Rabby the cross-eyed fungus licker and the attack of the Dingus Faddiddle Whapper Ponjos in SNOWPOCALYPSE 2008

So, I took my lovely wife to work today and got stuck in the snow on the way back to the house after dropping by work.. There was no one at work so I thought it better than to freeze my ass off at the 30 degree Fahrenheit office. In a day where there is snow (here in Seattle the locals aren't used to snow that the rest of the nation gets dumped with every year) I thought it wise to get home and off the roads and see what the developments are here in Snowpocalypse 2008 as one of my favorite morning radio show hosts dubbed this weather. Upon arriving home I thought it might be fun to let our cats out to see what they think of Snowpocalypse 2008. So here it is. A video of our cat Bear in the snow.

So, there you have it. Gray Snow Puma in the snow. It doesn't get anymore exciting than this!

Tribute to a friend

I wrote this little ditty about our cat that passed away in April 2008. Although the song was written in 2006 a year or so before the little fellow died. Recorded at Studio Witch Ape. Peggy played bass and acoustic guitar and sang, I played the percussion items and electric guitar and sang and our good friend Seven played lead guitar.
It is a fun little remembrace of the one we called Kyuss aka the Puppy Bear, Ding Dong, Monkey Elvis, Phuqoeh, Kee-oos, fluffy nuts, Lord of the Mieses, The Great Desert Puma, Snackazoid, Kyussy-Moto and many other aliases too many to list here. We love you and miss you Kyuss.

Click here for the song and download the mp3 if you like.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

Tad Doyle Reverbfest video Interview on Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

Video interview with myself about our music from our show at the Seattle Weekly's Reverb Fest.

Why Mike S. is is the Clint Eastwood of Doom Metal....

Spaghetti Westerns, Clint Eastwood and Mike Scheidt

I recently watched The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and was thinking about the first time I saw this masterpiece of a movie. I was very young and my older brother Buz took me to a theatre in Boise where I grew up. The film had just come out and Buz was on a date with his girlfriend Cheryl who later became his life long wife and friend. I was very excited that I was going to a movie with my brother whom I had a profound respect and love for.

Many years later I was able to see The Good, The Ugly and many other spaghetti westerns and a plethora of Clint Eastwood movies as well. Each time I would see these films I would notice things that I hadn't seen or heard before. In the last viewing of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly there was a scene where I noticed a sign that was outside of the hospital that read, "If you are trying to make a living, why do you work yourself to death?" Good question; especially in light of the fact that for me, and I am willing to bet that for most people as well; money has lacked the ability to bring any long lasting happiness in to my life or the lives of others. Likewise, in respect to seeing and hearing something new everytime I listen to any of Mike Sheidt's music I get the same effect of hearing something that I hadn't heard before. To me this is one of the marks of music genius and makes for great listening as well.


Back to the original thought I had.... I submit to you that Mike Scheidt is the Clint Eastwood of Doom Metal and here is why: Both Mike and Clint are men of few words but they are action men. Less talk and more rock. However, when they do speak it is compelling and usually something worth listening to. Both Mike and Clint have an intensity to them backed with incredible talent and accuracy in their trades. Clint's character portrail of "Blondie" in the The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is really what I am making the association with to Mike. The tones and timbre of Scheidt's guitar sound are immense and full, dark and chock full of overtones that makes him stand alone as one of the best heavy guitar tones I have heard. Mike's playing is equally incredible in that he plays with rythmic intensity and throws in some chords that are very unusual sounding. Literally, every time I have heard Mike play it has brought tears of joy to my eyes and the sounds have awakened a profound sense of infinity and a feeling as if I am moving freely through the universe. So, it is with much due respect to both Mike and Clint that I make this association. Take it or leave it.

YOB has returned. Welcome back.

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

The Brothers (aka BOTSC) play 6/6/2008

On Friday 6/6/2008 Brothers of the Sonic Cloth will be playing the middle stot at the Jules Maes Saloon in Seattle's Georgtown on Airport Way. Hollywood Lightweights and Madraso will be playing too. We are really looking forward to this show because we are getting really tight and playing the songs well and also because I will get to see my former band mate Mike Mongrain (playing drums for Hollywood Lightweights now and Mike was the last TAD drummer), even though Mike and I live in the same city, we don't have that much extra time to see each other. Also, it's going to be fun as hell to finally see Madraso. Peg and I went to see Madraso last year and were disapointed to find out that we just missed them play.

The first show

- photo by Brandy Rettig->

Well it's approximately a year later and the band has gone through some changes.
First of all, Eric Akre has replaced Steve Weide on drums. Steve wanted to pursue playing bass and Eric came on board in October. Eric is really laying down the sounds that I was looking for in a drummer, (no easy shoes to fill as I have really high standards for a rhythm section, being a drummer in the past in H-Hour).

Eric has risen to my expectations and Peg is just a solid on bass guitar. Peg is happy since her Emperor Cabinets have arrived and they sure do move the air and they sound like earthquake made musical!

The first show went well. We opened for three great bands at the El Corazon. The crowd reaction was enthusiastic and the Brothers were well received. Then our new friends INDIAN from Chicago went on and the obvious thing to comment on with INDIAN is that the drummer rocked! He had a real distinct style to his drumming and the best way that I can describe it is that he played his parts and drummed like every fiber of his being was focused on throttling the grove and playing as if it were his only purpose in the entire universe. Needless to say visually he was amazing as well; snot and saliva brimming from his nose and mouth. This guy is the real deal. Many people call or label themselves as punk or hardcore and try to dress or look the part and although this fellow is indefinable this guy IS PUNK. I am not trying to pigeonhole him either. It's a true thing of beauty to witness. In a day and age when people try too hard to be different and often abandon themselves in the process this drummer totally being himself is a beacon in the ocean of attitude and visual clones. Enough said. -You can see pictures of the show here from Bridget-

Then came MIDDAN of Oregon. Anyone who knows me has heard me jabber on and on about this band and Mike Scheidt's previous band YOB have been subjected to endless praise and respect for these to bands. MIDDIAN, as usual, crushed and their set was incredible. Will, Scott and Mike are one of the few three-piece bands that pull off being a three piece. Mike plays guitar that sounds like two people playing and that doesn't mean that he is an "athletic player" either. Will sounds huge as ever with his finger playing and vintage acoustic bass amp through a set of Emperor Cabs. Will being a awesome guitar player himself is no four stringed guitar player. Scott pummels the riff and makes it look so easy.

Next came the Bay Area's ASUNDER and all that I knew about this band was what I had researched online. There sound is very unique and I loved all of the harmonized guitars. I spoke for a while with a fan of the band after their set and he shared with me that the first time he heard ASUNDER was on the radio and it blew his mind and he actually had to pull over to devote his listening attention to the 10 minute plus song that he heard. I love when people are moved by music so much that it becomes really important.