Pretty F’in Cool

From Mr. Jeffrey Brown

You Are.

Man, things are f*cking railing along.  We spent some time cleaning out the store last night so that we can move all the books in this weekend. Damn we’ve got a lot of books. I set up a Facebook group for anyone interested in being friends with us over there. We’ve also heard back from some cartoonists who are psyched to make some bookmarks for us – so far Jeffrey Brown and Johnny Ryan are going to do original stuff and Peter Bagge said we could rip off any of his images that we like. Woo-Hoo!

Here’s a couple pics of the place, pre-cleaning. For those interested, all that shit is going to get cleared out of there before opening.

Back of the store, taken from the front:

Front of the store:

Store front from across the street :

The first flyer goes up at 13th and Marion :

Interview Status Update

Ok, so I promised I wouldn’t piss and moan about this because, well, people don’t owe me anything. But, I have this sad little spread sheet where I track how long it’s been since I sent out interview questions to people. So going from least disappointing to most disappointing:

4.3 weeks ago sent to Damon & Naomi, Ringo Star, and Seth. I’m still holding out hope for these three.

9.0 weeks ago sent to Dave Eggers (second attempt), Jenna Fischer, and Steve Martin. Eggers, as many of you know, told me in person he’d do it. I’m still holding out a little hope for him. We’ll see.

29.3 weeks ago, I sent to Harvey Pekar, Daniel Clowes, and Jonathan Richman. Maybe?

30.3 weeks ago, Yo La Tengo. I’m holding out hopes for these guys, and I’m going to email them and ask them.

31.1 weeks ago Dave Eggers (see above), Garrison Keillor (another one who told me in person), and Michael Chabon. So much for writers!

31.9 weeks ago, Leia Bell (shocked she didn’t do it, but she has three kids, so who knows) and Mirah. Sad about Mirah

33.1 weeks ago, Miranda July, Doug Martsch, and Woody Allen. Sigh. I’m not shocked about Woody Allen, and MAYBE Ms. July just hasn’t gotten to it yet. But Doug? C’mon Doug. He agreed in person, and gave me his home address! I should rent a car and drive to Boise.

Really though, I’m not tremendously bummed – just a little bit – at all of these default rejections. And again, there’s still some hope, right? But the sad thing is, when so many don’t respond (last response I got was Peter Bagge back in Novemeber) I sort of feel like it’s futile, even though I love doing it. I might do some more tonight. We’ll see!

She’s loving him with that body, I just know it.

Ok, so my trip to Chicago got shit canned, and I’m a-ok with that because it means I get to play poker with the gang tonight. Also, I’ve decided that fifteen days without booze is just fine, so I’m going to rock a little seven and ginger tonight at the picnic table in the 65 degree sunshiny as fuck weather we’ve got here in Denver tonight.

As a parting gift, while driving around LA the other day in my $21 rented PT Cruiser, when a song came on the radio. A glorious wonderful song from the days of yore, and I’d like to share it with you, and wish you a wonderful weekend.

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It Was 19 Years Ago Today, Mr. Stipe Taught the Dan To Play

Too cheesy a title? Perhaps. Just a quick word that the review of Murmur is in fact coming out later today. Today being the 19th anniversary of the first time I saw R.E.M.

That’s right – April 11, 1989 at the Onondoga County War Memorial in Syracuse NY. I was in Row HH, seat 14. If I remember correctly, the rows went A, AA, B, BB, etc. so I’m pretty sure I was in the 16th row.

The setlist was :

set: Pop Song 89 / Exhuming McCarthy / Welcome To The Occupation / Pilgrimage / Turn You Inside-Out / Driver 8 / Orange Crush / Sitting Still / Feeling Gravitys Pull / Cuyahoga / World Leader Pretend / Begin The Begin / Pretty Persuasion / Low / Stony River / Tired Of Singing Trouble / I Believe / Get Up / Auctioneer (Another Engine) / It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
encore 1: Stand / With A Girl Like You / Dark Globe / You Are The Everything
encore 2: Finest Worksong / King Of Birds / See No Evil
encore 3: Harpers / Summertime / Crazy / Perfect Circle / After Hours

It was amazing. That’s all I can say for now.

Suspicion Yourself. Don’t Get Caught

Full report on Chronic Town coming in the morning. My apologies for the delay, but after twenty plus listens in thirty plus hours I’ve got some thoughts. Just not right now, dear.

Really Easy Money

Back in 1987, I read an interview with R.E.M. in Rolling Stone in which one of the boys, obviously tired of answering the question, ‘But what do the letters STAND FOR’, said, ‘Really Easy Money’. And sure, why not? They were on the cover of Rolling Stone, hailed as the best band in America.

And yes, I love(d) R.E.M. with pretty much every fiber of my being at the tender young age of 12. In eighth grade, when I got glasses for the first time, I wore my pink REM bicycle shirt to give me strength. My best friend in middle and high school poured over liner notes, studied J.M. Stipes clues expecting to find a treasure map leading us to wry sophistication.

I’ve collected their albums, their singles, their shirts, and been an on-again off-again member of the fan club for ages. I once called ‘Peter Buck’ in Atlanta (circa ‘87, pre-Rolling Stone cover) and spoke to Peter Buck’s dad, a gracious man.

I can’t deny a feeling of being let down over the last 10-12 years by the boys. A short list of concerns:

- Broken Promises – Bill Berry left the band, and the remaining members soldiered on despite promising they’d break up if that every happened. Similarly, the promises to break up on Dec. 25, 1999, and to never print their lyrics

- Declining output/declining quality From 1983-96, they released 10 albums, the worst of which (in my opinion, ‘Monster’) was still pretty good. From 1996-2008, they’ve released 4 albums (if you count tomorrow’s release of ‘Accelerate’)

- Rock Star-ism – According to Jim DeRogatis of ‘Sound Opinions’, at this year’s SXSW festival R.E.M. also taped an episode of Austin City Limits, and the taping was held up over an hour because someone brewed J.M. Stipe the wrong kind of espresso

- Greatest Hits – 2003’s ‘In Time (88-03) & ‘And I Feel Fine – The IRS Years (82-87). Yeah, not a fan of the GH packages/tours

Ok. Here’s the thing though, I really really dislike those guys who’re like, ‘Oh yeah, they used to be great, but now they suck.” I hate those guys, because when I was getting into R.E.M. (1986), everyone was saying that ‘Life’s Rich Pageant’ was no ‘Chronic Town’. Fuck those guys.

So, in an effort to give my old heroes a legit chance, I’m going to, starting today, listen to every R.E.M. studio album, in order, and give an honest review. I’m not going to tackle the B-side or greatest hits compilations. I will kick it off with their first EP, and work my way up through ‘Accelerate’. I will do my best to weed out nostalgic pap and give an honest review of their work.

As a quick refresher, here’s how it’ll look -

1982 – Chronic Town
1983 – Murmur
1984 – Reckoning
1985 – Fables of the Reconstruction
1986 – Life’s Rich Pagent
1987 – Document
1988 – Green
1991 – Out of Time
1992 – Automatic for the People
1994 – Monster
1996 – New Adventures in Hi-Fi
1998 – Up
2001 – Reveal
2004 – Around the Sun
2008 – Accelerate

Wish me luck!

Well all right

Whenever I come to work early, I develop the best logic. I think, ‘ok I’m here 30 minutes early, so I can fuck around, blog, ebay, etc. for 30 minutes’. Of course, I always end up screwing around for like an hour, and start work late, which is ostensibly ok, except, I then rationalize leaving work early because, hey, I came in early today.

In the ‘exciting news’ department, I sent off interview questions today to Seth, Damon & Naomi, and the almighty Ringo Starr.  It’s the third time I’m submitting questions to Seth, but I have a decent feeling about it. The first was back in about 2002. I then sent a reminder, and he responded saying he never got the questions. Then, last year, I sent him a box that contained the Uncollected Salinger, and he didn’t respond to that….BUT I discovered upon opening the new Palookaville that he has moved, so a third try seemed in order.

Damon and Naomi I’m guessing are pretty likely. I did an email interview with them years ago, and they were quite friendly. Ringo Starr is a long shot, but not out of left field. Evidently, he’s really cool about autograph requests and the like, and is weirdly into his fans. You should check out his website and watch the video updates he does. They’re pretty brill.

Other than that, I’ve rekindled my love of Buddy Holly, and when I went to the post office this morning, ‘Everyday’ was playing. A good sign, I believe.

Holy Crap

Golly. It’s been a busy month, and is only going further, so many apologies for the lack of updates. First of all, the run of lettered copies of Dirt’s Funnies #1 are finished and sitting on my coffee table and are ready for purchase.

Secondly, the band I am in with two of my friends is going well. We’ve been rehearsing weekly, and have three pretty close to finished songs, which kind of rules. Yes, we have a myspace page, and no, I’m not linking to it.

Thirdly, I’ve started a massive writing project, and have been tackling a thousand words a day. So far, I’ve finished about 25 pages – way more than I’ve ever written before. At this pace, I’ll finish in late May.

Not to mention that I’ve begun looking for a house, and work is actually work again. Man. So much!

I’m hoping to bust out some more interview question packages soon, but am stopping short of promising anything.

Oh, I also scanned a few dozen new characters for Dirt’s Funnies – hopefully I’ll be able to get on the ball and start putting some new shit up soon. Wish me luck!

Each time it happens

What a lovely mood, what a lovely day, what a lovely space. I believe I plugged these guys before, but a la ‘Daytrotter’, La Blogotheque does impromptu shows with indie acts. Sometimes in an apartment, in front of a cafe, on the subway, wherever really. And they’re all great.

Here’s the Divine Comedy playing ‘Tonight We Fly”

I really should be working right now, and I will, I promise, but I had to post, and say what a lovely day I’m having. Also, I got to hang out with Dave Eggers at a bar after his reading last night – he said he’d love to do a hand written interview, so that’s pretty good.