Fuck you, Jobu. I do it myself.
Current mood: electric

Rule 1: Do it yourself.
Rule 2: Take any help offered.
Rule 3: Play nice.
Rule 4: Always say thank you.
Rule 5: Mean it, bub.


Last night, we released Safety First, our debut full-length CD. This project is truly DIY, from start to finish. We tracked it in our own homes, with our own gear, our own songs, mixed it ourselves, and even literally made the packaging ourselves. This represents a dream come true for all of us in various ways. Kacy never fronted a band before, especially not one in which he writes the vast majority of the material. Pat never played drums before this project, and Alex hadn't been in a band for years upon years. I never sang one of my own songs with a band before, and I surely never imagined I would be in an original project again after the dismal, passive-aggressive collapse of my last band in 1999. Furthermore, from the time I knew what home studios were, I dreamed of making a record in my own home. The completion and release of Safety First is the culmination of the small, amazing success of all of these dreams.

The great reward of DIY is twofold: 1) the truth in what you do is beyond reproach, as no one tells you what to do. The end product is completely genuine, made only for the pleasure of making it. Removing any financial or commercial incentive puts the focus back where it should be: on creating something that pleases you. The people that I see as our audience can sense that, just like they can sense something prefab. 2) Knowing you did it yourself enhances the enjoyment of the results. For me, it's akin to hiking 14 miles round-trip to Larch Mountain and enjoying the view, as opposed to driving to the parking lot at the overlook: The process changes the result.

This success by itself would have been enough for any of us, I suspect. But having the fantastic and enthusiastic turnout that we did at Kelly's Olympian for the release party was certainly a lovely icing for our cake. And who don't like cake? Mmm mmm.

Now, having said all that, we certainly did have lots of help along the way. Nalin Silva listened to rough mixes and gave advice on polishing those mixes. He also gave us a running gig at Kelly's Olympian that has brought us new fans, helped us become a tight live band, and introduced us to lots of really cool acts. Rod Schackmann gave us two nights' worth of excellent photography for no charge. Jim Rogers loaned us his mobile recording rig during the intial tracking sessions. Chris Finster mastered the disc--in one night--for a super-reasonable rate.

There really is no better feeling on earth than the buzz of a really good live show. The energy that passes between audience and performer has got to be the most positive thing on the planet. I've never experienced anything better. Thanks to everyone who's given some of theirs in exchange for some of ours.

Love,
Texas League

Currently watching : Rage - 20 Years of Punk Rock, West Coast Style Release date: 2001-08-21

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The inexorable march of "progress."
Current mood: damn skippy
Category: damn skippy Parties and Nightlife

So it's well-known that we Texas Leaguers love to party. I myself rarely see the sleepy side of the pillow before 10pm. A wild man! We just cannot resist breaking out our leisure suits, drip-dry fashion, and home-made martini kits, all while shaking our boogie thangs to the latest new music. And speaking of new music...

Our album is nearing completion! Yes, it's true, there's no stopping forward movement. Nature abhors a vacuum, so it's said, and lord knows that at least the writer of this "blog" has little in his head besides vacuous space. What does this have to do with the album, you ask? Beats the hell out of me. And speaking of that., you'll never beat it out of me, copper! You'll...you'll...where was I? OH! The album!

We've been working diligently for minutes--in some cases, hours--to finish this thing. We've got the mixing done, and Chris Finster of Geomana and Falcon Studios fame is now our master. Meaning, he made our CD actually sound good through the magical, unicorn-infested alchemy known as

MASTERING

Asking how mastering engineers do their work is akin to asking a magician to show you the secret to the trick--it just ain't gonna happen. And even if they did tell? Mere mortals such as ourselves couldn't understand. It would be like completing the Tower Of Babel, or succesfully touching either elbow to either ear, or deciphering the lyrics to any song from REM's first 5 albums--good luck, sucker.

It's amazing just how much mastering does to make good music even better. Our lives have accelerated directly into the fast lane since Chris layed his Midas touch on our door. Since mastering, the following status changes have happened:

1) We now are favorably compared to Marty Robbins more often than Engelbert Humperdink.
2) Dave's beard no longer gets mistaken for Roger Whitaker, the other 12-string guy.
3) We have photo op offers pouring in from every corner of our minds.

and best of all:

4) Some guy at our last show offered to replace our ukeleles with actual guitars. Woohoo!

Geez, it is SO GREAT being sex symbols now, even if the symbol is Pi. But whatever, y'know? We'll never let any of it go to our heads. Promise.

Soon, so soon, we will have the CD available for our fine-feathered fans (that's YOU) to purchase for a nominal fee. We really have put a lot of time and spirit into the thing, so do us a favor and think about buying two. Or three. We make a great anniversary gift, or even a consolation prize for your buddy who just lost his dog, his best friend, and dropped his ice cream cone on the sidewalk. Why, you ask?

Because nothing tastes better than true love. And we love you.

Currently listening : Dance Hall at Louse Point By John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey Release date: 1996-09-24

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el diablo de tejano. Or, the devil’s in the retails.
Current mood: enthralled
Category: Fashion, Style, Shopping

So we're not going to lie to you (much). We luv shopping. In fact, to paraphrase a dear and courageously truthful friend of ours, we are fashionistas. We arguably have--by far-- the most sensible shoes of any alt-country-pop-swing-trad-rock-a-bodyshot band out there today. And that's saying A LOT.

Ah, but there's a dark side to our purchasing prowess: Kacy is a text MSG addict. OMG! Pat can't just walk by a pair of sunglasses. Alex? Well, suffice it say that he never met a cuppa Joe he didn't drink. And Dave routinely shops 'til he drops at the chocolatier...routinely. But here's the good news:

I Won't Collapse

Er, ah, as in, we've just posted the latest near-masterpiece in our rapidly evolving Sistine Chapel of homemade music. Weeelllll, maybe that's overstating the case just a hair. But dammit, we really like this stuff. Pat and Dave had a marathon session of doing percussion overdubs, while Kacy finished his vocals for four songs in one night. I Won't Collapse, indeed!

So, getting back to the honesty thing, we'd be liars if we acted like we weren't shopping for your praise a little bit. Mostly we want to be out from under this wretched thing so we can go back to our normal working lives, and get rich doing it. By which we mean we pretty much live for making music and sharing it with you, our lovely and talented friends. Even if we maybe spend a little more on you than is appropriate for the current tenor of our relationship, it's only because we so value your love.

And we love you, too.

TL

Currently listening : And the Glass Handed Kites By Mew Release date: 25 July, 2006

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We’re not asking. We’re TELLING.
Current mood: catalyzed
Category: Music

So with recent spate of celebrity drug issues, deaths, and mayhem, we'd like to take this golden opportunity to remind all of you that we don't advocate in any way, shape, or form, the celebrity lifestyle. While its glorious excess has worked great for us, the so-called celebrity skin only fits us so very well because everything's better in Texas. Which is why we all live in Oregon--who wants to be perfect? And what is perfect, but a human construct devised to make others feel smaller?

We don't play like that, kids. Safety first!

We most humbly request that you stay away from the trappings of fame and fortune. Your mom was right--it's better to be lucky than good. No, we're not that lucky. No, we're not really that good, either. In fact, we're not even sure what this has to do with anything. But it sure sounds good, no?

And speaking of things that sound good, we have another almost-finished track available from our almost-finished album available for your sonic delight:

Not Asking

This is another from Kacy's acclaimed "songs in three, songs in D" series. It's the most musically lush track we've done so far, featuring just about every instrument shown in the picture in our player-thingy. And it's a lyric guaranteed to melt even the most marbled heart--just a little--and bring a single tear to the eye of our more emotional fans. Coincidentally, it's also been voted "most likely to be the first single" by just about everyone who hears and it, and who also thinks about stuff like that, that is, other songwriters.

So laugh at us, shout at us, cry on our shoulders--we're here for you. And we hear you.

And we love you.

Currently listening : 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Donnie Iris By Donnie Iris Release date: 18 September, 2001

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We only tease because we love.
Current mood: energetic
Category: Music

Many of you have asked for...things. Well, just to keep you craving more, here's a table scrap from the feast we're cooking for you:

NOTEBOOK FULL OF SONGS

This song has creeped up from the rear of the pack--oh, so stealthy!--to become one of our favorites. We think you'll agree. Remember when you were a kid, and while your mom was putting icing on the cake and getting ready to bake it, she'd let you lick the spoon? Well, this is kinda like that. Only without any actual food. Or mom. Well, whatever, you get our point.

We hope that you like this little teaser as much as we do. Frankly, we're having so much fun with this that we wonder if someone shouldn't put a stop to it, like your dad used to when the snowball fight you had with your brother got a little out of hand--"hey, knock it off, before someone gets hurt!" Except that, as a certain famous fellow once observed, a musical slushball doesn't hurt. And remember as well that we always put safety first!

So the next time someone pokes fun at you for liking us, remember that they only tease because they love. As in, they love us.

And we love you.

Bon apetit!

Currently listening : Kid A By Radiohead Release date: 03 October, 2000

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Ex-animus behavior. Or, we like you.
Current mood: exanimate
Category: Music

We are cooking some "food" on our "stove" that we think is gonna be a spicy-a meatball, if you catch our "meaning." And, because we really like you--a lot--we even threw away our preconceived and frankly tiresome ideas about safety and let if fly like a hot air balloon! Up up and away, as it were. Just ask Kacy, he smells what we're cookin'. And he likes it too, owing to him being animated by a similar spirit.

We're whippin' up 9 feasts of sonic indulgence that, if nothing else, satisfy our primitive pallets. So get ready to dig in and have a big bite of the tasty (fill in your favorite food here) we're cobbling together. Them's good vittles, and so are you.

And remember: safety...is job one with us. Because we love you.

Currently listening : Strangeways, Here We Come By The Smiths Release date: 25 October, 1990

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songs to listen to at home.
Current mood: creative

we've started working on our first record. we're excited to share it with you. it'll be a while before it's done, but we're excited to be working on it. the process is fun for all of us in the band and hopefully it will be something you'll enjoy listening to alone in the dark with a bottle of whiskey or driving around on a sunny day with the windows down.

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We spell our Texas with "Excess."
Current mood: chipper
Category: Music

Hello fans and fanatics alike!

Now that we've recovered from the high of last night's totally kick-ass show, we'd like to thank some kind folks:

1) Another Cynthia for thinking of us. We do appreciate it. As always, you put on a fabulous show--and we think that you're all pretty sexy these days, too. Keep up the hip swiveling, fellas. :)

2) Bill at the Tonic for doing really great sound. Many people commented on how good the bands sounded last night, but we all know that it starts with you. Thanks!

3) The Tonic in general for hospitality. It remains a fun 'n' friendly place to play.

4) Everyone who came out to see us, many of whom rushed from their jobs and/or skipped other shows to see ours. We know you have a choice, and we're pickled tink that you chose us.

And, of course, the biggest thanks of all goes out to you--our adoring throngs. Even though wanting us to autograph your--well, you know full well what you asked after that 7th drink--was a little creepy, we know you mean well.

And we love you.

Currently listening : Everything All the Time By Band of Horses Release date: 21 March, 2006

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Canciones a mi padre. Or not.
Current mood: giddy

Hello lovely fans and listeners,

Can you keep a secret?

Don't worry, neither can we. In fact, on balance we're roughly on par with whoever lets cats out of bags. But worry not, because we make up for it in so many ways.

Primarily, we care. A lot. About you...yeah, you. Also, we're very attentive listeners, particularly when when we've been drinking (except K---, who teetotals). But more than anything, we compensate for our lack of, er, discretion with music. Bunches of it. So much so that we had to title this blog en espanol to disguise just how much music we have for you, our target audience.

This time out, we offer you a rollickin' ditty penned by Kacy. For you gear aficionados out there, Alex used his cherished fuzz pedal on this tune...buzzsaws are cool, hmm? This song is entitled:

Back To Four Lanes

You may notice two things about this title:

1) Kacy is quite a clever punster. If you read the title out loud, you'll observe that there are two numbers in a row in it. Wacky!
2) It speaks to the heart of the real American sense of adventure, the Kerouacian impulse that
we all have in varying degrees to just HIT THE ROAD and get gone. After all, what's a more appropriate expression of manifest destiny than an uncharted journey into the unknown wilds of our highways and byways?

OK, ok, we know that manifest destiny was kinda imperialist. OK, so maybe not "kinda." In fact, even though there is a sense of the mystery and freedom of the open road at work here, statement number 2 above just maaay have been stretching the truth a bit. OK, a lot. Hey, we're not perfect, so just get off our backs, huh? But just admit it, you love us anyway, don't you, even with our misguided flaws? Thought so. And you know what?

We love you too.

Texas League

PS - we also love Chris Finster of Geomana and Falcon Studios. You're aces, man.

Currently listening : Red Headed Stranger By Willie Nelson Release date: 04 July, 2000

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forgotten. oh, forget it.
Current mood: excited
Category: Music

OK, song number one is up! Your saintly patience once again pays dividends well beyond the initial investment. Or at least we certainly hope so.

A bonafide Kacy Klassic, "Forgot and Forget It," is now available for your listening pleasure, or for the sneakier Texas Leaguers out there, for download. We don't mind, because it's all for us. Er, ah, we mean you. Ever wondered what a Fender 75 amp sounds like? Or maybe a Vox AC15? Keep wondering, because we'll never tell you which one's which. Or if we even used them. Or will we?? They say everyone has a price, and, well, they're right. For the right price,we'll tell you our pets' names, or even our pet names. But I digress...

Soon to follow this tune is the next Kacy Klassic, "Not Asking." And believe me, he's not. He's TELLING.

Do please leave us comments, emails, fan letters, hate mail, and anything else you can think of. We're vain and adore attention.

To that end, be sure to come see us play at Ash St Saloon on Thursday the 3rd--holy cow, that's in two days--with Fells Acres, The Brother Egg, and Estocar. The bigger stage=bigger rocking. We love that.

And we love you.

Texas League

Currently listening : Dial T for This By Grand Champeen Release date: 13 March, 2007

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