words 'I wanted to maaarrrrryyy Babette' soar over the crashing guitars and drums of 'In This Camp'... etc. etc. etc... there are so many more...

Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me? - It's hard for me to pick from Damien's albums. He's had so many albums full of fantastic songs... the first two songs of his I ever heard, though, were 'Matinee' and 'Window' from this album. 'Amateur Night' showcases the less-is-more dark-narrative writing that he's so freaking good at, and 'Tether' is one of those songs that is identifiable to the point of scaring me. 'Tether' is one of the reasons the repeat-one button exists.

David Wingo - Ola Podrida

"I was asked to provide 5-10 of my favorite albums of the last decade but I ended up with 12, and I couldn't see fit to take any of these albums off the list. Depending on my mood I could say that any one of these amazing records is my favorite of the decade...there are many, many albums that came out over the last 10 years that I love a great deal but these are the ones that I feel like have truly become a part of me and that I imagine will always fully engage and astound me, no matter how many times I've listened to them. I don't really know how to properly talk about any of them; I'm too close to the music at this point, and I think that's the hallmark of any great music...words can't even begin to do it justice."

In no particular order:
The Clientele - Suburban Light

Songs Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
Sigur Ros - ( )
The New Year - Newness Ends
The Radar Bros - And the Surrounding Mountains

Bibio - Fi

Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender
The National - Boxer
Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
Radiohead - In Rainbows
M. Ward - Transfiguration of Vincent


Daniel Markham - One Wolf

Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf...i was initially excited about Dave Grohl's return to the drums, but the songs and fuzzed out guitars really did it for me. i still listen to this on a weekly basis on cassette.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cold Roses...i always hear people talk about how hit or miss this album is, but for me it was just perfect. it just sounds so classic to me.

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots...i love anything weird, and this is definitely that. it will always remind me of driving through thick fog on the California coast. i love how scientific wayne coyne's lyrics are, too.

Beck - Sea Change...when i got this i couldn't stop listening to it. it's just so mellow and trippy. it's by far my favorite beck album.

R.E.M. - Accelerate...r.e.m. is my favorite band of all time. this is such a great "return to form" for them after a few more experimental albums. it's very energetic and also very short. i absolutely love this album! it has everything i love about this band on one disc. for sure!

Collin Herring

Sun Kil Moon - April

Richard Buckner - Impasse
Centro-matic - Distance and Clime
Hem - Rabbit Songs
The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Beck - Sea Change
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Lucinda Williams - Essence

Colin Gilmore

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (2003)

Billy Joe Shaver - Freedom's Child (2002)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning (2006)
Flatlanders - Wheels of Fortune (2004)
Brandi Carlisle - Brandi Carlisle (2005)
Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand (2007)

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

"Not in this order necessarily. These are some of the albums that I think have kept music to a high standard during this decade. I hope they're just a taste of what's to come."

Brooks Kendall - Bass; Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
The Game - The Documentary
Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
Macon Greyson - Uneasy
Radiohead - Kid A
Doug Martsch - Now You Know

Andy Martinez

Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash

The Court and Spark - Hearts
Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream
Twilight Singers - She Loves You
Magnolia Electric Company - What Comes After The Blues
Strays Don't Sleep - Strays Don't Sleep
Daniel Lanois - Shine
Matthew Ryan - Vs. The Silver State
Nick Cave - Dig, Lazurus, Dig!!!

Doug Burr

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master & Everyone

Seth Woods - Sad Accordions, Whiskey Priest, Booher & the Turkeyz, Zookeeper, Alex Dupree & the Trapdoor Band

"how about... top 61? okay, i got a little carried away. i'm sorry! i just couldn't leave all these great records off my list! so instead, i tried to sort them as conveniently and non-arbitrarily as i could. the categories are fairly self-explanitory, except maybe the "spiritual documents" one. these are the records that, for me, go beyond the mere classification of "record" and dip into a realm of creation that "records" such as Astral Weeks exist in - more than just timeless recordings or timeless songs, there is something greater than the art of the musicians being captured here...
also, there are just some records that i can't separate from others in my experience of them. for instance, in thinking about the radiohead records that came out during this decade, i don't have a favorite. they are all my favorite. this decade of radiohead was my favorite radiohead record! i keep expecting them to let me down at some point, but so far, they haven't. so those four records count as one to me. as opposed to the arcade fire, who do have two very good records, but their second record is hands down my favorite of the two. therefore, only neon bible is listed.
look, just be grateful that i didn't include my favorite records that came out in PAST decades but weren't discovered by me until THIS decade!"

BEST OF AUSTIN

Zykos - S/T

Fivehead - Guests of the Nation

Meryll - You've Got Cousins / Happened / Rimziate

Shearwater - Palo Santo / Winged Life

Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band - S/T / Las Meridanzas

Frank Smith - Big Strike in Silver City

American Analog Set - Promise of Love

Milton Mapes - The Blacklight Trap

The Gloria Record - Start Here

The Miracle Chair - #4 The Digital Frontier

BIG TIMERS

Pete Yorn - Music for the Morning After

Brian Eno and David Byrne - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs (Bootleg Series vol. 8)

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Radiohead - Kid A / Amnesiac / Hail to the Thief / In Rainbows

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Coldplay - Parachutes

David Gray - A New Day at Midnight / White Ladder

Randy Newman - The Randy Newman Songbook vol. 1

INDIE BIG TIMERS

Broken Social Scene - S/T / Bee Hives

Wilco - A Ghost is Born / Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

The Postal Service - Give Up

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker

TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

Okkervil River - Down the River of Golden Dreams / Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See

Joanna Newsom - Ys

The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed

THE UNDERDOGS

The Standard - August / Wire Post to Wire / Albatross

Sam Amidon - All is Well

Ho-Hum - Near and Dear

Don Chaffer and Waterdeep - Whole 'nother Deal

Nat Baldwin - Most Valuable Player

The Lord Dog Bird - S/T

The Wrens - The Meadowlands

Vigilantes of Love - Audible Sigh

Creeper Lagoon - Remember the Future

David Garza - A Strange Mess of Flowers / Overdub

THE CLASSY FOLKS

Daniel Lanois - Shine / Here is What is

Gillian Welch - Soul Journey

Crooked Fingers - S/T / Bring on the Snakes / Red Devil Dawn / Dignity and Shame

Calexico - Feast of Wire

John Vanderslice - Cellar Door

Jim White - No Such Place

Joseph Arthur - Our Shadows Will Remain / Redemption's Son
Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway / Tiny Cities
Over the Rhine - Ohio
Nina Nastasia - Dogs

ROCKING INDIE

Guided by Voices - Universal Truths and Cycles

AC Newman - The Slow WonderWolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Damien Jurado - I Break Chairs
Pedro the Lion - Winners Never Quit / The Only Reason I Feel Secure / Control / Achille's Heel
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Nada Surf - Let Go
Richard Buckner - Dents and Shells / Meadows

SPIRITUAL DOCUMENTS
Akron/Family - S/T
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)
smog - A River Ain't Too Much to Love
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle


Western Ghost House

Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
M. Ward - Transistor Radio
Desaparecidos - Read Muisc/Speak Spanish
Beach House - Devotion
The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We Are Gone?
Deer Tick - War Elephant
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
The Shivers - Charades
Darkest Hour - Undoing Ruin
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica


Derek - Writer, CFO, Windfarm

The Paper Hearts - Plans for the Past
Lucero - That Much Further West
Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me?
Willy Mason - EP
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Silver Jews - Bright Flight
Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)
Will Johnson - Vultures Await
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not...
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master & Everyone
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Damien Rice - o
Hayes Carll - Flowers & Liquor

Jeff - Writer, Procrastinator, Windfarm

If I was to have to pick the albums that I would say had the greatest impact on me over the past decade, this is a pretty comprehensive list. Some of these albums I might leave off if I wanted to appear super cool or hip, but here's as honest a list as I can put together.

Lucero - Tennessee
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Nels Andrews - Sunday Shoes
Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Cipher
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Eleven Hundred Springs - A Straighter Line
Richard Buckner - Meadow

And while I didn't include any particular album from them, I want to note a few artists that I consider to have produced the strongest body of work over the decade.

The Avett Brothers (it was too hard to pick one album)
Doug Burr (both solo and with the Lonelies)
Ryan Adams (solo & with the Cardinals)
DeVotchKa (hardly a single bad song over four LPs)
Will Johnson (solo, Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, etc. etc. etc.)

12/12

Not much to post lately:
although good things are on the way.

Check out Denver's own Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel:
on their recent Daytrotter session. These are probably the best recordings to date from the band, as their only record was recorded before the band was in its current formation.

Saw Invictus last night:
Great story. Good movie. Lots of rugby action, if you're in to that sort of thing. Still well worthwhile to watch even if you're not. However, no big surprises either.

In case you missed it:
Aquarium Drunkard posted a great interview with Kris Kristofferson a few weeks back.

Austin favorites Monahans:
have just reissued their out-of-pring debut record Low Pining for the first time on vinyl. Doesn't seem to be available online at this time though.

Also, I just saw Monahans tweeted:
"New Doug Burr songs kill!!!!" - Makes me even more anxious to hear that new record.

Not sure why I like this picture so much. Guess it just reminds me of my childhood:

















(Picture credit here)

Cold Weather for a Cold Heart

Photo: Library of Congress

It's worth multiple reads:
NPR presented a fascinating discussion on the record labels that we all love and their role in the current struggling music industry. It's worth multiple reads.

Austin blog action:
Austin Town Hall posted a great interview with David Wingo of Ola Podrida. Check out his excellent new album Belly of the Lion out now on Western Vinyl.

ATH also caught up with the always witty and quotable J. Tillman.

Recommended shows for Austin folks:
Monahans - December 3rd - Mohawk
Balmorhea with Ola Podrida & Martin Crane - December 11th - Mohawk
Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch - December 13th & 14th - Parish both days plus a free in-store at Waterloo Records on the 13th

Is there a more consistent band?
Spoon's new single, Written in Reverse, makes me happy. New album out January 19th, 2010.

Born to scream:

Cymbals Eat Guitars destroyed most of my theories on the state of music and "hyped" bands a few months ago when I saw their live show. This video almost proves my point.

3 reviews (sort of)

I’ve been meaning to get to some album reviews the past few months, but I always seem to put it off because album reviews aren’t really my strong point, as evidenced by my past generic attempts at describing musical styles. I once tried writing reviews for an online site that was fairly popular in Texas for a time, and even had a couple of things published by them (kind of embarrassing stuff, but what's done is done). However, when they sent me CD’s to review, it became quite clear to me that reviewing music that I wasn’t terribly interested in wasn’t my strong point. I think I waffled for a few weeks and made one attempt at writing a review, but nothing came out, so I wrote the editor back with my tail between my legs and said I couldn’t do it. Nonetheless, that whole experience gives me a certain skepticism that people who review CD’s after a listen or two are really getting at much of anything. Rather, I think one has to sit with an album for some time and let the feel of it seep in slowly, and until then, it’s really hard to say much about it. However, given that model, I guess there’s not much hope for bad music getting any review at all, so maybe they can keep their model and I’ll keep mine. But I digress…













Amanda Shires – West Cross Timbers

On Amanda Shires' follow up to her 2005 release Being Brave, one is most taken by the clear progression that she has made in terms of her songwriting and in her confidence to branch out in a number of musical directions. West Cross Timbers moves away from the traditional tint of Shires’ debut, and gravitates from intensely personal and soft ballads to uptempo songs that drive the album forward. The variety on the album is likely to lead listeners to pick almost any of the eleven tracks as a favorite, as each is strong in its own right. “Mariann Leola” and “Mineral Wells” are clear standouts, each with a somber tone, but they are nicely complimented by more upbeat tracks such as “Upon Hearing Violins” and “Angels and Acrobats,” the latter being a cover from the songbook of Shires’ collaborator Rod Picott. Timbers showcases the musical experience Shires has gained over the past few years in touring solo and in collaboration with Rod Picott and Thrift Store Cowboys, most notably in her willingness to take chances with a wider vocal range. Appropriately, the album closes with homage to Shires’ roots, with the Western swing number “Whispering” - a fitting coda to an album that showcases a broad spectrum of influences that range from traditional fiddle music of the 30s & 40s all the way up to music of today.













Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies

I honestly have to report that about 2 months ago, I had no more than a fleeting interest in Justin Earle. I had heard a few live performances, and thought the music was decent, but it really didn’t get me interested enough to buy his music. Fast forward to today and now I seem to have copies of all three of his albums, so a definite transition has happened for me as of late. Compared to his past recordings, Midnight sounds decidedly more “alt country” in the sense that many of the songs move away from the stripped down low-fi feel of his past LP, The Good Life, and are well produced without going too far overboard. “Mama’s Eyes” remains my favorite track on the album, and is largely responsible for my increase in interest in JTE. I almost never quote lyrics, but the line “Sure it hurts but it should hurt sometimes” basically sold me on Earle’s music and songwriting. Other standout tracks on the album include the title track and Earle’s cover of the Replacements’ “Can’t Hardly Wait.” However, continued listens for me have brought out the strength of other tracks, most notably “Someday I’ll be Forgiven for This.” Overall this album is well done with some tracks that I think will have long term listening value, but more importantly, I think they are a indicator of great things to come from JTE.













Monahans – Dim the Aurora

Austin based Monahans truly provides a case in point when it comes to my philosophy of album reviews. I had to spend multiple listens with their debut release Low Pining before I really felt like I “got it” to any extent. Dim the Aurora follows suit by providing a complex soundscape that likely will not be instantly accessible to listeners given the intricacies woven into the musical framework. The first track, “It’s Enough to Leave You,” is among the most listener friendly songs on the album, and the songs that follow don’t necessarily branch out in any single direction, exhibiting the bands' diverse musical tastes. The instrumental tracks and the more traditionally structured songs (i.e. with verses and choruses and such) don’t exactly chart the same path. Songs such as the title track and “The Low Light” exhibit strong songwriting and will have an immediate appeal to most listeners. Alternatively, the instrumentals move in more adventurous directions at times, most notably with the sparse 21 minute "Terrene," seemingly Monahans' statement that this is most definitely not your father's rock and roll anymore. Overall, the album is cohesive and a great listen to those willing to take the time to listen to the entire project in its entirety.

Weekly stuff

More evidence that Zach Galifianakis is about to be a huge movie star whether we like it or not:
in this New York Times feature.

Awesome cover art by Julie Cope:
On the new Mt. Inadale Records split 7” featuring Lubbock’s own Thrift Store Cowboys & One Wolf. Click the artwork for more details.







If you liked the Court & Spark:
you should check out their new project Hiss Golden Messenger. It's a good bit different than C&S, but the solid songwriting is still there. Kind of more…um…earthy? I would say if you listened to Hearts, this material sounds like a natural progression from that.

Monahans continues to get recognition from major media outlets:
this time in Texas Monthly.

If you didn’t know:
J.D. Salinger is still alive, but has refused to talk to the press for close to 50 years. He recently made headlines regarding the fact that he was filing suit against a publishing company who put out a book that is an unauthorized sequel to Catcher in the Rye. When the story broke, you could get this book internationally for $15 or so. Now it's up to $160 reserve price. I briefly considered buying it while it was so cheap, but then I remembered, "oh yeah, J.D. Salinger didn't actually write this book" FYI, even today, people who seek him out in the small town of Cornish, NH get turned away by a near-deaf Salinger or his wife. Road trip anyone?

If you’ve seen Weeds Season 4:
Then you probably heard “A New World” and “Head Honcho” by DeVotchKa playing along with one of the episodes.

When my friend told me she grew up in Hawai’i:
I said, “can you be more pacific?”

In case you missed it:
Vic Chesnutt stopped into Daytrotter for a session that was posted here not so long ago.  FYI, the scream he does in "Independence Day" is not for sale at Guitar Center.

Stupf

A nice Avett Brothers show review here:

that's most notable for it's comparison of the Avett's current energy to the Old 97s, which I think I can get on board with, especially if the comparison is to Too Far to Care era 97s.

By the way, I'm glad to argue with you about it:

but I'm still convinced Too Far to Care is the best alt-country album ever made.

They've always got to find a flaw with albums:

but, nonetheless, Pitchfork gives Monahans a decent review here.

For some reason:

I still haven't gotten my copy of the Monahans CD in the mail.  I blame USPS, not Misra, though, given that it took almost 30 days for my last Bloodshot order to get here.

If you are still forgetting to read What's So Funny?:

then you missed a good one here. (As usual Relatively Safe For Work - i.e., don't read it out loud in your cubicle.)

I hope:

that my expectations aren't unnecessarily high for The Hangover.

Thrift Store Cowboys got some late arriving SXSW coverage here (page takes a while to load for some reason):

and yes, the band featured on the next page is Metallica.  Pretty sweet.  And another short SXSW review popped up here.

If you need a good new book:

try Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida.  It's a fast read, but a good one.  If you've not heard of her, she's married to Dave Eggers, and while their styles are not the same, she similarly has the ability to write in such a way that you don't put the book down until you're done.

Wovenhand:

Acoustic show, this Friday.  Denver.  At least I know it won't burst my eardrums like the last time I saw them.  Apparently the Post called it "one of the 10 most exciting club shows this summer."  And it might even end early enough to check out Lucero at the Bluebird later that night.

If you hadn't figured it out:

the common link was Lloyd Maines.

Overheard:

"I mean, like, if you don't know anything about cars then you're basically not a guy, right?"

Also overheard:

Countless conversations about Jon & Kate Plus 8.  Come on people.

Seen:

Headline in the Denver Post reading "No Charges Against Poudre Doctor."  Not to make fun of the actual situation relating to this story, whatever it is, but this struck me as funny because the area, typically called the Poudre Valley, is pronounced "pooder."  

Good news Lubbock:

Buddy Holly Center summer showcase schedule announced. If you don't go to any other show, GO SEE MARIACHI AMISTAD!  I'm not joking.

A few things

First off, I still can't understand how there are people in this country who approach a self serve drink machine as though it is a TI-82 graphing calculator.

Secondly, Monahans is coming out with a new album, titled Dim the Aurora. One new track from the album is available here. However, I'm not sure that is going to do you a ton of good, since their albums seem to need to be listened to all together. Nonetheless, I'm definitely looking forward to this one.


Monahans Sandhills State Park (no relation to the band)

Thirdly, I just read here that festival promoters are allowing fans to put tickets on layaway, paying for part now and the rest at a later date. Sounds to me like a situation where the rich keep getting rich on the people who are hoping they can scrape together the $250 to see Dylan at Rothbury this July.

Here are the terms (found here) :

"Weekend Ticket - Layaway
ROTHBURY's Layaway Ticket Program allows you to pay for your ROTHBURY Weekend Ticket in three (3) installments. You pay $99.50 (plus ticket fees and shipping and 100% of Ticket for GOOD donations or RV Pass costs if applicable) at the time of purchase. Then, $75.00 will be automatically be charged to your card on 5/7/2009 and another $75.00 on 5/28/09.

Ticket fees are $26.00 per ticket, and include a $2.00 contribution to the Grant Township Land Improvement Fund, $5.00 facility fee and service fees.

There are no refunds. If you default on any of the payments you will lose any deposits and your order will be canceled."

So in these uncertain times, the promoters are using the failing economy to their advantage. Let's assume you make the first payment of 99.50 (plus I'm sure you pay the fees up front too), and maybe even pay the second payment of $75. But oops, your personal financial situation takes a turn for the worse, and you can't pay the last payment. Now they have at least $200 of your money, and don't even have to accommodate for you, and they can open that ticket up to sell to someone else for $300 or more after you default.

Dear Big Money Music Industry:

Please die now so we can try and live decent lives again.

Thanks
wf


There was some other junk I was going to post about the Fleet Foxes, but I'll do that later. This layaway business has me all worked up.

3 albums that shouldn't fall through the cracks

Another installment in my series of paying tribute to lesser known albums/bands that have been good to me over the years.

Nels Andrews - Sunday Shoes

In terms of first albums, and also complete albums, Sunday Shoes stands at the top in my mind. This former Albuquerque (now Brooklyn) resident played and toured regionally around New Mexico for a number of years behind this album, although I think he has maintained a bigger fan base in Europe for most of that span. The weight of the songwriting on this album was apparent to me when I saw him open solo for the Magnolia Electric Co. a few years ago. The crowd was a mix of indie and alt country types, although in Lubbock those people are the same, but nonetheless, by the end of the show, he had everyone's attention and basically had the room silenced, which is no small feat at any show in Lubbock. This album is still fairly generally available, and you can download it off all of the major sites as well. I hesitate to pick stand-out tracks from this album, but "Jesse's Mom," "Weight," and "Petal to a Bee" are 3 tracks that should give you a good idea of the strength of this album.

Milton Mapes - Westernaire

Milton Mapes is somewhat of a quintessential Austin band, and I don't mean that in a bad way. They tour very rarely, but they continue to put out good music, and only tour when the opportunity is just right. For that matter, they usually only tour as a 2 piece, so you'll have to catch them in Austin or Dallas to get the full band show. I can't remember if MM is officially "broken up" or not, but they generally perform under the moniker of Monahans now, which I think has some inspiration in the duly titled song from Westernaire. They still play occasionally under the name Milton Mapes, named after the lead singer's grandfather if I remember correctly, so I think the different band names have more to do with artistic vision than anything else (remember when I said quintessential Austin band?). Westernaire is a solidly thematic album (whatever that means), and overall is a great listen, as is their first album The State Line. Standout tracks you might want to check out are "Maybe You're Here, Maybe You're Not" and "The Only Sound That Matters."

Deadman - Paramour

This album was a tough selection, and one that a number of people I know might not agree with, simply because the current incarnation of Deadman, i.e. Steven Collins, isn't really all that similar to the Deadman that made Paramour. This album has a quiet brilliance to it (once again, whatever that means), but very honestly is an amazing collection of songs with beautiful harmonies from Steven and Sherilyn Collins. "The Ballad of Padre Miguel" blends Mexican guitar and alt country/indie rock in as natural of a way as one could ever hope to put together, that is, it doesn't sound contrived or unauthentic. "Ghost Story" is another great track on the album, and the one that first drew me to the band at a live show in Fort Worth 7 or 8 years ago. I don't know that I can fully describe this album, but I think it was made at a point in time where everything and everyone came together with the right influences and just got it "right." Sounds cliched I know, but it's well worth it. I won't even talk about the latest releases from Deadman, because it's just going to take away from what I just said about this one.

Both Paramour and Westernaire are still widely available, either as downloads, or used on Amazon. Won't cost you much to check them out.

Just missed the cut:

The Court & Spark - Dead Diamond River EP

This now inactive, formerly San Francisco based band (i.e., another that may not have completely broken up, but you can pretty well count them as done) put out a number of good releases over the years. This is a good sampling of their music, with the undisputed highlight being "Lucia." Check it out sometime.

Collin Herring - Avoiding the Circus

The first release from this Fort Worth based singer/songwriter, which got him a good deal of attention at the time, is not a favorite of mine all the way through. However, "Train on Her Brain" is one of the best unknown alt country rockers that you can find. "Heaven Doesn't Work Out" is not too bad either. Both songs are worth checking out, although in my opinion probably stand out far above the rest of the album. He's got a new album out, his third - Past Life Crashing - which is really growing on me. He unfortunately lost probably the biggest champion of his music in Miles of Music, so if you like what you hear, he's a good guy and makes good music, so please check out his more recent releases. "Punches" from the new album is a great place to start.