Ink Mathematics

Wilderness Sculpture, www.joshshaffner.com

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howdy,

This summer here in Montana has been spectacular and I have been unable to drive myself indoors to compute up some new ink math mixes for you, but luckily the last 2 days have been nothing but rain and gray so I’ve finally planted myself down to work it on out. Over the last few weeks I have been living in an album from 1976 called, “Have Moicy!’”… I’ve either been listening to it, singing the songs in my head, or making up my own lyrics to match the harmonies from the record and singing them aloud when I am doing whatever. Have Moicy! was created by a supergroup of sorts, that being Michael Hurley, Members of The Holy Modal Rounders, and Jeffrey Frederick and The Clamtones, all real tight buds.  It’s folk but not, it’s country but not quite, and the lyrics are outrageously silly, genius, and unforgettable:, “I was cleaning my jackknife when you did appear, had to fight with you I cut off your ear.” How could a person not like a song with lyrics like, ” I was cleaning my jackknife”? I slid a few tracks from Have Moicy! into this mix (you deserve to hear the whole album, so hard to choose two songs), hoping to convince you that it is an album you need, along with some original early Holy Modal Rounders and some solo Michael Hurley. Oh, and aside from all that goodness I also put in some Incredible String Band, which never bores, and some solo work from ISB member Clive Palmer….and to put a cherry on top, a nice little hawaiian two-step from my boy, John Fahey.  Anyway, hope you like it…lemme know.

In other news I am so goddamn sick of politics and can’t bear to turn on the tv or log on to cnn or nothing. I have gorged myself on that gruel for far too long..Will it ever end? Maybe the torture never stops.

Couple weeks back I was forced to sleep in my parents’ basement. I had a week where I had to sleep at my folks’ house and on top of that my Aunt was visiting, so I was booted out of my childhood bedroom and given a mattress on the floor in the basement. I actually don’t mind sleeping in the basement…it’s cool, silent, and dark as can be, but it is also piled up with all sorts of accumulated what-have-you and I had to eeke out a little corner for my pad. I’d turn off the light and run to my pad, strap on my headlight, and read while boxes of junk towered around me (mostly my old junk, to be fair).  I was somewhat suspicious of spiders in this room, what with all the crevices, hiding spots, and the like, so when I awoke very late at night to a spider’s legs scuttling across the middle of my back I casually, but quickly, swatted the fat little sucker off and went back to dreaming. After this incident my dreams were anxiety ridden and I kept awakening and running my hands across my bed and entire body in search of more spiders. I didn’t think there were too many spiders hanging around, I hadn’t seen many, but for some reason my subconscious wouldn’t allow me the deep peaceful sleep a growing boy like myself requires. Two nights it went on like this, hour after hour awakening with thoughts of spiders crawling all about my person, so I went out and bought myself five little pieces of mind called, “catchmasters”. I laid them all around my bed and in the corners and deep in the crevices,  sticky pads, with an aroma that attracts fuzzy little ones. It was piece of mind alright, I had protectors out there guarding my bed and I was able to sleep like a lamb.  I awoke in the morning refreshed, stumbled up, did my scratching and then looked down in horror.

Oh, and at the end of September myself, and a few other dudes will be DJing a portion of the KBGA birthday  bash (which will undoubtedly rule). It’s a ’50/’60’s sock-hop theme this year, so I am going to whip together some sort of rad late ’50’s, early ’60’s rock n’ roll set that’ll get the kids bopping. Everyone is supposed to get all dressed up, so I need to dig up either a preppie sweater-wearing captain of the football team outfit, or some bad-ass, hair greased right on back, switchblade in the pocket, package of cigarettes in the sleeve, big black boots ready to rumble garb. And, I’ll post that mix up here for you in case you can’t make it.

Gone to Chattanooga to see my ponies run,

Collin

Artist / Album / Song

Michael Hurley, Unholy Modal Rounders, Jeffrey Frederick & The Clamtones / Have Moicy! / Jackknife/Red Newt

The Holy Modal Rounders / I & 2 / Blues in The Bottle

John Fahey and His Orchestra/ After the Ball / Hawaiian Two-Step

Michael Hurley / Long Journey / Polynesia

The Incredible String Band / The Big Huge / Cousin Caterpillar

The Holy Modal Rounders / The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders / Bird Song

Clive Palmer / Spirit of Love / Spirit of Love

Michael Hurley, Unholy Modal Rounders, Jeffrey Frederick & The Clamtones / Have Moicy! / The Slurf song

Michael Hurley / Armchair Boogie / Sweedeedee