Welcome to the Working Week

Well, Im gonna get a job again. At least I intend to if I can find something. In a week I will be moving to Davis to live on a couch owned by my pals, who are also my bandmates. So I think I will try to find some sort of easy job that is within bike riding distance and I can make enough money to pay my bills and have a little left over to blow on music gear every now and then. So that ought to be cool...except for the working part. Maybe I will become a male stripper?

I am also getting geared up to start branching off into the bay area soon. I keep thinking that, but always hesitate, because sub consciously I dont think I am ready.

We have a demo now as a band, which will help, but we are coming up to another busy month and a half, where everyone in the band is racked with schoolwork so we may want to be patient.

I have done a little writing again too, which is refreshing, cause I was worried it would be hard to get back into if I took a break from it. Luckily for me I have all sorts of great stuff around me to influence me, and I am trying to get better and better. Which reminds me - I would like to do a lot more reading, of poetry and books and such...so I would love to hear some suggestions of things to check out. George - I really want to check out a Henry Miller book, and was wondering what would be a good one to start on. Seriously people give me suggestions.

Anyways, I have been writing some more folky/acoustic stuff recently mainly because I was thinking of recording a solo acoustic album to give me something to do. I mean a lot of people may shake their heads at that statement, because I am also trying to record an album with Chris and continue work with The Human Fund. But due to everyones schedules right now, that work is limited and will take a long time before anything is produced. Especially with Chris, who is almost never available. I usually spend all this freetime practicing, but I would like to branch out even more, which will open up my practicing to more then that of the guitar. It will help me practice collaborating with other people (whoever I get to record and mix said album) and it will help me learn arrangement, since I will be trying to write different parts for different songs and so on.

But who knows what will happen. A lot of my songs I wouldnt be satisfied with being just acoustic, but there is a decent sized chunk I could see fitting that style. So Im gonna keep writing and see what I can come up with. If I can get a solid 8-10 tracks I will really consider completing this project as soon as possible.

I just get really antsy about getting my material out there, and making it so other people can hear what I have to say. If they dont like it, thats fine, but I would be a lot more satisfied if I could make more and more of it accessible.

Anyways Im done blah blah blahing...

Check out the album of the month and such on my mixes blog...

Also, dont forget to give me reading suggestions!!!!

Top Five Bands By Decade

I went to a Cracker show last October, and while pissing, a kid in a cowboy hat came in and exclaimed to me that Cracker was the best band still around. That got me thinking about whether or not he was accurate, or even if he was remotely accurate. And so this list was born so I could determine if Cracker was even in the running, and just how good they were. Not too mention I could also figure out just who is the best band still around...or the best band ever...

I am not talking my personal favorite bands, but rather who I think was the best...Of course I am not an expert of all type's of music, so if something great gets left out, I apologize...I am only working with what I know and what I have heard.

So read it and let me know what you think...(Side Note: I limited my honorable mentions to 3 bands for each decade, because I didnt want to just throw in everyone I thought was great- and all honorable mentions are in order of importance)

The 1960's - This Decade was much much harder then I ever imagined. So many great, influential bands and musicians...

1 - The Beatles - These guys went from 'Please Please Me' (1963) to 'Abbey Road' (1969) in just one decade. And only one (12 Total) album ('Let it Be' (1970)) is left out of consideration for this decade. This is some tremendous growth as a band, and some groundbreaking shit. They had no fewer then 27 #1 hits and at the same time became the first pop/rock bands to do things like use orchestrations on recordings, re-invent production techniques, and fuse genres the way they did, especially in the eyes of pop culture. They are also sometimes given credit for inventing the concept album with the release of 'Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1967). All the while they never lost focus on their brilliant use of melody and their distinct vocal harmonies. They paved the way for rock music and popular music for generations to come. Most bands on these lists were most likely inspired by the Beatles, because they were brilliant.

2 - Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan is right up there with the Beatles and together they are responsible for the most important albums to this day, all which stemmed from this decade. Dylan not only wrote some of the greatest folk songs ever written, but also some of the greatest rock songs as well. He had a knack for being one step ahead of the game and John Lennon has even been known for being influenced by Dylan because he changed the way he looked at songwriting and the way he approached the music. Dylan was releasing 'Highway 61 Revisited' (August 1965) - his follow up to 'Bringin' it All Back Home' (March 1965) - while the Beatles were still making 'Help!' (August 1965). His growth as a musician and artist in the 60's was so rapid, he often left critics and fans behind. His songs have become staples for rock and roll, folk, and the way we look at the world in general.

3 - Miles Davis - Miles Davis is another one of those great artists that made music what it is today...Davis was pretty much responsible for every major development in Jazz music in the post WWII world. He is well known for popularizing jazz as well as being one of the most innovative jazz musicians in history. He released 12 albums in this decade, including the infamous 'Bitches Brew' (1969).

4 - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground was never a commercially successful band, but they are still considered to be one of the most influential rock bands of all time. Brian Eno has been noted for saying that while only a few thousand people bought a Velvet Underground album upon initial release, almost every single one of them was inspired to start a band. They were one of the first bands to use feedback during recording and are often given credit for bridging the gap between the 60's style pop rock and the 70's punk rock movement. While my personal favorite album 'Loaded' was released in 1970, there most important and influential works were all released in the 60's including 'The Velvet Underground and Nico' (1967).

5 - The Beach Boys - While most of you know them as the surk rock annoying group who often appeared with Uncle Jessie on episodes of 'Full House', the Beach Boys were and are still one of the most influential studio bands in history. Brian Wilsons obsession with detail and skill in arrangement brought about 'Pet Sounds' in 1966. Not too mention his own brilliant album 'SMiLE' which would take form as a Beach Boys album known as 'Smiley Smile' (1967). 'SMiLE' itself would never be released until 2004, but the groundwork was laid in the sixties. Some will even argue that it was still the best album of the year when released two years ago...

Honorable Mentions (60's)-

Jimi Hendrix for his work with the Experience (e.g. 'Electric Ladyland' 1968) - Frank Zappa for his solo works as well as with the Mothers of Invention (e.g. 'Freak Out' 1966, 'Hot Rats' 1969) - The Rolling Stones For the release of some of the most important pop/rock albums in this decade (e.g. 'Out of Our Heads' 1965)

The 1970's -

1 - Pink Floyd - Pink Floyd was around for multiple decades as we all know, but the 70's was the highlight of their genius. The 70's brought the release of one of the greatest albums I have ever heard, 'Animals' (1977) as well as two of the most talked about rock albums of all time, 'Dark Side of the Moon' (1973) and 'The Wall' (1979). Not too mention the song 'Wish You Were Here' was released on the album of the same name in 1975. And I don't think I have ever met someone who couldn't recognize this song. Pink Floyd dominated this decade with their experimentation in the studio and with their amazing live shows (so I have heard- I've obviously never been - but one can dream).

2 - David Bowie - David Bowie is commonly known as the Chameleon of pop. He is known for predicting trends and adjusting his style's while still maintaining his own individuality and creativity. He has re-invented genres as well as made certain genres popular...He was put on the map in 1969 with his single Space Oddity, but his continued work in the 70's is what really brought out his genius. Including the albums 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust...'(1972) and 'Young Americans' (1975) which contained the single 'Fame'. Not only that but he also produced Lou Reed's Breakthrough solo album as well as Iggy Pop's album 'Raw Power' (1973).

3 - Bob Marley - Bob Marley is the most widely known reggae artist and is responsible for popularizing the genre outside of jamaica. He used his music as a symbol of peace and unity and blah blah blah. He wrote some of the most famous songs, a few of which were covered by great artists and turned into rock hits. His music was very powerful and he did nothing but good things with it.

4 - The Grateful Dead - This was a hard band for me to place, as they could technically be in any list from the 60's to the 90's, but they definitely did their best work in the 70's. The 1970's brought out 'American Beauty', 'Workingman's Dead', 'Steal Your Face', 'Terrapin Station', 'Shakedown Street' and many many others. Not too mention their infamous live shows in which they are well known for being pioneers in the jamband community. They brought a new meaning to having a cult following and were constantly touring. And of course Jerry Garcia can be considered one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time.

5 - Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath originated Heavy Metal and took hard rock to the next level. They combined melody with their innovative metal sound, and were denounced at first by critics but would go on to be recognized as one of the most important bands of the time, and are responsible for most of the way all genres of metal were shaped. And of course they released 'Paranoid' in 1970, which is one of the best metal albums ever, as well as nine other albums during this decade.

Honorable Mentions (70's) -

The Talking Heads - For their work in the 70's (e.g. 'Talking Heads: 77' 1977, 'Fear of Music' 1979) - The Clash - For the release of one of the greatest punk rock albums of all time ('London Calling' 1979) - The Who - For their work in the 70's (e.g. 'Quadrophenia' 1973, 'Who's Next' 1971)

The 1980's -

1 - The Talking Heads - Yes thats right, the Talking Heads are being mentioned in two decades. They just missed the top five in the 70's, but easily top the list in the 80's with the release of 'Remain in Light' (1980) and 'Speaking in Tongues' (1983) as well as three other studio albums, a couple live albums (including 'The Name of This Band is the Talking Heads' (1982)) and the one of the greatest rock movies of all time, 'Stop Making Sense' (1984). They were one of the most influential bands of this decade and helped lead the way for new wave bands after disco died, even Radiohead took its name from a Talking Heads song. Not too mention the Talking Heads had the best frontman ever.

2 - Prince - Prince is highly regarded as a music genius and besides writing and composing all of his own songs, he plays most instruments on all of his studio albums, and has even been known to write some chart-toppers for other artists. 1982 saw the release of the breakthrough album '1999' and with hits like 'Little Red Corvette', Prince joined Micheal Jackson and Lionel Richie as being part of the first wave of black artists to become part of the MTV generation. Then the Album 'Purple Rain' came in 1984 and spent 24 weeks in a row at the top of the charts. Not too mention he won an academy award for the movie of the same name, for best original song score.

3 - The Pixies - The Pixies were said to be ahead of their time musically. Kurt Cobain has even claimed in an interview that 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' (the song that arguably broke alternative rock into the mainstream) was his failed attempt to write a Pixie's song. They were one of the first alternative rock bands, and influenced many alternative rock artists that came shortly thereafter. They released four albums from 1987 - 1989, including 'Doolittle' in 1989. They had a very short lived career and would go seperate ways in 1993. But they are back now.

4 - The Smiths - The Smiths were one of the most successful alternative rock bands to emerge from the British Indie scene in the 80's. They have had a major influence on the whole Indie music scene, including the britpop movement and bands such as Radiohead and Oasis. They helped return guitar based music to popularity in the UK and released four studio albums as well as numerous compilations in a five year span (1984 - 1989).

5 - Husker Du - Husker Du is another one of those bands that was never extremely successful as a band, but when looking back is found to be highly influential and extremely important in the scope of things. They paved the way for alternative music to reach the mainstream by becoming one of the first underground American rock bands to contract a major label deal. They were a hardcore band with a strong melodic sense and are known for their high energy live shows and brilliant improvisation (so Ive heard - again I've never seen). They are one of the original Hardcore Punk bands...so Pete would like them.

Honorable Mentions (80's) -

Elvis Costello - For establishing himself as a Unique and Original voice in the 1980's - U2 - For their work in the 80's (e.g. 'War' 1983, 'The Joshua Tree' 1987) - R.E.M. - For their work in the 80's (e.g. 'Green' 1988, 'Document' 1987)

The 1990's - Another hard decade to decide. So much change in the music industry and innovating bands.

1 - Nirvana - Nirvana broke alternative rock into the mainstream with the release of their album 'Nevermind' in 1991. This sparked an offshoot of numerous alternative rock bands gaining popularity and taking over radio play and becoming a dominant genre of music. Frontman Kurt Cobain was considered the spokesman of a generation. 'Nevermind' went triple platinum in 6 months time in the U.S. and replaced Micheal Jackson's 'Dangerous' at the top of the charts. This was the defining moment of the rise of alternative rock over pop music during this time. They went on to release 2 more albums before Cobain committed suicide in 1994. After Cobain's death numerous live albums and other Nirvana compilations have been released with extreme success.

2 - Radiohead - Radiohead started out the nineties as an Alternative band spawned from the grunge and britpop movements, but by the end of the decade were making some of the most important music of the time. They released one of my favorite albums 'The Bends' (1995) and then changed alternative rock forever with 'Ok Computer' in 1997. They experimented with ambience and noise to create this Grammy Winning Alternative rock album. Many people consider 'Ok Computer' to be one of the most definitive music moments in the 20th Century, let alone the decade of the nineties.

3 - The Beastie Boys - The Beastie Boys were the first successful white rap group and combined hip-hop with rock and punk which would subsequently have a huge influence on artists in all three of those genres. There third album 'Check Your Head' (1992) went double platinum and paved the way for 2 EPs and four more full length albums that decade, including the album 'Hello Nasty' (1998) which one a grammy for best alternative music album as well as best rap performance by a duo for the song 'Intergalactic'.

4 - Phish - Phish is another one of those bands that have touched the last three decades and have been somewhat sucessful in all three, but their success, as well as musical talent and importance peaked in the nineties. They took the community world the Grateful Dead created and took it to the next level and really recreated the whole live experience. They were not known for their studio work, although the nineties saw their best studio work such as 'Rift' (1993) and 'Billy Breathes' (1996). They never recieved radio-play and grew successful simply on word of mouth and the power and energy of their live shows. They touched more genres with their music then most bands ever do.

5 - Beck - Beck re-invented the alternative rock genre as well as the folk genre by combining the two and adding his own creative style. He released three chart topping (top 20) albums in this decade, including 'Mellow Gold' (1994), 'Odelay' (1996), and 'Mutations' (1998).

Honorable Mentions (90's)

Pearl Jam - For their work in the 90's (e.g. 'Ten' - 'Yield' (1991 - 1998)), - Tool - For their work in the 90's (e.g. 'Undertow' 1993, 'AEnima' 1996), Weezer - For their work in the 90's (e.g. 'Pinkerton' 1996)

The 00's -

1 - Wilco - These guys started out as alt-country rockers in the nineties and slowly evolved into the electric rock band by 1999 with their release of 'Summerteeth'. But it wasnt until 2002 with the release of 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' that they were really put on the map. The album reached #12 on the charts and is considered to be one of the best albums of that year, as well as one of the most innovative of all time. Their follow up album 'A Ghost is Born' (2004) shows no sign of them slowing down and peaked at #8 on the charts as well as won the band a grammy for best recording packaging and best alternative album. Since then they have released a Double Live album 'Kicking Television' (2005) and it was one of the best pieces of music I heard that year. Wilco continues to grow as musicians, entertainers, as well as in the studio. They are one of the most artistic and innovative bands of all time.

2 - Guided By Voices - This is one of the all time greatest Indie rock bands of all time. They started out recording short low-fi indie songs in their basement and have since then gathered a collection of music easily comparable to that of Frank Zappa's prolific collection. They are best known for their short catchy indie rock tunes. The new decade has seen some of their best work and most professional with the release of 'Half Smiles of the Decomposed' (2004), 'Earthquake Glue' (2003) and 'Isolation Drills' (2001) which can be considered one of the best albums of the decade. They are not known for their commercial success, but I highly recommend checking them out.

3 - Outkast - These guys are currently one of the most successful hip hop artists of all time. Their album 'SpeakerBoxx/The Love Below' (2004) won them a grammy for best rap album of the year and is one of only three hip hop albums to go diamond. They are considered to be one of the most innovative hip-hop albums and have even been compared to the Beatles because of the effect they have had on popular music by re-inventing themselves. And I dont even like Hip Hop.

4 - The Flaming Lips - Even though the nineties brought 'Zaireeka' (1997) and 'The Soft Bulletin' (1999), it was only the beginning of what would come next from this band. They released 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots' in 2002, and it is considered much more accessible as well as critically successful. It is one of the greatest concept albums as well as albums ever made. Their ability for arrangement and experimentation continue to make them a great studio band, as well as a great live band, and as entertainers as a whole. The recently followed up Yoshimi with 'At War With the Mystics' (2006) and also have no signs of slowing down, with this equally brilliant album that shows growth in subject matter as well as artistic value.

5 - The Eels - This is another one of those bands that have been around for a while, and have never put out any bad work, but have recently been doing amazing things. Much like the rest of this 00's list. Most of you probably will remember the Eels from their one-hit 'Novacaine for the Soul' in 1996. But since then a man named E - the mastermind behind the Eels - has released 5 studio albums, 4 of which are from this decade, including the album 'Blinking Lights and Revelations' (2005) which is widely considered one of the best albums of the year. They have also released a couple live albums and some B-sides and rarities. Another great artist that shows no sign of slowing down.

Honorable Mentions (00's) -
Radiohead - Despite their truly groundbreaking work in the 90's they continue to re-invent themselves and create brilliant work (e.g. 'Kid A' 2000, 'Hail to the Thief' 2003) - Sonic Youth - For there work so far in this decade (e.g. 'Murray Street' 2002, 'Sonic Nurse' 2004) - The White Stripes - For there work in this decade from 'De Stijl' to 'Get Behind Me Satan' (2000-2005)

Up and Coming - Here are a few bands to keep your eyes peeled out for, because they have been doing nothing but brilliant work and still have four years to get on this top five list.

The Arcade Fire
Bright Eyes
Spoon

So it turns out that stupid Texan was wrong, and Cracker isnt one of the best bands in the last 40 years. I mean sure they are up there, but there are atleast 16 bands listed above from the 90's and the 00's...I suppose David Lowery himself could be considered great because of his work with Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker combined...especially considering Camper Van Beethoven recently released one of their best albums 'New Roman Times' in 2004. Well if he keeps trying maybe he can put himself on this list someday...

And the thing I have learned from this list is that Wilco is the best band since the 60's with the exception of maybe Radiohead.

Anyways I would love to hear what you think of my list, and get some feedback...

Upcoming Blogger Events

Well I just wanted to post to forewarn all you readers of some music related blog activity in the very near future.

For those of you who aren't aware I will be handing out mixed CDs at all my acoustic shows every month. I will be making a different mix each month with a different 'theme' or whatever. Anyways I will be posting what those mixes consist of on a seperate blog in case you are at all interested in what music I am listening to...

The link for this blog can be found to the right of these posts labelled as "My Mixes" -

I will also be posting my "Album of the Month" around the same time (towards the end of each month). The album of the month is in no way restricted to albums released in that month. It will pretty much range from everything in my collection (all 1222 albums) to anything else I may acquire or hear during that month.

Anyways, its not really important but I wanted you guys to know it was there in case you are interested in what I am listening to, or if you are looking for new music to check out.

The first post will be posted around April 27th...

Karma-Chameleon

In a recent conversation with my pal George, he said that he believes that once you can stop being such a huge advocate for one particular aspect of music, you can see it as a whole. I thought this was a good observation and really summed up what I have been learning all the while.

I mean I started playing the guitar because I thought it was awesome. I thought a good guitar solo really made a song great no matter what else it may have contained. I would read the occasional issue of Guitar magazine and go out and listen to all the top rated 'guitar' albums, and immediately fall in love with the new riffs and licks by some of the greats.

Mostly I just obsessed with Phish and Trey's amazingly skilled guitar playing. Which can kindof be applied to George's statement if you twist it around a bit, because the same problem applies when you obsess over a specific artist or style even. I spent the first few years learning Phish songs and wishing I could play like Trey, and it wasnt until later that I realized not only how hard it is to perfectly emulate someones style, but how its damn near worthless. What do I look like the guitarist for the String Cheese Incident? BURN. That is when I became more comfortable with learning at my own pace, and developing my own style that may have hints of some of my favorite guitarists, but it is mine nonetheless. And I still have a lot to learn.

Even recently I have been focused on trying to be someone else musically. It has branched past the guitar obsession which is a good step, but lord knows I am a huge fan of Wilco, and when I listen to Jeff Tweedy, there is some sort of connection there to everything he is doing, that makes me wish I was doing the same thing...much like the feeling I used to get from watching Trey play the guitar. But after furthur thought, that even if the world was ready for someone to completely copy Tweedy, it would be damn near impossible. For one, I write songs different, about different things, with different types of melody lines and different rhythms. I mean even if I could sound exactly like him again it would be worthless.

What I really want is to express myslef as well as he does with his songs, and as well as Trey does with his guitar playing. Thats what it comes down to. And its a good realization to be at that acceptance of yourself as an artist, but its a stressful time as well especially when you are as amateur as myself and you have no idea how to get that expression out. But like I said in previous posts, I am making steps in the right direction. I am finally beginning to hear things the way I want to hear them...and I am working on making it possible for other people to hear them.

Will I ever be satisfied? I doubt it. But thats good, because that means I will always be growing as an artist. I always get excited when I reach the next step and then find that I am outgrowing it as quickly as it came along. The only problem is that sometimes I dont have the resources to get out of the rut. It can all be compared to my days sitting in my apartment practicing guitar and hitting learning plateaus there. If you keep working on it, you eventually overcome those plateaus, and you are that much better for it.

So I just gotta keep learning and working my ass off, and maybe someday I will be satisfied. Maybe someday the music will stop playing in my head and I'll be able to get some sleep.

My Mind is Filled with Radio Cures

I have been pretty busy lately with music, and am learning a lot on my own and working with everyone else as well.

I started recording with both projects I have going, with two completely different apporaches towards the process and the music. The Human Fund has always been centered around our live playing, so that has been taken into the recording sessions as well. We pretty much just do a shitload of takes of the same song and will eventually go through each take and mix and match the best takes of everything. It gives us a couple new angles to work from, because we can edit everything individually, and Mike can mess around with things more on his lead parts. It definitely sounds better then what we have recorded in the past.

Chris and I have taken a different approach to everything which is largely due to his busy schedule as much as how we both are completely obsessed with making it sound perfect. Basically I will record myself playing and singing the basis of the song to a click track (or a metronome) and then hand over the MP3 file to Chris. I then give him my notes on what I think might sound good here and there, and he spends a few days recording various things. Then he sends each track back to me seperately and we will get together and mess around with things...add more tracks if need be...or even completely restructure the song. Of course this is all specualtion because we havent gotten past step one yet, but it should play out exactly like that. In the meantime I keep thinking of new ideas, and recording seperate guitar tracks on my freetime...so there will be a lot of work to do come mixing time.

All this work in general is giving me a better feel for arrangement, that plus I have been listening to even more music then ever before. It is helping me get ideas out of my head and to see my music in different lights. The cool thing about Chris is that he is obsessed with all sorts of music much like myself, and his knowledge of the keyboards and various noises it can make help me out a lot. I can tell him what I think I want to hear at certain parts, and he makes it happen so I can hear it, and then we both decide if it works or not. The only problem is his busy schedule, which doesnt really allow me to go completely at my own pace, but that is to be expected.

So I feel like I am growing as a 'studio' musician, and even as a songwriter. I am excited to see whats going to come of all this. And I have high expectations for this summer. I would like to have completed the recording and if I have the financial ability and whatnot, I would like to fund my own tour around this great country of ours and play shows wherever I can and hand out said albums. But again thats all hearsay in my head, and we will see what happens.

Welcome to America

I spent the weekend in Texas and was told this exact phrase once a few Texans had found out I was from another state. I guess Dwight was right afterall, people in Texas are insane with thier own state pride. The real depressing part about that is that their state pretty much sucks, and we certainly dont need it. I mean what has ever come out of Texas besides David Karesh and Micheal Irvin?

Dont get me wrong I did have a lot of fun there, I always do when Sparky and Dwight are involved. Throw in Darrel and a movie theatre that serves beer to your seat and you got yourself a great weekend. I also ate a lot of mexican food, and even spent some time at a rodeo. The rodeo itself was quite boring, but I was amused by watching Dwight drool over sixteen year old cow-girls and by my underlying hope that someone would get gored in the ass by a bull.

After the rodeo we went to a small bar and listened to a pretty decent country/rock band while a 70 year old ex-hooker hit on us and danced for us. We took a couple hilarious videos of her dancing which we will be posting for everyone to see on myspace, so check that out. Its disturbingly hilarious to see.

So it was an awesome weekend of relaxing and watching bad movies all night. I only slept around 8 or 9 hours the entire friday - monday trip. It caught up to me on the plane ride home and I crashed hard. Of course that didnt last because for some reason I am still awake now. But at least the new Flaming Lips album is out, so I have something to do. Not too mention I was awoken this morning when Sparky got hit by a car on his way to work - since he rides a bike. He is ok and everything, but you know I was worried for a second or two. I wonder if he realizes how biker friendly Northern California is? - HINT HINT.

Anyways, Im glad to be back, cause I have a lot of recording and other such music related work to attend to - however I sure do miss those guys already.