SPRING FEVER

Mood:  sharp
Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but here in New Antarctica..uh, I mean, New England...we are just dying for some sunshine and warmth. The end of winter is just about unbearable, and rather than succumb to complete catatonia in a straightjacket, I often force myself to keep busy by making pretty things. Now, compared to Karen, who is about the craftiest person you'll ever meet, I'm rather minor league. But even I was able to successfully follow her instructions on making knee garters! Find them here: garter instructions.
Here's how mine turned out:

These are great, as they are quick to make with a sewing machine...and the combinations are endless!
Various colors of ribbons, patterns of lace, and decorations can be used. I used black lace over sage green ribbon, and I found these cute flapper buttons at my local fabric shop...though it was hard to choose between those and some nifty Art Deco-style silver ones...or pretty ribbon roses.
But since it's such a speedy and inexpensive project, why not make several pairs?

Luckily for you vast scores of faithful (and painfully non-commenting) readers, it's also time for the Tache o'the Week. This one has not only a wonderful configuration with endearing, tightly spiraled ends, but also such an expression of boyish sweetness. No cad here!

I bet he'd pick me...er, I mean...uh...a girl...an armful of daisies, and do all the rowing on a breezy spring afternoon down a meandering river, all while perhaps whistling vaudeville tunes. *sigh*
Imagine. Or, just excuse me while I do.

Do, if you are able, come on over to the Nave Gallery this Saturday, where we will be doing a good-sized set with Craig Robertson. It's FREE, too!
All details can be seen HERE!
It should be wonderful, though for my part, I need get over this nagging cold thing by then! Yes, Winter needs to just pack its bags and get on out...and not let the door hit it in the...

NEW PICS AND NEW MIX

Mood:  chatty
A couple interesting tidbits...thanks to Karen, there are new, more current photos of each of us over in the Biographies and also a shot on the main page of the chilly picnic we enjoyed in Gloucester a few months back. The portable phonograph was playing various 78s rather loudly, and I vividly remember a small child running to investigate, like a moth to a flame, almost crashing our little gathering!

And for a fun little auditory jaunt, do check out our friend J. Dragon's amusing and catchy remix of "Are You Makin' Any Money?," here:
REMIX.
Who knew we could rock out like that?

HANGING WITH THE HANDLEBARS

Mood:  party time!
So...back from London town now.
Is there anything as awful as the horrible, sad feelings one has when returning to routine after a very marvelous, whirlwind holiday? I think not.
London is such a dynamic, exhilerating, exhausting place...the museums were almost too much to bear...the whisper of history so affecting.
Yes, difficult to go back to life as usual. Anyhow,
one of the highlights of the trip (well,ok...for me)
was an evening spent at the Windsor Castle pub with some of the lovely gents of the Handlebar Club!

Here...about to enter into the hallowed Tache Zone.
(Ah, my mister is such a good sport.)

The Commander-in-Chief, Ted Sedman, was the only one there upon our arrival. He was quite friendly and chatty...very amusing...and booked my passage on the H.M.S. Stella Artois right away. Soon, a few more taches trickled in. Then it got very serious.
There was gavel-banging, minutes were read, motions declared...
Just kidding! It was all jovial conversation, mingling, and searching for the bottoms of pint glasses in the noisy pub...not to mention frequent, offhanded, and most likely unconscious tache adjustments by a few members. Er...not that I noticed...ahem...
Great fun, leaving me with a wonderful souvenir- a warm, Stella-colored memory of a night at the Windsor Castle among congenial taches.

I must have been having a good time, as I never really smile for a photo. That's the Prez himself, in the official red HBC sweater.
Left to right: (back) Ted, a grinning idiot, Albert, and Steve. (front) Rod (Club secretary).

Thanks so much to the Handlebar Club for their hospitality. The mister also recorded a special message from Mr. Sedman that we hope to use on the song "Whiskered Away" someday. Wonderful.
And also wonderful to them, I suspect, is that I have no plausible excuse to bother them anymore! Ah, well...perhaps the three of us can come up with something at some point.

Now, back to the grind...
There are upcoming performances to prepare for!

BONAFIDE TACHE!

Mood:  crushed out
Now, now...I know you've all been hyperventilating in confused suspense, waiting for me to provide you with your weekly tache...late again. But I'm going to make it up to you!
After we played that cemetery chapel concert at Forest Hills a couple weeks back, Craig sidles up to me during all the mingling and wine-sipping hoo ha and says something about a primo tache in the other room. Naturally, I snapped to attention like a Marine on a mission.
Unfortunately, *pause for effect*, the tache in question was not real, per se, but of the marble variety...perched on the stony lip of a humdinger of a handsome bust in a corner of the hallway.
Or course the next thing we knew, I was climbing behind the wine table for a closer look.
And who should catch me in the middle of the monkey business but Ms. Colmore...Director of Development for the cemetery trustees? Luckily, she was not put out and began to tell me the touching story of the man immortalized by the bust.
I give you today's valorous Tache o'the Week!
Mr. John Reece. (1854-1896)

(Unfortunately, I look like a mentally challenged, amorous orangutan wearing a great hat in the photo...so you don't get to see that bit. Be thankful.)
Mr. Reece was the inventor of an important sewing machine that could quickly sew the buttonholes on the ubiquitous button boots of the time. (KA-CHING!
I bet he was a sharp dresser!) On March 31, 1896, whileworking in his office building, he witnessed an
elevator worker in danger of being crushed by a moving elevator. He bravely lunged for the elevator rope, hoping to stop the car...but he narrowly missed it, and plunged to his death, three stories down the shaft. I believe the man in danger was crushed at the top, too.
The next day, the Boston Globe ran the story with the headline, "Hero's Death."
A very tragic tale.
So, Mr. Reece....we salute you!
Seriously...there is supposedly a great monument of him at his grave there at Forest Hills. As soon as it ceases to be an Arctic expedition to go see it, I will do so.

In other news, we are preparing for a couple upcoming shows...both by ourselves and with Craig Robertson. Do check the Concerts page for details. I'll be in London for the next several days, so Karen may have to entertain you in the interim. *cue tapdancing music*
Or if not, just wait til I get back...! We're hanging with the Handlebars
there on Friday...and believe you me, there will be photographic evidence! Please, try to amuse yourselves til then....I know it's difficult.
While you're at it, why not find out exactly what all the fuss was about the irresistable Clara Bow by watching "It," now out on DVD! Fantastic!

Oh, AND: check out the photos page, as the pictures from X-Mortis at Man Ray are up, as well as the Forest Hills cemetery performance!

LIZARD MUSIC

If I've learned one thing in this life, it is that things are not always as they seem. Think of our dear friend Renee, for example - who by all appearances would seem to be a gentle and mild-mannered soul, so prim and polite in her lace frocks and velvet gloves... And then think again!

As evidenced in this Boston Globe article, Ms. Renee is actually a force to be reckoned with. Who knew??

{Cue power-chord hard-rock intro...}
Come see for yourself this Friday night at the Coolidge Corner theater in Brookline, MA as she transforms herself into El Gekko the terrifying masked lizard! Watch in awe as she battles the deadly Conqueror Worm! I promise you folks - It will be a midnight match to remember...For more information on this event and others like it, visit www.lagatanegra.com.

{Fade music...}
And now back to our regularly scheduled program...

A MERRY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY!

Mood:  amorous
What a magical afternoon was had yesterday as we were accompaning Mr. Craig Robertson at the Ukulele Soirée in the stunning Forsyth Chapel of Forest Hills Cemetery in Boston! The chapel itself was simply lovely...all dark wood, stained glass, vaulted ceilings, and gothic arches. It was so lovely, in fact, that I found myself feeling almost irreverent to be having so much fun in such a beautiful chapel. Nevertheless, the sound was amazing. Miss Kitty's soaring saw solos tickled the very rafters. Karen broke out her ukulele in what I believe was her first, public, musical uke-ing...stupendous. We're going to have to watch out for her! Though there were three seperate but equal accidents involving my music stand and the floor-ending up with a dead lightbulb-I think I managed to eke out a few passable notes from the darkness.
Craig, as usual, did what he does best...which is to look natty as heck while a-singing and a-strumming.
Our billmates, Rick Russo and the Mai Tai Serenader (now that's what I call slide guitar playing...zowee!), and Greg Hawkes & Tim Mann, were all as enchanting as ever. The audience seemed quite taken with the whole affair.
Everyone was so nice afterwards, too.
We'd like to heartily thank Craig, Cecily Miller, Nini Colmore, Abigail Norman, and all the great folk out at Forest Hills for allowing us to be a part of such a wonderful event!
Stay tuned for photos...including one which documents the best tache in the place. (And no, it's still not on Mr. Russo.)

Ok, so I know lots of people despise Valentine's Day. I've hated it myself in the past...and still see it as mainly an advertisers' holiday. But regardless, I hope you know that you can always count on me. I have something for you that is much better than any old box of stale, inferior quality chocolates, or crazy pop-up card with smiling animals in clothes. What could possibly be better than that, you ask? Why, a special Valentine's Day cupid, silly!

Don't say we never gave you anything!

DAPPER TACHE

(Why is there no mood symbol for "swoony"??)

This fine specimen is more on par with the era that we sort of emulate...generally, it's those Victorian gents who give me palpitations, but I finally managed to find a more contemporary (relatively) Tache o'the Week. Admittedly, there is not quite enough substance and curl to this guy's cookie duster. But let's not split hairs.

We'll just pretend that perhaps it's a work in progress...and let that suberb coif(Brylcreem, anyone?)and somewhat smarmy, raised-eyebrow expression make up for any
possible moustachial lack. *sigh* Works for me!

Speaking of taches, guess who's going to London in a couple weeks and is going to pop in on the Handlebar Club's monthly pub meeting? Guess who is already fearing that her usually shy nature will fly the coop and allow embarrassing, self-incriminating remarks fly out of her mouth like so many clay pigeons at a sharpshooters' meet?
That would be me.
And guess who will get to read all about it?
You. I know you can't wait.

We hope that you lovely folks have heard and enjoyed our new mp3s. We are quite excited about how things are shaping up. Those were just dry practice recordings...I can't wait for us to get proper recordings down.
Otherwise, in our continued collaboration with Craig Roberston, it looks like we will get to throw a 5-valve tuba into the mix soon! That will be just stupendous, eh?

Tomorrow is looking like fun...
Forest Hills Cemetery performance. Sadly, it's for trustees only, but we promise to share some pictures with you as soon as we can!

FOR THE RECORD

Mood:  lyrical
Hello gentle readers...
Some of you have been asking to hear more of our music and well, we finally got the hint!

The following tracks were recorded in my very own living room, and we hope you enjoy them more than my lazy cats seemed to:
TEN CENTS A DANCE
featuring the lovely vocals of Ms. Renée Désar, also with Karen on cello, and Ms. Kitty Heels on the percussion kit...

AM I BLUE?
featuring Renée on vox & cello, Ms. Kitty on Singing Saw, Kazoo & comic relief, and Ms. Karen on the ukulele

ARE YOU MAKIN' ANY MONEY?
with Ms. Karen on uke, vox & sass, Ms. Renée on cello, and Ms. Kitty on the percussion kit

TAKE ME OUT TO THE MOUSTACHE....ER...I MEAN, BALLGAME.

Mood:  lucky
A whole week behind on these. What is the world coming to? It's those winter blahs, perhaps. And the fact that the vast scores of you who (don't) read this are apparently too shy to indicate your presence isn't all that encouraging. *sigh*
(This is how, on occasion, I can possibly earn a pity comment or two. See what I am reduced to??)
But enough about me.
I still care enough to bestow you with a strapping buck of a sportin' Tache o'the Week.
Now, I am not into sports. But if all the players looked like this, then I'd subscribe to ESPN 1, 2, AND 3! This is a kind donation from the Ukulele Crooner, Mr. Rick Russo. I suspect that although given in goodwill, it may also serve as a sort of dodge tactic. See, he said he'd grow one. And I'm not going to forget. I bet he thinks he can toss a couple old tache photos my way for distraction and make a clean-shaven getaway.
Nonetheless, not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I happily share with you this fine gent:
Mike "King" Kelly!

Seriously an interesting fellow...one article says:
At 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds, Kelly was strikingly handsome, the stereotypical "man about town." He wore the latest fashions, carried a cane, twiddled his mustache at the Chicago ladies, and captivated all with his Irish wit and his willingness to buy a round for the house. He played baseball by day, partied by night, and seldom slept in his own bed. The only thing he consumed faster and in greater quantity than alcohol was Cap Anson's patience. The manager was not complimenting Kelly when he said, "There's not a man alive who can drink Mike Kelly under the table."
Ok, I think I'm in love. I think it was the twiddling that cinched it. *sigh*

Anyway, we've been up to lots of practicing...a couple performances are being lined up (more as they become definite), and even perhaps some recording in the near future.

Stay warm, and stay tuned!

GET OUT THE SMELLING SALTS, LADIES!

Mood:  caffeinated
OK, I know I keep getting behind on these Taches o'the Week....but you'll just have to find it in your heart to forgive. Yes, I know it's hard. But today's offering might just make up for it.
I was out on one of my periodic tache recon missions (*cough cough* ebay *cough*), flying high above cyberspace in my U-2, when I stumbled upon this beaut. I should not confess that before I could stop it, an audible "Who-o-oahh Nellie!" escaped my lips. Because that would be embarassing, and I wouldn't want anyone to know that. What...? Oh, dang. I ratted myself out again. *sigh*
Nonetheless, check out this A-bomb of a Tache o'the Week!
*cue air raid siren*

He needs more hair, admittedly, but otherwise...
And slap a black bowler on him and who cares?
I'm just wondering what great sin I committed that cursed me to have to live now instead of 100 years ago. Tragic.

In other news, we are continuing our work with Mr. Ukulele , and now even Ms. Kitty has joined us in preparations with him for a February performance at the chapel of the lovely
Forest Hills Cemetery, which I am sorry to report is slated to be a private event for trustees. Should be a blast for us, though. And hopefully we'll at least be able to share some pics with you here afterwards.
I must say that the ukulele and male vocals by Craig are quite well set off by our cello-ing and sawing! And there just may be some female vocals, too, but then, that's a secret for now.

Here are a couple links for you, too...
recently discovered two great acts that some of you may already be aware of, but anyhow...
Jill Tracy and
then there's Nicki Jaine . They are both so vampy and lovely! Don't you just love that feeling of coming across a great new artist you didn't previously know of? I do!