I got my copy of the new Jonny Polonsky EP in the mail today! Not only was it free, but it came with this note:

“Hi Scott

Please pass around as many copies of this CD as you can. Thanks for your support!

Jonny”

I found out about this deal when someone reposted this message from his message board on The Velvet Rope:

“Here’s the status with the new album:
I’m still shopping around for a record label–it’s pretty brutal out there, as you may or may not know. It’s just really, really difficult to find a label–major or indie–to take a chance on, well–ANYTHING these days…

In the meantime, if anyone wants to hear some songs from my new record, write me at mail@jonnypolonsky.com with the following info:

1)your first and last name
2)street address
3)zip code

I’ll send you a copy, and best of all it’s free. An unbeatable deal! You just have to promise to burn copies for EVERYONE you know. Get the word out there and spread the gospel–you guys really have way more impact than you realize.

I hesitate to release something that’s not totally finished. But, I would rather have something new out there in this fashion than to have to wait another year or two before anything comes out. So line up, friends, and Uncle Johnson will give a nice free bowl of porridge…

Stay cool,
JP”

So, if you want in, either email Jonny (which’ll get you the cool hand-written note from the man himself), or get ahold of me, and we’ll make arrangements.

Oh, I suppose you wanna know what the CD sounds like, don’t you? I’m 3 songs in so far, and they’ve all been great. It’s really smart, well put together power pop. The guitars are great, the lyrics are solid, and the vocals work really well with it all. Hearing this, I’m thinking Cheap Trick, Matthew Sweet, and the first Weezer album, just off the top of my head (there are other influences here that I can’t nail down in a 5 minute review). Very likeable stuff.

Help support yet ANOTHER artist whose career was totally sidetracked by American Recordings’ ineptitude! Get your Jonny today!

Early AM on the day when it could all hit the fan, in theory. I’ve been kind of quiet about things here recently, because I’ve been both extraordinarily busy, and also trying to process all the information I’ve been bombarded with lately. Not exac3ly an easy task, but I’ve seen worse. Hopefully, later today, I won’t see worse again.

I’ve been sitting online for most of a day that I really needed to spend doing more work on the house than I actually did, just because excessive communication is my first line of defense against anxiety. For better or worse, it’s how I cope. Plus, at a time like this, it becomes a bit difficult to process “future plans” in one’s head, because, and I freely admit that I may be overreacting here, I can’t think of a time in my life where my future, and the future of nearly all my loved ones has been this uncertain. Some who’ve endured far worse than I have up to this point would say I’m pretty lucky that this is as bad as it’s gotten, but I’m still not very well-equipped to deal with it all yet.

I try to be strong and rational, but neither has ever been my strong suit. I sit here and type this realizing that I could need a lot more energy tomorrow than I’ll have if I stay up much longer. As most of you know, sleeping’s not always my strong suit, either.

I’m not going to bother discussing the events that brought us all to this day any further. I’ve heard all the arguments and counter-arguments, seen the blame spread far and wide, and there’s really no point in debating it any further. We’re here now. We’re all in a situation where we could have to weather some really bad shit for a while. No one from the schmuck down the street to our leaders really knows what’s going to happen from here on in, and that’s got everyone on edge.

The only thing I can suggest at this point is that we all do whatever we can to help each other through all this. Some of us, possibly you and I included, are going to need it. We’re not going to accomplish anything from survival on up to thriving as people unless we stick together. I refer to the concept of “honor among thieves” a lot, and I can’t think of a better time to reinforce my belief in it and try to instill it in others than right now. Help out whoever you can within the boundaries of reason, keep an eye out for your own, and, if it’s at all possible, try to add some decent, trustworthy people to that group you call “your own”. I can’t stress all of this enough.

I’ve got to make another attempt at that “sleep” thing. For now, take care of yourselves, be careful out there (wherever “there” is for you), and try to keep a sense of humor about all this shit that’s going on. In turn, I’ll try to stimulate that sense of humor more the next time I get a chance to write here. I swear, more jokes about being triple-teamed by the Powerpuff Girls are on the horizon if I have my say.

“It’s all happening.”
-S

The first: a recording I found of Howard Stern’s broadcast from 9/11/01. This should really be put in at least one museum, as it’s an incredibly real snapshot of New York at the time of the attacks. It’s amazing, hearing these folks who are basically jackasses for a living REACT, just as most of us were, live on air. The callers have this weird mix of xenophobia and stark raving FEAR going on. It’s really an incredible broadcast, from both a historical and sociological perspective. If you have the means, track it down.

The second: not nearly as heavy, but I’m currently listening to an episode of the Dr. Demento show from December 7th, 1986, around the time when I used to listen regularly. (Don’t act like you didn’t listen too.) Again, pretty incredible in its own way. It’s like taking a trip back to the time right before I started seriously listening to music. A lifetime ago, really. So much was different then…

“Does anyone want a ball of fault-ridden chocolate pudding skin? I’m only going to throw it away…”

Some things definitely aren’t, though. =)