Like shadows will leave when the time comes.

Forest Fire's album, Staring At The X, on Fat Cat Records, has been out since last fall but it somehow got lost in the woods for me until just recently. And now I find myself listening to it quite a lot. Glad it found its way out. The whole album is worth a listen. This track should give you a sense of it.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/staring-at-the-x-mw0002206682

http://fat-cat.co.uk/site/artists/forest-fire

Contributor Magazine | IN FRONT OF US: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Eric David Johnson exploring the space and hanging out with friends, Beta Petrol, Teenage Teardrops, Ladies & Gentlemen and Zen Mafia in Los Angeles California.

http://www.contributormagazine.com/1065.php

Don't be a slave to your grave (breathe in, breathe out).

The longest night of the year has passed one week ago and I am now listening to some late night Bahamian Obeah/hoodoo music from the amazing musician artist, Exuma, and digging deep inside and grabbing out all that darkness in me and letting it go in preparation for the new breath of the new year. And here's my song mantra for it. From his first album. Dig those haunting low-end drums. Out with the bad, in with the good.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damballa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exuma_(musician)

Explosions pillaging the night.

Quiet night at home with the wife and baby boy, sitting at my desk (which is really just the farm table in our sun room) just starting to go through all the music I've loved this past year and attempting to begin to assemble my top album list of 2011. Have a feeling that this album will end up nearer to the top. Good stuff from a young lad from Boise, Idaho.

https://twitter.com/#!/youthlagoon

http://lefserecords.com

There's beauty in that rainbow in the sky.

This post is dedicated to my wife, Bailey, and to welcome our new baby boy, Emmett James Johnson, into this world. You're the most beautiful and remarkable thing to happen to us. May you have an amazing life full of love, joy, adventure, friendship and wonder. 

There's a big day coming. I can hardly wait.

Working from home the rest of the afternoon, at my favorite spot at the dining room table among all the big Southern-facing windows. Bailey and the cat are sleeping in the diminshing sun's rays and I'm listening to a vinyl reissue of Painful, one of my favorite Yo La Tengo albums, and just waiting for our little guy to make his grand entrance into our world. Can't wait to meet him.

http://store.matadorrecords.com/painful

If you love someone it should feel good to let them breathe.

Haven't posted much lately as I've been completely wrapped up in work and more importantly, preparing for a little fella on the way. That said, I just wanted to quickly share a track from Friends that's been stuck in my head ever since I heard it. This one goes out to my lovely #1 gal who is about to be a momma.

http://luckynumber.bandcamp.com/album/im-his-girl

Oh I have been wondering/wandering.

Caught this song on Sirius/XM driving in my car the other day. I hadn't really paid much attention to Laura Marling. Until now. This weary, old-soul voice hooked me in. And frankly, I'd like to think that she's singing about our cat, Sophia, but either way, this song is making me pay attention to her new album. Which so far is not too shabby, though this is the jam that really gets me.

http://www.lauramarling.com/