I'm actually cleaning my room today. I'm going places, so don't hold me back, baby.
gimme some doggone room up in here. Show the Lake some respect in this. He deserves a bit.

One thing at a time, Suckers.

1) Sign up for classes at MCC (work out loans)

2) get a job.

3) change soaps. that one in the showers gives you a rash.

4) clean your room. (including the cat vomit)

5) Successfully mooch gas money off of parents.


Yes kids, being Tom Lake is that good.

So Sounds Are Active (LA based record label and home to Soul Junk) has a new website up, with all kinds of new stuff on it. Theres so much information, it will probably satisfy my musical nerd urges for a good month (I lie). Example: did you know that Slo Ro, is married to folk singer Liz James, and is producing her new LP, due out on Asthmatic Kitty Records soon? Neither did I till this morning! There are a ton of videos on the website as well, and apperently theres some sort of contest with hidden numbers in the various video clips. As if I wouldn't have watched every one anyways.
Sounds Are Active is one of my favorite labels, for the sole reason of having Soul-Junk and Bizzart on their roster (and dripping of bootleg, independent, pirate, hipster, cool). But now, as if every single one of my readers (single? one?) has not allready crapped their collective pants, the big news is that Sounds Are Active is co-releasing a compilation record with Asthmatic Kitty records. And its only a dollar. And it has, a new Soul-Junk track on it. I never thought I would ever hear a Sufjan Stevens song on the same cd as a Soul Junk track, but lo and behold, for only a dollar, I will hear just that. (Hold me) The track listing, because I know EVERYONE wants to know, is as follows.


Asthmatic Kitty Side
01. Sufjan Stevens - All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!
02. Half-Handed Cloud - Let's Build A Planet
03. Viva Voce - Red D-Lish
04. Liz Janes - Guitar Guitar
05. Castanets - I'll Be Just Where You Are
06. Sufjan Stevens - Happy Birthday
07. Half-Handed Cloud - Pressing Into It
08. Liz Janes - Vine
09. Viva Voice - Welcome Mat
10. Half-Handed Cloud - Here's A List
11. Sufjan Stevens - Year of the Tiger
Sounds Are Active Side
12. Deneir - Random Object Subject
13. Patagonian - Hands in the Face of Time
14. Xn. - gone home early (Omid Remix)
15. Vla Hemia - Break Loose
16. Soul-Junk - Nova (Evig Poesi Remix)
17. Bizzart - Pink Summer in Hell
18. Melk the G6-49 - Henry
19. Create(!) - Three Butterflies, Seven Mockingbirds
20. Constantine, Levin, Phillips, Schlarb, Shadduck - Two Planes for Elliot Smith

Even if you don't know, or care about any of the artists above, just look at all the words and try to imagine what each one sounds like. Odds are your probably right. Or you could go to Soundsareactive or asthmatickitty, and freaking find out.

Showering brings me together with myself. you know?

So my brother showed me www.explodingdog.com the other day and i was blown away. It's not a lame, flash cartoon site like it sounds, but its actually a strange, crappy artist who draws pictures for sentances that his fans send in. Sound stupid? it sometimes is. Its also at times, dark, funny, and in odd, small, little ways, moving.

One day I'll have a job, you'll see.

There is a new mewithoutyou song on purevolume.com called "January 1979". Its off of their upcoming album called "Catch For Us The Foxes". How wicked is that?

There is a sweet interview with Sufjan Stevens at PitchforkMedia.com
Sucker MC's everywhere are recognizing his songwriting skills that hopefully are starting to pay the dang bills.

It's like a dance.

but it gives more than it takes.
You'll lose time and energy but you will slowly spin inside.
Until one of your organs is facing another it has never seen before.
The gall bladder turns to find the stomach has been behind him all this time.
The pancreas meets the kidney.
you won't know this of course, you will just feel an odd sensation,
maybe an aching, or several small sharp pains.
as you innards shift, and meet their new friends, or enemies.

Then you might feel a tingle, or a small prick.
as something inside of you discovers his new best friend

has been behind him all his life.

So since ive been back to Rochester, I have seen the Village, and Napolean Dynamite.
My word. Go see these movies now.

1) despite what certain people (some but not all, residing in Illinois) say, The Village was very well made. The characters are well developed and the plot is very original. M. Night is one of the most consistent directors around. Respect him.

2) Napolean Dynamite redefines "off-beat comedy" with more quirk, and dry humour than anything else I've seen. (except The Royal Tenenbaums, and Punch Drunk Love) This movie is like a strange, little cousin to the afformentioned films, with a lead character that is the funniest thing to happen since ... the last really funny thing. Represent.

So I happen to be back.

Its very good to see the Rochester again. I had a garbage plate for the first time in a month and let me tell you, grease has never been so welcome, sliding down my throat, along with meat and patatos, and whatever else.

here is a link to a couple of photos of me in illinois, I will be adding others as soon as i get a scanner working around here.

Tom in Illinois

Let it henceforth be known, that I, Tom Lake will be home at nine. On thursday. So you, should totally be there. Obviously.