Rocking fucking socks off at the Reptile Palace on 8/24.
http://www.sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_63.m4v
Find more about the band at sunspotmusic.com
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Idiocracy
If you can get past the somewhat over-the-top ridiculous writing, the premise is right on. The family tree part will make you pee your pants.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Reptile Graffiti
Alright, I remember the "Zombies rule" from last time, but is the Mom comment a new addition?
Friday, August 24, 2007
TONIGHT! Everything's OK
We're returning to the Reptile Palace in Oshkosh where, last time we played, we had a metal-icious evening!
Come on down... it's FREE show!
Come on down... it's FREE show!
Closer to the truth on OBE's
This article about out-of-body experiences being recreated in a lab is pretty awesome and it takes a little bit of the "mystical" out of OBE's, but that's cool.
I, myself, have never had an OBE (I've tried, I even read a book called How To Have An Out Of Body Experience in 30 Days but it didn't work for me. Probably because the first page was about standing naked in a mirror and touching yourself. Not that I've never done that, but it felt kinda weird to be instructed to do so (well, at least not by someone wearing a leather mask.)
So, if OBE's aren't supernatural at all, then we can recreate them at will. That's what I'm excited about. One of the big issues with mental health is the inability of a patient to leave his or her own head (depressed people are always sleeping, right?), what can training someone to leave their body help them do? I'm not sure where the science leads, but it's a cool possibility nonetheless.
I, myself, have never had an OBE (I've tried, I even read a book called How To Have An Out Of Body Experience in 30 Days but it didn't work for me. Probably because the first page was about standing naked in a mirror and touching yourself. Not that I've never done that, but it felt kinda weird to be instructed to do so (well, at least not by someone wearing a leather mask.)
So, if OBE's aren't supernatural at all, then we can recreate them at will. That's what I'm excited about. One of the big issues with mental health is the inability of a patient to leave his or her own head (depressed people are always sleeping, right?), what can training someone to leave their body help them do? I'm not sure where the science leads, but it's a cool possibility nonetheless.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Votigo
Someone sent me this link today, where we appeared in a contest on a video site called Votigo. It's a video contest site where people can put up YouTube or Google or whatever videos, pics, etc... in polls and contests.
Which is good, because it encourages people to find content on a variety of video sites instead of just going to YouTube. You never know when YouTube's corporate masters will start issuing diktats and we shouldn't be relying on one site to hold all the content anyway. Remember MP3.com or garageband? Bands trusted those sites but when they got bought out, much sex was had with bands' butts. Same issue with Myspace. What happens when Myspace starts charging, kicking people out, censoring, or whatever? (Alternatively, what if they actually rebuild their website so it's easy to use, doesn't crash all the time, cracks down on bots, and isn't completely fucking annoying?) There was a time when bands had websites and used email, that time is over. Now it's all Myspace and their crashy-crash message system. (Like I want to log in every time I get a message that says "What's up?")
I've digressed from my point. Diversity is good, let's not get too beholden to one service (like Google who is a great service here, but don't forget if you're in China you can't No comments:
Which is good, because it encourages people to find content on a variety of video sites instead of just going to YouTube. You never know when YouTube's corporate masters will start issuing diktats and we shouldn't be relying on one site to hold all the content anyway. Remember MP3.com or garageband? Bands trusted those sites but when they got bought out, much sex was had with bands' butts. Same issue with Myspace. What happens when Myspace starts charging, kicking people out, censoring, or whatever? (Alternatively, what if they actually rebuild their website so it's easy to use, doesn't crash all the time, cracks down on bots, and isn't completely fucking annoying?) There was a time when bands had websites and used email, that time is over. Now it's all Myspace and their crashy-crash message system. (Like I want to log in every time I get a message that says "What's up?")
I've digressed from my point. Diversity is good, let's not get too beholden to one service (like Google who is a great service here, but don't forget if you're in China you can't No comments:
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Chinese Democracy
This might be old news to some diehard G n’ Fn’ R (I’m still never sure where to put the apostrophes) fans who have been following the bootlegs of the new record, but I just finally got around to listening...
So, at the afterbar at The Pimps’ house after the July 3rd show in Rockford and this wasted dude walks in who talks like he knows everyone in the music industry (and did I mention that he said he was best friends with Dizzy Reed? ‘Cuz he did, about 40 times.) He was kind of a knob, but he did leave 4 bootlegged tracks off of “Chinese Democracy” that were leaked in May.
And yeah, they’re pretty frickin’ great and I wanted to hate them. Kind of. I wanted to like them but not that much. I wanted to convince myself to like them (you don’t want to re-affirm what a talent Axl Rose is, because he’s so batshit. The guy hit Stephanie Seymour, don’t forget.) “Chinese Democracy”, “Better”, “I.R.S.”, and the last one is either “The Blues” or “Madagascar”, I’m not sure, but “Better” and that one are easily my favorites. I don’t hear that much of the industrial rock that people were talking about (it kinda just sounds like Guns n’ Roses with some loops every once in awhile.) And even though it could use some of Slash’s melodies, the guitar playing is badass.
Haters can suck ballsweat.
G ‘n’ R forever.
Man.
So, at the afterbar at The Pimps’ house after the July 3rd show in Rockford and this wasted dude walks in who talks like he knows everyone in the music industry (and did I mention that he said he was best friends with Dizzy Reed? ‘Cuz he did, about 40 times.) He was kind of a knob, but he did leave 4 bootlegged tracks off of “Chinese Democracy” that were leaked in May.
And yeah, they’re pretty frickin’ great and I wanted to hate them. Kind of. I wanted to like them but not that much. I wanted to convince myself to like them (you don’t want to re-affirm what a talent Axl Rose is, because he’s so batshit. The guy hit Stephanie Seymour, don’t forget.) “Chinese Democracy”, “Better”, “I.R.S.”, and the last one is either “The Blues” or “Madagascar”, I’m not sure, but “Better” and that one are easily my favorites. I don’t hear that much of the industrial rock that people were talking about (it kinda just sounds like Guns n’ Roses with some loops every once in awhile.) And even though it could use some of Slash’s melodies, the guitar playing is badass.
Haters can suck ballsweat.
G ‘n’ R forever.
Man.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Pictures and Show Review from Saturday
Here's some pictures and a review of the show Saturday at The Annex. I think these were taken by the guys from Madhouse Monthly magazine, which is a new publication focusing on Wisconsin music. I met Sleepy and the Mighty Cud on Saturday and they were cool guys. Good luck with the magazine and thanks for posting pics of the show!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Femme Fight-Ale?
Say it ain't so, the pride of Milwaukee music is fighting over royalties? I guess a Wendy's commercial is the very definition of "selling out", especially because Gordon Gano is a vegetarian .
But the Femmes albums don't sell like it's the mid-80's anymore and even then they weren't a huge band. Don't they have a right to make a few bucks? Do Violent Femmes fans never go to Wendy's? I'm a vegetarian too, but I like their baked potatoes and I've been known to enjoy a redundantly cold Frosty on occasion. Does that make me less of a Violent Femmes fan? And what's more subversive than having a song about jacking off sell hamburgers AND getting paid for it?
That's the way the business is, I'm not sure how ethically consistent it is, but that's it and I don't feel comfortable judging them for it.
and oh yeah...
Worst. Blogpost Title. Ever.
But the Femmes albums don't sell like it's the mid-80's anymore and even then they weren't a huge band. Don't they have a right to make a few bucks? Do Violent Femmes fans never go to Wendy's? I'm a vegetarian too, but I like their baked potatoes and I've been known to enjoy a redundantly cold Frosty on occasion. Does that make me less of a Violent Femmes fan? And what's more subversive than having a song about jacking off sell hamburgers AND getting paid for it?
That's the way the business is, I'm not sure how ethically consistent it is, but that's it and I don't feel comfortable judging them for it.
and oh yeah...
Worst. Blogpost Title. Ever.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Scary Sherri is Dead?
Sherri Martel is one of the few wrestlers that I saw up close back in the day when my dad would take me to WWF matches at the Bradley Center. Me and Dan Johnson (who was always kind of a prick to me and even called me a poser in sixth grade for only knowing two Metallica songs, his brother was a good guitarist in HIGH SCHOOL but in retrospect, fuck Dan Johnson) ran to the railing by the locker room and saw Sherri come out with Macho Man Randy Savage, so we were about five feet from her and started chanting "Scary Sherri" (which was her WWF nickname at the time.) She hissed at us and I thought it was awesome. I didn't know she died and another wrestler OD's. RIP Scary Sherri.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Mystery Poe Grave Visitor Revealed
Looks like the mystery visitor who left a bottle of cognac at Poe's grave every year was a hoax made up to foster tourism to the cemetery. But it's a cool story anyway and anything that brings attention to his writing seems cool to me.
Why are we surprised that everything revolves around commercialism? Poe didn't die with a great deal of money (drunk, poor, and crazy is much more like it) and his works are now in the public domain. Don't you think he would have liked to enjoy some of the money that others have made off of his ideas in the past 160 years? If it's keeping the name and the work alive, I dig it. I'd even do the toast sometime, but I'd need a wide-brimmed hat.
Why are we surprised that everything revolves around commercialism? Poe didn't die with a great deal of money (drunk, poor, and crazy is much more like it) and his works are now in the public domain. Don't you think he would have liked to enjoy some of the money that others have made off of his ideas in the past 160 years? If it's keeping the name and the work alive, I dig it. I'd even do the toast sometime, but I'd need a wide-brimmed hat.
Sunspot Road Mania - Ep. 62
Looks like I got the number of the Road Mania incorrect on the actual video again. Next time I probably won't work on it after a couple of cocktails in the middle of the night...
Direct download link for a higher quality version: http://www.sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_62.m4v
Direct download link for a higher quality version: http://www.sunspotmusic.com/roadmania/sunspot_rm_62.m4v
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Heroin or Colonics?
Courtney Love has lost 40 pounds using a diet of fasting, colonics, fish, macrobiotic food, and meal replacement shakes (ummm... probably Slim-Fast like Tommy Lasorda.) While a Courtney colonic pretty much sums up her solo record, I just thought it was interesting that the only quasi-riot grrrl who ever really made a mainstream cultural impact now has a publicist that's sending out press releases about her weight loss.
When I was 18, I loved her fiery rock n' rollness, her unabashed sexuality, and her tragic story. Or maybe it was just her snoobs in The People Vs. Larry Flynt (Doll parts, right?)
Someone told me there's a war on, but Courtney Love lost 40 pounds.
When I was 18, I loved her fiery rock n' rollness, her unabashed sexuality, and her tragic story. Or maybe it was just her snoobs in The People Vs. Larry Flynt (Doll parts, right?)
Someone told me there's a war on, but Courtney Love lost 40 pounds.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Zuzus Petals
I remember hearing about this band in high school, but I didn’t know the singer was from Madison, and I really didn’t know that she married Paul Westerberg... awesome! Even for someone who missed The Replacements golden era like me, we still had the Singles soundtrack and he had two songs on there (in addition to Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Chris Cornell, Heart, Alice in Chains, and just about every other unbelievably popular 90’s band a the time, I even think The Screaming Trees were on there.)
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/08/14/books.laurielindeen.ap/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/08/14/books.laurielindeen.ap/index.html
Monday, August 13, 2007
Big Weekend Ahead!
If you haven't been to a Sunspot show in a while, this weekend you'll have a couple of opportunities as we return to some of our favorite Wisconsin venues!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Sunspot in Santa Clarita?
Special thanks to our friend Matt Apps (aka Devious) for drawing this to our attention!
In addition to his massive archive of Sunspot photos, Matt's photography has been featured in a variety of places. Here is a recent example of one:
http://santaclaritaguide.com/DiningNightlife.html
Here's another one from a San Diego newspaper (thanks to our friend Cory for the pic):
Congratulations Matt!
In addition to his massive archive of Sunspot photos, Matt's photography has been featured in a variety of places. Here is a recent example of one:
http://santaclaritaguide.com/DiningNightlife.html
Here's another one from a San Diego newspaper (thanks to our friend Cory for the pic):
Congratulations Matt!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Wendy's DrummerCam: Friday 7/27/07 @ Memory Lanes, Minneapolis, MN
Oops! Special thanks to "Anonymous" for pointing out that I never posted this awesome pic from our show in the Twin Cities a couple weeks ago.
Sorry for the delay... Better late than never, here it is! :)
Sorry for the delay... Better late than never, here it is! :)
Sunspot Road Mania - Ep. 61
More general ridiculousness from us trying some Gmail contest at the Madison Music Foundry and then hanging out at practice.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Goodbye Superphone
After crashing again yesterday, I decided to sunset my Treo 700p today. I didn't get the Verizon insurance on it and it was past warranty. The microphone wasn't working so I had to make all my calls through my Bluetooth headset and that was a total pain.
Anyway, I'll probably fix it up and put it on eBay, but I can honestly say that when it worked right, I absolutely loved it.
So, I picked up a Motorola RAZR V3M from Verizon (it was the one they were giving away with the New Every Two) and I already have the Bluetooth Dial Up Networking going for my MacBook. The good part is that the DUN is faster than it was before (40-50K a sec) so I'll still be able to use the Internet in the van.
I also picked up a Palm T/X because I still love the PIM applications (I would've gotten just the cheapest Z22 because I don't need that much with the laptop, but I wanted to still use the TomTom Navigator with it, and I need Bluetooth for that and when you see the screen on the T/X it's really something, it makes the Tungsten E or whatever look kinda chintzy.)
So, I'll give this new setup a try. I've been dedicated to my Treo (really, I'm a fuckin' Ninja on the thing) for the past two years but now it's time to try something different (and with no 3G network, the iPhone was definitely out!)
Anyway, I'll probably fix it up and put it on eBay, but I can honestly say that when it worked right, I absolutely loved it.
So, I picked up a Motorola RAZR V3M from Verizon (it was the one they were giving away with the New Every Two) and I already have the Bluetooth Dial Up Networking going for my MacBook. The good part is that the DUN is faster than it was before (40-50K a sec) so I'll still be able to use the Internet in the van.
I also picked up a Palm T/X because I still love the PIM applications (I would've gotten just the cheapest Z22 because I don't need that much with the laptop, but I wanted to still use the TomTom Navigator with it, and I need Bluetooth for that and when you see the screen on the T/X it's really something, it makes the Tungsten E or whatever look kinda chintzy.)
So, I'll give this new setup a try. I've been dedicated to my Treo (really, I'm a fuckin' Ninja on the thing) for the past two years but now it's time to try something different (and with no 3G network, the iPhone was definitely out!)
Monday, August 06, 2007
D&D Baby
I just found this pic on the Accordian Guy blog.
With that story from last month about the parents whose gaming obsession led to child neglect, I thought it'd be good to see the dorky, but less destructive side.
With that story from last month about the parents whose gaming obsession led to child neglect, I thought it'd be good to see the dorky, but less destructive side.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Sunspot on The Mic
Contessa was on Lee Rayburn's show on The Mic 92.1 FM this morning talking about tonight's show at the Madison Music Foundry. You can grab the podcast and listen to the MP3 of this morning's show right here.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Everyone Loves Naughty Mannequins
Everyone that's seen our Suzy or Sally know that we do. But this Sarasota entrepeneur is protesting the city's decision not to let him open his business (a hair salon populated by girls in bikinis) by putting mannequins in nasty positions in the windows of the building. If you look at the pics, there's nothing even that I'd consider that bad (which I guess isn't saying much.)
Yeah, this guy's probably pretty slimy, but he's got a right to protest and if the neighbors stonewalled his business idea, well, now they're reaping what they sowed. And ummm... they're just mannequins. It might be in poor taste, but they're pieces of frickin' plastic.
Yeah, this guy's probably pretty slimy, but he's got a right to protest and if the neighbors stonewalled his business idea, well, now they're reaping what they sowed. And ummm... they're just mannequins. It might be in poor taste, but they're pieces of frickin' plastic.
Silly Russians
The North Pole belongs to Santa!
They can't just claim it, where are the elves supposed to go? And we all remember what happened when the Martians tried to fuck with our jolly friend...
They can't just claim it, where are the elves supposed to go? And we all remember what happened when the Martians tried to fuck with our jolly friend...
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
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