Another one from Clown Core! Please be advised that there’s some slightly stronger language in this little ditty. But it’s for a good cause: Clowns! Here is “Surreal Cereal.”

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I’m sure you all remember the last ClownCore video. Well, a few months ago, Left Clown, Right Clown and I decided to revamp their videos. We’ve been working on post production now for the last several weeks. Then, a couple of days ago, they were featured on the “Around the Web” segment of G4TV’s Attack of the Show. It couldn’t have come at a better time; we finished the first of the new videos just last night. Here it is- with improved video and sound quality and an even greater dislike of health bars made for women- “I Ate a Luna Bar and my Dick Fell Off” version 2.0.

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Louis, my excellent brother, has created a new masterpiece. It’s called You’ll Believe Me. Harmonically was heavily inspired by the Beach Boys and Chopin. Give it a listen- I know you’ll be blown away.

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I’m simultaneous guilty of both overwhelming pride and mind-altering jealousy. BRAVO, Louie!

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GUYS! Normally I would have something super clever to write, but I can’t think of anything that tops this video, so here it is:

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Louis! Remember how hard we used to laugh at this!??!

MELONHEAD!

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As promised, today I will explain to you what’s happening here:

Technically, they are my brother Louie, and Vikram Devasthali. But on Monday night, they were known as the Volvo Mafia: “Bringing you music with Swedish style efficiently since time immemorial.”

The Volvo Mafia took the stage after Commando Strike Force and did three hip-hop tunes of their own composition, and one killer cover of Sonny Rollins’ Tenor Madness. I’m not posting all four songs, because I don’t want to drive you away. But I would like to show you two of them if that’s alright. It is? Okay, great.

The first is about Mario Kart:

The other is a Louis Cole classic and is entitled I Will Make You Mine (it features a surprise guest performance by Adam Bravo!):

And that concludes my coverage of something that happened like four days ago. Tomorrow: Adventures in mini-blinds!

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**For some reason, audio uploads are being glitchy…I am working on fixing the problem

Now that the heat has subsided, I am able to share with you some audio and video from the show my brother put on Monday Night at 2nd Street Jazz in Little Tokyo. When he asked me to sing a couple tunes with him for the first set, I was really flattered. Aside from being an excellent drummer, and a musical innovator, Louie is a very talented composer. But if you didn’t know that already, you haven’t been spending nearly enough time reading this blog.

So, Commando Strike Force (the name my brother gave us seconds before he stepped up to the mic) did three tunes, all of which Louie had written. The first was entitled Big Green Suitcase, and featured a smaller ensemble consisting of Adam Bravo on piano, Louis on drums, and Hans Bernhard on bass. But before we did that, we needed to sound check. “Dude. Sing something,” my brother commanded. I gave him one of my signature blank stares. “Just do Mary Had a Little Lamb. Whatever,” he said. You can hear that went by clicking here:

2nd Street Sound Check

Then the rest of Commando Strike Force got involved. It was Richard Sears on piano, Hans Berhard on bass, Louis on drums, Doug Mosher on clarinet, Sam Gendel on bass clarinet, Vikram Devasthali on trombone, Jon Hansen on tuba and Adam Bravo on harp.

Our second tune was Ghost Story, which has some seriously funny, slightly cryptic lyrics:

Ghost Story 4/20/09

The last tune was something that Louie wrote just last week. It’s entitled Swing and, if you are a music dork like I am, you will probably love it. I have a video of it here. Disclaimer: The quality isn’t very good because it was on a tiny handheld camera in the very dim lighting that 2nd Street Jazz is known for. Also, the video is all weird and stretched out. But you can see my brother standing right behind me, smiling, which is the reason I’m posting the visuals here- I love when Louie is happy.

(Please click the “HQ” icon on the bottom of the video there so you can see it in somewhat better quality)

(Also, don’t make fun of me.)

But that was only the first set. Be sure to tune in tomorrow when I will be explaining THIS:

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A few years ago, my uncle Clint (yes, the fellow who lives in Afghanistan) wrote and recorded this little ditty under the name Mike Moth. It’s a shame that he isn’t more famous. The song is called “Love Love Love.” Try to resist dancing:

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Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of “About Me” questionnaire-type chain messages on Facebook. The idea is to answer a series of “quirky” questions about yourself and then send them to as many friends as possible so they can read what you wrote, and also participate themselves.

Most of the time, I don’t care to check these posts out. Call me inconsiderate, but if I want to know what your first kiss was like, I will ask you.

ANYway. The other day my friend Avaryl sent me one of these chain letters. The concept was to put your iPod or music player on shuffle, and answer each question with the title of the song playing. For each new question, you were to push the ‘Next’ button to get the answer. Regardless of how ridiculous the answer was, you had to write it down.

So I did it. And I had a lot of fun. So much fun, that I’m doing it again, right now, HERE, on this website! I hope you enjoy how ridiculous this will be. (If you feel like playing along, leave your answers in the comments section- I’d love to read ‘em!)

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This morning on my drive in to work, my attempts to educate myself on the nation’s economic situation were once again thwarted by a seemingly endless commercial for bath fixtures so, I switched off the news station and turned on my iPod. I put the thing on shuffle when I drive so that I don’t crash into anyone while I’m looking for a song. But, I still have to skip through handfuls of songs at a time, because I am realizing two things about the music I own:

1) I am getting bored with most of it
2) I only like specific parts in a lot of songs

Problem #1 is pretty common, and easily solved: Cough up a few bucks for some new music and revisit the old stuff in a few months. But problem #2 indicates that I may be ill. I have dozens of songs that I will never fully play from start to finish. I’ll listen to a desired section, and then skip forward. Not only does this drive passengers in my car crazy, but it makes me feel guilty for being so disrespectful of the musicians. I’m clearly not well. I think I have…

Schizomusiphrenia.

I can’t help it! Maybe I just want to listen to the melody, and not a long saxaphone solo (sorry Chris Potter). Or maybe it’s that some songs go on for far too long. In fact, I’ve set my iPod to start Tony Williams’ Allah Be Praised at 3:51 so that I can skip right to the cool organ part that I like. Often, part of a song might make me uncomfortable- for instance any time there is sing-talking, or that weird circus part of Spinning Wheel by Blood, Sweat & Tears. If you ever ride in my car, I’m warning you- do not get attached to anything coming out of the stereo because it could be over at any second.

Then there’s the reverse: I will listen to an entire four minute song just to hear literally five (5) eighth notes that happen at two minutes thirty seconds. And I will listen to those eighth notes 4oo times in a row before I allow the song to play to the end. Or I’ll listen to the last forty seconds of Fauré’s Libera Me 16 times in a row. To me, this is the more fun of the two symptoms of Schizomusiphrenia, but anyone riding with me wants to hurl themselves on the freeway after hearing the same piano solo 840 time.

Pray for my passengers. I can’t help myself, and they are the unfortunate victims of my condition.

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