The Amateur Blogger Returns From A Vacation In San Andreas

So, yeah, that happened.

I'm well aware that I've gone ten days without posting in this space, and I'm sure a few of you are concerned I've dropped off the face of the earth and/or been abducted by oil barons and/or checked in to a methadone clinic. I can sure you I'm still here, my car's almost out of gas and my dirty habits are well under control.

There are no good excuses for negligence; you have my apologies for being so quiet recently. However, many of you will understand if I felt compelled to get lost in the rich fantasy world provided by Grand Theft Auto V.

Indeed, this silly little video game has really gotten in the way of my blogging side gig (but more importantly, my real job has gotten in the way of GTA V). I'm sure I'm not the only one, and can only imagine how many employees have torn off their name tags in favour of the (fake money) high paying life of crime offered one so inclined in San Andreas.

Nonetheless, you have my apologies.

The saddest trickle down from my adventures in video game land is that I completely and totally missed this blog's 10,000th page view. Rest assured, this is a big deal to me, and I wholeheartedly appreciate all of you for checking out this dank corner of the internet out. I'd especially like to thank eager Arctic Monkeys fans who flocked to the AM album stream I posted a few weeks back and the Nirvana faithful who turned out last week to commemorate In Utero's 20th anniversary. You guys helped push me into five digits, and I wouldn't have maintained this blog nearly as frequently or with as much passion for music without your views. Seriously, it means a lot to me, so thank you.

With that said, get ready for an increase in content as we hurdle toward year's end. There are still plenty of highly anticipated albums in the pipeline, and I'll be covering them here as we get closer to release dates. There are also reviews of new Kings of Leon and Matthew Good albums in the works for the next few days. Then, there's the upcoming 20th anniversary article for Pearl Jam's sophomore masterpiece Vs., which is coming your way in about three weeks' time.

And, those who've frequented this place since the beginning will know that as we get into November it'll be time for the massive yearly recap blowout I like to call Year in Rock, culminating in my awards for song and album of the year.

So yes, there's still lots to talk about, and I'm still willing to talk about it if you're still willing to read it. And don't forget to like Sound Bites on Facebook to get instant updates and quick tidbits on the fly. Thanks again for visiting!