Something 4 The Weekend # 214

Smoke: Heaven On A Popsicle Stick: "The Trip" [mp3]

About a month ago a good friend of mine, Thump, got married. Around that same time a coworker/friend started dating a lovely young woman, and so far, things are going well. Then, about two weeks ago, another coworker/friend found himself embroiled in a rather torrid sexual thing with a recently divorced cougar who apparently is making up for lost time. Tonight, a third coworker/friend goes on his first date with a woman he randomly encountered on Google+.

Meanwhile, the Filipino lesbian who lives next door might actually be bisexual. Otherwise, I can't explain the A-1 flirting she was doing with me out by her mailbox the other evening. We didn't actually hook up, but I'm telling you, it seems inevitable.

Anyways, I believe you should seek out Heaven On A Popsicle Stick immediately. This lost classic album of baroque, somewhat-deconstructed Countryfolkblues is the perfect soundtrack for this summer's heat, and all the sex and romance that is currently in the air. This thick, warm air.

Hotcha! Hank

Flat Sideways Atom Maneuver

Flat Atom is a Madison-based Industrial/Heavy Groove band with whom I happen to be good friends. In fact, for a while I was their official band photographer, specializing in unintentially blurry, impressionistic photos more suited to LSD trips than actually helping the band's image and marketing...I also may, or may not be, the very first "Friend Of Flat Atom". Memories get blurry after 7 years of band history, you know?

Anyways, these guys are supercool, put on a dynamite live show, and write some rock solid tunes...Like I mentioned, they've been working Madison and the greater midwest for seven years (their first gig was at The Annex the night after 9-11), building a consistently bigger and more loyal fanbase, through any number of lineup changes...

However, the present and future of the band is currently unknown...

They've kinda broken up, but Thump and Nick, the two prime movers of the group, the two guys who ARE Flat Atom, are still working together, and since they're exploring a slightly different sound than before, they're undecided on whether to keep the name FLAT ATOM, or slap a new moniker on their new direction...Thump believes they ought to keep the Flat Atom name, if only because they've built up that fan base and reputation with that name, but Nick thinks they ought to give the new project/direction a new name. At the moment, I'm siding with Nick, not that it matters, but I guess it all depends on how different this new direction actually is...

All I know is that I was at a jam session at their studio a couple weeks ago, and the new guitarist they're working with is a Marc Bolan fanatic, and the new tune I've heard is decidedly more mainstream rock/boogie than the industrial grooves they've done in the past. In fact, in hindsight, the song reminded it alot of the Red Hot Chili Peppers - heavy funk bottom, some Hendrixy guitar maneuvers, and a rather hooky chorus, which has always been Nick's and Thump's strongest songwriting element in my opinion...

Anyways, time will tell how and where this all goes...

Hotcha! Hank