LYLE: The story so far..

Well alright, alright, alright. Figured out the problem. I meant to put this up quite awhile ago. This is the song MUZZLELOADER, recorded by SHAFT in 1998. It inspired the name of the group when some of us got back together in 1999. Enjoy.
Oh, I meant to mention that the picture in the corner was taken at a Christmas party last year. I had the opportunity to meet some of Tracy's college friends... as well as party with some I had met before. This picture was taken a couple of hours before the Chivas Regal was opened up and I proceeded to get beligerant and call a few of them "square motherfuckers". (please listen to ALL-U-CAN-EAT for examples of similar behaviour) Sorry guys. Don't think I meant it... So much for first impressions...

Is this any way to start a month... a week even? Monday morning, walking into the same building I've been walking into for a little over a year... except this morning, I walked INTO the building. Okay, maybe not the building, but due to my sunglasses, the A.M. and people all about, I got disoriented in the revolving door and walked smack into the plexiglass before the actual opening. I guess it was clean. The security guy asks me if I'm okay as I walk by. "Just wasn't paying attention... ", I say as I head to the elevator. "It is Monday morning, right?", I say with a laugh... "Did you see that guy?", I hear someone say as the elevator closes. Eh, let them laugh. Damn jobs. Maybe someone got it on their cameraphones and I'll see it on the internet. God, I need change.... again.
So anyway, I can't figure out what I'm doing, but as soon as I figure out the problem, I have 3 audio tracks just waiting to be put up: ZIP AD ZIP (on a level, I believe it's my best work), Fearless and MuzzleLoader... the song by SHAFT... I'll get it figured out...

How did that happen? Sunday night. Slept a lot this weekend, but did get a bit done. For whatever reason I didn't download the mp3's of ZIP AD ZIP and Fearless correctly, but I'll put them up later in the week.

That's all I have to say...
(more later)

Listening to Penguin Cafe, a gift from Stick. On the other computer (Beast) I'm dropping ZIP-AD-ZIP down to mp3 and preparing to find the ending of ONE TRUE CHURCH, which I may present...

Listening to SUBWAY, an audio piece I put together in '97. It's somewhat long and obnoxious, but pleasant in it's way. Perhaps I'll release it if I get permission from the artist I stole the samples from. It's mindfuckable.

So last friday night I slept 14 or so hours, so needless to say I didn't get around to the tape... but did Saturday. I found ONE TRUE CHURCH and dropped it into a wave... and I was reminded that the tape ran out on that performance, so the end was recorded in the apartment... Now I must find that part of it. I must also drop ZIP AD ZIP to digital... long overdue. I will put some of this up as it's available...

Last Thursday night, I decided to go out to the Horseshoe and see my friend Scott's band, Fulton County Line (see links page)... I don't drive my car very often, but had moved it the day before for street cleaning... so I was very surprised when it cranked a few times and died. Decided to jump it and it ran for a minute, then sputtered and died. I'm not quite sure how I accomplished it, but I had run out of gas... so, I drove to the gas station, purchased a gas can, filled it up and drove back (another car, obviously). As I was starting to fiddle with the gas can, a guy drove up, rolled down the window and said: "I can back up and shine my lights on you so you can see." I smiled and said, "Thank you,.. but I'm okay." Just thought that was nice. They're not all assholes. Thanks, dude. Went to the Horseshoe and drank too much Lone Star. Check 'em out every Thursday...

Hey. 4/20, right. Actually I was driving back to Chicago from OK a year ago today... as a tornado tore through Utica, IL...RIP... but, yeah, 4:20.
Been a busy last few weeks: My mom came to visit 2 weekends ago... she was on her way back to OK via D.C. I think we showed her a good time: took her to Thai at Siam Pasta Friday evening... treated her to an early Mother's Day massage and then a Chi Gong class during the day Saturday. I cooked some Orange Roughy that night, we all had wine, watched Curb Your Enthusiasm and Ray. Yoga class on Sunday and then we went to the airport to see her off. Damn good hosts, if you ask me.

I can rant with the best of them. Very tired. Out too late at the Horshoe last night and I just got home from work. Going to take a nap and get some things done later this evening. Hoping to put up some new audio...

...I'm supposed to shut the fuck up and edit myself... but that was never my intent, nor my style. Gettin' goddamn tired of not speaking my mind and for whom? Let's look at it this way: No one has or ever will care about what I have to say. Been working overtime to clean up a mess that wasn't mine to make in the first place. Perhaps this is the switchover... speaking whatever mind I have left to overspeak...

Spent the evening listening to disc 2 from the NIRVANA boxset and sipping some Coppola Bianco... acoustic demos and radio performances... es gut shit, man.

I didn't feel the hour disappear... or perhaps I did. I've been wanting to put up this song for a while now. WONDERBOY was recorded by MuzzleLoader in 2003, for the EP MZZL...
"...eh, fuckin' wonderboy's never been in a row with his girl before..."

Damn realized I'm doing a food review column. Maybe I'll refrain at the moment... I put up some pictures and a poem... but I really feel like putting a tune up... perhaps if I stay up a bit... PARLIAMENT is helping at the moment...

Happened upon SUNBURST SEAFOOD and picked up a couple pounds of snow crab and some shrimp... steamed and boiled in that order... shared a bottle of some wine and some love...

I put up a couple of pictures and 2 poems...

Later this morning will be the first time in a bit that I've been able to sleep in... and tonight, the most recent I've been able to stay up late. Got in from L.A. tuesday, worked a few days & I'm about to give a review: good trip. Nice balance of work and play. Made noise with BLAUDO boys . Always a pleasure. Had dinner at HMS BOUNTY with friends. Acupuncture Sunday morning, followed by sushi at IROHA. Went to Bob's birthday party at El Cholo Santa Monica. Exchanged some art in front of Hotel Carmel (several cops sped by) and woke to do some slow yoga...
Late night sushi at PLACE YUU. Kirin on tap and fresh fucking fish... flew out the next morning...
...snow at the train tracks...

Made it back with various art and inspiration...

Just had some dinner at El Cholo. About to get kicked off the internet cafe computer...

On my way to make some noise with the BLAUDO boys tomorrow... then a casual long weekend in Los Angeles...

Alright. So I grabbed one of the shorter selections from the BRANDY REPAIRS UTAH library and put it up for your enjoyment. I love this stuff. A little background: Daren was in the process of setting up his home studio and wanted to start experimenting. He invited myself and K.D. (Koorosh Daryaie) over for an evening of improv. I grabbed several stacks of my manuscripts and headed over... The first evening we recorded well over 40 minutes of live noise. This is a selection I'm calling "L'austin", as the subject matter is about a trip I had back in '92 purchasing pills in Mexico. There are other mixes that will be revealed in the future, but this is a live cut...

3 hours of yoga. I'm tired. Put up the lyrics for HAIRY KNUCKLES. I may try to add some BRANDY REPAIRS UTAH in the audio file this week before I run out to L.A. for a minute. We'll see how the week goes.

It took me a minute, but I've added a track from the acoustic EP by MZZL, 4 STAND UP DOLLS. We recorded it live in 2003. The track is called HAIRY KNUCKLES.
New lyrics are coming together for a couple of BLAUDO tunes... I'm calling the poems SUGARTIT and COP...

...and a Sunday afternoon. Only did one yoga class today... had some salmon & salad. I've been trying to get some new writings up and perhaps a new tune from the MZZL Acoustic EP, but the computer and clock have conspired... I will try before I go down...

Did a little overtime earlier today and followed it up with Joe's Fish Dinner from Buffalo Joe's... then a nap listening to Metheny. The highlight of Saturday was a visit to Space Time Tanks. They house several float tanks that are filled with a skin temperature water and epsom salt mixture... also known as sensory deprivation or isolation tanks. (Check out their site in my links section) After an extremely relaxing hour of floating, it was time for some sushi at Kyoto... a great compliment to the experience... that and a little love made for a wonderful Saturday evening...

3 hours of yoga today, followed by some sushi from Sashimi Sashimi in Evanston... a bit of white wine... listening to "Circle"... and I'm winding this weekend up... or down...

I need to shut up about "The Way Up", but it's been in my head since I heard it first... and that was live. Listened to it again today while reading "Sideways" and Metheny's group has done it again. I haven't been into him this much since "Still Life (Talking)".
He has company in my head: Cristiano sent me a copy of Matthew Greif's latest, "Circle". I love music. And, I've always been arrogant in believing that I know what sounds good. When an individual listens to a lot of music, a sensibility arises and a knowledge concerning "the next right note" solidifies. When a musician plays the "other right note", it pleases a deeper part of me. I'm enjoying what he's doing these days. Check out his site via my "links" page.
While you're there, check out TRB also. Paul C.'s on bass and I really enjoyed their latest release. I had the opportunity to test drive it a couple of times while flying back from L.A. in November. There's some tasty noise and subtle influences all across the recording. Strong vocals and lyrics that often avoid the obvious. From what I hear, they're playing out in middle America with more to come...

I'm really looking for a piece I wrote called "Winter's Dead", but I'm having difficulty finding it. I added "Sleepstare" and "CLEO".