Last night was awesome, amazing, wonderful, great...I'm not sure if it's totally hit me yet. (I tend to have a delayed, if any, reaction to a lot of things.) Cait and I went to the VFW hall so I could vote, and then hit the liquor store for supplies. We started watching the results come in at my house, and then moved to her place for a bit. We got caught in a hailstorm of Biblical proportions in between. I thought a funnel cloud was going to descend on Ballard. Anyhow, we eventually ended up at Hazlewood, where they had a couple of TVs set up, and were giving out pizza from Snoose Junction next door. The place was full of revellers from the hood - the Fiore kids, 3/4ths of the Cops, Ben Shepherd (first time I'd seen that dude in forevers), Matt Harvey, and one McCain supporter. Poor sonofabitch.
We got there right as Ohio was called for Obama. And it just kept getting better. They turned the sound off for a bit before the West Coast polls closed and put on some Stevie Wonder. As people were dancing and drinking and chatting, I turned and looked at one of the TVs, which displayed a graphic showing that the election had been called for Obama. All I could do was point and started shouting "Look look look look!" The sound came back on, and the place went apeshit.
Sadly, there was no dancing in the street, but we had dancing on the sidewalk covered.
I, for the first time in a long time, am hopeful for this country.
We got there right as Ohio was called for Obama. And it just kept getting better. They turned the sound off for a bit before the West Coast polls closed and put on some Stevie Wonder. As people were dancing and drinking and chatting, I turned and looked at one of the TVs, which displayed a graphic showing that the election had been called for Obama. All I could do was point and started shouting "Look look look look!" The sound came back on, and the place went apeshit.
Sadly, there was no dancing in the street, but we had dancing on the sidewalk covered.
I, for the first time in a long time, am hopeful for this country.
Another thing:
Oct. 22nd, 2008 09:41 amI got the ok to talk about this (and after the Police debacle, I'm loathe to jump the gun on advertising anything), so here goes:
I'm opening up for The Sonics at the Paramount on Halloween. Girl Trouble is the other opener.
The Sonics. Their first show in 30. Fucking. Years.
If I weren't so tired I'd be shitting myself.
Check it.
I'm opening up for The Sonics at the Paramount on Halloween. Girl Trouble is the other opener.
The Sonics. Their first show in 30. Fucking. Years.
If I weren't so tired I'd be shitting myself.
Check it.
I'm in New York. Bushwick, Brooklyn, to be exact. I was supposed to be staying in Red Hook tonight, except that I was a moron and didn't confirm with my intended house hosts that I'd be arriving on Tuesday and not Wednesday. My house hosts, as I found out after I landed at Kennedy and was on a train headed for their neighborhood, were at that moment enjoying a three hour layover in Long Beach, CA, and therefore nowhere near their apartment in Brooklyn.
I called Cait's cousin (who we stayed with in May), and she graciously offered to let me stay with her and her husband. And here I be.
We walked to a bar in Williamsburg and drank a bunch of cheap whiskey and chatted a bunch. Brendan showed up later and we traded war stories from our respective shite tours over the years. We left and walked the wrong way, doubling back and stopping at a Dominican joint where i watched the guy behind the counter chop up a mess of pig's ears for a very impatient lady. Sometimes you just need them damn pig's ears.
It's 2:40 AM, which means it's almost midnight my time, but I've been up since 6:00 AM, so I'm all sorts of goofy.
I called Cait's cousin (who we stayed with in May), and she graciously offered to let me stay with her and her husband. And here I be.
We walked to a bar in Williamsburg and drank a bunch of cheap whiskey and chatted a bunch. Brendan showed up later and we traded war stories from our respective shite tours over the years. We left and walked the wrong way, doubling back and stopping at a Dominican joint where i watched the guy behind the counter chop up a mess of pig's ears for a very impatient lady. Sometimes you just need them damn pig's ears.
It's 2:40 AM, which means it's almost midnight my time, but I've been up since 6:00 AM, so I'm all sorts of goofy.
Likely of interest to no one but myself:
Oct. 10th, 2008 05:28 pmI copped Funkadelic's Maggot Brain and Idris Muhammad's Power Of Soul (containing "Loran's Dance" - the Fender Rhodes intro was played by Bob James, and provides the backbone for "To All The Girls" from Paul's Boutique). Working on gettin Main Source's Breaking Atoms right now.
I started working on what I hope will eventually become some sort of podcast thingamabobber. Sort of a mash-up thing incorporating 90s indie, 80's metal, synthetic noise, movie samples, giallo soundtracks, and other shit. It's a laborious process, but I think it will turn out cool.
I started working on what I hope will eventually become some sort of podcast thingamabobber. Sort of a mash-up thing incorporating 90s indie, 80's metal, synthetic noise, movie samples, giallo soundtracks, and other shit. It's a laborious process, but I think it will turn out cool.
(no subject)
Oct. 9th, 2008 05:07 pmI unintentionally joined a pub quiz team at Conor Byrne last night and ended up winning a set of Pabst Blue Ribbon ping-pong paddles (and balls!), five dollars, and a round of beer for the team. I was also fed some homemade limoncello, which was quite tasty, but I think has contributed to my having an upset stomach since then.
But I did stumble (literally and figuratively) onto an idea. I will go around to different pubs on their respective trivia nights and try really hard to win. Usually free beer and cash prizes are involved. You gotta be creative in this economy.
I sold a shitload of CDs and DVDs today. You don't get as much as you used to. All I can say is thank goodness for cheap digital storage.
What if the world was the Electoral College? How would the planet vote?
Look here.
The results aren't terribly surprising, and the poll is sponsored by The Economist. But it's still interesting to see.

Look here.
The results aren't terribly surprising, and the poll is sponsored by The Economist. But it's still interesting to see.

(no subject)
Oct. 2nd, 2008 02:47 pmThere's a big, silly picture of me (and bandmates) in the Weekly this week. It's from a set we did in a vacant lot in Williamsburg. The photos all looked good, but I hate this particular picture because I was going on about three hours of sleep, hadn't shaved, and I look like I have a massive double chin.
We're playing the Weekly's Reverb Fest this Saturday. We're at the Tractor, on at 5:30 PM, so all you old fogeys can come see us and still make it home in time for Project Runway or whatever. I'm irritated that most of the bands I want to see are either playing at the same time we are (Sage) or against each other (Guns & Rosetti vs. Red Jacket Mine).
I procured Les Années Psychédéliques, a selection of Serge Gainsbourg's output between 1966 and 1971. Some of the tunes I'd heard before, but most of them were new to me. Holy shit, it's rad. Funk banjo. Beleedat.
Also, why did I sleep on Girl Talk for so long? I always thought I'd do something like that if I were more ambitious/patient/high.
We're playing the Weekly's Reverb Fest this Saturday. We're at the Tractor, on at 5:30 PM, so all you old fogeys can come see us and still make it home in time for Project Runway or whatever. I'm irritated that most of the bands I want to see are either playing at the same time we are (Sage) or against each other (Guns & Rosetti vs. Red Jacket Mine).
I procured Les Années Psychédéliques, a selection of Serge Gainsbourg's output between 1966 and 1971. Some of the tunes I'd heard before, but most of them were new to me. Holy shit, it's rad. Funk banjo. Beleedat.
Also, why did I sleep on Girl Talk for so long? I always thought I'd do something like that if I were more ambitious/patient/high.
on chimpanzees:
Sep. 5th, 2008 05:22 pm“When they’re hunting red colobus monkeys, they will either kill the monkeys first or simply immobilize them and start eating them while they’re still alive,” Dr. Wilson said. “The monkey will continue screaming and thrashing as they pull its guts out, which is very unpleasant for humans who are watching.”
Yeah, no shit.
(I read this in the paper this morning over breakfast. Bad idea.)
Yeah, no shit.
(I read this in the paper this morning over breakfast. Bad idea.)
More records:
Sep. 4th, 2008 03:09 pmMy trip up to Bellingham necessitated a trip to Everyday Music, which yeilded these finds:
Bob James - H
Steve Perry - Street Talk
The Alan Parsons Project - Stereotomy
Pretenders - Pretenders & Pretenders II
Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
Carly Simon - No Secrets
Nilsson - The Point
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Are You Ready! [sic]
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
Sade - Diamond Life
Power - Rock..."Direct-To-Disc" [sic]
Dionne Warwick - Dionne Warwick's Golden Hits Part One
Rusty Warren - Banned In Boston
Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Gold
Rolling Stones - Made In The Shade
Percussion In A Tribute To Glenn Miller
Percussion In A Tribute To Lawrence Welk
The Gamelan of Bali
Price paid: less than $9.00
Other recent purchases:
Weather Report - Mr. Gone
A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Darkness At Noon
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - f# a# infinity
Serge Gainsbourg - Les Selections du Cinema de Gainsbourg EP
Bottomless Pit - Hammer Of The Gods & Congress EP
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
godheadSilo - Skyward In Triumph
Al Di Meola - Scenario & Land Of The Midnight Sun
Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
Lisa Whelchel - All Because Of You1
Herbie Mann - Stone Flute
New Order - Brotherhood
Jim Nabors - The Heart-Touching Magic of Jim Nabors2
Aldo Nova - Aldo Nova
Billy Squier - Emotions In Motion
Kenny G - Kenny G3
Debbie Reynolds - Do It Debbie's Way4
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Greatest Hits
Randy Newman - Little Criminals
O.C. Smith - La La Peace Song
Frank Kalil & Jay Taylor - My Plumber Doesn't Make House Calls!
Dual Race - Keep Your Crossover
Loggins & Messina - Loggins & Messina
Christina Milian - It's About Time
Muzzle - Betty Pickup5
Bob James - Touchdown
Hairy Butter - Hairy Butter
Melanie - The Four Sides of Melanie
Bill Cosby - The Best of Bill Cosby
Rick Derringer - All American Boy
Isaac Hayes - Don't Let Go
George Michael - Father Figure 12"
The Black Stallion soundtrack
The Wiz soundtrack
Hang 'Em High soundtrack
Zorba The Greek soundtrack
Juliet Of The Spirits soundtrack
The Voice Of The Silver Bells6
Environments (New Concepts In Stereo Sounds)
Bicentennial Ethnic Song Festival of Seattle7
The Best of the Big Bands
1Yep, the chick from The Facts Of Life. The 'You' in the title refers to the Big Man Upstairs.
2This is among the more frightening records I've purchased lately.
3The Kennsters first solo album. Produced by Meco Menardo, the guy who did disco versions of John Williams compositions in the 70s.
4It's an excercise album. Oy vey.
5Clear vinyl. Both KNS and ASOW shared a bill with these guys. I later played in Megasapien with the drummer; the singer lives in my apartment building.
6Every track is a recording of a different music box.
7Sealed copy! Dates from May, 1976.
Bob James - H
Steve Perry - Street Talk
The Alan Parsons Project - Stereotomy
Pretenders - Pretenders & Pretenders II
Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill
Carly Simon - No Secrets
Nilsson - The Point
Atlanta Rhythm Section - Are You Ready! [sic]
Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
Sade - Diamond Life
Power - Rock..."Direct-To-Disc" [sic]
Dionne Warwick - Dionne Warwick's Golden Hits Part One
Rusty Warren - Banned In Boston
Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Gold
Rolling Stones - Made In The Shade
Percussion In A Tribute To Glenn Miller
Percussion In A Tribute To Lawrence Welk
The Gamelan of Bali
Price paid: less than $9.00
Other recent purchases:
Weather Report - Mr. Gone
A Hawk And A Hacksaw - Darkness At Noon
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - f# a# infinity
Serge Gainsbourg - Les Selections du Cinema de Gainsbourg EP
Bottomless Pit - Hammer Of The Gods & Congress EP
The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
godheadSilo - Skyward In Triumph
Al Di Meola - Scenario & Land Of The Midnight Sun
Grace Jones - Nightclubbing
Lisa Whelchel - All Because Of You1
Herbie Mann - Stone Flute
New Order - Brotherhood
Jim Nabors - The Heart-Touching Magic of Jim Nabors2
Aldo Nova - Aldo Nova
Billy Squier - Emotions In Motion
Kenny G - Kenny G3
Debbie Reynolds - Do It Debbie's Way4
Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - Greatest Hits
Randy Newman - Little Criminals
O.C. Smith - La La Peace Song
Frank Kalil & Jay Taylor - My Plumber Doesn't Make House Calls!
Dual Race - Keep Your Crossover
Loggins & Messina - Loggins & Messina
Christina Milian - It's About Time
Muzzle - Betty Pickup5
Bob James - Touchdown
Hairy Butter - Hairy Butter
Melanie - The Four Sides of Melanie
Bill Cosby - The Best of Bill Cosby
Rick Derringer - All American Boy
Isaac Hayes - Don't Let Go
George Michael - Father Figure 12"
The Black Stallion soundtrack
The Wiz soundtrack
Hang 'Em High soundtrack
Zorba The Greek soundtrack
Juliet Of The Spirits soundtrack
The Voice Of The Silver Bells6
Environments (New Concepts In Stereo Sounds)
Bicentennial Ethnic Song Festival of Seattle7
The Best of the Big Bands
1Yep, the chick from The Facts Of Life. The 'You' in the title refers to the Big Man Upstairs.
2This is among the more frightening records I've purchased lately.
3The Kennsters first solo album. Produced by Meco Menardo, the guy who did disco versions of John Williams compositions in the 70s.
4It's an excercise album. Oy vey.
5Clear vinyl. Both KNS and ASOW shared a bill with these guys. I later played in Megasapien with the drummer; the singer lives in my apartment building.
6Every track is a recording of a different music box.
7Sealed copy! Dates from May, 1976.
this is getting out of hand.
Aug. 13th, 2008 05:44 pmHit Jive Time in Fremont. Walked out with another 12 records. Some off the top of my head:
Grace Jones - Nightclubbing (with "Pull Up To The Bumper"! Makes me all nostalgic for X-Clan)
Bob James - Three
The Eagles - The Long Run (ok, I hate the Eagles, but I like "Those Shoes". See also: Paul's Boutique.)
Mike Post - Television Theme Songs (including the themes from Magnum P.I., Hill Street Blues, and The Greatest American Hero)
Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Iron Man/I'll Roll You Up" 12"
Kwame - "The Man We All Know And Love" 12"
two albums of Edward R. Murrow talking
I really must stop myself.
Grace Jones - Nightclubbing (with "Pull Up To The Bumper"! Makes me all nostalgic for X-Clan)
Bob James - Three
The Eagles - The Long Run (ok, I hate the Eagles, but I like "Those Shoes". See also: Paul's Boutique.)
Mike Post - Television Theme Songs (including the themes from Magnum P.I., Hill Street Blues, and The Greatest American Hero)
Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Iron Man/I'll Roll You Up" 12"
Kwame - "The Man We All Know And Love" 12"
two albums of Edward R. Murrow talking
I really must stop myself.
(no subject)
Jul. 15th, 2008 05:58 pmI bought a turntable today from Hawthorne Stereo on Roosevelt. It's this oddball Technics with the tonearm built into the lid and a mechanism that moves it across the record like an old word processor. It's tiny. I'm getting some weird white noise out of the right channel, but I don't think it's the table itself that's causing it. I'm just happy that I have something to listen to vinyl on now.
First albums played: AC/DC's High Voltage and Glen Campbell's Witchita Lineman.
First albums played: AC/DC's High Voltage and Glen Campbell's Witchita Lineman.
(no subject)
Jul. 12th, 2008 01:23 pmI was supposed to be playing at the Gorge today, but the fates (or rather, a notoriously ill-tempered band manager & team) were against us. So instead I think me and my ladybird are going swimming.
Speaking of whom, I met Cait's mom and stepdad over the 4th of July weekend. They don't hate me, and welcomed me into the family. I was sweating bullets, mos def.
The Swedes filmed a video in an abandoned house in North Beach a few days ago. B&W 16mm film on a hand cranked camera. It should look sweet.
Been on a hellafied jazz-funk kick lately. Recently procured:

Mandrill - Best of Mandrill Archie Shepp - Attica Blues Bob James - One
Also walked from Georgetown Records with a stack of LPs and 45s (including Angel's White Hot and Barbra Streisand's Superman. Hot stuff.)
Words. Have fun, all of you at SP20.
Speaking of whom, I met Cait's mom and stepdad over the 4th of July weekend. They don't hate me, and welcomed me into the family. I was sweating bullets, mos def.
The Swedes filmed a video in an abandoned house in North Beach a few days ago. B&W 16mm film on a hand cranked camera. It should look sweet.
Been on a hellafied jazz-funk kick lately. Recently procured:



Mandrill - Best of Mandrill Archie Shepp - Attica Blues Bob James - One
Also walked from Georgetown Records with a stack of LPs and 45s (including Angel's White Hot and Barbra Streisand's Superman. Hot stuff.)
Words. Have fun, all of you at SP20.
(no subject)
Jul. 3rd, 2008 11:24 amOh, hey - new show opens at 108 Occidental tonight. And yours truly has artwork in it. (Lets call them 'whimsical sculptures'.)
We finished up hanging last night, and this show looks rad. Probably the best so far.
We finished up hanging last night, and this show looks rad. Probably the best so far.