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    « March 2009  | Main  | May 2009 »


    It's Hard Out There For A Raccoon. Dizzying Days and Dazzling Nights.

    Posted on April 27, 2009 at 05:03 AM

    Mat nyc sized

    Listening to: Smashing Pumpkins, Machina. The Knife, Heartbeats. Cursive, Art is Hard. Rob Dickenson, Intelligent People. The Cure, Why Can’t I Be You. Wired All Wrong
    Reading: Spiderman issues 1-20, various scripts, The Life and words of John F Kennedy, Interview Magazine, Paper Magazine 
    Watching: The Thief with commentary by Michael Mann and James Caan 
    YouTube Searches: pepper spray to face, man vs wild, treadmill accidents 

    Fellow raccoons, I know my posts are coming in irregular lunatic fits, but these have been the busiest days of my life. 

    I was gonna write that I’ve been "balls deep in the new KH masterpiece" but that just sounds like some disgusting new BBQ sauce, so i'll cut to the chase/excuses. 

    -suppose the maelstrom began with the new record deal last week, leading to a hyper-aggressive new studio schedule and the cancellation of the UK tour. On top of that, a cosmically rare and unexpected opportunity arose for me to audition for the lead in a goliath new Broadway production, for which i immediately committed to vocal training and daily acting sessions with three different private coaches, while still in the process of developing content and beta testing for the re-launch of Kh.com. Meanwhile, I had a birthday. –so with about an hour of prep time, 3 of my most treasured friends and co-conspirators pulled off an unforgettable Great Gatsby-themed dinner in a secret room in one of Al Capone’s old speakeasies. Cut to late-night libations at Angels&Kings where, according to photo documentation and no actual memory of my own, i hung for a min with Kiefer (hero) and sang on stage with Steel Panther. 

    Proudly attended my niece’s piano recital with tears in my eyes (she played Eleanor Rigby and the intro from Scream), learned how to make my own Roshcach tests, developed crush on Carol Lombard (starlet from 1930s), finished Da Vinci sketch book, strolled the classic wing at the Art Institute, started funny trend of texting the word ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ to friends whenever the conversation gets tired, or if they ever ask me for anything. 

    Stayed at the Bowery in NYC. within seconds 8ft giraffe Russian model twins in fox furs drinking champagne in the elevator ask, “Are you rocker? You look like rocker.” -read vintage comics by the fireplace under the ferns – stayed disciplined and focused for audition, which was such an intense experience. -ordered several rounds of Old Fashioneds, telling the waitress before every round to “make it rain,” like a fucking dork. Amazing meeting with new label. -cracked celebratory bottle of 2001 Silver Oak in the name of epic partnerships, Art vs. Commerce, the return of sex and romance in music and to the general spirit of sonic trailblazing. -fell asleep each night with empire state building glowing through my window.

    troubadours and roustabouts. Please, hammer, don't hurt em
    Mat 3 beers
    Mat kiefer
    Mat steel panther sized
    Mat jonny sing
    you don't HAVE to be high to find this hilarious, but it's not gonna hurt.
    Choke sized
    fav spot at the Bowery for a gentleman's cordial.
    Mat bowery sized
    Mat fern nyc sized
    the lil maestro. proud uncle.
    Mat maggie sized
    i adore her

    mammoth rainbow over lake michigan. 
    Rainbow sized
    feels great to be a winner. ps: pls refrain from comments about whether i did or did not blow this guy.
    Mat ricshaw sized
    my new/old muse, Carol Lombard, beyond description
    Carol lombard sized

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    The Logic of Cancelled Tours and Silver Linings

    Posted on April 20, 2009 at 11:36 AM

    Absolut Molotov sized

    Due to circumstances beyond our control, it is with very mixed emotions that we in Kill Hannah officially announce the cancellation of our spring UK tour. It breaks our hearts as much as yours.

    First, we'd like to apologize to our good friends and brothers in Madina Lake as well as all our fans in England who bought tickets, and especially those who had plans to travel from Europe to attend the shows.

    A very cool band, The Audition, will be filling our slot on this run, and we urge all KH fans to go out to support both bands.

    As you know, we've been in the studio recording 5 songs for an EP. Destiny suddenly changed overnight once we accepted a new record deal, which now requires us to be in the studio until early summer in order to complete a full album. Due to the strict and sudden release deadline we found this tour impossible to pull off, no matter how hard we tried.

    The silver lining is that we now have a real opportunity to make the album that we've wanted to make for years, and with all our hearts we promise it will be worth the wait.

    We'll immediately begin plans for a headlining world tour as soon as possible.

    Again, we are truly sorry, and we thank you for your continued belief in Kill Hannah.  Xo The band.

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    Walt Whitman and a Recap of Los Angeles

    Posted on April 13, 2009 at 08:36 AM

    Mat owl sized

    “…that the powerful play goes on and that you might contribute a verse…”

    Leaves of grass sized

     I ran to the storage unit, angry with myself. As I’d feared, dozens of my old books were covered in dust. Fuck. I swore I’d never let that happen. I don’t care how frantic your life gets, you never close your piano, never sell your vinyl, and you never let your books get dusty. -rescued an early edition of  Leaves of Grass and opened it for the first time in 10 years.

    “…I project the history of the future…”

    “…She cleaves the ether mid the sparkle and the foam of day…”

    “…Of life immense in passion, pulse and power… the modern man I sing…”

    “…And that is the theme of war, the fortune of battles, the making of perfect soldiers…”

    Rorschach sized Listening to: One -Sunny Day Real Estate, Underneath the Stars -The Cure duet with Milla Jovovich, Sometimes -My Bloody Valentine, Love My Way -The Psychedelic Furs, America’s Suitehearts -FOB

    Watching: Tell No One, Lost in Translation, bonus footage on Royal Tenenbaums

    Youtube searches: taser to face, polar bear attack, colossal squid

    Eating: xanax bars

    Drinking; Tempranillo, vanilla malt

    I think I may have roofied myself last night. Dj’d the Nitzer Ebb show at Darkroom then woke up today at 1pm on a pile of laundry with my boots on and gum still in my mouth. –and all the lights had been left on. Not your traditional Easter morning, but then again I’ve never fully grasped the connection between jelly beans, rabbits, eggs, and resurrection anyway. my mom did leave me a voicemail singing ‘here comes peter cottontail’ though, which made me smile and feel semi-grounded.

    check this out: right now as i'm typing this boring blog, the light passing through my wine glass is creating the shape of a rose on my pants

    Rose wine sized

    Trip to LA was wild and wonderful.

    A lot of friends were in town working on new albums… My Chem, 30STM, etc... Hung out in the studio with billy and observed a session of new piano-based smashing pumpkins material which was ultra sophisticated and gorgeous. Gorged at a BBQ in silverlake with Vince and Mark Webbs crew. Benji gave me a preview of several new Good Charlotte demos that were jaw dropping. Stopped by Juien Ks rehearsal and geeked out on gear and sushi afterwards. Rock climbed in Thousand Oaks twice. Saw Kat for a minute, who’s coming out with a stunning new perfume that literally made me want to eat my own shirt. Co-wrote a new song with Alain Whyte called “The Search”. Had some meetings. Dirty texted with Ville- lots of MC Hammer metaphors. Saw a red hummingbird. Drank Shock Top among crazy squirrels in north hollywood park and infiltrated a random Mexican family reunion. Saw a gigantic bee. Watched a blistering Deftones set at Bamboozle. bogarted free shrimp with the Box8 crew. Dropped by spaceland. Watched the sun rise over Mulholland Drive. Reconnected with Holmes and Cory Kennedy at a bar where they each slept while the other DJ’d. Played trivia at Malo. Chilled at Bardot, met tom waits in the bathroom. Thanks to Sarah Dope for her halfway house for wayward musicians and the Ikea couch that now bears a permanent indentation in the shape of my back.

    Deftones

    Deftones sized

    O’hare Airport. oh THAT's which way up is? thank you. That'd be really helpful, if i happened to be visiting from another dimension or something.

    Up sign sized

    Felt annihilated on the flight home. The film was Marly & Me, which BTW made me hope for an engine fire. who on earth gives a shit about a normal family and a dog? seriously. Took this pic just to confirm and… yeah, I DEF look like shit. Luggage checked: 0 unless you count the bags under my eyes. i look like a living autopsy photo of myself. Come see the incredible walking talking dead boy!

    Mat bags eyes sized

    -uncaffeinated and destroyed, i scuttled down the hall to a spot on the floor when a bubbly young pilot approached me.

    “You know you have a gigantic hole in your pants?”

    “Yeah”

    “You know it’s directly on your crotch right?”

    “yeah”

    “and your shoe’s untied.”

    “Thank you.”  

    great, now i have to leave my shoe untied all day just to spite this guy. life.

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    « March 2009  | Main  | May 2009 »




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