Hey! I’m in The Shaky Hands now! Jake Morris left their drum throne a couple months ago, so with the lineup in flux anyway, they decided to bring on a jack-of-all-trades of sorts. I’m playing mostly keyboards, but also guitar on some songs. I’ll probably get to rock the floor tom at some point too. Basically, whatever is needed for a given song. The possumbilities are endless.

Here’s the story the Willamette Week music blog posted today about the line-up change with some quotes from my bandmate (three times over!) Mayhaw Hoons.

I’m completely excited. I’ve loved The Shaky Hands ever since Mondo Hollywood first played with them at the Shakies’ second ever show in Jeff’s basement in February 2004. I’ve wanted to be in the band for almost as long. Nick Delffs is the best songwriter in town (at the very least), and I feel superchuffed to be able to contribute to them songs both past and future.

Be sure to catch our shows coming up! We’re playing a house show this Saturday at an undisclosed (but not if you try to find it) location, and then June 12 at the Doug Fir. I’m freaking READY.

Okay, so it’s been a bit. What. Huh? What now. Well put this in your bubble wand: Alex Arrowsmith and His Pugs are playing at The Know (NE 20th & Alberta in Portland) on June 11! Also on the bill is Tiger House and Yellowstar. It’s gonna rule. Get all your friends and family out to picket it! Get us on the news! I want Jeff Gianola to see me play!

Also, I set up a Band Camp page. Go nuts. Download my songs for free.

And last but definitely not worst! Today I wrote a song based on a kind of inside joke for the podcast by Jorge Garcia (Hurley from Lost) and his podcast partner/girlfriend Beth. It’s about how Jack always manages to talk about dural sacs on Lost, which Jorge and Beth were talking about on their most recent installment. They offhandedly said, “someone should write a song about that.” So I took them up on that challenge. It’s called “Dural Sac Jack.” Yes, the whole thing is way way dorky. But you know, I can never resist dorky. I heard the podcast this afternoon and finished the song by dinner (which was enchiladas…hell yes?!). I emailed it to them, and Beth was super rad enough to post about it on their Facebook! Eeeek! Awesome! Thanks guys! Seems from the comments that other people liked it too. This is the kind of thing that only super insane Lost fans like myself probably give a crap about, but it was lots of fun, and it made my day just the same!

Here are the lyrics, in case I garbled the words a bit:

Jack wants to open up my back
And get his hands in me, fixing up my dural sac
No one else has got the same knack
Watch him count to five
Working magic on my sac

Jack wants to open up my back
And put his hands inside me, fixing up my dural sac
Jack always pines for a spine
He’s always working magic
Fixing up my dural sac

I’m busted. One of my earliest lasting contributions to the internet: my review of the 1996 Portland Cure show.

I had just turned 14 and it was my first time seeing a real show (I don’t count questionable Hood River local rock shows). The Cure was my favorite band, and they’re still in my Top 3 (though the exact position depends on the day). I was there with my best friend (Mayhaw), my girlfriend (Leslie) and my dad (Curt). It was pretty much the best group of friends I could have asked for.

That night was awesome then, and even though some may write off my excitement over it as silly teen follies, I still defend its awesomeness now. It’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, although I’m sure it’s mostly because of the time in my life that I saw it. Shows were just better when I was younger. And not to diminish anyone else’s show experiences, but growing up in Hood River and having to go to Portland to see them…it brings an extra element of exoticism to it. This was true for The Cure in July 1996, They Might Be Giants in November 1996 and September 1999 and maybe even the first shows I went to when I moved to Gresham in 2001 like John Spencer and various K Records shows at the old Meow Meow. It’s sad, but seeing shows just doesn’t have the same magic as they did in el days of yore. If I must blame someone for this tragedy, I blame Weezer.

However, I do think my review was pretty cool for a 14 year old. I actually criticized musical elements of the show. I wasn’t just some teen fan saying OMG!!!! (although if I had, I might have revolutionized the internet with that acronym). By then, I was already a Cure bootleg hound, so I knew my Cure shows. I didn’t know much about any other band except They Might Be Giants, but I at least knew my Cure more than anyone else in Hood River, except for maybe Shawn Ewers (who was also at that 1996 Cure show).

So yeah, July 31, 1996 is a day that will live in infamy in my world, and hopefully the few I know who experienced it with me.

Public Domain Rainbow will be on CD Baby/iTunes/whatever soon, but until then, if you would like a PDR straight from the source, here’s how: Paypal $6 to alex@alexarrowsmith.com, and include your mailing address (or email it to alex@alexarrowsmith.com). Easy eh! I LOVE going to the post office (no joke), so this actually works out for both of us.

Hark! PDR cometh from upon yon hillside! Today I sent off the final artwork and mastered songs to be printed and duped. Finally, after two years from conception to contractions, Public Domain Rainbow is finally and officially DONE. I don’t know when the exact release date will be, but it should be up on CD Baby/iTunes/etc. by the end of the month or early March. The arbitrary release date will be whenever I get the hard copies of the album shoved into my warm living hands.

I have songs from PDR in the player at the top of the page! Take a listen to minute to the songs!

Also! The full band debut of Alex Arrowsmith AND HIS PUGS (myself on guitar/vox, Mayhaw Hoons on bass and Ky Fifer on drums/vox) will be on February 17 at the Hawthorne Theatre. It’s at 8 pm, $4 at the door, 21+. Come out and witness apocryphal history! Also, we have a show at the Ash St. Saloon on March 28. Me and m’pugs must school the world.

I should also mention that I left Tiger House last week. So did Ky. However, Bill and Carl are picking up the pieces of that nuclear blast quite well, and from what I hear, they already have a replacement bassist and are auditioning 6 drummers next week! Awesome eh! I’ll also still be recording future Tiger House CDs and demos and whatnot. So you should still go see their shows. It is important.

I don’t normally do year-end lists myself because I don’t often hear a lot of new music that I’m really excited about. But I think I’ve got enough ammo for the ferret-shooting cannon that is the decade-ending list. Ergo, I couldn’t resist.

1. Ween – White Pepper (2000)
2. Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
3. Brian Wilson – Smile (2004)
4. Tegan & Sara – The Con (2007)
5. Cafe Tacuba – Sino (2007)
6. Weezer – The Green Album (2001)
7. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
8. Spiraling – Transmitter (2002)
9. U2 – All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)
10. The Shaky Hands – Let It Die (2009)

I’ve joined the 00s, with a whole month to spare! Sign up for the new Alex Arrowsmith email newsletter and receive a link to download the digital-only album 13 Songs For The Initiated (aka the Alex Arrowsmith Incesticide).

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