visions.

A quiet thought.

I'm standing side-stage, of an overwhelmingly large auditorium, the kind with three balconies and exclusive boxes attached to the walls, where royalty may have once sat. There's a large, red velvet curtain that is concealing the stage, and the gentle lull of nervous, anticipating conversation is swimming throughout the audience. The stage is occupied by only one item: a simple, elegant, black grand piano.

From the other side of the stage, I can see you anxiously pace from one wall to the next. You're not nervous, rather you're excited, and when you glance over to my side of the stage, you flash me this smile, as if to say, "I know something that you don't." You've never been good with secrets, and sooner than later the entire auditorium will be on the inside. The house lights are dimmed, subtly, and the auditorium is hushed. The curtain is drawn, and you make your entrance, in pure beauty. The audience claps, quickly, as to not waste any more time; everyone is just as excited to discover this secret you want to share. So you bow, politely, and smile at the audience the same way you smiled at me. You sit down, and right before you press the first key, you look up, and nod towards me; your eyes tell me, "this one's for you."

records of the year.

Time for this year's best of list. Get down!



15. Feist - The Reminder

This record blew me away the first time I heard it: a much more mature, produced sounding record, with some of Feist's best songs to date. It probably would have made it even higher on the list if every person with a TV hadn't have agreed with me too.



14. Mixtapes and Cellmates - Mixtapes and Cellmates

I'm almost positive this record came out this year, but it's hard to tell. This band is just another group of Swedes that completely amazed me this year. Sweden went from being another place I'd like to visit some day, to a place I NEED to visit. This record grows on me each time I hear it, and it will be the perfect record to fill the void for the people waiting for a new Postal Service record.



13. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

A lot of people will call this the album of the year, and it probably deserves to be called that. Another surprise for me; I wasn't really amazed after hearing the first few tracks, but this record works as a whole. "The Past Is A Grotesque..." may be the greatest 11 minute song ever put in the middle of a record.



12. Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

Another surprise record for me. Since my infatuation with all things Swedish began, I've been picking up absolutely anything by any Swede. I had listened to "You're So Silent...", but I had never really got into it. This album, on the other hand, had me hooked from the first listen. His ability to tell a story through a song is brilliant, and the arrangements and overall instrumentation is so cool. One of the best feelgood records of the year.



11. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog

The first time I listened to this record, I didn't get it. I'd never been a fan of Sam Beam's more full-band stuff on "Our Endless...", so I didn't really know how to take this record in. And then I saw him live. I think that in order for this record to REALLY take effect, you need to see it performed. After that show, I haven't been able to stop listening to it. It really does have everything that made me fall in love with Iron and Wine to begin with: the whispering voices of beautiful melodies, with the sleepy harmonies. "Flightless Bird..." has to be my favourite song of the year.



10. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

About a week ago I DJ'd a dance party, and "Everday", though early in the mix, had the place losing it. Probably one of the best dance songs I've heard in ages. If you can find the video of "Everday" being performed at the Pitchfork Festival this year, do it. You'll know what I mean.



9. The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain

The Acorn have been one of my favourite bands over the last few years. I'd been waiting for a full-length from them for quite some time, and I'm happy to say that they didn't disappoint. They seemed to combine all the things I loved about their EPs, and put it in to one record. Again, another album that just flows so well, and "Lullaby" is one of the best album closers of the year.



8. Band of Horses - Cease To Begin

"No One's Gonna Love You" has to be the prettiest song I have ever heard. This record was a welcome step from "Everything...".



7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

I remember during the summer, when Wilco posted their record to stream off their site. I immediately got a hold of my friend Andy, another big Wilco fan, to let him know. He asked me how it sounded, and all I could think of was, "soft". The production on this record is brilliant, much like the production on "A Ghost Is Born". Here, though, it feels more like a warm walk in the sun, whereas "A Ghost..." is a like a warm blanket, in a very cold room. One of the most mellow, subtle records of the year.



6. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position

This guy is just absolutely ridiculous. I mean, look at that album cover. This was definitely my left-field pick of the year. But again, the flow of this record made it so easy to listen to. It's really like going on an adventure. Such weird, happy, beautiful music.



5. Radiohead - In Rainbows

I would have loved to give this record the number one, but though it's only a few off, this record is still absolutely amazing. I had no idea what to expect, and I was incredibly pleased. It has enough experimentation to make it something unique, but enough straight up rock and roll to make it accessible. Definitely their best record since Kid A.



4. Miracle Fortress - Five Roses

The definition of a summer record. I had read about this record on i(heart)music, and the next day found it in futureshop for a mere $12. I bought it on a whim, and never looked back. I can't believe this record hasn't made Graham Van Pelt an indie superstar, but I suppose I should enjoy the time when I have him to myself. Expect huge things from this band.



3. The National - Boxer

Right from the start, this record pulls you into something. It's catchy, it's dark, it's got some really beautiful songs, it's got some really harsh songs. The lyrics are so complex, and hearing them through that deep baritone creates this atmosphere that is amazing.



2. Justice - †

The best electronic record since "Discovery". Amazingly catchy songs, with some of the best dance beats made in a long time. This record just doesn't quit, too. Right when you think you've hit the peak, you get "Stress" and "Waters of Nazareth", two of the sickest songs I have ever heard. The bar has been raised.



1. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City

This album summed up my first half of the year. Of all the records released this year, none resonated quite so much as this one did. I had loved "Silent Alarm" and, as seems to be the trend, was a little weary of this record. My first few times through, I thought it was alright, nothing amazing. But after seeing them live, I become obsessed. This record was on repeat on my iPod for at least two months. Something about the combination of the danceable music, and potent, prophetic lyrics just hit me. This record made me want to write music that said something, that discussed the things that our culture needs to discuss. It also made me want to dance. The critics weren't completely impressed by this record, but thankfully I'm not a music critic. I think this record is a perfect documentation of our culture, and our times, and when I look back to life in the 2000s, I think this record will say much more than a lot of other records.

pure beauty.

i can't say enough good things about this record. i had the joy of seeing the lovely folks in iron and wine play some lovely songs on tuesday. i'll post some pictures someday, but for now i've only got my words.

the other day a friend of mine said that he physically missed being at this show he had seen this summer. i told him that i felt the same way about this iron and wine. what i wouldn't give to be back there. some of the highlights had to be sodom, south georgia, upwards over the mountain and flightless bird, american mouth. his rock and roll songs absolutely slayed, and his slower stuff completely mellowed out every person there. it was amazing.

so, go out, get the shepherd's dog, and listen to it in headphones. love!

on a snowy night.

Thanks Vince, you've been great company tonight. Please don't take any offense to this, but if it were up to me though, I'd have been with someone else.

Yours truly,

Jamison.

latest additions.

some new, some old, some re-found.

1. radiohead - in rainbows
2. okkervil river - black sheep boy
3. iron and wine - the shepard's dog
4. daft punk - alive 2007
5. sigur ros - hauf/heim

who wants to play scrabble.

done.

i'm officially done listening to anything anyone has to say on the topic of relationships. everyone is just as confused as everyone else.

our so called friend.

hey berk, thanks for the okk.

"loving is as loving does, and you and i should know because we both have loved and lost, and are alone."

fast dancing

1. the blow - parentheses
2. kings of leon - king of the rodeo
3. the postal service - we will become silhouettes
4. stars - the ghost of genova heights
5. daft punk - revolution 909
6. the rapture - don gon do it
7. bloc party - banquet
8. chromeo - outta sight
9. daft punk - digital love
10. css - off the hook
11. tokyo police club - your english is good
12. patrick wolf - accident & emergency
13. the faint - your retro career melted
14. ratatat - seventeen years
15. notorious b.i.g. - party and bullshit (ratatat remix)
16. shout out louds - normandie
17. the field - everday
18. css - knife (grizzly bear cover)
19. mixtapes and cellmates - hold
20. phoenix - consolation prizes
21. clap your hands say yeah - in this home on ice
22. wolf parade - i'll believe in anything
23. ratatat - lex
24. kanye west - champion
25. lcd soundsystem - all my friends
26. black kids - i'm not gonna teach your boyfriend how to dance with you
27. m.i.a. - boyz
28. coconut records - nighttiming
29. malajube - le jus de citron
30. girl talk - hold up
31. peter bjorn and john - up against the wall
32. justice - phantom pt II
33. the spinto band - crack the whip
34. dizzee rascal - fix up (ratatat remix)
35. you say party! we say die! - the gap
36. junior boys - in the morning
37. hot chip - boy from school

EPIC

bowie.

oh, the humanity. no shave november takes no prisoners, so i've discovered.

i wrote some words this weekend, on a cold, windy day, while i was tucked inside. the fire was burning, and the national were singing us songs. here's what came about.

1. His story of her.

The night is alive with flashing lights, green and red, sliding down each building and on to the wet streets. Your eyes reflect all those shades of life, as they bounce off your pupils into mine. You're smiling because all of this seems new, and the city seems endless. Not endless in the way that you know, with the sun stretching across the entire horizon, but rather it's like an endless moment. Each block is another story; another collection of individuals with their ironic tales of love and loss. Most people back home know your story already, but here, you're just one of a million stories. So we take drives, which we know doesn't help a cause, but you say it's your favourite way to take in the city. The unassured comfort of four wheels.

2. Her story of him.

He spends so much time outside, just sitting on the bench, staring out into the abyss of wheat and grain. I think when city folk, like him, come to the prairies, they like the silence. In fact, the only sound at this time of the evening is a faint train, and the occasional siren from the distant highway. I had always thought of this boy as such a complex being, which is why I think he was drawn to the simplicity of the vast expanse of field and nothing. He would hold my hand as we went on our midnight walks down the gravel road. He'd always exclaim about how beautiful the stars were, and how he never wanted to leave. "Home," he would say, "is a starry night." And with him there beside me, I couldn't agree more.

all aspirations, and falling asleep.

after a day of not eating (unintentional) and too much coffee (very intentional), today seems very sleepy. that's not to say that last night didn't have it's highlights. let's just say that after two animated children's films, and the first half hour of a film classic, some ridiculous things were said. here are some of the classics:



"how is the real queen going to fit into that cat!? she's huge compared to the cat!"



"kids love this shit!"



"UNCLE OWEN, THIS R2 UNIT'S GOT A BAD MOTIVATOR"

there you go alex, you're nineteen now. maybe for my birthday you can excavate a cake for me.

all i know is tonight

dante; scrubs; headache; loose leaf tea; seven swans; text message; to own a dragon; headband; hard drive space; sweet and salty bar; oreos with milk; "that dress looks nice on you"; messy desk; cat vomit; rosie thomas; arrested development; preparing; weekend thoughts; purpose; long term-short term; autumn love; set list; sufjan cover; older books; falling in love; touch lamp.

the breaks.

stockholm is calling.

tracey is a lucky girl; i wish i was in sweden.

needs.

on the eve of something big.

random memories from tonight:

sitting in a big chair at dan guenter's house, drinking loose leaf green tea, listening to 'true love waits' by christopher o'riley. feeling so at peace, in awe of how a man could take the beauty of a radiohead song, and make it that much more beautiful.

telling rob, "there's this girl with these adidas hi-tops. she seems cool."

being so underwhelmed by the lack of difficulty when playing super smash bros., some 8 years ago. finding it incredibly difficult now.

tomorrow will be a day of many greats. hope you have as good a day as i will.

sleep well.

complications.

thinkings: i guess the acorn are on the cover of exclaim. i should go to the cdplus and pick it up. their new record is pretty good. it's growing on me, that's for sure. new radiohead record in a few days. that's should be pretty good. i bought a polaroid camera today. i just need to pick up some film, and then i'm good to go. speaking of which, post final exam week equals road trip to portland. i hope donald miller knows what's in store for him. but in case he doesn't, here's what's good: we're going to take him to coffee, pick his brain, and allow him to be as poetic and beautiful as possible. in other news, the new radiohead album comes out on the tenth. of october. 2007. that's this year. i know, i'm a little overexcited. but i mean, come on, it's radiohead. if you don't love this band as much as i do, you are obviously either deaf or an idiot. that's a little overdramatic, but you get what i mean. ok computer is still a good album. for real, it hasn't aged at ALL. here's the way i see it though: pablo honey, the bends and ok computer are put together, with ok computer being the most progressive of the three. then, kid a came along and totally blew them out of the water. then you have kid a, amnesiac, and httt, with httt being the most progressive. (listen to httt again. it's out there. kid a at least has flow). so where does this put the new record? the next in the chapter of threes, which means, i predict this album will completely polarize fans, just like kid a did. hopefully i still love them, but i can't see myself not loving them. doesn't make much sense. ok computer is really good, also. the guitar work is the best of their career i think. jonny really got nutty with the effects and such.

that's enough for now. time for a shower/shave/sleep.

it's alright ma, i'm only DYING

come on people now, take your depressed friends out.
BLOG
..dear wal-mart,

though you still have a grasp on my t-shirt market, i am happy to tell you that no longer will i be needing your photo-developing services. though we've had a long, tumultous relationship, i've moved on from your affordable prices and shoddy workmanship. if you must now, i now will be printing the photos of myself.

cordually,
Jamison.

dear t-shirt market,

please give me an option other than wal-mart.

i love you.

Jamison.

THIS IS THE WORST EVER



and that's life these days.

hiatus.

i like this, and all, but i'll be spending more of my time here: one, two bicycles, three, four, or here: just for the kingdom.

hope to see you at either.

Jamison.

hot damn!

amazing.

mac davis

mac davis says:

GENERAL GRIEVOUS ALWAYS GETS HIS REVENGE

stream it like a stream: myspace.com/lautomobiledebonbon

i know a good day when i see one.

i have a new tradition: every six months, i'll take a trip to downtown chilliwack, and spend some time with my friends at the back of "the book man", a used book/record store. i found some AMAZING deals, and some gems:

the police - regatta de blanc, synchronicity, ghost in the machine
lionel richie - can't slow down
miles davis - sketches of spain
bob dylan - blood on the tracks, slow train coming
prince - purple rain
seals and crofts - summer breeze
james taylor - greatest hits
joni mitchell - blue
rolling stones - between the buttons
keith jarrett - facing you

i got those three police records for four bucks each. i'm so stoked on life.

Jamison.

you, me and real life.

so another summer has come and gone. with one week left, i can easily say that i have had quite a good summer. there have been so many good times spent with new friends and old. i've worked a lot, but i've found a way to manage my work and free time in such a way that the two never seem to get in the way of each other. i've listened to so much music over the past four months, that it would be pointless to try to choose a defining record. but here's the best i can do:

the summer 07 mix.

the acorn - dents
miracle fortress - have you seen in your dreams
justice - d.a.n.c.e.
wilco - either way

i'm really looking forward to the fall, and the winter, and the summer after those two seasons. basically, i'm pretty stoked on life. maybe i'll get to see you soon. hopefully!

Jamison.

bandits.

good walking music.

desormais.

move over feist.

ohhhhh

that makes much more sense.

poetaster.

it's stinking hot this week, so come to cultus on wednesday; all people welcome. we'll be the guys with the boombox, playing all your favourite classic rock songs via cassette tape.

summer-y

i realized today, that i'm having a good summer. i'm doing more summer-y things than i figured i would. i haven't made it to the beach yet, but all in due time. my farmer tan is getting more and more gnar as the days go one. i'm listening to records more, which is so much more of an experience than listening to music through itunes. it takes effort to pull out a record and put it on; itunes is a mere click away. i think i'm going to take some pictures of the sunset tonight. last night was amazing, and there are even more thin clouds, which means even more prettiness.

here's a little something to put you in that summer mood.



later kids.
Jamison.

i'm on the next train.

trains are just so much more romantic than buses, aren't they. i wish i lived in the 1900's, when trains were all we had. i think there's a cross-country, canadian train ride that happens. i think i want to do that someday.

as for today, i went golfing nice and early with mon frere. i hurt my foot pretty bad on hole five. what happened was we were heading down this hill that was still a little slippery from the dew. anyways, my dad goes to press the break in as we're going down, and he accidentally clicks the parking break in (same pedal). so we start to turn/slide 90 degrees, and i get thrown out. luckily i landed on my feet, but i think the back tire caught my foot; my slip-on went flying off my foot. it felt pretty sore, but around the 10th hole i took my shoe off and noticed the back of my foot was bleeding quite a bit. so we called it a day, and i've had my foot elevated for most of the afternoon. it's pretty sore, but the bruising isn't bad, so hopefully i'll be fine to work tomorrow.

my msn/myspace abstaining is going well; i've only been on my two bikes profile, and most of the time there's nothing to check anyways. so i've been learning to check my e-mail for a notification, and if there isn't one, i'll just leave my computer. i find i've been watching way more movies, which is much more productive than lurking on myspace. i watched the sandlot today, which is a great afternoon movie. it made me wish i lived in a more innocent time, when playing with friends were all we had to worry about. responsibility isn't all it's cracked up to be, and i barely even have any.

in other news, i have a for sure concept on all the songs that are going to be recorded for my two bikes ep. it follows a pretty steady trend of all the other songs, but it's specifically going to be about a book idea adam roper had. each song is going to tell a story that hasn't happened, but could have. roper's idea was to write a journal from a road trip, that is completely fictional. the first track on the record is about this one experience i had, where i could have gone on this road trip (with three really great people) but i declined because of some awkwardness i had with some of the people. ask me about it sometime. anyways, the song kind of sets up the record, and a sort of "what if i had gone on that road trip". i'm stoked on it.

alright, time to ice my foot, then off to play drums for a church. i'm going to down a rockstar before practice, and hope that i can't feel my foot while i drum.

Jamison.

motherboy xxx

little did george michael know that he wasn't going north to the promise land. he was going south.

south to motherboy.

america: freedom, bald eagles and more freedom.

events that should be noted, even though they weren't documented:

- the hot dogs we ate outside the stadium were unreal.
- the amount of canadian fans at an american baseball game was overwhelming. it was nice to know that we weren't alone.
- after not taking an exit we should have (my bad), we ended up at the border crossing station that goes into vancouver. so of course it was bumper-to-bumper for half a mile. so we figured we'd find some back roads, and head east until we found one of the less busier, more country stations. after driving 110 down a country road surrounded by pine trees, with the windows down, we found one, and waiting 20 mins (as opposed to the 2 hours we would have spent at the other). the road was really hilly, and driving fast down it, with the windows down, felt so good. maybe my favourite part of the day.
- we made fun of america so much, and i loved every second of it. sorry american reader, you've got it coming.
- we followed some girls with a bc license plate for a while, trying to show them a note that said "coffee? bellingham? (rob's cell phone)", but they weren't down. it's all good, they probably couldn't handle us.
- seattle is a beautiful city, and i hope to visit it again soon. daft punk is there on july 29, and i know kevin is going, but if anyone wants to come/drive with me, we should get on it. i mean, it's daft punk.

that's all folks, hope you enjoyed the video, and i hope you had a lovely, freedom-filled canada day. FREEDOM ISN'T FREE!

Jamison.

i get by (with high cheek bones).

so, i'm kind of taking a break from the myspace/msn thing. i'm still checking/updating my music profiles, but i'm taking some time away from the personal profiles. the truth is that i was getting way to involved in them. like, emotionally involved. getting frustrated or sad because someone hasn't replied to a message, or because they don't want to talk on msn, is not a great way to live. so i'll probably be spending more internet time here, which is fine with me. i like this one way conversation.

so, i saw a lot of drunk people today. they're not that great. sorry souses, i just can't spend time with you. these ones were not good company: they were all pretty old, they had kids that they were neglecting, and they were just really gross. that's not to say that i'd condone a young, child-caring, clean drunk, but maybe those people don't exist. who knows. either way, if you're going to have kids, and bring them to a wedding that's being held at a golf course, don't get so wasted that the kids start running around wreaking havoc. nobody wins then. still, i found ways to stay happy throughout the day: i prayed for the people at the wedding (christian!), i drank a rockstar drink (still feeling it), and i turned the radio up really loud when "jaws of life" by wintersleep came on. man, i love that the fox plays it, it's such a good song. my co-workers made a comment about my purple sweater today, alluding to hand gestures and davies st. (gotta know vancouver to get that one). i shook it off, i'm comfortable with my purple sweater.

i'm going to a BASEBALL match tomorrow. i'm going to buy a beer, and yell at the players a lot. expect a video blog. unless that last video blog was beyond lame. let me know if you like them. if you do, i'll keep em coming. regulars (shaina, jumo, tracey, zach), let me know.

alright kids, hope you all had good days too. let's hang out soon!

Jamison.

fort blog part one.

though it was day two of fort construction, today was the first day that it was documented.



will the fort stay up!? will it be destroyed by punk rock kids!? keep tuning in!

rollin and scratchin.

"the mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death"
-oscar wilde.

hmm.

water from the same source.

the sound of the cars, just a breath away from the screen in my window, melted into the rising strings. the sound of the friction between tire and concrete seemed to be recorded right into the mix. the wind was like a soft hand, slowly brushing the hair from my eyes.

it was all the way it was meant to be.

indie pop mix.

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN: 1. page france - glue; 2. tokyo police club - your english (live at cbc radio 3); 3. architecture in helsinki - heart it races; 4. i'm from barcelona - this boy; 5. the spinto band - oh mandy; 6. mates of state - beautiful dreamer; 7. belle and sebastian - get me away from here i'm dying; 8. the new pornographers - sing me spanish techno; 9. phoenix - one time too many; 10. camera obscura - let's get out of this country; 11. math and physics club - la la la lisa; 12. voxtrot - fast asleep; 13. deerhoof - the galaxist; 14. peter bjorn and john - paris 2004; 15. the acorn - sent (awake the kraken); 16. shapes and sizes - oh no, oh boy; 17. miracle fortress - have you seen in your dreams; 18. ohbijou - st. francis; 19. immaculate machine - jarhand; 20. the blow - parentheses; 21. loney, dear - the city, the airport.

with this, i will be having fun times all...summer...long. FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN.

hello.

hey there, nice to see you again.

this is a completely true story:

after writing up a deliciously witty, artistic composition, the internet said, "NO! this is TOO MUCH!!!", and it vanished from my sight. next thing i know, i'm stuck with a background of sufjan stevens, and a blog, lost in time. the really ironic thing is that the last words in the blog were, "...man, the internet can be pretty neat some times." thanks internet, you dick.

alright, here's a synopsis of what the lost blog looked like:

- i've been spending a lot of time at work, working. it's going well: i have great co-workers, all very nice people, who seem to enjoy me as a person. i drink a lot of liquid, and eat chicken fingers almost every day. the restaurant manager even knows that i like barbeque sauce. she's an intuitive one, i think. i'm not a huge fan of the job, but i get compinsated well, and they didn't have to hire me, so i can't/won't complain. no matter how much i'd like to.

- i've been listening to these records: (it was all coded and such, so i'm lazin it up now) 'boxer' by the national (record of the year); '(the ep) ep' by owen (sleepiest record i've found this year); '(cross)' by justice (electronic record of the year); 'the reminder' by feist (crossover/massive stardom record of the year). i listen to other stuff too, like the spinto band, the field, joy division, the acorn, loney dear, the frames and other stuff. also, whatever is being played on the take away shows website is normally pretty great.

- i've been writing lots of music, that you can listen to here: two bikes. they're like country songs, aka not that great (HA), but i have fun writing about less serious subjects. andy and i were discussing how liberating it is to sing words like "baby" or "darling". i guess it comes along with the scene. either way, i'm having fun, and andy likes the songs, so i guess i'm on to something? maybe you'll like them too. here's one:

two bicycles - homes away from home. this song kind of sums up what these two bikes are all about: having a sweet summer, with a really great girl, who's up for anything (especially road trips). oh by the way, if you know a girl like this, show her these songs, and then my phone number. you know how we do!

alright kids, time for arrested development, and then bed. beach tomorrow. love.



Jamison.

pictures.

here's some of the scenery from my trip, thus far:















see you next week.

Jamison.

week 1: the wind, the waves.

aloha mainland suckaz!
it's been hard to find a connection out here, (minus the resort's house computer, which has a fifteen minute limit. not nearly enough time for a good report) but i just found out that the resort has poolside wireless. that's right folks, that cute, bookish nerd with the mac and the american apparel v-neck, in the corner of the pool area, is yours truly.
let's take a look at some of the exciting times that i've had this week: we drove around the hillside for a while yesterday, stopping at a botanical garden, and admiring the view from the high points of the island; we've spent a day and a bit at the beach, swimming in le pacific. (one day was cut short by INSANE winds, that blew sand all up in the lenses of my glasses, leading to a few new scratches) the beach by our resort is so great: lots of soft sand, and no rocks on the ocean floor. but this does equal sand everywhere, which is a little frustrating. but i'm in hawaii, so i try not to care. let's see what else: my brother and i have been watching the daily show and colbert report every night; played rook a few nights with the fam (and lost, ruining my once prestine reputation); went surfing this morning, which was very nice. it's like longboarding and snowboarding combined. there was lots of coral in the cove we were at, so my feet are a little banged up, but i will be just fine. OH, we stopped by this massive mall yesterday while the maids were cleaning our room, and i found those slip-ons i'd wanted to buy for forever. if you've talked to me about slip-ons in the last few months, you know that those were top priority in my shoe world, and i've got em! stoked stoked stoked!
alright, my broseph needs to check his email and the million facebook friend requests that await him. hope all is well on the mainland.

Jamison.

day 1: travels.

yesterday can be summed up by two words: airplane and hunger.

upon arriving to the airport, i had a (disgustingly filling) chicken strip combo from a&w. this nourishment (or lackthereof) was going to last me the entire night. my family and i waited for an hour at hour gate, before boarding and taking off to the Hawaiian island of Maui. the flight was alright: westjet has leather seats, and a decent amount of leg room, so i couldn't complain. i drew pictures, listened to a lot of music and read a good chunk of Velvet Elvis (Rob Bell) and jPod (Douglas Coupland). both very different, yet both very good.

we arrived in the humid Maui airport at about 12:30 BC time, and the first thing we got to experience was an airport that was devoid of any windows. as the rest of my family took advantage of the restrooms, i quietly leaned against a rail, and took in the warm, ocean air. the first thing you notice when you take in a breath is the sweet smell in the air. after getting our rental car, enduring a quick downpour (Hawaii is very indecisive about its weather) we were off to our resort.

arriving at the room was a little disheartening: all of the patio furniture was inside our room, and it was quite a mess. we weren't sure whether they thought we weren't going to arrive that night, or what, but it was strange coming into a room where we definitely didn't feel welcomed. as well, there were only two beds in the room, which forced my older brother and i to fight over the ownership of the extra bed. i gave in, took the floor and slept alright through the night.

today has been beautiful. our resort is about a thirty second walk from the ocean, and it's very warm and humid here. it's also quite windy, but the breeze is nice and cool, so the warm air isn't too much to handle. the family took in some ethnic breakfast (denny's...we're in america!) and off to a traditional Hawaiian marketplace (which features an old navy, borders book store AND hawaiian superstore, which features more alcohol than i could ever dream of). so right now i'm in our van, stealing an internet signal off of the Office Max (suckers), with the windows down, enjoying the view from the parking lot (which really is quite amazing). i'll post some pictures whenever i can, but here's a quick description of the landscape: the ocean water is a beautiful blue, darker then you would think. there are very large, high mountains that erupt from out of the water, and because they haven't been taken over by land developments, they are all still full of trees. because of the indeciseive weather, it changes from overcast to clear blue sky from minute to minute. there are palm trees EVERYWHERE, and the sand on the beach by our resort is almost white.

i'll send you some more updates as they happen.
mahalo, and goodnight from paradise.

Jamison.

WOO!

is anyone else stoked on snl lately.

"where is prince!?"
"prince got scared of your voice, and now he is hiding"
*shot of prince hiding behind a giant vase looking scared into the camera*

if you're still a big LAMEwad, and you haven't watched since will ferrel was on, and you still liked linkin park, then get down with this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNL_Digital_Short
they have links to every one.

"when can i get off this thing, prince?"
"you can get off, when we get down."
*queue prince guitar solo*

GENIUS

distractions.

i've been spending a lof of time here:
http://justforthekingdom.blogspot.com

i've been writing lots of music, which ends up here:
http://www.myspace.com/thetremulance

i've also been spending alot of time here:
the dentist.

but my teeth are feeling:
great.

country i've been in love with this week:
sweden.

girls i've gotten over this week:
all.

girl i've fallen in love with this week:
annie clark.

number of times i will use this format, again:
probably never again.

let's all enjoy iced tea, no?

Jamison.

dentists, who needs them.

i can't feel my face.

closer.

it's a colder evening, but still lovely out. i'm getting over my cold (hurray) and i'm not swamped with work (hooray). let's get our media on:

Jose Gonzalez



i can't remember the first time i heard jose gonzalez, but i know that that was a good day. i know there was this huge blog hype over him a few years ago, and it's seemed to die off, but no lies, this guy is just amazing. 'veneer' his debut lp is an amazing collection of nylon strings, potent lyrics and that voice...my word that voice. it's distinct, and you may need to get used to it, but when you do, it will be like sitting by a warm fireplace, blankets wrapping you up. 'crosses' is one of the best tracks off 'veneer', and it holds a really special place in my heart (lame?). i also posted his cover of the joy division classic, 'love will tear us apart', which is off his australian tour ep. go buy 'veneer', don't front!

MP3: Jose Gonzalez - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division Cover)
MP3: Jose Gonzalez - Crosses

Eagle Vs. Shark



you heard it here first: this movie will be huge. can't wait.

that's enough media bombarding your screen. go outside and ride a bike, or at least write a song about riding bikes. see you in the real world.

Jamison.

sky blue sky.

this evening makes me nostalgic. it's the kind of evening where a friend would show up at 5:30ish, and ask my parents if i can come outside and play. of course, it would be too early, and i'd have to eat dinner first. but i'd eat dinner so fast that it made my stomach hurt. i'd try to get away with not eating the veggies, and beg my parents to be excused. then i'd run out the door, and out into the street, where there would probably be a game of street hockey going on. then at 8:00 or so, my mom would call out into the street, that it was time to come in. so i'd tell the guys i'd see them at school tomorrow, and i'd run back home.

this evening is the kind of evening where i'm expecting a friend to come ring our doorbell.

a heavy night.

so killa cam and i had purchased four tickets to see the monster that is Bloc Party (along with softer, fuzzier monsters Final Fantasy and Smoosh), about a month in advance. needless to say when the day rolled around we were literally on the edge. our other two tickets were quickly snatched up by two lovely ladies (alex "ringtune" friesen, and chelsea "transfer? no thanks!" boehr), who also were beyond stoked on seeing these amazing bands. i wanted to take pictures the whole way along, but you know how it is on trips, it's easy to forget you've got a camera. so here's our story:

our trip started off with a gas fill up (arizona ice tea: 1) and a stop at maybe one of my all time favourite places ever: the bubble tea restaurant! their mocha smoothie with pearls is right up there with arizona and vanilla coke. this lovely shot shows off my great coat, and my sweet pearls, if you know what i mean...



from bubble city, or whatever it's called, we were off to maybe the prettiest section of beautiful british columbia: the skytrain station in surrey. mmm...foliage.



now i honestly wish i could have videotaped our skytrain ride to vancouver, for this one reason: hoochie mommas going to a Christina Aguielaararara concert at gm place. i tell ya...we had the pleasure of listening to their charming banter about politics and 18th century english literature. actual quote: "eww, look at all those skanks in line!" as soon as they got off, we all enjoyed a serious chuckle.

off at granville -> "dinner" at burger king -> serious sidetrack at American Apperal (v-neck!) -> into maybe the nicest venue i've ever been in. here's the goods from the show.

i wish it were clear; cam's moustache was out of this world. i'm talkin deep space nine.


final fantasy's set up was so minimalistic and perfect. his use of the projection screen was pretty much perfect.





chels was a little stoked on bloc party.



i was still a little upset that we couldn't hang out with bloc party as they dj'd at a clothing store on robson, so i didn't smile much in pictures from that night. chels made up for it.



i'm going to say that this was the nicest venue i'd ever seen a show in.



so bloc party took the stage, and completely destroyed the entire city. the lights, the sound and the breathtaking balcony dance party; everything about their set was perfect. here's the best picture i could take.



they didn't play kreuzberg, but i still love them. in fact, i may love them more. queue up some death cab for the ride home, some jones soda and a lot of quiet out-of-window pondering, and the trip came to an end. an amazing band, show, v-neck shirt and night.

go see bloc party.

bon soir!
Jamison.