Holy smokes, the times they are extremely busy! The last couple of weeks have been nothing if not action-packed. Apart from the house renovation, which is turning out to be fairly soul-crushing in its ability to eat up lives like it’s not big thing, a handful of other things have happened. Mike and I drove up to Paso Robles last weekend to watch the lovely Jesse Hoy of The Deadly Syndrome wed Lawren Sample. The wedding itself was gorgeous and the location stunning. My enjoyment of the day was impeded only by the incessant stream of snot pouring out of my nose (again, the result of having way too many things to do for way too long), and the fact that I had to make an unscheduled dash back to LA in the middle of the night for a video shoot the next day. Clarification: I was asked to play bass in the video for NERD’s upcoming single, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to, uh, stand in the freezing desert in the middle of the night with the afore-mentioned stream of snot making the whole thing somewhat of an ordeal. It seems unfair to complain about having been styled in a manner inadequate for night-time temperatures, considering there were girls wearing literally nothing but body paint, but yes, it was fucking cold. I guess the video will be made to look as though some sort of nomadic tribe of freakishly good-looking girls (I am by no means including myself in this) are having a wild party in the desert, with Pharrell and Co just randomly stopping by and getting their drink on also. The song is called “Hot N Fun”, which is ironic as the shoot was actually pretty cold and shitty. I was primarily hoping to meet the band and get some networking done, although now that I think of it, it’s questionable whether I would have been able to make a good impression in my sand-caked, snot-covered Native American/highway bandit get-up. Anyway, if Pharrell, or any of the other two (three?) dudes in NERD are reading thing, please be aware that I will make myself available for your future bass needs, hopefully even of the variety where there are audiences and live sound involved.
Moving on. The last week has also seen extensive studio action from both Correatown and Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits. I feel as though I haven’t talked quite enough about either band on this blog… These are both projects that have been nothing but an absolute joy for me to be involved in. Apart from the fact that both bands are comprised of outstandingly lovely individuals, it’s a total privilege to be able to put my creative music hat on in such talented, magical company. Correatown has been killing it on the sync/license front (songs have been featured on both Gray’s Anatomy and Ugly Betty in recent months), and is putting together new material for public consumption. The new, more electronically-inclined direction the band is taking is like an explosion of sparkles and spooky magic, and a total blast to record. I can’t wait to hear how the final versions turn out. The RRR ep, on the other hand, is shaping up to be a superb wedge of sophisticated, intricate guitar bad-assery. One can only feel pity for Hot Hot Heat, as they know not how horribly they are about to be blown off the stage when we open for them in a couple of weeks.



Note the Grammy holder in the background. Need to be prepared.
Dan as a Rabbit, but a Rabbit that can also play the drums, engineer, and produce.
I can't stop staring at this power conditioner and its magical screen.I took the bull by the horns recently and also decided that it was time to get my ass into gear and start being a somewhat-published writer again. I’ve contributed snippets to the LA Record in the past and need to get back in the saddle again. It’s stupid that these things are the first to go when all this “important,” “grown-up” crap gets in the way. I’ve always enjoyed being able to churn out drooling adoration/scathing contempt for whatever I most recently witnessed in the local clubs, so it really is time to quit slacking off on that front, and, you know, take the laptop down to the coffee shop where I can join all the other idiots working on their writing assignments, or big screenplays, or whatever. Besides, soon I’ll be too old to play music full-time, and so I must start to cultivate my future as an over-worked and underpaid writer of some sort. All joking aside, I intend to take myself down to The Echo on May 21st, where I will stand around while Francis & The Lights play their music, after which I will write down my opinions and email them over the LA Record. Speaking of making plans for the future, I have also been working more on my amateur (at best) nature photography, but that’s for another giant blog entry in the future. If anyone has ideas on how to go about becoming a person that takes close-up pictures of flowers and leaves for money, email that shit over.

I will never cease to be amazed at the stuff nature can just casually barf out like it's not big deal.The social schedule is packed. Steak, wine and jokes were enjoyed by all as Miss Minogue and her managers invited Mike and I over for a hang at their fancy hotel last week. Mr Adrian Eccleston, passing through town on the tour of Drake Becoming A Huge Artist, was kind enough to buy me a glass and sake and a bowl of edamame at some hip restaurant downtown a couple of nights ago. Misters Nick Sizer and Rod Mattheson, reigning kings of Drum Teching and Monitor Engineering respectively, are stationed at The Wiltern this week, and invoicing Massive Attack for their services. I am very excited to catch up with both of them, even if the usual LA guest list clusterfuck won’t permit me to actually see the show. That is all.