-ahem- After my last, anger fueled blog entry, I needed to post something while happy...
What was my idea?
NEWS!!! YAY!!!!!


Okay... don't get too excited everyone, it's just news



Let's start with the most important thing:

"WHERE ARE YOUR DAMN SHIRTS, m@????"

I know.. I know... I said I'd have them for the show, but the printing place told me they couldn't get it done in time (T_T
The business owner is on vacation and I'm going to have to wait for her to get back.

I'm going to be persistent with my deadline of January 2nd though.



"WHAT ABOUT THE PINS?"

I don't really know what's going on with the pins.
Jay told me the guy got delayed somehow, but I haven't heard anything about it since then.
I'll be following up with that soon.



"OKAY... WHAT ABOUT WEST COAST TOURING?"

Well, I am really trying to get the second album (Bad Happy) complete in time for this, but I'm thinking that in March I'll head to Texas and hit some places on the way.
Not sure exactly how it'll work, but I DEFINITELY need some venue names, booker names, DIY space names, and connections to them.
Let me know!



"WHAT ABOUT OTHER TOURING AND SHOWS?"

Here is what I have scheduled:

December 3rd: House show in Sudbury MA
   (w/ Owen McGarry and Active Knowledge)

December 4th: Gulu Gulu Cafe in Salem MA
   (w/ Active Knowledge, Nudas Veritas, and Computer At Sea)

December 5th: Black Spot Cafe And Bar in Hyannis/Cape Cod MA
   (w/ Active Knowledge, Br1ght Pr1mate, and Life & Times of Sabation Half

December 28th: Basement 414 in Lansing MI
   (w/ Dental Work and more tba)

January 3rd: The Meatlocker in Montclair NJ (I WANT PEOPLE IN COSTUMES FOR THIS)
   (w/ Exit She Calls, The Life I Lead, Terror On The Screen, and Control)



Here is what is not yet scheduled:

January: Allentown Pennsylvania

January: Radio appearance on DeSales University radio

February: West Virginia

February: Baltimore
   (w/ Talk To Animals)



"OKAY, THAT'S GREAT, BUT I LIVE SOMEWHERE THAT ISN'T TEXAS, CALIFORNIA OR ANY OF THOSE DUMB PLACES"

Here's what you can do to help me then:
I am not totally aware of where it is many people really like me, and I really have a lot more fun dancing with crowds than I do making them confused and belligerent.
I know Texas has a lot, I know New Jersey does not, and I know California does, but most everywhere else is a mystery.
If you live somewhere else and have some connections, please talk to me about them for the future. I want to play everywhere in the world eventually (really I do) but having connections makes things about 60 times easier.
If you don't have connections, but do know of a place that has a good experimental music scene or (better yet) a place that has a lot of fans of mine, let me know!




"I HEARD YOU HAVE A BLOGSPOT ACCOUNT, IS IT TRUE?"

Yes! For better or for worse, I started a blogspot account the other day:
 
bubblegumoctopus.blogspot.com

if for some reason myspace converts that into a link and it fails, just type it in:
bubblegumoctopus (dot) blogspot (dot) com

I wrote and extremely lengthy introduction that talks in too much detail about me as something besides an artist, gives an explanation of what I want to use the blog for (and then a list of my music projects in case someone random stumbles upon it and has no idea who I am)

The super short version is that I'm just going to use it to keep you updated about all of my artistic exploits (not just Bubblegum Octopus), equipment and software reviews, occasional video game, CD, drink, and anime reviews, to talk about random things in life if I feel so inclined, post embarassing drawings, photos, or videos, talk about my circuit bending and electronics building, and who knows what else.
Oh, and I'm sure there will be free exclusive junk there too, eventually.
I'll try to integrate it with my website when it's up and running, but this is going to be what I use for now!



"WHEN WILL YOU HAVE ANOTHER RELEASE?"

My planned releases are a schedule something like this:
• March 2010 = Bad Hapy (2nd BgO full length: 17 - 20 of my newest, unheard songs)
• March 2010 = split with killer Canada based chip-trash-pop artists Zathura
• unknown month = split with NY state based cybergrind "OG" Kindergarten Hazing Ritual
• unknown month = split with MI based power electronics/experimental noise/cut-ups chemist Dental Work



"IS CHRISTMASASAURUS VOL. 4 GOING TO HAPPEN?"

You know, it is!
It's being a bit poorly planned this year, as I've been ultra busy myself and I haven't talked to Dingle in a while.
Phil is helping us put it together again as well, but we have not all talked in the same conversation yet this year.
For those of you who don't know, Christmasasaurus is a Christmas compilation I've been doing with Peppermint Pony since 2005.
It's not an open submission thing because otherwise we'll have 40 people we don't know asking for us to extend the deadline and whatever else.
The comp aims to contain mostly covers of Christmas songs or songs that include a theme from a Christmas carol, but there are always some completely original tracks.
It's a free release thing every year, not just because working out compilation royalties is confusing, or because not all of the songs performed each year are in the public domain, but because it's a gift!
While I'm not of faith, I do think the holiday season is an important time of year to be happy and spread that joy. (DECORATE YOUR HOUSE WITH LIGHTS, NOT WITH THOSE STUPID INFLATABLE ABOMINATIONS. THEY'RE FUCKING HIDEOUS. WHY WON'T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME)





SHORT VERSION:

• Pins will be done, but I have no idea when
• Shirts will hopefully be done for the micro-mini-tour up to Massachusetts
• I have a bunch of shows coming up
• Tell me where I have many fans!
• Texas and/or California shows in March
• New album in March (if all goes well)
• Split with Zathura in March
• Splits with Dental Work and Kindergarten Hazing Ritual soon, but no set month
• I need show promoter connections in Texas, California, and wherever else
• Christmasasaurus Vol. 4: coming soon!
• Subscribe to my blogspot account!!!! yay!!!!!


That's all that I can think of at the moment.
Have many happiness!

- m@ the c@

Hello!
Before I go into this too far, let me tell you all that I will now be doing blog posts at
bubblegumoctopus.blogspot.com

They will be updates about my recordings, show reports, equipment review type stuff, talking about circuit bending and such, and whatever else I deem appropriate.
I feel like with myspace blogs I can only write about the most important things and it makes it hard to make them particularly personal.


Anyway, on to the show...




Let me apologize first for my incessant promotion of my show with Bowling For Soup and MC Lars.
Basically, the venue works like this:

1. Invite band to play show
2. Make band sell __ tickets
3. Band makes money equivalent to about 10% of what they sell if they hit the mark

Now, I knew it'd be a shitty thing because NO ONE likes playing those types of shows... but let's be honest.
It's Bowling For Soup.
Of COURSE I'm going to take that... it's hilarious!

Freaked out, absurdist chiptune/pop/grind/noise/whatever with a strange sense of humor opening for ex-MTV pop punks.
I think you understand why I did it and (in spite of the show's turnout) why I am still laughing about it.

Anyway, I just needed to make my quota, and it's not exactly easy to do a job more often relegated to 4 - 6 people all by yourself.



Second, let me apologize to those of you who did come.
The show started fine, the cheering was very loud and encouraging.
This continued for about 3 - 5 songs.
But somewhere in there, some of the Bowling For Soup fanboys got sick of my set and started to heckle me.
This set off a chain reaction and the 10 or so people that really didn't like me decided to become rather vocal about it.
Comfort in numbers I suppose.

I did my best to stay collected, but since my equipment wasn't working, the show was not fun, and I was on stage (my favorite), I couldn't really figure out which way to take the heckling and it resulted in a not angry enough/not happy enough response.

I did my usual agreeing with them sarcastically and ignoring them thing, but I got a little bit too frustrated since my stuff wasn't working correctly.

I know my reactions weren't stupid or anything like that, but I don't like to portray myself as being influenced by the public, so I'm sorry if any of you were disappointed by that.


I'm not apologizing for the immature PUNK RAWKERZ that came to see Bowling For Soup, but I am apologizing for the fact that some of you payed way too much fucking money to see another miserable show at the School of Rock.


Third, I'm sorry that I didn't set up a merch table if you wanted to talk to me/buy a CD.
My friends were helping me carry my stuff out to the car and they wouldn't let them back into the venue because they didn't have wristbands.




The end result?

A colossal waste of everyone's time:
My equipment had problems, the crowd was full of little boys (both the 12 year old and 30 year old variety), and I portrayed myself in a less than desirable manner.




Oh! and I didn't get payed because the 300+ dollars I made for them wasn't enough for them to give me money.





My conclusion?

• No more pop punk/fake-emo/other generic music type shows unless everyone is really open minded or knows how to have fun at shows.

• No more sell-tickets-to-play shows.



(this video is before the heckling started. I also forgot to mention that the first heckler was someone who was jokingly doing it. Good old underdeveloped frontal lobe instilled mob mentality)




====================
On the good news side, while the shirts weren't done for today, they will be done soon.

Also, I have some free or cheap shows coming up in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey New York City, and possibly Pennsylvania and West Virginia!



----------------------
By the way, March is looking to be when I might be able to FINALLY get out to Texas.
If you have any booker or venue connections, friends who have house shows, or even just some names of venues that will bring a GOOD crowd, let me know!
I'm very excited to finally get out to the place that I've recieved the most show requests in.




Thank you, regardless of if you can help me or not.
Love and hugs and candy to all of you!





- m@ the c@

Before I tell you about that, buy a ticket from me for my show this Saturday in South Hackensack NJ with Bowling For Soup and MC Lars!
I need to sell many tickets still or they'll not let me play or kill me or poke a cat too hard or something else terrible!
I know that's a strange line-up, but it's going to be fun nonetheless and I love meeting fans, even the type that's so drunk they order 3 30" pizzas for me and my friends for free....


actually.......
I really like that type






Anyway, my shirt art is done!!!!!
I don't want to post it until they are printed, even though I'm excited beyond words by how it looks. (I like to surprise people!)
The art was done by Tubbypaws of tubbypaws.blogspot.com
It's highly cute, and highly strange!

I will post a picture of the very first one I see, as close to the second I see it as is possible.

I should have them by the end of the week, quite possibly (and hopefully) for sale at the show on the 21st!



*love and hugs and candy from m@ the c@*


AND BUY A TICKET TO HELP ME OUT! :D

Hey!
November 21st I have a show with Bowling For Soup, MC Lars, A Clear Blurr, and Call Me Honest at the School of Rock in South Hackensack NJ.

I have tickets to sell now that are 15 dollars.
If you're interested in coming do the following:


1. Message me or email me about buying a ticket.
     You can either send me money via paypal and I'll mail it or you can drive to my area and
     we'll make the transaction in person (just like an illegal weapons deal)

2. With ticket in hand (which you bought from me), rally your friends to also buy tickets from me.

3. Get ridiculous or terrible costumes/outfits and go to the show (I believe I'm on at 7)

4. Cause havoc

5. Pizza party



It's as simple as that!





- m@ the c@

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


There it is!
It features my track "the Meat and the Marrow", as well as songs from Tlieaxu Music Machine, 50 Ways To Kill Me, Scissor Shock, Xrin Arms, Dental Work, Megaten, Melted Casettes, I Killed Techno, Grim Kirby, A Beautiful Lotus, Homocide, Phantom Balls, Dingle, Bill Shatnerrr, Breakdancing Ronald Reagan, They All Had Tentacles, and RedSK Vs. Teh Soup Rebellion!!!


i.e, a clusterfuck of crazy underground electronic chaos, all in the spirit of halloween!


- m@ the c@

Alright, well, I've changed the songs around a bit (I'm not done actually, I'm open to suggestions!)

My first priority was to upload the new song, which is featured on A Beautiful Lotus' upcoming Halloween compilation (I'll have a link for the download tomorrow!)

It's a strange one, and it's the first BgO song to feature any circuit bent instruments I've made, as well as the first song I've used a pedal made by the legendary James Plotkin on!

I have no idea why it uploaded so softly, but I will try to remedy the situation.
It's making me worry that the file is actually softer than my computer tells me it is and that the actual downloadable version will also be too soft....
...

Next.... I uploaded a song that I know gets requested a lot to be a profile song option known as God's Pink Laser.
So here it is! Just for you!!
In all of it's Myspace Music Player destroyed audio glory!!!


For those not around in the days of yore, the song is a sarcastic, post-relationship failure, loving and hateful song written for someone who used to help me check the myspace friend requests and messages.


If there is another song from the album, the scissor shock split, the yatagarasu split, or the compilations that you'd like me to post, feel free to let me know!
I can't guarantee I'll acquiesce the inquisition, but I want to make you all happy :D

(....oh... but uh... no demo songs please! I will wait until the day I re-record them!)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------






In other news.... my car is working again!!
This means the tours will not have to be canceled!!

However, I'm going to be making the Texas and California tour a little bit later.
I need to record the new album and I don't want to make it feel like I'm really rushing so much.
I expect to have it released by the end of February, so stay on my case about it... er.... well... be nice about it anyway...


I actually posted a little thing on the bottom of my Bio section to show you everything this project has released/been featured on and everything (that I know of) that is coming up!


Pins are on the way, the order has been sent in!!!

For shirts I am stuck looking for an artist again though.
It would seem the artist I was going to commission is too busy for now, so I'll be asking her again another day!!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Myspace seems to be slowing down a bit (or maybe it's just my page and all of the people I've talked to in the past year who have deleted their page, said that they feel the same way, or have been getting less plays/etc) so I'm trying to find another way to stay connected to the fans!
It's sad that this is such an effective tool for humanizing bands and artists and giving a more direct interaction with them and it's slowly being tossed by the wayside...


I do have a Facebook now, so definitely add that as I'm doing my best to stay on top of that:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bubblegum-Octopus/154699916968?ref=mf






That's all for now!
I will get you all a download link for the song and the rest of the compilation tomorrow when I get a chance!


Love and hugs and candy,
                                        m@ the c@

Well, yesterday was an unpleasant day my children.
Turns out some one or some thing has caused my brake line to sever.
It doesn't look like sabotage, but it did almost kill me!

This has caused a potential problem for heading to the wild West and doing my New England shows... but do not lose hope.

New England looks to have a replacement vehicle to help me out, so I'm not too worried about that.

As for the westward tour... I have to figure something out.

Even if I get this repaired, I don't know that I trust this car enough to drive all the way out there and stay out for so long.
I may have to either fly out and get better paying shows, a series of reliable drivers, and break the tour into two smaller tours.

I mean... realistically, California and Texas alone are both massive, and seem to be where I have the most support (maybe that's why), but I could easily play a week and a half in each state I think.
There are a lot of places in both states that I see show up a lot in "come to _____ messages" and friend requests.



I can't post dates yet since I need to figure out what's going on with the car.




Oh... and to answer your question why it's so hard to pay for these things.
I'm buying a PA system.
I'm tired of the lack of NJ based DIY shows like you wouldn't believe and I'm tired of bad sound guys.
If I want to be loud enough and sound good, I guess I have to do it myself, since many sound guys out there can't figure out how to get both.

Yeah... that's pretty much the main thing I wanted money generated from the album to go towards.



Oh hey, if you are from NJ and know of a place that DOES have DIY shows or just open minded things going on let me know.... also if you live in NJ and want to give me a job, bwahahaa.... ah....





BY THE WAY.
The album is now $9 + shipping and I have like 40 copies of the split left! Feel free to go to the bigcartel page and buy them... or both... or 100 copies of the CD and 40 copies of the split.


- m@ the c@

The following review was done on the "Blipdoolpoolp" blog related to my split with Yatagarasu!



Yatagarasu/Bubblegum Octopus - Take Control (self released)

Future howl from two atomic punks whose lo bit sinceritycore excites like little else happening at the moment. Probably tour-only, but see if they'll sell you one all the same, as this is some hot, hot lava, boss...



-------

Yep, not very long, but still very good!

I love positive reviews! Yeah!!!


Oh, and to answer his question at the end... I AM STILL SELLING IT! YEAH!
There are 40 copies left or so.
They are selling like 7/11 slushies though so be sure to grab them while they're... cold.
I'm pretty sure that once/if these sell the split may not be available again!

It's very DIY compared to the album.
Xeroxed insert with lyrics and liner notes, hand printed covers, and pro-printed black-on-silver discs.

bubblegumoctopus.bigcartel.com

Feel free to head over there and buy yourself a copy.
I might be making more of the fabled "faux-3D" version cover that was so sought after on the tour.


---------------------




News land:

• Made some connections but still looking for some Rhode Island/Connecticut show(s).

• Still looking for any California connections

• Artist of the shirt has disappeared, but I will try to find her! I have terrible luck with artists.

• The next release is looking to be the 15 or so very newest songs on an album called "Bad Happy" instead of Winter '08's "Sparkle Fountain".
I'm looking to have this album release along with a limited 3" CD of SpazzPop Forever!!!!~ (Summer '08). The physical version will also include lyrics (unlike TAFKA'8LDM'. I'll post them as soon as I have a website).

• Forgot about pins. I'll begin pursuing that today!





Love love love,
 m@ the m@ the m@ the m@ the c@c@c@c@c@c@

I.... promised... myself.... I wouldn't.... start the entry.... with "well"... or "hello babies".... must.... resist.........



Okay, I got through it!

Before I go West (still need California venue connections!!!) I really need to find some connections in Rhode Island, Connecticut, upstate New York, Vermont, or more is Massachusetts.

If any of you have been becoming my fan on Facebook (which I condone! It makes me feel more loved!) you already saw my cries for help.

If you have even just the names of DIY/house venues, smaller "venues" or even bigger ones that I would somehow get decent draw at, please let me know!

I'll be taking the live shows up there again for a show on Dec 4th, but I need to play shows on the way to help pay for food and gas while I'm on the road :P




NOW
In news land...

• I've commissioned a very talented artist to do my first shirt's art and I have extremely high hopes. It might be a little wacky, but that's what I'm going for...
sorry, no death metal style logo art.
I know a lot of you have wanted that over the years, but it doesn't feel right to associate myself with that type of imagery too much.

• I'll probably be designing my own stickers and pins, but I have to get someone's computer that has an art program... I have none of my own ;P

• Frame House is down one drummer and one keyboard player.
Shows may not happen for a while at this rate...
I've finally spoken to the guitarist again though, so maybe the EP will be out sometime soon anyway....

• The next album I'm releasing for this project is going to no longer be Sparkle Fountain, which I wrote in winter and fall of 2008. I will still be doing that (along with the other 8 releases I haven't gotten out yet), but for this upcoming tour I want to release my newest material. Digital release will have those songs, hardcopy release will come with a 3" CD of SpazzPop Forever!!!!~ (Summer of 2008 material)... I need to figure out how I can afford to package it though, so this is not a promise, just a hope. SEND ME POSITIVE ENERGY!

• I'm on the new Placenta Recordings compilation with my friends, acquaintences, and total strangers... but they're all family! It includes Yatagarasu, Xrin Arms, Hujiko Pro, Grim Kirby, Dental Work, and about a dozen more. Go grab that for free off of the Placenta Recordings myspace!



That's all I can think of for now!

Love,
    m@ the c@

Well let's face it:
My lack of desire to promote this project effectively in the past, my lack of lucidity in regards to a more grand-scheme style outlook for the project, my lack of funding, my lack of mental stability, and my overall stupid and passive way of going about doing things with the music I do has lead me to some pretty foolish errors and missed opportunities.

That being said, I want to finally get out to the areas where I seem to have the most dedicated fans/the largest number of fans... and that would seem to be two states in particular... and maybe it's because they're so huge.... but Texas and California, I've got your numbers.
I don't want to just hit the big two, grab my stuff and go back to Jersey though. I'd like to make some stops in states along the way.

I was originally thinking about going in November, and if this one particular show does in fact work out then I might go then, but I'm thinking it's more realistic to go in January/February.


I'm not sure what exactly I want here, but if you have venue/house show/etc connections or just know of cities where I'd be well received, please feel free to let me know.
I already have some good connections in Texas, but California and anywhere else I might stop is a pretty blank slate currently.... and more in Texas can't hurt either.
Just let me know what you have! :D



*love and hugs and candy from m@ the c@*



By the way, I'm still looking for some stuff in New England. I'm going to head up to Salem MA for a show on Dec 4th but I'd love to do stuff in all the states between NJ and MA or do other shows in MA.

I'm also going to hopefully play some shows in MI on Christmas break.