A few exciting things happened this week, including receiving invitations for interviews for jobs at CMU (Student Activities position that I mentioned last week) and at Pitt. The nerves are running wild as I get prepared to interview for two awesome positions, but they may have been outshined by the anticipation I had built for the new album from The Strokes that came out on Tuesday, Angles. Below you can hear the first killer single, "Under Cover of Darkness".
Technology has changed the way we experience new music. Albums leak, bands put tracks on their Myspace page, or we can see the bands playing tunes on late night shows, all before the album is released. This has basically eliminated the anticipation we can feel for buying that album the day it comes out, except for the rare occurrences like Sufjan Stevens and Radiohead who keep their release under wraps until a few days before it happens.
Tuesday I went to The Exchange in Oakland and picked up Angles, paying more than I'd like. It was worth it, though, with the first uber-80s blast that comes from the album's first track, "Machu Picchu" and the soothing calm that overcame me with the second track, "Under Cover of Darkness". I had been feeling nostalgic (surprise, surprise) about the days when buying CDs was the way to go and there was no way to hear the album before its release. I can still remember the day I bought Blindside's About a Burning Fire in 2004. The explosion in my ears from the opening track, "Eye of the Storm", sent chills of excitement up my spine.
I wanted to recapture this feeling, so I do not plan on listening to any album before its release if I plan to buy that album without hearing it anyway. I'll allow myself one song, just to get that excitement rolling. Taking Back Sunday, Death Cab for Cutie, Bon Iver, this means you! You can hear a track from the new TBS here and a live performance of a new DCFC track here.
Job Search
In other news...the ACPA Conference is this coming week, so I'll be in Baltimore trying to make some connections for possible job opportunities. Most importantly this week, I'll begin the interview process for the aforementioned Student Activities job at CMU, which is a top pick at this point. I'd love the opportunity to stay in Pittsburgh longer and get my feet wet with some students with whom I can easily relate in a position that will be busy and far from monotonous. My love for college radio and student activities at-large are getting me very excited for this interview!
On the other hand, I do have opportunities elsewhere, including a meeting about a career counseling position at Virginia Tech. I'm broadening my horizons to see what other cities, schools, and jobs are out there, so pray for me during this process!
Sports
Also, did anyone see the Arizona-Duke game last night? Derrick Williams is a monster. I am getting stoked for their match-up with Kemba Walker and UConn on Saturday night. These are the types of players Pitt needs to recruit in order to get to the next level. UConn is not a better team than Pitt this year, but Kemba Walker is the type of game-changer that Pitt has never had, which is why they're still playing in this tournament.
Curious if those few artists are the only ones on your "short list" of buy-before-you-try artists. Without thinking it through, I'd say there are probably around 10 bands/artists whose next CD I will buy with no reservations...maybe not quite that many. It's a fine line, because while there are a lot of artists whose work I really love, the majority of them still haven't quite earned my trust to that level... Some bands, like Mumford & Sons, have an absolutely incredible album out that blows my mind, but am I ready to give them credit for an equally spectacular follow-up and drop the cash without even one listen to confirm they don't have a sophomore slump? (Answer: for M&S, I think I am... for some other bands, probably not.) Other bands, like Jars of Clay, have an amazing track record (JoC self-titled through Who We Are Instead) but let me down a bit with the last one I bought (blindly... "...deaf-ly?") I still love JoC, but I am not quite as ready to take the plunge without a listen after liking (but not loving) "The Long Fall Back To Earth"...
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