Does it Offend You, Yeah?
You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Rating: 3/5
Tracks to download: “Let’s Make Out,” “Battle Royale,” “Dawn of the Dead”
For fans of: Hot Chip, Crystal Castles

I’m sure I was ignorant of it because it’s been around for years, but when did trip-hop/dance punk get so huge?

It seems as if overnight, Justice, Hot Chip and the like have taken the airwaves and my friends’ iPods by storm, and I’m not complaining. An art prom full of the Faint, Crystal Castles and Junior Senior is exactly what I’d ask for in lieu of overplayed hip-hop. So when I first put in the new album by Does It Offend You, Yeah? I was excited; it seems Europe knows what I like best when it comes to dancing. Unfortunately, they fell flat with this one.

Not to say the album isn’t good: it is. The problem is that’s about all it is.

It doesn’t shine. It isn’t memorable in any way. If anything, it makes me want to listen to some great dance-punk by another band. The opening track, “Battle Royale,” is one of the best songs on the album, starting off sparse, slowly layers and then loops new pieces together. It grows into a full-fledged dance track at about one minute in.

This song showcases the band’s best abilities, which do not include lyric writing or singing. In fact, the worst parts of most songs are the lyrics. Sure, “Let’s Make Out” is funny, but how many times can you hear that three-word phrase before it’s old? Hint: about four. Ask any semi-attractive blonde at a frat party.

The band doesn’t have the same quirky lyrics or driving instrumentation that could make it as big as other groups from whom they’re trying to steal the spotlight.

This isn’t to say it’s not worth a listen. It’s definitely worth a place on your party mix, and here’s why: Everyone loves “D.A.N.C.E.” and “Ready For the Floor” and “Alice Practice,” but you can only maintain such high energy at a party for so long. Once a lull hits, you don’t want to slip in something which will totally negate the last 15 minutes. Does It Offend You, Yeah? to the rescue! This gives everyone some time to catch their breath, refill their drinks and inadvertently break something you thought you had put away. Then, when “Glass Danse” comes on, the party can continue.

I know what you’re saying: “I have ’80s music for that.” Which is true, and, oddly, also why ’80s dance music has been allowed to continue unchecked for 18 years. Does It Offend You, Yeah? has thought this through and has combated the issue with “Dawn of the Dead.” This track sounds like it was ripped straight from the drum machine synth-rific dance decade. So now you have no excuse.

So does it offend me? Nope. It doesn’t elicit anywhere near a strong enough emotion for offense. The closest it gets is bemusement.

Lydia
Illuminate

Rating: 2.5/5
Tracks to download: “It’s Time Now,” “December,” “Now the One You Once Loved is Leaving”
For fans of: Mae, Straylight Run

I have hometown envy. I wish I were from New York City and not New Jersey; I wish I were from Council Bluffs; I would even settle for Omaha.

Recently I’ve wished I were from anywhere near Phoenix.

Suddenly it seems all the bands worth anything are from that Arizona city. What’s going on?

I realize you get famous and you drag along that one band you liked from your scene and then it just snowballs, but seriously, kids: Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Blessthefall and the Format. Bands from Arizona have their own wiki, so I know I’m not making it up.

The bizarre thing is they don’t necessarily go together genre-wise. Lydia, the newest installment of Arizona-based rock, with its girl-boy singing duo, was set to open for Saves the Day at the Pageant. The show has since been canceled.

Lucky for me, my policy of ‘the opener for a band I like may be my next favorite band’ in conjunction with the Internet’s ability to give me a lot of music from a band I’ve never heard of has acquainted me with Lydia.

Lydia would have been a fantastic opener. Front man Leighton Antelman and keyboardist Mindy White trade off on singing, winding through songs together in a way which either takes an insane amount of practice or comes so naturally it would be a crime for them not to sing together.

Other than that, Lydia was rather bland as far as pop-punk, based on my initial listens through their 2005 album, “This December; It’s One More and I’m Free.” (This is a call to English majors: What kind of title is that? What does it mean?) It was heavily based on the lyrics and voices, which weren’t bad, but after 50 minutes I wanted more instrumentation.

I firmly believe if a group has more than three members, it never has an excuse for an album which doesn’t boast at least four truly interesting instrumentation parts-unless you’re Bjork and are only using human voices for the entire album.

I don’t mind a rockin’ bass line in one song and a catchy guitar riff in another, but I need something. Lydia has six members. Granted, Leighton doesn’t play anything and only sings, but they still have two guitars, bass, drums and keys.

Then I stumbled upon “Illuminate,” the March 18 release.

It seems like in the 2.5 years between album releases, someone pulled them aside and straightened them out, maybe illuminated the desires of many kids who listen to way too much pop-punk. The problem is that the same kids listening to pop-punk are listening to screamo, and regardless of your opinion of the singing style, it is heavy on complicated instrumentation.

“This is Twice Now” opens with a slow piano line which is hauntingly repeated throughout the song. Unlike the previous album, however, it doesn’t stop there. The drums and guitar line take up the slack from the last album and make the song a gem.

“Now the One You Once Loved is Leaving” is sung back and forth between Mindy and Leighton, making the song of heartbreak and lost love hit home. “Take your time lighting the room/ when all is said and done/ I bet you’re covering.” The music ebbs and flows between the chorus and verses, making the heartfelt sadness feel more real.

Another thing that struck me is they have no music videos. Not in a ‘you don’t know the guy who made it’ way, but more in a ‘they haven’t bothered making one for any song’ way.

Supposedly, they are so focused on the album as a whole that they didn’t even want to select a song or two to be a single since it would take away from the album as a whole. I’m not sure if this is horribly pretentious or just being into your music. Based on the fact that I didn’t read this on Pitchfork I’m going to go with the latter.

So will you see Lydia again? My guess is yes. Not only have they previously played Warped Tour and Bamboozle, but they have the whole girl singing thing going for them and they have keyboards, both of which are huge right now in the pop-punk scene. So check them out on their MySpace and this summer at your favorite festival.

Like all decent Americans, I like four things in my movies: violence, nudity, comedy and racism. In 1999 I was 13, meaning my ability to get these things was slightly limited by my ability to convince my mom to drive me to the theater and give me the cash to enjoy my God-given right to unwholesome entertainment.

Thus “Wild Wild West,” the glorious film starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline and Selma Hayek, was a godsend. While it didn’t excel at any of the four outright it touched on all with a grace that’s hard to find.

Violence. Sure, it’s not Crank or Battle Royale or Saw 18, but the gun fights, bar brawls and giant mechanical spider destroying the American western landscape have a playfully brutal charm. Keep in mind the plot revolves around a necklace, which leads to the wearer’s head being chopped off by flying blades. I mean, come on, that’s brilliant.

Nudity. OK, granted, there isn’t any real nudity. I mean you do get a decent look at Selma Hayek’s butt through the back flap of a pair of long johns, and at 13 that was more than enough. And now, through the magic of the pause button, you can get a pretty good look at Will Smith’s balls. When he’s sliding out of the water tower in the opening scene, you get a quick glimpse of his sack on the way down. Pretty hot. Also a lot of the movie takes place in various bars/brothels, so there is plenty of opportunity to see girls dressed up in very slutty can-can girl attire.

Comedy. Granted Wild Wild West isn’t the best comedy out there, but the puns make it worth the 107 minutes. Plus, most of the comedy includes a fair amount of racism. Mind you, not just racism, but also jokes about ethnicity and physical handicaps. It may help to know that Will Smith, as well as his character Jim West, is an African-American, and that Dr. Loveless has lost both of his legs in the Civil War.

Dr. Loveless: Mister West! How nice of you to join us tonight and add COLOR to these monochromatic proceedings!

West: Well when a fella comes back from the dead, I find that an occasion to STAND UP and be counted!

Dr. Loveless: Miss East informs me that you were expectin’ to see General McGrath here. Well, I knew him years ago, but I haven’t seen him in a COON’s age!

West: Well, I can see where it’d be difficult for a man

of your stature to keep in touch with even HALF the people you know.

Dr. Loveless: Well, perhaps the lovely Miss East will keep you from bein’ a SLAVE to your disappointment!

West: Well, you know beautiful women; they encourage you one minute, and CUT THE LEGS OUT from under you the next.

Comedic gold. Now tell me again why I shouldn’t buy this when I find it in the five-dollar bin at Wal-Mart. Oh right, you can’t. It has everything anyone’s looking for in a movie.

Rating: 4/5
For fans of: Nerf Herder
Tracks to download: “Go-Getter Greg,” “Love Me Dead,” “Please”

Ludo isn’t for everyone but, like chunky peanut butter, if you have a hankering for some, there is no substitute.

Ludo is a locally-based band that has recently made it big: the Warped Tour, a Christmas show at the Pageant and a deal with Island Records. That hasn’t seemed to affect the band all that much. They’re still cranking out the same angsty, lyric-driven power pop. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

The newest addition to the Ludo catalog is their third full-length album, “You’re Awful, I Love You.” It’s full of songs about relationships, more specifically the kind of relationships that are wholly destructive but never seem to end. The album’s title really says it all, but the first song, “Love Me Dead” really drives home the point. “You suck so passionately/You’re a parasitic, psycho, filthy creature/ finger-bangin’ my heart/ You call me up drunk/ Does the fun ever start?/ You’re hideous and sexy!” Granted this is from the minds that brought you a rock opera featuring pterodactyls, angels and the apocalypse, so it’s hardly shocking.

Ludo does an excellent job of bringing the various styles they employ together nicely. “Drunken Lament” has throwbacks to their sophomore release “Broken Bride” with powerful guitar riffs and Andrew Volpe using his actual singing voice, as opposed to the tonally-complex, melodic speaking he usually employs for the more humorous songs.

Don’t fear, that biting humor is definitely still present on the record. “Go-Getter Greg” tells the story of Greg who is, to put it kindly, overly enthusiastic about both himself and his new neighbor. To put it more realistically, Greg likely has, or needs, at least one restraining order.

Unfortunately, one of the main highlights of Ludo is lost on the record: the pure energy Andrew Volpe brings to the songs he sings. Volpe’s facial expressions and inflections really drive home the songs, adding another layer that you don’t find in many bands. Maybe it helps that Ludo avoids trite love stories in favor of psychopathic romance.

“The Horror of Our Love” is, on a cursory listen, nothing but a power ballad about an unrequited love. Listen more closely, and the words, “Moonlight walking/ I smell you softness/.Hold you down and tear you open/ Live inside you” take on a more threatening meaning. This isn’t to say that Ludo doesn’t know what it is to write a pure love song: “Morning in May” proved otherwise. “Please” is a simple song about lost love with a complex orchestral backing. “Please save this for me/ I’ll come back for you, love, I promise to/.My love will burn and my heart will stay.”

Granted, it all can, at times, be more theatrical than some can bear. Volpe’s voice lends perfection to some songs but can easily start grating. It’s reasonable to say that Ludo will not be everyone’s cup of tea. This is more for listening to when your roommates are off seeing all the Oscar winners than it is good party music.

Interested in seeing Ludo live? Handy. They will be performing an acoustic in store at Vintage Vinyl this Tuesday at 8 p.m. Not good enough? March 2 finds Ludo at the Pageant for their CD Release Party.

The graphic novel tells the tale of three middle-aged women meeting at an European hotel. Each woman, Wendy, Dorothy and Alice, confides in the others about the strange nature of their sexual awakenings as children. Each had made up a fantasy-land that helped them confront their complex emotional states.

As a child, Wendy met a boy named Peter in the park and he and his other homeless friends expose her to the wonders of sex. She later confronts a man with a crippled hand that appears very hook-like, whose actions both turn her on and scare her.

Dorothy’s story is that of a sex-fueled girl from Kansas. Her sexual awakening begins when she is caught in a tornado and begins to masturbate (it makes more sense in context). After the tornado has settled, she takes it upon herself to have sex with every man who works on her farm.

Alice’s story is the most believable of all. When she is still a child a twitchy family friend called Bunny sexually assaults Alice. During the act, she imagines herself looking in a mirror watching another version of herself. This detachment from reality is surprisingly naturalistic, and nicely ties into the fairy tale we all know so well. As you may have guessed, these are not wholly original characters. Moore has taken these children’s stories that are all so universally known and suggests a sexual explanation for the obvious metaphors about growing up. How do the Queen of Hearts, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Lost Boys, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow fit in? The answer is simple: in sexy, sexy ways.

Gaining wide publicity not only for issues with copyright infringement but also with the wide variety of paraphilias-from zoophilia to katoptronophilia (paraphilia for mirrors)-”Lost Girls” is worth reading if only for the controversial elements.

But it offers a lot more than that. Each woman must deal with evolving sexuality and their past, which all have kept secret until they meet each other.

The most controversial aspect of “Lost Girls” is the depiction of minors having sex. Legally, the decision was made that if no children were harmed or used in the production, then it cannot be child pornography. Oddly, Moore addresses this concern head on in chapter 22 when characters read a book that illustrates incestuous sex. One character exclaims, “And then children: how outrageous! How old can they be?” The response is, “Eleven? Twelve? It is quite monstrous except that they are fictions, as old as the page they appear upon, no less, no more. Fact and fiction: only madmen and magistrates cannot discriminate between them.”

Moore confronts the issue of depicting children in sexual situations directly by having his characters moralize the very issue he knows will face his own book on release. He goes on to take a little meta-fictional jab at the issue by having the same character make this confession in the next panel. “And since Helena, who I just f***ed, is only thirteen, I am very guilty.” Moore uses humor to address and then dismiss what is a very serious concern.

Overall, the issue of illustrated child pornography is inexorably linked with this graphic novel. More attention should be given to the way Moore weaves together well-known fairy tales with the ‘real life events’ which caused the girls to make up the stories. The girls’ first sexual experiences were in many ways scarring and so they transformed them into elaborate stories.

“Lost Girls” offers one of the best graphic novel authors working in the genre of erotica withut sacrificing his tendencies towards metaphor and allusion.

Rating: 4.5/5
For fans of: Too Many Dynamos
Tracks to download: “Typhoon”

The genre of music I prefer most likely has a name, but lucky for me I don’t read enough Pitchfork to know what it is. It’s the type of rock that makes you want to to tap your toe to the drum line, clap to the bass line and sing along to both the lead and backup vocals. You know the songs, the ones that you can play every instrument on expert in Rock Band. This is Berlin Whale. According to Last.fm, “Berlin Whale is an indie rock band; they are from St. Louis; you like them.” And it couldn’t be truer (side note: truer seems wrong, Microsoft Word, more true makes me happier).

In the opening song of their self-titled release, “Beatrice (Apples and Oranges),” the music is full bodied and forceful, yet the lyrics oscillate between the entire band sing-shouting and the lead chanting the words, “Open windows let’s climb in like criminals.” I’ll be honest; at this point I tend to get so into the music I can’t listen to the words, but I’m sure they’re awesome.

“Typhoon” tones things down, but ups the ante with a lot more Casio. The track opens with the repetition of “earthquake, hurricane” but is replaced by the sweet sound of Trevor’s voice. This song embodies the band’s spirit. Skirting the line between intricate musicianship and full-fledged energetic chaos, it’s easy to see how Berlin Whale put on a live show that makes you exhausted for days.

Recently the band went through a makeover, losing their drummer to the bright lights of the East Coast along with another member of the band. But Berlin Whale remains tight enough to rock through their intricate songs with the energy fans have come to expect from them.

“Berlin Whale” will appear at the Gargoyle on Feb. 28 as part of KWUR week.

Look for more information on that in the near future.

Rating: 3.5/5
For fans of: Death Cab for Cutie
Tracks to download: “Sing Again,” “Archer V. Light”

Chris Walla has long been known for his mad production skills. The guitarist for Death Cab for Cutie has produced albums for some big names including The Decemberists, Tegan and Sara, Nada Surf and even St. Louis’ own So Many Dynamos. Unlike Death Cab bandmate Ben Gibbard whose side project, The Postal Service, has become hugely popular, Walla’s own side band, Martin Youth Auxiliary, never reached the masses. Walla’s talent, though, has been influencing pop music for some time, and it’s high time he gets some name recognition.

Walla follows in the footsteps of greats like Prince and Beck (maybe he should drop the Chris and join in on the one name glory) by playing all of the instruments on all of the tracks except drums. Death Cab’s Jason McGerr and Kurt Dahle of the New Pornographers split time behind the set.

The first song on the album “Two-Fifty” is Walla’s attempt at a melodic synth-driven song. It doesn’t work. It lacks the visceral emotion that made the Postal Service so popular and seems oddly out of place with the rest of the album. Walla’s voice seems over-produced, as if he set his vocoder to angel setting.

The album redeems itself with “Sing Again,” an upbeat 2:30. The vocals are softer so as to let the music itself take a more prominent role in the song. Not to say the lyrics aren’t needed. Quite the contrary, Walla puts in this album the same songwriting skills that have made Death Cab so popular.

“Geometry & C” is a very Death Cab-sounding track, even featuring McGerr on drums. The guitar line stands out and is complimented nicely by Walla’s voice and the repetitiveness of the chorus line. Walla sings, “Let your heart keep the time, keep the time, keep the time.”

A side note but an interesting story: while traveling between Canada and the U.S., the hard drive that contained the master copies of all songs on the album was confiscated by Homeland Security.

If you already like Death Cab for Cutie or have the need for a new album to listen to while walking slowly or doing math homework, this is for you. Just don’t think you’re going to find dancy upbeat tracks that will be stuck in your head for weeks.

The closing of Mississippi Nights left a hole in the St. Louis music scene. Fortunately, a new venue has opened up, ready to serve the needs of rock fans. The Bluebird, located near St. Louis University on Olive St. just west of Jefferson, looks to be the place in town where all types of local and regional bands can share the stage with national acts.

With a capacity of over 400, the Bluebird is one of the larger venues in St. Louis. The venue itself brings back the glory days of live music. That’s right kiddos: revisit those wonderful high school nights, hanging out with your closest friends in the VFW hall. The Bluebird has perfected the cozy atmosphere: a pool table, booths and couches fill out the large space. Management moves all the furniture around depending on the show, so audiences can always expect something new. Patrons of the bar can easily see the stage where bands like Ladybug Transistors and State Radio have played. The kicker: the venue shares a double door with a respectable family eatery, Beffa’s. Nothing feels more like high school than being watched over by the older gents who own the place next door.

Two Mikes, Tomko of the band Gentleman Auction House and Cracchiolo from The Bureau, own the venue. Two guys in bands opening a venue seemed “to make sense,” and has definitely affected how they deal with patrons and talent. A simple ideal, “treat bands decent and give them guidance,” has served them well so far. Voted Best Place to See Local Music in 2007 by the Riverfront Times, they must be doing something right. Touring with their own bands made them realize that most people in bands “work nine to five, they don’t want to be yelled at and treated like dirt by the staff and owner.” With their own venue they “tried to not do all the things [they] hate about playing.” They also were exposed to the way other venues run shows in different parts of the country. Maybe that’s why they’re able to handle seemingly disastrous situations.

While I was interviewing the Mikes, two of the four bands that were slated to play that evening canceled. They handled it with cool heads and a very “stuff happens” attitude.

The venue also has one great mission: to help local bands along. Sometimes this means hooking them up with local artists for album art or t-shirts, or helping them to find practice space, but mostly, and most importantly, it means having local bands open for national acts. The idea is to give local bands exposure to the professionalism of more successful bands and hopefully a leg up on booking more outside shows.

The best news for you? Show your student ID and get a buck off any show. Sweet deal, no doubt. Check out all of their upcoming shows on their Web site or on their MySpace.

Upcoming shows at The Bluebird

February
1 8:30 p.m. – Parachute Musical, Kentucky Knife Fight, Circus Window, Ryne Watts
8 8:30 p.m. – Early Day Miners, Victoria, Gentleman Auc-
tion House, Grace Basement
9 8 p.m. – Nina Nastasia, Tree Heart Orch., Walk Sophie, Cameron Matthews (all ages)
11 8:30 p.m. – A.K.A.C.O.D. (x-Morphine/Common Ail-
ments), The Aviation Club, Bill Boll
12 8:30 p.m. – Soft, The Incurables, The Sham,
The Mirror Stage
13 8:30 p.m. – KDHX 88.1FM Welcomes: Glossary, Ghost finger, Theodore, Dock Ellis Band
14 8:30 p.m. – Mr. Goodbye’s God Sex Immaculate Valentine’s
Day Revue
15 8:30 p.m. – Feed St. Louis Benefit with Esther Macomb, The Feed, Upright Animals, P.F.I.C.
16 8:30 p.m. – The Bureau, Riddle of Steel, So Many Dynamos
19 8 p.m. – Mutiny Productions: Dead to Fall, Winds of Plague,
Belay My Last, Impending Doom
22 8 p.m. – RTX (Jennifer Herrema of Royal Trux), Shame Club, Banshee Lips (all ages)
23 8:30 p.m. – People Noise, Troubadour Dali, Daydream Astronauts
28 8:30 p.m. – Gone City, Von Guarde, A Bit Shifty, Tone Rodent 29 8 p.m. – The Redwalls, John Henry and The Engine, Marlow Honey

March
1 8:30 p.m. – Mucca Pazza, Ether Project, Super Fun Yeah Yeah Rocketship
8 8 p.m. – One Lone Car CD Release w/Calhoun, Bear Hug Jersey, The Late Hours (all ages)
9 7:30 p.m. – Canada, Cotton Jones Basket Ride, Ryne Watts
10 8:30 p.m. – Holy Fuck, A Place To Bury Strangers, Stella Mora, The Bureau
11 8:30 p.m. – Two Girls, Shame Club
14 8:30 p.m. – The Kinetiks, Barn Owl (CoMo), Hibernauts, Make shift Gentlemen
15 8:30 p.m. – Call Me Lightning, Ring Cicada
17 8:30 p.m. – Cloud Cult
18 8:30 p.m. – Gil Mantera’s Party Dream
19 8:30 p.m. – Delta Spirit, Port O’Brien
21 8 p.m. – Black Mountain, Birds of Avalon, Nordic Nomadic
22 8:30 p.m. – Lollipop Factory, Strawfoot, Bad Folk
23 7:30 p.m. – Icarus Himself, Circus Window
24 7:30 p.m. – The Independents, Benedict Arnold, Johnny Saint & TPOH
25 8:30 p.m. – The Paper Chase, Sinkane
29 8 p.m. – Comasoft, the Beautiful Bodies, Femme Fatality

Rating: 4/5
For fans of: Victoria, Reverend Horton Heat, rocking out country style
Tracks to Download: Got My Heaven, Herschel Walkers

Hailing from Edwardsville, Ill., Kentucky Knife Fight brings to mind sitting in a smoky bar and drinking hooch out of the bottle. And that’s just their name. The five-song live album, aptly named “Live at the Stagger Inn,” may be short, but it packs a punch. Lying somewhere between rockabilly and blues rock, the album doesn’t hold a candle to the live performances they offer.

“Crooked Waltz” showcases the band’s ability to incorporate many instruments into one clean sound. Full of enough energy to make you tap your toe, the only thing the song seems to be missing is cleaner sounding vocals. Undoubtedly this is due to the poor recording equipment at the Stagger Inn, but the sound still leaves you wanting a slightly higher production quality.

In general, the raw nature of a live show serves the band well. The pure power is easily heard in every note, with the crowd response energizing but never overbearing.

The highlight of the album is “Herschel Walker.” A lyrically heavy song, Jason Holler, the vocalist, does the track great credit with his twang. If anything, Kentucky Knife Fight is a good lesson teaching us that everything from the south doesn’t have to be bluegrass or country pop. Their style is refreshing among myriad local pop-punk bands.

“Nothing To Lose” features a harmonica solo which sounds better in the recording than expected. The harmonica compliments the thumping drum and bass lines proving why they were so prevalent in early rock.

“Got My Heaven,” a MySpace exclusive track features more of the distinctive voice of Holler. This song could easily be used as a test of consciousness. The beat is so toe-tappingly great that it would be impossible to hear and not get into the beat and repetitive chorus.

Overall the band shows us why rock music took off in the first place. Channeling the bluesy rock vibes from the good ol’ days, Kentucky Knife Fight is able to prove that old formulas are just as applicable in modern times, just as long as you have the passion to play it.

Sound like something you like? Kentucky Knife Fight will be playing The Bluebird Friday, Feb. 1. Tickets are $7 if you can prove you’re at least 21, $10 otherwise. Show your student ID and save a dollar. A sweet deal, considering the parking is free, too.

Where did you get the idea for Found?

When I was a kid, I would find things walking down the street or in my backyard. I was always surprised at how powerfully you could connect to someone [through these items].

What really sparked the idea was when I was living in Chicago I found this note on my windshield. A note addressed to Mario.

“Mario- I fucking hate you you said you had to work then whys your car HERE at HER place?? You’re a f–ing LIAR I hate you I f–ing hate you.
-Amber
PS Page me later.”

It was interesting to see she was so mad but so in love. I showed it to my friends and I was amazed at how many people collect stuff. I’d go over to my friend’s house and they’d have kid’s drawings on their fridge they had found. It was a shame only we get to see it.

Found seemed a natural way to share.

I spent three nights putting together the first issue. I took it to Kinko’s at 3:00 a.m. and the guy working there said, ‘This is awesome; let’s make it 800.’ That seemed like a lot. But he said he’d help me sell it, throw a party. We sold for it five bucks to 100 people.

My roommates were pissed that there were boxes everywhere and I was leaving on a trip, but when I came back they were gone. I thought they were in the basement or they had thrown them away. They said people were coming to buy 1 or 2 for themselves or for friends. So many people came the neighbors thought we were selling drugs out of the place and called the cops.

It’s been exciting. We get 10-20 things a day in the mail. To look through it all is awesome, it’s been fun, a gigantic art project.

Do you feel that there is a difference between PostSecret and Found in that it lets you into a different side of a person?

Both give you a glimpses of someone else life. In PostSecret, there is intention; they know it can be shared in a public way, whereas Found is more private.

When you’re struggling it’s easy to feel isolated. When you read a secret or you read a note that’s been found, you see so many people across the country. You feel less alone, you feel more connected because it could be anyone and it makes you feel more connected to everyone.