Josh Graham lists 10 Great Things About 2009 (A Storm of Light plays w/ Coliseum & Coalesce @ Europa Wednesday)

A Storm of Light

Josh Graham is multitasking, and not in a chew gum and walk kind of way either. Graham first burst on the scene as the newest member of Bay Area titans Neurosis, handling the visual element which included live pieces and graphic design, eventually leading into the legendary “A Sun That Never Sets” companion DVD. On the heels of that well received DVD, Josh went on to direct music videos and design artwork for Dillinger Escape Plan, Enon, Jesu, Khann, Underoath, Saves The Day, and many others.

Meanwhile, Josh wielded a heavy (like the music) axe (like the guitar) in Red Sparowes featuring members of the like-minded Isis, Battle Of Mice [RIP] with members of local metallers Made Out Of Babies, and Tribes of Neurot (a Neurosis related experimental project). His tenure with Red Sparowes has recently come to an end, but that hasn’t stopped Mr. No-Sleep from starting another band… A Storm Of Light.” [Black Bubblegum, March 2008]

A Storm of Light plays with Coalesce, Coliseum, My Skull Your Closet, and Tournament at Europa on December 30th (tickets are still on sale) Josh Graham listed 10 Great Things About 2009. Read them below…

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US Christmas @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Tim Griffin)

Cold Brewed Coffee
As life long coffee fanatics, Domenic and I thought we knew everything there was to know about coffee, especially iced coffee. we were wrong. It was a hot summer day in Austin and A Storm of Light’s last show of the tour with Wolves in the Throneroom. The promoter, Will Evans asked us we wanted coffee and what he brought back changed our lives. Cold brewed coffee brews for 12-24 hours with no heat, has zero acidity, and is as smooth as chocolate. Amazing.

Shrinebuilder – Self Titled
I remember getting the email from Scott that he had been asked to be part of Shrinebuilder. I was blown away by the idea of what could come out of that group of musicians. The record is amazing, and varies sonically more than i ever imagined, powerful, heavy, pretty, etc. The unique vocals styles converge perfectly and become an integral part of the band’s identity. I am really looking forward to this band’s future.

Cai Guo-Qiang – Head On
As my own artwork is beginning to move out of the two-dimensional world, this piece of art has had a huge impact on me. 99 wolf sculptures, all of them following each other as they run head-on into a glass wall. The scale is impressive to say the least, as is the depiction of “collective heroism, tragic and brave.”

12 Year Old Jameson Irish Whiskey
Neurosis’ first show of our European tour this year found us in Helsinki, Finland. Jameson Whiskey has long been a staple in the our hospitality rider but this time there was something new. Steve pulled out a bottle of Jameson 12 Year Old Special Reserve,I scoffed at it, asking, “How much better could it really be?” I soon found out that it is the counter part to cold brewed coffee; there is a huge difference from the standard Jameson to the 12 Year, and that is smooth, warm, and smooth.

Roadburn 2009/Beyond The Pale
Roadburn this year was amazing to say the least. I cannot express how important its curators, Jergen and Walter, are the music scene these days. They are two of the nicest, honest, and kind people I have met in all of my touring experiences, and they continue to repeatedly put on the best music festival in Europe or the US every single year. When they asked Neurosis to curate another installment of Beyond the Pale, everyone of us were blown away. That day was one of the most simultaneously exhausting and rewarding days of my musical career.

Mono & The Wordless Music Orchestra with Conductor Milarsky – Le Poisson Rouge
A few weeks after Storm played with Mono both in Greece and at Roadburn, I went to check out their combined show with The Wordless Music Orchestra. Both performances were poignant. As myself and A Storm of Light as a whole are becoming more involved in orchestration, this show was definitely inspiring and influential.

Latitudes Session
A Storm of Light had the great opportunity to record a Latitudes Session for Southern Records at their infamous recording studio, Southern Studios. It was an honor and privilege to record in the same room as bands and musicians including Big Black, PJ Harvey, Rudimentary Peni, Crass, and My Bloody Valentine.

Giant Squid – The Ichthyologist
I discovered Giant Squid earlier this year after asking a friend who we should tour with. He was surprised I hadn’t heard them yet, and felt like they’d be a good fit. While we have yet to tour together, we hope to work that out sometime in the not too distant future. This record is spectacular, and is a band with whom we feel a sonic kinship toward. They share our love for acoustic instrumentation and orchestration melded together with haunting melodies and heavy guitars.

US Christmas – Bowery Ballroom
I have to say that US Christmas is one of those bands that had been pushing something different in the music environment these days. After some intense line-up changes I thought they may slim the band down from a 6 piece and make touring easier. At this show I was surprised to see 7 people on stage, 2 drummers, 1 percussionist, 2 guitarists, 1 bass player, and 1 violin player. The lineup was the tightest I have seen yet, and the new material blew me away. On the Storm/Minsk European tour, Sanford Parker (who recorded the record) played us the upcoming USX record, due out early next year on Neurot. This easily be one of the best releases of 2010.

Homemade Korean Food
That’s right. I cook a lot at home, and this year I learned how to make Korean food (all kinds). Once I figured out the key ingredients and paid attention to what’s happening in some of our favorite Korean restaurants around NYC, I actually nailed it. My girlfriend and I eat Korean a couple times a month now. yes.