Writing this while sitting on the train from NYC to WDC. It's been a whirlwind week, and next week looks to be the same. For big artists, I'm sure the type of week I just experienced wouldn't be a big deal - part of the job, I suppose. I've had much busier times than this (SUGAR, 1992 - 1994), but not for years. It takes a little getting used to. After a few days, the pace becomes familiar, and time moves quickly. Not as hectic as my WCW days, but much busier than any in the past three years.

The best part of this week has been the public's response to the new album. Believe me, it's a lot easier to show up for a promotional event when favorable reviews are leading the way. Three years ago was tough. I think modulate. was a daring and important step for me, but I felt as if I was on the defensive for the entire campaign. This year, the funny thing I notice is the difference in opinion on the new album. People are 99% favorable, but there's typically a caveat. "He's retreated to his old sound." "The vocoder thing is daft." Stuff like that. If I change radically, it's bothersome to some of the older fans. If I reintroduce guitars to the electronic palette, the suggestion is that I'm backpedaling. There's things I do that some folks plain don't like.

Here's my deal: I sit in a room and make music that I want to listen to. When I can listen to a song more than a hundred times, and still feel moved by it, I place it in the A-pile. A theme or overall sentiment gathers and makes itself known. I start looking for the beginning and end pieces of the album. The other songs fall into place, dependent on key, mood, pacing, and context. Equally good songs get relegated to second discs or B-sides (Surveyors And Cranes, for example) because they fall outside the prevailing theme. When I'm happy with the content and flow, I call it an album, and share it with the public. It's a collection of my favorite work in a given time period, presented in the order of my choosing. Do you remember old-fashioned photo albums?

I know it could be worse. I'm not complaining, not for a second. I am grateful to have a loyal and supportive, heck, any kind of audience at this point in my career. I understand the beauty of the nitpicking. It comes with having a large portfolio of shown and credible work. It comes with the territory. I have a history.

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Had a relaxing Thursday evening in the 10011. Wednesday night's storm cleared out the heat and humidity, and believe me, there's nowhere quite like Manhattan after the rain comes through town. The freshly rinsed pavement, a comfortable breeze, coffee and WiFi, a couple bars, a late night diner, and it's time to call it a night. No, wait, I'm checking my e-mail on the street, and run into this handsome lad. There's always time for carrot cake and ice cream (or apple pie with a scoop, if you like). Sharing the sweet tooth with a sweet guy - lIfe don't get much better.

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Speaking of photo albums, here's some selections from last Sunday's party. Thanks again to Eric, Jesse, and the amazing staff at Duplex Diner. Everyone had a wonderful time. So nice to be surrounded by such great people.

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Check out the Real.com store front.

Hot off the airwaves: today's WNYU interview. A really good one.

A rough sketch of my life can be found here.

Not for the weak: my closeup. If you don't want half-naked Bob burned into your brain, the accompanying article can be found here.

Last night's listening party at HiFi was fun. Lots of industry types, friends I hadn't seen in ages. When it was over, a bunch of us continued on to Runt. Nice to see Stephen Merritt, who was hosting (and recovering from the opening of his new play).

It's too much for me to keep up with on the road. Just Google News it!

Chicago was a riot yesterday. Over two hours on WXRT. Fun stuff. Today, NYC is 100 degrees and I am hot! Finished the VH1.com taping, and am now headed to the Tower in-store. Hope to see you fellow bloggers at the party later tonight.

More when I have a moment. Must go bake in the sun, bask in the fun.

Party pictures soon.

Super fun weekend. Friday was Clickboo's birthday, complete with multiple bar hopping and dinner. Lots of buds dropping in and out of the celebration along the way. Saturday's BLOWOFF was great, lots of people, great sets. Sunday night was my record release party at Duplex Diner. Tons of buds showed up, and a fun time was had by all. Photos shortly. It was really nice to have a special evening surrounded by friends, especially as the madness begins!

I'm off and running with the promo tour. Today was radio visits to WTMD Towson MD, WRNR Annapolis MD, and WAMU in DC. Tomorrow is Chicago, including a 6 PM in-store at the Virgin Megastore. I'll be on WXRT at 1 PM and 10 PM CT. Wednesday is NYC, including stops at Sirius, VH1, a 6 PM in-store at Tower, and the 9 PM First Taste party at HiFi. Thursday is Air America with Mark Maron, WFMU, and WNYC. I'm playing and talking, talking and playing. Check out the sites for possible archives.

The front page of Popmatters, a huge interview.

The Entertainment Weekly article is on the newsstand now.

A very positive review of the new album in Giant.

The nicest review in a long time, in Indie Workshop.

And let us wrap it up with an article I found through Drudge. I am shocked and appalled.

A nice review in this week's Onion.

A nice review in this month's Blender.

A long interview, with exclusive photos, in this month's Harp.

Fun weekend ahead in DC. Today is this guy's birthday, so if you see him out and about, buy him a drink or a cupcake. Tomorrow night is BLOWOFF. It looks like the humidity is going to move out tomorrow; we need a break here. The oppressive weather we've had this past week makes me want to sleep all day.

The computer woes are sorted. If you don't have a backup of your important data, buy an external drive this weekend. The stress is one thing, the expense is another; the real drag was feeling disjointed and out of my routine, not knowing where things were, lost addresses and correspondence. Thanks to the folks at Data Recovery for getting me back in business. Excellent job, great service, reasonable prices.

Great news on the computer front - a full recovery of data! I should have everything back in my possession tomorrow morning. I'm keeping my fingers crossed until I have the drives in my hands, and all is restored to normal. For the geeks, the problem was a failing logic control and head rack assembly.

A nice Q + A about the album and upcoming tour.

A fairly in-depth interview about legacy and performance.

A fun thread from frankblack.net.

A review of the new album at Kaffeine Buzz.

I found this story rather disturbing - heard about it yesterday.

I just found out about this show, and now the blog! Me: Tech Stuff Early Adopter, Pop Culture Late Adopter.

After you read this detailed article from the Mondolithic men, the album art and concepts should make sense. Kenn and Chris were a pleasure to work with, and all of us are thrilled at the reaction to the packaging (and the music).

A very nice review of the new album from the folks at Out. Reading it even made me want to listen to it again.

There is a review in the July 19 issue of The Advocate, and another piece in the upcoming issue - I saw it on the newsstand this afternoon.

A nice review of the new album at Atomicduster.

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Fun weekend here in the swampy 202. Off and on rain, full-on steam heat, generally empty neighborhood, elements for an interesting time.

Friday, I finally bought the new laptop, but with 1G RAM. Now the fun of reinstalling all my software begins. Friday night, went to Titan for a little bit of happy hour. Ended up leaving early with Clickboo, and spent the evening cooking and configuring the laptop.

Saturday brunch, blogger coffee, and another dinner engagement, this one hosted by DanBlog and Dave. Great food and conversation, a fun time was had by all. Crunk text from the 646 toward the end of the evening. Note: my new album sounds WILD in "surround" mode; all the vocal effects are 3 times louder than normal! I used to hang with a bud in the West Village who listened to all his music through the "surround" setting. Every time he played Morel's album, I thought I was on drugs.

Sunday, lazy day. Alternated between walking around in the stickiness, and hiding indoors with the AC on. Watched a classic gay movie, complete with the question (AUDIO LINK) every Mom eventually asks her son. A new episode of The Comeback, and it's over.

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I am still waiting on the contents of my former hard drive. I really need my e-mail address books right now. It's funny; I used to remember everyone's phone numbers, and now, since I stay in touch with so many people (almost) exclusively through e-mail, I can't remember a thing. Speed dial, text, e-mail - I'm getting dizzy.

Despite this setback, life is quite good these days. Nothing but positive thoughts, everyone around me is generally to very happy, and it's a good example of "the rising tide lifts all boats". Keep an eye out for Pretty Daddy. It's coming soon.

But you can't use cats in the video!

Feel like making a video this weekend? The record company is sponsoring a contest, and you're welcome to give it a try.

A nice review of the limited edition package, which has been shipping since the beginning of the week. The label's web site is no longer accepting orders - you'll have to find it in retail shops.

Another nice chart position and review. Things are looking up for this Fall. I've been doing tons of press this week as well - people are very positive on the new record!

The horror of local cat houses continues. Are you reading this? And if you haven't been reading Joe's blog lately, you simply must check out this entry, complete with 1999 photo! (He's still sexy as heck, by the way.)

No news on the hard drive, which I guess is still good news. Went to the Apple Store two days in a row, and for some unknown reason, have not pulled the trigger on the new laptop. Very unlike me - I normally don't have problems buying new computers.

What have I been listening to lately? Amusement Parks On Fire, Shiny Toy Guns, Kaki King.

Here's some good morning news. Thanks to all the radio stations who have been playing the single. If I get an equally optimistic call from the data recovery company in Dallas, I'll be back to normal. Thanks to those who sent their well wishes and sympathetic tales. I realize how dependent I have become on that laptop: correspondence, contacts, ideas, pictures, it is truly the hub of my life. Happily, all my creative work is safely backed up on several external drives. E-mail addresses, however, are gone for now - as is all the mail I've received through the blog era. Very inconvenient and sad.

A story about a house (not in Dallas) overrun by cats. Very scary - I am allergic to cats, and reading about it makes me sneeze.

I would have had this post up a lot sooner, but late last night, my 3.5 year old PowerBook (a/k/a Bad Girl) finally bit the dust. I have not slept much since Thursday night, and this episode didn't help at all. I am frazzled, and my hard drive is en route to Dallas for data recovery. F**k f**k f**k. Did not back up in 4 months. Idiot.

OK, enough self-hating. Back to our normal programming. How about checking out "The Boys Of Summer"? I need a new suit, methinks.

A nice article at Gallery Of Sound, written by my friend Jack Rabid.

Thursday night, the storm came through DC; inches of rain, trees uprooting.

Friday morning, I headed to Union Station, and caught the 10 AM Metroliner to NYC. I love Amtrak; electricity on the train means I can watch a movie, charge my Treo, or start a new remix. All this on top of reading, relaxing, not driving - which I will be doing lots of this Fall. Hit the ground running, a full day of press. A great meal at my friend's joint, a long walk downtown and back up the runway, a stop at my new favorite bar, and if that weren't enough, SNAXX! An OK turnout - lots of people simply did not return to town from their 4th of July weekends.

Saturday, some shopping, coffee time with buds, a few hours of pro wrestling (big surprise), and CRUISING! The wrestling stop was part of an article that will be running in a major weekly publication featuring the new album, and, I would guess, coverage of a little time jawing with this world famous author. Cruising NYC was fun as always, some great tunes and sexy men. A real NYC party, this one. I can / shall say no more. Too bad this guy wasn't around this weekend to spruce up the surroundings.

Sunday, hopped the train, and am now back in the District. Met up with the SF-bound Waremouse for a cup of coffee, and off to dinner with Clickboo. Time to do the laundry, and brace up for another week of interviews.

Monday, everything goes on hold for aforementioned data catastrophe. Bad Girl, you had an awesome run, but I'm afraid you're being retired to kitchen duty. I need a new laptop. Time to go to the store.

Very sad news from London this morning. DC Metro is beefing up security today.

As brilliant and handy a device as the iPod might be, I don't think it's advisable to interfere with one of your most acute senses while in an urban environment. You might get attacked, you might walk out in front of an emergency vehicle, you might not hear that wolf whistle from a hot construction worker. Cell phones are distracting enough. I wonder why people enjoy shutting themselves off from the sounds of the city - after all, we pay a premium for the shared experience.

A review of the new album at hybridmagazine.com.

A review of the new album at Splendid Magazine.

UPDATE: A bunch of photos and music from my visit to The Current can be found here.

I have been meaning to publish my Fall 2005 tour dates for weeks now, but keep getting sidetracked. Go here to make your plans. These are the confirmed dates. More to be added.

It's a story like this that make me grateful to live in such a tightly knit and enlightened neighborhood. Summer in DC = lots of crazy people on the street. The in-your-face vibe is way up, and the neighborhood is noticeably emptier this time of year. Break-ins are on the upswing as well; it's the same thing this time every year. The quick response from fellow pedestrians reminds me of this story from last November.

Dan wrote about UCC earlier this Summer, and now, the church has become the first major US Christian denomination to come out in support of gay marriage. This is a bold step, and I doubt that it will be followed by any of the major denominations in this country. I applaud UCC for its' inclusive doctrine.

A fun long weekend. Highlights included the performance on Sunday evening in St. Paul, and an excellent Monday night fireworks display and party.

Sunday, I taped an interview for The Current, a new progressive radio station. It is scheduled to air sometime Tuesday - check the web site for exact time. The solo electric performance at Taste of Minnesota went quite well; I need to remember to watch my language in the daylight, however. My apologies to any families in attendance who may have been offended - I only remember slipping up once. I heard Paula Cole was way more foul-mouthed a few years ago. Still, no excuse for my blue comments, even if they were humorous. Later that night, ran around town with some buds for good food and conversation. Cowboys smoke too much for me - guess it's that Marlboro Man thing.

Monday was the annual 4th of July party at Clickboo's home. He has an awesome view of the monuments from his balcony (which can accommodate dozens of people). He also has a great assortment of friends and acquaintances, many of whom I met either last year, or this past Memorial Day weekend in Rehoboth. The party was a success, and went quite late into the evening. Thanks to the host for the Rockstar Parking (TM), and because of that, was happy to play sober taxi driver for several neighborhood buds.

Couples around me are breaking up like crazy, and it always hurts to see it. I notice trends, and it appears breakups usually happens in waves. I've had this corroborated by others. It's as if we're all in a line, like upright dominoes; if one falls over, it starts a chain reaction, and everything starts tumbling. Smart couples get out of the way, move to the suburbs, and live their lives closer to the traditional motif: two cars in the garage, at least one dog (as surrogate child), the manicured yard. Some couples don't live together, which I've never been able to figure out. Commitment issues, I suppose.

Is it because of Summer? East Coast homos tend to "rotate and vacate" in the summer, flocking to beach destinations like Provincetown, Fire Island, and Rehoboth Beach. I see it happen all the time: Happy Hour in a strange town, a broad new palette of people, and it's human nature to be attracted to something new. Glances are exchanged, the partner heads to the mens' room, and BOOM - you find yourself being swept away by the new guy. The partner returns from the john, senses the momentary shift in affection and attention, and becomes a tad defensive. The other partner gets upset, having been busted. He feels shackled, and uses the moment as a way to amplify everything that is wrong with his partner. "He can't control me", he thinks. The more appropriate thought might be "I can't control myself". The scene repeats itself, over and over, and couples break up.

I know this is over-generalizing, but it sure seems to be the trend with short-term couples. I define short-term as under 3 years. It seems the long-term relationships I know of follow the same road map, with trouble signs at the following rest areas:

1 month : 3 months : 1 year : 3 years : 7 years

I'm into numbers, and the repeating patterns they create. If you've been in any kind of relationship for longer than 7 years, take a look back, and tell me if this rhythm applies. Life is all about repeating patterns, and being swept up in the rhythms it offers us. The ocean is a perfect place to witness this cycle. The waves, coming to the shore, rearranging the beach. The pull of the full moon over the great expanse, the smell of humid salt. Makes me think about one of my favorite writers, Eugene Burdick. I need to go back and re-read his work, especially "The Ninth Wave", which blends politics and surfing.

From The Portable Dream Dictionary:

Salt is one of the most abundant chemicals on Earth. Dreaming about it suggests that you may be thinking about or desiring those things that are dependable and, at the same time, exciting (salt = spice of life). If you associate an individual with the salt in your dreams you may be giving that person the attributes that were just mentioned.

You stick a new guy into a pack of men who are shiftless and horned up, and what do you think will happen? Fresh meat. Gets attacked. By the hungry ones. Just sprinkle a little salt, and it tastes so much better.

A nice preview of Sunday's Taste Of Minnesota show. Thanks to Brian, he of the sexy dancing crew from last weekend, for sending it along.

And how about this? Another version of the history of the Minneapolis music scene. Let's see how much shit this article stirs up - none for me, I'm certain.

A Pitchfork article I somehow forgot to mention earlier. Oops - sorry.

A nice review of the album at Delusions Of Adequacy.

I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July weekend, wherever you may be.