La Vie En Robe

Buggin' Out

Sure, yeah, I know: Michael Jackson's still dead, and it's our civic/spiritual duty to watch his memorial service today. (One breathless radio reporter informed us this morning that no less than Lou Ferrigno is in the house at Staples Center. LOU FERRIGNO, people!)

But in case you feel like watching something else, here's this week's Taco Tuesday, wherein Jay and I discuss the relative virtues of the new All Time Low and Job For A Cowboy CDs, while the exterminator deals with the aftermath of Jay leaving his taco dishes out all week. Slob.

Happy Fourth of July!

Okay, so it's not actually the Fourth just yet. But since folks all across this great land are scrambling to stock up on everything from sparklers to weapons-grade plutonium in time for the USA's 233rd birthday, Jay and I figured it wasn't too early to deliver an important Taco Tuesday message about responsible firecracker usage, no matter how vague. Oh yeah — we also argued about the new Wilco and Killswitch Engage albums...

Mastodon: Lost in Space

In the grand scheme of the many adventures and encounters I've had over the years with Atlanta prog-metal dudes Mastodon, this recent ShockHound interview was pretty tame — at least in the sense that I did not twist my ankle tripping over any urine-filled bottles, get stuck on a tour bus somewhere in the Louisiana Bayou, or receive a lap-dance from a grossly overweight stripper. That said, it was still a pretty fun interview, and it gives a good glimpse at what makes these guys so special compared to all the meat-head metal that's out there these days. Long may they rock...

National Adopt-A-Cat Month

Anyone who knows me or has read this block semi-regularly knows how much I love cats, as well as how much joy adopted strays and shelter cats have brought to my life over the years. Which is why Jay and I decided to dedicate this latest episode of Taco Tuesday to American Humane's National Adopt-A-Cat Month — it's a cause I can definitely get behind, even if adopting the likes of Simba here probably wouldn't be the smartest option for your average household...

Spuds and Goddesses

Between work stuff, my endless book edits and other (admittedly enjoyable) life distractions, I've been getting way behind on my ShockHound updates. Here are two of the more stimulating interviews I've done in recent months, both of which ran on the site last week — my SXSW sit-down with four-fifths of DEVO, and a chat I had last month with Tori Amos. 

The DEVO i'view thankfully omits one of the more mortifying faux pas moments of my adult life, when I told the legendary band that I was going to see the NY Dolls play that night instead of them, while the Tori piece sadly omits one of the nicest compliments that anybody (much less an interview subject) has ever paid me: At one point, much to the amusement of my colleagues, she actually said, "Dan, you remind me of a mixture of all these great bands from the '70s." (Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear...)

I have to say that, though I am not exactly what you'd call a card-carrying fan of Ms. Amos's music, I am impressed by the way she's totally stuck to her guns and followed her inner truth over 20 years in the music biz — not an easy thing to do, to say the least. I know a lot of people think she's nuts (and she may be, a little), but I came away from our fairly intense conversation with a deep respect for her genuineness, her intellect and her earthy sense of humor. And people, let's not kid around here — skinny redheads don't generally do it for me, but I gotta admit the lady was lookin' GOOOOD, y'all...