I wrote a book

No, really. I did. It's out now from Australian publisher LegumeMan Books, who are so awesome they are actually running a contest in honor of it. Why did I write it? For the 3-Day Novel Contest, which I did not win. However, it was fun and life-changing and the great people who are now my publishers liked it ever so much.

What's this got to do with indie music, you ask? Well, the book is all up in your face with musical rhythms and musical references. In fact, that's what the contest hinges on. Matthew Revert, one of my publishers (designer of the cover and a kickass author in his own right) said to me that "your book is great for a music geek such as myself. When I was proofing it in the last week it really hit me. It should be read by anyone who really digs music."

So, I'm sorry for this general level of ridiculous self-promotion, but I'm flipping out! I hope that you will get a chance to check out my thrilling novel of autism, rock n' roll necromancy, and Lovecraftean horror. I am proud to present:

10 A BOOT STOMPING
20 A HUMAN FACE
30 GOTO 10

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Hey Kids, I'm on Internet TV!

Yeah, I know it's been forever since I posted - extra hours at work, playing in two bands, and preparing for my birthday have kept me busy. But I wanted to stop by and belatedly let you know about an excellent website - portlandnoise.com. This site, inspired by and in league with the sanfrancisco-based pacificnoise.com and worked on by the super-awesome Jim Mulhearn of the musiquarium, a great performance\recording space on NE Weidler, features 15-minute "webisodes" (I have a distate for that sort of internet-speak, bu there you have it). This is partly a self-serving post, as my band, New Century Schoolbook, is on one of the most recent episodes. The episodes involve a short interview as well as three or so songs by the featured band, and I think there have been 8 to date (although by now the 9th has probably come out.) Jim is a friendly, busy jack-of-all trades who reminds me of my dad (in a good way, my dad's awesome) bearded, casual and good at what he does. As well as producing the portland noise episodes, he does audio recording and plays in a band called bongloard.

Through Portlandnoise.com, I also discovered Dr. Something and The Poppin Fresh Love Engines. Although I'm generally kind of wary of folk-with-a-twist, Dr. Something is evil, yet unabashedly nerdy, and you really can't go wrong with a song called "cheatin' on u with ur robot double". Here's to a rad lady &co doing something different in Portland music.

And while I'm here, I'd like to tell you all (well, portland ones anyway) to go see Chrome Wings at rererato tonight, and check out New Century Schoolbook's CD Release show (all ages! free!) at Chaos Cafe tomorrow (saturday the 12th) I'm not on the CD (it was all recorded before I joined the band) but I stand behind it fully, and I did help stamp and fold and glue the CD cases.

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