NOVEMBER 2006

The sun is beating down, the people are rising up, I haven’t been to bed in four days, and it feels like the eve of the apocalypse. Since I don’t trust myself to be coherent and the work is piling up every second I’m away, here’s a quick listing of new offerings and we’ll call it a day.

CITY OF THE DUDE
The LMX version of “Los Angeles” is part of the cavalcade of jingle-jangle covers on The World Turns All Around Him - A Tribute To Gene Clark put out by the ever-groovy Groover Records.
www.grooverrecordings.com

BUCK FROM THE DEAD
Magnificent Mike D… has done it again! PATTY DUKE FANZINE #6: LOVE TO PATTY features over 50 artists plus a plethora of Patty patter. Does Buck’s version of Sure Gonna Miss Him stand the test of time? You be the judge!
www.topqualityrockandroll.com

AMATEUR FOR LIFE
The Here & Now take on signage and sausage for the Simplicy Issue of this online-only delight.
www.amateurforlife.com

VELOCIPEDE’S DELIGHT
Cold Storage vs. Tokyo Bowl is latest PXL 2000 freak out from The Here & Now. Catch it as part of Mr. Gerry Fialka’s fabulous PXL fest.
PXL THIS 16
Saturday, November 18, 2006
7 and 9 pm
7 Dudley Cinema at Sponto Gallery
7 Dudley Ave., Venice, CA
310-306-7330
FREE!
www.indiespace.com/pxlthis

IF YOU CAN’T BEAT ‘EM…
Check out my initial offering on YouTube… a film I made a couple of years back at the Florida Experimental Film Festival. More to come!
http://www.youtube.com/user/LMarrHubbard



xxx
L.

OCTOBER 2006

Hullo Friends…

…steak tartar, foie gras and chicken liver mousse, pommes frites, roasted beet salad, piccola parmigiana di melanzane, pappardelle with chanterelles and thyme, duck tortellini with sugo finto, grilled guinea hen with sweet corn fregula and black truffle vinaigrette, coach farm’s finest with fennel honey, gelatina di moscato, toasted hazelnut brioche with sweet marscapone cream, chocolate polenta tart with vanilla gelato, gruyere omelette, lamb sandwich, shrimp salad, watercress salad, ham and swiss sandwich, cannelloni with meat cheese and spinach, lobster and crab cakes, baby arugula salad, duck, halibut, octopus salad, popcorn, teenage greens, orecchiette with sweet sausage ragu and broccoli rabe, chickpea falafel with anise flatbread, linguine vongole, apricot crumble, squash, figs with marscapone cream, herb grilled leg of lamb with pistachio carrot salad, gnocchi with smoked mozzarella, salami, clams casino, raw oysters, oysters with anchovy butter, porcini crusted cod, duck with braised fennel, wild north atlantic arctic char in black truffle sauce with cauliflower mash, hotdogs, creampuffs, potato chips, almond croissant, house salad, mussels in marinara sauce, french onion soup, caprese salad, pear and  brie sandwich, crisp long island duck breast, bread bread bread and bread, prosecco, chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot grigio, semillon, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, fume blanc, pouilly-fuisse, whiskey, diet coke, papaya juice, orange juice (fresh squeezed), coffee, espresso, latte, cappuccino, earl grey tea, lemonade, fizzy orange drink, sparkling water, bottled water, tap water… Burp.

No, not a year’s food allotment for several villages in Europe but just SOME of the culinary delights savored by my mother, my sister and I during one grand week in New York City. Oh but we didn’t just eat, we shopped too! Happy birthday, Mom!

Photos are up at www.flickr.com/photos/lisamarr
Shots from the summer gourmet kayaking trip too!


Running all over hell’s half-acre for the past four months has been lovely but I must admit it’s good to be back in the City of Angels. Aside from a quick dash up to the Bioneers Conference in San Francisco later this month, I’ll be home with my nose to the grindstone until Christmas Eve. New music is in the works, new films are in production, craft nite is officially ON, the old school blue bike is finally fixed which means I can wear dresses to go get the groceries, all my friends are making beautiful art and sending letters and conquering the world and coming to visit, I finally cleaned up my house and there are a million amazing things going on all the time!

So it’s time to get cracking and I’ll say sayonara till next time…

Oh! One last thing. Those in the know certainly know how I feel about the dastardly myspace (you’re not fooling us, Rupert Murdoch!) but I must extend a thousand heartfelt thanks to the very talented and charming Mr. Christian from Groover Records for setting up a most magnificent page for me... There’s stuff on there I didn’t even know existed! And he even bribed Jenny Lewis to be my friend! Awww….

Check it out:  www.myspace.com/lisamarr

xxx
L.

SEPTEMBER 2006

Summer is fast fading away and after three glorious months of rambling it’s time to hunker down and get caught up with y’all.  Here’s a recap of the magic and mayhem...

June
We hopped in the Silver Bullet and lit out for the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota with the Not A Cornfield crew. Home of the Lakota Sioux Indians, Rosebud is one of the most economically challenged regions of the United States, where the only place to buy food is at the gas station mini-mart and people freeze to death every winter because they can’t afford to heat their houses. Ostensibly we were there to help build a ceremonial house but the trip was really about making connections with people who have been through unspeakable hardship and yet welcomed us with open arms and open hearts. Dancing in lightning storms, riding horses under a full moon, telling tales around the campfire, swimming in the late afternoon with all the local kids, watching hawks and eagles and baby owls soar through the blue blue sky, planting fields of corn in secret sacred places, having out of body experiences in the sweat lodge, surrounded by ancient song and ritual at ceremonial celebrations... truly another world, full of intense beauty, pain, serenity and complexity. On the way home, we had the immense privilege of a sunset visit to Roden Crater. The magnificent spiritual power of this place defies description... at least by me.

For images of the trip taken by Jaime Juantara, check out his Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juantara/sets/72157594190455738/

For more on Roden Crater go to
http://ludb.clui.org/ex/i/AZ3128/
http://www.slowlab.net/roden%20crater.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Turrell


July
After being home for a whole eight hours, Paolo and I embarked on the Polyester Prince Road Show 2006, a jaunt to the (for us) uncharted territory of Sweden, Finland, Russia and Ukraine. Not too long ago, a friend expressed his sadness for me that I’m no longer playing big ol’ rock shows in packed clubs. The truth is, I wouldn’t trade singing songs and showing films with my beloved to kindred spirits around the world for anything... So here are a few highlights of a trip that was a joyous adventure from start to end.
--Watching the World Cup Final in Gotenberg, Sweden (yay, Italy!)
--Meeting the enchanting Broos family who run the Alma Lov museum in Varmland, Sweden, a rural oasis of musical sculpture, quirky architecture, Icelandic ponies and delicious mushrooms
--Playing a show to an enraptured crowd in a Stockholm bar and having a man come up to me at the end and say “I only listen to reggae, but your songs made me feel like I was four years old again when the world was full of possibility.”
--Staying up late on Christian Groover’s little balcony, drinking giant beers and talking about all the bands we love while the sky got lighter and lighter
--Taking the glamorous all-night ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki through all the pretty islands, lolling in the sauna, drinking duty free wine, the sun still high in the sky at ten o’clock
--Walking around deserted Helsinki cemeteries in late afternoon
--Exploring tunnels and picnicking on the rocks of Suomenlinna Island with Klara, Sabina, Andreas and baby Stella
--Meeting up with EPFC alumna Martine at Gallery Sinne and hearing about her Finnish adventures
--Getting off the train in St. Petersburg and not being able to understand ANYTHING
--Strolling Nevsky Prospekt surrounded by beautiful buildings, beautiful statues and beautiful women wearing crazy clothes
--Russian clouds: incredible. The light in the evening after a rain shower: ditto.
--Church of the Spilled Blood
--Stumbling on secret signs of revolution in the midst of the nouveau capitalist funhouse
--Uprising Square at twilight
--The KISS matrushka I found for my nephew, Max
--A midnight picnic beside the canal
--Dining on borsht and blinis with Pierre and Hilary after touring the Tsar’s private rooms in the Winter Palace
--Riding the luxurious overnight train to Moscow and being served tea by the porter in the morning
--Taking the magnificent Moscow subway during morning rush hour
--Spotting a faux Lenin in Red Square
--Being whipped with birch branches by hefty Russian ladies at a public bathhouse in Moscow
--Doing vodka shots and eating dried sardines with a boisterous grandpa on the all-night train to Kiev
--EVERYTHING about Legedzino, Ukraine: being reunited with my dearest Naomi and Tatu; meeting the “village people”; learning how to drink Ukrainian style; the all-day party filled with folk songs, raw pig fat and lots and lots of vodka; walking through fields of sunflowers; jamming with the babushki on my ukulele; seeing my grandmother in every amazing old woman tending her garden; the nest of storks; shooting 16 mm film for the first time; teaching Ukrainians how to play Bingo; an outdoor screening in the village soccer field attended by 400 people; conquering my fear of “the hole”
--The mummified monks and the museum of teeny tiny objects in Kiev
--The political summer camp-out in the big park in Kiev
--Cigarette smugglers on the overnight train to Poland
--Public art and public bathrooms in Warsaw
--Shooting time lapse Super 8 in the huge crowded square in Krakow
--Late night falafel in Dortmund, Germany
--Riding around Amsterdam in the rain on rented bikes and dreaming the afternoon away in endless cafes and coffee shops
--Staying in an attic room that made Anne Frank’s digs look like Versailles
--Catching a ride from the airport with a Ukrainian taxi driver, reminiscing about the homeland
Yes, I’ll say it again: it was AMAZING. Thanks to everyone who hosted us, who set up shows, who watched, listened, played bingo and welcomed us into your towns and your lives... Your incredible generosity will never be forgotten!

You can check out my copious Road Show photos at my new Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisamarr

And for all you local yokels, we’ll be showing Super 8 footage of the trip as part of Filmmakers Alliance Night at Echo Park Film Center
Monday, September 18 @ 7:30 pm
1200 N. Alvarado St., Los Angeles, CA 90026

August
In late August, sister Julie treated me to a belated birthday ocean-kayaking trip off the coast of Vancouver Island. The tough part about kayaking is fitting enough clothes, camping gear and provisions for a weekend trip into a tiny little boat! The best part is paddling through smooth green seas surrounded by seals, sea lions, otters and bald eagles, and ending the day with a gourmet meal and tasty local wine on a tiny island once inhabited by the mysterious cult of Brother XII.
Photos coming soon!

September
Labor Day weekend was spent in Petaluma celebrating the nuptials our dear friends Joe and Angela. For three days, a merry motley band of friends and family from far and wide camped in a field with a flock of friendly sheep, shared long delightful meals under canopies made of parachutes, lounged around the pool while a pink-haired clown whipped up spiked sno-cones, watched movies in a Bedouin love lounge, and paraded down the country roads to the strains of gypsy music. The bride was radiant, the groom was dashing and Preacher Paolo’s ceremony under the oak trees was a tender testament to true love. Congratulations newlyweds... you are sure to live happily ever after.

On the horizon...
Fall is my favorite season... a time to clean up, sift through, clear out and create. As much as I adore the vagabond life, it’s good to be home in dear old Echo Park (highly romanticized in all its rag tag glory in the film Quincineara, which I just saw tonight) with so much good work to do. Possibilities abound; my head is in the clouds but my feet are on the ground... Thanks for your patience... that package WILL be in the mail very soon!

xxx
L.

JUNE & JULY 2006

UPDATE: NOTE DATE CHANGE!!!!
Twice A Year Whether We Need To Or Not
Mark yer calendars kids: The LMX is playing again! And we're even doing a NEW SONG!
Saturday, August 19
Mr. T‚s Bowl
5621 1/2 Figueroa
Highland Park, CA
323-256-7561
$5
Doors 9, Bands 10, LMX at Midnight
http://mrtsbowl.tripod.com/

Summer’s here and the time is right for biking in the streets! Yes, my dear old Peanut has been hauled off to the wrecking yard and I am officially carless and carefree in the City of Angels. Experiencing the daily commute via bicycle is making me fall in love with LA all over again…and all the moola I’m saving on gas is going towards the hobo rock revolution… Check it out!

Polyester Prince Rambling Road Show ‘06
We’re throwing the bear suit and a projector and into the ol’ knapsack and heading out for parts unknown… Movies, music and bingo under starry skies… Spread the word to your Euro-pals or better yet, come on over and join us!
July 8 – Gothenburg, Sweden - @ Cinema Kulturhuset Underjoreden
July 9 – Gothenburg, Sweden - Bar Show?
July 10 – Kil, Sweden - @ Alma Lov Gallery
July 12 – Stockholm, Sweden - @ Club Landet w/ Groover
July 13 – Stockholm, Sweden - @ Teater Scenario w/ Groover
July 15 – Helsinki, Finland - @ Galleire Sinne Show
July 16 – Helsinki, Finland – Bar Show?
July 18 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Outdoor Screening & Music
July 19 – St. Petersburg, Russia – Bar Show?
July 22 – Kiev, Ukraine @ Olga’s Yard Bar & Café
July 24 – Uman, Ukraine – Outdoor Screening & Music
July 26 – Legedzino, Ukraine – Outdoor Screening & Music
July 23 – Kiev, Ukraine @ Kyiv Mohlya Akademy
July 29 – Odessa, Ukraine @ Cinema Masky
August 1 – Lviv, Ukraine – Outdoor Screening & Music
August 2  - Krakow, Poland – Outdoor Screening & Music

And Speaking Of Music and Sweden…
Mike, Marty, Sherri and I convened for a truly delightful day in Marty’s swanky new studio to record a cover of Gene Clark’s “Los Angeles” soon to be out on Groover Records’ tribute comp Gene & Cover. Hooray for Christian! We had so much fun, there’s been some loose talk about a new LMX record…

And Speaking of Music and Indiana…
The Queers recording session at Sonic Iguana Studio in charming Lafayette, IN was a rip roaring success with 13 songs recorded in five days! Go, boys, go! Between working on lyrics, arrangements and backup parts, I barely had time to dash out to hit the Goodwill and eat one of Indiana’s famous pork tenderloin sandwich’s at the local sports bar! Hats off to Joe Queer and Mass Giorgini for making the magic happen and being so damn hospitable… Look out for the album, tentatively titled Answered Prayers, to be out later this year…

If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It!
For all you hipster lifestyle  afficianados, check out the latest issue of Flaunt Magazine for a story on my ‘hood entitled Out Of Edendale… lots of info on the Film Center and cool pictures too taken by Mr. Jason Lee.

Tiptoe Through The Tulips
In my ongoing quest to lighten the musical load, I have fallen madly in love with the ukulele. But not just any ukulele, folks, the BUSHMAN JENNY TENOR UKULELE! Looks hot, sounds sweet, dreamy to play, little and light as a feather.  Can you hear me strumming “Makin’ Whoopee” right now??? Thanks, Mom and Dad! And for more ukulele action, check out the wild and wacky King Kukulele, a true inspiration!
http://www.kingkukulele.com/



Pedal Pushers
Thanks to Miss Tannis for including my l’il super 8 bike movie  “How I Spent My Summer Vacation,” as part of Bike Movie Night this month in my hometown of Vancouver, BC.

H.I.S.M.S.V. is also part of the 2006 Bicycle Film Festival which goes all over the damn world but is in our neck of the woods this month.
Friday, June 23
Bicycle Film Festival, Los Angeles
Vine Theater
6321 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
9:30 pm; $8
www.bicyclefilmfestival.com

Some Summer Music Recommendations:
The Blank Tapes - Landfair
Piggy – Don’t Stop The Calypso
Sea Fox – Dead In The Water
Lavender Diamond – The Cavalry of Light
Listing Ship – Time To Dream
Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat
Hawaiian Steel Guitar Classics 1928 - 1935

And what about that Daniel Johnston movie???? Incredible!

xxx
L.

MAY 2006

After the magic and mayhem of April (jaunts to the charming Zane Grey Pueblo on Catalina Island and Marta Becket's amazing Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction; a birthday made glorious with friends, art, red velvet cake, proseco and the best homemade pinata ever; a visit from Billy Childish; and a smashing head-on collision--RIP dear Peanut!--that left me battered, bruised and beholden to my bicycle) I'm keeping my fingers crossed that life will be a little less eventful for at least a little while.

When The Kids Are United
At the kind invitation of Mr. Joe King, I'm off to Indiana (land of the famous beef tenderloin sandwich!) this week to sing some backup vocals for the Queers new album to be produced by the one and only Mass Giorgini at the Sonic Iguana Studios. Oh! And speaking of the Queers, check out this adorable animated gem: http://geocities.com/sanj666v/

Are You Rolling, Bob?
The LMX heads into Marty Beal's new studio this month to record our take on Gene Clark's psychedelic downer "Los Angeles" for an upcoming tribute comp on Groover Records. Depending on how things go, we may even take a stab at a few tunes of our own...

Welcome To The World
Congratulations to Mike Flanagan and Missy Gibson on the April 10th arrival of Nolan Kell Gibson Flanagan. Word is the kid has already mastered fourteen instruments and a handful of Irish drinking songs.

Latest Obsession
Horse-opoly. Any game where you build an empire based on hay bales is aces by me!

xxx
L.

APRIL 2006

Ah, April…in like a lion, out like a lamb; the month of fools, taxes, the bunny and the ram…  Was it REALLY thirty-two years ago I made my professional debut belting out “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” at Shakey's Pizza??? Ooof. Let’s spring ahead shall we, before we get mired in the maudlin mud of memory lane.

The End: A Party
Many tears were shed on the evening of March 31 as we bid a fond farewell to Not A Cornfield, artist Lauren Bon’s 32 acre field of dreams. Amidst the corny jokes, whiskey cocktails, bin massages, hot tamales and surveillance footage, The LMX reconvened for a rollicking evening of rock n’ roll madness beneath the Spring Street Bridge. There’s something so good about saying goodbye…
www.notacornfield.info

Filmed By Bike
Hey all you Portland cuties, check out this fabulous festival for the World Premiere of the Here & Now’s latest Super 8 bike movie: How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Soundtrack by Piggy: Calypso Orchestra of the Maritimes!!!

Friday, April 14 @ 7 pm
Filmed By Bike: a festival of bike-themed movies
Clinton Street Theater
Portland, OR
www.FilmedByBike.org

Blind Story
The Willowz and Sympathy for the Record Industry have just released SEEINSQUARES: a DVD Collective featuring almost two dozen fabulous videos and live footage too! The Here & Now’s contribution is Blind Story, a fever dream retelling of that ol’ Goldilocks tale in glorious Super 8!  
http://www.sympathyrecords.com

Birthday Cabaret
It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to. Come on down, dear friends, and help celebrate “the old age of youth and the youth of old age.” YIKES! Your presence is my present so NO GIFTS PLEASE but feel free to bring a film, song, poem or cake to share…

Thursday, April 13 @ 8 pm
Echo Park Film Center
1200 N. Alvarado St. (at Sunset Blvd.)
Los Angeles, CA  90026
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org

Here & Now On Tour!
Yes, kids, it’s that time again: The Polyester Prince Road Show is gearing up for another wild n’ wooley ride through uncharted territory bringing movies and music to the masses. This summer’s tour: Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Ukraine and Switzerland! Write me PRONTO if you’ve got a venue or a place we can lay our weary heads… In return, we promise you bingo madness, magic lantern mysticism and a free pass to the cinematic revolution.

Shameless Plug
The Echo Park Film Center has a brand new website... check it out!
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org

Hot Band Alert!
Forget Marty’s effusive claims about Nine Black Alps, RIGHT NOW the Nutty Nut Nerds are the greatest band in the universe.
http://www.nuttynutnerds.com

And now I’m off in search of the elusive Catalina Buffalo…wish me luck!

xxx
L.

MARCH 2006

Sound of royal trumpets and a drum roll please:

THE LMX LIVE DVD IS DONE AT LAST AND READY FOR PURCHASE!

Yes, it’s really really true folks...the dark clouds have parted, the sun is shining down and somewhere a pig is flying the friendly skies. It’s done done done done done done done and here’s the scoop: The original disc has mutated into a double-disc set which will now retail for $15.  HOWEVER as a Thanks For Waiting Special, this month you can still cash in and pick up LMX Live for the bargoon price of $10! And of course, for everybody who has already paid, send me your address and I’m mailing this sucka to you RIGHT THIS SECOND!

But wait, there’s more! Also new this month:

The Here & Now: The Joshua Tree Session CD $7
12 new hobo-rock tracks recorded in the high desert in December. 100% solar powered. $7
*For a sample, check out Track 12, “Xochimilco”, on the mp3s page!

All Over The Map: 6 Films by The Here & Now DVD $10
Robots, drum kits, sunsets, bicycles, Luke Skywalker, kangaroos and more robots.

LMX Live at Brennan’s Pub DVD $10
The whole damn thing! Almost as good as being there!

All Things Cub: NOW ON DVD $10
Videos, interviews, live shows, chit chat, secrets and lies.

Now that I’ve kicked out the capitalist jams, it’s time to turn attention back to the socialist agenda. Look out for a bunch of new short films on the site in the coming weeks in a new section called Travelogues…

And speaking of films, on March 18 you can catch Rug Rat, my PXL 2000 expose of a certain greedy newspaper magnate, in the Experimental Film Series as part of the Other Venice Film Festival. www.othervenicefilmfest.com

And still speaking of films, this July the Polyester Prince Road Show will be traveling to Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, the Ukraine and Switzerland. Know of a friendly venue that would love to host an evening of movies and music??? Drop me a line!

And speaking of music, the LMX is in rehearsal for a rapidly-approaching recording session. Security is tight.

And speaking of sleep, I need to get some!

xxx
L.

FEBRUARY 2006

Kla-how-ya! The Year of Rejuvenation is well underway and I could spin you a tale about how busy busy busy it’s been despite best intensions but my one and only new year’s resolution is to refrain from constantly proclaiming how BUSY/HECTIC/CHAOTIC/CRAZY/FRENZIED life is because, let’s face it, that’s the way of the modern world, honey, and we know it all too well! Suffice to say, my annual winter vacation was a delightful mix of quiet sunny solitude (Joshua Tree) and stormy noisy socializing (Vancouver and Portland) strung together by a romantic ride on the rails (whiling away the hours curled up in a tiny Amtrak “roomette” in your pajamas next to your sweetheart with a cup of coffee and a book of short stories while outside the snow falls down is an experience I heartily recommend to everyone).

And now I’m back home and I’m glad to be home and it’s the middle of the night on the first day of February and everything is quiet and I’m trying to think of what I should tell you … There are many projects that are VERY near to completion. There are some forthcoming adventures that are VERY close to being confirmed. There will be appearances and disappearances. There is most certainly magic and mischief in the air. All will be revealed in good time!

This month we celebrate the passion and pining of the human heart a wee bit early with the second annual…

Art by People In Love
Thursday, February 9, 8 pm
Echo Park Film Center
1200 N. Alvarado St.
LA, CA  90026
www.echoparkfilmcenter.org

Bring your little darlin’ and join the jamboree with collaborative films, puppet shows, poems or tap dances. The Here & Now will sing new songs from their upcoming solar-powered album!

xxx
L.