bang them skins!

I’ve been thinking a lot about drumming lately, so I’m going to list some of my favorite drummers for y’all

Jack DeJohnette (Miles Davis etc.)
Billy Martin (Medeski Martin & Wood)
Elvin Jones (John Coltrane etc.)
Rashied Ali (John & Alice Coltrane etc.)
Billy Kreutzman & Mickey Hart (the Grateful Dead)
John Bonham (Led Zepplin, duh)
Clyde Stubblefield & Jabo Starks (James Brown, the JB’s)

Who are you favorties? Come on, you can tell JB

The Magistrate up-and-coming

12.18

Spent most of the day yesterday with my good friend Eboni. She lived in Burlington and worked at JPs pub until recently when she moved back to New York to pursue her acting dreams. She actually was an actor in the old days and made a pilot for Nickleodian which I guess wasn't picked up. Anyway, we had a mediocre expensive lunch at Sweetwaters and just caught up and chatted and laughed. We walked around town and Brought Kyle his ipod charger at the Ski Rack. Then we parted ways- we'll meet up later at the Monkey bar.

I went home and made some soup. This is only the second time I've ever tried to make soup, and I think it came out pretty good (the first one did too) there was black beans and kidney beans, cheese tortellini pasta, carrots, onions, tomatoes, garlic and just a hint of TLC. I fried up some tofu using Michelles suggestion from an earlier post. All in all it was great and we pretty much wiped it out.

Nows a good time for me to say, I've been on the wagon for a week now and feel pretty damn good. Last night was the big test, hanging out in a bar with my friends all night. But it went great and I didn't drink or even want to.
The first band that went on wasn't really for me. Lets just say, an acoustic guitar with a guy playing the turntables while wearing a fez and rapping isn't really my style. The second band was a bluegrass band, although they sounded old timey to me, no flashy fast playing, kinda like hammer and saw. The mandolin player was freakin incredible. Plus they played a dead tune 'me and my uncle' so I was happy.

At about 12.30 Kyles band FINALLY went on. Tanner said they looked like Ryan Adams and sounded like The Sadies. I thought they were quite good and Kyles bass lines fit in nicely even though he's only been playing with them for a few weeks and this isn't really his style. It was a great performance, and except for some gnarly noises from his bass amp, I think Kyle was happy with the way things turned out. I was.

So tonight I'm gonna go to Michelles for dinner with some vanilla ice cream and a big 'ol smile. I'll see you there!

JB

saturday in the park

friday at work I needed a little pick-me-up so I put in miles davis' live/evil. now I hadn't listened to this cd for awhile and I was blown away by jack deJohnette. my god is he awesome. his drum sound is so big and live and in your face it kills me. about ten minutes in to 'what I say' he opens up a drum solo that will, unless you are dead on the inside, change your life. you will finally have proof that there is a god in heaven. its like a lightning bolt to the balls. I saw deJohnette last year at the flynn playing with a latin jazz group. it was great and all, but he didn't play like bitches brew era stuff and I guess I was a little disappointed.

my parents divorce is final now after 4 years of separation. my dad just re-wrote his will/living will/power of attorney and asked me and my older brother Gordie (gord-bob) if we'd be executors and all that. we agreed so my dad took us out to dinner at franklin countys favorite restaurant, the abbey. I mean they have a salad bar AND appetizers! it was pretty good in a redneck kinda way. we got to talkin about bill o'reily and the recent sex offender thing here (fry em all was the consensus) and movies. before I thought to hold my tongue I told everyone that I just saw 'brokeback mountain' my sister in law chrissy said (no kidding) 'I'm sorry' and gordie gave me a look as to say 'you still like girls, right?' I shot right back with my trusty 'I do and someday i'd like to have sex with one again' look. how long do you have to go before being considered a virgin again? I must be almost there.

anyway it was kinda morbid and sad and interesting going through my dads will- 'its all pretty basic unless I die before spike turn 18' thats only six months from now, dont talk like that for christ's sake! my dad seemed really concerned that we get some kind of inheritance. it was really sweet and at one point he got a little choked up I think. who cares about money? this is my dad.

well I made soup and i'm going to fry up some tofu (thanks michelle!) and danger mike and fast eddie and ky-ky and I will eat like kings before going to see the night birds in winooski.

love, jB

50th post!!

where is a good place in town to get a haircut? or, does anyone want to cut my hair? I just want it shorter than it is now and not totally ridiculous looking.

also, I have a shit ton of tofu in my fridge, any suggestions?

-how do you make a tofu scram?
-tell it to fuck off.

jB

READ YOUR MAIL!!

I wake up this morning at my normal 448am-get up stretch yawn scratch a little-go into the bathroom splash cold water on my face stare blankly into the mirror for a moment- floss brush rinse- step into the shower to get the water a-going- when the light goes out. ‘no big deal’ I think- our lights always been screwy in the bathroom- we have to tie the string to a nail in the wall to get it to stay on- but that’s not it- nothin- so I go in the other room and try to turn that light on- the same- I hear Kyle say ‘did the wind knock the power out?’ yeah go to sleep fuck snore. But then I got to panicking- I haven’t paid my bill in a while, and didn’t I see a letter from the Burlington Electric Dept. in the mail this week? I look around and find the envelope- tear it open- ‘Our dear customers, we will have a blackout Wednesday morning between 5am-7am in order to serve you better’ fuck fuck shit balls now I’m here at work no shower no breakfast clothes on backwards pissy complaining probably smelly aint them the breaks?

jB

Did Robert Hunter have 'daddy issues'?

On the day that I was born my Daddy sat down and cried
I had the mark just as clear as day and it could not be denied
They say that Cain caught Able rolling loaded dice
The ace of spades behind his back and him not thinking twice
(Half-Step Mississippi Uptown Toodledoo)

When I was just a little young boy
Poppa said ‘son you’ll never get far
I’ll tell you the reason if you want to know
Cause child of mine
There isn’t really very far to go’
(Duprees Diamond Blues)

Blind Carpenter

I saw a great little old-timey band last night, Hammer and Saw. They had great stage presence and kept the audience laughing all night. And even though they screwed up my joke (DROPPED his hammer and saw!) they did give me credit and that made me feel good. The girls next door circa 1910.

The only draw back was how packed Radio Bean was. If there had been a fire a ‘Great White’ style catastrophe might have ensued. And that ‘Great White Catastrophe’ would have been JB barreling out the door, scattering hippies’ beards and yuppies’ scarves hither and thither.

Saturday night I realized I’d rather stay (relatively) sober and give a friend a ride home that get shit wasted. Maybe I am an adult!

jB

mmm mmm good

Well Tanner you missed some shit last night. Kyle and Marnie got into it about sex (me blushing) and it ended up with Kyle exposing himself to everyone and Marn talkin dirty-like about this guy she dated in Belize. I got a great pic (wish I could post it) of Kyle and Marnie watching porn on the computer. So fucking funny.

Man. myspace sucks. I have a friend with an account, and I keep trying to search for her (cooknkitch) and I cant find her. I know shes on there, what the fuck?! I'll be damned.

I saw Aaron (DJ Blase) Hornblas and Ryan Power out last night, and they were both excited about the show on the 16th (Ryan Power Quartet, The Cripples, Nest Material) I think hope it will be really fun + crazy + good and will finally shake the metognome curse off our backs.

I kinda fell off the veggie wagon today after 14 months of pretty strict non-meatiness. I blame being hung over and Yanni with his super delicious steak cheese onion mushroom sandwiches. And hearty cream of tomato soup. boy was it awesome. really hit the spot. And I don't feel bad like I was letting myself and PETA down.

So I hope to see most everyone at the Sinny party tonight. lots of fun loads of fun

jB

All you wanna do is just ride around Sally...

Man, classic R&B is takin a real hit lately, first Lou Rawls and now Wilson Pickett!! I sure am glad James Brown will live forever. We have the technology, we can make him funkier and immortal. Everytime one of these old timers die it makes me realize that all the music I really love and listen to all the time is by artist that are either dead or real old. There are so few bands today that I like or give a crap about. I mean, who is suppose to fill Wilson Picketts shoes, Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmunds? Usher? Terrance Trent d'Arby? Even TTD'A is probably 50!!! We need some new non rap-infused R&B that looks to the old days, raw-funky-sexy-dirty-sweaty-hot-damn!!

jB

The Movie Of Your Life Is Film Noir

So what if you're a little nihilistic at times? Life with meaning is highly over-rated. Your best movie matches: Sin City, L. A. Confidential, Blade Runner

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Who? Who?

At first I was just kidding, but now that I’ve had all night to think about it, I REALLY think the Seamonsters (or at least the Nest Materials) should go to Hooters. Ok, whoa, gimme a second. Hear me out. First of all, the famous wings. Wingy wing wing. Who doesn’t like wings? Secondly, I heard the vegan and vegetarian food was to die for! And they put ginger on everything! Tube Tops! Ok, I made some of that up. But ladies, like half-drunk Ben said last night, I went to Brokeback Mountain with you, you can come to Hooters with me. Mandy seemed into it. What a trooper!

So, when shall we go?

Boobily yours, jB

MLK Day

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I did. It was pretty laid back and sober and I got a lot of much-needed rest. Thanks to Mandy Angela And Emily for going to the 'pictures' with me and sharing their contraband candy. 'Brokeback Mountain' is a decent movie, maybe not as breathtaking/awe inspiring/ground breaking as its been hyped. But next week both 'Match Point' (Allen) and 'The New World' (Mallik) open and I'm pretty excited about those two.

So today I'm going to Chinese Buffet with my father (he never made it down for the Patriots ass-whoopin sat. night. Weather) come home clean the devil out of my apt. Do laundry, grocery shop, and then practice at the new-and-improved NM studio. Cant wait...

JB

Happy 77th, Marty!

Anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed a lot of people,
But it seems the good they die young.
I just looked 'round and he's gone.

Pats 10, Broncos 3

I'm playing the good, all-American boy tonight, having my father over for pizza and beer and football. But its not real serious football watching: like I told Fast Eddie there will be a lot of 'yellin, laffin, drinkin, fartin'

I went out to Flatbread last night w/ Marnie and down-stairs-neighbor Jaimi. We met up with a bunch of Marns old friends including some guy who plays music professionally and is opening for Dr. John soon (a real character, he says)
Jaimi and I flirted all night, but then JB went home alone and pissed like always.

Most of today I've spent in bed, except for a quick jaunt to doughboys to eat way too much food with Shaun and Jessie and Yanni. But I got a sweet bag of day-old coconut doughnuts for a buck fifty. I'll probably take another nap before my Dad gets here, I sill have one of those behind the eyes slightly too much beer and wine last night headaches.

Well, I don't feel as bad as usual about wasting today because I have the next two days off. I'd really like to hang out with Tanner and Todd and Ben+Angela and all the rest of my NM related friends tomorrow and watch a movie or something. Sound good? Someone call me or leave me a blog response. I know this is no 'Highgate' but I'm doing my best here!!

jB

Me in 30 years?

Mecca

O Mecca Mecca Mecca, what the fuck? Being trampled to death while trying to have your sins absolved? Man that don't seem right. And speaking of sins, remember the Menendez brothers? They had a one two punch, patricide AND matricide. There must be a word for that. Anyway, the bride of one of the M. bros (yep, married in prison) was on Larry King Live tonight. She looks like Emmylou Harris.

So after work I went to the studio after going to UPS to pick up a package (and don't get me started...I pay for delivery and then the fucks try my door three days in a row at 1 o'clock pm, and then when I'm not there because I work they make me go and pick my package up? Bastardos!) And Todd Ben & I do some major re-aranging and now the studio looks great and the feng shui made my heart tingle.

Kyle and I are waiting for Marnie to show up so we can finally practice The Le duo for real and rock & Rock. see ya!

JB

Be Bop a Lew Wow

I just picked up a great book at the Crow- Jazz: A history (original title- Jazz: Hot and Hybrid) by Winthorp Sargeant. It was written in the '30's and revised in the '60's, and you can tell, because he uses terms such as 'negroid' and 'coon songs'

Here is a quote on people defining jazz by there own terms

"It was not long afterward that Marxist ideologists were discovering that jazz was really the music of the downtrodden proletariat, and that the abandon, regularity (or something) of its rhythm was really a satirical, martial (or something) protest against the evils of capitalist society." Hot stuff indeed.

jazzily yours, jB (the le duo)

1/2 post

I’ve discovered that power naps are the way to go. 18-25 minutes top.

I was so glad to see some old friends @ the show last night, Brian and Tara especially.

In high school, I had the biggest crush on Tara (Tanners sister) which is kinda odd, because they do look an awful lot alike (Homo-erotic much?) but anyway, it started off with all of us (me, Brian, Jared, Kyle) ribbing Tanner like “oh your sister is SO hot hubba hubba” like high school boys will do. But then I realized that I really liked her, although she hardly ever talked to us and thought that Tanner and I were a bunch of weird, pot smoking hippy freaks. But she eventually got over that, and I got over my crush (mostly) and now Tara is like the tall, beautiful, blonde, lesbian sister I never had.

Anyway, the ½ show was fun, hopefully it sounded alright, and I’d just like to thank the usual suspects (Mandy, Angela, Emily, Michelle, L-Rocque, Fast Eddie, and super-sweet bearded mullet man) for continuing to show up and give us the support we so desperately need.

JB

What I talk about when I talk about Saturday night

Another successful sat. night with the seamonsters. Gahlord + Meaghan, I just want to say that on top of being funny, your puppet opera was very well put together + beautiful and the music was perfect. Mandy + Emily, your cookies and pie were delicious. Todd + Tanner, the synagogue is a great place for a party. JT, you laugh so much and so heartily that it always makes me smile. What do we talk about when we talk about love? Well, I talk about my friends.

love, jB

sat afternoon

I agree with Tanners assessment of last nights show: it went very well and was beyond fun and Brian + Marnie were awesome.

What I did this morning

woke up to find my old friend Yanni on the couch
put our names in at penny cluse
walked over to fye @ the mall
bought Dicks Picks 20 in part w/ my 10$ gift card (spike you cheap bastard)
walked back to the 'cluse
waited
we both ordered the same meal (I think the waitress thought I was the big-bear-butch to Yannis bitch)
walked to Radio Bean bought a ticket to the puppopera
put in the first disc of DP's, napped
awoke, blogged
about to put in 'Shine'

Well, I'll see some of you tonight at the puppopera, others at the synagogue after!

love, JB

NM rant

Lately I’ve been the negative-Nancy-bitchy one at NM practice. I always get bitchier at the beginning of the year anyway, its like ‘another year of this shit?’ but I digress. Mixed signals abound- you’re playing too much, you’re not playing enough- one day its all ‘the music sounds like shit lets never play out again’ and the next its ‘don’t worry about the music lets wear robes and light candles and meditate’ for what seems like endless amounts of time in front of a live audience. I guess no one understands how fat and foolish I feel on stage normally, the idea of wearing costumes or anything gimmicky that draws attention away from the music and puts it on me is unbearable. But I don’t mean to poo poo anyones ideas, and I know I get pissy fast, especially with Tanner. The only way I feel comfortable on stage is to let the music do the talkin, not robes or bear-heads or whatever.

If it sounds like shit it sounds like shit. Remember the old NM? It was ‘just bring it’ and see what happens. Sure sometimes it didn’t work, but we weren’t setting ourselves up for disappointment by EXPECTING anything. As long as some people enjoy our stuff, or at least understand what we’re working towards, nothing else should matter.

But I’m sure these next two show are gonna be great. Brian alone has enough unmph to bring the rock on his horn. And I’m looking forward to re-regrouping for a few weeks/months and then making our triumphant return, perhaps a show at the studio? I’ll see ya all tonight,

JB

Todays Dead

Daddy made whiskey and he made it well
Cost two dollars and burned like hell
I cut hickory just to fire the still
Drink down a bottle and be ready to kill
Brown eyed women and red grenadine
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean
Sound of the thunder when the rains fallin down
And it looks like the old mans getting on
(Brown-Eyed Women)

Half of my life I spent doing time for some other fuckers crime
Other half found me stumblin around drunk on burgundy wine
But I’ll get back on my feet someday
The good lord willing if he says I may
I know that the life I’m livings no good
I’ll make a new start live the life I should
(Wharf Rat)

More Movies

I’m gonna try to watch two movies tonight, ‘The Baxter’ starring Michael Showalter of ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ fame- and ‘Shine’ with Geoffrey Rush. I’ll be puttin them on @ about 6pm so I can fit them both in before night-night. I have a little wine left. Everyone’s invited!

JB

So Cody left today after a whirlwind ten-day-vacation/binge that I like to call ‘the Le Duo experience’ But hopefully he’ll be back in 6-8 weeks and his little ‘sabbatical’ in the US Army will be over.

And Now…some New Year resolutions
1. Get out and enjoy beautiful Vermont more.
2. Put insurance on my car and get it inspected so I’ll be 100% legal
3. Ask Mindy from Waterfront Video out on a date (I’ve been wanting to do this for some time, back when Waterfront Video was actually ON the waterfront)

Also, for those of you who might have forgotten, some upcoming Nest Material shows;

1/6 Langdon St. Café Montpelier
1/9 ½ Lounge Church St.

peace, JB

For those of you in the know, or maybe I haven't really ever came out and said it, I like Woody Allen almost as much as I like the Grateful Dead. Someday I'm gonna pull off a floyd/oz dealy> watching Annie Hall whilst listening to Europe '72. The reason I'm laying all this heavy shit on ya is because I just saw 'Melinda Melinda' and loved it. Will Ferrel is surprisingly not annoying. He just plays a big tall non-jewish version of Woody. Which is probably very annoying to all Woody haters. And dont give me any of that 'old pervert slept with his daughter shit' cause I'm sick of it. But basically the movie posses the question 'what form of theatre (or film) is more realistic comedy or drama?' and then plays out two similar stories involving Melinda (who is extremely beautiful. hot damn) Anyways, I recommend it to all Woody lovers, and it might be just the movie to bring the Woody haters over to the dark side. or at least the neurotic side.

p.s. thanks so much to all seamonsters and others who made my first annual new years eve james brown dance party such a success. and I forgive Tommy for knocking all those drinks over with my sombraro.

love, JB