MIKE LESLIE - Top Ten of 2012

   Mike came into my life as a legitimate fan letter writer (the only one!) to my old band 10 years ago, but we soon became legitimate friends at a time when I had a hard time letting new people into my life. Since then, he's had a junk shop named after him, designed oodles of skate decks (one of which I commissioned), continued playing in THE TERRIBLES (a band he has been in since 9th grade) and started a new awesome band called FUNERAL CONE (west coast tour in April!). He also draws a bunch of crazy shit that is all in 3-D! He is also a very sweet and dear friend. I'm glad this man is in my life and if you don't know him, you're seriously missing out.

Top Ten Two Thousand Twelve By Mike Leslie 

 1. FINAL FRONTIERS"Pony Up" Cassette. Best friends from Burlington VT, Serge Wiltshire and Pete Wackernagel, front a band not unlike ONION FLAVORED RINGS, jangly, about love, but more about small displacement engine motorcycles, and cross country skiing... Serge and Pete are not only best friends, but have the exact same voice, and sing the exact same thing, so it sounds like a chorus pedal or double tracked vocals, but I assure you, I saw them three times this year, it is real. I was a little disappointed by their newer songs, dipping their toes into vocal harmonies, but they are not on this release, and I'm a staunch conservative in this realm. Saw them for the first time over the summer, when their van broke down on the way to Worcester, they were so close to home, the drummer just walked back, but Pete and Serge hitched the four hour drive, and recruited a replacement drummer when they got here. PS: They cover the Jurassic Park theme.

 2. NEON PISS "Close the Door/Burn" This 7" was mailed in bulk to my house when NEON PISS was in the northeast, and they gave me a copy in exchange for not stealing all of them! This is my favorite release by them, it's darker and surfier, and maybe Kyle is using that new amp, but it has the best guitar sound, it also has my favorite guitar leads.

(ed note: The records mailed to Mr Leslie were 50 test pressings. The real record will be out on Vinyl Rites soon. Pictured above is the cover with color embellishments by Mike)

 3. Building 19 "Famous Monsters of Filmland 2012 Calender" This yearly release from my favorite New England closeout chain store, is just as good 2011's Olde Time Classic TV Calender, and on par with 2013's Museum of Fine Arts 2013 Calender, they all feature the art of Mat Brown (Building 19 in house artist), and owner Jerry Ellis as Darth Saver or Discount Dracula. The art is a weird combination of actual drawings and photoshop, but they make up for it in jokes, having something for each day (be it a holiday, or today for example, the day Nancy Kerrigan was attacked), but most importantly it features an extra January, just when you need it, thirteen months! Also it's only a dollar...

 4. Hurricanes Leslie and Michael This was pretty incredible personally, my Mom sent me an email with this image (below), and I had an awesome weekend of surfing on my storm! It even chipped my teeth!

5. WHO KILLED SPIKEY JACKET L.P. Historian and Cryptozoologist fronted street punk band finally put out their L.P. Limited to a pressing of 1,000 with 700 on pink, and a limited 300 on black vinyl (whoops). This record is perfect, though I agree with about half the message. It is a more coherent TOM AND BOOT BOYS. Bring a bomb shelter.

 6. Negi-NegiThis is a space above local teenagers Asa and Nori's Mom's weaving studio in Worcester. Over the summer they started booking shows there, usually 2 older established local bands, and 3-4 local bands of teenagers from their school. I am easily twice the age of everyone at these shows, they are always free, a pizza collection is taken up, snacks and soda are provided, and no alcohol or drugs. Everyone dances and performs with complete lack of inhibition, it's beautiful...

 7. Scaphoid Surgery March 16, 2012 Dr. David Kim reunited my poor pieces of scaphoid bone (a peanut shaped wrist bone) with a surgical screw, that I had broken maybe 10 years ago. They shut my arm off with drugs and put it behind a curtain, and at one point hit it with a hammer and chisel! (bone graft) I was freaked out about recovery, but played guitar a week later. See Proximal Row Carpectomy, getting this in 3 days on the other wrist...

 8. HOLOGRAMS L.P. Really psyched to fall into this record. Played a show with this Swedish band, sound unheard in Boston. I was pleasantly surprised. Sounds like Oi! with a synth, kinda like Warsaw. Oi! Division

 9. Brick Oven Pizza Factory "Kid's Pizza" Actually didn't try this until January 3rd, but heard about it through my bandmates, Jamie and Kelly, who are also gastronauts like myself. The pizza itself is a regular pizza with mozzarella sticks and chicken fingers on it. I split this with a visiting friend, Andrew, and we were both super hungry, which attributed to this seemingly poor food choice. It was actually really good!

 10. Nancy is Happy: The Complete Dailies 1946-1948 I had been waiting so long for this to come out, Nancy is THE BEST! Got it from the library on inter-library loan.