I read a blog a couple of days ago, about someone that felt kind of lost or out of alignment because they had been on the go for what sounded like several months.  And they needed to get back to their life.  What surprised me was their life was things that were introspective and simple.  And it suddenly dawned on me, it’s ok not to be hyper active?  It’s ok to be a person that likes very simple things?  I have consistantly been put down my whole life, either openly or by subtle suggestion, that not constantly doing things is wrong.  And I hadn’t realized I had been oppressing myself by this truly ridiculous belief.  I didn’t know I had , sort of, taken it on.

Extroverts learn by doing, so it’s natural to them, but that’s not how I learn.  I think it through.  Anyway, seeing that blog was really great because I started to suddenly realize some of the things that are important to me.  One is flowers.  I lover flowers, I love to grow flowers, not just look at them, I love to smell them.  Flowers, especially native flowers are good for the environment, believe it or not, they actually put out alot of oxygen for the air, yep just like our trees, ….think on that for awhile.

Anyway, the other thing is, I really like hooping, I want to get fairly capable at it so I can just dance along with songs.  I used to dance alot in my youth and I was very good at it, so this is something I’ve found, after all these years, that brings me alot of joy.  So flowers and hooping are two things really important to me that I’ve missed.

There will be more that my intuition will bring me.

ADIDAS TOP TEN HI SLEEK 100€

ADIDAS ADI HOOP MID W 85€

ADIDAS ADI HOOP MID W 85€

ADIDAS ADI HOOP MID W 85€

ADIDAS MIDIRU COURT MID W 85€

ADIDAS TOP TEN HI 110€

ADIDAS NIZZA MID SLEEK W 80€

ADIDAS STAN SMITH TREFOIL MID W 100€

ADIDAS STAN SMITH TREFOIL MID W 100€

ADIDAS STAN SMITH TREFOIL MID W 100€

ADIDAS ATTITUDE SUP HI W 110€

ADIDAS ATTITUDE SUP HI W 110€

ADIDAS SPORTY SNOWPARADISE HI W 110€

ADIDAS SPORTY SNOWPARADISE HI W 110€

These are a few of  Azteca Designs’ pieces in our  Inspired by Africa collection. Enjoy!

These are not listed on azteca.etsy.com , but if you wish to purchase any of these in the immediate future, please send a message via our web site, and we will list your preference!

Shell Collar - Inspired by Africa Collection

Shell and Copper Earrings - Inspired by Africa Collection

Bone, Yellow Turquoise, and Carved Wood Earrings - Inspired by Africa Collection

Sea Waves Shell and Glass Earrings - Inspired by Africa Collection

ACOUSTALON™ - Synthetic bar material used in the manufacturing of marimbas and xylophones. Made of cross woven layers of fiberglass and plastic. Combined with Sonic Tone Holes™, it produces a sound similar to rosewood, but with the durability and affordability of synthetic.

ACOUSTALON-LITE™ – A reduced version of Acoustalon utilizing three sonic tone holes. The color is impregnated directly into the fiberglass material.

AIR-SEAL SYSTEM™ - A system of sealing ply’s of wood equally around the shell using pressurized air as opposed to traditional “C” clamp methods.

BALANCED SPRING – The mechanism on timpani which prevents the pedal from slipping up or down when the player’s foot is removed from the pedal.

BEARING EDGE – The point where the drum head contacts the shell.

DIE-CAST RIM - Aluminum alloy rim made in a die-cast mold to remain perfectly round and rigid. This design helps provide immediate response and fast decay at all dynamic levels. Medium weight, die-cast design maintains proper tuning at any tension; medium pitch creates a clear, powerful sound.

DYNAHOOP™ RIM – A rounded profile steel rim capable of withstanding high tension.

FRP™ (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) – Synthetic material exclusive to Yamaha. It is used to make durable, lightweight products such as timpani bowls, Acoustalon tone bars and REMO™  tone bars.

EXTENDED SNARES – This refers to snares that extend past the diameter of the drum.

FIBERSKYN™ - A medium weight, synthetic head made by REMO. The laminated film has a feel and sound similar to calfskin.

GRADUATED TONE BARS – Vibe, marimba, and xylophone bars whose widths gradually increase from the higher register to the lower register.

HIGH PROFILE RIM – A batter snare drum hoop with a greater than normal distance between the hoop’s eyelets and the top of the hoop. It protects the bearing edge from inadvertent rim shots as the head stretches.

KEVLAR - A very light yet strong, non-stretch, woven material used in drum heads by competitive drum lines. It provides great articulation, but may cause damage to drums not designed to use Kevlar heads.

NON-GRADUATED TONE BARS – Vibe, marimba and xylophone bars of the same width throughout the instrument’s range.

PADAUK - Wood from Southeast Asia, primarily Burma, used in the production of some marimbas and xylophones.

PAC™ (Pedal Adjustment Clutch) – Located above the foot pedal; allows pedal tensions to be adjusted to an even feel within a timpani set. It does not affect the pedal-to-head tension ratio; rather, it seizes the spider mechanism.

ROSEWOOD - High quality wood from Central America, primarily Honduras, used in the production of some marimbas and xylophones.

SONIC TONE HOLE™ – Design using holes which run horizontally through Acoustalon bars simulating air pockets that rosewood has naturally. They produce a sound which closely resembles rosewood, but with less ring than solid synthetic bars.

SPIDER MECHANISM – The assembly consisting of tension rods, tuning rods, and spider nut which controls the movement of the timpani head when the pedal is moved.

Today I woke up to the news that one of my African-American broadcasting heroes, Bryant Gumbel, is recovering from a bought with malignant lung cancer. Gumbel is 61 years young, and his presence in the broadcasting community has had a major impact for several years.

I call him a pioneer, because Bryant broke into the national media at a time when it was not too popular to have a black man in a leading position on the TV news, or even in Sports news, although more likely than not, African-Americans were dominating all of the popular American sports the moment we were allowed to compete against non-black athletes.

USA Today reports that…Gumbel was among the first announcers to cross over from sports to general entertainment. After working as a reporter and studio host for NBC Sports, he became an NBC Today show host. In recent years, he’s returned to TV sports including working as the NFL Network’s first play-by-play game announcer although he hadn’t previously called football games…

Bryant Gumbel defeated all of his competition to rise to the esteemed position as lead Host on the ”Today” show, on the NBC television network. He is credited with promoting Katie Couric and for mentoring current ”Today” show host Matt Lauer throughout their careers.

It is unclear to me if Bryant was a regular smoker of cigarettes, but he is known to enjoy a celebratory cigar from time to time, but there is no evidence that any of that is the cause of his cancer battle.

One does not have to be a smoker to develop lung cancer, but it is usually at cause for the disease.

Bryant Gumbel announced Tuesday morning that he had cancer surgery two months ago to remove a malignant tumor near his lung. The subject came up during a live taping of the  ”Live! with Regis and Kelly,” where Bryant is filling in this week for co-host Regis Philbin,who is undergoing hip replacement surgery, Gumbel brought it up to explain why he could not dance with co-host Kelly Ripa.

Needless to say, Kelly and the audience were stunned. Bryant said that he kept it away from his staff and close relationships, but he did tell his immediate family. The broadcaster is notoriously private.

The former ‘Today’ show anchor says he had a tumor and part of his lung removed two months ago.

He states that  he is seeing his surgeon next week.

“I’m hoping they greenlight me to play golf again,” he said.

http://wp.me/pEzT2-kk

Senator Harry Reid was correct to say that the Republican’s are resisting Health care reform much like the Democratic senator’s that were resisting the abolishment of slavery, prior to the Civil War.

They want us to not have health care, so that the majority of us will die off quickly and they are committed to our death from disease.

I applaud Senator Harry Reid, who is only speaking the truth, to those that already know that they hate us, as much as they loved slavery.

I am glad that Bryant has the financial ability to provide health care to his family and himself,and I encourage all men to go seek the highest level of medical care you are able to receive, even if you have to go to a free clinic.

Your family and future may depend on it.

Sources-

http://bossip.com/188206/bryant-gumbel-on-the-mend-after-cancer-surgery/

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/2009-12-08-bryant-gumbel-lung-cancer-surgery_N.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/08/bryant-gumbel-cancer-anno_n_383844.html

So yeah, I published my favourite/best albums of 2009 list earlier. So why not my favourite songs too??
It was sometimes difficult to find a proper version of a song. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them.

Note: I’m still working on this list, it’s gonna be a top 20, so there might be some changes between now and, let’s say next week?

1. Andrew Bird – Anonanimal [Noble Beast/Useless Creatures]
Such songs are the reason why I love music. They’re complex, wonderful, strange, lovely, great, etc. This composition is one of the best, if not the best, I’ve ever heard. Lyrically, it’s a great song. The video is a combination of ‘Anonanimal’ and ‘See the Enemy’.

2. Dan Mangan – Basket [Nice, Nice, Very Nice]
Lyrically, this is my favourite song this year. It’s honest, pure and filled with emotion. It deals with a difficult topic in an awesome way. Ooh and I love his voice. The song starts around 2.00.

3. Jesca Hoop – Murder of Birds [Hunting My Dress]
I love this song. It’s a bit fragile, but still rather strong. I love her voice. Too bad I can’t find a proper video of the song with a band. Check it out on her MySpace!

4. St. Vincent – Laughing with a Mouth of Blood [Actor]
This song has a great use of instruments. The intro is really great. I love the bumping beat during the song, Annie’s great vocals and the rather strange lyrics.

5. A.A. Bondy – I Can See the Pines are Dancing [When the Devil's Loose]
A.A. Bondy has so much peace in his songs. He’s one of the better guitarists out there. He has some great, unique vocals. Great song, great(er) album.

6. Andrew Bird – Natural Disaster [Noble Beast/Useless Creatures]
It was very, very difficult not making a whole list of Andrew Bird songs. Other options were ‘Fitz and the Dizzyspells’, ‘Masterswarm’ and ‘Nyatiti’. I saw Andrew perform in May this year. During this song I had to cry, because it was sooo immensely beautiful. I got a pretty weak spot for this song, especially live versions.

7. A.A. Bondy – Mightiest of Guns [When the Devil's Loose]
There’s something about this song that makes me want to listen to it all the time. It’s pretty fragile. It also shows his great guitar work.

8. Dan Mangan – Robots [Nice, Nice, Very Nice]
I often listen to this when I wake up. It’s so cheerful. I love it that his voice is so raw. Great song. Don’t you wish being at that show?!

9. The Avett Brothers – The Perfect Space [I and Love and You]
I love this song. I think the second half is really great. Great lyrics too. I think these boys were one of the best discoveries I made this year. They’re honest, pure, slightly romantic and great musicians too. Their songs are not really my genre at all, but this song is pretty great. I enjoy the album version a bit more.

10. St. Vincent – Actor Out of Work [Actor]
This song makes me wanna jump and dance. It’s lively and weird. I’m still hoping to catch her live someday (I missed about 4 dates of her this year :/) She’s crazy. I love her!

Other very, very, nice songs:
A.A. Bondy – When the Devil’s Loose
Andrew Bird – Fitz and the Dizzyspells
Andrew Bird – Masterswarm
Andrew Bird – Nyatiti
The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
Franz Ferdinand – Bite Hard
Great Lake Swimmers – New Light
Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks
Jesca Hoop – Four Dreams
Julie Doiron – Spill Yer Lungs
Laura Gibson – Spirited
M. Ward – Hold Time
Mika – One Foot Boy
Portugal. The Man – People Say
Regina Spektor – Laughing With
Regina Spektor – Eet
The Whitest Boy Alive – Courage
The Whitest Boy Alive – 1517
Wilco – Wilco(the Song)

I celebrated my 28th birthday feeling like I was only 8. Really I have hooping to thank for it. I really do believe that if I keep hooping, I probably won’t age. I turned 28 on December 3rd, 2009, and hooped my way into another year of awesome. I got up in the morning, made myself a gigantic banana pancake, turned on some super loud music (King Khang and the Shrines are my current favorite hooping music), and danced. It was a crisp morning with a new cold, like winter had just gotten into town, and I couldn’t have been happier hooping in my hat, scarf and mittens. .

It was a moment, Oprah calls them “Aha! Moments,” and I’m not sure I would so much say “aha” but I would say, it was a reminder. Trying to get a business up and running isn’t exactly my idea of good time, but hooping is. It’s a good time. It’s a great time. Simply said, I love it. There was that moment when I reminded myself why I want this business in the first place. There are many things that bring me joy in life, but at the top of that list is hooping and it’s such a simple and amazing adventure, and I love sharing it with people.

Test gedaan en wederom negatief. Ik denk dat ik dat ene streepje nog vaak zal zien…

Ik snap echt niks meer van mijn lichaam. Ik moet er maar vanuit gaan dat de menstruatie is weggebleven om een andere reden. Wel zal ik de bloeding in november afdoen als iets anders, omdat deze niet paste binnen mijn cyclus. Ik heb geconcludeerd dat de rest van de menstruaties namelijk helemaal niet onregelmatig kwamen, er zaten steeds 36 dagen tussen. Dat is wel een hele lange cyclus, heb ook maar 10 keer per jaar een eisprong

Als ik uitga van een cyclus van 36 dagen, had ik afgelopen week helemaal niet ongesteld moeten worden. Dan zou morgen zelfs de volgende eisprong zijn! Vanavond en morgen hard aan het werk dus!

Oh oh… Nog meer buikpijn en nog steeds geen bloeding… Mijn  hoofd slaat op hol!

Vanmiddag nieuwe testen gekocht, ik wil wachten tot maandag, maar dat is vrijwel onmogelijk! Ik begon te rekenen: als mijn vorige menstruatie stiekem een innestelingsbloeding was, zou ik al 7 (!) weken zwanger zijn (volgens mijn eigen berekeningen zou ik 5 dagen voor die bloeding een eisprong hebben gehad). Maar dan had die test van afgelopen maandag dat toch moeten laten zien? Aarrgh! Ik word gek van mijn lichaam en mezelf. En als ik niet zwanger ben, mag ik nodig eens gaan sporten! Want dan ben ik gewoon dik aan het worden. Als ik morgen nog niet ongesteld ben, ga ik opnieuw testen. Wish me luck!

Need a fun holiday gift?  Want to get your friends and family in motion?  Order a hoop from Boundless Motion for that special someone!  All our hoops are designed and handmade by Lauren with love.  Unlike the flimsy hoops you can find at huge toy and department stores, our hoops are custom sized for kids and adults to create the best hoop for your height and experience level!  If you ever need your hoop sized down, re-taped, or repaired just let us know, and we will make it happen for little to no cost!

Kids and Mini Hoops (for hand hooping) start at $20, and Adult Sized Hoops start at $25, going up to $40 if you’re looking for some serious hoop bling!  Call or email us to place your hoop order for the holidays!

Nog steeds ben ik niet ongesteld geworden. Gisteren wel buikpijn gehad die leek op menstruatiepijn, maar voelde toch net anders. Ik krijg normaal niet snel menstruatiepijn, behalve als ik in de kou sta of als het ergens tocht. De pijn is eigenlijk meer te omschrijven als pijnscheuten die komen en gaan. Gisteren had ik echter voor meer dan een half uur een constante pijn… Maar het begon wel toen ik net te lang buiten stond en het koud had…

Zucht. Mijn lichaam geeft mij rare signalen en niet voor de eerste keer. Heb in het afgelopen half jaar meerdere malen het idee gehad dat ik misschien wel zwanger zou kunnen zijn… Ontzettend moe zijn, gevoelige tepels, ongesteldheid die uitblijft, nu in combinatie met buikpijn en het feit dat mijn broeken veel te strak zitten… Als ik maandag nog steeds niet ongesteld ben, maar weer een test doen. Zou ik dan toch…?

Afgelopen maanden heb ik geprobeerd bij te houden op welke dagen mijn menstruatie begon, maar mijn cyclus leek compleet random. Vandaag maar eens een kalender aangemaakt op www.menstruatiekalender.net om te kijken of dat beter werkt.

Na invoeren van de eerdere data gaf de kalender aan dat ik afgelopen maandag ongesteld had moeten worden. Interessant, want ik ben dus nog niet ongesteld. Ik verwacht het wel elk moment te zijn. Mijn laatste menstruatie kwam naar mijn idee te vroeg en was te weinig. Even dacht (hoopte) ik dat het misschien een innestelingsbloeding was geweest. Zwangerschapstest van afgelopen maandag was echter negatief. Ik wil geen valse hoop hebben, dus ik denk er het liefst zo min mogelijk van… Ik hou jullie op de hoogte van de ontwikkelingen!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

How can you go wrong with these two-tone hoops? They are stylish and substantial, and perfect for both white and yellow gold lovers. Highly recommended, for yourself or as a gift!

Hello there. Teem meet my blog friends. Blog friends meet Teem. I run into this character at some of the better parties in the region and figured ya’ll should know about each other. He knows a thing or two about a thing or two…

Here he is at the Philly Phish lot. I think the Heavy Pets’ lazers startled him. And no, it wasn’t raining. But the fog was everywhere!

Here we see Teem in a more natural environment. He had a hoop and let his new buddy borrow his ninjabrella (to keep the choppers guessing, I think).

Teem has a special bond with his ninjabrella. He stated his love for this unique party prop so eloquently on the Funtown Page on Facebook:

“It is the Oneness, the Abyss, The Void, The Universe, The Samurai Sunshade, trapped in one brella. The Hoops are the light in the darkness, combined they are unstoppable in their quest for love and unity through movement, empowerment, etc. The Hoops are the circular feminine energy tools, The Ninjabrella is the Masculine influenced form. Together= Yin & Yang. Totally balance each other.”

Word on the street is that this he stole the ninjabrella at Camp Bisco. I don’t support stealing but apparently he didn’t steal it:

“The Ninjabrella was a gift from Alex of Israel bequothed to me at the end of Camp Bisco because apparently I’m “so cool.” I earned it. I’m still earning it. It’s not stealing anyways. To the Pirate Wookies, it’s commandeering, to any old wook, it’s “wooking off with” or some such bullsh*t.”

Ohhhhkkkeeyy…. word to the wise. Keep Teem away from your PBJs. Just in case he decides to commandeer them for his next wookie quest.

And for the record, I don’t support wooking either. But apparently he takes his wookstyle seriously and has some sort of agenda.

Teem. You rock. Come rage the Phish lot with us tomorrow up in NYC. It’s not supposed to rain but bring your ninjabrella anyway!!

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, ‘Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table..

In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,

which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.

They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, ‘You have seen Hell. They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water.

The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand.

‘It is simple,’ said the Lord. ‘It requires but one skill.

You see, they have learned to feed each other.

The greedy think only of themselves.’

Als het verhaal een sprookje was…………

I’m a die-hard Los Angles Laker fan, and although my allegiance to the greatest basketball franchise wavered at times, my basketball soul has always remained interlocked with the Lake Show. When the power struggle between the Lakers’ two biggest stars came to a head in 2004, I sided with Kobe Bryant, the younger flashy Jordanesuqe superstar against the dominant yet aging Shaquille O’neal. My decision to choose Kobe over Shaq was strictly a choice rooted in hoop, but what cannot be overlooked is Shaq’s impact on the city of Los Angeles, its citizens and many others that have benefitted from his generosity.

Recently Shaq showed his incredible benevolence yet again when he payed for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl who was kidnapped and killed. The story touched the NBA star and he decided lend a helping hand to the father who was trying to raise money for the funeral. This was just one of many good deeds Shaq has done throughout his illustrious career in the NBA. Many NBA athletes put in work with different charities and events over seas, but Shaq seems to go out of his way to help individuals that he has no connection to and helps the people who really need it.

When my cousin was ill in the hospital some years ago suffering from sickle cell anemia, Shaq had gotten word that he wasn’t doing too well and decided to pay him a visit. My cousin didn’t make any inquiries or request to see Shaq, but there he was with a surprise visit with gifts and greetings. He spent the whole day with my cousin just hanging out and talking with him. That’s the kind of thing that Shaq stands for, whatever city that he has been in, that community has benefitted greatly from his presence.

This recent act of kindness inspired me to give a shout out to the big fella and former Laker. This goes well beyond basketball and goes to show the impact that one individual can have. This terrible tragedy was one that touched many people and showed us the horrors that occur in the world; I commend Shaq for stepping to the plate and lending his help to the family that was ravaged by this affliction.

De rug is pneu crevé. Op de stoel van de eindredacteur zitten is voorbij. Afscheid nemen is ruimte scheppen voor nieuwe dingen. Ik droom over een mobiele taartjessalon, een opleiding volgen of museumdirecteur worden. Brandweervrouw of ontdekkingsreiziger lijken me ook begeerlijk.  

PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson is set to retire from the NBA, according to an online report. Commentator Stephen A. Smith published a statement on his Web site Wednesday attributed to Iverson. It said Iverson plans to retire but also that “I feel strongly that I can still compete at the highest level.” The statement also said Iverson has tremendous love for the game and the desire to play.

“His legacy would be huge,” Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James said. “He’s one of the best when you talk about guys 6-foot and under in the game of basketball. He played injured and he played hard every single night. I don’t think it should end this way, but if it does, he’s left a lot of great things behind.” Continue Reading

watch it here!

It should be good. You can now watch the soundcheck (Andrew just finished his, Jesca’s doing hers now)! Seriously, watch it! I hope I’m in time because I have to babysit.

Poster by FloraFauna © Phish 2009

Heyyyo Phish peoples… you going to the 11/24/09 show in Philly? I’m gonne be ragin’ the lot with some really good friends of mine. We’re gonna be doing our thing at the Heavy Pets’ van complete with a crazy sound system, lazers, and a fog machine. Their van has some cool Heavy Pets artwork painted all over it and it also has a killer sound system so get ready to dance! I’ve been working with the Heavy Pets for awhile now and I’m pretty stoked to be able to kick it with them in the Philly lot. Jen Web and some other Funtown hoopers will be doing their thing on a nice little platform while we light up the lot. I scored some pretty sweet last minute lower level Phish tickets so I’ll probably have some nice photos for ya’ll a little later. Have fun and stop by if you are gonna be at the show!

Zing me de lieve woorden,
de fluisterende,
opdat ik vergeten kan
opdat ik weer slapen kan.

Zing me de lieve woorden,
Verzin ze, desnoods,
opdat ik genieten kan,
opdat ik weer leven kan.

Zing me de lieve woorden, de fluisterende, die voor mij veel te stil zijn geworden.

Zaterdag 21 november 2009

Nikki Mahieu

It’s time for my list. I will be working on it, because there are still some things(latest Swell Season, Devendra Banhart, Julie Doiron etc.) that I have to hear. Recommendations are very welcome! Also, some albums might have scored higher/lower than I reviewed them, simply because I listen to them so much. I’m gonna try to review them all. Anyway, some of my favourites:

Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice [9.5/10] [review]
I think this is my favourite album from this year. Cute, teddy-bear-ish-looking singer-songwriter from Canada. He makes you feel loved inside. Good, strong and dynamic songs, nice vocals, very good instrumental work, wonderful lyrics. The best indie pop album from this year. It’s unbelievable that he’s just 26(25?) (date-material! haha!). Dan’s a keeper and you should keep your eye on him! 

Andrew Bird – Noble Beast/Useless Creatures [9.5/10]

Again, a masterpiece made by Andrew Bird. It’s balanced, beautiful and unique. It’s pop, folk, it’s wonderful. I only miss the electric guitar a bit. Still, great lyrics, interesting, wonderful compositions and vocally pretty strong. Useless Creatures is the best instrumental CD I’ve ever heard, might have even listened more to that one than to Noble Beast. Simply beautiful. 

St. Vincent – Actor [9/10] [review]
Annie Clark manages to float above her instrumental chaos. Or at least, it looks like that. Her compositions are actually well made. Vocally, Clark is really strong. It’s a pretty unique CD that you’ll love or you’ll hate. I love it. (read the review I did) 

Jesca Hoop – Hunting My Dress [8.8/10]
To me, she’s live even stronger. Hoop mixes various styles and makes them her own. Great guitar work, great vocals. It might sound weird during your first listen, but it will grow. Especially ‘Murder of Birds’ is a wonderful track.

 
A.A. Bondy – When The Devil’s Loose[review]
I know I didn’t give A.A. Bondy such a high mark in my review. But the album did really grow on me. One of the best folk albums made this year. I listen to it a lot lately, so points for that! 
 

The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You [8/10]
This album is really a ‘grower’, after a while you like it more and more. The Avett Brothers sound really ‘natural’. It might not really be my genre of music, but I love this album. Titletrack ‘I and Love and You’ is a rare song, it’s extremely beautiful. You might have to get used to the(ir) voice(s), but it’s worth it. Overall a very nice album.

The Whitest Boy Alive – Rules[7.5/10]
Simple funky and happy. Don’t expect any musical obscurity from these guys. Erlend Øye got a great voice, some great lyrics and made some great music on this album. Strong bass lines, percussion and light guitar work. But after a while, it get’s a bit repetitive. Still a very nice album, best song to me is ‘1517′. 

Laura Gibson – Beasts of Seasons[7.5/10]
Dreamy folk songs. Gibson got a great voice. This album stands out for it’s simplicety. Her songs are pretty vocally driven, with often some light guitar work underneath it. But also you hear some piano notes every now and then. The perfect album for a sunny autumn day. 

Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest[7/10]
Pretty interesting album, on moments to difficult for me to understand maybe. There are some ‘killer-tracks’ on it, but overall it’s just a pretty solid, nice, album that isn’t really my cup of tea at moments 

Regina Spektor – Far [7/10]
Not as strong as ‘Begin to Hope’, but again a very good album. Spektor goes from weird classical stuff to pop, not being afraid of sounding ’silly’. Vocally strong, but you have to love her voice. No complains about her instrumental stuff, but it’s not really ‘new’. (Best tracks of the album are ‘Laughing With’ and ‘Folding Chair’, these are perfect songs)

Wilco - Wilco(the album) [7/10]
Wilco delivered another good album. Still, it can’t beat Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it’s a good try. It’s again the typical Wilco sound(that isn’t really my sound). But it’s a strong, balanced album. 

Franz Ferdinand – Tonight[6.5/10]
Surprising new album from Franz Ferdinand. They changed their sound a bit, having more electronics in it. It’s still not difficult to dance on. They didn’t lose their Franz sound. Points for that. 
 

Albums that I didn’t like that much, but were pretty great anyway:
Soap&Skin – Lovetune for Vacuum
It’s too dark and obscure for me. It feels pretty creepy. But still, pretty good. (yeah, I don’t know much more to say about this one)

Zee Avi – Zee Avi
Too light and too bubbly for me. Pretty good debut album from this singer-songwriter. She mixes light, bubbly pop with a bit of jazz. Think Jack Johnson if he was a girl and used a ukulele more.

Portugal. The Man – The Satanic Satanist
Good album, but I think it’s too ‘heavy’ for me. Though, I do like the poppy ‘Work All Day’, ‘People Say’ and ‘The Sun’. Recommended for everyone who’s ears can handle more noise than mine.

Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels [review]
A more upbeat album from Tony Dekker and company. It does work out, but I like their slow, acoustic stuff more. Still a great album if you like them and do like songs such as ‘Your Rocky Spine’.

M. Ward – Hold Time
For all M. Ward lovers: Hold Time is a typical M. Ward album. His strongest point is his voice, and he uses is good. To me, M. Ward is a bit boring, there’s not much happening in his music. But that’s the only critic I can think of, so I guess it’s a nice album.