I Heart North Collinwood

North Collinwood is an awesome place. This is not news. Rather, it is news, thanks to the WSJ and local network news programs lately. But I've known about it for a while now, and if I know about something, the lid has been blown for a while.


(Management meeting at Music Saves)

Still, as per usual, the neighborhood was practically convulsing with coolness today. The new Waterloo Cafe began edging its way to openness with a limited menu - still, the toasted pita with cheese and tomato was delicious. Great in/out-stores were going on at Music Saves and Blue Arrow Records. The Beachland rolled out an inaugural lunch menu. Low Life was open, as were the other galleries on the street. Shoparooni had a fucking homemade photo booth for the day, for christ's sake! It was great.


(Crowd shot at Blue Arrow Records - isn't this place awesome looking?!?)

And I bought new cds. Actually, I was pretty restrained, limiting myself to two new purchases and one used one. I snagged the new records by The Thermals and Holy Fuck, and a used copy of Spiritualized's Songs in A & E. I've decided to put myself on a recorded music diet, lately - no more than two new albums and a "little something special" every two weeks. We'll see how long that lasts, though. Past diets have worked about as well for me as new economic plans worked for the Soviets.


(Trouble Books outside Music Saves - their last album is the single best thing I've heard out of Ohio ... ever!)

Anyway, I love that neighborhood and am proud to announce that, as of this morning, I'm gonna move there. I agreed over the phone with my future landlord to sign a lease and will be packing my shit and trucking (or, ideally, paying someone to truck it) over there in late summer. I'm pretty excited about that.


(The Very Knees outside Music Saves. This just looks like rock and roll to me.)

In case you aren't terribly excited about it, that's cool - here are some things you should be excited about. As I spent my day o' music listening to stuff while driving around I've come to the conclusion that the new Abe Vigoda EP is fucking terrific and might rival Sholi's new record as the best single album I've purchased in 2009 (though the new Bishop Allen one is pretty sweet, too). "John Brown" off of Papercuts's Can't Go Back album is the best song I've heard in forever. And Trouble Books are super sweet to see live, even if they are sitting in the shadows on the sidewalk playing with only a sketchy PA and no microphones.


(Prisoners at Blue Arrow Records. They were good.)

Also, sunshine rules. Today's weather almost makes me believe in god. Almost. It does make me glad to be around.

(Note: All photos taken with my shoddy, zoom-less, non-light adjusting cell phone camera. Sorry if you think they suck. Maybe I feel the same was ... about you. Ooooh Burn!)