... or better know a spy.

this is jon.

i admit that i'm a pretty regular pitchfork reader, although to be honest i've lost a fiar amount of faith in the site over the last few years, but that's another post.

anyways, on pitchfork (pitchforkmedia.com) they run a weekly column called "guest list" in which a band or band member answers certain stock questions.  it's interesting to see what people from certain bands choose/suggest/reccomend.  this week it's the ladies from free kitten, pretty good choices.  a few months back they interviewed john and toko from enon, interesting enough.  and so on.

so, i thought it would be fun if the band did their own guest lists. 

looks like i'm starting:

favorite new songs of the past year: i've been listening to a lot of new things lately so this is kind of hard, but i really like why?'s alopecia album, especially the opener "vowels pt. two" and their cover of the cure's "close to me".  vampire weekend and cocnut records have been big hits with me over the last few months, i guess "oxford comma" and "west coast" would be my top picks respectively, but both albums are phenomenal.  i'm really happy about the nineties party rap renaisance being helmed by the cool kids, "black mags" and "what it is" are already my summer jams.  i could go on and on but i'll wrap it up by mentioning the new black francis records, specifically "your mouth into mine" and "the seus".

favorite older songs at the moment: anything by the pixies are first choices, but since i've been re-learning how to play surfer rosa lately i guess "something against you", "bone machine", and "cactus" are the most fun to play and sing.  i'm in love with the kinks' "this time tomorrow" and peter sarstedt's "where do you go to my lovely" from the darjeeling limited soundtrack.  and tom waits' "i don't want to grow up".  so really it's the songs that i've been learning to play on my own lately.  but they're great regardless.  and i've been really into the jesus and mary chain lately for some reason, so anything off psycho candy.

favorite venue: to see shows?  the beachland ballroom/tavern.  i love the feel of those two rooms and the sounds is always good.  to play?  a crowded basement is nice, and so is annabell's in akron, the sound's always decent and the sound guy always plays liquid swords while bands are setting up and tearing down.

favorite new band: following my favorite new songs of the moment, i really like why? right now, their weird indie-pop-rap thing grabs me in the right place, like the islands' "where there's a wish there's a whale bone" extrapolated over an entire album.  coconut records and vampire weekend, even though they're not that new anymore.  and i'm pretty psyched about el guincho and the mae shi right now.

favorite song ever: this is really hard to answer, but a few options might be "letter to memphis" by the pixies, "i don't want to grow up" by tom waits, or "hotwax" by beck or aesop rock's "no regrets".  i think four is pretty good since i could make a huge list right now.

best recent show: child bite and the kyle sowashes at used kids was pretty great, so was bookmobile later than night (may seventeenth).  and playing with the sons of adray a few weeks ago in akron was awesome, too.

last great film i saw: i haven't seen a truely great film in a long time.  seeing the ruins witht eh band last night was pretty great.  it was gross and silly and over the top.  i haven't seen a good gross-out horror movie in a long time.  the new indiana jones movie was good, too.  but nothing great.  i'm excited about son of rambow and the gits documentary but lord knows if and when i'll ever see them.  that young at heart looks promising, too.

last great book i read: i just finished vonnegut's breakfast of champions a few days ago and loved it, not surprisingly.  i'm mad i haven't read more of his stuff at this point in my life, but i've still got time.  i'm in various stages of finishing a few others right now, the best so far seems to the secret ingrediants which is a collection of the best food writing from the new yorker. 

favorite piece of musical equipment: as the drummer for northern spy my favorites are either our new snare stand or the drum key.  more personally it's by danelectro dc-three in sparkly blue finish.

favorite record store: there've been a lot over the years, ultrasound in mentor was key to my high school/punk years.  mad hatter's (r.i.p.) was the only place to shop in bowling green.  and now i really like used kids in columbus or record den in mentor.

best purchase of the last year: if i had bought it i would say my ipod, but right now it looks like it will be the car i will buy some time in the near future.

best thing i did this year: toss up between the weekend at old man's cave and my spring break road trip.

favorite tv show at the moment: now that the office and thirty rock are off for the summer, i don't know.  top chef i guess fits the catagorey, or the eleven pm re-run of good eats is pretty great.  but really nothing is tickling my fancy right now, i need to get netflix or a dvr.  actually netflix reminds me, i've been watching various seasons of northern exposure with my parents lately.  those are amazing.  what a good show, although it's little wonder it got cancelled, too weird for network tv.  great wrting and charcters even if some of the actors are a little stiff at times.

favorite radio show: ha!  right!  the radio!  i barely listen to the actual radio anymore, though i do use it to listen to my ipod in the car.  i guess morning edition on npr is one thing i listen to the most, in the morning while making my lunch and eating breakfast.

my ringtone: ever since i got a cell i've been terrified of being "that guy" whose phone goes off at inopportune times so it's almost always on vibrate.  when it's not, and this will sound really lame, it's this weird drum solo thing that was one of the pre-programmed rings on my phone.  it's not because i'm the drummer or anything, it was the most different ringtone on there and some horrible townie had my previous ringtone when i was in the post office one day, some faux-reggae thing.  actually my phone records things so i was hoping i could make my ringer this wolf eyes song i recorded but it didn't work.  not that i feel i have to defend my choices to you or anyone.

there it is, our first guest list.  hopefully you enjoyed it and hopefully the rest of the band will follow suit.

later.

     <3,
        jon