Happy New Year!!!

My resolutions:

1) To post more often
2) To sharpen my writing and editing skills so that I don't look back at earlier posts and wince
3) To avoid the urge to compile or solicit lists
4) To open up every wrapped cd Derek has in his possession without his knowledge
5) To get a year round movie blog up and running a la the toronto film festival blog
6) To follow thee more nearly, day by day by day by....

It's funny that you should mention the Panada Bear song, Brian. I downloaded it a day or so after our last cd club meeting and then several days later, I was sitting in an airport, listening to it on my walkman, reading the NYTimes art section that I picked up off the seat beside me, and what do I come across but an article on Panda Bear and the Animal Collective.
The track (Track One?) is still in my 'hmmmn' column, along with the Fiery Furnaces disc but at least I no longer fear either.

I'm not sure what 'haven't found my wheelhouse' means, Derek. Do you own the cds but haven't listened to them? Have you listened to them but haven't warmed up to them yet? Or is there a sillier interpretation of this phrase that I could come up with as a third option to make you all groan but would again underscore the need for clarification of said phrase?

The inclusion of Royal City in your final list from 2004 serves of another reminder that there's a lot of really good music coming out of montreal these days.

It also gives me a reason to throw this question out for all to consider:

Is Canada the new England, as an editor from Artforum recently suggested? [Note: this site, like many others, asks that you 'register' in order to read their articles, so I go to a site called Bugmenot, which will give you a password to use so you don't have to keep registering at different sites.]