From Our Mailbag

July 31, 2009

Hi,

My name’s Joe, I live in Homestead, FL and a friend of mine told me about your band which at first I admit I thought was a horrible sounding idea, I mean obscure historical rock, but like, you guys are pretty damn great and I think you ought to do a show down here at the Coral Castle. I heard your song Latvian Bride which I guess is my favorite because I live five minutes from and remember going to the Coral Castle like as a kid, I think I had a birthday party there once, and it’s just a great concept for a song and I mean your work is really solid. So y’all should give it some thought,

[the letter ends here abruptly]

Dear Joe,

Your compelling (albeit depressing) observation does indeed ring true. Many times over the course of our career we have asked ourselves that very question: is the mere notion of “obscure historical rock” a “horrible sounding idea”? After well over a decade making music under that very label, I’ve lately been haunted by the creeping feeling that you may be onto something. Perhaps it is time to reconsider…

No! No reconsidering! Pinataland will…must…soldier on, cranking out music ever more obscure, ever more “historical”, ever more “rock”! Your thoughtful words, Joe, (I refer, of course, to “pretty damn great”), shall be the fuel for the Pinataland engine during these three performances:

September 11: Banjo Jim’s, East Village, Manhattan

October 9: Barbes, Brooklyn

December 11: Barbes, Brooklyn

Save the dates! Details for all shows to come to this site (and our facebook page) shortly, as well as even more that I’m currently in the process of nailing down.

Now, will a performance of “Latvian Bride” (a song that details the obsessions of one Edward Leedskalnin) ever occur at the Coral Castle in Homestead, FL? If only 50 residents of that area say they’d come, and the Coral Castle folks agree, and Billy Idol gives his blessing, the answer is a resounding…maybe.

Doug

This week in Iceland and Chicago

June 18, 2009

Doug is spending the week in Iceland and I’m performing this Saturday at my neighborhood block party. I’ll post details when I have them.

Dave

What the heck?!

June 9, 2009

You may have noticed that we have a fancy-dancy new website here. We’re still working out the kinks but when you come across stuff that doesn’t work, let us know.

A reggae version of El Niño!

May 31, 2009

Submitted to our cover song contest: a reggae version of El Niño from Baltimore, coincidentally also from Eric, but with an entirely different band, this one called Pharoah Rat. What’s up with all the bands Eric?