cober-lake vs. the anti-timberlake

a beautiful sunny sunday
i feel like i'm back on track
in my head
everything is much better
i spent lot's of time recording this weekend
the fate lions were my victims
it's was really fun
the time flew by
they've made me think again of
diesel park west http://www.dieselparkwest.com/
and the magic numbers
also the soft boys
shimmering guitars
and melodies that stick in your head for days
rickenbackers and paisley shirts
this is the kind of music i love
i want to work on records like this one
forEVER
this area has so many great bands
the rest of the world is clueless to

another one of our great DFW bands
is out there trying to make a name for themselves
in the big bad world
the cut-off wrote me
10 miles outside of alton illinois
where i was born
they're on tour right now
i hope they're having fun
and reaching some people
that would otherwise be oblivious
when their cd comes out next month
i heartily recommend you
the discerning music listener
with impeccable taste (you're here right?)
go hunt down a copy of "packaged up for beginners"
it's amazing

G had his first recording session a few days ago
we put him in his plaid rock'n'roll suit
and his black and white "baby dada" converse high tops
then i set up the telefunken mic
and he sat on ken's chair and went through
a medley of his greatest hits
strumming his out of tune guitar
and singing
"i love you momma"
"banana pup"
"old man!!! DENTIST!!!"
and brand new one "the life we made"

"snowing in my heart" finally goes for radio adds tuesday
so, yeah
you can start harassing your local NPR station to play it
we're also expecting a feature tomorrow at
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/features/article/55782/salim-nourallah-dallas-texas/
i think it might end up being the most widely read article
that's ever been written about my music
and it was done by a really good writer named justin cober-lake
you got it
justin cober-lake on the anti-justin timberlake
kinda weird
and funny...

when everything goes right

how do we handle it
when things don't go our way?
that's the test
it easy to be easy going
and easy breezy
when everything goes right
but how about when it all goes wrong?
'cause it will
oh rest assured
it will
that's part of life's grand scheme
we all know it
whether or not we face it
or not
maybe we get our way
day after day
little victories
paid the mortgage
baked a pie
passed that test
cashed that check
fed the dog
lost 5 pounds
wrote a song
learned to walk
but then
out of nowhere
the bottom falls out
or maybe it's just a temporary set-back
and how do we handle it?
if we're scared enough of the potential devastation
these moments of loss and failure will exact upon us
we can do god only knows what
to distract ourselves
from thinking about it

there's safety in that bottle
safety in that needle
safety with that drag
safety in that fridge
(even though it's cold in there)
to what degree do we all run away
what's the "healthy" amount of avoidance
of the ugliness
that's waiting to get its mitts on us

my escape was(is?) music
yeah
when i was a kid
unable to cope with the thought of death
unable to believe there was something else out there
unable to deal with not fitting in
and feeling like a stranger
in my own skin
i ran right into my cozy little room
where my turntable sat
and i'd put on those black padded headphones
and drop that needle
onto the spinning black vinyl
and disappear
into my little rock'n'roll fantasy land
was Weller on Carnaby Street buying a mod suit?
was Kilbey in New South Wales strumming a Rickenbacker 12-string?
was McCartney in Barbados writing his next #1?
was Lennon baking bread in New York?
was Strummer pulverizing his telecaster at a concert in Camden Town?
i would travel
out of my bedroom window
in dusty old El Paso
right up over the Franklin mountains
and on
across the country
out over the sea
to wherever my imagination
could carry me
i wish i could do that again
i wish i could escape like that
get truly lost in a record
but i can't anymore
i'm not sure why

right now
is there a boy
or girl
in Turkey
or Iowa
or Sweden
with headphones on
wondering what S.N. is doing at this moment?
i don't know
maybe...
maybe not...
but if there's even one person out there
temporarily ditching their own existence
and traveling by thought through one of these records i've made
it makes me feel something worthwhile
i know none of it matters in the end
but i like the thought that the 15 year old kid i used to be
that's long gone now
would somehow be proud of this mendult i've become

when i sat down tonight
and stared at the letters on this keyboard
i had nothing specific to say
no agenda
no idea of what i felt like saying
or not saying
i was just feeling restless again
and then these thoughts took me on a trip
back to E.P.
back to wondering about
why i do
what i do
even still after all of these years
the cost of my ticket
was free
i'll be safe in my bed soon
no one will even know i ever left
i'm talking to you
but i'm really talking to myself
because somehow
it makes me feel better

pretty vacant

it's 1am
i'm tired
but don't really feel like turning in
i'm feeling restless
anxious about something
sometimes i just feel like
i'm waiting
for something to happen
even though things are perfect
exactly the way i want them to be
the tranquility gives way to the doldrums
today jayme and i both had it
we were lacklustre
it was a beautiful day
perfect weather
no work
but i couldn't get in it
no matter how hard i tried
i was never really here
yeah
i "did" stuff
ran around
got things done
went on a nice walk with G
re-strung my guitar
got some rocks to fill in the drive
ran to the bank
the post office
etc. etc.
it was all very nice
and fine
but i felt vacant

i hope tomorrow that feeling is gone

mendults

we had a beautiful time tonight
sons of hermann hall
"all my friends were there"
well except for
grace
who was in
of all places
argentina?
"wow"
and "you go girl!!" is all i have to say grace
there were a few others M.I.A.
roberto, oh, roberto?
but it was GOOD friday afterall
right?
i KNOW some of you must've been in church
or maybe just at home listening to the church
heyday in paisley?
starfish by candlelight?
blurred crusade with glasses on?
regardless, i hope you still love me
i still love you
and i mean this sincerely
the crowd was great
camille led "don't be afraid" again
and it still meant as much to me as the very first time
you all sang along
thank you - it made my night
we opened with "snowing in my heart"
which the band had never played live
and i think it was my favorite part of the set
i'm glad we took a chance and did it

there are no more shows with the noise
on the books
i'm going to take a bit of a break
to work on record #4
this week
i started work on acoustic demos to send billy
so he can ascertain whether or not the songs are any good
i've never gotten to do this before
since i'm always the "producer"
it's challenging
but fun
i like the motivation
to step it up
i've got 6 in the bag
9 more to go
maybe finish sunday night?
if i can find the time
i've got 2 days off coming up
which i'm planning to enjoy every last minute of
"be here now"
this weekend's mantra
i'm gonna try and do it
no worrying about this bill or that
or did i email so and so back
or buy that whatcha-ma-call-it on ebay
or forget to mow the lawn guy
or call the phone company about that extra 1 million dollars
they billed us!!
or the endless horde of nasty
"mendult" (G's word) concerns that plague us
well, mendults
on a daily basis
the ongoing mendult struggle
like this one...
a mendult friend of mine told me tonight
a sweet dear man
one of the most positive people i've ever known
that his family was split up
his wife with another fella
and his son in another city
it broke my heart to bits
they were one the sweetest families
i've ever met
i wanted to tell him "it'll be ok"
i wanted to give him some sort of encouragement
to make it through
that he would be happy again
but i couldn't find the words
i just feel sick for him
and i'm gonna count my blessing again
each and every one of them
starting with 2 right here with me
in this here house
J and G
and then i'm gonna go down the line
until i hit YOU

enjoy your weekend all you mendults


love


s

peace

visualize it
come on
do it
we all should
right now
even though it seems impossible
it's gotta end somehow
what kind of world are our kids gonna inherit?

i couldn't feel any better
than i do at this exact moment
the last couple of days have been great
beautiful sunny weather
plenty of free time
i've had a clear mind
not cluttered by all the usual adult rubbish
i've been working on "be here now"
living in the moment
and it seems to be working for me
more frequently now
these past few days i've enjoyed many moments
with G and J

today G and i had our "manlunch '08"
with lefler and m.p.
we ate outside at matt's
most of lakewood had the same idea
as it was such a nice day
but we had a great time anyway
then we went to G's soccer game
my mom came along
which was a nice surprise
the boys ran around the field
chasing the ball like semi-confused greyhounds
after a rabbit
the sun kept ducking behind the clouds
a gentle breeze blew
it couldn't have been more ideal
i feel lucky to have the life i have
i work on music everyday
with my friends
who i love too
i'm grateful
and thankful
i wouldn't change a thing
i have a beautiful family
i get to see them more than most
which reminds me of how heartbreaking
the releationship was in "michael clayton"
between father and son
i don't ever wanna live like that
ok
time to get back to playing with G


love


s