Howdy. Fil here. Just home from a little cross country run with Leslie and the Badgers and Ferraby Lionheart. Pictures to come soon. There were certainly a lot of highlights – but near the top – turns out there’s a band we shared a bill with called Spontaneous Nugent. Just saying.

Asheville, NC – where you can buy your banjo strings at the pawn shop. And you don’t even need a stupid permit. Like you do in order to get the awesome handgun with the starwars super scope on top.

the view from Clay’s house. not bad, eh? We’re here for another week to continue work on Sally Jaye’s next one. Clay’s a wizard. “Hey can you make this organ sound like Benmont’s?” Done. Thanks for that.

We’re back after the week in time to play at the Bootleg next wednesday – the 28th at 11pm – as a part of Craig Wedren’s (of “shudder to think” fame – for those of you who were fans – such as myself) residency.

Hope to see some of you there. Drop us a line. We miss you. We talk about you in wistful terms when you’re not around.

-f

I’m writing to you now from Asheville, North Carolina – where i’m working with Sally Jaye on a record. Clay Blair is at the helm – he’s the ridiculously talented youngen who mixed The Water Tower (forthcoming – i promise!). i’m sinking into a couch under the heat vent listening to Jay Brown playing dobro in the live room. The man is sick. But, you know, like in an awesome way. It’s gorgeous here. Actual-Winter has been a nice change-up from the LA early-year months. We’re staying up in a cabin in the mountains just outside of town.  Love.  This.

The Chase:   All Spots is joining Charlie Wadhams and Leslie and the Badgers on the bill for Ferraby Lionheart’s final residency night at the Bootleg Theater this Tuesday.  I’ve been playing in Ferraby’s band and all the nights have had murderous line-ups.  This one is not to be missed.  Come join us!!

(do it!).

-fil

From all of us here at camp all-spots, thanks for all the support and enthusiasm. We appreciate it more than you know.

Nothing but good stuff for *all* of us in 2010!

-f

Ventura, California. Beautiful beach town. Thriving art scene. Destination for the discerning music fan. Home of Zoey’s Loft and Cafe. Tonight we’re heading down north with our dear Holly Conlan for a split bill.  Personally, I love any excuse to get out to Ventura.  It’s kind of like going to New England – but more here-ish.

Also – just a quick note of great thanks to the folks at isgood music who invited us to be a part of this month’s after-art-walk Garden Party.   It was a little bit of guerrilla warfare getting things going, but the night ended up being a blast and, as always, we’re pleased as punch to be a part of anything the isgood folks have a hand in.

All the news that fits, we print.

-fil

…she’s so exciting to me.

you don’t mind if i nerd out for a minute here, do you?  we’ve just been going over the final mixes for the record – and i’m what we like to call in the business: “super psyched” about what i’m hearing.  inching ever closer to the release – we have a title – we have artwork – and if you promise not to tell anyone, i’ll tell you a secret: there might be shrink wrap.  I *know*, right?

we have a couple of shows coming up soon – as those solidfy, i’ll fill you in.  in the mean time – please do come and check out some of the other bands i work with:

Friday Oct 2 at 11pm at the Hotel Cafe: Brian Wright and the Waco Tragedies begin a month long weekly residency.  Brian has informed the band that we’ll be learning all new songs for these shows.  Wish us luck!

Saturday Oct 3 at 9pm: Holly Conlan celebrates the release of Fascinator – her brand new (and completely ruling) record.  Hotel Cafe.  I’ve had the record on repeat (yes, i got one before you because i’m special) for the last few days – I’m really excited about this one.  Warming up the eve for Holly is our good buddy TV’s Brendan Hines.  I’ll be playing with him as well.  I’ve been practicing some of my reaction expressions in anticipation of his stage banter.

That’s all the news for now.  More soon!

-fil

Once upon a time – about 4 years ago.  I moved to Los Angeles from New York.  Enough with the noise and the yelling and the sarcasm (actually, with the sarcasm: never enough) – i needed a big fat change after years of struggling to live on music in the big city.

I landed on my friend’s couch – one Christopher Wray-Mccann – in Hollywood, who was already deep in the planning stages for what would become Operation Aloha.  He enlisted his closest musician friends – made after years of shooting live music with a camera and military precision – to drop their lives and their cell phones and hole up in tree houses in a quiet corner of paradise.  “We’ll bring instruments, microphones, just what we can carry – and see what happens.  Wanna come too?”

I said yes.

Duh.

We came home with 17 songs.  The makings of a great record.  But the project stalled when we all returned to our frenetic lives and tour schedules – and babies. [Let's not forget the babies.  They're probably pretty internet savvy by now.]  However, now the record will have its day.  It’s being released next month – May 12 – and to celebrate its release, we’re playing what will likely be a one time only show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood.  The project involves members of Maroon 5, the now retired Phantom Planet, as well as myself and a few others.  And all spots to black and my dear friends The Parson Redheads will also be part of the show.  Please come and help celebrate a really great project and, (if i might) a very cool record.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

For more details and to purchase tickets please visit www.troubadour.com.

firstly: we’re pleased as punch to have been invited to play on air with jon hershfield at isgoodradio.com.  jon is a hero of the local music scene in LA and we’ve been a fan of his since before we were a band.  we’ll be on air at noon tomorrow (wednesday the 1st).  please tune in – and if you’re in college – do that thing where you point your desktop speakers out on the quad.  because it’s still cool.  because that’s what spring is for.  because it’s spring now.

secondly:  after some unavoidable delays in finishing the record, (which may or may not have involved people with “agent” on their business cards) things are back on track.  our heartfelt apologies that we’ve taken so long.  we offer a few more rough mixes from our work in progress.  i know you’re not supposed to do that, but what the f.  we’re about to go into mix so any comments are most welcome.

thirdly: this friday – april 3 – all spots is playing at an isgood music night at mr t’s bowl in highland park.  one of my favorite venues here (maybe because we always seem to get ridiculously loaded and

our dear al sgro has been called away on business – monkey business – an “enough monkeys with typewriters eventually writing shakespear” seminar in colorado – so filling in for him that evening will be brian wright.  yes sir.  my boss in the waco tragedies will be watching me like a hawk from the drum chair for my hair trigger cues and eyebrow admonishments and fines for mess-ups.  the night is free.  as are we.  come and see.  this is my plea.

-fil

i said damn.  that was on purpose.

i hope some of you can make it tomorrow night to the hotel cafe.  i just came home from rehearsal with gary and it’s a really monstrous band.   aaron redfield from the greyboy all stars is playing drums, ben peeler from everybody’s band – my own dear al and lucas, and holly conlan is part of the family as well.  if you’re not at the hotel cafe tomorrow night seeing all spots, gary, and brian wright and the waco tragedies, then you’d better either be at the echo seeing the parsons, or home nursing a sprained ankle.  if i hear otherwise, i’m going to come to your home and personally shame you.  shame you.

shame you.

(no, i don’t know what that means, but i’m going to stick with it for now).
that is all.