A lack of unsense here...hopefully...

I've been blessed with several good albums recently. It's sort of an issue...how do you choose which one to listen to?

the new Anberlin album is very spiffy. It's not quite as grandeur in it's last moments as Cities, but it's definately epic enough for me. It's a bit more poppy, en general, than Cities, sort of like it mixes the epic soaring emo anthems of Cities with the solid pop grooves of Blueprints for a Black Market. Definitely got some great christian undertones to it.

I picked up the Jason Mraz album, mostly to impress girls, if you must be honest, but also because "I'm Yours" is a phenomenal song and worth buying the whole album for by itself. Haven't gotten into the rest of it yet, but it might come. Do love the artwork.

I randomly ran across the Fratellis on "Live at Abbey Road" and thought they were good fun, so I'd picked up "Costello Music" (because of the pinup girls on the cover, maybe?) and absolutely enjoyed the hell out of that album (especially "Whistling for the Choir"). Just a good ol' fashion, run British rock'n'roll band. don't have enough of them. So i picked up their latest, "Here We Stand," and so far it's pretty spiffy. They lost a little bit of the Brit Bar Band feel, and moved over towards a bit more of the classic British Invasion pop rock album, but they do it well. They are fun, and would be a great show to see in a pub somewhere. do we even have pubs out here?

My most exciting pickup so far is the Subways "All or Nothing." Another band I discovered on Live at Abbey Road, I knew I had to have their disc when I heard that Butch Vig produced it. they are the most in-tune 3-piece band i've come across for awhile--they're so comfortable playing with each other that they are completely free to explore their instruments and have a lot of fun doing it. Good ol' punk album, not in the Green Day or anything like that, but more like the Donnas or the Ramones. For some reason, they remind me a lot of Abandoned Pools, but i think they're a little bit more grounded. And let me say...chic bass players like Charlotte Cooper...good golly that girl is hot.

Anyways, i've finally started to play the guitar again. It's been too long. I knew something was off when I just looked at my guitar and would have been just as happy with it in the case in the closet as playing it. It's nice to be annoyed when I have to leave for work 'cuz I'm still itching to finger some chords and play some tunes. Now if i can just get this "I haven't written a song in way too long" monkey off of my back, i'll be happy. I have some ideas. i hope they come together. that's the tricky part.

Just 'cuz I feel like it...
Nate's Top Ten Albums of All Time (in no particular order)(where everything could change tomorrow)
Garbage "Version 2.0"
Starflyer 59 "Everyone Makes Mistakes"
Damien Rice "O"
Jars of Clay "Jars of Clay"
Bright Eyes "I'm Wide Awake it's Morning"
Depeche Mode "Songs of Faith and Devotion"
Deftones "White Pony"
Moby "Play"
Erasure "Erasure"
Poe "Haunted"

I think listening to those albums would tell you a lot about me. but what do i know?

Funny how several of my all-time fav bands (The White Stripes, The Violet Burning) don't make that list.