Brian Buckley Band @ Zen Lounge 2/19/10

Our thanks to Adam's Attic! They are a great band that moved out to California from New Orleans after Katrina. We had a great show with them at Zen Lounge in Hermosa Beach last night. We were able to debut a few new songs, make some new friends, and Brian was able to debut his Tele as well. Thank you to all who made it out to the show.

Photos by Joel Andrykowski.

BJ Allman

BJ Allman at the Air Conditioned Lounge

Singing from his heart

Singing as every one should

Singing honestly

Al Got the Best Photo

Santa Barbara Film Festival

Jelly

Sarah Louise Wilson, a long time supporter of this band and one of the most complete and talented artists this planet has ever been graced with premiered her first film entitled 'Jelly' two weeks ago at the African American Film Festival in San Diego and myself and our manager were present to witness it. Phenomenal piece of work! If you are a John Hughes fan you will adore this love letter to his films. The youtube trailer is below. Sarah has expressed interest in using our songs for her upcoming movies and we are more than happy to oblige. Very rarely does an artist of her caliber appear who is so true to her work--so this one needs your attention...
BB

http://www.jellythemovie.com/

Santa Barbara Film Festival--Flying Lessons--Bye Blue Sky

We as a band went to the Santa Barbara Film Festival last week and it was a blast. Our song 'Bye Blue Sky' was used in the film 'Flying Lessons' directed by Derek Magyar and featuring Hal Holbrook, Carey Elwes, Maggie Grace and Jonathan Tucker. We were excited to say the least. It was a wonderful experience in the journey of pushing this music to as many as the universe sees fit. A thank you must go to those who made it possible to live it. Below you will find the trailer to the film and interviews from opening night--I certainly urge all who read this to go and see the film and blog about it! It is drama with lovely performances and a storyline that will absolutely pull on the heartstrings.

Meet Al (The Quiet One)

As a child I had always been fascinated by how certain objects sounded when they were struck with another object. My first influence was The Beatles; specifically Ringo Starr. My parents bought me my first legitimate set of drums when I was 9 years old. Before that I was banging on pots, pans, soup bowls, table tops, garbage can lids...anything that I could get my hands on. I learned how to read rhythmic notation in the 5th grade when I enrolled in my school's band program. I was involved with top 40 dance bands, marching bands, and symphonic wind ensembles throughout my formative years. I am a Berklee College Of Music alumnus.

I have always been fascinated by musicians with eclectic sensibilities, but my musical tastes range across a broad spectrum of genres. My influences include (but are not limited to): The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Miles Davis, Kings Of Leon, Return To Forever, Brand X, Yes, Stuart Copeland, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Parliament-Funkadelic, Incubus, Thelonious Monk, Radiohead, Andre Segovia, Vinnie Colaiuta, Silversun Pickups, Allan Holdsworth, Terry Bozzio, Rage Against The Machine, The Dixie Dregs, Ani DiFranco, Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky, etc. I am an adherent to the musical philosophy that there are only two kinds of music: good and bad.

St. Vincent - Marrow Live on ACL

Every once and a while something jumps up and screams right in my face. I have no other choice but to let the flood gates open. This happened with St. Vincent, artist and Brooklyn band fronted by Annie Clark. Maybe it's the fuzzed out guitars or the absolutely beautiful groove? The scene as it were in Brooklyn for the last couple of years has really shown the kind of artistic growth that any true golden age should have. I've always been a huge fan of artists using their influences to produce the most authentic art they can. St. Vincent is right there blowing my mind. I hope you enjoy this live performance from Austin City Limits.

Cheers,
Mike M.

Thank You

So the other evening I was mugged. 3 men approached me following a gig we played in Highland Park. I was silly enough to leave the show alone, guitar in one hand and a bag of equipment in the other. Hobbling back to my car (due to hyper-extending my knee from a bad jump into the audience) they must have targeted me from afar. Assuming, I suppose that either I was an easy target or inebriated. A knife was unleashed and pointed in my face--with directions to hand them my instrument (or as the thug described 'your violin, homie')--which I did. 'I am gonna kill you homie--I am gonna cut you homie'--like a record that I never wanted to hear again. I calmed myself as quickly as humanly possible and figured he might cut me stomach to chin even if I hand him my guitar.

My Taylor 914ce is my baby. I might add it was supposed to accompany me for the rest of my days. She loved me deeply and had my blood where (from bandaged fingertips and shattered nails) a pick guard may have existed on another model. Her strings were dull from the constant attack and I could imagine--in that moment--this was the last time we would have partnered. The thought crossed my mind that this was my final show. So I tentatively watched this young man aim the knife closer, I figured that if I am lucky to get out of here with my life that tomorrow I would enjoy the greatest cup of coffee these taste buds have ever experienced. A car pulled around the corner which led the 3 gents to rush off in a fury. Needless to say, I sighed an air of relief that rivaled the sound of a chorus of angels.

A few days later, this last Sunday to be exact--my family and friends presented me with the single kindest act any collective could offer. They took it upon themselves to raise donations in order to purchase a new Taylor. This was all done in secret and I must say I wept an ocean of appreciation. I am writing this now to thank those precious few who so thoughtfully decided to create grace and good from such a horrendous situation. I thought after the 3 boys left with my guitar--that though you may have taken my instrument--you will never be able to take my music. It is my therapy, my prayer--and here a group of people who take the time to listen, sincerely hear what we as a band do--decided to push me to not accept this negativity but embrace it.

The universe needed that guitar more than I--and in my current optimism I hope that the guy who stole my Taylor from me, gave it to his brother or little sister who has dreams of playing music and can't afford a wooden box with six strings. Or maybe it has landed in a pawn shop and will be purchased by a man looking to give it as a birthday present to a young child who will become someone who will change this world and our outlook with chords and melodies.

Frankly, the gift that these people close to me chose to give--I will never EVER be able to thank enough for the most overwhelming moment in my life. Not because of the financial aspect of the whole ordeal but because you showed me that this music that we adore, that we sweat and bleed for--actually means something dear to you. And that is all I need in this planet. Amongst all the doubt and fear that partners with being a musician in this society of mainstream practicality--there is a marketplace for something original, something strangely authentic, something that will last. My associations with you all has taught me that faith is the only weapon worth wielding. I love you all dearly and can only thank you by singing louder and offering to you all that you have given to me.... only love....

My blessings to my family--may the world learn something from you...

Brian Buckley

Jonsi

If you were to call me a slut for Sigur Ros, I wouldn't be offended at all, mainly because that is what I am. I have been an avid listener of all of their albums, Takk... which happens to be my favorite, always finds it's way into the soundtrack of my life. Almost any discussion of music flows downstream into a pool of shimmering Sigur Ros. When the side project Rice Boy Sleeps was on the horizon, I was quite excited. Now with Jonsi's solo album only a month away, I again am quite excited. In true Sigur Ros fashion, I'll let the music speak for itself...

Dan B

THE DAMN SONS

Last Friday started innocently enough, at a party in West L.A. A few drinks with friends, and someone informing us that eating Taco Bell will give you cockroach babies in your belly. I guess Modest Mouse's Doing the Cockroach was all about eating Taco Bell, but enough about that. The real fun started at midnight...

We made our way to the Unknown Theater to catch an amazing band, the Damn Sons. The Unknown Theater has an underground New York vibe. And even though I've never been to New York, I knew it smelled like what Lou Reed's leather jacket should smell like, the sweat, the booze, the pawn shop where you got your first guitar. The music being made here wasn't to make you feel like you were relaxing in the sunshine. It was the kind of music that has spent some time in the gutter, beaten and bloody, but it continues to pick fights at the off chance that it can connect a few good blows.

The Damn Sons are not only Damn Good People, but also a Damn Good Band. A trio of guitar, bass and drums which sounds way bigger than the sum of it's parts. Travis on lead guitar with his arsenal of effects starts off with a little help from the Damn Choir, "WE'RE SINGING, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!", but we were listening. The drummer, Jens Kuros hits his set as if it would fight back if he didn't beat it into submission, and the bassist, Grant holds it all together like Gorilla Glue. It was a powerful and fast set, with a few new songs as surprises toward the end of the night.

We had the honor to share a stage with the Damn Sons at the Echoplex and look forward to playing and watching many more shows with them. Through a little bit of Internet stalking, I found another of the drummer's other projects, Mouse Kills Tiger. Experimenting with Electronica and Indie influences, they create a great some great tracks.

Be sure to check out the Damn Sons live. They will make you move.

Also, get a free EP download of Mouse Kills Tiger.

DAN B