WARNING: Sentimental Flatulence ahead. (continue reading…)

I grabbed a random disc of mp3s this morning before leaving for work (I’m in a temp office job). I’ve got the disc playing randomly and it’s kicking some serious ass — Cranes, Testament, Six Finger Satellite, Destiny’s Child. It’s so cool to hear DC’s “I’m Doing So Good” right after Testament’s “Blessed in Contempt” (from their masterpiece Practice What You Preach). What’s next? Oh, man, it’s one of the tracks from “Les Mouches” by the Cranes. Awesome. (continue reading…)

Todd K wrote me this email:

So Todd K. wins Mr. November and the site suddenly disappears? And then its back with no mention of November? The eleventh month, which is traditionally known as Championship Month of the Year?!? Can I get a what, what?

So I guess I am duty-bound to mention that Todd K was Mr November. I believe I was Mr December, but since Todd traditionally takes one of those European month-long vacations in that month, the competition was brief. I honestly forgot to mention these things. Todd thinks it’s “convenient” but it’s like how really wealthy people are unaware of all the money they have — I can’t keep up with all my wins. I have such a surfeit that they mean nothing anymore. Also, unlike the Kemps, I don’t like to talk a big game and then not deliver.

[This review originally appeared in All The Rage.]

Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet
(Epic Records)

Phantom Planet’s last album, The Guest, was a well-made but unremarkable recording. Tuneful yet timid, it was like the good-looking guy with no personality. With two Hollywood actors in the group (including Rushmore’s Jason Schwartzman), the band seemed a charming sideline. All that has changed with their new self-titled release. (continue reading…)

Foolishly, since this site was down from November to last week, I missed one of those ‘journaling from the studio’ opportunites wherein I could offer my timeless insights on recording three songs with my friends, Ryan and Todd. We convened for the annual “Christmas Single” the weekend before Christmas. I taught Todd the songs one-by-one. We tracked drums and acoustic guitar live and then added the other instruments. Todd and Ryan claimed to enjoy greatly the whole experience. The songs are simple and I gave them free reign to play whatever they liked. Todd played piano on two of the tracks — “Work is Over” and “It’s Like Basketball” — though on the latter we eliminated the piano in the mix. (continue reading…)

[This review originally appeared in All the Rage.]

Simon Brawl
The Tennessee EP
(Rack ‘Em Up Records)

On one hand, Murfreesboro bruisers, Simon Brawl, have captured their sound in the perfect recording style. In Head for the Mountains, the guitars are twangy and raw. The bass is trebly and live. The drums are noisy as hell. Garson Combs’s voice is desperate and kind of crazed. The song itself is half chunky garage rock and half psychedelic Southern rock. Where all these elements combine in the other songs, you’ll find great, meaty rock ‘n’ roll.

(continue reading…)

[This review originally appeared in All The Rage.]

MTX
Yesterday Rules
(Lookout!)

For the better part of twenty years, The Mr. T Experience (now dubbed MTX) have been stalwart exponents of bratty West Coast pop-punk. Literate yet irreverent, MTX paved the way for Green Day, Blink 182 and a host of others. Whereas “growing up�? for other pop-punkers has meant writing confused, over-earnest tracks about war, racism and other weighty global issues, MTX manage to connect maturity and wit with an élan that few others have approached.

(continue reading…)

I played some ping-pong last night. First against Erin who was unafraid despite the skunking she received at our last game. I quickly beat her. And then she “had to go.” Uh huh.

Erin, if you can’t take the heat, that’s cool — just say so. I could have played left-handed. I then beat Todd K 4 or 5 times. We had already agreed that the games would be off the record for the Mr. January title since Todd had 2 hours of sleep and about 14 beers over the previous 24 hours.

I came home and spent about two hours creating an Audio CD on Cafepress. It was a pain in the ass, but it seems to have worked. You can now purchase the Hit On List’s “Crazy From the Heat” at my Cafepress store. To make it super-cheap, I didn’t use a jewel-case ($4 extra through Cafepress). I’ll upload all the artwork to this website so that interested parties can create their own jewel case insert. Woo hoo…

I just finished writing on MTX’s new record for the Rage. It’s a doozy. The more I listened to it, the more impressed I became. That Dr Frank is a tremendous songwriter. It’s weird because the press kit included detailed explanations of the songs from Dr F with the lyrics. So many of the songs had concepts from which he started writing. I never do that. Unless you count “write a song about a fat girl” a concept. And I don’t.