We got to take some time out from rocking people’s butts by rocking (getting sand up) our own butts on the beach in Rhode Island where several communities were wiped out.  Nevertheless, the locals’ fervor to rebuild is as strong as we’ve seen in our Katrina-affected region.  So we were excited to join the momentum in lending what little help we could for our New England brethren.  It was touching to hang out with the locals and feel all the camaraderie.  We still have sand in our shoes and pockets and hope to dust the rest of it off on NOLA soil.

-S

So happy to be heading up the East Coast and seeing trees where there leaves actually change color. Also we’re thrilled to get to play some awesome venues, seeing some amazing friends/family/might-as-well-be-family. The weather has been chilly, crisp, and sunny. It’s fun wearing coats and gloves and scarves and things. Being on tour is amazing. It’s costly, dangerous, uncertain, foolish even. But that’s part of the adventure. The thing is, you have to go to where people are. You can’t assume they will find you. You’re playing for some people who know who you are already, hoping to fulfill their anticipations, making merry with old friends. You’re also hoping to catch random barflies by surprise.

Waxing prosaic about touring makes me curious why, in this age of YouTube and digital downloads, one needs to hit the road to help be discovered. It’s a mathematical improbability that it should ever be practical to stab in the dark the way we’re doing. Somehow, though, it works, at least on a small scale. The audiences are small, but the effect we are able to have on them is great. Nothing compares to reaching people in a live capacity. No NBC reality talent contest can compare to the visceral experience of an in-person performance of original music. We sometimes play to hundreds, we sometimes play to the bartender. It’s always worth it, somehow. Hard to describe really. Or maybe it’s easy to describe and I just haven’t had any coffee yet today.

-S

The Times-Picayune, our heralded, heavily lauded New Orleans-area newspaper took up a lot of ink for little old me and this whole The Voice thing.  So flattered and honored.  The article talks about what it’s like being on the show, how I got to where I am today, and a show we’ve got tonight in NOLA at The Circle Bar.

Here’s the full article –> Click me, please. Please? Come on, please? Grrrrrr JUST DO IT!

This is a video of composed of stills from various press shoots and random live moments that we culled together.  There’s gonna be a real music video for this song very soon. Very excited about it. It can be a bit overwhelming to be continuing to feed and foster this original indie-rock career (Is it still a “career” when you’re not really making any money? Not that I’m in it for the money, I just love to eat) while at the same time exerting all the energy necessary to be involved with a show like The Voice.  Still definitely worth it, no question. You kinda gotta spread yourself out at least somewhat– cast a bunch of seeds out there and see what takes root.  Ok enough waxing philosophic, on with the Dogs:

I think after getting used to being on that stage in that surreal environment I’ll be even better prepared for the next round, but it was so much fun being able to sing for these titans of the music industry. Wasn’t my greatest performance in the world but I passed the test! Below is the video of just my performance.  On the actual program they did a really nice tribute, showing some home video of my Katrina-devastated house, showing me and fellow Samurai Sam Craft playing in Jackson Square, and a couple of really emotional interviews.  The coaches (Adam Levine, Cee Lo, and the gang) had some really nice/constructive things to say (a lot of which were edited out for time) and I’m psyched to have passed this round! Team Cee Lo!

Hello world!

Please join us this Saturday, April 14th at 2pm on the BMI Stage (533 Royal Street) for FQF 2012! It will be a lovely day, the line up is incredible and guess what???… IT’S FREEEEEEEE!!!

Better make it over to the Quarter because with it being 2012 and all this may be the last FQF ever…

HA, Nah!

Hope to see you beautiful faces there!

<3
Lexicon

Sonny & Cher, Alexis & the Samurai, Ben & Jerry– what the great duos of our time have in common is endless tenacity, boundless optimism, and out-of-the-box creativity. Also ice cream.

Offbeat Magazine‘s Rory Callais seems to agree and wrote an extremely flattering and eloquent piece of prose about little old us for April’s issue.  Offbeat is one of a dying breed of full-color, monthly entertainment journals– one which keeps the arts and culture of Louisiana (and beyond) alive and cooking.  Moreover, Offbeat is available for shipment all over the world and it, along with a few other media ambassadors such as the FM radio titan WWOZ, carries an international following.  This comes as no surprise as, notwithstanding the flavor of our dear home it provides, the journalism therein is exquisite.

Go pick you up a copy, and/or go to the website and browse a spell.  And make sure you read this article.

Thanks, everybody and thanks, Offbeat!

-AM