My universe lost two extraordinary people in the last three weeks. I hadn't been in touch with either for a few years, but they were the sort of people by whom I knew I would always be welcomed. Both were artists, painters and musicians. I doubt that either had health insurance.

Glenn Kennedy of Monroe, Louisiana was my bandmate in an improvisational avant-jazz band called The Third Eye. Prior to that, his band "Pete", played five house parties in my Ruston, La. living room. He was a noted muralist who was probably best known for an ornate painting he did on the ceiling of a downtown Monroe church. He had an incredible dry wit and he never ceased to make me think. Also, he had great taste in women.

Will Westbrook of Athens, Georgia played with me in early lineups of The Gerbils and Clay Bears. He collected bizarre photographic and musical equipment, hosted nickel-ante poker games, and once had a porch sale that lasted a month. He had an irrespressible enthusiasm and was constantly introducing me to new things. I've had three of his artworks up in my house for the last 10 years. They were class assignments that he was planning on throwing away, but they're great. He was also the first person to ever tell me that my solo recordings were good.

You guys are already missed.

The unreliable blog continues living up to its name.

I know there are people who read this site, so my apologies for the lack of activity. It's not idleness, I assure you. I've been focusing on a variety of projects, some music related and some not. Two weeks ago, I finished recording a new solo EP, to be released on Jack Tuftee's Love Harder record label this January. Mike Merriam is currently mixing and mastering the tracks in Miami, FL. My computer is at the shop for some maintenance before I begin work on my next two major recording projects. I have a huge new batch of songs that I'm excited about.

The Hellpets will be coming out of hibernation soon. Really.

Well, another year of helping to organize PDX Pop Now is finally over and it's time to finish some of those outstanding projects...whatever they were. There are approximately three albums that I need to record, but that requires going down into the basement and it's just too nice outside for that. Then, in a few months, it'll be far too cold to go into the basement. And besides, there are sooo many DVDs I need to watch. Does the world really need more music anyway? Okay, probably.

It's also time for me to work on some long-neglected personal matters...whatever those were. Anyone remember? Oh, you're probably not talking to me now.

It's also time to get ready for more festivals of local music! My fellow PDX Pop Now organizers and I have long said that if you didn't like the way our festival is, then join us or start your own festival. At least two groups have taken that to heart: The "We Made This" Festival and "Halleluwah", taking place in the next month at the 9th Street Public House and the Disjecta, respectively. Consider me there.

The Hellpets are playing a basement show on August 12th to celebrate our friend Amanda's Sweet 16...though, she's married, so from a legal standpoint I'm assuming she's at least slightly older. Then, on the 18th, I'm playing a solo show with my friend Adam at a coffee shop near NE 20th and Sandy.

Speaking of birthdays, I had a great party this year. Thanks much to The Minor Thirds, Nick Jaina and Ali Ippolito for filling the house with sound. Duetting with Anne Adams at 3am was a pretty big thrill too.

I just got back from jazzfest in New Orleans where things were refreshingly upbeat. Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello and Ani Difranco were predictably, and thankfully, critical of the federal government's inept handling of the hurricane aftermath. Bob Dylan might have been too, except it was impossible to tell what he was saying. The city of my birth showed some distinct signs of progress since November, when I last visited, but things are still generally effed up.

Last week, the Portland Mercury was nice enough to plug a recent Neutral Milk Hotel book for which I was interviewed as well as our new tour diary. They also made mention of a solo show at Mississippi Pizza on Monday night, but I wasn't there. I'd been offered the show, but had to turn it down because of my trip. I didn't see the paper until I got back, so I apologize if it caused any inconvenience.

I'm in the listings this week for Saturday night at Porky's on N. Lombard, but I've just received word that the bar has a new owner and has called off all of the scheduled live entertainment. What the business strategy of this is, I couldn't say.

In more "actually happening" live music news, we've booked a show at Acme for July 7th. I'm told that the outdoor patio stage will be complete by then, so it's going to be a lantern-lit, rock'n'roll luau of epic proportions. The rest of the lineup is to be announced.

Much, much going on, as always! (though I'm sure it's hard to tell from reading this website)

Firstly, the diary and photos from the Curious Pets '06 northwest tour are almost ready to post. With any luck, you'll be vicariously rocking your way through the obscure northwestern regions of your subconscious by the end of the week.

Nextly, I'm gearing up for a brand spanking new recording project. More news on that later, unless I decide that it's simply too top secret!

Lastly, I'd like to announce the 2006 Ross and the Hellpets "Five Quadrants" tour of Portland, Oregon. We will be playing one show a month for the next five months, hitting each of our city's five beautiful quadrants in clockwise order. We begin on May 6th, playing the North quadrant with our insanely talented friends Quality Name Brand. Then, June 17th as the debut rock show of the Driftwood Bar in the scenic Northeast quadrant. And, to those who would write to point out the impossibility of there being any other number of quadrants besides four, I can only say: Welcome to Portland! According to certain locals, we have six.

What I've been doing:
1. Mailing 288 copies of Optimism to college and community radio stations.
2. Rocking out to an enthusiastic and appreciative audience in Vancouver, Washington.
3. Sending press releases to papers and radio stations along the route of the April 2006 Curious Pets mini-tour.
4. Having a few press releases returned to my house because the post office forgot to apply the postage sticker.
5. Being struck with awe at the beauty of Natural Bridges, the delightfulness of Alan Singley + Pants Machine, the unbridled passion of Curious Hands and the tastiness of Captured By Porches.
6. Working on the PDX Pop Now 2006 compilation and festival.
7. Working on new songs and plotting some new albums.
8. Seeing Robyn Hitchcock and the Minus 5 rock out at the Doug Fir.
9. Being narrowly defeated in a contest of Academy Award predictions.
10. Planning trips to Louisiana.
11. Being blown away by the hard rock stylings of LKN and the trance-y, if largely pre-recorded, sonic layers of Talkdemonic.
12. Sending follow-up emails to college radio music directors.
13. Cooking(!).
14. Witnessing the brilliance of Stuart Valentine and Please Step Out Of The Vehicle.
15. Sitting in on drums with The Mouse That Roared at a house party.
16. Watching my friend Tyler play in 8 different bands in a single night.
17. Forgetting to update my website.

Many thanks to my hundred closest Portland friends who attended and performed at the 2nd Annual Electro-coustic, sit-down, hoe-down of sound at the Beach House a couple of weeks ago. I had a fantastic time and, if the feedback is any indication, so did everyone else. Tyler Riggs songs were biting and insightful. Sean Brooks songs were understated and beautifully desolate. The Minor Thirds were fun and overflowing with their usual literary wit. And Per Se was as gorgeous and emotionally devastating as ever. I can't remember how many times someone came up to me that night saying, "Wow. I'd never seen [blank] before!"

Special thanks go out to Sean for bringing his P.A. and also to Zeb from Captured By Porches for bringing over some of his delicious craft brews.

Of course, the main point was just to have a bunch of friends over for drinking and listening to musicians, followed by the inevitable blaring dance party. We've now scientifically established that if you skip to tracks 2, 5, 6, 8, 10 and 16 on Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me by The Cure, it's the greatest dance record of all time. Good thing I rolled up the rug! The beer, wine, liquor bottles, mixers, and hors d'oeuvres magically lasted all night, yet had been completely consumed by the time the last guests left around 3:30. I'm also happy to report that it only took three hours of Burgerville-fueled cleanup to return my house to its normal state.

Several people have commented that I need to throw more than one party a year. I'm considering that. Pictures coming soon...

In much less fun news, Jake Anderson (Minor Thirds, Celesteville, Yuma Nora, etc, etc.) was rushed to the hospital for emergency gall-bladder surgery last week. Complications kept him in the hospital for an entire week. Like most musicians in this country, he has no health insurance. If you'd like to make a donation to defray some of his crazy expenses, go to PayPal and send some money to jake@tapemountain.com.

My lovely Louisiana friend Skip and his cadre of bay area troubadours came through town last weekend and put on a gorgeous musical display at the Towne Lounge. Then, they stayed over at the rock hostel and we had a nice homemade blueberry pancake brunch in the morning. They were too polite to mention that they'd had blueberry pancakes the previous morning. If you like sparse, subdued and gorgeous music, I highly suggest you request a copy of their cd. It's homemade and cheap! Here are some pictures I stole from Skip's MySpace page...

Los Hellpetos del Norte.


El Estereo.


Yumminess, warmth and showers at the rock hostel.


Opening the show was Day of Lions (aka Gena) whose music was equally gorgeous! She lives here in Portland, not that you'd know it since she actually spends months at a time doing solitary solo tours around the country.

We played the middle slot at the Towne Lounge and, once again, generated as much fun as any band who sings about war and corruption. Frankly, I'm thinking of switching back to love songs. New Towne Lounge booker Chantelle Hylton was in attendance and told me that my band made her "want to go out more". I chose to quit while I was ahead rather than ask for an explanation. Meanwhile, our two new albums continue to move copies thanks to cdbaby word of mouth. Check them out here and here!

Lastly, we're finally planning another tour: a four-day affair into the rainy north with our pdx pals Curious Hands. More details to follow. And speaking of the rainy north, we're invading the state of Washington, if just barely, next month as we open for Minmae at the 15th Street Pub in the 'Couv.

I've seen quite a few kick-ass local shows lately. A delirious Per Se charmed the Doug Fir on the day Anne twisted her ankle, leaving her to hop precariously from one microphone to the next. At that same show, I had my senses slayed by the expanded lineup of The Sort-Ofs. My friend Chris Piuma of The Minor Thirds gave a hilarious poetry reading at the downtown Borders bookstore, one poem of which will probably be in the liner notes of my next album. Captain Bogg & Salty did their usual thing with their usual skill at Dante's. Levi, bassist of Heroes and Villains, performed his debut solo set at Berbati's Pan before being joined onstage by this H&V bandmates Adam and Scott (who I swear sounded just like George Hurley from the Minutemen). This was followed by the high-energy enthusiasm of Sounds Like Fun.

Much has been going on Hellpet-wise. The Countess spent a month in India, acquiring along the way a harmonium, which will shortly become a prominent component of our sound. We played a great show at the Acme in early December with Curious Hands and The Odditors. My solo show at Mississippi Pizza with Ana Cooke and Jesus Burger got snowed out. Along with The Draft and Binary Dolls, we celebrated the release of our CD at the Doug Fir, delivering what some people described to me as our best, most high-energy performance ever. We helped ring in the new year with Minmae and Ape Shape at a packed and raucous basement show, complete with three kegs of beer and explosives -- a combination I wholeheartedly endorse.

The Hellpets bust out with a cover-heavy subterranean party set.


The Countess Von Hellpet associating with famous rockers in North Portland.


Me associating with soon-to-be famous rockers in North Portland.


Then, yesterday we were savaged in a Willamette Week concert review by Mark Baumgarten, a man who I've played many softball games with, who has used me multiple times as an ear for his personal woes, and who, last time I saw him, took a flying, drunken hug at me at Pt. Juncture's Wonder Ballroom show. All that aside, you'd think he would at least make the editorial choice to *not* write about a small-time local band that he thinks sucks.

His main points seemed to be: 1) We didn't maintain a big enough crowd at 11pm on the Wednesday night after Christmas. 2) The audience we had was not enthusiastic enough. 3) I play too many eighth and sixteenth notes for his taste. 4) The Countess can't sing. He put it considerably more harshly.

"Oh, there's the phone again. Probably another person who pities me," remarked the Countess during rehearsal that night.

"At least it's a good picture."
"No, it's not!"

We recalled our friend Kimberly, the San Diego-based lesbian spoken-word performer. She received a vicious newspaper review a few months ago asserting that her act was cliched, dated, boring and a number of other choice assessments. On the upside, they also reported that she was "pretty". For weeks afterward, people would come up to her saying they saw her in the paper. No one seemed to remember the content of the article. Thank goodness for the embarrassingly short American memory!

Many people offered unsolicited opinions about our performance at the Doug Fir. Quite a few of them were from strangers. They all differed dramatically from Mark's opinion. Then again, Mark gets paid for his opinion.

I guess he showed us, or something. I did accidentally hit his housemate in the side with a softball last year, so maybe it was that.