Dime Store Riot

The Blasters rocked their way onto the California scene with a stunning lineup that consisted of: Bill Bateman on drums, John Bazz on bass, Dave Alvin on lead guitar, and Phil Alvin on rhythm and vocals. Starting in the late 70s, they played with bands like Black Flag, The Cramps, and Queen before going on their own solo tours. In Walter’s Hill’s rock fable, Streets of Fire, they performed “One Bad Stud” and “Blue Shadows” . Tarantino and Rodriguez followed Michael Mann’s Miami Vice lead and used “Dark Night” for their first collaboration, From Dusk Till Dawn. And Dwight Yoakam scored a hit with their tune “Long White Cadillac” . But for some reason, The Blasters have always been one less album sale and one more review away from being reduced to hipster favorite. We all know that talent and fame aren’t anywhere close to being synonymous, but The Blasters prove the two are so fucking distant that, assuming you could bribe them into a date, talent and fame could marry and reprodu

It's been a busy summer. Regrettably, not one full of writing. At work, we've been preparing to move offices and we keep track of an inordinate amount of paper files, student deaths and disciplinary records. Often slow stretches at work is where I'll ruminate on plot ideas and maybe write a quick page that I'll work into something when I get home. At home, the summer is always full of projects, holidays and yard work. The riding lawn mower was in the shop for far too long and, since I had no desire to use a machette to get from front door to car door, it meant I had to push mow our acreage. There have been a few things I've fooled around with as time permits. And now the first of them is up at the always excellent Thrillers, Killers & Chillers . So check out The Last Cigarette and let me know what you think.