So now I've taken a spot at http://www.damngoodtunes.com as a feature writer for 'the pacific rim'.  I will probably be focused on the Seattle/Tacoma scene since I'm located there, but I still have lots of ties to L.A., and through them ties to New Zealand, Australia, Portland, S.F. and Vancouver.  So I wanted to make sure I was inclusive and not limited to the Seattle/Tacoma area, which can get a little sleepy sometimes.  I think it's the overcast skies that makes the PNW have such a malaise music wise.

However, I have found a lot of local people with a lot of energy that I'm happy to promote with some good reviews.  In the last two weeks, I've been to two seperate CD release parties, both of which will be featured in upcoming damngoodtunes.com articles.  Special mention goes to Kayla Stewart  http://kaylastewart.bandcamp.com/ with her first CD 'Unheard'.  She runs Cadence Music here in Tacoma which puts on shows in Tacoma featuring local artists, including the Battle at the Orchard, which is a battle of the bands specifically geared towards younger musicians.

Got to speak with Linda Mewhirter, from Olympia who is a fellow writer for damngoodtunes.com.  She's got a full plate, so doesn't get out to shows as often, but knows a lot of people in the southsound.  Hopefully I'll get to work with her more covering the area.

Things are really starting to build up for me, with one lead leading to another and another, and now I'm not sure who to feature.  A Flock of Geezers and the Neo-Kalashnokovs (from New Zealand) are on my want to interview list, along with a host of other bands that I've been getting to know.  There's lots of regulars at the open mic at Metronome Coffee in Tacoma that deserve some publicity as well.  Until I get a chance to write them up, Come down to Metronome Coffee on Tuesdays for some really edgy Open Mic.

I'm still in the process of recording a demo CD for Units of Doom.  That should be a few more months before anything polished comes out, mastering can be a very arduous process of compromises and 'smearing' weak parts, it's like a painter putting the finishing touches on a painting and eventually just coming to the conclusion that it's as good as it will ever get.

I'm off to JavaOne in San Francisco for a week of geeky-ness.  I may not be blogging much, depending on how boring the conferences get.  While in San Francisco, I'll be at the DNA lounge for Mount Kimbie, Doing an open mic at Hotel Utah, and hopefully getting to see the Black Keys at the Oracle appreciation event on Treasure Island.

So check this blog for updates between my feature articles on damngoodtunes.com.