Failed Pilot

Ok, Gruntruck doesn’t hold up so hot, but sad news nonetheless…

On with sunnier items: 

Interested parties will have two chances to catch Earles and Jensen LIVE at SXSW!!!

First, on Friday night (3/14), we will be doing a ten-minute block between 10:30 and 11:30 for the “Super Deluxe Comedy Showcase @Sxsw Curated by Comedy Death-Ray.”  Or something to that effect. The shows are at two interconnected clubs called Esther’s (the big room) and the Velveeta Room (the small one).  E&J are in the 10:30 block with Brian Posehn, Leo Allen and Matt Braunger.  So it’ll go Matt hosting, E&J doing ten minutes, then Leo then Brian. We will be unveiling a ten-minute “History of the Prank Phone Call” Powerpoint presentation. This is an official SXSW event/showcase.

…then….

On Saturday (3/15), if you can even stand or walk from laughing so hard, we will be hitting the stage AT THIS (’tween 3:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon, booked as “3:30″)….

MESS WITH TEXAS 2 PARTY with….

The Breeders + NOFX + Simian Mobile Disco + Islands + Kimya Dawson + Black Mountain + Yeasayer + F*cked Up + Lucero + Jay Reatard + No Age + Neon Neon + Pissed Jeans + Atlas Sound + Two Gallants + White Denim + Matt & Kim Municipal Waste + The Night Marchers (featuring John Reis) + Howlin’ Rain + Dead to Me + Langhorne Slim + Shearwater + Gil Mantera’s Party Dream + Grand Ole Party + Darker My Love + Moonrats + Annihilation Time + The Coathangers + Abe Vigoda + + Mellowdrone + Monotonix + Aloha + Selmanaires = moreComedy: Janeane Garofalo Human Giant Brian Posehn Todd Barry + Eugene Mirman + Paul F. Tompkins + Jon Glaser + Jon Benjamin + Earles & Jensen + Leo Allen + Hard n Phirm + Scott Aukerman + BJ Porter + Reggie Watts + Jonah Ray + Matt Brunger + more

Look at the company we’re keeping!!

…and on April 22, interested parties will have the chance to experience Earles and Jensen Present…Just Farr A Laugh Vol 1 & 2 (The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!!) in their own homes!!

It took the new issue of Decibel Magazine to inform me of an unfortunate passing.

There are times when even a poorly-aged album does it for me. That’s a testament to an initial strength, sure, and proof that all genres have at least a handful of winners. At nineteen, I had but one friend that listened to Gruntruck, a band that had a timely (for the radio/grunge/trad indie feeding frenzy) sound that also happened to pack a punch - a punch powerful enough to transcend the terrible building blocks of their contemporaries. Push is a solid album…as long as you know what you’re getting into. It also has what might be the absolute worst cover art of any early-90’s alternative release (out of respect, I am not posting an image).

Gruntruck founder Ben McMillan died recently of diabetic complications. No matter what you think of Gruntruck, or his other band, Skinyard, the guy could write a hook and was certainly onto something re: metal crossing over into “hipper” genres (one of his runnin’ dogs in Gruntruck was Tom Niemeyer of The Accused).

Gruntruck’s Wikipedia entry.  

It’s satisfying. I suspect that the very last episode will hurt. Unlike the episode that you just watched, this (airing 3/2) won’t make you feel as if an immediate shower is in order.