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What I've Been Up To

Oh, just making a magazine. That's all.

I think I wrote something like 22,000 words for this issue. Only had to slay a couple of dragons, sacrifice three virgins, and meet up with the devil at the crossroads to get this one out the door.

No big whoop.

I make it sound as though I did it all by myself. I didn't, of course. John Atkinson, Robert Baird, and I work with a very dedicated, talented, patient, and understanding team. It only feels a bit lonely sometimes; I think that's in the job description for "Managing Editor." Every day, I feel a little more…

Worry Stones

These are my MIMOBOT flash drives. In theory, these cute little guys would go back and forth, delivering InDesign and image files, between me and our graphic designer, Pip. That's how we make the magazine, you see: We pass files back and forth and voila!

But I love these little guys too much to part with them, so I let Pip use her own dang flash drives.

Typically, they just sit there on my computer dashboard thing, looking at me with their funny little faces. Sometimes, when I get nervous or anxious, I pick one up, place it between my index finger and thumb and rub…

Lived In Bars

Me, too, Chan. I've lived in bars, too!

We've lived in bars
And danced on tables
Hotels, trains, and ships that sail
We swim with sharks
And fly with aeroplanes out of here
Out of here, out of here...

The Best Tonic

The last outstanding editorial piece of our April 2009 issue is now being magically teleported to our pre-press peeps. JA says that means it's "beer o'clock" for me and "Chardonnay accompanied by Jello Shots o'clock" for Pip.

I concur. I am thinking a Dale's. Or three.

Music to Relax By

Excuse me while I slip into something a little more comfortable.

Music Matters

Last week I participated in Music Matters IV, the latest in a series of evening events at Definitive Audio in Seattle. It was my first time, so I didn't know what to expect.

In an economy that has many stores on the ropes, Definitive is doing well—and I could see why. The store is drop-dead gorgeous, the staff in really knowledgeable, and store owner Mark Ormiston has pared the lines down to a selection of brands known for solid engineering and superb customer service.

(That's actually crucial—stores that have "everything" seem attractive, but stores that focus on what they…

The Ritual of Listening

I have loved Drag City for many, many reasons including: Royal Trux, Silver Jews, Red Krayola, Fucking Champs, Joanna Newsom, Bill Callahan, Jim O'Rourke, and more.

Today, I love them for this: They don't take the small stuff&#151the important stuff; the fundamentals&#151for granted. In a recent Drag City newsletter, they remind us of how to listen.

You know, earlier in this email, we were railing against modern consumers and their parasitical non-consumerism&#151tough stuff&#151when we stopped to think for a moment, are we selling the youth of today…

This Feeling

Monday is a holiday. President's Day. I am happy about that. I need a day off like our country needs a stimulus package.

Typically, on Fridays before a three-day weekend, we are granted a 1pm closing time, so we can, like, get us a jumpstart on all the fun, or something. I don't know. It usually stresses me out; I wind up rushing around, trying to accomplish everything on my list before the office becomes a ghost town.

This is just the kind of person I am; I get stressed out about the slightest bumps in my daily routine. I can't even believe my armpits right now. They are…

Ariel Bitran at the Sidewalk Cafe

John Atkinson snapped this shot of our hardworking intern, Ariel Bitran, during last night's performance at the Sidewalk Caf. It's not that this photo was taken on John's phone under poor lighting conditions; Ariel actually looks like this when he plays. The dude is on fire, lit from within like a good single-ended amplifier.

Ariel opened the 2009 Winter Antifolk Festival with a remarkably physical set of sprawling acoustic songs based on The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. I was proud of our man.

I sat there with JA, near the center of the room with a…

Behind the Scenes: The YG Anat Reference II Professional

Each month, we send one or two lucky components to our photographer, Eric Swanson, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to be shot for our cover. Because the YG Anat Reference is so dang heavy (440 lbs per channel) and expensive ($107,000/pair), I asked Dick Diamond, YG's director of sales and marketing, if he'd personally deliver the speaker to Eric.

No problem at all. Here's a behind the scenes look at what it took to capture the Anat Reference on film.

The speaker arrived on a pallet in three separate red cases, and took about an hour to assemble. Due to the speaker's aluminum…