No, not quite.

This is more like...a change. A shift.

I've come to realize that what I thought I'd be good at (music criticism) is really just one of my many phrases of obsession. And to try to do it every day, pushing out a new platter of fluttery descriptors and unrelenting praise has become work, and not fun. Some vague notion of what I should be doing instead of what I want to do.

I've mentioned it before: tired of all the hype, all the mind washed hipster chasing after the same band for ten minutes before tossing into the forgotten bin. More importantly, I realized that the entries I like the best are those removed from PR bands and songs meant to entice readers. They are simple and quite and feature more words than downloads, and probably less readers, but I've stopped doing this for an audience. Or perhaps not. Perhaps the audience is exactly what I want--still. But I want them to read for the writing, the sentiments, the honesty and not because there is the hottest new b-side from [insert common Hype Machine popular artist] to seem cool.

so where is this going?

This is going to a new blog, because I like blogging too much to give it up completely. Because I don't want to limit myself to endless consistent inconsistency. Because my writing just seems better when I write for an invisible reader without reservations or pretension.

So here's something new that's simple and different. Personal. Unassuming. One where I won't care about the number of visitors or the number of links. There will be songs, there will be books, of course. I can't live without either of those, and I still adore sharing those which I love. But there will be nothing programmed, nothing hype worthy. Just me and my inhibitions and fears and joys and little observations.

Maybe you'll care to take a look. Maybe not.

Either way.

I love everything this blog has given me--compare, say, my earliest entries with my last. It's been a long time, and perhaps time is the only factor. But I'd like to think not. I like to think that the readers and the bands made it something more. I appreciated each and every comment and message sent my way, I appreciated the fact that someone would take time away for something that a billion other blogs is already trying to do, and perhaps doing better.

So now. Not goodbye, but see you around. See you later.

Maybe we'll meet again.

I hope so.

Get me away from here, I'm dying.