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May 2012 Numbers: The So, the it, and the Goes


The last thing I did before going to bed last night at four in the morning after transcribing my interview with Stephen Flam of Winter — which I’ll be posting later today — was put together the above image for May’s numbers. As said numbers are down some 20,000 page views from the month prior, it was a humbling way to cap the evening. As Kurt Vonnegut often said, “So it goes.”

A goodly portion of that, I can’t control. Whatever happens on the forum, whether there’s a shitstorm or flamewar or whatever we’re calling it when people talk crap on the internet these days, isn’t up to me. A lot of the difference is my second job has started kicking my ass around the block a bit and I can’t post news stories there as often as I was doing in April, and without the Roadburn/Desertfest coverage as a draw to the blog directly, I guess some comedown was inevitable. All I can do is the best I can when I can, which is what I’ve done this whole time. The rest will happen as it will.

“Accept the things you cannot change — drink about them later.” Isn’t that how it goes? Wasn’t much solace to me last night at 4AM, but today seems a little less dire, as I was hoping it would.

According to Google’s terribly redesigned analysis, The Obelisk received 173,992 page views for May. The top five countries those views came from were the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and Australia, and in the US, the top five states were California, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Texas and Oregon, which have both appeared in the top five in months prior, were numbers six and seven, respectively. Wyoming — dead last as always — had 10 visits.

The May podcast has been downloaded 216 times so far, and as of right now on the forum, there are 1,026 users and 68,568 posts in 4,882 topics. Not too bad. I wish I could reorder the forums (I’d like to move “Upcoming Shows” and “Players Club” up on the list), but phpBB won’t seem to let me do it. Probably better I don’t tinker with it, anyway, and just let it be what it’s going to be. I’ve enjoyed watching it become what it is so far.

Probably a good thing, too, as June looks like it’s going to offer no slowdown. Here’s a quickie look:

Wisconsin: First and foremost, I’ll be heading out to Cudahy, Wisconsin, in the middle of this month to cover the second Days of the Doomed fest. More info on it is here. I’m stoked that fest organizer Mercyful Mike Smith is willing to have me come out, and it should make for a pretty doomed start to the summer, which will end in likewise fashion at SHoD in August. Notes and pics to come.

audiObelisk: Well, today I’m putting up the entire new Black Shape of Nexus album to stream, and Monday I’ll be hosting a week-long exclusive stream of the entire SardoniS album (plus a 7″ giveaway), so if that’s not enough heavy to get your fix, I’m not sure what to tell you. A new podcast will I hope be ready to go for next weekend.

Columns: Everything kind of fell apart at once. I mean, I expected it to all fall apart, but gradually. One at a time. Next thing I know, I’ve got a column from Woody on deck to go up next week, and everyone else seems to be pretty much caught up in real life. The good news is Ben Ward is scheduled to begin a series this month, and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it comes together. Something to look out for, anyway, because that dude is a trip.

Features: Like I said, Winter goes up today, one way or another. It’s a great, damn near epic, chat, and I’ve got pics to go with from Roadburn last year, so should be fun times all around as soon as I get there. Also in the can right now I’ve got Candlemass and Ancestors interviews, and Monday I’m set to chat via Skype with Tommi Holappa about the new Greenleaf record. Hopefully Tuesday I’ll get to do the same with Jon Davis about the US release of Conan‘s Monnos and the shows they’ve recently done with Sleep, etc. Also waiting on an emailer from the crew behind the Falling Down series of compilations and some other stuff I can’t remember. Did I mention I was up really late last night?

Reviews: “Friends week” has been good times and will round out today with Mos Generator‘s self-titled reissue. Next Monday will, pending disaster, bring The Disease Concept, and after that, the likes of Mr. Peter Hayden, Satellite Beaver, Mellow Bravo, Witch Mountain and many more. Witch Mountain are also playing Brooklyn next Friday night, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing that show. Naturally, review, photos, whathaveyou, all to come.

Other Stuff: I’m still dying to start the “Canon of Heavy” series of posts, and I’ve got another idea for a series running through entire catalogs of bands, but as I can’t seem to find the time to deal with the requests that come in via email for review, I don’t have a timeframe for when any of that stuff will actually happen. Fortunately, I have “Buried Treasure,” and that’s like my comfort food. I just bought a Kyuss bootleg this morning, so you know I’ll have something to say on that one once it shows up.

If you checked in over the course of the last month, popped on and off, clicked the ‘Like’ button or — my personal favorite — left a comment, thank you. I could go on, could rant about how much it means to me — it means a lot — but what it comes down to, now and all the time, is “thank you.” So thank you.

Much appreciated,
JJ Koczan
Hypnopompic Phrontist Taskmaster

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