babysue/LMNOP review of Fun with a Purpose

Thanks to venerable pop culture magazine babysue/LMNOP for the swell 5+ review of Fun with a Purpose!

September Mourn

OK, the title of this post is a pretty lame Neil Diamond pun, but it seems to work given the last few weeks.

For one thing, September's arrival pretty much puts a nail in summer's coffin, and while I'm an avowed non-fan of humidity, shorts and volleyball, since I started teaching full-time I've become accustomed to a summer vacation -- or staycation, such as it were. Even though mine was busy in its own right, I welcomed the break from the spring semester's routine, and managed to get a few items crossed off my never-ending to do list.

With September peeking around the corner, my various ducks are beginning to fall into their myriad rows...

A recent bit of good news was getting hired to teach two sections of English composition at McHenry County College. Though I was retained in the eleventh hour (the university has been swamped with a third more incoming students because of its Promise scholarship program) and had to scramble to get my syllabi together in time, everyone has been very supportive and gone out of their way to help me get settled even while juggling their own craziness at the start of a new term. Every English classroom comes equipped with computers and smart electronics -- a luxury I'm not quite used to, but plan to exploit as much as possible. And the students themselves are terrific. Both of my sections are full, and I'm excited to see how this semester goes.

I'll also be tutoring at Northeastern Illinois University, working one-on-one and in small groups with students. Classes start tomorrow. While I'm sorry not to be teaching my own section(s) again this year, I'm curious to see how this flagship tutoring program develops and pleased to be a part of it from the ground floor.

Mid-September I should also begin a new year of poet-in-residence work through The Poetry Center's Hands on Stanzas program. More to come on that front.

Continuing the onslaught of Fun with a Purpose-related news, here's another review and a link to Japanese distribution for our album. The Injured Parties will also be playing this week at Beat Kitchen; the poster, below, is self explanatory.

Finally, the reading celebrating the release of the bilingual Chinese-American anthology, on the no way road to tomorrow, to which I contributed two poems, was held on Friday. It was a great success, and I'm honored to have been a part of this ongoing cultural exchange and experiment.

This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio

Thanks to the good folks at This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio for playing "American Comfort" on last Sunday's show.

Bill's Music Forum review of Fun with a Purpose

Thanks to Bill's Music Forum for the nice review of Fun with a Purpose. With comparisons to They Might Be Giants, The Hoodoo Gurus and Material Issue, how can you go wrong?

Fun with a Purpose available from Not Lame

Not Lame, a great distributor of indie pop (and a label in its own right) is now stocking Fun with a Purpose.

INDIE104

You may request The Injured Parties songs, "Dogwalker" and/or "If You're Gonna Break My Heart" here for airplay on INDIE104.

Thanks for your support!

Battle of the Bands & Test Drive 2009

I never take part in these, yet here I am, with two opportunities to vote for The Injured Parties:

JanSport's second annual Battle of the Bands

The bands featured here will battle it out for the chance to share a stage with some of the biggest names in music. The winner will perform at next year's Forecastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky to an audience of fans, press and industry reps. Past performers include Black Keys, The Avett Brothers, De La Soul and Sleater-Kinney.

So now we're looking for your vote. Tell us, who's your favorite band? The first round of voting begins today at http://www.jansport.com/forecastle

You can vote for The Injured Parties once each day through August 31, 2009. The Top 25 bands at the end of Round 1 will move on to the judging round and be one step closer to winning the competition.

Here's the link:

http://www.sonicbids.com/voting/premium/BandProfile.aspx?c=10260&p=326

Taylor Guitars and Elixir® Strings are proud to present Test Drive 2009

This emerging artist support program will align FIVE artists or bands with Taylor SolidBody electric guitars, a supply of Elixir Strings and Elixir® Cables. And one final artist/band will head to a studio to record with their world-class guitars, strings and cables.

The Injured Parties are one of the acts taking part in this competition. Here's our profile:

http://testdrive.taylorguitars.com/BandProfile.aspx?c=7810&p=325

So here’s where you come in. We need your help picking the artist -- i.e., us. Here's the rest of the scoop from Taylor Guitars and Elixir® Strings.

ROUND 1

Check out the artists featured here — their music and bios — and cast your vote from August 3-31, 2009. You can vote once a day, so if you have a favorite, be sure to visit each day. Your vote will determine our list of top 25 artists, who will move to a panel review by the Artist Relations teams from Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings.

AFTER ROUND 1 VOTING ENDS

The Artist Relations teams from Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings will be going through the top 25 artists you select in Round 1 to narrow it down to five finalists. These are the bands who will be outfitted with Taylor SolidBody electric guitars, a supply of Elixir Strings, and Elixir Cables.

These finalists will be challenged to create a short video that shows how they put the gear to work on stage and/or in the studio. The video can be performance-based, documentary-style, a conceptual music video, or any format that showcases the use of the gear. The videos will be posted here for a final round of voting by the fans.

ROUND 2

We need your help again! Round 2 voting will take place from November 2-30, 2009. This time around, you can check out the videos from the top five finalists and cast your vote to crown the winner of the Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings Test Drive 2009. Your vote will give an emerging artist time in a marquee studio to record with their new gear.

Please vote for us daily (as often as possible) through the month of August! Thanks in advance for your support.

Radio, Radio (Basingstoke, UIC, INDIE104)

Some big news regarding airplay for The Injured Parties this coming week!

"American Comfort" is the last song on DJ Astrid's Unsigned Show on UK station Radio Basingstoke, broadcast on Monday the 3rd of August at 5 pm, Tuesday the 4th at 1 am & 8 am, repeated on Monday the 10th & Tuesday the 11th at the same British times. American listeners, as well as those outside the UK will have to do the math on broadcast hours in your area.

Also this Monday, the band will be featured on DJ John Rose's Hidden Treasures of Rock and Roll show on UIC Radio. Tune in between noon and 4 pm.

Last but not least, "Dogwalker" and "If You're Gonna Break My Heart" have been added to rotation on INDIE104-iRADIO LA! Both should be available for airplay starting this Wednesday, August 5th, if not earlier, so contact the station and request one, the other, or both!