My Ass - LYLE - The story so far..

Who the fuck are you?

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

- The Who, 1978.

I enjoy sitting behind the curtain and watch how many people listen to the music on this page. There is no telling the numerous ways it has been linked, downloaded, passed-on... but it seems as if someone is listening. Then #s continue to grow with each month,.. and yet... I don't know who the fuck you are.

I'd like to know.

If you accidentally found this music and you liked it, or it bothered you somehow, let me know. Leave a review on the Visitors, join the email list or Contact me via email...

...or remain in obscurity...

MORE OF THE SAME

Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

OOLYAKOO has been going through some transformational musical growth and I'm very proud to be able to share some of the expansion with you. This is our latest improvisational piece recorded at MZZL studios on 6/29/2010. Enjoy MORE OF THE SAME:
http://thatslyle.com/audio/OOLYAKOO_06292010_ZOOM_jam_hifi.mp3

Poetry & Poetry

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

This weekend has proven to be a swirl of poetic energy. On Friday, my latest poem was published on Terrence Moss Presents. It was a spontaneous session that bore the work titled "Bird". Please visit the link below and enjoy:

http://terrencemoss.blogspot.com/2010/04/bird-poem-by-lyle-tharp.html#links

In turn, I got a message from the bassist of BRANDY REPAIRS UTAH. He had read my poem and it inspired him to revisit the mixing of the original recordings of B.R.U. Throughout the day, I've been receiving emails from him with the mixes. Truly subversive and spontaneous windings of bass, rhythm & poetry:

http://urbannerds.bandcamp.com/album/brandy-repairs-utah

As well, I was lucky enough to live near a theater screening the latest film about The Doors. It doesn't take much to entertain me when it comes to Morrison and the boys. If you're a fan at all, keep your eyes out for this film. It was nice to see some footage I haven't seen and to revisit the 54-month long career of this band that changed the landscape of rock and roll:

http://whenyourestrangemovie.com

OOLYAKOO - Rusty's Surf Ranch - Round 1

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

OOLYAKOO had a great set at Rusty's Surf Ranch on 2/18 and I've uploaded the entire performance to my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/merkusalkus

We made it through the first round of the 9th Annual "Battle of the Bands" and will be returning on April 1 @ 8 PM. If you live in the area, please come out and have a little fun with us.

I'm also waiting for confirmation, but it is very likely we will be playing at Club Good Hurt on 3/12. I will post the info when it's written in pen.

OOLYAKOO @ RUSTY'S SURF RANCH - 02182010

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

"My God... it's full of stars!" - "2010: The Year We Make Contact."

I’m simply amazed that the first month of this year is already behind us. There is so much I want to accomplish and even more that I have to do… & if it’s going to continue at this pace, or more quickly for that matter, I don’t know where I’m going to find the time. OOLYAKOO has been in and out of the studio putting together our upcoming release “GRATES’HITS” and I’m chomping at the bit for a finished product by Spring. I may be in denial, but it has gotten me this far. Worse to worse, I’ll put out a teaser track in a couple of months.

We will be returning to RUSTY’S SURF RANCH on February 18^th to participate in their 9^th Annual Battle of the Bands. Although I don’t consider us to be “competitive” musicians, we would never turn down a 30-minute set… especially at a place we like to play. It’s a Thursday night at 9:30, so skip work Friday and hang out on Santa Monica Pier for a bit. There’s no cover, so you only have to pay for parking and food… and beer.

For live music from past performances, check out my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/merkusalkus

I’ve been editing and uploading performances by various incarnations of SHAFT & MUZZLELOADER… the CLUB GOOD HURT show by OOLYAKOO… and will be adding more OOLYAKOO… acoustic MUZZLELOADER… some BLAUDO…

I am proud of the music and antics in every take. This is my music career.

LYLE of OOLYAKOO

www.myspace.com/oolyakoo

www.reverbnation.com/oolyakoo

www.thatslyle.com

2/18/2010 @ 9:15 PM at Rusty’s Surf Ranch
256 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California 90401
Cost: FREE*

http://rustyssurfranch.com/ *Beach Parking Fees still apply.

LIVE

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I have performed a lot of shows in my life. Several of those shows exist on video. Though often there were not many people in attendance, I'm happy to be able to share these shows with anybody on the internet that cares to watch them. Welcome to my LIVE shows, from past to present, with the bands SHAFT, MUZZLELOADER, BLAUDO, OOLYAKOO... possibly even some CAST OF SHADOWS (the early '90's OK version)...

www.youtube.com/user/merkusalkus

09112009

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Taking a moment to remember the:

affluent

atheist

bird

black

brother

brown

bum

cat

christian

clerk

cop

conservative

daughter

democrat

dishwasher

dog

dumb

father

fireman

homosexual

husband

intellect

jew

liberal

mother

muslim

paramedic

republican

sister

son

stockbroker

tan

white

wife

man

woman

child

We all died together. It’s a shame we can’t get along.

pro bono publico

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We just made the OOLYAKOO E.P. "Four Sheets To The wind" available for download, free of charge. I'm traveling next week & don't want to have to carry a suitcase of CDs,.. so take advantage of the digital age & download the damn thing while it's available. It will cost .99 a song before you know it (click the "down arrow")(& no, I don't make typos)

www.reverbnation.com/oolyakoo

Connection

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Without question our society has become more narcissistic. I don’t believe that it’s merely that I notice it more that I’m older. Granted, I live in an area of the country known for cultivating self-centered arrogance as a status symbol, but the trend is pervasive. Though the current technologies appear to connect more people with one another, the current infancy of their evolution has plugged directly into the co-dependent nature of our culture. Years ago I said that cell phones would create a level of co-dependence in a way that history has never seen. It’s somehow okay to let one’s car drift into my lane so that you can speak at whomever you’re holding on the line. Your conversation has become my responsibility to deal with the resulting safety concern. How self-centered you are. And God knows I’m guilty. Guilty but aware. This last week has seen a media blitz concerning the latest online experience and something that has been used as a mighty communication tool has been run through the celebrity mill. I’m not so naÃ¯ve to believe that this is not a multi-media advertisement for the self-interest of a larger machine. So again, instead of the more noble possibilities of an emerging tool being exposed, it’s exploitation as another celeb-cause advertisement has been spotlighted. Until we as humans learn to truly relate to one another on an empathic compassionate level, no technology will save us from the cold cave of our isolationist existence. I know who my friend’s are, in as much as I can claim to truly know another human. Everyone is capable of surprising behavior, but I feel I have a deep understanding of those with whom I share love. There are those that I know are truly concerned with my best interests and those that I know I would do truly anything in my power for. Though these numbers are relatively small, I will take quality over quantity any day.

Tangible future

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I can’t honestly say that when I first picked up a guitar that I felt it would shape my life. Didn’t even really take them seriously at all. It was just play. My friends were learning technique and chords and studying the shit. To me it was just something to get my hands on and it was many years of fucking around with one that I realized my life had changed and something was different. I bought my first guitar when I was in 9th grade. For $100 I got a Lotus strat copy and a tiny Gorilla amp. Prior to that, I had possession of a bass that had been stolen from a local school and has legendary status to this day. The last it was seen it had been given to a custom shop in Tulsa to have a steel diamond plate pick-guard put on. A few months later the guy had disappeared. That crazy bass is still floating around, I have no doubt. So I started playing guitar the way I played the bass and certainly drove my mom to Xanax with the opening line to “Iron Man” over and over.

Tonight when I downloaded the web design software, I felt somewhat like I did when I bought that first guitar”¦ but as someone who had played around with guitars and music for over 20 years”¦ and as someone who goes on stage on a fairly regular basis and plays hours worth of songs I’ve written over the years”¦ and continue to write. I feel like I’m picking up a new instrument, but this time I have the knowledge of what can happen when one picks up a new instrument”¦ and the future is tangible.