Getting to Know the Correspondents

Meet the Correspondents: Mitch Miggenburg, Charleston SC
AKA: Mount Pleasant

I was sent a number of questions by Sunsets, but I am picking and choosing the ones I like best.

1. What was the first cd/cassette you remember buying?
* I owned more rap cassettes than any white boy in the suberbs should. All accounted for in old shoe boxes. These included, but are definitely not limited to,
Run DMC, Digital Underground, Too Short (all of em'), Spice 1 (all of em'), NWA, Eazy E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube (all of em'), Bone Thugs-in-Harmony, Ant Banks, and Domino. And, don't be mistaken, I was listening to these through 1994 when I finally got a CD Player. Sure, I was behind as far as technology goes, but I distinctly remember going to the mall to purchase the Notorious B.I.G "Ready to Die" in late '94 as my first compact disc. And really, I couldn't have been happier with my first cd purchase.


2. Name an album, book, or movie that you feel you can judge a person with based on whether they like it or not.
I have always said, "If you don't like The Sunset Tree by the Mountain Goats, then I don't like you." Drastic? sure. But I can safely say, if you don't like this album, I'm guessing you and I won't see eye-to-eye on anything that really matters. So there.


3. What is the best live show(s) you have ever seen?
To Many to list probably, but here goes...in descending order from really-liked(#10) to borderline-couldn't-believe-I-was-there (#1). Dates are approximations:
#10. Josh Joplin - Eddie's Attic, Atlanta GA 2003
#9. The Strokes - The Plex, Charleston, SC 2007
#8. The Thermals - The Pour House, Charleston SC 2009
#7. Kings of Leon - The Music Farm, Charleston SC 2007
#6. Son Volt - The Music Farm, Charleston, SC 2006
#5. Band of Horses - Redux Theatre, Charleston SC 2005
(Tie) BOH - Village Tavern, Mt. Pleasant SC 2007
#4. Conor Oberst - The Plex, Charleston SC 2008
#3. Band of Horses - The Music Farm, Charleston 2009
#2. The Mountain Goats - The Redux Theatre, Charleston, SC 2005
#1. Pearl Jam - Deer Creek, Indianapolis IN 2003 (unreal)

4. What posters did you have on your wall growing up?
In addition to almost every Sports Illustrated cover from '90-'94 (and I even added the Tyson Rape Conviction issue for laughs....awkward now that I look back on it) I had the following:
**Andre Dawson - The Hawk (so cool, him standing outside Wrigley with a bat on his shoulder and a hawk perched on the bat)
**"Chicago Times" - Chicago's 3 premiere athletes...Dawson, Jordan, and Walter Peyton in tuxes. just badass.
**Eddie Vedder - Vs. (life-size) Actually, maybe a little bigger than life-size since ed is about 4'11"
**Chuck Person - The RifleMan. I sooo wish I still had this poster.
**and the BigHead Pennants (so popular in the nineties) of Dawson, Jordan, Bird, and Reggie Miller) for good measure


5. Who was your favorite 80s basketball player? See above....The Rifleman kids! Not afraid to pull the trigger from anywhere. OK, I lied. Bird. But Chuck Person was damn close!!

6. Best Hamburger? Poes Tavern on Sullivan's Island, SC. Bout 4 miles from my house and the best Jalapeno Jack liquid cheese sauce you've ever had.

7. Can I get you something to drink?
Depending on the mood. Cheap red wine, expensive hoppy beer, or just Maker's and Diet please, hold the fruit!

Getting To Know Our Correspondents

Hops McAlarney
Aside from being a singer and harmonica player for The Extreme Chocolate Milk, Hops will be rating beers for The Sun Sets On Indiana. He is, after all, an expert.

1. What posters did you have in your bedroom growing up?
All of the Wheaties-issued Michael Jordan posters, a life-size Michael Jordan poster that we cut in the corner to go around an electrical outlet, a Mars Blackmon "Gotta Be the Shoes" poster, and a "Wizard" Ozzie Smith poster where he's in mid back-flip.

2. Who would you like to play you in a movie?
I would like Chase Utley to try his hand at acting.

3. Hello sir, what can I get you to drink?
Could I have a tall Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale? Or maybe a New Belgium Mighty Arrow in a frosty mug? I think that as I delve deeper into a world of trying different beers, I generally like pale ales and IPA's the best. But I've met few beers that I didn't like. And Bud Light when I'm going for quantity over quality. Don't get me wrong, I love Bud Light.

4. What restaurant has the best burger you have ever eaten?
This is a tough question, but I'm going to say McGuire's Irish Pub in Destin, Florida. I can't remember what I had but remember the experience. I think this place has more burgers on the menu than any restaurant in world and something like $500,000 hanging on the wall and ceiling. Every customer signs a $1 and tacks it to the wall before they leave. Best local burger I can remember eating would be from my neighborhood joint growing up, Breakaway Cafe, on Natural Bridge Rd in Normandy, MO. They also had the best 7-layer Mexican dip as an appetizer. If the question had been, "What restaraunt has the best chicken wings and provided the setting for the best overall restaurant experience of your life?", I would've said Philthy Phils in St. Petersburg, FL.

5. You pick 5 friends to play a 20 minute half against the UConn womens basketball team. How much money do you put down that you will win?
I will bet my life that we will win and here's why: when a female dunks in a basketball game, it automatically becomes a Sportscenter Top 10 play. I rest my case.

College Life Once Again (A weekend with Henry and my record player) By Greg Brinkmeyer

Woke up Saturday morning in a bit of a haze. Tried to piece together the evening before as I stood in a pair of shorts and a jacket while watching my girlfriend’s dog peruse the lawn adjacent to my apartment building. He did his business and we headed back in for another hour of sleep. Awoke for the second time feeling no better than before and glanced around the apartment. Nothing was broken and nothing was out of place. I spent the evening before watching the Haiti telethon and Conan’s last show. In the process, I drank several beers and my third bottle of red wine this week. The life of a college student once again.

Today was to be different. Yes, I would be drinking but I had a few details to take care of beforehand. I went to the store, did some homework, and attended to the dog. My main focus of the day was to listen to records. My turntable was gathering dust and seemed to be silently crying out to be used. At 2 pm, I dropped the needle on Son Volt’s “Straightaways”. The music provided the inspiration to finish my work and filled me with a sense of happiness. I later followed up with Bob Dylan, Band of Horses, Tom Waits, and The Boss, all on vinyl. “Darkness on the Edge of Town” is pure genius and Springsteen’s hidden gem.

The beers began to flow a couple of hours later. Henry (the dog) and I settled in for the evening and I somehow finished several beers within a five hour period. I left to purchase more. After returning, I once again took pleasure in the sweet sounds of Bob Dylan on vinyl with “Highway 61 Revisited”. “Queen Jane Approximately” is remarkable, in my opinion. Sonic Youth’s “Murray Street” followed.

At thirty-two years of age, the return to college has been a difficult but rewarding experience. I know that what I am doing is worthwhile and I will be walking away with a master’s degree. But, I spend a lot of time alone and constantly think about my friends and family across the Midwest. I miss them tremendously and they are often on my mind. But, I know we will be hanging out soon and it will be as if nothing has changed. And that’s the way I want it to stay.

Within these two nights of a drunken stupor, I have come to two conclusions that will forever be etched in to my brain. One, if you can find the small, simple treasures in life that make you happy, enjoy them without limits. For me, it’s going to school, having a cold beer, remembering the great times with my loved ones, and listening to good music. Two, Bruce Springsteen is the coolest sumbitch in the history of man. And that’s a fact.

Larry Legend

For the last couple of years I have started to enjoy the NBA again. Friday nights watching the 7pm and 930pm games on ESPN is something that I look forward to. I picked up Bill Simmons' Book of Basketball earlier this month and this has only enhanced my appreciation for the league. This book is a 600+ page storybook of the entire history of the NBA. Unbelievable and entertaining and I can't stop reading it. I forgot how much I love Larry Bird and Celtics/Lakers playoff epics and Isaiah Thomas, Dominque Wilkens, Celtics/Rockets fistfights. Here is Larry Bird's 60 point game against the Hawks. I put it on here for a couple reasons. One, you don't see anyone shoot like Larry anymore, even if it looks like Atlanta is playing All Star Weekend defense after a night of drinking Jim Beam from the bottle. He glides in like a 40 year old at the Y and hits everything in sight. The second, and maybe the greatest thing I have ever seen from an opposing crowd and opposing teams bench; at around the 4:15 mark in the video you see Hawk bench players getting excited, nudging each other, slapping five. At the 5:10 mark you see an all out Def Comedy Jam, high five slapping, knee raising show of fandom, better than you would see from the Celtics bench. The Hawk players are loving it. I wonder if Fratello could even discipline these guys...I think I saw him throw a fist pump as Larry approached 54 points. If you have 7 minutes today check out the highlights. If you are in a rush, fast forward to around the 5 minute mark. Funny, awesome, amazing shit. I am glad I got to grow up in Indiana shooting free throws until dinner time, with only the thought of becoming Larry Bird as my greatest motivator.

Monsters of Folk-At The Bottom Of Everything

While waiting for Law and Order SVU I decided to make time disappear by sifting through youtube. Here was my favorite video of the evening. Enjoy it and thanks for joining us at The New Sun Sets On Indiana.

The Mountain Goats--Romans 10.9

Pitchforktv is showing three Mountain Goats videos that they taped at Cemetary Gates. Here is one of them. Pretty great stuff if you ask me.

My Favorite Album of the Decade is...Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground

‘Lifted or The Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground’ Bright Eyes (on vinyl)

reviewed by Chris Connors

“Seems like it, right?...don’t you think?” The album begins with friends’ casual banter, their movements unsophisticated, as though the person recording has assured them all “No no the red light means off,” sounds discordant like kids kicking thru piles of raked leaves, everyone piling into a car on a Saturday night, disagreeing over directions, unsure of the best way to get there, wherever there is—a show, a friend’s show, a party, small gathering. No music legible yet, just this rustling, like Conor Oberst, the band’s lead singer, scaling the folds from behind the stage, feeling out the ruffles of the curtain in desperate but still shy search for the opening, the part in the folds into the light, to at length grip his vocal chords onto the cold windpipe and urge, “The future’s far too big to look at, kid, your eyes won’t open wide enough…and you’re constantly surrounded by the swirling stream of what is and what was.” The rattle in the singer’s voice begins weakly, or maybe he’s not yet aware, like a snake that doesn’t know he has a rattle…but as he continues on he notices the rattling from behind him shakes everytime he does something, in this case says something…and it’s in sync…paired up…it belongs to him. And as listeners we get to gravely experience the very moment, the change, the shifting of power, where the rattle no longer implies fear, or fright, no longer means a quiver, a tremble, a tremor, but at the moment “I mean it’s cool if you keep quiet but…I LIKE SING-IN’!” the rattle slaps up in the air, and the snake has realized he has been given something that will announce a dangerous and intriguing presence.
The singer has taken his place on stage, the light is dim, terra cotta, fuzzy, crackling, the audience quiet, immobilized. Lie still, listen and balance your body along the cave and hunt down the originator of the echo. What this album means to me I have to let run and run…
lying down in the dirt, at times solemnly lying, at times thankfully, happy solely in a daydream, like a kid…make an angel in the snow, lie there long enough kid you can’t move your back it’s so cold, but you can’t feel it so…the snow turns to frozen mud, then marl and wet clay, soft mud to dirt, with time, the seasons, whether your ready or want to turn back, your series of emotions that couldn’t be anybody else’s but your own, legs and arms wriggling about as you shift positions when this one gets old and begins to hurt—your fresh new that-and-there position, pole position. One in particular being flat on your back, nearly or perfectly centered enough, eyes on the cloud faces where no one else could identify the resemblances—what you believed at a young age was your middle-age, your mid-life crises, in the middle of the album poses those questions, “Is it true what I heard about the Son of God?…did He die for us? did He die at all?…and if I dried His feet with my dirty hair would He make me clean again?” Find out for yourself, kid.
Each song before this, each song after—a shift of your body, swing of your mood, tip of the tongue back of the teeth you hear everything. By the beginning of the last song you are saying aloud, “Here I go,” and knuckles into the ground push yourself up. The culmination is your standing up, having refused the grass that nature was bound to let grow over you like nothing happened, like you were never there to begin with. You stand up and jump and jump and further flatten out that mound of dirt and look down to discover it’s been a grave all along, but you’re ALIVE, you got thru it kid, with friends and family and on your own, and that’s your dead-you in the ground, out of sight and: all those thoughts that were your own it helped to know were somebody else’s (the true test of any Poet worth a damn) have seeped deep into the soil. You are pleased with this old you though, having known and been him, but now it’s time to go, to keep moving kid, find another patch of land or cloth to lie down on and shift positions in. A different grave to make you realize what it’s like to stand up, to on occasion glance back while still moving on to something else that will suit you for the time being.
This album means that to me, knowing you can always go back to that little burial site we got out of ontop, that didn’t suck your body thru with all your thoughts and flashcard-burned-in-memories you believed no one else could possibly carry. It’s okay to go back to that place and not feel anything close to shame but know deep down in your heart you were great then, like you are great now but in a much different, hopefully better way. Slap every rattle up in the air and unabashedly shift to a scream “Well, we all fit into your slogan on that fast food marquee…red blooded white skinned oh and the blues…OH AND THE BLUES I GOT THE BLUES THAT’S ME! THAT’S ME!!!.” and hope that is enough (But let’s not shit ourselves).

Getting To Know Our Correspondents

Chris Connors
1. What was the first cd/cassette you remember buying?
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch 'Music For the People'

2. Name an album, book, or movie that you feel you can judge a person with based on whether they like it or not.
'The Machinist'

3. What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Bright Eyes at University of Missouri-Columbia in November '04.

4. Last book you have read.
'Frankenstein'

5. Who was your favorite 80s basketball player?
Other than Michael Jordan I guess Bird or Magic.

My Favorite Album of the Decade is...American IV The Man Comes Around

By Ryan Brownlee

I was sifting through some of the Albums of the Decade lists and a couple of albums jumped out at me such as 'Heartbreaker' by Ryan Adams, 'Loveboxx' by Outkast, and 'Only by Night' by Kings of Leon but personally two albums stuck out the most for me. The first was 'Sea Change' by Beck. I was getting my Master's at the time this album was released and I remember playing it on repeat many days and evenings. It was a little bit of a departure for Beck but I have always been struck by just how different Beck is than most any artist out there. He always takes chances and it is truly amazing at how talented he really is.

But, as I scrolled further down the list one album popped out to me. I know I will get killed on this because there is really only one new song on this album and it is a cover song but the album reintroduced this artist to many people who may not have followed him. For me 'The Man Comes Around' by Johnny Cash could be an album for most of the decades from 60-00's. If you have ever spent an evening at Tootsie's Purple Orchard in Nashville, you will understand the influence that Johnny Cash has and will have on the music industry and it's artists. Johnny Cash was the ultimate American story. He is the fallen hero that America loves to support. Anybody who has paid any attention to the painful steroid saga in MLB understands the trials that A-Rod went through this past year and Mark McGwire will go through this year as the Cardinals' hitting coach. It remains to be seen how the Tiger Woods' story will unfold over the next couple of years. But, for Tiger most of it will go away when he wins his first tournament. But those stories are for another time. If you haven't let Johnny Cash into your life, now is the time to do it. His history was a long storied one with his relationship with his wife June Carter Cash and his battles with alcohol and drugs. Johnny Cash truly is the Great American Hero.

On a side note, next time you are in the grocery store, do yourself a favor and pick up a pummelo. I am an avid fruit and vegetable eater and thought that I had tasted just about everything. The pummelo is a Chinese forefather to the grapefruit. Anyone who has bit into a grapefruit understand the sour zing it can give you. A pummelo is in between an orange and a grapefruit. The other interesting thing is that it can't be pealed like an orange or grapefruit. The rind is spongy so it has to be sliced and eaten in slices.

Getting To Know Our Correspondents

Ryan Brownlee
1. What was the first cassette/cd you remember buying?
We were all vinyl in my house for a long time. I do not have the musical accumen of the other guys on this website but I do know what I like listening to and I do have a wide variety of tastes when it comes to music, books and movies. Having children has a way of getting rid of some of your pretenses. I will admit to rocking out in my kitchen with my 7 and 4 year old to Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, but that means they do have to suffer through rocking out to my old stuff with me.

My first vinyl album that was not my parents was The Chipmunks 'Urban Chipmunk'

My first cassette was Sugarhill Gang 'Rapper's Delight'

I do have to admit that I owned audio tapes until I went to college. I am dating myself here. But, the first cd I bought was Prince's greatest hits used from Coconuts in Evansville. Coconuts had a great inventory of used cd's. The thing I love about the people on this website is they still appreciate the artists and all of the songs on their albums. I Tunes has taken away a lot of finding the hidden gems on albums. I shutter to think about all the music I would have missed when I was growing up if there was I Tunes when I was growing up.


2. Who do you believe would best represent you in a movie?
A guy in my office says I look like Steve Nash so he would be an option even though he is not an actor. Personally, I would love it if Kevin Spacey played me.


3. Name an album, book, or movie that you feel you can judge a person with based on whether they like it or not.
Requiem for a Dream

4. What song would you have playing as you walk to the plate?
A tough question. I will admit that I have heard some terrible walk up songs over the last 13 years. But at this moment I would have to go with 'Fireflies' by Owl City

5. What is the best live show you have ever seen?

NIN in Evansville at Roberts Stadium. I loved NIN but what intrigued me about the concert was that little known Marilyn Manson was supposed to open up for NIN. Marilyn Manson was banned from a lot of shows on that tour and Evansville wa one of them because he was coming out in his Hitler attire and berating the crowd. The Jim Rose side show ended up opening up, which was probably the most obscene thing I had scene up to that point in my life. The NIN portion was surreal, Trent Reznor is truly a genius in his own right and I am sorry that they broke up because this generation needs to experience an NIN show live.

Grateful Dead at Soldier Field 1995, I am not an avid follower of the Dead. I love their music but the only reason I mention it is because it was the 2nd to last show before Jerry Garcia passed away. It left a void for a lot of people and Phish tried to pick up the slack as well as the remaining members of the Dead but it hasn't been the same since. I would assume that Dave Mathews has taken the torch as well as anybody in today's concert summer series.

I took my son, who was 5 at the time, to see Bob Dylan when he came to Iowa City a couple years ago. It was a magical evening because of my son going with me. Elvis Costello with only and accoustic guitar opened up. My son will probably never remember it but I wanted to take him to see a legend that has transcended generations. His lyrics are still mind blowing to me.

I drove last December to see the Black Crowes at the Vel Air ballroom in Des Moines. I have seen them more than any other band. It was my 6th time seeing them. The venue was small and the show reminded me of why I love concerts. The addition of the slide guitar to the lineup was awesome. The bonus was that they played 'Nonfiction' which lyrically is my favorite Crowes song. The show gave me a renewed faith that rock and roll will come back.

The last one is for The Gambler. I saw Wilco this fall in Iowa City. It was their first show in the US since the Spring. I am not an avid fan of Wilco, but again any chance you get to see someone in a small venue, you should jump on it. They played for 3 straight hours and the show was electric.

6. Hello sir what are you drinking this evening?
Sad to say that with the temps being so low I am sipping on coffee tonight. The weather has got me itching to mix up a batch of Glugg, but I am wise to what that might bring about.

Autumn Winds-Greg Brinkmeyer

My Favorite Album of the Decade is...Kid A

It was the summer after I finished college and I was living in an apartment complex with a buddy of mine. Tight quarters, cookie cutter style, everything smelled like Thai food. I went and purchased Kid A, probably from Best Buy, and at that time I only bought new releases from Pearl Jam, Radiohead, and Stone Temple Pilots. And usually buying one of these new albums was a lone bright point in an otherwise unnoteworthy existence. I came home put Kid A in my stereo and played it loud. Not as loud as I would have liked because of the cubby hole closeness of my neighbors, but loud enough to enjoy. About 2 minutes into Everything In Its Right Place I started to laugh. A laugh similar to the one I project as I am listening to certain Bob Dylan songs (A Hard Rains Gonna Fall, Like A Rolling Stone) or watching certain Wes Anderson flicks (all of them). I am not laughing because it is Richard Pryor funny, but more like I am laughing because only aliens can produce what I am listening to, human beings are incapable. With Bob Dylan it is lyrically, with Wes Anderson it is his ability to create alternate realities, and with Radiohead it is sonically, lyrically, and their ability to create an another world. They do it all.

Then our cable man came to the front door and I went scrambling for the volume knob and ripped it down to almost a whisper. My reaction was that of someone watching scrambled porn with a knock at the door. I felt as though I shouldn’t be listening to this. It took me halfway to my volume knob to realize what I was doing was ridiculous. I don’t really care what my cable guy thinks; the music was just…not what I had ever heard before.

This record is filled with everything you want from a good album; interesting lyrics, more interesting sounds, great energy, and complete originality. I won’t waste everybody’s time by dissecting each song because the thought bores me to death. It’s been reviewed plenty of time by people who know more about music and people who know less about music than me. Most end with the same sentiment. It is amazing.

Although different, this album was not a complete surprise. It wasn’t as if Garth Brooks came out with this album. It was Radiohead and they had just put out an amazing OK Computer album, which served as a nice bridge between the acoustic, rhythmic guitar of The Bends and this extraterrestrial sonic explosion that was Kid A. This record doesn’t sound like anyone. Maybe it does, but that is outside of my knowledge of music. I think the album might be influenced by small green men residing on the planet Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood and company call home.

Upon listening to this album in its entirety I realized that this record feels like the end of the world; an apocalypse in a good way, in the way that it might be the end of the world but everything would all come back in due time. In one of my favorite books, Killing Yourself To Live, Chuck Klosterman explains how Kid A is a crystal ball into the horrible events that happen on September 11, 2001, 11 months after its release. Chuck Klosterman may be insane, on drugs, a genius or all three; it is eerily similar.
The first song on Kid A paints the Manhattan skyline at 8:00 A.M. on Tuesday morning; the song is titled "Everything in Its Right Place." People woke up that day "sucking on a lemon," because that's what life normally feels like on the Manhattan subway; the city is a beautiful, sour, sarcastic place. We soon move onto song two, which is the title track. It is the sound of woozy, ephemeral normalcy. It is the sound of Jonny Greenwood playing an Ondes Martenot, an instrument best remembered for its use in the Star Trek theme song. You can imagine humans walking to work, riding elevators, getting off the C train and the 3 train, and thinking about a future that will be a lot like the present, only better. The term KID A is Yorke's moniker for the first cloned human, which he (only half jokingly) suspects may already exist. The consciously misguided message is this: Science is the answer. Technology solves everything, because technology is invulnerable. And this is what almost everyone in America thought around 8:30 A.M. But something happens three and a half minutes into "Kid A". It suddenly doesn't feel right, and you don't exactly know why. This is followed by track three, "The National Anthem"
This is when the first plane slams into the north tower at 470 mph
You see, apocalyptic.

You have probably looked at many end of the year publications ranking the best albums of the decade and more times than not Radiohead- Kid A is tops on the list. You can hardly argue the points they make. What is amazing is the fact this album might be the best of the decade and also the most overrated. This doesn’t stop me from loving this record and placing it at the top of my list for albums of the ‘oughts’. So tonight put on your headphones and close your eyes and listen to Kid A in its entirety. If you don’t feel like picturing the events of 9/11 (and I don’t blame you), just listen to how amazing and detailed the record is. I have a hard time believing that I will hear anything like Kid A ever again. It was completely shocking and still holds up after nearly a decade.

My Favorite Album of the Decade is...Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco
Written by Greg Brinkmeyer
I was first introduced to the band Wilco in the late 90s in my brother's one-bedroom apartment in downtown Evansville. Many nights were spent there sipping drinks, watching movies, and listening to music. I'll never forget the alt-country sounds of Wilco's sophmore effort Being There echoing through the room as we tipped back several beers and grapefruit juice with vodka. It was an unfamiliar sound but a sound I wanted to become more acquainted with. I bought the album days later and still listen to it on a consistent basis to this day. The band's third album Summerteeth showed a band evolving as well as their sound. Strings were replaced with bells, horns, and periods of distortion. It seemed the band was on the brink of creating a new sound that would indentify with joy and pain simultaneously. Being There holds a special place in my heart, but Wilco's fourth album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot helped change the way I would listen to music.
Chaos is the only word that describes the opening of YHF. Distortion takes over as the piano and guitars slowly fade in as Jeff Tweedy's haunting vocals give birth to "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart". The opening track sets the tone for the entire album and catapults Wilco into a new dimension of music. The band energizes listeners with pure rocka and roll songs that connect on a deeper level. "Jesus, Etc." is a beautiful ballad that incorporates both the new and old sound of Wilco leaving fans wanting more.
Although YHF was a critical success, it also highlighted the inner turmoil of the band. Sam Jones' film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart documents the power struggle between Jeff Tweedy and the late Jay Bennett which eventually lead to Bennett's dismissal from the band. Jeff Tweedy's battle with migraine headaches also explains the mystery behind the lyrics and the defining sound. Warner Bros. records refused to release the album because it didn't sound like the Wilco of old. The album was later picked up by Nonesuch Records, a division of Warner Bros.
Wilco released four albums in the past decade. Each album is unique and shows the evolution of the band through personal and professional struggles. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was the beginning of this journey and its music is still relevant today. Chaos meets experimentation meets rock and roll, the end result is a remarkable album worthy of the greatest albums of the decade.

Getting to Know Our Correspondents

As I had mentioned earlier The Sun Sets On Indiana will be getting a little help from some additional correspondents. Before you read what they have to say it is important to get to know the person.

Greg Brinkmeyer

1. What was the first cd/cassetter you remember owning?
Tapes are one thing. I remember receiving the Rocky IV soundtrack and Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms. CD I bought the Edward Scissorhands soundtrack and The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks
2. Name an album, book, or movie that you feel you can judge a person with based on whether they like it or not.
Cool Hand Luke
3. What is the best live show you have ever seen?
Pearl Jam - Deer Creek Summer 2000
4. What is the last book you have read
Waiter Rant
5. Who is your favorite NBA basketball player of the 80's?
Larry Bird

I Go To The Barn Because I Like It

Ce N'est Rien- I Go To The Barn Because I Like It (Band of Horses) from Ryan Connors on Vimeo.

A New Approach for a New Year

The Sun Sets On Indiana will be taking a different approach this new year. Since the amount of output being produced by one man has been short of disapointing we are going to count on the output of 2 or 3 individuals.
This should be starting soon with some reviews on a couple favorite albums of the decade. Thats all for now.

2010

2010 will be the year of smoked meats and vegetable gardens, vinyl records and financial organization. It will also be the year of great recorded music. Here is a tune from New Years Eve and it is called You're Kinda Heavy for a Saint by Ce N'est Rien.
Enjoy it. There will be more to follow.

You're Kinda Heavy for a Saint from Ryan Connors on Vimeo.