Since this is a slow traffic week around the blogosphere, I thought I’d take a moment to run down my favorite albums of 2006.

Storyhill - Storyhill

This album actually hasn’t technically been released yet - I was lucky enough to pick it up at one of their shows this fall. Storyhill, for those who don’t know, is an acoustic duo from Montana who have put out a number of albums over the years. Now in their thirties, they have signed their first contract with a record label to put out their new self-titled album. This new record was produced by Dan Wilson (Semisonic) and I was blown away by how beautiful it was. Listening to the opening track, I was stunned by the intimacy of the vocals and guitars, but was pleased that the recordings aren’t precious with the songs. The album features plaintive lyrics, sweet guitar work, and amazing harmonies throughout. Definitely my favorite of the year. Be sure to pick it up when it comes out nationwide on February 13th.
CLICK HERE to watch Storyhill performing “Give Up the Ghost” live!

Embrace - This New Day

This was a fine album from one of my favorite British bands. The only problem with it is that it isn’t as strong as 2004’s fantastic Out of Nothing. Huge songs, singalong choruses, great guitar work, and a real sense of urgency help propel this album along. The second half gets bogged down a bit with a few filler tracks, but the initial 6 song rush more than makes up for that failing.
CLICK HERE to watch their video for “I Can’t Come Down”

Beatles - Love

This album just came out of leftfield for me. The only problem I really have with the Beatles is that, in growing up with them, I’ve listened to their albums so many times it’s hard to hear them with fresh ears. Then this album of remixed, chopped up Beatles tracks dropped in my lap. Produced by the Beatles producer George Martin and his son Giles, this album takes hooks, guitar licks, harmonies, and beats from the Beatles catalogue and throws them into a blender. The end result is an exhilarating sprint through their finest work. It’s like hearing their talents for the first time. Even when Martin and his son are cautious with the material and don’t change much, their remix draws out the bass and drum tracks, adding muscle and urgency to the songs. Listening to this album was more fun than any musical experience I had this year.

Keane - Under the Iron Sea

This album took a few weeks for me to make a connection with it. I was such a fan of the huge melodies of their debut album, and I initially felt like they had abandoned what they did best. Under the Iron Sea is darker, subdued, and I have to admit that I never liked their choice of “Is it Any Wonder” as the kickoff single. After I had set it aside as a disappointment, my wife turned me back onto it, and by then its songcraft and melodicism were more apparent to me. I’ve continued to return to this album throughout the year.

Favorite Songs of the Year
Colin Hay - Waiting for My Real Life to Begin
The Hold Steady - Southtown Girls
Mark Knopfler and Emmylous Harris - This is Us
The Who - Mike Post Theme
Embrace - I Can’t Come Down
Mojave 3 - You Said it Before
Kubla Khan - Skate With Me
Keane - Atlantic

One of the enjoyable aspects of writing this blog is how it is somehow able to draw the strangest people out of the cracks and into the cruel line of my gaze.

A few years back, I wrote an odd little entry about how much I hate the sun. I remember feeling satisfied with it at the time, and it inspired a theme for this blog that I loved, with a man firing a rifle into the sun.

On Christmas day, 31 months after the entry was posted, a girl named Sarah Head posted the following comment:

i HATE the sun so much i try to aviod it all the time,i hate to be tan i love white beautiful skin i use a unbrella when i go out in the sun!!! i hate the sun with passion!!!!!!!!!!! i HATE IT I HATE IT.I NEED TO BE A VAMPIRE!!!!SO I CAN NEVER GO OUT IN THE SUN!!!!!!!!

Yes. Good.

And to all, a good night!

Bridgette and I had a housewarming party on Saturday night to celebrate our new home. Many friends and family were there, to enjoy the loveliness with us. It was probably the greatest night in history since the crowning of Charlemagne in 800 AD.

This was our living room, warm in Christmas tones and holiday tidings. Almost nobody spent any time in this room, which sucked. I’d been farting in that room all day (Chipotle), which may have been a contributing factor.

Look at all the food my wife made! She is domestically inclined! Feast upon pickles and quiche! Bring me more pickles and quiche! This quiche is cold! Put this quiche in the microwave for me! 45 seconds! (All these phrases and more were repeatedly shouted by me throughout the evening.)

This is a completely candid photograph of Adam, Kevin, and Todd having a pleasant, lovely conversation. I don’t know what the hell is going on with Todd’s eyes here, but it rules.

This is a photograph of me regaling Thom, Jill, and Tami with my tales of chicanery and rapscallionship. More specifically, at this point I was telling them about the time I jumped the Jefferson Memorial with my snowmobile and the cops couldn’t catch me.

In this picture, Matt, Amy, Tami, and Jill all laugh at something. Probably you.

This is a photographic image of me with my wife. Later that night, Todd told me that Bridgette had told him that she likes me. It is so on.

Today is my last day at school until 2007.

It’s Christmas break, fools!

This is, without a doubt, one of the most wonderful days of the year. A time for festivities, fun, and frenzied fracases. A time to reflect on this year’s bounty, wait in eager anticipation for the Christmas holiday, and widespread donkey euthanization.

Upon reflection, though, one begins to question such attitudes. It is ironic, is it not, that such a day of unbridled merriment should fall on one of the darkest, shortest days of the year? It almost seems incongruous to gleefully celebrate on a day perhaps more suited for dragon armies and troll slaughter. Is it right that we do so?

Ha ha! Just kidding! You thought I was serious, right? You know better than that. I don’t think about nothing! It’s all laughs, 24-7 with me!

Now get over here and suck down some egg nog with me, you son of a bitch!

Sing with me!

Up on the housetop, click, click, click
Down through the chimney comes Old Nick
His cloven hooves make lots of noise
As he gobbles up girls and boys
Six-six-six, get your crucifix
Six-six-six, get yo-

What’s that? These aren’t the usual words for “Up On the Housetop”? Well that’s right they aren’t! I changed them!

Now the song is charmingly demonic!

Before you freak out again, I want to remind you that America has a long tradition of altering lyrics to holiday standards for humorous effect (”Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin lays an egg…”). I am simply carrying on a torch passed on to me by whoever wrote that classic. Probably Bill Cosby or something.

I’m not going to come out and claim that my authorship of these hilariously Satanic lyrics makes me a great American. That’s for history to decide. I’m just a simple man who likes his steak medium rare and his Christmas music troublingly altered. I can’t know for certain what historians will write about me in 300 years; probably that I was a tall, strikingly handsome man with the strength of a 100 donkeys and the wit of 60 Mark Twains. If that’s what they write, fine by me. If not, they’d be in error, but it wouldn’t bother me none. I know in my heart what I’ve contributed to mankind.

You all can go ahead and thank me when you get the chance. My office hours are 2:30-5pm.

Another brand new Rock TV!

Our ministry made a decision in late November to try to rush out a Christmas special, modeled after Bing Crosby’s old specials in the 50’s and 60’s. We managed to put this one together in three and a half weeks, which is a modern era record for us. The hope was that this video could be a fun, goofy celebration that allowed us to incorporate a few characters from old videos we enjoyed. In the end, I think the video works in a number of areas (especially when Kevin and Ted improvise their way through the songs), and not as well in other areas. I guess that’s what happens when you rush production. Fortunately, it was never stressful to make, and the shoot was both short (4 hours) and filled with a lot of laughter.

This version restores an appearance by Pastortron 9000 that was cut from the version that played at the Rock, along with a few other changes you may or may not notice.

Enjoy!