Thursday, 22 Jun 2006

Get to know your blogger - I Guess I’m Floating (Part 1)

I’m happy to provide the first of two “get to know your blogger” features for I Guess I’m Floating. I am actually posting these in reverse order of how they came to me, but they are both great and I hope you enjoy reading them as I much as I have. So to start off, let’s hear from Nathanial….

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Let’s get some general background on you. Where do you live, how long, etc.


I hail from the blogging/horse/fried-chicken rich state of Kentucky. I’ve grown up in Northern Kentucky, just a few minutes shy of Cincinnati. Unlike most Kentucky stereotypes, I grew up driving in cars, wearing shoes, and without a straw hat upon my head. Sorry to disappoint. I was close to going to school in NYC, hence my love for cities, but remained in KY at the University of Kentucky where I’ll be moving into a house at the end of the summer.

I want get an idea of your musical taste evolution if you will. What were some of the first albums/tapes/CD’s you bought?

Well, thanks to my Dad, I grew up with him playing and singing Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and The Beatles on guitar/piano. Unfortunately, I didn’t truly appreciate that music til later. The first CD I bought was Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill. So I guess it could’ve been worse. From then on it was (hardcore) into Nirvana which launched me towards greater music.

How about some of the more recent CD’s you’ve purchased?
The Format - Dog Problem - It’s only available for digital download right now, but it’s worth every penny. My favorite album of the year so far - sooo good.
Oh No! Oh My! - (self-titled) - These guys are great. The album is superb and they’re quickly becoming one of my favorite bands.
Regina Spektor - Begin To Hope - Her voice and piano playing are almost haunting. I didn’t know what to expect when I got this, so I was blown away.
Where do you buy the majority of your records? Do you support a particular record store in your area, buy online, and if so, where?
CD Central in Lexington (back at school) is a great little store with pretty decent prices and inventory. I try to stop in there once a week at least, but most of the time I’ll end up buying a lot of my stuff online via artist sites, etc.
When I started listening to music, there were certain musicians that led me in the path of a lot of other bands. Did you have any similar experiences with bands growing up?
Yes, definitely. Like I said, I got into Nirvana hardcore which led me to Neutral Milk Hotel and Modest Mouse. MM and NMH led me into a ton of new music from there on out. Looking back, I realize how awesome of a time that was.
What are some of your favorite records of all time?
Modest Mouse - This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Elliot Smith - XO
The Beatles - Abbey Road/Revolver/Rubber Soul
Nirvana - Nevermind/In Utero
Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Mason Jennings - Use Your Voice
Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
Radiohead - Kid A
Any idea how many albums are in your collection?
I have no idea. I can’t even fathom how many. Pick a large and seemingly unnecessary number and thats it.
If you could spend time with 3 musicians, who would you choose?
Issac Brock, Mozart, and John Lennon.

I’m sure you’ve seen some great concerts. Can you tell me what the first concert you saw was and when? To follow that up, are there any particular shows that stand out in terms of being favorites?

Boy oh boy. The first concert I saw was Bruce Hornsby with my Dad and rest of the family at the Cincinnati Zoo. It was awesome. Seeing Modest Mouse is always a treat, but there was a time when Mason Jennings opened for them in Chicago that was increddible. My Dad has taken me to see Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and Paul McCartney…so those were all awesome. He’s got a pretty good track record.

What are some bands that you haven’t gotten the chance to see live, but would really like to?

The Arcade Fire, which I am kicking myself for not being able to see them last summer. I passed up Elliot Smith a few years ago at the Southgate House. Words can’t put into words how angry I was and still am. The Flaming Lips, though I’ll see them at Lolla. I’d also like to see Neutral Milk Hotel before I die.

Can you tell me what got you into blogging, and are you surprised by the popularity your blog has attained?

It’s a sweet, but short, M83 song.

What are some of your favorite blogs? Music or otherwise.

I had been reading blogs for a couple of months before going in with Conor on iGIF. What really got me into it was my love and quest for new and great music, which I usually did as a (silly) hobby via MySpace and various searches. I met up with Connor through Elliot Smith downloading on Soulseek and started talking via IM’s and whatnot. He just started a small blog then and the I came on board. He made a sweet new layout, I started writing more and so did he and then things kinda started to fall in place. I’m still a little shocked at the popularity, not just of our blog, but the blogging community. It is just insanely huge and awesome.

How important do you think music blogs are in general? Do you think they will continue to be as popular as they are today?

I think music blogs are really important. Any more, I feel like music blogs are the only connection between music fans and the bands. It’s a raw source of uncontrollable energy and appreciation that has been taken over and desensitized by the whole corporate scene. Blogs are important in stimulating interest and buzz around the grassroots of music fans. Blogs have a good judge of talet too. Most of the bands that people are liking started to get talked about blogs before they ever went of the national tours or were signed to record labels.

Blogs should continue in popularity, I would think. The internet and information era is getting bigger and bigger, so it would only make sense. I do feel, however, that the already established blogs will continue to grow and it’ll be harder for new blogs to pop up. Blogosphere is just like the music industry. Sure there are a ton of bands/blogs out there, but only the really talented writers/musicians are gonna develop a following. And just like there are a ton of bands, there are going to be a ton of blogs.

What are some of your favorite blogs? Music or otherwise.

YANP and I go to the same school, so I’d find myself reading and liking his a lot. MOKB has also been sweet. I really like the Trees Lounge, Fuel/Friends, Rock Insider, Marathon Packs, Everybody Cares, and of course The Muzzle.

Let’s get away from music for a bit. What are some of your favorite movies and television shows?

I’ll name only a few from each, because this list will get outta control if I don’t contain myself. My favorite movies are along the lines of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Bandits, Adaptation, Annie Hall, Rules of Attraction, Vanilla Sky, etc. I used to not watch a lot of TV, but a dorm room can change that. I’ve always loved Buffy, South Park, and Seinfeld. Family Guy, Nip/Tuck, and Grey’s Anatomy are also great.

Outside of music do you have any other interests or projects?