New poem in Picaroon

Nice way to start the year! I have a new poem in the latest issue of Picaroon Poetry.

Check it out, and hope you enjoy!

New poem in Jazz Cigarette

I'm thrilled to have a new poem in the latest issue of Jazz Cigarette!

New single from The Injured Parties

My band, The Injured Parties, is about three-quarters of the way through recording our sophomore album, titled Product Placement, due for release next year.

In the meanwhile, enjoy this single, "Original Mixed-up Kid," a cover of the classic Ian Hunter composition originally recorded by Mott the Hoople on their Wildlife album, produced by the great Chris Stamey, available for purchase via Bandcamp, iTunes, and other digital media on October 7th.

New poems in KAIROS

I'm thrilled to have a pair of poems in the debut of KAIROS, with a third set to be published in their next issue, out in December. Check 'em out, and hope you enjoy!

New poems in Jet Fuel Review

I have two poems in the most recent edition of Jet Fuel Review -- check 'em out!

Pop Up Poetry Reading

I've very excited to be reading for this upcoming event, co-sponsored by the Poetry Foundation. Pop Up Poetry is a series of 30-minute lunchtime poetry readings marking the reopening of the new Contemporary Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago. The reading is Wednesday, May 25th at 12:00 noon. Meet in the Modern Wing's Griffin Court.

For more information, there's a Facebook event, as well as a Foundation event.

Hope to see you this Wednesday!

Upcoming shows!

In addition to hosting my monthly songwriter showcase, Folk You! this Friday, on Sunday I'll be playing a special solo set, opening the night for the 15th annual International Pop Overthrow Music Festival.

Hope to see you at both events!

New poems in Scintilla

I'm pleased as all get-out to have three new poems in Scintilla -- enjoy!

Upcoming Appearances

Here's some springy musical and book events for your kind consideration...

On March 11th, The Injured Parties open for Dressy Bessy at the Empty Bottle. March 25th, I'll be appearing at a special Flint-centric edition of RHINO Reads!

April 15th is a (hopefully) untaxing Folk You! April 17th, I'll be playing a solo set for the International Pop Overthrow Music Festival at the Red Line Tap.

May 8th is the next edition of Excited Utterance; and on May 25th I'll be partaking in the Poetry Foundation's Pop Up Poetry series at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Hope to see you at one (or more) of these get-togethers!

Good Grief review in No Depression

Big thanks to Lee Zimmerman for the boffo review of Good Grief in No Depression!

Get your copy today -- CD from Bandcamp or digital from iTunes.

Good Grief on sale September 25th

My 13th (!) solo album, Good Grief will be available as a download and on CD this Friday, September 25th! This long-in-the-works project started back in 2008 and after a number of pauses for reflection, personal crises, wranglings with various schedules, and intensive work periods, it's finally being unleashed. You can read about the whole enterprise, from its inception to conclusion, here, but manifold heartfelt thanks to the truly international cast of contributors, including Eric Block, Lee Bloom, Jimmy De Lauriea, Ned Doherty, George Friend, Mike Hagler, Lance Helgeson, Howie Kantoff, Lupe Martinez, Paul Morbeck, Wim Oudijk, Brian Stout, Chris Stamey, and Bobby Sutliff for making it happen.

Some reviews have already appeared in Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio, babysue, Broken Hearted Toy, and Listen Here, as well as airplay -- sometimes multiple spins -- via This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio, Pure Pop Radio, The Razor and Die Show, Snap, Crackle, POP!, Plastico Elastico, UIC Radio, Radio JJ, Zero Hour, Radio One Chicago, CHIRP, and Radio Free Americana, with (hopefully!) more to come. I'll keep posting them regularly once the album is officially "live."

Thanks, as always, for your support, and wish me luck on the launch of Good Grief!

Good Grief review in Broken Hearted Toy

Thanks to Terry Flamm for his review of Good Grief in Broken Hearted Toy!

Good Grief airplay!

Good Grief has been getting lots of airplay in advance of its September 25th launch. Radio Free Americana recently added it, and the album is currently #12 on the RFA charts!

Other supporters include Zero Hour on WMSE 91.7 FM; The Razor and Die Show on WLUW 88.7 FM; Hidden Treasures of Rock 'n' Roll on UIC Radio; Plástico Elástico; Radio JJ; Snap, Crackle, POP! on KWVA 88.1 FM; Alan Haber's Pure Pop Radio; and This Is Rock 'n' Roll Radio.

Thanks for listening/spinning! More to come in the next few weeks and beyond. Stay tuned!

Good Grief Review in babysue

The first of (hopefully) a torrent of reviews for Good Grief (out September 25th) is in the latest issue of babysue!

Americans for Prosperity single now available!

My new single, "Americans for Prosperity" is now available to download from iTunes, Bandcamp, and Amazon, among other e-tailers. Check it out, and hope you enjoy!

Americans for Prosperity single is out August 28th

In anticipation of my 13th (!) solo album, Good Grief, out September 25th, and considering the current political zeitgeist, comes this timely standalone single. 

“Americans for Prosperity” is narrated from the dual perspectives of the put-upon citizen-worker, trying to keep their head above water and fighting for monetary scraps in the “trickle-dumb economy,” and bosses-followers of the Koch Brothers' “zero sum” ideology. "AFP" was recorded last summer with backing from George Friend (guitar), Lance Helgeson (drums), Dann Morr (bass), and Amy Russell (backing vocals), and it will be available as a digital download August 28th via iTunes, Bandcamp, Amazon, et al.

The official release event is here. Hope you enjoy!

Ketchup, No Mustard

While I no longer eat encased meats, any bona fide hot dog aficionado knows you don't put ketchup on your wiener. However, the title of this post is presented more as a pun on "catching up" than as condiment endorsement.

When I last wrote, both my semester at Indiana University Northwest and my Poetry Center residency at Skinner West were recently over, and I was still in the process of regaining my composure. The advent of 'summer' -- and a fuller swathe of free time than normal -- always requires a mental readjustment period. (A brief period: in less than two weeks I'll once again be co-teaching Northeastern Illinois University's Creative Writing Institute with Christine Simokaitis.) Since then, I hosted and read for the spring edition of my reading series, Excited Utterance (along with co-poets Hannah Gamble and Kristin LaTour); hosted and performed for monthly songwriter round-robin Folk You! (along with Dalice Malice, Simeon Peebler, and Sugar Still); and read for Blotterature magazine's "50 Shades of Lies" print-raiser (joined by Michele McDannold, Rick Kubic, and Bill Yarrow, with music from James Neary).

I also recorded some overdubs for The Injured Parties' sophomore album, as well as mastered my forthcoming 13th (!) solo album, Good Grief with Mike Hagler at Kingsize Sound Labs. Good Grief has been long-gestating, and I'll have more news on the Chris Stamey-produced effort later, as well as a standalone single launching about a month ahead of the album.

I also anticipate having some big news very soon on my next full-length book of poems, Activities of Daily Living. Stay tuned!

Consider yourselves down with the update. Yo.

Poems in Seeds

I have three poems in the Spring 2015 edition of Seeds! You can access the whole issue right here.

New Poem in Defenestration

I have a new poem in the latest edition of Defenestration, "a literary magazine dedicated to humor." Check it out, and thanks to the Def crew for including me!

Yearendery

The fall semester is all but done, and the usual tumult accompanying it has resulted in some quiet here. Come January, I will be continuing with my Hands on Stanzas residency at Skinner West, and also returning to Indiana University Northwest to teach some higher ed classes. In all, academically the spring semester looks to be quite busy!

In other news, my label, Zenith Beast, is currently in the process of delving into its back catalogue, with the result being a series of archival releases. The first, including albums from 1986-1993, resumes December 9th. These albums are digital-only releases, available from iTunes, Amazon, and other e-tailers. ZB's next wave of releases may comprise a deeper dig into the archives, going back to the early '80s, or it may entail brand new music -- check out the redesigned ZB homepage for details, and/or follow the label on Twitter.

Finally, the end of the year signals the arrival of the annual Alex Chilton Birthday Bash! The Injured Parties are pleased to play for the tenth year straight, and this lineup looks to be especially good.

Happy holidays, all!