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This is TASM Lab...
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TASM Lab is a veil of an independant production company that produces music, art, and other stuff. Powerered by the fellows, and awesome bands: The Hudson Debacle; Screwtape; Overman, TASM Lab keeps on poopin' it out. Learn more...
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July 21, 2005
MY MOVIE BUSINESS
TASM Fellow KEVIN BANKS (his fellowship is official now) and I shot our first film together. See it now:
homme triste de canard
QuickTime Movie - 60megs - This may take a few minutes to download
It is an film-student-art-film* about a man and his love for water fowl. Its also the latest GOOSENECK for Fellow D. AUSTIN NASH. We shot the film on a hot Monday afternoon with my new video camera and I edited the film and did the music editing.
* I realize now that creating continuity and production value are HARD. That's why student features often lack these features, and then brush them off under the guise of artiness.
Here is the second video, and The Hudson Debacle's first:
Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck
My baby is coming in seven days! In fact, my wife is having contractions right now.
I have purchased my own dedicated web server and now have unfettered and practically unlimited web resources. I'll consider this a turning point in my web career.
I finished the game BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL and thought it was great. I always feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I finish a game. Probably more than anything I've ever done at work.
Fellow D. AUSTIN or Dave welcomed a new puppy into his life. Her name is Ginger Belladonna and she is a Jack Russel terrier. MEET HER.
TASM Friend TOOLMASTER had his healthy baby last month. Congratulations! TASM friend AL WISEMAN had bought his first house and is moving as I write. Fellow CHRIS BECK is going to visit next month. XAVI's wedding is now only a year away. LIZ and JUSTIN are engaged. MEETA got a new job. SAM is consulting in San Jose. I bought a lawn mower and installed a baby car seat yesterday.
That's all. Bye.
June 7, 2005
NEW (OLD) PHOTOS FROM CRAIG
TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY opened the vault and sent some new snapshots, all of which have one thing in common.
June 1, 2005
DIET IS OVER, BABY IS SOON
Today marks the end of my 105-day diet. I've lost 25 pounds and reduced my blood pressure to healthy rates. I look like I'm 24 again. I run and do push-ups and eat sensibly and partake in all sorts of healthy suckery.
Today also marks the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY since I've gone out on my own and started my own business. It seemed like a risky experiment when I did it, but now is a way of life. I've increased my pay, reduced my hours, forgone office culture and offices themselves, and have finished the escape plan. In certain lights, I feel very smart.
Only eight weeks to go until my daughter is expected to be born. The nursery is all set, it just needs a baby.
TASM Fellow KEVIN BANKS was recently in the 48-hour film project and did a bully fine job as an actor. He played a crazy teen TV star and his movie won an award
My mother bought me a video camera and some puppets (for the baby) so I made my first filmed children's narrative called "Raji Stays for Dinner". Check it out. Yes, its stupid.
TASM Fellow CHRIS BECK has gotten a new job with Homeland Security. Congratulations! TASM friend SAM PATEL has also found work.
April 25, 2005
NEW (to us) TWITCH SITE
Allyson Martin has posted/hosted her twitch site here. Although she's had it up before, I think there are plenty of folks who should still check it out. Twitch rocks. Check it out at twitch.tasmlab.com
April 12, 2005
GET YOUR HAND OUT OF YOUR PANTS
Every so often I check the web stats on this site. Listed below are the top 20 Google search terms that bring people to TASMLAB.com. Worst is that there is only one search (number 15) that might be people looking for this site or anything about my music or art. Number 19 - "child nude" - is a bit disturbing, as I don't think there is a nude child on the site. Number 20 - cliff claven - should be amusing to Mike Roche.
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| Top 20 of 204 Total Search Strings |
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| # |
Hits |
Search String |
|---|
|
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| 1 |
115 |
18.79% |
sexy comic |
| 2 |
38 |
6.21% |
dirty comic |
| 3 |
34 |
5.56% |
pornography |
| 4 |
22 |
3.59% |
dirty sexy |
| 5 |
21 |
3.43% |
sausage |
| 6 |
18 |
2.94% |
comic sexy |
| 7 |
17 |
2.78% |
fuck woman |
| 8 |
16 |
2.61% |
peeing |
| 9 |
13 |
2.12% |
penis art |
| 10 |
11 |
1.80% |
adult cartoons |
| 11 |
11 |
1.80% |
cute comic |
| 12 |
7 |
1.14% |
nude blondes |
| 13 |
6 |
0.98% |
sexy dirty |
| 14 |
6 |
0.98% |
tasm |
| 15 |
6 |
0.98% |
tasmlab.com |
| 16 |
5 |
0.82% |
dirty frame |
| 17 |
5 |
0.82% |
sexy cute |
| 18 |
5 |
0.82% |
urinating |
| 19 |
4 |
0.65% |
child nude |
| 20 |
4 |
0.65% |
cliff claven |
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March 11, 2005
A PORTRAIT OF DORIAN GREY
Things are less than exciting. Lots of snow shovelling and Netflix. Real progress is pathetic, but I'm making lots of $$ and a baby.
Take a look! TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY and his girl LEILA are posed down below. They live in San Diego. (note the lost Till painting in the background from my pre-TASM-era). Craig looks like he's in his twenties (but he's really old like me). Craig's computer broke. That's about all I know. See the painting sans friends...
I'm on a diet and am going to lose 35 pounds by June 1st. This is the only thought in my mind on any given moment.
Oooh ooh except I'm having a little BABY GIRL on August 1st. Wow.
The new TASM demo (#7) is done, meaning the new record is written and now needs to be recorded. Maybe I'll post a sneak here sometime. Its pretty good.
TASM Fellows XAVIER SIEMENS and KIM OREIL are now engaged! Congratulations to them both. I love them. I went to Xavi's and Kim's a month ago to watch all three extended edition LORD OF THE RINGS movies in one 16-hour marathon. It cost me about $900 to see the films, but it was worth it. I also hung with Xavi and TASM Fellow CHRIS BECK (aka the professor, the anvil, the hinge, ole' montana) in Washington DC and Baltimore. It was wonderful and we saw the HOOTENANNNY at ole' Cox's pub. Also discussed is the new project 500 YEARS which will be announced in 2007.
I visited my mom in FLA last weekend which was nice.
The New England PATRIOTS won the Superbowl, but that's old news. I'm still excited about it.
Three TASM Sales since Jan 1, which isn't as bad as it sounds. ReferralSoft and Leapthought had sales as well.
TASM Fellow JARED BRYANT is reportedly moving to Ireland. See that post, read more, and add your own to the comments on the side. With the close down of the first to the fence, web4insects, cosmonaut, thoughtindustry.com, et all, this may be the last Class of 93 kzoo posting available.
Hope everyone's OK. Hugs,
January 1, 2005
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Its the new year - 2005. I can't really remember what happened in 2003. I remember 2001 and 2002 sucked, and I have a pretty good handle on what JUST happened. But I can't remember 2003. As I do every year recently, I've updated my PERSONAL HISTORY to reflect my progress over the past year.
Of biggest note, Joby, there is a baby Till on the way as well. Perhaps little Till and little Toolmaster can play together. With Sasha too.
November 16, 2004
CONFIRMED
Toolmaster II has been confirmed by the source himself:
Hey sports fans
My lovely wife is pregnant and due in May. It's very
exciting. Hope you all are well.
Joel
November 7, 2004
WALKING THROUGH A TRAIN
I have a sense that I liken to walking through a train, car to car. Once you get through a door, another car with a door on the other end presents itself. i.e., once a goal is completed, the next goal is suddenly clear. Now that I've crossed through one big door, I see the next one. My next goal is pretty clear*.
My consulting business, SAM-Lab is doing very well. Almost too well - I barely have time to acheive the real stuff (like playing KOTOR). Unfortunately, consulting work is wholly disposable, meaning it creates no lasting value beyond the immeadiate income it provides. Its like being a cashier on a grander scale. Each transaction is dust in the wind upon completion, and then on to the next disposable transaction.
'Disposable life' is the theme. The sad theme. The happy theme would be 'constructive' or 'permanance'. These are happening too, at a rate faster than ever. This is what makes the disposable seem so drastic, personally. You can't even SEE it when everything's disposable i.e., when the fulfilling the career of bill paying is successful and simutaneously FEELS like something is going right. This goal is a hidden death-spot that most aspire to (because it happens to be the car in the train that they are currently in).
There is a machine that eats food and poops it out ( the Cloaca) using mechanical processes that mimic human digestion. Although elaborate and ridiculous, it mirrors disposable life so well.
The answer is either building real acheiment, self-denial, or hedonism. Any of these three (or maybe a combination?) will alleive this frustration.
These are all notes to myself.
I'm going to a mortgage advisor trade show this week with TASM fellow and business partner MIKE ROCHE. This is for Till micro-business #4 - REFERRALSOFT. LEAPTHOUGHT is a go. GLEECD received its first real lead. Going slow, but its going.
Today ended two swell visits. TASM Fellow XAVIER SEIMENS was in town to discuss gravity waves and friend STEPHEN LYNCH invited many of us to his show last night at the Orpheum. Good stuff. TASM fellows DAVID NASH and KEVIN BANKS were in attendance.
RUMOR: TOOLMASTER PART II.
The Pats finally lost, but the Sox finally won. It was MAGIC here in Boston. You've never seen freaks like these get gassed up on baseball.
George Bush was re-elected here in the United States of Jesus.
TASM friends THE HALSEYS (Geoff and Molly, of DOXIE and FAQ fame) visited a few weeks ago from Portland. It was great to see them and we had a great time a blustery tour of Boston.
HALO 2 comes out tomorrow!
I went to SPAIN for a week, and also visited AFRICA (Morroco). Easily the most interesting tourism I've experienced. Gazillions of toothless Muslims living in picturesque poverty. REally neat.
Fellow CRAIG VERITY beats me at online Pente sometimes. I beat him other times.
I enjoy visiting PROJECT ALAN daily and watching Al's daughter grow up.
WHAT ABOUT MUSIC? ART? This is sad stuff that a career of bill-paying squashes. This is one of the central themes of the fairly well actuallized (in many respects) TASM Lab #7, which won't be finished before next summer. And even that is probably too soon. I could work on it today, but I'm going to program websites instead.
I think that's it. XXXOOO - Jeff himself.
* Part time job ->> 1/4 MM $ in my pajamas for 2005
June 27, 2004
BRAVE NEW WORLD
TASM Fellow KEVIN BANKS was married
last night at a beautiful ceremony and reception thrown by his folks. Congratulations
to him! Who did he marry? Why Mrs. Banks of course. Fellow DAVID AUSTIN NASH
gave a nice reading at the ceremony. Kevin gave me a nice flask.
I've officially gone out on my own as an entrepreneur. I no longer get a
paycheck from an adult company, as I voluntarily separated June 1. My new consulting
business is the Strategy and Methods Lab, or SAM-Lab. I do intellectual property
for professional services firms. A wisp of a new site HERE.
Also in the pipeline, GLEECD has released
its first demo of hymns, marketing campaigns have been launched, and we are
seeking our initial clients. I'll post results soon.
REFERRALSOFT.COM is my new referral software program that I'm launching to the Mortgage Advisor population with business partner and TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE. Again, results will be posted as things get cookin'.
My little sister, KATHERINE, bought a new house in Berkeley MI, which was bully nice. I went there and cooked sausage in celebration. My MOTHER got a new job. Fellows XAVI and KIM came by for another great visit. Xavi and I still haven't finished our x-box game, RETURN OF THE KING, but we did go golfing, which was Xavi's first time. I'm looking forward to seeing Spider-man this week. I had lunch at the Harvard Club last week to see a libertarian speaker. I shot a 101 and 102 in recent golf games, which represent really good scores for this hack. We're off to watch polo today where we will go to a lobster/clam bake we were invited to. Things could certainly be worse.
xoxox Jeff
May 18, 2004
SORRY FOR THE DOWN SITE - KEEPIN' ON
Shown below is my latest painting. This oil number, completed in February, features jokers at a party tellin' jokes! Its about three feet wide
New TASM music is happening, but probably a ways off. 9 songs have music completely written. I'm shooting for 12. Then comes lyrics, then demos, then recording, then pressing, and on and on. Early 2005? Its coming out good though, perhaps best ever. In the meantime, there are still six other records most of you haven't heard.
A new painting is also in the works. Its of a girl sleeping on a cow.
The secret web project is going well, as is the less secret web project. (these are notes for me, personally). TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE and I have forged a new partnership to pursue fortune online. TASM Fellow DAVE NASH and I are almost ready to open the doors to our community recording studio, GleeCD. DUMBMAIL.com is an unexpected flop, although websites take 7 months to begin bubbling (I know), so its going to sit there for a while and we'll see if anything bubbles. Other professional events are whizzing and spurring all in good fashion.
WHICH is why TASMlab.com went down for the month of April. Corporate clients of mine were given the URL by mistake and although I'm proud of my artist work, corporate clients tend to be very risk-adverse and don't like publicly like pictures of nude women or sexual humor.
TASM Fellow MIKE has taken new gainful employment and seems to be thriving. TASM Fellow DR. BECK is considering running for public office. Fellows XAVIER and KIM came for several visits from their Milwaukee home. TASM FELLOW KEVIN BANKS is getting married this summer, and I'm going to his bachelor party. TASM Friend WALTER BLANK has started golfing with us. I bought new golf clubs, replacing my 1967 hand-me-sown SAM SNEADES. TASM Fellow BRENT OBERLIN has released a new disc with his band COSMONAUT, although I can't seem to get a copy. FAQ's GEOFF HALSEY recently hooked me up with DOXIE II and the un-released INTERSTATE BRICKFACE, both which are stellar. DAVE bought a truck. DESECRATOR guitarist DAN ROE popped up here in Massachusetts (he teaches at Harvard) and we've gone out for pops and there. TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY has no news that should be published on the web. Fellow JARED BRYANT has moved west again as part of his annual explosion.
That's it.
January 29, 2004
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Everything is just bully with home and work. Churning out new art and music. Enjoy my comic strip below (as my only new piece of content, it will appear on Dumbmail as well):
Thanks!
November 16, 2003
OVERMAN RACECAR! OUT NOW - NEW SITE DESIGN - NEW WAY TO BUY TASM MUSIC
TASM Lab is excited to release the essential Kalamazoo punk rock release OVERMAN RACECAR! Originally released in 1991, this tape has been Till's biggest seller with 200 copies sold of the original. Now, in 2003, we've dusted off the old masters, found an additional 10 songs, and spruced up the sound with new vocals, guitar, and some knob twiddling. Its a real heart attack.
You can purchase the disc here at CDbaby where you can also listen to samples. OR you can purchase the whole disc on MP3 (along with the entire TASM catalog) for just $20. CHECK IT OUT
As you may have noticed, I've put in a new design for the site. Its essentially
the same content, but with a spiffy new design. I believe this will be found
by Google easier, and I've also put in the FULL ROCKMAN
ACCESS which enables people to buy the entire TASM catalog (102 songs
total) on MP3 for $20 through PayPal. This is sort of test to see if download
commerce is viable. I'll be on the iTunes and the like sometime in 2004, but
this is cheaper and easier.
Other new personal stuff: I got new job working in labor consulting. I bought a new (to me) Saab 9-5 to drive around.
I saw TASM fellow MICHELLE GRAF last week. We even got together with her
boyfriend STEVEN and TASM fellow D. AUSTIN NASH to jam some rock music at their
practice space. Good fun.
Check out my new website DUMBMAIL.com.
Its a fun-timey portal for posting all of the dumb, drunken, or otherwise amusing
e-mail that your friends send you. Please go on and post some dumbmail!
I went to TASM friend STEVE LYNCH's wedding this summer. Bully! I also visited TASM fellows MIKE ROCHE, JARED BRYANT, and CHRIS BRYERS in Kalamazoo. Everyone seemed well enough. TASM Fellow BRENT OBERLIN was nowhere to be found.
In California, TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY has suffered through the fires, but he lives. TASM friend KEVIN FARKAS of twitch and spoonbender fame wrote yesterday just to say hello.
No news from the professor in a while. Xavi and Kim visit all the time, which is wonderful.
That's all for now. Keep on keepin on!
- xoxoxo Jeff
May 23, 2003
RELEASED!! RETURN OF THE ROCKMEN: INTO THE MONKEY OVEN
It out now! As of today! The Hudson Debacle's second (and last) full-length recording: "Into the Monkey Oven" is now AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE for only $11 US. It features 10 new songs written by the crew (1/2 of them by TASM Lab myself Jeff Till). Its great big fun. Go buy yourself a copy. If you're a cheap fuck you can download most of it HERE.
Check out TASM friend KEVIN BANKS new website: KevinBanks.com. It features a ton of his most excellent artwork.
Also, TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE is now officially offering web design services via his Broadside Productions.
TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY just sent me the OVERMAN RACECAR master tapes from sunny San Diego. Look for a CD re-release of the best selling (we sold 200 copies) indy tape soon soon soon! TASM Fellow DAVID AUSTIN NASH will be helming the remaster job on his PC. DAVED HAGEL, who released FAQ's quintessential 7 inch LIVERBOX will be MP3ing the original RACECAR tape for me soon. His contact, 12 years after Overman played in his MN basement, was our impetus to think about putting Racecar on disc.
Also, SCOTT RICHMOND will be featuring SCREWTAPE Y1.993K on his soon to be launched website. I will post a link when it official.
I haven't heard from TASM fellows BRENT OBERLIN, MICHELLE GRAF, DAVE GRANT, COLIN BRADFORD, CHUCK BRADFORD, or DAVE GRANT in ages.
I do hear from TASM Fellow JARED BRYANT and he is doing very well.
TASM Friend STEPHEN LYNCH recently played Boston to a huge sold-out crowd of over 1,000. He's becoming very, very popular.
NEW ART AND MUSIC FROM TASM LAB?: Not anytime soon. I don't have any good ideas. Sorry. I'm not dead yet, though.
Keep on keepin' on.
December 10, 2002
DR BECK and XAVI LEAVE TOWN - DEATH OF THE HUDSON DEBACLE - NEW RECORD OUT SOON!
The last breath of the Hudson Debacle happened this morning as TASM Fellow PROFESSOR BECK climbed into his truck and went to fucking Washington DC. We held eight going away parties, the last involving a visiting Xavi. Chris is a super person, and I refuse to beleive I won't see him again and often.
TASM Fellow XAVIER SIEMENS visited this weekend. He's running in the naked quad run today. Him and TASM Fellow KIM ORIEL will paint his genitals like an elephant, and then run around Tufts campus.
The new HUDSON DEBACLE record will be available for purchase soon soon. TASM Fellow D. AUSTIN NASH and I have procured the proper media and are doing a folksy pressing. In the meantime, eager listeners can DOWNLOAD MP3s of the new 10-song record INTO THE MONKEY OVEN.
The title, by the way, was choosen because Dr. Beck mistook a Honey Dew sign for a Monkey Oven sign. Go figure.
Double BTW, you can view the latest new painting INTO THE MONKEY OVEN
. This painting is moving down to DC with Chris.
Saturday was the date for TASM Friend KEVIN BANK'S latest art show "Tripolar". It was by far his best and its a shame you may have missed it.
TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY has moved to San Diego to persue a career as a massage therepist. He reports:
To those concerned,
I am now living and breathing in sunny San Diego, though it hasn't been
very sunny so far. I arrived on Wednesday the 15th at 7pm Pacific time.
The journey was one of delight, pain and tedium. After my jaunts in
Geneva, Ill, Indianapolis, IN and St Louis, Mo, I took to the open road
via I-44, I-40, I-17, I-10 and I-8. I think I hit the 15 in SD when I got
here, but you don't care. The whole drive from St Louis took about 12+
hours each day with a nap in there for about 3 hours. Other wise I was
driving. and boy did I drive. My body time clock is absolutely off, I am
tired at crazy and inappropriate times, and wide awake at others. I'm
sure this will remedy itself soon.
I am now employed at the B&N in Mira Mesa. I originally was supposed to
work a the La Mesa store but it is farther. I am now regretting the
change, La Mesa has better batch of people it seems. Will miss those at
the Kazoo store. You know who you few are. I will adapt to my new
workplace.
Angela lives in a wonderful area, tucked about 5 miles north of the city.
I have a park across the street where I take Reddie for walks. Reddie was
happy to see me. I was happy to see here. I've eaten fish tacos just
about every day here. Rubios is a fast food type fish taco place (you're
right Cassie) and they are good, though I had a great Mahi tacos at South
Beach down in Oceanbeach last night. Saw the seals at the Cove in La
Jolla, even went by the old house. We had it good then I can see now. La
Jolla now is sort of the San Diego Beverly Hills. It's crazy. Houses
start at 500,000. Crazy. People drive crazily fast here as I expected,
but that still doesn't prepare yourself for how crazy and fast. I will
survive. The adventures are just beginning.
That is it for now.
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I've been slowly updating this site. Besides the addition of MONKEY OVEN content, I've mostly just been trying to fix some of the inaccuracies that have propped up. Next projects might be an updated link section and a fixed bulletin board. Then I might also comment some stuff now that another year is passed. Maybe update my annual bio.
Some of this inaccuracy is due to the fact that TASM Fellow CHRIS BRYERS has disbanded his Sleet rock band and the related site (very sad). KEVIN OBERLIN's HORmusic.com has stopped working. DEWEY GUIDA's long-standing Webforinsects.com has errors on both its homepage and discussion board (the typical points of entry). Even TASM Fellow COLIN BRADFORD has ditched his Astrid Flood website.
At the same time, TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE has been making killer strides on his two web properties, THOUGHTINDUSTRY.COM and BROADSIDEPRODUCTIONS.COM.. Another website made by somebody somewhere called Fuckinoff.com now features a TASM painting (be warned, as there is enough porno advertising to make you blush).
Also, TASM friend JEFF BORKOWSKI and his band First to The Fence (who owe me a copy of thier new disc) have launched thier site FIRST TO THE FENCE .COM TASM Friend JOBY has released OCEANS OF REGRET .COM
...and my old high-school best buddy, ALAN WISEMAN, has launched his new site PROJECT ALAN.
TASM Fellow and co-California-liver JARED BRYANT also chimes in with some news from the West. Jared is working at a brew haus and for his brother's printing dynasty. He corrects me in a recent e-mail:
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You are almost right...it is "Chicks with dicks get ass fucked and sucked off by horny studs and other dolls with dicks"
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An even stranger message is from TASM Friend TOOLMASTER or JOEL JOHNSON. Joel moved to fucking Sweden and married a doctor. He writes:
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Hello all my friends. Sorry I haven't been in touch,
I don't have much access to the internet. Hopefully
that will be changing soon. Maria and I are fine.
She is studying medicine and I'm studying Swedish. No
luck finding a job. It's proving to be much harder
than I expected, and I expected it to be prettyhard.
Oh well, we'll survive. I hope you are all doing well.
Happy birthday Nuebs. My phone number is
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TASM Friend STEPHEN LYNCH has released a new CD, but I don't have it yet.
That's it. Fox hunting season is over. The long, cold Boston winter has begun. Things are tough, but getting less tougher, I guess.
Hugs,
Jeff.
July 3, 2002
THE HUDSON DEBACLE TO PLAY 608 - LAST SHOW EVER - THD TO RECORD
Some quick news - Everyone must come see the Hudson Debacle's LAST SHOW EVER at the 608 in Somerville. We are breaking up (at least in our current config) after two years, as Xavi is leaving for Milwaukee to study gravity waves. Info on the bar and show are at www.bar608.com . We are opening up for Karaoke (seriously!)
The Hudson Debacle will also be going into the studio to record thier second record in mid-July. Look for it via friends and the web in the months to follow.
April 17, 2002
THE UNIVERSE LOVES THE HUDSON DEBACLE
A long time since the last update, but that's because there's been sooooo many updates.
First, go buy the Hudson Debalce's new CD HERE . Its my new CD with 14 big fun rock songs, of which I wrote over 7 of. Plus the other ones are written by kick ass TASM fellows CHRIS BECK, DAVE NASH, and XAVIER SIEMENS.
Oooh ooh ooh and look at the new Hudson Debacle site HERE . Its got song downloads, and funny wordies and everything. Plus a new guestboard to post your dumb/insightful comments HERE
That said, none of my scripts or discussion board are not fixed yet. No time no time (er, or interest).
The Husdon Debalce just played Boston hotspot TT's the Bears with three other cool bands (STAND, TRACY HUSKY, and MASON SLEEPWALKERS). We played splendidly and a nice crowd showed to cheer us on. We made a sweet 20 bucks. It was our second CD release party, the first being a wine event at MO's and my house.
TASM Fellow and Debacler XAVI successfully defended his PhD, and is now a doctor in cosmology. Go Xav.
I work again. Harder than ever. I guess its good. Better than being unemployed. I guess.
TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE has been working like crazy on THOUGHTINDUSTRY.com . check it out. TASM Fellow CHRIS BRYERS has also launched SLEETmusic.com for his new Kzoo incarnation of the sweet rock band SLEET. Also, I recently got a copy of Chris's Twitch's MEDICINE BALL from Mr. Askew (and soon Joby) which is excellent. I previously had the worst dub ever, but the CD's are wonderful. Mr. Askew as also launched burningtentrevival.com which he designed for the hip Kzoo band featuring the cool Clements brothers.
In other news, distant TASM Fellow PAT BALAI, or the OVERPAT, resurfaced. He's doing well doing Irish theatre out west. And holy shit, TOOLMASTER got married and moved to NORWAY.
I've finished another painting, a portait of my wife, which might come up soon. Mostly I'll be working on Hudson Debacle stuff in the meantime, such as new music, promoting the band, booking the band, finishing the website, on and on. And working. Summer is coming. Don't forget to buy my charity comp The WORLD WILL REMEMBER to support the NYC releif effort. Oooh, we got some radio play from it as well.
Follow your nose. Mind your own business. Sweetly,
Jeff.
January 10, 2002
A LITTLE CONTENT FROM CALIFORNIA
TASM Fellow JARED BRYANT sends presents from California. See he him HERE with Patrick and Johnny Roadkill. Johnny Roadkill, semi-evil puppet from TASM Fellows DAVID NASH and KEVIN BANKS, is featured in a Christmassy spirit HERE .
A new live Hudson Debacle photo HERE
The infrequently used TASM DISCUSSION BOARD works again. Please leave a post. Also updated is my personal history , reflecting my personal events of the last crappy year.
Also, don't forget to buy my charity comp THE WORLD WILL REMEMBER .
December 12, 2001
LITTLE PHOTOS ADDED
Pictures posted from The Thought Industry's recent visit HERE and HERE . Also, a funny PS job TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE compiled HERE .
November 28, 2001
SURVIVING AT A DEAD STANDSTILL
Nothing much going on. Soon after the WTC event, I was laid off from my job, which was a residue from the event itself. So have about a hundred of my friends. We'd all go out and drink if any of us had a dime. I've been looking for work and doing freelance work in the meantime to cover mortgage payments. Sucks and sucks.
TASM Lab's song "Demystified, disenchanted" (off of Penisgeek) is appearing on a charity compilation for the disaster called "The world will remember". I organized a good deal of the comp. All money from the disc goes to the releif effort (and all of it, not a portion, not the profits, the whole thing). Unfortuneately, the project has been mired with technical problems and political squabbles among the 17 artists on the disc, so its release is in a couple of days (instead of the sweet mid/late-October we had going before). You may find it at CD Baby .
I still haven't fixed most of the script or link problems on the site. But I'm starting.
You may view the original design for Thought Industry's "Short Wave" cover . Also there's a snap of D. AUSTIN NASH and KEVIN BANKS from the night of the Fitchburg Finger. I've got a couple of bad snaps from THOUGHT INDUSTRY's latest visit to my house, which will be posted later.
Popular TASM feature, the lyric bank is very much updated with the last few months' entries. The lyric bank is where I jot down words that I think go together well, or capture some fleeting thought I have. They're meaningless on thier own, and they live in my palm pilot.
HUDSON DEBACLE keyboardist and TASM fellow XAVIER just finished a successful lecture tour in England. He also bought a new synth. The Debacle has started working on thier second record, and have drafted new songs "The Fantastic Asshole", "The Moon Rolled into the Sea", "How to Fight a Girl", and "Lost in the Parking Lot", an anthem to drunk driving. Our first record is completely ready to go, but lack of finances has required us to postpone its release indefinately.
That said, the cover art for the Debacle is done too.
TASM friends/fellows THE THOUGHT INDUSTRY are on tour and spent Thanksgiving here at my house in Sommerville by the sea. I saw them in Portland OR and they were fabulous. TWITCH is going to play with them on New Years Eve in a glorious reunion. I'd love to see the show. Rumor has it that "Steven" from the Dell computer commercials is going to open. Steven totally rocks. He's going to close his set with "dude, you're getting a Dell!".
TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE is closing on a new space for his studio. It reportedly will be much cooler than the barn. TASM Fellow MICHELLE GRAF may have captured a bass player for her new unnamed project.
TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY came to Boston to visit Dave and I and see the PATRIOTS/SAN DIEGO CHARGERS football game. TASM friend MICHEAL JOHNSON participated, and a good time was had by all. Craig may come back soon to see the MISSION OF BURMA reunion show next month.
Of little interest, Interland - the web hosting company that used to host my site - ran close to $300 of unauthorized charges to my American Express, and only grudgingly reversed the charges. If thier high prices and thier unresponsive service don't turn you off, then perhaps thier finance practices will. I've since gone to HostRocket who seems pretty good so far.
Nothing else much new. My wife decided to fox hunt this fall instead of play polo. My furnace just broke. I've been sitting on the couch for about 10 days straight now.
9/13/2001
BORING DUMB TECH CHANGES, NORMALCY ADMIST GLOBAL TERROR
Like everyone else, the WTC disaster made me fearfull, ill-feeling, and
in constant shot of the TV. An event like this seems to quickly trivialize
and marginalize just about any other activity. The advice that the news
gives is to return to normalcy, or basically return attention to all those
activiies which suddenlly seemed trivial. So here I am, embracing the
profane per instruction.
I
changed ISPs and had/have to completely re-tool this page to work with
the new specifications. I've switched from using Wordpad to using Dreamweaver.
When I started HTML in 1996 the WYSIWYG editors were abominable. Now the
plain text editor is unmanagemable. As it goes, the discussion board,
gutters, and random image scripts don't work, and there are still a lot
of broken links.
The
HUDSON DEBACLE had a great show at the Sky Bar last month. Record attendance
of obligated friends. We made $85 which is big-fuckin'-money. KIM ORIEL
gave a rousing guest appearance.
The
yet-named new CD from the Hudson Debacle is still on the way. Our producer/technical-ace
JERE FAISON of INFINITY STUDIOS and CLUB D'ELF is doing a fantastic job
mixing what would otherwise be a debacle. We have another hour of mixing
and, pending the closing of our dire financial wounds, will go to press
as soon as we can. This delay is a residual effect of our declining economy,
as I haven't seen a personal cash windfall in months.
Sneak
peaks of THD are available at MP3.com and garageband.com.
TASM
fellows and friends THOUGHT INDUSTRY have released thier sixth record,
SHORTWAVE ON A COLD DAY. I went to Tower and Newbury comics to buy it,
but niether store had it. Hopefully MIKE will send a copy soon. I did
the cover painting and the sleeve layout. I finished the painting as a
rush job in 1999, and two years later - - voilia'. The original painting,
which is a bit different from what was published will be posted here soon.
I had to massively reengineer the image after actually hearing half the
disc. I have yet to hear the second half. Hopefully they haven't pulled
any fast ones. Discussion board reactions at WEB4INSECTS.com have been
strong (to both thier fabulous record and my canvas).
Mike
and TI have also released thier new site
thoughtindustry.com so go check it out.
TASM and TI friend DEVON LORREL has launched
thier new site featuring music, film and other oddities. You may visit
the forming site HERE.
A permanent link will be added soon.
Oh, and if you want to purchase TASM firend
and ex-FAQ star RON MUNIZ's new folk album you can email him some money
at Syndrms@aol.com
I'm on vacation right now. I went to the
Berkshires for a couple of days and went to the Norman Rockwell museum.
I went golfing yesterday and now I might watch some news coverage on the
television. My new painting is 90% done. I hope everyone is safe and confidence
levels are being resumed.
JULY 2001
ROCKMEN
TO A FARAWAY NOWHERE
Time impoverished and distracted, here is the update... The Hudson Debacle
has finished all tracking for our new CD, which should be available for
mass consumption by mid-October. All we have to do now is mix, master,
and mass-produce. We recorded 14 songs in sweltering heat over at Infinity
studios in an unfashionable part of the fashionable South End. New to
the mix was "Crimes of the DanceFloor Make-out Artist", which is a dance
song with a rap (no jokes).
If anyone is summering in New England, the Debacle will be playing the
Sky Bar in wicked Sommerville July 31st. We go on at 9:00, and will be
followed by our friends THE COLORFORMS and THE DOOM BUGGIES. Come see
us sweat.
With the new record also comes a new canvas. A big 5 x 5 number that I'm
working on now.
Hardly new now, TASM Fellows THOUGHT INDUSTRY's cover art is done and
in the can. Expect that fine record in September, with its fine TASM-produced
cover art coming out very close to the same time.
TASM Fellow MICHELLE GRAF is now an official resident of Southie. She's
currently looking for a band to sing with. TASM Fellow JARED BRYANT is
now in San Fransisco doing something with satelites. TASM Friend and ex-FAQ
start RON MUNIZ reportedly has a new album out now. He plays guitar and
sings on it. I haven't heard it yet, nor do I have any idea how to find
it. Ron's in San Antonio, TX, and he works as a teacher. He is also a
painter who does regional exhibitions. Up with bad Ronald. TASM Fellow
CRAIG VERITY is finishing up his education. He will be a card-carrying
massage theripist any day now. TASM Friend KEVIN BANKS will have a new
exhibit of new artwork at the DELUX in the fashionable South End of Boston.
I don't know what Fellows MIKE, or DAVE, or BRENT are doing, or anybody
else for that matter, especially CHRIS BRYERS, because he stopped emailing
me after some mean notes. I do know what Fellows NASH, BECK, and XAVI
are up to, because I see them every day, but its none too interesting.
I have to go do some more gardening. Ta ta.
5/5/01
THE NEW SKETCHBOOK, TASM FELLOW MIGRATIONS,
DEBACLE STOMPS A CAN
Its been three months since the last update, so "frequent" visitors can
plan thier visits quarterly. I've been scrambling at my day job, as we run
out of funding in a matter of weeks (I'm still, economic downturn and all,
dot-com, riding high on venture capital) keeping TASM events at steady lull.
New to this site is a revised art
gallery which features tons of new images from my sketch
book, most of which are terrible. Also see some other stuff like the
FEAR cover I recently designed for TASM friend KEVIN OBERLIN.
The new image infusion is semi-brought to you from rock band THOUGHT INDUSTRY
who bought me a new scanner two months ago.
Also new to the site is a bunch of old SCREWTAPE
and OVERMAN articles courtesy of TASM fellow
CRAIG VERITY, steeped from the pages of some of Kalamazoo's finest publications.
This batch of nostalgia was spared from the firebox pilfering that destroyed
nearly every other piece of Screwtape and Overman history. It should be
noted that only about four individuals are affected by this.
I've added a few more photos to the new snapshot
gallery. Included are rare photos of TASM Fellows JARED BRYANT, CHRIS
BRYERS, and JEFF TILL before they looked like donut eating champions.
I've also updated the lyric bank from my new
PALM PILOT (Handspring, actually) which is a visitor favorite.
TASM fellow and vocal star MICHELLE GRAF now lives in my living room. She'll
be in wicked southie soon.
Ms. Graf's performance on GARAGEBAND.COM is making headway, now ranked at
the 18,000th best song on the site (whoa!). Check out reviews of
GRAIN OF DIETY from dorky web users everywhere. Most of them hate it.
You can also check out TASM Fellow D. AUSTIN NASH's solo song, SLAVE
IN SANCTUARY. He has it listed under HUDSON DEBACLE, but in fact its
just him by himself. Note his ratings are alot suckier than my sucky ratings.
In counterpoint, Dave's stock portfolio leaves mine eating serious dust
(so who's laughing now?).
The Hudson Debacle had a great time playing the SKY BAR back in March. A
handfull of friends and few Sommahville townies were in attendance. Fine
performances were given by all, beer was drank, and smiles abounded. Currently
we remain unbooked, unrecorded, but still keep on learning new songs and
having a blast every Monday and Thursday.
TASM fellow CHRIS BECK got his post-doc at North Eastern, FYI. There's a
secret TASM fellow story here. Craig's now working
at BARNES AND NOBLES. DAVE GRANT also took new work (internet sales, I believe).
I got a sweet new snare as a gift from Jared. That's all I know.
2/11/01
UPWARD AND ONWARD: THE HUDSON DEBACLE TO PLAY
HOMETOWN SKY BAR, PARADISE CITY USA
Yow! The Hudson Debacle will be playing The Sky Bar on March 14th in wicked
Somerville. We'll be opening for THE COLORFORMS and THE WILLIAM ACADEMY.
Show is at night, 18+, blah blah. Hopefully we'll be playing our new songs
"Stupid Yesterday" and "The Hospital in the Ocean" (both of which I wrote,
because I'm s o f u c k i n g s m a r t).
A handsome crowd of hipsters, drunk south-shore moms, and a gaggle of kids
(for real, between the ages of 4-9) were Debacled at the Milky Way last
Friday. The Debacle went on without a rub, driving loud rock music which
was so compulsively hot that some of the mothers who were finished bowling
with thier kids came out to shake some booty on the dance floor. Nobody
was hurt. We stayed long, had a few pops (like a hundred) and were PAID
EIGHTY DOLLARS. Super for our second club show, as I don't beleive Overman
ever made a sum that handsome. That $80 is also double the $40 (a calculator
is available under the Start and Apple menus if you don't think my math
is right) we were paid for our first club gig. If we maintain this growth
rate in fees (i.e., doubling) and play a show a month we will be paid $163,840
for a gig this time next year, in which case I'll quit my stinky day job.
This number of course will be much lower if we are incrementally growing
by $40 per gig, and not growing by a factor of 2. This may make more sense,
since the first show 0, then $40, then $80. In this scenario we're only
making $480 per show by next year. The more likely scenario is that we will
no longer be able to obligate our friends to come to the show, we will draw
nobody left to our actual talents, and we'll get paid nothing. Almost forgot,
we also got free pizza and some drink tickets at the show too. Rock on!
TASM Fellows DAVE NASH and CHRIS BECK both had birthday parties this last
month. They are both old old old. Chris' birthday at his home ended with
hundreds (OK, tens) of Europeans (spaniards and french, I beleive) gyrating
wildly to pop sensation RICKY MARTIN. There was an air of guilt among the
English-speaking crowd for letting it happen, but, as it goes, clothes are
washed, showers are taken, and life goes on. Dave's birthday party, at which
TASM-friend KEVIN BANKS was in attendance, was a heady Debacle in wicked
Fitchburg MA, where we saw TASM friend STEPHEN LYNCH do his dirty comedy
routine. Kevin, later, was self-awarded the now-coined FITCHBURG FINGER.
Watch for the legend to be caught in story and song later.
Within the last month, two super people bought CDs from me, each purchasing
the whole catalog. I appreciate thier interest, and hope they enjoy the
CDs. There's a lot going on at the CD BABY
Network of sites. Including stuff for indy musicians' and what not.
Check it out.
TASM friend AMY FAIRCHILD (sister of TASM fellow KARI FAIRCHILD, and TASM
design client for her first CD cover) has a big fat article on her in MUSICIAN'S
PLANET, the advertorial magazine for MARS MUSIC. Mars is fun, because there's
lots of gear to oggle at, and the clerks are required to be nice.
I, of course, am required to be nice to no one, although, I generally am.
Just thought I'd let you know, fucker.
12/31/00
THE HUDSON DEBACLE SCORES THIRD LIVE GIG:
Kick ass! The Hudson Debacle will be playing the Milky Way on February 9,
2001. We'll be playing with Sixgoingonseven and some other Boston bands,
which I'm sure are splendid. We'll be going around 9:30 or so. The Milky
Way is in Wicked Jamaica Plain, and is a BOWLING ALLEY (not fat Michigan
bowling, but skinny, queer New England bowling). Its also one of the coolest
places around. The Hudson Debacle has taken a month off while CHRIS BECK
tours Montana, XAVI goes to Spain, I go to Detroit, and DAVE goes nowhere.
The Milky Way show is our third gig, which is good. We still haven't given
out a demo tape yet, so our music doesn't exclude us from the start.
I updated my personal bio/history of Jeff to
reflect what I did over the past year. I wish I had done this every year
of my life. Its not quite as heady as a journal, but just seeing the events
serve to be very reflective for me personally. I don't know why anyone in
the world would want to read this, and only the Internet could enable such
meaningless public displays.
TASM Fellow CHRIS BRYERS urged me to go see "Crouched Tiger, Hidden Dragon",
and I urge you to all go see it as well before its all you hear about day
in and day out. Here's the conversation between my wife and myself:
Jeff: Why is the Tiger crouching?
Little Mo: Because he's pooping.
Jeff: Why is the Dragon hiding?
Little Mo: Because he wants to watch the tiger poop.
I've entered "Grain of Diety in Woman", sung by TASM Fellow MICHELLE GRAF
into Garageband.com's review process. It currently ranks 27,000th, which
is terrible. You can read all the hateful reviews
HERE. If this link is virtual, you may have to go to Garageband.com
and do a search for me at TASM Lab.
I've changed the
discussion board so it has the same left side as the rest of the pages.
You now, just for convienence, can't post to older messages, which I realize
everyone was eager to do.
I'm using a free word processor for the Mac called Nisus because I find
MS Word intollerable (if not IMPOSSIBLE) for working in HTML. Simpletext
doesn't take large files. Dumb dumb dumb.
I got new pots and pans for Christmas. Really nice stoneware ones. 14 piece
set. Couldn't have asked for a better gift.
Tonight's New Year's Eve. Last year I went to Kalamazoo for TASM Lab's first
(and only) live show. This year my wife and I will set the clocks ahead
a few hours so we can celebrate 2001 and still get to bed early. Happy new
year.
12/2/00
NOTHING NEW:
Due to my new job, most of my energies have been focused on the pedestrian
task of making money. As I just started, I have to go around eating everybody's
lunch for a while until they begin leaving me alone. Once this "lunch period"
is over, I'll be able focus on my attentions on the important things in
life. As it goes...
The Hudson Debacle had a very successful show at the Middle East last Wednesday.
There was a nice crowd of obligated friends and we made $40 (which is a
killing for a first gig, especialy the Weds at 9:15 gig). Thanks again to
KEVIN OBERLIN and STEVE SELL for the opp. We are now on the warpath to finding
more events.
We have purchased http://www.hudsondebacle.com but no one has set it up
yet. In the meantime, you may visit a placeholder page
HERE and read some lyrics and listen to our hobbyist recordings. Of
new music, XAVI has contributed a dancy jazz number called "Crazy Chick"
and punk anthem "Drinking with my Friends". DAVE and Xavi teamed up for
a new one tentatively titled "Deadly Charge of the NightRanger", and Dave
also introduced "Last of the Slo-Speakens", a punk-rock song about punk-rock
(which makes it as self-referrential as most rap music)
If your on a MAC running IE the front "dashboard" page now works. The inside
pages are still goofy. I'm on Macs all the time now, as I got a sweet new
Powerbook for work (imagine, a company that lets its execs use Macs! They
must be tardo), and my wife's primary machine is an iMac (which has our
cable modem). I've also got one machine running NT, one running Win 95,
one running Win 3.1, and one that Nash is currently building with Win 2000,
so hopefully this site (wich garners about 400 visitors per month) will
be compatible with most computers. All is mostly quiet on the TASM fellow
front. TASM Fellows JARED BRYANT and BRENT OBERLIN now live in the same
house, but by accident. TASM Fellow MIKE ROCHE went to his mom's for Thanksgiving,
whereas TASM Fellow CHRIS BRYERS cooked at home with his wife and SLEET
guitarist Kevin Oberlin. Xavi and Kim came over to our Goofyville residence
for duck and hangovers. Dave went to his Grandpa's, CHRIS BECK went to DANA's
house. I don't know where the BRADFORD brothers went, and MICHELLE GRAF
could have eaten at McDonalds for all I know. TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY secured
employment as an optical print specialist in AZ. I saw non-TASM Fellow JOEL
JOHNSON, also known as TOOLMASTER two weeks ago in NYC. He has a new band
called PHIL A. SHEO WITH THE GOODS, which I believe you can research
HERE . Toolmaster is cool.
We sold a "Thing and Nothing" CD to Nicolai in NYC. Thanks Nicolai! That
brings the total TASM Lab sales into the high teens!
Penisgeeks' "Black Cloud Over Cambridge" (featuring TASM Fellow DAVE GRANT)
has been entered into the GARAGEBAND.com
contest. Its doing miserably, ranking in the 23,000's. Most of the peer
reviews are mean and negative, as most people hate both my songwriting and
Dave's voice (!?! what?!! Dave's voice RULES. Yeeahhhh - Hi Mike!). I guess
the world isn't ready for casiotone dinner theatre.
The Till spending orgy is coming to a close. We bought our second 2001 car
this month, resulting in most of my discretionary income going to lease
payments (a black VW jetta and sweet Bordeaux Mercedes C-class). We still
don't have a stick of furniture for our house, and have to carry chairs
back and forth between each room. TASM-large-land-mammal BONITA is doing
well, even though she cut her head on the trailer. She successfully negotiated
Myopia's Fox Hunt on Thanksgiving, although she didn't catch the fox. My
30th birthday party was last Wednesday. A small buch of us went the WHITE
TRASH EMPORIUM in wickid Sommah-ville to play video games and air hockey.
The best gift I got was an "antique" Darth Vader ceramic desk lamp that
lights up inside (it was homemade). I also went to a Christmas party with
my old Price Waterhouse collegues, who urged me to rejoin them as an Essential
Cubicle Nosepicker once more. I started a giant new canvas, which will feature
lots of people finishing dinner in oil paint. None of this is jokes. I just
tell the truth and it SOUNDS like jokes.
The only new stuff on the site is an update of the lyric bank and the Hudson
Debacle page (which will stink). Maybe some new stuff soon. Maybe not.
11/07/00
YOW:
The HUDSON DEBACLE will be playing thier first club gig on November 29,
2000 at the Middle East in Cambridge. Show starts at 9:00, costs $7 and
is most likely 18+. We are opening for CAUSTIC RESIN, which features old
DINOSAUR JR. guys, + Boston locals AUTO INTERIORS and THE BEATERS. The Middle
East is one of the premier rock clubs in Boston and we are very fortunate
to have our debutante show there, as we have paid no dues. We've written
some more songs and have enough for an album now. Much thanks to KEVIN OBERLIN
for setting it up for us, and STEVE at the Middle East.
I hung out with Kevin last Tuesday at the Middle East and helped him sell
t-shirts at the FEAR show. I breifly met KIM DEAL of the BREEDERS/PIXIES
as she is very familiar with Kevin and SLEET's bass player MANDO. Some young
girl mistook me for LEE VING, singer of Fear and popular character actor
in the 80's. She asked me if I was in the movie "CLUE", which came out when
I was 12 years old (Mr. Ving I would guess to be in his 30's at the time).
Perhaps I should start taking better care of myself. A fire was set in the
bathroom and I was the hero who informed the authoritative 18 year old with
the Middle East "staff" badge. Police came and the fire was extinguished.
Kevin also finally delivered my new "Sleet" CD, which is absolutely fantastic.
It features TASM fellow CHRIS BRYERS. My wife is enamoured with it as well.
I had a long long talk with TASM Fellow MICHELLE GRAF, which was fabulous.
She's not in a rock band right now, so someone should pounce on her ASAP.
A mere three days before brought TASM Fellows BRENT OBERLIN and MIKE ROCHE
along with thier live rock and roll band THOUGHT INDUSTRY to Boston. They
played at the Middle East as well and enthralled a small but discerning
crowd of fans. They stayed at my Winthrop home and ate BBQ and watched the
LION's game. Everyone behaved as complete gentlemen.
TASM Fellow JARED BRYANT came on a four day tour of Boston recently. He
stayed at my place, we toured the city, went to a party, toured wicked Salem
and watched some TV. News has it that Jared will be joining TASM Fellow
DAVE GRANT's legacy band, ROLLINGHEAD. Look for a re-premier and new music
soon.
TASM Fellow CRAIG VERITY has moved to Arizona with good ole' JO MAMMA. They
are currently seeking gainful employment and fun in the hot, dry sun. Hats
off to their bravery and gumption.
TASM Fellow D. AUSTIN NASH bought a sweet new 7 string guitar. I bought
a sweet new car and a horse. The Debacle bought a sweet new PA.
TASM Fellow CHRIS BECK has taken a teaching position over Northeastern University.
Professor Beck teaches introductory physics.
BEN WALKER's RADIO NIGHTLIGHT was featured in the "Best of Boston" Pheonix
edition last week, under the category of "best aural fixation". Among the
episodes mentioned was the one I appeared in, as well as TASM Fellows Chris
Beck and XAVIER SEIMENS.
Artist and friend KEVIN BANKS had a solo exhibition at the Modern three
weeks ago. The hanging was a series of architecture prints documenting the
crash of an airliner. The hanging was a success, the artwork superb, and
free beer was drunk by all.
I finished painting my house. I took a new job as Director of Strategy at
Worth.com, the portal for the high net worth individual. My 30th birthday
is this month. Today's the election, but I'm not voting as my interests
will be adequately represented whoever wins (young, well-paid, heterosexual,
married, white atheist male --I can't loose). News has it that a spiteful
black cloud hangs over Kzoo, making nearly the entire city separate from
their lovers. May it stay away from me.
08/09/00
Micro progress abounds. Most notably, the
newly minted HUDSON DEBACLE is gearing up to play live rock n'roll music
for discriminating Boston audiences. First stop will be a party coming up
in early September, as well as a first recording to be completed before
October 1st. The Hudson Debacle is turning out to be quite good, despite
ourselves. I have written about half the songs and may even sing on one
of them. New Till tunes include "Your Drunk Drunk Secretary" and "The Little
Boy Who Was Hit By Lightning While Playing Baseball When It Wasn't Even
Raining". D. AUSTIN NASH chimes in with our new showcase rocker "Sad Berlin".
Protien-folder/bassit CHRIS BECK introduces his first contribution with
the new "Man With No Feet", and Cosmic string theorist/keyboardist XAVI
taught us our first acid jazz original, "Voices (Millenium Peanuts). Additionally,
the Replacements "Here Comes a Regular" was added to the Debacle's cover
roster. I put a bid on e-bay today for some new cymbals, which I'm very
excited about. After first recordings, Huson Debacle will probably sprout
its own brochurage-type, middling (read: useless) website. We, by the way,
are having a fucking blast.
Kevin Oberlin's HALL OF RECORDS has been tapping my legacy graphics abilities
to help facilitate and design some album covers. Some original TASM work
was done for the new FEAR release, "American Beer" (featuring Lee Ving,
who played Mr. Body in CLUE, among many other notable achievments), as wel
as leveraging some preliminary work done by SLEET singer CHRIS BRYERS. TASM
also helped with the upcoming Sleet release artwork, although primarily
in a technical aspect.
TASM headquarters has moved from Cambridge to new digs in wicked Winthrop-by-the-Sea.
As an official homeowner now, I got to have a large branch woodchipped in
my yard.
My second real sculpture was finished a few months ago. Its pretty good.
Maybe I'll get a photo up soon.
Yesterday I recorded a radio play for BEN WALKER's "RADIO NIGHT LIGHT".
I played a lead role as Micheal Perkins, a kareoke activist and kind soul.
Pinnacle to the role was a live, Jeff Till Kareoke experience at the Milky
Way in Jamaica Plain, where I performed Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful
World". Other contributing performances included Hudson Debaclers Beck and
Siemens, as well as elastomer chemist DONNA WILSON. The hour-long show will
be aired this Sunday at 10:00 PM on WMBR (I think) in Boston.
There's been little news from the TASM Fellow population. Chris Bryers got
married. I'm waiting anxiously for the new Sleet release, which should be
available in weeks. Craig Verity is relocating to the dessert. That's all
I know.
05/11/00
Good friend Xavier Siemens has just joined
the new Till/Nash/Beck rock and roll project. Xavi is a physics/cosmology
PhD candidate at Tufts, a pretty capable piano player, and by his own account,
a decent singer. Xavi's background is in Acid Jazz, but he can play our
dopey stuff with equal verve. The keyboards add a new level of richness
and complexity to our already "oily" sound. Band progression is exponential.
Some of the new Till originals include "Planet Earth Ejector Seat", "The
Model of My Affection", and "Daddy Drinks Because You Cry". Additionally,
the new band pulls off a decent version of the Overman throw-away "Tomorrow".
D. Austin Nash chimes in with new found writing talent, thowing up and laying
down "Television Sky" and "I Still Want To Fuck Stevie Nicks". The new band
also has its hand in some cover material, including Pegboy song "Strong
Reaction", Lionel Ritchie's "Hello", Golden Earing's MTV classic "The Twighlight
Zone" and Scruffy the Cat's "The Moons of Jupiter". 10 songs, as people
know, can sound very much like a first set. The project has yet to be named.
03/10/00
Of interest to no one, press copies of "penisgeek
chrestomathy" have yet to be sent out, and quite frankly, I wonder what
true benefit I will recieve beyond a twinge a self-approvel. To my benefit,
apparently the European community is coming forward and doing a fine job
with review work. Netherlands-based progressive rock reviewer Jurriaan Hage
of "Axciom of
choice" reviews both Penisgeek and Anthemunanthem,
which I recieved yesterday. Axciom of choice is an enormous resource for
Progressive music fans (Progressive with a capital "P"). As evidenced by
the Screwtape review, as Jurriaan, with his progressive background, finds
it a punk record, while Craig and I, with our punk heritage, always viewed
it as a progressive record. I had found Jurriaan because he admitted to
listening to "Thing and Nothing" on a discussion board, and then promptly
inundated him with new material.
02/18/00
I'm undertaking significant technical changes
to the site, which means for a time there will be broken links and out-dated
parellel tracks. Please alert me of broken stuff at . Although
no real new content, some areas will have an improved look.
02/07/00
JUST ADDED:
First peer review of "Penisgeek Chrestomathy:
The Essential Cubicle Nosepicker" by Austrian novelist, Gerhard Moser.
01/10/00
MusicDude.com
features TASM Lab CDs on homepage. CHECK
IT OUT
JUST ADDED: Secure online and telephone credit card/cash ordering of CDs.
Click here
01/02/00
The End
of the World party was a marginal success. Thanks for everyone who came
early and stood up front.
JUST ADDED:TASM Lab's first live show at the End of the World party. Click
Here.
JUST ADDED: 33 new art images from TASM's shaded past. Click
Here.
12/12/99
JUST ADDED:
53 short stories authored by D. Austin Nash. Click
Here.
11/22/99
Penisgeek
Chrestomathy:The Essential Cubicle Nosepicker is released. Send me your
address and some money and you can listen to it. Today's my 29th birthday.
11/5/99
Penisgeek's
release is delayed and not delayed. The discs came back with the "y" missing
from "laboratory" on the front cover. Instead of changing the name to "laborator",
the manufacturers are fixing the mistake. On the 22nd, you will be able
to get the version with the mistake on the cover (there will be 100 of them)
and the corrected discs will be available in December.
11/03/99
Penisgeek's
release is on schedule and the discs are in my possession as we speak. I
added a "mistakes" page to the site, but there is no link to it (well...).
This front page will load over 20 different images, depending on when you
sign on. Please contibute to the discussion board, as that is the easist
way to keep this site updated and someone might say something interesting.
10/21/99
The TASM
Lab web site is now up and running (one week ahead of schedule). It is rich
in salient content about TASM Lab, TASM Lab music programs, and especially
the new one: "Penisgeek Chrestomathy: The Essential Cubicle Nosepicker"
(to be released on November 22). It's design is based on Dewey Guida's excellent
"web4insects.com". I encourage you to explore to the point of disinterest,
and contribute to the new discussion board. Thanks in advance.
8/25/99
Web site development begins
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