My life as a Plus One.

Tonight! It is Monday and YOU WILL RAGE

2011-04-04T15:35:00.000-06:00

Donation//All ages//come hang

Flier by PPLANE

Couldn't possibly tell you how I mean.

2011-03-27T21:47:00.000-06:00

Desiring to embody the pace of these songs in my daily life. Nerve-wracked and excited thinking about going on tour again, overwhelmed by being my own boss, never satisfied at the end of the day with the way things pan out. Maybe satisfaction is the wrong description for the desired ends. But the dissatisfaction or whatever it is, doesn't always come out of wanting what I haven't managed to create, finish, or begin—sometimes it is just a jittery sensation that happens later, long after my to-do list has been thrown in the trash. And I lay in bed and think, there was so much more to do, but only if I had the right sway in the day to get it all done.

Show tonight:: Are we not witches? //Hi-Dive//8pm//NOJ + Modern Witch + more

2011-03-26T14:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it is because our community is kind of small or because we have friends who make all kinds of music or because we all seem to slither between genres, but Night of Joy gets to play with a lot of diverse bands/performers/artists. Our friends Modern Witch asked us to be part of an all-local show tonight at the Hi-Dive, and we are pumped about it! Two great fliers have been made for this show, the first by MW's Kristy Foom, and the second by my friend Nate Gross. All the info is below. My only grump is that it isn't all ages, but it happens from time to time. I hate it.

I've been waiting for a guide to come and take me by the hand.

2011-03-24T23:31:00.003-06:00

Wow. This week seems like it started by spiraling awesomely out of control and it has yet to stop. It is a strange and blessed place to be when your work (the thing you do for money) is also part of your work (the stuff you have to do that comes from deep in your insides and doesn't give you a choice but to expel it.)

For money, I write for a living. But I write, most of the time, about things that move me—records, opinions, performances, human error, jealousies, etc. So, to live, I have to take my regular output and shape it into something other people might be interested in reading. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I am constantly at odds with my decision to sell my work, but in the end, well to this end at this time right now, it works for me. I love my job. The publication I work for is very kind to my work, and gives it a platform. I appreciate that. I also appreciate that my job is mine.

On Monday, we played a show with Foot Village that meant a lot to us. I think there was so much riding on this show emotionally, it left our wonderful drummer Fez's body in the form of vomit. All over his drum kit. Mid-set. I couldn't be more proud of the those 15 minutes we did play. Maybe someone got pictures of it. I hope so.

Wednesday, we stopped by Uneven Studio to chat with our friend Bryan about the mixing and mastering of our new record. Seriously, I cannot wait for this piece of work to come out into the world. I want to share it with every single person I know, and maybe some who I don't know. There is so much of us in this record, and I think for the first time, all of our instruments and Vee's voice will be heard with equity, if that is even something you can hear. We go on tour in less than a month, so here's to hoping we have it out on tape by then, at least.

Also, our friends at Brass Tree released the video of our show/session at their house/venue at the beginning of the month. I can't say I didn't feel awkward about cameras being that close to me while a room full of some people I knew and some I didn't stared at us with their arms crossed. But that is a general response we tend to get—I don't know if it is our music, or just us as people that makes observers stand-offish. I hope sometime that can change and we can inspire more people to react with their arms and legs.

Trauma comes in so many forms, and is expressed in so many ways. This week has felt both turbulent and good—there was information I was privy to that is too personal to share on the internet, even ambiguously, but I have to say, it shifted my perspective. It is funny how a heart can break, even just a little bit, for something that hasn't happened and never will. But as a writer, I can live inside the fantasy of what if very clearly, if I just put my pen to some paper and make it happen.

Writing is sexy.

RAW POWER: Foot Village + Night of Joy + more TONIGHT at Rhino

2011-03-21T12:12:00.004-06:00

Man, we are so stoked to be playing tonight with the venerable Foot Village at Rhino. These dudes (<--a gender-neutral term, p.s.) bring so much energy to their performances, it is inspiring. It also makes me wonder: What in the hell is rest of the world doing in order to accurately express themselves? I gotta step up my live game.

Deets:

Tonight//march 21//9ish

Rhinoceropolis//Brighton Blvd n' 35th//DNVR

Foot Village

Night of Joy

Kevin Greenspon

Alexis Gideon

No Funeral

(no particular order)

$Donation$

ALWAYS ALL AGES

Tonight, we DJ.

2011-03-18T17:10:00.000-06:00

Dude, this is going to rule. Tonight, me + Val + Fernando a.k.a. Night of Joy will be DJing this fucking awesome show/tape release party. It's at Rhino. Starts around 10ish. All the info is below, in a video and a very radical flier by Ryan Riss. Boom:

The first question you should ask: Is it loaded?

2011-03-14T20:22:00.003-06:00

Of course it is loaded. I know that when I choose to perform publicly, when I step into a room of people who may be there to receive the work I am about to do/create, there are expectations. The expectation might be for me to be perform in a way that moves them. Maybe they want me to fail. Perhaps they think/know they can do what I do better. Maybe they don't know how to express themselves, so they come hoping to engage a change. Maybe they just want to get fucked up, and don't care that a band might be playing in the space they are also occupying at the moment.

Whatever the situation is, it will be loaded. When I walk into a room with my bass case in my hand, my words/actions/performance are preceded by a mere image. I think a lot of what people think about me (especially as a performer.) I think a good portion of what others think/perceive about my art has to do with me being a woman; This is both simultaneously true and inconsequential. My perception is individual to me, just as the perception of those around me is individual to them. I cannot change it, nor do I always wish to. That is a lie. I want to be accepted, like most humans. I desire to be taken seriously for what I do.

I am subtly subversive, but in relation to the rest of the world, I know my reactions are small. I believe I am still overcoming my desire to be a "pleaser", counteracting it with performances that are more reactive on my end. Wanting to see a change in the people who stand before me when I play and wanting them to like me and what I do constantly at battle in my heart and brain. I don't like to alienate people with my work. I do not choose to alienate others with my art, but sometimes, I do. As an artist, when I play music, I desire to align with those in front of me. I want to engage them and provoke them to do something, generally for the good of themselves.

When my actions are alienating, they come as a reaction. They are meant to combat what is being thrown at me, or what I perceive is being directed at me. Negative language about my abilities as an artist, negative language about my abilities as a woman who is an artist, negative commentary about my appearance/perceived attitude and negative actions in general——like the physical rejection of my existence in a room or the unintentional coddling of my character/persona/person by people who think they have the right to lay a hand on me either with words or a physical handling——all can and do occur when I choose to be uninhibited in public. But I am doing so by choice.

Sometimes, my reaction is out of resistance or fear. I know that when I choose to play music in a live setting, I am eliminating my right to privacy. I enjoy being in front of people. I am not a private person in that respect, and I like sharing what I (and the incredible individuals I work with) create. However, when my personal space is being invaded or I feel that I am in danger, my reaction can become inaction. If I can't stop the invasive nature of other people's actions by simply blocking them out of my experiential frame, I will turn my back while I'm playing or hide behind my hair. Sometimes, my weapon of choice becomes my voice. Even less often, my body is my weapon, but only when combined with the added security and extra weight and headstock of my guitar. I can too turn that weapon on myself, and the aggression becomes internalized because I don't know how to protect myself or express the way the energy in a room makes me feel.

I know that by choosing to be in front of people to share my art, I am susceptible to things/feelings/ideas/perceptions being taken from me, far beyond just my privacy. When I allow myself to be raw in front of people for the sake of art, there is the possibility that a piece of me will be taken without my consent. That is what I have accepted as part of performance. Maybe I don't like cameras at my crotch when I'm playing. Maybe I don't appreciate commentary that demeans what I do, just because someone else feels the need to qualify it right after I do it. Maybe I take things people say or do "too personally" as I have been told for most of my regular life. Whatever it is, I take it. I may not accept it, but I take it on as a part of my performance.

So, next time/if you see me play, know that what you say (how you say it,) what you do (and how you do it) and however you choose to interact, react (or not react) or actively resist the experience becomes a part of what I am doing——right then, right there, right in front of you.

Night of Joy tonight at Brass Tree!

2011-03-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Free show//ALL AGES//9pm//Night of joy + Don'ts And Be Carefuls + Bury My Bones//Acoma n' Irvington-ish//Being filmed! Brass Tree #3!

Here's video of the 1st & 2nd episodes, if you missed them. Dude, check these videos out. Four of my favorite Denver bands are showcased and duh I'm talking about Lust-Cats of The Gutters, Sauna, Thee Goochi Bois and those awesome assholes Hot White. Watch, enjoy, put on a tux and come down tonight!

pssst....wanna get involved and/or play at Brass Tree? Check the link at the top or email me directly (breecdavies@gmail.com) and I will connect you. These dudes are all about the Denver community and want to document it as it's happening. How cool is that?

My Friday:: Blammo release at Kilgore//Hideous Men + Pol Pop + art at Colin's//Jack Daniels n' laptops

2011-03-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Vee and I will be venturing out tonight in this gorgeous and perfect city that we live in to do 3 things. First stop will be the release of our friend Noah Van Sciver's BLAMMO #7! It goes down at Kilgore Books (624 13th Ave., like 13th n' Washington-ish) starting NOW!

Then we're off to our friends Stephan + Colin's (aka our bros Alphabets) house for an amazing art show with rad music and shit! Read here:

Then my job will be paying me to go people watch this type of person

get stupid, while I review Girl Talk at the Ogden Theatre. Remember when I saw Girl Talk at Chop Suey in Seattle in 2006ish? And that time at the Bowery in NYC? And all of those other times? I do. And it/he/Gregg Gillis was really great. His fanbase? Not so much. Still, I have hope that tonight will be fun!

Fear of a female planet.

2011-03-11T10:34:00.001-07:00

Why, when we talk about a woman's accomplishments, is it still necessary to factor in her looks? I know, how dare I ask such a silly question. Especially in 2011. Also, if you're a self-proclaimed "male" feminist, yet you can't drop the derogatory language when identifying women, you're sexist. And an asshole for fronting otherwise. Your coddling "I love women because they do neat stuff" language is worse than obligatory sexist remarks. Why? Because it gives you the shield of my feminist empowerment for you to hide behind, and there isn't enough room behind the work I do for the both of us. So get the fuck out or get honest with yourself about your issues with powerful women. We're scary, terrifying individuals, I know.

I believe that's what a world now identified by it's hashtags calls #realtalk.

Summer synthetics.

2010-08-03T08:49:00.000-06:00

Where I am, at the moment, I think:

Empowerment through sexism, entry #1: Under what thumb?

2010-07-25T12:38:00.001-06:00

I've decided to start a series of commentaries regarding sexist songs I have loved, come to love, or fallen out of love with—based on lyrical content—because it is an overwhelming theme in popular music that by all accounts probably never will let up. This is not a rant. This is not meant to alienate anyone. It is an merely exploration of my own feelings as an observer, participator, creator, and scribe of the one thing that makes my world turn: music. The idea has been floating around my head for a while, as I am constantly at odds with so much of the music I have grown up with.

The Rolling Stones, "Under My Thumb." Released: 1966.

I was raised on The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks: 1964-1971 double LP. (I know, I could write an entire book on just Rolling Stones songs being fodder for acceptable sexism over the last half-century, but I'm sure someone else already has.) I loved "Under My Thumb" as a kid, if not just for the marimba, but for Jagger's whispering, jutting vocals at the end. The beat is usually the first thing that draws me to a song, the lyrics often come next, and then the vocal patterns (a reason why I love a lot of rap music—the patterns in word sounds.) As an adult, Jagger's coos are certainly demeaning; "take it easy, babe" (and the way its delivered) is such a nasty, controlling line. Beyond controlling a woman's actions, words, and the way she dresses, the gentleman also has permission to mentally—and physically, it can be assumed—be involved with other women: "Under my thumb, well I can still look at someone else." This effectively positions women against each other, another very powerful stance taken in rock n' roll.

What I like about this kind of documented Stones' performance are the squeamish wails from women in the crowd who are being held at bay by some squares in oxford shirts and ties. The imagery of women pleading, fainting, and screaming at pop stars is as old as rock n' roll itself; a media-perpetuated hysteria helping keep women in the role of gaping mouthed guppies at the feet of performers. The reality for me, though? While I have never thrown myself at a musician's feet, made a sign to take to a concert divulging my love for a band member, or screamed that feverishly (even for The Strokes), I have been in the Under My Thumb position. I have been a lady on the sidelines waiting for a sort-of boyfriend to come off stage, only to watch him talk to and touch other women in front of me. No matter how powerful we are in our own bodies—especially when we are musicians ourselves—I think women still find themselves waiting in the wings for a half-interested gentleman.

I would like to think I have wised up to not being put in this position with men—but it happened to me recently with a gentleman I used to date, without even realizing it. I've wanted to cover this song for a long time, and flip the script; make it as he instead of she situation. It sounds trivial when I type it, but when you take on the sexist attributes and own them, they can become powerless. I like that idea.

Sobriety, year 4: The inability to check out.

2010-07-22T01:32:00.001-06:00

photo by Sarah Slater.

July 22, 2010 marks the forth year of my life as a sober person. Each year since I decided to get real with my drinking/life/personal shit, I've come to a new conclusion about what it means to be sober. A theme or idea or life pattern/wave surfaces, and I ride it out with major glory until my next revelation. This year, the overwhelming theme for me has been checking out, or the inability to.

Even if its temporary, drugs, booze, or whatever you choose to abuse offers a form of checking out—it’s often called an "escape," but to me, an escape means things might possibly get better if you leave for a while. Like a vacation or something. To me, it's called checking out; checking out of a situation, checking out of your relationship(s), checking out of responsibility, checking out of your feelings, and checking out of owning your own life. Life is pretty fucking scary. Being able to close your eyes on your life, if even for a moment, feels like the only desirable answer sometimes. Sure, mediation can offer a very similar, if not better answer to checking out via a substance. But that in itself is a challenge; meditation is something not easily accomplished, and takes effort and work and a desire to benefit from it. When you want to check out, the last thing you want to do is work for it. Checking out is about voiding all responsibility, not using any mode of thinking other than the one that leads to a path of obliteration, negating all investments/ties you have something/someone.

Over the course of the last few months, I've debated checking out indefinitely—ending one's own life is serious shit. But I figured, I had quit everything I cared about–my jobs, Titwrench, my attempts at relationships, virtually all social and creative engagements (except my band, my saving grace)—so why would I need to be on this planet? I began to see my body as a waste of energy, a producer of garbage and problems, a carrying case for a person who had never had to really struggle to survive, just a space to hold bogus complaints and an imperfect specimen not fit to be around other humans. I had never felt this way before. It scared the shit out of me, and simultaneously made me fearless of my own feelings. If I could die, i wouldn't have to be this anymore, because whatever this was, I hated.

My depression began pre-tour, around April, but was amplified when I came home from two weeks on the road and I realized I didn't want to be where I was, spatially or mentally. I didn't know what to do. I wanted to drink. I wanted to drink so badly. I had dreams about drinking (as I have over the last four years.) I even found myself (outside of the dream state) justifying thoughts of drinking. Of course, I was kidding myself in the way my slithering mind was working it all out; I would say to myself that if I did drink, it would be something small and minor— like a glass of champagne. But what I knew was that there is no one glass of alcohol for me on a table anywhere. I’ve talked about this a lot, when people ask me if I will ever drink again, but it will always be like this: all or nothing. It’s either no drink or its 14 gin and tonics. It's a beer and two shots of tequila for breakfast. It's a pitcher, a 40, a case, a handle. It's never one 4 oz. serving.

The other factor was the mental checking out factor—I was pretending that I would have one drink. Just to feel a little less real. But how? How could I do that when all that was running through my mind was an end to the pain of being dull? I wanted to get fucking obliterated. I didn't want to solve whatever it was that made me feel worthless. I wanted to get so drunk nothing mattered. I wanted to get so drunk I threw up. A lot. I wanted to feel like I let go. I wanted out of reality. I wanted a hangover. Have you ever wanted a hangover? You might never know until you quit drinking and you realize a hangover is just as much of a feeling we live to feel as getting drunk is. It’s a state of perpetual bullshit/I don’t have to do this/I have an excuse to be this way or act this way or treat people this way.

So, I didn’t drink. And I didn’t end my life. And I didn’t check out. I remember crying and screaming at my best friends and bandmate a few weeks ago about how fucking unfair it was that I couldn’t check out like everybody else. I just wanted to be like everyone else— able to let go, not deal, prolong and put off important conversations and life details. My idea of checking out had shifted from getting drunk to getting dead. I never thought I would be in that place, let alone be telling the world about it. But my struggle s no secret, because I know how important it is to let others know someone else is going through the same things daily that they might be going through. I can’t say that I’m 100% better. I am far from peachy. But I’m a sober fake peachy, and have decided I will fake it until my reality feels good again. It may be a while, but it seems like help is on the way.

100% sober and being in 100% reality is a fucking hard place to be. But it is not impossible. Not being able to check out just means you don’t have anything to hide behind. Authenticity is a pretty desirable quality in a human being, even if sometimes, I don’t feel like its my choice to be authentic. It's just how the world is. I have taken pride in being a “sober rager” many times, and when I get back up from this fall, I know I will be proud again.

It just reminds me that hey, we’re all human. And we're still human, even if we don’t have the ability to check out. Wouldn't you rather be authentic anyway?

Night of Joy plays Total Fest + live audio from Titwrench + next show info!

2010-07-21T15:53:00.000-06:00

Man, as a band, we are not always on top of our shit communication-wise. Great things are happening for Night Of Joy and sometimes I forget to relay that stuff to the world! For the last month or so, Valerie and I have been graciously joined on drums by Fernando Guzman (of Bury My Bones, Fingers of the Sun, and a zillion other great bands) and he has changed our lives. We are so excited to be playing and writing new stuff with him! Speaking of how excited we are, our next show is July 27th at Bar Bar. Details below:::

Plus, our show following the Bar Bar escapade is also an important one! Help us help Hideous Men recover from their unfair loss!:::

And also, Night of Joy is lucky enough to play TOTAL FEST 2010 this August 19th-21st in Missoula, Montana!! Want to caravan it up with us and camp out for a day or two? You totally should!!! They had some super nice things to say about us here.

Finally, in post-Titwrench 2010 news, an AUDIO VERSION OF OUR FULL SET IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD! (check out sets like that of our dears Lust-Cats of the Gutters for free too!) Yeah, dude! + Here is some footage of our set toooooo!:

Night of Joy @ Titwrench Fest 2010 from Max Albeck on Vimeo.

Hooray for summer!!!

Why bands don't need managers/publicists/agents/the like.

2010-07-19T00:58:00.000-06:00

Steve Albini is right. This is why the DIY ethos works on many levels.

Stolen from my friend Noah Van Sciver.

This look into the industry opened my eyes a little more, as I have been maybe jaded over the last few years when it comes to how bands make it, why they make it, and what success means to them. The bottom line is, we all make music for different reasons. Some people want to make music their day job. I know I do. But I also want to make the music I want to make, for the right reasons. We can look the part, and shake our hair the right way, and rub the right shoulders, and press release everything we do until our picks fall out of our hands. Or we can play shows, book tours ourselves, record ourselves, hand-screen the jackets that house our cds, burn our own images for our own t-shirts, and make decisions on our own.

Music is what you make it. If you wanna make it in industry, go for it. If you want to make one person feel what you're feeling, go for it.

Help my friends. Help our community. Help Hideous Men make music again.

2010-07-14T17:14:00.000-06:00

I don't know how I didn't meet Ryan and Kristi before 2010. We have many of the same friends, run in the same communal circles, play the same venues, and carry much of the same ethics and ideals for music and our creative community at large. My dear friend Brent talked about them fondly and often, but before this year's Titwrench Fest began coming together early in the year I didn't even know what they looked like. Now, I can't imagine a day going by when I don't think about them.

As Hideous Men, Kristi and Ryan create riotous chopped and screwed dance music with the intent of including all and inciting all around them to get excited about life, music, and their community. Their shows carry a genuine vibe of strictly positive intent, fully authentic and never corny. They give a shit and want everyone around them to give a shit too, without judgement or fear of backlash against their art. Through their label Laser Palace, Kristi and Ryan release hand-made, limited edition tapes by the artists like our friend VIA among many others. They take anyone under their wing who needs support, friendship, or even a floor to sleep on.

My band, Night of Joy was lucky enough to tour the East Coast this past spring with Hideous Men, an experience that changed our lives. From Ryan and Kristi, I not only learned how to best book shows and deal with promotors/strangers/etc., but I also learned a lot about marriage/partnership. Whether they are performing as Hideous Men or sharing a breakfast plate, their love is unconditional. They are constantly communicating, checking in, and connecting with each other. They are no bullshit. They are real people who love and live to serve others through their creative endeavors and basic human connections. After this tour, I found myself reevaluating interactions; I realized that communication and support are truly all we need.

Which brings me to the point of this post: Ryan and Kristi need our help. This past weekend we celebrated our community through the three-day gloriousness of Titwrench, a festival that embraces performers and creatives from all walks of life. Sadly, just hours before their performance on day two of the fest, Hideous Men's van was broken into and their laptop and some other valuable pieces of equipment were stolen. All of their songs—including a brand new song they had spent days perfecting—were gone. Here is a link to more information on what was lost, along with a link to Hideous Men's website, where you can donate and help replace the tangible things that have been so ungracefully snatched from my dear friends. Spread the word, spread the link, and help Denver's awesome DIY community out.

ALSO::: There is a benefit show happening at our great friend Sara Century's house on July 31st, to help recoup some of Hideous Men's losses too. So come enjoy music and real human connection while we help our friends make music again!!

***Flier by Valerie aka Vee aka Last Eyes

Radio submission and Titwrench domination.

2010-07-12T10:40:00.000-06:00

Driving around my car, I'm upset with how much of a small but meagerly satisfied feeling I get when I sing along to KE$HA's "Your Love is my Drug" (who's companion video looks like a live-action Bongo ad from the '90s) or Katy Perry's "California Gurls" (also a video that is boring/appalling with many a cum reference, though the pastel colors are enticing and satisfying.) They are, after all, selling everything I find boring/irrelevant/set-back-inducing about popular music. But then I have to say, that's pop music. It's not meant to be unsettling or motivating or inspiring. Lady Gaga makes you think it is, but if you strip her down, she's just a pretty great visual artist. And if you separate her visuals from her music, the music just sounds like a shittier version of Pussy Cat Dolls.

Submitting to these songs as something that makes your ass shake as much as it can in the seat of a Subaru is what my friend Robin Edwards (of the famed Lust-Cats of the Gutters) and I concluded to be "radio submission." I'm sure its hardly a new concept, but if you listen to something enough, it will become something you like. Maybe not the way you truly like other things—like in my case, the way I have feelings for Black Flag, dieter's tea, NPR, or working out—but in a submissive, head-on-the-concrete kind of way. I have found a place in my heart for the repetitive goodness of Ray J, Teletubbies, and Shania Twain. It's not a dark place or a special place; its just something inside that says, its okay to feel a little for this shit.

But then I have the pleasure/fortune of participating in something like TITWRENCH (which went down this past weekend in Denver) and I remember why its important not to tune out. Sure, not all music and art can move you, but when it does, it reminds you why we have to be moved. To create something, to engage in something, to support something—whether its inside yourself or inside someone else—we have to have a reaction. It has to be real. Denver and its surrounding supporting cities made the three-day fest happen (again! Year two, a total success!) by the good graces of the people who care about music and art.

(photoz by Rose Latka, friends by Denver/Boulder/beyond)

Through Titwrench, the band I am lucky enough to be 1/3 of (Night of Joy) played an amazing set, dressed in one-of-a-kind apparel by our local love Baily Rose. I got to witness something I thought I would never see—a live performance by Caldera Lakes, that moved me to near tears. (And catch the interview with half of CL, Brittany Gould aka Married in Berdichev in last week's Westword.)

I freaked out when my darling Lust-Cats (Westword talked with them too!) played a set like I had never seen them play the dozens of times before—they were so fucking raw and scratched out. Hell-Kite too, with Anne-Marie's voice freaking me the fuck out with its beauty. The f-word is apparently all I have to describe how my friends' music makes me feel. But it made me feel. And it makes me feel everyday.

So, while I have to submit to the radio in my car because I don't have an iPod adapter, I will use that time to remember why I have to care. Why I have to show up. Why I have to participate in this community and the creative world at large. Because every moment of everyone's life is important, and checking out is not an option. I tried it for the last few months—not showing up and supporting and making connections and music—but I've realized that copping out isn't for me.

Thank you, Titwrench, for reminding me why I love music.

A severe dose of reality.

2010-06-11T22:13:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Dancing Alone to Pony, a blog devoted solely to human beings grinding to "Pony" by Ginuwine.

I pine for these subtle days, when lines like "send chills up and down your spine, juices flowing down your vine " were enough. You know, before Pitbull got to say things like "I'll check your pipes, oh you're the healthy type. Well, here go some egg whites."

Sick, dude.

Where are you when we need you, Ginuwine?

A letter to Aubrey Graham.

2010-05-18T01:40:00.000-06:00

Dear Drake,

Thank you for blowing my mind and subsequently fucking me with your eyes. Your furrowing brow was even more panty-dropping in person than I could have imagined. It was so effective, I didn't even get uncomfortable when you said pussy several dozen times over the course of our date, I mean, your show at The Ogden tonight. I didn't even get queasy when you referred to my vagina as a slot machine and a piece of meat (filet mignon, respectively.) You even made me forget for a moment that I definitely dislocate my morals and attachments to beliefs about my sexuality in order to enjoy rap music. But if you make a girl feel sexy in sweatpants, she can forget almost anything. I walk away from our time together jittery and perplexed, obsessed with daydreams that I may one day wake up to your wave cap on my night stand and irritated with my own desire to quit consuming the negativity such male-dominated music buries deep in my psyche. Whatever. I know you just want to fuck every girl in the world. I'm totally okay with that, as long as you understand that I just want to pet every puppy in the world.

Much love,

Bree Davies

p.s.- Drizzy Drake,

Par L7, sludgy excellence.

2010-05-16T14:02:00.000-06:00

Nu Sensae at Rhino last night.

Equity vs. reality.

2010-05-10T20:54:00.000-06:00

Night of Joy at Mass Art in Boston. (Photo courtesy of Ryan McRyhew)

We—Night of Joy + Hideous Men— returned from a 15-day day tour of the East (Coast, mostly) Sunday night. It was life-changing. It was eye-opening. It was something I want to do a million times over. The experience of playing shows almost every night in new places to new people was thrilling and something I still can't wrap my head around. Traveling and playing music forever changed my perspective on the art/industry I have been obsessed with since I can remember. It made me question why I make music, why I write about music, and why I love music so much. When an experience like touring can make you examine the things you have blindly and unconditionally loved so much for three decades of your little life, it truly is mind-blowing. I have come away from these two weeks a different person, charged up and desiring more out of myself, questioning whether or not I want to be a music journalist anymore, and ready to support my community more than I ever have before.

In all of the greatness and love and senses of community I came away with in every city we played, I can't help but wonder: Where were the women? While we played with some powerful bands that contained both genders (Girlfriends and Geffika, and Kid Romance—one fucking radical band that blurred the lines of sexuality/orientation into oblivion) the state of equity on a DIY level in this country felt dry. It felt dead, not there.To be fair, the women who did come to the shows were awesome and assertive, and almost all of them wanted to talk to us about making music and art, which fucking ruled. (And if we connected with one person in each city, our purpose was served, and that definitely happened.) I know I had some pretty far out notions of touring in 2010, but I didn't think there might be a lack of women playing/participating. Sure, we were virtually unknown bands playing in cities who rightfully had no clue who we were or that we were playing, but shows still felt overwhelmingly void of both sexes, and the vibe was sometimes hostile towards us as musicians.

Night of Joy at the New Haven Bike Collective in Connecticut. (Photo courtesy of Ryan McRyhew)

The people we connected with, the friends we made, and the safe space we were given to stay and play (most of the time) was incredible, but I can't downplay the oppressive vibes that came through at some shows. Most shows felt great and went well, but there were a handful that felt downright uneasy. At one show in particular, the man who designated himself to the role of "soundman" repeatedly ignored our requests for adjustment to the monitor and PA levels. Beyond ignoring us altogether, he addressed us as "hun" over and over and over again, and felt the need to embrace me when I was just trying to get the agreed-upon money so we could get the fuck out of there. At this same show, three men barricaded the stage, backs toward us, mid-set. I don't know if this was a show of defiance, drunken, juvenile stupidity, or a combination of many things, but it felt squeamishly oppressive.

I know that looking at where you come from as a reference can often be a biased view, but in Denver, gender seems to be more of a non-issue. Maybe its that we've created a community of our own where both sexes and all orientations feel comfortable and welcome (most of the time) to play music and explore art on various forms. I can't speak for anyone but myself, but my own involvement in the formation of Titwrench has lent a hand to me feeling radically supported by other musicians. But even outside of the Titwrench warmth, there are bands/dudes who have always been not only supportive, but have never treated me any differently as a musician just because of my gender.

If anything, I came away from the few sexist experiences with a desire. A desire to foster and participate in a community that can/will/does produce phenomenal music and art in a safe, comfortable space, free of bullshit and smelly old rock n' roll norms. I'm not proclaiming to be anyone special or powerful. I am just putting a foot forward in the direction of equity, after my experience walking through some pretty senseless shit. The equal and equitable DIY presence is alive and well in people who believe in it. But its important to let those who don't know in on a little secret: It doesn't take much to build something awesome. Positive energy is a fucking powerful thing, so stop calling us "hun." It makes you irrelevant.

ON TOUR NOW.

2010-04-26T21:02:00.001-06:00

Go to my label's blog, Teen Pass Out, to follow The Night of Joy/Hideous Men tour happening IN THE EAST NOWWWWWWW. (Plus, photos and info can be found on the Hideous Men page too.)

Right now? We are cold chilling in Chi-Town. Like this:

Hideous Men/Night of Joy tour in t-minus 24 hours.

2010-04-23T12:33:00.000-06:00

You got it? Roger that.

TONIGHT! TOUR KICK-OFF PT. 2!!

2010-04-20T17:50:00.000-06:00

Well, there's this:::

and this:::

and tonight! It's our tour kick-off show!!!!

TONIGHT 4/20
Night of Joy + Hideous Men
Snake Mountain + Lush Cola + more
Rockstar Bar
3358 Mariposa
DNVR
8pm-ish

Who's Having Fun? Fest goes off today! Now! at Noon! For realz!

2010-04-17T11:39:00.000-06:00

All of the info you need to know is above (and here's a link to a story by my friend Eryc Eyl about it!) It starts at noon, and goes until 10ish (We, Night of Joy, play around 6ish?) Rad bands from all over this beautiful state. All sober all fun all ages party. What more do we need? Let's get the word out there about CO's music community...because it is kind of fucking RULING right now.

Taking control of your own body is a good thing.

2010-04-15T10:50:00.000-06:00

So, as part of the Get Yourself Tested Campaign, Night Of Joy and our friend Joshua Novak are playing a benefit tonight for Planned Parenthood. Come out and support your own health and well-being! It's 5 bucks, dudes. Just do it!

The Carter perseverance strategy.

2010-04-14T23:36:00.000-06:00

I love Lil' Wayne. But my love has dripped close to dry over the last year as I suffered through his dismal performance at Fiddler's Green (especially since his previous appearance at Summer Jam '08 was AMAZING) plus his committing of that terrible cardinal sin in music known as the rap/rock collabo that came in the form of the Rebirth album. I guess Tha Carter III was a hard album to follow, for sure, but in typical Weezy style, he couldn't stop it from being made—this man loves to make records. Now that he's in jail, the Weezy camp might be a little quieter, but I doubt it. I theorize that he's got a stock pile of songs in the form of Young Money tracks—so far we've heard the best spring-into-summer song of the season(s) "Bedrock" and the so-so "Steady Mobbin'"—that will slowly be dropped until he can get out of the big house. I can only imagine what he comes up with while he's on lockdown. All that time and no weed? This could lead to either epic or tragic results. My hope is that he gets out of jail, walks into the recording studio, smokes himself retarded, and quadruples the record sales he saw with Tha Carter III by making THE BEST WEEZY ALBUM EVER. In the mean time though, I will be soaking up everything Nicki Minaj and Drake touch.

The Weezy I know and love:

It's me, surprise!

2010-04-13T12:11:00.000-06:00

Yung Joc + The Mall + Me= LOVE

So, I am no longer employed at The Onion. Budgets are a tight thing, I tell you. And sometimes they have to cut them. But, this also means a big, fat new beginning. Any career suggestions?

I'm hireable, right?

She is water.

2010-04-12T11:59:00.000-06:00

In an appropriate turn of events, I re-joined Facebook—and HEALTH released this video. I would say I'm the girl (if I looked like Juan from Abe Vigoda in a wig), and Facebook (and its contents) are the raging bald man. Except, by re-joining Facebook, I don't think I stabbed it in the balls or cut its head off. I think Facebook cut my face off and removed my dignity.

Whatever. I love HEALTH. HAPPY MONDAY!

Saturday. So kinky.

2010-04-09T00:10:00.000-06:00

THIS SATURDAY APRIL 10th:::::::

pssst...we don't leave for tour until April 23rd, but this is our tour kick-off. One of two. Well, one of four shows before we leave! This shit will be off the fucking chain. Check us out. Check Hideous Men out. Check MMCIII out. Check No Funeral out. Check Phonebooks out. Check Screensavers out. JUST COME OUT, Denver. We love you.

Dreams n' Dolphins.

2010-04-06T11:05:00.000-06:00

This video is proof that no matter what HEALTH does, I'm going to be fucking into it.

Marry me, John.

Women in bands.

2010-04-05T12:09:00.000-06:00

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We are people, and we play music too. Try to remember that when you write about (or write to) us.

Who's got the better collective serious face?

2010-03-30T02:00:00.000-06:00

HEALTH?

or BSB?

Monday inspirations: Heavy on the Gucci leather.

2010-03-29T01:00:00.000-06:00

Come on Rude Boy, are you big enough?

2010-03-28T10:50:00.001-06:00

After making a reference to Vampire Weekend's "Cousins" being some neo-forth-wave ska rip-off, and subsequently squealing at the idea that the Barbados-born Rihannna was singing about a rude boy like he was a pony/porn star, my little sister asked me to explain what ska was. A minute into my piecey history lesson on rocksteady and bluebeat, first, second, and third wave ska, 2 Tone Records, and the dropping off of No Doubt's inherently skanking skin, I realized I'm old, I talk way too much about music, and she couldn't give two shits about ska anyway.

My advice in the end? Just go buy The Specials' self-titled 1979 Elvis Costello-produced record, and see where it takes you. It changed my life and my understanding of rhythm forever.

Who knows. Maybe it will take you by way of The Selector or Operation Ivy. Just know that ska isn't a bad word. At least in my book.

Bang your drum, it's that time:::TITWRENCH PRESENTS::: MARCH'S SURFACING

2010-03-27T12:31:00.000-06:00

So, Christina The Hun is performing at Titwrench's Surfacing #5 tonight, and if you haven't seen her, you must go. Fuck that "tribal" drum shit, Christina is the real deal. The backwoods, raw, howling kind of deal. So legit, we had to track her down in the forest to ask her to play this show. No joke.

WITNESS:::::

Plus, Milch de la Maquina are coming from New Mexico for this show. If you missed them at Titwrench 2009, well—you missed these noise mistresses create some gorgeous sonic dissonance, and oh, a giant bird puppet they created just for the show. Yes, larger than life puppetry. Seriously, I can't imagine what they will offer up tonight! You have to go!

++++PLUS PLUS PLUS++++

Diana and Fez are Bury My Bones. And Bury My Bones is like Mogwai + Sigur Ros + a basement punk ethos. Dude, so good. I can't find their music online anywhere, so really, just another reason to go. Epic waves of guitar and drums. True beauty. Here's the full line-up, the info, the low-down, the whatnot::::

pssst....our fellow Titwrenchers/BFFers Hideous Men are also playing tonight at Glob too, so maybe tag-team both shows if you can? So totally worth it.

Dreamscene - Hideous Men from Ryan McRyhew on Vimeo.

p.p.s- I'll be at the Hi-Dive for Talk Normal, trying to convince them to come play Titwrench 2010. I recently interviewed the radical minimalist duo/sound engineers for my day job at The A.V. Club. <-----Insightful, proactive women heard HERE!

Hey, Drug Breath-

2010-03-26T22:45:00.001-06:00

If you're going to be a sexist prick when talking about my band (and women in bands in general), I suggest you take your circle jerk somewhere else. I don't want to know why you feel the need to put down other people making music, especially if it has to do with something as obsolete as gender. So, god forbid your dick-wanking attitude gets within four feet of me or my band or any other successful woman ever again, rest assured I will point at that roll of dimes you call an ego, laugh loudly, and warn the others. But even better, if you would just take your hands off of your dick for a second and pick up a guitar, I would take you seriously.

Don't get me wrong; I love dick. Just not yours. Because its small, unimportant, and frankly, it fucking stinks.

It's like a swiss cake roll, with a birthday candle stuck in the top.

2010-03-25T12:25:00.000-06:00

So stoked on this,

because I still have madd love for this,

and that sick beat makes me want to go roller skating ASAP, you know what I mean?

Is it April 2nd yet?

2010-03-24T21:31:00.000-06:00

Better yet, is it May 17th yet?

DRAKE IS SO FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE. Just sayin'.

p.s.- When did Lloyd join Young Money?

p.s.s.- I was sporting a Barbie necklace two years ago, and getting madd shit for it. But see? Nicki and I know what's up.

New drummer/New NOJ/New life

2010-03-22T23:52:00.000-06:00

Dude. The show we played on Saturday night was legendary. Bury My Bones blew everyone away. Faux-gutter punx circle-jerked to Thee Goochi Boiz. Little Fyodor made all of us look like fucking amateurs. Fez from 900 Ancestors/Bury My Bones/Fissure Mystic/a thousand other bands was so so so nice and let us use his drum kit, plus Tom Murphy supplied us with a grounded guitar, and an adapter for my pedal. Also, GERMAINE BACA (formerly of Rainbow Sugar + Old Time Relijun + Sin Desires Marie + lots of other rad bands) now completes the Night of Joy trifecta as our drummer! We are reborn. It was one of the best shows I've ever played, personally. Everything felt so right.

Vee, Me, Germaine. THE NEW AND WAY IMPROVED NIGHT OF JOY! (((photo by Raul San Miguel)))

You know when things just feel right? This feels right. Come see us April 10th at Rhino with our siamese twins, Hideous Men. It's our joint tour kick-off show, and is bound to rule. Hard.

On the issue of public masturbation and Vampire Weekend.

2010-03-20T00:41:00.001-06:00

I finally saw Vampire Weekend live for the first time. Meaning, I masturbated in public. Well, I masturbated in my mind anyway. My love for Vampire Weekend is too strong, but not a guilty pleasure—a recent and excellent piece by Robert Rutherford over at Donnybrook reminded me that I myself don't believe in such a sissy concept; there shouldn't be anything guilty about liking art. But the way I love Vampire Weekend seems unfair to the other things I hold so dear—things like Iggy Pop, Nirvana, and Lester Bangs should add up to some level of consciousness that would say no to four dudes who make peppy preppy american-african east coast dance rock about fucking college girls. But Vampire Weekend overrides my self-education into the catacombs of coolness and supposedly good taste because the bottom line is, they feel good. God, do they feel good to me.

I should clarify here too that when I say masturbatory, I mean self-indulgent; I chose to see Vampire Weekend live to satisfy a desire in me, not to see if they were any good. I can't quantify my experience at their show because the reason I was there was solely about me. It's kind of like people that go to see Bad Fish or 40 Oz. Freedom, Sublime cover bands. They don't go because they LOVE Sublime necessarily; they go because they want to hear "Badfish" live. Bands that play county fairs are around for this very reason.

I shied away with an iron fist from VP's first album—I was living in Brooklyn, the land where everything is released light years before record companies and indie schmoes get a hold of it and spew it at the general public. The album that included "Mansard Roof" and "Oxford Comma" wasn't even a whole album yet, it was just a series of songs/demos that my roommate listened to over and over again as she tried to track the band down to take their portrait. She knew they were going to be big, huge even. I scoffed at the idea. These stupid college boys with all of this fucking attitude and a stupid band name were going to be big? I much preferred Tokyo Police Club. I was wrong. No one likes Tokyo Police Club anymore. Everyone loves Vampire Weekend.

Eventually, two years later, I changed my mind. Actually, it was more that something inside of my body changed. All of a sudden, all it wanted was to hear Vampire Weekend— over and over and over again. It felt much like that period in 2009 where I only listened to T. Rex for nine months straight. Something inside of me snapped, and I wanted to hear songs that projected my being into all of Ezra's female roles and themes: the freshman girl wearing Bennetton who he fucks while listening to reggaeton. Maybe the girl he spills (or watchers herself spill) Kefir on. Even the girl who—gasp—ends up looking dowdy in sweatshirts, (much to his supposed absolute horror).

Then things got worse. I tried to go without listening to Contra after it was released in January—"Cousins" was just another dumb ska rip-off, and hardly a tempting peek at the record. But one night, driving home and little dazed, I heard a review on NPR of Contra and my body was once again out of my control. I went out the next day and bought the fucking album. Now, here I am, two and a half months later, fully engaged in Ezra's fantasy land, a world where I'm now the uptown girl in the grocery (and eventually across the subway track) flirting with high class words. I'm the apathetic t-shirt wearing LA teen with no real concern for the environment, just a love for anything "green" and nichey like Tom's of Maine Toothpaste. I am the girl that he begs never to pick sides.

Watching them live and being able to close my eyes and hear the words I step into on a daily basis while I drive to work was a sensory overload; I blocked out all of the weed and air drums happening around me at the show and let Ezra tell me how sure he was. Vampire Weekend's beats and synthetic vacation horns make my hips feel good, but it was (and will always be) the lyrics I relish in. Live was better than listening to them in the shower, or the car, or on the treadmill, or before I go to bed, sure, but I don't think it would have mattered any which way. The band's performance wasn't bad or good. It was there, and I so was I. It was everything I ever wanted Vampire Weekend live to be: pretty, smooth, hardly unnerving, and generally pleasant in all respects. But now that the show is over, I wonder: did I really need to do that in public? Did I need to indulge in my secret Vampire Weekend fantasies in front of others, instead of in front of the privacy of my bedroom vanity mirror?

The answer is yes. Because sometimes, where a little bit of competition means so much, a little bit of change is all my little fingers touch.

But in case you needed a boner kill, here is the trailer for what looks to be the biggest bummer biopic in rock history:

If Dakota Fanning doesn't make you feel icky about looking at her dance uncomfortably in lipstick, you might have a problem.

To your ankles.

2010-03-16T16:34:00.000-06:00

If I had a time machine, I would go back to 2002. Then I would be 21 and the Snake Pit would have Shag Night on Wednesdays and I could dance to The Jam. And alcohol wouldn't be a problem yet, only a precursor to a good time and a gateway to a slice of Benny Blancos that I would enjoy on the cement barricade on 13th at 2am with Navy Girls, before we retreated to a Grant Street apartment for some funny stuff and a few ESG/Ornette Coleman records.

TEEN PASS OUT///YOUR NEW FAVORITE TAPE LABEL

2010-03-14T09:59:00.000-06:00

So, my creative/musical/spiritual twin soul Valerie and I started a cassette tape label called Teen Pass Out recently, and our first release, Chump Fiesta comes out tonight! It's a split between us (Night Of Joy)/Lust-Cats Of The Gutters/Thee Goochi Boiz. (Pssst...Trevor from Thee Goochis plays drums on our recordings!) Tonight's release show is also a tour kick-off for the Lust-Cats, with all door donations going to help these girls on their first & MOST EPIC tour beginning next week in Oakland.

Here's the info:::

To get a sneak peak at some of the tracks, go to the Teen Pass Out Myspace to listen! COME SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC TONIGHT!

The 808's on time.

2010-03-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

I've seen Cyndi Lauper live four times, I believe? The most memorable time was when I was in LA visiting my friend Allister (who's style is impeccable, photography is amazing, and spirit and drive are inspiring!) and she took us to see a live taping of The Jimmy Kimmel Show. Cyndi was the guest performer, and as I stood on the hot tar of a studio parking lot, she sang to me from 10 feet away—and I started crying. Every time I see Cyndi live, I lose it. My love for her work began when I was four, and I've held her in pretty high regard ever since. She' So Unusual was the first tape/album/piece of music I ever owned that was mine—not my parent's. Cyndi made me want to make music, and got me interested in fashion around this same age. And, imagine that—she grew into being a driving advocate for the GLBT community, a role I have also found inspiration in as I've grown into an adult-like person.

"Time After Time" has been covered a million times, but the INOJ version is the one I love almost as much as the original. It's just a really simple, radical jam. Enjoy your Saturday!

It's that shit that will get you high.

2010-03-10T12:42:00.001-07:00

What lovvvvvve looks a whole lot like to me.

2010-03-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Tripping on this eternal thing called time, and the idea of my place on the planet, I feel simultaneously terminally lucky and terminally fucked. There is nothing unique about my feeling this way. We all do. A lot. For some reason, its only definable at teen-age and middle-age...but all the ages between are equally jarring. I don't search for purpose; that seems like a long journey just to hopefully find another long journey at the end of it. But what I do seek is stimulation, money, happy times, and some sort of ultimate prize I've decided is either fame, companionship, record sales, or one sloppy but epic make-out in the grass of a park somewhere in the suburbs. I'm brutal to myself and others, because my expectations for human beings is up there with coffee not tasting burned or a live show making my ears ring for the right reasons. I have learned that I don't have a grey mechanism in my heart, only a black and white one. I judge, I pursue, and I welcome everyone into my life, even if they are deviants. I seem to know the right way to collect lost souls of serial killers and mean dogs, but often shy away from the people who probably look more like candy on the inside.

Those are the people I need around. Or like The Smoking Popes said on a pager message from my first boyfriend once, "I need you around."

I wanna trip hard too.

2010-03-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Animal Collective made a movie, which I am so stoked about! ODDSAC will be coming to a bunch of cities that aren't Denver this month, along with some or all of AC for a Q&A session. Below is the trailer, plus dates for showings. I'll just have to wait to watch it from the comfort of my own home, with a Kombucha in one hand and a chihuahua in the other.

March 17
Chicago IL, USA
Music Box Theatre
$15. 7pm, 9pm.

March 20
Minneapolis MN, USA
The Cedar
$15. 7pm, 9pm.

March 22
Los Angeles CA, USA
ArcLight Cinerama Dome
$15. 7pm, 9pm.

March 25
San Francisco CA, USA
Sundance Kabuki Cinemas
$15. 6:30pm, 8:30pm.

March 29
Portland OR, USA
Cinema 21
$15. 7pm, 9pm.

March 30
Seattle WA, USA
The Egyptian Theatre
$15. 7pm, 9pm.

Sexy, can I?

2010-03-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

As most of you who know me are aware, I'm a gym ho. I don't go to one gym, I visit multiple workout havens weekly— in fact, I started going to two different facilities in one day. I spread the love, and kind of don't care. I belong to 24Hour Fitness (and go to three different locations), I indulge in hot yoga three times a week at Corepower, I take a 90-minute boxing class twice a week, I just took up spin at Breathe, and with the warm weather coming around, started doing a self-designed boot camp at Confluence Park with my BFF Rosita. I live to work out, and a huge part of what keeps me going (like most things in my life) is music. My friend Jamie asked me to make her a work out mix recently, and I thought she wouldn't mind if I shared it with others. So, below is a link to a downloadable mix of some of my favorite songs to work out to! It includes Kelly Clarkson, Pictureplane, Yelle, Metro Station, and more—including my favorite motivational work out song of all time, the one and only:

DOWNLOAD.
GET ON THE STAIRMASTER. SEE YOU IN FINE ASS-VILLE!

p.s- Pick up a class or two with my friend Jen Nordhem a.k.a. Jen Hurricane at Breathe, seriously. She does a Metal Monday class and a Thrasher Thursday class, as well as a cycle/abs combo class on Tuesday nights—last week, she played Crystal Castles and Kid Sister. She's a great teacher for all levels, and has a SICK taste in music!

Yeah, yeah. We get it, Ezra. Everyone wants to fuck you.

2010-03-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

But the real power is in the RZA's swagger.

Hardly Knocking.

2010-03-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

If you would just move your vagina out of the way, maybe I could see your guitar.

2010-03-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

I feel like sometimes, dudes don't know how to write about bands with women in them? Maybe this is just too sensitive of an assumption on my part, but often, instead of talking about what our (as women) music sounds like, they focus on pointing out that we aren't half bad. It's like they are afraid to say what they're really thinking. Westword reviewed Night Of Joy's show last weekend—which was awesome, by the way! Thanks to the bands and great people who came out!—and by the time the author got to my friends Old Radio, it was like he couldn't stop slobbering all over them. (Granted, they rule.)

He didn't say we were bad necessarily (though I kind of wish he did, instead of being vague)—he just sort of avoided us altogether. Maybe our make-up is too distracting from the music we make as "gals." Honestly, man, just call us dudes. Women are scary, weird creatures, I know. And its even freakier and confusing when we're playing music.

Here should be my home.

2010-03-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

No Age + Rodarte=

Monday/March Anthem.

2010-03-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

This month, I'm focusing on giving good, sharing good, speaking good, and offering as much gratitude to as many people as my fingers and breath can reach. When you share good, you only make room in yourself for more good to come in. It's a simple principle I will continue to learn and utilize.

Rise above with much love.

p.s.- How could I forget?

SSION gave us this last week:

plus, The Swayback debuted this on Friday:

The Swayback | Die Finks from Swayback on Vimeo.

If Denver were a high school, The Swayback would the super cool, super cute, super unattainable senior football players every girl wanted to get with. Sigh. Denver is full of attractive men.

NIGHT OF JOY+ OLD RADIO + PAEAN + SUN RED= TONIGHT

2010-02-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

I don't really have much to say, because my bandmate/soulmate Valerie made this amazing flier for tonight's show, and the info is below. Also, also, also, PLEASE pick up a copy of this week's Westword. Night of Joy was Critic's Choice! Our friend Tom Murphy wrote some really nice things about us, and hopefully his description will entice you to come down, if not for all of the other radical bands on this bill tonight!

8pm (we play first, 9pm sharp!)
Meadowlark @27th and Larimer!

EPIC JAMS N' RAD BANDZ @MEADOWLARK TONIGHT!!!!!!

2010-02-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

So tonight is another installment of Titwrench's monthly gathering, Surfacing! We've got some rad bands—Origami Hands for sure, who played Titwrench 2K9!—along with great DJ sets from my friend Katherine aka DJ Battletits, and me as, well, uh, DJ Coco Davies. I've never DJed before (with my records anyway) so I'm pretty stoked! I put a potential set list together last night at my gf Robin's (one-half of Lust Cats) house, and here is some of what I have on tap for this evening::

Everything starts at 9pm at Meadowlark. Come down and enjoy yourself, meet some new rad people, and connect with others you already know! Looking for a bandmate, a yoga parter, or someone to go paint with? I bet you can find them at a Titwrench party. Just come down and see!!!

Boner kill.

2010-02-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sex n' MDMA plz n' thanx

2010-02-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

Tantalizing teaser, table top pleaser.

2010-02-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what your week is shaping up to look like, but I think mine is going to rule. I'm in the mood for Monday already!

A song to curl your hair to:

A song for some serious tooth brushing :

A song to sing into your coffee cup:

A song to really get your weekly grind on:

You feel me?

Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love.

2010-02-14T20:35:00.000-07:00
The person weighing heavily on my heart and mind isn't tangible at the moment, but Valentine's Day still rings true. It's about love, right? I love love. Love is, most of the time, the only thing I have to give those around me, but hey, that's a pretty good thing to have a lot of. Valentine's Day is a great reminder of how much free love we have. It rules if you can share love everyday. Besides, what you put out into the universe is a direct reflection of what you get back, so why not increase chances of receiving something great?

Love (or interpretations of love) songs I'm feeling at the moment::::

Share some of your love with someone you know. Everyone needs a lot more than they think.

LADIEZ NIGHT

2010-02-13T16:39:00.000-07:00
Denver is never lacking in cool shit to do at night, especially on the weekends. But tonight is MAJOR. A ton of my ladies (Titwrenchers too!) are throwing down with shows, dance parties, and the like!

We (Night Of Joy) play tonight with our super awesome friends Hideous Men (+ Itchy-O + OffTheSky) at the Larimer Lounge starting at 9pm! Our friend Trevor is currently behind the NOJ drum kit (he's from a wicked rad Broulder band, Thee Goochi Boiz!)

PLUS:::::

Our bff band Lust-Cats Of The Gutters are playing at Bar Bar TONIGHT too!!!!! Pick up a copy of this week's Westword to see a cartoon our friend Noah Van Scriver drew of the L-Cats!

Oh, oh AND:::::

MISS THING/POSI-VIBE COORDINATOR/DJ SARA T. flew in her fine self and her fresh jams for DANCEOTRON at Hi-Dive tonight! When she says no bullshit, she means no BS. This party is always sucker-free and off the hook. (Plus Titwrench mother Sarah Sl8er is Djing toooo!)

+++++
Let S/T show you how to get ready for V-Day:::

COME OUT TONIGHT, DENVER!!!!!

Things I love:

2010-02-09T11:40:00.000-07:00
The Thermals - Canada by killrockstars

Gay Monday.

2010-02-08T16:29:00.000-07:00

Three words::: VV II AA

2010-02-06T21:30:00.001-07:00
When I met Daralee Fallin, (aka VIA) about a year and a half ago, we had been pulled together by our mutual friend and fellow Titwrencher Alejandro Archuleta as part of the Slight Harp Orchestra for a performance of Terry Riley's "In C"—and as the opener for perhaps one of the most awesome bills I've ever been a part of: Slight Harp Orchestra, Teeth Mountain, Future Islands, and Dan Deacon. (Fucking epic, right?) Daralee's energy was perplexing; I couldn't read her right away, and it attracted me to her even more. As time passed, we got to know eachother as part of the core Titwrench collective, and this is when I first saw her perform as Via.

Holy shit. To use some lame music journalistic metaphor, Via sounds like Kate Bush running through an Ursula K. Le Guin novel. Now that I've seen her numerous times, I have become very particular about my surroundings. If other people are talking while Via is casting her spells, I shush them. Her ghostly Joy Division on an airport landing strip sound is fucking powerful, and I can't get enough of it. If you weren't lucky enough to catch Via, Hideous Men,Hollagramz, (Uh, who did a face melting remix of HEALTH'S "IN VIOLET"!!!!!) and the rest of the madness that was last night's Laser Palace Cassette release + round robin, below are a few videos of Via. But also, be sure to catch her live March 19th at Old Curtis Street. She will blow you away.

Turn up my symphony, man.

2010-02-04T09:49:00.000-07:00
EPIC GYM WORK OUT TODAY SPONSORED BY////////

WYCLEF::::::

THE FAINT:::

95 SOUTH:::

Does your day ever feel too fantastic to be real? That's what today is feeling like and it's barely 10am.

Fever Ray Davies.

2010-02-01T10:43:00.000-07:00
Gaga rules, but Karen does it in warp speed.

Also, in RADICAL news, my birth father, Ray Davies, will be at the Paramount theatre March 20th. HAPPY HOLY SHIT MONDAY!

Peeling back.

2010-01-28T16:35:00.000-07:00

TONIGHT// TITWRENCH PRESENTS:::SURFACING

Each month, Titwrench (a collective of artists/musicians/writers/performers) puts on a showcase to give (mostly lady) artists an open environment to share their work. As Titwrench, we strive to create an environment that is comfortable, inviting, and supportive for everyone involved, from the performers to the audience. We want anybody who walks through the door to feel welcome and excited about the music/art/performance happening, and hopefully be inspired to make something of their own.

And on that note, if you would like to participate in Surfacing or another Titwrench event, either as a performer or volunteer, here are some ways to contact us!:

www.titwrench.com
titwrench@gmail.com
twitter.com/titwrench
http://www.youtube.com/user/TitwrenchFest

:::look//listen//know:::

Married in Berdichev

The Manxx

Both videos courtesy of our friend/inspiration/supporter Tom Murphy!

Shit I heard today that I like. A lot.

2010-01-25T22:10:00.000-07:00
Video effects. (stolen from Better Than Sex!)

Total hair-do-it inspiration.

B n' B's version RULEZ.

I'm on Vampy Drugs.

At least they've moved on from singing about fucking dowdy college girls and leaving them in their dorms the morning after to fucking socialite girls uptown.

I disappoint myself

2010-01-25T00:33:00.000-07:00
when I am honest about liking music that sounds like vomit in a paper cup.

Also, I refuse to take a stand on the Ke$ha debate.

That is all.

An ode to John Familgietti. Er, Mookie, rather.

2010-01-19T21:04:00.000-07:00
Why we should all be in bands, not writing about them:::

p.s.-SICK ASS Pictureplane shirt, BJ.

We're about taking control.

2010-01-18T17:33:00.000-07:00
My friend Robin (one half of the Lust-Cats of the Gutters!) showed me this. The way popular culture interprets music always seems so dad-ish, so out of touch. Here especially, when the bands name-dropped (minus Bikini Kill) weren't associated with the riot grrrl movement—they just had girls in them. Regardless, its funny to watch Jenna Elfman A) act like she's supposed to be 20, and B) say L7 C) relay a silly, forced declaration about "riot grrrl."

With care, and concern.

2010-01-14T01:00:00.000-07:00

If you don't know, now you know.

2010-01-13T14:20:00.000-07:00
I would like to join the Magic World Christian Kingdom Church.

Monday: Tell me something good.

2010-01-11T20:00:00.000-07:00
Do you ever hear a song that you've heard a million times, but at that particular moment it strikes you? I heard this yesterday coming through assorted restaurant noises as I had brunch, and I was immediately turned on. It got some wheels turning in a new direction, and made me realize I need to study jazz bass more.

My sluggish, yoga-less morning was turned around by this song. Sometimes forgetting what's on your iPod is a good thing.

And subsequently, my morning drive was revived into greatness by these dreams of summer uncomfortableness.

And lastly, a song I currently love—but only because he says "thirst-ay."

You wear too much eye make-up. My sister wears too much. People think she's a whore.

2010-01-11T12:53:00.000-07:00
One of my New Year's resolutions for 2010 was to talk to more dudes. In my mind, I'm harnessing what I call the "Pantera Mojo." (If you know my friend Pantera, then you know what I'm talking about. If you don't know her, just imagine Kylie Minogue dressed as a ranchero doing TV On The Radio covers with Enrique Iglesias.) In reality, I'm pretty sure my Pantera Mojo just comes off like Charlie Sheen.

Eh, whatever. I think its working for me. Monday inspirational videos to come.

xo b

Housewives with loose grips.

2010-01-07T09:16:00.000-07:00
From the last Titwrench:::Surfacing event at Meadowlark///my band, NIGHT OF JOY + SACRED BRAIN + LUST-CATS OF THE GUTTERS + HIDEOUS MEN + VIA:::::::::

Check out more videos by Titwrenchers, plus the gooey stuff that inspires us on our Youtube channel + follow us on Twitter!!!!!

Seriously, if you haven't checked out a Titwrench showcase/dance party/love fest PLEASE JOIN US! It's a really radical thing happening in Denver/Boulder right now, and we want you to be a part of it. In a band and want to play a showcase? Looking to volunteer? Have a rad idea for a party, have a talent you want to share, want to join in helping plan a music festival? Just want more info? Check out Titwrench.com, email us at titwrench@gmail.com, or email me directly at breecdavies@gmail.com.

p.s.- Have you checked out Hot White yet? Someone finally took some appropriate photos of these kids. God, they rule. I can't wait until they explode. Check them out Jan 16th at Rhino:::

Transparent inspirations.

2010-01-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Duran Duran Come Undone

Pictureplane

Deee-Lite - Good Beat

Forgive me, 2009: This is my best of you.

2010-01-05T10:00:00.000-07:00
I love lists. I love compiling words in an order, quantifying tasks, processes, songs, colors, fruit flavors, etc. Anything that can be put on a legal pad with a pen, I'm into. I look forward to the end of the year when we as music writers are asked to place the songs/albums/artists we liked the best into a nice and neat order for others to see. Somehow, this year, there wasn't an particular album that grabbed my attention, but I managed to put some lists of records and events and shows I experienced that meant a lot to me. Below are the links to three local websites I (along with a bunch of my other Colorado writer/photog friends) contributed our opinions to. Enjoy!

I am a strong believer: Pure Fun And Total Love.

2010-01-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've never for a moment thought Andrew W.K. was a brainwasher. A little culty, maybe, but not someone sent or created by a label/Svengali/PR person to tell me how to party harder. I've also not followed his career that extensively, but through the eyes of Twitter, I can see that he's hurting, and he has been for a long time. Rumors that his career is a sham seem to be infiltrating his New Year. If I'm wrong, and he's not legit, then I will be surprised. But frankly, anyone sharing a message of positivity (that isn't religious) is pretty okay in my book. It takes so much more energy to be negative, but somehow, so many people I know are consumed with anger, vindication, and a desire for drama and hurt over happiness. I think much of it has to do with our own growing pains, but the answer is simple: You get back from the universe what you put out there. It took me a long time to realize this myself, but once I figured it out, shit got easier, happier, brighter, and well, a lot more fun.

Below is a message Andrew put out in defense of himself—the video quality makes him seem creepy, but I think his message is clear: PARTY HARD FOREVER.

Andrew WK, in finer form:

PURE FUN AND TOTAL LOVE.

xo b

What a book she writes.

2009-12-24T20:45:00.000-07:00
EPIC::::

EPIC BUMMER::::

SATURDAY DEC. 12:::: ZEROMILE MAGAZINE RELEASE PARTY!

2009-12-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

Come to our next show, tomorrow night at 82 Broadway! Info:::

Dude. Last night's Titwrench showcase at Meadowlark was a total success! We (Night Of Joy) played our best set to date, I think. It felt good. Although our the core of our Titwrench collective has shrunk considerably, there is still an undeniable energy present when a handful of us are in a room together, and when so many of us are performing. Kristi Schaefer of Hideous Men has recently joined us in the planning and organizing of future events too— its so exciting to see new people who want to be involved coming forward for Titwrench. 2010 is going to rule!

TITWRENCH PRESENTS: SURFACING

2009-12-06T23:40:00.000-07:00
After the success of our last showcase at the Meadowlark in October, Titwrench Presents is bringing our next installment of great bands/performers to light this Thursday, December 10th. My band, Night of Joy, will be playing (and we have a new song, and maybe a new cover too! We're retiring The Breeders cover. I know, its about time), plus our friends Lust-Cats Of The Gutters! and Via! And Tit For Tat! And Val's other band, Sacred Brain! Oh, and this rad band I haven't had the pleasure of seeing yet, Hideous Men! Which also rules, because we're playing with them Saturday too. More info on that to come. Also, my friend and former editor John Wenzel wrote this nice bit about the our showcase for Reverb. COME DOWN, SUPPORT, SEE RAD BANDS, MEET NEW PEOPLE, AND HANG OUT!!!

Know your boyfriend, unlike other guys.

2009-12-02T13:59:00.001-07:00
As a song writer, fiction writer, article writer, and whatever writer since the age of four, I have been in search my own handful of words that are perfect. In the millions of things I've put to paper, nothing has struck me yet—not in the way others' simple phrases have. It's like the ideal set-up of words has eluded me and all I can do is keep writing filler until they appear. I thought about this idea of linguistic perfection today as I stood in the shower and sang to Vampire Weekend's "Oxford Comma"—as I have been doing every day for the past few weeks.

The simple phrase that brought me here was this: Crack a smile, adjust my tie.

It's nothing groundbreaking, controversial, or even thought-provoking. But the vision of a self-assured East Coast kid like Ezra Koenig tilting his neck to the side and smirking like a crisp, white Law & Order defendant came through with just those six words. Six words so strong I mimic his imagined action every time I hear "Oxford Comma." Thank god no one can see me when I'm singing to it in my shower stall. Or see the dance I do to "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga or the foolish white bread act I put on when mimicking Kid Sister's "Right Hand Hi."

Guilty...

as charged.

However, if you ever pass me on the road, you'll catch my ponytail flinging and simultaneous lip-synching. It's a habit I'm public about and don't see breaking anytime soon.

I'm an honorary gay man.

2009-11-25T11:26:00.000-07:00
There is no secret about where I work on the weekends, and where I have worked since 2005. I am a proud employee of Gap Inc., and sometimes its sick how much I love my job. Anyway, we had to create a video for a cheer-off competition for this holiday season, and below is our entry. Working in retail off and on since 1996, I have become one of those crazy people that LOVES the mall during Christmas time. It's no secret how fascinated I am with mall culture, but it seems amplified during the holidays.

The blues are still blue.

2009-11-19T14:41:00.000-07:00
Night Of Joy is playing this Saturday, Nov. 21st, at 9:30pm SHARP for our crush/lady friend Baily Rose's fashion show/gathering/auction at 82 Broadway. It's free! Come see us play! Kiss our cheeks! Be our new best friends!

INFO////

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"Said Once" by Hawnay Troof is currently wiggling through my bones.

Enjoy:::

Take a break.

2009-11-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Just for a second.

That is all.

xo b

It's alright, just leave the light on.

2009-11-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

Val and I went to Becci's (AKA Tha Chiller Wale) 23rd birthday/90's/Kurt and Courtney party Friday, and she snapped this picture of us, looking like two wayward tweens—Outfits courtesy of Becci and Chrissy's epic chest of fancy stuff. Oh, and our band, Night of Joy, plays tomorrow night, Sat. Nov 14th, at The Outpost in Boulder with OMFG The Lust-Cats of the Gutters and HOLY SHIT Thee Goochi Boiz, two of our most favorite bands in Denver and everywhere NOW. We play around 10. I have no clue where this place is. I suck.

We have some other shows coming up too, including one on Nov. 21st at 82 Broadway for Baily Rose's fashion show, and a celebration of her lines from past and present. Then the next one is, I believe, at Bar Bar on Nov. 25th with Thee Goochi Boiz and maybe the Lust-Cats again too? I am so terrible with information, but I will get more about these shows ASAP because I want you to come, I promise I do. This weekend, we're also going on a massive merch-making binge with my really-uber-super-talented sister Kelley, so that Night of Joy night gown/beer koozie/tie-dye towel you've always wanted can soon be yours. We're making all kinds of fun stuff!

Other things wandering in and out of my brain...How come you can hear a song a million times over, and it won't strike you until the 1,000,001th time you hear it? I love Vivian Girls. Love them. I've been screaming their name since I fell upon them in New York. But it wasn't until yesterday that this song stuck to me. I think it might have been the Black Angels/Jesus Lizard haze I was in as I was knee-deep in A.V. Club-related work, but Something caught my ear in "Where Do You Run To?" that I haven't heard before. I don't know. Maybe you can figure it out.

P.S.- My other new favorite thing: Surfer Blood. Where have I been?

This week: Computer-to-life suckage and emotional glory holes.

2009-11-12T11:36:00.000-07:00
Brain////

Heart////

Emotional life////

Who wants honey?

2009-11-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

Freak out, give in. Doesn't matter what you believe in. Stay cool, and be somebody's fool this year. Because they know: Who is righteous, what is bold.
So I'm told.

Who wants honey?
As long as there's some money—
Who wants that honey?

Hipsters unite. Come align for the big fight to rock, for you. But beware, all those angels with their wings glued on. Because deep down, we are frightened and we're scared. If you don't stare.

Who wants honey?
As long as there's some money—
Who wants that honey?

Let me out.
Let me out.
Let me out.
Let me out.

Tell me all of your secrets. Cannot help but believe this—is true. Tell me all of your secrets. I know, I know, I know; I should have listened when I was told.

Who wants honey?
As long as there is some money—
Who wants that honey?

Let me out.
Let me out.
Let me out.
Let me out.

FOUND! Boyfriend Ryan Ross has been hiding out in...

2009-11-09T23:02:00.000-07:00
his new band, The Young Veins. And from what I can tell, its not a step up from Panic! at the Disco (<---and they're back to the exclamation! point! after the punctuation's brief hiatus between 2008 and 2009, according to the most accurate source in modern news, Wikipedia.) It's like one step deeper into the luke warm wading pool of boring, wishy-washy Beatles-esque layered vocal pop. But hey, you take what you can get, you know? Like TYV first and only single proclaims, "Some people never change, they just stay the same." Stay cute, Ryan Ross. Because it's like I tell my best friend Rosita: God gives you one thing. You got "being pretty" as your one thing. So don't try too hard at singing or dancing, because chances are people will be offended and/or laugh at you. Got it, Ryan?

I had this journal once, with a built-in mirror in the cover. On the front it said "Hello Gorgeous," and when you opened it up, it said, "You Look Marvelous." I don't know why I thought of that, other than I think that's exactly what I said when I saw that picture of RR. Meow. Too bad P!ATD is still trying to make records without him. Because the band's one thing it was good at was being pretty, until he left the band.

Friday turn-ons: She wants love, and I still wanna fuck.

2009-11-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Baby, you be sweet.

A song from my teenagerhood that I still can't believe my prude self loved so much. Whatever they say about Catholic school girls is true.

And then there's always drugs, and of course, dancing::::

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John, I'm only dancing.

God Bless Cool Places.

2009-11-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I thought about The Explosion today, but "God Bless The S.O.S" came to mind. I accidentally met this band at a bar (Streets of London, I think?) in 2002. My best friend Katherine and I could sniff out an out-of-state band from a mile away. We asked to join their table, and they ordered us champagne. We went to their show, and maybe caught them a time or two after when they came back through? I love the good feelings of random memories pulled from obscurity by coincidence. Or maybe it was just the modern convenience of my iTunes shuffle that brought them to mind.

Lately, though? This is more what I'm thinking::::

Virgin Subjectivity.

2009-11-01T13:07:00.000-07:00

Creepy camera phone photo of my Virgin Mary Miscarriage costume from Titwrench's Ghouls Night Out Halloween party last night. More photos to come!

HALLOWEEN TITWRENCH STYLE!

2009-10-31T14:26:00.000-06:00

TONIGHT! It's another TITWRENCH Presents EPIC DANCE PARTY! Come celebrate in (costume or not) the holiday with us at GLOB(3551 Brighton Blv.d, 35th & Brighton, a minute outside of Lodo, a few blocks from Tracks, IN YOUR VIRTUAL HOOD) with a dance party, bands, tarot readings, and more! Sliding scale donation for a night of radness! My band, Night of Joy will start the festivities around 11 and the thing goes until people stop dancing (which may not be until the sun comes up!) So come see me, learn about Titwrench 2010 and how you can participate, and celebrate HALLOWEEN WITH US!!!!

HAVE YOU HEARD? TITWRENCH PRESENTS:::This Thursday!

2009-10-28T21:49:00.000-06:00

The first installment in our monthly showcase, the lovely organization/festival/conglomeration/collective of radical souls I'm deeply connected with known as TITWRENCH has put together a line-up of ridiculously talented acts for a perfect cozy evening at Meadowlark tomorrow, Thursday, October 29th. Here's a lil' bit about the line-up:

Dream Wagon
( Lindsay Thorson, the brainchild behind The Denver Show And Tell Project and last time I checked, a graceful member of Weed Diamond. Nimble fingers and a voice like origami paper. Thin, fragile, and beautiful!)

Last Eyes
My first lady, my favorite voice on the planet, the mother of my virtual children, Valerie Franz. Also 1/3 of my band, Night of Joy + part of Sacred Brain, and a member of Slight Harp. She's an old soul in the body of a wild child.-------->--------->

Emily Frembgen
Her performance at Titwrench brought me to tears. Like Emily's myspace proclaims, she's totally young girl blues. And I dig it, immensely.

Lelah
Sarina Simoom
I don't know a thing about these acts, but all the more reason to come down and check them out. What's better than hearing new music for the first time in a live capacity? Nothing, really.

So come down, enjoy some great music, and connect with a few new souls. If you haven't been to a Titwrench event before, we aim to create a safe, inviting, non-judgmental, totally open, totally friendly, totally loving environment for anyone and everyone to feel comfortable to express and be themselves, while connecting with other human beings a real level.

Female perceptions.

2009-10-27T14:55:00.000-06:00

Rihanna's new album cover:

A more appropriate image—(designed by Sara T earlier this year):

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Nite Jewel in Paris!

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One of my favorite Lee Miller images:

I had a great conversation with my best friend Pantera last night, and she said something to the effect that some women are overly aware of their beauty, and the power it has with those they come in contact with. But a small percentage of girls she knows don't have a clue what their own beauty does in the physical world. As I writer, I often wonder what people think when they meet me in person; we tend to create a perceived image of someone in our minds based on what we know, and I wonder, do these things always match up? And when face meets name, do our feelings change about someone's work?

What are we without our faces?

Let's not pretend this is something that it's not.

2009-10-26T12:35:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, I had the really rad job of managing my friend Sarah Cass' photography business. The job took me from Victoria, B.C. to Austin, TX, for SXSW and the like and gave me the opportunity to hang out with some radical musicians (and meet people/idols like my dream man, Rob Zabrecky)and make some friends in the process. From the 3OH!3's inception, Cass was there. She took most of their early press photos, and after Nat and Sean were signed to Photo Finish, the label asked Cass to come to Washington, D.C. to shoot them for their upcoming album. (And I know I've written about this trip before, but) after paying 20 bucks each to take the smelly Chinatown bus from NYC to DC, we spent the weekend with the dudes, taking photos in flower beds, on the banks of the Potomac River, and in teepees on the Smithsonian's grounds. It was a fucking blast. I felt a little magic with one of them, as I'm sure all girls do, and we hung out a time or two after that, before they shot off to super stardom for all to see. Now I just dream about him on a regular basis.

But this is all just a preface to the release of their latest video, a re-make of the song "Starstrukk" which now comes with added Katy Perry. The Denver backlash began long ago, as with most bands/groups/joke rappers who make it our of this great box of a state, but I still like 3OH!3. Regardless of the boobies in this video, or the notion that they are both smitten with real-life girls, I still have love. A love that comes from deep down in my $12 skinny jeans from Forever 21. Don't tell The Gap.

3Oh!3 - New Music - More Music Videos

p.s.- Something I found when I was worming my way around the internet a few weeks ago, researching Relient K, Katy's...er...Katy Hudson's ex-bf's christian band. But you have to go to here watch it!

Heart and Soul.

2009-10-25T23:34:00.000-06:00
Snagged from Sara T:::

Much love for SSION.

Culture and disconnection.

2009-10-25T13:28:00.000-06:00
My shaman/massage therapist/therapist/wise woman/friend made an observation about my life that should have been obvious, but just wasn't to me. She said that whatever clutter is happening in your surrounding tangible world is a direct reflection of what's happening inside of your body, and vice-verse. I think creativity gets stopped up and corroded like this too. I feel constipated mentally, physically, and on my exterior.

To break the cycle and blockage, I employed a few radical notions, one of them being deleting my Facebook account. I theorized that not only was social networking a creative buzzkill—my status updates were taking the place of free-flowing thought patterns—but it was also influencing my taste to the point that I didn't even know what I liked anymore. Music, art, video, everything was being fed through what others were showing me. I love seeing what other artists are doing, but I also like having my own mind, free from the heaviest hands of influence. Sure, no one can live without the influence of others/things, I thought why not get back to a time when social networking and instantaneous, perceived closeness in communication didn't exist? Why not try to be connected to others in a real way? With conversation and physical presence? It's been an interesting in these first few days. I'm sure I will talk about it quite a bit.

In the mean time, if you wish to get a hold of me, I have a telephone, a twitter, an email address, and a physical body all perfectly capable of being accessible. Also, my band, Night Of Joy, can be found here and, I will be reporting on our progress, and the progress of Val and I's work with Titwrench quite often. We are in the process of putting together Night of Joy's first EP too. Here's a preview!

Some other things to think about///

The prettiest of Princesses.

2009-10-24T01:36:00.001-06:00

Photo from tonight, snagged from/taken by my friend Lauren!

How I feel lately::::

One day, I will write about my love for L7. Because it's torrid, and deep, and dirty.

What someone said about our show tonight::::

I like that thought.

TONIGHT! NIGHT OF JOY AT TRANSLATIONS GALLERY!

2009-10-23T16:43:00.000-06:00
We're playing a benefit tonight for my friend Vanessa's graduating class. We go on at 8pm sharp. Details below::::

Oh, and I think this is a permanent thing. I get Juggalo culture now. But I'm still pretending its Misfits-inspired:::