Bloodthirsty Butchers - Curve

Auditory Coffee (Drunk Edition!): Bloodthirsty Butchers - Ocean

Bloodthirsty Butchers - No Album Mudai

Everybody looks back upon their teenage years differently--for me, this was the time that I began to truly understand the importance that music would hold in my life, and the vast majority of the music I was listening to then came from across the Pacific. Among the many younger bands I followed were those I would consider to be the elder statesmen of Japanese indie rock; Bloodthirsty Butchers, eastern youth and Number Girl would soon come to define my adolescent years, later inspiring me to buy my first guitar, the iconic Fender Telecaster I'd seen each of my idols wield onstage. Ironically, after all these years I still have trouble articulating exactly what it is about this sound these artists create, but there is a certain sentimentality, a certain meaningfulness, and an immediate sense of lostness that I can relate to, that I can feel instilled deep within the breadth of each ringing chord. You don't have to understand Japanese to find a connection here; emotion comes across the same in any language. Much akin to their stateside kindred spirits Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo, the band has released a few masterpieces ("Kocorono," "Mikansei," "I'm Standing Nowhere") over the years which they are unlikely to ever top--they will, however, continue to release consistently great albums as long as they're still making music. Currently, Bloodthirsty Butchers have released 13 albums, with their newest "No Album Mudai" finding them picking up where they left off with "Guitarist o Korosanaide." Play it fucking loud.

An Impulse: Topman LTD Safari Bomber and Worker Jacket

Generally speaking, I try to steer clear of Topman. It's a shame, really--their fits are usually spot on for me but the quality is mostly dreadful. Their LTD collection, however, focuses on not only their signature fit but also on higher quality materials and construction. At full retail the price often reflects this, but once in awhile some great pieces can be found on sale at dramatically (anywhere from 50-80% off) reduced prices. Today I was able to find each of these pieces for $30 (70% off, not to mention they're doing free shipping until July 4th)!

Arc Celeste - Cassette Tape Instructions

I recently realized I've never actually posted any music I've made, so here's a couple of tracks I've been working on.

Slow Animal - Slow Animal

Sorry for the lack of posts, I've been busy studying (and not studying) for the past couple of weeks. Slow Animal is a two piece from New Jersey that you may have heard of by now--if you haven't, you may be surprised to learn that they're your new favorite band this summer.