Grievers Club

New single cover for Seattle punks Ninety Pound Wuss. I reworked some elements from the video backdrop that Zeph and I made a few summers back.

It’s particularly touching to be able to use this graphic of the late John Spalding. Decades ago while John was at culinary school here in Portland he said to me, “Joe, making food is like writing a song. If you can do one you’ll understand the other.” He had a profound impact on my life when I was much younger, and I really appreciate the opportunity to work with this part of his legacy. I'm thankful for his memory.

P.S. Folks, I’m still here. This severe injury has been ongoing for almost nine months. I have missed sharing with you all. I’d love to hear how you’re doing.

From the vault: Finally found a hanging place for this Halloween costume advertisement. I can't get enough of this stuff. 1955 was the year that my old man was born. Keep on living the dream, people. Or whatever it is that you do these days.

Love,
Joe

Friends, they have finally arrived. These Link Wray t-shirts were lovingly screen printed here in Portland on comfy Comfort Colors. Shown here on the stunning Marlene, ready for your wardrobe. I can't wait for you to get your hands on them. We've heard rumors about people extending their lifespan, getting their dream job, and being the coolest person in the room while wearing one. You can now order them at the link in the bio.

As a 1990s teenager I fell head-over-heels for Sweden's Refused. Their politics deeply resonated with my younger self, with words practically stamped on my heart. Their music wasn't alpha male driven, but rather rested in this wild place that felt like my spirit animal. In my 20s I had some of their lyrics spray painted across my coffee table. To see them all these years later, with my fifteen-year-old son Zeph beside me, was such a touching gift. Dennis Lyxzen was a wonder. Special mention: Opener Help from here in Portland was brilliantly good. Their singer doesn't know this, but he and I were involved in the same band at different points on our journey.

In true until death do us part fashion, Lottie Howard spent a week buried alive outside of a drive-in theater in Denison, Texas. The two of them were buried alive practitioners, and after she was risen from the grave she married her sweetheart “Country” Bill White. The two then took off on their honeymoon. Swipe right to check out the news clipping about this from 1966.

Here is this month's playlist, running a few weeks later than usual. Folks, I've been all kinds of sick this month. For this selection of tracks I thought I'd go in a different direction for fun. My son Zeph curated these with me. It's such a joy to share a love for music with him, and he regularly discovers gems that he shares with me. Presenting her loveliness here is Marlene, my stunning muse.

New design for , which you can now purchase on one of their in-house sewn and printed t-shirts. Working with Zachary was a pleasure, as our conversations went from similar art loves to ethics and values. He puts a lot of heart into the quality of his brand, working with premium materials in small batches. Another fun collaboration with Marlene (who actually graces this design if you look closely).

This evening our family got the rare kick of seeing one of our favorite artist's work hanging here in Portland. Zeph flashed his official Bad Guys Club membership card and quickly disappeared into some top secret club talk with .gleason. Thank you, Craig.

When I was fifteen a gang of Canadians befriended me. There seemed to be more of them than I could count and they all were much more rock and roll than anyone from Portland. One of them had recently shaved off his mohawk and had a green strip down his head, and the two of us sat in the back of an old VW van with the seats removed while another fellow drove around doing figure 8s as we discussed love, loss, and life in all its teenage angst. Turns out his name was Billy Bones and he had a band called Thee Pirates.

His current band is , a garage punk group all about moto bikes and rock and roll. A few years back they released this Motorcycho album and it is like an instant good mood switch. It’ll make your knees gyrate and have you doing wheelies off the coffee table. My favorite is the song Hot Dogs In The City. The music video for this has cameos from Nardwuar and Isaac Rother and put a serious smile on my face. You should go check that out.

That summer in 1996 I met another of Vancouver, BC's finest, a kind dude who went by the name Norman and had a zine called Motorcycho. That’s right, just like this record. He gave me loads of stickers which I slapped on surfaces throughout high school. Norm plays in The Vicious Cycles as well. I’m sure most of them have forgot about me by now, but it left a lifelong impression with me.

I’ve kept up with Billy all these decades and I can’t recommend getting behind anything he does enough. He's always been the master of punk sing-a-long numbers and I respect his tenacity in continually making music. So go get your face blasted off, throw some things out a window, and give The Vicious Cycles a listen on their Motorcycho release.

I'm a sucker for an old valentine. What's even better? Spooky themed valentines. Here's a selection of them that I put together for you. These are all kinds of charming and frightful. The last one is something else. So get to swiping right and please let me know which ones you got a kick out of. Okay, friends, bye for now.

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Happy February, friends. This month's Shake and Swagger is a mix of songs to sway your lonesome heart to. Is there a steaming platform that you'd prefer I do these on? You can find a link to this in the bio. Hang in there, good people. You've got a friend over this way. Now practice some self love and go put your ears to our song selections.