One lonesome Christmas Eve five years ago, I wrote and recorded “The Xmas Thief” in a Scotch fog over the span of just a few hours. It was subsequently released on that defunct podcast I keep mentioning. This was that rare occasion when getting increasingly and unapologetically drunk while at the console helped the vibe.

At the time I fantasized that “The Xmas Thief” would become a stealth holiday classic, but these dreams never materialized. In any case, the thing is ripe for a drunken audience singalong; someday I’ll try it live and see if I can create some magic.

This version has been edited to be barely safe for work, mostly because I think bleeping sounds are funnier than curse words these days…

“Decisions, Decisions” is a recording from a while back, initially intended for my defunct (or on hiatus, who knows?) podcast. I’ve given it a fresh spittle polish for this blog appearance. Roger Shrader plays bass.

Every now and then a song starts with a simple melodic or lyrical idea and develops like a remix; hooks and snippets accrue and are arranged until they solidify into a structured thing. This dubby little sketch is a very early look at such a song in progress called “I’m Losing Your Signal.” All I have so far is a refrain and a vague inclination to sing in a posh, Bowie-in-the-80’s croon (or my extreme bastardization of such).

“The Passion of Dancing” is a piece of menu music for the DVD of The Electric Heartbreaker, a short film you can learn about on its rather extensive website or just buy directly from Amazon.

Fellow fans of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia may appreciate this cover of “Dayman” I recorded a few years ago as part of a doomed attempt to exorcise the song from my head.

“Blob Drone” is an instrumental I cooked up in a few hours for a friend’s 48 Hour Film Project entry, using ukulele, bass harmonica, synth mellotron, and clock radio.

This tumblr will keep any interested parties up to date on various slow-moving creative endeavors.

To wit: 

Rosemary Stretch (my band, which has been described as “quite good alt-country” and “oddball indie pop” by the same publication) is in the finishing stages of recording an album.

The slightly odder-balled side project, Sigh Figh, is readying a pretty special EP of songs I recorded with my buddies in 13ghosts (who, by the way, have just released their most visceral and luminous set of songs yet). 

If you’re itching for an awkward laugh, check out The Electric Heartbreaker, a short film I co-directed years ago, which is available on Amazon.