(unsung years in the barrel)

My brain is the tailspin of a rock and roll dream crashing through keepsakes night after night just trying to keep that old howl alive.

15 tracks. a day and a half. and almost enough whiskey to bind these reasons.

1. Hum - stars...a song found in a connecticut quarry in love and among friends. there's not a day it snows that doesn't sound that perfect riff in my ears. in my head. as good as forever.

2. The jesus lizard - puss...twelve years later and this song still makes me want to do indescribable things. evil jazz from lunatic texans transplanted to chicago. too bad she never made it out of the trunk.

3. Mercury rev - snorry mouth...there are times life still sounds like this, quite unexpectedly. and in those moments all is so perfectly right with the world.

4. Rocket from the crypt - sturdy wrists...the first record purchased by a fat white boy transplanted (by his own strange wishes) three thousand miles from his western lands. this band died on halloween in san diego and with them the loudest part of the dream.

5. Carrie nations - the end...this sound may be all i've ever asked of myself and may, one day, still achieve.

6. Screeching weasel - hey suburbia...if you don't still wish you were needlessly seventeen you might as well just lay down and die.

7. They might be giants - ana ng...one of the only tapes to survive a cross-country excursion for my mother and i was a battered tape of lincoln. it drove her crazy. it made my day and still does when no one's listening.

8. Lightning bolt - on fire...holy shit, these guys are good. see them at least once or know you've wasted your life.

9. Superchunk - on the mouth...the best goddamn love song ever written. loud. punk. and hopelessly devoted to the tumults of our unrequited time.

10. Faith no more - jizzlobber...angel dust was the first record i can ever remember hearing that changed fucking everything. this song, rumor has it, was written after three days locked in a closet and still scares the shit out of me.

11. Party of helicopters - slowdance...metallic wails from the heart of the wallflower i'm happy to have had the chance to be.

12. Def leppard - photograph...power chords will never die.

13. Archers of loaf - fabricoh...FUCKIN' A RIGHT!

14. Pavement - summer babe (winter version)...shitty beatles making sloppy racket for the smart kids (and us pissants in between). i still don't know what this song means and i don't care so long as i'm still smoking.

15. Pantera - fucking hostile...ask me about my rock and roll fantasy. then let's get drunk and fight as friends.

Rock it.