Range Life

Library Thing

2012-01-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Anyone use this? Seems interesting. Book lists, reviews, discussion, ties to local events... My reading list is evolving, and this might be a good direction. Anything better out there?

Sh*t Roadies Say

2012-01-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

I won't keep doing this. But this is a good one.

Harrison Hollow Protected!

2012-01-23T10:03:00.003-07:00

Kudos to the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley for coordinating the effort, gathering funds, and doing the hard work toward purchasing Harrison Hollow. And congrats to us, because now it's ours. Now the fun part--figuring out how it'll be used for years to come.

Headcage

2012-01-22T14:00:00.002-07:00

This is exciting. A new EP from Matthew Dear. Not based on remixes of songs from his last album, either. New stuff. And it's good--slowed down a bit, slinkier than hard driving, but really good beats and melodies.

Sh*t Mixologists Say

2012-01-20T09:12:00.004-07:00

I bet these things run their course in about a minute, but this one's pretty funny. Good to laugh at ourselves.

Happy Friday

2012-01-13T10:18:00.002-07:00

Hope to see you here tonight!

Range Life: Extended Version

2012-01-12T10:42:00.004-07:00

Hello out there in 2012 land. I've been away from this blog a bit, again, but that's gonna change, again. There are changes afoot, and the one that I want to alert y'all to first is that Range Life, on RadioBoise, is going long.

Starting in 2 weeks, on January 30, we'll be going 3 hours instead of 2. That means I'm on 8 to 11pm every Monday.

While this may not seem like such a big deal, it really will impact the playlists, along with the arc and general tone of the show. I get to stretch out a bit now, play more of the instrumental music and longer tracks that so often get bumped when I'm in the control room trying to cram everything I want to play into 2 measly hours.

Hopefully, this also means more thought about new music and trends in music and in what I'm interested in and listening to, which, again hopefully, means more words here about music. More of the actual dancing about the actual architecture.

So, stick around. Tune in, log in, hold me to it. I think this is going to be good.

Looking Ahead

2011-12-27T10:33:00.005-07:00

Let the looking back be behind us.

Top Ten lists are great. Reminiscence and nostalgia are really nice this time of year.

But just like getting over the hump of the solstice and knowing that, even though it's tough to tell, the days are getting longer, I always love the feeling of turning that corner of December far enough to be able to look ahead.

There's a new year coming. I'll stop short of making resolutions just yet, but there's plenty to be excited about. Like: This veritable butt-load of new music I just got to sift through for the radio station. Much of it is me catching up (Amon Tobin, Christopher Willits, singles from Crystal Stilts, Daedelus, Bass Drum of Death!), but not all of it (Weekend, Ford & Lopatin, Prefuse 73) and there's lots more coming. Great to see we're on the radar of labels and publicists and artists, and the library is swelling. This will only get better.

Better: Theo is talking nonstop. New words every day, seriously. Cathy was delighted when last night he finally, clearly and without a doubt as to what he meant, said Mommy. The kid can melt your heart without even trying. And he climbs everything, including me. We are having a great time together, getting out a lot, spending time. The family's good.

Both grandmas are here these days, which is fantastic. It's so nice seeing Theo grow up with our moms, and his aunt and uncle, seeing them taking care of him and teaching him stuff.

And then, there's snow. Not much. But there was snow on the ground this morning. We must be optimistic here.

So, winter's here, 2012 is coming, and it's time to get ready for it. For all of it.

Fish Watch

2011-12-14T13:55:00.001-07:00

Apparently, Edwards Greenhouse is Theo's new favorite place. I can see why.

Skiing on Streets

2011-12-07T21:34:00.002-07:00

JP Auclair Street Segment (from All.I.Can.) from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.

I'm not big on ski movies, but this is amazing. And the soundtrack is pretty awesome too.

PNYE.11!!!!

2011-12-02T08:19:00.002-07:00

Hey y'all, it's that time again. RadioBoise's 6th annual Practice New Year's Eve Party is this Saturday night, and it's gonna be a great one. Great bands, KRBX DJs, food, beer from Payette Brewery, and a whole lot of people who are really excited about their new community radio station.

Starts at 6:30 in the ground floor of the Empire Building, at 10th and Idaho. You won't be able to miss us. Hope to see you there!

Motian on KRBX

2011-11-29T09:21:00.002-07:00

An update to the previous post:

Our man John McCarthy will pay tribute to the late and truly great drummer Paul Motian on his Wednesday morning radio show, Jazz: Beyond the Sky. I can say with all confidence that this will be a great show, so don't miss it. In fact, once you listen, you'll probably start tuning in every week. Bet ya.

Wednesday, 9 to 11am, 89.9fm and www.radioboise.org.

Paul Motian

2011-11-25T22:42:00.002-07:00

I just read that Paul Motian died a few days ago. He was 80.

His passing is a huge loss for jazz and for drums. His playing was always remarkable and identifiable, loose and fun but never ostentatious or flaunty.

My first recording with him on drums was on a Montreal Jazz Festival CD with Geri Allen and Charlie Haden. It blew me away, and that led me to my favorite of Motian's recurring collaboration, with Joe Lovano and Bill Frisell.

This feels like a good time to cozy back up to my jazz records. They've been getting dusty lately, and that just ain't right.

Them Gourds

2011-11-22T19:37:00.004-07:00

Our favoritest indescribablest band gets their rock tipped up and looked under by NPR Music this week. Read the article, enjoy the interview, dig the great set.

Uncle Kevin

2011-11-15T22:50:00.001-07:00

Theo had fun meeting his Uncle Kevin this past weekend.

Bleep

2011-11-05T14:03:00.003-06:00

I guess this is sort of a commercial, except for the part where I get paid, but for you electronic music luvvahs out there who don't know about this yet, check out Bleep.com. Great music, attention to art, easy to explore and learn about new stuff. I subscribe to their newsletter and read through it every time.

Radiothon Wrap-Up

2011-11-03T13:22:00.002-06:00

This is tonight, starting at 6pm at the station headquarters. That's the Alaska Center, on Main St. between 10th and 11th, next to the Bouquet, in the basement. Should be fun!

Happy Friday

2011-10-28T10:46:00.001-06:00

This ad for Gernika is awesome.

Wye Oak:Danzig

2011-10-27T10:57:00.001-06:00

Wye Oak covers Danzig

First Radiothon Headed Your Way!

2011-10-25T10:22:00.002-06:00

Hey people, here's a heads-up for you. If you read this blog, you know about RadioBoise, and you know how awesome it is and how much it means to me, and to this community.

This Wednesday we start our first fundraising drive, and it goes through next Thursday, 11/3. I'll be sending out requests for support and info on special programming we're having. We have a goal of 500 new members and/or $25,000, which may sound like a lot but is a pretty modest goal.

So, look for a message from me, tune in to 89.9fm or http://www.radioboise.org/ whenever you can, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Happy Friday

2011-10-21T11:14:00.002-06:00

Fall Hike

2011-10-19T15:25:00.002-06:00

Cathy and the boy took Henry for a hike today. I love fall in Boise.

OWS v. FOX

2011-10-17T14:33:00.001-06:00

Nice to see this stuff gaining traction. And nice to see the actual peeps on the ground state their case so eloquently, much to the chagrin of the establishment and their fellatiators.

Happy Friday

2011-10-14T13:49:00.000-06:00

Stole this from the Facebutts. But is that really stealing?

Future Islands

2011-10-14T11:35:00.002-06:00

New album out this week! It's called On the Water, and so far I'm loving it--more of the intense, howling break-up songs that we loved on last year's In Evening Air, but with more mood, more bass, more rending of throat and garment. Great and unique stuff.

Middle Fork Salmon River

2011-10-11T21:44:00.010-06:00

We launched on Sunday, 9/25, about 2 in the afternoon. You load your boat up on this humungous ramp and slide 'er on down--or in our case, push hard to get it down the ramp as the boats were so heavy they wouldn't slide.

The clouds and rain that hit us this first day and night would be the last we'd see on the trip.

Spent out first night just a few miles from the put-in, at Gardell's Hole. Very nice site. We got rained on overnight, and in the morning our tents and tarps were coated in frost.

The next day we got into some serious fishing. The rapids were tight and the boulder gardens required much jumping into the water to free up the boats, but that made for an active day in the raft and was actually really fun.

Camp was busy and fun. Always work to do, always cocktails being made.

And there was costume party for Linda's birthday. Derek washes the ball...

And the scenery? Sheesh. Some nice hot springs, too. This is sunflower.

The fishing only got better, too. The cutthroats did not disappoint--they were plentiful, and they were hungry. Most were in the 8 to 12 inch range, but we pulled a few nice ones out, along with a veritable butt-load of rainbows (future steelhead).

I spent a little time on the oars, but our boat was big and heavy, and my skills not quite up to the task of keeping us off the rocks. So, Zach gave me a few turns, but he was at the help for most of the trip. Which, for me, meant more fishing.

The views were amazing, whenever I could look up from reading water or watching a fly to appreciate them.

The camps and sites were fairly spotless, too. Nice to know that rules and protections, when respected and enforced, can work, keeping this stretch of river all but pristine in the face of thousands of visitors every year.

Camped in among the boulders our last night out. Lived like the mountain sheep. And saw some, too.

7 days passed in a flash. We were busy nearly the whole time, but that's the price you pay for going with friends and not on a commercial trip. And it was fantastic. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I Like My Bike

2011-10-09T21:15:00.002-06:00

Time to Get Mad... and Active

2011-10-07T10:32:00.002-06:00

About time. The first minute tells it all. (Thanks, Kurt.)

The Best Audience

2011-10-04T15:25:00.002-06:00

Dad and grapes from cathy fischer on Vimeo.

Back Home

2011-10-03T15:59:00.005-06:00

The overflow pond over in the Military Reserve may be no Middle Fork of the Salmon River, but it sure is good to see these two again. Lucky guy, I am.

Trip report and pics coming soon. And if you're wondering, the fishing was as amazing as you've heard it is.

Gone Fishing

2011-09-24T13:59:00.002-06:00

Sunday morning at 7pm we leave town and head up toward Stanley, to Boundary Creek, to launch for a week on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. 7 days of floating and fishing and oaring and fishing and hiking and fishing.

I've never done this trip--never done any river trip of this length, let alone of this remoteness. And it'd be a gross understatement to say I'm excited.

Full report to come when I return. Have a lovely week.

Kerosene

2011-09-19T11:19:00.003-06:00

If you didn't already love Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), this might convince you. And as her new album drops, it's good to get a sense of what she's capable of outside the bounds of her own intricate, often subtle compositions and performances. Here, covering Big Black's Kerosene, she just rawks.

Freedom

2011-09-14T14:47:00.000-06:00

“The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.”

― David Foster Wallace, This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

Two

2011-08-22T20:12:00.002-06:00

Just because it's so great.

The Few, The Loud, The Ignoramuses

2011-08-17T08:33:00.004-06:00

Here's a breath of fresh air and a trend I hope continues. From an article in the NY Times about slipping support for the Tea Baggers:

Of course, politicians of all stripes are not faring well among the public these days. But in data we have recently collected, the Tea Party ranks lower than any of the 23 other groups we asked about — lower than both Republicans and Democrats. It is even less popular than much maligned groups like “atheists” and “Muslims.” Interestingly, one group that approaches it in unpopularity is the Christian Right.

Their brand is toxic, as the article says, so why is this small but vocal group holding our entire economy hostage? Because Obama has tried too hard and for too long to be bipartisan. Failing to pass reasonable bills would be better than passing any of the garbage that could possibly move through this House's blocked and gnarly digestive tract.

Plus, really, the Tea Party is not all about small government. They're about White America and the intersection of religion and politics.

So what do Tea Partiers have in common? They are overwhelmingly white, but even compared to other white Republicans, they had a low regard for immigrants and blacks long before Barack Obama was president, and they still do.

More important, they were disproportionately social conservatives in 2006 — opposing abortion, for example — and still are today. Next to being a Republican, the strongest predictor of being a Tea Party supporter today was a desire, back in 2006, to see religion play a prominent role in politics. And Tea Partiers continue to hold these views: they seek “deeply religious” elected officials, approve of religious leaders’ engaging in politics and want religion brought into political debates. The Tea Party’s generals may say their overriding concern is a smaller government, but not their rank and file, who are more concerned about putting God in government.

My hope for the upcoming campaign season (I know, it's started already, I just can't acknowledge it for at least a few more months) is that Obama gets mad and goes partisan. It has to happen, because he's working alongside a Republican House (and all Republicans everywhere lately, who all seem terrified of the Tea Baggers) that believes he must fail, and they're willing to take our economy down to see it happen.

Tea Baggers: Party Before Country. It's pretty disgusting. And it's time to stop trying to work with them.

Show them for the fringe element they are and stop pretending they are mainstream America. Get mad. Before it's too late.

Good morning, beautiful

2011-08-15T08:27:00.003-06:00

It's a slow start today.

Here's a good way to start your work week. Roll outta bed with this gorgeous video from Matthew Dear for Slowdance, off his latest, Black City.

Back from Montana

2011-08-11T12:30:00.003-06:00

What a wonderful trip. Theo started walking (11 steps in a row!), we hung out with great friends, ate great food, drank a beer or two, did some gorgeous hikes, and caught lots of fish.

It's always sad to leave, this year more than ever. But we'll be back.

Right and Wrong

2011-08-02T16:32:00.001-06:00

Olbermann is annoying and self-righteous, but there's a whole lotta truth in here.

The shame is that we're all of us so far gone that we can't even see how far gone we are.

Alberto Strikes Back

2011-07-26T18:28:00.000-06:00

Kudos to Contador, who gave at least one of these costume-wearing interfering jog-alongsiding douchebags what they deserve.

I mean, dude was trying to pretend to check his heart rate. Seemed like the yahoos went wild this year, moving away from the realm of overzealous support that has always made these mountaintop stages nervy and into the realm of trying to get camera time by being the biggest "look at meeeeee" a-hole on the mountain.

Too bad more of them didn't get this treatment.

Watch the race. Don't be in it.

Theo Meets Nika

2011-07-26T15:24:00.004-06:00

John and Tamara got a new puppy and brought her round to meet the boy. They liked each other.

Horseshoe Canyon

2011-07-20T14:35:00.005-06:00

I forgot I had these photos. We went to Driggs for the 4th of July, and I got a ride in over at Horseshoe Canyon one day.

It was so gorgeous, we ended up hiking there a couple days later. You can see the Tetons across that valley.

TR Turns 1!

2011-07-13T14:23:00.002-06:00

A baby no more. Theo has joined the ranks of kid-dom. He had a wonderful birthday.

A Great Day

2011-06-19T21:07:00.002-06:00

Slept in til 8. Got a nice road ride in. Brunch with friends for Judi's birthday. Bike ride with Cathy and T. Quick nap. Homemade raviolis and wine over at John and Tamara's with all the moms. Now a book and bed. All that, and I got the coolest hat ever, too. Happy Father's Day to me.

Gold Cup

2011-06-17T13:51:00.003-06:00

US v. Jamaica on Sunday. Anyone gonna watch?

No Politics

2011-06-15T08:50:00.003-06:00

I know, I've made a vow to ignore all election-oriented information and activities until about this time next year. But I couldn't resist at least checking in with the first Republican debate. I didn't watch it, and I won't scour the blogosphere for juicy bits about it, but I had to at least read the NY Times op-ed. And I wasn't disappointed. At least we'll have some comic relief.

The idiocy seems astounding. Santorum, Gingrich, Bachman. I mean, it seems like a Democrat's wishlist, doesn't it? Even the smart one is a few bricks shy of a load.

Mr. Romney, the presumed front-runner, provided almost no details of his economic plan, except to attack Mr. Obama for making the recession “worse and longer.” (He didn’t mention that the recession ended in June 2009.) He said the government’s bailout of General Motors and Chrysler was a waste of money and accused the administration of catering to the auto unions. He did not mention that it saved at least 1.4 million jobs and a vital American industry, which has already paid back half the cost.

Gingrich wants oaths of allegiance. Bachman just wants to close the EPA. All this, and Palin isn't even in the race yet. Hoo boy.

Austin:Archers

2011-06-08T12:49:00.002-06:00

Oh, I'm going alright. Crazily, awesomely, I'm going. I missed Pavement last year, but I can't miss this.

Might as well live in Portland...

2011-06-06T22:47:00.001-06:00

Same weather, better food.

Happy Friday

2011-06-03T14:37:00.002-06:00

It was a matter of time, I guess.

Clap Your Hands!

2011-05-19T16:13:00.000-06:00

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Hysterical from CYHSY on Vimeo.

New stuff on the way. This is exciting.

Glen+Mar

2011-05-10T23:31:00.000-06:00

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova "Drive All Night" from Patrick Glennon on Vimeo.

Love these two.

The Crawler

2011-05-08T21:18:00.001-06:00

Theo has mastered crawling from cathy fischer on Vimeo.

NYT on Bin Laden's Death

2011-05-02T21:47:00.002-06:00

I hate to say it, but I can identify with how Giulliani feels about the news of Osama Bin Laden's death. He said, in Politico, "I feel satisfaction and some emotional relief, but I don't feel great elation. I watch a lot of the celebrating and it makes me feel a little strange, I don't know. Nothing erases the loss of all those lives."

I fee relieved and ecstatic and proud, of course, but I and I assume many others have been going back over images and stories that I haven't experienced in many years, and they still conjure the same mix of very strong emotions. So I feel a bit unsettled, a bit less high-fivey than I might.

But, that's neither here nor there, whatever that means.

The New York Times has what I have to call, at the risk of being excited over the pure narrative of it, a riveting account of the events leading up to and surrounding the killing of Bin Laden in Pakistan. It's really thrilling reading, like we don't often get in major sources of journalism.

"Sixteen hours later, he had made up his mind. Early the next morning, four top aides were summoned to the White House Diplomatic Room. Before they could brief the president, he cut them off. “It’s a go,” he said."

...

"The commando team had raced into the Pakistani night from a base in Jalalabad, just across the border in Afghanistan. The goal was to get in and get out before Pakistani authorities detected the breach of their territory by what were to them unknown forces and reacted with possibly violent results."

It's a long one, but it's really good. Amid the sea of articles and opinions, don't miss this gem.

This is reason to celebrate, though it feels strange to do so. It's a time to be proud and to think about our place and role in the world.

It's also a time to think about the casualties of not only 9/11 but the "war on terror" that ensued, whatever your opinion of it. As one image that really struck me had it, in a note left at the 9/11 Memorial Preview Site on Vesey Street near ground zero on Monday, "Dedicated to all those who fought, suffered, and died to bring us this moment. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten."

Sunday Rides

2011-05-01T19:56:00.005-06:00

I got out for a great mountain bike ride this morning. Just the standard 3 Bears loop, but it's been a while and it was a beautiful, brisk spring day, so it was a tremendous ride.

Then we loaded the boy into the sidecar and took him for a ride around town. And to Bardenay for a late lunch.

We rode the greenbelt for a while and even stopped to throw bread at some geese and ducks. Theo was thoroughly entertained.

New Burial

2011-04-29T13:20:00.003-06:00

So I missed out on the vinyl of this. But the digital's now available via emusic and elsewhere, and it's awesome. Burial moves his signature sound forward without simply repeating himself, expanding it without losing the empty, spooky quality that made his music stick.

Ardennes Sweep!

2011-04-24T20:58:00.003-06:00

It's been an amazing couple weeks for Philippe Gilbert. The Belgian has become a dominant force in the spring classics and has pulled off victories in all 3 of the Ardennes races: Flèche Wallonne, Amstel Gold, and now the crowning jewel of Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Yep, that's both Schlecks following him to the line.

Roll on over to VeloNews for the story.

Sunday

2011-04-24T20:30:00.003-06:00

Started the day with a great ride over the Fat Tire Traverse.

Then got fancied up and took the boy to his first Easter church. He cleans up nice. And he wasn't as grumpy about it as he looks.

Then we ate a wonderful traditional ham dinner at Jan's, got too full, and laid around in the grass on sleeping bags.

Egyptian Friday: A Rising Tide, local music for KRBX

2011-04-21T22:29:00.002-06:00

Launch week continues! Friday night, RadioBoise along with Idaho Live and the Egyptian Theater present a really pretty great night of local music.

- Bill Coffey

-AKA Belle

- New Transit

- Low Fi

- Steve Fulton Music

- Sherpa

- Finn RIggins

- Ship Shape

- Audio Moonshine

- Matt Hopper

- Thomas Paul

- Randy Meenach

See? Awesome stuff. Mostly a celebration, partly a fundraiser, TOTALLY a good time. Come down early and stop by the KRBX table and say hi.

Trundle on over to www.radioboise.org and check out our new website.

RadioBoise Broadcast Launch Today!

2011-04-21T09:35:00.004-06:00

Today between 12:30 and 2, KRBX RadioBoise will go live from our spankin' new downtown studio on 89.9 FM! Tune in and hear a taste of shows to come.

We've also launched our new website!

Check it out at http://www.radioboise.org/. And check back here later for info on our huge shindig of a local music celebration tomorrow (Friday, 4/22) at the Egyptian Theater. It's gonna be a blast.

KRBX Air Check Cocktail Party Tonight

2011-04-18T08:41:00.002-06:00

Come join us at the Red Feather tonight, won't you? Should be some tickets left.

Sawtooth Ski Vid

2011-03-22T12:47:00.003-06:00

Untitled from J Betts on Vimeo.

Here's a little sample for you. I'm that only slightly awkward looking 3rd guy to go. Wide stance = stable!!!

Kickstart RadioBoise!

2011-03-21T21:04:00.002-06:00

Watch this video, get inspired, and help us out. Go to www.radioboise.org for more info.

Thom Yorke + Burial + Four Tet = Mirror

2011-03-18T21:21:00.004-06:00

Oh man, this is good. It's a hijack, but have a listen. This and the one from the last post are I believe vinyl only so I will be seeking this out when it drops next week.

Four Tet + Burial = Moth/Wolf Cub

2011-03-18T21:13:00.001-06:00

Anyone got a copy of this? Haven't found one for less than $80. Want it.

Sawtooths In Brief

2011-03-14T21:46:00.002-06:00

Made it back safe and sound from last week's backcountry ski trip in the Sawtooth Mountains. We had great snow, very decent weather, fantastic food, and a great group.

I'll post some more pics here and a link to the photo album, in case you're interested. Should have some video soon, too. Great trip, nice to be back home with the wife and boy.

Gone Skiing

2011-03-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

Monday morning 6 of us will drive to Stanley for the start of a long anticipated backcountry ski trip. We'll ski in to the Williams Peak yurt on Monday and ski out on Thursday. Can't even tell you how much I'm looking forward to this.

See you in a week.

Photo: Aerial view of Thompson (left) and Williams (right). Yurt is located at bottom of photo just right of the open area in center.

Photographer: Kirk Anderson, from http://www.sawtoothguides.com/winter_pages/williams.html.

First passport pics!

2011-03-06T00:13:00.001-07:00

James Blake

2011-03-04T22:10:00.002-07:00

James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream from Alexander Brown on Vimeo.

Sit with this for a while.

One of these days I'll write something here about James Blake, both the EPs he put out last year and his debut s/t full length, out just this year.

But for now, listen and think about it. It yields rewards.

"Cairo has moved to Madison"

2011-02-21T09:19:00.003-07:00

Krugman's got a great op-ed piece today on the importance of unions.

On paper, we’re a one-person-one-vote nation; in reality, we’re more than a bit of an oligarchy, in which a handful of wealthy people dominate.
Given this reality, it’s important to have institutions that can act as counterweights to the power of big money. And unions are among the most important of these institutions.

It's easy to forget why unions are relevant and necessary. But they are, and the efforts to render them powerless in Wisconsin are cynical and devious and would be a harsh blow to the working man.

You don’t have to love unions, you don’t have to believe that their policy positions are always right, to recognize that they’re among the few influential players in our political system representing the interests of middle- and working-class Americans, as opposed to the wealthy. Indeed, if America has become more oligarchic and less democratic over the last 30 years — which it has — that’s to an important extent due to the decline of private-sector unions.

Before the people of Wisconsin let their governor pull this off, they should know that it's not just about budget crunches and concessions for austerity. That's what it's not about.

Hiking with Theo

2011-02-15T13:09:00.004-07:00

Cathy, Theo and I spent a long weekend in Ketchum. No skiing or fishing this time, but we did go for a few really lovely hikes, and I got one pretty long snowshoe trudge in, too.

No new snow up there, but Baldy still had good coverage and there were actually a bunch of people there skiing.

The highlight of the weekend (besides Valentine's dinner at Globus, which Theo slept through) had to be how T would probe the cold air with his tongue, poking it out every time we set off oustide. Hilarious.

Bicycle Rights!

2011-02-07T13:27:00.001-07:00

Haven't seen Portlandia yet, but I must.

Swimmie

2011-01-31T10:35:00.002-07:00

Guess who's first swimming lesson is today?

Swinginging

2011-01-24T21:41:00.003-07:00

I think it's safe to say that T likes the swing.

Geotic

2011-01-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Geotic is the mostly ambient side project of Will Wiesenfeld, who also makes music as Baths. Where Baths is playful and pop-structured electronic music, Geotic is calm and introspective, more about slow shifts and moods than beats and hooks.

Wiesenfeld makes the whole of the Geotic catalog available for free, too, Check out the offerings at www.angelfire.com/indie/postfoetus/geotic.html. So far Mend and Hearth are really grabbing me, and I'm spending a lot of my work hours with this playing softly.

You'll notice the Donate button toward the top of his page. I got hooked and have gone back for more and more, so I dropped a few bucks in the jar. Well worth it.

RIP Trish Keenan

2011-01-14T10:51:00.002-07:00

The frontwoman for the band Broadcast died of complications from pneumonia. A terrible loss of a truly beautiful voice.

Austin Homecoming

2011-01-13T14:41:00.001-07:00

Very cool video. The music and images work together to make me terribly homesick for the old stompin grounds.

Stewart on AZ

2011-01-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Arizona Shootings Reaction

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

The Daily Show on Facebook

New Deerhoof!

2011-01-10T12:55:00.002-07:00

Super Duper Rescue Heads. I heart heart heart this band.

The Bass

2010-12-30T21:24:00.001-07:00

I'm on an instrumental music kick lately, mostly the fault of Brokeback. Doug McCombs, of Tortoise and Eleventh Dream Day, has or had a solo project called Brokeback, whereby he created these gorgeous songs centering around electric or acoustic bass or both. Really nice stuff, and I wish he were still recording under this moniker, but I do not believe he is.

That led me back to Austin and Cyrus Rego, the former side project of Edward Robert, former bass player for the no-longer Paul Newman. Robert put out one release under this name on Emperor Jones Records, back in 1999, and I forgot about it until recently. Now it's digitized and in the system and sure to get loads of play time around here.

They're both accomplished pieces of music, and very different. Where Brokeback plays more to clear lines of melody, repeated and embellished and approaching minimalist jazz in places, Cyrus Rego deals in landscapes of sound and effect, complementing drone with misty pieces of song and lyric.

But they're both built around the sound of the bass guitar, and that alone makes them worth listening to.

Big Bend Ranch

2010-12-29T13:25:00.001-07:00

Came across this official Texas Parks and Wildlife video of the new mountain bike trails in Big Bend Ranch State Park.

I rode a few days in this place when I wrote Mountain Biking Texas, for FalconGuides, way back when. There were no trail markers, mostly rough doubletrack, and so much potential for getting lost that it was more route-finding and adventure-seeking than mountain biking. But it was always a great day out.

Hopefully this will get people coming to visit and ride. It's out in the middle of nowhere, a resource that doesn't get much use--good things if you're looking for adventure in the desert.

Top Ten Albums of 2010, extended version

2010-12-16T21:04:00.004-07:00

Every year I ask myself: What are my criteria for the best record of the year? For all of the top 10 and even 20, really, but especially for the one in first. And every year I give myself a different answer.

This year there was no shortage of contenders for the top slot, unlike last year where it seemed more like a big clump of awesome #2-6s or so. The album that won out then would not have done so against this year's list. But last year was a very different year.

2010 in many ways was about new beginnings and reinvention. From the obvious quantum leap forward of Flying Lotus to the galvanization of power and sound on The National's High Violet (and to a different degree, on In Evening Air from newcomers to the Hess library Future Islands), the artists here started the year off on a different footing, with a different purpose of step.

Bradford Cox has become one of the most consistent artists in rock music. No Age have grown up, lost a little edge, and gained a huge amount of skill and a great instinct for a hook. The Walkmen finally got through to me, the Arcade Fire came back in a big way, and LCD Soundsystem just keep getting better.

But when it came to picking the best, stuffed though it may sound, I went with what seemed the boldest of steps, the most important-feeling of new directions.

Sufjan Stevens comes as close as one can come to internalizing and distilling the swirl of musical forms and sounds in his world in his time and producing something that's entirely new, but that leaves nothing out, subjugates nothing to novelty status or mere badge of credibility. His music is impressively complicated and endlessly listenable, referential but never ironic, brainy and fun, sincere and never cloying, comfortably Christian, brilliant and accessible.

The Age of Adz marks a significant point in his career. Not only has he finally abandoned the put-on ambitions of being this nation's state-by-state freak-folkie laureate, but he shocked us with the surprise release of the All Delighted People EP, and followed it closely with his most accomplished single album to date.

This is not the record I've listened to the most this year, but this is the one that offers new insights and yields new rewards with every single listen. "Impossible Soul" practically earns the honor on its own, and not solely due to its staggering length (nearly 24 minutes!). It's serious in its affirmations, but it's not heavy handed or melodramatic and doesn't take itself too lightly or too heavily. That's the thing about Sufjan Stevens' music: It does so much, reaches so high, in a way that's so unabashed and hopeful that you can't help but get swept up.

It strikes me that, in some ways, Sufjan Stevens is the David Foster Wallace of indie rock, and this album his Infinite Jest. It's everything at once, overwhelming sometimes, concise and poignant most times, not always superficially enjoyable but always yielding wisdom and rewards.

Give it a chance--or better yet, give it about 5. That's when it really started to dig in for me.

And so, with no further windbaggery, here's this year's Top Ten Albums, plus a whole lot more.

Top Ten Albums of 2010
1. Sufjan Stevens ~ The Age of Adz
2. The National ~ High Violet
3. Deerhunter ~ Halcyon Digest
4. Future Islands ~ In Evening Air
5. The Walkmen ~ Lisbon
6. Flying Lotus ~ Cosmogramma
7. LCD Soundsystem ~ This Is Happening
8. Arcade Fire ~ The Suburbs
9. No Age ~ Everything In Between
10. To Rococo Rot ~ Speculation

The Next 10
11. Andreya Triana ~ Lost Where I Belong
12. Pantha du Prince ~ Black Noise
13. Josh Ritter ~ So Runs the World Away
14. Teebs ~ Ardour
15. Matthew Dear ~ Black City
16. Shearwater ~ The Golden Archipelago
17. Les Savy Fav ~ Root for Ruin
18. Department of Eagles ~ Archive 2003-2006
19. Sin Ropas ~ Holy Broken
20. The Morning Benders ~ Big Echo
Tonea2ing enders ~ Big o
Some other really good to great stuff, sort of in order
Atlas Sound ~ Bedroom Databank Vol. 1
Balmorhea ~ Constellations
Four Tet ~ There Is Love In You
Flaming Lips ~ Dark Side of the Moon
Brian Eno ~ Small Crafts on a Milk Sea
Lali Puna ~ Our Inventions
Frightened Rabbit ~ The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Surfer Blood ~ Astro Coast
The Ponys ~ Deathbed +4 EP
Spoon ~ Transference
Best Coast ~ Crazy For You

Songwriter/troubadors/past and future legends
Shinyribs ~ Well After Awhile
Gil Scott Heron ~ I’m New Here
Sufjan Stevens ~ All Delighted People EP

I got all excited about it and thought I really dug it but I sure haven’t put it on much:
Owen Pallett ~ Heartland
Women ~ Public Strain
Holy Fuck ~ Latin
Tame Impala ~ Inner Speaker
Sam Prekop ~ Old Punch Card
White Denim ~ Last Day of Summer
Interpol ~ Interpol
The Black Angels ~ Phosphene Dream
Superchunk ~ Majesty Shredding
The Corin Tucker Band ~ 1000 Years
ck ~ 1000 Year

New (new to me, anyway) and exciting
Meursault ~ All Creatures Will Make Merry
Gauntlet Hair ~ “Out, Don’t” (single)
Cults ~ “Go Outside” (single)
Shimmering Stars ~ “East Van Girls” (single)

Great expectations; just kinda meh
JJ ~ No. 3
Avey Tare ~ Down There Now
School of Seven Bells ~ Disconnect from Desire
Blonde Redhead ~ Penny Sparkle
Caribou ~ Swim
The Hold Steady ~ Heaven Is Whenever
ect

Captivated me
Loscil ~ Endless Falls
Dean & Britta ~ 13 Most Beautiful: Songs For Andy Warhol's Screen Tests
Take ~ Only Mountain
Bonobo ~ Black Sands
Tokimonsta ~ Cosmic Intoxication EP
The Gaslamp Killer ~ Death Gate EP
Shigeto ~ What We Held Onto EP

Distracted me
Gold Panda ~ Lucky Shiner
Baths ~ Cerulean
Mount Kimbie ~ Crooks & Lovers
The Sight Below ~ Murmur EP
The Album Leaf ~ There Is a Wind
Tokimonsta ~ Cosmic Intoxication EP
Local Natives ~ Gorilla Manor

Maybe I’m just sick of them...
Band of Horses ~ Infinite Arms
Vampire Weekend ~ Contra
New Pornographers ~ Together
Broken Social Scene ~ Forgiveness Rock Record

Range Life: 2010 In Music

2010-12-14T11:07:00.003-07:00

This week's Range Life will look back at the year in music with a focus on my Top 10 Albums. Yep, me and everyone else with an iPod, right? But I promise mine will be REALLY good.

Tune in to www.radioboise.org Wednesday 5 to 7 and Friday 1 to 3 for the full live program. There was so much great new music it'll be tough to know where to begin. Join me and find out, eh?

Balmorhea

2010-12-11T13:49:00.004-07:00

Another band from Austin that's escaped my notice until now. Balmorhea make gorgeous, intricate, instrumental music that's somewhere between Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Stars of the Lid with a bit of Fahey thrown in, though very different from any of it, closer to a pop format maybe. Shorter cycles, more movement.

Long quiet stretches of miniscule variation give way to dynamic passages with percussion and melodic focus, strings bowed and plucked ala The Books, and then slide back into stillness.

I'm starting with their latest, Constellations, and I can't stop listening to it. Always nice to discover a whole new catalog to dig into.

This Saturday: RadioBoise's Annual Practice New Year's Eve

2010-12-02T15:42:00.002-07:00

RadioBoises 5th Annual Practice New Year’s Eve Party happens on Saturday from 6 p.m. to midnight at The Empire Building on 10th and Idaho streets downtown. That's where Sleep With Grace used to be. We'll have beer and wine by Bitter Creek and other local merchants, along with some food from Idaho's Bounty.

$5 donation at the door, and all proceeds go toward getting Boise Community Radio on the air at 89.9 FM in April 2011. That's a full-power radio station that this town desperately needs. (Don't believe me? Just turn on the radio and you will.)

This year’s line-up includes Mickey The Jump, Junior Rocket Scientist, Jonn E. Combat and Boy Eats Drum Machine, who is AWESOME. Your favorite Radio Boise DJs will spin tunes, and we'll have some practice countdowns and mirror ball drops to get you ready for the end of 2010. Also, Boise Rock School will kick off the festivities.

We've got tons of great silent auction items donated by cool, local businesses, too. So come do some Christmas shopping, as there are always amazing deals to be had.

Read about the event in the Boise Weekly and Idaho Statesman.

Winter Rides

2010-11-28T17:00:00.012-07:00

Lots of snow hit the foothills this past week. And since Bogus Basin was bound to be a circus on opening+holiday weekend, I opted for a different approach.

I try to get the mountain bike out in the snow at least once a year, and since conditions were so perfect I got it out twice.

Saturday was gray and gloomy but Sunday was sunny and clear. Gorgeous.

And I'm really excited to have the IF back in action. LOVE the straight fork on it.

2 great rides around Shane's Loop and the Reserve trails made for a nice hello to wintertime.

CAUTION: Cuteness at absurd levels ahead

2010-11-23T12:56:00.003-07:00

I've become one of those people. But look at this!

How could I not?

Snowy Monday

2010-11-22T10:29:00.003-07:00

The ride to work this morning.

And the view from my window.

The coolest thing started to happen when the sun poked out. See all the snow stuck to the power and phone lines? As soon as the light hit them, long shafts of snow began to break free and drift downward, horizontally, wafting like long paper tubes that burst into powder when they hit the ground. It started all at once and happened fast.

Bike Thieves

2010-11-21T08:39:00.003-07:00

This is some bullshit. 4 break-ins, no help or progress in stopping them or finding out who did it.

Sure the media coverage is weak, but at least they're there, unlike Austin's finest, who don't seem to recognize the responsibility they have to developing areas in their city. This isn't some dark corner of the outskirts, this is 4 flippin blocks from Whole Foods and one of the busiest intersections in the city. C'mon.

Austin peeps: Watch out for anyone selling Orbeas or Scotts or Fujis at prices that seem too good to be true. Because they are. Let AustinBikes know if you see any such thing.

Ardour

2010-11-18T13:57:00.003-07:00

Another beat manufacturer from Southern California, in the vein of Flying Lotus, sure. But there's something different here.

Just picked up the first full length from Teebs, and I'm entranced. There's a subtlety and a direct aim at overt beauty that I've not come up against so much in this type of music. It's complex without trying to be complicated, forward looking and familiar at the same time, almost as much Four Tet as FlyLo.

This is thoughtful, contemplative music with some killer beats. That's a rare thing.

Back on the Range

2010-11-17T13:45:00.003-07:00

It's been a few weeks, but Range Life is live again this week. And I have no idea what direction we're gonna go.

The new Brian Eno/Jon Hopkins record has me digging into the ambient/soundtrack bins, but there's also the new free release from Girl Talk. Then there's the Gaslamp Killer, Glasser, Tennis, Lord Huron, Minks, Shimmering Stars, The War on Drugs, Future Islands, and all kinds of other new stuff.

PLUS, just got some goodies from back in the day: Ed Hall, Stars of the Lid, Starfish, Tortoise, Pavement, Red Red Meat, Slint, and other total gold.

Tune in, won't you? 5 to 7pm Wednesday, 1 to 3pm Friday, www.radioboise.org.

Real Food!!!

2010-11-13T15:51:00.004-07:00

Theo's first meal- 4 months old from cathy fischer on Vimeo.

Sort of...

Theo had his first taste of "solid" food today. He really seemed to enjoy it, though he had trouble getting it from mouth to stomach much of the time. Still, a good first experience.

AustinBikes Break-Ins In the News

2010-11-11T12:59:00.001-07:00

Bad enough that Austin's finest are doing NOTHING about any of this. But they interview one cop here, and what does he say? Owner negligence. Figures.

Not much lower than a bike thief. And please, don't buy stolen bikes. That just makes it worse.

The boy loves that mobile...

2010-11-10T14:21:00.001-07:00

Theo loves his mobile from Christopher Hess on Vimeo.

Filled with glee.

Autumn Stroll with My Boys

2010-11-05T08:40:00.002-06:00

That's Theo's hatted head at bottom. It was a lovely day.

Pin Oak

2010-11-04T12:52:00.000-06:00

This time of year, our pin oak's got to be the purdiest tree in Boise.

We Live In Hard Times, Not End Times

2010-11-01T14:45:00.003-06:00

"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing."

Eloquence unlike anything from politicians or talk show hosts. And make sure to watch to the end and catch Tony Bennett singing "America the Beautiful."

Fall's Here

2010-10-27T12:36:00.001-06:00

Rainy days have turned to chilly, sunny days. The leaves know it. The foothills are dusted high up with snow. What a great day for a ride.

Awesome coffee from... Eagle?

2010-10-26T15:52:00.003-06:00

Anyone tried Full Circle Exchange coffee? They're a roaster in Eagle, apparently quite the socially conscious, justice-seeking, community-active local business. And they've got pretty pro marketing, too.

I bought this bag over at Cafe de Paris, and I LOVE it. It's got a delicious and mild hint of the strong chocolate flavors that made the Mexican coffee served at Ruta Maya and some of my fave breakfast Mexican joints in Austin so wonderful.

You can shop online or stop at the Cafe de Paris. Grab a loaf of bread while you're there--best in town, I think.

Jens Goes to Luxembourg

2010-10-23T10:37:00.004-06:00

Hard man Jens Voigt will join beanpole bros Andy and Frank at the new Luxembourg team being built around the Schlecks. I feel for Bjarne Riis. His team's been decimated.

Some great stuff in the comments section of the VeloNews article, like this:

"Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas....and Chuck Norris wears Jens Voigt pajamas."

3 Bears Burnt

2010-10-18T09:57:00.004-06:00

Rode 3 Bears on Friday and got a good look at the burn from late last week.

Looks bad, but it seems like it blew through pretty fast. Lots of the sage has one or two branches scorched and the rest left intact. There were still a few plumes of smoke smoldering on Friday.

It Gets Better

2010-10-15T10:49:00.001-06:00

Everyone should watch this. From The Dish.