with cheese, please

photo by Birch Miller

Thumbs Up: Acid or Blood, the long-awaited record from Racebannon drops on August 12th, y’all! Trust me, a little demon bird slipped me an advance copy a long time ago - this is one of my favorite albums. Check my damn Last.FM stats if you have doubts. And yes, the boys are coming to Austin on September 14th at Red 7. HELL yeah.

Racebannon’s bassist, Sal

Niece!

Eef Barzelay!

Thumbs Up: Sure, Pig Destroyer, Racebannon and the Locust occupy most of my listening as of late, but I wasn’t raised by wolves alone. Surprisingly, I do have a taste for ye’ ole “singer-songwriters,” as evidenced in the Stubbs The Zombie soundtrack I co-produced with my compadre Zach Rener. One of the first artists to sign on to our crazy collection of 50s and 60s covers was Eef and his band, Clem Snide. Their “Tears On My Pillow” contribution to the soundtrack made me a happy, happy boy. Seeing Eef at the venerable Mohawk last night reaffirmed my love for this man’s songwriting. Go buy his new Lose Big and figure it all out for yourself.

check out the trailer to the smash-hit videogame including the tunes of Ben Kweller “lollipop” and Oranger “mr. sandman” songs heard in this commercial…fun memories:

Breckenridge’s Agave Wheat, a tremendous beer!

Thumbs Up: Gee whiz I love it when I purchase a heretofore unknown brand/style of beer and am subsequently bombarded with amazing quality, style, and above all else - taste. It’s in that spirit that I raise my glass to yet another Colorado brewery that has exceeded my expectations and demands for serious beer. (What is the deal with Colorado? My all-around favorite brewery, New Belgium, is made in Ft. Collins and my 2nd fave, Flying Dog, is out of Denver. )

Breckenridge’s Agave Wheat is a tremendous example of an easy-drinking, summer-time beverage. Wheat beer has been one of my favorite beverages through TX summers - and the unique agave twist Breckenridge employs here works fantastically!

Bonus Thumbs Up: Racebannon are coming to Austin. September 14th at Red 7. Hells yeah!

Racebannon!!!

Thumbs Up: true story…the first time I saw Racebannon I was nearly ejected from the venue. That’s right. Mild mannered me was intoxicated and infatuated enough to figuratively and literally throw myself at these mighty rockers from my birth state of Indiana. All ended well, however, and the band and I remain on fantastic terms. I’ve seen them sober several times since and I remain enamored by their sheer ability to destroy everything around me while creating absolute beauty.

Their “new” record (which I’ve had for 3 or 4 full years) Acid or Blood is one of the best reasons to remain interested in music as a vehicle for evolution and uninhibited expression. Tracks like “Sister Fucker” and “The Killer” demonstrate Racebannon at their best, lurking sinisterly behind a metallic burning bush of disbelief and a penchant for fighting on, nonetheless.

Racebannon come to Red 7 in Austin September 14th…

Jabin Burnworth, one of the best human beings on the planet, at his wedding! Congratulations Jabin and Hannah!

Thumbs Up: Although I’ve only heard a couple of tracks, I’m very excited about My Morning Jacket’s Evil Urges, out tomorrow - June 10. This band has slowly won me over, beginning with the first time I saw them live - opening for Guided by Voices at La Zona Rosa in 2002. The band has intrigued me since then and all signs point to Evil Urges being one of this decade’s best records. I’m buying it. If you are lucky enough to be in the vicinity of these fellas’ live gigs - don’t miss it!

J.D. (an Indiana native) of Oh, Beast!

Thumbs Up: Powers Hamburgers in Fort Wayne, IN. These signature ’sliders’ are amazing…just saying. I had three of ‘em today (”with cheese, please”) and went into a pleasure coma for a few minutes. Tremendous burgers…White Castle has nothing on these babies. If yr ever in Northeast Indiana, y’all stop for some seriously satisfying food. Powers to the people!

word up to Fetcho on Flicker for the photo.

Miguel of Catfish Haven!

Thumbs Up: I booked/promoted a show (with lots of help) at Emo’s the night before SXSW08…the jammy and retro-infused Catfish Haven played. Although I’m not sure I need them, they were much better than I expected. Fine human beings, as well. Whew!

Peelander Z!

Thumbs Up: These guys are fantastic. If you’ve yet to see Peelander Z in concert, put that on yr ‘things to do’ list. I’ve seen them a handful of times, and I don’t regret a one of ‘em. Hell, I even made it into their video for “Mad Tiger.” I may never forget that moment when they pulled me on stage to display the “medium rare” text my friend Tad had committed to my tummy hours before. The video is below - look for me at the 1:57 mark. I look fantastic!

Zach & Ava Rener!

Thumbs Up: These are two of my favorite people on the entire planet….no lying. I owe more than you can imagine to Zach (who co-produced the Stubbs the Zombie soundtrack with me). and Ava? C’mon! Who wouldn’t love and hope for the best for that beautiful child? She has great DNA from her mother and father, trust me.