…Fancy meeting you here?

Goodness gracious!

Well hello there! It’s been a really, really long time hasn’t it. Have you gotten thinner? I swear you’ve done something with your hair! Anyway, you look great, I mean that, really great…

Look, I know I didn’t call or text and you probably feel used. I just kind of left you there to make the proverbial walk of shame alone. But you know what? What we have is special, and nothing can change that. OK? We’re GOLDEN.

Whew, I’m glad we’re past that.

So yeah, I’ve been gone for a REALLY long time. If that seriously affected any of your internet reading habits, I am well and truly sorry. To make a long story short, some crazy shizz has been going down on my end like you wouldn’t believe. That shizz includes, but is not limited to H1N1, stomach flus, viral bronchitis, train delays, crazy university admission crap, Shakespeare, Wii Sports, and communism. I wish I was joking, but I’m not. If you want the full story of why I’ve been AWOL, email me and I can write you a fucking novel. Otherwise just humor me and get ready for the awesomeness to come.

But before that, one factor contributing to my extended absence that I will elaborate on is my affliction with a variety of respiratory illnesses. I know truly understand the nature of the phrase “bed-ridden”. I was so sick that at one point I couldn’t even be asked to turn the light off in my room when I was ready to sleep. Indeed, my brothers, those were dark times (ha. see the pun?).

The only plus side was that I got to troll the internetz like no other, with, wait for it, A LEGITIMATE EXCUSE. It was crazy! Then again it was the only thing I was physically capable of doing other than drinking orange juice out of a silly straw and complaining. Even so, it was liberating to relinquish all responsibility in the name of convalescence.

As such, I had a lot of time to watch movies, find music and just generally get back in touch with the world. I’ve renewed my love of Audrey Tatou and Stanley Kubrick and strange documentaries (future reference: hallucinogenic antibiotics and specials on cannibalistic serial killers do not mix) so I’m rearing to get this show back on the road.

I’ve been really, REALLY into more lo-fi chillwave type stuff lately. It probably has to do with the fact that I’ve been either over-medicated or delirious for the past couple of days, but even after having come through the fever-dream haze, I’m still digging this schtuff.

One artist that has been on non-stop repeat in my iTunes is Washed out. He’s just one dude from Georgia (Iwasbornthere), Ernest Greene, and he is awesome. His LastFM page describes his music as “bedroom synthpop that sounds blurred and woozily evocative, like someone smeared Vaseline all over an early OMD demo tape, then stayed up all night trying to recreate what they heard“. I’d be lying if I pretended like I knew exactly what that means, but I can vouch for his sound being dreamy and evocative.

If you’re one of those who likes shallow band comparisons, think Neon Indian with better vocals and more chill than wave. It’s layered and it’s thick without being “busy” and it kind of makes me feel like I’m lying on an air mattress in the middle of a glittering ocean, floating along aimlessly and completely at ease.

I bought the Life of Leisure – EP after only having heard Feel It All Around. I was not disappointed. The 17 minute disc is exactly what an EP should be. It’s good enough to stand-alone, but it makes me crave the full length album. Feel It All Around is, for me, the stand out track with its plaintive, dreamy vocals and the drum machine pulsing just under the surface like a palpitating heart; but tracks like Get Up display a more groove-worthy quality which could for shadow some downright danceable numbers on his debut.

Although some of the tracks are more like elaborately fleshed out demos than actual songs, this EP makes me really excited to hear Greene’s debut. If you like your lo-fi thick and icy, then be sure to download these tracks, as they will not disappoint.

In the meantime, forgive my absence and the crazy random nature of this post. I need to get back into the swing of this whole blogging thing, and it will take time. In any case, be sure to keep an eye out for new posts as I really have got some interesting things to share.

Thanks for not abandoning me.

Feel It All Around – Washed out

Get Up – Washed out