Like zombies in a bad horror movie, they're back. Shouldn't some kind soul be patting them on the back, leading them back to their graves, saying gently, "you lost, we won. Now go the fuck away..."

4 new songs up on my MySpace page. New mixes from my new (fall release) CD album thingy whatevertheycallitnow; BURNdownSTARTover. Produced by Rich Jacques.

This "selling yourself" thing goes against my grain, as a cursory look at my bank account, and my track record in the "industry" will attest. Yeah, I was signed to the majors twice, but that was as a band member, and I had nothing to do with the sell job my band leaders had to do to gain that foothold.

All I've got in this bizarre music business is a buttload of songs, and the disquieting notion that no one is paying for the privilege of listening, copying or trading them. The weirdest case of this is having someone quote my lyrics to me, and when I ask where they heard them, they said they had a copy that was obviously not paid for. This person was smiling at me. Music is free, right? The truth is, yes it is. For everyone but the musician. The musician pays dearly for every note.

So I took my two solo albums, and a bunch of newer unreleased stuff and put them into a SnoCap player, the hope is to sell songs. I made the highest quality mp3 files my system could, and for a mere .99 a track they are yours, to copy, burn, and listen to your heart's content.

Maybe my stuff is not your cup of tea, but strike a blow for the indie musician (or even the signed major one) and buy a track the next time you want to listen instead of going to bittorrent and making some parasite rich.

Support your local struggling artist.
Whew! I'm off the soapbox now...

3 of my best friends in the universe, (met on MySpace) Ladytown, Orphan Train, and SWA are moving next month to Ptown, and LA is poorer for it. Check them out in my top 8 or 20 or whatever. Too much talent for one little family. I lived in Portland for about 5 years back in the day, and can't wait to visit them there and have a microbrew.
Oh, wait, I don't do that anymore.

Or walk down to Powells books in the rain and have a slice at Roccos pizza across the street.
Oh, wait, I don't do that anymore.

Or go to Satyricon and listen to too loud bands for a $3 cover.
Oh, wait, I don't do that anymore, and I think they closed Satyricon.

Oh wells, I miss them already.

Check Henry Waxman's beautiful letter to Cheney and his criminals

http://oversight.house.gov/

Read, and then take a moment to send an email to Chairman Waxman, thanking him for having a spine and firing a salvo towards the glorious day that we can take down these thugs for good.

http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1371

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all of the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and shoots you.

DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

PURE ANARCHY: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbors try to take the cows and kill you.

LIBERTARIAN/ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

(Original source unknown . . . this version expanded and Illuminated by Steve Jackson.)

CLB note: grow crops where the cows once were and feed yourself and your neighbors...

My great friend and partner in podcast, Renee Stahl, gave birth Monday, September 11th at 4:30 pm to Amelia Joy Dektor. Paul and Renee are ecstatic because she is healthy and beautiful, has Renee's eyes and Paul's lips (Leslie King's observation), and long beautiful slender fingers (BASS, violin, or piano). I had the pleasure of Amelia's company and she is one delightful (and lucky) young lady. Always nice to have good news to impart for a change.
Well done, Renee and Paul...

Here's what it comes down to this time. Republican fascists (look up the word) have now stolen three fucking elections and it's time to stop. There was a successful PR campaign from Rove and his associates (FOX CrapNews, yeah you heard me Rupert) to demonize liberals. Now it's a dirty word. Then feminists. I can't put a number to the women I know who ARE feminists but would rather die than be labeled with the term, due to some image association famous junkie Rush Limbaugh used. We have to steal back the language and call these overfed fuckers on their bullshit at every opportunity. That means punish. That means banding together in all our diverse creative glory and OVERWHELMING them in the next elecction. Just remember what they want to take from you. Your creative freedom. Your children. Your grandchildren's future. Your right to sexual freedom. Your privacy. If it's ok that they take all this, stay home from the polls. If not, do your part to SPANK these idiots where it hurts, and that means consolidating for a real attack. Every day you hear the White House demonizing the Democratic Party (using your tax dollars I might add). It's time to punish these architects of greed and corruption by infusing the Democrats with purpose and steely fucking resolve, and taking it back!

I finally had to do it. Goes against the grain, but I finally had to block a user on MySpace. Nothing against the guy, but he was posting bulletins, event invitations, and announcements every day to check out his "video". If you listen to my stuff, check out my top 8 friends or the LeftCoast, you know I'm into country, folk-rock, alt-pop, you know, rootsy and creative stuff. Not much jacuzzi (read: "smooth") jazz going on there. This guy's announcements were there every time I logged in.
If you're using MySpace to promote, fine. I suggest you buy some huge tits and sell to the like-minded. Nothing wrong with that. I have the right to not be sold to. On the other hand, I don't want to be a dick about it, if you have a show, a record, or a benefit, I want to hear about it. Just not every day. For a month. With html.
Actually, these are quality problems.
PS: I like real jazz. Monk, Parker, Miles, Evans, etc.

Heather Waters tagged me, and now I've done it to you.

According to the rules, the first player of this game starts with the "6 weird things/habits about yourself" and people who get tagged need to write a blog of their 6 weird habits/things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end you need to choose the 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says, "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read yours.

1. I don't understand the contradiction between redneck music (brilliant) and redneck politics (not so much).
2. I wear a black shoestring around my neck. It's been years, but I refuse to take it off.
3. I believe that microphones sound like they look.
4. I am, and will remain till I am ashes blowing across Joshua Tree, completely tattooless.
5. I pray, but rarely get quiet enough to hear the answer. When it does come, the voice sounds like Johnny Cash.
6. I'm not an opera fan, but an old scratchy recording of Enrico Caruso singing "Vesta la Giubba" makes me weep instantly.

I tagged Renee Stahl, Connie Kim, Jano Janosik, Leslie King, Sarah Coleman, and Lou.