The Royal Scam Comes To An End, The Fleet Foxes Arrive

Well, it looks like the nightmare is over. A friend of mine stepped in and negotiated a deal to get the fake cop from Wisconsin squared away. A fair price was paid for the instrument. The Paypal case is closed. As is the Heritage Owners Club forum, apparently. My departure from the club led to a discussion where pretty much all the moderation decisions made on that forum over the past few years were called into question. So the owner of the website took his ball and went home. If you believe, as many do, that I was responsible for the death of "Motive Magazine", you can now add heritageownersclub.com to my list of scalps. Don't thank me. Forcing small websites to close so you're not tempted to click anywhere but Buzzfeed, Upworthy, and Gawker --- why, that's just what I do. It's not some game I play, it's in my DNA, it's what I do.

In other cheerful news, my Fleet Foxes sheet music finally arrived. For reasons that are beyond my immediate understanding, the music book covering the second EP and debut LP of this very American, PNW-based band is only available in the United Kingdom. Doesn't matter. I paid whatever they asked for it. Unsurprisingly, it can be challenging to play in spots. The guitar parts were written by someone with large hands and a profound ignorance of conventional chord construction. Still, I've obtained tremendous satisfaction sitting down these past few evenings with my new Taylor and fumbling through the arrangements. If, like me, you are a connoisseur of sorrow and loss, you'll love the music and lyrics. There are two primary themes in the music of the Foxes:

* Someone I Love Abandoned Me * My Brother Is A Terrible Person But I Love Him

Given that I haven't been dumped by a woman since 1987 and that I get along very well with my brother, I couldn't tell you why the albums resonate so deeply with me. Perhaps I'm sensitive to the idea that these things could happen, even if they haven't happened. It could be that, due to a combination of circumstances I barely remember, I had to drive a minivan all the way from Ohio to New York and back in early 2013 with just the "Sun Giant" EP for listening material. I was miserable and frustrated that entire trip, which had among its lowlights visiting the cancer clinic where a friend of mine had died and coming to the final realization that I had, in fact, permanently lost a woman I'd loved very much. Ah, who knows.

Just a few snippets:

You hesitate, so my memory fades I'll hold to the first one "I wouldn't turn to another," you say On the long night we've made

and

Brother, you don't need to turn me away I was waiting down at the ancient gate

and

You left me there Waiting at the bottom of the stairs With my eyes closed Holding my right hand in my left

and, finally

Lie to me if you will... Tell me anything you want any old lie will do Call me Back to Back to you Back to you

Now, if only we could get a book of the final and perhaps best record, "Helplessness Blues", all would be right in the world.