Hello One & All:

Back into writing mode, although I'm taking another break to return to Joe's Pub in NYC this Tuesday 10/13. 7pm showtime.

If you can't make it to Joe's Pub, you can still watch the gig on Facebook -- get the brand new StreamJam Facebook application and enter the virtual concert venue to catch live video. Live at 7PM EST. Alpha version of the application is here: http://apps.facebook.com/..streamjam/

For those of you in the L.A. area, I'll be at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona on Thursday, November 19. 8pm showtime, anyone can attend.

More to report on writing and recording soon...stay tuned.

lvmv

Itching to make a new record. Lots of new bits of songs nagging me to be brought to life. Feel I found a secret entrance into these new songs in a way I’ve never done before. I mean, it’s different every time for sure, the process that is, but this time feels especially disjointed. Phantom hands at work. Mirrored surgery. Buried sub conscious stuff….noisy plumbing. Banging the pipes way too early in the morning. So early it’s too late at night. Songs like “Elephant Moon”, “Burn At Both Ends”, “Chemical Night”…keeping the ideas immediate and the production even more stripped down than Lurch.









Ahhh Lurch….still ambling his way through the world! Got a little deal in Scandinavia and they’re setting him loose for the Tim Christensen shows coming up. OH! A word about Tim Christensen. He’s a super talent. If you like my stuff you’ll flip over Tim. Think Stephen Bishop singing lead for Wings! (More teeth than that but….you get the idea) I co-wrote his hit single “Superior”. Check it out, buy it at iTunes here.

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=291950748&s=143441


Just finished Mandy Moore’s new record. I think you’re gonna freak out over it. We recorded it at Ducky’s a few months ago. Mandy, Me and Duck under a blanket of snow at the edge of Wright’s Pond. This is the record I’ve been trying to make for a long time. There was something about the record she WANTED to make and the record I NEEDED to make…they met on a blind date, got drunk at the airport bar and the rest is history. Or it will be anyway. Man she can sing. Not sure when they’re going to release it but I’ll keep you posted.

Heading to Japan on Friday to start promoting it over there.
Got a few East coast shows coming up with Fountains Of Wayne (I think they’re all sold out at this point). The shows with them have been fantastic. Hope some of you were able to get tickets to the last of them.





Yes that’s a 100 dollar bill. The big bucks folks….
Sneaking a New York show in there while I’m at it. Best to check the SHOWS page for an actual chronology of gigs!

The Major Label west coast tour is coming to a close. Lots of kicks and snaps. What's next for us? Hard to say. Well, there's the one last show, the epilog, tonight at Lestat's….then there is the concept for our next album that's already taking root. Thanks to all of you who came out to see our maiden voyage. Gearing up now to produce Mandy Moore's new record. We've decided to record it at Ducky's house, where TML was recorded, Lurch and Kelly Jones' record SheBANG (if you haven't purchased a digital copy here:
http://www.myspace.com/kellyjones and a full on hard copy here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/kellyjones2
Very proud of this record and I think you'll flip out over it!
Anyway, off to Medford Mass in a few weeks to start Mandy's record. I'll keep you posted on that. Lastly, if you don't have a copy of Lurch yet it's available on my website on vinyl with FREE mp3 download. Or you can go to iTunes and snag it there. How was your Halloween? Ours was off the chain! We had the TV in the front yard showing old black and white monster movies with kids splayed out on the lawn watching. Isabel passed out about 12 bags of candy. And somehow the adults managed to have a party too. I went as the Wolfman as usual. (for those of you that don't know and might care on the back cover of Lurch that's ME dressed up as the Wolfman…) Anyway, one of the best Halloween's ever. There are songs starting to pile up for my next record. I might record it here at home. My studio is called Bare Bones. It's possible that I have everything here to record a quirky little pop record in the spirit of Beach Boys Love You and dare I say McCartney II. Chemical Night seems to be the new direction… alright Ducky just pulled up. Time to load the car and get down to San Diego. San Diego on a Saturday night…we'll see.
Lvmv

Aya!!! runs the label Kurofune which is distributed by Columbia who had my records in Tower and HMV (including vinyl!) which were in Japan where I was on tour with Bleu and Ducky as my pirate band and just got back from after 4 sold out shows in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka then back to Tokyo where I ate scrumptious food with beautiful articulate people who spoke endlessly of their love of pop music which plays endlessly in my head which always hurts. Hiroshi runs a label called Air Mail who put out Just Before Dark and Making Up Time with bonus tracks. They look incredible. I'm trying to get a batch so I can sell them on the site. Izumi!!! made these Girly Worm shirts….amazing…I'll be selling some at the live shows. Kazu!!! runs this club called Club Wonder (you guessed it! TTYD). He plays videos of Candy Butchers playing 10 years ago at a place in New York City called Fez. So long ago. But there I was all a glow on his big screen flat screen TV above the bar. Mike me 10 years ago playing Fez. I've heard of this club, and it was a mind scrumper to actually be there ….and be there…. and now too. Jet lag wasn't so bad. Or rather my denial was stronger! The first gig in Tokyo was at a rock venue. It was packed to the gills with people mouthing the words to the songs from Lurch! How did THAT happen? And it just continued to happen. Every city we toured in Japan people KNEW the music, cherished and cheered the old stuff but loved the Lurch even more. There is already talk of returning sometime next year. Half of me is still there….they're doing a second pressing of Lurch!
Lvmv

phew! the east coast shows have been a blast so far...played the Lizard LOunge in Boston last night. sold out crowd. packed with people listening, rocking out...hometown love...my cousin and both my brothers were there. Larry even got up and jammed on the piano. Stand By Me Lennon style....I've discovered a new way of doing these crazy late night shows. start off with a tight little set, say....an hour. then take a break, invite people to LEAVE if they want to....weed out the weak, then come back on and play until they close the place. Yeah....it gets loose...but cool things happen...the crowd really gets involved, almost compelled to get involved...everybody splashing around in the music. The Major Labels played a short late set last night. guess around 1am or so. we'll be back at the Lizard next week in full effect. bringing them to Japan with me. Ducky and Bleu that is. we're gonna do songs from Lurch, few Candy Butchers songs, LEO and of course songs from Aquavia our new album. can't wait for that....

I'm back East for the month. away from the California girls back "home". away from the sunny sun funny fun and counting to one. away from the indescribable joy of watching Jem on youtube with Izzy.apparently Liz bought her a pink wig. so she's got that going for her. away from the Elysian hikes with Audrey. recording with Roxxy. I"m here on Ducky's porch a little bleary eyed the morning after a late rehearsal at Q Division in Boston with The Major Labels. hilarious fun. especially when Bleu threw a can of beer at me, I caught it, and threw it back at him. what joy. really hope some of you can make it out to see TML play. we'll probably break up by the end of this tour. "tour". the show is one of the rocking-est things I've ever done. it will melt your faces. please come!

new song from the upcoming record Lurch is here! CHECK IT
http://www.stereogum.com/archives/mp3/new-mike-viola-girly-worm-stereogum-premiere.html