Life is good

Man, I am so fuckin' sorry. I haven't called you in the past few days, I haven't been calling anybody. Well, okay, I did call my older brother in California, had a good conversation. I made a couple of calls trying to get some weed.

Did you find any, farmboy?

I'm waiting for a friend of mine to deliver some. I love the idea of weed delivery. 

So, what kind of week have you been having? Write any new songs? Listen to anything good?

I've been writing a whole lot, man. I think some of it is good, too. I hope to maybe finish a song this weekend. It feels so fuckin' good to have new stuff to play, you know?

I've been listening to music a lot more than I have been lately. Louis Armstrong, Father John Misty, Sufjan Stevens. Pretty fuckin' cool stuff. I like listening to music again. I haven't been and it feels good. 

I also listened to Billie Holiday on the radio. It was, like, the 100th anniversary of her birth. I love her. What an amazing singer.

It sounds like life is going pretty good, farmboy.

It's been nice. I've been eating better for a while now, so I'm feeling more energy. That, plus it's springtime and it's sunny and warm and there's lots of color. And it's Friday! Life is good.

I can tell. It's good to see you feeling like this, farmboy.

Fuck, man, it's good to feel like this, you know?

Favorite albums of 2010

It's time, farmboy.

Time? Time for what?

It's time for you to list your favorite albums of 2010.

My favorites? That's gonna be interesting, man. I can't afford to buy no fuckin' albums any more. I don't know if I've even heard ten albums this year.

Well, do five, then.

Okay, then. The big number one is High Violet by the National, which may be the only CD that I really surrendered to.

Number two? I guess that would be This is Happening by LCD Soundsystem. 'Cause James Murphy is always fascinating. And funny.

Three: Ali and Toumani by Ali Farke Toure and Toumani Diabate, from North Africa, Mali.

And then number four would be, um...

I told you I haven't heard much. I've been more concerned about my own music, my songwriting, this year.

So is this quits, then?

No, no, there's got to be...Okay, number four is The Suburbs by Arcade Fire. Which means number five has got to be The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens.

But, man, I'm leaving so much out, not to mention all the music I haven't heard this year. I haven't heard Mavis Staples' new album. and I love Mavis Staples. There's groups like the Local Natives and Surfer Blood and Freelance Whales that I love but I haven't heard their CDs. I haven't heard the new one by Kanye West, and that's supposed to be great.

I think it's great that you've been working on your music so much this year.

Thanks. I think so too. I also think it's pretty good when too much quality music is a problem, you know?

These chance encounters

Hey, I had an adventure, man. I took the bus downtown and went to a Sufjan Stevens concert at this big old fancy theater.

That's great, farmboy. How was it?

Oh, it was a great show. Unfortunately, there's not much leg room there, so I was in physical pain for much of the concert. But the music and projections on the screen and the whole spectacle of Sufjan with a 10 piece band was pretty fuckin' wonderful. The seats were good and the opening act -- a guy named D.M. Sith -- was really good and really well received.

But you know what was really cool? I went by myself, but the people next to me were great and so I got to have friends for the concert. I love that. You know, the chance meeting of people. That's the great thing about going by yourself somewhere or travelling by yourself -- you get these chance encounters that are pretty fuckin' great.

Nice folks. Two college students named Tyler and Allie.

So it was a good night. And, with that, I'm going to bid you a good night.

Hey, farmboy...

Yeah?

I'm glad you went and I'm glad you had a good time.

Thanks, man. It's also payday and a friend gave me some weed. It's been a good day, man.

I mean, like, real sadness

Hey, man, I got the new Sufjan Stevens CD today.

I don't know him. Should I?

He's really great. He's real ambitious. He can break your heart sometimes.

I've seen you do that, farmboy.

I love sadness in songs. I mean, like, real sadness. That's just the best thing in the world. People are always saying that they can't listen to something because it's so depressing. I hate that. You know, one of the things that music is designed for is to comfort you when you're sad, to express that sadness, you know? But instead we're so fuckin' afraid of our sadness. Even in art. Well fuck that.

I mean, I don't want self-pity, I don't want whining. What I want is the expression of feelings and thoughts inside me.

That's what you do.

Yeah. I'm one of the lucky ones.