Albums that Stir Up Memories of Past Relationships

I mentioned in my post “A little more about the mission…” that i believe music is closely related to memory.  I was thinking the other day about how certain albums in my collection remind me of past relationships and i thought i would share them with you (within reason, this is the Internet so I’m not gonna get too personal…)

• 1. Christina —— Albums: Cries of the Past by Underoath and The Changing of Times by Underoath.

Christina was my first girlfriend.  We dated for a few months late freshman year, or perhaps the summer after freshman year.  These two albums in particular bring up memories of that period of my life.

This was a really weird time in my life.  I had just transferred from christian middle school to a public high school.  My closest friends were my friend Tim from my church youth group and my friend Kevin from my old school.  Kevin and his older brother introduced me to underoath and i really got into them and that kind of heavy music at the time.  Then in high school i met my friend Andrew and he downloaded these to underoath albums and burned one for me and i had him burn me a mix for Christina.

• 2. Jamii —— Album: About a Burning Fire – Blindside

Jamii was my second girlfriend.  We dated from winter to spring of my sophomore year of high school.  During the previous year of high school Blindside had become my favorite band and I anxiously awaited the releases of this album for months, on that day in February when it finally came out i remember Jamii’s Dad driving me and her to Best Buy so that i could get the album.  Later that year i used the song “Eye of the Storm” off this album to make the first video i ever produced myself.  That year of my life was the one that set the course for what i would later choose as a career.  I was in a Mass Media class in which we produced three videos, a commercial, a fake news segment, and a music video.  I used the blindside song as the song for my music video and had my friends Matt, Clare, Tim and Josh act in it for me.  For my first production ever i thought it turned out really good.   Anyway, that class sparked an interest in me.  The next year i signed up for a class in which we would put on the news for the school everyday via video production.  i took that class for the next two years and i think it was what i enjoyed most about high school.  When i had to try and pick a major for college, TV production sounded great because i would get to do the same stuff i enjoyed in high school for a living, and that’s how i ended up at Ferris State University.

• 3. Christine (not Christina — this is a different girl, lol.) —— Albums: I am Hollywood by He is Legend and Mmhmm by Relient K

Christine was my third girlfriend and my first semi-serious one.  She was a really sweet girl.  We dated for about 7 months during my junior year of high school.  These two albums remind me of that time because they both have to do with birthdays… hers and mine.  I got her mmhmm by Relient K for her birthday because Relient k was her favorite band at the time.  Then when it came time for my birthday she ordered I am Hollywood of the Internet for me because i couldn’t find it in any stores.

• 4. Katie —— Albums: Son, I Loved You at Your Darkest by As Cities Burn and How to Live With a Curse by Stavesacre

Katie was my fourth girlfriend but i consider her my first serious girlfriend.  We dated from the summer before my senior year of high school to the fall of my freshman year of college.  There are way to many albums that remind me of that year and three months of my life so i picked two that some things up well (again without getting too personal).  Son, I Loved You At Your Darkest came out that summer and i remember cruising around listening to it with her.  More specifically i remember listening to it as we drove to the place where i then asked her out.  Our youth group (well, my youth group at the time) was remodeling their building so they were having Wednesday night meetings at another church.  i asked her out in front of that church before a meeting one night.  I was kind of a big dork, but she said yes…  That was the beginning of our relationship.  The other album sums up not quite the end of the relationship but the point at which things started to go downhill.  Don’t get me wrong, i loved her until the day we broke up (may a bit longer…) but looking back now i can see where things started to go wrong.

Stavesacre’s album came out in may.  May was ugly in a lot of ways…  The first a can’t share with you but let’s just say that something big happened.  About a week before that happened i was hanging out with Katie and her  dog Echo got really sick.  She had to be put down.  I went with her and her family to the vet and was there with Katie holding Echo’s paw as they put her to sleep.  It was a very sad day and it is even now hard to think about.  I stayed with her as long as i could but she just wanted to spend the night with her family.  I was crushed that i could do nothing to comfort her.  That just happend to be the same day i had gone to Tree of Life, our local christian bookstore, to pick up my special order copy of Stavesacre’s new album.  I remember driving to youth group early, it was a wednesday, and sitting in my car and listening to the album a couple of times and thinking about that crappy day.  I think the music made me feel better…   That is a memory that still rears it’s head every once and awhile when i pop that album into my stereo but thankfully i can still enjoy that album.  It’s bittersweet.

Those are the albums that stir up memories of my past relationships… i hope that the only albums i add to this list will be the ones that remind me of my future wife.  After Katie i realized i had been going about dating kind of the wrong way and i made a commitment before God to take a break from dating until my junior year of college.  Well, that is quickly approaching but i am not going to dive back into the mode of always seeking someone to be my girlfriend.  i am only going to get into a relationship again after a lot of praying and hopefully that girl will be the one i spend the rest of my life with.

Ep. 12 – One Mans Trash… – July, 11, 2008

…is another man’s treasure.  So the saying goes… well over the past few days i proved that true.

I have bought a lot of cds this week.  The first bunch i bought off ebay.  Hey Music Hunter, i thought you said you were going to hunt in stores and stay off the internet?  Yes, i was but i was curious so i checked ebay to see if they had anything rare by my favorite band stavesacre and sure enough they did.  I also found someone who was selling a bunch of cds i liked rfor really checp because they bought them intending to start a store.  I guess that fell through.  That sucks for them but it was good for me.

“Absolutes (Advance)” – Stavesacre

Someone on ebay was selling an advance copy of Stavesacre’s album “Absolutes” and i couldn’t pass that up.  The album was released in 1997 so i bet an advance copy is pretty hard to find.  It’s a really good album and it was on the hunt-list, so it’s a Double Whammy.  Price Paid: $5.98 (including shipping)

“Catch For Us The Foxes” – Mewithoutyou

One of my favorites bands.  This album is dark and ambient, heavy and beautiful.  Perfect experimental post-hardcore.  I really recommend this album, and i think the track “My Exit, Unfair” is my favorite mwy song.  Bought on ebay, new.  Price Paid: $5.79 (including shipping)

“4 Wall Blackmail” – Dead Poetic

Got really into these guys freshman year of high school (maybe a little before that).  This album was really good and i listen to it many, many times.  These guys have remained one of my favorite for years so when i saw this album on ebay brand new for cheap i snapped it up.  Price Paid: $5.99 (including shipping)

“No sir, nihilism is not practical” – Showbread

Their first album and what got me interested in them in the first place.  I think they have matured musically since this release but it is still a good listen.  The voice of Reese Roper (formerly of Five Iron Frenzy) is featured on two tracks on this album.  Found on ebay, new.  Price Paid: $1.04 (including shipping)

I also made a trip to record time today and picked up a few things:

“New Way to be Human” – Switchfoot

i like this sound much better than the newer popular switchfoot.  I noticed it the last time i went to record time and i decided to get it this time. Price Paid: $6

“5 score and 7 years ago” – Relient K

The best release by Relient K in my opinion.  The song Deathbead is to die for (no pun intended).  the whole record is a nice return to Relient K’s christian roots where their waws not much evidence of them in “mmhmm.”  Price Paid: $6

“Fall + Winter” – Jon Foreman

Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman’s solo project.  4 ep’s in one year, one each season; these are the first two.  His music is passionate emotional folk.  It’s really well written and a little sad, but for this sad is good.  Give it a listen even if you don’t like switchfoot.  I liked it and at first i didn’t even realize who Jon foreman was.  Price Paid: $13.99

Also, today i was driving around and i stopped at an estate sale to see if they had a record player for sale.  Turns out they did.  It was stuck in some back room, still plugged in with cords running behind cabinets and such.  I helped them dig it out and talk them down to $20.  So i got me a record player today!

E.p. 8 – Rare Advance CD’s!!!! – June 25th, 2008

Today i went hunting for what will probably be the last time until i get back from a week-long trip i am going on soon (unless i decide to go hunting on the trip )  I went to one of the few record stores in my area i had yet to check out, Car City Records.  The place was nicely organized and a really great place to find Vinyl, but they really had nothing that was up my alley, i searched through a whole bunch of junk and found one album worth grabbing:

“The Alchemy Index Vols. 1 + 2: Fire & Water” – Thrice

I’ve liked Thrice for awhile.  After their last release “vheissu” i kind of lost interest in the band.  This new album (which is split into two 6 track discs) has redifined their sound and on the guidance of a friend i decided to give them another shot… i like what i’ve heard so far of “fire.”  Price Paid: $0.94 (you can see why i gave them another chance)

After the dissapointing search at Car City i decided to check out Record Time again… I had a few friends in tow and they wanted to browse…  First i went and grabbed an album that i’d been on the fence about for awhile but after doing some research i decided to grab it and the i discover the uber-clearance section… the cds nobody wants – me and my friends started looking through it as a joke but then one of my friends found an album that i was blown away by – they knew about the band through me so they pointed it out to me:

“How to Live With a Curse (Advance Copy/ Limited Pressing)” – Stavesacre

The only album by my favorite band that is not on the huntlist… why?  because i bought it the day it came out.  Today i stumbled upon the Promotional Copy and i just about had a heart attack.  It is tracked really weird with each song being split into like five tracks… it plays normal in the car but if itunes was on shuffle it would probably sound really weird… most likely i will never actually listen to this copy, i will keep it safe and scratch free.  I mean, i already have this album, but the mere fact that i found a rare promo copy of an album by my favorite band in a record store in michigan… oh man, i just had to get it.  Price Paid: $4

“Temptation Come My Way (Advance)” – the Showdown

This one is on the list!  Found the full-length, advance version at record time.  It doesn’t have the booklet with all the pictures and lyrics but just the cover and tracklist written on the back of the cover – good enough for me!  Price Paid: $1

“Easy Come, Easy Go” – Starflyer 59

This is a two disk, career-spanning compilation of sf59 goodness.  Disc one includes a “Best of” with 3 tracks off each of sf59’s first five releases… then disc two contains rareities, b-sides and live tracks!  Definately worth it for any sf59 fan!  Price Paid: $6

Good day of hunting!  Only paid $12 for four cds!  Not bad, not bad at all!

Albums I Am Eagerly Awaiting

Some of my favorite artists are busy doing what they do best, creating amazing music, right now and I am very excited for a number of upcoming releases, they include:

“Antimeridan” – Brave Saint Saturn, the third album, and most likely last album to be released by BSS.  Their website is extremely vague saying the album will be released June 2008… june is almost over and i’m going a little bit nuts!  Read more here: http://www.bravesaintsaturn.com/index.html

The boys at Stavesacre have mentioned some new material in the works but the Stavesacre front has been quiet for awhile, if/when the new material is released it will most likely be the last new material ever made by Stavesacre.  In one sense i am excited to hear more from my favorite band, but in another i will be sad to see them go.  Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stavesacre Check out this Video of a recent practice, (if they are practicing that means something right? Like the possiblity of a farewell tour… or atleast some shows… )  (there is some dead time at the beginning but trust me it’s worth it!

Mewithoutyou is in the studio recording what i know will be another amazing album: http://www.myspace.com/mewithoutyou

Anberlin is supposed to release an album in september also!  www.anberlin.com

Alot to watch for soon!  I am very excited!

Mark’s Response

I recently wrote a letter of apology to Mark Salomon, lead singer of Stavesacre (my favorite band) apologizing for illegally downloading Stavesacre albums in the past. He wrote back, this is what he said:

Well paint me pink and call me Sally. That’s a first!

Apology accepted and appreciated – and I’ll have to check out the blog – sounds pretty interesting.
Great email and a well-spoken point of view always go a long way towards mending fences. Cheers to you for having the balls to say what you need to say.

Take care of yourself, and please: don’t go broke buying music! Take yer time…
m.

Letter of Apology to Mark Salomon

So in light of recent events i sent a letter to Mark Salomon, lead singer of Stavesacre, my favorite band to apologize for the fact that i downloaded stavesacres albums in the past. Here it is:

Hey Mark,

My name is XXXXXXXXXXX and I’ve messaged you a few times before. More recently about some pretty hilarious movies, but anyway… I feel the need for an apology but first hopefully a semi-short explanation.

Stavesacre is one of my favorite bands, has been seen high school… i could go on and on about how awesome you guys are, how passionate the lyrics are and how you guys just flat out rock but i’ll spare you what you must hear pretty dern often and hopefully tell you something people probably don’t too often.

I have been a “Christian” since i was 7 years old but i never took it seriously. I played the good Christian boy in front of others for so long yet i was just a sinner like everyone else. God gave me a wake up call in college. I finally found out what it means to be a Christian. I went through most of my life and i rarely ever read the Bible… amazing how i claimed to follow something i never read… now i try my best not only to read my Bible everyday but to study and understand it.

In high school i was heavy into downloading music. I was poor and i really liked music so free music sounded like a good idea to me. I stole most of the stavesacre albums you release. I’m sorry, truly i really am. I am beginning to understand just how much time and effort goes into writing a record and with the click of the mouse i just steal all that hard work. I am sorry. I am truly repentant. I have learned that repentance is not only feeling sorry for something but turning from it and not doing it anymore. I have ceased downloading music and have actually began a project. I am going to purchase every album i downloaded, it’s my way of making things right, so that will include stavesacres albums, and i’m excited to own them.

If you want to read more, i keep a blog of my search for all the albums i stole here: barnavkristus. wordpress. com

but anyway, all of that was just to say that i am sorry i stole from you, Sam, Dirk, Jeff, Ryan — even Neil and Jeremy…

I love the music you guys write and from now on i will do my best to support you and any other band i like buy legally purchasing the music!

God Bless you Mark!

Jake

EP. 1 – First trip – June 3rd, 2008

I walk in the store and am just immediately overwhelmed. It’s like a dream come true. Now those of you who’ve been there might just be like, “geez Jake, it’s only record store” but you must understand the enormity of my obsession with music. I glance over a few of the vinyls even though i don’t even own a record player. I wish i did, i like vinyl. I move on, look through some of the new racks before finding the used section. Jack-pot, used indie, used metal… the sections most likely to hold the albums I’d been stealing for years. I found a couple rare albums that blew me away right then and there:

“Neon Horse” – Neon Horse

ok so this album is a masterpiece. The band consists of a bunch of people from old Tooth and Nail (record label) bands that are either not doing anything anymore or are starting to do less with the bands they’ve been with for years. Most notably is Mark Salomon, the lead singer of Stavesacre, my all time favorite band. Mark is the only member of the band that has appear in public, he has chosen to be the face of neon horse using the alias “Norman Horse” and appearing always in come sort of disguise. The others members of the band remain a mystery officially but i have a pretty good idea about a few of them. I am 98% certain that Jason Martin is the guitarist… or at least on of them… he is the guitarist of Starflyer 59, another band i love to death, and on some songs you can hear that influence come through. Also, the copywrites on ASCAP list Jason Martins name alongside Mark’s as the writer of all the songs. Other members i suspect are Ronnie Martin (of Joy Electric) on synth and Steven Dail (of Project 86) on bass.
The sound of this record is very very original, 80’s influenced rock that you just need to listen to to appreciate. These guys are pretty underground so i was shocked to stumble upon their album in a record store Roseville Michigan. Price Paid: $6

“The Balancing Act” – Cool Hand Luke

This record i got really into this last semester of sophomore year of college, so about two months ago. This is a compilation of Cool Hand Luke’s career as a band but it includes other unreleased songs as well. I had all of cool hand luke’s cd’s downloaded and was listening to them a lot last semester so when i stumbled upon their cd,. i snatched it up right away. Great band, mellow stuff infused with passionate vocals, a really good record.
Price Paid: $6