I found out today that Michael Wesch, an assistant professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University, made a presentation before the Library of Congress last Monday about the cultural value of YouTube and included a good chunk of “Bomb Iran”! He told me he’s going to post the presentation on YouTube soon. He’s also the author of a well-known YouTube video that I’d seen and liked about “Web 2.0.” So that’s amazing. It amazes me how much mileage I’m getting out of that cheap-ass “Bomb Iran” video.

Some other guy named Milo made a video for “No Wonder.” It’s basically just clips from the movie High School USA, but that is kind of the genius of it.

As for new album news, I’m just about finished. I’m in the fixin’ and mixin’ stage now. I don’t know when it’ll come out because I kind of just want to wait for the right time to release it. I’ll need moneys and stuff for that. Too bad we don’t live in a socialist society where the government gives everyone equal amounts of money to release their albums. I think there’s a campaign angle for you there, Obama.

I am playing at the Mt. Tabor Legacy on July 20 with The Study and maybe another fellow band of minstrels. Mark your calendars and stonehenges!

Lastly,
Alex

I’ve started mixing Missing Briefcase in earnest! It’s gotten to the point where it feels complete, and all the songs are there. In fact, if anything, I could cut another song. I’m really trying hard to keep the album concise and lean. I think Applewine definitely could have had three or four songs cut from it, but you know, it’s hard to kill your babies and everything. I’ve been practicing infanticide quite intensely with MB, though. In any case, I’m hoping to get it all wrapped up and mixed in two or three weeks (which may be optimistic), and then I’m considering getting it mastered somewhere. I usually do that myself, but I’m starting to feel the limitations in my own mastering powers, so I would like to hand that off to someone else who actually knows what they’re doing. Once that’s done, then I’ll be on track to finishing the packaging and getting it manufactured. But even then, that’s ONLY THE BEGINNING, as I have yet to figure out my publicity plan (as well as a possible tour). Missing Briefcase should be available by the New Year though, hopefully. It’ll be worth it; it’s been a year in the works, which is longer than I’ve ever spent writing/recording an album, and I’m really happy with how it’s turned out. It is musical flapjacks.

“BOMB IRAN” HIT WATCH: I just noticed that “Bomb Iran” broke 15,000 views a day or two ago. Man, it sure is the life being a minor YouTube celebrity (Willamette Week’s words, not mine).

Perversely,
Alex

The new album is in the mixing stage now! And, well, since I’ve been informally calling it Applewine since the beginning of the summer and I haven’t thought of anything else I like better, it looks like that’s the title. It may change though, who knows. Also, Madeline Stevens will be doing the album art. Her style is very homegrown, collagey and mossy, and I think it will be a totally different look from what I usually do.

And that brings up another subject: Not only will the album art be in color this time, but the CDs will be ACTUAL CDs, not CD-Rs. So, if everything goes according to plan, it will be indistinguishable from an actual commercial CD. I’ve always liked the homemade feel of my products, but I think it’s time to take the pro factor up a notch, so more people will actually take it seriously. (What, you mean black and white photocopies of a poorly drawn avian tombstone don’t get Jann Wenner begging for more? What about the WHITE ALBUM huh?!) That’s the hope anyway. The only problem is that this takes money! Donate to the cause by buying my CDs and songs!! Just pretend I’m a wild-eyed hobo downtown asking for money and a guinea pig. So while the speech part of Applewine is wrapping up fairly soon, the visual aide part of this musical science presentation might take a while longer to get done. Hopefully it’ll be out by the end of the year.

Finally, Alyssa has started working on a total redesign of this site. So far it looks super aces, now she just needs to make everything functional. The plan is for the unveiling to coincide with the album release. Woof!

Universally,
Alex