This is where I upload random covers and solo whimsies, typically lo-fi and just for fun (or often a cappella experiments), not to be taken too seriously. For my actual, better-produced and a bit better-known music, check out http://proletarians.bandcamp.com and linkt.ree/njpquestionmark for everything else of mine, too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ric Parnell, Troy Graham, 
Steve Rowley, Mike Wolfram. 
Chess.
Music.
Space.

I am a musician who primarily plays the synthesizer. I compose most of the music I record and play. I also play in the band Foil Helmet.

"A place for my musical islands and flotsam." - bret harold hart

Dark poetry riding on the hot current of progressive rock, alt jazz, and pure musical creativity: John Shirley--vocalist and lyricist--collaborates with Jerry King, respected progressive guitarist and multi-instrumentalist songwriter. Superb musicians from the Lizardz and other wild projects collaborated with Jerry and John to create SPACESHIP LANDING IN A CEMETERY, an album that takes us from death to transcendence; from the dark night of the soul into the light of inner freedom. John's lyrics have been compared to Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen and Don Roeser; Jerry King's untethered guitar and compositional power has been compared to King Crimson and other prog greats.

The two artists at the heart of this extraordinary musical alchemy: John Shirley and Jerry King. Jerry wrote and recorded CLOUD OVER JUPITER, 5th MASS FROM THE SUN and was co-writer on the MOON MEN album "AMAZING SCIENCE FICTION STORIES"; he also played on the DIRATZ album, Jamie Bruhn's solo album "CIGARETTES AND LIES and the DUKES OF 1987's "RETRODERELICT." He appears on the compilation album FRETS OF YORE with Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser, and Greg Segal's album "INVISIBLE GROUND OF SYMPATHY". Having completed SPACESHIP LANDING IN A CEMETERY he's currently working on the new CLOUD OVER JUPITER album and the second album from MOON MEN. An upcoming interview about his work, including SPACESHIP LANDING IN A CEMETERY, appears in issue #74 of Progression Magazine. 
In Portland, Oregon John Shirley was the original lead singer of Sado-Nation before going to New York to perform in Obsession, and San Francisco to lead The Panther Moderns and The Screaming Geezers. John has written the lyrics for eighteen songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult, including "See You in Black", and more songs by John are expected on the next Blue Oyster Cult album coming this fall. He's also written lyrics for Joe Bouchard, Dennis Dunaway and Al Bouchard for their up and coming band Blue Coupe. Writing lyrics comes naturally to John--he's not only a widely published poet, he's written numerous novels and the award-winning story collection Black Butterflies. He's now working with Mark Tremonti (Creed, Alter Bridges), to adapt Mark's new science-fiction rock opera into a novel: A DYING MACHINE. John's already gotten shout-outs in Billboard and at MSN and many other places for his work with Tremonti. John Shirley was also co-screenwriter of the movie THE CROW.

Brand New Studio album by The Dukes of 1987 - Retroderelict - available now at http://cdbaby.com/cd/thedukesof1987

I'm a Librarian...I do a bit of everything in my job but I'm a cataloger at heart. I also love collection development -- shaping our library's selection of resources and materials is a profoundly important job that can have a huge impact on the community of patrons. I also love collecting all sorts of improvisational musics, reading literature of the fantastic (Poe, Lovecraft, Hoban are three of my favorite authors of all-time), and doing digital photography, especially architectural and landscapes in black and white. 

Jerry King is following