Apparently there’s a new movie in production called Attica! Attica! Attica! So 5 years from now, everyone’s going to think I got the name from this movie, no matter how accurate or inaccurate it is.  I would hope that, when naming your film after a chant that is intended to expose abuse of state power, you would have a film that’s sympathetic to those whom the state does not serve.  The article I linked, however, has no problem playing fast and loose with the facts.  The reporter states of Cell Block Z, “…where the riot that killed 39 people, mostly guards, began…”  Let’s get these facts straight.  1 guard was killed in the riot itself.  9 guards were killed by state bullets when the state retook the prison and shot bullets indiscriminately into a yard filled with tear gas.  Oh yeah, 28 inmates were killed at that point, too.  The state only provided ambulances for injured guards, allowing several inmates to bleed to death.  The state bulldozed all the evidence of the event.  The state blamed the deaths of the guards on the inmates, fabricating the claim that the guards’ throats were slit.  I named my band after this event because it is the essential example of the state’s inability to craft a humane resolution to a human crisis.  Now you tell me, what part of “the riot that killed 39 people, mostly guards” is accurate?  This is the essence of either lazy or intentionally skewed reporting, which appears in nearly every mainstream article.  The facts are out there, but who’s calling the reporters out when they don’t even try to get them right?

Full disclosure: I’m addicted to the song “Watcha Say” by Jason Derulo.  If you don’t know it, it’s probably better if you don’t look it up.  While I firmly believe that autotune and over-production are out of control, I am fascinated by the major label methodology of producing hits.  I enjoy seeing what maximum expenditure can (and can’t) produce in the studio and I appreciate what the hitmakers believe will successfully exploit the public’s desire for barely-discernible originality.

It seems like everyone except the aging executives at the majors know that the well is running dry on CD sales, and no matter how viable digital sales (or subscription access to “the cloud“) become, there won’t be a whole lot of money to throw around.  So what happens to artists like Jason Derulo at that point?  Can pop music find a way to make records that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars that still turn a profit? Probably not, which I find a little upsetting.  As trifling and dastardly as the majority of the music industry is, I lament a world without highly polished pop music.  It’s always been a part of the musical fabric of my existence, and though I’ve intentionally shunned it for a good portion of my life, I still like that it’s there if I want it.

On a somewhat related note, Public Enemy is asking its fans to fund a new record.  This is an interesting model, and one that I think can work if you’re a currently popular band with an obsessive fanbase.  Is P.E. that band?  Eh…I love me some Public Enemy, but they’re heyday was 20 years ago…now they’re asking for $250,000.  I recorded both of my last two albums for under $1,000.  Yes, I’m no Public Enemy, but 1/4 of a million dollars?  Sounds like Flavor Flav hasn’t been saving those paychecks from Flavor of Love.

ANYWAYS…I’m playing a few Portland shows coming up.  Also, I posted a couple new tour diaries awhile back.  You can check them out at Willamette Week and Punknews.

Yup.
- Aaron

I almost typed 2009. It’s Oh-10 y’all. (Yep, we’re calling it “Oh-10.” Anyone who claims otherwise is just being silly. What are you going to call it, “10″? No.

This past weekend, I played a homecoming show in Portland. It was really, really fun. My friend from the East Coast, PJ Bond, was touring through and we threw him a proper party. Local awesome dude Cory from Garden City Refugee joined us as well. I felt so satisfied that I could put together a show that introduced a couple good musicians to the 30 or so people in attendance.  This may seem like a low bar for success for those of you who know me from back East, but for the first two years on the West Coast, Portland has felt more like a tour show.  But I think we’re building something here, and I enjoyed this show like the homecoming that it was.

The last time I played with PJ was at a hotel show in Gainesville.  Rich and Nariman from Sound Scene Revolution invited us to the show they were throwing in their hotel room at 2 AM.  Despite everyone’s delirium and exhaustion (or maybe because of those factors), everyone had a pretty sweet time.  PJ and I each played a few songs, then Tom from The Menzingers hopped up to serenade everyone through the collective nightcap.  This wasn’t the best show on this tour for documenting the audio, but this is the one we’ve got.  Nariman stood dutifully beside the performers with microphones as we slagged our way through the songs, and this podcast is the result.  It’s worth listening to, at least for the stories.  Watch this 30-second video to see what it looks like to cram 25 people into one hotel room.

On an unrelated note, my friend Iris and I spoke at length after Saturday’s show about how we both had friends in Haiti at the time of the earthquake.  Her friend did an interview upon returning, and his observations are thoughtful and surprising.  In particular, I was appalled to learn that the U.S. blocked all aid flights into the airport for three hours so Secretary of State Clinton could deliver a speech about how much aid the U.S. was delivering.  It’s worth your time; you can check out the article here.

- Aaron

I feel like I’ve gone to the bike shop twenty times since I’ve gotten home. Fedex screwed up my bike big time and I’ve been back and forth ordering parts, buying tools, and having the mechanics fix my mistakes. One of the disadvantages of bike tour was that it gave me a strong intolerance for an improperly functioning bicycle. That, combined with my mediocre knowledge of bicycle repair, has left me frequently confused and covered in grease. I guess there are worse things to be.

I’m crawling out from under my rock and playing in Portland this weekend. It’s good to be home.
- Aaron

The weekend with Summer People was really, really awesome. I saw a bunch of old friends, including two who have a baby now, one who just started a restaurant, and others still who are heading to Australia to play shows. We are all getting older by the day, and these friends inspire me with the diversity of their paths. Me? I’m headed to North Carolina, then back to Portland for the first time in 3 1/2 months. It’s time to go home.

PS You need to hear Summer People.

The Attica! Attica! train keeps trucking. Do trains truck? I don’t know. But this train is trucking back to upstate New York for a couple more shows with my old friends in Summer People. Come hang out before I slink back to the West Coast!
- Aaron

KEY WEST. We made it! We made it. I know I always say I’m tired when I’m typing on this, and that’s mainly because I do all the fun stuff and then use the last bit of energy to type something when I should already be sleeping. All I can say is that it’s been a pretty amazing couple weeks since the Fest. I will be documenting it all retroactively in my continuing tour diaries. I’ll post about those as they get uploaded.

I’m already planning a few last shows on the East Coast before I retreat back West. Check the shows page for the info!
- Aaron

The Fest 8. Easily one of the best weekends of my life. I have much to tell, but that will be later, since I am even more tired than I was when I got to town. Until then, you can read my latest tour diaries: Chickens in the Woods and The Circus Comes to Town.
- Aaron

I am exhausted. We rode 75 miles today, and we haven’t had more than one day off in a row since…well, we were in Washington, D.C., then. Now we are in Florida. There is much to tell, but really I’m just getting ready for The Fest this weekend. Apparently 300 bands are playing. I can’t wait! Hope to see you there…
- Aaron

The good news is we have made it to Southern Virginia, and biked something like 650 or 700 miles. The bad news? We’re not even 1/3 of the way there! Well, that’s good news, too. The adventure continues!

I have new tour diaries up at Punknews.org and the Willamette Weekly, you should check those out!

Also, I wanted to spread the word about something important. Years ago, I briefly toured with a band called Kudzu Wish. I recently found out that Kudzu Wish’s bass player, Tim Lafollette, has developed ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is a very serious condition that eventually leads to the loss of all voluntary movement. You can find out more at Often Awesome.

- Aaron