Fiskum’s second major ;recording project is underway.  Being the trendy musicians that we are, this time we are going to release it on vinyl only.  If you buy the record you can also get a free download.

The working title of the album is “Gringo Sluts.”  But, we’re considering other titles, too.  If you have any ideas, let us know.

I dunno.  Started working on a second CD, though.  In order to save money, we’re recording in Simon’s basement for now.  Pro Tools LE, a couple of computers, too many keyboards, and wires and cables all over the place. 

Can you say “midi hell?”

I dunno.  Started working on a second CD, though.  In order to save money, we’re recording in Simon’s basement for now.  Pro Tools LE, a couple of computers, too many keyboards, and wires and cables all over the place. 

Can you say “midi hell?”

My friend Dave is a writer.  Professional.  He’s also a restaurant critic for a local newspaper.  So this is all top secret, and I can’t disclose the name of the restaurant, but last Saturday Dave took me to a restaurant he was reviewing.  I had this hamburger that was stuffed with blue cheese (I like blue cheese) and covered with bacon and peanut butter.  I was going to order the Spam Bites but they were all out.  So, I figure this hamburger had maybe 92 grams of fat.  Tasted pretty good. 

Hmmm…  I thought there was a joke in there somewhere, but I guess there isn’t…

UNLESS— you guys want to write one.  With that as the set up, the best smart ass comment gets a free Walk 4 The Cure 2 song single CD.  Don’t let me down.  I’d do it for you.

Okay, okay.  I’m back.  I took a sabattical for a while.  Sort of.  If you can call languishing in a county jail outside of Predonia, MN, a sabattical.  I mean, how was I supposed to know it was illegal to go driving with a friend really fast at night out in the country and lean out the window with a baseball bat and take batting practice on mailboxes?  No one ever told me.  But thanks to all of my friends and supports for making bail for me.  It was heartwarming, really.  As I checked out of the jail, I noticed that people had raised $30.25.  I asked the sheriff who contributed the twenty-five cents, and he said “everyone.”  I guess that’s why it took so long, with everyone just contributing a quarter.

Speaking of contributing–we’re peddling a new song.  It’s intended to raise money for people who go on the 3 Day Walk to raise money for breast cancer research.  If you are going on the walk, let me know and I’ll send you some (free) CDs to sell.  The catch is you need to donate the sale proceeds to your walk fund.  If you are not going on the walk, send me a couple of bucks and I’ll send you a CD and donate the money you send me to the walk, less $1.00 for postage and the cost of manufacturing the CD.

Okay, watch this space.  We’re going to be doing more stuff in the future.

Oh, and just a disclaimer–no mailboxes were actually harmed in the writing of this post.  Just in case you need reassurance.

Hi Kids,

Its me.  I’m back.  Did you guys see my latest music review on Playgirl’s site?  Go to www.playgirlmag.wordpress.com and read all about my take on Leona Lewis.  By the way, this site is not particularly work safe.  There are no pictures of naked people on it, but its not really work safe.  So, you’ve been warned.

We’re finishing up work on two new songs–Step By Step (Song for the Breast Cancer 3 Day) and New Religion.  We head back to Winterland next week for final mixing and mastering.

We are working on our second CD, and are experimenting with a more stripped down sound.  I want to record a couple of songs with a Fender guitar, accordion and violin accompaniement.  Doesn’t sound really rock and roll, but it might work.

Speaking of bare naked men (no, not me!) my latest music review is up on www.playgirlmag.wordpress.com.  Its all about British Sea Power, my favorite new band.  Check it out and leave a comment.

Its weird how people can take on iconic status, even without the help of Randy, Paula and Simon.  Take Marilyn Monroe, for example.  Though this is before my time, I think she started out in scandal.  Back in the 1950s, not many actresses posed naked.  (Of course, there are all sorts of gender and power issues involved, but that’s not what I wanted to talk about.)  Marilyn had the guts to take off her clothes and let someone take her picture, at a time when most people didn’t.  She was simultaneously ridiculed and praised.  I think.  Again, I wasn’t there.

So, she dies young, and a few years later becomes this larger than life icon.  An archtype onto which people pin their own ideas fame, power, sex and money.  She’s not really her anymore.  She’s whatever we think she is.  (A lot of marriages are like that.)  Sir Elton writes a song about her.  Later, he plagarizes his own song to make it into a song about Princess Di, and no one bats an eyelid.  Marilyn goes from tramp to starlet to star to icon to dead to something just short of diety.

And now the word is there is a 15 minute porn file showing her, well, um, you know, well, putting some guy’s thing in her mouth and sucking on it.  From the description, it sounds pretty tacky.  She’s wearing clothes, and you only see the guy from the waist down.  I guess J. Edgar Hoover tried to prove it was JFK, but with no success.  If they had DNA testing back in those days, all he had to do was go after the stained dress. 

What does this mean?  I have no idea.  I guess it means that everyone likes sex, and that some people like to show off for other people.  We already knew that about Marilyn, but we must have forgotten about it.  Now we remember it again.

Too bad Marilyn isn’t here now.  She’d go on Larry King or Oprah, come clean, say she’s never going to divulge the identity of the suckee, then write a book (with the help of a ghost writer) in which she divulges his identy, then she go on an international book tour, then she’d sell the rights to a Hollywood Studio, then she’d get a job as technical advisor to the production company, then she’d go on Larry King or Oprah again and talk about all of her philanthropic projects.  I’d say she was a little ahead of her time.  And no, that wasn’t a pun.  Get your mind out of the gutter.

Hey Kids,

I’m reviewing new music for Playgirl Magazine online.  Check out my first review at www.playgirlmag.wordpress.com.  Today’s review is about a really cool band from the UK, the Editors.  I’d like to get some attention, so if you check out the review please leave a comment.

Nope–its not me naked.  The world isn’t ready for that.  Its must my erudite opinion on the latest in musical trends.

I think I did at one point in these rantings.  I see where Madonna is on the cover of Vanity Fair.  Has a new CD coming out called Hard Candy.  I could go all Maxim on you guys and review it, but I haven’t heard it yet and I don’t even know whether its been released.  But, if Maxim can review the Black Crows before their CD was released, well in cyber reality I guess anything is possible.

So what does Madonna have to say?  Well…

“When you think about the way people treat each other in Africa, about witchcraft and people inflicting cruelty and pain on each other, then come back here and, you know, people taking pictures of people when they’re in their homes, being taken to hospitals, or suffering, and selling them, getting energy from them, that’s a terrible infliction of cruelty.”

“Um, yeah.  Okay.  Sure Madonna.  I can see your point,” he says, as he slowly backs away, not wanting to make any sudden moves that might provke a psychotic reaction, carefully searching with his peripheral vision for a door or a window, some route of escape.

Getting energy from a photograph is a terrible infliction of cruelty?

Oh well, I wish my publicist could get me on the cover of Vanity Fair.  Kathryn?