Dr. Frank's What's-it

Nikki and friend, ca. 1998

Makes a Great Gift

Too long, didn't click any of the links, decided to email or DM instead

The track listing for MTX Shards vol. 1 is: King Dork / How I Made a Million in a Punk Rock Band / Sackcloth and Ashes / Whistle Bait / Itching Powder in the Sleeping Bags / Boredom Zone / Fill in the Blank / Unpack Your Adjectives / Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah / Semi-OK / Flying Jelly Attack / As Life Goes on, You Get More and More out of It / Kenny Smokes Cloves / Can't Get There from Here / God Bless America / I Was Losing You All Along

Also here's the description/text of the Sounds Rad Shirts/Shards offer:

Ltd. to 60 Shirts. Pre-orders end Nov. 16th and shirts ship on or about Dec. 4th. ​​

​Prepare to be freaked out this Halloween as MTX and Sounds Rad have decided the resurrect the dead: t-shirts. We will be reissuing classic t-shirt designs in extremely limited quantities. Each design is printed on a high-quality soft looped cotton t-shirt, which is made to comfortable and more importantly, durable.

For November, we will be offering a reissue of the classic MTX Starship design limited to 60 shirts. The $25 t-shirt package will include a 1" pin, 5 x 5" sticker, 11 x 17 poster and a digital download of MTX's "Shards Volume 1" a collection of songs that have been dead and buried for the last 20 years. As an added bonus, if you pre-order the shirt on Oct 31st, you will receive the Shards Vol. 1 collection a day early!

Happy Hallowe'en

MTX Shards Volume 1

So the tl;dr of this is: we just put up a new, MTX digital album on iTunes/Amazon/etc. It is volume one of what will be a two volume set containing all the extra songs that have appeared on various CDs as bonus tracks but haven't been available in the official online catalog till now. 16 tracks on each, 32 songs total. It's called Shards (Vol. 1). (Official release date is November 1. Volume 2 is coming soon.) Tracklist is here.

Sounds Radical is offering a package deal where you can pre-order a limited edition re-issue of the classic MTX Starship T-shirt (with a pin, sticker, and poster) along with an immediate download of the album. While supplies last! Order on Oct. 31st to get the album download a day early! If you want in on that go here. It will also, of course, be available on all the usual services like iTunes, Amazon, spotify, etc.

More: when we first started putting out records in 1986, the vinyl LP, ep, or 7" was obviously the main release, the "real" one. When CDs came along, this didn't change. The albums were still side A and side B of the LP. (For some of us, regardless of format, they still are, two halves, 20 minutes each or so.) The CDs were seen as an adjunct to the vinyl version, and, like a lot of bands, we used to pile on any available extra tracks in a more or less archival spirit without much (or any) thought given to aesthetic cohesion. The idea was, why would anyone want to pay more money for a CD of this when you could get a perfectly good LP -- better give 'em something extra to justify the extra expense. (Though in some cases it's not at all clear that these extra tracks added value rather than subtracted it.)

Anyhow, the result was, in the end, a mess, and a blurring of the line between the albums per se and the morass of extras. (e.g., the crazy track listing of the Our Bodies Our Selves CD, where the obvious ending song "Game Over" is succeeded by three cool but random extra tracks (one of them inexplicably moved from the main album to the end) with "Swallow Everything" shoehorned in between "More Than Toast" and "Not Guilty" -- because they were recorded in the same session? And then there's a hidden track at the end of a big space of silence after "God Bless America"... Clearly, the product of a madman, if not several madmen. Yet I know that many people think of this nutty CD as the actual "real" album. And maybe it should have been, in that some of the crammed-in songs are many people's favorites. But, it wasn't.)

So when, in the wake of Lookout's exit, we re-organized the digital back catalog, we decided to restore the original vinyl track listing and sequences of the albums, eps, and singles. While many of the CD extras had been b-sides that had been included on their respective singles in the re-organization, this left out a great many previously released songs (thirty-two, to be exact.) Some of these were quite "important" ones too, like "King Dork", "We Are the Future People of Tomorrow", "Unpack Your Adjectives," as well as a lot of fun covers and such. The plan was always to compile these into an Odds 'n' Sods / Relics type album, but what with one thing and another, that plan hasn't happened till now.

I've tried to arrange the tracks as albums that can be listened to as such, eight songs to a "side" in the traditional manner, rather than chronological archives. They are from various sources, (covers comps, out-takes, demos, one live on the radio song) spanning 1987 thru 1999. The criterion for inclusion when it comes to the out-takes and demos is simply whether they have already appeared (and subsequently disappeared from) somewhere. I have however left off the terrible sounding live cassette recordings that were on the Making Things with Light CD; they were just messing everything up like they always have. (They're easy to find if you must have them, and in fact, I can even sell you a CD if you want one of those: drop me a line at themagnificentdrfrank@gmail.com) As for the demos and out-takes, maybe one day I'll find the machinery and the gumption to re-examine those tapes and see if there's anything else interesting on them, but that's for another time if it ever comes. For now, this is what there is. You can get the whole thing at once, or song by song as needed. Or not, as the case may be. Just putting it out there, as it were.

Finally, big, heartfelt thanks go to our good friend Pete Mattern at Planet X Recording Studio for mastering the comp. You'll probably be surprised how good it sounds, especially considering the sources.

(Also, if you still haven't got the new MTX album (King Dork Approximately the Album), it's a free download with the book, and the best place to get it is from Sounds Radical.)

This Guy Has the Right Idea

Eddie

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

Beach Privilege

The New York Review of Books jazzes up its assessment of Brian Wilson's latest memoir with some fashionable nonsense:

But time and social change have been rough on the Beach Boys. Their best-known hits (say, “California Girls,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “I Get Around”) are poems of unenlightened straight-male privilege, white privilege, beach privilege. It is hard to imagine that they helped anyone toward self-determination or achieving their social rights.

Dan

This is Dan Potthast of the band MU330 among others. Dude writes great songs.

Um, Shows

No new listings from the last time I posted the list. I just deleted the Las Vegas shows which already happened. They were fun. I hope to be able to announce more dates soon.

Sat- Nov 12th- Santa Ana, CA at The Constellation Room, with Toys That Kill, The Maxies, The Decline (OZ). Facebook event page. Buy tickets.

Sun- Nov 13th- Los Angeles, CA at Redwood Bar with Toys That Kill +?? Buy tickets.

Thurs. Dec 8th: Dr. Frank solo/acoustic, at the Westchester Public Library, 10700 Canterbury Street Westchester, IL 60154 708-562-3573. Free all ages. Details TBA. Will probably start at 7PM.

Fri- Dec 9th- Chicago, IL at Reggies, with Nobodys and the Reaganomics. SOLD OUT!!!

Sat- Dec 10th- Green Bay, WI at Lyric Room, with Nobodys, Rev Norb & the Onions, George's Bush. Buy tickets.

Saturday, Jan 7th, 924 Gilman St, Berkeley, with the Smugglers, Pansy Division, Brent's TV, Squirtgun, Potatomen, Kepi Ghoulie. All ages. Show of the century folks:

Sophie

(Here she is ten years ago, btw. Glad she stuck with it.)

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

Steven

Steven Bickmore is a professor of English at the UNLV College of Education (formerly of Louisiana State University) and a specialist in Young Adult literature. He pretty much singlehandedly forced King Dork into academic legitimacy through his graduate program and articles, including this one, which is definitely the fanciest thing I've ever been in, unless you count a couple of cowboy shirts. According to this he discovered KD via a google search for "books like Catcher in the Rye." So, this internet thing does work sometimes. I've been telling you it's gonna be big one day.

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

perfectly filters the essence of the great Ray Davies’ most inspired moments of the very early ’70s through Dr. Frank’s distinctive lyrical and vocal style

Ed Masley of the Arizona Republic posts the video and puts "High School Is the Penalty..." on a list of 10 songs you need to hear right now.

And if Ed or anyone who has read this were in doubt as to whether or not I would quote it in full, now and till the bitter end, well then, they don't know me very well, do they?

This is the second single from the Mr. T Experience’s first release in 12 long years, and it perfectly filters the essence of the great Ray Davies’ most inspired moments of the very early ’70s through Dr. Frank’s distinctive lyrical and vocal style.

He sets the tone with a wistful delivery of “To anyone with eyes, it’s plain to see / That high school is the penalty / for transgressions yet to be specified / The sentence begins as soon as they’ve got you inside” to the tune of what sounds like it could be an actual school song.

But the sentence doesn’t end there. As Dr. Frank notes in the following verse, "One day you’ll graduate, but you will find, my friends / That high school never really ever ends / The haves will still be hounding the have nots / Though they smile at you while they’re hatching their plots.”

It’s a brilliant arrangement, effortlessly navigating several different musical motifs with unerring pop sensibilities. And it stands as the musical highlight, for me, of “King Dork Approximately,” a companion piece to (Dr.) Frank Portman’s second young adult novel (a sequel to “King Dork,” which in turn started life as an MTX song, re-recorded here).

What really needs to happen now is for someone to take this album and this book and build a big-screen musical around the two.

I second that emotion, Ed!

A coupla other links:

-- Paul Silver capsule-reviews KDATA the album on Jersey Beat.

-- I am interviewed in the current issue of the horror zine Body Count. That's a buy link for the physical zine. I'm told it may be posted on line at some point.

Tony & Bette

Ryan

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

King Dork Approximately the Cover that Might Have Been

(This was also posted on the Sounds Radical blog.)

Frank Kozik is one of the greatest poster artists in the history of rock and roll. His work revolutionized the "rock concert" poster in a fundamental way, and whether you realize it or not, if you've been a rock and roll person over the past twenty-five years, you've seen his stuff, especially perhaps in San Francisco, where he moved (from Austin) in the early '90s. Even if you didn't know anything about the man himself, one of "those" posters meant the show it advertised was real and significant; these images were an integral part of the show-going experience (and are often the thing I remember most about shows I've been to when I think back) Of course, my dumb little band never did the kind of show that would have warranted that sort of treatment or attention: our poster style was, find a picture from a magazine, photocopy it with added text, and tape it to a pole.
But in the pretend rock star parallel fantasy world that lived in my mind alongside the actual one, every show had a Kozik poster, because of course it did.

​So I was indescribably excited, overcome with emotion in fact, when I learned that Krista, my editor at Random House, and Angela, the book designer, had arranged for Frank Kozik to do the cover of my new book King Dork Approximately. I wanted to kiss them. It was such a perfect idea. It was amazing that he agreed to do it. Also, it was the realization of a lifelong dream.

Plus it was just great art. He'd read the manuscript and come up with a terrific King Dork-ization of the Judas Priest Screaming for Vengeance eagle (which plays a big role in the book.) The original sketch looked like this:

"Well, Doctor," I said to the face in the mirror, "they can't take this away from you." Except, they could.
​
It's a long, complicated story, but publishing a book is never a simple matter. There are many considerations, and hundreds of people involved in considering them. Folks who hadn't been through the same rock and roll wringer that I'd been through, for whom this artwork was nice but not, perhaps, the realization of a life-long dream, wondered whether people would "get it." We looked at other options, as you do. And in the end, due to circumstances beyond our control, the cover was scrapped, new approaches investigated, release dates delayed, tears cried, teeth gnashed -- the standard procedure in every human endeavor. The hardcover book was published with the yellow cover you know, and life went on.

​Well, in publishing, a paperback release is like a second chance. And as you may have been able to tell, I've put a whole lot of energy into making this particular second chance as special and second chance-y as possible, with new cover art, a new album, singles, videos, shows, T shirts, lunchboxes, cookies, etc. etc. So when Chris of Sounds Rad and I started to discuss ways to make our rock and roll KDA specialty packages as cool as possible (and remotely signable) we decided to reproduce the original cover, book sized, as an insert for me to sign instead of the usual bookplate. Pretty cool. Welcome back, lifelong dream.

Zoe

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

I Don't Know What Kind of Business You're In, But I'm in Show Business

Just a quick show update here. The new things are (a) the kind of last minute Las Vegas evening show on the flier at the Golden Tiki, and the "Lookouting" at Gilman. (Advance tickets for the Saturday night at Gilman sold out in four minutes or something, but they've reserved a good amount -- like, really a lot -- at the door so it should still be possible to get in if you're willing to stand in line for them.)

Sat - Oct 22nd: Dr. Frank solo/acoustic, Windmill Library, 7060 West Windmill Lane, Las Vegas NV, 1 PM. Free, all ages. It's a book event, so I'll be talking about the book and maybe reading but it'll probably mostly be songs and goofing around, knowing me. Facebook event page.

Then later that same night, if you're 21 or over, join me at the Golden Tiki, 3939 Spring Mountain, Las Vegas NV, free, 21+, doors at 8, show at 9. It'll be a good time if I have anything to say about it.

Sat- Nov 12th- Santa Ana, CA at The Constellation Room, with Toys That Kill, The Maxies, The Decline (OZ). Facebook event page. Buy tickets.

Sun- Nov 13th- Los Angeles, CA at Redwood Bar with Toys That Kill +?? Buy tickets.

Thurs. Dec 8th: Dr. Frank solo/acoustic, at the Westchester Public Library, 10700 Canterbury Street Westchester, IL 60154 708-562-3573. Free all ages. Details TBA. Will probably start at 7PM.

Fri- Dec 9th- Chicago, IL at Reggies, with Nobodys and the Reaganomics. SOLD OUT!!!

Sat- Dec 10th- Green Bay, WI at Lyric Room, with Nobodys, Rev Norb & the Onions, George's Bush. Buy tickets.

Saturday, Jan 7th, 924 Gilman St, Berkeley, with the Smugglers, Pansy Division, Brent's TV, Squirtgun, Potatomen, Kepi Ghoulie. All ages. Show of the century folks:

There will be more to come if nothing goes wrong.

Like a Tree with a Microphone Stuck to It

It took some doing, but this nearly 60 year old guitar is finally resurrected and back in my arms again. The guy who sold it to me 25 years ago told me its previous owner had been Johnny Guitar Watson (which is a cool enough pedigree to stick with, true or not.) It was my main guitar from around '91 through '97 and I put it through hell during those years, subjecting it to more, I'm sure, than JGW ever dreamed of doing. It started out a bit funky (and not in the good way) and by the time I was done with it, it was barely playable, an elegant, largely useless wreck. Now, thanks, to Steve Streit (of Streit Stringed Instrument Repair in Berkeley) it is playable.

And man, what a great guitar it is. Leslie West famously described the Les Paul Jr. as "a tree with a microphone" and I know what he meant. Just a big solid hunk of wood with a screaming P-90 unceremoniously stuck on it. Even strumming it unplugged you can feel the resonance spreading through your body with every chord you hit. Partly the design itself, maybe, but mostly I guess it's the 60 year old wood. I noticed this when I first got it, playing it dolefully in my apartment trying to figure out what to do with my life. So many questions, but at least this thing was something I knew I could feel, deep down in my chest and heart, all the way down to the floor. Oh, yes very little has changed, except now it's possible to tune it properly. And then you plug it in and a giant wave of noise crashes over you. And everyone else. It's quite the machine.

I credit this guitar (and the Marshall half stack I acquired around the same time) with sparking the songs that were to start a pretty productive run of writing and recording. You know how that happens? You get new gear and it "takes you somewhere"? I wrote "More than Toast," "Swallow Everything", "Dustbin of History," the instrumental that became "Bridge to Taribithia", "Martyr" etc. in that smelly Oakland apartment with this crazy guitar and that amp, the downstairs neighbors banging on the ceiling with a broom handle and the hippie down in the garden yelling "play the blues motherfucker!" (I think he was yelling that at me, but it could have been just something he yelled, generally.) And me thinking, well, probably that's the extent of the audience that will ever hear this stuff, glad I'm annoying them at least. Like I said, some things don't change that much. Sorry, neighbors upstairs. You seem very nice and you did nothing to deserve any of this.

Kepi

Taylor

Somewhere Halfway between the Ramones and AC/DC

Just a few links from the past week.

--This review (by Julie River) of King Dork Approximately the Album appeared on the punknews.org site. I've been covered in one way or another by quite a few big, important publications in the mainstream media over the years, but I have to say that this is probably the most thoughtful, cogent, and (dare I say) serious review I've seen of anything I've ever done. A lot of journalism is mainly about personality, image, and stuff to do with the supposed economic or cultural impact of the bits of art being covered; articles that specifically address the content of the thing being written about in any extensive way are surprisingly rare, even when it comes to ostensible reviews, so much so that it's a bit shocking when you come across one that does.

(To be honest, many reviews these days seem to be written by people who haven't actually read or listened to the thing being reviewed. You know I'm right about this. And Julie River actually took the time to read the books before referencing them and discussing them -- it's shocking, perhaps, that I'm so impressed with this, but it really is quite unusual.)

So kudos to you, punknews.org, and thanks: I didn't know you had it in you.

(Of course it doesn't hurt that the review is favorable, or that it contains the phrase I pulled for the title of this post and will no doubt be quoting all the time, till the day I die. It almost beats this one, from a guy on twitter: "it's kind of like if Robyn Hitchcock was in Green Day." Now, that's quotable.)

-- All that being said, I was pleased to have the release and local shows featured the Mercury News by Jim Harrington, and in the San Francisco Chronicle by Steven Boyle.

-- Ed Masley kindly included "Cynthia (with a Y)" on his list of 20 best September singles. Thanks, Ed!

-- here's a review from Punk Rock Theory; and here's one !upstarter.

-- This interview appears in the UK fanzine Lights Go Out. And this one, by our own Bobby Martinez, is in The Bay Bridged.

-- Here's a little personal testimonial cum press release by Jonathan London, long time MTX supporter and director of the "High School Is the Penalty..." video.

-- on the subject of videos, don't forget about these: "Cinthya (with a Y)"; and "King Dork Approximately. "Cynthia ..." was premiered in Paper Mag with a nice write-up by Alex Scordelis; while "High School..." was premiered by the AV Club with this writeup. Also, I've got to mention Tom Breihan's post on "Cinthya..." on Stereogum, because he once referred to King Dork as the "best punk rock book ever" in the Village Voice: you don't forget the names of the people who give good quote like that.

-- For the Love of Punk is doing a contest/giveaway of a copy of the book/album.

-- Here's a punk books display at the Windmill Library in Las Vegas, where I'm appearing this month (on 10/22.) Steven Matview, the librarian who arranged for that, also runs Punks in Vegas, and here's his "book club" review of King Dork.

-- finally, a couple of podcasts I've recently done: RIYL, with Brian Heater; and the rock and roll show Long Gone Loser (Part 1 and Part 2.

Okay that's all I got right now.

Alex

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

Kat

I met Kat at our show at the Blue Lamp in Sacramento over the weekend. Fun girl.

If you'd like to be in the Dork Gallery take a picture of yourself pretending to read my book and send it to me. Buy the book here, or here.

Note to people outside the USA who want King Dork Approximately the Album

It is ridiculously expensive to ship the physical book (which is the "gateway" to the album download) but you can buy the Amazon Kindle version and access the album from it. (I believe it will work with any form of the ebook as well.) That means you can pay $9.99 and get the album as soon as you have downloaded the ebook. (I confirmed with our friend Maria Surfingbird: it works, all the way from Russia!) It's at the back of the book, and it is listed in the contents menu as well.

Of course, this is something people in the US who want the album instantly can do as well, though the Sounds Rad package offers a bit more for your money. And, while we're running down the options for getting the album right away, buying the book from a store always works (plus it makes the store think it's worth stocking my books which isn't bad.) You can also order the physical book from Amazon or any other outlet that stocks it and ships to your country of course.

links: Amazon; Sounds Rad

Also, when you buy it, if you like it and wouldn't mind, leave a review on the Amazon page. It couldn't hurt!

Bradley

Bradley Skaught is a true blue singer-songwriter and rock and roller, something that is pretty hard to sustain long-term in this day and age. I first became aware of him because my old bandmate Aaron plays bass in his band the Bye Bye Blackbirds. He writes subtle, flawlessly constructed pop songs suffused in rock history; and the band always manages to punch well above its weight. If you've ever been in a band, you probably know how hard it can be to sound "real" like that. It's a gift, really.

(If you want to buy a book and take a picture of yourself pretending to read it -- and who wouldn't? -- you can get it Sounds Radical or Amazon. Sounds Rad sends it out with extra stuff, plus the accompanying album can be downloaded instantly from the site.)

Alana

I met Alana at a public library visit in Nashville last year along with her dad and brother. Cool kid, looks good with a book. Her dad is a writer and does the band Vista Blue, who did this song that continues a tradition of a sort (Syd Barrett => Dan Treacy => Dr. Frank):

Michele

Michele (with one L) is the regular co-host of the great rock and roll podcast Long Gone Loser and is a top gal and all around good egg. Only met her just recently but she's already one of the "regulars". Welcome aboard, L.

(You can buy the book/album here, from Sounds Radical.)

Kevin

Kevin Seconds is the best example I can think of of a punk rock guy transitioning successfully and elegantly to an authentic, credible role as a singer-songwriter qua singer-songwriter. (Not that he's left the punk rock behind, necessarily -- but it's a thing many have tried and few have managed quite as well.) He's a great writer and terrific guy as well. You know those songs where you hear them once and everything snaps into place and it feels like they were always there, somehow? He's got those. It's not so easy to come up with them.

My first ever solo acoustic show was at the Bottom of the Hill in 1999, on a bill that included Kevin, whom I didn't really know at the time. Playing solo is nerve-wracking and scary the first few times you do it. I was almost literally petrified, couldn't feel my fingers... my memory of it is still a blur of anxiety, and when I think of it now my main thought is still, man, glad that's over. Anyway, because of that I kind of feel like Kevin Seconds was there from the beginning of my clumsy trip down the road he travelled more deftly. Here's to many more great songs.

Decks

Yes, these are real. Only at shows (for now at least.)

Kris

I was on KPFA today with my old pal (and "retired punk rock mailman") Last Will and the legendary Kris Welch. I'm used to a very casual, shambolic, deliberately sloppy approach from years of college radio, which is a big contrast to the adroit, skillful, quintessentially professional way she steered the interview. Yet, she was also spontaneous and funny, and very "real." Her impromptu reading of the opening paragraphs of KDA was some of the best reading-out-loud I've ever heard.

We played a couple of songs from the record, I talked up the book and the album, and I played "The History of the Concept of the Soul' (because it's Will's favorite.) A great time.

John, please cut extra loud good luck and thanks

I thought I had everything already, but I just got another surprise grab bag bin of MTX master tapes from Alex Botkin via Corbett Redford (who was presumably hanging on to them for use in the Green Day / East Bay Punk documentaries in some way.) Not sure where I'm going to put them. I already have 16 bins of tapes tetrised in a closet in two precarious towers that you have to be careful to breathe around. Literally tripping over my "legacy" over here.

Anyway, two photos.

This is the two track master for the Love American Style 7" with the note that is the title of this post from Kevin Army to mastering engineer John Golden:

And this one is reel two of "MT HH":

MT is "Mr. T" I'm sure. What do you suppose "HH" is?

Well, whenever we would start a recording project, Kevin would ask me for the title, which I would almost never know before we started. (Love Is Dead is the one exception I can think of.) So I would just say the first thing that popped into my head, which Kevin would dutifully write down, and that would pretty much be the working title of the album till we came up with the real one. (This is why the Our Bodies Our Selves tapes are all labeled "Julie Andrews". At least I think it's OBOS that was Julie Andrews. I don't want to risk the tetris tower of tapes to check.)

HH stands for "Henrietta Hippo." Which was later re-titled Big Black Bugs Bleed Blue Blood.

Henrietta Hippo, seriously. Maybe that would have been better, who knows?

You'll also notice, if you can make it out from the two track master of side two of LK 49 (Milk Milk Lemonade) next to it, that the original title of "See It Now" was "Slow One".

Chris

Take a pic and send it to me if you want.

Dork Gallery

For ten years I've been collecting photos of people pretending to read my books, a tradition that was started by my old comrade Leah when she sent this pic:

Soon everyone was doing it, and I wound up with hundreds of them, mostly just regular old readers but also some celebrity types, running the gamut from Rick Nielsen to Rhea Perlman to Tobias Wolff, to Condoleezza Rice. (Possibly a unique gamut, if gamut means what I think it does.) I've always had lots of fun with it, and I'm glad to see the tradition continuing with the newest edition. But it doesn't hurt to solicit more, because if hundreds are fun, thousands are ten times as fun.

The gallery is here.

So, send me your photos Or not. Don't do it if you don't want to, that would be pretty dumb.

p.s. Leah also did this one on a Suicide Girls shoot. A versatile and talented girl. Talk about gamuts. There's also an Andromeda Klein Readers Gallery too. (John Waters!)

King Dork Approximately the Shirt

Chris

This is Chris Appelgren, former owner of Lookout Records, old friend and tireless supporter of me and my stuff. Without his help King Dork Approximately the Album would have struggled much more in its bid for real world existence, and been much less. In fact, he's the main reason the MTX in its most successful and approved-of phase (Women Who Love Them through Yesterday Rules) was able to exist at all. We had few champions in those days. (Kevin Army is the only other I can think of, really.) Without him, I doubt there'd have been any records after 1994. So, I owe him a lot.

Back in those days, we used to spend lots of time together scouring bookshops and junk stores for fodder to be turned into artwork. I have always loved his art and the whimsical, retro, gently ironic sensibility it brought to my little recording projects. It is really strange that now, more than twenty years later, we are once again doing much the same thing. This photo was taken during one of our weekly strategy meetings at Cato's Ale House that we've been doing over the past year. Once again, and always, thanks Chris.

High School Is the Penalty for Transgressions Yet to Be Specified

This song begins side 2 of King Dork Approximately the Album, and we released it as a digital single to accompany the video (essentially a short film with the song as soundtrack, directed by our own up-and-coming filmmaker Jonathan London.)

The AV Club "premiered" the video with a write up here.

You can find the song: on Amazon; on iTunes; and on spotify. It's on all the other services as well.

Or you could just buy the whole album from Sounds Rad. Ten bucks. Comes with a free book, instant download of the album, and a signed limited print of the original cover art by Frank Kozik, signed by me. Pretty good deal (and the only way to get the rest of the album till January.)

Peace.

Jody

(You can get one just like it from Sounds Rad.)

Cum on. Buy the Noize

It has been released. What that means is, you can download the full King Dork Approximately the Album when you get hold of a copy of King Dork Approximately the Paperback. The quickest way to do that is to order the book from the Sounds Radical webstore, which allows you to download the album right away and listen to it while you wait for the book to arrive in the mail. The Sounds Rad packages include a printed card of Frank Kozik's original book cover artwork, signed by me. There's other KDATA stuff at the Sounds Rad store as well, with more to come.

Cum on. Buy the noize.