[theresonlyoneMELLO!]

Here’s the deal.

During the summer I consumed some of the greatest pizza of all time. It was at Jamesburg Pizza in, yes that’s right, Jamesburg NJ. Since then, I’ve given up on most of the local pie around here. Coupled with the great sauce and New York taste of Pizza Bistro in Nyack, NY, my desire for Warren County pizza has all but disappeared. Right at the moment that thought entered my brain I knew I had to do something quickly.

So as I’m driving to my second job in Phillipsburg (where I pack and ship German language children’s books ahahahahahahaha) I passed a Phillipsburg pizza parlor called Gara’s Pizza. I’ve NEVER been there, and I should, right?

In a matter of minutes I decided to take a query of the local pizza shops in order to find out who serves the best single slice of cheese pizza. Starting TODAY I am going to visit each and every one of these places in order to sample.

I’m dead serious about this too. I feel like I’m going to be doing mySELF a service (whom I trust very much), those I know (who *cough* respect my opinion), and the community (who don’t know I have a respectable opinion to begin with).

In the end, this is simply a ploy to sample pizza.

I hope for some of you that pizza in Warren County is also a concern. I’m committed to bringing you back some quality information about some (hopefully) quality pie.

RULES:
1.) I must be actually hungry before I eat a slice.
2.) I eat a piece of the crust first so that it’s own flavor and texture is not compromised by the sauce and cheese.
3.) I must eat it almost immediately. No waiting around.
4.) ONLY CHEESE SLICES. No toppings.

Check out the page titled “You Wanna Go Halves on-a Pie?” on the right. The links below it will have the various places I’ve visited as the months go by.

You all have no idea how exciting this is.

- [LAME!]

I’ve been going to bed scared lately. There is only one reason though. I’ve been reading No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. Yeah, it’s a BOOK. I had no idea either. I just thought it was some crazy movie. Luckily I haven’t watched the movie yet (but it looks spot on with what I’ve read so far). Anyway, this book is brutally violent and so terrifyingly suspenseful that as I read it before bed I can hear my heart racing. I also become much more aware of my surroundings. All my senses are on high alert. It’s totally bizarre.

For example, on Wednesday night my entire body was on high alert when a series of random sounds caused my father and I to head downstairs with weapons in hand. I started this madness. I was laying in bed reading that hellacious book when I heard what sounded like one person giving a whistling-signal to another person. Now, in this day and age I don’t think many people use this “whistle-signal” to cohorts. Furthermore, I doubt they use that whistle when they are (as I thought) right outside my window on a quiet night while my bedroom light is clearly on. After the “whistle” I paused and thought, “Hmmm…did I make that sound?” I tried to recreate that whistle with my throat to no avail. These are priceless moments that I wish my future children could see.

Now, keep in mind, I’m already at code C because of this book (at any minute some crazy Mexican is going to come into my room and kill me for no good reason, or so I think) and the mysterious whistle. Next I hear what sounds like someone trying to open up our basement windows.

I get nervous. It continues for awhile. I remember the cat is inside, not downstairs. Who the heck is doing that? Doesn’t sound like ma or pa closing their window. It certainly sounds like one or more whistle-signaling persons trying to enter our home illegally.

I start to sweat. Panic.

I slowly get out of my bed and tiptoe to my parent’s room. I pass my cat and curse him for not being the scape goat for that noise downstairs. He also looks very comfortable. Curse that too. I also look at the clock. It’s only 11:00pm. No good burgular would break in this early, especially with a bunch of lights on.

Sure, I say that NOW, but in that moment moment I wasn’t dealing with an ordinary burglar. I was dealing with a one Anton Chigurh – psycopathic murderer who kills for the fun of it. Oh and I have his 2.5 million dollars. Whoops.

I whisper to my pops and he and I discuss the noises right near this computer I’m typing from. As I finish all my concerns, lo and behold, we hear a thud downstairs. Dad’s eyes get big and he goes into his room to get his GLOCK. Meanwhile, trying to emulate my father, I head to my room to get MY weapon of choice…my acoustic guitar. It was my best option. “You are stooooooopid,” I say out loud and leave the guitar there. It breathes a sigh of relief.

Following pops, we head into the garage where I find a trusty aluminium baseball bat. Been with me since fifth grade. This may be the last time I ever wield it.

We scour the basement. I’m ready to bash Anton, though I know he could pump three shots into me without revealing himself from his hiding place. He could be cleaning up in the washing machine. He could be in Rocco’s bass drum. He could be in Zach’s bass case. He could be under the weight bench. He could be in the dryer. He could be behind the wood stove. He could be in the boiler. In the ceiling beams. Covered under the woodpile. On spin cycle. Doing a lap. Dialing a phone. He could even be curled up on the Y2K shelf (yes, it’s still called that).

But Anton Chigurh is not there. He’s in my book.

My dad and I turn to sleuthing and come to conclusions about my paranoia:

A.) Thud – Boiler downstairs. Sometimes, in the spot we were discussing our gameplan, if you step correctly the boiler makes a thud.

B.) Opened Window – Ma closing the window in their bedroom.

C.) Whistle – Definitely my throat. As I laid down to read the book again after these events I made the whistle with my throat unintentionally. It was actually pretty incredible. My throat closed with enough saliva in there to give off a high pitched, yet quiet, whistle when I breathed out.

Soon, as this Friday night comes to an end, I’ll retire to my room to finish that book. And if anything else happens tonight, you’ll be hearing about it asap.

- [WUSSIE!]

P.S. I had this thought too. I thought about how ironic it would be if the actor who plays Anton Chigurh in the movie, Javier Bardem, happened to go insane and randomly showed up at my house in order to kill me. But as he entered my room he would see me sitting on my bed reading No Country for Old Men, which includes a character he has portrayed on film and, as I am finding out in that moment, apparently in real life. He would be shocked too, realizing that he is about to kill a man who is reading about him, technically. How strange. Then we’d have this awkward stare off, both knowing that what he’s about to do is so out there that only fools like me would think it and then write it down for ridicule later.

He would kill me though and I’d be cool with that.

I first thought that maybe I would simply put up my overall favorite songs of 2007, but why not split it up into two different sections? This post is the Top 25 New Music 2007. Next post will be Top 25 Music of Yesteryear for 2007 (<—- makes sense?)

TOP 25 NEW MUSIC 2007

#25 THE AVETT BROTHERS “DIE DIE DIE”

#24 VEGA4 “LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL”

#23 MATT NATHANSON “CAR CRASH”

#22 SPOON “DON’T MAKE ME A TARGET”

#21 BORN AGAIN FLOOZIES “I USED TO PLAY THE EUPHONIUM”

#20 SPOON “YOU GOT YR. CHERRY BOMB”

#19 ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI “DEBBIE”

#18 THE NATIONAL “FAKE EMPIRE”

#17 JOSH RITTER “THE TEMPTATION OF ADAM”

#16 JENS LEKMAN “THE OPPOSITE OF HALLELUJAH”

#15 THE SHINS “AUSTRALIA”

#14 MATT MAYS & EL TORPEDO “TRAVELLIN’”

#13 THE ARCADE FIRE “BLACK MIRROR”

#12 THE AVETT BROTHERS “PARANOIA IN B MAJOR”

#11 THE FRAMES “FALLING SLOWLY”

#10 MARC BROUSSARD “COME IN FROM THE COLD”

#9 THE ARCADE FIRE “KEEP THE CAR RUNNING”

#8 THE WHITE STRIPES “ICKY THUMP”

#7 FEIST “MY MOON, MY MAN”

#6 I’M FROM BARCELONA “WE’RE FROM BARCELONA”

#5 THE NATIONAL “MISTAKEN FOR STRANGERS”

#4 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN “GIRLS IN THEIR SUMMER CLOTHES”

#3 THE ARCADE FIRE “NO CARS GO”

#2 THE ARCADE FIRE “INTERVENTION”

#1 SPOON “THE UNDERDOG”

I love to share music (and for others to share with me), so if anyone wants a two-disk copy of all this music, let me know. I know most of you who read this are friends so I have no problem sending out the cds to you all. It’s all legit music too. That means I actually own all of it so I have no problem burning it. That’s still probably illegal though. WHO CARES!

- [MELLO!]

2007 has been an absolutely enlightening year for me and music. I’ve listened to more music than ever before and, more importantly, it’s been music I know I will listen to for the rest of my life.

The following ten albums are not all from 2007. Some of them are brand new, some of them are older. But they are what I listened to. I hope you check them out!

#10 Nobuo Uematsu Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VII

What a way to start hahahaha. I’m sure a lot of you are rolling your eyes while about to close out my site. STOP! This is a great album!

Even if you’ve never played Final Fantasy VII, the music is brilliant. To me, playing Final Fantasy VII was a turning point in my life. After I played it I started to love to read. I’m not going to pinpoint my current love for reading on any single book. It was a video game. A video game with an amazing storyline and a lot of text. It’s been over ten years since I first heard that music and it will forever bring back fond memories. Listening to the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VII, for me, is no different than listening to the soundtrack to a movie.

All the songs on Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VII are, obviously, only piano. Whereas the game music consisted of MIDI format orchestra, Uematsu’s piano arrangements are simply ethereal. I am a closet fan of piano music, no lie. My family, in the past, has said that this music should be listened to while sitting on a porch at the beach. Very specific, I know.

If you really want to get the full effect of this game, then listen to this. My sister actually CRIED while watching me play this game. There are moments of supreme joy and heart wrenching sorrow. The music is no different.

#9 Weezer Pinkerton

Given the rest of my top ten for this year, you might be thinking, “Well, this is an odd choice. Weezer?” Yeah, I don’t blame you. This album came out in 1996. Let me be honest. There are Weezer fans and then there are WEEZER fans. My personal opinion is that Pinkerton is what makes a true Weezer fan. Forget “Beverly Hills” or “Dope Nose”, this album has genius written between the lines.

In the past several years, ever since Weezer came out with their (agian) self-titled album Weezer (Green Album) their music has never achieved such star status as their debut: Weezer (Blue Album). While everyone expected Weezer to build on the success of their first album (they had a lot of MTV hits on that one…think “Buddy Holly”), Pinkerton could be considered more of an indie album. The Weezer of yesteryear has a rawer sound – more explosive and uncontrollable.

Weezer’s Myspace

#8 The Decemberists The Crane Wife

This band came to me near the end of the year and that’s one of the reasons it’s at #8 on my list. I feel, had it come earlier, it could have made it farther down the list. But only time will tell.

How can I describe The Decemberists… Here’s a good way: Civil War music. I keep telling people that this album places me in the era of those ladies and gentlemen who lived during that growing period for our country. If you’ve ever found yourself desiring that kind of experience through music, well here it is. Songs titles like “Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)”, “O Valencia!” and “Shankill Butchers” immediately made me have an insatiable desire to hear The Crane Wife. They didn’t disappoint. They tell stories song by song so excellently that you will want to forgo your daily routine. For example, since I’ve put The Crane Wife in my rotation I’ve wanted to buy a rifle, get married, have some kids, and move into the woods.

The Decemberists’ Myspace

#7 I’m From Barcelona Let Me Introduce My Friends

I’m From Barcelona’s myspace slogan says it best about the ideology of this band: “Don’t give up on your dreams, buddy!”

The only reason I ever purchased “Let Me Introduce My Friends” was from a single I heard called “We’re From Barcelona”. It is, by far, one of the most addicting toe-tappers I’ve ever heard. The early part of 2007 was peppered with that song and when I showed it to my friends, they found themselves humming it uncontrollably. But that’s just ONE song.

Most of this album should be placed in the unique genre of sing-a-long. “Wait…what?” you’re saying. “Bro, I thought sing-a-long was for kids.” Not true.

There are songs about chicken pox, stamps, treehouses, and lullabies all sung in a massive band. There are about 30 members in I’m From Barcelona and most of them don’t even play an instrument – they sing. This is a simple chorus of Sweedish friends who accidentally hit it big. That’s right, they are NOT from Barcelona.

If you feel like being a kid all over again, listen to this upbeat pop album.

I’m From Barcelona’s Myspace

#6 Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

This is another album I was attracted to because of a single. “The Underdog” came to me like a parade – you know something fun is coming and it only gets better when it arrives. I listened to their single a couple of times without really thinking about it, but then it got IN me. I listen to it constantly now, as well as the rest of this great album. The best thing about that song is my sister’s reaction to it. Finishing up her first semester of her senior year of college, Marie found herself playing “The Underdog” whenever she woke up in the morning and whenever she finished a paper for class. You WILL dance to this album.

This album is the soundtrack of those slick and sneaky people you see in a city. They slink around the city in suits and sunglasses with nothing to do but something always on their minds. Besides “The Underdog”, highlights include “Don’t Make Me a Target”, “The Ghost of You Lingers”, “Finer Feelings”, and “My Little Japanese Cigarette Case”.

Picture yourself in the living room
Your pipe and slippers set out for you
I know you think that it ain’t too far

Spoon’s Myspace

#5 The National Boxer

I read an article describing The National akin to Bruce Springsteen. But whereas big Bruce is the voice of the blue collar man, The National is the voice of the white collar man. These five men come from corporate backgrounds, the “ride the subway to work” setting. They are nine to fivers. They are thirty-somethings dealing with what thirty-somethings deal with. And that’s what they sing about.

What immediately drew me to The National was lead singer Matt Berninger. He has a deep and soothing baritone that hits you right in the gut. Most bands command that you stand up, but upon hearing The National you feel required to sit down. It knocks your legs out. But the best thing about Boxer are the lyrics. Here’s a sample from “Mistaken for Strangers”:

You get mistaken for strangers by your own friends
When you pass them at night under the silvery, silvery Citibank lights
Arm in arm in arm and eyes and eyes glazing under
Oh you wouldn’t want an angel watching over
Surprise, surprise they wouldn’t wannna watch
Another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults

Listen to this music while you drive around at night.

The National’s Myspace

#4 Styx Styx: Greatest Hits

Styx? Wow.

I’ve always loved Styx. Always, always, always. They are the soundtrack to so many of my favorite memories. From watching Sam and Cindy dance to “Come Sail Away” on the television show Freaks & Geeks, to my friend Mitch singing “The Best of Times” after we won a church volleyball game, to entering Philadelphia to see the Phillies play as “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” blares, Styx have always been right there with me. Oh also, ANY time is the right time to sing “Lady”.

I bought a new ipod nano this past September. Unbeknownst to me until I got there, Circuit City was offering a free $15 iTunes card to the purchaser of the nano. Being a person who loves to actually buy a physical album (I love the whole package), I don’t normally go for digital downloaded albums on iTunes. But Styx: Greatest Hits was like naturally picking up with an old friend after years and years. I didn’t need to be introduced to the band. After a few listens through I thought, “WHAT HAVE I BEEN MISSING!?”

Whereas a lot of the songs above are their HUGE hits, I had never heard a lot of of their other popular songs. If you love the Styx songs played on the radio, check out their lesser known hits like “Crystal Ball”, “Don’t Let It End”, and “Miss America”.

#3 Leeland Sound of Melodies

I’ll be honest, I don’t love Christian music as much as I used to. There was a time in my life when that was really all I owned. So for the past couple of years my favorite Christian music has been very limited. I hold fast to the opinion that alot of music in the Christian genre is very repetitive and overused. Lyrics sound the same. Nobody is original. I will accredit part of my opinion to the fact that yes, I am a Christian and therefore as Christ is so important to me, so is the music that glorifies His name. That being said, I become very critical of any Christian music.

Leeland helped me deal with a lot of that this year. Sound of Melodies is the freshest and most talented music (of ANY genre) to come out in years. When I was falling in love with other bands not in the Christian circle, Leeland snuck in there and nabbed a place in my heart. As I drive to work every morning I listen to no other album but Sound of Melodies. It is one part praise, one part thanks, and one part celebration to God. The leader of this band, Leeland Mooring, was only eighteen years old when he wrote these songs two years ago. He has a very honest voice.

And that’s what I’ve been telling everyone about Leeland and Sound of Melodies: they are honest. When I listen to the combination of the music, lyrics, and Mooring’s voice it strikes me as humble and honest. These guys are passionate in a very REAL way.

Leeland’s Myspace

#2 The Who Live at Leeds Deluxe Edition

The Who have always been that band in the back of my mind. I’ve always wanted to listen to them, but never got around to it. I was too busy with Rush or Led Zeppelin and other popular classic rock acts to care about The Who. They always seemed so bizarre. Who writes a song about a pinball wizard?

And it’s ironic how, in a year where I found myself immersed in indie music, my second favorite band of the year happens to be from decades past.

I went down to my cousin’s house in August and he introduced me to this album. My cousin has always been a huge advocate for live music and he really won me over with Live at Leeds. This album features The Who’s entire set at the University of Leeds where they performed their hits at the time. But the real quality of Live at Leeds Deluxe Edition is the inclusion of the whole of their rock opera Tommy. Tommy, as a studio album, is awesome, but Tommy live is something completely else. At the time producers didn’t know how to record the raw power that The Who embody, but this concert (the only live recording of Tommy) captures it. Tommy, where “Pinball Wizard” comes from, is the story of a boy (Tommy) born deaf, dumb, and blind. It chronicles his life from it’s scandalous beginnings to it’s messiah-like end. It is a very interesting story to begin with, but the real meat is the music. Pete Townshend’s guitars tear through your mind, Roger Daltrey’s growls like a lion into the microphone, John Entwistle’s fuzz bass is like a buzz saw, and Keith Moon’s drumming is like setting off missiles.

This album is worthwhile simply as a great live show, but their inclusion of Tommy in the deluxe edition makes it a masterpiece. It even made it into Rodger Dimery’s music reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Do yourself a favor and listen to this album. Don’t die.

JOINT WINNER!

#1 Arcade Fire Funeral and Neon Bible

Initially I had Neon Bible as #2 and Funeral as #1. But as the time came for me to write a description about both albums I realized that they are one and the same to me. Funeral, Arcade Fire’s debut, came out in 2004. Neon Bible arrived in 2007. I will now tell you why these two albums are the most fulfilling I have ever heard. All the other albums on this list are amazing, but these two have been absolutely life-changing. I am not lying.

I listened to these albums at exactly the same time. In a PASTE Magazine (SUBSCRIBE!) I read the editor’s letter. In it he detailed how a cancelled flight home resulted in an extra night in New York City. Luckily for him, Arcade Fire was playing that evening. He went down to the show and, though he was already a fan, was blown away by their music and live show. This had me intrigued. This guy was SERIOUSLY passionate about this band. About twenty minutes, after listening to a few songs on Arcade Fire’s myspace, I had found something special. I was in love and I knew that the only way to feed my Arcade Fire (huh HA) was to purchase these two albums.

I listened to Arcade Fire on a Sunday evening. I bought the albums Tuesday after work (for some reason I couldn’t do it Monday, if I remember correctly, or I would have busted into Target that day).

Arcade Fire are a large band (about eight members) led by Win Butler and his wife Regine. There are horns, keyboards, sitars, violins, ukuleles, men playing only one drum, and megaphones. Their music is incredible. Absolutely incredible. And their live show is even better.

The Arcade Fire has stalked me ever since I took Modern Poetry my final year of college. Our professor mentioned Arcade Fire several times and, when the class was finally over, sent us a link to a video that incorporated “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams (awesome by the way) and one of their songs called “Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)”. I listened to that song and thought, “Huh, weird.” Fast forward almost ten months later and I am a devout follower of the band. Here’s the video, just in case you wanted to watch it:

I cannot recommend any ONE song to you. ALL of their songs are the best. Funeral was written during a period of time where many band members lost family members. PASTE Magazine writes, “There’s a reverie and pregant sense of promise to Funeral’s stunned, post-funeral solipsism that made it one of the most joyful records about death ever made.”

Paste also writes, “…Funeral represented an indie-rock apotheosis. In the midst of plummeting record sales and increasingly stale mainstream airwaves, the cultural upwelling that turned the album into a cause to celebrate offered the industry a galvanizing dose of energy and awe.”

Neon Bible only furthers the Arcade Fire’s “hipster” image as simply the title alone is mysterious. With songs like “Keep the Car Running” keeping a voracious pace and “Invervention”’s pipe organ causing your hair to stand on end, Neon Bible can be considered equal to Funeral, which is quite a feat. PASTE named Neon Bible #2 in their “Best of 2007″ writing, “Saying that this sophomore release isn’t quite as good as Funeral is sorta like saying that Michaelangelo’s David isn’t quite as good as the Pieta. There are varying degrees of the word ‘masterpiece.’ Win Butler’s very large band continues to make some of the most stirring music of the 21st century.”

I’ve been searching for a band to set the post-Year 2000 world on fire and this is the band.

The Arcade Fire’s Myspace

PART II will feature my top 25 songs of the year! Soon!

- [MELLO!]

Happy New Year to the young and old out there. It’s been too long since I’ve written anything. I was going to apologize about that, but my New Year’s resolution for 2008 is to be less apologetic. Sorry suckers.

Hahaha, I broke it already. Wow, that was seriously unintentional.

This New Year is looking great for one reason and one reason only – the Pakistani music video you see below. Another YouTuber had written “THAT GUY’S A SAVAGE!” after they viewed it. I read that and laughed for about ten minutes uncontrollably. I’m talking that hyena pitch I hit when I really laugh. EMBARRASSINGLY high.

“THAT GUY’S A SAVAGE” is by far the PERfect reaction one should have to this bearded bro:

- [SAVAGE!]