Part II: The Old Skool Years

	Warning: Some of the links here may no longer work becuase they were copied directy from the old design of the page. You may have to find the pages yourself. Gasp! You can return to the newest of new news here. August 31, 1997 Hoo. Okay, it's been a while. So after tonight, our friends in The Cough get a break for a few weeks, then they'll be back in the studio with Vroom genius Tchad Blake to record the next album, El Oso. Sources say that they've already worked on samples and such, including the sound of crackling Pop Rocks. Also of interest to fans in some of the goings-down backstage at the recent string of HORDE dates the band did. The band became quite close with Ben Folds Five, and were already close with Cake Like, and at the gig here in the Boston area Doughty, Ben Folds, Darren Jesse, Gentleman Jim (soul coughing roadie) and Kerry Kenni from Cake Like, as well as a few other musicans hit the "Jam Stage" with an amazing noise jam that left all involved horse and Jim with his own vomit all over his hand. Speaking of Gentleman Jim being, well, Jim, at a date earlier this month in Rochester, NY, moshers were threatened by Doughty that if they didn't calm down they would get kissed by Jim himself. The kid did not, and was invited on stage where Jim delivered the goods. As a past recipient of Jim's sloppy smooches, I can say that a kiss from his is not to be taken lightly. The mosher did not continue his evil dancing ways. Doughty's solo album, Skittish, has been shelved for the time being as the band works on El Oso. Hang in there, you'll get it eventually. On sale on at Soul Coughing shows is a special edition Vinyl EP that contains two remixes of Super Bon Bon, and live versions of White Girl and Lazybones recorded at the late, great Rev 105. As of yet, you cannot order this by mail or from record stores, but I'll keep you updated. August 8, 1997 So it's just a few days away from my super road-trip HORDE festival. I'll be sending out super psychic rock-n-roll vibes for you to pick up on across the US of A if you want to be part of the experience. If you'd rather not just feel my vibes but pick up on the actual show, Sonicnet is doing a live cybercast of Tuesday's HORDE fest at Jones Beach, NYC. If you've seen cute little toddlers running around your television to the tune of something strangely similar to a Soul Coughing song, you're not going crazy. That is, in fact, a song that they wrote for a Baby Gap commercial which, not only gives them some money it also clothes Mark's new baby, Niccolo. If you're already coming down off of the high that the track on the Spawn soundtrack gave you for your Soul Coughing fix, you might not need to wait too much longer for another one. Late Night with Conan O'Brien intends to release a "soundtrack" of live performances from their show, including Soul Coughing's "Soundtrack To Mary". Lastly, if you open this month's issue of Playboy, and get past the naked pictures of Pamela Lee and Jenny McCarthy, you'll see that Soul Coughing is listed as a "Hot New Band". This means that anybody who actually "buys it for the articles" might be clued into the band. We can always hope somebody actually reads the words in those things. July 21, 1997 Has it really been that long? I'm sorry, I sat down to update this page yesterday night, and just as I started, honestly, water began to pour down from the ceiling. The weird thing is there are two stories above me and it wasn't raining. Shook me up, dammit. As for news, I do have some, I promise. The rumored Soul Coughing/Roni Size colaboration on the Spawn soundtrack is definate. It's called "A Plane Scratched Its Belly on a Sooty Yellow Moon." The soundtrack will be released August 29th, and I'll be at my local record store first thing to buy it. Of course, I work at my local record store, so there's an advantage there. Also on the Roni Size/Soul Coughing front, (with mad props to the ever-alert Arijit Guha) there is a track they did together that will be on a disc called Man In The Moon: The Loving Tongue, due out in early 1998 on Warner Brothers. Hatched from an idea by the good people at KCRW, the disc will feature spoken word perfomances and music by other artists created specifically for them. No word yet if this is the same track as on Spawn or not. Soft Serve, the Soul Coughing mailing list, was off line for more than a week because it's host server, Coollist, was mailbombed by some naughty person. They've got the situation under control, and the list is back up, and you can sign up at the Coollist web site. We need interesting, talkative people to make this list a vibrant place to discuss the band, kiddies, so enlist today! July 4, 1997 What better way to spend this monumental day, this occasion on which our country was born, this celebration of independence and America, what better way to scream, "I love you, you kooky nutty country you!" than to set off some illegal fireworks? Well, I'll tell you, you can dig into some good ol 5% Nation Pie. Just like Mom used to make... before the firebombing.... Sorry, I was a bit delusional there. Here's some actual news: Somebody has finally set up a Soul Coughing mailing list. To all of you who have been griping for so long (wait, that group includes me...) head over to the Coollist home page and write "Softserve" where they ask you what list you want to sign up for. So far, Softserve Grand Poobah John Scholtes, Jr., reports there are only six people subscribed, but hey, we can change that, can't we? Soon, this little digest will be bursting at the seams! Go forth! Subscribe! Warner Brothers is getting excited because Soft Serve is getting some major play on Modern Rock Radio. To help it out, I've created a list of radio stations that you can call to request the song. Warner has asked that this week we focus on these specific stations, so if you live in these areas (or feel like racking up long distance dollars) call in to these stations, otherwise, find yours out and give them a ring... Atlanta GA WNNX (99X) 404-364-0997 San Jose CA KOME 408-575-5663 San Francisco CA KITS (LIVE 105) 415-478-5483 Boston MA WBCN 617-536-8000 Providence RI WBRU 401-272-9555 Charlotte NC WEND 800-934-1065 Detroit MI WHYT (PLANET) 313-298-6600 Hartford CT WMRQ 860-666-4444 Philadelphia PA WPLY 800-232-1003 Norfolk VA WROX (96X) 757-622-9696 June 25, 1997 It seems like I'll have to tune in now... sigh... Howard "King Of Penis Jokes" Stern will be having Soul Coughing on his show Friday morning, according to a few people I've heard from. They should be doing a few live numbers, and talking with Howard, who will undoubtedly say something outrageous and shocking. Yawn. In more exciting news, I want you all to know you should be more like Bryan Mathis, who just sent me a big box full o' tasty candy treats. He gets my undying thanks and mad props from my sugar tooth. He's the bestest guy around. Plus, Bryan is strong as 12 men and handsome as Fabio, too. Be like Bryan. Lastly, my Warner Brothers connection has asked me to urge you all to call your local "Modern Rock" station and request to hear Soft Serve. If they get lots of calls, they'll play it more, and more people will like it and they'll get more calls. It'll be a wonderful thing. So here's a little sample script I wrote up, feel free to steal it: Hello Mr/Ms Radio Personality! I listen to your radio station constantly, and I must say I was certainly impressed by a new and exciting sound from a band called Soul Coughing! The ir newest single, Soft Serve, is a lolling, bass-thumping tribute to the heavy days of summer, and seems perfectly appropriate to play right now. I would like to request Soft Serve, and remind you that its gentle hypnotic melody makes me want to listen to your radio station continually, and to frequent your commercial sponsors. If you do not play it, I will cry. June 18, 1997 Not that I listen, but.... fans have told me that radio "Shock Jock" and hopefully soon-to-be stale flavor of the month Howard Stern has been ranting about how much he likes Super Bon Bon for a few months now, and recently he mentioned he's going to have Soul Coughing on the show. I cannot confirm this report, but I'm trying to firm it up a little. The boys will be in NYC for a KRock show on July 1st, so it's possible they'll be doing Mr Potty-Mouth's show then. We'll see. More unconfirmed rumors: the Spawn soundtrack, which arrives in stores July 29th, is said to have a track colaboration between Soul Coughing and Roni Size. I do know that during his break in England, Doughty went to record with Roni (see news for March 20), although i don't know if anything came of that or if the other members of Soul Coughing were involved. Now for some actual, confirmed, real news (although, really, what is real?). Doughty sent me a quick note saying they've just entered the studio with extrodinaite Tchad Blake and that spirits are high that some quality recordings are going to come out of this session. When they'll be out for public consumption, however, is anybody's guess. Greg Wymer, radio insider extrordinaire, reports that "Soft Serve" was the #2 most added song in alternative radio last week. Considering the #1 most added song was from U2, our boys have done pretty well for themselves. The buzz in radioland is that this could be a major hit, perhaps even approaching the sacred Top 40-land. And you can say you knew them when. June 3, 1997 Soft Serve, according to Industry Insider & Perpetual Love Machine Greg "Bob LaBlah" Wymer, has been bumped back a week for add to radio. Warner is promoting it to be added to rotation on June 10th, and Greg says there's a lot of buzz around it in industry circles, so we should all have high expectations. During the next few weeks, the band will be in the studio with Mr. Tchad Blake in San Fransisco. It will be a very informal session, and nobody knows what might come of it; although there is talk of putting out an EP with the material recorded. May 23, 1997 The little mini human offspring of Mark De Gli Antoni and his lovely wife Maria has been named Niccolo Guzzo De Gli Antoni. Doughty made it a point of telling me he's a Taurus: you do the astrological math. Doughty also has informed me that he's relazing in Pensicola for the remaineder of his break. He'll be doing the solo thing any time a band plays at Sluggo's, on Palafox St, so if you're in the neighborhood, swing on by. Before I get innundated with emails on this front, you should know that the solo album still does not have a release date set, but still has a cover of Mary J. Blige's "Real Love" on it. Damn straight. More updates from Doughty on the band front: They'll be working together on some new material in early June, and in July they'll be kicking a big show in Paris with the Chemical Brothers. More when I know it. The contest is over, kids. I'll have the winners posted this weekend, I hope. May 13, 1997 First things first: this is the first time we get to use The 5% Nation as a platform for birth announcements! Keyboardist/Sampler Man extraordinaire Mark De Gli Antoni and his lovely wife Maria recently welcomed the addition of a bouncing baby boy to their family. Born at 0022 hours on May 9th, the baby is 7 lbs. 11oz. and 21 inches high and healthy. Despite rumors, the baby did not arrive with bleached blonde hair. I'll let you know when the little guy is named. The Batman & Robin soundtrack, with new Soul Coughing song "The Bug," is slated for release on June 10. Watch your local record store. The Soft Serve single should be hitting the airwaves soon. Warned Brothers is pushing for a June 3rd add date (the day when radio stations add new songs to their rotation), wisely delaying the release of this summer jam until the weather heats up a little. When you start hearing it on your local Big Corporate Rock station, be sure to call in with many requests. Those of you who have not yet entered my mis-heard lyric contest have until Friday to do so, when I close the entries and pick the winners. Get those bribes in quick, folks, or I may have to chose a winner on merit alone. April 21, 1997 It's true! It's true! I've been bursting at the seems wanting to tell you this for a few weeks now, but I was waiting for an official go-ahead from the powers that be. Now it can be said: Soul Coughing is on board for this year's HORDE tour. Along side with groups like Ben Folds Five and Morphine, it looks like this might be one super-mega-fest worth attending. Not all bands play all dates, and I don't have a list of where/when the boys will be, but as soon as I get one I'll post it up. The HBO series I told you about, Reverb, aired its episode with Soul Coughing on April 20th. But don't you fret, little kitties! You can catch a repeat on May 21st at 3:30 am on HBO, or head on over to the Reverb Site where there's a really cool section on our boys that includes four full live videos for download. Any of you in the Boston area can go see a dance piece coreographed to Casiotone Nation at the Boston Conservatory. The piece will be closing out the show that runs on April 25th and 26th, and will take place at 31 Hemenway St. The show is free, and you know the music will be good, so go get yourself some high culture, dammit. April 9, 1997 This has got to be the weirdest news I've had for a while: Doughty has a font. Yes, a font. It seems master fontmaker Chank Deisel (the Space Ghost font? That's Chank) decided to work on a series of RockStar fonts. His first one was done by singer/poet/love goddess Nicole Blackman, and is called Darling Nikki. Nicole then wooed Doughty on board with the help of her homeade truffles (which, I can attest, are the tastiest things ever to be smuggled backstage in an air sickness bag). His font, called Wichita, can be found at this page on Chank's site. I've put an email in with Chank to see if I can make it directly downloadable from this site, but until then, head over to his page and download all sorts of tasty fonts. With a name like Chank, it's gotta be good. If anybody is interested in obtaining a copy of the tasty 'zine "Smack," whose latest issue contains an interview with Doughty, send $1 to: Ceirah Smack 6021 Bitternut Dr. Alexandria, VA 22310 Long ago, Soul Coughing taped some scenes for an HBO show. It looks like that show may finally be coming out. Called, "Reverb," it begins airing on April 13th on HBO2 and airs every Sunday at 11:00. There's no word yet as to which episode will feature The Cough. For those without multi-channel HBO, it looks like it will begin airing on regular HBO on May 14th. For those of you without cable, or even a TV, well, you'll just have to sit at home and cry like me. I got a slap bracelet! I got a slap bracelet! Damn the law! I got a slap bracelet! April 1, 1997 Word from overseas has it that drummer Yuval Gabay is in the hospital in serious condition. It seems Tour Manager Gus Brandt, ever the prankster, decided to slip some red meat (usually absent in Yuval's diet) into his meal after a recent gig in Belgium. Doctors say that Yuval had a serious allergic reaction to the meat and develped a rash all over his body and covering major parts of his intestines. And if you buy that story, you're quite the April Fool. You silly. He's fine. The rumors are true: the next big single for Soul Coughing will be "Soft Serve". The single won't be pressed for another month, which is fine with me since the song has such a summer vibe to it. Doughty has drawn up a treatment for the video, but no word as to when/if/by who it's going to be shot. The other rumors are true, too: a new Soul Coughing song, "The Bug", will be on the soundtrack to the upcoming "Batman and Robin". I've heard the song, and it should win them quite a few converts. It's quite worth it, even if you have to buy an album with George Clooney on the cover just to get it. My Warner Brothers connections are trying to get me a Real Audio clip soon, so maybe you'll get a chance to listen. I've been getting a lot of mail about the Cough's appearance on last weeks episode of "The X-Files". Yes, folks, I knew about it all along, as is evidenced by the mention of it in the below March 20 installment of The News. And, yes, folks, it's a song not available on their albums called "Unmarked Helicopters", which is on the X-Files soundtrack. If anybody needs me to repeat anything, just tell me. I'm a welcome source of old info. Snow day! Snow day! Snow day! March 20, 1997 Here's is Doughty's official epitaph for the loss of the radio station Rev 105 in Minneapolis: We were recently distressed to hear that Minneapolis' REV 105 was absorbed by some wack corporate competitor and converted into a hair metal station. Monumentally depressing news.   REV was very nice to Soul Coughing, and besides that, the people over there became good friends of ours over the past couple of years. Sean Stewart's very kind intern Mandy used to send me tapes of her "Moonlight Meditations" on a weekly basis; it's the only radio station I listened to on a regular basis. We used to love going over there and playing; rather than the usual perfunctory radio-station performances, the REV really inspired us to push ourselves--we did some things over there that we really loved.   Listen, we've spent the past year or so visiting every radio station in North America, and I feel qualified to say there was absolutely nothing like it anywhere else. That REV is gone means the state of American radio is in a far sadder place than it was when REV was around.   We're going to miss it terribly, like a friend; we can only hope that its people realize their cause was righteous, and continue to make amazing things happen on the airwaves in other places.   We'll be back in MPLS just as soon as we can be; people of MPLS, remember that half of what made REV amazing was that you were listening to it, that you understood it, that there was a great dialogue between the station and the listener. That power is still yours. No corporate competitor can coopt that.   --Doughty Doughty also reports that, on his break in England, he's cutting a track with Jungle DJ Roni Size, which should be quite exciting. More news as it happens. The next single may very well be "Soft Serve," not "Idiot Kings" as previously reported. It isn't solidified yet, but it looks good that "Soft Serve" will be the official summer song of 1997. Also unofficial but even more exciting is the possibility that a Soul Coughing song, "The Bug," may be included on the upcoming "Batman and Robin" soundtrack. It's not quite definate yet, but the song is a delicious reggae-flavored ditty with a manic pace. The magic insider Bob "Greg" LaBlah reports that the Soul Coughing song "Unmarked Helicopters" will be heard in the conclusion of the two-part episode of "The X-Files" sunday night on Fox. X-Files creator Chris Carter who is a fan of the New York band personally chose the song for the episode and for the grammy-nominated "Songs in the key of X" CD. Mr. LaBlah also reports a live concert series from Westwood One called "In The Zone" will be featuring Soul Coughing on the week of April 7th. The first half of that show will have material from the (shudder) Smashing Pumpkins, but the scond half should have about 45 minutes of music recorded at the El Rey Theatre in Hollywood last year. Here in boston, it runs on WFNX under the name "The FNX Concert Series" and will be on Tuesday, April 9th at 11:00. Call your local station to see if you can get it where you live. March 14, 1997 A great friend to Soul Coughing, the radio station Rev105 in Minneapolis, has recently been bought out, gutted, and turned into (of all things) a heavy-metal station. Doughy described this to me as one of the few stations in the country he actually enjoyed going to, and he's going to miss it dearly. He's promised a brief epitaph in the next few days. The favorite food of tour manager Gus Brandt is a Japanese snack called "Pocky". It's available at your local asian market and comes in many flavors and is the perfect gift to give to him when they come through your town next. Again with the Japanese thing! It turns out, in addition to the two-song extra bonus version of Irresistible Bliss, there's another version of it over there. From what I am lead to beleive it's a promotion only release (in other words, good luck getting one) that includes an extra CD-5 that has several live tracks (including one recorded at the aforementioned and recently hairsprayed REV105) and two remixes of Super Bon Bon (one by Mr. Tchad Blake himself). When I get more info, I'll be sure to tell you kind people. I'm afraid I didn't have any advance warning, so I couldn't tell you, but the episode of MTV's "Loveline" show with Mark and Doughty aired on March 4th. The show does make it around to reruns, so if you're prone to watching MTV, you may see it again. Then again, if you're prone to watching MTV you should seek professional help. Immediately. March 2, 1997 The invaluable Randy Kaye has given us a sneak peek of the future of Soul Coughing: the next single off of Irresistible Bliss will most likely be The Idiot Kings. No word as to when it ill be will be released. Feb 26, 1997 It looks like the next issue of the Soul Coughing newsletter, Candy Bar!, is put on hiatus for now. It seems that there's too many fans o' the cough for them to afford to send the sucker out. They expected a little over a thousand, but when the looked at the accumulated addresses, they found it had grown to four thousand! It looks great, though, (I should know, I helped newsletter grand puba Eliz make it) and we're working out a way of getting it to the masses. Soon it will be available in PDF format, for you to download and print, and I am trying to find time to turn it into HTML documents. Feb 15, 1997 Hotcha! Super Bon Bon is heating up on MTV, moving up from a "stress" rotation to the next level. I'm personally attempting to support the boys as much as possible with a write-in campaign to get MTV to cram Super Bon Bon down the throats of the unsuspecting masses. You know they'll thank us for it. So hop on over to the MTV Feedback page and let them know you want your Cough. Speaking of MTV, Mark and Doughty were at the studios of Loveline last night, to record their program. They'll be on the radio version of Loveline on Tuesday, and on MTV at a yet-undisclosed date. Who else knows more about heartbreak? In the latest issue of Alternative Press, Doughty talks a bit about his solo record, so I thought I'd tell you what I know. He recorded it last summer, and it's basically his outlet for things non-cough-related. It's a very folky record, with lots of echoey guitars. The great Gus described it as "Sebadoughty". And, of course, it has not been released yet. Doughty tells me he's waiting for the sales from Bliss to die down a bit, so he can release it as an interum before the next record. I'll let you know, though, when it's going to be out there as soon as I find out. January 27, 1997 Check out MTV next sunday night, when our lads will be on 120 minutes. Doughty also tells me that they might be doing something for MTV News as well. Tres hip. And you can say you knew them when... Direct info from the mouth of Doughty on how things are going: We're having a grand old time writing, doing loads of drum'n'bass type stuff. We've all talked about doing the next record with Tchad again--he's insane fun to work with, has a chest full of sound-making toys, whistles, apples with happy faces painted on and chimes inside, that he travels with--the question is mostly when. Chances are this won't affect when the record comes out--it's probably early '98, sorry folks. But we'll have tons of new stuff in the live set and available on bootlegs that, you know, we sure don't advocate, uh-uh, no way, heck no, bad bad bad. I'd give you titles but they're yet to be determined. He's also told me that due to the writing/practice they've been getting, they've added about four new songs to their live rotation, with possibly more to come. So see them soon at a theater near you! January 20, 1997 Whoo, nelly. How I wish I could have brought you some of this news during my break, but, alas, I had no access to the page. I'm back now, and so are the tantilizing tidbits of goodness. Super Bon Bon is, well, da bomb. It's doing better than any previous Soul Coughing release, in heavy rotation at many alternative radio stations. MTV has also been featuring the video on 120 minutes. You can dowload a clip of it from my samples section, but it might be nice to head over to MTV's site to write them a letter requesting the video be played more often. Couldn't hurt. Soul Coughing is working on some new songs right now in New York. They've set aside a week to rehearse and try out new stuff, so when you see them next, expect some interesting goodies. Soul Coughing will be appearing on the radio show Modern Rock Live next Sunday, the 27th. This is a nationally syndicated radio show, so check your local alternative radio station to see if you can tune in (and tape the live stuff). Yummy! December 9, 1996 The tour is over. They played their last gig in Rhode Island last week at a radio festival and the boys have gone off for much-needed rest. Doughty will be lounging in London with his girlfriend, Yuval has gone off to Isreal, Mark is going back to San Francisco to be with the little lady, and Sebastian will be, quote, "bumming around". Mark's pregnant! Well, not exactly, but his wife is, and they're expecting the child in June. The bad news is that Marks newly dyed blonde hair will not carry over to the child. It's a complicated genetics issue. HBO has taped a concert and a series of interviews with Soul Coughing that they will be using on their network at some time in the future. They recorded some material in Boston, New York, and Minneapolis to produce a short piece on the band. More information when it is made available. The band recently spent some time finalizing the video for Super Bon Bon, which Doughty describes as "the band playing in a lot of wierd places". In a strange homage to David Byrne, perhaps, Doughty also appears in a Big Suit. "Big, like in 20 feet high, that big," he describes it as. Weird. No news yet as to when it will be shown. December 3, 1996 The Good News: Doughty's book of poetry, the self-produced "Slanky" is being sold at shows. The Bad News: The first run of a paltry 350 sold out in a few nights, and more will not be printed until the next tour. The boys were here in my hometown, and spent all of yesterday editing footage for the Super Bon Bon video. When a finished product hits your screens, I'll let you know. After their December 4th gig at a radio showcase show in Rhode Island, Soul Coughing will be taking a much-deserved 6-week break from touring. Quoth Doughty, "I don't know about you, but I'm tired." I saw them two times this weekend. In case you were wondering, yes, they still rock. November 11, 1996 I found out today about a side projects of Yuval's called Firewater. It's a band made out of members of Cop Shoot Cop, The Jesus Lizard, and other bands. Their album, "Get Off The Cross (We Need The Wood For The Fire)", not only wins the gutsiest title of the year award, but is available at you local store. November 4, 1996 First things first. I have heard, although I have yet to confirm, that Soul Coughing will finally be playing my old hometown of Hartford, CT on December 5th. I submit that half of the people in the audience will be people I introduced to the wonders of Soul Coughing personally. I'll be in attendence, of course, as well, making a special road trip for the occasion. Doughty sent me mail telling me that on Monday they will begin filming the video to Super Bon Bon. The promo has already been released to radio, and I'm inquiring into finding when the single will be released commercially and when the video will first air. The director's name is Jamie Caliri. Quoth Doughty, "Methinks its gonna be the bomb" (which, for all you less-than-hip people out there, is a good thing). If you're catching Soul Coughing at a town near you, be on the look out for some new songs they're unveiling: "She's Gone to Houston," "Don't Go Wreck the Car," and "Genius of Displacement." And if you get a recording of any of these tracks, for the love of god, tell me. I'll make you a very generous offer. And remember, folks, I'm still looking for a copy of either of the recent Boston shows they played... be nice to your friendly webmaster, folks. October 19, 1996 Whoa. I mean, whoa. I was lucky enough to see they boys when they swang through Beantown this week. Two rockin' shows included unreleased songs such as "16 Horses", "I'm Livin' On Baby Food" (also known as Amy Fisher) and, just for me (as Doughty put it, "my man with the tie in the front"), "Wooly Imbibe". Not to mention rarities like Bhuddha Rhubarb Butter. And a personal shoutout wasn't so bad, either. All in all, one of the most wonderriffic shows I've been to. On that note, I'd like to probe the Boston audience to see if anybody was luck and/or tricky enough to get a boot of either of those shows. I'm interested in getting the first nights show (what could be cooler than having a version of True Dreams of Wichita where Doughty calls, "gotta stand on the corner and bellow for my friend Opus"?). If you're out there, I can make some nice offers for you, so drop me an email. What, you want actual news? Well, okay, only since you've been so patient. I got a chance to hang with the guys a bit after the shows and discuss some upcoming Cough stuff. First of all, they weren't able to film the Super Bon Bon video last week. It'll be some time in the middle of the current tour, with plans to be directed by somebody named Jamie McLeary. Whomever he/she is, I'm sure he/she will do The Cough justice. Also, the guys have started sliding some new things into their setlist, to shake up the musical enuii that comes from playing the same songs over and over every night. In addition to getting bits of "Like a Prayer" and "War Pigs" into the songs, they've added "876-5309" to their medlies. They also slide Disseminated into a new bit Doughty calls "Some Plans", and Sugar Free Jazz turns into "Fakes and Approxomates" at the end. During the first show, they did an astounding cover of a Circle Jerks tune, although I'm unsure which one. Oh, yeah. Gus Brandt is so damn cool. October 8, 1996 So I was hanging out with my friend Doughty last week (what do you mean, name dropping?) and he tells me that they will most likely begin filming the video for Super Bon Bon this Friday. Yuval told me they're unsure as yet who will be directing it, but I will certainly keep you informed. By now most of you should have received your copies of the first Soul Coughing newsletter in the mail. If you have yet to sign up, you can do so at the official web site. September 13, 1996 With thanks to Chris Conaton, I am pleased to report that "Soundtrack to Mary" has graced the Sept 14th Billboard Magazine, hitting number 40 on the Modern Rock Tracks list for airplay. Damn, they're cool. September 9, 1996 I have official word from Warner that the band will be taking some time in October to film the video for "Super Bon Bon", the next single from the album. This single will be released commercially, although i don't have any dates yet. But, in related news, there is an actual sign in the subway stop near my house that reads, "Elevator To Mezzanine". Pretty damn cool. About Peach Pit Babylon: I don't know if or when new rantings will be coming out. Doughty has foresaken his New York home to live on the road, and when he's not on tour he's with his girlfriend in London. There's problem #1. Problem #2 is that, even if somebody were to tape the shows for him to review at his leisure, the format is different over there for videos, so he'd have to get them transfered over to a new format or get a special kind of VCR. And, frankly, I don't know how much trouble he wants to go through for a Spelling production. But, rest assured, if any new writings pop up, I'll paste them up and shout it on the mountaintops. August 28, 1996 Hotcha. Firstly, any of you interested in talking to other fans o' The Cough should be on IRC tonight. A session starting at 9:07 pm on channel #SoulCoughing on dal.net will be hosted by J-Dude. He invites all "non-psychos" to come along and talk Cough. It sounds like a swell time, and I'd be there, too, were it not for a date I have tonight. Flesh & blood wins out over ASCII any day. I'd be very pleased, however, if this turns into a weekly event... Fun Stuff: It has been disclosed that The Cough are working on various side projects. Yuval and Sebastian are on the upcoming Suzanne Vega album, and in a project with Marc Ribot called "People Who Only Need a Beat". Yuval and Sebastian provide the beat, I assume. In addition, M'ark recently was at work on a CD for John Zorn's new label. I'm not sure what this disc will be, but I'm hoping it has some of his classical pieces on it, which I've been dying to hear. I should admit, though, that I mooched just about all of this information from the Addicted To Noise site, which is now linked on the links page. August 22, 1996 It's been a long time since I've had news, huh? Well, I've got some good stuff, now. The disc by Soul Coughing on the Hello Recording Club has been released. It is a little over 17 minutes long, and contains the following songs: El Burro In The Underworld My Ass Is In The Bronx Come On and Dig Me 'Cause I'm The Fly Pygmy Sack Full Of Puppies Pounded Cub Scout Each of the songs is, as Doughty describes it, "these ambient type groove jammy instrumental things," which are very nice indeed, and all recorded at Yuval's house. For those of you who do not know, Hello Recording Club is a organazation founded by They Might Be Giant's John Flansburgh. Paying for a yearly subscription, you get 10 EPs of original recordings from original artists. This year is particularly tasty, with discs coming up from Gordan Gano, John Linnel, The Candy Butchers, and a full-length copy of the debut from Flansburgh's Mono Puff. I personally think that they're a nifty thing, even if they do take WAY too long to process orders. You can call 1-800-HELLO-41 to sign up. Also, many of you were wondering if the Soundtrack To Mary single would ever be released in stores. It won't be, and the radio station release only contains that one track. The tentative plan is to release Super Bon Bon next, and have a commercial single for that one. More news as I break it. August 6, 1996 Just to confirm, once again: Conan O'Brien Show. August 16th. Soul Coughing. Honest. Sigh. I've let you down. I feel awful, nobody told me so I couldn't tell you: the video for "Soundtrack To Mary" was preimeired Sunday on 120 Minutes. I missed it, too. No word on if they'll be replaying it yet. I feel so bad about this, I'm going to go bash my head against a hammer for a few hours. Thanks to the praiseworthy Greg Deegan, I have a copy of the Rev 105 CD with the live version of Down To This on it. It's truly a rockin' CD, with live tracks from They Might Be Giants, Spearhead, Frank Black, and lots more. I don't know if they're still selling it, but you can try calling their listed number, (612)341-1700 to get a copy, or writing 430 First Avenue North, Suite 680, Minneapolis, MN 55401. I've got an email in with them, too, to try to get more information about how to order it. August 3, 1996 Righto. This time, I'm right. Soul Coughing will be appearing on the Conan O'Brien show on August 16th. Really. Honest. Literary News from Doughty: Due the the extroardinary response to his article in Might magazine (still on newstands! Go forth and buy, buy, buy! It is your duty as an American!) they have asked him to do a regular collumn. He isn't sure if he will or not, yet, but I'll keep you posted. And you should subscribe anyways; it's a damn good magazine. July 29, 1996 Okay, first of all, I know the page was down this weekend, and I'd like to emphatically say it was not my fault. Not a bit. All I could do is sit back and cry (which, coincidentally, is what I do most weekends anyways). I'm sorry for the technical difficulties but apparently we're back on track now. Secondly, I'd like us all to take a moment of silence to mourn the passing of Ythan's page; the Unofficial Soul Coughing Fan Page. Many of you Soul Coughing Web Surfer People know the page because it had consistant, timely Soul Coughing news and an immense amount of information about the band. This page wouldn't be possible without Ythan, so I am very sad to see his page go. I wish him luck in all that he does. Another thing: This weekend I was in Boston giving myself headaches looking for a place to live next year. The good thing that came out of this was that I found a copy of the Radio 88.5 Oddyssey CD that has the live track of "Bus To Beelzebub" on it in a nifty used CD store. Any true-blue fans of Soul Coughing (who live outside of the general Georgia area, where Radio 88.5 broadcasts) might be able to get a hold of their own copy by contacting the station. The listed address is: "WRAS-FM, Attention: Radio Oddyssey, P.O. Box 4048, Atlanta, GA, 30302-4028" and the listed phone number is (404)651-2240 and fax (404)651-1705. I don't know if you can actualy order directly from them but they might be able how to tell you how to get a copy. July 24, 1996 Lies I Have Told, Vol I: Firstly, many of you have realized that they did NOT appear on Conan as I've listed below. I got faulty information, I hear they're going to be on August 16th, but I'll confirm that so none of you stay up past your bedtimes. Secondly, the people at Blender said that their "article" on Soul Coughing was in the latest issue of their CD-ROMzine. But they lied about this, too, apparently it's in an older issue. Dilligent web-surfer Anne Marie has already pestered them about this, and at the number (800)-537-7300 you can order that back issue or trade in your ill-bought magazine. I know it's very late, but try to tune in as Soul Coughing get internet-interviewed again (they do this a lot, don't they?) Thursday, July 25 at 4:00. It's all tied into their Lollapalooza fun festival and the info is right here. (if you miss the actual interview, I'll be posting a link to the transcript as soon as it's up)   July 17, 1996 Okay, look, I apologize to anybody who stayed up to watch Conan O'Brien to see Soul Coughing. Apparently I was fed some faulty information; the person who informed me has been hunted down and killed, so you don't need to worry about that anymore. I can't find out if/when they'll really be on, but if I get word of it, you'll be the first to know. At the Irving Plaza show last night, the people of Blender CD-ROM magazine displayed their latest issue, which includes a profile of Soul Coughing. Doughty described it as "TigerBeat online" and said it had a certain "Hey, Hey, We're the Coughings" feel to it, but if you'd like to check it out, the issue is on newstands now (it has Metallica on the cover).   July 14, 1996 If you can't be like me, rocking it out live in person with Soul Coughing on Tuesday, you can join in the fun on-line. The Total NY site has a palace environment where you can interact and chat, real time, with the band before the show. Propose marriage to Doughty, write a ode to Yuval, bow to M'ark or serenade Sebastian. Or, simply sit in silent respect for the almighty Gus. July 13, 1996 I can think of no bigger news than this page's new location. But that's simply because I'm a self-centered egotistical jerk. July 10, 1996 Soul Coughing will be appearing on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" this coming Tuesday, July 16th. That's nice. July 9, 1996 Whoo-ah! Yowsahs! After a grueling wait, you can finally find Irresistible Bliss on the shelves of stores. I know how painful the wait was, the multiple date setbacks and rumors of early release. I feel your pain. But our day has come. Our time is now. Seize the bliss. I love being melodramatic. If you want more stuff about the new album, why not read the official press releases or even the liner notes. You deserve it. July 4, 1996 Here's the dope on the 808 State track: it's called "Bond" and it's currently available only overseas. Doughty is unsure when or if it will every be released domestically, so you die hard fans might want to order it at your local import-carrying shop. Way Cool News: My favorite magazine, "Might", has an article in their latest issue by none other than M. Doughty himself. This magazine is wonderful, you should pick it up, if not just for the article than to support the starving geniuses in San Francisco who put it out. The first video from "Irresistible Bliss" was shot recently in Allentown, PA. It was directed by none other than They Might Be Giants' John Flansburg. Themes include railroads, trucks, baseball and other madness. July 1, 1996 I got word from the people at the Total NY site that after their performance on Tuesday, July 16th, Soul Coughing will be on-line for an interactive "chat". Although thier site doesn't have a listing yet, the people there assure me it will be happening. You will need to download the "palace" software to take part in the event, but soon you could have your own smiley-faced icon conversing with the smiley-faced icons of the rich & famous. Old news, perhaps, but I just got reliable word that Doughty does guest vocals on the latest album by 808 State, called "Don Solaris". I don't believe it has been released in the states yet, I cannot find it around, but I'll check on it for you all. New Yorkers can find articles on The Cough in the latest issues of "Smug" (it's the cover story) and "Paper". June 22, 1996 Friday's Soul Coughing concert at Moe's in Seattle will be broadcast live over the internet via Imusic. Rev up your copy of RealAudio and head over to I-Music's site to hear the show. Also, I should have mentioned it before, but I forgot: Yuval Gabay has some work on the debut album by Mono Puff. The group, a side project from They Might Be Giant's John Flansburgh, has their first eclectic album out, called "Unsupervised". Yuval plays drums on a track called "Careless Santa". It's all on the discography page. May 22, 1996 Old news, perhaps, but I finally got myself a copy of "PoemFone: New Word Order" the spoken word compilation that includes four poems by Doughty. If you're at all interested in poetry, I suggest you pick it up; it also has tracks by Bob Holman, John S. Hall, Hal Sirowitz and Allan Ginsburg, amongst others. Tasty. May 18, 1996 Doughty has spoken: "Bliss" is still scheduled for July 9, and he does have tracks on the album "Poemfone: New Word Order". So be it. May 17, 1996 I have some unconfirmed rumors that Irresistible Bliss's release date will be bumped UP to June (this records jumps more than a kangaroo having a seizure). I'll let you know more when I hear from the "official" sources. I also have word that the poetry album "Poemfone: New Word Order" has tracks by Doughty on it. Again, I'm double checking this, and if it's true, I'll be adding it to the Discography page. May 13, 1996 Well, everything I've heard is true. As Doughty wrote me: "Fox has officially screwed us, thus setting our record back to July for no reason whatsoever." In other words, you won't be seeing an "Unmarked Helicopters" video or single in the near future. Or the new album, for that matter. In slightly better news, if you're a Soul Coughing fan *really* jonesing for your latest fix, "Irresistible Bliss" was released as scheduled in Europe. Your local record shop might be able to get you a copy, or you can try an on-line store like CDEurope. Doughty also told me that the Hello Recording Club disc they'll be putting out (see News for April 11) will be "these ambient type groove jammy instrumental things", which should prove interesting. May 12, 1996 A reliable source tells me that, becuase of scheduling problems with the X-Files crew, the band will NOT be able to film a video for "Unmarked Helicopters". I am not sure yet if this means the company will not release it as a single. On that subject, Doughty had this to say on AOL, but he posted it over a week ago, so everything could have changed by now. I'm trying to get confirmation of this rumor from Warner Brothers or the band, and I'll let you know as soon as I know more. May 5, 1996 I was at the concert that Soul Coughing played at the University of Connecticut last night and I got to speak to Doughty and Mark after the show (bear with me, this is more than just to make you jealous). Becuse so many people were asking me, I asked them what the reason was that the release date was bumped back again (To July 9th). They answered, "We're slaves to Fox". Apparently, Fox liked their "Unmarked Helicopters" song from the X-Files soundtrack so much, that they want to push it for radio & video play. They'll be making a video, and most likely, the song will be released as a single. The whole push will be to get people to buy the soundtrack, and so they delayed the album so people wouldn't buy that instead. In other news, Mark informed me that Soul Coughing will be playing a few dates on the Lollapolooza tour this summer. They won't be with it the whole time, just in a few states out in the midwest where they wouldn't have a big enough fan base to tour there otherwise. This just might open up a new audience for The Cough, though. I'd just also like to say, for the record, that Soul Coughing's tour manager, Gus, is one of the coolest men I've ever seen. May 1, 1996 I'm sorry. That's all I can say. I'm sorry. The release date for Irresistible Bliss was bumped back again. Now it won't be out until July 9th. I'm so very sorry. In some happier news, you can spot a tiny picture and blurb about Soul Coughing in the current issue of Rolling Stone. The issue has the X-Files on the cover, and the picture is on page 16. In even better news, it looks like RealAudio recorded last night's live concert, so you can play it at your own leisure. I don't know how long it'll be up, but it's still at http://www.realaudio.com/live/anniversary/index.html. The sound, of course, isn't great, but they play a lot of songs from the new album. A hint: You'll have to track past about 20 minutes of cheesy dance music before the band hits the stage. April 27, 1996 Soul Coughing will be performing a RealAudio concert over the 'net on Tuesday, April 30th at 7:00 pm Pacific time (10:00 here in the east). They'll be performing as part as RealAudio's one year aniversary party. If you don't have the RealAudio player yet (it lets you listen to sounds live, over the internet) get your butt over to http://www.realaudio.com/live/anniversary/index.html to find out more. That's also the address to turn to on the night of the big show. Yummy. April 11, 1996 Release date for "Irresistible Bliss" is set for May 14, 1996 On April 12, Soul Coughing will attend a photo shoot and a reporter will be in the audience of their show that night. The boys in the band will be in a feature article for Rolling Stone. John Flansburg (of They Might Be Giants) is including a disc by Soul Coughing in his 1996 Hello Recording Club. The club, which costs $41, gets you 10 CDs a year, each with about 4 new songs recorded just for the club. I'm a personal member of the club, I can attest that it's worth the money, once they get your order processed (which can take a long time). Call 1-800-hello-41 for more details. You can return to the newest of new news here.
If you've got Questions, Comments, or Candy for your friendly webmaster, Opus, either contact me or visit my home page.

hello?