One of the best things about being involved in the music industry, however peripherally, is being able to work with musicians I respect and admire. Working with the Pixies, while not always 100% fun, has been a definite blast.  Working with Perry Farrell and talking to the guys from Jane's Addiction was very very very trippy (and cool). Lollapalooza, despite being canceled last year, was an intense experience. But probably the most rewarding experience to date had been working withAmerican Laundromat Records. I am Vice-President of the label, which is laughable as really there are only 3 or 4 people involved, outside of the bands themselves. What I enjoy the most is seeing these bands we work with play live, getting a chance to talk with them and encouraging them to record and tour.  Our new project is a tribute to the music from all of those 80's high school movies, and we've got some decent names involved with the project.  I LOVE John Strohm's cover of Jackson Browne's "Somebody's Baby." We have some hush-hush names attached to the project as well... I can't wait to be able to announce who they are!

Current Music: John Strohm - Somebody's Baby

Last year sometime, possibly even the year before, I purchased something off of eBay for $81.30. OK, if you really want to know, it was like Season 4 of the X-Files. ANYWAY, I never received the item. Now I am a smart shopper, I only buy from people with good ratings and a ton of sales. I do not know what the deal was, but I sent my money, but after several weeks of nothing, I checked this guys user rating to see that this guy apparently disappeared with a lot of people's money. One person leaving the negative feedback linked to the FBI's online fraud site and urged everyone burned to file a claim. I did, knowing I would never, ever, hear anything back, or get my money returned.

Last night, after having forgotten this whole ordeal, I received a letter from the District Attorney of Tennessee. It turns out, the FBI site really served a purpose, and enough people filed claims, and an investigation was opened, and this guy was sued. Anyone filing a claim was part of the class-action suit, and the verdict was found in favor of all us people who lost money. Along with a letter from the DA, was a certified check for $81.30.

My first reaction was 'cool!', followed by the realization that sometimes, the system works. It was only a small amount of money, I easily spend more at Amazon or Best Buy on any given day, but it was enough to restore my faith in the system of due process.

Current Music: The Orb vs Meat Beat Manifesto - Matron

I am really annoyed that I like Ben Gibbards lyrics so much...

Current Music: Postal Service - Nothing Better

Holy mother of God, it's been busy! Work has been out of control, way WAY out of control! I need a vacation, and soon!

Went to a GREAT Thai restaurant on Saturday in Patchogue called Lawan. Great service, amazing food, and the prices were very reasonable. I think this is my new favorite restaurant, and can't wait to go there again next weekend!

The Pixies will be playing Jones Beach in June! Finally a show I won't have to trek into Manhattan to see...

Current Music: Pee Shy - Mr Whisper

FRIDAY BABY!!! I would like to just say that, all day, until it's 5:00PM and I leave work. I have NO PLANS this weekend, which for me is sometimes the best plan! I might go catch a movie (maybe The Jacket) and I might go to Borders and pick up a few books. But that's it! I have a lot of nothing to catch up on.

So I got my tickets to go see The Decemberists for May, I am sooo excited for that! Also tickets for Nine Inch Nails go on sale today, and I will definitely be seeing them this year. I've also decided that I am going to head out to Coachella to catch all the bands (Weezer, Bauhaus, British Sea Power, New Order, NIN, Keane, Coldplay, Raveonettes being a few I am interested in), which is also in May. It's going to be a busy month!

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: TV on the Radio "Modern Romance"

OK, since this is a band I am really excited about, I thought I would post some PR stuff here.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, February 23, 2005

AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT RECORDS & PIXIESMUSIC.COM TEAM UP TO PRESENT THE CAULFIELD SISTERS!!!

Huntington, NY – Joe Spadaro (American Laundromat Records), and Sean T. Rayburn (pixiesmusic.com) team up to present The Caulfield Sisters "Say It With Fire" CD-EP. The CD offers six original songs that were recorded and produced by Paolo De Gregorio (a.k.a. Mr. Grieves) at Mother West Studios in NYC, and is available direct from American Laundromat Records (ALR) for $8.00 + shipping at http://www.americanlaundromatrecords.com/special.html.



THE CAULFIELD SISTERS have been called the Brooklyn Breeders and were named one of “NYC’s 10 Bands to Watch” by Time Out New York magazine. “Fans of Belly, Galaxie 500, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Throwing Muses, and Juliana Hatfield will LOVE this band.” says ALR founder and president, Joe Spadaro, "… I just fell in love with The Caulfield Sisters the moment I heard ‘Phoebe’s song’ and had to work with them. I haven’t been this excited about a band since discovering The Blake Babies and The Pixies back in the 80’s.”

“The Caulfield Sisters embody the finest elements of what has become the New York Sound. Listen to ‘Say It With Fire’ on the subway, or while walking around Sheridan Square, and you've got the perfect soundtrack to Manhattan life. They are the most played band on my iPod”. Sean T. Rayburn, (pixiesmusic.com).

‘Say It With Fire’ track listing:
01. Phoebe’s Song
02. Cash
03. Box of Glass
04. Fine
05. Higher
06. Mosquito

The Caulfield Sisters are a NYC-based trio featuring former members of the band Pee Shy, guitarist/ accordionist Cindy Wheeler, and bassist Mary Guidera, with new addition drummer Kristen Mueller (Gloria Deluxe, Hidden Driveways). Pee Shy spent 4 years and 2 albums on Mercury Records, and enjoyed critical acclaim, many years as a favorite on the CMJ charts, and some commercial radio play.

Ten years of collaboration between Cindy and Mary find The Caulfield Sisters musically more sophisticated and sonically grander than Pee Shy. Mary’s solid melodic bass lines and haunting backing vocals, are the perfect cradle for Cindy’s airy vocals, reverb drenched guitar and the occasional beauty that is her trademark, accordion feedback. They’ve landed coveted opening slots for bands like Interpol, and will be joining Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses, 50 Foot Wave), John Strohm (The Blake Babies), Vic Chesnutt, and others on the upcoming ALR CD; “High School Reunion” which will tribute songs that appeared in some of the great 80’s films such as; Fast Time at Ridgemont High, Say Anything, Valley Girl, Breakfast Club, and more.

“If you are familiar with J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye,…” the band explains, “…The Caulfield Sisters are the musical metaphor of Phoebe, little sister of Salinger’s anti-hero Holden Caulfield; Holden’s Phoebe, the little sister as savior, a glimmer of hope in a blue coat, a sonic swirl, a beautiful blur that keeps whirling past you on the Merry-go-round.”

Joe Spadaro and Sean T. Rayburn have collaborated before on projects, and share a huge passion for music. “Our only goal here is to introduce as many people as we can to this great band. We think The Caulfield Sisters deserve to be heard and we want to help them in any way we can”.

For more information about THE CAULFIELD SISTERS or AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT RECORDS, please visit: http://www.americanlaundromatrecords.com/indexmain.php

For more information about PIXIESMUSIC.com, please visit http://www.pixiesmusic.com/


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so we are moving to a new distribution system here at work, something I am overseeing. In order to prepare for this new system, EVERYONE in the company is recieving training. Since I am overseeing it all, I am sitting in on EVERY training class, monday through friday, 8am to 5pm.

please, someone, come to Syosset, NY, to my building, and pull the fire alarm. First person to do it wins a pack of Lucky Strikes. And a can of Diet Coke with Lemon.

OK, so I pulled a whole mass of muscles in my back over the weekend, just from sleeping.

So since Sunday, I have been in agony... sitting, lying down, standing up, NOTHING is comfortable. I finally got a Dr.'s appointment yesterday, and he gave me 3 prescriptions... 2 pain killers and a muscle relaxer. WOW!!!! Oh the joy of drugs. This beats any of the drugs I've done in the past. The only problem was getting up to come to work today, I feel like my body is on a 5 second delay.

I have 5 refills on one of the pain killers and the muscle relaxer, so at some point I'll be updating this site from a rehab facility.


Good times.

Current Mood: groggy

I need one, anyone else feel this way? I will be traveling for work in a few weeks, and I was hoping when I come back to be able to take a little time off. Probably won't happen, but I am pretty positive if I don't take one soon, I won't be getting ANY time off till the summer.

Current Mood: complacent
Current Music: The Smarties - Shut Your Mouth

Christmas has come and gone, and while this year may not have been as exciting as those of years past, it was enjoyable in a sublime sort of way, and I am very happy for it. We spent the day at my mother's in Sag Harbor, which was nice and cozy and very "family." If we didn't have other parties to go to, I think we all could have stayed there and been perfectly content to let the day move along without us.

Of course now the holiday is over, and I am back at work. We had quite a bit of snow out by us, so getting to work today was a chore, but thankfully I got up early enough to get here early.