Everybody Outside

We'll Meet Again

2011-03-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Friends,

I will not be updating this page for a while. I might return to it at some point, but will be updating the Pomegranates Tumblr page from now on. There is a link below. I leave you with this:

pomegranatesart.tumblr.com

Thank You Latchaws

2011-02-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago Matt and Robert Latchaw drove from their home in Oskaloosa, Iowa to ours, in Cincinnati, OH and came to a Christmas show that Pomegranates was playing. I greeted them and made generic conversation, not realizing who they were. I thought, "that looks like the Latchaws, but there's no way, they live eight hours from here." Once they confronted me I felt the weight of embarrassment and stupidity and promised them a song to make up for it. Years later, here it is, finally. Sorry it took so long guys.

http://firs.bandcamp.com/track/latchaw

Also, Sophia Cunningham did vocals for an alternate version of this song which I will post soon. I stole her idea for the vocals at the end. Sorry/thanks Sophia.

Dirty Laundry

2011-01-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

2011-01-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

dead dead dead. awake when i should be sleeping. on a rush from the nights activities.

2010

2010-12-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

These are things that I enjoyed listening to this past year that may or may not have been released this past year. In my opinion all worth checking out. It's also a really good feeling that friends made some of my favorite music this year. Here's to a great 2011! In peace....

Enlou-Body of Water, Body of Friends
These guys are some of my best friends. I can't even say how many times I've listened to this EP. They put out a tape for it and it stayed in the cassette player in our bathroom for months, and every morning while getting ready everyone in our house would listen to it. Classic.

Happiest Lion-Mammoth Moon
Our friend Caleb from Boston and mixed by our other friend Chad. Lovely folky music.

Ray Noble and His Orchestra-Midnight the Stars and You
One of my favorite songs I heard this year. This genre was something I was generally really into this year as well, but just a lot of random singles.

Dinah Washington-Dinah '63
Her version of "This Bitter Earth" was one of my favorite songs this year.

Willie Nelson-Stardust
Someone I just started listening to this year. This one has awesome harmonica solos

Neil Young & Crazy Horse-Rust Never Sleeps
Got this LP and the song "Pocahontas" is creepy and gorgeous. Reminded of when Wye Oak played that one on tour. Also love how this one is sequenced.

Azitis-Help
I found this record because it is supposedly one of the best Christian psychedelic records there is, and it's pretty awesome indeed. Remember listening to this one through the night on a strange detour in Michigan.

M. Ward-End of Amnesia
Each of his albums reel me in, but in totally different ways. Love "Bad Dreams" and "Psalm".

Anathallo-Sparrows
Sometimes you revisit an album or a band that defined a certain season of your life that you haven't listened to in a long while. For me this past year it was Anathallo. Still one of my favorite bands and I love the song "ust Because You Can't See the Sun Doesn't Mean It's Not Shining".

Joni Mitchell-Court and Spark
I saw one of the most beautiful marriages of motion and sound last year at the Winter Olympic opening ceremonies and it incorporated a Joni Mitchell song. I discovered her music this year.

The Choir at Your Door-Work Tapes
Chad Wahlbrink showed this one to me. Beautiful stuff from the Winston Jazz Routine mastermind.

The Blue Nile-Hats
One of the most unique bands I've ever heard. Technically, their music shouldn't be as timeless and powerful as it is, considering how many hallmarks of the 80s there are. This record has it all: synths, reverb, solid-state guitar tone. But somehow it is earnest enough to transcend all that and be absolutely beautiful. This record accompanied us through Wyoming in the middle of the night.

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys-Clinch Mountain Gospel
I went through a traditional folk/gospel phase this year. Had the opportunity to see Mr. Stanley sing "O Death" acapella a few years ago and it was one of the most powerful live music experiences I've ever had.

Bibio-Ambivalence Avenue
Very few records sound absolutely magical to me the first time I hear them but this one did. The title cut is stunning. I'm very grateful to Sarah for showing him to me.

Neil Halstead-Oh Might Engine
Been a huge Slowdive fan for a long time. Another record my girlfriend, Sarah, showed to me. Neil has not disappointed me yet.

Secret Mountains-Kaddish
This young Baltimore group is going to do big things. With only an EP and a single, they have won me over. Some of the most worshipful and uplifting music you will hear for a while.

Larry Norman-Upon This Rock
I rediscovered a lot of older Christian musicians this year and Larry's story was one that really stuck with me. An incredible voice and songs that are still cutting edge as far as lyrical content. Rest in peace brother.

Sam Amidon-I See the Sign
Probably my favorite record of the year and without a doubt Sam has become one of my favorite artists. His reinterpretation of songs and the way they are very folk in the instrumentation but very left field when it comes to everything else. This record feels like one big hymn to me.

Fireweeds

2010-12-23T22:27:00.000-08:00

This is, without a doubt, the best skateboard video I've ever seen. Kilian Martin, the skater in this clip, is my new hero. I feel as though Kilian and the cinematographer, Brett Novak, are pushing skateboarding into an unexplored artistic direction.

Improv

2010-12-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

Spending time with family this week, something I really enjoy. I've also been enjoying the snow these past few weeks, even taking the bike out for some strolls. My sister and brother-in-law showed this to me last night.

Story of Stuff

2010-12-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

Everyone should watch this video and think about Christmas and what it means to you. In relation to that I saw a piece of graffiti the other day that said "Sell Your Soul to Santa"

Fall 2010/Tour Cont.

2010-12-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

the end

Jacob computing

Had the chance to play with an awesome band called The DA in El Paso, this is the crowd and they were crazy.

Oh No Oh My

<3 El Paso

love New Mexico, sadly did not see any scorpions or snakes

outside trunkspace

interview

wish this would happen to LA

LA sunrise

LA. Where the green rooms are bigger than the venues

inside the Jookaboxmobile, Moose demonstrating how it doubles as a gallery

settling for a closed diner after the "Taco Bell App" failed with Jookabox; San Francisco

friend Matthew leading the way to delicious ice cream; San Francisco

2010-12-16T09:25:00.000-08:00

Really excited for their new album.

my new favorite band

2010-12-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

2010-12-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

Boards of Canada-in a beautiful place out in the country

2010-11-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

West Coast

2010-11-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

Stroll through the Cradle

2010-10-02T16:28:00.001-07:00

Sorry there has been a real lack of posting on this site as of late. We returned from our tour with Colour Revolt and my opinion of them is even higher than it was before. A great bunch of guys with a great new album. They're really loud. We're all jealous of the southern accent now and I'm trying to hone in the "Uhia" accent as best as possible.

I'll try to be updating this as much as possible while we're on the road with pictures and stuff like that. We have some fun new amps/pedals that we're excited to be playing with and some new songs too. We'll have our record with us. I found a write up today from eburban.com that says "...the album [is] nowhere close to being cohesive" and is "..riddled with shortcomings." That's kind of funny to me. I don't really have an opinion other than I like our record and hope you do too and this reviewer certainly has a right to have an opinion. It's funny to have things written about you. I'd like to meet people that give us reviews and see what their like, buy them a coffee or something. This might sound like I'm mad-I'm not. I just find it fascinating.

Here's another topic I'll volunteer my opinion on. The Social Network. We had a day off on our last tour and we went and saw Inception and we saw a trailer for it. Maybe it's just me but I feel immortalizing something in a film less than a decade after it's creation seems to be taking things a bit fast. This might just be my feelings about Facebook bleeding over into my feelings about a film about Facebook, which is more than likely the case. I guess isolation and rejection are two of the themes presented in the film that the protagonist deals with, so maybe it's worth seeing. I'm curious to hear the score that Trent Reznor worked on though. In my opinion technology is fine as long as we never forget how to turn it off. Terminator franchise anyone?

RINGTONEZ

2010-09-12T22:36:00.001-07:00

I had an idea the other day, but I'm not sure how good it is.

I want to record short clips of sounds and music and put them up here as mp3s for anyone to download for free and put on their cellphones as ringtones.

Questions for you:

1. As a cellphone user, is this something that one is able to do with their cellphone?

2. Would anyone even want a free, original mp3 ringtone?

I am curious what anyone thinks about this.

LOOKLOOKLOOK

2010-09-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light."

"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb."

Don't drink and go into hyperspace

2010-08-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

I really like this band

2010-08-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

Enlou

2010-08-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Hello friends,

If you have a spare dollar or so please give it to our friends Enlou. They totaled their van, and in order to keep spreading their fantastic music, they need one.

http://brokencircles.com/enlou/

Love.

Hello world

2010-08-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

So there is a song from our new album out and about on a stroll in the world today. Taking a breath of fresh air, seeing how the new shoes feel and searching for interesting friends. Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst, umbrella in tow.

It is here

DOWNLOAD

Floating

2010-08-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Pearls

2010-07-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance IN the saints...

Matthew 13:44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

=====================================================================================

I feel like that part of Ephesians was illuminated like a sky full of fireworks for me the other night. The passage refers to us, the saints, as God's inheritance. He considers us something to be cherished. Thinking about a lot of the things Jesus said when compared to that take on a whole new life. I think God tests us to produce faith and trust in us and that to him is the pearl of greatest price. We are a pearl hidden in a field. If you just glance at it you don't see it but God peers into the very core of who we are and sees value and worth. He sees things not as man sees them. Let's be thankful.

Sleeping Giant

2010-07-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

I think this is my new favorite band. I had heard good things but then actually listening to their music. There is an earnestness and a sincerity and an uncompromising message that I really like. Doesn't really sounds like much else of what I listen to now, but still think it's pretty awesome.

Free stuffs

2010-07-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

So I recorded an EP in May/June under the name "Traveling By Sea", with the help of some friends/bandmates. It's a small collection a few new songs I wrote, and a couple old.

Thanks to Zac Schmidt for recording, mixing, and mastering this, and Chad Wahlbrink for doing some vocal tracking!

You can download it for free or donate a little bit if you feel the need!

http://travelingbysea.bandcamp.com/

<3

Through a glass

2010-07-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins..."
Hebrews 10:1-3

"If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. 5They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."[a] 6But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises."
Hebrews8:4-6

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
1 Corinthians 13:11-13

I'm thankful that all I see around me everyday is nothing but a taste of eternity and a shallow one at that. I'm grateful that I don't have to put my hope in things that are passing away. Only Jesus

Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear)

2010-06-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

I've been really loving this song recently and learning how to play it. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a bell choir playing the song on the internet. We're playing at Fountain Square this friday and have some fun things up our sleeves. We also posted a newish song to our myspace page if you feel inclined to give a listen.

A song by Kevin Prosch

2010-06-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Watching this video made me cry the other day. I grew up listening to his music and haven't in a really long time. I really like this song.

Lily in the Valley

2010-06-24T10:38:00.001-07:00

Blessed Hammers

2010-06-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

2010-06-06T11:30:00.000-07:00

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."
-1 Peter 2:1-3

"They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion."
-Psalm 84:7

Something else...

What will I take with me? All I have I can't carry or hold in my hands. "Let's take the boards off of the house!" we all say. We'll sing for each other to keep company on the long road. Our only luggage is each other. He continues, "That was a great tune, and he's a great tuner of lives. Let's sing that one again." We move out and we move in together. I came searching for a real experience and I got a real family. They all crowd around, "He's thanking you," they say in unison. We hold free concerts and share food, the seed of the show quickly takes hold and something more substantial branches out and grabs hold of the wall that has been there since the beginning.

"We found each other and we've found You."
"Come on in. Everyone's here and waiting for you."

Everything is disintegrating in unison and making one of those bottles of colored sand you get at the fair that must be held ever so gently or it just becomes blackish looking sand again.

"Friends I'm so glad we've found each other."
"That's the reason these songs are sung anyways."

We plant gardens. We eat together. We make messes together. We play music together. We have festivals. We share in suffering together. We share ourselves and our resources. We have free concerts. We have babies and elderly in our midst. We don't believe in borrowing, only giving. We bless. We take bike rides and long, long walks. We sew up the worn out parts of legs and lives. We read old books and listen intently. We say hello on the street and are always glad to see each other. We grow together. We work together, live together and celebrate Jesus together.

"Let's take the boards off of the windows."

Sometimes we do

2010-06-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone has probably seen this by now but I thought it was genuinely funny. Also kind of sad and creepy. To be honest I can't stand his music...sorry.

SUMMERRRRR

2010-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Listen to this:

Extinct Orbits

2010-05-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Our friend Caleb has a new album out under his moniker Happiest Lion. The album is called Mammoth Moon and you can get it for $1 at his website until June. It's really good and was mixed and mastered by our friend Chad Wahlbrink.

MAZES

2010-05-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am continually confronted with how cluttered our lives become on no account but our own. We're convinced it's right around the corner. Our churches are convinced that if a few more people come through their doors, the kingdom will happen. Our houses are filled with the evidence of believing that one more purchase will finally make it a home. We're really silly creatures when I think about it. What I touch and see and feel is not really real at all to me anymore. It's all outlines, blueprints and shadows. There's so little that is really needed.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."
-Psalm 16:11

"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
-Matthew 28:20

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
-John 16:33

leaving me upright

2010-05-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

"But the thought I liked most was that I would have a wife. In the spring of my second year of high school, a copper-haired girl named N. (for Nan) O'Callahan and I stepped into the shadow of the spirea bushes by the library and had given each other a kiss that was the strongest thing that had happened to me since Aunt Cordie died and I came to The Good Shepherd. It was as if the world, leaving me upright, had turned itself upside down above my head and poured over me rivers and oceans of warm water. After that, it was clear to me that if I became a preacher I was going to need a wife. And so I imagined a wife with red hair like Nan O'Callahan's. When I began to imagine her, I ceased entirely to imagine the nice town and the church and the congregation and the reading of books. I imagined my wife and me coming home from the grocery store late in the afternoon, our arms loaded with sacks of groceries-for at The Good Shepherd we were always a little hungry. I imagined us sitting at our kitchen table, eating a big supper that always ended with a cherry pie like Aunt Cordie used to make, with sugar glazed on the strips of the top crust...

And Nan O'Callahan? She was gone long before I was. Our kiss in the shadow of the spirea was, in fact, a farewell kiss. She was going away to live with some relatives she didn't know, and she didn't want to leave without a trace. She wanted to think that somebody would miss her. And so that kiss passed between us, that moment of my sudden immersion in her welcoming warmth, living moisture, and good smell."

-Wendell Berry, "Jayber Crow"

We--

2010-05-14T10:18:00.001-07:00

We finished recording what will be our third album yesterday, ending with some final overdubs and some tidying up. We had an incredible time and are very pleased with the way everything turned out. Now we wait for mix master TJ to do what he does best, which is mix and master the record. We've worked longer, harder and scrapped more ideas for this record than any other and feel very pleased in the end with the results. I think there was definitely a hand in making this one that was not ours. We're excited for everyone to hear it.

love

LP3

2010-05-06T12:23:00.000-07:00

Chestnut Attic EP

2010-05-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Pomegranates & Caleb Groh-Chestnut Attic EP

We recorded this EP on our last tour while we had a day off in Boston with our friend Caleb and his family. We had a really great day including a big breakfast, costume wearing, dogs, kitchen conversations, laundry and coffee. It's kind of sloppy and all over the place but we hope you enjoy it. Many thanks to the Groh family for hosting us and for Caleb for doing all the tracking. Thanks to Chad Wahlbrink for mixing and mastering.

Tour Update

2010-04-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

Man, we have been having a blast this past week out on the road with homies and avoidin the cops and stuff like that. We played a game for a bit where we came up with riddles for each other. The rules we took from something I heard that Fleet Foxes do when they're on the road. You're basically supposed to come up with a couplet and the answer to the first line is supposed to be a band and the answer to the second line is a name of a song by that band. Also, you have to say the riddle as dramatically as you can in a Shakespearean accent. It's pretty fun but I'm not sure that it exactly makes time go by faster, so fair warning. When we were in New York we got to see lots and lots of friends and we celebrated record store day but we were way way late for any of the limited edition stuff.

That's all for now.

We've been jamming in the van:
Tiny Tim-God Bless Tiny Tim
Broken Social Scene-Forgiveness Rock Record
Peter, Bjorn & John-Living Thing
Ryan Adams-Love is Hell

Genius

2010-04-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic time in Atlanta last night, and all saw Aloha for the first time. It was nothing short of fantastic. Please come see them if you get a chance.
Thank you to everyone who made it!

Watch till the end

2010-04-07T15:26:00.000-07:00

Cavern

2010-04-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Liquid Liquid played Fallon last night? With the Roots? Kinda crazy but they have been a band favorite for a while. I guess they have a new record but they are playing a song from the early 80s which I think is funny. Hope I'm like that when I'm older. They tore it up in my opinion

He's Alive

2010-04-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

First heard this song from an old record that used to be my dad's and I've recently gotten into Dolly Parton so finding this was a special treat.

mountains

2010-03-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

"You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned."The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."

Hebrews 12

Waterwaterwater

2010-03-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lakes for this one.

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
-John 4

Updaters

2010-03-28T20:11:00.001-07:00

Some of the other guys saw Bill Murray drive by in Austin at South By Southwest. By that I mean there were no guns involved.

Speaking of we had a great time in Austin. Speaking of I am greatly saddened by the news about recent Texas converts WOXY.com.

We had the inaugural fire pit at my house friday, kinda impromptu-like. I made some spicy coco and mint tea and there was veggie skyline chip dip. Thanks Krista.

Also, we went out diving the other night and hit GOLD like we were Humphrey Bogart in Sierra Madre. Probably about fifty pounds of bananas so if someone gets me some flour butter and eggs I'll make some banana bread for reals perhaps even with some little sweet bits of lemon or orange rinds.

We had a super super fun time with our new besties Jookabox. They taught us how to tuck and inspired us to discover our inner nick-name.

We are playing a free show at the botanical gardens at the zoo on April 1st with our friends Wussy. I'm really excited because I kind of like flowers a lot and I don't know how many times I'll be able to play in a garden like that. We're heading out in April with our friends Aloha too and we are all feeling giddy about hitting the road again, especially after picking up not one, but TWO fog machines on our last tour. Enter the dragon, babies.

Also, the two best albums I've heard so far this year:

MGMT-Congratulation
J. Tillman-Year in the Kingdom

I think I'm going to be more excited about this year's releases than last years especially if there is a new Jookabox included in there somewhereabouts.

peace all

Relax

2010-03-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Had a lot of fun last night in Denton. Saw some old friends, hung out with new ones, and stayed at Isaacs grandma's house and got a little R&R.

Tour Video Day 2/3

2010-03-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Tour Video Day 1

2010-03-11T01:26:00.000-08:00

Mark Linkous (1962-2010)

2010-03-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

Consistently reminded of how much life is like a vapor. I've listened to "It's a Wonderful Life" more times than I can count and probably more than almost any other song I've ever heard. Very few strangers have made me feel this way. It's all passing away probably sooner rather than later and I hope I can just keep up with it enough to realize what it is. May all your days be gold my child.

Thanks Mark.

Some friends

2010-03-05T12:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, a friend of ours, Timbre, writes beautiful songs on her harp and sings with various friends and siblings and tours. She is in the process of raising money to record a new album and has a Kickstarter set up for it. Basically it's like when you watched PBS back in the day and you would call in and pledge money. There are incentives (copy of the album, baked goods) and with Kickstarter you are only charged if they meet the goal by March 22. So support independent music and friends.

Timbre's Kickstarter

and then this:

Less Fun

2010-02-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

We do have real live website now, for those of you less inclined to the dregs of MySpace...

Pomegranatesart.com

It has more newsie type postings, show dates, blah blah.

new song with friends

2010-02-24T10:33:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

Here's some serious metal that got recorded one day when Josh Kufeldt (guitar) David Roller (bass) and Joey Cook (drums) got together.

WHITE WATER MORNING EXPERIENCE

Together

2010-02-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hello.

January 23rd was a special day for my lady and me. This is something I made for her, to celebrate. I debated for a while whether or not to share it, but decided for it.

Together

Thank you olympics

2010-02-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Heard this song on the opening ceremony tonight and it was incredible.

Champion of Love

2010-02-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

The title for our new album and a sneak peak at some rehearsal footage.

FRED

2010-02-06T10:38:00.001-08:00

It snowed last night pretty hard here so it is kind of a snow day and I think I'm going to do some dry walling at my house and then walk to the library. We have been writing some new songs that we are happy with and getting ready to record in May for a new album that will hopefully come out to accompany your end-of-summer-barbeque parties or your last camping excursion before going back to school or biking around the city or wearing shorts and feeling good about it or going swimming and kissing someone underwater. At least that's the kind of vibe I'm feeling with the songs. We've also been practicing in a room at St. Elizabeth's here in the city and the environment has been really different from all our other practice spaces and a welcomed change.

Some things I've been enjoying:

Fred. I have a strange fascination with these videos

Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson. I can't get enough of this song.

A speaker named Graham Cooke that I've been enjoying, talks a lot about what "church" really is and what it should look like.

We are heading down to South By Southwest with a wonderful band called Jookabox.

Also, i love Italian Greyhounds.

Everything is Alive

2010-01-27T20:32:00.000-08:00

via Broken Circles

thus exits this guy...

2010-01-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

it's been a fun journey. i am a better person because of it. thank you to everyone for showing me love.
josh

You Need This Now

2010-01-19T14:49:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite people in the world is my friend Cameron Cochran. He used to play in a group called The Sheds. He's in a new group now with Henry Wilson. The group is called Pop Empire. Cam showed me a bunch of the tracks while they were being completed and I've been waiting to hear them again and now is the time. You can download the whole EP for FREE at popempire.com.

You've Gotta Have Faith

2010-01-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great night in Indianapolis the other night. Met up with a bunch of the Jookabox crew and I unintentionally saw Benny pee on the ground right beside our van. A lot of old friends came to the show too and thanks to new friend Brandon for lending his hospitality to our stay and for letting him keep him up by rewatching this video over and over.

We also got to see ye olde Nick from Headlights. He showed us around Milwaukee, which is a pretty awesome place. Thanks.

Crayon Painter

2010-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

Christian Faur is an artist that uses crayons to create these portraits. I love it. Kind of reminds me of Chuck Close's recent work. Check out more of his stuff here

Chimpanzee on a Segway

2010-01-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Josh and I were talking about this the other day. Thank you friends at Carleton College for showing this to us

2010-01-07T15:35:00.000-08:00

if there is one thing that i know i am very good at it is sticking my foot in my mouth. i would like to apologize to all of you for inferring in my last post that jacob was rude in our enquirer article. he is a great person that i love and love making music with and i know he would not do that purposely. i act like a 4 year old sometimes.
lovejosh

Mr. 2009--It was great to meet you

2010-01-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

These are some of my favorite albums that may or may not have actually come out in 2009 but I enjoyed during the year, sorry, but I just don't care for linear sequencing anymore.

Chet Baker-Chet Baker Sings

Jookabox-Dead Zone Boys

Lightning Bolt-Earthly Delights

M. Ward-Transfiguration of Vincent

REM-Automatic for the People

Back to Mono: The Phil Spector Collection

Here We Go Magic-Here We Go Magic

School of Seven Bells-Alpinisms

Real Estate-Real Estate

Bob Dylan-Blood on the Tracks

Deerhunter-Rainwater Cassette Exchange

The Platters-Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Evangelicals-The Evening Descends

Scott Walker-Scott 4

Guitar Girl

2010-01-02T15:06:00.001-08:00

Weird Dream Demo

2009-12-28T13:03:00.001-08:00

Hello.

I found this on my computer, from forever ago. It's from before I'd finished "I Will Come Back As A Volcano," so it is pretty old.

Weird Dream (Piano Version)

MIX

2009-12-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas and a happy new year everyone. For the past several years I've made a mix CD for friends and packaged them and handed them out. This year I'm gettin all techie and I uploaded it digitally so I can share it with the world. Enjoy!

(Letter found inside packaging)

Friends,

These are some of my favorite songs from this past year; most of them are love songs. I hope you enjoy them and are able to step into the embodiment of love that this season represents, and are able to walk in that love the rest of the year and the rest of your life.

“Love has conceived a house
and out of its labor
brought forth its likeness
-the emblem of desire, continuing
though the flesh falls away.”

-Wendell Berry, from “The Design of a House”

Love
Isaac Karns
2009

01. Borderline-The Flaming Lips With Stardeath And White Dwarfs
02. Wait For Me-Roger Damawuzan
03. Hounds of Love-Kate Bush
04. Secrets-Headlights
05. I Love You Always Forever-Donna Lewis
06. Morning Shadows-Cass McCombs
07. Tunnelvision-Here We Go Magic
08. Oh My Angel-Bertha Tillman
09. Dents-The Acorn
10. Strange Lights-Deerhunter
11. Star Eyes (I Can Catch It) (feat. David Lynch)-Sparklehorse& Danger Mouse
12. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Single Version)-The Platters
13. New Theory-Washed Out
14. Dreams Come True-Nathaniel Mayer
15. All for the Best-Thom Yorke
16. Blue Clouds (Excerpt)-Daniel Johnston
17. Only Love Can Break Your Heart (N. Young)-Atlas Sound
18. In Mind-Do Make Say Think

Download:
Love Forever:Christmas 09

HAPPY CHRISTMAS...

2009-12-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Love each other and spend time with your family.

Fall Tour Part I.

2009-12-12T23:35:00.000-08:00

The infamous Goucher auditorium.

Beautiful church in Philly. Saw a man smoking a cigar on his porch listening to Cuban music around here.

Headlights, Shaky Hands, Poms gang at the bar in North Carolina. Where we met the character "Dave"

Amateur and Pro.

The Bottletree in Birmingham. We love you.

Bottletree cont.

Booking agent zombie and Bjork.

Gas stations were sparse in Wyoming so we celebrated with a sacred Gas Dance.

It was also very windy.

Our view in the morning in Salt Lake City. Josh and I went on an epic hike the night before that I am remembering in this picture.

Joey did not go on the hike with us so he is clearly furious and thinking about good pizza.

Idaho is one of my favorite places.

We had a wonderful time and are enjoying our time back home too. More pictures soon.

Just because I'm going to upload tour photos later

2009-12-06T09:43:00.000-08:00

Finally home

2009-11-22T21:53:00.001-08:00

this is for our friends
pictures soon

love

2009-11-13T03:31:00.000-08:00

Jookabox-Dead Zone Boys

2009-11-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

Picked this up Sunday night at friendly Shake-It. It is so so so good. I have 3 downloads left on my code so the first three people that enter this code...

go to: asthmatickitty.com/digital

and enter "akr062-flac-099er7q6"

its only good for 24 hours so hurry and. David and the gang are nice people so see them on tour too and we'll be on the road here again starting today so hopefully see you all around.

we livin in war times

2009-10-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

16 wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds
out of my sight!
Stop doing wrong,

17 learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. [a]
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.

18 "Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.

Isaiah 1:16-18

I forgot that "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath was the inaugural album that we listened to on this tour.

Lighting our heads and ways with shaky hands.

2009-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

So we have been having a swell time thus far on tour with new besties Shaky Hands and old besties Headlights. Whilst in Michigan we (well everyone else but me) had some delicious burgers from a hodge podge cafe that looked like quite the feat to fit in the mouth. We also had a lovely visit to Rochester, New York which I think is a rather punk/goth type of town but the houses were lovely and old looking and our friend Josh shared his nice house with us. On our drive to Rochester we listened to the modern classic "Mwem" by our friends Math Blaster. If you haven't heard them please do so because it is worth it. We then played on the wonkiest of wonky but we had a good time and it was Joey's birthday so we all hugged him. I also read "The Gunslinger", by Stephen King, in its entirety that day which is the first time I've ever done that and I know now why he is one of the greatest modern storytellers. We celebrated Joey's birthday the next day in Boston by getting extreme ice-cream at a place called J.P. Licks and it was very good. The next day our CMJ show was fun and we got to meet up with our new friends and UK labelmates The Answering Machine. They were great "mates." We enjoyed their British acccents so much that the next day in the van we tried to emulate them to the enormous amusement of ourselves, but might have offended anyone else had they been there. Goucher College with Jukebox the Ghost and Philly at Kung Fu Necktie were both fun. I guess the Phillys are going to the World Series. Congratulations. I hope that the Fresh Prince sings the national anthem for that. I would watch that.

Things we've listened to in the van so far:

Liars-"S/T" & "Drums Not Dead"
Dead Man's Bones-"S/T"
Headlights-"Wildlife"
Deerhunter-"Flourescent Grey EP"
Mount Eerie-"Winds Poem" & "Lost Wisdom"
The Knife-"Silent Shout"
M. Ward-"Transfiguration of Vincent"
Various LCD Soundsystem, Os Mutantes, "Brazil 70" and Bruce Springsteen songs.
As well as the Nathaniel Mayer song "Dreams Come True" quite a few times.

love love love

Funeral pts 1-2

2009-10-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.
I just finished this as a present for Emily and don't have time to do art for it, but it will probably come eventually.

Funeral pts 1 & 2

I don't know yet if it's a project I'll continue to work on. There are so many other things to consider. But I hope you enjoy this at least.

Still waiting for it

2009-10-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Excited to hear the rest of the album

Ambient One - FIRS

2009-10-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone.
I'm too excited to post something to finish something new. So here is something old.
It's a pretty early attempt but I want to try to get back to doing stuff like this more often.

Ambient One

More to come soon, hopefully!

Joey

"Future Trends/Hummingbird Choir" split single

2009-10-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

This is a split single that my friend Andrew and I did. Hopefully more things like this will happen soon.

"Future Trends/Hummingbird Choir"

Follow lights in darkness

2009-10-04T14:01:00.000-07:00

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. 15 You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river [d] of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

-Genesis 15

Colossus

2009-10-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

Me seeing Lightning Bolt back in the day.

Excited about their new album.

We are also playing on Fountain Square with a bunch of other great bands like Wussy, The Seedy Seeds and Bad Veins tomorrow night. Starts at like seven or so....

The other day a metal scrapper was walking down the street with his shopping cart and dog and we started talking then Josh came outside and we found out his name was Steve and he had a harmonica and played "Piano Man" and "Hoochie Koochie Man" and "Amazing Grace" for us then Josh brought his guitar out and he played us some blues but he kept saying he was better when he wasn't drunk. We gave him our cans and enjoyed him playing music for us for a bit and we talked for a while. We might start a band. His dogs name was Serena. She was nice and friendly.

Unchained Melody

2009-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

"Lonely rivers flow to the sea,
to the sea
to the open arms of the sea
lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'
I'll be coming home wait for me"

-The Righteous Brothers

Last night today

2009-09-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to MidPoint last night and everyone who helped put it on or play. Twas' beautiful.

Something completely different.

" Think of the forces at work in the larger culture that work overtime to situate us with a privatized world of fantasy, spectacle and resentment that is entirely removed from larger social problems and public concerns. For instance, corporate culture within its unrelenting commercials and ads carpet bomb our audio and visual fields with the message that the only viable way to define ourselves is to shop and consume in an orgy of private pursuits. Popular culture traps us in the privatized universe of celebrity culture, urging us to define ourselves through the often empty and trivialized and highly individualized interests of celebrities."

-Henry A. Giroux

an excerpt from an article on illiteracy in America that can be read here. Thanks Lakes.

Return

2009-09-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

The direction I was hoping he would go with the new stuff.

Reduce Reuse Recycle

2009-09-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Rhythm is Rhythm

2009-09-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

It has been a bit and for that I'm sorry.

The week before we left for tour was quite a wonderful time and a near perfect icing on a beautiful summer cake. I had a strange opportunity to play with two different street musicians within days of each other. I was leaving work and about to head home when I see some friends walking on Main St. they tell me they are "walking the beat" and I join them and we head down to the river and have an adventure and are heading back when we see a man setting up all sorts of crazy percussion gear. Conversational Ben asks him when he is going to play and he says he'll start in a bit after people start leaving the Reds game. We end up talking with him for close to an hour about music, performing on the street vs. in clubs, touring, practicing, family and a whole host of other things. He said he felt obligated to play for us since we were musicians so he calls his son over from the van and they soon get into absolutely shredding every piece of percussion they have and then do the same to all our minds. His name was Woody and he had dreads all the way down his back and wore sunglasses and his son looked pretty similar. He gave us some simple lessons and then asked me to play with him and we had a good time jammin on the street. He was playing in three different time signatures at once so I was not certain I was with him the entire time but he seemed pleased and smiled and we all hugged and said we could play with him anytime. A few days later I was at Findlay with some friends and started talking with Darren who plays there regularly on the weekend. He hawks blues and the current deals at the produce stand and exhorts shoppers to buy fruit there instead of Kroger telling them that they will be "unhappy". But of course all that is set to a blues vamp and he has the voice of a true soul troubador so me typing it out doesn't do it justice. But we got the talking and before I knew it he was telling me why I better be up to practice before sitting in with some real "jazz cats" and then he was handing me his guitar and I was totally rocking out at the market and he was shredding harmonica with me. Both experiences made me think about what it means to be a musician and play for other people.

I actually found a short documentary about Woody on youtube. I highly encourage everyone to watch it.

They do not spin

2009-09-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin."

We are going on tour soon visiting parts of the Northeast of the United States and later this month we are playing the Midpoint Music Festival right here in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. I think we'll have some exciting things in store. It has been rather cool and Autumnal here in town the past week and it's been nice. The kind of weather where you don't have to put a fan or a heater on and you can just sleep with the window open and get in some nice sweatpants and get under the covers. I love it.

Things in my head/how i feel today

2009-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

What are we doing

2009-07-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no updates in a long while. We have been busy doing that thing that you do when not on tour called "life"...electric word life.

I have enjoyed riding bicycles with good friends and having pot lucks and trying to work on my house and we've all been working and saving money to do the things that you need money to do. We have a string of shows in the Midwest coming up this week and I spent the night at Josh's last night after practice. We've been writing a lot and are steadily working our way towards our next album. Some songs we've been popping into our sets like single kernels of carmel popcorn that find their way into the cheese portion of those big tins that you get at Christmas. But this week we will be testing out some jams even newer than that and we're not sure what flavor they are yet. Josh and I had dinner yesterday too and had a wonderful idea for a new sports broadcasting station called Lucas Sports instead of Lucas Arts and all the broadcasters and players would all go by "Mark Hammill" and the only person that would go by their "real" name would be our old friend John Madden. So a million Mark Hammills and still only one John Madden. While at Josh's that night I was watching one of the many public broadcast stations that DTV affords most modern homes and found some sort of live performance of a group called the Carolina Chocolate Drops. They were incredible on so many levels. Here is a video of them:

We also had the great pleasure of sharing the stage last week with The Walkmen and Cass McCombs and they were both fantastic. I was familiar with Walkmen but had never heard Cass and his band but they are my new favorite and their drummer Andy was very nice and plays in another awesome band called Lights that are very awesome. We've also been working on a music video accompaniment to one of our songs but until then here is a beautiful one from Mr. McCombs.

peace to you all wherever

Beautiful Woman

2009-07-16T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mixed Media,2009

New hero

2009-07-14T13:46:00.001-07:00

Solve Sundsbo

"let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky"

One more off my list

2009-07-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

I just purchased two tickets to see M83 at the Wexner Center in Columbus on July 18th. After that I will officially be able to cross one more off my list. Needless to say I am very, very excited.

The only others that I can think of at the moment would be Boredoms, MBV, Flaming Lips and I think Radiohead is probably on there too.

This weekend we also get the supreme pleasure of playing not one, but two, outdoor shows in a row at Fountain Square on Friday night and at the Bubblegum Masquerade Saturday night. I am very very excited to share the evening with many of our friends that make music because it has been a long time.

Let's talk about childhood

2009-06-30T15:47:00.001-07:00

a picture of mine

Not to beat a dead horse...

2009-06-25T15:26:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of the Cleveland Leader

Also, saw The Harlequins play last night and they are awesome. My new favorite locals, I'm proud to live in Cincinnati. I heard Enlou's EP the other night too, all mastered and done and it's incredible so there are many many flavors of soft serve at the local music ice cream shop right now. Love love love.

Temperature rising.

2009-06-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

So here in Ohio, Governor Strickland is proposing a cut in funding to the public libraries by as much as 50% which would result in 20 branch closings, about 250 lost jobs, fewer new materials and so on and so forth. It's odd because on Strickland's website there is a paragraph right on the homepage about his commitment to education reform. Aren't the libraries a good place to start? It makes me wonder where we spend our money in this country. Nobody seemed to bat an eyelash when the government spent approximately $4 billion to make sure that we could all enjoy digital television all the while giving private corporations increased broadcasting power while not issuing a single new FCC license. Give them televisions, but take away the books. Bread and circus. I've heard that an unintelligent and entertained society is easier to manipulate and control, or maybe that's just something I read in Farenheit 451 or Brave New World?

"I have often thought that nothing would do more extensive good at small expense than the establishment of a small circulating library in every county, to consist of a few well-chosen books, to be lent to the people of the country under regulations as would secure their safe return in due time."

-Thomas Jefferson

Write your representative.

Thrashing it out and scrapping!

2009-06-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Went on a bike riding adventure last night with some friends. We were planning on heading downtown and cruising but then we ended up having a bruising. Friendly Curt misjudged where the driveway stopped and the curb started as he headed to get off the road and had a major spill. I don't remember quite what happened but I know that I was expecting to call an ambulance and then amazingly he gets up and is totally fine but very bummed about how tacoed his front wheel is. Luckily we were only about a mile and a half into our ride so we walk back and take a short cut and meet one of my friends Camp Washington neighbors, Princess. She asks what happened to the bike and we told her and as it turns out she is a metal scrapper and told us to "wait" while she "got one just like it" from her house. She then gave Curt an awesome yellow bike that was magically a really tall frame (Curt, you see, is a really tall person and frames his size are hard to come by) and then we actually took the old wheel off and put the one from the new bike on and rode home! So we ended the night with a frame and a wheel more than we started it with. We met up with manly Ben and then crazy Billy took us on an adventure of overpasses and abandoned factories and we tried to see about getting into the old Kahns factory and creeping ourselves out but we didn't make friends with the security guard before he disappeared. We also plotted about hopping trains in the future. We all sweata great deal but it felt good, praise the G-d for Curt's new bike and not having missing teeth! Yay.

the end

Impeccable Timing

2009-06-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the kitchen in my house was completed after seven months of waiting. I went to the Family Dollar down the street from my house and cleaned the stove and the fridge and the cabinets (they were all used) and listened to M. Ward for approximately 3 hours while doing so. I then went upstairs and put a playlist of nothing but Ward's music on a loop while I took a nap in golden twilight. Needless to say I had a nice Sunday afternoon. At a friends house that morning I put pure evil in my mouth and ate it, and for all those wanting to avoid pure evil it's name is Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.

O.Brian
Uploaded by jesseleehooker. - Explore more music videos.

We are playing with Ted Leo tonight at the Southgate house for anyone who is interested too.

Everybody Outside

We'll Meet Again

Thank You Latchaws

Dirty Laundry

2010

Fireweeds

Improv

Story of Stuff

Fall 2010/Tour Cont.

my new favorite band

Boards of Canada-in a beautiful place out in the country

West Coast

Stroll through the Cradle

RINGTONEZ

LOOKLOOKLOOK

Don't drink and go into hyperspace

I really like this band

Enlou

Hello world

Floating

Pearls

Sleeping Giant

Free stuffs

Through a glass

Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear)

A song by Kevin Prosch

Lily in the Valley

Blessed Hammers

Sometimes we do

SUMMERRRRR

Extinct Orbits

MAZES

leaving me upright

We--

LP3

Chestnut Attic EP

More video blogs

Tour Update

Genius

Watch till the end

Cavern

He's Alive

mountains

Waterwaterwater

Updaters

Relax

Tour Video Day 2/3

Tour Video Day 1

Mark Linkous (1962-2010)

Some friends

Less Fun

new song with friends

Together

Thank you olympics

Champion of Love

FRED

Everything is Alive

thus exits this guy...

You Need This Now

You've Gotta Have Faith

Crayon Painter

Chimpanzee on a Segway

Mr. 2009--It was great to meet you

Guitar Girl

Weird Dream Demo

MIX

HAPPY CHRISTMAS...

Fall Tour Part I.

Just because I'm going to upload tour photos later

Finally home

love

Jookabox-Dead Zone Boys

we livin in war times

Lighting our heads and ways with shaky hands.

Funeral pts 1-2

Still waiting for it

Ambient One - FIRS

"Future Trends/Hummingbird Choir" split single

Follow lights in darkness

Colossus