Hello
It seems ages since I last wrote a blogpost here. In fact, it has been ages!
A lot of things happened since I last posted here: I got a new job. I'm working at the public library in Ghent. An awesome job that I enjoy very much! I became a father for the second time of a beautiful daughter called Penelope. She's 8 months right now and I'm writing this while she is asleep and before I make her lunch.
I contributed to the 2 issues of Diggers Magazine. Diggers is a magazine curated, edited and illustrated by my friend Tom. He has an awesome recordstore here in Kortrijk: Crate Records. Totally recommended! He's a very creative busy bee because on top of this he also released his second illustration book called 'Accolades'. I'll put links below this post. For issue 1 of Diggers I contributed a short piece on visiting Crate Records for the first time and an interview with Belgian shoegazers Slow Crush. For the second issue I wrote about choice overload in record stores and I did an interview with Julien Baker. Her new album was my favorite one of 2021. Because I don't have new material to publish now (I hope this will change soon) I'll post my piece on choice overload right here.
I recently really enjoyed My War fanzine by my friend Kristof. In issue 9 and 10 he published 2 awesome interviews with Ian Mackaye. I think both issues are sold out already but you might want to get in contact with Kristof here.
My favorite records right now that get the most spinning are Christian Lee Hutson's album 'Beginners'. Great singer songwriter stuff produced by Phoebe Bridgers. Another favorite is my original press of the Rites Of Spring record I got at FX7 Records. Another highly recommended recordstore in Kortrijk.
What can you expect from this blog in the near future? I read a lot (thanks to working in a library of course) so I might write more about books and graphic novels. I was blown away by the work of Derf Backderf so I'll write something about that.
See you soon and in the mean time: here's that piece about choice overload in record stores:
Whenever I enter a good record store I get slightly moist hands. Partly because of the excitement of being in the company of so many good records but also because I tend to suffer a bit of stress.
You see, I love music. And I love a lot of different genres of music. Here’s what goes on in my brain and my behavior when I enter Crate Records (one of my favorite stores in the country and only a 5 minute bike ride away from home):
I check out the new arrivals first. Because you never know what that section has to offer that I overlooked on Instagram, Facebook, (online) magazines,… If I don’t find anything in there I go upstairs to start browsing the records. That’s when the slightly stressed part comes. I need to check out the indie/alternative section because I have recently fallen in love with Superchunk and the re-issue of their first record is in there. I need to keep up with my Lungfish collection and I know Dischord recently re-released some of their albums so I need to check that out. I slide over to the punk and hardcore section because I know there’s a re-isssue of the Minor Threat EP with a blue sleeve and on blue vinyl and that looks awesome so I need to get it even though I already have the regular version.
I need to check out the hip hop and rap section because I really got into Czarface last year and the new album with the late MF Doom is out. Let’s not forget the soundtrack section because I love Star Wars and there have been vinyl releases of the soundtracks for the movies. Merzbow is in the electronics section and I still need the Relapse re-issue of ‘Venerology’. Choice overload kicks in and I go from section to section. The only remedy to this is to take my time when I visit the store. My brain can’t handle a short 10 minute visit after work.
I work at the public library in Ghent. So I’m at the source of thousands of good books, graphic novels, movies, … You can imagine the choice overload and the stress that brings me sometimes. I recently got Nick Hornby’s ‘Song book’ in which he writes about his favorite bands and songs. I checked out the Spotify playlist based on the book on the train home and got really into Teenage Fanclub so now I need to hear everything they made. It’s a never ending cycle.
Sometimes I’m jealous of people who are only into a couple of genres and stick to those in their collection. But when I’m dancing to Superchunk’s ‘like a fool’ with my four months old daughter or get my mind blown by Merzbow when I’m home alone or blasting Czarface with the windows open during a hot summer afternoon or when I imagine myself at a Minor Threat show in 1981 while they’re playing ‘Filler’ I really wouldn’t have it any other way.
Here are the links I promised:
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