Good morning! I've been up since 7... My nose was all stuffed up. I'm trying to figure out if I'm allergic to the cat or if it's just seasonal allergies kicking my ass.
Prince's "7" just came on iTunes. This song gets me every time.
LB is at work; I'll be getting to work soon myself. Writing a piece about CBGB for Punk today. Then I have to bring stuff to the post office, demo up some new tunes, and build a couple of Promo pages. In that order - it's the weekend.
Right now I'm fixin to get me some breakfast. Let's do it!
Monday is the start of what promises to be six wild months for the Rebellion. It's the beginning of the drive to May 8, when The Deli Of Life EP premieres on iTunes. From there we go non-stop until September: the full-length album on July 10, summer tour with wax.on wax.off, and a TON of surprises in between. I want so badly to post all the shit we have planned right here, right now, but... must... hold... back... Gah, it hurts!
Okay, I'll give ya one: there is a seventh new Rebellion track coming, but not on the EP. Someplace else. It's the nastiest one of all, and it's called "Let's Get To The Fucking". Beware.
The Hanslick Rebellion broke up in April of 1997. Ten years later we pick up exactly where we left off. It feels like we just cut a decade out of our lives and tied the broken threads of time together, finding ourselves in a wiser place but no less ready to roll. And with three essentials we didn't have then: perspective, resources and a killer plan.
I think that the most serendipitous element of our breakup is that it happened when we were so young that ten years could pass and we'd still be young enough to jump right back on this fucker. How many rock bands could reunite for a 10th anniversary show while still in their twenties?
Anyway, between now and the fall we'll be blogging from some very interesting scenes. Mike hasn't been on here much but I suspect that will change. We hope to have you along for the ride.
Hola critters,just back from espania.The ROCK YOUR VAGINA show was a blast with the CHOKE and LOCKSLEY.Was great to see the LOCKSELY guys again.It's been awhile since they put us on a few of their bills at CBGB.They were on the JIMMY KIMMEL show.They played 3 fucking songs.Unbelievable.Next to the BALANZA bar with the CHOKE"S PUNK ROCK INEVITABLE cabaret punk show.Seen the CHOKE the night before and their set was tight as afrogs ass under water.They played early and left for the BALANZA residency gigs.They have a U.K. tour coming up and are gigging their asses off.PROWLER was the opener and put on a great show.The guitar player (CHRIS?)wore a ELVIS type wig.Hilarious.I thought he was MORAT from the ELECTRIC SHADOWS.BRIAN from my band ,AVI'S room mate (AVI plays bass with PROWLER),says he taught AVI everything he knows about playing the bass.I said he should teach him how to smile.HA HA HA.The show ended with GAS FACE falling into the equipment and knocking the gear out.Crazy kid.Next ARLENE'S GROCERY for a loaded bill featuring WORLD WAR IX,WORSE,the BULLEY'S,TWO MAN ADVANTAGE,LOAFASS,and the BLACKOUT SHOPPERS.SETH from the SHOPPERS put this one together.Great job.W.W.IX great set.BLACK FLAG meets ANGRY SAMOANS meets AGENT ORANGE.Get the drift? I think they did a BLACK FLAG and a ANGRY SAMOANS tune. NERVOUS BREAKDOWN and MY OLDMAN'S A FATSO .WORSE is a reunited hard core band featuring EVAN COHEN on the bass.The BULLEY'S come out next and kick some ass.Their new guitar player is great.They played some songs off their new lp i didn't reconize.Sounded great.I dig those guys.Next the TWO-MAN. Much anticipated.Two of my friends from the island,KERRY and GERRY, came out for this one.I'm feeling MIGHTY FINE at this time.BEER,PORN,and HOCKEY.CHUG IT DOWN.Never a dissapointment.GREAT GUYS.They're re-releasing all they're old material,plus a new album.Next was LOAFASS and the BLACKOUT SHOPPERS who i regretably missed due to hunger and heineken.Check out NEW YORK DOLL the ARTHUR KANE story.It shows the days after the DOLLS and right up to his passing and last days with the reunited DOLLS.Off to SPAIN.If in MADRID GO TO LOUIE-LOUIE.SPANISH brother of MANITOBAS.If visiting SPAIN don't drive.Back from SPAIN .Back to N.Y.C.and to PUNK MAGAZINES release party with the RATS ,CHARM SCHOOL,the BULLEY'S the CHOKE the STALKERS and TWO-MAN.Pissed i missed the RATS again.We are doing a show with them in APRIL.Another great show.This issue of PUNK IS the best.SID and NANCY by EILEEN POLK fucking amazing eyewitness acount of what realy happened.STALKERS intrview very entertainig.STALKERS live tonight reminded me off TOP of the POPS performances.ANDY the singer is like a JIM MORRISON.They have a new album on the way also.Can't waite.DANNY FIELDS photographs are gonna be framed in mi casa.Interviews with the RATS,JAYNE COUNTY,RON ASHETONand last but not least the VISITORS on the back cover.Ihad no sleep that weekend and we met at 9am for the shoot.Never claimed to be pretty boys.RIGHT ON !
There are shows and then there are SHOWS. Last Saturday´s show at Luebeck´s Treibsand definetly was one of those worth being capitalized. Even though Luebeck is only a 1 1/2 hour drive away from our hometown we somehow never had the chance to play there before. The city is one of those landmarks at the baltic coast with a bunch of old and beautiful 13th century stone brick churches, a gate from the old city wall from 1478 - which is also on our 2 Euro coin - and busloads of tourists roaming the neatly restored medieval streets.
And in the midst of all that old town beauty and just across from a new fancy pants opera house is this really amazing venue Treibsand adding an exciting contrast to the otherwise well polished feel of the city. What looked like an old squatter house (which it actually is) straight out of the New York of the late 70s turned out to be among the best places we ever played! The people working there were nicer and way more dedicated than average. The food was far beyond anything we had experienced before and freshly made by a - admittedly scary looking - real chef. Man, for once we got to know real rockstar treatment.
Also the sound was amazing and most importantly the crowd was awesome. The place was packed and everyone was really getting into it, singing along, dancing and shouting the Treibsand to its grounds.
Luckily we had our photographer friend Fabian Schellhorn with us that night so we for once got some nice pictures. Here´s Olli drumming his heart out.
And Steffen rocking out!
By the time we were done and our good buddies from One Fine Day hit the stage there was sweat pouring from the ceiling and literally no air left to breath.
What an amazing night. Thanks to One Fine Day, the great people of the Treibsand, Fabian Schellhorn, and to all the people that showed up!
Lisa and I have a Zipcar reserved for 4pm. We're driving up to Westchester to pick up our new kitten - he turned 12 weeks yesterday so we're finally allowed to bring him home. He's a British Shorthair, like the Cheshire Cat. Blue with orange eyes.
I feel like a little bit of a sellout bringing a pet into my apartment. I've always believed that humans make buildings with walls and ceilings for a reason: to keep Nature - and all her sundry creatures - out. But then some people arbitrarily designate certain animals to allow in and let fuck up their stuff. C'mon, that's just stupid. And yet here we are, only a few hours away from picking up Burger King.
Yes, the cat's name is Burger King. You got a problem with that, take it up with him. I should warn ya, we're not declawing. I suppose you can call him BK if you want.
This is a large apartment as Manhattan goes - not big enough for a dog, but it can accommodate a cat or two without cramping our style. Sputnik just got done spending six months on our cot; before that Kelsey was here for a month and a half, and there's always somebody crashin on the couch, be they Jax or Mike Bassett. With Sputnik now back in San Diego, the place just feels too big. Needs more living things in it. Simple as that.
As long as I don't become one of those annoying assholes who needs to remind the world how adorable and awesome his pets are every fifteen minutes, I think we'll all be okay.
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I don't post much about my personal life on here; I try to save this space for more interesting topics. But please, indulge me a couple more paragraphs (or skip to another post).
Things are good. No, you know what? Things are awesome. I fuckin love my job and I can feel myself getting a little better at it every day. I never thought an office gig could be as exciting as creating music - until I discovered the intensity and reward of reimagining a magazine from the ground up... or maybe until I found myself driving to Boston in the middle of the night with a photo crew in the back seat, an industry scoop in my pocket and a top-secret shoot with the most-wanted dudes in Beantown on tap.
My other job's a blast, too. Eschatone Records is the most satisfying endeavor I've ever undertaken - I love working with all these kickass artists, doing what I can to help, and seeing them help each other. Something cool happens every single day... some unexpected opportunity arises, something comes to fruition, something is created, or we learn that something new is possible. And whenever good things come, they come to folks who actually deserve them.
I love this apartment, the person I share it with, and the friends who visit. I love being part of The Hanslick Rebellion - playing in a band with my best pals, and having overcome so much bullshit to rediscover that friendship and bring you the two unbelievable rock and roll records that we're about to drop.
I love not having pneumonia anymore, or that fucking cough. Coming so close to death - no hype - has granted me a whole new perspective on health, and I'm taking care of myself for the first time in my life. I get up early, I work hard, I eat right and I'm on it every waking second. I could still use a few extra hours in the day, but pound for pound I get more shit done than I ever have before.
This is the coolest my life has been.
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Thanks for sitting through that. Now back to the music!
I thought my days of late-night adventuring were over, or at least on hold until the Rebellion's summer tour. But last Tuesday night I found myself making the four-hour drive from New York City to Boston for an overnight photo shoot with Peter Berdovsky and Sean Stevens - the two fellas who placed those Mooninite Lite-Brites all over Beantown.
Photographer Dirk Eusterbrock and I arrived at their place around 10pm; Peter, Sean and their housemates were great hosts and even better photo subjects, and their home is as close as I've ever been to a utopian artist commune. These guys are, as Arty likes to say, the real deal - truly talented, daring and innovative. We shot for five hours and then headed home. I wish I could say more about the visit (and maybe I can when this stupid and unnecessary case is finally settled) but in the meantime, the result is a spectacular cover for Promo magazine.
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Among the zillion or so logistical issues surrounding the Rebellion tour, I'm trying to figure out what instrument I'm gonna take on the road. The keytar is out - too unreliable. Moisture (including sweat) actually detunes the thing, believe it or not. My Trinity is 10 years old and sounds it; plus if I'm gonna bring it on tour I'll have to get most of the keys replaced.
A couple weeks ago I hit Guitar Center to pick up a cassette four-track recorder (never you mind why). I asked the salesperson if there were any cool new keyboards out. Between that question and the four-track purchase, the dude probably thought I was about a hundred years old. I was surprised to find out that all Korg's made since the Trinity has been different versions of the Triton (which is basically the Trinity renamed to keep from pissing off religious nuts). The clerk recommended a Yamaha. No fucking way am I getting a Yamaha keyboard.
So I did some poking around. Korg came out with a $10,000 machine called the OASYS a year or two ago, but it's not something you can take on tour. If you don't jostle the internal hard drive to death, you'll probably bust up the built-in CD burner. I need something I can bounce around on a stage, not a keyboard that aspires to be a recording studio (which in itself renders the machine half-obsolete from the get go... why bother trying to add digital recording capabilities to a keyboard when even the entry-level version of Pro-Tools is far superior and virtually universal?). Plus, ten grand is too much money to spend on any musical instrument not personally played by Hendrix, Page or a Beatle, sorry.
Then, a few days ago, I visited the Korg website and came across something called an M3. This is what I've been waiting for: a 21st-century addition to the M1-O1-Trinity-Triton tradition, with cool new tricks, like new kinds of controllers and sound synthesis. Looks to be sophisticated and powerful, but free of moving parts and playable enough to take on the road. The M3 won't be out until July, but if I can get my hands on one in time, this will be my road keyboard.
CART
