Found: Something I didn't quite realize I'd lost.

I'm reaching a point in my life now where I am forcefully fighting off my age, passionately attempting to pursue many elements of my life I used to love but have since fallen by the wayside... literature, design, but most of all, record shopping.

I had a cathartic day at the record store last week. It has been so long since I've been record shopping.

So here's what I got.

Daniel Martin Moore - Stray Age (Shake It!/SubPop)... Just some dude from Kentucky that was picked up my Sub Pop. If you're into the whole M.Ward/T-Bone Burnett minimalist old-timey Americana sound, this record is for you. The Sub Pop release includes one extra song not on the Shake It release, and a limited edition (of less than 200) comes with a 4-song 7" of demos and alt takes and hand-numbered artwort. Good job, Sub Pop. The production is light, simple, yet at times striking and exceedingly fluid. Almost dreamy.

Santo and Uohnny - Hawaii (Canadian American) I'll confess... I have a weakness for Santo and Johnny. I've seen Johnny Farina more than once in concert. And when I die, I want "Sleepwalk" played at my funeral. Hawaii is a pure summer, outdoor, "sitting under the trees with lemonade in your hand" record. That said, I will undoubtedly wear this record out before the summer is through.

Thats a lie. I'm a workaholic. I have one day off every two weeks. Literally. So, no, I suppose I won't really be wearing this record out. But I will be playing it as much as I can.

Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Herb Alpert Presents... (A&M) No real reason behind this one, other than that my other copy is almost unplayable at this point, and is about to be chopped up and made into a pickguard for one of my custom-builds.

Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs - The Pillowcase EP (Shout!) I've been looking for this EP for ages, ever since Austin Powers came out and I'd heard that Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs were going to collaborate on a 60's-inspired covers-record (as a near-direct result of Ming Tea). That said, this EP is exactly what I expected it to sound like... poppy, jangly, nearly-British-but-not-quite... LOVE it.

Compass - Antonio Rumori b/w Estacion Especial 7" (Sharkattack!) Although I paid $4 bucks for this, I lump it in with my "dollar bin hopefuls"... nabbing a few records from the dollar bin about which I know nothing but look really well put together. Just from a design aspect, this record DESERVES to be bought. Two-color R/B press on unbleached recycled cardstock, excellent composition, clear red vinyl... Top notch. The tunes aren't bad, either, if you're into that minimalist-meets-casiotone/8bit sound. Calling it an 8bit 7" would be selling it short, however... its actually a very well put together piece. While Side A is abrasive, with a driving beat pushed along by a coarse sine wave an overly simplistic beat machine (which sounds like something along the lines of the old Ace Tone/Roland Rhythm Ace), the B side is quite soothing.

That last one was very important, as it did something to me that no record has done in a long time: It made me think. It made the gears start to turn... it made me ask questions... questions that had not been asked in a long time:

Who is Compass?
What label is this?
Do they still exist?
Who else is on this label, and are they as awesome as Compass?

I can say for certain that had I found this one single when it first came out in 2001, it would most likely have ranked up there with my personal discovery of The Robocop Kraus. Okay, maybe thats a little extreme. They are, however, at the very least on the same level as Chalet Chalet, for whom I ran sound once while they were on tour (crammed onto an awful and ill-fitting Hamilton St showcase), bought their CD (TWICE... after the first was stolen), and subsequently bought a bunch of stuff from their label.

This feels good.

I feel it is also important to note that I have begun reading Wax Poetics again.

This also feels good.

Good.

G'night.