So Yeah… Thanks
A blog is nothing without its readers, so this post is to serve as one big “thank you” to everyone whose ever read and commented, whether they agreed with my views or thought I was a pretentious douchebag. I’ve got a long (long) list of personal thank you’s to say, but they’ll all come after the jump to save the rest of you from the tedium of my sentimental ramblings. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s exclusives and to round out the festivities, here’s a bit more downloadable loving for you all. I’ve received countless requests to re-upload the M3 compilations (all the links pre-hiatus/pre-July are unfortunately dead), and while I’ve clearly been slacking on my goal of re-upping all the highlights from GWFAS 1.0, I have finally gotten around to fixing all the links M3 volumes 1-9. Clicking on each of the buttons below will take you to the M3 Volume to which it is assigned, I hope you’ll all enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed creating them.
M3 Volume 1: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 2: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 3: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 5: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 6: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 7: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 8: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 9: [Original Post]
M3 Volume 10: [Original Post]
So many people to thank, so little time. Let’s do this. (WARNING: Embarassing details about the history of my music taste revealed below!)
- First and foremost, I need to thank Lizzy Plapinger. Essentially the first lady of Good Weather For Airstrikes, no other person has had such a profound influence on my life as this girl. Former girlfriend, platonic super-friend for life, this one’s taste in music (and men) is unrivaled, and she can be credited with building my music taste from the ground up, helping me transition out of my emo phase and enlightening me as to the wonders of independent music. Sure, I liked good bands before I met her, but she was the sole catalyst that sparked my drive to explore every nook and cranny of indie music world, and for that I am forever indebted to her. Not to mention the fact that she’s got looks, brains and a flawless fashion sense to go along with all of this (did I mention her impeccable taste in boyfriends?), Lizzy’s the total package. To this day I cannot express the incredible importance of the role she has played in my life. Thank you.
- Alex Malkin. You may be an elitist hipster douchebag (looove yooou) but the fact remains that it was you who first exposed me to “Banquet”, my first ever taste of Bloc Party, one fateful night in November of 2004 and for that I am forever indebted to you. Also, thank you for putting up with me that summer when we rode around in your car and I refused to listen to Cat Power (”too indie” [granted, I’m still not really a fan]) and instead forced you to put on “track 3 on the Shins CD” allllll the time. Means a lot to me, thanks.
- Stephen Vallimarescu. A lot of people have played instrumental roles in the progression of my music taste, but this guy’s the original. I’ll never forget that day wayyyy back in high school when you told me I had to listen to this CD and thrust Brand New’s Deja Entendu into my hand (hey, we all have to start somewhere). It wasn’t like that was the first alternative/non-mainstream band or CD I’d ever heard but it might as well have been, as it stays with me to this day as one of my absolute favorite albums of all time and it got the ball rolling on the evolution of my taste in music. At the very least he deserves props for being dressed in full Captain Planet planeteer regalia in that picture; you can’t teach that. Huge thanks also go out to Avi, Mike (seen here as Bill Cosby) , and Andy, because it was with these kids that I cut my teeth in the live concert scene in high school and I’ll never forget my getting my slender frame absolutely bused in the pit (”in the pit” = standing terrified at the edge of it) at rock shows with these kids night in and night out.
- Carrie Shiffrin. Remember that time in 10th grade you were all, “Hey listen to this band Neutral Milk Hotel” and I was all “Okay, I will”? Yeah that was awesome, thanks for that. Also, thanks for coming to shows with me (and letting me crash in your various living spaces) when I’d come up to NYC last year. Finally, thanks for being a fucking fantastic human being.
- Molly Wilkof. This is the one who came up with the entire M3 idea. Yeah, bow at her feet.
- Kate Taylor. Managed to somehow consistently share my same level of enthusiasm for getting high and watching music videos any and every time we smoked together. And that’s saying a lot, considering there’s nothing I enjoy more in life than a good old conscious altering followed immediately thereafter by an intense music video session. Enjoy that corn on the cob, you deserve it.
- Zack Friendly. This guyyyy! Already hailed as “the new Derek Davies” after I graduated even before he got his own blog, Zack will always be the butter on my bread and the wind beneath my wings. Zack played a major role in my development as a human being by getting me high most days after school in 11th grade, something for which no amount of narcotics or sexual favors could ever possibly adequately repay him for. As your all aware, Zack’s keeping it real over at All Things Go, so if you ever get sick of my long-windedness and overanalysis you can go over there to see how the cool kids do it.
- Adrian Maseda and Austin Formica. Speaking of cool kids, it’s these guys! Oh sorry, by “cool kids” I meant the only other kids I know lame enough to devote their time to blogging like me. But who needs free time and “fun” and “girlfriends” when you have friends like these? I can always count on at least one of these guys whenever I’m feeling down, want a back massage or need a partner for tandem parasailing (who says we don’t have time for fun?!), and if tandem parasailability isn’t the perfect barometer of friendship then I don’t know what is. (On a side note: [re: Austin’s picture] How is it that homeless people in San Francisco are so awesome at being homeless?)
- These girls. You’re all amazing and have made the last few summers the absolute best of my life. Thanks for helping “We Are Your Friends” to become the official anthem of summer 2006, I couldn’t have done it with out you guys. Also, you’re all like really good looking, just sayin’.
- Last, but certainly not least, I gotta thank Evro, without whom this site pursuit would probably have been a whole lot lonelier.
And the worst part is, there are so many other people I need to thank, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. If you’ve ever been in my car and rocked out with me, thanks. If you ever didn’t object when I “DJ’d” a party, thanks. If we ever got high and watched music videos, thanks. Hell, if you even let me send you music, thanks. You guys are all amazing human beings and none of this could have ever been possible without your support. One more time, just for good measure: thanks.