"I think they got a bobble-head coming out tomorrow"

Remarkable Insights

HOME BLITZ in the MIDWEST HOT SUMMER 2010

photo by Tiffany Yoon

7:09 PM me: Yo thanks for sending over the dates, I'm sure that my midwest readers will flip

Daniel: no prob

some of them are a bit vague

7:10 PM but I will send you all the details when I have them

I have to go see Sex & The City 2

me: who's the lucky lady?

Daniel: who said anything about a lady?

7:11 PM me: why are you going to see that movie?

Daniel: my friend wants to

I'll tell you all about it

they go to Dubai

me: well i heard that they have a fabulous time in an exotic locale

listen man have fun

7:12 PM i'll have to tell you about my popcorn trick sometime

it never fails

Daniel: I know it

I'll save it for next time

PEACE

July 17th - Buffalo, NY
@The Mile High Clubhouse

July 18th - Cleveland, OH
apartment above Now That's Class. Whoa.

July 19th - Toledo, OH
@Woodchuck's

July 20th - Chicago, IL
@Box Social

w/ Mickey, Spike's Sweet Spots

July 21st - Milwuakee, WI
@Ground Zero
w/ AluminumKnotEye, Sticks N Stones, Little Vectors

July 22nd - Minneapolis, MN
@Fecal Manor
w/ Real Numbers

July 23rd - Omaha, NE
house show

w/ Yuppies

July 24th - Kansas City, KS
@Studded Bird
w/ Freds, Prosthetics

July 25th - St. Louis, MO
@Cranky Yellow

w/ Symptoms, Cardiac Arrest, Sweet Tooth

July 26th - Lafayette, IN
@Black Sparrow Pub
w/ Pink Reason, Mount Carmel

July 27th - Bloomington, IN
@The Bishop
w/ Proto Idiot, Moscow Moscow Moscow, Pillow Screamers

July 28th - Louisville, KY
@Skull Alley

July 29th - Columbus, OH
@Carabar

w/ Day Creeper, Vile Gash

July 30th - Pittsburgh, PA
@Gooski's

TEX

“It’s one thing to call me white and slow,” Cobb said. “But to call me a fat, cowardly, cocaine-snorting, fight fixing cheat? Who are they calling fat?”

Hey everyone. Be sure to peep BIRDS OF MAYA's new web presence at www.livebirds.org. It appears that some live recordings will be made available for download. It's sure to provide some fresh new sounds for all except the handful of seekers and dropouts who pile into a few Astro Vans and a beat-up Volkswagon to turn up and each and every BIRDS appearance.

... speaking of a live gig, be sure to arrive on time for the BIRDS OF MAYA / MOUNT CARMEL gig on monday at kong fu necktie under the el on Hooker Alley in Philadelphia. Stoic WILLIE LANE is making a rare live solo appearance. To learn more, read the latest installment in the growing body of Lane scholarship by setting your browser to http://www.philly.com/community/pa/philadelphia/netimes/Music_Row_Hear_rhythm_and_a_hint_of_blues_down_Willie_Lane.html

Weekend Party

BIRDS OF MAYA tour single and tourdates READY TO TOUR MAY 2010 !!!!!!!

Well here's a representative item from the mail bag...

Dear TestosterTunes..

Shit thnx for released Ready 2 Howl!!! 2 vinyls of hardsike fury!! That shits guitarded int he best way!!!! 1 miner suggestion tho, it's 2 DAM SHORT!! Plz giv me more & mroe blazing licks to fry my head!!

Yrs,

Lucas II in Pittsville

Well Lucas II, your prayers have been answered by your god. I present to you, your ilk, and the sentient beings of this earth a 7inch single hot on the heels of Ready To Howl. It's the third vinyl release from Phila's BIRDS OF MAYA and it's a scorching outlaw anthem titled 'Regulation'. This one finds the rock-solid Killinger/Leaphart/Polizze unit joined by Harmonica Dan, a veteran of institutions such as Boogie Witch, the Mega-Jam Booze Band, and the Philadelphia Record Exchange. Pick it up from the band at a live appearance in May.

All dedicated fans and curious gawkers are encouraged to attend one of these performances by any means necessary. It's taken these guys 12+ years to leave the mid-atlantic, and chances are it won't happen again anytime this century. This trip is nasty, brutish, and short, just like certain other things in this world...

So quit your job and do what you have to do to see these guys and pick up this little record while you're at it..

Here's the dates..

Friday May 7
HORRIBLE FEST @ NOW THAT'S CLASS in Cleveland
with Timmy's Organism, Puffy Areolas, Pop. 1280, Homostupids, Cock ESP, & more

Saturday May 8
at LAGER HOUSE in Detroit
with Johnny Ill Band, Dan Kroha (Gories, Demolition Doll Rods), The Jellyhearts

Sunday May 9
5pm

at PERMANENT RECORDS in Chicago

Sunday May 9

Nighttime

at REUBEN'S PALACE in Chicago

Monday May 10
TBA

Tuesday May 11
at CAFE BOURBON ST in Columbus OH
with Mount Carmel, Churches Burn

Wednesday May 12
at HELTER SHELTER in Pittsburgh
with The Temps, Secret Tombs

Saturday May 15
RECORD RELEASE SHOW @ EL BAR in Philadelphia
with Watery Love

Checking in with Steve-o and Johnny...

Now is as a good time as any to check in on the activities of two longtime friends of the weblog. I'm talking about Mr. Steve Peffer of the greater Cleveland area and John Sharkey, who now resides in the nation of Australia. Each of these fine fellows has embraced new media to give us the gifts of sound and the written word.

Steve has been jocking an excellent radio program called 'Night Music'. His soothing voice penetrates the airwaves from the 4th floor of the Cole Center at Cleveland State University at 89.3FM WCSB on Wednesday nights at 11pm to present a nocturnal mix of of interesting sounds both old and new. The second half of the broadcast can be especially eye-opening as your host takes full advantage of relaxed FCC rules and proceeds to play tunes that some listeners may find objectionable. Subscribe to the podcast at nightmusicradio.blogspot.com.

And Johnny? Well, he spun off his highly rated guest column on this URL into a an outlet of his very own. He's been busy watching our beloved Philadelphia Phillies on mlb.tv on a public computer in Canberra and hunting and pecking his way to an interesting and insightful weblog. They say that distance only makes the heart grow fonder, and this new web presence would seem to confirm that suspicion. Like a stern father, our Johnny celebrates the team's success and ridicules its failures. This is a nice addition to the growing literature on the Phils 3rd straight World Series run. Keep clicking on bigsharkeyshow.blogspot.com for frequent updates and adorable photos from the editor's youth.

Richie Records // TestosterTunes T-shirts for sale

Take a look at Philadelphia's best dressed music act in the new line of Richie Records t-shirts. Those are high-quality American Apparel tshirts in black and slate gray and they feature the iconic logo designed by Hawk Krall. They were expertly printed by Neil Burke of Life's Blood at Monoroid and they're now available to the general public. Size available are men's medium to extra large. There's even a few in woman's size medium in the event that a female or a dainty male wants one. So paypal TestosterTunes at gmail dot com with the proper amount and don't forget to specify size and color..

To USA : $17

To Canada/Mexico : $19

To the rest of the world : $27

Home Blitz News

photo by Tiffany Yoon

Well it's been a goddamn busy spring season for Handsome Dan and his HOME BLITZ. The new co-ed lineup is universally heralded as the finest group based in the Mid-Atlantic. They just returned from a string of highly rated gigs through the US, they're earning a reputation as one of the finest upbeat no-frills guitar acts on the circuit today, and there's a new record to add to your growing shelf of essential HB releases. Each new HB offering sets a higher standard than the one previous, and this 2-song single on the Almost Ready imprint is no exception. This one's a thick platter that boasts appropriately slick fidelity, proud clean duck-walking guitars, persistent 'Waiting For My Man'-style ivory tickling, piss, vinegar, a blazing, mournful guitar solo, and an echo of Zeppelin. Perpetual Night is a true single in the sense that it's got a bona fide hit on the a-side and a sturdy cut, in this case a cover tune, on the flip. Check the usual avenues and outlets to hear for yourself.

Here's HB's upcoming NY-centric gig schedule...

April 30 @ Death By Audio in Brooklyn

May 15 @ Glasslands in Brooklyn

May 21 @ Pi Lam in University City, Phila

June 4 @ Don Pedro's in Brooklyn

And right here is a link to download a live set from a place called Club 529 in Atlanta. Add it to your mp3 player if you want to hear them competently perform a confident set in front of a ho-hum audience. It was thoughtfully recorded and graciously shared by longtime TestosterFan Henry Owings of the Chunklet organization.

A photo of 2 handsome fans

One, a player of a Rolling Rock guitar. The other, the proud owner of a Thunderkit. Both are concerned about every pitcher but one.

A youtube clip from Monty G

BIRDS OF MAYA 'Ready To Howl'

Here's a new announcement for a new release that you can soon purchase. If you live in the USA and you simply cannot wait and you have to get it into your hands as soon as possible, you may paypal $21 to TestosterTunes at Gmail dot Com . It'll ship in about 3 weeks. Otherwise, be patient and pick it up from store or a favorite mail-order music retailer. Even better, get one from the band themselves at an upcoming live appearance..

BIRDS OF MAYA

Ready To Howl

RR//TT#25

Here it is. It's the most ambitious TestosterTunes release to date: a 3-song, double-LP by the three men of Philadelphia's BIRDS OF MAYA. It's called Ready To Howl and it's the soundtrack to an upcoming feature length film of the same name. Formed in 2002, Birds of Maya is the finest meat n potatoes neanderthal rock group operating today, and they're undoubtedly the outfit most committed to creating throbbing, thoroughly relentless, blues-based hard rock. Astute listeners will note nods to the fried power-rock of Split-era Groundhogs or the relentless garage mayhem of High Rise recorded under claustrophobic sub-Funhouse decadence. Anyone with ears will hear fried-Hendrixisms all over this thing.

Ready To Howl, the film, deals with one dude's struggles in- and outside of polite society. According to the producer, "the order of events is something like... getting off of work, partying, a parking lot bottle fight with a marine, driving drunk, the purchase of a deadly snake for purposes of revenge, hitchhiking, off road driving, car accident, the folly of vindictiveness, and finally a physical and metaphorical ascent to the highest point of the mountain." The soundtrack follows the same line, with album sides tracking Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

This is only BIRDS OF MAYA's second vinyl offering, and it's looooong overdue. Expect new music on Richie Records // TestosterTunes in 2010 and stay tuned for some out of town gigs through the midwest and in the mid-atlantic region.

Ready To Howl tracklist

1. Ready To Howl

2. Porch Dude

3. Heavy on Sunday

BIRDS OF MAYA spring gigs

Saturday April 3 @ DNA TEST FEST in Baltimore

Saturday April 10 @ Human BBQ at Pi Lambda Pi in Philadelphia

Friday May 7 @ Horrible Fest in Cleveland

Saturday May 8 in Detroit

Sunday May 9 in Chicago

Monday May 10 TBA

Tuesday May 11 in Columbus

Wednesday May 12 in Pittsburgh

Saturday May 15 in Philadelphia

Baltimore Event

Hey there's a big gig coming up in Baltimore MD on Saturday April 3 and it's called the DNA TEST FEST. Go down to check out such faves as Psychedelic Horseshit, the Lamps, Home Blitz, Birds of Maya and about 50 more. There's probably going to be beer for sale and they're giving away a cassette with exclusive tracks by all the bands on the bill. And if you can't make it? The Lamps have a couple east coast gigs. Use the internet to find out more about that.

Hour back... GET IT?

Yo don't forget to print out directions before you leave

Yeah I will. I think Theresa is going to get a road atlas also, as you advised.

And you have to stick to your finess program. Be sure to find time for your pushups each morning.

Ok I'll make sure each place we crash has ample floor space.

Promise me you'll call every night so I know you're ok?

I promise.

If I don't answer, leave a message and I'll call you back in an hour.

Get It Away

Here's a fine youtube vid. It's SSD performing "Get It Away" from their 1983 12" of the same name. Listen close to that swirling guitar sound that would define a number of records reissued on the Taang! imprint.

BIRDS OF MAYA photo and news

Here's a photo of BIRDS OF MAYA performing a tune called "Heavy on Sunday". Keep your stupid eyes peeled for their long overdue second release, a 2xLP titled Ready To Howl (RR//TT25). Peep them at the DNA TEST FEST on April 3rd in Baltimore and at some select cities in the Midwest in the spring.

HOME BLITZ on TOUR in the USA SPRING 2010

Tuesday, March 16 – Pittsburgh

Helter Shelter

Wednesday, March 17 – Memphis

Buccaneer Lounge

Friday, March 19 – Austin

WFMU Showcase @ Encore

Saturday, March 20 – Austin

Parts Unknown/Load/Siltbreeze Showcase

@ Club 1880

Sunday, March 21 – New Orleans

Saturn Bar

Monday, March 22 – Huntsville, AL

Voodoo Lounge

Tuesday, March 23 – Atlanta

529

Wednesday, March 24 –

Nashville

Little Hamilton

Thursday, March 25 – Charlotte, NC

201212

Saturday, April 3 – Baltimore

DNA Fest III @ Sonar

Saturday, April 10 – Philadelphia

Human BBQ @ Pi Lambda Pi