It might seem silly that something such as a music blog can actually alter your life but the now retired Everybody Cares Everybody Understands did just that, occasionally going far past being simple enjoyable reading with great music attached to it to drastically changing my life for the better.
Even if I hadn't previously known the man behind the curtain, Chad, I believe I'd still be mourning the demise of such a wonderful site nonetheless.
Chad, who I've never met in real life but have been communicating with via the internet for too many years to count now, is someone I refer to as my "music guru" or the "indie adult I aspire to become" and I have the utmost respect for the man.
Building upon our mutual respect for bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith and Okkervil River, over the many years I've been speaking with Chad, he has introduced me to a plethora of music that my life wouldn't be the same without. My favorite of these contributions was made via his blog when he posted a rave review of the Young Coyotes amazing song Momentary Drowning last summer, heralding it his song of the summer and it quickly became my summer anthem as well. I had the fortune of being one of ten people to see the Young Coyotes play their first Chicago show at Schuba's on Valentine's Day of this year and I got to tell them that Momentary Drowning had quickly reached the top of my most played songs over July and August due to it's dreamy verses, utilization of woah's and handclaps and to think, without Chad, so many less people would be aware of their presence.
Outisde of blogging however, perhaps the most memorable musical contribution of Chad's to my life was the Decemberists. This was years ago, right after the release of Her Majesty. I wasn't a fan of the Decemberists based upon what I'd previously heard and Chad told me to reserve judgement until I heard the song Red Right Ankle. I humored Chad, if memory serves, claiming I would listen to it but knowing I'd never bother. Of course, when I heard Red Right Ankle, I fell in love. Chad was right. Chad was always right about music. So of course he was right about The Decemberists, why should that be any surprise to me?
When I talk to people about indie music, I aspire to be to them what Chad has been to me - Informative and a treasure trove of great, obscure tracks, both new and old, without being snobby or condescending at all. Everybody Cares was by far my favorite music blog with Chad being by far my favorite music blogger and I do find it quite bittersweet that upon The Hot Half Life's return to the blogging world, I find it just that much less special due to the absence of such a beautiful, moving site.
Weekends aren't going to be the same for a while without Sunday Links to look forward to or the amazing Saturday is for Covers feature. People Singing Songs I Love (featuring amazing covers by regular people via youtube of songs such as Paper Planes and In The Aeroplane Over The Sea) posts won't be forgotten. Nor will Chad's full day devoted to the passing of Elliott Smith on the fifth anniversary of his death and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried on more than one occasion when reading the upwards of twenty entries on Elliott that Chad must've posted that day, each just as affecting and interesting as last, all culminating with a repost of Chad's eulogy of sorts for Elliott, eloqunetly stating why his music mattered as much as it did.
So here's to Everybody Cares, a great blog run by a great guy. I aspire to blog half as good as that fellow did on his worst day.
Young Coyotes - Momentary Drowning
The Decemberists - Red Right Ankle
Thankfully however, all hope is not lost and the blogosphere is not completely devoid of Chad. While Everybody Cares is dead and gone and will leave a void, Chad now healms Some Songs Matter where he will be posting once a week on one song and why it matters (thus the title) and he recently posted a beautifully written entry on Okkervil River's Seas to Far to Reach which I couldn't have written better myself and you can read here.
Even if I hadn't previously known the man behind the curtain, Chad, I believe I'd still be mourning the demise of such a wonderful site nonetheless.
Chad, who I've never met in real life but have been communicating with via the internet for too many years to count now, is someone I refer to as my "music guru" or the "indie adult I aspire to become" and I have the utmost respect for the man.
Building upon our mutual respect for bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Elliott Smith and Okkervil River, over the many years I've been speaking with Chad, he has introduced me to a plethora of music that my life wouldn't be the same without. My favorite of these contributions was made via his blog when he posted a rave review of the Young Coyotes amazing song Momentary Drowning last summer, heralding it his song of the summer and it quickly became my summer anthem as well. I had the fortune of being one of ten people to see the Young Coyotes play their first Chicago show at Schuba's on Valentine's Day of this year and I got to tell them that Momentary Drowning had quickly reached the top of my most played songs over July and August due to it's dreamy verses, utilization of woah's and handclaps and to think, without Chad, so many less people would be aware of their presence.
Outisde of blogging however, perhaps the most memorable musical contribution of Chad's to my life was the Decemberists. This was years ago, right after the release of Her Majesty. I wasn't a fan of the Decemberists based upon what I'd previously heard and Chad told me to reserve judgement until I heard the song Red Right Ankle. I humored Chad, if memory serves, claiming I would listen to it but knowing I'd never bother. Of course, when I heard Red Right Ankle, I fell in love. Chad was right. Chad was always right about music. So of course he was right about The Decemberists, why should that be any surprise to me?
When I talk to people about indie music, I aspire to be to them what Chad has been to me - Informative and a treasure trove of great, obscure tracks, both new and old, without being snobby or condescending at all. Everybody Cares was by far my favorite music blog with Chad being by far my favorite music blogger and I do find it quite bittersweet that upon The Hot Half Life's return to the blogging world, I find it just that much less special due to the absence of such a beautiful, moving site.
Weekends aren't going to be the same for a while without Sunday Links to look forward to or the amazing Saturday is for Covers feature. People Singing Songs I Love (featuring amazing covers by regular people via youtube of songs such as Paper Planes and In The Aeroplane Over The Sea) posts won't be forgotten. Nor will Chad's full day devoted to the passing of Elliott Smith on the fifth anniversary of his death and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried on more than one occasion when reading the upwards of twenty entries on Elliott that Chad must've posted that day, each just as affecting and interesting as last, all culminating with a repost of Chad's eulogy of sorts for Elliott, eloqunetly stating why his music mattered as much as it did.
So here's to Everybody Cares, a great blog run by a great guy. I aspire to blog half as good as that fellow did on his worst day.
Young Coyotes - Momentary Drowning
The Decemberists - Red Right Ankle
Thankfully however, all hope is not lost and the blogosphere is not completely devoid of Chad. While Everybody Cares is dead and gone and will leave a void, Chad now healms Some Songs Matter where he will be posting once a week on one song and why it matters (thus the title) and he recently posted a beautifully written entry on Okkervil River's Seas to Far to Reach which I couldn't have written better myself and you can read here.
