Durham-based TRIBES Magazine is airing a 15-minute minidoc about Trees on Fire and mountaintop removal mining on Durham and Chapel Hill cable TV stations and is currently showing the piece on its website - http://www.tribesentertainment.com/TML.htm

Check it out. Thanks to Leslie Cunningham for putting this sweet video together.

Trees

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HOT PEPPERS ARE A GATEWAY DRUG - Trees on Fire's MySpace Blog |

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It has been said that the life of a rock ‘n’ roller on the road is hard – long hours in cramped conditions, poor food choices, next to no sleep, and very little money. In an effort to forget the trials and tribulations of this compromised existence, many rockers turn to drugs to keep them going. At 3pm in the middle of a day-long drive, when the whole group is in a collective state of sleep deprivation and in danger of passing out on the highway, instead of turning to uppers (or even energy drinks), Trees on Fire busts out the hot peppers.

On our way to North Carolina this weekend to play two shows, the TOF van was loaded down with the usual junk – sleeping gear, clothes, shoes, snacks, and of course Espo’s crap. This time, however, we brought along two baggies of the good stuff: habaneros, Thai hots, red jalapenos, and apaches. The melodious sound of “oooh, that’s hot” signaled the passing around of a bright orange habanero (carefully passed by the stem, eaten around the seeds) and a slower, more cautious reaction accompanied the sharing of those red jalapenos – a highly unpredictable and long-lasting burn instigator.

Once upon a time, habaneros were a feared pepper, at least for this drummer, but now they hold a place of esteem and respect in our crew. This is not to say that habs aren’t still feared – we studiously avoid the seeds and try hard not to rub them in our eyes like that crazy Indian woman I saw online smearing Jolokia peppers in hers. Though still hot, we eat habaneros on a regular basis now, so they have lost a little mystique, so to speak. Red jalapenos, on the other hand, are a bit more mysterious.

First off, they’re supposed to be jalapenos. You know, good old green, put-‘em-on-your-nachos variety peppers that, even when you eat them raw, won’t temporarily disable you. Red jalapenos, at least the ones from Espo’s pepper garden, are crazy hot and highly unpredictable, especially the seeds. Watch out for them suckers…

This “highly technical” description of pepper burn aside, the effect these little potent veggies have on the group is significant. Whereas caffeine takes a little while to settle in and make its presence known, hot peppers’ buzz happens instantly – the instant your mouth starts to tell your brain that you have lost all sense of reason. The burn takes hold on a visceral level first and quickly becomes all consuming (if you’ve eaten enough), blocking out all other sensations for a while. Once the mouth has recovered, a pleasant buzz takes hold, complete with head rush and a real feeling of empowerment. Okay, empowerment is a strong word, but you get the idea.

All of a sudden, the pepper warrior begins to believe that he or she can do anything. And this feeling can last for quite a while, often hours. I actually may have overdosed slightly on this trip, not from too much at once but from the big bite of red habanero I took while breaking down my drums at 2 in the morning in Blowing Rock, NC. My throat basically put up the white flag and told me enough was enough, so listen to your body peoples. I won’t stay away long, though. I’m addicted…and so is the rest of the band.

Our addiction as a band really started back in November (though we each individually enjoyed spicing up our food regularly). Espo’s father-in-law makes the world’s best hot sauce – Mad Hatter – which is loaded with habaneros and other peppers. Before a big show in Charlottesville at the end of last year, we used a straw to take sips of the hot sauce. The results were undeniable – hopped-up Trees jumping around backstage with incredible energy, then throwing it all on the line with a highly-charged performance. Little did those 300 fans know that we were in a completely altered state – peppered out of our minds.

So who needs hard drugs when you have hot peppers? But watch out, hot peppers are a gateway drug…you’ll want your food hotter and hotter once you start.

Trees on Fire played a great show with Straight Punch to the Crotch this past Saturday at Rapunzel's Coffee and Books, a funky-ass cool venue. One of Straight Punch's members is the excellent photographer Billy Hunt, who took a few outstanding pictures of TOF at the show. Check 'em out:

http://www.billyhunt.com/blog/2009/08/trees-on-fire-at-rapunzels-coffee-and-books/

Peace,
Paul of the Trees

We are thrilled to announce some exciting news. Trees have been partnering with the Sierra Club for a few months by offering their literature at our merch table, and now that partnership has advanced considerably. The national Sierra Club is offering a FREE download of the song "Birds and Bees" on their environmental networking site, Climate Crossroads!

http://climatecrossroads.sierraclub.org/music/index.html

Go get yourself a FREE song and spread the word.

Peace,
Paul & Trees

The Organica Spring Tour launches this Wednesday, Earth Day, in Charlotte, NC, followed by a hectic few weeks heading down to New Orleans and back through Athens, Atlanta, Durham, and Boone. We're excited to begin the journey and we will begin our travels powered by biodiesel, which may not be the perfect fuel source, but is certainly a step in the right direction until such time as we are able to power our vehicle on the potential energy that is contained within each of us.

As we prepare to hit the road, I am reminded again of how important our health is to each of us. We have been in the unfortunate situation (as have most bands) of having to eat crappy food that makes us feel bad, and though it's better than having no food at all, we are striving to eat in a way that gives rather than takes energy. Ideally, that food also supports a local economy that produces it as well, but Whole Foods is a whole lot better than the half foods at McDonald's.

Please wish us luck as we head out on our first tour and dive into the deep deep ocean of traveling musicians. We'll be thinking about you and drawing our energy from your great vibes.

Peace,
Paul of the Trees

We're back in the studio (sheer joy), this time working on Volume Three. What a trip! We're approaching these sessions in a completely different way than we ever have - electronic drums, programmed beats, samples (of ourselves, of course)...all very exciting. And the material is blossoming because of it.

We're working again with our man Rob Evans on three very new songs. "Rosa" has a serious headnod to it, "Freedom" will take you to distant planets, and the third as yet untitled song will feature some of our most ambitious and infectious harmonies yet. Can't wait to share them with you, but you'll have to wait until Volume Three's release sometime this summer.

The Organica Spring Tour is rapidly approaching. We'll hit the road for New Orleans immediately following our show at the Charlottesville Pavilion with TR3 on 4/18. New Orleans/Baton Rouge is our southernmost point, and we'll head back to VA with stops in Athens, Atlanta, Durham, and Boone. After returning home for a couple days, it's back on the road, this time heading north. We have another show at Arlene's Grocery in NYC (5/16 - tell your NY friends, cuz we're making a scene this time!). We're also firming up shows in Philly and Boston that weekend. It'll be a hectic month for us, but we can't wait to get to it.

We've also got some regional performances scheduled that are worth checking out: Harrisonburg (3/20 & 4/11), Lynchburg (5/25), Richmond (4/9), and DC (4/12).

Check out our revamped and funky fresh website - www.treesonfire.com - for more info on these shows and the tour. We'll be interacting much more on the site in the coming weeks and months, especially from the road, so watch out...

Peace,
Paul

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids....

Thanks Mele for capturing a little snippet of "Freedom" from the forthcoming Organica Volume Three.

Check out Brendan Fitzgerald's review of Organica Volume One - http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=1993006083668278&act=post&pid=12091501093628662

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vwXI2Qyjeo