we say "shapah!"

Roma di Luna is an acoustic duo whose music recalls early 20th century folk and country set to modern times. As husband and wife, Alexei and Channy Casselle co-write songs that are plaintive, sometimes dark yet “hauntingly soothing” noted for “simple instrumentation along with piercing, emotively beautiful vocals.” The songs are presented in a stark manner, keeping them true to the influence of Americana roots. Lyrics soaked with confessions and hard truths pay homage to the storytellers and spiritual revelations of the folk and gospel tradition. Alexei Moon Casselle is better known in the underground hip-hop scene as an MC under the alias Crescent Moon as a former member of Oddjobs, and current member of Kill the Vultures, occasionally touring with Atmosphere as Slug’s hype-man. Channy Moon Casselle is a classically trained violinist who has played with various bluegrass groups and has already blossomed into a talented singer/songwriter. Roma di Luna first emerged on the scene through weekly busking performances at the downtown Minneapolis farmer’s market beginning in 2004. They played traditional numbers from Alan Lomax songbooks on a corner next to meat vendors and vegetable farmers, eventually working more of their original songs into their spirited sets. Their first visit to the recording studio in Spring 2006 resulted in the track “These Tears Ain’t Mine” which was featured on the Twin Town High 2006 compilation CD and has gone on to garner a local buzz and regular airplay on local radio.

They’re playing tomorrow night with The Pines.

9:30 sharp at the 400 Bar.

meanwhile, listen to me blather on about this little stretch of the Mississippi where we live and the music coming out of it…this return to the roots is beautiful.

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A and i met David Huckfelt [right] almost immediately upon moving to Mini where he works during the day at the Wedge and were instantly drawn to what he told us about his band, the Pines.

David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey of the folk and blues duo The Pines have been keeping very busy. Freshly transplanted to Minneapolis in 2003, The Pines released an impressive first record, and shared stages with such diverse acts as The Arcade Fire, Jolie Holland, Kelly Joe Phelps, Haley Bonar, Split Lip Rayfield and Spider John Koerner.

As a duo, or with the addition of talented rhythm sections as a full band, The Pines have steadily gained attention for their edgy mix of original songwriting, inventive arrangement, and raw blues-groove. Radio stations in the Twin Cities have picked up on the sound, and The Pines received favorable reviews in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, City Pages, Pulse, and The Onion, and have begun to headline clubs in the area. With a new EP, “Seven Folk Songs” and a solo record, “Light Under the Door” from Benson Ramsey on the way, The Pines are a young force in American roots music.

Their latest record is just being finished and will be released next
year. check www.redhouserecords.com for more info if you likey.

They’re headlining the 400 Bar with Roma di Luna, who also have a sound all their own and who played at my office a few weeks back. They are one of the moodiest bands i’ve ever heard.

Show starts around 9:30.

Will we be there? You bet. This is bound to be one of those winter-blown nights of the gods when we come inside to moody grooves and warm, soothing toddies.

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“A lot of people tell me I’m living their fantasy life,” Katz said. “There are a lot of frustrated, alienated people who just aren’t doing what they want. I think that’s sad.”

Katz has done what many frazzled urbanites can only dream of doing: He chucked a spirit-sapping life in suburban New Jersey, bought a picturesque farm and an assortment of amiable animals and started a new life where the air is sweet and the stars shine bright far from the city lights.

Most people need a catalyst to provoke such dramatic change. For some, it’s a divorce. For others, a brush with life-threatening illness. For Katz, it was a maniacal dog named Orson.

In his new book, “A Good Dog: The Story of Orson,” Katz chronicles the life and death of the lovable but troubled border collie that transformed his life. It continues the story begun in Katz’s last book, “A Dog Year,” now being made into a movie starring Jeff Bridges as Katz.

Katz refers to Orson as his “lifetime dog.” It’s a term that many dog-lovers understand.

“Lifetime dogs intersect with our lives with particular impact; they’re dogs we love in especially powerful, sometimes inexplicable, ways,” he writes in “A Good Dog.”

you can read the rest of the article here.

We love you Jon and thanks for writing a story worth the weight of its words.

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dunno if many other people grew up watching this show in the 70’s and 80’s or not but it was a staple in my early TV diet.

my friends and i played Ultraman in snow, rain and shine. we lived it, actually, and each of us had our respective Beta Capsules so as to be prepared when it was our turn to be Hayata.

it was a cathartic game, after which we all felt restored and empowered. especially after those run-ins with bullies who [more than anything] hurt our self-confidence.

Happy Birthday to an icon that inspired me while providing hours of imaginative playtime with pals.

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the latest musical invention from yours truly,
featuring upright and electric basses, four-string guitar, lapsteel, piano, steel drum, shaker, drumkit, harmonica and this time loops and effects as it was all recorded on an old, rebuilt 500Mhz Powerbook G4 lappie [except Insider] , mixed using Audacity and dumped out here for your discerning judgement.

shrine of saint tourista came out of creating music for the short film Whistle. thus, keep that in mind as the mood of trademark jumps all over the map. the music is all original tunes except for an instrumental cover of the White Stripes song “Offend in Every Way” and a tribute to an old pal, Justin Lund.

You can listen to “stroll” here.

download the album in its entirety right here.

hope you likey.

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Newsweek loves to feature articles about Autism.

People love to buy Newsweek and read articles about Autism.

If the following cliche’ is true [about Autism] then most of the world is Autistic only they don’t know it yet:

Work is play and play is work

Sound like anyone in YOUR neighborhood?

When was the last time you didn’t schedule something? when was the last time you did something “spontaneously” and it was fun? when was the last time you played, really played without having to work at it?

if we’re not careful about our obsession with time management and commitment to “careers” we may all be in for more and more future generations of Rain Men and Rain Women who are engineered to think fun is being at the office until sunrise and work is going to the park [ugh] again.

how weird is this “are you a workaholic” quiz on Forbes.com?

WHAT IF [humor me here for a moment] it’s unhealthy lifestyles like ours that generation after generation give rise to abominations such as Autism?

Did you know that Autism does not exist in Native cultures, such as Native American, Native Alaskan, Aboriginal, etc? Not a single trace exists in these cultures. Well, maybe if they continue to participate in our culture long enough they will, too!

WHAT IF, collectively, we are killing off our collective consciousness [ie imagination] by exercising mostly only those “muscles” that work and watch tv or some such other unimaginative recreation? at what age does imaginative play stop? what was it 20 years ago? 50?

PLEASE. DON’T JUST SIT THERE READING NEWSWEEK.

THINK ABOUT IT.

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How to become a human.

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