Wow, it's been a lonnnnng time since I last blogged. Tonight we are going to see the Fluid, one of the greatest bands of the good ol' days of grunge. I am very happy they are doing more shows..their last two, which were also their first reunion shows since breaking up in the late '90s, knocked my ass to floor and my back to the wall - simultaneously! They haven't lost an ounce of their swagger, their ferocity, or their chops. Still one of the best, and I can't wait. So, what have I been up to since October? Well, I'm working as the editor for Easy Street Records' website, a miracle in itself in the current economic wasteland (not to mention the dark cloud that has hung over record stores since downloads bullied their way into the party). I feel grateful that I am not only working, but once again, working in a field I am passionate about. It's a LOT of work - writing content, dreaming content, churning out newsletters, banners, getting freelancers, label relations, plus all webmaster stuff, designing pages, etc. in a field that is so competitive and evolving that one has to have a leg up at all times. So, although I'm officially part time, I find myself working most of the hours of the day anyway, although I don't always charge for it. All the different tools to get used to, all of the tedious data entry (which is unfortunately part of the job as well), the time spent researching other sites, hunting around for fresh news, trying to talk people into writing and then coordinating it once they do, the time studying metadata trying to figure out why we don't show up in the first five pages of Google results for "record store" searches, the time spent finding good images and resizing in Photoshop, and asking labels and bands for mp3s, and coordinating banner campaigns with labels, and putting together weekly news for the site and a weekly newsletter. It all leaves very little time for LISTENING to new music. I can't concentrate enough to write when I listen to music, otherwise I'd have it made. But it's good experience, I get to work at home (a blessing and a curse), and I am really committed to make the site the best in its field by summer. Wish me luck!

The other great thing about working for Easy is all of the new music I do manage to listen to. Stuff that I would've have never dreamed of checking out. I'm still old school - thousands of LPs, still listening to old rock stuff. But some of the newer bands are really quite good - Moondoggies, Blitzen Trapper, Cave Singers, to name just a few.

Anyway enough of that...sick of typing, sick of looking at goddamn computer screen, now have to get ready for a Fluid Friday!

LATER