Augustana vs. The Last Almanac

This weekend is the Augustana show and I'm not gonna pretend that I'm not looking forward to it even if it means I have to enter the bowels of that venue and can expect half the crowd to be talking at the top of their voices during the opening band. If you are going to the show, be sure to check out Vega4, especially if you're a fan of bands like Snow Patrol, Kent, Starsailor and the like. I have a pair of tickets, courtesy of the record label, if you're interested in going, hit me up.

I would prefer to be a nice blogger and not really stir the pot, but sometimes I succumb to juicy stuff. I can't help it. I admit, I read TMZ.com everyday.

So, as far as Augustana goes, I've always been curious what happened to Josiah, the former lead guitarist. I guess I'm always a little interested when bands change their lineups, but this one particularly because it was blogged about a little bit here by Dan of Augustana.

well the situation...(without going completely into personal details)..josiah is
no longer in the band...there was somewhat of a mix between musical and personal differences between he and the band...it was a situation that lasted a very very long time and was eating away at the core of all of us...and had to be dealt with...

I did track Josiah on MySpace and he's finally got material to release as a solo project. Though he's unsigned, you can buy his disc at Lou's. His project is called The Last Almanac and here is a glimpse of the bio:

He doesn’t ask for sympathy because he is set free,
or, as he sings with a raspy voice honed by countless nights in smoky bars as
the former lead guitarist for Augustana, Rosen is “better off alone.” If
Augustana harkened dreams of beachside barbecues and midnight drives past the
Roosevelt Hotel, then The Last Almanac beckons to tell a story with more depth
than the superficial plastic of the West Coast. If “All the Stars and
Boulevards” was azure Pacific sunsets laced with Jack and Cokes, then “A Memoir”
is a beer on the back porch overlooking the sunrise of lessons learned.

Now I know I'm speculating here, but the tiny daggers in one of the tracks actually stung as I listened to them, and I don't even know any of the guys. And maybe Josiah is talking about other former friends, but man- ouch. Here are some lyrics from the chorus of "My Former Friends":

I'll make my peace, got amends,
Fuck you all, my former friends,
The gates of hell will thank you for your sins

If you are a fan of Augustana, the music from Josiah's project The Last Almanac should please you just fine. If you need a soundtrack to a breakup, here is your disc.