MORE MUSIC

By Special Request, "More" by Geek Farm is at Telecasting.

This was justed mixed about 10 minutes ago.

Thoughts?

SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO AVOID

Just a few days after 4 Scout leaders were electrocuted when their tent pole came in contact with power lines, more trouble at the National Boy Scout Jamboree...

"BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - The star-crossed National Scout Jamboree started anew Thursday, one day after more than 300 people succumbed to the blistering heat while awaiting a visit from President Bush.

More than 300 Scouts and visitors were treated Wednesday at the hospital at Fort A.P. Hill, the Army base hosting the event, and some were airlifted to surrounding hospitals with heat-related illnesses."

Seriously, is it really worth all of this to trade some patches?

Now, I was a Boy Scout. I was a "Senior Patrol Leader," I learned my CPR, I got to the rank just below Eagle (but just couldn't seem to make that final push). Most of my Scouting memories are of baby sitting the younger scouts, who were about as hyperactive and ill behaved as you could imagine. I hated camp (getting up at 7am to jump in a cold lake - required by our Scout "Master" - didn't sit too well, even if I did get a Polar Bear Neckerchief Slide at the end of the week). The Jamborees weren't really my thing. I liked being out in the woods, but I grew up in the country and camped in the woods behind my house regularly. I definitely liked starting (camp)fires. Why did I have to wear a uniform and march around to do stuff I already did? OK, some of the knots have come in handy, particularly the Sheep Shank, and I still have the compass (somewhere).

I think the Boy Scouts of America, with its intolerance and religious and paramilitary connections, is more than a little suspect (and I don't mean this as a slight against the men and women serving in our armed forces). The fact that 300 of 'em passed out waiting for GW just confirms that God, in His infinite wisdom, agrees.

TELECASTING, PART ONE

It's not REALLY a podcast, since there's only one song and I don't talk or anything, but check out...

Scientific True Love

...the first Telecasting podcast. I'm thinking of using this whole podcast thing as a cheap way to let artists, friends, potential clients, etc. hear what we're working on. Maybe I'll put some spiffy intro words on the next one, but for now enjoy and let me know your thoughts.

This song was written by Nadine, drums and bass recorded live, Ted and I did some extra guitars (the "solo" is a placeholder). This mix was done last night.

I CAN'T GET ENOUGH

I'm so happy I found this site. It is truly helpful.

Here's another good one.

One of the best things about life is the chance to learn something new every day.

MORE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

From a very helpful website - GotQuestions.org - which helpfully answers all of your questions about God, religion, the universe, the Bible, and gay people. Very helpful.

Does God Hate Fags?

I hope this helps.

ON THE AIR

Microdot is the latest Smoke and Mirrors / Skyway related artist to be played on NPR.

Check out:

Microdot - "How Much for the X-Ray?"

Very cool! It's nice to know the music is out there, is being listened to, and enjoyed. It really does make a difference.

YES, IT'S REAL. AND IT'S SPECTACULAR.

For your reference, the lyriccs to "Super Duper Pooper."

THE GREATEST, PART FOUR

The Greatest Pop song ever released in 1996, don't even start with me, I don't want to hear your crap 'cause it's the best, is clearly "Radiation Vibe" by Fountains of Wayne.

From their self titled debut album (also containing the hit "Sink to the Bottom"), "Radiation Vibe" is such a perfect piece of pop construction that it makes me want to scream. Every time I hear it I want to listen to it again, and often I do listen to it again, and again, and get up and jump around playing air guitar (when the chorus comes in, of course). I don't play much air guitar. It's that good.

The slow groove of the verse, with the kick drum on every beat, exploding into the choruses - freakin' perfect. The melodies are beyond catchy, they are part of the collective subconcious. The lyrics, too, are great, although they don't have to be...

"Are you alone now
Did you lose the monkey?
He gave you backaches
Now you slouch.

He didn't mean it-
He's just a dumb ape
Reading Playboy
On your couch.

And now it's time to say
What I forgot to say
Baby baby baby
Come on, what's wrong?
It's a radiation vibe I'm groovin' on
Don't it make you want to get some sun?
Shine on, shine on, shine on...

I went to Pittsburgh
And joined a pro team
Talk about a bad dream
I broke a knee

But I can still croon
And make the girls swoon
Isn't that the way life's
Supposed to be?

But now it's time to say
What I forgot to say
Baby baby baby
Come on, what's wrong?
It's a radiation vibe I'm groovin on
Don't it make you want to get some sun?
Shine on, shine on, shine on..."

If there's a better pop song released in 1996 then I want to hear it. Seriously, this thing is a work of art. To be able to write a song like "Radiation Vibe" - that would be cool.

SAY AGAIN?

Yesterday I had nothing to say.

Ted agreed that he had nothing to say.

But last night he said "I'll be back on Saturday, but I have that Dave Matthews concert."

Wha happen? Dave Matthews? what the...?

Nothing to Say

Today I have nothing to say.

NAPS ARE WASTED ON THE YOUNG

Back in Kindergarten, naptime was an evil prank forced upon us by uncaring teachers. Who in the hell could possibly want a nap? We'd lay there on our little mats, looking out of the corners of our half closed eyes, not a single one of us asleep, or even tired.

Now I realize it was the teachers who needed the break. And I, for one, miss naptime. A lot.

Why couldn't they let us stay up during Kindergarten but force us to take naps once we hit the working world? I'm so sleepy, I would happily lie down on the mat and drift right off. I'll be very quiet, you won't even know I'm there.

THE GREATEST, PART THREE

The greatest guitar ever, don't even get me started, is the Fender Telecaster. There is simply nothing even close, no argument, no discussion necessary, talk to the hand.

The Tele (as it's also known, just one if the reasons it's the best) was the first mass produced electric, and has been selling virtually unchanged for nearly 60 years. 60 years! That's a long time, and teles are great. Leo Fender got it right the first time.

Keith Richards has played some Teles, as has David Gilmour. Gilmour also owns some Esquires, essentially single pickup Teles, which is yet another vote in their favor. He also owns at least one Broadcaster, the original name of the Tele, which was changed when Gretsch reminded Fender that the name "Broadkaster" was being used for one of their drum kits. Gilmour doesn't own any "Broadkaster" drum kits (as far as I know), but he did use a Tele on the rhythm track for "Run Like Hell," so there you go.

The Tele is nice and light, much easier to hold for a while than a Les Paul. But it's a good solid piece of wood that could definitely hurt someone if swung, yet another reason it rules. I never feel unsafe when I've got my Tele. Go ahead, give me shit, I'll whack yah with it and it won't even go out of tune.

There's a suprising amount of tonal variation possible with a Tele. I feel like I can a much wider variety out of a good Tele than even a good Strat, which seems counterintuitive, since it's got one less pickup. But hey, sue me, it's how I feel. Teles are the best, as good as all git out, the bees knees (see "Bees" below).

They were designed for mass production, a great early example of this in action. The necks were built to be easy to replace, everything was modular. These are "workin' man's" guitars, and they KICK BUTT.

A blonde tele with some grain showing, a maple neck, and a black pickguard is a thing of beauty. The more used, the more "careworn," the more gorgeous.

Tele's didn't originally come with whammy bars, 'cause they didn't need them to be cool.

Tele's were (some still are) shipped with bridge covers, commonly called "ashtrays," because they were often removed and used as, well, ashtrays. Any guitar that comes with an ashtray is The Best Guitar Ever. Did your BC Rich come with an ashtray? Hells no. The Tele includes an ashtray! Think about it.

"Telecasting" is the name of this blog.

Finally, the Tele is smarter than the average guitar.

JUST A LITTLE BIT SAFER

Since there's been a little trouble in the London Underground lately, police in New York City have been ordered to start randomly checking subway riders' backpacks. They will be checked at the entrance; if you refuse, you will be asked to leave the subway. No word yet on how this applies to briefcases, purses, or garbage bags filled with stinky clothes (homeless people reading this blog - take note). Yes, anything found in your backpack is fair game as far as arrest goes. So don't be carrying anything around you wouldn't want the NYPD, the FBI, the CIA, and your mother to see.

Will this system work? Well, there ain't enough cops to check everyone, so presumably there will be some kind of profiling going on. The police have assured us that it will not be "racial profiling," but the kinder, gentler "criminal profiling." So you're OK, as long as you don't look like a criminal.

Goodbye My Dear

There's been some chit chat about "Fly By Night" over at Jackson's blog that reminded me of an incident some years ago...

My senior year in high school, my friends Matt Armentano (drums), Jeremy Harris (guitar) and I (bass, keys, vocals) practiced our asses off getting "Fly By Night" ready for a talent show.

Our school wasn't really big on talent shows, this one was going to be the only one held during my 4 years. But we'd finally learned enough about our instruments to do at least a half assed job channeling the Canadians, and it's not that hard a song. We were ready.

Then shit started caving in.

As the fateful night approached, word went out that there were "too many bands" scheduled to play, and our Principal (Mr. Carmelich) wanted more "variety." Specifically, he wanted the Number 1 Theater Girl (Jocelyn) to perform. You know the Number 1 Theater Girl, the one who knew she'd be an actress since she was born. The one who was the lead in every school play, musical, revival, revue, and English class reading we ever had.

Gradually it became clear that there would be no talent show without her talent.

We fought long and hard, and were finally reduced to begging Jocelyn to perform, to do anything, to make a cameo, do the guitar solo, whatever. Just don't let them cancel the talent show.

Well, she refused. The show was off...

Cut to 5 years later, I'm at my first job (assistant at a talent agency here in NYC). Among my duties - opening the dozens of headshots and resumes that poured in every day from aspiring thespians. And who's headshot should happen to turn up? Yes, you guessed it. Number One Theater Girl.

You can guess whether this one got passed on to my boss.

The moral? Don't be fuckin' with da Rush. Or at least not with da Rush fans.

ALRIGHT, JEEZ

Seriously, enough with the Harry Potter already.

This morning on the L train I was forced to stand uncomfortably close to some woman reading a giant hardcover edition of the new book, "Harry Potter and the Mindless Sheep," or whatever it's called. She's poking me with her damn bag and taking up a full person's worth of space with her giant Tome of Magic, and I just wanted to rip it out of her hands and yell "Think for yourself!"

Instead, I stood there and got poked until Union Square, cursing that little English magician bastard.

THE GREATEST PART TWO

The greatest animal in the history of the world, no discussion necessary, is the bee.

Here's why:

The bee makes honey. I don't particularly care for honey, but a lot of other people do.

Most species of bees are truly social animals (like termites and naked mole rats). The individuals in a hive are all related (they're all sisters and brothers) and have a rigid social structure based on reproduction. The drones are the only males in the hive, and their sole purpose is to mate with the queen. If the hive is running low on food they're the first to get kicked out. Once they've done their duty, they get kicked out. Them's some badass beeatches..

Bees flaps their little bee wings 11,400 times a minute. It sounds like this: "buzzz." Bees kick ass!

They can sting you, giving up their lives in the process. Only the females sting (the males have no stingers, and don't leave the hive anyway, since they're mostly GETTIN' IT ON with the Queen). Some people mistakenly think this is "altruism," which by definition means doing something (like giving up your life) for another with no gain for yourself. But since all of the bees are siblings, they all share 1/2 of their DNA, and if giving up your life means you can save 2 other bees than you've broken even (genetically speaking). Giving up your life to save the hive is actually quite selfish, and bees rule.

The Blues Brothers liked bees.

Bees pollinate flowers.

Bees do little dances to tell other bees where food is. If a bee flies out, finds a good flower, and returns to the hive, they will do some moves and the other bees will know right where to go. Entymologists call it the "waggle dance," and it has to do with the angle of the sun. Pretty cool shit. Bees rock.

Bees can be used to make bee beards, as seen on "That's Incredible."

The average worker bee lives for only about a month. But they never seem to be depressed or question the meaning of it all.

So, if you are thinking about spending some time with insects, consider the bee. It's truly the greatest animal, ever.

NEW DUDS

Yes, I've updated the template for my blog. The green background was gettin' to my eyes, and the text wasn't lining up properly (at least on my shitty Windows machine at work).

I hope everyone enjoys the new look. It's like a little shot of Botox in the face of this little corner of the net.

Or something.

THE GREATEST

The greatest band in the history of the world, no contest, is of course Rush.

I don't just say this because they're a great band, I say it 'cause they're the greatest band, in the history of the world, ever, no contest.

Supporting evidence?

- What other band has maintained such a fanatical core fan base for as many years, despite being considered uncool for stretches of up to a decade or more? Don't say the Stones, who's fan base has changed consistently in the last 40 years. The Dead's fan base was pretty consistent, but most of 'em didn't care about anything except the grilled cheese sandwiches and the chronic, and anyhow that whole dream is over.

- What other band has written such consistently good songs? Sure, I know you don't listen to anything after "Power Windows," but I do, and there are great songs those Canadians have written in the last 10 years. Rush's bad records have had more good songs than most bands entire recorded output.

- Who else has rocked so consistently? Check out "Rush in Rio" and you'll know what I mean. After 30 years these guys play as hard and intensely as ever. Every note has meaning. The Stones are the only comparable band, and they've had almost as many extra people on stage as the Floyd - and they never had to play as many notes as Geddy.

- Speaking of which, who has never resorted to adding additional members to "fill out" the live sound? They got midi pedals, synthesisers, samplers, more pedals, double necked guitars and basses, and a marimba for Neil, and never so much as put a backup singer on stage with them (well, there was that sample of Aimee Mann...). Geddy practically walks around with cymbals between his knees to recreate the sounds of the records live. Name one other band that kept this kind purity in their lineup for as long. One band. Any band.

- Who has been snubbed by every major avenue of music marketing and sold as many records to as many fans? How often did we see Rush on MTV? Sure, the "Time Stand Still" video is burned into our neural networks, but it only took one viewing for that to happen. Rush on the cover of Rolling Stone? Ha! Rush in Spin? Ha ha! Rush in an iTunes commercial? Ha ha ha ha ha!

- Of couse, in terms of the playing, each member has won so many reader's polls that Guitar and Bass magazines now reguarly make them ineligible for contests. Does this make them a great band? Of course not. But it doesn't hurt.

- Who else went through more bad looks and came out looking OK? From feathered to mulletted, from "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" to "Canadian Space Odyssey," they still rocked, even in platform shoes.

- They've never resorted to cheap publicity, public displays of annoyingness, barely legal girlfriends, drug busts, or general mayhem to move product. No, instead they toured... and recorded... and toured... and recorded... and toured... and recorded... and toured... Yes, Alex Lifeson got into it with some cops after a party, but it's a little late to consider this "any publicity is good publicity." Besides, most people didn't even notice.

- Who has inspired as many musicians to practice, practice, practice? The Velvets probably inspired as many musicians, but certainly not to practice.

- Who probably still lights on up whilst jamming on "A Passage to Bangkok"?

So that's it, now you know.

THE REAL FRONT LINE

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Violent deaths among Iraqi civilians far exceeded those of soldiers or police during the first six months of this year, according to figures obtained Thursday from separate Iraqi government ministries.

Between Jan. 1 and June 30, 1,594 civilians were killed, according to the Ministry of Health...

By contrast, a total of 895 security forces — 275 Iraqi soldiers and 620 police — were killed in bombings, assassinations or armed clashes with insurgents, according to figures from the interior and defense ministries.

The number of insurgents killed during that six-month period was 781, the government said."

It's a tragedy - and it's always true. The civilians bear the brunt of any war, whether it be from the enemy abroad or the enemy at home. For those 1,594 people, things are definitely not better than they were before.

DRIVING WITH THE SPIRIT

From the Sacred Heart Auto League's 2004-2005 Mini Calendar...

"Protect those, Lord, who travel with me
from highway dangers and all anxiety
Teach me to use my car for other's needs
and never miss the beauty of Your world
through excessive speed."

I think that says it all.