Death? aka what I should probably do before I die... Well, I've done most but still...

This week, I'm going to be much more direct and to the point (read: short). "Why?" you may ask. Well, it's because I'M GOING TO FUCKING DISNEY WORLD! Not right now, but I do have to do laundry so I can pack. I've never been and missed a couple chances growing up as we were not able to afford the trip back then. Plus, I wasn't really in the mood for all the kids and whatnot being a brooding, serious teenager. But, seeing as I'm now a grown-ass man who STILL has not been to any Disney property, I think the time has come to check this one off the old list; such that there were such a list in existence. What else would be on my all-time, do at least once in my lifetime list? Hmm...

The Fucking "Fuck Death" List (aka things I should probably do before I die)

#1. See Bruce Springsteen at Madison Square Garden - DONE

You might notice that this superseded "have sex" and I mean it, hard. I grew up on Bruce, worshipped at the Sacred Church of Springsteen, studied at the Springsteen Technical Institute (or STI, as we called it... wait... Shit!), did my Master's Thesis (aka MY ALBUM "IN MY YOUTH, I'M GETTING OLD...") on Springsteen in the modern "throwback" era, finally sold my "best live performer in the world" stock in the past few years (sorry, Kanye's "Pablo" tour sealed the overtaking of the #1 spot for Mr. West), and have purchased so many copies of "Born to Run" over the years (on cassette, then CD, then enhanced CD, then vinyl, then CD/DVD box set, then remastered vinyl) that I finally just decided to get "Born to Run" tattooed on my arm to remind me for the rest of my life how impactful that album (and Bruce) truly is. There's nothing in my life (apart from my brother, sister and mother) that isn't a direct result of my love for that album. It sounds like hyperbole, but (perhaps unfortunately) it is closer to an understatement, seeing as it not only gave me many things in life, but life itself; after saving it on more than occasion (long story, kind of. Well, more weird and sad, I guess). Anyways, I wanted to see the best in the best place to see, well, almost anything, MSG. Knocked this one off the list over ten years ago ("Magic" tour, my third Bruce show overall) but the memories never fade, baby...

#2. Have sex - DONE

Also, one I knocked off the list about ten years ago. I actually did not have sex until I was out of High School. I made a decision early that I did not want to be stuck in fucking Horicon, WI any longer than I had to be. Most of my friends were quite a bit older than me. Each one was out of High School and had stuck around almost entirely because they "fell in love" (such that that can happen in High School) with a girl. "The easiest way to fall in love with a girl is to sleep with her," is what I was told. OK, simple enough. No sex, no falling in love, nothing to stop me from leaving Horicon and then Wisconsin when I wanted to. Needless to say, within weeks of being out of High School and moving to Madison, WI I checked this one off the list. Almost made me not want to leave Wisconsin (didn't know what I was missing...), but "Born to Run" and Woody Guthrie's "Bound for Glory" book wouldn't let me stay for anything. Plus, while I was in San Francisco for a month getting settled so she could then join me, that girl started fucking someone else... So, that made the decision a little easier as well.

#3A. Move to New York City - DONE

#3B. Play folk music at the Gaslight - n/a

#3C. Play folk music at the Cafe Wha? - DONE

OK, so I had to compromise, albeit only a little, on this one. After a few more months in San Francisco and a quick 9 months in Seattle, it was time. I had to go New York. I couldn't wait any longer. After all, Bob Dylan was signed and making albums at age 22 and I was soon turning 20. Time waits for no man. So, I missed the Gaslight by almost 40 years BUT the Wha? was still going strong. BUT, shit! They have a house band (who are fucking unbelievably amazing, by the way) and rarely host any other music. This could be a problem...

Maybe I'll tell the full story one day, but needless to say I got my buddy Jon (the crazy talented man WHO CAN BE FOUND HERE) and I a spot on an up-and-coming industry talent show night. Let's just say it was not the type of music they were hoping for. No, we weren't supposed to be there anyways, but two guys in boots with acoustic guitars, songs about "rambling" and more harmonica solos than you can shake a stick at, didn't go over well. To Jon's credit, he was good enough to warrant a meeting with the gal (who was affiliated with Sony) who ran the show. I was given no such meeting. Neither Jon nor I had the $10K she wanted to "mentor" us into the business anyways. But needless to say, for one night, and one night only, the Cafe Wha? was filled with folk music in all its glory... And to everyone's dismay...

Anyhow, HERE IS THE VIDEO EVIDENCE (not sure why I decided to play in open D tuning.. Sorry for the flubbed chord as I only learned this song in that key the week of).

#4. Make a Rock N' Roll Record and Release it on Vinyl - DONE

Did that shit, BUY IT HERE. Didn't realize how much of a hassle it is to record to tape and master to vinyl, but Ed Brooks is a genius and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. Figured if Ed could make R.E.M. sound good, I'd be OK. Just kidding, but Ed is the best Mastering technician in all the land. Still can't believe he's worked on my albums. I'm truly a blessed man to have done what I've done in my life.

#5. Get a "Thriller" Jacket and honor my second biggest hero, Michael Jackson - DONE

Done and done. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE. I will always have the scar on my hand from the injury sustained while rehearsing my shitty versions of "Thriller" moves for this video. I can show it to you if I ever meet you and you give a shit. Some of my earliest memories are of "reenacting" Michael's "Thriller," "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Smooth Criminal," etc. Michael was my hero until I learned of Bruce, then he was my second hero; until I learned of Kanye, who was my #3 favorite hero until I finally bumped him above Bob Dylan. Michael settles in at #4 on my all-time list, which, coincidentally, is my favorite number (Brett Favre anyone?). So, he's got that going for him, which is nice...

Well, this list could go on forever, so I'll skip to the part that relates to the intro:

#27. Go to Disney World - Almost Done

Later this week muthafuckers.

(dictated but not read)

This week in Bradley Wik's fucking weird ass head... aka... what songs I've woken up to

Many thanks to all who came (physically and sexually) to the video release party last Friday Night. I had an amazing time and I’m sure you did too. I could listen to SARA MORRIS and BRIANNE KATHLEEN sing for days on end as they are so talented, and I want to thank them for performing. It was truly a magical night.

But, what I haven’t done in a while is not complain about my life, my depression, my Asperger’s, my Meniere’s disease, the Green Bay Packers or any number of other things, and simply share some music that I have been loving recently. I wanted to make this a bit different than I have in the past and I will be sharing the songs that were stuck in my head throughout the past week.

To clarify, every morning (more or less) I wake up with a very different and very random song stuck in my head. It could be due to a dream, but rarely one I remember. So, to me, they are the weirdest fucking songs and I have almost no clue where they come from. Probably from their penises and vaginas but that’s just a guess based on my life experience. I’ve been tracking these for, oh, I don’t know, only a week as I thought it might be entertaining to someone besides me. These songs seemingly come out of nowhere and may be the most random collection of tunes assembled on a Spotify playlist, which I’ll post below. For the blog, I’ll post the YouTube links as I know not everyone has Spotify, at least I think they don’t, who knows. I’m not sure what the kids do these day so fuck it…

Monday - “There’s Your Trouble” - Dixie Chicks

1998? Where the fuck did this come from? Maybe it was the impending election and some random thoughts back to when they were temporarily hated for going against George W., who in retrospect wasn’t actually that bad… Sadly, I miss W. Between the silliness and Will Ferrell’s impression, those were simpler and better times. Still, it’s funny to watch videos from a time that HD didn’t exist…

Tuesday - “Cars” - Gary Numan

Maybe I drunkenly forgot that I watched THIS ON FAMILY GUY but maybe I was just having an Asperger’s moment and loving Gary Numan (has acknowledged his own Asperger’s). Or, maybe since I had to drive a few hours on Tuesday the song invaded my psyche. Who knows. However it came, it was welcome and kicked off a Gary Numan-centric afternoon listening session which was well enjoyed by me.

Wednesday - “Mellowship Slinky in B Major” - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Told you this list would be all over the place. I don’t control my subconscious and what’s stuck in my head when I wake up, as illustrated by this song which I haven’t listened to or heard in years. And I mean years… Still it fucking rocks.

Thursday - “Can’t Help Falling in Love” - Elvis

My grandma famously (at least in our family) caught a scarf from none other than Elvis when she was both younger and still alive (God rest her amazing soul). She caught it simultaneously with her friend and for the next fifty years they alternated keeping it safe and secure. My grandma passed before her friend and her friend passed the scarf to her one last time before burying her with it. It was an incredibly gracious and emotional gesture at the funeral as my grandma loved nothing more than Elvis. She was a saint and my hero. I’ve met and shook hands with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan but it never would have, or could have, matched her meeting Elvis. Incredible things happen to incredible people. My grandma is the only person I’ve met who writes better letters than me. This blog doesn’t express my letter writing ability, though someday it might. But, she was a genius and I owe a lot to her. I still own her guitar. It was a Gibson lap steel from 1938. My grandmother was an incredible woman, as many grandmothers from that time were.

Friday - “Working for the Weekend” - Loverboy

If you want to hear the song you can skip the first 2:23 as it’s some real jerkoff, egotistical band bullshit. Sidenote: every Saturday while I shit I sing to myself “Everybody’s pooping on the weekend…” Try not to think of that next weekend when you’re pooping and playing on your phone. “Everybody’s pooping on the weekend.”

Saturday - “Rock with You” - Michael Jackson

MJ is my favorite artist ever although this is a pretty random song for me. I’m typically a “Bad” guy as that was the album I grew up with. My mom probably has photos and maybe video of me reenacting MJ’s dance moves from “Bad.” I would say it’s probably unflattering as how could anyone replicate what MJ could do, but then again, what can’t I do? I’m awesome as fuck. Also, MJ is always Michael Jackson to me and not Michael Jordan. He’s great but not MJ great.

Sunday - “My Slow Descent into Alcoholism” - The New Pornographers

Before it even started, I almost ruined my relationship with my wife over the New Pornographers. I was in a terrible place (which I still partially reside) and trying my best to ruin everything. I was supposed to go and meet this beautiful girl at a New Pornographers show. I heard she wasn’t gonna go with me because she liked someone else so I found out where she was going and got super fucked up and met her there while flirting shamelessly and making out with another girl. I eventually ended up puking in the bathroom, passing out in the back of a Subaru and showing up two hours late to work the next day, but somehow my future wife didn’t hate me. I still haven’t defeated my alcholistic roots but I’m much closer than I was back then. I’m still pissed that I missed out on a fight and a free hot dog afterwards. Long story…

Monday - “New York City Cops” - The Strokes

A song cut from the final album, but fucking hell was it was great. I had the early bootleg version which had “New York City Cops” on it so this was drilled into my head by the 1,000 consecutive listens only to be fucking confused by the “official” release. Words, they don’t make sense. But, I love this shit. My band used to rehearse at the same space in NYC as the Strokes did back in the day, aka 1999-2001. Wow, shitty comparison… But, I did get drunk and fuck as many girls or close to it… So, I have that going for me, which is nice.

What do we need? MUSIC! When do we need it? NOW!

So fuck it, let's play some fucking music...

I know things are getting fucking strange out there but we always have our trusted friend Music.  Here's some songs that always put a smile on my face.

Bradley Wik and the Charlatans - "Some Girls (Still Love Rock N' Roll)"

I can't believe I haven't fucking announced that I've sneak-peak-released the first song from my upcoming album "In My Youth, I'm Getting Old..."  I'm so excited to put this album out.  I've been working on it, and fixing the multitude of problems, for A FUCKING LONG TIME.  But, it's finally fit for human consumption and I couldn't be prouder.  The stories, the Rock N' Roll and the band are all so much better after playing hundreds of shows together.  It's so fucking cliche but we truly are operating greater than the sum of our parts on this album.

With thousands upon thousands of albums about falling in and/or out of love (the fuckin' easy part), here's an album about the rest of us. These songs are about you. These songs are about your hometown. These songs are about your friends, those you love, your lost lost loves, your hopes and regrets, your memorable nights, your forgotten dreams, your faith, your fears, your faults, your triumphs, your defeats, your will to be the best you can be, those dark nights you thought would never end, but mostly, they're about life, your life. And my life. I know you because I know myself. Guided by love, hope, faith and fear. All beautiful in our own fucked up ways. We celebrate a life full of jaggedness because that's where all the good shit is...
The press blurb:

Your ears are ringing as you pour yourselves out of the bar and into the street, still laughing.  The moon is bright in the night sky and the way it mixes with the streetlights makes you see each other in a way you’ve missed for the last few years.  In that moment, all the hard times fade away.  When she smiles, it makes you smile.  She grabs your hand as you think to yourself, “Some Girls Still Love Rock N’ Roll…”

Darwin Deez - "Radar Detector"

In another life (my NYC version), I was friends with this brilliant man.  We both would share the Sidewalk Cafe stage at various times, sometimes on the same night.  I loved his quirky, but fucking unbelievably catchy tunes.  He walked onstage and just fucking had "It."  He was a man amongst boys when he took over that room.  He knew what he was doing and how he wanted to do it.  He had us all mesmerized, every single time.  I was surprised when, years later, after he had achieved some fame, he still remembered me and gave me a great big hug when he saw me at Portland's Holocene.  While I was busy trying to be the second coming of Bob Dylan, he was busy making amazing music that was uniquely his own.  New York was a strange but amazing time.  But, Bravo sir on all the success!  You deserve it!

The B-52's - "Private Idaho"

What would a list of "fun" songs (not Fun. songs, God those guys are the fucking worst, still) be without some B-52's.  With a long list of crowd pleasers, I picked the one I return the most to.  It's fun and silly and catchy as hell.  Just what I need to chase the demons away...

Billy Joel - "The Longest Time"

This is one of the songs that reminds me of how much I can't sing.  Sure, I can do a great Rock N' Roll vocal but this is another level.  William goes back in time to remind us of why he is a national treasure.  I've almost worn out my vinyl copy of this album, but am ready to replace it should it fail me.  I cannot live without "The Longest Time," "Uptown Girl" or "An Innocent Man," nor should anyone.  The video is a little weird but don't let it distract you from one of the best pop songs of all-time.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas - "Jimmy Mack"

I've had a strange obsession with Martha for a long time.  When it comes to singers, there's something intangible that attracts me to certain voices.  I just fall in love with them and they just feel "right."  Obviously, Otis is the #1 example of that but Martha is high on that list.  I just love her voice, her energy, just her in general.  I was also lucky enough to see her live and in-person at Jimmy Mak's here in Portland.  She had previously played with drummer Mel Brown (Motown/R&B staple back in the day and current Portland Jazz staple) in the sixties and the amount of personality between them was boiling over and off the stage.  It was an incredible show which included my personal highlight of Martha acknowledging that my girlfriend had the funkiest of chickens.  A truly memorable night and why "Jimmy Mack" always brings a huge smile to my face.

Talking Heads - "Artists Only"

This is a song that I, once a week, sing over and over in my head.  Why once a week?  Well, that is how often I clean my apartment.  And yes, for the hour and a half it takes, the only thing I can think is:  "I'm cleaning.  I'm cleaning again."  That and how much I love the big suit from "Stop Making Sense."  Brianne Kathleen and I actually paid a little homage during our dance breaks whilst recording her album.  Check out THIS VIDEO at 3:35 through to see how we get down.

Michael Jackson - "The Way You Make Me Feel"

Just... Fucking c'mon.  I can't tell you how many times, as a child, I re-enacted this music video in my living room.  Well, my mom could probably tell you but, needless to say, it's a fucking lot.  I never got the girl at the end, but I'll be damned if I didn't try my hardest.  Probably just didn't dance well enough...

Paul Simon - "You Can Call Me Al"

If the greatest music video of all time can't cheer you up, than nothing can...