Doughnut Poem

I never write anything humorous so here is a poem about a doughnut.

NUT FOR DOUGH

what you’re missing

makes me whole

you fill up my

entire soul

you know your way

around a heart

you pump mine up

beyond the charts

you put my health

in partial danger

but I am partial

to your flavor

when I think of cops

I think of you

you gave bread

an attitude

sprinkle, sprinkle

a chocolate twisty

you come in different forms

to get me

I’ll not renounce

my giving in

if I’m the sinner

and you’re the sin

I’d try to say I’m not

crazy but

you’re my dough

and I’m your nut

Ask The Dust by John Fante

John Fante’s Ask The Dust

I was turned onto John Fante around 6 months ago when I attended a show at Strange Brew in Austin, TX to see a local solo artist by the name of Matt The Electrician. Matt, The Electrician, was dually playing with a country-ish solo artist by the name of Joe Pug. Matt would play a song, then Joe would play a song, then they would have some conversation, then Matt, then Joe, and the night continued on in this fashion.

Somewhere in the midst of one of their conversations, Matt gave Joe a gift.  The gift happened to be a book by John Fante. In explanation of the book, Matt mentioned that John was on Black Sparrow Press (same as Charles Bukowski). This is what sparked my interest in the author. The simple fact that John Fante and Charles Bukowski had played for the same team.

Months later, I finally found one of Fante’s books in a Half Price Bookstore. It was Ask The Dust.  I began to read it toward the end of my band’s tour and just finished it last night.

On the first read of any book I have, I like to dive straight in with no expectation. Did my best not to look at the cover or read the back. That’s how real art should be interpreted by your own honest opinion. So upon diving straight into Ask The Dust, I was affronted by an introduction by another author. I read the entire introduction to find that it was none other than Charles Bukowski himself who wrote the introduction. That’s all I needed to see to keep me interested.

The book turned out to be a solid take on one man’s desire for a woman who loves another man. That is the only truly interesting thing about the story. What makes the book fantastic, and what makes John Fante so different from Charles Bukowski, is the positively poetic way Fante describes a scene. Sure, there is plenty of hatred, disgust, and self-loathing throughout, but Fante also captures the beauty of a sunset coming up over the ocean or how adorable a newborn puppy can be. He doesn’t leave any detail out, nor let his characters own emotion get in the way of what is really happening in the book, even if he is the narrator. I found that to be an honest way of writing.

I also saw a soft spot in Fante that I rarely see in Bukowski (although I did see it when I read Women).  It was only my first time reading a Fante novel, but if I had to guess, he was a sucker for love.

All in all, I would recommend this book.

-Chase Spruiell

Rusty Metal Plates (a poem)

I have been writing a lot of poetry lately. This is a reflection of the fact that I have been reading the shit out of Leonard Cohen and Federico Garcia Lorca, but also because a writer feels obligated to write. I will most likely have a book of poems by the end of the year. Here is one of the poems I have written over the past couple of weeks. It is entitled, "Rusty Metal Plates."

The space between

my charming metal frame

and your innocent way of loving

is becoming thick

The empty space

somehow finds a way

to become emptier

when it thinks of us

And with that emptiness

comes a reality

that seems too important

to neglect

The metal plates

that were born with me

begin to rust

without you

Also, Kevin Clay shot some lovely footage of one of our shows. Check it out:

Transgender Dysphoria Blues

Against Me! will be officially releasing their new album, "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" on January 21st of this year. You can stream the album exclusively on NPR's website: http://www.npr.org/2014/01/12/261095666/first-listen-against-me-transgender-dysphoria-blues

I have been listening to the album nonstop as I do with every new Against Me! album. After the first listen, I have to admit, I wasn't terribly impressed. Although, this might just be a romantic personal trait that I have because the first time I ever heard Against Me! I did not enjoy it and now they are my all time favorite band. It's only logical that I am now in love with Transgender Dysphoria Blues. Especially after factoring in every article I've read about Laura Jane Grace and all she has gone through in the past couple of years to put out this album. Here's a good one (that also gives a bit of insight on Jay and Andrew leaving the band): http://m.spin.com/articles/laura-jane-grace-interview-against-me-transgender-dysphoria-blues/

It really is inspiring. Making an album in it's simplest form is a tough thing to do. Once you pile on all of the roadblocks that you may encounter, the unpredictability of the outcome, and the negativity you may receive during the process, it becomes nearly impossible. Not to mention the truckloads of pressure that come with having a large fan base depending on you to make good music. I say kudos to Laura for putting out an album the way she wanted to and not giving up.

Noteworthy songs on the album:
Transgender Dysphoria Blues
True Trans Soul Rebel
Drinking With The Jocks
Fuckmylife666
Dead Friend
Black Me Out

Puppet On A String

Things have been picking up for Free Kittens & Bread. We are playing shows and making babies. Here is a video from our show at Cherrywood Coffeehouse in beautiful and benevolent Austin, Texas. Happy Entrails!

The Seconds...

Here's something I just wrote on the way to Florida.

The Seconds...

How many days can I go unchained 

Unspoken for 

With lights ahead and night behind 

How many hours can I fake 

In toxic motion 

With substance favor and substance blinds 

How far will this car go 

Tank unattended 

In a race on the road...

Is there a bottom to the pit 

Is there a sky to the world 

How much darkness can I put behind me 

Before the light bends and the day breaks 

 

I'm hidden in time

As wheels tarnish the ground 

The moment is sated and

The seconds are now 

New Shirt Design

Hey dudes and dudettes. Free Kittens & Bread is finally up and running as a full band and we have some shows coming up so be prepared for that. I just got done making our first shirt design. The artwork itself was originally done by the same person who did the album artwork for Recluse (Josh Stringer), but I added some font, touched it up, and put it on a shirt. Here.

Now we don't actually have the funds to make this shirt happen yet. We have the means, just not the funds. So please head to our band camp and buy an album or something. Anything helps. Thank you.
http://freekittensandbread.bandcamp.com

Recluse

On August 1st, I self-released my first album under the name Free Kittens & Bread. I'm headed to live in Austin on the 25th to promote it as much as I can and play any and all shows possible (if you know of anywhere, tell me immediately). Any support is much appreciated. If you haven't heard the album yet, check it out now! You can buy it on my bandcamp page, listen to it on spotify, or buy it on iTunes. You can even buy it on amazon! What are you waiting for!!!!?????

Album Artwork For "Recluse"

Here is all of the artwork that will be put on my album "Recluse", which will be released on August 1st. It should be available on Spotify, iTunes, and all of that good stuff so get stoked. This is the art before it was formatted for the actual album. Enjoy. All artwork done by Josh Stringer. 

Music & Film Stuff

What I am doing:

I have finished my album in musical terms. The songs were mixed and mastered by yours truly. I'm going to self-release it under Free Kittens & Bread. I've been throwing album artwork ideas back and forth with a gentleman by the name of Josh Stringer (thank you craigslist). It should be done within the next couple of days if not today (update: it's done). Then I will somehow get CDs replicated and begin my journey in Austin to promote it and such.

I have been neglecting film lately due to the recording process and, you know, doing everyfuckingthing by myself, but I was able to submit one of my films, Filmarchy, to two film festivals. I have high hopes that they will be accepted.

Here are links to the festivals for more info:

Little Rock Horror Picture Show

Hot Springs Horror Film Festival

Beyond that, here's the first film I put together. I realized I have never uploaded it or showed it to anybody. Enjoy.

 

These Chicks

This is the only all female rock group that I ever loved besides TLC.

Make Everything OK

For some reason this didn't work for me.

The magic button — Make Everything OK

This Year - The Mountain Goats

I am gonna make it through this year, 

if it kills me.

            The Mountain Goats "This Year" from A Bruntel on Vimeo.

Hop Along - Sister Cities

I saw Hop Along play in Dallas with Joyce Manor awhile back and it was a fantastic show. Frances Quinlan has a powerful voice. She rocks. They released a good album last year, and this song was released for their upcoming album. Fucking fun stuff man. Get into it.

Fun fact: Hop Along was an acoustic solo project started by Frances Quinlan.

Fun fact: Free Kittens & Bread is an acoustic solo project started by Chase Spruiell.

"Memory" by Charles Bukowski

I really like this poem. 

“memory” by Charles Bukowski

I’ve memorized all the fish in the sea
I’ve memorized each opportunity strangled
and
I remember awakening one morning
and finding everything smeared with the color of
forgotten love
and I’ve memorized
that too.

I’ve memorized green rooms in
St. Louis and New Orleans
where I wept because I knew that by myself I
could not overcome
the terror of them and it.

I’ve memorized all the unfaithful years
(and the faithful ones too)
I’ve memorized each cigarette that I’ve rolled.
I’ve memorized Beethoven and New York City
I’ve memorized
riding up escalators, I’ve memorized
Chicago and cottage cheese, and the mouths of
some of the ladies and the legs of
some of the ladies
I’ve known
and the way the rain came down hard.
I’ve memorized the face of my father in his coffin,
I’ve memorized all the cars I have driven
and each of their sad deaths,
I’ve memorized each jail cell,
the face of each new president
and the faces of some of the assassins;
I’ve even memorized the arguments I’ve had with
some of the women
I’ve loved.

best of all
I’ve memorized tonight and now and the way the
light falls across my fingers,
specks and smears on the wall,
shades down behind orange curtains;
I light a rolled cigarette and then laugh a little,
yes, I’ve memorized it all.

the courage of my memory.

Marijuana

Enigami Systems Inc. is a health information technology company that I work for on the side. They have been a strong advocate for medical marijuana and have been making great strides towards it's legalization. They need a little help with funding for a project right now and any help would be greatly appreciated. Please take the time to check it out.

Keep up with the company:

https://www.facebook.com/EnigamiSystemsInc

https://twitter.com/EnigamiSystems

http://www.linkedin.com/company/2669297?trk=tyah

Serotonin Trip

I have been working on an album for the past few months.

Here is a song from this album.

It's called Serotonin Trip.

Thank you. 

A Little Wisdom

I thought these were quite insightful. Enjoy.

Los Angeles, December 30, 1968

"Yes, that is [man's] quest. Everyone is trying to be happy, because that is the living entity’s prerogative. He is meant by nature to be happy, but he does not know where he can be happy. He is trying to be happy in a place where there are four miserable conditions—namely birth, old age, disease, and death. The scientists are trying to be happy and make other people happy. But what scientist has stopped old age, disease, death, and rebirth? Has any scientist succeeded?...

...So what is this? Why do they not consider, “We have made so much improvement, but what improvement have we made in these four areas?” They have not made any. And still they are very much proud of their advancement in education and technology. But the four primary miseries remain as they are. You see?"

Stockholm University, September 1973

"The material world is compared to dāvānala, a forest fire. As we have experienced, no one goes to the forest to set a fire, but still it takes place. Similarly, no one within this material world wants to be unhappy. Everyone is trying to be very happy, but one is forced to accept unhappiness. In this material world, from time immemorial to the present moment, there have been occasional wars, world wars, even though people have devised various means to stop wars. When I was a young man there was the League of Nations. In 1920, after the First World War, different nations formed the League of Nations, just to arrange for peaceful living among themselves. No one wanted war, but again there was a forest fire—the Second World War. Now they have devised the United Nations, but war is still going on—the Vietnam War, the Pakistan War, and many others. So you may try your best to live very peacefully, but nature will not allow you. There must be war. And this warlike feeling is always going on, not only between nation and nation, but also between man and man, neighbor and neighbor—even between husband and wife and father and son. This warlike feeling is going on. This is called dāvānala, a forest fire. No one goes to the forest to set fire, but automatically, by the friction of dried bamboo, sparks arise, and the forest catches fire. Similarly, although we do not want unhappiness, by our dealings we create enemies, and there is fighting and war. This is called saṁsāra-dāvānala."

-Śrīla Prabhupāda

The Winds Of Time

Coming and going,

The tree knows me well,

I circulate wisdom from the leaves, you can tell.

The wandering eye-a vision once told,

Ancestors come, and history folds.

There's laughter in things you'd never suggest,

but ponder upon the slant of a breast.

A humanly thought is worth more to you,

than truth in a touch when thinking is through. 

You'll never love more,

I've seen it before.

You'd struggle against the waves of a shore.

Pride is a thing i'll never endure.

You'll live with a question,

and never be more. 

I Think I Saw A...

THEY'RE BACK

Reunited: Neutral Milk Hotel

Tour Dates

I would like to go on a road trip to one of the shows if they don't add anymore.

Who's with me?