confessions of a nasal mist addict

just to prove i’m not musically myopic here are a few samples of what’s in heavy rotation on my ipod (and only one of them is from Texas…)

what do you get when you cross james brown with janis joplin.  well duh…black joe lewis and honeybears come out on the other side of this rather complex equation.

at the risk of being cliche, joe found himself at the crossroads while working in a pawn shop in round rock texas, a predominately white suburb of austin.  guitars kept coming in right and left, he took one home and taught himself to play and developed a solo act usually performed drunk so as to avoid the pain of what he calls “horrible” music.

fast forward a few years and you find joe shucking oysters in a local restaurant having retired early from what he perceived as a failed music career.  enter zac ernst, member of the programming board at “the university” (aka U.T.) who approached joe as a fan and recruited him to open for little richard at a university sponsored event.  the rest is recent history for the 27 year old who now calls austin home.

the music is raw, and features a horn section known as The Honeybears.  get out your dancin’ shoes and get ready to boogie on August 31st at my favorite venue: the troubadour.  I have a total of four tickets, one for me and the other three for my friends.  i can’t think of a better way to spend a monday night.

i still can’t get past the idea that the vocalist is a male, but i’ll sneak past my better judgment and invite you to listen to the latest from the silversun pickups: “swoon.”  everybody i know likens them to the smashing pumpkins, for me though its more of an esthero/divinyls (remember “i touch myself?”).  their hit “panic switch” got my attention on one of those rare instances when i was listening to the radio and not my ipod — but hey, ya gots to listen to the radio if only to hear new tuneage, eh?

the production values are excellent and the beat can be more complicated than that dream i had about you last night.  the power behind the music more than makes up for any misgivings i may have about the vocals which to me represent the perfect representation of gen y’s male gender and the sad fact that most of them have been raised solely by women.  i’m not tauting some homophobic homily and this is a conversation best reserved for future bloggage, but that whole “snow play-cold patrol” crap has got me worried about these murse carrying man-boys and the ensuing effect it may have on the female gender.  but it’s the girls fault anyway…this is what you get for burning your bras 40 years ago and taking the pill that changed the world.  i hope you’re p.o’d and brave enough to tell me so.

the von bondies…where the hell have these guys been and what’s up in their world wide web of work presence?  pictures on estarla reminded me to get back to basics with a vocalist and that great fender sound this band is known for. they fell off my radar screen when i took the road less travelled on lost hiway with the likes of lucinda, willy & ryan but i’m glad to be back in touch.

sorry i missed their recent gig at the troub but i’m enjoying they’re relentless rockin’ and the pure energy i recall from previous live shows.  they’re a great band and you can easily mix their toons with all of the above on your own eyetunes play list, good music for the gym or that upcoming road/head trip you’ve got on your to done list.  thanks estar– keep ‘em comin’ they keep me young and alive!  their most recent is aptly titled: “love, hate and then there’s you.”  i heartily reco the deluxe version.

rush lim-bob