RIFF MARKET

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Each contributor to the 12 DAYS OF SPIDERRIFFMAS was told: OK I'll let you jump on a record, but listen Kite Runner! You got 35 minutes max. Because I do not want no Bonfire of the Vanitas like last year. So the only rule was: Thou shalt not write more than 35 minutes--capito?

***THIS POST CONCLUDES THE 12 DAYS OF SPIDERRIFFMAS***

THANKS FOR READING

-FANG

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YEAR IN RIFFS: WILL WELCH
I Just Sent An Email

Fang,

I didn’t write anything. I just sent an email to a bunch of people and asked them to spend less than a minute answering three questions. I figured if 35 of them wrote back each having spent under a minute then I would come in under the limbo bar that is my allotted Riff-Quota. 32 wrote back, 2 came in by phone and 1 came in by text message. Thus leaving not one to beg and none to spare. Much thanks to all 35.

Will

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Diplo
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... LCD Soundsystem, “Someone Great.” And the Jama Masjid intro on Bedford & Fulton at 5AM every morning.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... stop drinkin.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... South Africa.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... weird.

Marissa Nadler
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Sammi Smith “Sunday Morning Coming Down”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... get significantly better at the piano.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is...Helsinki, Finland
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... the saunas

Chris Isenberg
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Willie Colon, “Que Lio”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... hold onto my apartment on Leonard between Ainsle and Devoe. A bad, bad beat.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Sun Valley, Idaho
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... fly fishing with Zoe and how good she looked in galoshes.

Brian Winton
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... The Hold Steady, Boys And Girls in America. At first cause I couldn't believe how much they messed up, then because I thought maybe I was wrong, then cause I realized it is Awesome.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... Regrets are for pussies, I have too many to list.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Southaven, MS
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... the most amazing Little League fields I have ever seen, like a Little League stadium almost! Growing up in Southaven probably kind of sucks, but playing baseball there definitely does not.

T-Pain
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Cee-Lo Green, OutKast, and numerous other artists.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... have sexy with Oprah Winfrey.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Japan.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... the Japanese people are very respectful.

Pascal Spengemann
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Delaney & Bonnie & Friends On Tour with Eric Clapton from 1970, starting on New Years Eve 2007 cleaning up after the party. So amazing, and you know where Jason Pierce took his live big band cues from. Coming down in sheets indeed.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... Play a Hex Message show in ’07!
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is...
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... I rode a chartered bus from Austin TX to a ranch in Wimberley, TX for a wedding. Took in the beautiful hill-country landscape with the tinny P.A. piping in a mixtape of Texas artists from Bob Wills to Willy Nelson to Jerry Jeff Walker and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Not every jam was a winner but it kinda made me jealous that I couldn't get all locally nationalistic with my listening. I mean I'm from Northern California so that would be like only having Grateful Dead, Dead Kennedys, Operation Ivy, Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape...hold on...that sounds awesome!

Andrew Kuo
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Vampire Weekend CD-R and Strawberry Jam by Animal Collective.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... do a ton of things. Go to Yankee Stadium, read a good book, leave the country, etc etc. But cry me a river... it was a good enough year.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Miami
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... the food sucked.

Ed Droste
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Beach House, Beach House
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... Hang out with Will Welch more, in fact I've only gotten to once in my life, which is fairly tragic.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Dublin, Ireland.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... Playing a show at Whelen's and loving the people there. We were relieved to be out of England.

Caroline McCloskey
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... do my taxes.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Paris
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... a toss-up: getting engaged/stealing a Ricard ashtray from an outdoor cafe on the banks of the Seine/accidentally wearing my dress inside out on the flight back.

Antony
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Nomi’s demos
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... turn gay.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Istanbul.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... being handed a wad of tissues at the door of the sweltering trannie club because I was perceived to be fish.

Jean Touitou
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... "Chérie BB" by Bertrand Burgalat
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... Can’t find regrets. Sorry.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Zürich
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... buildings with the right proportion all over the place.

Michael Schmelling
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Bobby Charles, “I Must Be in a Good Place Now.”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... It sounds stupid to say, “no regrets,” but I'm too superstitious not too. But it woulda been nice to have gone tubing or fishing probably.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Cairo, Egypt
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... The view out of the hotel window at 5AM.

M.I.A.
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... ?
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... learn to fly and get a pilot’s license. What with already bein on the threat list, I had to shelf it and rewrite the year’s goals.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Nîmes, France. It’s where denim was invented.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... celebrating my LP release around a fan's house. His dad cooked amazing food for my whole band and friends and cracked open their best booze and made me smoke cigars all nite.

Jason Nocito
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... the theme song to the Sopranos.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... move out of NYC.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Atlanta.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... going to a strip club called Body Tap and getting called “The Geico Man” by the MC all night.

Rob Mazurek
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Satie, "Famous Pieces," performed by Jeanne Pierre Armengaud
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... learn Portuguese.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Zilina, Slovakia.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... Jason Ajemian's bass exploding during the Exploding Star Orchestra concert.

Nico Muhly
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Final Fantasy, The CN Tower Belongs to the Dead
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... spend a week without speaking.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Gøta, the Faroe Islands, for a music festival.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... lunch with a lady Marine Biologist of a Certain Age and she had me smell the metallic tang of her whaling knife.

Patterson Hood
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Sly and the Family Stone There’s A Riot Goin On (Reissue)
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... actually take a vacation.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Tulsa, OK
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... Playing at Cain’s Ballroom (former home of Bob Wills). Great venue.

Knox Robinson
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... a tie between Kellz “Same Girl” remix and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble “War.”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... manage the band I was “managing.”
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Dublin.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... pouring a full bottle of Spanish rioja on a beautiful girl and watching her get thrown out of the club for it.

Brian Degraw
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Brian Eno, Another Day On Earth
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... dry out.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Istanbul.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... severe panic attacks.

Mark Ronson
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... the opening theme to the TV program “Arrested Development.”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... clean my room.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Moscow.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... walking through Red Square at 2 in the morning.

Valgeir Sigurdsson
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Sam Amidon, All is Well, which is going to be out in 2008.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... spend enough time with Ben Frost.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Minneapolis. Well actually the Minneapolis airport.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... that regardless of me being deported, my friends and bandmates, lead by Nico Muhly, still performed my music and his to a sold-out crowd at the Southern Theater, as scheduled.

Damon McMahon
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Burial
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... think of a thing I didn’t manage to do that I regret.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Kiev.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... eating a ham sandwich, and this waitress with big tits.

Cole Alexander
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Wendy Rene, “After Laughter (Comes Tears).” It is dark sad weird and I guess funny. It’s beautiful, it was probably made most famous now ’days from being sampled by Wu Tang Clan on their 36 Chambers record.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... My only regret is when I lost my passport and got stranded in Portugal and missed playing on “The Culture Show” on the BBC. It would have been cool and I was all alone and bored.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Bethlehem
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... It was quite distinct for me. We played next to a mosque. It was quite sweet and there were lots of children. It was a strange context for our rock band. The most distinct moment was when we played “Johhny B. Goode” and the kids were familiar with it and they sang a Hamas chant over the top of it.

Juston Stens
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Sibylle Baier, Colour Green
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... convince Giselle Bundchen to go on a date with me.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Brisbane.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... driving an hour south to Springbrook for a hike. On the path we came along a little mullet, a common skink.

Hank Shteamer
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Say Anything, “Alive with the Glory of Love”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... learn how to play the piano.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Lubbock, TX.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... playing a show with a party rapper who went by the name Burgers.

Thomas Bartlett
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... R Kelly, “Step in the Name of Love”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... blackout for more than a few hours at a time.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Moscow.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... sitting in traffic.

Paul Major
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... the Geico Caveman commercial where he's on the moving sidewalk at the airport. “And every place I go, always something to remind me, of another place and time....” Song of the year.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... pay off my back taxes.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Buffalo, NY.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... being on Endless Boogie tour where it took 45 minutes to find a candy bar even though we were downtown. The place is deserted...

David Banner
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... The Greatest Story Ever Told (my new album) because it has been a year in the making.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... spend more time with my father before he passed.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Prague.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... 7000 non-English speaking Europeans screaming DA-ZID BANNAH and chanting the words to my songs.

Brian De Ran
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... The Best of Tim Hardin.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... buy a new bed.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Las Vegas.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... breast implants and blackjack.

Ewen Spencer
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Teenage Fanclub, “Take the Skinheads Bowling” (from a live BBC session).
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... meet up with Martin.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Lublijana, Slovenia.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... swimming in a purpose built
19th century oak pool, fed by a 26 degree [Celsius] warm natural spring, situated in a
remote valley covered with snow.

Joshua Wildman
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Esther Phillips, “Home is Where the Hatred Is.”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... Get out of the country. I didn’t leave the States. That’s a bummer.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Fayetteville, Arkansas
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... I saw the most drunk people I ever saw. They were all zombies. The whole bar.

Rick Ross
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... “We Taken Over.” It was a big record for my brother DJ Khaled and the entire movement. We shot it in my city. It was genius. I knew it was gonna be pretty big but when Akon came the way he came, he took it there.
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... sign an in-house producer to the company. We about expanding. Someone who can bring that custom sound. Snoop had his Dre, Big had his Puff. In 2008, that’s definitely goin down.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... The Dominican Republic.
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... that it’s one of the islands we always overlooked. We do shows in the islands all the time but we had never really touched that spot. My distinct memory is the strip clubs. It reminded me of a very extra-Spanish Miami. There was like a bunch of J-Lo’s in the club. Some of them were badder than J-Lo.

Hank Sullivant
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Spacemen 3, “Big City (Everybody I Know Can Be Found Here)”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... decide Myspace wasn’t gay.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... London
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... I remember playing on the BBC radio Christmas special with MGMT surrounded by a sauced Kazoo marching band and a bonzo-wasted reindeer helium choir. Airs Christmas Eve. Real.

Carol Lim
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... Beachwood Sparks, “By Your Side”
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... go to the pyramids.
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Guimaraes, Portugal
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... the monastery hotel is so enchanting.

Kevin Pedersen
1. The piece of music I listened to more than any other in 2007 has been... ?
2. One regret about 2007 is that I never managed to... ?
3. a. One city or town I went to this year that I had never been to before is... Vancouver
b. My most distinct memory from being there is... I was there to see this band Sex Vid—their single “Tania” is a rager. It was a week before my brother’s bachelor party and I had dinner and strip clubs planned but nothing crazy. Anyway in Van City there was an old man singing with this band and I asked my local friend Jeff, “Who is the geezer?” He says, “Oh that’s William Gibson.” My brother was a huge WG fan and on one occasion made me go to a book signing for him. Here was my chance to convince my brother’s favorite author to fly to NY and hang out and blow my bro’s mind with some far out stories and cement my place as coolest brother ever. I went up to the old guy as he was thrusting his hips toward a wall in some bizarre dance and asked, “Are you William Gibson?” He replied, “Only if there’s cash in advance.”

97 S'FANGS

Labels: year-in-riffs-2007