I’m celebrating...

...because that racist asshat Roseanne is canceled.  Now.  Using that same logic, can we cancel Trump’s presidency? 😎

I Hate Him and if You Like Him, I Hate You More

So here it is.  For a year and a half I've thought about what to say here.  I wanted to go about it in a thoughtful, philosophical way.  But in light of recent events, the latest of which are children, torn from their mothers' arms, let me just say this.  The President of the United States is a racist, homophobic, lying sack of shit.  And if you support him, so are you, and I will never be your friend.  I literally and figuratively spit in your face.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I intend to return here in a positive way.  I have two new books on the horizon and I have friends and family who have made great art.

Stay tuned.

The day before....

I know how horribly I've neglected you, blog, but I am so happy you are here for me, especially when I feel like I am losing my mind. This country cannot elect the orange Nazi tomorrow. I'm so anxiety ridden I didn't know where to turn - Facebook is scaring me to death with its dire links and news blurbs - but here you are blog, my nice warm blanket. Anyway, this will not be a political post, it's more of a novel writing warm up. I did something really insane - I decided to retire so that I can write full time again. Working 8:30 to 5:00 was crushing my soul and took all the joy out of my life. Can I afford to do this? Hell, no, but I am taking it a day at a time. So for those of you who miss my daily Julie and Eric updates, what can I say? When I first started this blog, they were teenagers living home and I did't feel it was intrusive talking about their every move. It was a lot of fun, especially since I got to do a lot of touring with them. Ah, that could be a book and maybe someday, it will :). Anyway, now they are both adults living in different states and their stories are not mine to tell. But what the hell, they are both up to all kinds of cool things. Both have all kinds of excitement so hit those links and follow them on Facebook. okay, that's my public service announcement for today. I am really nervous. More tomorrow. i

My new book

So I wrote a new book, it's called Suicide Blonde.

Here's the elevator pitch: "A writer's offbeat, honest look at decades of living hard and her desire to delay senility long enough to bitch about it." Anyway, today Moon Magazine was kind enough to publish the only serious chapter in the book, though I hope you still have some laugh out loud moments, and you can read it right here. Let me know how you like it. xo.

No, I am not single. But this post is one...

....in which I find out I am no good on my own….

So sorry to mislead people on Facebook about my single life – I thought I’d announced it everywhere that Gary was going to rock and roll camp to see our daughter perform and too funny, I hear it was Gary who ended up being the performer one night when the whole group of campers gathered around a bonfire and sang Beatle songs, the setlist for which was put together by Adrian and Gary. As for me, I had all sorts of things planned, none of which came to fruition except lots of meditation so I cannot call the week a total loss. Plus, I learned something interesting about myself. I am now completely helpless. Dinner Wednesday night was a ¼ container of leftover hummus which I ate with a spoon. The next night I ate a Ritter Sport bar and a glass of wine. Friday I did not even bother because I knew they were coming home and I was too excited. So what if they did not arrive until 7:30 a.m. on Saturday? I was wide awake and not even a little bit hungry. I am in a strange place these days. I have an awesome job; I am thrilled at how my kids’ lives have turned out, but I am plagued with niggling medical issues that are driving me nuts. I am down to about two food groups I can eat without feeling awful. The good news is, I am now a size six. The bad news is, I miss enjoying food. But I have had every test there is to have; I know I have a tiny gallstone in my bile duct, but I also know my teeth are the evil force behind everything and I have a whole lot of surgery planned. Feh. I would much rather be telling you about my new book. Or what amounts to the five unfinished books I have been working on for over four years. In fact, book five just started because I took the best lines out of the other four, illustrated them, and was going to call it “Unfinished Business” but then Eric gave me the idea to name is “Fractured Fragments” so I have a title but now I am unsure I should proceed with yet another project, especially one which might mess up the previous four. Oh, I am not myself at all. The good news is, Julie and Eric are in town this week. I actually got to spend my birthday with them Sunday, a birthday in which I reached an unspeakable age. We went to this amazing restaurant called Gojjo where I had this truly remarkable vegetarian combo. Cannot recommend it enough. Presents? Oh man, did I get presents. A Kindle and leather Kindle cover from Eric and Rachel, a handbag and beautiful turquoise earrings from Julie, and an unbelievable necklace and earrings from Gary. Yeah, it made my descent into senility a lot easier to take :) It has been great having the "kids" home. Jake the dog has been loving visitors during the day.

Both Julie and Eric have so much going on tour/music wise that it will probably require a second post, which is kind of what I am aiming for. I really need to get back to daily writing. Blogging would always lead me to my novels, but I stopped morning blogging in favor of meditation, and got a job offer last year I could not turn down - best job ever - so I no longer have lots of free time. But again, I have not been this happy in a very long time. Julie leaves tonight for Italy, where she has spent a good part of this year. I was supposed to meet up with her there but again, life got in the way and I am hoping to travel to see her in Europe in 2015 since she might actually be living in Berlin. And I cried when she moved to LA! But now that Eric moved to Asheville, I am over being shell shocked and again, keep asking myself, Why stay here? Well, because I have a great job, and because my house continues to climb in value even though I loathe my new wealthy neighbors. So I guess I will just stick it out until I can't stand it no more. (trying to quote Popeye here but the grammar is just too awful.) Eric has all kinds of things in the works but one of the funniest is that he is playing Jay Z's Philadelphia festival in Los Angeles at the end of this month. Why? Because his band has a show in Philly on September 13 so they would have canceled each other out. Are you going to the show at the Mann on the 13th? You'd better! It is going to be amazing. Get your tickets here. I have a ticket to see King Crimson the night before. Tell me how amazing that is going to be. Got your ticket for that yet? They are in Philadelphia for two nights and you still may be able to score one right here. I have this fantasy that Julie opens for them someday. I know, I know. But stranger things have happened. Meanwhile, she goes on a 40 city tour with Mr. Belew this fall and I will have much to say about that. Oh, I really hope I go back to my "reporting days". Let's see. What else. I am reading a spectacular book called A Life in Men by Gina Frangello. Just buy it. I promised Gina a review of her last book but it was during a time when my life was being turned upside down by all kinds of death and destruction so I never got around to it. I intend to make it up to her with this novel - it is truly rocking my world. In music news, just buy everything by Markus Reuter, Marco Machera, Tony Levin,Steve Lawson, Field Mouse, and of course, Julie and Eric. You cannot go wrong with any of these and you will be supporting indie music. My fantasy is to turn this blog into a haven for indie artists altogether. I need more confidence in my review writing but yes, I would love to review indie records and books every single day. It's how I get through life - words and music. And a healthy dose of family and Jake, who is, of course, the last child home. Later, xo

Back by Popular Demand

Hello.

This photo was taken eleven years ago at where my daughter, Julie is performing at this very minute. That was one of the best times of my life. I had never been to Germany and I do not have the time or space to tell you about the magic that is Zappanale. I wish I had kept this blog back then but I think they were a fairly new invention in 2003. Anyway, I refuse to live in anything but the present moment but it is nice reliving great memories from time to time. Do I sound like I have become an Eckhart Tolle disciple? Indeed I have. Now I know how John Lennon felt. He who stands with one foot in the past and one foot in the future pisses on the present. That being said, I do enjoy thinking about the crazy life I have led because I know I need to use it in my writing. So my new thing is getting out of bed on the weekends at around 2 a.m. and hanging out alone downstairs in the dark until 5 a.m., vegging out and watching the Food Network (bad Robin!) or meditating. But truth to tell, lately I am just sitting here, reading almost ten years of blog entries, and wondering who that woman was - the one who sometimes blogged twice a day; the mom who traipsed all over the world with her teenaged kids - the one who kept meeting celebrities when least expected and always had an insane backstory to report and a photo to post in breathless prose with lots of exclamation points. When I think of how different life was even five years ago, it is almost as if I am reading a stranger's autobiography. It could not possibly have been me. But it was me and I am very grateful. Back then I had a quick temper and was pretty excitable. These days I am happy and calm. Okay, I am calmer than I was. And I stay out of my kids' lives and don't give advice unless they ask, which, thank God, they don't. :) Of course if you follow me on Facebook, you know I am still groupie Mom, and I am sure I've lost a lot of followers because all I do is brag about Eric and Julie, who are now, gasp, age 27 and 28. You also probably know that Eric lives in Asheville, N.C. and Julie, who moved to LA almost two years ago, is now pretty sure she's going to try life in Berlin next. Once I got over the initial shock, and I admit, it took me a long time, I am bursting with pride. Those two are living the dream. They might not be driving around in limos, but they are earning a living as full time musicians, playing what they love with band members they adore while at the same time slowly building names as solo artists. And I realize with quite a jolt that they have freed me up - I thought I would never leave Philadelphia or this house and now the future, which of course I don't think about, is limitless. (Yes, okay, I do sometimes daydream about living in the mountains with my nearest neighbor 20 miles away after spending my entire adult life in downtown Philadelphia or at the beach on an island or country somewhere in Europe where I can live cheaply and get free medical care). Do I miss them? Hell, yeah. But since they are always touring and Eric's band is based in Philadelphia, I still get to see them and with texting and Facetime, sometimes I think we talk more than when they lived a mile away. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get lonely for Eric's weekly appearances at our Sunday barbecues or being able to call Julie up to meet me at Happy Hour at the latest trendy restaurant, but growing older is all about change and acceptance and trust me, that beats the alternative. I have also gotten very involved in Transcendental Meditation and I have this fantasy that I am going to take teacher training. This fantasy has replaced my fantasy of being a famous author. Gah, I wasn't going to talk about this but I have not exactly been working hard to finish any of my...erm...four novels in progress and yet that does not depress me. I don't think you can force art, and I've been debating back and forth which book I want to work on. Ultimately, after meditating last night non-stop (it works, I swear!) I decided to return to Suicide Blonde, a project I started this time last year. There is this meme going around on Facebook where other author friends of mine are tagging each other to post the first lines of the first three chapters of their works in progress and at first I was sad that no one picked me but then I let it go and was realistic. I haven't written a new book in five years and I kind of dropped out from hanging out on line with author pals. I will tell you honestly what got to me. I don't have it in me to find a new agent and start the query process; I know the odds of getting an agent at my age (not awesome); I know the odds drop even more when it comes to the agent selling the book, and I also know that in the event it does sell, there is no more huge advance money and I can look forward to publication in maybe 2019. With my genetic background, I will kiss the ground if I am still alive and healthy in 2019. Ironically, Suicide Blonde is probably the best thing I ever wrote, and I hate my work. So I am going to do my own version of the meme here. Oh, I should tell you what Suicide Blonde is about. My friend, author Debra Leigh Scott of Hidden River Arts actually spoon fed me my elevator pitch: A writer's offbeat, honest look at decades of living hard and her desire to delay senility long enough to bitch about it. Chapter One: "I never liked the telephone, so you can only imagine the cellular hell I’m in now." Chapter Two: "Hi, Robin, I’m a movie and television producer based in Los Angeles." Chapter Three: "The first time I had an attack of duck foot I went into shock and screamed like a lunatic because that’s how I always handle tragedies." So that's a tease and I am 200 pages in. Will anyone want to read it? I just finished a book by author Grant Jarrett called Ways of Leaving. The book had a powerful impact on me and here's why...well, this is my review for Amazon and I say it there - Grant had to have dug deep within his soul and pulled out some painful truths. I always try and make jokes because that is my way of coping. But after reading his book and repeating the mantra "I want to write what I want to read", I think I can do it with Suicide Blonde. Anyway, before I go off track more, here's my aforesaid review because I really want people to go out and buy this book because it is so freaking great. "Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye. Charles Bukowski in Ham on Rye. What do they have in common? The protagonists - one fictional, one autobiographical - were the modern day folk heroes of their time and in fact remain heroes to this date. Which brings me to Chase Stoller, the brilliant, tortured star of Grant Jarrett's debut novel, Ways of Leaving. Chase joins the ranks of Holden and Charles - he will delight you, engage you, enrage you, and in the end, you will never forget him. Why? Because he will never bore you and you will highlight sections of this book so that you can go back and quote him. Rather than give you a synopsis of what this book is about as others have succinctly done in previous reviews, I want to focus on what Grant has brought to the table here. The spoken dialogue is both witty and hilarious. Do you want quirky characters? Check. Laugh out loud, odd-ball sexual situations? Check. Scenes written so vividly you are right there with Chase while he "interacts" with police officers, doctors, the self-absorbed brother you will all recognize, the husband of his latest love interest, and the woman who got away....or did she? And as for Chase's inner thoughts? Even better. He is Holden all grown up; Charles would have grudgingly offered him the adjoining bar stool and even bought him a drink. Writers are taught to dig deep if they want to produce something extraordinary, but few are able to accomplish it. In Ways of Leaving, Jarrett has done that and more. He is almost painfully honest and while we know this is a work of fiction, the observations Chase makes...what makes him tick...what makes him cry...what gives him hope...all had to come from something deep in the writer's mind. It was as if Jarrett said, "You know what? I don't give a damn what anyone thinks, I am just going to put it all out there. I am going to give you my heart and my soul and everything I have, and I hope you can accept it and maybe even like it." Mission accomplished, Grant. This reader loved it, and thinks it is the top debut novel of 2014." So yeah, I am inspired to write again and I thought I would get my feet wet with this blog post. The old me would now commence spilling a ton of gossip about Julie and Eric. Now it feels intrusive. But I will share what they are up to musically because it's pretty damn cool. Eric has a solo record out called Out of Habit

He also has a new record out with Lithuania

And then there is the amazing cut he recorded with his band, Dr. Dog, and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips (actually, I am not sure but I think the Flaming Lips are on the record, too) and darn, I also don't know if the name of the song has been officially released so I better shut up. I just tried Google to see if it was, and I found this, which I did not know: Eric and Wayne Never content to be in just four projects, Eric is also recording a new record with Lithuania, another solo guitar record but this time with vocals and lyrics he also wrote, and he just put out this new tune with my future daughter-in-law (I hope!!!) Rachel Browne So Long They are so adorable :)

There will be upcoming news about those two - stay tuned. And now for Princess Julie, who, by my estimation, has now finished her set with The Crimson Projekct.

Julie has been living this totally amazing life as a modern day minstral. She gave up her apartment in LA and has literally been touring/traveling all of 2014. She has spent much of the year in Europe, where she has worked with brilliant fellow bassists Steve Lawson in England and Marco Machera in Italy.

She has also recorded with both and the results are extraordinary. Fourth Dementia

And here is the promo video Moving over to the UK, here is Steve, Julie, and Andy

After this tour with Crimson Projeckt wraps up next month, Julie returns to Europe to gig with Marco and Steve, too. Julie, Steve, and Andy

Okay, I know there are gigs in Italy with Marco August 7 and 8 but I can't find the links - I will come back and put them in for those of you lucky enough to be able to attend. So yeah, it is easy to see why Julie is so smitten with Europe and why Eric loves Asheville. At first I was like, whoa, how could they leave me, but now I realize I raised two strong, independent creative souls who are happy beyond belief. And I know without a doubt they love their father and me as much as we love them. So really, what more could any parent want? A book deal? :) Well, to quote Gabriel Marquez: “It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.” Here is to eternal youth. And guess what. I started this blog early today and just finished. Why? Because I wrote two new chapters of Suicide Blonde. Oy, don't tell me I am going to have to write that query after all...

Is this thing still on?

Testing, testing. Well, while I have been away from blogging world, they changed blogger on me. So now I have to take a tour and figure out what is new and exciting. As far as my life: Wow, a lot has changed since I last blogged. Since 2014 marks this journal's 10 year anniversary and reading the archives makes me realize I was happy once :), I decided not to let it die a slow painful death and at least not have it end with a whimper. So let me reacquaint myself with the format here and I will be back. At least that is the plan.

Rembering George Harrison on his birthday

The most gorgeous song ever written and/or performed. I dare you not to cry.

Happy birthday, George.

Dr. Dog Says: Control Yourself!

As a promo for their upcoming tour and new record, Be the Void, all of which (tickets, music, t-shirts, etc.) can be pre-ordered right here, please enjoy an amazing brand new Dr. Dog song, which you will find on the seven inch single in stores on November 25, 2011 in honor of Record Store Day but not on the upcoming release so get thee to a record store and (to paraphrase the lyrics)...just do it!



Also, quick reminder that Eric, Julie, and Tim Motzer will be playing tomorrow night at the Tritone Bar, 15th and South Streets, Philadelphia, PA. Erm...just do it? I see they are calling themselves SMS - that's the first I've heard of that and I like it! You know, as in Slick, Motzer, Slick? Now. Which Slick comes first? A philosophical question for first thing on a Saturday morning? Like wondering about the chicken or the egg?

For those who are busy pondering, I already have an answer for you about the latter.

A chicken and an egg lie together in bed.

The chicken smokes a cigarette and smiles with satisfaction.

The egg frowns and mutters, "Well, I guess we answered that question!"

And with that...

Later,
xo

Being the Void :)

Ho ho no...

Sorry. I'm not in holiday mood or mode yet - wasn't it just summer? Perhaps some eggnog will help. Eggnog made with Jack Daniels. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Regarding the title of this post, Be the Void is the name of Dr. Dog's new record, and you will be able to pre-order it this coming Tuesday, November 29, 2011 right here.

I don't have to Be the Void, I am the void, but that's nothing new and I'm proud of it. All kidding aside, this music rocks and I'll have a lot more to say about it later on in this post.

So in case you haven't noticed, I've been taking an indefinite break from social medicine media including Facebook, Twitter, and really, all things internet. Can it be I'm finally bored of too much information -- in some cases, far, far, too much information -- the unending sharing and with that, the inevitable intrusion, etc. etc. blah blah blah. And so I find these days I would rather spend what little free moments I do have curled up on the sofa with the dog and a book or write my latest project on the laptop with the intraweb turned off.

Yeah, that appears to be what's going on. Also, I have to admit it - I'm obsessed with my new novel but it's a series written under a pen name so I can't really talk about it which both does and does not suck. :)

But to my new readers courtesy of Dr. Dog and Julie's huge base of fans internationally, if you've read Eric's latest interview, he does touch on a subject close to my heart:

"So I was reading about your mom and all of her accomplishments as an editor and author, what was it like growing up with that creative influence?

It was awesome. That was actually a relatively new thing. My dad is also a musician. So my dad was inspiring me in the music world and then my mom was also writing, but the Internet really cultivated that for her. Once we got the Internet in the house she was able to join online writer’s groups, very early versions of online writer’s groups. It reignited her love for writing. So because of the Internet my mom started publishing books, which was awesome. Just watching her do that, devoting hours and hours of time to do that was very inspiring. Some of them are erotic novels, which cracks me up.

Is that weird for you?

No, it just became a funny thing to talk about at parties with my friends. [They’d be like] “Eric’s mom writes erotic novels.” I’d be like “No she doesn’t! Stop it!” They’d go to my bookshelf and read them. I’d be like “No that’s not them! Come on!” [Laughter.] It still happens to this day. You can definitely print that, because my mom would get a huge kick out of that.

So overall a pretty artistic household growing up.

Oh yeah. You should see my house where I grew up. It was crazy. It was like a Willy Wonka house. I’m not even joking.

Could you lick the walls?

You couldn’t lick the walls, although Frank often jokes that I ate paint chips as a kid, but that didn’t happen. The house was all leopard print and exposed brick. We have this big hand chair in the living room that’s made out of recycled gallons of milk. My parents have a very unique taste in furniture that’s borderline kitchy. We also grew up with like 3,000 vinyl [records] in our living room. My drum set was in the living room. All of my dad’s guitars were in the living room. So we really packed a whole lot into a Philadelphia row home. But people always wanted to come over. It was a funky house. It still is a funky house. I was over there the other day."

So now that you know I write erotic novels, please also rest assured that they are erotic COMEDIES and while, yeah, the sex is graphic, they are filled with laugh out loud (I have been told) scenes throughout. That would be the Three Days in New York City trilogy, with Three Days being the first in the series, Another Bite of the Apple being part II, and Bitten to the Core is Part III. If you would simply like to read my very, very creative non-fiction memoir which does not contain any graphic sex and talks about what it was like to tour with my kiddies, then you would want Daddy Left Me Alone with God. Here's a link to buy my stuff but as usual, I am begging that you make your purchases through your local, independent book stores. While admittedly they might not have all of my books in stock, they will gladly order them for you. If not, they're on Kindle and they're cheap as hell. So like, help a sister out.

Anyway, back to my current dislike of the internet...that being so, I still feel like I should touch base once in a while so I've resurrected the blog today to let you know I'm still alive (and so is the dog, by some miracle) and to play a little catch up.

First of all, Thanksgiving was amazing. It was just the immediate family plus Eric's girlfriend, Nicky, who is in fact the immediate family now so yeah, it was just us, which was wonderful and relaxing...you know, the way holidays should be? Let's start with the menu, which was concocted by both Julie and Eric. First, the appetizers:

Assorted cheeses with Devine family (Nicky's parents) preserved pears and warm walnut honey, pickled vegetables - turnips, brussels sprouts, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and carrots. With the exception of the cheese and pears, all were made by Julie. Amazing. I cannot even describe how good the warm walnut honey was - it had a squeeze of Meyer lemon in it and some rosemary, too, I think. That, and the sweetness of those California pears, was such a nice foil for the cheeses and Julie's tart, pickled vegetables. Iron Chef Jose Garces has nothing on Julie in that department. I say that because Julie and I had pickled vegetables for the first time at one of Jose's restaurants around three years ago and now of course they are the rage everywhere. Just watch an episode of Chopped. Trust me, Julie has managed to trump them all.

The turkey for carnivores Eric, Gary, and Nicky, was organic, free range and courtesy of Julie, cider brined the night before:

While that turkey was stuffed, Julie and I got our own tray without the poultry drippings - it was the same ingredients except totally vegetarian stuffing which was a combination of Challah bread, potato, celery, carrots, herbs, shallots, etc. We had a gravy for it made with fresh vegetable broth, freshly squeezed orange, and rosemary. To die for:

We needed a green so Julie came up with this crazy crispy baked Tuscan kale. I may have finally found a solution to my French fry addiction. That, and the accompanying frizzled leeks.

We also had fresh baked (we stole the recipe from) Devon Grill biscuits, yukon gold mashed potatoes with frizzled leeks and crispy shallots, fresh orange and cranberry sauce.

Here's how it all looked together jammed and crammed on the table...

We somehow made room and I'm so glad we did..for Nicky's home-made apple pie which we warmed and topped with vanilla ice cream...apple pie being Eric's all-time favorite dessert.

Afterward, a walk was in order and Nicky snapped this photo of Julie and Eric hanging at the old playground where they grew up - except it's all changed now from cool wood and interesting shapes to one of those new plastic modular things. Blech. But I adore the pic and it captures them the same way photos did back when they were 10 and 11 - always joyous.

All in all, a lovely holiday, after which the family, except me (and Julie, who bugged out and went home), went to John and Peter's in New Hope, PA to jam with Chris Harford and the guys from Ween.

So of course there is even more music news. Friday was record store day, and Dr. Dog released a seven inch vinyl with Sides A and B - "Control Yourself" and "Warrior Man". The record comes in all kinds of crazy colors like hot pink and orange, purple, lime green - it's fantastic. Here's a You Tube of "Control Yourself". Eric sounds like Keith Moon...



Dr. Dog has attracted the attention of Tom Waits, who made this awesome comment and drawing on his Facebook page:

"Attention! Meet others! Hands On! Interact! Discuss! Survive! Congregate - at your local record shop."

See? He's got Dr. Dog written in there. Too freaking cool.

Also, the above video is from Dr. Dog's aforesaid Ninja gig at Kung Fu. Eric's dad was there - and he saw the Beatles in 1966. Gary is a skeptic - it's no secret that he wasn't sure Eric made the right career move when he left the Adrian Belew Power Trio to join Dr. Dog, but he came home from the show absolutely blown away. These are his exact words:

"It was like every film clip I've seen of the Beatles playing at the Cavern in 1962. Crowd screaming, jam packed, and the band on fucking fire."



(That's for you kiddies who can't even name all four Beatles but you should all watch it because it's so damn cool)

By the way, Gary actually saw the Beatles live in 1966 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia - his mother took him - and he still has the ticket stubs ($4.00@). So he knows what he's talking about even without the Cavern video.

Also, there were two awesome reviews of that show, courtesy of the Swollen Fox and Phrequency. Links right here for Swollen Fox (where they say "...Eric Slick on drums. That kid is a beast" and here for Phrequency (where they say "To sum it all up, Dr. Dog's show last night was by far one of the raddest shows of the year.")

NOTE FROM AUTHOR: I THINK IT'S REALLY FUNNY THAT THE REVIEWER CALLED ERIC A BEAST, GIVEN THAT REVIEWERS ALL OVER THE WORLD CALL MY BASSIST DAUGHTER, JULIE, A MONSTER. SO HOW PERFECT. APPARENTLY, I GAVE BIRTH TO A MONSTER AND A BEAST. LOVE IT!

And then the next night, Gary went to see Julie play with her new band, Drgn Kng, and the first words out of his mouth when he got home were:

"Holy crap, it was like the Beatles at the Cavern all over again, Rob. They are really good. Really, really good."



So I'm thinking that Julie and Dom and the whole band should head out to LA when Julie hops on a plane in January (more on that later when I have more info myself) because one of Drgn Kng's members, Ritz Reynolds, is already on his way there with the number one hit on Billboard with Mac Miller. I kid you not.

Do me a huge favor, oh cyber people. Please visit Drgn Kng's Facebook page, and like them. The way the world works now, the more "likes" they have, the better chance they can book a tour.

Here's the direct link to hear some more of their music. They are very, very good. Have a listen and pick up a free download here.

And let us not forget about Julie's brilliant record with drummer Carl Bahner. You can have a listen and order it right here. Also, an insanely good You Tube from their record release party two weeks ago:



Also, in case you missed it, Julie did a show in Brooklyn, NY on November 11 - it was a Spinal Tap Tribute which featured a lot of NY heavy hitter musicians. In case you've ever wondered what Julie would look like with facial hair, well, here's your chance.



Ha ha, that was pretty epic. Loved it.

By the way, even though they didn't tell me this, because even though I have given up the internet I still stalk them on Facebook because otherwise, I'd never get any information, but Julie, Eric, and Tim Motzer have a gig next Sunday night at The Tritone at 15th and South in Philadelphia. It's not on their calendar yet, but trust me, they are playing. I'm sure Julie or Tim will tweet and Facebook the event with more details in case I don't bring my sorry ass back here in time.

So anyway, I started this post talking about Dr. Dog's new record, and I think I may end it that way since I just found a pretty nice review. I heard that some advance copies have been sent to a few fine folks and this will be the first of many popping up, I am sure:

No Mistake in Mix Tape

In their most rockin’ album to date, Dr. Dog comes down from the clouds to unfurl their breezy pop from the ground. Infusing bluesy notes on “Lonesome,” and a high-pitched guitar riff on “How Long Must I Wait” that wouldn’t sound out of place on the last Black Keys album, the Philadelphia quintet finds a more distinct groove. The biting phrase “You destroy all that’s good here/at your will/there’s a part of me though that/loves you still,” comes out like venom on “Vampire,” a mid-tempo number where the narrator can’t help but be seduced by the evil monster in question. Much of the album has the same bite, thanks to its percussive jab that feels indebted to Elvis Costello.

Of course, as is always a highlight of Dr. Dog’s music, beautiful harmonies float like feathers atop frontman Scott McMicken’s punctuated vocals. “Do, do, do, trick, tr’ trick,” echoes through “Do the Trick” like doo wop making sweet love to The Beach Boys.

While 2010’s Shame, Shame took Dr. Dog on a more reflective, gloomier journey, Be the Void is the band’s reemergence into its escapist tendencies. The common ground lies in the glossy production, a far cry from early lo-fi recordings. It suits them, especially on “Heavy Light,” a foray into the islandy afro-pop popular with bands like Givers and Friendly Fires.

Seventies psychedelia chimes through the trippy “Warrior Man” and album closer “Turning the Century” (is that a sitar?). “Big Girl” is an epic barnburner that starts with a jagged guitar groove and culminates in the sort of keyboard-heavy climax that makes dreams come true. If these songs translate live, tour dates supporting Be the Void could be the most raucous we’ve seen Dr. Dog yet. It’s gonna be a fun ride.

NOTE FROM OUR AUTHOR: YES, THAT IS INDEED A SITAR, LENT TO THE BAND BY GARY SLICK, THE PROUD PAPA OF THEIR DRUMMER, ERIC. :)

And in Honest Tune:

Beloved Philadelphia band Dr. Dog are poised to release a staggering burst of vital rock ‘n’ roll with their new record Be The Void. The album hits stores this February 7th via Anti-Records and is the raucous follow up to the group’s critically lauded Shame, Shame.

While the band’s previous records boasted meticulously crafted symphonic pop, this time around the band turns up the guitars and delivers a truly great cathartic rock ‘n’ roll album played with near reckless abandon and passion.

With the addition of new drummer Eric Slick and electronics-percussionist-guitarist Dmitri Manos, the band entered the studio (Meth Beach) with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and confidence, tracking the songs live to perfectly capture the rough and tumble energy of their renowned live show.

“We would just get in the pocket and go with it because it sounded great,” bassist-vocalist Toby Leaman explains. “There wasn’t this endless deliberating. We just went with our gut feelings on things.”

“It was reminiscent of when we were starting out and were these fearless weirdos in a basement, so confident and reckless and bold,” guitarist-vocalist Scott McMicken adds. “It was really liberating.”

The songs on Be The Void flawlessly combine Dr. Dog’s adventuresome and expansive arrangements with a far leaner and meaner primal sound. The beats are harder, the guitars louder and edged with a warm distortion. “Guitars stopped being problematic and started becoming very exciting to us,” McMicken explains.

From the rollicking re-imagined blues of the disc’s title track to the searing guitars of “Vampire,” the frenetic punk urgency of “Over Here Over There” and the beautifully fuzzed out rock of “Warrior Man,” Dr. Dog’s Be The Void is a truly great rock ‘n’ roll record and the unmistakable sound of a band whose moment has arrived.

Be The Void Track Listing:
Lonesome
That Old Black Hole
These Days
How Long Must I Wait
Get Away
Do The Trick
Vampire
Heavy Light
Big Girl
Over Here, Over There
Warrior Man
Turning The Century

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Okay, I am officially wiped out. How I used to do this every day I have no idea but then again, I was blogging instead of novel writing and it really was time to get my priorities back in order. So look for not one but two new books from me soon. Like, really soon. Only you won't know the second book is me. Unless I blab and tell you.

Blab? Who me? Never.

Ooh, ooh, but here's a hint in a recent interview I did for a newspaper in Rhode Island with many thanks to writer/broadcaster/and all around book lover Robin Kall.

Okay, now I'm outta here for real. Books to read, novels to write, dogs to feed, and the final day of a four day weekend to enjoy.

Later,
xo