I've got that "I just finished a new record and I want everyone to hear it" feeling, so now comes the long wait until it's released, which—for an impatient fool like me—is hell.

Not a "big reader"? Love watching guests attempt to answer intellectually stunted existential questions? Blissfully unaware of the snake-like vacuity of PR? There's a format for you!

I feel like we should be encouraging of Spotify's drive to turn its platform into a giant dumpster of AI garbage, but only if artists also pull their music from it. It will become the Sunny D. to Bandcamp's freshly squeezed OJ.

I made part one of a tribute to @bobbyweir.bsky.social for this week's @nqra.bsky.social station selects. 💔 Link in comments.

The framing of everything AI as a convenience tool will be the greatest scam of this century. When the divide between rich and poor extends to the level that no one makes enough money to have anything anymore, the implosion will be near irreparable. And if you use it for music, you are a worm.

Stoked to have my old friend and DSDV bandmate Otto Wilberg recording bass this week. It's ten years since we last made music together, so I can only imagine what a badass he's become. Nearing the finish line!

So glad to be working with the wonderful Dom Bojanic Tanner on mixing this new record. He worked on the first two 111h records and DSDV records and is just an amazing engineer.

Thank you to the great Tony Leone (Little Feat, Ollabelle, Phil Lesh & Friends, Levon Helm, CRB...) and Charlie Martinez (engineer for Little Feat, Steely Dan, Tom Verlaine...) for an amazing job on tracking drums yesterday. Fully knocked it out the park. ⚾🛸

Recording guitars in this absolute pigsty. Note to self: clean up. 🎸🎵

NQRA.live is now streaming 24 brand new radio shows with more to come plus a new YouTube channel coming soon. Drop in, subscribe for our newsletter and donate to help build our station! ❤️✌️

About to record this opening guitar solo on a new song, written from a bunch of improvs. Only four more to go.

Cory Booker's senate speech almost as long as 12/6/73 Dark Star.

Tracking the new record

Just recorded two dark, excellent new songs by my brother-in-law Alejandro Maiato Llorens. Acoustic guitar and voice. If the next batch are as good as these two, it's gonna be a great record.

I bought the dogs a bed for the studio so they could chill there while I'm recording. Here's how that's going.

I'm writing a new series of articles (intended for a book at some point) about Spanish rock of the '60s, '70s, and '80s for Aquarium Drunkard. The first piece, on what may be the greatest of them all, went live today. #veneno #rockandaluz aquariumdrunkard.com/2025/03/27/v...

The subtext of "coalition of the willing" is so overt, they might as well have called it the "powerless peace posse."

See if you can make out the castle on the horizon. I walked for 45 minutes and saw exactly 0 people.

Legendary MOTU tech support means we're back up and running. While the Trident is in for repair, we're running everything through two sets of Warm Audio WA-412 mic pres and they are just fantastic. So much so that I'm thinking of finishing this record without a console.

Audio interfaces are on the fritz (or maybe it's just the cable), but it's sunny out finally, after a month of rain, so I'm commemorating the occasion with a balcony photo while I await tech support. Hi.

So sweet to hear Jesse Colin Young's voice ringing out at the end of Bernie Sanders' address in Phoenix, AZ. Bernie is America's sanest voice and his energy at 83 years of age deserves the world's unending gratitude. Love that guy.

If the new Spinal Tap movie is as brutally realistic as the first, they'll just be at home on social media complaining about poptivism into the void while failing to sell anything on Bandcamp Friday, but thanking everyone anyway.

The Trident is booked in for a service next week. If you want to come record here, we'll be back in action mid April. Message for details. #Valencia #recording #bands

Do you want to record in the mountains of Valencia, Spain? Paperhouse studio is now taking bookings. We cash organise your accommodation and transport too, if you're coming from out of country. 90% analogue outboard gear to 24 track I/O. Beautiful mics. Lots of instruments. Hit me up for details.

Please sign my petition to keep my NTS Radio show, and share with your network: chng.it/WYB798yDPy

We're gonna need to dig a bigger trench.

We've had two weeks of virtually endless rain. The city is inaccessible due to the Fallas festival. So we're stuck here, indoors, on the mountain. Kinda cosy.

So very sorry to hear about Jesse Colin Young. The Youngbloods gifted us with so much incredible music—their own and via their perfect Raccoon label (Michael Hurley, High Country, Kenny Gill, Jeffrey Cain, et al). Here's one from their sublime Good & Dusty LP. R.I.P. Jesse.💚 youtu.be/zgQ8zS1e0GA?...

Tonight's viewing

2 parts rooibos, 2 parts licorice, stem ginger, rosehip, and fenugreek seed. Makes you pee like a racehorse but it's a great, robust, all-day blend. My new hobby.

80 minutes of tranquillity after a chaotic drive into the city during Las Fallas festival.

It's been a two-year battle with flooding from an exterior wall and broken sewage lines (!) but it's thundering down outside, I just flushed, and we're dry, cosy, and ready to record! 🎸💪🎉

This swimming pool cement is supposed to last for 20 years, exposed to the elements. We're gonna cover it with fibre paint before filling the trench with shingle and putting a drain cover over to keep the studio dry during March monsoon season. Will it work? 😬

Alright and we're back in action. Got ye olde pal Michael Troutman aka Weirding Module here for a visit. We might even make some music in this thing.

I made a joke. What do you call a vegan turducken? A tofurkyourself. Sorry about that. As you were.

I'm calling BS as it hasn't hit any major outlets. Nevertheless, about fookin' time, lads. hysportblog.com/2025/03/09/l...

The rug is almost dry, the floor is almost fully painted with membrane. Tomorrow, we'll have a French drain installed outside and new tar sealant laid under the exterior tile trim. I hope that will be the end of the problems and we can pursue actually recording music in this space once again.

Just saw the actual final scene of Idiocracy for the first time, after sitting through the credits. I doff my cap to anyone who knows what happens in it.

After three weeks of post-"waterproof" cleaning and reorganising, my studio flooded at first rain. Yes, I'm firing the builder, but only after he puts in the French drain. For now: membrane painting.

Bought a German Blu-ray of Lost Highway with unlistenably low volume and no English subtitles three years ago. Absent-mindedly abort an attempt to watch it annually, but can't bring myself to throw it out. I think this is a metaphor for something.

In the world of unaffordable int'l shipping, big distributors now offer pressing deals for labels, but as most non-US record shops now only stock guaranteed sellers, we need to, rather, expand the indie distro model to incorporate a cooperative pressing op. I look after yours if you look after mine.

It's @bandcamp.com Friday. I'm still working on the new LP, but you can buy the last one from @was-ist-das.bsky.social. Here's a personal fave from that. youtu.be/HLReqgO0gx8?...