Top 6 Albums of '09 or Why Lady Gaga Makes Me Want to Vomit.

Passion Pit - Manners

I was always a big fan of the postal service and this band seems to capture a lot of the reasons I was into them. Fun electronic music with fun, clever sounds and retro-styled songs that stay endearing instead of annoying. It's got heart and it's cheesy but fuck it's great!

Tanya Morgan - Brooklynati

It's been a bit since I found a really good, solid hip hop album since Outkast has been on other projects and MF Doom falls more into the rap genre. These guys have exactly what I've been looking for by having a good balance of witty lyrics, amazing beats and cohesive, well thought out tracks over a great album.

Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

It took me a bit to get around to listening to this album since it seemed like every one was creaming their jeans over this and it kept raising my expectations. When I finally did listen to Bitte Orca, it nearly exploded my mind. It was such a smart combination of jangly guitar work, experimental tweaked noises and thoughtful, lucid lyrics and verses that it had me listening to it on repeat, almost over and over again that week I had brought it with me on a trip to Austin. I'm almost sad I didn't get to this album sooner.

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years

Super Furry Animal's are so constantly wonderful I feel like I barely even need to explain why most every year they release something that it's usually one of my favorites. They know what they're doing and this album shows that off yet again.

Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

So like Super Furry Animals, Phoenix doesn't know how to do a bad album. They got a lot of attention this year and they fully deserve it. If you like pop music even in the slightest this album is pure gold.

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

It's hard to say that an album is simply beautiful but I can confidently say that about Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle. This album is just so aesthetically sound and gorgeous I can't recommend it enough. GET TO IT SON!

And to finish 2009 and a decade at that, let me just say, "FUCK YOU, Lady Gaga!"

and not in a good way.

I dragged you back a sleepyhead

So my last regular post for the year. After this I'll be posting my usual best 6 albums of the year.


I've been drawing with no clear goal lately and just doing doodles in general. It's not really accomplishing much but it's so enjoyable. Sometimes it's good to get back to the basics.

As for reflecting on this year it's been pretty busy yet fulfilling. I finally have a set date for graduating next spring, I passed Illustration portfolio review, I've been in an art show and I've been working at Altgeld Art Museum for a year now. I feel like I've accomplished a lot for getting where I want to be as an artist but at the same time I have fallen short in a few areas. I wanted to finally finish a small comic/zine to sell at Quimby's and have still put it off a year later. This has to be the year I do that or I might just explode!

As for reflecting on personal things, well, it's a lot! I've come to enjoy where I am with friends and family and just enjoy being myself. I've made a strive to be less lazy and do more constructive things like making music, creating things and posting on this blog more often. I think my biggest hurtle is still apathy and laziness but I am slowly getting through it. There's so much we can do to improve ourselves and others around us I'd hate to look back in another decade and feel like I've been living a wasted life. Something to think about in '10.

Closing the last usual post of the year with some more Passion Pit. Definitely going to be one of the albums in the top 6 for the year.


Keep it surreal in '10!

Is this the way I'll always be? Oh no, Oh no.

So my semester has been over for the last week and I've just been lazy getting around to posting here but damn, am I enjoying the break. Not much to say other than how much I love sleeping in till 1pm again :3

Some end of the semester art:

My final set of plates for my intaglio class on a split fountain woodcut. I like how it turned out but I wish I had more time to do bigger, individual plates for each one on its own split fountain. Maybe next semester. The title is "Scientist studies" off a deathcab for cutie song I quite like, capturing that familiar feeling of self realization and distance. A rearrangement of tarot cards to represent myself.

And the colored version of this guy

SO PIMP

The end of the year is drawing close and I feel myself on a weird edge, realizing it's almost the end of decade again. I guess I am trying to formulate that all into more cohesive thoughts but until then, this song captures some odd combination of emotions I am feeling:

I was in love with this song by Passion Pit but the music video as well captures this cool, energetic atmosphere. I love when pairings turn out so nicely.

Also in review of reading all this text, I'M SO GAAAAAAAY.

Whatevs.