Check out our new web site. It is very cool. XTC, Kula Shaker, Wayne Kramer, the Bellrays, reams of reviews AND MP3s of Ron Flynt and the Bluehearts and Superego!

www.popculturepress.com
 
 

WEEKLY SOFTBALL UPDATE:

Also, note the relatively new time: 2:30- THURSDAY- RAMSEY PARK

The weather ought to be ok, if not a bit chilly, but who'd of thunk we'd be able to play right up till 2000?

As always.... TELL YOUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, SPOUSES, DRINKING BUDDIES, ETC.. I can't email everybody, so help spread the word, will ya? You know who's equally underemployed and free on weekdays....

bringing extra gloves, babies, pets, cold water, alcohol, or cigarettes has not been discouraged in the past.....

Andy

To: ferguson@auschron.com
From: Matt Williams 
Reply-to: Tommi Ferguson 
Date: Wed, 08 Dec 1999 15:32:19 -0600
Sender: mrw@hexe.auschron.com

Thanks to each of you for registering in this year's Austin Chronicle Musicians Register, our 17th annual edition. Due to unfortunate circumstances the Musicians Appreciation Supper (originally scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 14 at Threadgill's) has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience to those of you who have already signed up for the event.

Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:24:27 EST
From: Templeray@aol.com
To: superego@io.com

Paul,

By now, I'm sure you've spoken with Wendy Morgan at the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding their compilation CD....

I need to speak with you regarding publishing information for the song Misery Date. I also need your mailing address so I can send you a mechanical license request. Also, is Nickel and Dime Records you label? Please let me know as soon as possible.

Subject: Re: meeting
Date: Thu, 02 Dec 1999 05:59:53 +0000
From: Paul Minor 
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: Grande Pooh-Bah 
CC: superego@io.com

amy,

i enjoyed meeting james and was impressed with the presentation. we discussed licensing of music for the mini-films and other hardware issues.

here are my follow-up thoughts:

1. i will license music for free for films with no commercial content, but anything with an advertising or marketing aim needs to compensate artists with up-front fees.

2. james said cinemaelectric.com could provide distribution in several of the latest formats for original content produced by my video company. nickel $ dime productions makes music videos on super 8, vhs and digital video.

at what address can i send you a video reel of some of my directing/editing work?

i specialize in live performance music video. i think it highly marketable in a downloadable format.

thanks for arranging the meeting with james.

take care and keep in touch.

Subject: Re: Superego
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 07:27:06 EST
From: Amplifierj@aol.com
To: superego@io.com

In a message dated 99-11-16 04:27:18 EST, you write:

"...regarding superego's new album "oh yes my friend," i have not received confirmation of a review in amplifier, but michael toland informed me that he submitted one. if you don't have room in a future issue please include it on your webpage."

Hi Paul.... Michael submitted an unsolicited review of your album. It was not assigned to him by Amplifier so we were under no obligation to print this review. That said, we did go ahead and include the review in the upcoming Dec. issue of Amplifier. Thanks once again Paul and good luck with this release.

Best Regards,

Joe Joyce, Publisher
Amplifier - 50,000 watts of non-stop POP!
www.twomp.com/amplifier

Subject: Re: lonelyland
Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 17:58:47 PST
From: kingconcho@hotmail.com
To: superego@io.com

Paul,

We don't have an opener for the lonely land gig at Antones as far as I know on thanksgiving day night. Again it only pays $50.00 but if you guys want it its yours. Let me know at 555-5555 if you do and give Kat a call at the club.

Good ball playing last game as well.

Bob

Subject: Re: yo z
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 05:08:23 EST
From: GuyFantasy@aol.com
To: superego@io.com

Pablo- God what a bummer. I'll never forget the time we were playing horse outside the ARC and Doug Sahm got in the game. Do you remember that? He was oblivious to the fact that you were totally imitating the way he danced. The most hilarious part was that you were actually making baskets while doing his "Adios Mexico" dance and then I had to do the same dance and try to make a basket.

Things are really slow in Santa Cruz. The only nightly entertainment is to hang out with my sister Martha and she's had a real bookworm life so it's not like hanging out with Diana. It's beautiful here though. It's a compromise. I'm writing a lot of music and trying to stay away from the dark side of life. By the way, that VH1 thing has already aired. By all accounts we got off pretty easy. I was called a slacker(but you knew that already). Hasta Luego- I am looking forward to next week. Fun Fun Fun- Oh man- that would be great!- MILES
 
 

...what better place than here? what better time than now?

INSIDER EGO INFO:

www.milesofmusic.com

Oh Yes My Friend is also available through the Texas Music Round-Up

And check out the November Texas Monthly and the December Salt For Slugs magazine.

Subject: Re: ALT COUNTRY NL
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 23:35:31 +0000
From: Paul Minor 
Reply-To: superego@io.com
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: Bart Ebisch 

here are some answers. have you looked at our website for background, such as: we have played at the hole in the wall every week for 5 years? you can use the pictures for free.

-Can you tell me more about musical influences?

"Superego has drawn published comparisons to the replacements, tom petty, neil young, big star, velvet underground, the who, fastball, smithereens, new order, beck, cheap trick and others, but we are also into the band, the kinks, the who, elvis costello, roky erickson, nirvana, tom waits, robert johnson, wilco, basically anything and everything with a decent pop hook-lyrical, melodic, or textural. "

-Tell me me about yourself: you sound like you are in the music scene a long time.

"i started my first band in 1984 at the age of 16, and i have been starving ever since...seriously, i played at frat parties for a few years with "the urge," then toured the country with a couple of roots-rock bands, the "neptunes" and "roman candles," in between semesters earning a bachelors degree in english composition from St. Edward's University in South Austin. I was a tour manager for the wagoneers, rosie flores, big car, and many other emerging austin bands. In 1994 I co-wrote and recorded an unreleased album by Beaver Nelson at Ardent studios in Memphis, with Tony Scalzo and Joey Shuffield, the rhythm section that later formed Fastball, before conceiving Superego later that year and beginning our five year run playing at the hole every Sunday."

-I like the back of your sleeve. It's exactly what your music is about: a lot of influences. It's pop, it's rock, it's rootsmusic, it's the beatles, it's even Prince. Is that what you want to create, a kind of cosmic music?

"I took that picture in our house with a plastic disposable camera, in the dining room, standing in the kitchen. I live with Superego guitarist Jon Sanchez, who also plays with Troy Campbell and Ginger Mackenzie. That's our workshop and playground. Our music is like a collage, because the references are very specific, and i think authentic, reproductions of certain sounds we have assimilated, such as the heavy tremolo stratocaster guitar, or a spooky B-3 hammond organ, but the resulting whole is our unique statement, as if we cut out magazine pictures of junk food and candy and shaped it into a tree or a landscape or something...i think this kind of open-ended approach is what makes it universal."

-the name of the band, can you tell me more about it?

i showed up at an open jam at a little club when i was starting to do some writing again after the beaver nelson band broke up in1994. The host thought it was presumptuous or arrogant of me and my new band to bumrush the show without signing up, so she glibly introduced as as "paul minor's big ego," and it stuck. Then when we got the Sunday night gig and started advertising that name for awhile, it got kind of old and cumbersome quick. When we had the first of many personnel changes, the resulting temporary band had former members of several well-known Austin bands like Flying Saucers and Sixteen Deluxe (on the first t-shirt it was "Jon, Paul, George and Scalzo"), so we started listing it on the calendar as "Superego" like a super-group. This name has turned out to be great food for thought, with many speculating as to the Freudian and Jungian overtones. I have always thought it was like saying that being a person in the limelight, living onstage is the perfect metaphor to describe the freudian concept of the superego, which is the most self-conscious, self-critical, and self-realized component of the psyche. A performer crafts a stage "persona," which is a rough synonym of the term superego in my unschooled opinion.

-you play a lot live? in pubs or venues? How is it playing live? Do you get payed well?

"i play once a week in two bands, one plays clubs, one plays wedding parties. superego averages 200 dollars total, sometimes nothing. the argyles showband makes 2,000 dollars to play roy orbison and van morrison. superego plays small clubs like pubs with small stages, occasionally we play on big stages supporting touring bands like Yo La Tengo, Fastball, Bob Mould... We all live to play live, and there is nothing like the thrill of interacting with other talented musicians, with an attentive audience, making unprocessed, unprogrammed, spontaneous, improvisational live music."

-Making music is your profession? Or do you have a job, like the members of the band?

"I worked full-time for the state of Texas for 3 years as a night security guard at a state school, but I got bored and got in trouble for using the computers to make my webpage. Since then, I have been a proofreader, a real estate researcher, more recently a free-lance booking agent for clubs, I started a record label, and I have been a part time guitar salesman at a huge corporate music superstore for a year.

-Plans for the future?

"Superego is finally resigning from our epic five year gig at the hole in the wall to pursue some other gigs. superego desparately needs to expose ourselves in some of the other great music communities around the world: portland, san francisco, new orleans, amsterdam, paris, houston, etc. We plan to make more records as the songs come, explore more musical adventures, and hopefully make some hit songs."

Subject: Press Release
Date: Sun, 05 Nov 1999 16:55:02 +0000
From: Paul Minor 
Reply-To: superego@io.com
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: cindy@onthatnote.com CC: superego@io.com

"Rumors of Superego's retirement from their five-year gig at the Hole in the Wall's legendary Sunday night Free For All are premature. Superego frontman Paul Minor tells TX Music that he will stick with the gig at least through SXSW and begin making some slight schedule adjustments to enhance the experience. "Basically Superego is going to hog the best time slot for awhile to showcase our new album for the early crowd. When that gets old, we may go to some monthly guest hosts--but everyone's in agreement that the Free For All must rage on forever in spite of the crumbling foundation of the rest of the music scene. Local live music will rise again with the proper care and we're just trying to encourage that at the Hole.

Minor has been one of a couple of collaborators co-writing some material with Fastball's Tony Scalzo for possible inclusion on the next Fastball release, which has the tentative title of "Harsh Light of Day."

Scalzo says the band will appear nude on the album, but not on the cover. "We plan to be 'emotionally naked,' in terms of the music...not in the video like Blink 182," joked Scalzo."
 
 

The Monkey speaks his mind...

amazing what a little exercise does for the head.

i reneged on my resignation from the hole at least until SXSW, got some ideas on cleaning house a little bit and getting superego a better deal. we will play earlier with decent bands and save the 1 AM slot for loose jams. try that for awhile.

with the scene in decline, it is time to hunker down with the things that are working. i am not ready to let it go.

the argyles are playing in austin almost exclusively these days and less often, may rethink that resignation also.

i am thinking I could go to school full time, just classes, homework and play those two weekend gigs for awhile, maybe play occasional parties or festival dates with superego demand ever becomes created, let these present gigs ride as long as they keep paying and pursue some new territory in school.

I got some good counseling from the director who founded SIMS Foundation. it changed his life in more ways than he ever dreamed when he went back for his masters.

i am intrigued by several areas: music legal matters in the digital age and music engineering for a couple of examples. i could mix majors or whatever, minor in law, major in communications or marketing who knows?

i could be a great entertainment lawyer, producer or record company president someday with some skills i am eager to learn.

maybe i can make some serious money in the corporate world and then blow it on opening a custom nightclub when i get old.

just thinking out loud.

i know a guy who is a tour manager for a major label band and in harvard nearing his law degree. i am sure he is juggling quite a bit and robbing peter to pay paul, but it is amazing what you can do these days with computer classes, etc.

we'll see, right now i am just trying to relax and stay moving.

Subject: Pigroast
Date: Sun, 24 Oct 1999 16:55:02 +0000
From: Paul Minor 
Reply-To: superego@io.com
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: jack e minor 
CC: superego@io.com

i just got in at 4:30 and now i am going to take a nap. it was a nice time for reflecting and visiting with my girl.

we left austin at 9 am saturday and drove 500 miles in seven hours, cruise control locked on 72.

We ate pig and deer, greeted old friends, relaxed and listened to some authentic delta blues. Then at 10, I jammed for a couple of joyful hours with the Talla Bena All-stars, before bailing out quick around midnight to beat the crowd. We drove back to Shreveport, got a room around 2, slept like babies until 10 am and headed back to austin.

grueling to say the least, but for the time onstage with mike foster at the pigroast it was worth it. maybe next year we will fly to jackson and rent a car.

Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 11:17:54 -0700
From: hemu 
To: superego@io.com

Hey Paul,
Thanks for letting us do the Rock-n-roll FFA. Sorry about all the confusion, it was partly my fault b/c I never verified with you as to whether we were going to go on earlier (after I asked you at Mars if you would do that for us ). I'm sure it's a bitch to coordinate 4 bands and a little bit of communication on Hotshot's part would have probably helped you out. Anyway- you mentioned possibly getting us another gig. Well, we're looking for them (and they're sure not looking for us right now), and we'll take anything. We'd love to open for Superego if you guys are playing out somewhere. Also re: the tape, after you get a chance to listen to it, if you have any suggestions on how to make us sound less like folk singers and more like rockers, that'd be cool. Shoot - if you want to produce it we'd be game for that too.

rock on,
Hemu

Subject: send the t-shirts
Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1999 20:22:26 +0000
From: Paul Minor 
Reply-To: superego@io.com
Organization: Nickel $ Dime Records
To: manninfo@aol.com
CC: michael hausman , superego@io.com

aimee and mike,

i saw the billboard.com thing today and it inspired me.

i would like to help you in Austin with your label. You no doubt have some plans for the SXSW music and film conferences. I have some ideas about how to place Aimee in high prominence at the 2000 festival this year...and eventually, other festivals around the world. I can make it happen with a few phone calls and some mild legwork.

That's partly why superego (small "s") is one of Austin's best loved bands.

you should think about using some of my musicians for a SXSW label showcase at a quality local venue (like the legendary Liberty Lunch, rising from the ashes of corporate progress after a near-year hiatus, or La Zona Rosa--home of cheap trick) and i can do all kinds of production background stuff for you and all your artists. send me a CD and i can put together whatever you need in terms of players, gear and rehearsal space. Austin is ready for Aimee, i represent our music community...and i always welcome this kind of work.

we executed the contract and i hope to receive the check soon.

respectfully,

paul minor
superego@io.com

Subject: Superego
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 01:10:02 EDT
From: Amplifierj@aol.com
To: superego@io.com

Greetings Paul,

Amplifier Magazine is in receipt of Superego's Oh Yes My Friend CD. Thank you for sending this release to our attention. I've run through it a couple of times and was very impressed.

Subject: Re: free lunch for all
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 16:43:44 EDT
From: LibLunch@AOL.COM
To: superego@io.com

Paul, the new LL is a long way off. I meet with the builders this Thursday. Keep it going as long as you can and when we have a building I would love for you to bring some of your shows to LL. Stay tough for at least 5 months.

thanks, jnet

Subject: MTV License
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 12:11:02 -0500
From: "Buck McKinney" 
To: "Paul Minor" 

Paul -

I received a revised proposed agreement from MTV late yesterday. They changed the provisions on payment and parties, but without any comment at all, neglected to make any changes to the section requiring them to obtain third party clearances. I sent Wills another letter today asking him to either make the change, or explain his objection to the change. I'll let you know what he says. Give me a call if you like.

Buck
 
 

"My Other Car is a Jewish Carpenter"

the singer-songwriter format in the saloon foyer worked out pretty well tonight, so i think we can make it through the winter with kind of a low key schedule. then they are talking about getting their camel sponsor to build the shed in back, and use a heavy-duty structural tent for SXSW.

i plan to take a hiatus from the free for all at the end of the year and let the overbearing staff take over. it's like a zoo in there, way too high-maintenance, and the wretched carpetbaggers and new-regime regulars seem to be trying to be making a hostile take-over. I can help them find guest host bands indefinitely, leaving the door open for superego to do "surprise" sunday night shows after we come back to town and play the new liberty lunch. i think the free for all belongs to the freak show at the hole, not to me. maybe i will donate the house gear for the privilege of returning to the stage in the future. i also hope to do some production work for some of these ambitious up and comers i am meeting through my booking gigs.

And I got my last dick clark check finally. using the nest egg from this, the argyles party season and Y2K gig, the VH-One footage, and the aimee mann license deal, plus my saloon salary, i want to quit the argyles jan. 1, advance book the saloon through SXSW and pursue the solo tour idea. I can also use the tour as a way to explore some other potential living areas, starting with portland and the west coast, where i know musicians i can gig with and places to stay. if i knock around awhile and find a place i would like to settle, my girl says she will join me. i am a resourceful guy and i am confident i can find rewarding day work and interesting music gigs. imagine me breezing into town with this star-studded album under my arm, i might could draw some curious music fans and play some nice gigs in interesting new places. One day after the revolution maybe i can open that cabana club i have always wanted to run, somewhere on this planet. My very own Gilley's or Candyman's.

Hey Austin, thanks for nudging me out of the nest where the air is fresher. I been sucking this town's teat way too long. Seeya at SXSW...

Subject: online SIMS survey
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 17:11:49 -0700 (PDT)
From: Cossy Hough 
To: superego@io.com

Paul-

We now have an online version of the medical needs survey that I gave you copies of a few weeks ago. I hope, with this version, we'll get some more results. If you have time to forward this web site address on to some folks, we would greatly appreciate it!

The site address:

SIMS MEDICAL NEEDS SURVEY

Thanks and let me know what you think-
Cossy

Subject:
Re: alt country nl/gigs
Date: Sat, 16 Oct 1999 16:37:26 +0200
From: "Bart Ebisch" 
To: 

Hello Paul,

Hello,

Thanks for your e-mail.Ê I want to review cd superego for my website: ALT COUNTRY NL I am a professional journalist working for a daily newspaper
Can you tell me if the cd is released in Holland/Europe? If not, I would be pleased if you could sent me a promo.
Regarding gigs, just let me know, all I can do is ask some people I know. Do you have a date in mind? Just let me know what you want precisely (money, motels, etc...) Last week we had Take Root festival in the city of Assen. That's a festival with alt country band and musicians. Holland and Germany have venues to play for a tour. To mention some names who visited Holland recently: Say Suzu, George Devore & The Roam, Stacey Earle, Joseph Parsons. And who knows Superego.....

Bart Ebisch
Alt Country NL

Ê adresss

Ê Akkerveld 7
5988 JB Helden
The Netherlands

Subject: Re: Austin American Statesman
Date: Mon, 01 Nov 1999 09:55:49 PST
From: "anna giuliani" 
To: superego@io.com

Paul: I just realized that the XL editor made a "minor" ( ha ha) error in the home recording story in that you were not properly introduced into the story. Quite a bit was cut and i think that part was accidentally slashed. she may run a correction notice this week, i don't know, but i just wanted to let you know. Sorry....

Anna Giuliani
Austin American Statesman