Le Pecheur: Inteview!

I first learned of Le Pecheur a few months back when they sent along some songs written on a split single with J.C Satan. Since then the band have moved from France to London, released a new album and have a slew of tour dates coming up. New album 'Medieval Dreams' sees Le Pecheur's songs take full form with spooked guitars, echo heavy vocals and ramshackle rhythms inspired by all things psychedelic delivered with 60s garage rock savv-iness. Here is Pierre in his own words to tell us a bit more about Le Pecheur....

As there isn't a lot written on Le Pecheur let's have an introduction, who's in the band and what do you do?

There is:
Pierre (Guitar voice)
Caelan (Lead guitar)
Xav (Drums)
Clare (Keyboard)
Lucas (Bass guitar)

Have you been in or are currently in any other bands?

I was in a band called The Last Rapes of Mr Teach with Xav, but we kind of stopped playing. Caelan and Xavier also play guitar in their own band called Regal and Lucas plays in his psychedelic garage band called Strange Hands.

Why did you start Le Pecheur?

Because when I was in the The Last Rapes 3 years ago, I wanted to compose songs on my own. I bought a 4-track recorder and I started Le Pécheur as a solo-project. I didn't see it as anything serious, just a way to chill on my own and mess around with my four track tascam. We used to play a sort of happy garage punk with the Last Rape and I wanted something darker, more psychedelic.

Does 'Le Pecheur' mean 'The Sinner'? Can you explain the choice of band name?

Yes it does. I wanted a name in French and I liked this one.

To my ears at least I hear Garage and Psychedelia with a lo-fi approach in your music, is this accurate? What can you tell us about your influences to get to this sound?

Yeah you can say that. I used to listen to a lot of garage bands. Black Sabbath is a massive influence as well as Spacemen 3 and Sonic Boom. Bobby Beausoleil and Joy Division have influenced me and I'm a big fan of Country Teasers. I agree with Ben Wallers that it's better to record your music by yourself. I don't like the process of going to a studio and letting someone else record and work on your songs. I think that's why my songs sound a bit lo-fi. However, I'm getting better at using my recording equipment, so eventually one day my songs will sound like a U2 album...

Do you prefer playing or recording music?

When I started playing in a band 5 years ago, I preferred playing music, but now they're kind of equal. I've got 3 different 4-track recorders and I really like the process of using these machines. Recently, I bought an analogic modulation synth, which is amazing to play with and to record.

What's the most fun you've had playing a show so far?

It was few years ago, we played a gig in Belgium with the Last Rapes and Max, the bassist, was playing in a pram that he found on the road - totally naked...

What's the most memorable show you've ever seen?

Umm I don't know... Thee Oh Sees are incredible on stage, but I also like our friends the Magnetix from Bordeaux and a French band called the Feeling of Love.

You've recently moved from France to London - how are you finding your new home?

I like England. There's a different way of thinking, people are less arrogant than in France. It's nice to have a bit of change.

What would you say are the main differences between the French and English music scene?

I don't know. At the moment in France there's a lot of really good bands that come from the Garage scene. Rock music isn't in the french culture, it's not like in England where it's really popular, but it seems like there's not a lot of Garage bands in England. Maybe I'm wrong. On stage English bands always seem bored or pissed of to be there, like they don't care, that's funny. The French are more latin so they get emotional a lot, like really into their own music.

Is there anything you miss from France?

Yes, mountains, food (though I like a lot of English foods, you have great cheeses, great beers, great pies and stew and great cakes!)

What albums are you spinning at home at the moment? Any new bands you'd like to tell us about?

I've been listening to Wire a lot last few weeks. I used to listen to their album Pink Flag when I was 17, but I've discovered recently that Chairs Missing is really good as well. Prypiat is a new band from Lyon and they're really good. Maissa, who sings in this band, also plays in Sida, which is a really good band as well.

What's the future for Le Pecheur? Any projects, shows or releases we should look out for?

When I'm settled in London properly I'll record more songs. Our album, 'Medieval Dreams', is out and it received good reviews, which is nice. But we still have enough material to do one more album and a couple of seven inches, just need to find a record label. We're playing in London with Hunx and his Punx on 14th May at Upset the Rythm. After that we'll tour a bit in Europe at the end of May and then at the end of June with our friends Titan, a psychedelic group from Paris. And we're also playing in Amsterdam on 16th March in 2 weeks time, which is cool.

"I'm full of dust and guitars" - Syd Barratt, if you were sliced in half what would be inside?

I'm trained as an illustrator and at the moment I'm drawing a lot, so I'm probably full of indian ink and coffee!

Le Pecheur Bandcamp Facebook

UPCOMING SHOW!
Hunx & His Punx w/Radioslaps and Le Pecheur May 14th
@35 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 8BJ
Find tickets here



















(poster by yours truly)

Tronics 'Love Backed By Force'

Love Backed by Force is the third album in the Tronics cannon following What's the Hubbub Bub, also from '81, and it is the group's most immediate release. Here Zarjaz offers up discordant melodies, candied guitars and minimal rhythms made up of bongos, tambourines and handclaps. These tracks weave folk, pop and electronic elements into a piece heavily influenced by the Nadsat language used in the cult classic film, A Clockwork Orange. Interplanetary opener "Charlie Manson" features warbled digital effects revealing Zarjaz's flare for computerized sounds. Yet the bulk of the album takes a different shape, with rock guitars alongside nursery rhyme melodies with repetitive lyrics delivered deadpan. "I've got this crush on you, and it's crushing me," Zarjaz confesses in "Crush on You," accompanied by infectious bright fuzzy guitars set to chugging stripped-down rhythms. Another standout track is "My Baby's in a Coma" featuring a cheery tune offset by cheerless lyrics -- it's this tragicomic point of view that aptly describes Tronics' approach, with a style of songwriting that influenced a legion of UK indie bands who came after, from the Smiths on down. Love Backed by Force is where Zarjaz began to develop his self-styled "baroqueabilly" aesthetic, and utilized it to charge the gates of this new thing called post-punk. What's Your Rupture? has certainly done the Tronics catalog justice, absolutely recommended.
(written for edited by Other Music)

Find copies at Other Music & What's Your Rupture?

Michael Yonkers with The Blind Shake 'Period'

Michael Yonkers has been making music under the radar for 50 years in his home town of Minneapolis. Starting out strong his first album ‘Microminiature Love’ was recorded and initially set to be released on Sire 1968, for reasons that still remain unclear the piece was shelved. Yonkers recorded seven songs reflecting the psychedelic garage sounds of the time with traces of music that made impression in his formative years like Trashmen and Link Wray. Discouraged by Sire's reaction to 'Microminiature Love' the group disbanded that same year and Yonkers retreated to his family home where he began recording in the basement. Experimenting with synths, tape loops and his now famous home-made theramin Yonkers song-writing experienced a shift playing out Pentangle inspired loner-folk songs that would become second album 'Grimwood', a complete polar opposite to his debut. In retrospect rejection from Sire benefited Yonkers as he could enjoy flexibility in writing music that perhaps working for a bigwig label may not have afforded him. As a result going through his catalogue offers one surprise after the next with Yonkers tirelessly exploring different avenues of rock, blues and folk.

A few years after this album was recorded Yonkers suffered an accident while working in a warehouse that would leave him rendered in debilitating pain for the rest of his life. In 1971 a wall of computer equipment fell on him breaking his back. While in hospital further complications arose when Yonkers had an allergic reaction to the dye that was injected into his spine for use in an xray. To this day he continues to receive treatment to help with mobility and alleviate discomfort including dance-therapy, yet reading articles on Yonkers one common factor threads through pieces written on him; he is not defeated by the accident, he would rather talk about the next song he's going to write.

De Stijl reissued 'Microminiature Love' with 6 bonus tracks and 'Grimwood' a few years back catapulting Michael Yonkers virtually unheard of catalogue into the underground limelight. Drag City followed suit unearthing previously unreleased album 'Lovely Gold' originally recorded in 1977 on a "tube tape", a home-made device Yonkers built out of discarded machine parts. In the midst of these albums surfacing Michael Yonkers began playing with local band The Blind Shake and a simple jamming session turned into 2007 album 'Carbohydrates Hydrocarbons'. S-S Records have put out follow up album for Michael Yonkers with The Blind Shake adding to the now historic and well loved Yonkers musical cannon. 'Period' is a psychedelic blues record tinged with the 60s garage rock from his roots, filled with pounders sounding comparatively meaner and more dense -- recommended for anyone who likes Psandwich. With so many worthy labels supporting him, now, is the perfect time to get stuck into Michael Yonkers' records.

More reading, links to hear songs and mail order can be found here --
De Stijl Drag City
S-S Records



Michael Yonkers "Puppeting" from 'Microminiature Love'

Tronics/Zarjaz: Interview!

Tronics have just received the reissue treatment from What's Your Rupture? and it's a pleasure to share an interview with the mysterious man behind the band, Zarjaz, about why now, the supernatural and his love of Hip Hop...

How did you and What’s Your Rupture? come to work together?

I have known Kevin at WYR? for a few years through Rock n Roll. We were hanging out long before I decided to let Tronics out. He’s one of those few special people that come along in Rock n Roll every now and again. Watch that man! Like the radio show Pizza Party he does with Max Wowch. It’s so great. Those guys should be on TV. When it came to the question of Tronics releases we worked it out.

It's great to have this Tronics material available again, what lead to the decision to reissue it now?

Even when Alan McGee came to me in 1984 he was asking me to re do Tronics. Since then I had been getting requests to reissue Tronics practically constantly up to the present day. Eventually, a year or so ago, people around me began to convince me that people obviously wanted this music and whatever reasons I had to hold it back were not as important as letting them have it. So it was at this point that I began to work it out with WYR?

What was the first type of music that made an impression on you?

The first music that had a real effect on me that I felt was greater than nursery rhymes was hearing M.A. Charpentier’s Te Deum, that they used to use for TV show introductions. I remember I used to wait for it and blow my mind when it came on. After that I would wait for the Fireball XL5 theme tune. After that I saw T-Rex playing “Hot Love” and that got me into Rock n Roll.

I read you like Comet Gain and Crystal Stilts, any other contemporary bands you follow at the moment?

Yes, I like Comet Gain, Crystal Stilts, The Pheromoans, The Dictaphone and The Dimension. I am into a new band called Behind The Mask, coming out of Leicester in the UK. The Rancid Hell Spawn have a great new E.P. I like it when things come along and show me that the world hasn’t totally slipped into mainstream unnatural selection.

You’ve pre-empted and predicted many shifts in contemporary music in the past, what do you see coming next in music?

I think there will be a substantial wane in popularity of gang related/urban styles in popular culture. Steve Dore will write a definitive book on popular culture. Rock N Roll will become more inane and there will be more glitter, more metallic surfaces, exoskeletons and more colorful, with neon red and purple Jimi Hendrix hair styles. The thing to watch out for will be a new form of Punk Rock that will explode out of Shanghai. It will be mainly female and going at a million miles an hour.

Did you know the Mayans predict the world will end this year?! What do you make of that?

The Mayans shoulda read Gilded Gutter, then they would know Rock n Roll will never die. In the long run, in 2013 we will be saying “Hey, Mayans, where are ya?” and reading Gilded Gutter.

What do you foresee the world's future to be?

I get into trouble. I’m not allowed to say. If I say then they start asking when they will die. Then they say I’m evil. Then the villagers are chasing after me and I have to escape to Paris (again) with just the clothes I’m wearing and not enough money to buy a sandwich. Sorry, baguette.

What can you tell us about the upcoming second Freakapuss album?

I have released quite a few things during the making of this album. I could have released it a few times over but something extends it and I won’t just push it out. I’m nearly on it, unless something comes along to extend it more. Making music is like a loco urge that will not go away until it’s finished so I guess this one will be totally loco. I think there is something in my music that it often takes a particular kind of person to know it. I think this album is so totally intense that I only hope there will be someone who will understand it.

Track "Honesty (Is the dumbest policy)" I think is from this second Freakapuss album? It references News of the World in the press release, what did you make of the phone hacking scandal?

They coulda waited for me to finish the album. I issued the download just so people wouldn’t say I wrote it after the scandal. The hacking was bad enough but it’s the monopolizing and control by a small group of people that I think is the trouble, just like the music industry, so I hope this will spill over to the mainstream music industry and open it out for more people to get recognition.

This track dates back to 2002 and was released in 2011, what’s the longest amount of time you’ve spent writing an album or song?

I generally don’t manage to write things in a few minutes like some people do. Most of my music has been intensely labored over. The Freakapuss album is taking long enough but La Leggenda Del Block (II) took over 300 years.

This was a download only track, how do you compare being an artist from pre to post internet era? For someone who enjoys anonymity it must be a useful tool...

You’re totally right. It’s not just the ease or the convenience, although it is both of these but it just feels right. I remember arguing with musicians in the 90’s about the Internet and saying to them that they had the same attitude towards it as people did when books were first printed. There are things I won’t get involved with like FaceBook and MySpace. I’m not against them I just think they are too personal for me. There’s something about the Internet like the kind of ethereal quality that suits me. I always remember someone saying that no one knows exactly, ultimately where all the information on a computer goes. I like that and that’s how I feel about myself. I’m kind of here but I’m not at the same time.

Mystery surrounds you and Tronics as you’ve kept out of the limelight, do you think anyone sees the whole Tronics/Zarjaz picture? What would you like people to know about your work that may be they don’t?

I think modern music, art and films tend to play along too much with what large groups of stereotypical people want. My music doesn’t do that. The downside is that my music often isn’t instantly in peoples comfort zone.

I should like people to know that although I like recording studios, I prefer to record on location, sometimes at home or in a hotel. But wherever it is written or recorded, all my music, if it is Tronics, Zarjaz or Freakapuss, it’s all made with the same spirit. Freakapuss is really Tronics with a different name. Rock n Roll came from European ancient music, just as much as from Africa so I would hope this would correlate to people listening to my music.

Website Freakapuss mentions an interest in Hip Hop – I’m interested to know what type of Hip Hop you’re into?

My favorite Hip Hop tracks would be “Flava In Ya Ear (Remix),” by Craig Mack and “Ya Bad Chubbs,” by Chubb Rocks.

I’ve read about your beliefs in the supernatural, what do you say to skeptics?

You will never convince a skeptic until they become unskeptical first. Maybe I look at reality differently but I don’t need to be convinced.

No human has seen a black hole in space. We are told by theorists and scientists that they are there so we believe them. We have no reason not to believe them. We have come a long way since the Inquisition. Or have we? The minute someone says there is an afterlife with a zip code on this side, out come the skeptics.

It takes time to realize some things like why particular things happen but now I see it all as real as anything. Give the skeptics a few hours with me.

Have you personally had any supernatural experiences? If so, can you tell us about any?

I know things people shouldn’t know so I don’t tell them anymore. Sometimes when people know it has a terrible effect on them. But I will say this; VTQVE NOSTRA REGIO TAM PRAESENTIBVS PLENA EST NUMINIBVS VT FACILIVS POSSIS DEVM QVAM HOMINIEM INVENIRE.

And, if you want to know or if you want to see something, “Paranorma Jean” is on the Freakapuss album. Play that and I guarantee something will happen.

What’s something you’d like to accomplish creatively that you feel you haven’t yet?

I always have the loco urge. I have some film ideas that I would like to see. I would like to produce more bands.

"I’m full of dust and guitars’ – Syd Barrett, if you were cracked open what would be inside?

A chocolate cake.

Find Tronic's reissues at What's Your Rupture?

Zarjaz is playing on Tuesday May 29th w/The Pheromoans and Way Through at Victoria Dalston - for more details click here

The Golden Boys 'Dirty Fingernails'

The Golden Boys are; Nay Nay Arbietman (keyboard), John Wesley Coleman (guitar/vocals), Matt Hoopengarder (guitar/vocals), Pat Travis (drums), Bryan Schmitz (bass), who formed in Austin, TX in 2000. The five piece deliver ballistic rock songs played out with luminous keys, charged guitars and clattering rhythms alongside narrative heavy vocals. Through a few line-up changes, break-ups and reformations The Golden Boys continue to hit their stride, as shown on 2009's well received album on Daggerman/Alien Snatch! 'Thee Electric Wolfman'. Following up this release is 5th studio album 'Dirty Fingernails' on 12XU (Flesh Lights, Chris Brokaw) engineered by Mike Vasquez, The Golden Boys offer howling rock 'n' roll you'd expect from Reigning Sound rooted in country and blues.

Title track "Dirty Fingernails" features lush, bright keys soaring over blazing guitars, low rumbling bass and racing rhythms. A song dealing with a sweetheart, significant other or better half Coleman bellows in a raspy voice "I like my dirty fingernails, in the morning I love the way you smell," -- it's this high spirited approach that best sums up the bands' personality and sets the tone for things to come. Flipping over, the album cools off with "Sidewalk" with freely wandering guitars making way for bilingual, abstract lyrics to drift across, "I'm a wizard in the golden sand of the sidewalk". Going out with a bang "We Are Young" sees the album come full circle charging the gates with honeyed keys, crashing rhythms and a joyous guitar solo. 'Dirty Fingernails' further shows (as if you needed further convincing?) that Austin and indeed Texas is a hotbed of great bands. These eleven songs are written with a sense of humour balanced with no-nonsense rock 'n' roll by a band who sound like they have a great time doing it. Absolutely Recommended.



The Golden Boys Facebook
Released on March 20th Pre-Order copies from 12XU

Mikal Cronin 'Tide'

Californian troubadour Mikal Cronin released a self titled debut last year for Trouble In Mind earning him a collective, heartfelt nod from just about every corner of the music loving underground - and with Ty Segall and Mikey Young in tow for the piece how could one expect anything less? Follow up single 'Tide' for Goner Records plays out his surfer tinged garage-rock and sure, you may think you've heard this all before however, Cronin laces pop, folk and psychedelia together to create something entirely unmatched by anything around today. At the heart of his songs are radiant melodies, strung out vocals and tapped fuzz. Another one to watch for 2012, he's hitting the road soon and he may be coming over to Europe, keep your eyes peeled for shows definitely one not to be missed!

You can find the single here
Mikal Cronin Bandcamp

Dan Melchior Und Das Menace: Interview!

Dan Melchior has kindly answered some questions for Gilded Gutter about his new material. I also got a chance to ask him about fundraisers coming up to help cover his wife Letha's medical fees, to see if there are any benefit shows coming up near you or, if you're in a position to make a donation everything you need to know is below...

To my ears at least your sound evades being pinned down. As of late your songs venture further left field than say bluesy/country material found on In The Red releases, I wanted to start these questions looking at the shift in your songwriting and how you arrived at your new record ‘Excerpts’…

Well, a lot of it had to do with moving out of New York, and discovering music for myself again the way I did when I was a kid - - finding what I REALLY liked, again. I used to listen to a lot of blues growing up (Skip James/Robert Pete Williams/Robert Wilkins etc) and learnt to play the guitar by listening to that kind of stuff - so that might always show in what I play. But I always loved Can, Faust, and very damaged, 'warts and all' records 'Like Flies on Sherbet' 'Lost Decade/Dusted in Memphis' by Alex Chilton, the early Tav Falco things - etc. I had no idea that this was the tip of an endless underground iceberg until I started talking with people like Tom Lax (of Siltbreeze records fame) and just looking at blogs. I then began to realise that there was a world of music out there that I had missed completely - - records that flew under the radar on release for a reason! A lot of that stuff made me feel freed up to make a different kind of record. Something like 'Semool - Essais' or Luc Marriani's records.

Many of your releases over the last few years have been on US labels, how did you form a relationship with French imprint SDZ Records for single ‘Red Nylon Valance’?

We toured a bit last year, because we were invited to play Primavera. I met Nicolas from SDZ in Paris when we played. I thought he did a really nice job on that record.

I wanted to ask about track “Me and JG Ballard”, as a painter I find Ballard’s work endless source of ideas especially ‘Cocaine Nights’, do you read his stuff at all? What, if anything, does he bring to your song writing?

I haven't really read him to be honest - I just grew up in Shepperton, and he lived about 10 doors down from one of my girl friends, about 10 minutes from my house. I'm not sure I ever even saw him around. It just seemed like a funny conceit for a song. Now that I hear what he felt about Shepperton I feel some kinship with him.

I read you’re also a painter, is this true? Do you have any heroes?

Yes, I do paint. My heroes are many and varied - - JMW Turner, William Blake, Willem De Kooning, Philip Guston, James Ensor, Emil Nolde, Cy Twombly, Jack Kirby - Ray Johnson, Pierre Bonnard, Edward Hopper - - - loads more.

* Dan has a blog with some drawing, paintings and collages for sale here: http://danmelchiorartforsale.blogspot.com/

Who do you imagine listens to your music? Do you ever have an audience in mind when composing?

No, not really. I hope the spectrum is broadening. By being on facebook I know that most people who want to 'friend' me use Betty Page, or a groovy Frankenstein as their profile picture, so unfortunately I feel that those people are frozen in time, and imagine that I am very entrenched in something that they are nostalgic for (the 90's early 2000's) Hopefully there's a younger, or at least more adventurous group of people enjoying some of the newer things. Mind you, the reaction to my new one ('Excerpts and half speeds') makes me feel like I've just wandered into some elitist gentleman's club with a pair of y fronts on - - talk about pretentious bemusement! The write ups for the catalogues that are carrying it, are all along the lines of 'the guy is a garage rocker, but don't worry this is okay for you to listen to' or 'this primitive has stumbled upon 'our' music, and doesn't completely fail, but doesn't know what he's doing or anything' - - hilarious really. I think they view me as some cross between sky saxon and kasper hauser. Just goes to show every 'scene' is as bad as the next.

I saw you play Ryan’s Bar here in London last year, you guys faced some technical issues but I thoroughly enjoyed the set because the band persevered through until problems were solved and ended with a real bang. A lot of bands don’t cope very well with unexpected hiccups like that, is it experience that’s helps you manage this sort of thing or have you always been able to ‘roll with the punches’ as it were?

I used to have some meltdowns 15 years ago - but after a while you have to say to yourself (in such situations) 'I am not successful. I am playing a tiny club. There isn't even a soundman, and no one is going to even try - let's just play anyway'

What’s the most memorable show you’ve ever played?

I don't really think about shows much. They happen and then they are over - unless someone records it, and then you have to do your best to destroy the evidence!

What is more of a challenge writing music or writing lyrics?

In all honesty, the way I do it - neither is much of a challenge. I just let it happen. The challenge is in not repeating yourself endlessly (status quo style) - even though some 'critics' say that is exactly what I do do!

I’ve read you’re a writer as well, how does your approach to writing differ to penning lyrics?

Lyrics are like sketches. There's music to back them up, and wring meaning out of them - plus you are using your own voice to impart some sense of what you feel. When the thing is just sitting there on the page, I feel the standards have to be much more exacting. I haven't written anything really that I consider to be good enough to put out there yet. I can't sustain the level of intensity that I'm going for. I've been trying to write a book for almost 10 years (intermittently) - you can hear some of it being read out over music on 'assemblage blues'

In the biography on your website it says you’re from Chertsey? I grew up in a small village outside of London too and know all too well how hard it is pre-internet era, to find any creative scene in English suburbia– how did you get exposed to the arts living in that part of the UK?

I was born in Chertsey, and grew up in Shepperton.
I just made a bee line for London the first chance I got, and spent most of my time up there until I was old enough to move out. I have a real hate/love relationship with where I grew up. I like the land, and the quietness - but didn't care for a lot of the aggressively/defensively narrow minded people that I went to school with. Very stifling, if you allow it to be - - but I do think you learn to develop a 'life of the mind' - or whatever you want to call it, in a place like that.

How do you think the internet has changed the game discovering records, books and art?

It's made it easier - and as I said before - I like it! Complaining about the easiness of it is for elitists and snobs. May as well complain that the washing machine made washing clothes too easy, and everyone should be scrubbing their clothes on rocks by the river.

You’ve managed to sustain a long-standing successful career making music mostly under the radar, with that experience behind you, if you could go back to when you first started making records and give yourself a piece of advice what would it be?

Don't worry about it - you aren't going to be popular. The more interesting your stuff becomes, the less popular it will be. You are free to do whatever you like really. Oh, and there is this stuff for straightening your hair you can get from black grocery stores.

Do you revisit previous recordings? If so what’s it like listening to earlier stuff?

I hardly ever do. I'm not really embarrassed by too much of it. Sometimes I think it may be better than what I'm doing now in places - but if I listened to it twice I'd be sick of it - these are just fleeting impressions though.

Do you prefer playing or recording?

Recording! - I like actually playing, but the rest of it - - sitting in a van, eating crap food, sitting around bars for hours on end and drinking because there's nothing else to do -is pretty awful. I have trouble with being out of my comfortable patterns.

There's a fund set up for your wife Letha to help with hospital fees, I’d like to ask about any upcoming benefits or fundraisers that people can be directed to if they’re in a position to donate, or help spread the word, the floor is yours….

Well, as you may know the US health system is an abomination. I will not go into my frustrations in this department, as I do not wish to be political or write a 5000 word essay - but, let's just say it is very distressing to negotiate such a system. My wife lost her insurance because she cannot work anymore - and now has to be on a state plan with a $5000 dollar deductible.

There are shows coming up, one in S.F
http://www.facebook.com/events/351886574840795/
and we have a paypal thing set up for donations -
http://melchiorfund.blogspot.com/
Her blog is here -
http://lethashappyhospitalfuntime.blogspot.com/ - - she describes here what she has to endure better than I ever could.

'I'm full of dust and guitars' - Syd Barrett, if you were sliced in half what would be inside?

I cannot answer this question for fear of incriminating myself! - - it would be less benign than Syd's stuff I suspect.