http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtq3QG9M2MU

Hey guys. I'm playing some shows in March with my friend Heather Waters. check out www.heatherwaters.com and let me know if there's anywhere between the dates we have up that you'd like to see us play. Thanks!
MB

I have some. They're of all different shapes, sizes and flavors. Please come try a sample.
MB

So Im sitting here crying a bit. And it's a good thing. If you haven't heard of Bon Iver yet, let me tell you a few things. I was given a copy of this record by a musically well informed friend. He handed me five or six records to listen to. I have to say this is the first record i've heard in years that has hit me like this. Then two nights ago I saw them at the troubadour here in LA. I can actually say it was top 5 if not the best thing i've EVER seen live. My heart is still aching. I choked back tears the entire time. This is just beautiful, meaningful music. And it's restored my faith in the one thing i've always loved. Please, please, please do yourself a favor and go buy Bon Ivers record "For Emma, Forever Ago" or try and catch them live. Trust me.
MB

Hey everyone. I'm in Los Angeles right now getting all this stuff for the record sorted out.
I uploaded some finished versions of songs that will be on American Hotel. There's no dead air at the beginnings anymore and i added a few new ones. let me know what ya think.
MB

So I've been waiting for this Non-Profit Record label to get their shit together and put out American Hotel for the last 2 years. Unfortunetly, their president turned out to be a real idiot.
Have you ever seen the movie "Death to Smoochy"? Check out the character Merv Green and his non profit. It's sort of like that.
In my opinion, this guy couldn't organize a child's birthday party. And he was supposed to be in charge of the label putting my record out. Now he's threatening to try and stall putting out American Hotel. Not gonna happen. I spent five years living out of the back of my van to make this record, and it belongs to me. More importantly, I want all of you to hear it, and I'm tired of waiting for someone who can't put it out any better than i can on my own. This record started out indie and maybe it should stay that way. All signs point that way. Fuck this asshole!!!

9:41am and still less than sober. I've been hiding in the hills of upstate NY for too long. Last night I played at the hotel cafe. The concern for my drinking and the pot calling the kettle black was thick. Applaud my writing but hate the way I am. What bullshit. I write verbatim what I see and experience. Sappy, sad or stupid, it's all true. Was there some misunderstanding about that? I'm not much of a writer really. Certainly not a singer. Did you really think I could make this shit up? Or stand up in front of people and lie? I don't enjoy anything that much. If you know me I'm really not that creative. It's less the liquor and more that I don't know what to do with people. Socially inept I think they say. I am like this, right or wrong. My caddy won't make it to ny. Maybe it will. Should I stay or should I go?

that's what it said on the matchbook from darwin's theory, the bar I got a bottle over my head at in anchorage alaska a few weeks ago. wish i'd seen it before the bottle. i've been all over the place since i last wrote anything here. i really wanted to wait until i had something new to say. soo...
alaska makes 50 states i recorded this record in. drove to 48, flew to 2. wrote the song american hotel when i was 20. turned 27 2 days ago. it's now been 5 years and 1 month since i first started recording it. there are now 70 people on the record (a few more will be on it before the end). there's a total of 22 songs going on the record. 11 on each of the two discs. the numbers i really like are these ones: on october 31st and november 1st we're mastering in phoenix at sae mastering. that means on november 2nd american hotel will be really, truly, no bullshit this time FINISHED!

there's two new mixes up on the page. "darla" was recorded mostly live with a bunch of great people in woodstock and then finished in alaska and los angeles. "american hotel version 2" was recorded mostly in alaska and finished here in la. check out the band members section to see the new additions and who's played on the record so far.

there's also some new pictures up from alaska. i'll be putting up more from seattle, alaska, woodstock and here in la sometime this week. picking up my friend soda at the airport tomorow. he's gonna help me out with the last minute recording we need to do before halloween. i think this next week should be pretty interesting. be ready.

what else is new? seward alaska is one of my new favorite places. the pit is one of the greatest bars ever. soda joined me up there and was there to make sure i didin't bleed to death after the beer bottle thing. i hate doctors so i decided to just bleed. seems ok now. don't worry, you should see the other guy :) got a bear skull as a gift. made new friends.

vashon island, washington always gets me in trouble. i ordered and drank a pitcher of whiskey at bishops between three friends. i was already drunk when i ordered it. the next day we went back to the bar and started drinking at 11am. drank whiskey out of my hat later that night. that hurt more than the bottle to the head.

did some mixing this past week with my friend Mike Terry here at new monkey studios. look em up.

on my birthday my friends brought me to the mint. after several drinks they dragged my on stage and Harry Dean Stanton sang me happy birthday in spanish and english. then we went to a friend's house and played music till 6am. Harry Dean got angry when my friend tim and me didin't know how to play danny boy on the piano. man, that guy can drink. pretty impressive for being 81 years old. i think he was the last one to leave the party. good birthday. i'll put some pics up soon.

alright, that's it for now. off to find trouble.
Mike

So here's an email I sent to a friend a few minutes ago. Miss you guys...

Hey,

I'm in LA. Funny, The new pic was taken about an hour after I got out of LA county jail. The cops were fucking with some girls walking down the street and I got in the middle of it. Me and my big drunken mouth. Gotta love Hollywood cops. So I spent the weekend in the downtown jail. Met some interesting people. I think thats my 3rd drunk in public ticket. Apparently when I go for it I really go for it :)
Other than that things are really good. I'm headed up the coast for a few days this weekend to write and just get out of the city. The record is comming out in November. Oh yeah, PBS is doing a 30 mintue show on how I made American Hotel sometime next month. And some 6 minute segment on Bravo I guess. I know nothing about television but when I get more info I'll post it.
Fuck, this email got really long. Maybe I'll just post it as a blog so everyone can know whats going on. Talked to my dad yesterday and he said someone came up to him I the liqour store asking why I was in Jail. I had just put that photo up the night before. Gotta love how fast bad news travels there...
By the Way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I know it's a few days early but who knows, I could be in jail all weekend. Just kidding.
Mike

p.s.
I've been Producing a few other records too.
check out Tim Jones and Soda in my top friends. Should have records out for them and more info soon. Also Made a record with Zac Decamp. I'll put up more info on that very soon. Ok, that's it.

Leaving for the West Coast tommorow morning.  Driving from here (Geneseo) to LA.  Tried on my old tux from high school prom.  not a chance in hell of it fitting.  So I checked thru the closets at my families house and found a really old one.  Asked my mom about it.  My Great Grandfathers wedding tux.  Tried it on and it fits perfectly.  Gonna wear it to The Grammys.  Hasint been worn since his wedding day June 15th, 1915.  93 years ago.  I'll take some pics.  I'm sure my 91 year old Grandmother will love it. Gotta be carefull not to get too drunk in it. See you guys soon,

Mike