ChordStrike

Cass McCombs & Karen Black: "Dreams Come True Girl"

Here's the first video from Cass McCombs's new album Catacombs (due July 7!) which features Karen Black of Easy Rider fame.

(via Aziz is Bored)

5 Things I Will Remember About Sasquatch 2009

Now that I've finally recovered from three exhausting and thrilling days of sun, music, and elephant ears, here, in descending order, are the five things I will remember most about this year's Sasquatch Music Festival:

5) Finding out about Jay Bennett's death from Silversun Pickups' frontman, Brian Aubert, who dedicated a song to Bennett, adding, "may he rest in peace" --

I'm so utterly addicted to the interent/blogosphere that it was shocking to actually hear a breaking news item from a real live person, let alone a quasi-rock-star. It was a sad, strange moment.

4) Meeting one of my favorite singers, Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon), during the Bon Iver set --

I was on my way to go pull a friend away from the YYY's mainstage show when I spotted Kozelek in the crowd taking in the Bon Iver set. I shook his hand, told him how much I love his music (especially his album of acoustic AC/DC covers) and moved on. He seemed genuinely appreciative and I was thoroughly stoked.

3) St. Vincent --

After taking in this performance, my crush on St. Vincent's Annie Clark escalated from "slight" to "unhealthy." H-E-L-P!

2) Shearwater --

Shearwater was flat-out fantastic live. I liked 2008's Rook, but I wasn't expecting much when I meandered over to the Wookie stage to check out this Texas-based band, fronted by former Okkervil River member and bird-enthusiast Jonathan Meiburg. I won't go into the details, but if you like this band at all, don't miss them the next time they roll through town--they are the real deal.  

1) Bon Iver --

Closing out the first night of the festival on the Wookie stage, Bon Iver came off less like a new-kid-on-the-indie-singer-song-writer-block and more like an elder statesman showing all the wannabes how it's done. The sun had just set when Justin Vernon and co. took the stage, the waning light and surreal landscape of the Gorge providing the perfect backdrop to Vernon's sad, rousing melodies. Even Mos Def, who I spotted checking out the set from stage-side, was bobbing up and down to "Skinny Love." 

Oh, 'Squatch, I miss you already.      

Happy Birthday, Siouxsie Sioux

Happy Birthday Siouxsie, who turns 52 today.  From Bromley Contigent, to the Banshees, to the Creatures, to her own solo work, her influence can be felt far and wide. She's someone who has always listened to her instincts--something that at times has caused her a lot of interesting press (and some well-documented bouts with them).  But she's always followed her muse, and for that, among many other things, she is still an inspiration to me.

I raise my champagne glass to you, Siouxsie Sioux.  Many happy returns.

--Robert Arambel

Tori Amos Interview

Tori Amos is now 45, but she’s no less provocative than when she was making landmark albums like 1992’s Little Earthquakes in her mid-20s. Her 10th studio album, Abnormally Attracted to Sin, contains its trademark share of emotional land mines -- see “Maybe California” -- and also its trademark share of exquisite piano work.

But confirmation that Amos is still provocative isn’t confined to just her music. In interviews, her language is PG-13: When talking with Amazon from Cornwall, England, recently, she described her love of multi-sided albums by crafting a metaphor involving the posterior of a beautiful woman. Other topics she touched on included high-heeled shoes, power and control, and mothers as sexual creatures.

Read the full Tori Amos interview here

Sasquatch! 2009: We Were There

In case you wisely spent the holiday weekend out of doors and flushed your RSS reader once you returned to the office today, we encourage you to take a look at our coverage of the 2009 Sasquatch! Music Festival:

• A playlist featuring songs by the performing musicians
• Our arrival and a moderately embarrassing picture of Alan Wiley
• Doves and a picture of a very handsome gentleman
• Gaslight Anthem, A.A. Bondy, and Blind Pilot
• Passion Pit, Dent May and his Magnificent Ukulele, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band
• Animal Collective, marijuana, and sweaty topless dudes
• Mos Def and Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Getting ready for day two and a clip of Maya Rudolph singing "Amazing Sasquatch"
• Alan's favorite discovery, a band called Point Juncture, WA
• Tom Morello and Boots Riley's Street Sweeper Social Club
• The Walkmen, TV on the Radio, M83, the Dodos, Of Montreal, and a terrible picture of a very handsome gentleman that will eventually cause serious revenge to be exacted on Alan Wiley
• Fences and Aziz Ansari
• Heartless Bastards
• Black Moth Super Rainbow, Grizzly Bear, Horse Feathers, and Santigold
• Bishop Allen, Blitzen Trapper, the Dutchess and the Duke

See you next year, 'squatch.

-- Jeff Reguilon

RIP: Jay Bennett (1963-2009)

Jay Bennett died in his sleep Saturday night at the age of 45. Best known for his work with alt country legend Wilco, Bennett was an incredible talent, an oft-described perfectionist and enthusiastic performer. It has been argued that he was the driving force behind Wilco’s expanding musical depth from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo, and would frequently work in tandem with Jeff Tweedy for the songwriting of the band’s most important albums, Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Immediately after Wilco finished recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, of which Bennett engineered the majority, he was dismissed from the band following rising tensions. Since then, Bennett has released five albums mostly through Undertow Music and has been a force behind the studio glass as a producer, mixer and engineer.

Bennett was a founding member of the power pop outfit Titanic Love Affair. They released three albums in the 90s, the last of which overlapped with his newfound duties with Wilco. Bennett was recruited to Wilco shortly after the band released their debut LP, an album that seemed to be little more than a retread of Uncle Tupelo. But with Bennett alongside Jeff Tweedy, Wilco soon found themselves no longer pigeonholed as an alternative country act but began ascribing rich pop textures, keyboards and electronics to the earthy melodies. Fractures grew larger during the tumultuous recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the turmoil inevitably forced one of them out. Bennett admitted that he was saddened but not surprised in the least by the dismissal. The conflict can be seen in I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, a documentary film about Wilco directed by Sam Jones.

While the cause of Bennett’s death is unknown as of now, speculation points to complications arising from Bennett’s hip problems. He first injured it during a stage dive while performing with Titanic Love Affair. It had never healed right and caused him tremendous pain off and on for years. Only about a month ago, he publicly announced on his MySpace page that he needed hip replacement surgery but could not afford it due to a lack of health care insurance. It is unclear about the debilitating nature of the injury, but pain medication could have attributed to an accidental overdose. It is all speculation now, though; I’ll wait for facts to emerge in the near future.

One of the final public acts in Bennett’s life is, unfortunately, a lawsuit he filed against Tweedy for breach of contract in regard to his work with Wilco, notably royalties for songs he wrote and for his appearance in Jones’ documentary. But Tweedy apparently holds no ill will. He and Wilco are touring in Europe right now, and in response to the heartrending news, he said, “We are all deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will miss Jay as we remember him—as a truly unique and gifted human being and one who made welcome and significant contributions to the band's songs and evolution. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends in this very difficult time.”

Rest in Peace, Jay.

-- Matt Medlock

Sasquatch! 2009: Bishop Allen, Blitzen Trapper, The Dutchess and the Duke

Bishop Allen:

Bishop Allen played a short set of peppy, collegiate indie pop. If McSweeney's had a record label, this is the kind of music they would release. The band had tons of energy, which was infectious and much needed mid-afternoon on the last day of a three-day festival. They also win for having a marimba on stage.

Blitzen Trapper:

If you're one of those people who loves classic rock radio and feels like there's no good new music, Blitzen Trapper, who sounded like they were playing the 1973 edition of Sasquatch!, might change your mind. This is another band that was probably just slightly too big to play a sidestage.

The Dutchess and the Duke:

Speaking of bands who wear their classic rock influences on their sleeves, the Dutchess and the Duke sound like a slightly twangier version of the Rolling Stones circa "Mother's Little Helper." They make a lot of noise considering their only percussion is a tambourine and a floor tom.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Sasquatch! 2009: Grizzly Bear, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Horse Feathers, Santigold

Another amazing, sunny day here at Sasquatch! I've coated myself with the highest SPF sunscreen I could procure and set off running. Here's a sampling of some of the acts I've caught so far:

Grizzly Bear:

My first band of the day was Grizzly Bear, who played through the majority of their new new album Veckatimest, which they'll unleash on the world starting tomorrow, along with some old favorites like Yellow House's majestic single, "The Knife." It was a great, mellow way to lull the crowd back into the last day.

Black Moth Super Rainbow:

The smooth and psychedelic sounds of Black Moth Super Rainbow up on the Wookie Stage had a similar impact on the crowd there. I feel like their albums can be a bit meanderery, unstructured, and noisy, but this live set was beautiful--swimming in vocoders, analog synths, and bliss.

Horse Feathers:

I only caught a couple songs of Horse Feathers' set on the Yeti Stage, but enjoyed what I heard--acoustic strings, including cello, viola, banjo, and acoustic guitars that completed the mellow vibe blanketing the festival from every corner.

Santigold:

Here's where the tempo's picking up. Santigold had the crowd throwing their arms in the air with her mixture of world beat's driving rhythms and new wave pop's sleek synths and structure. The audience was all over this, especially when she played her hit single "L.E.S. Artistes."

Alright--I'm off to check out more bands, and will report back later

--Alan Wiley

Sasquatch! 2009: Heartless Bastards

I'm a big fan of Heartless Bastards' debut, Stairs and Elevators--particularly the song, "New Resolution," but I haven't really kept up with them since. Seeing their performance this afternoon made me regret this and decide to give their other records a spin as soon as possible. The crowd was sparse, making the show as intimate as  one on a stage this large could possibly be. It seemed like a really awesome backyard barbeque, minus some ribs and plus a few unfortunate back tattoos on the guests. Erika Wennerstrom has a voice that is incongruous with her appearance, though, it would be incongruous with anything that wasn't at least half wolf. Her soulful yowl is muscular and it filled up the Gorge. The small crowd who arrived early enough to catch the Heartless Bastards were fortunate enough to see one of the festival's better performances.

Sasquatch! 2009: Fences, Aziz Ansari

Fences:

About a year ago at a fancy sit-down venue in Seattle, I saw Fences, which, at the time, was just Chris Mansfield and a drummer. Mansfield faced away from the audience and the two of them turned out these impossibly melancholy songs at a super-slow tempo, magnifying the sadness to the point where it was inescapable. It was music that seemed to be both created and meant to be listened to alone in the dark.

Now, with a full band, a Fences show is a completely different experience. The songs move more swiftly than before without losing any of their emotional heft. Instead, the quicker pace adds a layer of subtlety, making the music more real, round, and relatable. Standing in front of me, the coolest nine-year-old in the world made the observation that they sound like Bright Eyes, which is an astute judgment for a fourth grader, though Mansfield's voice is certainly stronger than Conor Oberst's and his songs are more streamlined.

Fences are currently not signed to a label, but I don't anticipate that will last long. This is powerful music.

Aziz Ansari:

Though Sasquatch! has featured a bunch of great comedians, I hadn't ventured into the comedy tent until this year. Maybe it was Aziz Ansari's role in Parks and Recreation, or the popularity of Human Giant, or maybe it was just the right time to escape the sun, but there were a ridiculous amount of people trying to get in to see this dude. The entire tent was packed and there were still several rows of people spilling outside of it at every opening. Those who got close enough to hear caught Ansari keeping it on the music tip, telling stories about Kanye West and R. Kelly which I will not repeat out of respect for comedy and general public safety. I wanted to stick around to catch Zach Galifianakis, but fire hazard-based anxiety and ready availability of other shows prompted me to hightail it the f-word out of there as soon as I could, though not before I caught some comedy Ansari wrote for a character he's playing in Judd Apatow's forthcoming Funny People.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Sasquatch 2009: Day 2 Wrap-Up

Ok, so I realize this didn't exactly hit the presses anytime yesterday, but really--a lot happened, and we didn't want to miss anything, and by the time the day was done, I literally passed out with my laptop on my stomach trying to write it all up, so please forgive me. I caught pieces of incredible sets by the Walkmen, Fences, the Avett Brothers, TV on the Radio, the Dodos, Nine Inch Nails, M83, Natile Portman's Shaved Head, and Of Montreal. Here are some highlights:

The Walkmen:

The crowd was excited to see the Walkmen, who debuted several new songs during their set, but it was their hits from their three albums that really got everyone riled up and jumping around. With the sun blasting full-tilt, the east coast favorites delivered. It was at this point that I realized I was so hungry that I had to pause for a food break. One $8 5-inch pizza and another $8 foot-long "colossal dog" later, I was ready for more music.

TV on the Radio:

I got the feeling that this band was one of the reasons a lot of people came to the festival in general, and you could see why. Their catchy melodies, coupled with their complex harmonies and unique songs made for a memorable set, that the sardine-stacked main stage crowd ate up like so many cinnamon coated elephant ears.

M83:

Jeff and I discussed it, and it was unanimous. M83 wins the sexiest band at Sasquatch award (Jeff adds, "There wasn't a lot of competition.").  Performing as a 3 piece, they, along with the crowd, challenged the heat and setting sun with thier cool, chilled-out, synth-driven songs, that felt like a wash of cool water over everyone. That, and they both looked incredibly sexy.

The Dodos:

 

Though I didn't catch their whole set (they played at the same time as M83), these guys were relentless. The drummer's physicality was tangible, and the fans were cheering for encores after they were finished.

Of Montreal:

Somehow, Jeff and I ended up on stage with Of Montreal. It all happened kind of fast, but we were asked to "act" as part of their set. We were supposed to be tourists being led on a guided tour by a guy in a naked suit with a tiger head. Then we were supposed to be frozen in fright, at which point we were posed by a guy in drag who came in carrying another naked suit tiger headed guy, this one bloodied. There were karate moves, glitter, and then we left the stage. A very odd experience that seems like it could only happen during an Of Montreal show. Here's Jeff right before we went on stage (sorry, Jeff!):

 

and here's a shot I took while on stage--we were actually supposed to take pictures, being tourists and all.

 

I ended the evening with a little bit of Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and then caught the tail end of Nine Inch Nails' set. He ended with "Head Like A Hole," one of his first singles from Pretty Hate Machine, and it was pretty great.

Jeff and I both just couldn't take it anymore, so we left before Jane's Addiction took the stage, but could hear the beginnings of their set while we looked for my car in the sea of vehicles parked in the adjoining field. Today is a new day, and we'll try to bring you updates throughout the day.

--Alan Wiley

Sasquatch! 2009: Street Sweeper Social Club

Street Sweeper Social Club's stated message is to:

1) Feed the poor
2) Fight the power
3) Rock the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] out

Respectable things, sure, and when delivering a radical message, it's always good to deliver them with a spoonful of sugar. Thing is, the sound of Tom Morello's guitar is like a bug zapper for bros, who are more or less only interested in #3. By making that reckless, sweeping generalization, alls I'm saying is that's a lot of sugar for this particular message; so much so that it probably would have been entirely obscured had Morello not stopped the show to lay out the aforementioned three-point plan.

During that show stoppage, Boots asked everyone in the audience to lift their phones in the air. I half-expected him to tell everyone to smash 'em, but, instead, he took advantage of a captive audience to add a bunch of contacts to the band's marketing list in a brilliantly crass way.

He and Morello asked everyone to text a certain number to find out how to feed the poor in their area, to get some free music, and to get access to an afterparty. This is definitely better and mostly more noble than the things you usually get in exchange for an email address or a cell phone number, but if they don't also use the information they collect from that text message to market to fans about tour dates and new releases, I'll be shocked. Sadly, because of patchy cell coverage in the area (i.e. anyone who uses AT&T or has an iPhone is almost completely sans-connectivity), this probably wasn't as successful as it could have been.

That said, Morello's guitar playing is bonkers in a great way, and Street Sweeper Social Club got the still-sparse early afternoon crowd moving. To answer the inevitable question, Boots Riley is a much better and more interesting rapper than Zach de la Rocha, making this semi-supergroup perhaps more interesting than any potential Rage reunion would be.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Sasquatch! 2009: Point Juncture, WA

So far, Portland, Oregon's oddly named Point Juncture, WA has been my favorite band I've seen at the festival so far. I'd never heard their music until our car ride on the way up, and I'm really glad I took the time to see their whole set. Thier set was on the Yeti Stage, the smallest at Sasquatch, and was comparitively sparsely attended. This means that I was easily able to come right to the front of the stage--what a treat! These four talented multi-instrumentalists switched around their instruments, ranging from standard guitars, keys, drums, and bass to bells, trumpet and various percussion, on nearly every song, and successfully brought together elements of such loved bands as Stereolab, Sonic Youth, and Yo La Tengo into a sound that was distinct, pretty, noisy, and well polished. They said they were just wrapping up five weeks of touring, so catch them next time they hit the road, you won't be disappointed. As soon as I get home, I'm buying everything I can find by them, and if this discovery alone were the only thing to come of this adventure, it would be well worth it. Yay for finding awesome new bands!

--Alan Wiley

Sasquatch! 2009: Day Two

We're back at the Gorge for another day of Sasquatching it up. It'll be difficult to top last night's Bon Iver show, which, despite a disappointingly common late start, seemed to please the crowd more than any performance I caught yesterday. With two drummers (one of whom occasionally drummed whilst playing bass), a handful of keyboards, and a seemingly constantly e-bowed lead guitar, the arrangements shifted between barely-there atmospherics and absolute cacophony. "The Wolves (Parts I and II)" moved from one to the other, with the audience singing along sweetly at first, then ultimately absolutely wailing while the percurssionists nearly murdered their instruments. Another highlight: when Justin Vernon whipped out a beautiful antique-looking archtop guitar for "Skinny Love."

Today, I'm looking forward to catching St. Vincent, John Vanderslice, Fences, and, actually a really solid comedy lineup featuring a Jon Benjamin/Todd Barry collaboration, Aziz Ansari, and the splendidly bearded Zach Galifianakis.

And now, something Sasquatch-related to get our day off right:



-- Jeff Reguilon

Sasquatch! 2009: Mos Def, Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Mos Def ruled the Wookie stage Saturday evening, rhyming over a variety of beats to an enthusiastic, capacity crowd. We were lucky enough to get on the side of the stage with him, and it was great seeing such a dynamic performer so close up. The audience threw fists in the air, sang along, and had a great time. As cool as it was, I left his performance a little early in order to catch the Yeah Yeah Yeahs performance on the main stage, while Jeff stayed behind.  He'll possibly chime in later with a more in-depth assesment of the performance.

The YYYs captivated their audience and brought a ferocious energy to a crowd that was tiring as quickly as the sun was setting (the sunset here at The Gorge is amazing). They played every song I wanted to hear, and I was more than satisfied to spend the twilight listening to songs like "Zero" and "Maps." It was truly a beautiful night, but I have to admit--the early morning, long drive, hot sun, and relentless lineup have taken their toll on me, and I'm certainly ready for a good night's sleep, and am relatively certain that I'll konk out pretty quickly as soon as I get back to the hotel tonight. After all, like the rest of this crowd, I've gotta get up and do it all again tomorrow! See you then!

--Alan Wiley

Sasquatch! 2009: Animal Collective, Tons & Tons of Sweaty People

The crowd was anxious to see internet band of the year®, Animal Collective play their set on the main stage, but had to wait an extra 15 minutes while the band's many electronic gadgets were properly set up, but once the music started, everyone went wild. Funny smoke began pouring out of the crowd from seemingly everywhere, which complimented the psychedelic big screen video. I couldn't deal with it, and had to bail from the middle of the crowd. The humanity was too thick, the smoke too heavy, and the sweat too pungent. I enjoyed the rest of thier set from afar, and they didn't disappoint.

I like the sunshine and music, but sometimes the sheer number of people is overwhelming. Here's an example of the number of people:

 

Off to go catch more bands!

--Alan Wiley

Sasquatch! 2009: Passion Pit, Dent May, Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band

And now, we bring you some awesome bands playing mid-day.

Passion Pit:

YOU GUYS, CAN YOU GET A CONTACT HIGH IF PEOPLE AROUND YOU ARE DOING ECSTASY? I GOT A LIL' TINGLY WHEN I WAS WATCHING THE PASSION PITS AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE AWESOME AND NOT BECAUSE OF SOME SORT OF AIRBORNE CONTAGIOUS FORM OF E HIGHNESS.

Seriously, though, Passion Pit overcame an unsteady start and a too-long set-up process to move an overgrown crowd. Maybe they're not quite established enough to play the main stage, but there were definitely too many people packed in around the middle stage for dancing to be comfortable. Still, the audience yelled and clapped along as the band sounded solid pumping songs they admitted to having played maybe only four times in front of an audience. So good.

Dent May and His Maginficent Ukulele:

Dent May kind of looks like a Will Forte character, but the crooning over his Uke works. The Morrissey comparisons are inevitable, but the swaying harmonies remind me of Southern California old school cruising music. I'd be surprised if he wasn't at least familiar with Malo's "Suavecito." Peppering songs with wit and humor is tricky business, but Dent May is able to pull it off without seeming like everything's a joke. This was a highly enjoyable set.

Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band:

We love Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, but I was a little nervous to see them play a festival gig. Part of what makes them awesome is their complicated song structure, playfulness with time signatures, and their use of dynamics, all of which can be off-putting for an audience mostly consisting of people who've never heard of this band. Thankfully, the nervousness was not necessary as the band immediately engaged the crowd. Heads bobbed and hands clapped. "Going on a Hunt," and the set-closing "Albatross, Albatross, Albatross" were highlights.

For the record, other things that make Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band awesome: sweet riffage, custom-made tambourine-on-stick thingies, and a super-talented teenage drummer. See also: roughly a billionty other things. Also, they popped drum hits mid-song by throwing tennis balls off a tom-tom. Rad.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Sasquatch! 2009: Gaslight Anthem, AA Bondy, Blind Pilot

One of the best things about Sasquatch! is the ease with which we can move from stage to stage. I was able to catch a bit of these three shows:

The Gaslight Anthem:

Their punked-up Springsteen steez is easily more energetic than anything else happening this early in the festival. This is a lot of emotion to take before most people have secured drinking bracelets.

A.A. Bondy:

Driving in, Alan and I agreed A.A. Bondy would have been a great fit for the early morning hangover recovery set the way J. Tillman of Fleet Foxes soothed everyone last year. Bondy laid down some dusty, gentle southern sounds to a handful of quasi-hippies who looked on mildly stunned. He was good, but it looks like this was a day early.

Blind Pilot:

Blind Pilot are a 7,873 piece band (rough estimate-- I have trouble counting past four). They're one of several bands giving Sasquatch! a distinctly folkier flavor this year and, given the setting, this is probably a good shift. Good weather and an incredible view of the cliffs around the Columbia river lend themselves much more nicely to gentle strums than aggro riffs; at least during the daytime, anyway. People unashamedly yelped along in the first few rows of the crowd. We need more of that.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Sasquatch! 2009: Doves

Doves played a majestic set on the main stage that wrapped up just a few minutes ago. Their songs are pleasant, yet rocking. The crowd seems seems to be enjoying the tunes and the energy feels like everyone is warming up to the idea of 3 days of blistering heat--by the way, it's really hot here--especially for those of us more accustomed to rain and clouds than full sun. Sunscreen and skin are everywhere you look and there is much vitamin D being created. Gonna go run and catch Dent May!

--Alan Wiley


P.S. Here is a retaliatory photo of Jeff at our overnight digs. Thanks, Jeff. :)
 

Sasquatch! 2009: We're Here

After a surprisingly breezy drive from Seattle to Quincy, we're in at the Gorge, ready to take in three days' worth of live music and perhaps even a few $9 beers. On the way up, Alan and I listened to the playlist I posted below, which got us more excited for bands we already know we want to see (Bon Iver, Dent May, Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band, Passion Pit, Erykah Badu, etc.) and intrigued by bands we don't know much about (Port Junction, WA, Loch Lomond, the Pica Beats). Drop us a comment and let us know if there's anyone else we should be sure to see. The full lineup is available here.

Here is a goofy picture of Alan getting ready to hop in the car after breakfast. Stay tuned, as I'm almost certain Alan will post embarrassing pictures of me at some point in the near future to retaliate. Let's see how far we can take this.

--Jeff Reguilon