Free download while supplies last!!!

Now you, yes you can own a digitalized copy of the analogously recorded lo-fi spectacular known near and narrow as "ghosts of christmas presence by joel rockey." By simply clicking on the link immediately following, you will be mere moments away from downloading a zip file containing a hi resolution cover image, original insert sleeve in printable PDF format and all ten tracks in glorious AAC just waiting to be burned onto a crispy new CD-R (cd-r not included). All that's required of you is that you must listen to it backward and forward and upside down while hanging from monkey bars in a chicken costume while whistling along to every tune... (use your discretion on that last one) Please enjoy and have a neat summer! BFF!

download GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PRESENCE now!

Act now... supplies are limited!

Share the hair

The reluctant hermit emerges from his cavernous dwelling once again in another attempt at assimilation.

He carefully walks his ever thinning line between social butterflies and social lepers.

What was never more than a glimmer of hope has all but surrendered to the already deafening cries which he imagines from women and children on the street.

"The beard! Destroy the beard!"

He will not be shaken.
He returns to the fold of silence and empty pages.

Whatever happened to...

Remember this young balloon toting pop star who helped navigate the dreams and aspirations of all americans toward peace on earth, walking on moons and domesticated wildlife? His name was Michael Jackson. The name may sound familiar as a pasty gentleman who uses the same name has found himself gracing the cover of many a tabloid in recent years. However, the young man pictured above performed a song which made innumerable turns around my record player as a child. I purchased the 45 rpm record for side A which ultimately saw very little needle time once I flipped that piece of vinyl over. From deep within the grooves of side B emerged a repetitive dance groove which sent me and my brother into a frenzy each time we heard it. I still own that 45... deep scratches, cracks and all. Ladies and gentlemen, as far as I'm concerned, "Thriller" was the B side of this lesser known Michael Jackson classic. Experience this joint as I did as a child and lose yourself in its hypnotic groove...

Can't Get Outta the Rain by Michael Jackson

American blood

I found this photo in a recent unpost...

Daniel Day-Lewis's portrayal of oil man Daniel Plainview character is brilliantly executed. His descent into madness is a frightening yet mesmerizing spectacle... on par with Orson Welles' George Foster Kane.

Checked out the film Great Wall of Sound...

often funny. ultimately moving.

Borrowed revisited

photos courtesy of a girl named eddie

Week espresso and the darjeeling limited

Nothing like weak espresso to give one a kick in the pants. No more I say. No more.

An epic turnout at the strange brew turned another last minute hootenanny into a true event. Collaborating with mr. kyle siegel and mr. scott hensley was magic. Sending out the good word about ms. eddie's little film that will. It will.

Met some new folk and was quite pleased to see some old friends. Age has nothing to do with it. Thanks for coming out and supporting the independent arts - music, film, coffee, etc. Speaking of, ms. toni carr who co-owns and operates the strange brew coffee house with her guy mr. dan carr is having a book of her knitting designs published. Pre-order Knock Down Knits: 30 Projects from the Roller Derby Track from amazon.com right now if you know what's good for you.

So, miranda jane and i sat down and absorbed the delightful new wes anderson film The Darjeeling Limited this week. It was a moving tale of brothers reconnecting and coming to terms with their father's death and their mother's abandonment as they venture across India with all of their proverbial and literal baggage in tow. Do see this film.

Also see these films:
Margot at the Wedding
Eagle vs. Shark
Juno

Can you taste spring on the tip of your tongue yet?
What's it taste like?
All i can taste is espresso...
weak espresso.

Thanks mr. bent
Your welcome mrs. moorman

Something borrowed

February 29th, 2008 from 6pm to 9pm Ben Flack, Hannah Goeden, Joel Rockey, Kyle Siegel and Scott Hensley will be performing at The Strange Brew Coffee House located at 4800 West Smith Valley Road in Greenwood, Indiana 46142.

The event is in support of friend and local film maker Shawna Brummett and her film 'Borrowed Time' which begins production this summer. We will also be auctioning off artwork by young artist Nash Sweney and giving away give certificates to a couple lucky guests.

Please come out and show your support for local independent art, music and film at one of the finest independent coffee houses in central indiana.

www.borrowedtimemovie.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/joelrockeymusic
www.myspace.com/kjsacoutic
www.myspace.com/scotthensleymusic
www.thestrangebrew.net

Bottle rocket beginnings

Being a bit of a Wes Anderson film enthusiast, I've been excited about seeing his latest film, The Darjeeling Limited since first seeing the trailer online last summer. Unfortunately, the film never saw wide release in my neck of the woods and I didn't get to experience it from the silver screen. Next week, Darjeeling, starring Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman, releases on dvd. Hence, I may finally get to partake in a viewing or a few.

Though I do still have yet to see Anderson's latest film, I did get the opportunity to share his first feature film Bottle Rocket with some friends during a viewing last winter at the Rockey home. Today, I stumbled upon the original 13 minute film which led to the full length film a couple of years later. It stars Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson and Robert Musgrave as Dignan, Anthony and Bob following their attempts at becoming gangsters. Elements of Anderson's film making are recognizable even in this low-budget short film. The video and sound quality in this version are pretty horrible, but it's still interesting to watch for someone who has never seen the original blueprint of one of the great pieces of american film. Dig it!

Bottle Rocket, 1994 - written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson

On ice

two tired hearts...

Pickin' strummin' whistlin' hummin'

Cosmic brothers joel rockey and scott hensley reunite to bring their hand-crafted songlings to the acoustically pleasing rafters of southminster’s sanctuary.

What more does one want or need?

this just being one of the majestic treasures a 'mr. t' google image search will grant you.

Between Two Winding Wheels, Vol. I

So I'm preparing myself for my first shift working in an unfamiliar store as I reach for the stack of unmarked discs beneath my car's stereo. I turn the ignition and slip a certain disc in to the player when the thumping bass line of Spoon's "I Turn My Camera On" greets me for my afternoon commute. This mix of songs which followed was constructed a few years back, but I am now enjoying it all over again. I'm not sure exactly what inspired this particular mix, but this particular mix has now inspired me to revisit the rockey home mixtape archives in search of other noteworthy mixes to be shared in this new feature, "Between Two Winding Wheels"

side a:

1. spoon - i turn my camera on
2. guided by voices - never gonna have to die
3. bright eyes - another travelin' song
4. cat power - he war
5. frank black & the catholics - cold heart of stone
6. jay farrar - damn shame
7. birds of america - breath of the bloodsucker
8. michael penn - walter reed
9. tom petty & the heartbreakers - change of heart
10. the postal service - such great heights

side b:

1. rosie thomas - pretty dress
2. the shins - kissing the lipless
3. sufjan stevens - casimir pulaski day
4. wilco - the late greats (live)
5. the decemberists - engine driver
6. call and response - eclipse
7. elliott smith - miss misery
8. vigilantes of love - hard luck & heart attack
9. pedro the lion - i am always the one who calls
10. john hiatt - gone

In this new feature, we will be treated to mixes from cassettes and compact discs alike which have been compiled and shared among friends. We'll be reaching way back through the years so stay tuned...

Obsequious, purple and clairvoyant

When long ago I was an adolescent with lofty aspirations of comic stardom, much of my study time was spent reading up on my favorite funny folks, studying their hilarious hyjinks on hours of videotape and listening obsessively to their albums. For all of the attention I confess to paying many lesser artists, Steve Martin always captivated my attention like no other. His approach to comedy strayed far from conventional yet for me played like one hilarious joke that his audience was in on. I still find myself listening to his albums Let's Get Small, A Wild and Crazy Guy and Comedy Is Not Pretty! while laughing along with the absurd genius which kept me doubled over as my turntable kept endlessly spinning all those years ago.

Recently, while spending some time in Target while locked out of my car, I picked up a copy of Born Standing Up, Martin's memoir of his stand-up days. While Martin has been an avant-garde performer of comedy, a musician and an actor, he may first and foremost be considered a brilliant writer. With numerous books, plays, short stories, essays and screenplays to his credit, he has followed with an intimately engaging account of his rise to stardom and the decision to exit the platform which elevated his celebrity. After reading the book's Forward, I decided I should probably settle up and officially add this piece to the home library. As I quickly tore through the remainder of Born Standing Up, what I found most interesting among the details of Martin's stories of early relationships and his struggles into showbiz was the deeply emotional influence the relationships within his family have had on his evolution as an artist. Throughout the book, he shares candidly about the role in which his parents' passions and shortcomings alike had played in the decisions he made throughout his early career. It is the heart of this story. It is heartbreaking and true. Steve Martin is a brilliant writer and has rarely seemed so vulnerable. It's often strange and humbling when someone allows a peak behind the curtain to their true self. In Martin's case, there has suddenly emerged an entirely new dimension to his comedy.

MP3: Grandmother's Song - from Let's Get Small
MP3: The Cruel Shoes - from Comedy Is Not Pretty!