WLMN

VISIT WEAREBUSYBODIES.BANDCAMP.COM TO ORDER WLMN ON VINYL WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

Hello, everybuddy! WLMN, the excellent brand new album by The Lemons, is now out and about and generally mingling with existence in our everyday world. Woooo!

First a word of gratitude to We Are Busy Bodies, the record label who made this recording possible. Eric contacted The Lems to put out a vinyl version of At Home a year or two after it had been available on cassette and online. We figured what the heck, why not? All went according to plan, we got to tinker with the layout, and we eventually got to hold it in our hands.

This time around, we contacted him as we were tracking the tunes and gave him exclusive first right of refusal, which he refused, by agreeing to put it out! With an actual target in mind, we focused on creating a unique listening experience that sounded more like Hello but flowed much the same way as (though much differently from) At Home.

The end result is WLMN, a (sur)real radio station akin to 60s pirate radio broadcasters, with the freedom to play anything and everything – and this one only plays the Lemons. DJ Lorelei chimes in from time to time, and there are station identifications and advertisements to break up the barrage of pithy pop tunes.

Don’t touch that dial, it’s guaranteed to make you smile

This one has the whole Lemons gang, plus some new featured players who really helped glue it all together who deserve a special in-person thank you, so I won’t embarrass anyone by naming names here.

We recorded this one (Lemon #3 for those keeping official count) in the same studio as all the others, using just about the same gear, with the SP-555 earning gold star status and Bobby’s 12 string making a special appearance towards the end of the album.

Some of the songs on the album are quite old, others are among the newest ever written. Some were never written at all. Tune in to WLMN then email The Lemons and tell us which songs, skits and bits are your favorite. One winner will be chosen at random.

We also made the video for “You’re Gonna Blow It”, featured above.

Out of all the Lemons things in the world – heck, maybe even just all the things – this is the one of which I am most proud. I find it endlessly entertaining and infinitely enjoyable, and I hope that you do, too. Please give it a chance.

Peace, Justice & Love,

Chris.

What the Strek

Last winter, my friend Justin had a birthday, and to celebrate, he put together a birthday show. I’d been noodling on synthesizers at home, and told him I would do it in public for his birthday.

I did some more home noodling and recorded it and sent it to my friend Matt and the result is What the STREK coming to you via Grabbing Clouds Records & Tapes. Spin it below!

Return of the Paisley Angels

A long while back, when I was just a wee lad, I met a charismatic singer-songwriter by the name of Jason Steady. I saw him perform at the Cog Factory a couple of times, and by the third time I was hitting a drum while he sang his kooky quirky songs. Over the next few years we were in about a dozen bands together, then the wheel of fate found us drifting apart.

Cut to two years ago, when we once again found ourselves riding in a van and swapping dumb stories. I had just released “Hello, I’m Chris Twist,” and this time Jason was hitting multiple drums as I sang my kooky songs. Jade and Knife were there for some of them, too! Hi Jade! Hi Knife! We did a couple of tours, camped in the desert and the woods and the high plains, listened to lots of Gram Parsons, and started making plans.

Cut to now, as we release The Return of the Paisley Angels, a collection of songs of wanderlust and wonder, written and performed by both of us, and a corresponding tour that will take us to many of our favorite places and a few soon to be faves as well.

April 24 Omaha, NE @ Envy Burrito
April 25 Kearney, NE @ The Other Side
April 26 Denver, CO @ Tandem Bar
April 27 Salt Lake City, UT @ Diabolical Records
April 28 Las Vegas, NV @ House Show
April 29 Los Angeles, CA @ Redwood Bar
April 30 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Slodoco Donuts
May 1 San Francisco, CA @ Milk Bar
May 2 Oakland, CA @ Elbo Room
May 3 Cupertino, CA @ Homestead Bowl
May 4 Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
May 5 Joshua Tree, CA @ Gram Parsons Room
May 6 Phoenix, AZ @ The Lunchbox
May 7 Albuquerque, NM @ High and Dry
May 8 Amarillo, TX @ 806 Coffee Lounge
May 9 Denton, TX @ Backyard on Bell
May 10 Tulsa, OK @ Rabbit Hole
May 11 Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
May 13 Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag
May 14 Mankato, MN @ The Coffee Hag
May 15 Minneapolis, MN @ Palmer’s Bar
May 16 Superior, WI @ Arco Coffee Factory
May 17 Chicago, IL @ Reed’s Local
May 18 Chicago, IL @ Bric-A-Brac Records
May 19 Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail
May 20 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s 20 Lanes
May 21 Columbus, OH @ Cafe Bourbon Street
May 22 Louisville, KY @ Kaiju
May 23 Lexington, KY @ Best Friend Bar
May 24 Cincinnati, OH @ Junker’s Tavern
May 25 Bowling Green, KY @ Tidballs
May 26 St. Louis, MO @ The Nest
May 27 Kansas City, MO @ TBA

Here’s hoping to see you out there on the ol’ dusty trail!

The Chris Twist Trio

If you’re like me, you remember all the things that I remember, including the infamous (unfamous?) Steady Twistin Tour of earlier this year.

The plan was for me and all around good guy pal Jason Steady to do a camping trip/tour from Omaha to California and back, sleeping in makeshift bunkbeds built into the back of his Chevy Working Man van. It almost worked out exactly as planned, except that we picked up a guitar slinging gal named Jailbird Jade along the way. We had lots of fun and made lots of memories and you have them too, right?

Well wouldn’t you believe it, we are at it again, this time we already know that Jade will be in the group, but who will be playing bass by the end of the adventure? Maybe you!

Check the shows page to see where we’ll be playing, or, if you’re reading this in the distant future, where we played!

Every Member of Slushy so Far

Slushy is a colorful cast of characters. Sometimes. Sometimes it’s a monologue.

Who is Slushy? Who is in Slushy? Who was in Slushy? Who should be in Slushy? These are the questions on the nation’s most in-demand lips. Let’s see if I can provide some answers.

Drum machine roll please…

Chris “Twist” Kramer

2009-204ever

Hi, that’s me. I started writing and recording a lot of songs when I first moved to Chicago, then started playing those songs live solo as Kramer Versus Kramer, then found a bunch of dummies to play them with me, then changed the name of the band to Slushy, and that’s the whole story. I write or co-write all the songs, sing the songs, play many or all instruments on recordings, write emails, draw monsters, and sleep in a basement that is full of junk musical equipment.

Sometimes my pals play with me too.

DJ Residency at The Owl

In the world of very cool news, Slushy has been invited to do a residency at the Owl in Logan Square, the premier late-night bar in the neighborhood. Running from September 17 through October 8, I’ll be spinning the best bubble gum, doo-wop, soul, and rhythm & blues records from 10 pm to 4 am, plus giving a special live performance each night at 1 am.

September 17: NUGGISH

This is how you kick off a month-long party. “Slushy Presents: NUGGISH – Artyficial Originals from the First Slushydelic Era: Vol I” is the brand new, unofficial Slushy album. Tripp Tapes is putting out 100 copies on cassette, and I’ll be performing a selection of the songs for the first night of the residency.

September 24: FUTURE BOY

Last month I had the pleasure to perform alongside DR. PAUL, wearing a dinosaur mask and rattling a tambourine. DR PAUL rules. And he reminded me that in 2002, I had the idea to record an album under the name FUTURE BOY. I wrote a few songs, never recorded them, and then forget how to play them and all about the project. But DR PAUL changed that, so I wrote a new batch of FUTURE BOY songs! Once again, Tripp Tapes is putting out 100 cassettes, available only at this show, and there will be a live performance by FUTURE BOY himself.

October 1: BIG debut

BIG is a new band comprised of James Swanberg and Chris Kramer. James sings, Chris plays acoustic guitar. This will be our first ever show. Maybe we’ll have a tape out on Tripp Tapes??? James will be co-DJing, and all his records are as good as or better than mine.

October 8: VERY SPECIAL GUEST

Okay, I can’t tell you just what will be going down for the last night of the Slushy Owl residency, but it may include cake, pony rides, clowns (not the scary kind), fire eaters, lots of guitar solos, celebrity lookalikes, those drawings where it’s two images in one depending on how you look at it, kissing booths, another BIG performance, Charo the “cuchi-cuchi” girl, mandatory Simpsons quotes, and live owls flying around the bar all night. Expect at least one of those.

Bye!

Slushy Live on Chica-Go-Go

Slushy performing “Candy” live on the Chica-Go-Go Show! Thanks to Miss Mia and Ratso for having us, and to Max from The Lemons for filling in on bass!

All The Rad Dudes

Slushy’s all-new “All The Rad Dudes” is now available from Manic Static. The 8 song cassette release follows quickly on the heels of the Manic Static Compilation, which featured Slushy’s “Baby with the Big Tape Head”. “All The Rad Dudes” builds upon the weirdo pop perfection of that tune and adds in some healthy doses of self-deprecation (“I’m A Disaster”), self-mythologizing (“Noise In My Head”), and hero-worship (“I Love The Beatles”).

The initial run of tapes is limited to 100 on purple cassette and can be purchased from Manic Static here. You can also stream the tunes and download lossless files at our bandcamp.

Featuring these songs:

1. I’m A Disaster (shy guy)
2. Dumb Dumb Dude (bad decisions)
3. Greasy Hair (love song)
4. All The Rad Dudes (in the know)
5. Noise In My Head (song about songs)
6. I Love The Beatles (duh)
7. Sunny Pair (pubes)
8. Little Hoopy Coopy (Max and D)

All 8 songs were written and recorded over the July 4th weekend. Chris played the Fender Coronado XII, some acoustic guitar, the bass and the drums.

Howl-O-Whine

Halloween is coming and Slushy is playing two or three very special shows.

First, a one time only lineup of Chris and some special guests are playing a house party on Saturday October 29! Covers! Guitar solos! Ebriation! Covers!

Then Monday October 31 Slushy and Chicago’s own Uh Bones are playing a feedback-drenched set of songs from the first two Velvet Underground albums at The Exit, Chicago’s oldest punk bar.

And speaking of playing sets as the Velvet Underground, we may just crash the Halloween show at Crown Tap Room and do a second set there. Only time can tell.

Update: We did the Mash

She’s Going Away Now

She’s Going Away Now is a song by Slushy written in March of 2011. It features the chords Bb, C, F, G and D. It does not have a guitar solo. It does have some good changes.

Shimby recorded She’s Going Away Now for the first Slushy LP, “Pastime Gardens”. It sounds great!

This song about about a young woman who is really going places.