Jack Black Song - New Home

I've reposted the cartoon video for my song Jack Black here. It's produced and performed by my defunct band, Radio Insecto (Bill Stair and myself).
This tune is an homage to Mr. Black, but it also pokes fun at him for making some less than stellar flicks.

Enjoy!

Steve Lafler

Radio Insecto: Jack Black cartoon music video

I've created a music video for my song Jack Black and posted it here -- it's a semi-animated cartoon narrative. The music was recorded at the Casa de las Escaleras in Oaxaca by Bill Stair, my co-conspirator in Radio Insecto, our cowpunk band.

There is a line in the song, "I don't like Jack Black's movies anymore / he used to be the best now he's kind of a bore." The joke is, I'm a big fan of Jack Black--that's why I wrote the tune!

Here's Radio Insecto

Bill Stair and I debuted our Oaxaca based cowpunk band Radio Insecto at La Jicara October 28th. We had a blast! The last table was filled as we opened with my tune Jack Black. We went on to cover tunes from the Velvet Underground to Cracker and the Cramps among others, with a stack of originals peppered throughout the night.

 As I pretty much play guitar like a cave man, it was my great pleasure to hit the stage with Bill Stair on bass and mandolin, Matt Cowe on lead guitar and Samuel Paloma Aquino (El Lobo) on bongos. We had a driving, tasty sound with these guys at the controls. Sam counted off each song and played tight and funky. Bill picked some brilliant bits on mando, nailing solos that hailed from Tennessee to Eastern Europe, and shook the walls real bad and funky on bass. Matt laid into swamp blues on Human Fly, yet dropped in gorgeous, emotive solo work on tunes from the Spanish influenced Camelita to the Celtic keening of Dirty Old Town. He snapped off a perfect bit of 12 bar blues in E in the middle of Ripe Pineapple Drunk, an original by Bill Stair and myself.

Best of all, we had Mr. Bill Blak himself on washtub bass for our more country blues and bluegrass numbers, and he punched up the sound, shook his thing and drove the ladies insane. People got up and danced, the place was hummin'. OK, so I sang like a cow gargling cactus on Baby's In Black, but you gotta stink it up somewhere!

All in all a fine debut for Radio Insecto! I'll post more about our adventures as we forge ahead.

Photos by Jeff Charles.

Here is my JACK BLACK SONG

Today, the great web zine This Zine Will Change Your Life debuted my new tune, Jack Black Song.
I did a comic for the zine too, click here to hear JACK BLACK SONG and read the comic.

This version of Jack Black Song was produced and arranged by my friend Bill Stair, one of the guys I play with on Thursday nights in Oaxaca. Bill has worked professionally as a bass player and recording engineer -- this guy has actually stood on stage at the legendary CBGB's in New York and laid down the law in thundering tones with his bass guitar. Many thanks go to Bill for making me sound competent!

Thanks also to publisher Ben Tanzer for including me in TZWCYL, a maverick literary zine that I'm very proud to appear in.

Improved Ballad of the Bug & west coast tour dates

I've been working with producer/arranger Bill Stair and we put together a tight, bright version of Ballad of the Bug. This is the theme song for my upcoming graphic novel El Vocho, written by myself and my pal Todd Spiehler.

Have a listen:



(My music posting program considers the file a video, thus the big blank box.)

I've confirmed publishing events for my graphic novel El Vocho as follows:

Reading Frenzy, Portland Oregon, July 15th (time TBA)

Mercury Cafe, San Francisco, July 22nd, 7:30 p.m.

I'll have copies of El Vocho for sale, and will be rocking with my guitar on both occasions. David Perkin will play percussion in Portland, and I'll be joined on bass by Scotty Hoover in San Francisco, along with a drummer and lead guitarist.

I think my four year old just woke up!!! Better post now...