I wanted to call this part of the about page “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.” Well, turns out that one’s taken. So, a little bit about me..
Anyway, hey there! Here’s the part where I talk about myself. I post under the name “Kenny Bloggins,” because I think I’m clever and strive to entertain myself, but my name is Michael. I’m 24, Virgo, and speak almost exclusively in hyperbole.
As a quick bio over the last couple of years, I graduated cum laude from the University of Kentucky in 2007 with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science (UK is also the alma mater of the heavy-hitter webmasters for You Ain’t No Picasso and I Guess I’m Floating, the former blogger I’ve worked with on a number of shows in the past as a promoter - show some love, Matt, and link to me, poopypants). During my college tenure, I became very involved with music (so involved that I had very little time to pick up my own guitar or, uh, do homework). I served as general manager for our campus radio station WRFL, volunteered with the Action Arts Collective, wrote features for the Kentucky Kernel (as well as the satirical equivalent The Colonel) and Nougat Magazine, started more projects than I could keep up with, and eventually landed a very awesome job booking touring national artists and local bands, as well as doing promotions and managerial stuff, for the city’s largest music club, The Dame, for over two years. I tell many stories from my tenure at The Dame due to the insanity that a music venue inherently harbors.
After livin’ the dream for a while, I decided to move to the big city (Chicago), get a big boy job (doing search engine optimization and copywriting in an office, totally selling out), and see where things went. As of November ‘08, I’m in Louisville, lovin’ life in The Highlands. I do freelance graphic and web design when I can, as well as writing for various online and print publications. I also record my own guitar noddlin’ and sound collage stuff every now and again, which you can find at my Meridian Signals LOLMYSPACEOMG page, which more or less serves as a collection of sonic sketches until I can get a full band together.
In my free time, I like to do normal stuff… be a dude, hang out, light things on fire, purple drank, draw skulls on stuff, get mah dance on, et al. I also fuckin’ love Photoshop!
Always feel free to contact me about anything. Though I come off as a completely irreverent and insufferable smart ass, I’m actually a pretty warm lil’ dude - through both my friendliness and my ability to maintain homeostasis at around 98.6 degrees (F) or so.
My current favorite artists: Flying Saucer Attack, The Left Banke, Spiritualized, The Free Design, West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Lilys, Panda Bear, Bardo Pond, 13th Floor Elevators, The Focus Group, The Tower Recordings, Odd Nosdam, Blue Cheer, Indian Jewelry, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Benoit Pioulard, Six Organs of Admittance, and the mighty motherfuckin’ Syd Barrett. This list is constantly changing. I’m also waaaay into Jock Jams. That shit’s so good. Everybody dance now.
My girlfriend Lana, a.k.a. Lana Montana, L-Dog, L-Train, Lanasty, etc., doesn’t exactly write for this blog, but she is certainly a contributor. She avidly reads rock biographies like a scholar, and introduces me to a lot of under-the-radar artists of the ’60s and ’70s that were monumental in larger bands’ careers. Lana is a veritable fountain of knowledge. She provides lots of inspiration, acting as an all around muse. Lana also points me to a lot of amazing YouTube videos that subsequently end up on this blog. She’s currently working on a David Byrne-esque art project - a visually unique flowchart intimately connecting every important artist in rock and roll to Eric Clapton. It’s going to be weird and awesome. There’s a very good chance that she’s smarter than you (no offense). I mean, chick owns and has read the first Harry Potter book… in Latin. Lana’s currently working on her teaching degree, and will make the world a less dumb place. We thank her for this.
Lana has been lately diggin’ all up on Glenn Branca, Animal Collective, The Kinks, The Vaselines, Fairport Convention, Ciccone Youth, Cream, and tons of other classic rock. We both love the Fleetwood Motherfuckin’ Mac. She’s also a self-described “pretentious defender of unpretentious music.”
Thanks again for visiting, and Godspeed on your righteous ridin’ on the series of tubes.
