We're not even done with January, but 2013 has already brought us oodles of awesome new releases from the likes of Free Energy, Fidlar, Yo La Tengo, and Pantha Du Prince. ARE YOU AS FREAKIN' EXCITED AS I AM, DEAR LISTENERS?!?! Listen to the first episode of Make More Noise with Sachi Subterranean from this new year of fine tuneage to stay up to date of the latest and greatest. Now on at a new time this semester: 7pm PT / 10pm ET. Brought to you by KXSC.org and USC. Make More Noise 040 by Orsosachisays on Mixcloud Playlist Dance All Night - Free Energy White on White - Fidlar Little Blimp - The Joy Formidable Cool Zombie - Adam Ant I'll Be Around - Yo La Tengo I Feel In Love With A Feeling - Nightlands Dyed in the Wool - Widowspeak Nothing Arrived - Villagers You Never Need Nobody - The Lone Bellow In the Afternoon - Pillow Fight So Many Details - Toro Y Moi Dance With Me - Ra Ra Riot Photon - Pantha Du Prince & The Bell Laboratory Good As New - Vac...

Over the summer I took a road trip up to Lake Tahoe, via the bay area and wine country. It was my first time to the Tahoe region, and I found it every bit as beautiful as all my friends' gushing reviews would have had me believe. After spending a couple days on the lake, I headed south, driving along the eastern edge of the Sierras. The route took me past salty Mono Lake, and into the desert between Death Valley and Vegas. It was a quality, solid road trip. Here are some photos I snapped along the way.

This summer I took an East Coast friend to the desert for the first time, and towards the end of the day we swung back through Joshua Tree National Park . I'm not a huge fan of this park, but the evening clouds billowing up to pillars of light made for excellent photo opportunities. Here's a few shots I got. I decided that processing them in black & white called more attention to the dramatic lighting. If you'd like to catch my glimpses or the park in color, check out a series I took in the spring with my Superheadz Golden Half Camera: Superheadz Golden Half: Joshua Tree .

The final installment of Sachi Subterranean's Top 50 Albums of 2012 countdown, assisted by DJ friends Archeologist Alex and Madame Psychosis (a.k.a. Eric). Hear the key track from each of the top albums of the past year. Tune in for your favorite songs, or perhaps something amazing you may have missed. Brought to you by KXSC.org and USC. Make More Noise: Top 50 Albums of 2012 (Pt. 3) by Orsosachisays on Mixcloud Playlist 16. Melt - Young Magic An album that holds up with surprisingly distinct clarity after months of listening. Rhythmically driven travels through the otherworldly and uncannily familiar, coalesce and dissolve before the listener can quite comprehend them. Take for example, 'Sparkly'. 15. Island Universe Story One - Helado Negro Experimental electronica born of the cultural melting pot that is southern Florida, where the heat and humidity make tropical plants grow rampant and Latin cultures collide. Helado Negro has found a unique sound by dra...

Part 2 of a 3-part countdown of the top 50 albums of 2012, featuring a key track from each album selected by Sachi Subterranean with loving care for you, dear listener! Forget the rest, listen to the best. Brought to you by KXSC.org and USC. Make More Noise: Top 50 Albums of 2012 (Pt. 2) by Orsosachisays on Mixcloud Playlist 33. Mount Moriah - Mount Moriah Technically a 2011 release on the North Carolina local label, Holidays for Quince, this album gained momentum in 2012 when it was re-released with wider distribution on Merge. It's a fresh, passionate take on Americana from Blue Ridge Mountain natives. Front lady, Heather McEntire's vocals are distinct and heartrending. Key track: 'Lament'. 32. Shy Pursuit - The Spinto Band Self-recorded in a homemade studio, and self-released, this album is entirely the end result of a band of best friends being themselves, having fun, and challenging each other to make better music. Creative, lighthearted songs like...