We spent a week or 10 days in Zacatecas - arriving from multiple weeks of rural Mexico it was quite a wakeup call. This is a classy city - beautiful, like you'd just arrived in an old European city - Nancy likens it to Florence, Italy, and I think that's probably reasonable. We talk about the cultural events we got to see, including concerts, folk music, folk dance, and about the beautiful city of Zacatecas itself, including its history and appearance.


text:
Time to play b-sides
Mike Roeder muses over things musical
DJ Shadow Bio
Introduction: Confessions of a Music Trivia Savant
Tag Archives: arcade fire
It's Time to Play B-Sides Top 20 Albums of 2013
Posted on January 1, 2014 by mike
Here we are again at the end of a year when everyone trots out their "Top" lists. This is my third year of assembling one of these, and for me it is a good exercise in remembering what the hell I listened to! 2013 seemed to blow by very quickly and frankly, it took some reflection to even remember what I listened to this year. 2013 was the seventh year for It's Time to Play B-Sides and the 2nd year at the job I got after my 2011 layoff. My wife and I moved homes again this year– five doors down from our last place in which we had spent one very unsettled year. This place is wonderful and a much better fit for us, and we have actually moved into this place– hung pictures, hung guitars and decorated for Christmas (in itself this tells you a lot). We're looking forward to 2014 as a year of focusing on something other than where we are living.
Getting to the music of 2013, when I look at the Top lists for other websites and magazines, I missed or ignored some pretty big releases this year. More-and-more we are becoming a singles-based culture when it comes to music and discussions of whole albums from artists is falling from the mainstream. There are some big releases from 2013 that merit some mention here, I think.
Kanye West's Yeezus was Spin Magazine's top release. Aside from his appearance at the Hurricane Sandy benefit and hearing "Black Skinhead" a lot (admittedly a great track), I didn't get a chance to sit down with it. Helpfully, Google Play made it a free download yesterday and I have it. The cursory listen I gave it shows West at the top of his game and the production of the album is top-notch. It was a big year for Daft Punk who lent production on four tracks on Yeezus (including the aforementioned "Black Skinhead") and then released their own hugely-successful Random Access Memories with the internet-meme-generating "Get Lucky."
My friend John Book mentions Justin Timberlake's much-anticipated 20/20 Experience in his Top Albums list and he echoes pretty much what everyone else thinks– JT blew his load on Part One, and probably should have left well enough alone and not released Part Two (which hardly anyone mentions except to say he shouldn't have released it). The week of JT on Fallon was amazing and enough for me to download the album, though I'd have to admit that I didn't stay listening to it for very long. John Book's review of Part One is worth a read.
Lady Gaga dropped her ARTPOP album this year and though I couldn't believe it, she managed to release something less interesting than her last album Born This Way. I loved both Fame and the follow up Fame Monster EP— delicious slices of electronic pop with a keen sense of "now." She has– in my opinion– devolved from being a musician and has become more focused on the spectacle.
All of that said, here is my list of the Top Albums of 2013 (In No Particular Order):
Hiss Golden Messenger – Haw – (on my releases I'm Looking forward to for 2013) – Haw really delivers on the promise of the albums that came before it. Largely a vehicle for the songwriting of MC Taylor and Scott Hirsh HGM enlists an amazing cast (William Tyler, the guys from Megafaun) to help deliver their sound which is a compelling mix of 70's folk rock, American Primitive and a side of jam-based instrumentals. I've been following HGM from the first releases and find the spiritual searching of Taylor to be really compelling. In 2014, Hiss Golden Messenger's 2011 release Bad Debt will get a remaster and reissue by Paradise of Bachelors with a bonus track from the original kitchen table cassette recordings made in 2010.
Golden Gunn – self-titled – (on my releases I'm Looking forward to for 2013) – Hirsh and Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger make my list again with this brilliant collaboration with Steve Gunn. A super-rare vinyl release on Record Store Day, but you can get the CD and digital download from Paradise of Bachelors. Apparently Gunn and Taylor shared a long car ride to a wedding and determined that they should work together. What we have is a very hazy and wandering JJ Cale-influenced jam. Taylor and Gunn share vocal duties and Hirsh brings a compliment of keyboards and analog electronics to the mix. Excellent go-to release for some mellow jams– Gunn's vocals remind me of Beck on his more listenable days.
Brokeback – Brokeback and the Black Rock – (on my releases I'm Looking Forward to for 2013) – Who knew that Doug McCombs (of Tortoise and Eleventh Dream Day) had another album of his Bass VI-driven instrumentals in him? A complete re-envisioning of Brokeback with new members provides one of my favorite instrumental releases in a while, frankly and the most consistent Brokeback release since the debut album Field Recordings from the Cook County Water Table. I had a chance to talk to McCombs when he came to Iowa City with David Daniell for their tour in support of Sycamore. McCombs is a huge fan of the Tom Verlaine album Warm and Cool (and was instrumental in getting that re-issued on Thrill Jockey). This album's reverbby clean guitar and bass recalls Warm and Cool whether that was the intention or not.
The Horses Ha – Waterdrawn – (on my releases I'm Looking Forward to for 2013) – This album had been in the works for a couple of years. Since I help them with their Facebook page I got a chance to preview a couple of these tracks last year, so I was anticipating the release. Janet Bean (of Freakwater and Eleventh Dream Day) and James Elkington (of The Zincs and lends a hand with Freakwater, Brokeback and Daughan Gibson) return with their 70's British folk-influenced music. Janet and James bring some really gorgeous melodies and harmonies to the stripped down acoustic music. As crazy as the music industry seems and all of the "end is nigh" sentiments surrounding the ability for musicians to put music out, it is heartening to see an admittedly-niche release like this seeing the light of day– let alone in such a beautiful packaging by label Fluff and Gravy.
Jack Logan and Scott Baxendale – Bones in the Desert – (on my releases I'm Looking forward to for 2013) – A bit of a disclaimer– I help Jack and Scott with their Facebook page and wrote their press release. That said, I did it because it is such a great record! I've been a fan of Jack Logan since Bulk and have had the pleasure of being able to maintain a relationship over the internet with him. He's one-of-a-kind– a serial song writer and recorder. The mountain of work suggested by sorting through his vast catalog of releases and unreleased songs is 2nd only to Neil Young (one would suppose). He admits to needing more of a filter sometimes and when he does– like working with a great songwriter and guitarist like Scott Baxendale, the results are even more trademark Logan it seems. Guitar-rock with 70's influences like the Stones or The Faces bolted to a uniquely Logan sense of humor and storytelling. Logan and Baxendale are pretty-well known members of the Athens music scene, so they were able to draw other talented musicians to help out with the release– which only exists physically on vinyl BTW– so we have a couple of Drive-By Truckers in the mix. Super limited release of 500 on vinyl so don't sleep on this one if you're a fan like I am! Jack and Scott are already working on new songs and plan to release something in 2014, but it won't be on vinyl (at least not until they sell out of the Bones vinyl!)
Mountains – Centralia (on my releases I'm Looking forward to for 2013) – For a band who is two guys with guitars and an endless set of loopers and effects, they have a fairly wide palate of sonic landscapes from which to draw. When their Thrill Jockey debut Choral came out I was immediately a fan. I have all of their releases to date, but I feel like Centralia really was a return to some of the song structures that drew me to Mountains to begin with.
Big Star – Nothing Can Hurt Me Soundtrack – It might not be fair to include this release here since it isn't an album of new songs, but as a compilation (and distillation, I suppose) of Big Star's notable songs it totally works. The documentary film from which it is drawn is a must-see as a primer of one of pop rock's most obscure but no less influential bands. I picked up one of the really rare orange translucent vinyl pressings done for Record Store Day in April by Omnivore Records. You can get a black vinyl version from them now.
Arbouretum – Coming Out of the Fog – (on my releases I'm Looking forward to for 2013) Right now, my three favorite guitar bands on Thrill Jockey are Wooden Shjips, Pontiak and Arbouretum. All three have a distorted psychedelic sound that I really dig and I listen to them in rotation quite a bit. Arbouretum tends to lean towards a prog-rock/prog-folk sound and Dave Heumann has really polished that sound on Coming Out of the Fog.
Jimi Hendrix – People, Hell & Angels – This was a somewhat contraversial release as far as diehard Hendrix fans are concerned. They consider this to be a kind of cash-in by the Experience Hendrix organization. EH says that this is a release of unreleased Jimi Hendrix songs post-Electric Ladyland and is presented as kind of a picture of where Hendrix was going with his sound rather than something that might have been released as an album. If you want to know what Hendrix was likely considering for the next album, you should look at the 1997 compilation of tracks titled First Rays of the New Rising Sun. The tracks on People, Hell & Angels are also tracks recorded around the same time as the First Rays material. As far as the "unreleased" statement is concerned, it would appear that most of this material has surfaced in some form or another dating back to the some would say pillaging of the Hendrix tape vaults by Reprise Records from 1971 to 1975 as well as the Sony compilations in the 1990's Blues and Voodoo Soup. In addition there are two songs which aren't really Hendrix songs as such, he played on them around the same time as these other songs. So, effectively this is the last of the studio songs not released by Experience Hendrix (assuming no other Dagger Records releases, which are "official bootlegs" done by EH).
Aside from all of that political mess, the release is surprisingly pleasant to listen to. A lot of effort was spent making the songs sound consistent and as if they were intended for one album. Quite a bit of work was done by Eddie Kramer to assemble these tracks from different takes to make them since most of this release was not finished at the time of Hendrix's death. It is really great to hear a kind of stripped down to the essentials version of Hendrix– no psychedelic effects on these songs. In fact, this release really shows the guitarist that Hendrix was maybe more so than the previous albums and puts a finer point on his electric blues love.
Califone – Stitches – Califone came back in 2013 with their first non-soundtrack album since their fantastic 2006 album on Thrill Jockey Roots & Crowns. Their last album was the soundtrack to the film "All My Friends are Funeral Singers" which I really wasn't a fan of. Stitches brings the band back to songs that aren't burdened with some kind of vague overarching concept or having to support a film for that matter. In other words, the songs stand on their own and make for a great listen from side to side and stands up as a great companion to Roomsound, which is my favorite release out of their catalog (big ups to Thrill Jockey for reissuing Roomsound on vinyl as part of their 20th Anniversary celebration!)
William Tyler – Impossible Truth – William Tyler is a noted sideman from Nashville. He's probably best known as one of the sidemen in Lambchop and The Silver Jews, he also lends the occasional hand in Hiss Golden Messenger. In addition to bringing his Telecaster-based atmospherics for other bands, he has his own solo career and has put out a couple of really amazing guitar instrumental albums on Merge Records– one of them 2013's Impossible Truth. Recommended if you're a fan of the American Primitive style guitar work of Leo Koettke or John Fahey.
Arcade Fire – Reflektor – Arcade Fire continues to be the band that knows how to use social media and mystery to hype a release. Their 9/9/9 campaign coupled with some strategic radio and TV appearances including a Saturday Night Live stint and the following "TV Special "Here Comes the Night Time" certainly drew some attention from me. I loved The Suburbs and it's attendent theme of, well whatever they didn't like, and Reflektor still exhibits some of those themes, although this time they are pulling from Haitian music for influence. Overall the record is really well done, and even in its weaker moments (and it has some to be certain) the album is still really engaging. Arcade Fire is typically accused of having really huge egos and really it is that kind of audacity that can produce an album like this. I compare this album to Talking Heads' final album Blind which also pulls some similar rhythms in its Carribbean and South American influences.
Lissie – Back to Forever – Lissie has had an impressive streak of releases so far starting with her debut album Catching a Tiger in 2010, followed by some great covers ("Bad Romance" upstages Gaga's in my opinion) which were collected in 2012's Covered Up With Flowers. Lissie provided very distinctive backing vocals on the Snow Patrol album Fallen Empires which was a favorite of mine and was produced by Jacknife Lee (who also produced the two Tired Pony albums). When I heard that Jacknife was producing Back to Forever, my expectations were pretty high and I wasn't disappointed! The album has Lissie pretty much pissed off all the way through it and the results harken back to a time when strong women wrote powerful anthemic songs– Pat Benatar and Stevie Nicks come easily to mind. Every song on this record is a winner and I can play this album pretty much every day and not get tired of it. I got Sherry a copy on CD for her car and she plays it as much as she plays Lyrics Born (that's a lot, folks!)
Cheynne Mize – Among the Grey – Speaking of strong anthemic songwriting– Cheyenne Mize (no "Marie" apparently) signed to Yep Roc and released a brilliant follow up to her 2010 album Fall to Rise and 2011's We Don't Need EP. Where those two releases showed her versatility in instruments and style, Among the Grey shows Mize is an out-and-out rocker sounding sonically grungy like this year's answer to PJ Harvey. Beautiful record.
Love Over Gold – Fall to Rise – Continuing our "Girl Power" section is Pieta Brown's first side project Love Over Gold. Named after a Dire Straits album and song, Pieta partnered up with Aussie musician Lucie Thorne for a barebones duo. Pieta met Lucie during a tour of Australia a few years back and thought that collaborating would work. It does. Lucie's style is a perfect fit for Pieta and this album is filled with beautful vocal harmonies and emotion. I wrote a review of Fall to Rise for Little Village (here).
Caroline Smith – Half About Being a Woman – Minnesota artist Caroline Smith released three albums from 2008 to 2011. For her latest album Half About Being a Woman, she changed things up by making an album influenced by 70's and 80's R&B– a departure from her more indie folk-sounding previous albums. The whole process and struggle (she was worried she'd alienate her fanbase) is documented in the half-hour documentary "My Way Back Home." Personally, I really love the direction she is going– it's great to her her sing out and belt some of these songs!
The Shouting Matches – Grownass Man – I was torn about whether to put this album on the list or Justin Vernon's (Bon Iver) other 2013 release as part of Volcano Choir – Repave. Both are almost opposite ends of the spectrum. The Shouting Matches is a stripped-down blues-influenced affair– similar to Black Keys. Repave is Volcano Choir's 2nd release and it owes more of a debt to Bon Iver than the previous album did, in my opinion. When it gets down to it, I listened to both quite a bit, but I find Grownass Man to be more satisfying (and more entertaining) in its straightforward direction. Even though the Bon Iver moniker is on hiatus indefiniately, I'm happy to see Vernon is still creating music and producing.
Dawes – Stories Don't End – Album #3 from Dawes finds the band setting off on their own having stepped away from their label ATO. Lots of quotes from Taylor Goldsmith about trying to change the widespread idea that they are somehow indelibly a 70's throwback band (my words) and lifting off the mantle of "Laurel Canyon Sound" that they acquired when PR people didn't know what to say about their first album and its obvious influences. That said, Stories Don't End is not really a departure from the first two albums. If anything, it is a continuation and maturity of the band who is coming to grips with their identity and sound. In the end, it doesn't really matter what the external reviewers and PR people portray about Dawes because what really matters is strong songwriting, amazing vocal harmonies and live shows. It's probably a good thing that three albums in, Dawes isn't trying to shake things up dramatically– they aren't even 30 yet!
The 4onthefloor – Spirit of Minneapolis – Album #2 from the Twin Cities storming blues rock band and their signature crazy-eyed spirit is still in tact. In a similar fashion to their first album 4×4, the songs on Spirit of Minneapolis have been percolating in their live sets dating back to the 4×4 days and I'd say that the songs are pretty much interchangable between the two albums. It's not a criticism as much as an observation. If you love 4onthefloor, you'll love this album, too. Gabe Douglas has been working on an album from his side-project Silverback Colony which should come out in 2014, I suspect.
Wooden Shjips – Back to Land – A band I kind of slept on until this album came out. Like I said above, Wooden Shjips is one of my favorite new guitar-based bands on Thrill Jockey along with Pontiak and Arbouretum. All three bands lean towards layered distortion and psychedelic rock. If you're a fan of the "stoner rock" or "desert rock" genre with bands like Queens of the Stone Age or Fu Manchu this band fits right in, though they've never been tagged as such that I'm aware. The vinyl packaging for this record is fantastic– die-cut outer slip jacket exposes the art on the inner sleeve similar to Led Zeppelin covers from the 70's. My copy is one of the limited pink vinyl pressings which is pretty cool.
Posted in Bands/Artists, Music, Personal History, Vinyl	| Tagged "thrill jockey", 4onthefloor, arbouretum, arcade fire, Big Star, Bon Iver, brokeback, Califone, Caroline Smith, Cheyenne Mize, Dawes, golden gunn, Hiss Golden Messenger, Jack Logan and Scott Baxendale, Jimi Hendrix, Justin Timberlake, Justin Vernon, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, lissie, Love over gold, merge records, Mountains, Shouting Matches, The Horse's Ha, Top 20 of 2013, Top Albums List, Volcano Choir, William Tyler, wooden shjips	| Leave a reply
B-Sides in the Bins #59 – Moondog Music and Mail Orders Week of 9/21/2013
Well, it's been a while since I've posted one of these. I guess it's because I tend to post about individual albums via other social media outlets like my Instagram which cross-posts to Twitter and Facebook. But, this week had a lot of new additions to the collection, so I thought I'd collect them for the blog.
I was in Dubuque yesterday helping with some wireless network issues at the family business so I thought I'd run over to one of my favorite record stores, Moondog Music. I had intended to pick up the new sophomore release from Justin Vernon's (Bon Iver) collaboration band with members of Collections of Colonies of Bees Volcano Choir. Titled Repave, it's a more cohesive release than their first album. Even though Vernon is the frontman in this band, it isn't exactly Bon Iver part 2. More direct rock on this album and less vocoder falsetto vocals. I was also hoping that the vinyl version of Wise Up Ghost by Elvis Costello and The Roots would maybe be in the bins ahead of this Tuesday's release.
Moondog had Repave for $19.99, but they didn't have Wise Up Ghost on LP (they did have the CD). I had Volcano Choir in hand and was going to buy it until I started digging through the used and came up with a few surprises!
The Smiths – Louder Than Bombs (2 LP, Sire Records, 1987) ($19.98) WOW! On my wish list for YEARS. Really nice and clean copy of this album, which is probably my favorite Smiths album even though it's technically a compilation of non-album singles. Initially, this was a US-only release used as a way to bring these tracks stateside. The UK had a couple of singles comps on Rough Trade– The World Won't Listen and Hatful of Hollow— and Louder than Bombs was the vehicle to bring some of those tracks here. UK Smiths fans being what they are, they started importing this release to the UK, so Rough Trade ended up releasing this over there which solidified its position as a regular catalog release.
My friend Julie in college turned me on to both the Smiths and Depeche Mode letting me borrow The Queen Is Dead and Black Celebration— bands very different from my jangly guitar preferences at the time. I distinctly remember buying Louder Than Bombs and Def Leppard's Hysteria on the same day on cassette. Odd to think that these albums are both from 1987!
The Smiths – Rank (LP, Sire Records, 1988) ($14.98) And, as soon as I get into the band, they break up… Bombs was released in March of 1987, the Smiths' final studio album Strangeways Here We Come was released in September, 1987 and by that time the band had officially split up. I have the entire studio releases of the Smiths on cassette and CD plus Bombs on cassette and CD and Hatful of Hollow on CD (it was in a used bin otherwise I wouldn't have picked this up as I consider it to be redundant). When Rank came out in September of 1988, I had pretty much moved on as far as paying attention to new releases and I didn't think a live album was essential. I still haven't listened to it, but will. The recording is a distillation from a BBC-1 live concert from 1986. The album was released as a contractural obligation. I decided to buy this because it is rare to find any Smiths in used bins around here and the new 180g Rhino reissues of the Smiths catalog are $35 which is pretty steep for my budget, so I'll continue to keep an eye on the bins to complete my Smiths collection.
Gift of Gab – Escape 2 Mars (LP, Cornerstone Recording Arts Society/Quannum, 2009)($16.98) An unexpected find– the R&B and Hip-Hop selection at Moondog is usually very thin. I've been building my Quannum/Solesides vinyl collection lately– lots of gaps since I had really been focusing on CD's up until five years ago. That said, I didn't have this on CD either. Gift of Gab is more recognized as the MC for Blackalicious– his effort with producer Chief Xcel, but has had a run of solo work that is notable. We listen to 4th Dimensional Rocket Ships Going Up quite a bit in the house, so I imagine that this release will be as good– I totally slept on this release so it will be good to get caught up.
Spoon – Transference (LP, Merge Records, 2010)($9.98) While I was digging through the used section I saw a whole bunch of nearly-new indie releases. Looked like they were opened and maybe played once? Some Sundazed releases, a few Sub Pop releases all for under $10. I didn't find out what the story was on those, but I picked a couple of great ones including this one from Spoon. Transference wasn't as good as Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but still pretty great. I remember listening to this a lot in the car in early Winter 2010. We had a major car breakdown that had Sherry and I commuting together in one car for a few weeks– she was getting her Professional Makeup training so I'd drop her off in the morning and pick her up at night.
Sebadoh – Bakesale (LP, Sub Pop Records, 1994/2011 Remaster)($7.98) Another of the mysterious "new" LP's in the used bins at Moondog. A grey marbled vinyl release as part of the reissue campaign for the Sebadoh catalog. I loved this album when it came out– I listened to it repeatedly. In 1994, I was working in Dubuque at the time and I think living with my parents following a failed cohabitiation with a girlfriend. I was on the road installing computer systems in the Midwest and East, with a lot of road time, so my CD's were constant companions. Brilliantly flawed but accessible album. At the time I definately thought that Sebadoh was a better band than Dinosaur Jr was (the band that Lou Barlow used to be in with J Macsis). I'm really happy to have this in my collection– I need to pick up the Harmacy reissue as well.
A really great haul from Moondog Music! While I was there they were playing the new album from Iggy Pop and the Stooges titled Ready to Die which sounded pretty good, may need to check that out.
In the mail this week:
Calexico – Ancienne Belgique Vol. 2 (2 LP, Our Soil, Our Strength, ) OSOS9, 2013)($20 + shipping) 2012 and 2013 has been a year of many releases from Calexico— the brilliant Algiers came out in September of 2011 which included a live album titled Spiritoso if you ordered the box set. This eventually came out as a numbered release for Record Store Day in April in the US. Soon after that the band put out a 2 LP live sequel to Ancienne Belgique (which got the vinyl treatment as part of the Road Atlas box set as well). Then they announced a Europe tour-only 5-track EP of covers titled Maybe on Monday. My copy of Ancienne Belgique Vol. 2 delivered this week. I had pre-ordered it in June (I think). They were supposed to have copies of this on tour, but they weren't done in time for the Iowa City show. (I was out of town and missed that show anyway). Another really nice addition to my growing Calexico collection.
Arcade Fire (as The Reflecktors) – Reflektor 12″ (12″, Sono Vox/Merge Records, MRG484, 2013) ($8.99, free shipping) Merge put some copies of Arcade Fire's mysterious "Reflektor" single in their online store. Released under the pseudonym The Reflektors, it was timed with the announcement of the album and single of the same name on September 9th at 9PM (9/9/9). Lots of speculation and rumor about the announcement leading up to the time and an accurate leak of the song the day before. The 45 RPM 12″ has the full version of the song and an instrumental version on the flipside. The song was produced by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and features guest vocals by none other than David Bowie. It's a pretty decent song and apparently points to the direction of the new album due out October 29th as being, in the words of Win Butler as a "mashup of Studio 54 and Haitian Voodoo." (S.I.C.)
I also received four of the Daytrotter split LP's this week, including the amazing Gary Clark Jr. split with Son House, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. We're up to 13 of 14 of the preorders shipped (still waiting on the Maine one which is #13) I got the PHOX one ordered and will order the Tegan and Sara one in the next couple of weeks.
Posted in Bands/Artists, Daytrotter, Eastern Iowa, In The Bins, Music, Out and About, Personal History, Vinyl	| Tagged Ancienne Belgique, arcade fire, Bakesale, Calexico, Daytrotter, Escape 2 Mars, gift of gab, In The Bins, louder than bombs, merge records, Moondog Music, Quannum, rank, Reflektor, Sebadoh, Spoon, Sub Pop, The Smiths, Transference, Vinyl	| Leave a reply
Posted on December 22, 2010 by mike
Welcome to the first Top List for It's Time to Play B-Sides. I've considered doing one of these lists every year since 2006, but never before have I had a year filled with as many really great albums that have compelled me to compile a year-end list. 2010 has been a pretty busy year for me as far as music has been concerned. Some fantastic concerts and events and some really interesting local (Eastern Iowa) releases have come out. This list represents releases that spent the most time on my playlist– in some cases I have had direct working relationships with the bands and that certainly was a factor in their appearance in the list, but nothing appears on this list that I didn't feel very strongly about and in almost every case these were releases I was recommending to others either verbally or in print whether it was here at Play B-Sides or at Radio Free Chicago, or The Little Village.
One thing I'd like to point out is the number of strong releases from Iowa artists this year– this list doesn't include a comprehensive list of Iowa releases, but I'm proud to include some music from my back yard.
This list is roughly in order of rank– rather than reverse order, I'm listing top to bottom. Truthfully, though narrowing this list to 20 was a tough act, and I left some albums off that I really enjoyed, but these are the albums that I think really struck me this year.
1. Tired Pony – The Place We Ran From – No album this year has moved me as much as this one has. Brilliant work by Peter Buck and Gary Lightbody who are the core members of Tired Pony. Sounds the way I hope the new R.E.M. album will. "Dead American Writers" is easily one of my favorite songs from this year as well (even if it has a confoundingly bland video). Here is my review at Radio Free Chicago on The Place We Ran From.
2. Hiss Golden Messenger – Bad Debt – MC Taylor released what is the second album for Hiss Golden Messenger this year. Titled Bad Debt, it is a collection of "spirituals" in as much as it deals with the matters of faith. It was recorded during the dead of last winter in his kitchen to a cassette recorder– just Taylor and his acoustic. The results are a stark and chilling introspection and really one of my favorite albums this year. The simple approach of this recording lays bare the amazing singer and songwriter that Taylor is. Here is my article on Bad Debt.
3. Death Ships – Maybe Arkansas EP – Although I'm convinced that Dan Maloney– constant frontman for former Iowa City band Death Ships— doesn't like the songs on this EP based on the fact that he didn't play any of them the last two times I saw him perform live at The Mill– this is still one of the strongest releases from this year. It's a little unfair to call this a 2010 release for a number of reasons– first the songs were recorded some time back in 2006, I think and have kind of lingered in Dan's archives until last year when he was planning to release an EP of them. The EP was finally released this year. To be fair, I guess Dan has moved on to writing songs for the followup to his last full album, so I'm sure he's less excited about these songs than the prospect of newer songs. Still, this is a fantastic collection of songs and it would be a shame to let these songs die without people hearing them, in my opinion. Read my review of Maybe Arkansas.
4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs – I'll come right out and say it– I was not really a fan of Arcade Fire's first album Funeral. I have friends who really loved it, but it didn't really move me. Neon Bible was interesting to me mostly because Calexico covered "Ocean of Noise" on an import 7″ and I really liked "Keep the Car Running." When the buzz started around The Suburbs, I wasn't sure what to expect. The first "leaked" track was "Month of May" which showed a distinctive change in sound for the band, but I was still skeptical. In what proved to be a genius move by the band and the label, they made the album $3.99 at amazon.com the day of release– so I downloaded it. It quickly took over my playlist and even today, I'll listen to this album a couple of times a week. Significant holding power for me. On my short list for acquiring on vinyl.
5. Gayngs – Relayted – This is an example of an astonishingly great album that came out of leftfield. Almost any blogger whose opinion I value ranks this as one of the best releases of this year. Smooth, sexy 80's influenced pop with electronic twiddling interludes by a supergroup of bands from Minneapolis and Eau Claire, WI. The honest-to-goodness legacy to the original Minneapolis sound started by Prince and his minions years ago. Here is an article I wrote about the release.
6. The Right Now – Carry Me Home – A bit of a disclaimer first– I'm the executive producer on the vinyl pressing of Carry Me Home by Chicago R&B band The Right Now, which came out in September. While this might disqualify me from being an unbiased perspective on the album, the fact of the matter is that I loved Carry Me Home from the first time I heard it on CD when it came out in March. I guess, much as Victor Kiam liked Remington razors so much he bought the company, I guess I liked the CD so much I invested in the vinyl! The Right Now is part of a what appears to be a pretty substantial revival in R&B music right now, but in my mind provides a unique spin on the genre in that it draws as much influence from the classic Motown, Stax and Bell sides as it does from more contemporary R&B and funk. In fact, the band might have more in common with The Roots than it does with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings even though all three bands could be considered to fit in this space. A great record from beginning to end and the band's live shows are not to be missed. The band is planning to hit the studio in 2011 to start recording the follow up and the songs I've heard so far are great as well. Here is an article by the band about the vinyl…
7. Backyard Tire Fire – Good To Be – I loved BTF's last album and their live shows are high-energy straightforward blues-leaning rock. Good To Be marked the move to a new record label for BTF and Ed Anderson's blue-collar sensibilities and humor (and production by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos) makes for a great and rocking album from beginning to end. Here's an article I wrote about the album.
8. Pezzettino – LubDub – Brooklyn-via-Milwaukee singer-songwriter and Accordion Girl Wonder Margaret Stutt, who performs as Pezzettino released her third album LubDub this year which was co-produced and created with Milwaukee HipHop producer Jerry Gruvis aka LMNtlyst. Much as her music and art influences before her, Pezzettino draws inspiration from her own life and each of her albums to date have been autobiographical in nature and LubDub is no different. Although we don't know who the romantic suitors were in songs like "Cold Hard Chick," "You and Your Headaches," and "Only One" we know that they may have been star-crossed. The album, taken in whole, can be seen as a progression of sorts in one woman's journey in love and loss of it. The album started as a tentative collaboration between Stutt and Gruvis who met at a show in Milwaukee last year. As the songs came together it became apparent that this was to be her follow on to Lion. The album is fun, funky and has a sense of humor along with the pain. LubDub was done as a Kickstarter-funded project to wild success which yielded a wonderful CD+vinyl package with the record itself a brilliant transparent yellow. Here is my article about LubDub.
9. Pieta Brown – One and All – The news of Pieta Brown moving to Red House Records was one that I felt was going to be the beginning of a fruitful relationship. Her one foray into major label land was 2007's Remember the Sun on One Little Indian Records that ended after one release. None worse for the wear, she packed up her guitar and moved home– home being the record label her father Greg Brown was very instrumental in forming in 1983 and continues to be his label today. One and All is Pieta's seventh release of her very distinctive lazy soprano floating on the Eastern Iowa sound started largely by constant partner Bo Ramsey– but it seems to me like she's just getting started– maybe it feels like that to her, too. One and All just came out on 180g vinyl, too! Here is my review of One and All.
10. Cheyenne Marie Mize – Before Lately – Postitively lovely, ethereal album from Ms. Mize who is known for her collaboration EP with Bonnie Prince Billy which was her previous release. This album is stripped down to a minimalistic endeavor drawing to focus her longing vocals. Every time I listen to this album I crush on it all over again. She helpfully puts the entire record up on Bandcamp so you can listen to the whole thing. Check out her wonderful Daytrotter session, too. There needs to be vinyl of this release. Here is my article on Cheyenne Mize.
11. Gold Motel – Summer House – I had not heard of Gold Motel until they made an appearance at the August Codfish Hollow show. Chicago-based band has roots in lead singer Greta Morgan's previous band The Hush Sound. The album is sunshine on CD– 60's girl bands meets Debbie Harry. I meant to write a review about this album following the afterglow of this show but didn't manage to– so, here is a review for Mezzic.com by Indie-Rock's biggest fan, Ms. Amber Valentine.
12. John Legend and the Roots – Wake Up! – I've always respected John Legend although I wasn't really a fan. The prospects of an album with his Philly brethren The Roots seemed like it could be magic. It was. I hope that this is not the last we'll hear from this pairing. The 2 LP version of this album is the way it is supposed to be enjoyed.
13. Katharine Ruestow – self-titled EP – Katharine Ruestow ends up on my list twice– she's also part of The Diplomats of Solid sound. This is her first solo effort– a collaboration with Matt Grundstad of Euforquestra. Jazzy, almost Trip Hop sounding pop. Totally worth your digital-download dollar. Click Here to read the review I wrote for Little Village Magazine.
14. The Wandering Bears – self-titled EP – This album came crashing onto my Top List in the last couple of weeks. I was doing research for my review of the Pieta Brown "This Land is Your Music" show. The opening act was a trio from Iowa City known as The Vagabonds. Two of the Vagabonds are also in The Wandering Bears which released an EP earlier this year that really took me by surprise! The sound comes off as a combination of maybe Rilo Kiley and Throwing Muses. Free download, so just go get it.
15. Beth Bombara – Wish I Were You – Around the same time that Pezzettino kicked off her Kickstarter campaign for LubDub, St. Louis musician Beth Bombara kicked off one for Wish I Were You. In fact, before I ever heard any songs for this album I offered up a video of me talking about why I love vinyl to help promote her campaign. I found out about Beth through Arial Hyatt's publicity website– back when there were fewer artists on it and the odds of finding very talented artists was much greater (my opinion). Her CD Robotic Foundation, was a mainstay in my listening rotation for over a year. Robotic Foundation was an edgy indie rock. Wish I Were You has its edgy moments- particular "Lately", but the album seems to explore a few different styles drifting between blues, folk and country. I love the album ending track "Don't You Know" with it's strings, banjo and harmony. Beth seemingly is part of like 16 bands in St. Louis, but she really shines as a solo artist here. Click Here to read my article about Beth.
16. Wolfgang Schaefer – self-titled EP – Wolfgang Schaefer is a relatively new musician on the scene and this is his first release. I met him during the tour this fall where he opened up for Pezzettino and both of them shared his very talented brother Ben on percussion and electronic wizardry. Margaret had been praising Wolfgang's music, but I foolishly hadn't followed up on it. Then I saw him perform live and was very impressed with his command of an audience. His music is VERY dynamic, so it's a trick to keep your typical bar crowd in sway. Finger-picked acoustic guitars propel his hoarse vocals delivering pained recounts of love and loss. My friend Amber wrote a really great review of this EP.
17. The Diplomats of Solid Sound – What Goes Around Comes Around – The Diplomats are back with their second release on Italian soul label Record Kicks. Like last time, the Diplomats are fronted by the female vocals of the Diplomettes who have by name apparently been absorbed into the band since they are not singled out in credit. Name detail aside, the band came back with a really strong release filled with the sounds influenced by the 60's R&B bands. I feel like the band has grown a bit in their songwriting with this release, too. Read my review at Little Village.
18. Drive By Truckers – The Big To Do – Love this album front to back– great party music with typical tongue-in-cheek lyricism from Patterson Hood and Co. It's cool to see this band blowing up a bit. I finally got to see them live this year when they opened for Tom Petty in Chicago. "The Fourth Night of My Drinking," "Birthday Boy," "Drag the Lake Charlie," "This F*cking Job," and "After the Scene Dies" are all instant classics for me. I never got around to writing anything about this release, although I listened to this album a lot in 2010. Here is the fantastic Daytrotter session for Drive By Truckers.
19. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mojo – This might be some of my "old guy" coming out a bit. I have been a constant fan of Tom Petty since the 80's. That said, his last two efforts– The Last DJ and Highway Companion (one a Heartbreakers release and one a solo release) were not as strong or consistent as some of his previous efforts in my opinion. When I started hearing the tracks that "leaked" via videos on line, Saturday Night Live appearances and his XM radio show "Buried Treasures" really started the interest in this release early. Petty stated that for this album they went to the studio loose and welcomed a more jamming approach and this, I feel, really makes for one of the most consistent albums from Petty in a long time. For an artist that could reasonably rest on his back catalog, it is great to see that he's trying to push the creative envelope.
20. The Budos Band – III – Any release from Daptone Records is worthy of note, but I really love the Afro-Rhythms guitars and Farfisa organ of The Budos Band. The band said that they went into the studio trying to break new ground for the band by braving psychedelic rock and ended up recording an album that sounding like a Budos Band album. After four releases, I feel like this album really shows the band in its element and this album is darker, I feel than the previous releases. Some recent tweets from the band had them soliciting ideas for a new album of psychedelic rock covers for them to tackle which should be interesting. Here is an article I wrote about the album.
Posted in Bands/Artists, Eastern Iowa, Media, Music, Out and About, Vinyl	| Tagged 2010, amber valentine, arcade fire, Backyard Tire Fire, Beth Bombara, Cheyenne Marie Mize, Death Ships, Drive By Truckers, Gayngs, Gold Motel, Hiss Golden Messenger, John legend, katharine ruestow, mezzic, Pezzettino, Pieta Brown, radio free chicago, The Budos Band, the diplomats of solid sound, the little village, The Right Now, the roots, The Wandering Bears, Tired Pony, Tom Petty, top 20, Vinyl, Wolfgang Schaefer	| 3 Replies
The It's Time to Play B-Sides Top 20 Albums of 2019
(Upcoming Release) Black Friday RSD Release "Miles in Tokyo" Reissues Exclusive Japanese Live Album – A Deeper Dive
(Upcoming Release) Miles Davis Gets Black Friday RSD Silent Way Outtakes LP – Early Minor – A Deeper Dive
(Upcoming Release) New Unheard Release: John Coltrane – Blue World – A deeper dive
(Upcoming Release) Hiss Golden Messenger Collects Pre-Merge Catalog and Rarities In 'Devotion' Box Set Out 11/2/2018
"Sometimes It Snows In April" – Parade (1986) | thisisnotmusicthisisatrip on B-Sides in the Bins #41 – Wendy & Lisa Interview
Iowa City Weekender: January 28-February 1 | Little Village on Upcoming Show: Mountains at The Picador in Iowa City 2/1/10
John C. Reilly will bring friends to the barn | Hoopla on Introduction: Confessions of a Music Trivia Savant
blumentopf on Overheard on TV: Helvetica Documentary Soundtrack
New Single "You Know I'll Always Love You" From Karyn Paige Released Today « Time to play b-sides on California Girl Karyn Paige is Feeling Minnesota With The KP EP (Review)
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


When I started my spiritual journey I had a belief that spiritual awakening had to be complicated. After all, that was my view of life. Life is hard. Life is complicated. It made sense that this journey should be just as arduous, challenging and complex as any other. We're taught in our lives to work hard for what we want, and that the things really worth obtaining don't come easy.
The further along I got in my journey, however, the more I began to realize that this thinking was entirely backwards. Spiritual awakening is about getting into your heart, slowing down, and feeling rather than thinking your way through life. When I slowed down and tuned into my feelings, everything suddenly became not only clear, but simple.
The deeper I embraced the love in my heart, the easier and simpler things got. The more I embraced the ease and simplicity, the faster my spiritual awakening unfolded. It began to become very obvious: the intense, over-complicated thinking that had me feeling tired, out of sync and closed off had been the problem, not the solution.
In order to truly tune in, expand my spirit and get excited about life, I needed to stop making it all so complicated and believe in the power of simplicity and slowing down. With these realizations, I began using my breath in an entirely new way. The more I used my breath mindfully, the less afraid I felt in my daily life. I truly started to get this thing everyone was saying about moving from fear to love, and that shifted and changed my life for the better.
You can also begin discovering new and powerful ways to use your breath in only a few minutes. With the help of some simple visualizations, you will begin remembering that breathing is a spiritual experience. Every breath you take allows you to tune in, heal, gain clarity and remember that you are alive. No matter where you are, or what you're doing, you have the power of the breath in you and with you always.
Practice these exercises for about 3-5 minutes per day. A wonderful tool to help you with this is the Insight Timer App for your smartphone (it's free and available in the app store). It's a meditation app that rings a soft bell at the end of your meditation. You set the time, and you can also set bells to ring each minute to bring your focus back in. You may choose one breathing exercise that you feel most drawn to, or rotate to a different one each day. When you are caught in a moment and need to center and get clear, recall your favorite one, and take a few breaths with the in / out pattern described. It really can be that quick and simple to shift your energy!
1.) Use your breath to remember your connection to the Universe.
Sit or lay quietly. As you breathe in slowly, think to yourself I am the Universe. Breathe in the energy of the stars, the solar system, the galaxy, and allow your mind to open and drift as far as you feel comfortable. With an equally slow out breath, think the Universe is me. Breathe your energy out, and imagine you are breathing out to the stars and beyond. Breathe in the Universe, and breathe out to it.
2.) Use your breath to connect to your heart space.
Put your hands on your heart. Close your eyes. Breathe in deep, and imagine that you are pulling in pure, white, loving energy. Breathe the air in as if there is a cloud of this beautiful, soft, loving energy around you. With each breath in, see your heart glow brighter and brighter with this divine white light, allowing it to saturate your heart so fully it pours out of you. As you breathe out, notice how calm, peaceful and safe it feels when you are tuned in to your heart.
3.) Use your breath to commune with your body & feel the connection between mind, body & spirit.
Learning to love our bodies can be an ongoing struggle. Sometimes the best way into it is to bypass the mind and feel how your body is the temple that holds your soul. As you breathe in, follow your breath into your lungs. Imagine seeing the nutrient-rich oxygen flow into your heart, and then out to every corner of your body. Breathe into all parts of your body, going from your head to your toes. Breathe out any feelings of disharmony, and allow yourself to remember that every part of you is an essential part of the whole.
4.) Use your breath to connect to the new and release the old.
Breathe in a new day, and breathe out everything that is behind you. Breathe in what you want, and breathe out what is done. Use your breath to remind yourself how natural it is for you to let go of the old. With each breath out, you release. With each breath in, you renew. You are doing this all day, and becoming aware of it can shift your entire perspective.
5.) Use your breath to easily shift your energy to love.
When you're in a place of love, you are in a place of flow. Breathing in love will help you to make inspired choices that move you forward, rather than fear-based choices that hold you back. As you breathe in, repeat the phrase breathe in love in your mind. As you breathe out, hold the thought breathe out fear. Remember to take long, nourishing breaths. Low levels of oxygen are directly related to anxiety, and the simple act of breathing deeply can do a lot to shift you out of fear.


text:
Pro-Res
Recycling programs comprise three elements in a continuum represented by the "chasing arrows" symbol: collection of recyclable materials from the waste stream, processing the commodities into new products, and purchasing products containing recycled materials. It has been estimated that each office worker in America produces from one-half to one and one-half pounds of solid waste each day, of which 70 to 90 percent is paper. Whereas paper comprises at least 40 percent of the American waste stream and businesses contribute one-third of the nation's solid waste, recycling programs in the business world commonly address waste paper. Corporate recycling programs, however, have come to include other types of waste, including glass, chemicals, oils, plastics, and metals.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Although the word "recycle" was not coined until the late 1960s, recycling has been a trash disposal option for centuries. Native Americans and early settlers routinely reused resources and avoided waste. Materials recovery was also a significant contributor to the U.S. effort during World War II, when businesses and citizens alike salvaged metal, paper, rubber, and other scarce commodities for military use. But the emergence of the "throwaway society" of the 1950s helped extinguish any residual recycling impetus. With seemingly unlimited landfill space, disposable and single-use products and packaging became the norm in the ensuing decades. Recycling did not regain popularity until the late 1960s and early 1970s, when environmental concerns rose to the fore in a 'green revolution." The first national Earth Day celebration in 1970 heralded antilitter campaigns, the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and some municipal and corporate recycling programs.
Legislation during that period provided an additional impetus for recycling programs, especially at the federal level. The Solid Waste Disposal Act established resource recovery goals as a priority for U.S. environmental and energy conservation programs. The Resource Recovery Act of 1970 amended the previous legislation by mandating paper recycling and procurement of recycled products in federal agencies wherever economically feasible. The well-known Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 completely revised both acts, imposing requirements regarding hazardous waste disposal and mandating the recycling of nonhazardous waste in federal facilities. The legislation included the requirement that federal agencies" purchase items that contain the highest percentage of recovered materials practicable given their availability, price and quality." Deposit laws enacted around the country encouraged recycling of glass beverage bottles and aluminum cans; recycling of aluminum cans reached an all-time high of 66.5 percent in 1997.
The EPA and the General Services Administration, which were jointly charged with administration of federal government recycling programs, launched "Use It Again, Sam," an earnest and widespread federal office paper recycling initiative, in 1976. Within two years, 90 federal agencies and their 115,000 employees were recycling, enjoying the support of President Jimmy Carter and guided by a comprehensive, EPA-issued manual. The recycling program declined in the 1980s, however, due to a lack of enforcement and oversight, budget cuts, apathy, and the EPA's concentration on administration of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation & Liability Act of 1980 (Superfund) hazardous waste cleanup program. Many state and local governments around the country stepped in to fill this void in the ensuing decade. Overall, however, low disposal costs relegated recycling to little more than an afterthought of solid-waste management in the 1970s and early 1980s.
In the late 1980s, however, several factors converged to revive interest in recycling as an attractive alternative to traditional disposal. Evidence of toxic leaks from, and dangerous buildups of methane gas in, landfills around the country brought closures, increased regulation, and public opposition to location and expansion of landfills. Incineration was briefly tested as an expedient solution to the mounting solid-waste crisis, but problems with stack emissions and the disposal of toxic ash undermined that option. Public recognition of the crisis crested in 1987, when a garbage barge originating from New York City traveled to six states and three countries before dumping its load back in its home state. The number of operating landfills in the United States decreased from 18,500 in 1979 to 6,500 in 1988, and it was projected that by the year 2000 only 3,250 landfills would be open for business. The dearth of disposal options in the latter years of the 1980s caused disposal expenses to rise dramatically: landfill costs in some regions (especially the Northeast and Northwest) doubled and tripled within a few years. At the same time, some states (e.g., Rhode Island, New Jersey, Connecticut) adopted mandatory recycling legislation. These factors combined with increasing consumer demand for environmental responsibility to prompt a second green revolution that swept the country—including the business world—in the 1990s.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, all but five states implemented recycling and waste reduction programs in response to the landfill crisis. Although the majority of states with recycling programs failed to meet their goals, solid-waste disposal was reduced to the point that, by 1997, most regions of the United States reported adequate landfill availability, and landfill tipping fees were on the decrease nationwide.
Increased globalization of business in the 1990s, along with the ever increasing strength of the environmental movement worldwide, also stimulated the development of recycling programs outside the United States. The adoption of the North American Free Trade Agreement, for instance, spurred the Mexican government to announce plans to develop a formal recycling industry by 1997. Other national economies, including those of France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan, either renewed or expanded their commitments to the recycling of paper, steel, plastics, and other solid-waste materials, in response to both international pressures and internal political developments.
BUSINESSES GET INVOLVED
Recycling programs emerged as "good business for business" in the last decade of the 20th century for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, recycling holds out the "bottom line" benefit of reducing waste disposal expenses. It also offered substantial, positive benefits for the local and global environment: recycling one ton of office paper saves 17 trees, conserves enough energy to meet the requirements of at least 4,000 people, and saves three cubic yards of landfill space. Futhermore, the use of recycled materials can reduce the production costs of glass, aluminum, and paper products. Also, businesses that market materials salvaged from discarded equipment and materials have emerged. Recyclers have discovered, for example, that metals including gold, silver, and platinum can be extracted from discarded telecommunications and electronic equipment.
Fort Howard Corporation (which is now known as Fort James Corporation following a merger), is a sterling example of the practicability of recycling programs. Established in 1919, the company made its first official commitment to the environment in 1930. Recycling became an economic imperative during the 1940s, when a shortage of pulp pushed Fort Howard to reprocess waste paper. By the late 1970s the paper manufacturer had reduced its use of virgin pulp to "an almost negligible percentage," according to a 1993 article in Managing Office Technology. Fort Howard worked with municipal governments near plants to collect household and office waste paper, winning the EPA's first Administrator's Award for Recycling Leadership in 1990 and keeping more than one million tons of waste paper out of landfills each year in the 1990s.
Although the paper industry greatly increased its recycling capacity, the proliferation of direct mail promotional pieces ("junk mail") led to a perceived increase in the amount of waste paper being generated in the late 1990s. According to industry statistics, however, direct mail advertising accounts for only 2.1 percent of municipal solid waste, and 13.9 percent of direct-mail pieces are recycled.
Adopting a recycling program can enhance a company's reputation with its customers, employees, and surrounding community. As environmentalism gained ascendancy in the 1990s, a corporate recycling program also offered a substantial basis for green marketing. IBM Corporation focuses its recycling programs on environmental and public relations benefits. Like so many other American concerns, IBM got its first shot at recycling by salvaging metals during World War II. The oil crisis of the 1970s provided the impetus for the corporation's energy conservation programs. The company undertook its office paper recycling program around that time, but still found room for improvement in the early 1990s. By that time, almost two-thirds of IBM's more than 9,000 employees worked in an office environment. Internal investigations estimated that high quality white bond and computer paper constituted 70 percent (or 512 tons annually) of its office waste. With participation rates of about 80 percent, IBM expected to recover 480 tons of wastepaper annually, and set a goal of 50 percent waste reduction. In the 1990s the corporation expanded its program to include wooden pallets, lawn clippings, and corrugated cardboard.
If for no other reason, many firms were compelled to reduce their solid waste to comply with legislation. AT&T undertook paper recycling in New Jersey in 1984, three years before mandatory recycling legislation took effect in that state. The model program's waste-paper sales earned $372,000 in 1987 alone, in addition to saving disposal costs. The program was expanded nationwide in the 1990s, and set a 60 percent recycling goal. In 1992 the company recycled 12,565 tons of waste.
Some firms report the best success rates with a comprehensive recycling program encompassing their entire waste stream. Veryfine Products, Inc. of Littleton, Massachusetts, started its recycling program in 1982 with copy and computer paper. In 1989, with the enforcement of EPA waste-water treatment and source reduction standards imminent, the company designed a "state-of-the-art," $8.5 million water purification plant, as well as water-conserving cooling towers. By the early 1990s Veryfine was recycling 90 to 95 percent of all solid waste generated in the juice making process, including glass, aluminum, paper, plastic, pulp, cardboard, wood, and steel. The program included an environmental newsletter, recycling committee, and suggestion system. Veryfine's president, Samuel Rowse, played a vital leadership role in these programs. In 1993 he noted that the corporation's programs had not only avoided nearly $400,000 in landfill costs in recent years, but also gained $158,000 through the recovery and sale of aluminum and glass. Rowse asserted that "Fragmented attempts at recycling, source reduction and environmentally friendly packaging are not enough to make a significant difference in the years ahead. Rather, comprehensive environmental efforts should be integrated into every facet of the business—from the front office to the shipping and-receiving dock."
Other food industries also saw the economic and social benefits of recycling. By 1998 two secondary markets for recycled cooking oil had emerged in the United States. The first, serving restaurants, merely reprocessed the oil for further use in cooking. The second, serving operators of diesel engines and equipment, modified the used cooking oil to create "biodiesel" fuel, which burns more efficiently and with less emission of pollutants than traditional diesel fuel.
FIVE BASIC RECYCLING PROGRAM
The federal government's 1993 Office Recycling Program Guide notes five basic, interconnected components of a comprehensive recycling program: education, collection, marketing, procurement, and monitoring and evaluation.
Education encompasses training of both leaders and participants in a recycling program. Studies have shown that the most successful recycling programs involve top-level management and require employee participation. Experts advise the appointment of a recycling coordinator or committee responsible for setting up, implementing, and monitoring the program. Some organizations employ environmental consultants to perform this function. Any recycling coordinator's first order of business is self-education. There are a wide variety of resources available to personnel charged with organizing recycling programs. Regional EPA offices and state-affiliated natural resource departments throughout the country offer information packets and recycling kits.
While recycling technically encompasses collecting, processing, and marketing, experts urge source reduction as an integral aspect of successful corporate recycling programs. Source reduction precludes waste management and its costs. Experts suggest several simple ways to reduce waste and reuse resources. Copy and write on both sides of a sheet of paper. Use coffee mugs instead of disposable cups. Reuse packing material and/or make it from shredded waste paper. Ensure that office equipment has a long life by negotiating strong service contracts. Route documents, or use electronic mail, instead of disseminating multiple copies. Have laser printer and copier toner cartridges refilled. Sears, Roebuck and Company's packaging reduction program, implemented in the early 1995, saved the retailer an estimated $5 million annually. McDonald's well-publicized partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund greatly reduced its packaging." Pollution Prevention Pays," a source reduction program started in 1975 by 3M Company, generated enough employee suggestions to save more than $500 million in operational costs by 1989.
After learning about recycling in general, recycling coordinators should acclimate themselves to the particulars of their company's waste-management program through a waste audit. A waste audit should note the sources, amounts and types of trash generated; the current methods and cost of disposal; and the volume of potentially recyclable trash. Based on these findings, leaders of recycling programs can determine which materials to target. Some experts advise beginning recyclers to limit their programs to one type of waste, usually high-quality bond and computer paper. Once participants have grown accustomed to recycling, the program can be expanded to include aluminum, newspaper, plastics, glass, and cardboard, for example. Some companies eventually recycle virtually all their waste. The types and volumes of materials to be recycled will govern the methods of collection employed.
Collection comprises the nuts-and-bolts logistics of separating, gathering, and storing recyclables from trash at their source. The most common methods are the desktop container, a series of designated containers, or a central collection area, but some businesses employ vendor sorting, where mixed recyclables are stored together and sorted off-site by the waste hauler. These containers are usually brought by janitorial or mailroom staff to a storage area, where the containers are kept until pickup by the waste-paper dealer. Some companies dealing with sensitive, proprietary, or confidential information may also need to consider destruction (by shredding, for example) as part of this step. Maintenance of quality standards is paramount in this aspect of a successful recycling program. Similar materials, such as white and colored paper, may have a market separately, but are nearly worthless when mixed. Processors of most types of paper discourage commingling of "stickies" (labels, stickers, and tape), food, and other contaminants. Although source separation has proven to be the best collection method, a new technology from Fort James Corporation marketed under the trade name Office Pack will allow businesses to collect virtually all grades of paper in one container. Such technological advances characterize the field of recycling, and are sure to continue as recycling enters the mainstream.
Marketing the recyclable materials to a processor involves research and contracting. Waste-paper dealers can be found in local phone directories or through contact with the Paper Stock Institute of America. The El Environmental Services Directory, "the nation's largest, most in-depth directory of environmental service providers," lists and describes more than 2,000 vendors. This component of the program obviously incorporates outside forces, including the solvency of the contractor and vagaries of the waste-paper market. It holds out the prospect, however, of converting disposal expenses into profits from scrap marketing.
Procurement helps "close the recycling loop" by arranging for the purchase and use of supplies made from recycled materials. These can include newsprint, tissue products, paperboard, and printing and writing papers. Some recycling experts suggest that companies purchase only materials that they can recycle, for example, only white paper or envelopes without plastic windows. The Environmental Products Guide, published by the federal government's General Services Administration, lists nearly 3,000 products that meet or exceed the EPA's guidelines for recycled content products. First published in 1989, The Official Recycled Products Guide includes nearly 4,000 entries on recycled products, with indexes, classifications, and cross-references. Although sometimes overlooked, procurement is a vital component of recycling programs. Some purchasing officers, in fact, report returns of 10 to 25 percent of materials' original purchase price. More importantly, however, without sufficient demand for recycled products, there will be no incentive for recyclers to reprocess waste. This aspect of office recycling in America appears to be lacking. A 1991 Purchasing World survey noted that while 87 percent of respondents collected used or excess materials for recycling, only half of the respondents' companies purchased products made from recycled materials for use in their own operations. This shortfall has been called "recycling's greatest problem" in the 1990s. In fact, the market for recycled paper products has been characterized by meteoric rises and falls. Between January and June 1994, for instance, the cost of recyclable paper rose from $18 to $110 per ton before falling to $80 per ton in November of the same year. The price rose once again to a peak of $200 per ton in June 1995, and then plummeted to $25 per ton by the following December. In the face of such shifts, manufacturers of recycled paper products often have difficulty competing with those using virgin materials.
Each aspect of the recycling program must be monitored and evaluated for efficiency and progress. A cost benefit analysis of the program can strengthen management support and encourage expansion to other areas of the company and/or other products in the waste stream. Periodic bulletins noting the number of trees, kilowatts of energy, and gallons of water saved by the program can keep enthusiasm high.
Another issue facing recyclers today is the liability assumed by manufacturers of environmentally hazardous products, such as oils, chemicals, and batteries. The Institute of Scrap and Recycling Industries (ISRI) provides a variety of services for manufacturers of environmentally hazardous recycled products in an effort to ensure that recyclers stay abreast of manufacturing and environmental regulations affecting their present and future operations.
Recycling industries have increasingly been subject to public scrutiny as awareness of environmental issues increases. Manufacturers and recyclers of plastics have, in particular, come in for criticism, as many forms of plastics that bear the chasing arrow symbol are very difficult to recycle, and usually are used only once. Increased scrutiny has led to industrial response, however, and the rate of recycling of plastics polymers in the United States has risen from just I percent in the early l990s to an estimated 50 percent by the year 2000.
In light of the economic, political and social influences that came to bear on the solid waste issue in the late 20th century, hundreds of major American businesses have launched recycling and waste reduction programs. Although the concept has received widespread media attention, the EPA reported in 1993 that less than 5 percent of offices in the United States participated in office paper recycling programs.
SEE ALSO : Environmental Law and Business
[ April Dougal Gasbarre ,
updated by Grant Eldridge ]
"Aluminum Can Recycling Hits a Record." Metal/Center News 38, no. 5 (April 1998): 99.
Beverly, Dawn. Business Recycling Manual. New York: INFORM, Inc. and Recourse Systems, Inc., 1991.
Brown, Robert. "Cooking Oil Recycling Projects Are Moving into the Mainstream." Chemical Market Reporter 253, no. 12 (23 March 1998): 8.
Curry, Gloria. "Increasingly Cost-Effective, Recycling Programs Continue to Grow." Office 118 (August 1993): 30-31, 51,55.
Erdmann, Bobbi. "Old Electronic Equipment Worth Its Weight in Gold." World Wastes 41, no. 8 (August 1998): 6.
Fernberg, Patricia M. "No More Wasting Away: The New Face of Environmental Stewardship." Managing Office Technology 38, no. 8 (August 1993): 12-19.
Goldstein, Nora, and Jim Glenn. "The State of Garbage in America." Biocycle 38, no. 5 (May 1997): 71.
Grogan, Peter L. "China Syndrome." BioCycle 37, no. 5 (May 1996): 86.
——. "European Influence." BioCycle 38, no. 9 (September 1997): 86.
Hoeffer, El. "ISRI Priorities: Superfund, Quality, Safety." Iron Age New Steel 12, no. 7 (July 1996): 39.
Hoke, Henry R. "Junk Mail: Waste Not, Want Not." Direct Marketing 59, no. 4 (August 1996): 80.
Kornegay, Jennifer. "Security Goes Green." Security Management 35 (August 1991): 95-96.
Larane, Andre. "Recycling Is Standard in French Auto Industry." World Wastes 41, no. I (January 1998): 8.
MacEachern, Diane. Save Our Planet. New York: Dell Publishing, 1990.
"More Mixing, Better Paper Diversion." BioCycle (August 1993): 60-61.
Office Paper Recycling Guide. St. Louis: Federal Executive Board, 1992.
Ortbal, John. "How to Cultivate an Office Recycling Program." Modern Office Technology (April 1991): 32-36.
Rowse, Samuel. "A Veryfine Approach to Environmental Awareness." Beverage World 112 (October 1993): 76-78.
"The Seven Myths of 'Recycled' Plastic." Earth Island Journal 11, no. 4 (fall 1996): 26.
Steuteville, Robert. "Corporate Recycling Reaps Savings." BioCycle 34 (August 1993): 34-36.
Strong, Debra L. Recycling in America: A Reference Handbook. 2nd ed. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1997.
Stundza, Tom. "Treat Scrap as Trash and You Throw Money Away." Purchasing 11 (18 July 1991): 66-69.
U.S. Federal Supply Service. The Environmental Products Guide. Washington: U.S. General Services Administration, 1994.
U.S. General Accounting Office. Wastepaper Recycling: Programs of Civil Agencies Waned During the 1980s. Washington: U.S. General Accounting Office, [1989].
U.S. Office of Administrative and Management Services. Office Recycling Program Guide. Washington: U.S. Office of Administrative and Management Services, [1993].
Webb, Nan. "Recycling Tasks Are Part of the Job." Purchasing World 35 (March 1991): 42-43.
Recycling Programs forum
Reciprocity (Commercial Policy) Refinancing


text:
in Theories & Analysis
by Sophia Penny July 25, 2017, 12:38 am
Part 11 of The Return was absolutely fantastic, if I remember right. I think I remember Miriam Sullivan climbing through the bushes, which was nice, because I had forgotten that she was still breathing after Richard attacked her in Part 10. I think I remember Becky spinning her mom's car around to throw Shelly off the windshield, but Becky forgot about that little mishap for several hours. That's okay though, because Shelly forgot that her daughter was in major trouble for shooting up an apartment door as soon as she saw her beau at the window. I don't remember seeing the sick girl in the angry woman's car until she pulled a Linda Blair impersonation. Did she manifest out of nowhere, or did my eyes totally deceive me?
David Lynch is a master at creating a dream-like reality, and the problem with dreams is that they are hard to remember. You might remember a feeling or a vibe of a dream, or a specific image or sound, but the more you try to put the pieces together the further you get from what really transpired. Sometimes it takes an object or event from your day to jog your memory. You know that something happened… and it's important… and you might not want to kill that guy if only you could remember why… oh yeah, CHERRY PIE! But what happens if you don't remember your dreams, or reality, until it is too late? And more importantly, what if you cannot trust your own memory?
Bill Hastings has no memory of Ruth Davenport's death when he is first questioned by the police, but he does remember dreaming about it. Later the memories come clicking back into place and he is able to direct the police and FBI to the place that he last saw her. He remembers going through the hole in the fence, he remembers walking 15-20 feet, and then what? "I don't remember."
Something is happening at 2240 Sycamore (ring a bell?) that is warping the minds of those who trespass—or even downright stealing them. Gordon and Albert see the "homeless man" lurking about, but do they remember that he appeared and disappeared without a trace? Diane sees a woodsman sneaking up to the police car before Bill's head implodes, but doesn't bother to mention it until reminded later in the day. She looks confused when she says she saw the man leaving the car, but she isn't sure. However, the audience sees her witness the man creep towards the car, and not away from it. Although we still aren't sure where Diane's loyalties lay, it is apparent that she is genuinely confused about whether or not she remembers seeing the woodsman. Their discussion then jogs Gordon's memory of his vision of "dirty, bearded men in a room." (Granted, the woodsmen were only seen for a flash before Gordon was distracted by getting yanked out of a vortex, the discovery of Ruth's headless body, and Bill Hasting's sudden death, so it's not like he didn't have other things on his mind.)
Something is also happening in Las Vegas that would warrant the purchase of a high-quality tinfoil hat. When Candie and her wingwomen arrive at the end of the episode Candie is in a complete daze. She never does answer Rodney Mitchum's question when she is asked where she has been, but dazes off into space for several moments before responding with a comment about the traffic on the strip. Does she know where she was? Does she remember how she got back? Will we ever know where she was or why she is so dazed? And Dougie/Coop, our poor, dear Dougie/Coop, has little to no clue where he is or how he will get back. He does have glimpses of recognition, however, that lead us to believe that he is still in there somewhere. He hears America the Beautiful as he gazes at the flag at the police station, he is fascinated by badges, and he has the muscle memory of how to disarm a small hitman with a gun. It's those little flickers of recognition that cross his face that fuel us with hope for Cooper's return, but for how much longer can he go without remembering who he is or where he needs to be?
There is some kind of force taking, manipulating, and selectively giving back memories to the characters of Twin Peaks. In the Land of Lynch memories are not tied to the rules of chronological time, and oftentimes memories of future events come to light in dreams preceding the event. Laura dreams of Annie telling her that "the good Dale is in the Lodge" long before Cooper is even called to the town of Twin Peaks. Cooper dreams of Laura's doppelgänger/cousin Maddy before she is introduced to the series. He also dreams that Laura tells him who killed her and manages to remember every aspect of the dream EXCEPT for what she whispered in his ear. Who, or what, is controlling these memories and manipulating dreams? If the one-armed-man has the ability to lure Dougie into a bakery and buy a cherry pie, and to cause Bradley Mitchum to have a prophetic dream about their meeting in the desert, why does he not have the power to give Coop his memories back? Are the same forces of evil that are responsible for the deaths and befuddled memories at 2240 Sycamore responsible for Cooper's loss of self? What is it going to take for the fog to lift and enlightenment to occur?
I had the answer in a dream last night but now I can't remember what it was.
dreamsmemorypart 11The ReturnThe WoodsmenTwin Peaks
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text:
Changzhou International School was a key provincial school in the Xinbei district of Changzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. It had around 1,000 enrolled students from China and abroad.

History
Changzhou International School was founded in 1997 as a pilot middle school by the Changzhou Xin Bei government and the Changzhou education bureau. The school was founded with a 190,000,000 RMB initial investment.

Geography
The school sat on 12.6 hectares in Changzhou's Xin Bei district, approximately 10 km north of Changzhou city centre.

External links

Official website

International schools in China
Buildings and structures in Changzhou
Educational institutions established in 1997
1997 establishments in China

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


You saying Bartholomew Row threw me a little bit, I thought you were talking about the Jewellery Quarter. But Obviously you meant New Bartholomew St (where did you work). I do know the pub you mentioned. I may have used it once, there were quite a few others round there.


hello my name is Raul Aguilar. i'm a vegan, Taoist, avid reader, a math and science aficionado, an amateur brain and AI enthusiast, and like wearing forever wrinkled shirts. born 1961 graduated Electrical Engineering in 1987 at the University of New Mexico. have two beautiful kids from a previous marriage, a son 18 and daughter 12, both not living with me.
a zen-like clear mind from the Sprout and Turmeric Diet allows me to create Android and Swift apps like there is no tomorrow and loving it! got my mojo back (in Austin Power's speak). i've created the below products and services the past three months. more is coming. like any artist, i prefer to keep my projects under a cloak until they are complete.
Flying fresh tomatoes are welcomed! They're a vegans best compliment!


text:
STRONGER THAN AVERAGE HOME SALES IN OCTOBER
in Market Updates
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON (November 5, 2018) ––
REALTORS® sold 514 homes through the Multiple Listing System (MLS® System) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of REALTORS® (KWAR) in October, an increase of 7.8 per cent compared to October of last year.
On a year-to-date basis, 5,070 residential units have sold compared to 5,822 during the same period in 2017, a decrease of 12.9 per cent.
VIEW PDF RELEASE
"It was a stronger than average October for home sales and listing activity," said KWAR President Tony Schmidt. "Gradually increasing interest rates could be nudging both buyers and sellers from the sidelines of the housing market."
Residential sales in October included 297 detached (up 4.6 per cent compared to October 2017), and 128 condominium units (up 19.6 per cent) which includes any property regardless of style (i.e. semis, townhomes, apartment, detached etc.). Sales also included 36 semi-detached homes (down 18.2 per cent) and 47 freehold townhouses (up 23.7 per cent).
The average sale price of all residential properties sold in October increased 7.7 per cent to $489,725 compared to the same month a year ago. Detached homes sold for an average price of $576,731 an increase of 6.2 per cent compared to October of last year. During this same period, the average sale price for an apartment style condominium was $310,215 an increase of 24.1 per cent. Townhomes and semis sold for an average of $387,602 (up 10.9 per cent) and $403,750 (up 13.8 per cent) respectively.
The median price of all residential properties sold last month was up 6.5 per cent compared to October of last year at $444,500 and the median price of a detached home during the same period increased 8.5 per cent to $525,350.
"Not surprisingly we're seeing the biggest surges in average price happening in the denser forms of housing such as condos," says Schmidt. "This is partly a reflection of demand being strongest in the entry-level price ranges as well as there being more newly constructed units in the mix."
REALTORS® listed 760 residential properties in K-W and area in last month, a 14 per cent increase compared to October of last year, and 12.7 per cent above the historical ten-year average of 674. The number of active residential listings on the KWAR's MLS® System to the end of October totalled 1,014, which is 21 per cent higher than October of last year but still 461 units fewer than the previous ten-year average of 1,475 listings for October.
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The new men's black stainless steel watch from the Brompton collection is this years investment piece. Featuring a standout 44mm case with a black dial and contrasting matte and gloss finishes throughout, this design is a welcomed break from tradition. The 1970's inspired Arabic numerals and a classic black bracelet strap compliment modern design features such as additional date and seconds dials. Perfect as a special treat for yourself or the ideal gift for a loved one.


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text:
Sheikha Moza attends Stars of Science 10th anniversary celebrations
MIA celebrates 10th anniversary with 'Syria Matters' exhibition
'Chia Nation' eyes self-sufficiency in healthy foods
Qatar attends St Petersburg Cultural Forum as guest of honour
WISH 2018 focuses on tackling pressing global health issues
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Qatar Foundation anniversary attends celebrations Stars of Science Sheikha Moza
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the Stars of Science 10 year anniversary event yesterday at Qatar Foundation headquarters in Education City. Celebrating a decade of Arab innovation, Her Highness toured the exhibition displaying the prototypes and inventions of Stars of Science alumni, as well as their achievements in pushing the boundaries of science, technology and entrepreneurship in the region. PICTURES: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF) and HE Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, on Wednesday attended 'Stars of Science's' 10th anniversary celebrations at QF headquarters.
Designed to celebrate a decade of science, technology, and innovation in the Arab region, the event brought together 51 alumni from across the 10 seasons of QF's popular edutainment reality TV show to talk about their experiences and their innovations.
HE Sheikha Hind said, "This event is a microcosm not only of 10 seasons of Stars of Science, but of the extent of innovative talent that exists across the Arab world – talent that Stars of Science identifies, nurtures, and places on a globally recognisable platform. "Our Stars of Science alumni are ambassadors for Arab innovation, proving what is possible through having a great idea, the dedication to transform that idea into an invention that can benefit people's lives, and the imagination and resilience to overcome challenges and realise their goals.
Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended the Stars of Science 10th anniversary event on Wednesday at Qatar Foundation headquarters in Education City. PICTURE: AR Al-Baker/HHOPL
"Stars of Science is designed to create real-world impact, and support a thriving ecosystem of innovation and tech entrepreneurship across the Arab world. Its alumni are testament to how the show continues to achieve this purpose, and to QF's belief in ensuring ideas that can improve lives, strengthen societies, and help to shape the future have the opportunity to do so."
Experts from the public and private sectors, academics, Stars of Science partners and supporters, and members of the QF community took the opportunity to learn more about the innovative products and services that have emerged from the show during its 10 years of driving interest in science and innovation amongst Arab youth.
Khalid Aboujassoum, the first Qatari winner of Stars of Science in 2012, and his innovation 'Oliver' have come a long way since winning Season 4. Aboujassoum established Tahi Technologies Inc in Qatar, filed for a patent in the US, and received a research and development grant from Qatar Development Bank. Tahi Technologies has since been rebranded as Else Labs, and opened a branch in Canada.
"Stars of Science truly embodies Qatar Foundation's commitment to its vision of unlocking human potential," Aboujassoum said. "We are here today to celebrate a decade of innovation in the Arab world, honouring innovators from around the region, and the phenomenon of searching for answers supported by evidence and systematic deduction."
Omani contestant Sultan al-Subhi, runner-up in Season 6, is currently working on his innovation, 'eShara for Education' – a unique Wi-Fi device designed for communities who do not have access to education. "Stars of Science provided me with a toolbox, equipping me with certain skills and abilities to further my innovations -- and, in the future, I would like to see advancements that aim to give back to the community," al-Subhi said.
Ahmad Nabeel, inventor of the 'Virtual Beam and Self-Cleaning Laparascope' – a surgical tool that minimises the risk of infection – which took second place in Season 9 of Stars of Science, was among the show's alumni attending yesterday's event, and said, "As innovators, Stars of Science believes in us, invests in us, and allows the rest of the world to discover us."
This year's Stars of Science finalists are Nour Majbour, Salim al-Kaabi, Sylia Khecheni and Walid Albanna. The Season 10 winner will be announced during the Grand Finale episode airing on Saturday and online voting is open until 9:00 GMT on Thursday.