music rules wednesday

the news of the day, for me, is that ted leo is playing a local club here in richmond on the first of june. considering how infrequently a band i really really want to see comes through this town, i damn near fainted when the plan 9 cashier told me where he was playing. rather excellent news.

i also went cd shopping today, and naturally with money i "don't have". but i do have it. it's right here in my wallet, all green and nice and wanting despereately to be forked over for some spoon and some mountain goats. oh boy.

so, as i mentioned, the spoon kicks all sorts of ass, but even more so when you own it. so get on that. and the mountain goats is amazing. absolutely amazing. i think that john darnielle is the only recording artist i can honestly say i have followed through the majority of his career...i stumbled upon him back in the early nineties on some shrimper mix tapes...dennis callaci of shrimper is really quite awesome and used to just throw extra stuff in with my orders, including "high fly graveyard" and other shrimper classics. i think "the hound chronicles" was the first mountain goats i owned, and i was completely taken with the whole deal. since then, jd has progressed through his recordings and i have been fortunate enough to continue along for the ride. his works are some of my first and most true musical friends, and i feel very close to them. i feel very close to this record as well, for that reason and because the subject matter and presentation lend themselves to being felt close to by those who have reason to do so. and i do. there is a special kind of self-awarness that comes to those who make it out of abusive situations and can look back on them from a better place. and that, i think, is one of life's truly beautiful twists.