An e-Party for Susan Henderson and Up From the Blue

I am so excited about today's release of my friend Susan Henderson's debut novel, Up From the Blue, I feel like a little kid. For those of you on Facebook, you know Jessica Keener, Tish Cohen and I have an event announcement up, and we'd love it if you would join in today's celebration by blogging, commenting on Facebook, using The Twitter, The Tumblr, whatever! The reason for our party is to see if we can all unite and make Susan's book #1 on the best seller list. You can click the "on sale" link in the next paragraph for various "to buy" options.

I had already written this blogpost a few days ago but I was just over at Sue's website and I could not resist copying part of her post here. I could feel her joy radiating off the page. She's so cute.

"It’s finally happened! My book is on sale today! Thank you if you can help spread the word!

Here’s the pretty cover, including the very cool, purple spine:"



I agree. That is gorgeous. And so perfect for the book. New York Times best selling author Jamie Ford gives Up from the Blue a stunning blurb on said cover:

"Beautiful and maddening, hopeful and condemning, simple ket like a knot that takes a lifetime to untangle...(a) rewarding story that still haunts me."

And oh, this book. It's more than just one "you can't put down" - it will leave you breathless. You will fall in love with Tillie, the young narrator, and with Susan herself, who writes brilliant lines like:

"Some people, not many, can reach the most tender spot within you and hold you there--sometimes without even knowing that's what they've done."

Or:

"Sometimes the easiest thing to do is nothing. You just make do. Keep your mouth closed and hope all the rattling goes away. You walk home from school, pretending everything's the same, running your hand along the hedges and fences, like there's nothing waiting for you but your homework."

I am in awe of Susan. You have to read this book. The story itself is mind boggling and full of both big and subtle little surprises.

You're going to see a lot of people blogging reviews today. I'm adding in one I found last night courtesy of amazing author Robin Antalek...read what Robin has to say about Up From the Blue right here.

Also, one of my favorite authors and FB pal Caroline Leavitt has a really cool interview with Susan.

In addition to reviews and interviews, everywhere you look around the web today, you're going to see glowing tributes. Susan has given so much to the writing community via her website, where she has tirelessly promoted authors via brilliant interviews and reviews...like this one about some famous writer guy and his hair.

I would love to tell you the whole, amazing story of Susan's road to publication but that is hers to tell and one I am sure she will be sharing with many other interviewers over the next several months.

So instead I will tell you about how I met Susan. It was one month after September 11, 2001. As I struggled with a way to cope with my grief, I went on line looking for kindred spirits in an old AOL chat room called "The Authors Lounge". Trust me, no one in that room was a real writer, but I did meet one person who was pretty serious about his craft, and he suggested that I join Zoetrope Studios, a new online writing community founded and financed by Francis Ford Coppola. Back in 2001, we were a bunch of unknown writers who blindly sent our stories by snail mail to literary reviews with a stamped, self-addressed envelope, only to receive said envelope back in about a year with a tiny piece of paper - the dreaded form rejection: "this doesn't quite fit our needs" or in my case, "have you ever considered pottery as a hobby instead of writing?" Heh...I remember that editor's name and if I knew his address, would have sent him all six of my books :) So it was at Zoetrope that I met Susan and another wonderful author I mention a lot here, Ellen Meister, who is currently awaiting publication of her third book with the fourth already sold. Other Zoetrope Hall of Fame alumni include authors Ron Currie, Jr., Nicole Mary Kelby, Claire Cameron, Hannah Holborn, Jim Tomlinson, and perhaps one of our most famous, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

We used to have real world Zoetrope get togethers in NY, and the first time I met Susan in person was in December of 2002. She walked into the restaurant and everyone's head turned at this gorgeous, gorgeous woman, who came with a big photo album of her husband and kids. She melted my heart when she did that...ha ha, you know me, I have a soft spot for family pride and would have done the same had I thought of it. Ah, it was before the digital era, when people had real snapshots; not ones we have to squint at on iPhones. Yeah, yeah, I'm still a luddite at heart.

Sue and I clicked, and a few months later, she handed me what looked like a box of copy paper. Inside was the very first version of Up from the Blue. It was before laser printers and if you wanted to share stuff you had written, you had to go to Kinkos and make copies - hence the box. I did not realize at the time what a gift she had given me. A bunch of us were swapping novels for critique - we were all excited about this brave, new publishing world - and I did not immediately process the trust Susan had to have had in me to share this deeply personal and beautiful story in its raw and tender stage.

I'll have that version up on eBay in about an hour. :)

Oh, I'm kidding.

So yeah, after that first meeting in NY, we made sure to get together a couple of times a year. Here's a photo right before we all got "famous" - there's Susan, second from the right, top row, Ellen is directly beneath her, and I of course am the one in the shades on the far left. We could only dream of what was to come...



And then our little group expanded via other online groups, and we met Tish Cohen and Jessica Keener and that friendship led to the Great Canadian Writers' Retreat, which was a life-changing experience for all of us, and if you haven't already read my post, please do, as it will give you a little more insight into our friendship and why it is we write.



Yeah, that's us in Canada, Jess took the photo...Tish actually made us exercise by walking even though I was at a point in my life where I was happy never to venture outdoors. Thank God for Tish.

Getting back to Susan, she recently gave an interview titled "At What Point Can you Call Yourself A Writer", which you can read right here. It made me cry.

Susan, you have always been a writer but today, you have validation. I am bursting with pride for you, and I'll be back throughout the day to add more links and comments as they come in via Facebook and Blogger, etc.

But in the meantime, everyone...let's take Sue to number one!

xo
Robin

More Random Blogging

Well, before I deluge you with some posts for incredible books I've read this summer, I have a few more random comments, photos, You Tubes, etc. to talk about.

First off, from the amazing show I attended earlier this year, here's my brilliant son, Eric Slick, on drums, Tom and Jim Hamilton of the American Babies on vocals, guitar, and bass respectively, Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits on keyboards, and a whole host of other notables sitting in on cello, violin, etc. If I talk to Eric later today and get their names, I will add them in with links. In the meantime, enjoy their awesome cover of David Bowie's Life on Mars.



Also, I now have better photos of my birthday presents, including the gorgeous flowers and collages. And for good measure, photos of the Slick farm, which this year not only featured basil, oregano and tomatoes, but...holy cow...peppers! Ha ha, considering these were grown in front of my "townhouse" in Fairmount (I am sure the neighbors are all thrilled) because apparently my backyard has become a country club for squirrels (did you know they like to munch on bicycle seats, too)...anyway, considering that, the bounty this year is most impressive! Getting back to the squirrels, I am easily distracted watching them everyday because my writing desk is right next to the sliding glass doors leading to the backyard and I've been studying them as they've apparently been building their nest all summer...erm...out of bicycle seats, an old umbrella that used to be attached to a table I have out there and keep meaning to replace every year, and whatever trash I keep in cans without lids until collection day...I gotta figure out a way to take a picture of said nest (after I find it, that is) because it must be one hell of a piece of abstract art. In case you are wondering why I put trash in containers without lids, well, I wonder that, too. Wait. What I really wonder is, where do the lids go? The same place as socks in the dryer? I'm thinking when I am brave enough to go out back and search for the squirrels' nest, it's going to be a bilevel condo constructed of said lids with sofas and chairs made out of my expensive socks from Plage Tahiti. Ha ha, I put that link in not because it's a link to the actual store, it's a Philly magazine site that recommends it but if one is to believe said ad, my socks are "well-fitting and trendy without being brash."







By the way, the book you see on the table was a gift from my brother, David, and here's a link to the author and his work...mindblowing stuff.

I always hated my birthday - well, I didn't hate celebrating it, I just hated the date: August 17, because it meant the summer was ending and it was either back to school or, when I did my time in the legal field, it was generally trial season which meant I was pretty much nauseous 24/7 until Christmas. But now I'm like, oh good, I love the fall, all of my favorite holidays are in the autumn, even the Jewish ones I don't celebrate religion wise, just food wise...actually, let's be honest, I love all holidays solely based on food. So from September until New Years, between the Jewish New Year, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, I'm in heaven.

Speaking of food, and when don't I, daughter Julie will be over here later today for her usual Thursday visit, i.e., my house becomes a laundromat while the two of us hit the local Farmer's Market at my corner (yep, I'm lucky!) and then head further into town for Happy Hour. We were going to take a walk on the wild side and try a new place called Tweed because they allegedly have outrageous $5.00 cocktails at Happy Hour but I'm worried about the many fattening bar appetizers. One drink and I will be throwing caution to the wind and eating fried everything which is not a good idea when I am trying to get into shape for the real eating season mentioned above. So we'll probably just hit our usual spot, Fish where I will stay my sensible vegetarian self and merely indulge in things like cocktails made with cucumbers and basil. I know, I know. That sounds yuppie/hipster disgusting. But trust me on this...delicious. Really. Sometimes yupsters do get it right. But I am laughing my ass off at certain menu items I've seen recently, and I am not making this up: Harpoon caught swordfish (lovely image and I get what they are telling us, but still. Ew.) and my personal favorite, sustainable nature harvest pork belly. Damn it, I can't find the link for the restaurant which serves that but trust me, I read about it somewhere this week. Someone please explain what the hell that means. I do know one thing. I am glad I gave up meat a year ago before they started calling pulled pork sandwiches "pork belly". That alone is enough to make me gag. Ooh, ooh, lemme have some more of that belly, will you?

What the hell is wrong with people?

Anyway, yeah, tomorrow marks my one year anniversary as a vegetarian. I am thinking I am going to celebrate by making this:



Here's the recipe.

(But most likely I'll just order from Charlie's even if it does mean driving there.)

Hide your eyes, Perry Block. I met Perry yesterday in the most roundabout way which I'll explain in a minute but his blog, which I just linked, is cracking me the hell up. Apparently Perry has a problem with cheese. Here's his post on that, which caused me to literally laugh out loud. Fromage-A-Phobia.

So how did I meet Perry? Well, I signed up for another one of my on-line follies, an authors' group with a notoriously slow website and infuriating people who serial blog all day. They have a home page for the most recent journal entries and only space for about a dozen photos of authors for each incoming new blogpost. So if someone serial blogs throughout the day, their photo pops up five different times and in five places, knocking everyone else off the home page, thereby ensuring the rest of us no readers. I was in a feisty mood earlier this week and wrote a blog post complaining about them and offering a simple, courteous suggestion, i.e., if you must serial blog all day, make additions to your original post so you don't keep wiping all of us out. But...sigh...apparently serial bloggers only read their own posts because I didn't shame the worst perps out of it and they continue to cluelessly post throughout the day. I could tolerate this if they were funny or interesting, but most of the time, they just post links to other people's articles. Yo, buddy. This is 2010. We are all internet savvy and can find cool articles ourselves. But hey, thanks, anyway. NOT.

So I wrote that blog post trying to shake things up, and I got a response from a very cool writer out on the west coast who basically told me to calm down, relax, and not let it get to me. Sure, easy for him to say, living in the sunshine as part of the original Summer of Love group out there. But all kidding aside, I saw his point and we corresponded, and lo and behold, I find out he's originally from Philadelphia. He asked me if I'd be interested in submitting work to a publication out of Philly I never even heard of...and...gasp...it pays! So I clicked on the link he provided and learn it's run by the former editor of Philadelphia Magazine, and I absolutely loved it..and that's where I stumbled on Perry Block's work. After reading it all and spending hours giggling like an idiot, I wrote to Dan (former Philly Magazine editor) and asked him if he'd be interested in having me on board. I sent him a link to something I wrote and within minutes he wrote back "Yes!"

So now I'm all happy.

Thus that frustrating authors' site with the serial bloggers was good for something after all so I'm not going to give up on it. Yet. I also met a cool guy who just wrote a book about Jimi Hendrix there and we've been corresponding, too. He got a review in Rolling Stone! Since my good friend Anil Prasad has a new book coming out in October with brilliant interviews of what has to be the most interesting people in music, I want to pick his brain how he got Rolling Stone on board. Heh...I'm not going to link his book until he tells me. :)

Okay, enough. I leave you with one of my favorite Dr. Dog tunes, which someone was just kind enough to put up on You Tube from the XPN festival last month, and you can actually see my son on the drums...excellent quality so now I am in even better spirits.



Actually, I am not 100% happy. I need to give a serious shout out to my good friend, Andre Cholmondeley, whose significant other, Cheri Jiosne, is fighting breast cancer. From Andre's Facebook page today:

"Very tough day. Cheri in hospital, her cancer fight has become very very difficult. Need miracles."

Our lovely health care system in this country has effectively destroyed their lives. I was ripped apart hearing the latest news. Andre has been such a good and close friend - as I've written here repeatedly, he was the first person to take a chance on Eric when he was 18 when he hired him as Project Object's drummer, and then he was basically the right hand man to Adrian Belew for almost three years taking care of not only Adrian but my son and daughter as well. Andre has been with Cheri since college over 20 years, and he recently told me she was the one who helped him launch Project Object.

My heart goes out to them and their families. Even if you are a total heathen like me, please light candles, envision white light, pray...whatever it is that works for you. Life is beautiful, but it can also throw you some pretty awful curveballs.

Later,
xo

Odds and Sods for Wednesday, August 18, 2010

(I'm adding ETAs (edited to add) at the bottom of this post and I've already put in some links I neglected to put up in my original post today)

Whoops, here's an ETA I want to put up front: Dr. Dog in The Huffington Post!

Well, before I launch into my usual spiel of all that's been going on at Casa Slick, I woke up this morning to a very nice surprise: All About Jazz has an absolutely stellar review of Julie's new CD.

"Julie Slick
Julie Slick | Self Produced (2010)
By John Kelman

Despite a sudden explosion of female bassists—from Aussie Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea) to acoustic bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding (Joe Lovano—assessing them on the basis of gender would be wrong, since every one of them easily stands beside their male counterparts. The same can be said for Julie Slick, still on the shy side of 25 and with a remarkable number of high profile credits in the progressive rock world, including King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew's Power Trio, responsible for the live Side Four (Self Produced, 2007) and e (Self Produced, 2010). Since joining the Paul Green School of Rock Music in 1998 at the age of 12, she's gone on to record and/or tour with artists including The Police's Stewart Copeland and Yes' Jon Anderson. Slick's self-titled debut reflects the progressive tendencies of her recent work with Belew; a studio concoction of fourteen originals, where she layers keyboards, programming and guitar, in addition to some stunning electric bass work...."

Read the rest right here.

Also, my Google stalking of my kids yielded yet another review I was not aware of...one written by DGMLive's Sid Smith, who had this to say:

"A Slick Debut
Julie Slick

There are some players who take a while to mature and there are others who miraculously arrive fully mature. Just in her early 20s, bassist Julie Slick can confidently be said to fall into the latter category...."

Read the rest here.

So I just had one of the best birthdays ever yesterday - and actually, it spanned two days, since Julie had to work last night. Monday night the entire family was together, which is so rare with Julie and Eric usually off touring the world and now that they are in different bands, the chances of having them both home at the same time is greatly diminished so trust me, I really appreciated that dinner! We went to my favorite low-key hang-out, Silk City...vegetarian friendly, great cocktails, and a funky outdoor area with colored lights and I guess a tiki theme, I dunno, but we sat outside with our drinks and there was a nice breeze blowing and just a general, awesome vibe, and naturally J&E knew a bunch of people also eating/working there which is always fun because they are always asked a million questions about their brilliant lives and I sit there beaming like I'm 100% responsible. Well...I am at least 50% responsible, right?

Julie and Eric showed up at Silk City with a huge bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine for me. When I left the restaurant holding them, I felt like Woody Allen when he won the beauty pageant in Sleeper.



Okay, so that photo doesn't show him holding the flowers he won when he was crowned Miss America but still...one of my all time favorite movies and I'm very much like Woody Allen (circa 1973, that is)

So we sat outside and sipped our drinks and Eric told me all about the Dr. Dog show at Governor's Island in NY Sunday night...I listened to the live stream, it was amazing, and here's two You Tubes from that...the first is Shame, Shame, the title track from their latest record, and the second is a brand new song and that's all I'm saying, other than it rocks!!
(Though perhaps there are a few hints in the You Tube comments?)





Eric also mentioned his new website should be up and running any day now, so I'll definitely make an announcement here as soon as that happens - I saw the initial design and it's very cool and very Eric.

Julie is still unwinding from what was the most incredible tour ever with Adrian down in South America. I posted You Tubes of that on my Facebook page but in case you missed them, here's A Little Madness and Three of a Perfect Pair as you've never quite heard them before:





And if you visit Adrian's website, the dates for the European tour are starting to appear and I understand there's a secret week being added at the end. (Sob...does this mean Thanksgiving alone? Eric may have a top secret gig, too, but he hopefully will be home in time regardless)

So everyone is in a really good head right now, including me, even though I am backed up with book reviews. Ariel, Gina, Marcy...they are coming. I have the first drafts written, and if I wasn't such a perfectionist, I'd have posted them already but I want the reviews to do your respective books justice...all three blew me away and I don't want to simply write a few paragraphs.

Anyway, back to my birthday...so after a really lovely night out, yesterday, the actual day, I spent writing and surfing the web in my favorite outfit, i.e., pajamas, and then I decided to get dressed because Eric was coming over for dinner but the dog went ballistic on me as soon as I put jeans on and took my hair out of its usual messy ponytail. He was like, "Oh, no, you don't. You are not going out two days in a row." Think I'm kidding? Eric saw it for himself. The dog hounded me so much that I finally gave up, took my pajama pants into the powder room to change back, and while I was doing that, Monty stood outside the bathroom door and howled and scratched at said door. It was hilarious. He must have thought I was doing something even more ominous, like putting on lipstick and a coat.

I mean, really. Who has to put their hair in a ponytail to please a dog? But I kid you not, the minute I shake my hair free he starts to panic. It's really very touching - he's twelve and a half years old and essentially on chemotherapy so he's a bit shaky at times - he won't walk up stairs now unless someone is behind him, etc.

This time last year I was preparing to fly to Nashville to embark on a three week tour with the kids. That seems like a thousand years ago now and I could never do anything like that again, anyway. Selling merch at rock concerts is not for the weak of heart, and neither is touring. I am much better off at home base, living vicariously through J&E.

So anyway, Eric came over bearing gifts of beautiful paintings/collages he made for me and I also got a pound cake (because I don't like birthday cake with sugary icing) and let me plug said cake - it's from a place called Denise's Delicacies in North Philly and I defy anyone to say there's a better pound cake on the planet. They trump Stock's, which is the place everyone goes nuts over but you know me, I never like what the masses like, anyway.

Eric took some pics of the artwork/cake/wine for me to post here and they were supposed to include the gorgeous flowers, too, but they did not, and I am such a reject I tried to take them myself this morning and failed utterly, but I wanted to post the photos anyway so here they are, flaws and all:





Okay, Eric's pic of the cake/wine/artwork isn't flawed, just mine, but I'll try again later. The flowers are truly magnificent, trust me.

Oh, one more thing - mark September 1 on your calendars - Julie, Eric, and Robbie Seahag, a/k/a/ Paper Cat, have a gig at Blockley Pourhouse in Philadelphia. Here's a link to the Facebook Event Page but of course I'll be posting more on the show as it draws closer.

Seems to me I have a lot more to say but I'm drawing a blank right now and have to finish up those reviews and then actually work on my own novel so if I remember what it is I wanted to tell you, I'll be back.

ETA: I'm back already. I knew there was something I left out. It's been so long since I did a regular blog post I'd been keeping a running list. Here's a four part review of Julie and Adrian's recent solo show at World Cafe Live written by Jeff Boule, who has affectionally given me the nickname of birdwoman.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Later,
xo

Crow by Martin Lennon

"Crow is an album of songs drenched in emotion – lots of pain and misery, sure, but also joy, passion and love. These songs are among the first I've written in over thirty years, and they have the added weight of a couple of decades of living and performance behind them. As a former member of a travelling party/covers band, this is my first album – perhaps not such a big deal, but as a 50 year old man I'm proud to be stepping off 'on the road' alone for the first time, as well as being somewhat surprised that it's taken me this long to decide to do it."



So writes Martin Lennon when talking about his debut release, Crow. And yes, he should be proud.

Sometimes I am lucky enough to stumble on new music which is so unbelievable, I knee before the Gods of the Internet and shout "Thank you!" to my laptop and the heavens.

That's the way I felt about Crow. Quite frankly, if this were twenty years ago and Martin had a traditional record label, he would probably win a Grammy as singer/songwriter of the year. Not that winning a Grammy is an indication of great music -- it never was -- but I say this for the sole reason that Martin's music is so brilliant that it crosses over into many genres. Fans of everyone from Leonard Cohen to Tom Waits to Bob Dylan to Savoy Brown and ZZ Top to J.J. Cale type country western/blues will find something to love on every track of this recording. There are fourteen songs, and not a bad one in the bunch. Because Martin does not tell you in his above mentioned blurb, his primary career was as a music critic and I will spill the beans here for you only because as a writer, I was interested in how he would do with lyrics. Well. Try stark, haunting, and perfect for each particular melody. They are Dylanesque, but perhaps even more like Leonard Cohen...or maybe just uniquely Martin. And he was kind enough to include them on his website.

Let me also add that he has surrounded himself with first class musicians for this endeavor. I was not familiar with any of the players involved, but I intend to check each of them out further, that's for sure. On absolutely brilliant trumpet is Charles Dearness; the bassist is amazing, too, and his name is Andy Gilmour, Sarah Anderson, she of the beautiful voice, does backing vocals, and of course we have Martin on guitar, bass, vocals, percussion and programming.

Here's a track by track review:

Magpie – excellent choice for the first song, it showcases Martin's great guitar work and deep, bluesy voice that sounds more like the Mississipi Delta than his native Scotland. He could seriously duet with Dr. John or Leon Russell. I even got a Stephen Stills vibe but then it hit me that the melody is very reminiscent of Traffic's Pearly Queen if it were performed by Tom Waits. Here's a taste of the lyrics:

"I’m just a big fat bird, with a long black tail
I want to steal your love away
I’m going to grab that diamond from your delicate hands
I’m going to steal your love away"

Feels so good – very bluesy, great harmonies with Sarah Anderson and Charles Dearness on trumpet. Again, the placement of this tune as #2 on the album feels very, very right:

"These blues don’t take this pain away
These blues don’t pay my bills
These blues don’t help me overcome
And they don’t give me thrills"

Crow – Having heard the stripped down version last year on Martin's MySpace, this song is the first I fell in love with. Again, dark lyrics that go with the melody and it's without a doubt one of those songs you love on first listen. It gets under your skin, and Martin probably knows this is his best, strongest song – it’s the title of the CD. Or, maybe he's the Crow.

"Sometimes I feel just like a crow
I want to dig at someone’s words
And feel them roll around my beak
Until I know exactly how they think"

Big Black Cloud – Another dark song with absolutely awesome guitar work.

"You broke my heart, you broke my will
And you left me there for dead
You lied to me, you lied barefaced
With every little thing you said"

It's interesting to me how the lyrics move from hopeless to hopeful over the course of the album. Since Martin mentions they were written over a thirty year time period, you can feel the tone shift as he finds joy in both the decision to finally pursue his musical career and perhaps a true love? You'll see what I mean in a minute.

Blue Eyes – This is pure Leon Redbone without the sometimes annoying inflection and really, vintage Tom Waits. Once again, Charles Dearness on trumpet just blows me away.

"Your blue eyes, as they look at me
Blue eyes make a child of me
Blue eyes look and see my soul
Pretty blue, blue eyes"

Easy Way to Fall – This is Savoy Brown meets ZZ Top – or the way ZZ Top wishes they sounded. Are you hip to Savoy Brown? You should be. For me to give Martin a Savoy Brown comparison is high praise.

"You know I want to live
I never want to die at all
But if I must, I want to find
An easy way to fall
I try to never tell a lie
The few I tell are small
So that if I ever slip, I’ll have
An easy way to fall"

Butterfly Girl – probably the most country western tune but without the hokey stuff and cheesy lyrics. Instead, Martin sings:

"Little green shoes on your tiny feet
And your curls and ribbons and that fairytale dress
You’re a butterfly girl in a hard cruel world
And you can fly"

Fingers in your Hair – this is a love song. Plain and simple. Bare guitar and vocals and heartfelt lyrics that sucks the air out of your lungs.

"I hold your hand against my heart
I hold your hand against my heart
I hold your hand against my beating heart
And your love, your love makes me strong"

I Always Knew – Quite frankly, this is a classic. I can picture Harry Connick, Jr. singing this. Contrary to what you think, coming from a rocker chick like me, this is not a slam but a high compliment because whether you like him or not, Harry would take this song to #1, it would be the best song he ever covered, but I know I’d always prefer Martin’s version.

"I knew what I should do
What I should do with you"

Kiss You – When I heard the first few notes, I got a definite Can’t Find My Way Home (Eric Clapton and Blind Faith) vibe, but it quickly turned into something else – sort of still like that but sung by Tom Waits with haunting guitar and tambourine complimenting…

"Don’t want to make you hide your face
Or dance the rain out of the skies
Don’t want to watch you as you fall
Into somebody else’s lies"

Map of the World – Gorgeous, gorgeous song and so Leonard Cohen it’s ridiculous but Martin's musical delivery is better. This is genius.

"You gave to me, once,
A map of the world
I travelled its lines
and its contours and folds
and the faded-ink place names
and symbols and signs
and all from the depths of my mind"

Old Heart – Erm…what was I saying about the other songs on this CD? Maybe this is my favorite? How did this man not grow up in the deep South? This is the blues, baby.

"I’ve got a hard old heart, I’ve got a hard old heart
It’s been broken and beaten up too many times
Filled up with anger and darkness and grime
I don’t want this hard old heart
I don’t want this hard old heart"

Ribbons and Bows – Oh boy, here’s another top hit for Harry Connick, Jr. The horn in this perfect. This is probably the most commercial song on the CD but does that mean I don’t like it? Hell, no! It’s awesome. It's the kind of song that makes me smile and bop around the house.

"All of that misery and all of that pain
What does it matter and what does it mean
We either die young or we live till we’re old
Looking for ribbons and bows made of gold"

Actually, I'm going to reference Savoy Brown again - these lyrics would fit perfectly to Needle and Spoon.

Days to Come – The absolute perfect last song. Gorgeous melody but it’s the uplifting, full of love lyrics, on obvious tribute to his new sweetheart. Or maybe just happy coincidence?

"I will walk through this garden
I will follow you anywhere
I will walk through this garden
All these days to come

I will walk beside you always
And hold my head up high
I will walk beside you always
All these days to come

All these days
These days gone by
They all brought me to here

I will walk this holy path
Beside you hand in hand
I will walk this sacred path
All these days to come

All these days
These days gone by
They all brought me to you"

So Martin Lennon is my official "find" of 2010. And at age fifty, his life is not half over, he’s just at the beginning of Part II and it’s going to be one hell of a grand finale.

You can pick up Crow at the following:

Bandcamp

Martin's website (both download and CD)

And have a listen over at Reverb Nation.

In this ridiculous world of American Idol and Justin Bieber and Lady GaG, it's important to support independent musicians. And people like Martin Lennon are a rare and wonderful find.

Later,
xo

Urban Barbecue with Dr. Dog and Julie Slick is Homeward Bound

Yep, this is pretty much what you'd expect to see when you think of a barbecue with a slacker band like Dr. Dog: lush manicured lawns, shady trees, tropical plants...



We gathered at a top secret location last Thursday night...I was going to Tweet a foursquare map an hour or so before I left the house but even I can't feed 10,000 people. And clearly, I am kidding about what has to be the hardest working band on the planet right now.

Here's guitarist/vocalist Scott McMicken catching a fresh breath of air, percussionist Dimitri Manos, and the back of bassist/vocalist Toby Leaman's head as they lounge on the cool grassy slope. Toby hopes to squeeze in a pre-dinner jog.



Same shot, but this time I managed to get keyboardist Zach Miller in the picture. He really wanted to go paddle-boating but the water was full of hipsters on jet skis.



Ah, there's Toby, sorta, and a better one of Dimitri. Dimitri is clearly considering asking if anyone wants to pitch some horse shoes.



Drummer Eric Slick, reluctantly being pulled away from a round of golf and into the photograph though he's now thinking he'll hit the clubhouse, cleverly disguised as a jeep, for a non-alcoholic beer.



You may be wondering where guitarist Frank McElroy is. I tried to catch him with my camera, but well, Frank is an enigma. Actually, someone told me he was out back, pretending to be a tennis pro.

I can't disclose the identify of the other people who were there because you know, this is an exclusive country club and to tell you their names would get me in a lot of trouble. For real.

But I can tell you what we ate: Chargriled burgers and hot dogs for the carnivores; for the vegetarians - grilled portabello mushrooms stuffed with fresh steamed spinach infused with roasted garlic and topped with melted cheese on whole wheat organic buns, baked barbecued beans (a mix of white, black, pinto, and kidney) with smoked tofu and seitan, baked from scratch corn bread, homemade guacamole with black tortilla chips...yep, it was pretty freaking awesome.

I really like the guys in Dr. Dog. Laid back and sweet, musically driven with a strong work ethic. My son is in good hands.

You may be wondering where is my daughter, Julie Slick? Why, she's on a plane right now, having just left Tokyo where she wrapped up the last of four shows at the Blue Note with the Adrian Belew Power Trio. In case you haven't heard, filling in for Eric for at least the immediate future is Marco Minnemann. Sob..I haven't seen Julie since July 7 when she left for the Vancouver Island Music Fest. Here's the link to a review of their performance with photos and here's another.

Right after Vancouver, Julie flew to California to jam with Marco and a guitarist you might have heard of, Mike Keneally. They have six songs in the can already, and Julie was kind enough to send me the MP3s. I'll be putting them on eBay shortly. Ha ha, just kidding, but they are mind blowing and the three of them are definitely going to work on a future project tentatively called "Artificial Canadian Bear". Julie cooked for everyone pre-jam, and I managed to get her to reveal details for one of the meals:

"We started with a cheese plate with 5 Year Reserve Gouda; Saint Albrais; Black Pepper, Honey, and Basil encrusted Goat Cheese; Strawberries; and Red Grapes.

Next up were Zucchini and Feta Patties topped with Diced Heirloom Tomatoes and Tzatziki.

Wine Pairing - De Chanceny Rosé Brut.

Entrée - Scallops Provençal, Herbed Basmati Rice, Braised Carrots and Brussel Sprouts and a Green Salad with Shallot Dijon Vinaigrette.

Wine Pairing - Joseph Drouhin Macon Villages Blanc.

Dessert - Key Lime Pie."

She told me she took pics, but she's saving them for her blog. Rats! Now I could easily go into where I know she stores her photos and lift them, but I will be a good Mom and behave.

While on the west coast, she also hung out at the The Baked Potato where she jammed with Marco on a couple of songs and I do have a pic of that, but only because it was sent to me by a guy I met on Facebook.



Looks like fun, huh. I made the mistake of clicking on the Baked Potato's menu and almost swooned. Okay, I did swoon. Potatoes are my absolutely favorite food and that's the only thing they sell - several variations, of course, a lot with meat I don't eat, but still...what a perfect world when you can go to a club and hear Marco Minnemann and Julie Slick while stuffing your face with potatoes and drinking Ketel and club. (my current drink of choice)

So I will let Julie tell you about the Japan trip - I've seen a few photos and it looks like everyone had a blast, which is fantastic news...I love for my family to be happy.

Julie's CD continues to get glowing reviews...here are a couple which are especially brilliant:

"At just twenty four years of age Philadelphia native Julie Slick's musical resume is an impressive one to say the least. She studied music along with her drummer brother Eric for six years and as a result got to rub shoulders with the likes of Eddie Vedder, Stewart Copeland, Jon Anderson and Adrian Belew to name just a few. In fact it was her meeting with Belew which inevitably led to her and her brother joining the Adrian Belew Power Trio in 2006. Now this talented player and composer is primed to step into the spotlight with the release of her self titled debut album.

Armed with an extraordinary cast of virtuoso players that includes King Crimson's Robert Fripp & Pat Mastelotto, master stick player Michael Bernier and drummer Marco Minnemann among others to help her get her vision across, Julie has put together an incredibly diverse album that touches on elements of progressive rock, jazz fusion and funk, with even a bit of electronica thrown in as well..."

Read the rest right here.

And here's the other one:

"Utilizing the bass in ways beyond the low end, Julie Slick's inventive approach has created a multi-faceted offering of intricately textured tunes, infused with challenging arrangements. Having played with the likes of Adrian Belew, The California Guitar Trio, Stewart Copeland, & Jon Anderson among others, Slick has brought about her chops and diverse mindset when approaching her self-titled album. .."

Read the rest right here.

Hey, there's an awesome book coming out which features, among some pretty heavy hitters, Julie, Eric and Adrian, and it's called Their Love of Music and here's a link to the page which features J, E, & A: Click!

Speaking of books, thank you all so much for participating in the first installment of Celebrity Book Club. The next book up for review will be Ariel Leve's "It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me" and that will be posted next Monday. This is a laugh out loud series of essays by someone I wish was my best friend in real life...as I read the book, I thought, wait a minute, "it could be worse, you could be me?" I am her! Read the book and if you know me at all, you'll see what I mean. Read it even if you hate me. Ariel is hilarious, and she writes for both the New York Times and The Guardian. Erm...so she's really not me. I write for Blogger and Facebook har har. Nah, I have a publisher - I even wrote and edited a bunch of books - in fact, one day last week I even made myself an official page over at Amazon. Here - check it out!

But man oh man, I have been incredibly fortunate this year. I've read books that have literally brought me to my knees, starting with Susan Henderson's "Up from the Blue", then Tish Cohen's "The Truth About Delilah Blue". In between the two, I had read Ariel's book, but in the past month, I have just been blown away by Marcy Dermansky's "Bad Marie", which I'll review after Ariel, and then what may be the best short story collection I have EVER read, and I'm actually sitting here shaking as I type this because I am including classic authors like Raymond Carver and contemporary authors like Lorrie Moore when I say that...the name of the book is Slut Lullabies and it was written by Gina Frangello. Since I am also going to review Gina's book after Marcy's, I won't say much more, other than I just finished reading it and a week later, I am still stunned. I'm going to aim for these reviews every couple of weeks, so let me give you the links to buy again so you'll be able to participate in my "club", and trust me, you will thank me later.

It Could be Worse, You Could Be Me by Ariel Leve

Bad Marie by Marcy Dermansky

Slut Lullabies by Gina Frangello

As I've mentioned in a previous post, other books I will review as their publication date approaches are "Up From the Blue" by Sue Henderson and Caroline Leavitt's wonderful "Pictures of You".

So I think that's it for now...oh wait, I don't think I ever got the chance to talk about the XPoNential Festival last Sunday, where Dr. Dog was one of the headliners. Everyone (but a few misguided souls who also didn't notice the Emperor wasn't wearing new clothes and voted for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) said Dr. Dog was the highlight of the three day festival. Aha! Here's someone who agrees with me in a big way. And look, you can judge for yourself:



How cool are all the people singing along? Hey, let me add that this was one of the best festivals I've ever attended, with the exception of Zappanale in East Germany, but Zappanale was the first time I ever saw Julie and Eric perform together on an international stage...they were only 16 and 17...and I know I've posted this before but I can't help it, I have to do it again so I can look at it all day today like the crazy, obsessive person I am.



So I think that's it for today. Julie will be home tonight but only for a week, then she takes off for South America with Marco and Adrian, and here's the schedule for that:

AUG 06, 2010 - Teatro Nescafe de Las Artes - Santiago, CHILE
AUG 07, 2010 - Samsung Studio - Buenos Aires, Argentina
AUG 08, 2010 - Guitar Clinic - Buenos Aires, Argentina
AUG 08, 2010 - Samsung Studio - Buenos Aires, Argentina
AUG 09, 2010 - La Trastienda Club Montevideo - Montevideo, Uruguay

Oh wait, one more thing - I have a piece up today at the Red Room which is actually from the old Nervous Breakdown site...I am such a dork, when the Nervous Breakdown went to a new website, I never moved my published stuff there and now it's lost...sob....which is why I decided to repost it today at Red Room. So if you didn't catch it when it was up briefly last year, here's today's link.

And now I have to be a good girl and turn off the internet so I can work on my new novel. After reading the above mentioned books, I've really set the bar high for myself right now and I am pouring my soul into this book, which has the title of "Whiplashed". Perfect, huh. Wish me luck!

Later,
xo

The Truth About Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen

Good morning and welcome to the first edition of the Celebrity Book Club.

As I've been blurbing in previous posts, this is the beginning of a new feature at my blog, where once a month I will feature a book I've read that just blows me away, and I will invite the author and other celebrities in the art world to join in with you, the reader, for a discussion of the book in the comments section here.

So today we start with "The Truth About Delilah Blue" by an absolutely amazing author I am also proud to call my friend, Tish Cohen.

And if you haven't already read this astonishing book, here is a comprehensive list, everywhere from Amazon to independent bookstores, which you can purchase it by just clicking here. It has two covers -- the Canadian version (Tish hails from Toronto)...



...and the American version.



Here is what we writers call the "elevator pitch", or, as Tish's publisher would say, the provocative premise of the book:

What if you woke up one day to learn that you were once a child on a milk carton?

Is that brilliant or what? And that is going to be our basis for discussion, sort of, but more on that in a moment. First, here's the official synopsis:

"Delilah Blue Lovett has always been a bit of an outsider, ever since her father moved her from Toronto to L.A. when she was eight, claiming Delilah's mother no longer wanted to be part of their family. Twenty now and broke, but determined to be an artist like her errant mom, Delilah attends art class for free—by modeling nude at the front of the room, a decision that lifts the veil from her once insular world. While she struggles to find her talent, her father, her only real companion, is beginning to exhibit telltale signs of early-onset Alzheimer's. Just as Delilah’s father falls further and further into Alzeimer’s, she discovers that he’s been harboring a horrible secret for over 15 years, but he no longer remembers the motivations behind his deception… or the consequences. And her mother, who Delilah always assumed had selfishly abandoned them, is about to reappear with a young daughter in tow . . . and a secret that will change everything. Delilah no longer knows which parent to trust—the only one she can really rely on is the most broken person of all: herself.

Reminiscent of the books of Jodi Picoult (House Rules, Keeping the Faith) and Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes, Best Friends Forever)—as well as Lisa Genova’s breakout novel about Alzheimer’s, Still Alice—The Truth About Delilah Blue by acclaimed author Tish Cohen (Town House, Inside Out Girl) delivers a touching, poignant novel about one young woman’s attempt to come to terms with loss, betrayal, and forgiveness

In a new novel as witty, sparkling, and poignant as her acclaimed Inside Out Girl, author Tish Cohen uncovers the humor and heart within the most dysfunctional of families."

This book has already garnered some pretty impressive praise from some very significant people:

"There are some books you can’t put down, and others that won’t even let you look away. Tish Cohen’s new novel is both. Try to read it while ironing, and you will perma-press a pinky; do the same while making a sandwich, and you will end up buttering the phone bill. But as the summer’s first terrific beach read, this isn’t really an indoor kind of book anyway. Both of Cohen’s previous novels (Town House and Inside Out Girl) are in development as films, and The Truth About Delilah Blue is sure to follow. She is clearly familiar with the cinema’s propulsive rhythms, and has an almost Hitchcockian sense of how to uncoil audience guts and play double dutch with them. And yet Delilah Blue is a purely domestic drama; no wild-bird invasions or psychotic moteliers in sight, though there may as well be..."—The Globe and Mail—

“Tish Cohen knows how to slide us into a story, letting us imagine we might know the pathway. But we are wrong because she is a wonderful storyteller and will surprise us at every turn. She has created a cast of characters who are filled with delicious human frailty and love. If you think you know anything about parental love and misguided choices, think again. Cohen peels away the layers of families and human desires and leaves us with a world of hope.”
–Jacqueline Sheehan, NYT bestselling author of Lost & Found and Now & Then

“A beautifully written, finely wrought, race-to-the-end novel about finding your family, finding a life, and finding yourself. Tish Cohen is the next great thing in women’s fiction.”
– Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of The One That I Want and Time of My Life

“[This] coming-of-age story itself—the transformation of outsider Lila into self-assured Delilah Blue—proves satisfying and will definitely appeal to the crossover audience that straddles YA and adult fiction.” —Booklist—

“Cohen…knows how to focus on character in ways that make readers care.” —Kirkus Reviews—

“Cohen’s popular fiction is balanced comfortably between heavy and light; the author employs humour to touch on serious issues, and she has a thing for precocious little-girl characters. Her prose is intelligent and sparkling, her characterization is deft, and she absolutely nails essential details, such as Lila’s habit of doodling on her boots when she’s nervous.” –Quill & Quire—

I would have to say I agree with all of the above and that is putting it mildly!

There are so many levels on which this book is brilliant I do not know where to begin so let’s go back to Tish's "elevator pitch" and build on that.

What if you woke up one day to learn that you were once a child on a milk carton? What if everything you thought you knew about your parents was a lie?

Here’s a theme which repeatedly ran through my head while I was reading and even more so afterwards:

What if you grew up thinking that your mother didn’t want you?

What would your life have been like if you didn't have a mother?

So much that occurred during my childhood up until my teenaged years formed the person I am today. What about you? Let's discuss that, too. I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning but I can name every kid in my kindergarten through sixth grade classes in elementary school and all the teachers, too…I can tell you where I went, I can tell you what I ate…I can tell you how I felt at Delilah's young age when this book opens up, when I sadly laced my big, ugly saddle shoes I knew the other kids would make fun of...shoes I had to wear because back then, they were considered "orthopedic" and would prevent me from being flat-footed or pigeon-toed, I forget which. My mother hugged me tight and told me I was the most beautiful girl in the world, and that no one would notice my shoes because I was so special and brilliant. Okay, so she stretched the truth, and I got teased mercilessly from day one, but when I got home from school that first day of "the shoes", there was a huge, freshly baked two layer coconut cake on the kitchen table, my very favorite, and my Mom beaming so proudly I didn't have the heart to tell her the rest of the world didn't quite agree with her assessment.



Christ, I even had to wear those freaking shoes with my Halloween costume that year...that's me on the first row, last one on the right, and please don't ask what that was on my head...but what I do know is that my Mom made all of my costumes even though like most kids, I didn't appreciate it and wished she'd just let me buy a costume in a box like everyone else. But now, looking back, it was my mother's love of art and music...she was a true beatnik...that made me the woman I am today and I was able to pass those same qualities on to my own kids.


Photo of Eric by Ramie Egan


Julie

I shudder to think what my childhood would have been like without my Mom, but sadly, like Delilah, she would be taken from me way too soon, but after graduation from high school and not by abduction but by a deadly cancer.

My mother was my best friend even though sure, there was a time as a teenager I made her walk fifteen steps ahead of me because I was embarrassed to be seen shopping with her; there were times I wished she could be like the other mothers; but even as a young girl I knew how special our relationship was. I lost my mother before I was really an adult; it was a loss from which I never recovered. She never met my children, and "all I got is a photograph". (Wait…am I quoting a Ringo Starr song? Oh well. It is one of his better ones)

So what if your mother wasn’t in your life from the time you were eight…and what if you grew up believing she didn’t want you?

Let's talk about that in the comments, okay? I'm interested in hearing about your relationship with your Mom and how she defined the person you became as an adult. Conversely, if you lost your Mom at a young age, please tell me about that, and the profound effect it had to have had on you.

Now let's talk fathers.

I couldn’t hate Delilah's father, Victor, an anal retentive man, so frightened, so consumed with love, that he’s lost sense of what is right and wrong. He adored Delilah so ferociously he really believed he was doing the right thing. He thought he was rescuing his beloved daughter from what he just knew in his gut would be a life of neglect at the hands of his hippie wife -- neglect that would surely lead to Delilah's gory, untimely death. Tish addresses the subject of early onset dementia, and your heart will break for Victor. (And if you are like me, you will hit Google because if you are of, *cough*, a certain age, you might identify with some of Victor's symptoms a little too much but again, this is more a result of brilliant character development rather than my walking upstairs and forgetting why the hell I am there and what it is I wanted to do.)

What was your relationship with your Dad? Ha ha, I will save my own experience for my therapist, but let's just say I don't think he would have tried to save me from anything unless he somehow benefited from it. But even that shaped who I am..I vowed as a child to be the complete opposite as a parent and as a result, I have the two least screwed up kids in the universe.

And I did think a lot about Elizabeth, the woman from whom Victor allegedly saved his daughter. Tish does not paint her to be an angel; far from it. At times it was hard to be sympathetic to her, even though she suffered the most horrific atrocity a woman could face --losing her child. But as I read the book, I "got her" and even related. Growing up is hard. Some of us do it better than others. I have two adult children and am still shocked when I look in the mirror and don't see someone their age staring back at me. Tish nailed what it's like to be from the "Hope I Die Before I Get Old Generation" and I ought to know, I'm club president. In Elizabeth she gives us two very different women - a tortured victim and a vain narcissist who must now face the sad truth that she is a fading beauty and no longer young and able to rely on youth and good looks to get by, but Tish has constructed this character so cleverly we have compassion for her regardless.

The co-stars in this book are also adeptly created. We have Elizabeth's daughter and Delilah's heretofore unknown half-sister, Kieran, remarkably the same age as Delilah when she was abducted, who is so obsessed with missing children she cuts their faces off of milk cartons and has every fact about them memorized. Tish tackles another interesting subject here: Does being raised by a hippie Mom automatically make you a free spirit or does it force you to become an adult way before your time and miss out on your childhood altogether? Let's talk about that, too.

There is Adam, a possible love interest for Delilah, brilliant but wounded...I do not want to give too much away about him but let's just say he's a very unique guy as well with some very fascinating quirks and talent.

Then we have Lichty, the eccentric art instructor whose personality will have you gritting your teeth more than once...a man whose claim to fame is that he is related to the great pop artist, Roy Lichtenstein.

Even a coyote named Slash (loved that!) has a significant role - you will actually find yourself rooting for Slash, and if you are like me, you will google coyotes and learn stuff like this.

In Delilah, though, Tish has created a character we love from the very start of the book.

"Look at me - I can fly!" she says at age 8, before the abduction.

But as Tish deftly switches between past and present (going back and forth to Delilah at age 8 in 1996 when the abduction takes place to the present time), and she is a master at seamless transition from chapter to chapter, we are overwrought at Delilah's lack of confidence in her art and her inability to let people really touch her or come close. We see her clearly, how she dresses...Tish is also a stickler for detail and tell me you can't visualize Delilah standing directly in front of you as you read...even in the way she shows her anger at her father by simple yet very telling act of revenge: dumping a can of corn niblets into the trash because they were her father’s favorite food

As you read on, there is building suspense as the story is told slowly and carefully from both Delilah and Victor's point of view, which, as an author, I can tell you is almost impossible to pull off and Tish did that beautifully, too, but just when you are sure you know how this book will end, you will find you are wrong. Nothing in Delilah Blue is stereotypical or predictable.

So. You have the official HarperCollins blurb, you've read what others think, and now you have my take on this wonderful, wonderful book. Let's talk! And authors, artists, whoever you are...please fully identify yourself and provide links to your websites, blogs, or any other outlets where we can find your work so that your mom..or dad...will be proud of you, wherever they may be...whether they are still with us or somewhere out there in the great unknown. And who knows...you may be my next celebrity book (or music) club "victim".

But before I end this post, let me again post the book trailer, because it's just too awesome for words.

Reminder: Eric Slick/Dr. Dog on Craig Ferguson show tonight

ETA: Coolness! Here's last night's Craig Ferguson show - Dr. Dog performs Shadow People.



Morning!

Well, I've managed to upload all the video taken of Julie Slick's one woman show Wednesday night in Teaneck, NJ and last night at the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia but for the love of God, I can't find a You Tube or the like site that can handle a 25 minute clip. Any ideas?

All I can say is, she was astounding. Just astounding. And the response was so great, Julie said, "You know what? I think I'm going to take this show on the road and also do some more local gigs." Hurrah!



But first, she's got the Vancouver Music Fest on July 10-11 with Adrian Belew and Marco Minnemann and then those three will head to Japan for some dates at the Blue Note July 24-27...but there may be some ninja California gigs with special guests in between Vancouver and Japan featuring Julie and Marco. Like I said before, watch this space.

The main reason for this post, though is to remind you to tune in to the Craig Ferguson show tonight, where the fabulous Dr. Dog with the amazing Eric Slick on drums will be performing a song I can definitely tell you will not be the same tune they did on Jimmy Fallon. And that's all I'm saying.

Anyway, if I figure out this video debacle, I will be back!

Later,
xo

Dr. Dog at KCRW on June 30, 2010

ETA: You are all coming to Julie's show at World Cafe Live tonight, right? She's opening for Adrian Belew, and who knows, she may even play a song with him....but that is just conjecture at this point and whatever happens, happens. Here's an awesome mention in today's Philadelphia Weekly about Julie, Eric, Dr. Dog, and, dear God, even me. I do believe that's the first time "esteemed" has ever been used in conjunction with my name but what the hell, I accept it gratefully!

In case you missed the live webstream of Dr. Dog's amazing show today at KCRW radio, they were not only kind enough to put it up on their site, they even provided the code so I can embed the whole hour long concert, complete with interviews, here.

Enjoy!

Odds and Sods for Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Good morning!

Do I believe it's the last day of June? That is just crazy -- how time is flying by, I mean. But this is a pretty exciting time at Casa Slick, and there's a lot to talk about, so let me try and do it in chronological order. As Dan Gross of the Daily News reported this week:

Big week for Slick musicians

"Local rockers Dr. Dog will be the musical guest on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" Friday night, or Saturday morning if you want to be all technical about it. Meanwhile, new Dr. Dog drummer, Eric Slick's sister Julie Slick, will perform Thursday at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut). She's the bassist in the Adrian Belew Power Trio and will also perform songs from her solo CD that features King Crimson's Robert Fripp and Pat Mastelotto."

What was really cool about the Daily News article is that a LOT of people saw it, including Julie and Eric's elementary school teacher, who actually tracked me down through Facebook and sent me this note, which, yep, I admit it, brought a tear to my eye:

"Mrs. Slick,

How have you been? I was reading the Daily News tonight and saw "Big Week for Slick musicians". I am so happy beyond words to see Eric and Julie following their dreams!! I just wanted to take a minute to congratulate you on such a fine and unique job of parenting. I have taken lessons I learned from teaching your children and talking with you and used them to raise my own children over the years.

Thank you.

Much happiness always and a big hello to your children!!"

Oh man, how fantastic was that? I sent it off to J&E and Eric actually called me from Los Angeles, he was so touched that a teacher would remember him from 15 years ago. Oh, c'mon. Who could ever forget the Slicks?

Moving on, hey hey hey, there's more. Today, at 2:15PM eastern, or 11:15AM Pacific, Dr. Dog will be live-streamed at KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.

P.S. Now I am confused because @drdogmusic just tweeted "tune in at 1115 a.m." I am almost positive they mean "pacific" not eastern, but if you want to be on the safe side, tune in at 11:15 eastern just in case. Sigh...naturally I will not be here then, so fingers crossed they really meant 2:15 eastern since the show originates from California which is where the band is right now.



This show may be videocast as well, I'm not positive, but if you click on the above link at the above time, we'll all find out together. But it is definitely a podcast and it should be amazing...I'll tweet and Facebook reminders as soon as they are about to go "live" today.



Then, tonight, Julie starts the first of two one-woman shows, opening for Adrian Belew. She'll be at Mexicali Blues in Teaneck, New Jersey, taking the stage at 7PM, and tomorrow she will be at World Cafe Live, taking the stage at 8PM.

Philadelphia Weekly gives Ade and Julie a nice blurb today:

"Adrian Belew

As you probably know by now, Adrian Belew is the Gandalf of guitar, his experimental six-string wizardry a genre unto itself. For nearly 40 years, he’s held his own playing alongside such notable weirdos as Zappa, Bowie and fellow members of King Crimson, and he’s unleashed a batch of solo albums both unorthodox and conventional. In recent years he’s led the acclaimed Adrian Belew Power Trio with Philly’s own Julie Slick (bass) and her brother, Eric Slick (drums). But now that Eric’s drumming in Dr. Dog full-time, the trio is on hold and Belew’s bringing his one-man show—full of improvisation and loops and odd noises and strange gadgets and more—to town tonight."
8pm. $30-$42. With Julie Slick. World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215.222.1400. worldcafelive.com -Michael Alan Goldberg

Julie's debut CD as well as the recently released Adrian Belew Power Trio Live in Germany DVD will be available for sale at the show tonight in Teaneck, New Jersey and tomorrow at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia.

By the way, Julie has been getting some amazing reviews for her CD and here's links to some new ones since I posted last:

Here, here, and look for upcoming reviews/articles in Guitar Player Magazine and Bass Player Magazine. Pretty damn cool, huh.

And here's a fun interview. and another fantastic one which you may have to be a member of Facebook to read, but here's the link to that - it's actually from the summer edition of a print magazine called Limelight.

On Friday night, July 2, Eric Slick/Dr. Dog will appear on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson and I don't know what song they will be performing - I guess we'll all be surprised together.

After that, Eric and Dr. Dog jet off to the High Sierra Music Festival! They'll be performing on Friday night from 9:30 to 11:00PM on the Big Meadow Stage but the really cool show is on Saturday night, July 3, when they will take the stage at the "Funk N Jam House" at 1:30 a.m. and perform "until whenever" which is exactly what it says on the website. Man, I wish I could be there.

And wait until I tell you what the Adrian Belew Power Trio has lined up for July, possibly August (well, I can't write about it until it's confirmed) and the fall. As you know, Marco Minnemann is filling in for Eric, but Julie and Marco may just have a few surprises of their own lined up. Watch this space!

Dr. Dog has some very exciting things going on next month as well, but I will blog about them as they happen or are about to happen. One thing is for certain, you don't want to miss them at the Xponential Music Fest on Sunday, July 19, 2010 at Cooper River Park in Camden, New Jersey...tickets are going fast so click that link!

Oh, one more thing that most of you have probably seen but d'oh, I totally forgot to post it here and it's amazing. Scott McMicken from Dr. Dog teamed up with Shaking Through and Scott, Eric Slick, and a brilliant musician, Mike Visser, worked together on a project called "Springs". This is some fascinating and awesome stuff:

Shaking Through: Springs from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

And for all you techies out there, here's a video where they discuss how they "made the record"....

Shaking Through: Recording "Waste My Time" from Weathervane Music on Vimeo.

A dictaphone? Where did they even find one of those? Even if you aren't a techie, this is some really interesting stuff.

And finally, to wrap this up, as I've been saying for weeks, I'll be launching the first in my Celebrity Book Club Series and we will start with Tish Cohen'sThe Truth About Delilah Blue.

You need to buy this book. I will be posting my review on July 6, 2010 and then the real fun will begin. So if you haven't already, start reading!

We'll be taking some video of Julie's show tonight and tomorrow so I'll probably be back to post, but just in case life gets in the way, everyone have a fabulous July 4th holiday! But I most likely will post again before then, because I just remembered I forgot to tell you some other things of great importance but I have a 10:00AM appointment and I gotta fly!

Later,
xo