Almost forgot... Robyn Hitchcock is on Soundcheck right now and will be performing tonight at Southpaw if anyone in the NYC area is a fan.

ETA: Re: the photo from the link, I don't know which urge is stronger -- to flirt with the woman on the left or to shave the guy with the sideburns.

Random question for Jon: Do you know what happened to the members of Dambuilders? They made one incredibly great album (Encendedor), a so-so follow-up, a few EPs I've never been able to track down, and vanished into thin air sometime in the mid-90's.And I seem to vaguely remember they were from Boston, which is why I am asking you.

I seem to have missed Robyn. Who is this string quartet that is being interviewed now?

I seem to have missed Robyn.

WNYC is good about archiving. It should be up later in the afternoon. I know nothing about the string quartet except for my shallow, non-musical observation that the violist is really cute.

Yet another reason to get cable (except of course that the point of not having cable is because I'm a tv junkie & can't control myself): "Is Gene Simmons the next SpongeBob?" "The show follows Willy Zilla, a 12-year-old who has just moved to a sleepy suburb and is going to school for the first time after years on the road with his dad, rock mega-star Rock Zilla."

Think Gene had something to do with the name Willy Zilla? Here's his brother, Tongue Zilla. And his best friends, Hugh G. Rection and E. Normous Peenus. I'm just sorry that the cartoon mom isn't strictly modeled on Shannon (although Gene loses no time in the interview pointing out that she's a Playmate.) Honestly which scene is better?

Kid: Your dad's Rock Zilla?!
Willy: Yeah, and my mom owns a New Age center!

or

Kid: Your dad's Rock Zilla?!
Willy: Yeah, and my mom's the Queen of Soft Core!

No contest, IMHO. (No comment on what the H stands for.)

Do you know what happened to the members of Dambuilders?

Lessee....

Firstly, they were from Boston, but all now live in NYC except for Eric the bass player.

• Dave Derby had a solo album out in 2003 called "Even Further Behind". He's also played with Lloyd Cole and in Mascott with Kendall Meade.

• Joan Wasser has had several bands including Black Beetle and currently "Joan as Police Woman". She was romantically involved with Jeff Buckley at the time of his drowning. There was just an article about her in last Sunday's Boston Globe Magazine.

• Kevin March, like many drummers has played with a lot of different people, including Guided By Voices for a short while.

• Eric Masunaga lives a few houses down the street from me! He doesn't play music much anymore, but has been doing DVD production. I think he's involved with a Throwing Muses DVD. He also has a small label called Sealed Fate.

Whew!

Joan Wasser is rawther hot

Jon, you should have CDs from me on Monday or Tuesday.

Joan Wasser is rawther hot

I dunno - she looks really tired in that picture.

Or maybe it's just that I'm really tired.

Jon, that's so much more exhaustive than I had expected. Thank you. (If I wasn't married and there wasn't an FAQ Girl, I would totally throw myself at you right about now. )

I think "Shrine" may be the perfect song in terms of my preferred balances of pretty vs. noisy vs. melodic.