Downward, Forward, On and On

I'll try to be brief but there are a lot of things that have happened in a little over a week...

Andrea was supposed to come and visit starting last Saturday but obviously things are different now, so I really tried to keep busy to keep my mind off of...well...her. Our friend Matt came up from Golden last Saturday. I hadn't seen him since the Muddy Buddy my first weekend in Boulder. We went climbing, I showed him the town, we made delicious cookies for Trish (who couldn't hang out cause she had to work), and the 3 of us went on a midnight hike up Flagstaff Mountain to watch the meteor shower. We saw almost 3o meteors in a little over an hour. It was sooo nice. I spent Sunday at the 2009 Denver TubaChristmas (pictures forthcoming). Over 250 tubas, euphoniums, baritones, and sousaphones gathered to play Christmas carols for free in a park. Trish and Colin came to watch and we went to the Tilted Kilt for football afterward. Later that night, Colin and I went to Meg and Marissa's holiday party. It was supposed to be a mono-chrome theme (only wear one color), but no one told me (cause I don't have the Facebook). Colin and I had lots (and I mean lots) of red wine. It was great.

I had catering work lined up for every day last week which was good. I worked with some great people and had a lot of funny times giving people food. Trish, Colin, Christine, Carllee, and I played some Settler's Monday night and that was probably the highest point in a while.

I found out Tuesday my dad's mom died Monday night. We had kind of been expecting it, but it didn't make it any easier. I immediately had to take off work Thursday and Friday just in case I had to run home and everything seemed really frantic. However, my dad and uncle decided to have my grandma cremated and hold a small service for her in spring.

Trish and I took Friday off to head up to the mountains. We went to Frisco in an attempt to see our friend Julie's photo gallery. However, the place was closed all 3 separate times we stopped by. It was sad. Making Trish climb mountains and cross (mostly) frozen creeks was great though.

I started driving home Sunday with the goal of making it to Mankato, MN to stay with good ol' Ruskus. Let me tell you, Nebraska is a bitch. I drove for almost 14 hours. It was ridiculous.

Yesterday the plunge continued as I saw Andrea for the first time since the split. She looked so gorgeous and it hurt alot to talk to her like a friend. However, that's the only role we can be in for a while, so I have to get used to it. I know I did a great job being her boyfriend and I would do a great job again, but everything is out of my hands and in the future, which I just have to accept.

Tyler beat me at racquetball (surprise, surprise), but it was an EPIC game at the end. My whole right side is beat up (knee, elbow, and hip) from diving all over the place. I played alot of the game on the floor.

I FINALLY made it home about 4:30 tonight and crashed like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately, there is a tomorrow and it will be spent making rubber mats at my father's work all day. So, bedtime it is folks!

If you have any questions or comments, leave them or get a hold of me! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Autumn Honorable Mentions

For those of you who sent me something in November or were great to me while I was in the Midwest over Thanksgiving or "follow" me on my blog, you will be receiving the special 35-song, 2-disc spectacular that is Autumn Honorable Mentions! These are the songs that were cut from September, October, and November with a tear in my eye. The first disc is entitled "Familiarity" because it is filled with artists you may have heard of (either on other Months or even the radio) and covers. Here are the tracks:

1. Julian Casablancas - 4 Chords of the Apocalypse
2. Tegan and Sara - The Ocean
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Clap Song
4. Emmy the Great - Where is my Mind? (Pixies Cover)
5. Freelance Whales - Generator^Second Floor
6. The Flaming Lips - I Can Be A Frog
7. Taken By Trees - My Boys (Animal Collective Cover)
8. Death Cab for Cutie - Meet Me at the Equinox
9. Minus the Bear - Into the Mirror
10. Kings of Leon Vs. Lykke Li - Knocked Up (Rodeo Mash Up)
11. Bluejuice - Little Emperor
12. A Broken Robot - This City Scares Me
13. Mika - We Are Golden
14. Lacrosse - My Stop
15. The Da Vincis - Paper Planes (Cover)
16. Elvis Perkins in Dearland - Slow Doomsday
17. Frank Turner - Sunday Nights
18. Bon Iver & St. Vincent - Roslyn

Zach's Notes
1. The lead singer of the Strokes with his debut solo album.
2. These twins are indie darlings these days. I've even heard them on MTV!
6. In case you were curious, the girl's voice is Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
8. Made for the new Twilight movie soundtrack... :S
10. The song is from Kings of Leon's previous album, Because of the Times
15. Easily my favorite cover of this infinitely covered song!
18. Also made for the new Twilight movie, but Bon Iver resides in Northern Wisconsin so it is hard to not like him.

The next CD is "Alienation" for those artists who nobody has probably heard of before.

1. Phantogram - When I'm Small
2. The Heavy - How Do You Like Me Now?
3. Jamie T - Chaka Demus
4. Papermoon - People Are Talking But Now They Are Forgetting
5. I Heart Hiroshima - Shakeytown
6. Red Wire Black Wire - Compass
7. Bird Automatic - What Should Be Told
8. Penpal - Plains, Trains, Places & People
9. McGowan - Into the Mystery
10. Old Canes - Little Bird Courage
11. Colourmusic - Put In A Little Gas
12. Animal Kingdom - Signs and Wonders
13. Golden Kanine - Scissors
14. Sainthood Reps - Condor
15. Collapse Under the Empire - The Taste of Last Summer
16. Lixian Hantover - Rachel's New Apartment
17. Paper Bird - Milk

Zach's Notes
2. Nice horn and rhythm section reminds me of the good ol' days.
8. Yes, it is Plains and NOT Planes...don't ask ME why...
17. Local Boulder band!

December 2009 Playlist!

That's right ladies and gentlemen! The last playlist of the year went out in the mail today! I apologize for the lateness as my life has been rather hectic lately. I hope to update tomorrow with actual things that have been happening in my life, but for now I want to focus on the music. Here is what you are listening to this December:

1. Julian Casablancas - I Wish It Was Christmas Today
2. Hold Fire - Emma Louise
3. Johnny Foreigner - Dark Harbourzz
4. Vampire Weekend - Cousins
5. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
6. Oberhofer - Away FRM U
7. Sia - You've Changed
8. Apanhador So - Damas
9. Savoir Adore - We Talk Like Machines
10. The Shiny Brights - Not Too Old
11. I Was Totally Destroying It - Teeth
12. Tim & Jean - Come Around
13. Letting Up Despite Great Faults - In Steps
14. Georgia Fair - Picture Frames
15. Annie Brooks - June
16. Swimming in Speakers - Serve Them Well
17. Two Door Cinema Club - Cigarettes in the Theatre
18. Darwin Deez - Radar Detector
19. Pixie Carnation - When Did the Lights Go Out
20. Strange Days - We Stand
21. Sleigh Bells - Ring Ring
22. Spoon - Anything You Want
23. The Snake The Cross The Crown - Coming Down the Hill
24. Chris Bathgate - A Flash of Light Followed By

Zach's Notes!
1. The SNL favorite by the former lead singer of The Strokes. A new holiday classic? YES!
2. One of my favorites on here. I love songs about girls.
4. Vampire Weekend gets back on track with this single after the awful, "Horchata"
5. Love the feel of this song
6. This one too. The guitar riffs get me.
7. Nick and I fell in love with "The Girl You Lost to Cocaine" and "Little Black Sandals" off of her first album. I think this song isn't as good as those 2, but it still a solid single from her sophomore album.
8. Token foreign song!
12. Token dance number!
15. I'm pretty sure the only reason this song is on here is because it makes me think of Andrea.
16. I love the voice and the lo-fi sounds.
18. Probably my favorite track. I'm going to start calling girls radar detectors and see what reaction I get.
21. Do NOT expect a Christmas song here! Just make sure you listen to this on speakers with good bass!
22. Spoon!!!!!! New album in JANUARY! Check out the sweet thumb piano action!
24. Lovely acoustic finish...always goes down smooth...

My Life As 6 Flags

That's me trying to be more creative than simply saying things have been roller-coasteresque lately. Allow me to explain:

On November 16th, smoke began pouring out of the hood of my car. What I was hoping would be only a few hundred in repairs turned into $1200 to get it "road ready" and $1800 for all BASIC repairs the shop felt I needed. Needless to say, it took a few days and I can no longer put anything on my credit card for a good while.

On November 19th, after introducing myself to a second-grade music class, a little boy raised his hand and stated for everyone, "I like you. I want to be just like you when I grow up!" Thanks little boy! Also, I took a flight from Denver to Milwaukee to start my holiday excursion with my baby! I was thrilled. Sam Hill picked me up at the airport and we had a very nice time catching up that night.

On November 21st, in the wee hours of the morning, I arrived in Marquette to see Andrea for the first time since Tony's wedding. It was awesome! By the time the sun was up, she had broken up with me. That part was not so awesome. We laid in bed for about 5 hours talking and trying to figure stuff out, but the fact-of-the-matter is that the distance had become too much for her and was beginning to affect her negatively. I stayed in the MQT till Tuesday so as to not back out on plans I had made to see other friends, but it was very hard. Blu and Tim were amazing. Thanks guys!

On November 22nd, while at the hockey game, the NMU pep band played my arrangement of Smash Mouth's "All Star", we scored 6 goals (all in the 2 periods I was at the game), and tuba players I had never met had heard of me. Man is it great to leave a legacy!

On November 26th, I was the surprise at our family's Thanksgiving (as I was planning on attending Andrea's family's dinner). So, that was cool. It was great to see my grandparents and aunt and uncle again.

On November 27th, the 8th annual "Great Day After Thanksgiving Burn-Off" was a success. I can't thank my brother enough for keeping this thing going! This year came the closest to actual rugby yet, but it was still a blast! I even took my brother down a few times!

Throughout break I kept busy catching up with people like Tony & Jess, Ted, Angela, Rose, Katelyn, etc... These were all great distractions. I also worked a few days for my dad and made a little cash.

On November 30th, I saw my first professional basketball game as the Bucks beat the Bulls 99-97 with Sam and Chad. It was more exciting than I thought, though dealing with the scalpers was a bit sketchy for a while.

I am back in Boulder as of yesterday and although I was frustrated with not working today, I have work already laid out for Thursday and Friday. My emotions still vary between sad, mad, and complacent, but time will help. I've got great friends (like you reading this) which always helps. Trish drew "Welcome Home"s and "Merry Christmas"es all over my windows and mirrors. That was fun.

Also, thank you so much for the music Tim and Jackie and ChelC. I can't wait to really listen to it all!

Music is being collected for the December mix as we speak so I hope you're excited! I know I am!

November 2009 Playlist

November CDs were shipped out today! This is much later than I had hoped for, but I promise it will be worth the wait. Personally, I think this is my best mix since June. July-October have been solid, of course, but I haven't been this excited to listen to one of my CDs since Flag Day. I really hope you enjoy and feel free to argue about the best (and worst) mixes in the comments! Also, if you are reading this and have not received a CD/are too excited to wait for snail mail, you can check out most of these songs by searching for my mixes at The Art of the Mix. You can find them by searching for DJSpyrograph.

November 2009
1. Throw Me the Statue - Waving at the Shore
2. Bluejuice - Head of the Hawk
3. A Broken Robot - All Here
4. !Los Campesinos! - There Are Listed Buildings
5. Spring Tigers - Just Suggesting
6. Drummer - Feel Good Together
7. Bishop Allen - Psycho Killer
8. Karen O and the Kids - Heads Up
9. Saintseneca - God Bones
10. Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard - One Fast Move or I'm Gone
11. Freelance Whales - Generator^First Floor
12. The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir - Tear Down the Opera House
13. The Joy Formidable - Greyhounds in the Slips
14. I Was Totally Destroying It - Come Out, Come Out
15. The Raveonettes - Gone Forever
16. The Very Best - Julia (Javelin Re-Do)
17. The Kickdrums - Out to Get Me!
18. Frightened Rabbit - Swim Until You Can't See Land
19. Total Babe - Bearbones
20. Ex Lovers - Just a Silhouette
21. You & Yourn - Double Knots
22. Rose Melberg - Bear in a Cave
23. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

Zach's Notes:
1. TMTS' third single is still as solid as their first two. Get this album now!
2. Probably my favorite song on the list.
4. Seems like such a fun band. How can you resist?
7. I hope this cover is better received than my last inclusion.
8. Karen O (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) did all the music for Where the Wild Things Are under the name "Karen O and the Kids." Great song from an amazing soundtrack! See the movie now!
11. Horrible band name, very nice song.
14. Now this is a group of individuals who know how to name a band!
18. Easily in my top three for best songs on this list.
23. Gentlemen, play this song for your GFs/wannabe GFs. Ladies, get ready to swoon.

Special Offer!

I am offering everyone reading this a special, once-in-a-lifetime offer! I have 2 extraneous CDs ready to be added to your music collection!

For every letter/CD/postcard received in the month of November, the sender will receive Autumn's Honorable Mentions CD jam-packed with those songs that were reluctantly cut from September, October, and November's playlists.

For every letter/CD/postcard received in the month of December, the sender will receive a very special Greatest Hits Album featuring songs I've fallen for from CDs I've bought/acquired/received from some of you in the mail.

So, if you are interested in any of these offers, get up off the bench and into the game!

In Boulder news, we had our Ultimate Frisbee League party on Friday night. My team's captains were the party coordinators so me and my friends/teammates were treated to free drinks all night. It was such a sweet set-up! Next season, maybe I should be party coordinator so I can make sure it happens again.

I spent Saturday hanging out with my cousin and her kids and my aunt watching the kids' last soccer games of the year. Trish and I went exploring downtown later that night and found some very fun stores. One candy shop had Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory playing on a big screen. It was basically what my heaven will look like.

On Sunday we lost both of our Frisbee games which doesn't give us a lot of momentum going into next week's final tournament. However, it was pointed out that the last time we lost both games in a week, we went on to win all games the next week. One of our best players went down with an ankle injury early in the first game and I kind of took it upon myself to step up. I played positions I didn't normally play and even called plays. It was cool to be able to feel like I understand this game alot more than I did only a month or so ago.

I was not offered a substitute position yesterday so I went outdoor rock climbing for the first time with Julie, Colin, and Steve. I'll see if I can get some pictures from Julie. It was a blast and I am quite a bit sore.

Remember the special offers!

Halloween, etc.

So for Halloween, I went as a penguin. I put on a tux and designed a beak out of orange construction paper, then taped it on. You know you're jealous. I wasn't sure if the tape would hold on my nose all night (which it surprisingly did) so I also brought along a small squirt gun, so I could be James Bond. Gotta love the versatility of a tuxedo!

Anyway, Me, Trish (as a waitress), Meg (a Southern belle), Julie (a bear huntress), Gloria (Flash Gordan) and Marissa (a wolf huntress) had a few beers, then went downtown in an attempt to see the "Pumpkin Run." This consists of select males running through the crowded streets with ONLY a Jack O'Lantern on their heads. They then are promptly arrested for indecent exposure, but apparently it is a sight to behold...that and I was with 5 girls at the time...

After nothing happened (increased police security and all) we found a bar and met some more people including Colin and his friend, Alan (Braveheart), Jacqueline (a boy scout), etc... I got not as drunk as I was hoping to, but that also means I spent less money, so I think it evened out. It was a good night.

Since Monday, I have been teaching guitar and orchestra for grades 5-8 at a local middle school. The teacher had a family emergency and had to be gone all week! It's unfortunate, but as a substitute, I make my living from these unfortunate situations. So, I get a whole week of job security and I have to work just above four hours a day, which means I get paid a whole day's wage. It really is sweet!

I tried to go see fun. in concert on Tuesday, but I procrastinated on buying tickets way too long and it ended up selling out...I now know better.

Kansas City and Let it Snow!

Last weekend I traveled with Julie for nine hours on a Friday night across the grand state of Kansas to reach Ryan Volkert and family's house in Kansas City (MO). Julie was meeting her dad there (who was coming from Alabama) to switch cars for the winter, a small Audi for a generous Tahoe. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see RV for the weekend, so I agreed to tag along.

We left about 5:oo P.M. Friday and didn't arrive until close to 4:00 A.M. Central time. It was exhausting, but a lot of fun actually. We crashed almost immediately. The morning was spent touring IHOP (International House of Prayer) where the Volkerts devote some of their time each week. Breanne made a delicious lunch and when Ryan left for work, Julie and I hit the town.

Surprising to me, Kansas City is the "City of Fountains." Basically, if you have the money to build a fountain, you do. We saw well over a dozen in the few short hours we were in the city. Often, we would simply go to a fountain, take some pictures, and head the direction we supposed would lead us to the next fountain. It was more fun than it sounds.

Julie met her dad that evening and I bonded with Breanne and Ryan's new step-sons, Malachi and Payton, 4 and 7 respectively. We met Ryan at Whole Foods (where he works) for dinner and enjoyed some nice conversation when he returned. It was just real nice to see my good friend and his new family. Julie met me a little after nine on Sunday morning and we began our stretch back across the glorious state of Kansas. Did I mention how much I love driving lengthwise across Kansas?

Many of my friends got married this past summer, but Ryan one-upped them all and hopped right into a family. Tony and Jess had a baby in June, but Tony kinda got to ease into being a dad and a husband. Ryan instantly became a husband and a father of two boys searching for love and answers. They home-school their kids, so he is also their teacher and mentor and he is also the only one who can work for right now so he is also his family's sole producer and protector. That's overwhelming for me to even think about! It was so incredible to just sit down and talk with him about life, etc... He has such a good heart that I know he'll be extraordinary at all of his new roles.

As a sidenote: I have had the past 2 days off of school because a snowstorm has dropped close to 16 inches on us since Tuesday night and it is still snowing! Trish and I bundled up and walked the town building snowmen, making snow angels, and starting to build igloos. It was a real nice break! Pictures will be coming soon I'm sure!

October 2009 Playlist

This is an interesting mix this month. None of these songs really grabbed me on the first listen, but after having it in for a week there are songs that I just cannot remove from my brain. So, please be patient with this mix and remember to let me know what you think!

1. The Cribs - We Were Aborted
2. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - Dance the Way I Feel
3. These United States - I Want You To Keep Everything
4. Diamond Rings - All Yr. Songs
5. Monsters of Folk - Baby Boomer
6. Downtown/Union - Bright Idea
7. Jay Jay Pistolet - Happy Birthday to You
8. Gotye - Learnalilgivinanlovin
9. Mumm-Ra - She's Got You High
10. The Black Atlantic - Reverence for Fallen Trees
11. Bombadil - Matthew
12. Owl City - Meteor Shower
13. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band - Albatross, Albatross, Albatross
14. The Gasoline Brothers - Going in Circles
15. They Might Be Giants - I Am a Paleontologist
16. The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
17. The Avett Brothers - Kick Drum Heart
18. Choir of Young Believers - Action/Reaction
19. Vampire Weekend - White Sky
20. Wild Beasts - Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants
21. The Beth Edges - Work Things Out
22. Andy Shauf - Your Heart
23. Owen - Too Scared to Move

Zach's Notes:
2. Token dance number!
4. I also like songs that abbreviate Your with Yr.
6. I enjoy the imagery in this song.
8. All little soul anyone?
12. Owl City has a new album out if you haven't noticed yet. He's got some songs on the radio now too!
13. Can there be a more tragic band name?
15. I wanted to be a paleontologist from ages 6-12. Now, I know what they do aside from what Jurassic Park told me.
17. These guys are huge with many of my friends out here. Their new album was picked up by Columbia and they are attempting to market their alt-country-blugrass-punk to the masses. Don't be surprised if this turns out to be their breakout album.
19. The new Vampire Weekend single. Not AMAZING like most stuff on their debut album, but a solid song nonetheless.
20. Try saying that 10 times fast.
23. Oh, Owen!

Excitement in the BDR!

So, I have a theory that all good cities can be shortened to 3-letters. I believe it all started with hearing Atlanta called "The ATL" and then thinking that the South shouldn't have all the fun. So, Milwaukee became "the MKE" and Marquette, "the MQT." The problem with Boulder is I can't decide if it should be "the BDR", "the BLR" or "the BLD." I like BDR the best. Thoughts?

A lot has happened since my last post so I'm going to try to keep it straight and simple. If you'd like details, give me a call.

An awesome snow storm hit Colorado the weekend after my last post. It started coming down hard Friday night and 3-4 inches of snow was on the ground into Monday.

That Friday night, Meg and I went to see the band Hot Buttered Rum at the Fox Theatre with Mountain Standard Time as the opening act. It was a really fun show and the place was PACKED which really amplified the atmosphere and made it extremely different from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band show. HBR is a mo-hawked fiddler, a guitarist who looks like Paul Simon, drums, and a banjo/flautist who reminds me of John Turturo. We danced, we laughed at the crowd, we got contact highs...it was a good night. Although my favorite part was the dude in the ticket line who asked me if I needed some 'shrooms. "No, man. I don't NEED 'shrooms..." That's Boulder I guess.

I helped my cousin Ashley move in to her new apartment on Saturday and got lunch out of the deal, so it was a fair trade!

Our frisbee games were canceled Sunday due to the lingering snow to which I scoffed. However, I was feeling under the weather so I took it easy and rested and saw opera singer Thomas Hampson sing that night. He sang all sorts of songs written in America through the ages which was very cool to hear. He also gave 3 encores! What a class act!

Finally, Monday came! I STARTED TEACHING! I taught 3 days last week to start off my Colorado teaching career! 2 classes of elementary music and 1 of junior high Spanish. I also catered mid-week and on my off-day (read: no one called for a sub) I applied to a few neighboring districts. Hopefully, this will help me to keep busy and keep rolling in the dough!

Last weekend was great! Friday night we went out for Meg's birthday and stopped at 1 bar too many. Saturday we actually had Meg's party in which I was forced to dress in overalls to visit a pumpkin patch out of town, complete with corn maze! We then proceeded to eat delicious Southern food (she's from North Carolina), get drunk, and carve pumpkins. The later night kind of turned into a dance party, but I spent a lot of time in the backyard teaching everyone the finer points of Ladder Golf/Testicle Toss/Polish Horshoes.

We won 2 out of our 3 Ultimate games on Sunday including a spectacular game winning catch by yours truly to secure a 5-4 victory in the first game. I'm really starting to see how this game works and my throws are getting better and better.

Finally, October CDs went in the mail today so watch your mailboxes! If you don't get one and feel like you should've/would like one, call me and we'll duke it out. I probably just forgot and I'm sorry.

I'm hoping to do a few things differently with the blog in the coming weeks. I am going to attempt to post more often instead of these monstrous, sprawling posts. This will help me to include the good stories hidden within the quick updates like this...

I am also working on reviews of the CDs I've received and of the ones I've recently purchased/come across. These include fun., Owen, Metric, and The Avett Brothers.

Peace Out and Keep in Touch!

Ready to Rumble

To start, I'm going to post a few comments I've received on the mixes so far.

Tim Dries thought September was lacking compared to the Summer mixes. His favorite song so far is Heartbreaker by MSTRKRFT w/John Legend. He didn't like the 1979 cover by HoneyHoney saying, "it didn't add anything to make it better than the original."

Jackie Bordak lists her favorites from June, July, and August as: How We Roll, Walking the Dog, 1,2,3 Goodbye, We Are Kids, Toy Soldier, and Red Lipstick. So, if you haven't checked them out yet and trust Jackie's opinion, start with those.

In Colorado news, I had my substitute orientation today and am ready to teach starting Monday. It is going to be such a change from the routine I've gotten into: sleep, eat, play frisbee, listen to music, eat more, sleep more....

Ultimate Frisbee is going very well. Our team is obviously one of the better ones in the league. I catch a lot of Frisbees (or at least am thrown to a lot), I am now working on being more confident and comfortable with my throws.

Went to two of the Brewers/Rockies games last week and had a blast...even with the Brewers sucking it up. My cousin Nicole took me to the first game as a belated birthday gift and we caught up while running into my cousin Ashley. The next day we came back with Nicole's husband and kids and cousin Nadine with boyfriend George came too. It was really nice to see family in a comfortable atmosphere and I'm looking to seeing them again on Saturday when we help move cousin Ashley out of our Aunt Linda's place.

Trish and I went to Rocky Mountain National Park on Monday with friends Julie and pseudo-bf Colin. It snowed on us and was great to hike around and just be outside away from everything us. We met some very friendly ducks, had coffee to warm up in town, and proceeded to watch the Packers lose.

I also saw the Kronos Quartet last Friday. They are an absolutely amazing string quartet specializing in modern music. It was awesome!

And finally, I recently bought the new fun. album, Aim and Ignite, so be looking for a review of that soon. Also, I am hoping to have reviews of the albums people have sent me very soon. They will be posted in the order received, so just hang on and I'll let you know how I like your music. Watch for a pictures update soon too!

Wedding Weekend Wrap-Up

Tony and Jess's weekend was a very beautiful experience. It started Thursday night when Tony, Butch, Andrea, and I met up with Nik and Becca and congratulated them on the whole marriage thing. We stopped at Belt's and went back to the Bertagnoli residence to catch up. Friday was a really nice day for me and Andrea as we got coffee in the morning, walked around town, played in the park, picked out new earrings for her, got lunch with my friend Luke, and ended up late for the wedding rehearsal (oops). It was awesome to see everyone again! Dinner at Tony Roma's was tasty and fun and Oreos and beer washed down with "firewater" in the hot tub back at the hotel was the perfect end to the night.

Even though it was supposed to be rainy, Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day for a wedding. Tony took ALL the guys out for a lovely brunch and we got ready to go to the church. A touching ceremony highlighted with Butch's vocal prowess made it very memorable. However, what made it especially memorable for me was the car accident Andrea was in on her way back from the wedding while I was getting pictures taken of me. It was completely the other person's fault and the only injuries Andrea suffered were airbag related. I can't thank those people who stopped to help her enough. And especially my parents who went with her to the emergency room. She was such a trooper, making it back only a little late for dinner and even sticking out a few dances with me.

Sunday was hectic in terms of getting checked out of the hotel, trying to go to the gift opening, finding and getting Andrea's stuff out of her car, getting prescriptions filled, filing insurance claims, getting a hold of her parents, and finding her a way home. It ended up being pretty easy...just busy. Her parents decided to pick her up so they drove to Stevens Point (where we were crashing at my old apartment) from St. Paul and drove her up to Marquette early the next morning.

Andrea went to the doctor again yesterday who told her she could drop down from two different eye drops to one and only take her pain killers when needed. The bleeding in her eye has stopped, but it will still take at least a week of rest and non-use to be back to normal. She can open both eyes almost all the way and can smile pain-free! Because she isn't supposed to use her eye that much, she bought some gauze to cover it up and a sweet decorative pirate eye patch! Isn't she just adorable!

September 2009

Sorry for being so delayed on this. I was hoping to have it posted before I left for Wisconsin, but things just didn't work out. So, here's who you're listening to on the September 2009 playlist!

1. Weezer - (If You're Wondering if I Want You To) I Want You To
2. Favours for Sailors - I Dreamt That You Loved Me in My Dreams
3. Brendan Benson - A Whole Lot Better
4. Frank Turner - The Road
5. Cartridge - Chimneys Stood Like Monuments
6. HoneyHoney - 1979
7. Throw Me the Statue - Ancestors
8. As Tall As Lions - In Case of Rapture
9. The Big Pink - Dominos
10. Black Them Boots - Don't Look Back
11. Joshua James - Coal War
12. Dark Mean - frankencottage
13. The Albertans - High Noon
14. The Swell Seasons - In These Arms
15. Adam Arcuragi - She Comes to Me
16. The Henry Clay People - Something in the Water
17. The Wooden Birds - The Other One
18. Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - Relator
19. Hello Wisconsin - Things Are as Bad as They Seem
20. Owen - Ugly on the Inside

Zach's Notes:
1. WEEZER! New Album Out October 27!!!!!!!
3. This song grew on me the more I listened to it.
6. Yes, a Smashing Pumpkins cover. I think it is very well done.
7. Throw Me the Statue strikes big in my heart again!
8. Amazing song! Band is touring with Mutemath.
11. This song is so good too! Currently opening for Blues Traveler believe it or not.
12. I really, really like this band and their simple songs.
17. I can't believe I did this. This song almost didn't make the cut which is why it is in your Honorable Mention CDs (if you got one). I feel embarrassed. It won't happen again...I promise.
19. What a great band name huh?
20. Oh, Owen. You do it again.

Just Because it is Fall Doesn't Mean You Have to Stop Rocking Like it's Summer!

As my treat for those of you who have jumped right into this whole exchange program with me, I have made 2 BONUS MIXES for your listening pleasure. They consist of songs that didn't make the cut onto June, July, or August, but are still pretty good. Thank you all for taking the time to send me something or leave comments for me and such. I really do appreciate it! Here's your track list!

BANDS WITH NAMES

1. The Answering Machine - Oh Christina
2. Silversun Pickups - Substitution
3. Data Select Party - The White Bear
4. Stuck in the Sound - Erase
5. Owl City - Hot Air Balloon
6. Aviette - The Way We Met
7. Too Soft - Sexy Plastic Girl
8. White Light Parade - Wait for the Weekend
9. Modern Skirts - Eveready
10. Flashguns - Ro Shambo
11. M83 - We Own the Sky
12. Handsome Furs - I'm Confused
13. The Rifles - Romeo and Julie
14. Bloc Party - Letter to My Son
15. Delphic - Counterpoint
16. Noisettes - Don't Upset the Rhythm
17. The Kabeedies - Little Brains
18. Data Dog - Wall Kicks Will Work
19. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Stay Alive
20. My Latest Novel - I Declare a Ceasefire

BANDS WITH GOOD NAMES

1. Matt & Kim - Don't Slow Down
2. Metric - Gold Guns Girls
3. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Moving Clocks Run Slow
4. An Horse - Rearrange Beds
5. Somebody Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - The Beach Song
6. Say Hi - Maurine
7. Immaculate Machine - Only Love You for Your Car
8. Built by Snow - Invaders
9. 65daysofstatic - Retreat! Retreat!
10. Dananananaykroyd - Pink Sabbath
11. The Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light if the Greatest Shade
12. Doves - The Greatest Denier
13. Royal Treatment Plant - Carry Me
14. Pet Lions - Roman History
15. Fight Like Apes - Something Global
16. Kids Love Lies - Count in My Head
17. The Wooden Birds - The Other One
18. Mascot Fight - Terry is the Chicago Sun
19. The Enemy - Sing When You're in Love
20. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Wind Phoenix
21. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Skeletons

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

In a matter of hours, I will be hurling through the sky at hundreds of miles an hour to Wisconsin for the final wedding weekend of the year! Even though I should be making sure I have everything packed, checking directions to the airport, or...heck...even sleeping, I thought I should update and let the world know what's up.

Boulder Valley School District approved my application and I can start subbing as soon as I attend New Substitute Orientation on October 14th. I am really really looking forward to having consistent work.

I ran a 5K last Saturday as a fundraiser for the school my upstairs neighbor teaches at. I ran it in 27:16. My goal was to get under 27 minutes so there's part of me that wants to start training and try again. However, I kept a good pace, felt I pushed myself, and passed people consistently throughout the race. So, I feel pretty good overall.

We lost both of our frisbee games last Sunday and we are 1-3 on the year. The first game was a result of our team just not clicking right. We dropped a lot of passes and just didn't execute. The second game was played in a mini-hurricane and the other team just got luckier than us.

I performed at the open mic night at the Irish Pub, Conor O'Neill's, on Tuesday. I played 3 songs: "Angel from Montgomery" by John Prine and 2 that I wrote - "Hangover Blues" and "Beat Alaska". It was a lot of fun and I am looking forward to doing it again. That's one thing I can finally cross off my to-do-list. Trisha took a video of "Beat Alaska" so you can check Facebook for that if you want. I'll try and get a link soon or put it on YouTube maybe...

September CDs went out on Wednesday! Look for those in the mail if you got back to me!

The Ides of September

Hey Everybody! It sounds like you all have received your CDs and I am very excited to hear back as to which songs you found awesome and which songs you never care to hear again! Please comment and let me know! The September mix has been completed which I will have on the way shortly! I really do want this to be more than just a "me letting you know how I'm doing" blog, so please comment and let's start a discussion. Tell me about the CD you just bought, the concert you went to see, or the song on the radio you can't get out of your head. I want to share all of this great news!

Speaking of music news, here is what is going on in my world:
- Weezer has a new single and it sounds like it could've been on the Red Album. Really catchy, but the lyrics are sub-par.
- Throw Me The Statue has an amazing sophomore album out. If you liked the single on the August CD, you'll like a lot of the rest of it.
- Bands on the mixes that I have decided to seriously check out include: fun., Portugal. the man, Dark Mean, Passion Pit, and Owen. Other bands are close, but there are only so many hours in the day.

In Boulder news, the substitute office in town will not be having a new sub orientation until October. So, I will be catering until then. I hope my applications for quizmaster (yeah, that's right...quizMASTER) and youth sports instructor go through soon...I could use some cash.

My first weekend of frisbee went very well. Our team took my suggestion for a name, the B-10 Bombers (we were originally just designated Team B-10) and we went 1-1. The first game was a bitter loss (7-6) against a team we would have beaten had the game not been called on account of lightning and the second game was a 13-5 romp. I had a blast.

Oh, and I signed up to volunteer for the Olympics in Vancouver this February!

I am really looking forward to Tony's wedding in a few weeks! Let's just hope he is too...

I'm A Teacher!

That's right ladies and gents! I officially got my Colorado Interim Teaching License. This means I can officially sub and officially get hired to teach long-term! I am excited to finally be raking in money, although my routine for the past 3 weeks will have to drastically change...

The Interim License means I have until next May to take the Praxis exam in music. When I pass that I will get an Initial Educator's License and then after having that for a few years I can apply for my Professional Teaching License (ooh..ahh...). I hate the education bureaucracy! Oh well! It is what it is...

August 2009

1. Tigers that Talked - 23 Fears
2. Throw Me the Statue - Hi-Fi Goon
3. Half Tiger - Bright City
4. New Education - Another Miracle
5. Skidmore Fountain - Asylum
6. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic - 40 Day Dream
7. Noah and the Whale - Blue Skies
8. Wheat - Changes Is
9. De Novo Dahl - Make Some Sense
10. Natalie Prass - Deer
11. We Were Promised Jetpacks - Conductor
12. One Hundred Hurricanes - Duke Hat
13. Florence and the Machine - My Boy Builds Coffins
14. Perfect People - They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore
15. Ghostbird - Toy Soldier
16. Paloma Faith - Stone Cold Sober
17. Portugal. the Man - The Sun
18. MSTRKRFT - Heartbreaker
19. fun. - Walking the Dog
20. Jellybean! - Underwear is for Wearing, Not for Showing Off
21. Muse - United States of Eurasia

Zach's Notes:
2. Their first album blew my mind and just as I put my brain together again, they come out with this hit single off their second album
7. Sappiest lyrics on the planet, but oh so good!
11. What a great band name! I can't get over it!
18. Featuring the John Legend
20. You might recognize this one...
21. MUSE!!!!!!

July 2009

1. Matt & Kim - Cutdown
2. Phoenix - Lisztomania
3. fun. - At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)
4. Floating Action - 50 Lashes
5. Regina Spektor - Folding Chair
6. Dark Mean - Happy Banjo
7. Los Campesinos! - Death to Los Campesinos!
8. Cancel the Astronauts - I Am the President of Your Fan Club (And Last Night I Followed You Home)
9. Cheap Red - Let's Start a Riot
10. Eels - Lilac Breeze
11. Handsome Furs - Talking Hotel Arbat Blues
12. Skint & Demoralised - Red Lipstick
13. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
14. Passion Pit - Moth's Wings
15. Slow Club - It Doesn't Have to be Beautiful
16. Donora - Shhh
17. Portugal. the Man - People Say
18. The Rumble Strips - Not the Only Person
19. Diving with Andy - Sugar Sugar
20. Valery Gore - Shoes of Glass
21. Starlight Mints - Zoomba
22. Dinosaur Jr. - Over It
23. Discovery - I Want You Back

Zach's Notes:
1. My little brother turned me on to Matt & Kim and they have a few good songs. This is one.
2. The second single from Phoenix. Man do I like those guys!
3. This song grows on me more and more. Coming to Denver September 9th. I would like to go.
4. Eerie, but catchy and pretty
5. I think I only like Regina Spektor when she makes weird sounds...
6. This video is ridiculous...check it out!
10. The Eels can be weird, but this is a straight-forward rock song
12. Delicious British cheese
13. EXPLICIT LYRIC WARNING!
16. This song is the theme song for PostSecret...which I didn't find out until after I liked it.
17. Another band that I can't wait to check out more!
19. Bluesy and almost Amy Winehouse-esque
23. Gotta give MJ his credit with this electronic cover.

June 2009 Playlist

1. Phoenix - 1901
2. Plushgun - How We Roll
3. Lacrosse - We Are Kids
4. When I Was 12 - Explicit Content
5. Elvis Perkins - 1 2 3 Goodbye
6. The Burning Hotels - My New Romance
7. Passion Pit - Little Secrets
8. Built By Snow - Implode Alright
9. Seasons - India
10. Owen - A Trenchant Critique
11. Benjamin E. Morsberger - Near
12. An Horse - Postcards
13. Marmaduke Duke - Rubber Lover
14. Elevator Music - The Rocketeer
15. Little Birdy - Summarize
16. Wave Machines - I Go I Go I Go
17. William - Youngun
18. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
19. The Thermals - We Were Sick
20. Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill
21. Record of the Week Club - Keewatin Artic
22. Ok Vinyl - Gap
23. Coconut Records - This Old Machine

Zach's Notes:
1. This is my song of the summer. I crank it up every time I hear it!
3. I am a sucker for guy-girl octave harmonies I think
5. Even though the words are a little weird, I love the swells at the end.
7. This song is my guilty pleasure of the summer. I feel like I shouldn't like it, but I can't help it
8. I love the lo-fi video game feel to this.
10. This song gets stuck in my head a lot too. Owen has a lot of nice melodies.
13. Too short! What a great catchy song!
15. Her voice gets me every time at the chorus. Kind of like a young Gwen Stefani
18. Nick Smith told me I should listen to Grizzly Bear months ago and I should've. This song is awesome!
19. Much more focused in sound than their early stuff. Simple and catchy.

Enjoy!

Rules and Regulations

Hold the phone! Did you really think I was going to just keep on sending you music for free for as long as I can? This is a 2-way street ladies and gentlemen! Many of you have received 3 CDs, June, July, and August. I have 2 more ready and waiting to be sent out and am working on September as we speak. However, you will not get new music until I receive something from you...a postcard...an e-mail...a phone call...a letter...an orange with a poem written on it...or ideally, a CD with good music on it (I'll take anything, it doesn't have to be a mix)! When I get something, you will receive your next shipment. I think that is only fair! Have fun and I hope to hear from all of you soon!

Welcome!

Hey Everybody!

This is going to be my attempt to stay connected to many of you without the use of Facebook or things of that sort. My goal is to update how I am/what I have been doing at least once a month so if you are at all interested, you can check up on me! You know you're curious! Follow along with the Adventures of Zach in the CO.

I officially pulled into Boulder on Saturday, August 15. Our apartment is very cool. We live just off of one of the main streets (but you hardly ever hear traffic) and many of the bike paths. In fact, everything we've needed so far has been within biking distance. We have 1.5 baths (Trish gets the .5 to herself), 2 bedrooms, a huge living room, decent kitchen, tiny dining room, and a sweet balcony. Our complex comes complete with a pool, tennis court, volleyball court, and playground. We opted to live away from college housing for a quieter, more residential neighborhood and cheaper rent, so it is about 3 miles to downtown. It has been a process, but our apartment is like 98% set. That feels good. We just got real internet (read: no longer stealing from someone) on Monday, have a weekend subscription to the local paper (for coupons and such), and are talking about getting Netflix once income is available. I'll try and include some pictures of the place in a future post.

I do not have a job yet because my Colorado teaching license has not come in yet. When I applied back in May, they told me I'd have it by early August and when I called last week they thought by the end of this week. It sucks. As soon as I get that I can substitute teach all I want, which will hopefully be every day...otherwise I'll be looking for other supplementary jobs. In fact, I already applied to be a quizmaster for a local bar trivia organization. There are actually 2 music jobs in Boulder that have not been filled as they are still going through resumes, so there is still a chance I could get hired as a "real" teacher. In the meantime, I worked for the catering company my cousin, Nicole works for this past weekend. 2 weddings, one Saturday, one Sunday. It wasn't "fun" exactly, but it was a nice paycheck, good leftover food I was able to take home, and it was good to get out of Boulder for a while. They are going to add me to their lists which means when a job opens up, they will send out an e-mail and the first X number of people to reply get the job, so that could also be nice part-time work.

To fill the extra hours working would normally fill, I have been organizing the apartment, biking and exploring town, and playing pick-up frisbee and soccer with random (mostly older) guys. I joined a Sunday afternoon frisbee league that starts in 2 Sundays which I am very excited for. Trish and I have gone downtown a few times, but with no income, we have tried to be real cheap. Also, we think many people assume we are a couple so Trish is developing t-shirts. I hope mine says, "I'm not with Stupid" or at least "We are NOT a Couple." She has started to develop some really cool friends at Naropa and my cousin Ashley has introduced us to a few people who have since introduced us to a few more people and that is the way it is going so far. I'm going to try and talk to more people around the apartments in the coming days. We have gone hiking a few times and I have officially climbed 1 mountain! Hopefully many more will come. When I get some money, I would like to invest in some climbing gear and check out some of the climbing areas (indoor and out). I have also been writing songs and organizing/trying to remember old ones. It is a personal goal of mine to do an open mic night, a poetry reading, and be a street musician for a night, so practice makes perfect I guess.

On the list of more ridiculous things I've done, the Muddy Buddy is way up there. The very next morning after I moved in, our friend Matt and I competed in a 6ish mile bike and run around the Boulder Reservoir. I ran about 3.5 miles then biked another 3 while doing obstacles along the way and finishing by crawling through a huge mud-pit. Trish has some great pictures on Facebook if you haven't seen them yet. Here is the link to a video the local paper made. You should notice a familiar face/yellow, high socks around the 2 minute mark. Muddy Buddy! This should give you a better idea of what we were dealing with.


Trish has been doing a great job, not only of putting up with me, but of keeping up with me. She has tried all sorts of new foods and has been very upbeat about biking everywhere and going to random places I'd like to explore. It's been great.


The second goal of this blog is to serve as a forum for you and I to share music. I hope to make a new mixtape once a month and mail it out to most of you (if you would like to receive a CD, but have not yet, let me know and I'll add you to the list). As many of you know, it is a passion of mine to find new artists and new music and I want to share this with as many of you as possible. I am going to post the track listing for the past 3 mixtapes I've made so you, the listener, will know exactly what and who you are listening to. If you like a song (or hate a song), please please reply and let me know. Tell me of an artist you found that you like...or of one you've always liked...or of one you've never heard of, but think you might like. Ideally, many of you will reply to me and I can post your thoughts on songs and we can start a whole web of music recommending and sharing and such. I think it has a lot of potential and could be very fun, but that all depends on you, the listener, and how often you decide to get back to me with how you liked the music. Kind of like Pandora, but specifically for my friends/family. I hope this works! So, sit back and enjoy your new music! Also, call me if you'd like! Or write me, that's fun too! Talk to you all soon!