Says Here

There's a reason for my silence. I have been pausing in order to avoid exhaustion. I have rested. Now I am less likely to break things and bang my head. I may get around to opening letters.

I decided to kick a reviews podcast into being except I have been working too hard to make #1. But I will do this shortly.

I go to so many shows and it won't hurt (quoth I) to retain some of my discipline from 2005, and even if I've dropped the enforced one-theme-per-month structure, I can afford to make notes and write these events up. I'm also in the privileged position of knowing many excellent musical and visual artists, so it occurred to me that an arts-oriented, London-based UK bulletin could be a good thing for me and my community.

So that's one plan. Let's call it Plan One.

Another plan is to compile a best of blogs anthology, scale up my publishing efforts, and take some of this great writing (see links right hand column) and imagery out into the real world by getting it printed and sold.

I really think there is a place for a blog anthology out there in the world of mainstream paper media. My personal approach is a) this should be an ongoing project and further anthologies should follow issue #1, and b) it should be a print best-seller - why not? Some bloggers are fabulous writers.

Suggestions please for writers/bloggers whose work will translate in anthology format. Just give me the links. My editorial decision is final. No promises made except that I'll eventually get round to checking out everything, compiling a book from some of it, doing my level best to promote it, and splitting any profit from said enterprise equitably, after reasonable deductions for good taste and hard work.

There are some obvious issues to deal with editorially, and also with the representation of original hyper-media in the printed form. How do you (for example) represent a writer and thinker whose output also consists of multiple simultaneous conversation threads in chatboxes and comments? Anyway, since I actually do find this blogging subject perenially fascinating, I step forward in Tvindy's wake to pick up the baton.

So that's another plan. Let's call that Plan Two.

Finally, my lovely third plan for releasing music.

My vanity is extraordinarily pleased that a Googoloid search these days reveals 24,500+ references to Deek Deekster. However, not wishing to confuse Blog of Funk with my meandering musical muse, and requiring a chart-friendly name I decided on an alter-ego with a musical style and a band attached. Thus "Country Cliff and the Cans" has been born, and you read it here first.

I have a series of compositions and recordings more-or-less ready to release on the Low Budget Genius label, to be distributed digitally by the lovely Funk boys. I should be putting out a track a month, an album of original material during 2006, as dear old, brand new Country Cliff. I love him already.

Let's call that plan, "If You Can See The Band, You've Missed The Point"