OKAY OKAY

An album update!



First, though, consider the above an apology for my last post. Will Smith is your youtube palate cleanser for the evening - LIGHT UP THE DARKNESS - and if you give him two minutes, you might forget that I thought it was a good idea to share a fiery car crash with you. Even if it was fatality free. And had an incredibly bizarre soundtrack. With brilliant quotes. It was still a fiery car crash with real human beings and no amount of slow-motion Avril-sung montages changes the fact that sharing it was in bad taste.

My apologies. And again, Will Smith.

As for our record - maybe you can guess - but our lack of updates happen to coincide with our lack of not having too much to announce at the moment. Here's the best I can do:

"Well, we gave the record to (1)____________ from (2)____________ and he really liked the songs and promised to send them on to (3)____________. We're still waiting to hear back and it's been a few weeks. Who knows. That would be (4)____________ if it worked out. We also sent the record to (5)____________ over at (6)____________ (which (7)____________ from (8)____________ thought was a promising idea). Matt wrote him a few sentences over IM but that hasn't gone anywhere. We figured out our artwork, though! We're going to use a piece by (8)____________ and I think (9)____________ will be coordinating the effort. Great news. Even more great news? Our lawyer has been working on a contract to get us a label and a tour in (10)____________ (ALMOST A DONE DEAL) and we're all really excited about the possibility. Most of us have never been there. He also mentioned that (11)____________ likes the record and might be coming to see us next month in (12)____________. Which would make us labelmates with (13)____________. My brain would explode. That would seriously be the (14)____________ (15)____________ (16)____________ in the world. There's no way it happens but what a fun thought. Definitely."

I'm sorry if that was terrible to read. Some of you were probably hoping for something a little more concrete.

Your guesses in the comments?

And, I think, to allay concerns!.... if 1-16 aren't in the cards, that's more than okay. The artwork should to be finished relatively soon, the cd is already mastered, we're moving ahead with everything (numbers or no numbers). Canopy Glow ought to be released in the late summer/early fall.

But... if that's the case.....

hmmm.... who's left to put it out?



OMGEEZY himself!!!!

Sometimes it's best to keep it in the family.

We'll see.

Speaking of family, Colour Revolt is on tour right now. I know I type about them a lot so I'll try to keep this brief. I listened to their record every single day for the entire month of April. I know that sounds crazy. It IS kind of crazy. But the discerning blog reader might have also picked up that yours truly had a rough go of it this past spring. Now I'm back... and I don't know if that would be the case without Plunder, Beg, and Curse. Which makes me a 15 year old boy (no offense to 15 year old boys). Try to read this without the hokey emotion and maybe with a little more sincerity than I can get these words to read. And maybe, past the embarrassing admission that the record your friends made became the record you'd listen to on the train. The record that would lift your head back up. Past those admissions to this - they are brilliant songs, they are a brilliant band, and I hope you all get the chance to see them in the next few weeks.

In the headphones lately?



I'm a multi-instrumentalist's multi-instrumentalist.

If you couldn't tell, I've been working with middle aged African-American women these past three weeks.

And Manchester Orchestra? Facebook tells me that Andy is in the studio and that Chris wore a Speed Racer helmet on tour.



Things seem good.

Wait.



Things seem great.

Our tour starts tomorrow as well. Come say hi!

And come see this guy.



Goodnight.

THE INTERNET IS WEIRD YET STRANGELY COMPELLING

Album update coming soon, I promise.

graffi-LED

CR2032 3 volt Lithium battery + single LED
Wedge battery between LED's prongs so that the longer prong is on the positive side
Connect a small magnet
Add tape around the whole thing for flight security
Throw at something

Let there be light




Graffiti Research Lab

HAHAHA

I hadn't checked the comments in a few days! Look at this!

Yes!!!!

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN

"We now know who the Democratic nominee is going to be."

Leave it to Tim, right?

But it's over. I think. Or it's just beginning. Finally. Hopefully both.



And to celebrate!... well, I've been working these past few weeks. Data entry fills the day, pays the rent, and - it turns out - also keeps me current with the radio.

Today:

ME: "Phyllis, help me out... I don't know what the hits are anymore. I keep hearing about Lil Wayne. Is he the guy or what?"

PHYLISS: "Oooooh boy, you don't know Lil Wayne?? You haven't heard Lollipop?"

ME: "No."

PHYLISS: "Well you should. If they play him, I'll pass you my headphones."

ME: "Okay, cool - thanks."

PHYLISS: "You said you're in a band, right? Do you mind if I listen to a few songs?"

ME: "Of course. Here's our entire unreleased record - Canopy Glow - let me know what you think!"

----an hour later----

PHYLISS: "I like track four. It's a little like Maroon Five and Nickelback."

ME: "Good Lord."

PHYLISS: "No, that's a good thing!"

ME: ".........."

PHYLISS: "Here, listen to the R. Kelly 'Customer Remix' - it's amazing."

Me: "!!!!!!!!!!"



There are a few lines... that are just not lines I would be singing if I were under trial for what R. Kelly is under trial for. But. That's why he is who he is and I am who I am.

Incredible, though.

Can anyone enlighten me on Lil Wayne??

Closer To The Ground

In June 2006, I was on a long walk in southern Minnesota. While spending a luxurious night at a Best Western in Cannon Falls, I caught a brief report on the TV—something about Stephen Hawking (a British physicist known for his work on black holes), saying that he felt there ought to be a global effort to colonize outer space, as a response to impending global disasters like nuclear war and radical climate degradation. It certainly wasn’t a new idea, but this time the notion lodged itself in my head.
Days later, I arrived on the outskirts of a town called Mankato, where my grandmother lives. I had been walking for three or four days on a former railway converted to a bike path. In addition to the new buildings and strip malls, I saw a few gas stations, some fast food drive-thrus, and of course, parking lots. It was at that moment that Hawking’s idea about colonizing space became dislodged. I saw people ordering food from their vehicles, moving about this place as if trying not to touch the ground, absorbed in the wonderful things we love to absorb ourselves in: tiny little screens on cell phones, the dashboard controls, the drive-through interface, the display on the gas pump, and shopping bags full of zesty, processed food that will not rot well at all.
How appropriate, I thought. This is all very good practice for space travel. If we are going to colonize space, we are going to have to learn how to live without touching the ground. We are going to have to be able to conduct most of our communications electronically. We are going to have to learn how to live in small, sealed containers. I could do that, I think, but it would wear me down.
However, my inclination at the moment is to involve myself in things that are on the other end of the spectrum of mediated experience: to learn things that bring me closer to the ground, to learn the pleasures and dangers of communicating face to face. While I think I will never forget the pleasure of movies, screens and remote media, I want to know what it is like to spend extended periods of time being entertained by the people who are near to me. The question I was asking myself, after walking more or less alone through a rarified corridor for several days, being confronted by strip-mall culture is, “Is this how we want to be living?” Of course, everyone can answer for himself.
First off, let’s remember why it is important to ask this kind of question, “Is this how we want to be living?” Depending on the circumstances of the person asking, questions like this may be about things that we feel are beyond our control, or matters where we have no choice. So why bother asking? Questioning is powerful because it is inherently open-ended and unfinished. It is an act that produces liquidity, requires improvisation. It invites participation and solution making. It is an act that, rather than closing things off, produces openings. Another great thing about it is that we are all capable of it. Our minds are constantly spewing forth questions. Only a few of the questions are allowed to surface; that is our training. For me, the exciting implication in the question “Is this how we want to be living?” is that we learned how to live this way: strip mall culture. We taught each other to live this way, so it stands to reason that we could eventually teach each other something else, maybe numerous other ways of living. - Mike Wolf/Mess Hall (Rogers Park, Chicago)

Thoughtful and romantic (in a hopeful/positive/possible way) Mr. Wolf. Thank you. Time for bed cause my friend Ted and I are going to thrash at the Wilson Yard skate park tomorrow!

Sk8boarding iz not a crime dewd.

IF YOU HAVE 36 MINUTES AND 16 SECONDS, I WILL GIVE YOU THE WORLD

Okay okay, that's not true... but I did make myself a Welcome Back present. Or, I made you all a You-Welcoming-Me-Back present (!) and I did it here. Not even an entire mixtape (err, muxtape) but a few songs that ride with me on the train. I had uploaded six before realizing my itunes bought tracks wouldn't work... so please bear with the repeat artists. A faux paus, for sure, but hopefully a forgivable one.

I should really be going to bed (a common theme lately for this temp worker) but I can't leave without giving credit where credit is due. To this guy.



Nathan Lee was in town! An old friend who some of you might remember from Forever Changed and Cool Hand Luke... we were able to catch up Saturday night and he reminded me of our old mix-sharing days.

Me: "I still have it on my computer - that Elbow song you included. It's been one of my favorites ever since."
Nathan: "(pause) ...didn't you end yours with UnderOath?"

Oh 2004. You were the days.

I included Elbow's "Grace Under Pressure" as my (not so) silent tribute to the man (COME BACK QUICK) and rumor has it that he reads this blog from time to time. Which means that if you beg him in the comments (or if I beg him right now), Mr. Lee might be willing to share a muxtape of his own. And actually, the invite is open to everyone. This could be fun.

Also fun? Memories:



Great memories. Goodnight everyone.

Happy birthday to this guy

A Very Berry Weekend

As you all know - we've held a residency at this awesome church called Berry for the last year. This weekend is going to be a rip-roaring good time! We'll start with Friday and move forward. Come check out our diverse congregation!

ONE: Our friend Tim and his awesome band (also friends) are FINALLY putting out their 3-year-in-the-making record. Celebrate with us on Friday night!


TWO:The second Fair Trade Market takes place Saturday with performances by a ton of our friends! Come check out non-sweat/fair-wage goods from around the world (even some from the Chicagoland area). Word to the wise, arrive early, because Ryan, Tales from Tuckaway, plays at 10 AM. Early morning improv! Listen to "Trans" and tell me that you don't want to wake up to that! I DARE YOU.


THREE:The "Love Makes A Family" exhibit! I'm really excited about this. Our friend, Brent, has arranged for a traveling exhibition of family portraits from within the GLBT community to be installed in the Heritage Room at Berry. Come confront your notions and stereotypes in this incredible collection.


Ba Dap Ba Ba Ba, I'm lovin' it.