2009 | inALLcaps Media Review

Now here you go again
You say you want your freedom
Well, who am I to keep you down?
It’s only right that you should
Play the way you feel it

But listen carefully to the sound
Of your loneliness
Like a heartbeat drives you mad
In the stillness of remembering
What you had
And what you lost…
And what you had…
And what you lost

Download The Morning Benders – Dreams (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

Everyone you know bid a happy farewell to 2009. Don’t let the door hit ya, everyone said. Ready to embrace 2010. Well? How’s it going?

I think we’re all still cautiously optimistic but holding onto the pain ’09 brought us. We’re ready for it to pounce at any moment we’ve let our guard down.

You know what they call that, right? It’s called projecting. So stop it. Or you’ll be begging 2010 to forgive you, and starting this all over again.

Lately I have desperately pondered,
spent my nights awake and I wonder
what I could have done in another way
to make you stay

Download The Morning Benders – Lovefool (The Cardigans cover)

I want you to meet The Morning Benders. They are a cutie patootie fourpiece indie band from northern California. I first heard of them when I caught them on a small stage at San Francisco’s OutsideLands music festival. Their music, and onstage presence, is a bit reminiscent of the Beatles. There’s nothing to not like about them at all. And the music you’re hearing today is a bit off from what you’d find on their multiple EPs and albums. Talking Through Tin Cans might be the most popular album – from 2008. A few have followed, such as this album: The Bedroom Covers, also from 2008. I’m excited to hear what the next album will bring. Just as I try to remove caution from my optimism of this coming year altogether.

You’re the song that the trees sing when the wind blows
You’re a flower you’re a river you’re a rainbow
Sometimes I’m crazy
But I guess you know
And I’m weak and I’m lazy
And I’ve hurt you so
And I don’t listen to a word you say
When you’re in trouble I just turn away

Download The Morning Benders – Marie (Randy Newman cover)

The new album comes out on March 9…

I put the pedal to the floor…

At the moment, I am sitting on a king size bed at Quality Inn of beautiful Glendale, AZ. I am here with my brother to watch the Cardinals play NFL regular season tomorrow. I just got back from an Irish pub named Tim Finnegans. I got a nice buzz, got beat 2 to 3 in a game of cricket, but I feel ok about it since I kept it very competitive.

I have been thinking about writing this post for weeks, but as of a few minutes ago, I had not written a word.

I wanted to talk about the end of the year. It’s nearly time for us to change our calendars. There is a song that I always consider an anthem of mine as we get close to NYE. It’s the song This Year by the indie band The Mountain Goats. Well, the song’s title might give it away a little bit, but the song is about getting through the year.

Even if it kills you.

Well, the meaning of the song is probably a tad deeper than that. I mean, Scotch on your tongue or not, seventeen is a long year if you are desperate to legally get the fuck out of the house of an abusive parent. The scene ends badly as you might imagine…

It’s a great song to scream/sing in your car as you are thinking of just how shitty the economy is and how your house has lost tens of thousands of dollars in just a few months.

I’m just saying.

[Download The Mountain Goats – This Year (Live)]

I also wanted to tell you a story about my blue Gap shirt with the yellow stripe, that I always wear on the holidays. It’s beat up and well worn, but it fits so well! The best part might be that every year, in every photo, I am in that shirt! Makes me giggle everytime I see myself in those pictures. The only way you might know which year that xmas picture was taken, is by the configuration of my facial hair in the photo.

But you don’t care about that do you? You would rather hear more about The Mountain Goats. Maybe I could tell you about how John Darnielle, the lead singer and songwriter, just wrote a book called Black Sabbath: Master of Reality for the 33⅓ book series. I could even tell you about the 33⅓ series and why you should really check it out.