So, my fabulous band and I played on Veteran’s day to what is likely our largest crowd. I’ve got proof, even, because Dave had the presence of mind to have the show filmed. Glad he’s got a camera. So here are three songs: “Clockwork,” which is brand new; “Forget-Me-Nots or Roses,” which is a classic; and “Gumdrops & Lollipops,” which is the first song composed by the band, not just Ned.

Tomorrow is Veterans’ Day so you should be all patriotic and buy a mattress or something.  You should also come see my band, Birds Without, at New Song Underground (859 S 800 E) in Salt Lake.  It’s gonna be awesome.
In the mean time, here is pro-America music that entertains me.

“America the Beautiful” by Ray Charles

An interesting thing has come to my attention regarding my band, Birds Without, playing at the Avalon on Saturday.  It was an exciting prospect from the beginning, playing at a venue where I’d actually been to see a band I’d actually heard of before (I saw Love You Long Time, Dave also saw Eisley there, but I missed that one) and having people in the crowd who didn’t ride there with somebody playing that night, but it just got more exciting.  Turns out the show will be taped and available on ComCast’s On Demand Presents Band Wagon LIVE.  This is copy/pasted from the Avalon website:

ComCasts On Demand Presents Band Wagon LIVE. They will be filming live tonight at this show! Come show your local music support tonight on ComCast!

Tickets are ten bucks, doors at 6:30, show at 7:00.  The lineup will be Going Second, Uncomfortable Silence, Birds Without, The Desert, and our friends in Arienette, with whom we’ve played a few times.
I’m really excited to play this show, guys.  We’ve got a few new songs* that we’ve worked out, Dave got a drum kit, so this will be his first show on that instead of the bongos, and we haven’t played in a few weeks, I’m getting the itch (or maybe it’s just this Mountain Dew I had for breakfast).

Anyhow, come out and support us and Arienette and these other fine bands.  You can even do it without going to the Avalon (3605 South State Street)!  You can watch us at home (at least that’s my understanding of how On Demand works, I’m simple in the ways of cable and satellite teevee).

*”New” here meaning new to me.  Ned put a band together so he could play some of his newer, more experimental songs live, and then Dave (Ned’s brother) and Mick (who went to high school with Ned and played bass for him occasionally back then) got Ned interested in all these old songs he wrote in high school.  We’re working on rounding out the set, and even with all this old material, we’ve written one song since the band formed as such.

My two favourite piano-based pop singers, Ben Folds and Regina Spektor, will be performing together on tonight’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien.  The song, “You Don’t Know Me”, is the first single from Ben’s album Way To Normal, which came out on Tuesday.  When I saw Ben back in June, he played a fair number of songs from the new record and I’m really excited for it (yeah, I haven’t heard it yet, even though it’s up in its entirety on his MySpace page, once I get Internets at home I’ll be a much better informed blogger).  Somebody make sure to upload that one to YouTube so I can watch it later (I don’t have TV at home, either).

You Don’t Know Me by Ben Folds & Regina Spektor (MP3)

Elika is a two-bit group from Brooklyn. By two-bit, I literally mean two-bit. Two people. Seems The White Stripes have started something.

They’ve got a new album out called ‘Trying Got Us Nowhere’. It’s got 7 trancey-ass tracks, vocals that remind me strongly of Madonna, lots of keyboards and electronica-like drums. I particularly like ‘To The End’ and ‘The Whip’ on the album. While it’s not a super-duper great album, I think for a debut it’s pretty promising. Give ‘em a spin.

Elika Official Website | MySpazz | Buy Trying Got Us Nowhere

 The Whip - Elika [4:10m]: Play in Popup | Download
 To the End - Elika [4:41m]: Play in Popup | Download

They be from D.C., where my man is from. One cool point. Pretty sweet mp3. Two cool points. Oh, they’re coming to Tampa, okay, thats 3 out of 5. I’m so easy.

JUKEBOX THE GHOST TOUR DATES

6/3 – New York, NY – Blender Theater *
6/5 – Mt. Pleasant, SC – Village Tavern **
6/6 – Athens, GA – Tasty World **
6/7 – Tampa, FL – New World Brewery **
6/8 – West Palm Beach, FL – Dada **
6/9 – Orlando, FL – Backbooth **
6/10 – Melbourne, FL – Melbourne Jaycees **
6/12 – Houston, TX – Rocbar **
6/13 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk **
6/14 – Dallas, TX – House On Swiss **
6/15 – Springfield, MO – Randy Bacon Gallery (w/ SSLYBY) **
6/16 – Cape Girardeau, MO – Port Cape **
6/18 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland **
6/19 – Rochester, NY – Bug Jar **
6/20 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Hall **
6/21 – Westport, CT – Toquet Hall Teen Center **
7/12 – State College, PA – Central PA Festival Of Arts (Allen Street Stage)

* w/ The Wombats
** w/ Via Audio

Jukebox The Ghost Official | MySpace | Buy Let Live and Let Ghosts on iTunes

 Good Day - Jukebox the Ghost: Play in Popup | Download