BLUEGRASS MUSIC, ETC.
As mentioned above, the John Fahey book is now in the DC house and flying back out the doors again! Any excitement felt by those of you in the marketplace who have been waiting for this book is well justified – How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life is filled with marvelous reminiscences and eccentric observations the likes of which may cause you to break into spontaneous laughter and other behavior. Mr. Fahey (or “Jawn,” as he is often referred to in the text) is a witty and weird fellow, and his encounters with historical figures from music (Henry Vestine, Roosevelt Sykes, Bukka White, Skip James) and elsewhere (Michelangelo Antonioni) are filled with real moments and elevated prose that will turn your head around once the words get all the way in there. And even if you don’t care to read it, How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life is a lovely looking book that will enhance whatever space you choose to place it in your home. Remodel your life this month - and buy this book.

ROYAL TRUX 2000
Yeah, we’re proud of our new releases. We think they’re pleasing and diverse entertainment, as always, but more and more we have the feeling that what the world needs more than ever before is more from the Royal Trux. They’re on a roll right now, a rock-and-roll, if you will, and the results are as intellectually stimulating as they are physically devastating! Their forthcoming long-player, Pound for Pound presents their audience with yet another all-new take on Royal Trux. The emphasis is on the good times this time around – the record will keep you moving from top to bottom, with a full complement of heavy playing, heady lyrics and fully-baked songs written to entertain the living You! It’s a blast, and a repeat-listening classic. We’ve not yet worn it out after weeks of heavy rotation here at the bunker. And believe me, we’ve tried. Pound for Pound comes out on June 6th, which will kick off a period of intense activity for Royal Trux – they’ll be touring America, Europe, Japan and twice, too! It’s all they can do to satisfy the fans out there, to whom a top flight rock and roll show is the penultimate in entertainment.

DONGING INTO THE FUTURE
It’s week number three of the new Smog era, and now that Dongs of Sevotion has hit the mainstream running, every fourth thought that we have is a Smog one. Lately, we’ve been listening back to our archival Smog records – the Sewn to the Skys and Forgotten Foundations of this world - and really cackling with glee. What a discography this man has had! He’s just never stopped changing – or staying true to himself. It’s a real pleasure to meet the kind of artist who matches up to both those descriptions. And maybe one day we’ll meet Mr. Smog, although it seems kind of unlikely. Meanwhile, the phones are ringing off the hook, with questions coming from the other end like, When’s Mr. Smog gonna tour? Will the Smog play at my store? What about my house? The answer to all of these questions is the same: NO! Actually, Bill will be reaching out to a handful of his Euro-fans with a set of dates in late June. US dates are still up in the air. Way up in the air. What can you do? Pray for Smog-filled skies!

TRUX REDUX
Or, if you will, the WE’LL TAKE IT section. Word has filtered through to this office that the new Primal Scream LP, XTRMNTR is dedicated to our darling RTX. And why shouldn’t it be? They are the greatest rock and roll band of this era and a giant in the history of the guitar group. We laugh and cry in time with their records. The filthy drug-heads love them, musicians offer “props” and “respect” in the face of their “attack,” and they provide a lightning rod for the fantasies of the kids in the street (aka, the record-buying public). And their shows are the hottest thing going down in clubs these-a-days. The Pound for Pound tour starts somewhere in America on or about June 14th - we’ll keep you updated! Thank you, Primal Scream – we may never actually hear one of your records, but such a dedication to Royal Trux indicates at least a modicum of real class. Everyone who cares about the future of music should dedicate an LP or two to them, regardless of whether they suck or not.

MAIL ORDERS
For those of you who have recently contacted us at our mailorder@dragcity.com address and gotten, as Phil Collins once said, no reply at all, we ask for your continued patience. It seems that over the last month, these messages were rerouted to a quiet little spot somewhere in cyberspace where they weren’t bothering anyone. Now that we have fetched them back, they are getting the utmost of our mail order attention, so hold on loosely and don’t give up hope! And also, don’t call us - we’ll call you. Remember, you shouldn’t expect anything for four to six weeks at least. But after that, you’ll receive the utmost in thought-provoking, ass-shaking, high-art, good-time rock and/or roll that whether it tickles your particular fancy or not will always be the ultimate in what it is! Plus the finest in the printed word, of course - did you ever expect less?