If you follow the channel on YouTube this may seem like old news, but if not, here are some updates regarding Beerfinger's upcoming 3rd album "Heart of the Machine."  It's been eating up a lot of my time as well as my brain lately.  It should be done in a month, maybe less thanks to the quarantine.  There's nothing else to do except work.  That said, it's a labor of love regardless of how tortuous it is.  I've learned a great deal the last few years about audio engineering, and with each project, this album especially, things have gotten better to a degree I never thought possible.  I'm looking forward to sharing this album with y'all, and hope you're looking forward to hearing it.  

I am fortunate enough to have been included the inaugural issue of a magnificent collection of noir, crime fiction called "Hoosier Noir."  A series of gritty mysteries centered in Indiana.  Available on Amazon, this first issue contains a variety of fantastic authors who littered gem-lines throughout every story.  Any fan of hardboiled fiction would do well to grab themselves a copy right this minute. 

My story, entitled "The Haunted Crave Knowing," is about a depressed female P.I. who gave up her last fuck a long time ago.  She's been hired to investigate a murder no one wants to solve and the case just keeps reminding our detective of the one thing she cares about, the one thing she's lost forever.  Based on a real unsolved murder, this story will have you reaching for a whiskey right quick.  

Click here to get your copy now!

So, we've reached the end of the audio adaptation for "A Blood Red Reindeer Knows."  I've enjoyed this little journey.  Not only did I learn a lot along the way, but I'm confident saying the site may be going more in this direction.  Audio has always fascinated me, and dramatizations like this I think bring the stories to life in unique ways.  Plus, this is a chance to combine so many different things I enjoy doing into one form -- art, music, writing and storytelling.  

I won't lie.  Sometimes it felt like more of a pain in the taint than seemed necessary.  However, if you compare part one to part 9, you'll hear how much progress has been made.  Getting better equipment helped, certainly, but there's more to it than just having a quality mic, especially if adding music.  Yes, sound effects need improvement, though I think they'll come together in the future.  Meanwhile, I have an album to finish -- Beerfinger's "Heart of the Machine" is on the horizon -- so I'll leave to listen to the thrilling conclusion to this strange noir tale.  Thanks for listening, and enjoy!

Last year I put together a lengthy neonoir mystery that reimagined Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer as a gritty outlaw misfit.  A series of murders are being pinned on the nefarious red-nose, and Rudolph must make his way through a grim North Pole to find the truth.  It features numerous strange takes on familiar faces as well as dark spins on classic themes.  In a weird way, there's dark humor a plenty but also a touch of heart.

That said, a while back I did an audio adaptation of the first part for Unreal:  a fiction-focused, experimental open mic here in Chicago.  It worked out, though needed a little tweeking.  To that end, I've started putting it together now.  Granted, the holiday season is passed, however, that didn't stop me from carrying on with the written version well beyond Christmas.  (Also, I got tackled into a pile of uselessness thanks to a cold that lasted weeks.) 

Over the last year I've been working on an animated music video for the Beerfinger song "Please Sally" off the album "Uncle Stumble's Mumble Juice."  Frankly, it took an intolerable amount of time, but at long last the end product is finally here.  To call it a relief is an understatement.  For months I struggled with trial and error trying to figure out how exactly to get this thing made.  Having little experience when it comes to animation didn't help speed things along.  However, perseverance proved to be the route to success.  A lot of mistakes stalled the project as well as diminished the belief I could get this done.  

What finally proved the most useful direction was a combination of stop motion alongside digital editing of the photos.  A tedious process that made me want to hit myself with a hammer.  Yet, that said, I have a new found respect for those who do this for a living.  Not everything I shot, with the help of my friend, made it into the video, but that's something I've noticed with any video project.

All in all, I'm glad I made the effort.  While I may not be about to dive into another animation project, I could see myself doing another down the road.  For the time being, enjoy "Please Sally."

The song as well as the full album are available on Apple Music.

In other news, I recently got a piece of creative nonfiction published.  It's a story I've performed around the Chicago area on several occasions.  It always gets laughs, gasps, and makes people feel less optimistic about the human race.  It's the story of a time I almost got stabbed, but I don't want to spoil it.  You can read it at the website Talking Soup.  Be sure to float around their site and check out the other great stories there as well.

Until next time, my best to you and yours!