Okay, so as everyone is pointing out right now--it's snowing like the bejeesus out there. Whatever that means. So I thought this was an excellent opportunity to review my year.
Here were my goals for 2012; let's see how shitty I am.
Goals for 2012
1. Be able to record a full band, live, in the BeeHive. Bring in an outside project, and turn out a SOLID recording they would be proud to share with friends.
I recorded a few groups here and there--none for cash money. But they sound decent, overall. Thanks to Josh Roman from Mindrocket showing me a few things, I can pull this off now. I definitely still have a lot to learn. But 1 point for me.
2. New album for KKC and White Cadillac.
Um. No new KKC disc done yet. Well, it's written. Just not recorded. Very proud of "Classy Ride for Sleazy People" though--so White Cadillac delivered the audio goods. 1/2 point.
3. Full album of my OWN. One that I write and play everything on. Do a wall of sound vocal style that would make Joe Elliot ‘bloody’ proud.
No. Actually, thanks to the encouragement of a co-worker, I remixed all of my demo stuff (about 15 songs). I really want to record this properly. That's for the 2013 goals list. 0 points.
4. Hang out with friends and family more. I’ve become a bit of a hermit, so that needs to change quickly.
Yeah, I've done better with family, I think. I go to see my grandparents 90% of Sundays, and hang out with my pops a couple of times a week. Still kinda hermiting it up from time to time. Eh. 1 point.
5. Help Erin with ‘family’ finances more—I usually have her handle all the bill writing, etc. Not fair, really. I think we need to be on this ‘online bill paying’ thing full-time.
We are 100% online pay-type-people now. I know, I know, welcome to 2006. Thanks. 1 point.
6. Finish Erin’s ‘awesome room’.
A couple of things need moved on shelves, but everything is here, and it is awesome. I accomplished this over the summer. 1 point
7. Minimalist leaning—become less needy of “stuff”.
Just got a Wii U, autographed stuff from the Niners, tons of shirts, boatloads of CDs, and a badassed snowblower to top all others. Miserable fail. 0 points
8. Practice patience—learn more about Buddhism.
I quit in the middle of a round of golf this summer. I'm patient. But I haven't gotten MORE patient. And I still never finished my Thich Nhat Hanh book. I'm awful. 0 points
9. Write four-five short stories—get ONE published.
I wrote another short story this year. But didn't finish 4 or five, and got zero published. 0 points
10. Break 85 for 18 on the course. I can do this in 2012—especially if I achieve goal #8 first.
I thought this one was in the BAG in June. I was shooting around 90. Then, I got new clubs, decided to change my swing, and hacked it around everywhere, toiling in the upper 90s/lower 100s for three months. I don't give myself minus points. But if there was ever a time I should, this would be it. 0 points
Total 4.5/10 points -- Ugh. That's embarrassing.
Goals for 2013
1. Finish a solo album.
2. Clean my garage, and organize it.
3. Finish seven video games, in their entirety.
4. Learn guitar--the basic chords, at least. This will help me in my songwriting SO much.
5. Release KKC's "Seven Deadly Sins"--there's no WAY I'm not getting this point at the end of the year.
6. Release one new song every week (or cover tune) on Soundcloud--it must be posted by the end of Friday night--except if I'm on, like, vacation or something.
7. Get Erin an online jewelry store. The stuff she's making is AWESOME, so I MUST get her stuff up for sale.
8. Keep this home consistently clean.
9. Become a better golfer. No "set score" this year.
10. Read six books--for fun. Not because I have to.
My Favorite Songs of 2012:
These didn't have to be RELEASED in 2012. If I encountered them for the first time this year, and I listened to it a boatload of times, then it's on here. (These are in no particular order--just how I'm putting them on CDs for people)
1. "How" - Regina Spektor
2. "Bones of Birds" - Soundgarden
3. "Falling" - Poema
4. "Death Knell" - Ghost
5. "Violet Rays" - Smashing Pumpkins
6. "Bucket List" - Nelly Furtado
7. "Revenge" - Danger Mouse / Sparklehorse
8. "My Boy" - Anneke van Giersbergen
9. "Reunion" - M83
10. "Scraping the Walls" - God Forbid
11. "How They Want Me to Be" - Best Coast
12. "Tempest" - Deftones
13. "Follow Me" - Muse
14. "Love Interruption" - Jack White
15. "Stray Heart" - Green Day
16. "Foolsong" - Baroness
17. "Drag Ropes" - Storm Corrosion
18. "Say Goodbye" - Norah Jones
19. "The Luckiest" (Ben Folds) - as performed by Washington University in St. Louis Mosaic Whispers
20. "Shards of Love" - Woods of Ypres
21. "September Song" - Willie Nelson
22. "Where We Belong" - Devin Townsend Project
23. "Madness" - Muse
24. "The Racing Heart" - Katatonia
25. "'Til You" - Alanis Morissette
26. "Apricots" - Poema
27. "One More Summer" - No Doubt
28. "Anteroom" - EMA
29. "Days Go By" - The Offspring
30. "Eula" - Baroness
31. "Werewolf" - Fiona Apple
32. "Harakiri" - Serj Tankian
33. "That's Why God Made the Radio" - The Beach Boys
34. "Divine" - Devin Townsend Project
35. "I Miss the Misery" - Halestorm
36. "Twinkler" - Baroness
37. "In the Wee Small Hours" - Frank Sinatra
My Top 10 albums of 2012 (In order, with #1 being the most bombassed): *Once again, as long as I first listened to the disc this year, I put it on the list*
10. Goatwhore - "Blood for the Master" 2012
A brilliant mix of black metal, death metal and thrash. Damnit. I really wanted to use the oxford comma in that last sentence.
9. Fiona Apple - "The Idler Wheel..." 2012
Yeah. I'm not gonna type the whole album title. At first, this album didn't do it for me. But then, it grew on me--like an infection. Not as good as "Extraordinary Machine" in my opinion--but close.
8. Deftones - "Koi No Yokan" 2012
Some say this is just like "Diamond Eyes Part 2"--but I severely disagree. The choruses on this album are extremely poppy and memorable. That's when the Deftones are at their best.
7. Storm Corrosion - "Storm Corrosion" 2012
I looked forward to this album for a long time, and it did NOT disappoint. A collab between Steven from Porcupine Tree and Mikael from Opeth. It sounds like a mixture of Steven from Porcupine Tree and Mikael from Opeth. Which means it's awesome.
6. Dying Fetus - "Reign Supreme" 2012
The stompiest death metal album since Internal Bleeding's "Driven to Conquer" almost a decade ago. These guys are just super-talented.
5. Woods of Ypres - "Woods 4: The Green Album" 2011
The singer/songwriter died a year ago this week in a car crash--and I revisited their music. I'm so glad I did. I was missing out. Very sad he'll never do more music.
4. Frank Sinatra - "In the Wee Small Hours" 1955
While listening to the first album on the list of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die"--I fell in love. I listened to this album 75 times this year. I'm not exaggerating.
3. Ghost - "Opus Eponymous" 2010
I listened to this album once in 2011--then a bunch more at the beginning of this year. What would Deep Purple sound like if they were slightly satanic? Probably like Ghost.
2. Poema - "Remembering You" 2012
I can't say that this shouldn't just be at number one. I listened to this a ton--and I know every word. The problem lies in the fact that I feel like a 17-year-old girl when I'm singing it, because I'm pretty sure that's the intended listening demographic. But it's like bubble gum in my ears, covered in cotton candy. It's so good. I just can't help myself. I'd say it's a guilty pleasure, but it's too damned good to feel guilty about it.
1. Baroness - "Yellow & Green" 2012
This is a double disc, which is dangerous. You can really usually throw away five or six songs on a two-disc outing--but not here. The songs here are just dark and memorable. Hauntingly gorgeous.
Okay. Onward to 2013. The ten goals I set for myself here are impossible. Oh well. I'll give 'er a go.
Here were my goals for 2012; let's see how shitty I am.
Goals for 2012
1. Be able to record a full band, live, in the BeeHive. Bring in an outside project, and turn out a SOLID recording they would be proud to share with friends.
I recorded a few groups here and there--none for cash money. But they sound decent, overall. Thanks to Josh Roman from Mindrocket showing me a few things, I can pull this off now. I definitely still have a lot to learn. But 1 point for me.
2. New album for KKC and White Cadillac.
Um. No new KKC disc done yet. Well, it's written. Just not recorded. Very proud of "Classy Ride for Sleazy People" though--so White Cadillac delivered the audio goods. 1/2 point.
3. Full album of my OWN. One that I write and play everything on. Do a wall of sound vocal style that would make Joe Elliot ‘bloody’ proud.
No. Actually, thanks to the encouragement of a co-worker, I remixed all of my demo stuff (about 15 songs). I really want to record this properly. That's for the 2013 goals list. 0 points.
4. Hang out with friends and family more. I’ve become a bit of a hermit, so that needs to change quickly.
Yeah, I've done better with family, I think. I go to see my grandparents 90% of Sundays, and hang out with my pops a couple of times a week. Still kinda hermiting it up from time to time. Eh. 1 point.
5. Help Erin with ‘family’ finances more—I usually have her handle all the bill writing, etc. Not fair, really. I think we need to be on this ‘online bill paying’ thing full-time.
We are 100% online pay-type-people now. I know, I know, welcome to 2006. Thanks. 1 point.
6. Finish Erin’s ‘awesome room’.
A couple of things need moved on shelves, but everything is here, and it is awesome. I accomplished this over the summer. 1 point
7. Minimalist leaning—become less needy of “stuff”.
Just got a Wii U, autographed stuff from the Niners, tons of shirts, boatloads of CDs, and a badassed snowblower to top all others. Miserable fail. 0 points
8. Practice patience—learn more about Buddhism.
I quit in the middle of a round of golf this summer. I'm patient. But I haven't gotten MORE patient. And I still never finished my Thich Nhat Hanh book. I'm awful. 0 points
9. Write four-five short stories—get ONE published.
I wrote another short story this year. But didn't finish 4 or five, and got zero published. 0 points
10. Break 85 for 18 on the course. I can do this in 2012—especially if I achieve goal #8 first.
I thought this one was in the BAG in June. I was shooting around 90. Then, I got new clubs, decided to change my swing, and hacked it around everywhere, toiling in the upper 90s/lower 100s for three months. I don't give myself minus points. But if there was ever a time I should, this would be it. 0 points
Total 4.5/10 points -- Ugh. That's embarrassing.
Goals for 2013
1. Finish a solo album.
2. Clean my garage, and organize it.
3. Finish seven video games, in their entirety.
4. Learn guitar--the basic chords, at least. This will help me in my songwriting SO much.
5. Release KKC's "Seven Deadly Sins"--there's no WAY I'm not getting this point at the end of the year.
6. Release one new song every week (or cover tune) on Soundcloud--it must be posted by the end of Friday night--except if I'm on, like, vacation or something.
7. Get Erin an online jewelry store. The stuff she's making is AWESOME, so I MUST get her stuff up for sale.
8. Keep this home consistently clean.
9. Become a better golfer. No "set score" this year.
10. Read six books--for fun. Not because I have to.
My Favorite Songs of 2012:
These didn't have to be RELEASED in 2012. If I encountered them for the first time this year, and I listened to it a boatload of times, then it's on here. (These are in no particular order--just how I'm putting them on CDs for people)
1. "How" - Regina Spektor
4. "Death Knell" - Ghost
My Top 10 albums of 2012 (In order, with #1 being the most bombassed): *Once again, as long as I first listened to the disc this year, I put it on the list*
10. Goatwhore - "Blood for the Master" 2012
A brilliant mix of black metal, death metal and thrash. Damnit. I really wanted to use the oxford comma in that last sentence.
9. Fiona Apple - "The Idler Wheel..." 2012
Yeah. I'm not gonna type the whole album title. At first, this album didn't do it for me. But then, it grew on me--like an infection. Not as good as "Extraordinary Machine" in my opinion--but close.
8. Deftones - "Koi No Yokan" 2012
Some say this is just like "Diamond Eyes Part 2"--but I severely disagree. The choruses on this album are extremely poppy and memorable. That's when the Deftones are at their best.
7. Storm Corrosion - "Storm Corrosion" 2012
I looked forward to this album for a long time, and it did NOT disappoint. A collab between Steven from Porcupine Tree and Mikael from Opeth. It sounds like a mixture of Steven from Porcupine Tree and Mikael from Opeth. Which means it's awesome.
6. Dying Fetus - "Reign Supreme" 2012
The stompiest death metal album since Internal Bleeding's "Driven to Conquer" almost a decade ago. These guys are just super-talented.
5. Woods of Ypres - "Woods 4: The Green Album" 2011
The singer/songwriter died a year ago this week in a car crash--and I revisited their music. I'm so glad I did. I was missing out. Very sad he'll never do more music.
4. Frank Sinatra - "In the Wee Small Hours" 1955
While listening to the first album on the list of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die"--I fell in love. I listened to this album 75 times this year. I'm not exaggerating.
3. Ghost - "Opus Eponymous" 2010
I listened to this album once in 2011--then a bunch more at the beginning of this year. What would Deep Purple sound like if they were slightly satanic? Probably like Ghost.
2. Poema - "Remembering You" 2012
I can't say that this shouldn't just be at number one. I listened to this a ton--and I know every word. The problem lies in the fact that I feel like a 17-year-old girl when I'm singing it, because I'm pretty sure that's the intended listening demographic. But it's like bubble gum in my ears, covered in cotton candy. It's so good. I just can't help myself. I'd say it's a guilty pleasure, but it's too damned good to feel guilty about it.
1. Baroness - "Yellow & Green" 2012
This is a double disc, which is dangerous. You can really usually throw away five or six songs on a two-disc outing--but not here. The songs here are just dark and memorable. Hauntingly gorgeous.
Okay. Onward to 2013. The ten goals I set for myself here are impossible. Oh well. I'll give 'er a go.
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