Snow, man

Our kids dig building snowmen. Then they eat their frosty brains.

Happy snow days!

Strange recommendations

Propellerhead showed up at THE STRANGE BREW coffee emporium last night to recommend some seasonal offerings to curious customers. His eloquence is to be reckoned with. 

Ripping off your heroes

Wow, gang. It's been a handful of weeks since we've kept you abreast of all the amazing things going on around here. What with the holidays in full swing and such, there's been very little space for updating blogs probably read by no one. Make no mistake, however; there have, indeed, been pudding-packfuls of delightful turns all up in ye olde homestead. More on that later. Patience, little ones... patience. In the meantime, to quench your thirstiness, take a peek at the new characters created by my neighbor and i soon to adorn their own line of apparel by The Mustard Room. We call them the Schluppets. We're pretty sure they're gonna be huge... as in macy's-thanksgiving-day-parade huge.

Here's the ringleader of the Schluppets: Kertis the Kroaker with his little nephew, Batman.

Here are a handful of primary players clockwise from the top left: Fuzzy the Boar, Oznog the Ordinary, Mrs. Pigly (in her Forever Lazy soft fleece lounge wear), and Dolph the keytar shredding action hero.

Disclaimer: Any similarities to characters created by or belonging to the jim henson company, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

I can't believe i ate the whole playlist

Hey, y'all. Here's a delightful assortment of songs about and not about food, friends and pilgrims. We hope it adds life and luster to your thanksgiving celebrationisms. Dig it.

Side A:

1. Turkey Chase - Bob Dylan
2. Sweet Potato - Cracker
3. Gravy - Davy Jones
4. Vega-Tables - The Beach Boys
5. The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1 - Neutral Milk Hotel
6. Green Corn - Leadbelly
7. Monkberry Moon Delight - Paul & Linda McCartney
8. Wild Honey Pie - The Beatles
9. Red Red Wine - The Replacements

Side B:

1. Autumn - Surf City
2. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground - The White Stripes
3. Cold & Wet - Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4. Yea! Heavy and A Bottle of Bread - Bob Dylan & The Band
5. Red Wine, Success! - Cold War Kids
6. Keep the Home Fires Burning - Bill Mallonee
7. With a Little Help from My Friends - Joe Cocker
8. One More Cup of Coffee - Bob Dylan
9. Young Pilgrims - The Shins

Actual quotes from history

Things i learned in college, lesson one

Living on and passing through campus on my way to classes during my six year tenure at ball state university in picturesque muncie indiana, i was educated on a number of realities. One such lesson came in the form of acorns being dropped like weapons of mass destruction from the towering trees what gave passersby the comfort of shade from the midday sun. Think what you will; we all know who's responsible.

Fresh conception

Inquiries of mortal consequence

Dude, i am running out of patience with myself. Can we please get this show on the road? Sincerely, Tinderbox

This sister's asking all the wrong questions.

Getting warmer.

Neue and olde dreams for america

In recent times near and far, one found himself amid precariously placed microphones and a small legion of stringed instruments. What resulted were two rapid-fire recordings: side A and B, if you will, of the following sideless song selection: 

Side A was written back in the autumn of twenty ought eight. Side B was written at the tail end of september in the current year. They both smell like olde spice and taste like early times. Enjoy, whippersnappers!

In other less 'hey-look-at-what-i-made' news: 

Hey, look at what our friends Biak and Sui made...

Hniangtha Khun was born today. 

She's 11 pounds. 

Way to go, Sui.

Metaphor cocktails

One of the super-rad things about having kids is when they come to you with ideas that are both super-ambitious and ultra-inspiring. For four years now, baby jane has been witness to my many creative shenanigans including sound recordings, live performances, not-so-children's books, screen printed apparel, and the like. Sometime during the summer, she realized that while perhaps lacking the resources and know-how to see it to completion, surely she could concoct a project far more epic than anything her olde man could dream up. And so, in a flurry of well-placed compliments and dangerous hand-gestures she shared her vision with me: A redemptive story of a bat told through music and interactive visuals lovingly packaged together with a screen-printed tee shirt to be worn and/or shared with one's beloved. 

"BRRRRRRILLIANT!" i exclaimed with great joy and anticipation. We quickly got started on laying out the narrative of her story. Months later, we began to demo the movements of the musical composition. Now, here we are and the dawn of november and we're in the process of recording, mixing, drawing, creating, et al. 

The other great thing about kids is that they typically can't read your mind. Of course, there are those times when you have in mind a certain way that they will create the artwork for a project you're collaborating on, yet they throw you a curve and steer the whole thing in a slightly different direction. (Mixed metaphors are fun, huh?) In this particular case, my simple idea of an illustrated booklet has been upgraded to a more robust, slightly bigger, interactive activity book by the young architect herself.

So there it is. I'm working on a concept album with my four year old daughter. I can only imagine that it gets even more exciting from here on out. Although, at some point, she's going to discover that her olde man is holding her back and she'll surround herself with more creative folk than myself to help her bring her art to life. Shine on, you crazy diamond.

Kiss your mother with that mouth?

As we at the rockey home like to do from time to time, we have compiled another handful of selections culled from our sonic collection. Please help yourself to diggin' on these choice vibes in the following order:

Side A:

1. Hey Bulldog - The Bealtes
2. Oh Marcello - Regina Spektor
3. Want It Back - Amanda Palmer
4. Hot Volcano - Pearl and the Beard
5. 3,6,9 - Cat Power
6. Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman That Rains) - Ryan Adams
7. Pretty Girl from Michigan - The Avett Brothers
8. Little Cowboy - Nilsson

Side B:

1. Yazoo Street Scandal - Bob Dylan & The Band
2. Le Temps De L'amour - Francoise Hardy
3. Laughing with a Mouth of Blood - St. Vincent
4. The Blessing of Being Bloodless - SOLA-MI
5. Lion In Winter - Bee Gees
6. Little Cowboy (Reprise) - Nilsson
7. Lord I've Been Changed - Tom Waits
8. Someday - Cracker

Zippy halloween

Smokestack superstar

There are those times when i'm quite honestly left truly confounded. Oh, here's one: Mama jane, myself and the kids are lazily decked out for some trick-or-treat-but-let's-be-honest-pretty-much-all-treating at the indy zoo last night. After all, we try to get as much free candy as we can during this time of year by parading our children around in a multitude of costumes. Don't judge us, you know you love candy. Anyhow, We're approaching the exit of the african plains and we've collected the last of our candy from a painfully jaded young zoo-worker; that's when we spied them. There they were, not forty feet before us: Dad carrying his toddler daughter while burning down a cig right in her face.

Now, here's where i just honestly did not know what to think. In my mind, there are a few possibilities:

1. This dude (and probably mom who is right by his side) have traveled through time and space from some time before at least the last forty years and are completely unaware of the dangers of secondhand smoke.
2. Dude and babymama are really, in all seriousness, superbly ignorant of the harm secondhand smoke can cause to the tiny humanoids.
3. These "parents of the year" candidates are just horrible, horrible people.

Okay, as i think on the situation for a bit longer, i begin to wonder if maybe this nicotine-lean pops has gotten himself in cahoots with one of them fancy new electronic cigs the kids are so hip to these days. Hmmmm... The thought is enough to make me reconsider jumping to such judgmental conclusions.

If absolutely nothing else, this reminded me of an old youtube favorite as i pondered the absurd possibilities for the effected child's future. And doesn't that make it all worthwhile?

Tell tchaikovsky the news

The Time Swan has secrets to share, but sharing's not his bag, baby.

Laveta just get's creepier and creepier with age.

When you just don't have the emotional fortitude to handle accuracy, tune in to Lionel "Easy Like Sunday" Morning for your daily sunrise forecast.

Roll over, october; Movember's ready to warm more than your upper lip. Y'dig?

Monkey lip service

So, a bit back, i joined some mates of mine from days of yore in creating a couple of chain-mailish videos we've dubbed FOLDIES. I previously wrote about it HERE. The most recent addition to foldie family is this little number written and directed by the redelman girls and the baby jane. It also stars mister zippy and christmas baby whose names friends of the mustard room will recognize. WARNING: If you have any baby dolls, you may want to remove them from the room before viewing this terrifying short film.

Melting faces from the threshold of narnia (or what happened at oktoberfest)

The past several weeks, i've had the gift of enjoying a handful of opportunities to share my songs before beautiful strangers/new friends. One such opportunity happened upon me this past saturday at the home of some friends who put on an incredible house party complete with tasty spirits, crackling bon fire, and live musics of all types (regna racer, kendall lugwig, tied to tigers, dan snodgrass, your's truly). The songsmiths performed in a corner of the living room in front of an arched wooden door and lamp post as a cloud of christmas lights floated overhead. It was quite narnian in a variety of ways.

Twas a night of magic and memories.

Thanks, fellow humans.

Goodnight mister tumnus, wherever you are.

The eagle has landed

Here's something i made for something i'll be doing.

Blessed curse

Hey, beautiful peoples of earth! Twas a wonderful weekend of song, friend-making, and conversation-havingness. I hope your's was the same. Yea for people. 

Now, two things:

1. Do yourself a favor and get really into this wonderful trio of folk who make lovely music: PEARL AND THE BEARD
2. My baritone uke and i made this new song together. Enjoy.

Blessed Curse by Joel Rockey

Live beards in a fountain

Good grief, y'all. I'll be playing an opening set at Do317 Lounge in fountain square on thursday night before Pearl and the Beard take to the stage. Come on over, dudes and chicks.

The moon is in my eye

Sonic moons

Clothing the olde in neue-ness. Soon to be available for purchase at a coffee shoppe near some.

Portraits of people and things

Paper pile

There's a neue sheriff in town keeping an eye on the higgins. Keep it copacetic, y'all.

Coffee + Zimmy = Thank you

Make no mistake

Hey everybody. Have you met my new acquaintance? His name is dragon jarj and he's written a novel of the true life sort regarding the tales of an olde friend. Check out this rough version of the book jacket:

Adventures of the most noble and notable kind can be found in the text which lies amongst her pages. "It was old jim's soul what brought about these pages," claims mister dragon. "i was nothing but a conduit... a conduit who cashes the checks."

Classy as always.

Look for it soon in a scholastic book fair near you.

Live bears

There will be some live music performed in bloomington monday night. Some such music will be performed at bear's place around 8 in the pm. Three bones gets you in the door. You'll be sonically assaulted by the likes of myself, taylor peters (aka regna racer), and a dude from the windy city who goes by the handle of matthew frantz. Here's hoping something magic happens.

Charles in charge

Sometimes a rolling stone magazine is good for something more than an oversized coaster in a coffee shoppe.

Labor daze

Be free, kids.

Indy refugee at the earth house

Ladies and dudes, the Earth House is closing shop, but our little project instigated by the rad ms. katie basbagill  known as INDY REFUGEE will be opening and closing our exhibit at the Earth House this saturday night, y'all.

Along with the gorgeous photographs of our beautiful refugee friends, you can enjoy music by Old Thyme Eskimo and yours truly. Did i mention snacks? Oh yes, there will be snacks.

Check some press on the event: NUVO News

If you're in indy on saturday night, please come out for this one night event as we bid a fond adieu to the Earth House. Check the deets here, you lovely people you: FACEBOOK EVENT

Alternate versions

Engineering

Sometimes, when seeking inspiration, entering a random word in a google image search will yield surprising fruit. For example: douchebag =

How? Simple: magic.

Behind the music

sad ringo, lonely mac

Preparations

Purple jane, purple jane

It's time we all reach out for something new.

That means you too.

Zine scenes and the dawn of disco denver and the get right brigade

Someone slipped me a micky and i wound up with these legs.

Great big things

Disco Denver & The Get Right Brigade

How to influence neighbors

Thanks for the swell ideas, echelbarger.

Getting laid

Square therapy

Just look at those nearly 12 x 12 ceramic squares lying side by side across that bare concrete kitchen floor. We tend to find ourselves knee-deep in mortar, grout and ceramic scraps every few years or so. First, we replaced the urine-scented carpet in, not one, but two bathrooms after we said goodbye to the triplets. Then, we replaced the thin, stain-attracting veil of linoleum across our front entryway after starbucks and i divorced. Now, we're in the midst of tackling our greatest home tiling project to date: the kitchen/dining room/laundry room floor.

'So, what's the occasion?' you might ask.

Well sir and/or madam, a couple of years ago, i turned down a 'job'. Then, a few months ago, i interviewed for a re-imagined version of the aforementioned 'job'. Then, a few weeks ago, after much dreaming, i was not offered said 'job'. Boo-hoo.

On the srsly tip though, 'twas a bummer royale to be certain. Yet here we are, weeks later, ripping up our floor in bare feet whilst the godfather of soul's impassioned voice encourages us to 'make it funky' and declare with great clamor how proud we are to be black. Say what you will about mister dynamite; the man knows how to motivate even the laziest of white boys. 

Perhaps this is just a project that is years overdue. Perhaps the laying of these particular ceramic squares was saving itself to distract us from the disappointment during another season of uncertainty. Whatever it is, we are running out of flooring to rip up and replace. After this epic struggle between mortar and space, it may be time to move on... either to a new home or to a new way of distracting ourselves.

Getting naked

Taming the doctor

Colour forms

This one is a portrait of daddy riding a bicycle, although it appears to be a tricycle and/or a mickey mouse head and/or partial drum kit. Note the wild and wooly mane bursting forth from that electric blue hoodie! Nailed it, sister.

Fireworks layered on two sides of single sheet of college-ruled paper. Depth. Colour. Radiant. Ain't no indiana drought gonna keep these fireworks down.

Self-portrait by the artist. She appears to be performing a new ballet move whilst her golden curls dance in unison atop her happy green head.

All original artwork by baby jane.

copyright (c) 2012, call me kitty, all rights reserved