A very special mix for a very special lady

Like all music nerds, I feel the compulsive need to express feelings through music mixes. And since it is my anniversary with Andrea after all, maybe it would be appropriate to make a list of songs. If you listen to in the next 48 hours of this being posted, there is a good chance we are having sex to this. So think about that when getting your jam on with Phil "Cuntpunt" Collins.

If you've met her, you know why I'm so daffy about her. In fact, the reason the first song on here is the snide "Got My Number" is because she is one of the very few people on the planet who knows me well enough to call me on my shit and make it stick. She can also kick my ass without me letting her win (mostly - it's not like I can employ the Falcon Punch).

She's gorgeous, hilarious, smarter than me by a far sight, nerdy in the sexy way, likes jazz, old country, and indie rock (and tolerates "that gnar gnar shit"), loves SVU and World's Most Shocking Police Videos, drinks beer like a pro, and has eyes that could stop anyone dead in their tracks. I'm a lucky, lucky man, and she knows it. (That makes her dangerous.)

Alright, that's enough of that sappy shit for a while. Time to get back to kicking ass and eating chips.

01. Ben Weasel - Got My Number: http://www.mediafire.com/?1sysbizls9k

02. Rumbleseat - Jackson: http://www.mediafire.com/?9r1csmyvgdb

03. Phil Collins - True Colors: http://www.mediafire.com/?znw94zcrg25

04. Morrissey - I Like You: http://www.mediafire.com/?betk0dcdxjw

05. Sharon Jones - Make it Good to Me: http://www.mediafire.com/?gz2ycntmwzj

06. Mountain Goats - Going to Georgia: http://www.mediafire.com/?dtkxczydisp

07. The Zombies - I Want Her She Wants Me: http://www.mediafire.com/?j1kkbjgzzvt

08. Iron and Wine - Sodom, South GA: http://www.mediafire.com/?xzdxhqthy95

09. Defiance, Ohio - Eureka!: http://www.mediafire.com/?u222kjmgmil

10. Everclear - I Will Buy You a New Life: http://www.mediafire.com/?vm90mudk7iz

11. Pavement - Spit on a Stranger: http://www.mediafire.com/?mbwx21x3bdn

12. Ted Leo - The Lost Brigade: http://www.mediafire.com/?ggdhj5g4und

13. The Epoxies - Bathroom Stall: http://www.mediafire.com/?vf2ememnixi

14. Muddy Waters - My Love Strikes Like Lightning: http://www.mediafire.com/?r1xbmj23adw

15. The Flirtations - Gimmie Love: http://www.mediafire.com/?tkqcveg9vdx

16. Postal Service - Brand New Colony: http://www.mediafire.com/?ndonbjg7cxj

17. The Ramones - She's the One: http://www.mediafire.com/?upif0gtudch

18. Descendents - Silly Girl: http://www.mediafire.com/?dytgxghz9dp

19. Sam Cooke - You Send Me: http://www.mediafire.com/?cc9jdmmmovr

20. The Pipettes - I Love You: http://www.mediafire.com/?kvxbzzoejfw

"Do you guys actually want to hear that song? Seriously?" - Ari's reponse to calls for "Hey Catrine"

Andrea's bitching me out for not putting "romantic" songs up because it's out "anniversary" and it's "special." I think the romantic poetry of Calvin Broadus will suffice in response: "bitches ain't shit but hos and tricks/lick on deez nuts and suck the dick." Happy year thing, baby!

On those surveys where they ask you why you drink, they never list "I like my job but it drives me to the bottle a lot." Wankers. Also, to all the dudes on the Org who encourage me daily to give up writing this thing because I'm not down with their scene, thanks! It's nice to know someone's reading. Hope you enjoy the free songs as much as I enjoy your poor spelling and grammar!

I've been playing Jersey's Best Dancers a fuckton at work. My boss will come in sometimes and I will be preparing the monthly reports for the client status update while bopping in my chair and basically hollering "I'm so and you're so and we're both so all fucked up!" Makes for some interesting looks.

One of the things I love most about Lifetime is when Ari Katz and Dan Yemin met and started making music in the NY/NJ area in 1990, they started doing something different, something that was in contrast to the thuggish, straight-edge jocks who had adopted hardcore as the latest excuse for fighting and self-righteousness. They actually started writing songs with about feelings! With melodies! And interesting structures! Ray Cappo's days should have been numbered, but unfortunately, the retarded masses often have the last say in dominance. (See the presidential elections of 2000 and 2004.) If there a god who judged music and he had to compare "Stabbed in the Back" with "Young, Loud and Scotty," there's no doubt which he would find lacking.

"Okay Matt," I imagine you grumbling, "we know you hate the cavemen throwbacks who define themselves by what they don't do and love music that's an excuse to start fights. What do you actually like about this good band you keep prattling on and on about in the margins?" Well, for better or for worse, Lifetime is the band that saved emo for the punks. While the genre eventually blossomed into what was essentially the pop-punk take on James Taylor and other equally repugnant dipshits, Lifetime was a stark reminder in a scene of thugs that it was okay to make music that represented actual human emotions that were not anger, and that it could be hard charging and dense and still be punk as all fuck. They're the reason that the Lawrence Arms can outrock most modern metal bands, and I stand by that statement.

While they're early stuff wasn't so hot (a little too jammy SDRE alt rock-ish for me), by the time they got to Hello Bastards, they were by far the most interesting band in hardcore. The absolutely stunning follow-up, Jersey's Best Dancers, is a classic and one that earns them a place in the canon. Dan Yemin had firmly established his chugs-then-melody signature songwriting, and Ari was mushmouthing his way to glory.

They broke up shortly after Dancers won them their place in history, but they reunited in recent years and shocked me by being surprisingly good. Their new record has good songs, but the production kind of ruins it. This is fine with me for two reasons: 1) the new songs sound perfect live, and 2) they may have signed to Decaydance because it was the only label that would let them get away with not really touring all that much, but they have basically badmouthed the label from day one while continuing to take their money (and, by extension, the money of teenyboppers). That's pretty punk rock if you ask me.

This is what happen when hardcore dudes actually learn to play their instruments.

(PS - I'll probably be posting a blog of romantic shit later. Godammit.)

Knives, Bats, New Tats - http://www.mediafire.com/?0sdbg1bommr

It's Not Funny Anymore - http://www.mediafire.com/?nj8jv1fmdes

Hey Catrine - http://www.mediafire.com/?11et9rmimeg

Verona Kings - http://www.mediafire.com/?td2kp2dm0uu

Somewhere in the Swamps of Jersey - http://www.mediafire.com/?lmnpyn34lyw

Airport Monday Morning - http://www.mediafire.com/?vs4jm0zypzg

So much shit, so little time (ok, the latter's a lie)

Life is awesome. How often can you honestly can you say that? Work is tough, but it's worth it. I'm putting in long hours, but next time you deal with a well-trained sexual assault counselor, you can thank me and the US government.

Tonight I saw what might have very possibly have been the last ever Mountain Goats show. We all wish a speedy recovery to John. The band was great, but the crowd was super super super lame.

Last night was World/Inferno Friendship Society. In a basement. It was INSANE. After getting drunk in a Jamaican restuarant with Andrea, Ryan, Jordan, and Tyson, we all skanked and pogoed and slammed and fell down. I don't think anyone left not feeling at least a little beat up. Anarchist cabaret orchestra ftw. Seriously one of the best live bands in America right now. My girlfriend wants to fuck the brains out of Jack Terricloth. I don't really blame her.

Record collector news: Finally found a vinyl copy of Good Mourning. I had to deal with retarded teenyboppers who read articles about the resurgance of vinyl and decided to buy Linkin Park on wax, but it was totally worth it. Got my copy of the reissued Goddamnit!, but it was bent. I was devasted. I sent it back to Asian Man, so hopefully they still have copies to send back. Three other pre-orders I'd been waiting on? Gaslight Anthem ruled, Till the Wheels Fall Off is unimpeachable, and the new Cute Lepers is probably going to make my end of the year list. Fuck yeah I'm stoked.

I guess it's hard to explain without sounding like a tool. I love life, I love myself, I love my girlfriend/fiancee-to-be, I love my friends, I love my city, I love my hobbies, I love my job, and soon the weather will be warm enough to sit out on the porch and drink beer and listen to Avail. Who the fuck could complain?

Since I didn't feel like doing some kind of band write-up, here're thirteen songs I've been rocking lately. I guess this makes up for my neglect of this place. Hope you enjoy!

Atmosphere - Don't Forget: http://www.mediafire.com/?etjxq1gmf4l

Brother Ali - Faheem: http://www.mediafire.com/?ulx1jgttmpu

Copyrights - Company: http://www.mediafire.com/?nwsgnabwti1

Gaslight Anthem - Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts: http://www.mediafire.com/?yigglnopxpt

Good Riddance - A Credit to Gender: http://www.mediafire.com/?ybhmmwpy40n

Gucci Mane - So Icey: http://www.mediafire.com/?cmfdjggfmdf

Hot Water Music - In Song: http://www.mediafire.com/?ymwnbtgdc4d

Lupe Fiasco - Hip-Hop Saved My Life: http://www.mediafire.com/?9djrgzvn4ex

Morrissey - All You Need is Me: http://www.mediafire.com/?dcd01zet3kx

Neko Case - Hold On Hold On: http://www.mediafire.com/?yudbzndjvdr

Non-Prophets - Tolerance Level: http://www.mediafire.com/?0glmvj5stge

Strike Anywhere - Ballad of Bloody Run: http://www.mediafire.com/?dja1t0zint1

World/Inferno Friendship Society - So Long to the Circus: http://www.mediafire.com/?i1yzm0fhlys

Viva las Ergs!

Oh man. Saw the Ergs! last night in Richmond, and shit went well and fully off. One of the best live bands in America right now, no doubt, especially when the crowd is enthusiastic. The 6' 4" macho beefy dude standing next to me sang along to every word of "Pray for Rain" like his heart was going to break. That's the power of Mikey Erg's utterly infectious, heartrending songwriting. Dude's like the nerd wallflower answer to Paul Westerburg, and he writes songs as fast as Robert Pollard. The Ergs! released something like 8 seven inches and a full length last year, and the internet is chock full of their various unreleased tracks and demo sessions.

Almost all of it is blitzkrieg pop punk done by dudes with super chops who just happen to think the Descendents are the best band of all time. (Who says they're wrong?) And like the best of the Ramones influenced bands, they take the template of da brudders and add their own stuff on top. (They have a song dedicated to the Riverdales called "Xerox Your Genitals, Not the Ramones.")

Of course, there has to be more to a group than Simpsons references (though you gotta love that they named a song "The Award for Most Violent Rap Group") and Doc Hopper tees. Mikey write songs that speak to our inner nerd. They reek of alienation, resignation, dorky glee, and the wounded humor and sincere enthusiasm that comes from the relationships that most of us have. I think you can decode the entire Ergs! discography from this line in "Kind of Like Smitten": "When I see you tonight it's gonna be so cool/We can watch TV and maybe listen to some Husker Du." It completely avoids romantic cliches and speaks to me because when I hang out with girls I like (my girlfriend for instance), I want to watch some stupid show or listen to a rad record. I'm a dork through and through, and songs about wanting to drink, hang out, and argue about music more reflect my life than some pain-expressed-through-grunting, lyrically vague "buzz ballad" shat out by the likes of the Goo Goo Dolls or Plain White T's.

For the rest of my life, I'm going to keep the memory of Mikey standing on his bass drum (did I mention the drummer sings?) and conducting 75 super-enthusiastic punks singing along to "Books About Miles Davis" like it was it was the last thing they would ever do. Moments like that remind me what I love about the thing that has sustained me for the last 11 years. I share with you many, many songs in the hopes that such a wonderful gets the recognition it deserves. They have a singles comp coming out soon on Dirtnap - check it out, especially if you're lame and don't have a turntable and thus have missed the last year's worth of awesome seven inches.

A Very Special Song for a Very Special Lady, Pt. II - http://www.mediafire.com/?3odycl1bhvx

Books About Miles Davis - http://www.mediafire.com/?icnfmijzsyt

Introducing Morrissey - http://www.mediafire.com/?4jx90aijpmv

Kind of Like Smitten - http://www.mediafire.com/?v1x1pdjw4xt

More Vox in the Monitor - http://www.mediafire.com/?y261b1gmbqm

Radio K - http://www.mediafire.com/?dw3zm1fcxmn

Stinking of Whiskey Blues - http://www.mediafire.com/?cb9d9hddtyj

Trouble in River City - http://www.mediafire.com/?ft0pjyxzrd8