Brief Nudity

My forthcoming book of poems from Salmon, Brief Nudity, now has pages on both Facebook as well as Goodreads!

Please check in regularly for news regarding the official book launch, book tour, readings, and other special events, including appearances at the AWP conference in March.

8th Annual Alex Chilton Birthday Bash

Since 2005 I've organized and participated in this annual event, commemorating the iconoclastic personality and songwriting of Alex Chilton. This year's line up looks to be the best yet!

Advance tickets are now on sale and will also be available at the door the night of the show.

NEIU English Department Benefit

I'm pleased to announce that among a few special end-of-the-year events, I will be participating in a benefit performance for Northeastern Illinois University's English Department. The way swanky poster, below, has all the applicable details.

That's Friday, December 7th at 9 PM. Hope to see you there!

New poem in Circa

I'm pleased to announce that my poem, "The Angry Whopper®" appears in the latest issue of Circa.

Five poems in Cedars

I'm pleased to say that I have five (!) poems in the latest issue of Cedars. Check 'em out, and hope you enjoy!

Two poems in Artichoke Haircut

I'm thrilled to have a pair of poem in Artichoke Haircut's latest issue (vol. 4), available at discerning bookstores nationwide. It's a great journal. Check it out!

New poem in Circa

I'm pleased to announce that I have a new poem in the third issue of Circa. Check it out!

Wit Rabbit piece in Northwest Passage

Swell slide show with voiceover by poet-journalist Heather Momyer on the Wit Rabbit reading I took part in earlier this week at Quenchers in today's edition of The Northwest Passage. You can hear me reading from my book Abbrev, from Beard of Bees.

Wit Rabbit Reading Series tomorrow night

Tomorrow night is the tenth Wit Rabbit reading, and I'm happy to be appearing along with these other fine folks: Traci Brimhall, Sophie Grimes, Kyle McCord, and Glen Shaheen.

The festivities begin at 7 PM at Quenchers. Hope to see you there!

Illinois Center for the Book

The Illinois Authors Wiki is a project of the Illinois Center for the Book. It is a means to share information about Illinois authors, photographers and illustrators.

My page on the site has recently been updated. Check it out, as well as sites for many other Illinois-based authors.

Sir Slob digital download

If you download my Sir Slob album by or before August 3rd through CD Baby, I will receive 100% of the price.

This applies to MP3 sales only on CDBaby.com — NOT on partner sites, such as iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc.

Download your copy today! Thanks in advance for your support.

Selected reviews of Sir Slob:

Whether he's dissecting "The King of Close Enough," or decrying fate by "Panning for Gold in the Litterbox," Larry O. Dean's songs on Sir Slob are dense with smart, tuneful wordplay. This album is rueful, romantic and rockin'! The perfect, bracing antidote to a lousy work day or an episode of American Idol. THE MUSIC ATTIC

Larry O. Dean’s Sir Slob also has its share of not-unwelcome psych-tinged power-pop damage; you’ll detect everything from Shoes to Ray Davies to Love. MAGNET

Dean is known for his Dylan-esque half-sung/half-spoken delivery of literate folk tunes with a rock backing. He can come off like Lou Reed or Matthew Sweet, depending on the tune. NASHVILLE CITY PAPER

Sir Slob has all sorts of nifty touchstones. You can hear bits of Lou Reed, Steve Wynn and Jonathan Richman, but he takes those influences, churns them around and makes something new. He’s good at sonic texturing, often blending classical strings with buzzing, alterna-nerd rock guitars. THE TENNESSEAN

Exhibiting the kind of deft self-mockery that made Paul Westerberg a disciple of Alex Chilton, Larry O. Dean puts the writer back in singer-songwriter with his appealing pop dossiers and laconic wit. MOUNTAIN XPRESS (ASHEVILLE, NC)

Dean and band deliver a tight primarily folk-rocking set, songs like "Time to Kill," "King of Close Enough," "Tail Wagging the Dog," "Panning for Gold in the Litterbox" and "Cuts Both Ways" suggest a strong influence of the melodic country-folk rock of Buffalo Springfield, the latter-day Byrds, Neil Young and Tom Petty (albeit sung by Lou Reed). Poetry and rock n roll, a combination of the sacred and the profane finds its balance in Sir Slob. Fans of singer-songwriter magic will relish every minute. AMPLIFIER

Tremendous songs that fall somewhere between a poppier Neil Young and Lou Reed. SHAKE IT UP!

Lyrically sharp, and big in a musical sense -- think a poppier Lou Reed -- Dean's second album proper provides a powerful and immediate aural rush. It is distanced from the standard singer-songwriter fare by a sound that is fleshed out by a full band, mixing open twangy Americana with a dense and more complex instrumentation. BUCKETFULL OF BRAINS

R.E.M. meets Bob Dylan, the two meet have some beer, or at least that’s where it sounds like Larry O. Dean’s strange mix of alt. country, folk, and 1960's rock and roll originated from ... Most reminiscent of Neil Young’s collection of 1970's recordings and in a lot of ways their styles are very similar, there's grit, and truth paired with guitars and low, almost pleading vocals. ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Zenith Beast titles now available via Muve Music

Selected Zenith Beast titles are now available to download from Cricket's Muve Music! This includes albums, EPs and singles from Larry O. Dean, The Fussbudgets, The Injured Parties, Malcontent, Post Office, and Christine Wall.

Cricket phone users, get yours today!

The Me Decade reviews added

The Me Decade's official page has been updated with numerous paper-only reviews from the archives. Check 'em out!

Poems in Circa

I'm very proud to have three poems in the inaugural issue of Circa: "Dracula's Daughter," "Loma Prieta #1" and "Loma Prieta #2."

All three are persona poems, with the latter two taken from a series about the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, an event I experienced firsthand when I lived in San Francisco.

Thanks to editor Tony Powell for the support!

Poems in quarter after now on Issuu

Issuu now has the second issue of quarter after available, including five of my poems, as well as work by many other incredible writers and visual artists.

Enjoy!

BCC Review

Very nice review of Basic Cable Couplets by Sarah Dawson in today's Poetry After Ink.

Poems in Quarter After

I'm pleased to have a few poems in the latest issue of Quarter After. An e-version from Issuu should be available by the end of the week, with hard copy published after that.

Great way to start the week! Hope you enjoy.

Kittenbush now on iTunes

Christine Wall's Kittenbush EP is now available from iTunes!

Get your copy today!

Upcoming Readings

I have a few readings coming up this summer to let you know about.

On July 6th, I'll be one of the featured readers for the First Friday series, presented by Waiting 4 the Bus. These are always a lot of fun and I'm in good company here, as the poster, below, shows.

The following Monday, July 9th, I'll once again be presenting selections from my work and giving a craft lecture during Northeastern Illinois University's Creative Writing Institute.

Last, but not least, on August 7th I've been invited to read for the newish Wit Rabbit Reading Series, which takes place at one of my favorite local watering holes, Quenchers.

Check out the links for further information, and hope to see you at one (or all) of these events!

Post Office on iTunes

Post Office's WNUR Demos EP is now available from iTunes. Get your copy today! (And while you're at it, check out PO's two other full-length releases as well: Public Displays of Affection and Fables in Slang.)

Poetry Cram Anthology

I am pleased to be one of many poets featured in the Poetry Cram anthology, recently published by ChicagoPoetry.com Press. Get your copy today!

Basic Cable Couplets -- available today!

My latest e-chapbook, Basic Cable Couplets is now available from Silkworms Ink!

Basic Cable Couplets

I'm happy to announce that Silkworms Ink will be publishing my latest chapbook, Basic Cable Couplets. I'll keep you posted, but the turnaround may be quite fast.

Rock NYC

Nice piece in Rock NYC I somehow missed, from back in March.

Fussbudgets review!

Thanks to Reglar Wiglar for the swell review of The Fussbudgets' debut!

NEIU Faculty Authors Reception

Thanks again to Northeastern Illinois University for inviting me to the recent faculty authors reception. (I even wore a jacket.)

Kittenbush review

Here's a terrific review from Altsounds of Christine Wall's Kittenbush EP, out tomorrow from Zenith Beast!

Throw the Lions... again

Here's a brief but very nice review of Throw the Lions to the Christians, from Berkeley Place.

Throw the Lions to the Christians review

Nice review of my Throw the Lions to the Christians reissue in the latest issue of Reglar Wiglar.

Exquisite Quartet

Once again, multitasker Meg Tuite asked me to contribute to her monthly "Exquisite Quartet" column in Used Furniture Review, and the result is here. Enjoy!

Fussbudgets, Christine Wall and Post Office releases

Three albums of material by The Fussbudgets (Hog Wash!, The Naked & the Daft, and Fresh Brood) are now available from iTunes, Bandcamp, and Amazon. In addition, the band now has their own official page on the web -- check it out!

Available May 8th from Zenith Beast is Christine Wall's remastered Kittenbush EP, but it may be pre-ordered now from Bandcamp and Amazon (and soon, iTunes).

Finally, Post Office's WNUR Demos is out May 22nd, but it too may be pre-ordered from Bandcamp as well as Amazon (with iTunes to follow).

"Three Female Roommates"

Another of my 'basic cable couplets' appears in the current issue of The Stone Hobo, complete with an illustration by "clobberin'" Ken Rasak!

Malcontent video

Continuing with the publicity blitz surrounding Zenith Beast's spring releases, here's the video to Malcontent's "In Deeper Debt," from Embarrassment of Riches, out March 20th!

Meg Tuite's Exquisite Quartet

Meg Tuite was one of the features for my mega-reading during AWP. She also writes a regular column for Used Furniture Review called “Exquisite Quartet” (a pun on exquisite corpse). In her own words,

“Exquisite Quartet” is a collaboration of four writers who will put together a story, piece by piece. Each writer adds a bit more to the racy tale until, like an old beat-up sectional couch, it miraculously fits together. A disreputable, yet virginal theme will be chosen each month, as will three non-virginal writers. Meg Tuite will lead off the ménage a quatre.

In honor of the largess of AWP, this month's edition includes contributions from 33 writers, myself included. Check it out, and thanks to Meg for asking me to participate!

Fussbudgets video

Here's the video for The Fussbudgets' "Jacqui Digs the Heads," off of their debut, Hog Wash!

Throw the Lions to the Christians now on iTunes

The remastered edition of Throw the Lions to the Christians is now available from iTunes. Get your copy today!

Throw the Lions to the Christians remaster out today!

My remastered fifth solo album (with bonus material), Throw the Lions to the Christians is out today. Lend an ear and get your copy from Bandcamp, Amazon, Spotify, MediaNet, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody, Nokia, Google Music, and/or VerveLife.

Thanks for your continued support of independent music!

AWP reading-o-rama!

The AWP conference officially gets underway tomorrow. There will be much rubbing-of-writerly-elbows, hobbing-of-nobs, and eyeballing of purty printed products at the conference itself. In addition, I will be participating is three off-site events:

9 PM Wednesday, February 29th at The Hungry Brain, as part of Salmon Poetry's mega-reading

9 PM Thursday, March 1st at the world-famous Billy Goat Tavern, as part of Heavy Feather Review's "Everything Will Be OK" event

and last, but not least,

7 PM Friday, March 2nd at The Horseshoe for "This Page Intentionally Left Blank," followed by music from The Injured Parties, Khalid Hanifi, and Decoy Prayer Meeting.

Hope to see you at one (or all!) of these to-do's.

Crab Orchard Series in Poetry

I just learned that the manuscript I am currently shopping around, Activities of Daily Living was a semifinalist for this year's Crab Orchard Series in Poetry!

Though I wish it had been selected for publication, I am nonetheless pleased and honored by this distinction.

Outsight Radio Hours live interview

The Outsight Radio Hours Internet radio program will interview me live on the air at 4:00 PM Eastern time (GMT -5) on Sunday,  February 26th. Information on the show and how to listen and participate via chat is available here.

Among the topics DJ Tearaway will be discussing with me are upcoming reissues of music on the Zenith Beast label.

Note that the program is re-streamed one week later on Radio Freedom from 5-7 PM ET, and all Outsight Radio broadcasts are archived here.

Hope you can tune in!

Poems in SPUDgUN

Two more poems from my Basic Cable Couplets manuscript are in this just-published debut issue of SPUDgUN. Enjoy!

Poem in The Brooklyner

I have a new poem in The Brooklyner, which has one of the loveliest layouts I've seen lately. Check it out!

New poem in Stanley the Whale

Lo and behold, the good folks at Stanley the Whale have been so kind as to publish another of my "basic cable couplets." Hope you enjoy!

Fussbudgets discography now available for pre-order; out April 3rd

It's been over twenty years in the making, but collected works by The Fussbudgets are now available for pre-order from Bandcamp!

Pre-ordering gives you instant access to selected tracks, and once the digital editions are released on April 3rd, you'll automatically be emailed a link to download the full albums at that time (some with bonus material). After the albums launch, you may also purchase them via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, MediaNet, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody, Nokia, and VerveLife.

In the ZB queue are selected demos, early recordings, and live material, but the band's haphazardly-released major works (the albums Hog Wash! and The Naked & the Daft, as well as the EPs Fresh Brood, Headache of the Gods, and sad fearful playful excited -- EPs gathered together in a single package -- constitute the band's oeuvre, for historical purposes).

Refer to individual releases for more background information on the recording, line-ups, and songs.

Hope you enjoy, and thanks for your support!

Poem in Stanley the Whale

I have a poem up at Stanley the Whale today. Check it out! It's another selection from my Basic Cable Couplets manuscript.

Embarrassment of Riches remaster now available for pre-order

The official release date for Malcontent's Embarrassment of Riches remaster with bonus material is March 20th, but you may now pre-order it from Bandcamp!

Pre-ordering gives you instant access to one of the tracks, and once the record is released in March, you'll automatically be emailed a link to download the full EP at that time.

Get your copy today! After the album launches, you may also purchase it via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, MediaNet, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody, Nokia, and VerveLife.

Throw the Lions to the Christians remaster now available for pre-order

The official release date for the Throw the Lions to the Christians remaster with bonus tracks is March 6th, but you may now pre-order it from Bandcamp! Pre-ordering gives you instant access to two of the tracks, and once the record is released in early March, you'll automatically be emailed a link to download the full album at that time.

Get your copy today! After the album launches, you may also purchase it via iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, MediaNet, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody, Nokia, and VerveLife.

Nine poems in The Yellow Ham

I may still be writing 2011 on my checks (yes, I still write some), but with 2012 fully underway I'm very pleased to announce I have nine (!) poems from my Basic Cable Couplets project in the debut issue of The Yellow Ham. Enjoy!