Back in the USA...

So, I was in Argentina for a couple weeks on a little getaway w/ my sweetheart.  Buenos Aires is a vibrant city of Portenos (what the people born there call themselves).  They eat dinner at midnight and walk around drinking Mate (a plant stimulant like tea) all day.  We also visited a sleepy town in Uruguay called Colonia Del Sacramento.  It was a welcome break from the loud city bustle.  Staying in hostels, we met lot's of peeps (and became friends w/ some of them) from all over the place - Australia, Denmark, Sweden, London, Germany, Scotland...  One thing I picked up on was the overwhelming trend that people from around the world like to keep an eye on what goes on here in the US, and a lot of them don't like what they've been seeing.  I suppose they like what we've created (we've do come up w/ some cool shit - cars, internet, jazz, blues...etc.).  But they hate our government - mainly the direction it's taken the last eight years or so (military action, economics), and i got that the dumb fat American w/ his head up his ass, ignorant to the outside world is a common stereotype (perhaps deservedly so).  I hope we can turn it around here... On the bright side, there's kind of a big election coming up... Go vote! s'all I'm sayin...

But hey, now I'm back and Ash and i have been rehearsing (new junx) for a string of shows starting this week in Brooklyn, NY for CMJ music festival on Wed. 10/22, 10pm.  The venue is The Music Hall Of Williamsburg.  The other bands playing are Late Of The Pier, The Whip, As Tall As Lions, and Nickel Eye (feat. members of The Strokes and sOuth).  Then we drive back and play a show in Charlottesville, Va @ Boylan Heights on Friday 10/25 (free show).  Finally, Sat. 10/26 we head up to Washington DC for a show @ DC9 w/ Mother Mother.  Come out if you can.

Good to be back.

C U.

-joel