Roseann Cash has a pretty voice and the recordings were, well “pristine.”  Not enough noise and subversion for my tastes, but then noise doesn’t get you very far when you are selling CDs to cross-over country fans via the end caps at WalMart and Target.  The rack jobbers have to earn their money, after all.

Everyone seems to be into “Americana” these days.   I’m an American, so why isn’t my stuff “Americana?”  Folks, its like this: there is no real “Americana.”  “Americana” is to music what Playboy bunnies are to real women.  Fake, fake and fake.  “Americana” is a category designed by some marketing gurus to increase sales to fat pudgy fucks in their 40s who don’t get hip hop and think Whitesnake is so 80s.  Just like the airbrushed, anexoric bleached blonde naked women were designed by some marketing guru to sell magazines to men who do not know how to talk to women.  One is a simulacrum of music, the other a simulacrum of sexuality.

Of course, I don’t know this for sure–at least about the Playboy bunny thing.  I’ve never dated a Playboy bunny.  Maybe they show up at the restaurant with their make-up person, their hair person, someone to shine the lights on them just so, and someone to fix their lipstick every time they take a pull from the long neck in their hand.  Maybe that is the real them.  Who knows?

On the other hand, maybe I just need more steroids to get moving today.  Derek?  Roger?

By now many of you heard of our sordid stunt involving Playgirl Magazine.  Nope, while I was never the Playgirl centerfold of the month, I did manage to write erudite, scintillating, entertaining and informative music reviews for Playgirl online.  I think Playgirl as a print magazine is a thing of the past.  While they maintain an Internet presence, I think a question its management should ask itself is “why bother?”

I think Playgirl’s replacement is a UK publication called “Filament,” which calls itself the “Thinking Woman’s Trumpet.”  I guess its a musical magazine, and since I played the trumpet in high school, well, I like it already.  But seriously folks, here’s a link:  (http://www.filamentmagazine.com).   From what I can tell, Filament is sort of like Playgirl except that it actually has interesting articles in addition to the photos of naked people.  Okay, well naked men, mostly, but there’s is an occasional naked women in the mix.  (Don’t ask me how I know.  I don’t read magazines that have photos of naked people in them!)

As it happens, Emma Jane Richards, the singer who sang Winter Moon in Welsh on our Darkness / Fire / Dancing CD, did a photo shoot for Filament featuring a naked guy taking a shower.  Emma is multi talented.

So, how does this relate to anything we’re doing?  Not sure.  Maybe tell Filament that they need some bitter, chronically depressed, moody, sardonic, sarcastic smart-ass musician writing thoughtful reviews of new musicians that are too cool for anyone else to know about.   Send them an e-mail here: hello@filamentmagazine.com.  Tell them you demand Fiskum.  Tell them I have a Master’s Degree in ethnomusicology.  Tell them I’m just like Jim Morrison except that I’m not dead and I don’t take drugs and I’m mostly a nice guy, and well… I know you’ll think of the right thing to say.

Check out Fiskum next Thursday, May 20, at 10:00 p.m. at the studios of Twin Cities Radio and Late Night Minneapolis.  The address is 2532 - 25th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  This place was a bar, formerly known as “Pi.”  Now its a radio and television production studio.  We’re playing with a full band.  Fast and loud.  Loud and fast.

See you then, kids!

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

Can you say “midi hell?”

Can you say “midi hell?”

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.

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.

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.