run with the hunted

2011-10-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Seared coho w/ Chipotle blackberry sauce and spicy beans w/ pinot.

Unbunny - Black Strawberries

Prepared by: Tami Hill

to send ... press "send"

2010-02-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a writing I started about friendships and how we keep them the other night.

In considering how I receive communication from friends, aquaintences and others ... even people I don't know but would like to know (that do not fall under the umbrella of work), I would rank them in the following order:
[top being most appreciated / bottom being least fond of]

bottle from the water
balloon penpal
walkie talkie
tapping on a wall
CB
post office
napkin in public place
rotary land line call
email/internet
cell phone call
car windshield (too invasive)
skype
text message

All this factors in for various reason (ingenuity, level of excitement when receiving, how active I am in retrieval of said message, etc.)

Flash back 10 years ago.
- i did not have a cell phone but I did have a cordless phone at home and used the internet regularly but only about 5 minutes a day (paltry in comparison to today) I traveled and didn't consider having a cell phone a handicap in anyway. I mailed art to friends. My favorite note ever was on a napkin from a friend. It said "do you want some cake?" That was code for do you want to go make out in the bathroom. I probably abused the office color copier to make reproductions of things.

flash back 20 years ago.
- I was an early adoptor of the internet in the early 90's but used it in college about once a week to chat with people in other universities who had the same pre AOL service. I was only on a computer to do text based design. I typed everything on a "word processor". I had my first PO box and sent letters all the time. I called my mom on a pay phone occationally. i wrote letters to friends in other countries. I left notes on the photocopier so people would find them on purpose. I would mail letters written on objects and try to see what I could get away with from the US postal system. classifieds were in newspapers. you bought concert tickets at record stores by interacting with the clerk. You worked your ass off making a mix tape and mailing it to a single person.

flash back 30 years.
- The rotary phone had an extra long cord in the house when you needed privacy. Twitter meant a note shaped like a triangle that you flicked at a friend. It hurt when they hit you in the temple. The walkie talkies we bought at the junk store worked 2 blocks apart when on bikes. I would often mail my friend magazine clippings of awesome karate moves and pictures of nunchucks.
My uncle had a CB in his vehicle. In maine, my friend Bill and I would collect bottles around town and lob them into the harbor with a note inside. You mail ordered things by clipping a piece of paper out of a giant catalog by "mail ordering" the thing you wanted.

Who we are as americans and how we talk to each other as people affect each other in both directions. This is not a rant on why technology sucks and why the days of yore ruled the school ... it's an observation on why my 2 personalities duke it out in 2010 (one being a cynic analog hermit and the other a semi-extroverted appreciator of life and technology). What I am discovering is that as time goes on and we all become more technologically advanced with gadgets and apps and shit, I am depressed that the intimacy and anticipation in communication is gone. We call each others phones and are annoyed when it goes straight to voicemail. We wonder if something bad is going on when we don't hear back from a sent email in a couple days. We have the patience of a jackal and the concentration of a toaster oven. Stuff gets deleted as soon as we get it and lets face it ... there is nothing sexy about a harddrive regardless of how big its dick is.
I have letters and mailed art saved in boxes from friends that I will never part with. Immediacy is occasionally a necessity, but it's also the destruction of everything I love about the system I was raised in. Sometimes I like talking on the phone. Sometimes not. Sometimes I don't take calls for days and let it go to voicemail. I have friends I haven't talked to in a year and thats fine. I like getting a letter or a note as an email too. It's not a real letter, but it's an idea. It's so rare because most email is a question or you're a soundboard or somebody wants something from you or has a problem that you will miraculously solve for them. I love emails that tell a simple story or relay and idea or thought in a non linear way. It demands nothing of you. Maybe it's just something that someone spent just a little extra time on that was only meant for you, or maybe it makes you laugh at a really needed time. A deep laugh where 2 people connect. Not a forward of a forward thats just OMG so "funny and interesting LOL".
I guess I relate so much to the post office because it can be savored and physical objects are dying. book sales are down. non-electronic toy sales are down. newspapers are just about dead. and Mike hasn't made me a mix tape in 10 years (I'm guilty as well). With mail, you can talk to people on your own schedule. Things get spaced out and you appreciate the little shit. I get an amazing package in the mail every couple months or so (mike again) and one goes back to the sender from me. I slowly pick at it like creme brulé. It gets slowly devoured and will never end up being sent to the spam folder.
Everything has it's boundaries. Twitter uses only 140 characters and a mix tape is 30 minutes a side.
Real time is a curse.
It's the crushing immediacy and blurred attention span that gets me down.
People spin their mouses scroll wheel an average of 26 feet per day. Everything gets glossed past.
But then again ... I'm just a jaded guy approaching 40.
Mcluhan continues to be right, even if you don't actually read his words in an actual book.
I'm sure this is all debatable.
I'm going to my po box 1574 to check my mail.

to delete ... press 7

2009-07-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

strangely beautiful old promo photo.

keep on truckin'

2009-05-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

This should satisfy my van porn fix for a while.

2009-04-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Field journalist Private Ken Dangleton photographing the great Naturalist War of '07.
"I love the smell of Neutrogena in the morning!"

2009-04-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

meyoko is an artist from berlin.
wow.

2009-04-09T14:01:00.001-07:00

trost and I in the midst of recording last week in Minneapolis. Great tracking accomplished and more work to be done before it gets released to the lions.

easter is almost here

2009-04-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

who's in da capn's chair?

2009-03-07T23:07:00.001-08:00

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shrink

2009-02-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

When I was in 4th grade. my teachers
thought there was something
wrong with me. They sent me
to the school psychologist. She had skin
the color of mayo
and wore lipstick
like it was a garment.
She had me play with these
large
cardboard
building blocks
with a fake brick pattern on them.
There were just enough so that you couldn't actually be satisfied
with anything you formally constructed.
I have no idea
what she could have been writing down
while I crafted
small scale cubist versions of armored transport vehicles.
My homeroom teacher promised she'd buy me
a candy bar
at the end of the week
if I was able
to document
that I
was paying
attention
for 5 days.
I don't remember her ever buying me anything.
I remember that week that my friend Debbie brought in some pornographic cartoons she found in her basement.
I remember writing a paper on "Facts about Granite".

2009-02-03T13:03:00.000-08:00

Naturalismo is the most comprehensive freak-folk weirdo blog I think I've stumbled across. Check it if that shite intrigues thee.

mini

2009-02-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

This is very fucking cool my friends.
Dan Mcpharlin makes these little miniatures of synths. Very impressive craft.

my rants for the week ...

2009-01-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

file under THE BAD:

1. There will be no Faces reunion
2. Stooges get shafted again from the Rock Hall of Fame
3. Is lord Berman / Silver Jews calling it quits?
4. Mick Harvey leaving the band

file under THE GOOD:

1. new Tortoise album this spring
2. The boss is prepping a reissue of Darkness on the edge of Town".
3. They're revamping the funky stylings of "the Electric Company"

file under OTHER:

Morrissey may be quitting music ... again.

gettin' thirsty

2009-01-19T13:17:00.000-08:00

Taking the month off from le booze, sugar, and most carbs to purge the system. And boy if I don't want one of Morgenthaler's Old-Fashioned's right about now. Heres a great "anti drinking" campaign poster from mid century Russia:

belly

2009-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Brethren Rob turned me on to the foodie show on BBC that deals with this guy Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstal. He's a wing nut (an ohh so british) but very entertaining. This one episode he goes into deep detail on when he slaughters his 3 pigs and all the tasty cuts (confit, chops, ribs, necks, bones, head, trotters, sausage, BACON, pates, blood sausage, etc.) he gets off of them for a massive feast. He's also an organic garden maestro but this particular episode is all about the swine. Not recommended for los vegetarianos. Really great documentary.

Escape-to-River-Cottage-Episode-6

Brenden and Anne Marie over at Belly should really appreciate this! In case you haven't been there ... words do not describe the deliciousness and care they put into their thing (their thing being CULINARY NIRVANA). Here they are servin' us up on new years eve ...

2009-01-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

Bye bye Ricardo.
I love how they bill this as "the small crystler"!

2008-12-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

This is what I wanted for Christmas one year in the late 70's.
I was told that santa had unfortunately run out of them at the particular branch office of the north pole where he manufactures them.

old shows

2008-12-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

should speak for itself.

RIP Bobtail Kitty

2008-12-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

Bobtail Kitty 1988-2008
(AKA Skeletor)

you shall be deeply missed.

TIME ... 1979

2008-12-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

a challenge

2008-12-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

A "challenge" was brought on me to create a picture of "Interplanet Janet" using only found images using google.
Here you go Bert ...

old times

2008-11-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

My friend Dylan from Tigersaw asked me to send him what I remember of old shows for this book he's writing about touring and whatnot. His book is called All My Friends Are Right Here With Me. Here is a section:

Lasting memories of times with Dylan and his merry Tigersaw gang. Sheriff Metrano's posse has done shows with testface over the years and those are the kind of things that will stay with you to the end.
Probably the most infamous of times was a short tour in the N.W. back in 2006.
Those shows in which we played together were:
• seattle - Conor Byrne -sept 16
• salem - cafe noir -sept 19
• pdx - mississippi pizza -sept 20
• eugene - luckeys -sept 22

Those shows consisted of Tigersaw, Hotel Alexis, Unbunny, and Testface. We rotated the lineup each night and each show had very different vibes. When I pulled into Seattle the first night I just had this strange feeling in my body. Part of it was the excitement of seeing all these old friends, but there was something I couldn't put my finger on. A hum in the wires as Sid would say. As my car pulled into the venue neighborhood, it was darker than usual, and I realized the only light in the universe was coming from my headlights. No power in that part of seattle. We all slowly trickled into the place and laughed and hugged and contemplated our game-plan sans electric juice. The bar had an odd sense of comradery. Dylan took one for the team and played first surrounded in a warm bath of candlelight. Ears listened for subtle things and tiny acoustics. Wonderful. Then about 1/2 way through the set ... the juice comes on and the entire mood of the bar changed. A blessing and a curse.
I did my testface set as well as playing bass for Sid in Hotel Alexis that tour. I remember the night ending with the power going out again and Sid pounding the keys in the back of the bar on an old upright piano. Truly a great start to a small tour-let.
The rest of the shows were equally as fantastic. Dylan has a way of captivating an audience in a simple way. Songs like "postcards & Letters" and "sing" could go on for endless cycles and it's kind of like beautiful thoughts being frozen in time. We ended the shows in eugene and I remember having a huge Italian feast with wine at my house with all the bands before the show. My livingroom was littered with Gregg Porter, Sid Lindner, Nate Groth, Dylan, Derek Trost, James Smith, Jarid and others. It looked like a Macworld Expo center with peeps rapidly sharing their well spent time with the universe. The show was epic ... at one point there were like 12 of us on stage singing in Dylans band. Every ounce of floor, bed and garage space was strewn with indie rock flesh that night.
Tigersaw has since been out here a couple times for shows with testface, but in my opinion, nothing could be more epic than that massive maelstrom of friends. All my memories are right here with me.

i'll find you and I'll kill you

2008-11-26T12:07:00.001-08:00

Music and Animation by Chad Van Gallen

Homage to Thanksgiving past ...

2008-11-20T17:28:00.000-08:00

A Conversation at the Grownup Table, as Imagined at the Kids’ Table

MOM: Pass the wine, please. I want to become crazy.
DAD: O.K.
GRANDMOTHER: Did you see the politics? It made me angry.
DAD: Me, too. When it was over, I had sex.
UNCLE: I’m having sex right now.
DAD: We all are.
MOM: Let’s talk about which kid I like the best.
DAD: (laughing) You know, but you won’t tell.
MOM: If they ask me again, I might tell.
FRIEND FROM WORK: Hey, guess what! My voice is pretty loud!
DAD: (laughing) There are actual monsters in the world, but when my kids ask I pretend like there aren’t.
MOM: I’m angry! I’m angry all of a sudden!
DAD: I’m angry, too! We’re angry at each other!
MOM: Now everything is fine.
DAD: We just saw the PG-13 movie. It was so good.
MOM: There was a big sex.
FRIEND FROM WORK: I am the loudest! I am the loudest!
(Everybody laughs.)
MOM: I had a lot of wine, and now I’m crazy!
GRANDFATHER: Hey, do you guys know what God looks like?
ALL: Yes.
GRANDFATHER: Don’t tell the kids.

digital

2008-11-19T09:01:00.001-08:00

Like any self-proclaiming dork, I love looking at old computers (el porn de geek?) and the post space age interfaces that accompany them. But in addition to aesthetics, I have another vested interest ... my late father. He worked for digital Equipment corporation for 32 years. He was a tech writer and did a lot of work revolving around memory and chips. He told me this story about being flown out to seattle once to work on this amazing experimental hard drive in the 60's that weight a million pounds and held like 2 megabytes of information. Hilarious.

I'd go visit him occasionally at his massive work complex in Maynard, Mass. He would always have odd computer paraphernalia laying around the house. Instead of usb there was like 125 pin connectors the size of your fucking head. He brought home what would later become home computers. He had this text only Zork game we played (before atari came out) it went something like this:

game: You are standing in a room. there are walls. You are scared. What do you want to do?
you: go north
game: you cannot go north
you: go east
game: it is not advisable to go east
you: blow me
game: I do not understand your request
and so on ...

here is an online version

Digital no longer exhists. They became HP/Compaq and were essentially dissolved into memories and legend.
Man do I miss that guy. He would be 64 this saturday. Raise a glass to Luther this weekend.
-d

2008-11-18T12:59:00.000-08:00

A visual survey of vintage computers can be found here

2008-11-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

charles addams painting

feelin synthy?

2008-11-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

before Bob Moog ...
before the acid tests ...

Elisha Gray Musical Telegraph"(1876)

Vladimir Baranoff Rossiné "Optophonic Piano" (1916)

The Optophonic Piano generated sounds and projected revolving patterns by directing a bright light through a series revolving painted glass disks (painted by Rossiné), filters, mirrors and lenses. The keyboard controlled the combination of the various filters and disks. The variations in opacity of the painted disk and filters were picked up by a photo-electric cell controling the pitch of a single oscillator. The instrument produced a continuous varying tone which, accompanied by the rotating kaleidascopic projections was used by Vladimir Rossiné at exhibitions and public events.

pass the kool-aid Vlad!

Hi, How are you?

2008-11-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

me circa 2001 austin

finally saw The devil & Daniel Johnston last night. I seriously have no idea why it took me so damn long to catch this flick. Unbelievable. Moving, sad, hopeful, deeply beautiful.
Daniel has been famous for years but in case you live under a large rock ... check him out)

held the hand (from the end of the film ... sound is lousy, but the footage is wonderful)
This song blows me away.

story of an artist

mixwit

2008-11-11T13:05:00.001-08:00

thanks dan jones for showing me how to make these!

Art du Jour:

2008-11-11T12:21:00.000-08:00

Art du Jour:
Polish artist Zdzisław Beksiński

No pussycats playing bridge

2008-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

from ABC news:

Creepy art increases heart patients' blood pressure
Posted Jan 3, 2007

Works of art meant to hearten patients at a Canadian cardiac hospital as part of a study have been removed after complaints they made people feel tense and increased their blood pressure, a doctor says.
"The idea was to try to brighten up the place and make it alive," Dr Robert Roberts said, head of the Ottawa Heart Institute.
"But our choice of austere paintings instead increased our patients' blood pressure slightly.
"Most people who have a heart attack come here to feel better but the paintings made people feel tense and nurses noticed patients were more agitated while waiting to have their blood pressure tested."
The paintings used in the art therapy experiment, believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, included five portraits by artist Shirley Brown called The Queens.
Their "very piercing eyes were not necessarily the most pleasant thing to look at or cheer you up when you're in pain," Dr Roberts said.
They were removed.

Art therapist Sharon Mintz told public broadcaster CBC that art in hospitals should be safe.
"No pussycats playing bridge, dogs playing poker or Elvis on velvet," she said.
"But there are a lot more comfortable works of art, watercolours, softer pastels, something that will inspire relaxation in a situation like that."

The results of the study will be presented at the Society for the Arts in Healthcare conference in Tennessee in the US in April.

2008-11-10T12:51:00.000-08:00

Oh you guys are sneaky ....

R.I.P. PBF

2008-11-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

Tractor Op benny for cancer

2008-11-05T23:05:00.000-08:00

Dolorean, Memomena, Eluvium and Tractor Operator to Destroy Leukemia & Lymphoma

Sunday, November 23rd at the Doug Fir.
Very excited about this show. I'll be playin bass in Tractor Operator that night.
no I can't get you on the guest list. sorry.

View the article here.

recent shows

2008-11-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

thong
leo london
testface
jordan
jake
me
trost
halloween w/ squids
testface

2008-10-31T12:22:00.000-07:00

why do I even bother with the weather widget. It's just gonna depress the crap outta me ...

"it's not about the hitpoints"

2008-10-31T12:18:00.000-07:00

further proselytization from me on my fave new band. This is so damn funny:

ssssploitation

2008-10-20T10:52:00.001-07:00

goodbye Dolemite. Your ass kickin' mad skills will be missed. RIP Rudy Ray Moore.

note ... trailer = NSFW

Gerry and Sylvia Anderson

2008-10-14T16:33:00.000-07:00

pre thunderbirds ...

2008-10-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Halloween is in the air. My buddy Derek has a creepy dinner every year. Heres a nice guacamole holder.

and a Dalek pumpkin.

2008-10-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

church sign generator!

posters

2008-10-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

for some shows in the ain't so distant future I done made:

why my nieces rule

2008-10-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

silver MF jews

2008-09-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Last night at the wowhall. Silver jews tore it up. David Berman is the shit. He and his Jews rocked my world last night. He had a sort of cough medicine swagger all night as he shuffled around the stage. Got to hang with some of the band for a bit of road story mayhem. Here they are rockin "Smith & Jones forever"

Monotonix opened the show. Insane band from Israel. At one point the drummer was hoisted up in the crown with his drums so he could play 6' above. They looked like borat/Ron Jeremy clones.

LP battles : round 13

2008-09-26T14:48:00.000-07:00

returning champion Alan Parsons vs. tagteam duo Hall & Oats ... introducing heavyweight new contenders Roxy music

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW ...

2008-09-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

... I LEARNED IN MY SPAM BOX.

- - - -

I am an average American.

The average credit score of an average American is 608.

I have a mortgage and I gamble—poorly—but want to do better.

I want to lose tons of weight and am holding between 25 and 30 pounds of fat in my intestines.

I totally dig Christian singles and my perfect match is waiting for me somewhere ... in my hometown.

I could find her this week.

I want to start a home business and start making REAL money.

Easy work and great pay always go together and earning potential, unlike money, is unlimited.

The best things in life—meaning CrackBerrys and MacBook Airs—are totally free.

For most things in life, only my confirmation is needed.

I want to learn magic and/or hypnosis to attract health, love, money, and to get sweet revenge (the good kind).

Amazing secrets are hidden by nothing more than a friggin mouse click.

I have two awesomely hot friends, Maureen and Angie, who talk about me daily.

Approval is totally guaranteed.

Black Mountain

2008-09-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

one of my absolute fave bands right now. One part Neil Young to one part Nazareth with a tablespoon of Saint Vitus. Mix together and chug:

f art

2008-09-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Some small images from Portland artist Ryan Bubnis.
Check his gallery here.

space

2008-09-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

images from NL Architects

amazing

2008-09-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Anna Torma's site here!

oh Lindsay

2008-09-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

I have this strange (morbid?) fascination with that burnt out period of music in the 80's where the previous decade's Arena Rock had long eroded into horrible LA recording sessions with grand budgets from their previous record sales, fat lines on the mixing board and whole "debauched" albums of utter crap (save for maybe one single that charts because well frankly, everybody else was also coked outta their mind). Everyone was a victim (Lou, Mick, Neil, hell even Don fuckin' Henley) and I can't really think of anyone that truly escaped (mike .. don't say Al Stewart)
Yeah if you lived through the 80's as one of these bands you're doing some kinda comeback tour and probably laughing your ass off at the bile you puked up in the 80's. Here is one of those songs which I just fucking adore and will probably cover soon in a live situation...

story time

2008-09-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from "My Awesome Moments in Summer History: Chapter 37 : Embarrassment"

Through much of my hormonal youth, the place to "hang out" was good times roller skating. We are talking between the years of '83 to like '87. (post wet dreams -- pre drivers license)

At good times the DJ would always play the freshest music and there were posters everywhere to feast your eyes on. While they weren't exactly playing thrash metal, it was all popular music that you could skate to and then buy a big ass slice of pizza or some god awful fried something. They also had a dance floor.

I present to you subject A: Marion Diaz (name has not been changed)

She was 14 and I was 15. We both had the hots for each other and decided to meet there (it was 1/2 way between our 2 towns. we met earlier that summer at the Bedford Pool. She looked awesome in a bikini with a mondo 14 year out set of fun cushions.

Well we skated for a while, talked about why ZZ Top did or did not suck, and then took the skates off so we could go to the dance room. (I will just say that at that point in my career ... dancing = chance at making out in the back parking lot) So we are doing of the dancing and then a slow number comes on and she turns around so that we can dance while I hug her. We do this. It's nice. We dance slowly. Hip are swaying ever so slowly. The song ends and she walks away. I assume she wants to skate. I go looking for her and she is nowhere to be found. Then I see her putting her shoes on and checking her skates at the counter. She doesn't want to talk to me or even look at me. I am utterly and completely confused. I find her friend who is also skating there and I'm like"WTF Marion's friend. did I say something?????" Her friend says that apparently I tried to "feel her up" on the dance floor. I can assure you to this day that I was not brave, bold, or stupid enough to attempt such a feat. It just wasn't true and I was super bummed that she thought I would do that. The night ends and I go home high on sugary soda and dejected.

----

fast forward 6 months from now to the summer of next year.
I decide to go to the Bedford Pool with my family. I am swimming with my brother and look who walks up to me. Can you guess? Oh I bet you can. As I bob gently in the water I am ambushed with an barrage of swears and accusations in front of the whole pool (this is a LARGE public pool) Keep in mind that I never even kissed this little vixen.

I realize that she is not alone and the her 3 older and larger brothers all with 6-packs (not beer) brothers are sitting on the picnic table behind her laughing there asses off. Marion then challenges me to a fight. I am scrawny and confused. My little brother is keeping his distance. I mutter something unrecognizable and get out of the pool. I leave the pool. I hit the changing room and leave the place and head over to the outside eating area far away from the pool. As I walk toward my parents who are in sight, I am shoved from behind buy the lovely no longer desirable Marion Diaz. She proceeds to verbally and physically assault me all the way to my parents table. I am unable to calm her wrath. We get there and I just sit down on the verge of completely breaking down. My Dad listens to her story of my big attempts at stealing second base at Good Times. Eventually my dad interrupts her and says something to the effect of "thanks for your time" or "your testimony is dully noted". She eventually walks away.
We all kind of look at each other. My brother returns to the family unit. We drive back to Merrimack in silence with Casey Kasem introducing the next John Cougar Mellancamp song.

• Thanks "royal pine" for drawing this tale out of me.

quiz time

2008-09-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

who can name all three of these flics?
• hint: it's not "Terms of Endearment".

mix fir today

2008-09-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

totonto

2008-09-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

careful with that axe richard

2008-09-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

" border="0" alt="careful with that axe eugene" />

take a picture ... it'll last longer

2008-09-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Some photos from photographer Lisa Kahane documenting the Bronx in the 70's/80's from her book "do not give way to evil". I know the world is full of photojournalists, but some people really have a knack for really capturing the mayhem.

CHANGES TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA, MADE IN RESPONSE TO MR. HENLEY'S RECENT COMPLAINT

2008-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

BY JOHN MOE

- - - -

Encourage nightman to be less cryptic when talking to guests

Improve courtyard air conditioning to reduce occurrences of sweet summer sweat

Update room décor, including removal of ceiling mirrors

Restock spirit supplies, encourage Captain to offer guests other options

Acquire steelier knives and/or less resolute beast

Emphasize "heaven" image over less desirable "hell" alternative

Install electric-light system in hallway (long overdue), reassign employee who has been showing guests to room by candlelight

Upgrade music selection to accommodate both guests who dance to remember and those who do so to forget

Clearly mark passage back to places guests have been before

Emphasize core strengths: lovely place, plenty of room, consistent location

Reduce power on colitis-oil highway pumps; smell may be overly aggressive

Provide "house alibis" to guests who neglect to bring their own

Streamline checkout procedures to accommodate guests' desire to actually leave

be still my heart

2008-09-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

Very excited to see the kings being documented. If only that magical day will come again :)

debauchery ensues ... news at 11 (am)

2008-09-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

pic are here!

OK ... Just coming back to earth from 3 days of insanity up at MusicFest NorthWest. Playing in Tractor Operator for the Jealous Butcher Showcase afforded me an all access bracelet into any and all shows. Highlights in timeline form are as follows:

Thursday
6:30 pm - arrive for band prac at che trac

9:30 - head out to crystal to catch the end of Calvin Johnson and then M Ward play an amazing set. Chat with Adam and Rachel briefly at lola's before hand who are in his band. M. does some full band/some solo. sound is actually good as it's usually horrible in that monster space.

11 - head to Berbati's Pan and catch Pseudo Six. great set with backup singers and beautiful wurlitzer sounds. very impressive.

12 - cross the river to dougfir to see what may be the most amazing show I have seen in quite some time. Band is called Red Fang and they are from Portland actually. Holy christ. All the speed and meat of motorhead with the turn on a dime changes of pass out kings with a little high on fire thrown in there. Plus they were playing through stacks of sun beta heads that made your lungs collapse. Religious I tell you. I don't know man. It's scary how much I like this band.

1 am - then catch the big reunion of Steel Pole Bathtub. They did a great job although my soul was still tainted by red fang. I think this was SPBT's first show since like '01?

3 am - pillage the food store with Jensen in search of something meaty to calm our ferocious apatite

4 am - make amazing mini steak and cheese sandwiches with bookers 126 proof bourbon and pop in There will be blood. we make it through about 15 minutes of movie

Friday

11 am - meet up with Rob smith and head to Biways Cafe for stumptown coffee and (I can't even say this without laughing) ... order a steak and cheese.

12 noon - Head with Rob to a gallery space and check out the installation he's a part of.

2 pm - head to Mississippi records and pick up some King Tubby, Free Design, Black mountain, Eno, etc.

3pm - lowbrow lounge with a crew and have a Guinness.

5pm - meet at someday lounge for sound check.

6:30 - secret party in loft space with Weinland and Nick Jaina playing. Great Hummus!

8 pm - we hit the stage and play a really good set with except for some minor equipment malfunctions) goes off swellingly. My finger still really hurts to play certain chords, but work through the set with no major issues. My fender amp sounded extra growly and I have it some dog biscuits afterward for good behavior. I buy the band a round of Tequila.

9 pm - stay for Valient Arms set with rocks my socks off. Eric's drumming is heavier than ever and I fully expect his drums to collapse at any time. Steal a couple beers from the green room and give one to dave clark.

10 pm - head up burnside for a delux cocktail party at Pete and Jenifer's (The Fast Computers). She makes me this crazy Elderberry drink and feeds me more bourbon. At this point I'm not sure where I'm supposed to be next and Jensen calls me up to inform me that I'll be picked up on the curb. Jen see's me out and offers the door guy some vodka (he smiles and politely declines)

12 am - Head back over river with Rob Jones and crew to Holocene and catch this awesome band "Throw Me The Statue". I've been waiting to see them ever since MC Homemade turned me on to them a couple months back. Buy their disk Moonbeams ... like now. Al buys us a round of Basil Haydens.

1am - our ride is gone so eric, aljon and I run (every other block) back over the river to NW portland from SE portland. Arrive just as Wow and Flutter are finishing. Stiff Wiff hit the stage and this band is so damn fun. It's basically a proggy deep space wank-fest for PDX music celebs to rock out. there's like 3 drummers and 5 guitars and I can't count the rest. The club is packed. will post video soon. Back to green room and then load equipment into the truck.

4 am - make a trader joes oven pizza. finish the bookers 126 proof bourbon with eric and pop in There will be blood. we make it through another 15 minutes of movie.

Saturday
its 10 am and I'm hitting the road to play a gig tonight at Wandering Goat with Dan Jones opening for Karl Blau. Really excited about this.

must haves coffees.

pic are here!

love,
d

"in a world where ..."

2008-09-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Don LaFontaine, with a voice that so damn boss (next to Ken Nordine) has passed. My testosterone goes up like 15 notches just listening to this guy.

LP battles : round 12

2008-08-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

where old phones go to die

2008-08-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

Are they dreaming of androids?

OMG it's MFNW like LOL!

2008-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Rob Jones has done it again with another fine poster for the MFNW showcase. His label Jealous Butcher will have a few of us lined up at the someday Lounge on friday Sept 5th. I'll be hittin' it with Tractor Operator

radiohead covers neil

2008-08-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Radiohead :: "Tell Me Why" (neil young cover) from gorilla vs. bear on Vimeo.

hump day

2008-08-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

testface is gonna do a show on wednesday at the goat. dan mf jones, Pia Robbins, and Brian Gradiner shall be the band. Early 8pm all ages free show so ... uh yeah.

p.s. dan got me THIS today ...

3 for friday

2008-08-22T11:51:00.000-07:00

Heres THE record I've been waiting for 4 a while.
Holy Sons> Decline of the West

This album is so complex. It's a recent album from Holy Sons (which is essentially Emil Amos). It's the perfect marriage of analog and synthetic mechanisms. His voice is so comforting and hard to pin down.
Where he will take you may or may not include distant ironic junkyards, lost 70's electronics, mountain cave incantations, AM radio crumbs, and guitars layered like dystopian earth.
He has other releases coming out with his other projects too if one is inclined to seek him out.
August 15th>  OM > 7" 'Gebel Barkal' > Sub Pop.
  September 23rd> Holy Sons > 'Decline of the West Expanded' > Partisan Records.  
October 7th> Grails > 'Doomsdayer's Holiday' > Temporary Residence.

----

Starbuck > Moonlight Feels Right

Starbuck is a gem of a band I am now just discovering. If beck knew that people were discovering this group, he'd be shakin in his boots. It's total cheese, but frankly its the best kind of cheese that I'm not afraid to smother all over everything. I'm sure the burnout rate will be quick, but give em a try. Did I say ... marimba solo? Did I say they toured with ELO?

Moonlight feels right ... now!

----

lastly
SOULED AMERICAN Around The Horn/Sonny (tUMULt) 2cd

If you don't know about these guys ... well ya should. Out of print, this pure gold double CD of theirs is the precurser to every alt-country record you own. On Robitussin.
Closer to Low than say Uncle Tupalo ... it really resonates with my sad drinky parts. You can pretty much only find it over at Aquarius records

oh god

2008-08-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

This may be the funniest thing I have heard in a long time.
It is the audio track of runnin with the devil ... isolated.
diamond dave like you have never heard him. I imagine him doing flying scissor kicks while holding a bottle of wild Irish rose.

grab it here!

yep.

2008-08-19T14:59:00.001-07:00

testface has not yet left the building

2008-08-18T12:56:00.001-07:00

am happy to report that the vehicle otherwise known as "me" is still a viable entity on this boat earth. In layman's terms ... I almost died this weekend. Had quite the rafting accident on the McKenzie River with friends and made it through relatively unscathed (except for a dislocated finger and some FUBAR'd limbs. Nothing advil and Makers Mark won't fix.

We had a perfect day until the end when our raft crashed into a giant stump throwing us all. Everyone got tossed away from the stump except me who managed to hold onto the rootball. i had about 2 minutes of holding on before i started going under. Jake was able to climb over the logs and get me safely back into the current before i got sucked under the log jam (a most certain death). If it were not for the quick thinking crew I was with, your dear writer would most assuredly not be typing this. The pics don't really show it, but that is 1000's of lbs. of preasure on that log. took an hour to get that raft out of there.

8 lives to go.

drinks on me,
camp Testface

charlton lake last weekend

2008-08-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

they spend their afternoons at the record store

2008-08-14T21:45:00.001-07:00

weekend

2008-07-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

great weekend with old friends.
testface played a show with Jason anderson - gregg porter - and advrb.
this was a house show like no other. This fantastic woman Carol layed out a killer food spread and opened her home to us all. If you've never experienced a jason show... you really need to. the video is funky because we're all in the dark. so it's just audio.
new hampshire in da house.

I just payed my new mortgage company. I hope they like my checks.

2008-07-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

When love is gone, there's always justice.
And when justice is gone, there's always force.
And when force is gone, there's always Mom.
Hi, Mom!
-Laurie Anderson

• I posted this pic a while back. It's a shot of me and mom in front of our bitchin' gran torino. circa 72' in south jersey.

we will be a creepy playground crew

2008-07-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

new Yeltsin vid made by Jordan. friggin hilarious!

old friends

2008-07-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

testface had a great show sunday night in pdx. Kelley's Oly is an interesting bar to look at with mixed results. It's much better now with the new stage room. You used to have to tangle with a big pole in the middle of the old stage.
Sound was good and we played our guts out. Alexis was up from LA on keys and we had our friend Cory Gray sit in on trumpet.
The pure love of playing meaningful music with people you love holds a lot of weight. It has to be, because otherwise you'd go mad from all the other bullshit that goes along with playing in a bar ... being yelled at by big greek dudes for double parking in from of their greasy restaurant so you can load in ... being told you're going on last ... being told that you only get $9 at the end of the night because the door-guy must have been on horse tranquilizers. Why do we do it? because we love what we do (unless you're Andy Partridge from XTC) and thats not gonna change. We are the dog and "rock" holds the leash.

Olympic squids

2008-07-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Dan Jones and the Squids had a great time on Sunday strummin' and jigglin' for the Olympic trials held at Hayward field.
There is a strange feeling that washes over you when your face is 40 feet wide on the jumbo-tron monitor.
I played through a fender twin and was berated by the sound guy for being a bit on the "waaaaay tooo loud buddy" side.
I mean, how else are they supposed to hear me in Springfield. Geesh.
Thanks Dan!

midlife

2008-07-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Papa's got a bran' new bag.

... yes, I know how ridiculous you think ole' testface must look driving this beasty. Damn if I ain't grinnin' though.

vintage memory

2008-07-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Have been really into archive.org lately. Its a fantastic place to find stuff from your deeply emotional past.

I had an english teacher (in the 80's) who showed this weirdly strange film that I've been looking for ever since ... called "the hangman". The animation is a collection of truly fantastic paintings with a dark beatnik edge.

it's about 11 minutes long. Please let me know what ya think.

watch it here

http://www.archive.org/details/the_hangman_1964

also another great one here!

where dem wild things be at

2008-07-09T12:32:00.001-07:00

• I appologize ahead of time for the AMPM commercial before the clip.

I'm very excited for this little film. 2009 release.
Lots of controversy (too dark for the kiddies)
but OMFG ... spike jonze directs ... dave eggars write ... tom hanks produces? holy crapidy crap this is too awesome.
I hope its the weirdest things since "fantastic planet".

educational

2008-06-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

now thats pep!

2008-06-26T09:01:00.000-07:00

McDonalds apparently gives Mark Motherbaugh an upset tummy
Now if they had made a groovy Gary numan doll ... they could have avoided this whole McMess.

michael Michael motorcycle

2008-06-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

and heres my good buddy MC on his new bike!

2 minutes to what?

2008-06-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Had a fantastic weekend back east with family and good friends. quick trip, but jam packed. Got to see Iron Maiden with MC and Djim in Boston. Holy crap. Talk about walking straight into 1985. No they are most definitely not aging rockers who should put their guitars in the closet. They played a totally oldschool set that had me grinnin' the whole time. Unbelievable. A special shout out to the girl who came up to us with eyes as big as saucers claiming she had an acid tree growing in her yard in montana.

... next day we headed down the cape and stopped in at one of my idols houses. Edward Gorey. They have turned his home into a museum of sorts, trying to preserve it as he left it (somewhat). Very cool indeed.

a eugene tradition

2008-06-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

june 14th was the annual flagday bash of at Jills. The Juice Factory no longer exists, but the old crew remains. What better excuse to act like a silly american and do red, white and blue jello shots in traffic.

2008-06-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

The new york times just did a feature on the back pages of Mad Magazine with a little interactive site that lets you see them over the course of decades. Show me a kid from the 80's that didn't just love these. View it here

help

2008-06-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

If ANYONE can please tell me who might sell these in oregon, I'll buy you a drink. It's just that ... well, I need them. Now.

Man that rug really tied the room together.

2008-06-26T08:13:00.000-07:00

This years lebowski fest is in Louisville this year. Would love to go to one of these some day. I am seriously becoming addicted to this movie.

2008-06-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

2008-06-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

"Throw me the idol!"

2008-06-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

the mighty pelletgun rocking portland this winter. Man i miss playing in this band.

all the good ones are leaving the building

2008-05-13T08:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the love Bob

consume you

2008-05-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

So what is the abhorrent trend with designer bullshit? I turn on le computer and I see that the google header is fancy in a reprehensible neo-80's kind of way. I double click and find out that its some special "artist theme" available for 1 week only! I buy a soda in 7-11 and it comes in a hip bottle with graffiti all over it, and i silently squeal "oh my gawd, I can't believe it's pepsi". Today I drove through BK for some fries (my bad) and all the packaging says "designed by sean john" with a big ass signature of sean john all over everything.

I don't get it people. If I'm going to buy shitty corporate junk once in a great while and hit up unavoidable mainstream things like google, I want it to look and taste like shitty corporate junk. It confuses my soul when I think there might be something artsy about the General Mills or Pepsi corporations. Stop it.

p.s - were those fries damn good. there I said it.

bump in the night

2008-05-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

my favorite new image blog is monster brains for any and all fans of monsters. Tons o' fun.

Take a look!

Adults

2008-05-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

This looks really good. The new film by Harmony Korine. If "Kids" or "Gummo" was too disturbing for you, Mister Lonely might be your thing.

t r a i l e r

your thoughts?

2008-05-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

• jimmies or sprinkles?

• El-P or ELP?

• Big Muff Pi or Big League Chew?

• The Black Stallion, The Black Hole, or The Black Cat?

• Lugosi, Bartók, or Fleck?

AAAaaAAAaaaAAAAAAAAA!

2008-04-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ron who?

I heart you Sid & Marty

2008-04-30T09:35:00.001-07:00

Was reading this morn that they are doing a remake of "land of the lost". Could be cool ... could suck. At least its not digital in keeping with the campiness. While my love for all things 70's is fairly substantial, I think I'll wait for this one to hit the $1.50 theater. HOWEVER, in doing some snooping, I found out that Sid and Marty Krofft actually made an amusement park in the 70's. It only lasted 6 months and it sounds so psychedelically amazing. It was massive and all indoors and you can see it at the beginning of the Krofft Supershow.
It had things like a giant carousel adorned with magic crystals, the world's longest freestanding escalator, freaks, carnies and dwarfs everywhere, and multiple levels of giant puppets that had all the characters from the shows.
:::Mouth watering :::
After the park closed (possibly due to not enough people taking mushrooms), Teddy Turner bought it and turned it into CNN headquarters.

wreckreational birthday week

2008-04-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

A most amazing birthday week was had by yours truly with no small thanks going out to MC Homemade paying me a visit from Brockton for the week. Somehow we always seem to end up markedly more polluted towards the end of our visits, even with good intentions of hitting the gym and all that jazz.
Stayed at the ace hotel for my birthday. Formerly The Clyde Hotel where part of drugstore cowboy was filmed, they really turned this into a hipster art hotel. Big style points. Spendy, but great to check out for the once in a while thing. Went the polar opposite direction the next night at the palms motel punctuated with karaoke at the alibi with M.C. and Dori. The woman in the silver sequin dress running the show was passed out half the time so M.C. threatened the crowd with poetry and standup comedy. Atta boy! Oh yeay .. we saw Daniel Johnston at the wonder ballroom as well. Fantastic.
Sunday we had a small party at my house. My mom told all my friends how she wouldn't let me go to school one day because I had a "metal up your ass" t-shirt on. That got the peeps laughin. Dan Jones gave me the new bad brains box album "build a nation". It comes on four 45's (colored vinyl) and totally shreads. Thanks DJ!

Had a fantastic testface show wednesday with the comforters and whisky priest. Tried out some new material and am diggin the way things are going.
Friday and saturday played with tractor operator both nights opening for Yeltsin for their CD release. Nice job boys. Fridays show at Kelleys Olympian was great on many levels as my gut was full of rabbit and venison from toro bravo and the club was full of great faces including the mighty Lacifer.
Sunday we (Trac Op) recorded a couple new tracks for an upcoming release.

Was excited to hear this morning that everybody's (i say that loosely) fave bible nudgin' bad ass is coming back to portland this fall.
Nick Cave and his bad bad seeds - sept 22 - crystal ballroom.
schwing!