Cush!

I remember holding your hand
for the first time
I remember the moon in your eyes
for the first time
crush me


In an alternate reality, CUSH is the probably the biggest band in the world. In this one, they made one brilliant album and played a few brilliant concerts...one of which I was so fortunate to see at the Glass House in Pomona, California. My friends Matthew Powell and Justin Landis accompanied my now-wife and I to that Violet Burning/Cush double bill. From what I understand, there may be another CUSH full length at some point, but it seems that Michael Knott, will sadly, never play with the band again. Therefore, as good as the Prayer Chain instrumentalists are, they are only half as good without the juggernaut that is Mr. Mike Knott.

Below is a great version of "Crush Me" from their self-titled record and a messy, crazed version of Knott's own "Cool"/"Thru" medley. Prickett gets down on this one.

Here's to hope in things that will never be.

keith giles quote

My friend, Keith Giles, wrote this in the Subversive Underground, in an article about the recent Evangelical Manifesto. The best thing about Keith, is that he really walks out what he talks. The guy pastors a church called The Mission, doesn't take a salary and every cent they collect (from tithes and offerings) goes to the poor.They don't even use it to buy paper goods or snacks.

"The reason why Christianity in America is toxic to most people is that those who are called to be representatives of Jesus have done a terrible job. This is why I cannot bring myself to be indentified as a "Christian" to someone outside the Church. They hear that term and they equate me with the big-haired, money-hungry, gay-bashing, waiting-for-the-rapture brand of Believer. That is not who I am. That is not the Jesus I follow."

The Nightly News, The Myriad, Postal Service, serve me vs. serve us, links, bohemian alien, coffee, IVY

At lunch yesterday with my friend Dave W. (see his brilliant, lightning-quick insights ) a conversation about his blog, holy heteroclite (not to be confused with a french clothing company), led me to the startling realization that I need to link to more stuff in my blog to raise my profile on google.

Granted, this blog already shows up as fourth or fifth on the list for "Ryan Townsend" sometimes higher but typically below my Canadian and British doppelgangers.

At Northpark, we're gearing up for the big change. At the Grind, they're playing the one and only Postal Service record. I just finished The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman, a nasty little graphic novel about a cult who murder journalists because the media is an agent of government control. Definitely not a feel-good story but thought-provoking and entertaining. Check out Hickman's blog, Pronea.

My new column debuted in the Bohemian Alien this past week... I am grateful to be included among the manyv great artists over there, so check it out if you have a chance. More on the Alien to come...

And finally, I was sitting here and realized that I MUST immediately listen to the song, "Got a Feeling" by the fantastic and criminally underrated, Ivy. Is there a youtube video for it? Yes, yes there is.

sweetheart, you're so cruel

Man United win 6-5 on penalties, in the pouring rain after midnight in Moscow. Poor John Terry missed for Chelsea with a chance to win it after Ronaldo missed. I just knew Anelka was going to go left and Van D knew it too. Very thrilling...Chelsea fans must be totally disappointed.

I am even a little bummed.

UEFA Champions League

I just got back from lunch with my friend Dave, to discover that the CL Final between Manchester United and Chelsea had gone to extra time... I was recording it old school style on VHS but now I can watch the end live on espn 360.

Now it's going to penalties in my one-time hometown of Moscow.

Crazy exciting, maybe unjust but fun for this Tottenham supporter, I suppose I want Chelsea to win because they are the underdogs.

the overdubs in the bee

Mike Oz of the Fresno Bee was so kind as to interview us (me) for last Friday's edition of the 7 Section. You can check it out online here...
the overdubs, artists you should know

in other news, I'm going on vacation tomorrow but I hope to use some of my time off to continue the cover songs podcast series. friday's show at the Joe was top notch. stay tuned for more shows. if you want us to play at something, drop us a line.

happy end of the weekending,

Ryan

bixby canyon bridge

This morning, as I peddled my bike faster than usual on my way to a day at the office that promises to be busier/more hectic than usual, I felt that peculiar sense of place and time that can descend when one hears the perfect song at the perfect time. For me that song was "Bixby Canoyon Bridge" by Death Cab for Cutie from their new record Narrow Stairs (out next week 5/13). It's been a tense week for me, getting ready to go on vacation, doing an interview for the paper, practicing for Friday's show, writing a column for the bohemian-alien, designing banners and cards, putting together a Mission Team for June's launch, and hopefully finishing a term paper before class this afternoon. That tension is nicely reflected in the song, which opens as melodic, beautiful, and sad as any song the band has done before and then eventually lurches towards a noisy, chaotic climax that is still pretty darn hum-able. Kind of like life these days.
Tomorrow's the big return to Kuppajoe. We're supposed to go on at 9:45 or 10:00 but if you can come out early to check out the other bands, Amoeba Defense and Kinship. I'm stoked to see both of them so you better believe I'll be there early. Here's the flyer I did for the show. No time for links but you can find stuff if you look hard.