BEAMING WITH PRIDE: The DDC on the “Fifty and Fifty: State Mottos” collective! Way proud.

We were the lucky ones from the state of Oregon tasked with “interpreting our state motto.” Fun stuff. I think back to a time as a youngster, where a certain bumper sticker blew my little gourd. in the Michigan Northwoods. “EXPLOREGON!” on the back bumper of a Saab in my little hometown. Sounded so exotic. Sounded so adventurous. Even the Saab was a bit mysterious. Anyhoo, that’s the vibe I wanted to go for, the excitable, bulbous, optimistic quality of, say, a button from the early ’80s. The kind of shit I flip through all day long, in the the travels.

Something like this, more or less.

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IN GREAT COMPANY: There’s been so many incredible submissions along the way….

“Minnesota” by Northwoods crawler Erik Hamline!

“Texas” by a very longhorned Curtis Jenkins!

“Vermont” by longdog lovers of Always With Honor!

“Kentucky” by the bourbon-soaked Nate Utesch!

“Ohio” by ol’ “Buckeye Breath” himself, Mikey Burton!

“Massachussets” by a sword-wielding Mark Weaver.

Ah, hell, they’re all fucking great. Get in there. See them all. Now.

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WHY LIFE IS GREAT: This showed up today, and man, I’ve been waiting a loooong time to score a copy of it for the record collection. My Jim O’Rourke section is complete now, well, at least all the stuff I want. All that other weird “experimental/jazz-ish/noise/phone left of the hook dialtone drone” stuff is a little too much for me to handle. I like his “pop” stuff, and I’ve got it all on vinyl now. Awesome. Life is great.

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HEADING DOWN TOMORROW: For the Spark Y-16 Conference in the beach enclave of San Diego, California. Speaking to 300 of San Diego’s greatest citizens!

So close to the border, too. Tijuana, you beast of the night! Yer lure will not seduce me.

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ON THE PLAYER:

01. The Psychic Paramount - II (Very loud it play!)
02. Night Marcher - See You In Magic
03. Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
04. Obits - I Blame You