I met Juan in 2002 on Makeoutclub (my first online profile, a community for "indie rockers"). I was barely 18. Juan and I have since tried to come up with better stories for our initial meeting, but the truth of it: we met online, emailed for a bit, decided to meet up at the bookstore on the University of Texas campus, and went to P.F. Chang's (I brought a fellow dorm dweller because I was scared to meet up with a stranger).

We've been the best of friends ever since (except for a short blip when I was being weird). Juan would make me the greatest mixed CD's. I still have the first one he made for me back in September of 2002.

When I moved to Boston in 2006, we stayed close. I saw him at least 2-3 times a year. And now that I've been in Boston for over five years, well... it has been a while. Juan has always loved Eisley and I have always loved Juan, so for today's sixty seconds of sound: a minute-long bare bones cover of Eisley's I Wasn't Prepared.

THE SUNDAY SOUND: October 30, Eisley for Juan. In 60 seconds.
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Kids! I was rejected last week!

Let us observe a moment of silence...

...

Okay! On to business. Can we talk about the Rejection Hotline? For those of you who can't bring yourselves to JUST SAY NO, this service will allow you to remain passive-aggressive! When your pursuer begs for your number, you deliver these digits. When he/she attempts a booty call at 2AM (can you tell I have experience with this?), a speaking-way-too-fast man will say the words you couldn't bring yourself to say. He will also offer them a chance to win some serious cash money.

THE SUNDAY SOUND: October 23, The Rejection Hotline.
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Two weeks have gone by without a post from me. I have been entirely immersed in all sorts of (welcomed) responsibilities that are attached to my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first weekend of October was General Conference (read more on that via the LDS Newsroom). The second weekend of October, some members of my family were in town to accompany me as I received my endowment in the Boston, Massachusetts temple. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, read this: Mormon Temple Endowment. It changed my life.

Today's post is brought to you by the intersection of my life as a Mormon and my life as a sound artist / producer / music aficionado. For most musicians (well, for most anyone in the media industry), being a Mormon appears wholly impossible. Of the power trio that is sex, drugs, and rock n' roll, I can only really indulge in one (until I get married, and then I get to indulge in TWO! Yes!). My super-clean lifestyle might seem incompatible with the industry I've chosen, but there are plenty of creatives like myself who make it work. And I am part of a group that is humbly attempting to illustrate that possibility.

Linescratchers is an online magazine that promotes LDS musicians who don't write LDS music (i.e. musicians in the secular world!). I became an editor for Linescratchers because I believe that no one should feel torn between their creative world and their world of faith. It is not easy to be successful in the media industry and maintain LDS standards, and Linescratchers promotes folks that are successfully walking (scratching!) this line.

We are in the midst of a month-long pledge drive. Our website is full of excellent content, but we haven't had the resources necessary to beautify it. We are hoping to raise $1,080 to support our growth, specifically covering a professional website redesign. (Bonus: if you donate $20 or more, you get a compilation album featuring work from 12 LDS musicians.) If you can afford it, please, please, please donate through our RocketHub site.

In honor of our pledge drive, today's Sunday Sound is from Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of The Killers and a fellow Linescratcher. Take it away, Brandon.