Spiritual Activity, Heightened

On top of that odd thing, the house has been acting strangely. I believe there might be some heightened spiritual activity here. I don't believe in ghosts. But I have spotted some strange, bright green marks in rooms that were shut before I opened them - like something holding a glowing rock, moving it about quickly and every few seconds opening their fingers so that a bit of the light could leave a streak across the dark space surrounding it. I don't acknowledge a being. I only recognize the possibility that the space I live in is more alive than I thought. Trees especially. I tend to see trees as a big living thing, when in fact they are crawling with creatures themselves. Always critters are scurrying around and behind you, all manner of insects are running up and down trees and over the ground and even inside your engine compartment when you are not driving around. I think if we saw every insects as a point of light, the world around us would be pocka dotted mess, the ground and walls would look the same as the night sky.
Just a bit ago I scanned the trees with my flashlight. I found the two white points of a cat staring back. Any night, a cat might be perched outside, high in a tree. Shining a light into darkness is typically frightening. I am more frightened in a bright kitchen at night with two large windows. I can be watched, examined by the critters outside. The window becomes a two way mirror. I cannot see into the dark. Our lives are spared by someone everyday and everyday you are secretly watched as you walk the dog.

Sleep Drinking

Earlier this week I woke up and I was pouring out the water from my big drinking cup, I really woke up then. In the middle of the night, I picked up the cup and just poured it all over myself. It was so cold. That's never happened to me before. It made me wonder whether or not I've been sleep drinking, in which case I should move the degreaser with weedeater part in it.

Mapping a Song #1: Space Punk Starlet

Hey earthlings,

Since folks are always asking about the stories behind our songs, and most of the time I just make up an answer like "it's a call for peace on earth" or "Marshall and I were fighting over the same girl- she was 6'5" I thought I'd shine some official light on our songs & their narratives.

For space punk starlet, I had a show-tunes sing along melody stuck in my head. That ooh-eeh-ooh part that you hear throughout the song and prominently during the outro. I also had a little ditty- something like "Going through life is a minuscule man who sleeps in his hands. . . dogs are barking out on the street everywhere and nobody cares."

Now lets get one thing straight. I may have a moment or two when it comes to words, but Marshall is the poet. So I played him what I had and he went to work on a new concept: She's daughter of an intergalactic warlord. He's in a band. He teaches her guitar to keep her father happy and saves the world in the process. It's a love story.. sort of like most of our songs.

Now the outro is another story. Dusty Rhodes is this writer for the Houston Chronicle who gave us a crappy review. Oh, it wasn't TOO bad, but she was gruff and we were young and green and the whole thing was funny as hell. What a name! Dusty Rhodes- if ever there were a girl destined for porn-stardom. "Dusty why aren't you ever coming through? You wrote a bad review." Thing is, I don't know if Dusty has ever heard the song. We should play it for her.


And that, folks, is the story behind Space Punk Starlet. It was one of the last songs we wrote for the album and it was one of the first songs we mastered. Obviously we liked it enough to name the album after it.

-B

more to come

Tomahawk found, Sad encounter with stranger

I think my last post was really funny. I can't stop chuckling about it. Have you ever seen your ex in public and have that person look completely horrified to see you. That happened tonight. I just gave a meek wave. What I got back was her patented weird face. It's a basic facial expression - she's either shocked, depressed, angry, or confused. I got that one.

Speaking of meekness, I really don't like Jimmy Kimmel. I want to know how he got that job. I don't have tv, so I don't ever stumble across his show, but I do see advertisements. He's got this meek, puppy dog smile spread across a billboard. I want to choke him with his tie.

Look at this tomahawk I found in my yard yesterday. It's covered in tar. I think it's tar. Could be dried blood now that I think of it. I've got an alibi. I spent that afternoon trying to find a cholula hot sauce.

Gruesome Scene, Sandwiches Brutally Murdered

The perpetrator then took his own life.

Weekly Press Roundup: The Two Week Late Edition

Spent the week battling my scrabble addiction. Couldn't find time to cook up a weekly press roundup until now. Hey, did you hear that I played the word "frenetic" in a Travis v. Moses scrabblethon? Yeah, I kicked that guys @$$ (that's internet lingo for ass).

And now for the press:

The Berkeley Place brands itself as "A little bit of BK in VA" and features a striking logo borrowed straight from Microsoft Paint. Logo mishaps aside, I can tell this blogger has his head screwed on straight because describes our album as the answer to a musical question: "What if Neil Young had been the frontman for the Spiders From Mars?" (Just like jeopardy)

I guess I shouldn't show Marshall this review. I'm worried that the Neil Young / Steve Malkamus / Robert Smith comparisons are going to his head. Besides, he's way uglier than those guys and those guys are pretty ugly.

Anyway, Ekko and his Berkley Place Blog seem to really dig the album so you know what?- I really dig them back. Check it out.
Found this picture at Berkeley Place. What's not to like?

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The UK's Zap Bang Magazine is like SO trendy. Totally brillz if you know what I mean. In the name of retaining street cred, reviewer Jeremy Williams praises our music, but with a caveat. The album reads like the Texas 2 step. A compliment. A critique. 1,2,1,2.

Compliment: While the album is easy to listen to..
Critique: it doesn’t offer anything new.

Compliment: it is a genuinely rounded and enjoyable album
Critique: dressing in spandex is not the most flattering of looks

Compliment: A strong vocalist and an ability to break genre barriers makes this an extremely easy to listen to and thoroughly enjoyable debut from a band who show great promise.
Critique: Sadly, Space Punk Starlet does not fully deliver on the out-of-this-world level promised.

In the end, Zap Bang Magazine gives us 4 out of 5 stars so... I'm a little confused. Are we totally brillz or are we like so totz lame?
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Last but not least! Let's talk about the venerable Josh Shepherd and his Backline Show. We first met Josh at ME TV, Austin's not-quite-MTV caliber music station. Well, he left ME TV (ME TV was a victim of the recession actually, I think it's a ghost network now) and started a blog. He interviews bands. Like us! The interview almost didn't happen. Marshall and I slept through our interview not one but TWO times. And it wasn't like some phone interview. Josh CAME to our house and KNOCKED on my door and we slept right through the racket.

Needless to say, I was surprised when saintly Josh Shepherd agreed to meet us AGAIN. The review went really well. We've been following the advise of our rad new publicist, Romina. Romina, Romina, yeah yeah, Romina. She's cool! She's hot! She's everything we're not! Romina!

Check out the interview with Marshalla and IHERE.


- B

Friday Visuals (Opening for Afroman at Ace's Lounge)

The T(FB)-Shirt Store

A few facts about The Frontier Brothers T-Shirt Store.
1. No sales tax!
2. Free shipping (USA only so far, email us -thefrontierbrothers@gmail.com- if you want your shirt shipped anywhere else)
3. No middle man! This is a great way to support the band. Not only do you help spread the word, dressed in our ultra-soft style tees, you help us pay for studio fees, touring expenses, etc.
4. All sales are done through PayPal's secure & encrypted ordering system. We take Mastercard / Visa / American Express / Paypal.

Hungry Whale T (design by Addie Oscher)

Size

Small Medium Large

Very Tall Hatman on Green (design by Addie Oscher)

Size

Small Medium Large

Moon Men T

Size

Small Medium Large

Color Scheme

Purple on Yellow Black on White

ENDLESS SHOOOWWWSSSS pt. 2 (Our publicist told us to up the sex appeal but the Bright Light Social Hour beat us to the punch)

We returned to Austin via night drive. Matt had his coffee. He went from song to song in a pure, decisive rhythm, like he knew what song to cue in thirty songs from the present one. Meanwhile, Brett and I flipped in and out of consciousness. We had to get back that night to do an interview. We've named our home the Parrot House and we did the Q&A on the front porch.

That Friday night we had an Austin show at the Mohawk. That was a good time. Big crowd. Tons of babes. Free beer? Great. That only get's you so far. I don't think we have any pictures from that.


South By Southwestern was Saturday night. The stage was a bit bumpy and the room was a deadened space for sound, but The Bright Light Social Hour, The Brood, and yours truly did the alma mater proud. No one reading this should miss The Bright Light Social Hour cd release on the 13th.

Brett made some comment to Jack (bassist vocalist of Bright Light) about "What if there were a Newman sister?"Of course, he didn't use proper grammar. He probably used was instead of were. Got him! Jack said she'd probably be really hot. Is it safe for me to take that as a compliment. Even though I don't have a sister, if I were to have one, Jack would be interested in sleeping with her. I took it as one. Hell yeah, my hypothetical sister would smokin'. Or maybe she'd look like me, in which case her only option would be day labor.

Then again, what would Jack not have sex with? Just kidding, he isn't like that. But really, watch out girls. The Bright Light Social Hour is a sexed up mess. They beat us to the punch.

Oh yeah, don't miss that show. It's Wednesday, May 13th @ The Parish

The Bright Light Social Hour, "Back and Forth" video. (Should be up soon)

ENDLESS SHOOOWWWSSSSS pt. 1

This last weekend was the weekend of the endless show. It reminded me of Light Years; time an endless loop of destruction and creation - show, no show, show. First we played a benefit in Fort Worth @ The Moon. Music is medicine. That's the group, check it out. Here are some pictures from that.

J Mack and some of the TFB unit:



Getting Rowdy during Stella Rose set:



Me as Marshall Galactic w/ HAL 9000 from Space Odyssey



Travis fiddling with Bass Guitar of questionable quality:

I got up early, too

I was awake early today as well. In case you didn't know, it's Travis on twitter. When I post I put a little signature.

Since I've basically weaned myself off of my medication, I don't have to take it much. I'm supposed to take a pill everyday, but I usually take one every four or five days. I took one last night. The medication has a peculiar effect. Both times I've administered the stuff after a good absence, I rise early the next morning. Check out this huge cup I have. I use it for water because I drink a lot of water to keep myself hydrated.

Yes, this is real.

Go to nationalgeographic.com for more info.