on colin clary and buying music

The Smittens - Gumdrops (Live at Indietracks 2008)

Up until a few years ago, I think I spent every available dollar to my name on buying records and going to concerts. Once in college, however, I didn’t even have time to shop for records, much less want to spend the money on them, and most of the shows I go are free from WHPK or the bands themselves. There is something, though, that I will never get over about buying really well packaged records.

I first fell in love with the now defunct Asaurus Records several years ago, for their super cheap CD-Rs in charming packages with fun pop music. That was how I first heard Colin Clary’s solo material (also of The Smittens, Let's Whisper, and Colin Clary and the Magogs), after ordering his Sweater Weather or Not These are the Songs I Got in a super cute felt sweater and paper shirt packaging combination. I fell in love with all of those songs, annoying my friends by leaving the record on repeat in my car for a good two months, to only be repeated with Apocalypse Yow!, packaged in an origami fortune teller.

Recently, I’ve started buying music again, realizing how nice it is to have a collection of tangible records and CDs, not to mention how hard it is to find releases by some of my favorite bands online. I can’t help but love having WeePOP’s hand-packaged 3-inch CD-Rs or beautiful collections like Magic Marker’s new anniversary 5x7-inch collection Uncapped: Magic Marker Records 10 Years Later.

Having all these 3-inch CDs and 7-inches is both a blessing and a curse, since I don’t really have a stereo system to play them on, my turntable just broke, and my Mac refuses to accept such tiny media. But using my shitty CD player (or my DVD player hooked up to my TV), it is great to hear Colin’s new EP, Every Little Thing Counts, while holding the impossibly tiny case with hand-glued construction paper artwork. The songs are as cute and witty and catchy as ever. I particularly love “Really Rooting for Ya (And It Could Be Awesome)” and “You Tell Me Now” for their upbeat charm and for helping me finish my BA during the final hours.

Plus I’m sure everyone who ever rides in my car is grateful I can’t keep this new EP on repeat…

Download:
Colin Clary – “Phone Me, Phone Me”

NYC POPFEST

(This has nothing to do with the post, but my mind seems to have split—I just love the puns.)


Okay, so I totally lied about updating the blog more, but quite frankly all I can think about is my thesis. So unless you want to hear all about phenomenological experience, the production of spectacle, and the turn in presence in art after 1960, there’s not much I can do.

But to get back on track (and to procrastinate writing the last six pages): NEW YORK CITY POPFEST!!

To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of music festivals—they are usually in the summer in the scorching sun as I sweat buckets and get to watch mediocre bands from a distance. I mean, at least The Pains and The Vivian Girls are playing Pitchfork here in Chicago this year, but that is barely a consolation.

New York City Popfest is definitely something I can get behind, though. Pop shows at night, scattered around New York, what could be better? Oh, the fact that Cats on Fire, Liechtenstein, The Radio Dept., The Tartans, The Smittens, Eux Autres, The Ballet, and Very Truly Yours are all playing? Well… I guess.

I must admit, San Francisco Popfest is just as tempting, maybe even more given this will be a rare stateside appearance for some of my favorite Scandinavian bands: Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, Champagne Riot, Northern Portrait, Pelle Carlberg, and Springfactory, not to mention what will possibly be TULLYCRAFT’S LAST EVER LIVE PERFORMANCE, but San Francisco is four hours away, and tickets to New York were just so cheap…

Bought my plane tickets, hotel reserved, Popfest tickets all secured, I am totally ready.

Now I just need for this stupid thesis to finish itself…