News & Stuff

The Dead Milkmen played our first show of the year on June 12 at the Middle East in Boston (actually, Cambridge), Massachusetts. It was great fun. There are some photos posted at Flickr and some videos on You-Tube if you missed it or want to re-live the night. The next scheduled Dead Milkmen show is September 24 at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia PA.

I have returned from the 'Powder to the People' tour. I must say I had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows, and a big thanks to The Powders (Rachel Feldmen on bass, Grace Locke-Ward on drums, and Samuel Locke-Ward on organ) for backing me up. I noticed that some folks have posted videos from some of the shows on You-Tube. In case you missed it or want to see it again, you can see most of the Detroit show by searching You Tube for 'Joe Jack Talcum Detroit', and some of the 7th Street Entry show in Minneapolis by searching 'Joe Jack Talcum Entry'.

My new album, "Live in the Studio", is out now and available for digital download and on old-fashioned Compact Disc which is available from CD Baby. The album was recorded live with Hugh Hamilton on slide guitar and banjo and Marshall Fischer on drums. Photographs in the album art are by Nina Sabatino.

My EP on Acoustic Fury Records ('Joe Jack Brand Talcum') split with Ratboy is now available for digital download from iTunes, eMusic and Rhapsody.

I played harmonica on two of the tracks on the recently released Stinging Nettles album. It's a great album titled "Tread Softly". Check it out.

Last November I went on a fun, cross-country solo acoustic tour opening for Pinback. Thanks to everyone who came out to the shows. And shortly before that I had my first ever tour with The Bassturd, and Samuel Locke-Ward versus Darren Brown. My second tour with The Bassturd wrapped up this past February and my second tour with Samuel Locke-Ward ended in April of 2010. Thanks to all who ventured out to experience the live shows. I'm planning to cover the southeast, the one section of the country I missed in my recent tours, this coming summer.

My first, and so far only, tour of Alaska happened for 10 days in July of 2009. I had an incredible time there. I took a bunch of photos and posted them on my myspace page. (You might need to have a myspace account to see them.) The band included Dave Hendrickson on upright bass and Marshall Fischer on drums. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us!

I joined a new band in February 2009 called No! Go! Tell!. I played guitar. We recorded a four song demo which is available for download on our Web site. However, due to my vigorous solo touring schedule and my work with the newly formed Dead Milkmen, I had to bow out of this band in fairness to them. They are a great band and deserve to have a guitarist who can give them one hundred percent focus. I encourage you to check them out if you have not already done so.

Karen Schmidt has posted to YouTube a video of Ornamental Wigwam performing live at Bacchanal on December 2, 1987. I don't know who shot the video. The song is called 'Er Bits Du'. Dave Blood wrote the lyrics and I wrote the music.

Out now: a split LP vinyl album and compact disc with Mischief Brew! It is titled "Photographs From the Shoebox". 500 copies were pressed on gray vinyl. Order your copy today from Interpunk.com. It is also available for download from eMusic, iTunes, and other sources.

Someone's selling a Butterfly Joe CD on half.com! The album is now also available on iTunes as iTunes plus download, and for download on Amazon.com.

Home Recordings 1984 - '97 was released by Valiant Death Records in 2004 but is now out of print.

TOP TEN MP3 DOWNLOADS for February 2010
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