New Year Resolutions:

1. Get a new job (one that I like & can think & and forces me to actually do something- one I can feel good about & dosen't require me to get up at 4.45am every god damned morning missing out on all the night’s fun- I used to be a night owl but now find myself tired all the time and not able to sleep in on the weekends)

2. Take better care of myself (less drinking, less eating, more moving around, more ‘me’ time, read more, enjoy the outdoors, maybe meditate or think deep thoughts)

3. Get myself financially set (this always being broke, living paycheck to paycheck & in debt shit sucks)

4. Make Music! (I pay rent monthly at the GreenDoor Studio but hardly use it. I fear I'm getting rusty! I want to record an album as 'the le duo (trio)' this year AND work with Kyle on something)

Ok, 2007, lets do this!

holidaze

Tanner & I watched an amazing movie the other night: The Lion in Winter: Starring Peter O'Toole as Henry II, Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine- and featuring the film debut of both Anthony Hopkins & Timothy Dalton (as lovers!) This movie is basically a Christmas tale of a dysfunctional family- a medieval dysfunctional family with sword fights & secret plots to overthrow the king & people being locked in towers etc. The dialogue is so clever and witty with biting insults at every turn. Such great acting by Hepburn and O'Toole- it makes me want to go out and rent everything they've ever been in. The only other movie I'd seen Hepburn in was Suddenly, Last Summer and she was amazing in that as well. O'Toole I'd seen in that early 90's chestnut King Ralph.

On a sadder note, former President Gerald Ford died yesterday- like a lot of Americans, he just couldn't live in a world without James Brown...

nye party plans here!

t/l/d

RIP

Papa Don't Take No Mess

James Brown says...

Have a funky Christmas, and I better see YOU at JB & Tanners NYE Dance Down!!

rosacea

Alas, just like Bill Clinton and W.C Fields I think I may have rosacea. I've always had really bad skin and flaky scalp- I just chalked it up to being white and pasty- but for the last year or so my face has been almost constantly red- especially the cheekbone area- like a constant sunburn. And now it's starting to be painful itching burning etc... so I'll probably have to put my fear and distrust of doctors aside and have this taken care of.

Chaucnizzel

Rapper finds inspiration in Chaucer! Full story here.

Baba Brinkman struts and bounces around the stage, belting out his rhymes about hard living, violence, sex and the secrets to true love. He gets his inspiration not from growing up in the 'hood, but from the musings of a 14th-century English poet.

"Ready to kill with their jagged-edged daggers drawn/The three aggravated braggarts staggered up the lawn/And without dragging on while the story is told/Beneath the tree they found a bag filled with glorious gold,"

Brinkman raps in a seamless cadence, updating Geoffrey Chaucer to hip hop. Brinkman, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, who has a master's degree in medieval and Renaissance English literature from the University of Victoria, has adapted some of Chaucer's earthy, satirical and pious "The Canterbury Tales" into rap.

Brinkman performs the "Pardoner's Tale," the "Miller's Tale" and the "Wife of Bath's Tale." His one-man show, with recorded music and a few props that include a couple of chairs, a bottle of water and a bandanna, is constructed much like the pilgrims' journey in "The Canterbury Tales." He acts as the narrator — a stowaway fan on a tour bus — and plays the part of three rappers on the bus engaged in a rap battle.

motherfucking science is too tight, y'all!

j. bizzel aka the le duo

ubu

great interview with Allen Ginsberg at ubuweb- a neat little website I was tipped off to by Spitting Out Teeth (link on right)

On The Corner/Badal Roy

Friday at work listening to Miles’ ‘On the Corner’ one of my favorite albums & maybe one of his best- unappreciated in its day but now widely considered to be one of the pivotal building blocks of hip hop, drum and bass, and electronic music. The producer, Teo Macero (he produced most of Miles’ seminal albums) studied with Otto Luening at Columbia University's Computer Music Center. The first track, succinctly tilted ‘On the Corner/New York Girl/Thinkin’ of One Thing and Doin’ Another/Vote For Miles’ Features prominently the tabla playing of Badal Roy. According to wikipedia, “Unlike many tabla player, Roy does not come from a family of professional musicians and is essentially self-taught. Consequently, his playing is freer than that of many other tabla players, who adhere more strictly to the tala system of Indian rhythm. He often plays a set of up to five tabla (tuned to different pitches) at a time, which he plays melodically as well as rhythmically.” His playing really blows me away- it fits so well into everything else going on (and it gets pretty manic) I love the tabla and have often thought of getting a set and trying to learn how to play- but I have enough of a problem trying to wrap my head around rock & roll rhythms & time- the Indian classical stuff would probably make my head explode- thats why I like Badal- he incorporates more than just tradition in his playing- I can dig that…

player 2

A couple of years ago, after the end of the band Kyle & Jared & I were in (East Infection/Burnt Col. [shitty cover band- but lots of drunk fun]) I briefly played in a jammy band called 'One Foot Off' It was me on drums, Harland on lead guitar (an amazing musician, one of the best guitarists I've ever heard, let alone played with) Nate on bass, and this weirdy tattooed guy named Aaron who was the singer/songwriter/rhythm guitar player. We had a pretty decent sound- kinda hippy- really long songs- the lyrics were about smoking weed and other ill shit. Played a couple of shows at Nectars opening up for a pretty popular band at the time called the Lestons- things were going ok- then one day, out of the blue- Aaron, who was living with Nate, just left town. He left a note saying he had a 9 year old daughter in Florida that he hadn't seen in years, wanted to spend time with her etc... he had never mentioned any of this to us- but oh well, we kind of fell apart after that which was weird- because Nate and Harland and I got to be pretty good friends and we all wanted to play on- but you know how that shit goes.

Well, years pass and I forgot all about Aaron- until the magic of myspace- he contacted me with three or four friend requests- personal, his new band, his tattoo business- and, oddly enough, one for OUR old band, 'One Foot Off' I thought it was kinda odd putting up a site for a band long since dead whose only recordings were shitty basement tapes- but oh well. Anyway, check it out if you want to hear some mildly embarrassing hippy drivel- the songs are long so skip ahead 5 minutes to where we're really jamming- and remember its in a basement and I'm playing on shitty old drums with crappy cymbals (not an excuse!)

Anyway anyway anyway Nate and Harland have a new band called 'Player 2' and they are opening for "Party Star" Friday night at the Monkey bar. It should be a great night.

hump day

Interested in what Tanner & Ben have to say about 2006? Check out False 45th

Interested in what Seven Days has to say about the puppet "Faust"? ch-ch-check it.

Interested in seeing a great rock&roll show on Friday? "Party Star" at the Monkey House.

Interested in hearing a good album? My Life in the Bush of Ghosts/ Brian Eno & David Byrne

le duo out-

I somehow lost my last post so heres one about Moondog

Hung out with Brian Friday night at Three Needs- we got to talking about Moondog- that crazy blind bearded Viking street performing saint. I first heard of Moondog through Tanner who put the album ‘More Moondog’ on a mp3 dvd he made me. It was all really early stuff- Native American style drumming and that Oo he played and field recorded pieces. I’d like to hear the later stuff- 60’s and beyond…

doobie!

Ah yes, the Doobie Brothers- one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasure bands (along with Chicago, Aerosmith, and early Johnny Cougar)

From Wikipedia:

"The Doobie Brothers honed their chops by performing live all over northern California in 1970. They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels, and scored a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the rustic Chateau Liberte in the Santa Cruz mountains. An energetic set of demos (some of which were briefly released on Pickwick Records in 1980 under the title Introducing the Doobie Brothers) showcased fuzz-toned, dual lead electric guitars, three-part harmonies and Hartman's frenetic drumming and earned the band a contract at Warner Brothers Records."

and:

"Simmons' signature tune "Black Water" (from 1974's What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits) became the band's first #1 single. "Black Water," which featured the instantly unforgettable refrain, "I'd like to hear some funky Dixieland, pretty mama come and take me by the hand," eventually propelled the album to multi-platinum status. "

I'll talk Doobies with ya all night, as long as you dont bring up Michael McDonald. Oh how I loathe Michael McDonald! You ruined the Doobie Brothers with your shitty ass soft rock I-wish-I-was-a-soul-singer rubbish! And thoes Motown covers! Goddamn man, have you no respect? Blue-eyed soul my fat ass!

last minutes 'Faust' publicity...

BURLINGTON, VT — It’s miniature musical theater, and opera for the masses! Viva Voce Puppet Opera is pleased to announce that tickets are available once more for its Winter 2006 production: a scaled-down version of Charles Gounod’s Faust.
The original French opera, first staged in Paris in 1859, is based on Goethe’s 1808 German closet drama by the same title. Its all-too-familiar storyline of temptation and redemption has since become part of popular culture: an aged scholar makes a deal with the devil to obtain youth, love and power, but in exchange, he literally signs away his soul. The beloved Marguerite, an unfortunate girl whom Faust seduces with the devil Mephistopheles’ help, faces terrible trials before ascending to heaven. Who's been naughty this year? What happens to Faust? Come see, and hear, at a pre-holiday show!
All of the characters are portrayed by handmade puppets created by Burlington artist Kathleen DeSimone. Vocalists interact with their puppet-role counterparts to sing actual arias from the Gounod opera at strategic plot points — highlights include “The Jewel Song,” sung by soprano Roxanne Vought as Marguerite, and Mephistopheles’ sinister “Laughing Song,” voiced by UVM grad student and bass Guan Jian. A small orchestra provides sound effects and incidental music, and a complement of live actors, voice actors and puppeteers rounds out the company.
The show will take place on Thursday, December 7 at 8 p.m., at Club Metronome, 188 Main Street, Burlington. Please be on time, and please note that Faust may not suitable for small children.
Tickets are $10 each, and may be purchased in advance at The Radio Bean, 8 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington,

fun

The Avey Tare & Kria Brekken w/ Greg Davis show last night was fantastic! Gregs show was pulsey and droney and just the thing to get me into the music mood- And then the main event- I have only heard a little Animal Collective (Sung Tongs- I really liked it) and I haven't heard Mum at all- but there was a keyboard and a few acoustic guitars up front- I guess I was pretty close to knowing what it was going to sound like- strange little folk songs with cool and interesting vocal chirps and squeals from Kria and lyrics about fetuses trying to talk- pretty much what I expected.

For better and more interesting reviews keep your eyes on:

Highgate
False 45th
Solidstate

One More Thing:

For those of you who aren't planning on seeing the Jack Rose, Peter Walker, F.S Blumm show tomorrow (Thursday) at the Firehouse, you should consider seeing "Faust" brought to you by the Vive Volce Puppet Opera at Club Metronome 8pm sharp tickets 10$ available at the Radio Bean- There will also be a few bands playing (cccome? and Oak) and all kinds of other entertainment. Come one come all!

JB

Magnolia

Tired of standing in line for what seems like hours to have brunch at Penny Cluse? Then Magnolia Breakfast and Lunch Bistro is for you! I just discovered this relatively new downtown restaurant today thanks to Marnie. It's located at 1 Lawson Lane which is that little alley beside American Flatbread. Great menu (features a lot of local & organic foods) atmosphere (its much brighter and friendlier then the last bar/restaurant in that location) and staff. This just might be my new weekend brunch place now that Cafe Piccolo is closed (I got on that train too late) I just hope they fare better than the last 1/2 dozen businesses at this location.

So, enjoy!

t=l=d

Global warming much? Yes...much too much

Here is a great article from the Washington Post by Laurie David, wife of TV personality Larry David and staunch anti-global warming crusader. Basically it describes how the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) turned down 50,000 free copies of 'An Inconvenient Truth' because they didn't want to get caught up with "special interest groups" even though they accept millions of dollars from Exxon Mobil Corp. and other oil and energy companies. So big oil, who have done everything in their power to convince people that global warming is a myth, is funding our children's education. How do you like that shit? Seems if we had a little more money in the education budget educators wouldn't have to take money from these pig-fuckers.

Anyway, I was tipped off to this article by V.T political guru Peter Freyne's excellent blog, Freyne Land.

happy weekend,
jb