My history as a music publicist dates back to 1990, when I worked for a year as the publicist for Juggler Records, a Japanese-based label that was trying to get a foot hold in the US. to promote their pop-punk band The Blue Hearts. We had our share of success, and along the way I had a lot of fun and I learned the basics of publicity and how to schmooze heavily on the telephone and at music conventions.

I then got a job as the publicist for Tim/Kerr Records, one of the west coast's premier independent labels through out most of the 1990's. Working out of Portland, Oregon, Tim/Kerr was the label that first brought such acts as Everclear and The Dandy Warhols to national attention. Tim/Kerr was an incredibly eclectic label that also released albums by such important and diverse artists as Pere Ubu, John Fahey, The Wipers, Hugh Hopper, Pigpen (featuring Wayne Horvitz), Poison Idea, Hitting Birth, the late Peter Laughner and country blues legends Ray & Glover. I worked very closely with many of the artists for over two years, especially The Dandy Warhols (on their first album and tour before signing to Capitol Records), punk pioneers The Wipers and the legendary Pere Ubu. In addition to doing the publicity for Pere Ubu's "Raygun Suitcase" CD and a pair of CDROM releases, I accompanied the band on their 20th Anniversary Tour as a combination publicist/label rep/merchandiser. After two years of work at Tim/Kerr I decided to strike out on my own, and after taking a break came back with Mod Media. 

Mod Media from the start was designed to be a one-man operation. I left Tim/Kerr with the beginnings of a press database and a wealth of personal contacts--the bread and butter of publicity--that I had developed while working at T/K and Juggler. Over the last several years Mod Media has ebbed and flowed through the ascent of electronic dance music and kiddie pop, the consolidation of  major labels, the rise of on-line music media and the advent such controversial web-based technology as MP3 and Napster. Mod Media has always tried to stay on top of the evolution of music and the music business, while still staying true to my original intent: working with artists that I personally like and feel should get exposure in the media. 

Given my own broad and sometimes unconventional tastes, this had led Mod Media to take on a wide variety of projects, from major independent label projects to working with artists without any label affiliation at all. I have worked with high profile/low profile/no profile artists as diverse as British DJ/producer (U2/Bjork, etc.) Howie B. (on Palm Pictures "Suck It And See" compilation), genius drummer Danny Frankel (Victoria Williams/Lou Reed/Jim White, etc.), contemporary chanteuse Abby Travis, San Francisco noise merchant Beth Capper and Botanica, a band that pulls it's players from Firewater, the Cramps and Beck's touring band. I've had the pleasure of seeing ex-Tattle Tale member Jen Wood reviewed in Entertainment Weekly, the accordion/violin/cello combo 3 Leg Torso profiled on NPR's widely syndicated "All Thing's Considered" and the eccentric but popular Cincinnati combo Ass Ponys' latest release ("Some Stupid With a Flare Gun") rave reviewed in Spin, Rolling Stone and the Village Voice. And I've taken pride in seeing the fruits of my labors pay off for excellent touring press in the dailies and weeklies for such acts as the Czechoslovakian art rock combo Uz Jsme Doma, and, Invisible Records artists Meg Lee Chin, Attrition and punk/industrial legends The Damage Manual (Martin Atkins, Chris Connelly, Jah Wobble and Geordie Walker). 

For two years Mod Media worked as the publicist for Invisible Records, Martin Atkins' (PIL, Ministry, Killing Joke, Pigface, etc.) legendary industrial/dark dance Chicago-based label that in now in it's 15th year of sonic subversion. In addition to The Damage Manual and the sensationally talented Meg Lee Chin (who's song "Thing" kicks off the Mod Media website), we also worked releases and/or tours for Pigface, Chemlab frontman Jared Louche, Psychic TV, Hellbent, Not Breathing, Dead Voices on Air, Attrition, various tribute CDs and more. Also from Chicago, but in a completely different vein, Mod Media handled the publicity for the late/great Checkered Past Records. Checkered Past was one of the United States premier purveyors of offbeat roots rock/Americana and high quality rock & roll. Working with such exceptionally talented and well respected acts as the Ass Ponys, The Silos, the Spanic Boys, 16 Horsepower and Botanica was a Mod Media highlight and resulted in some excellent press. 

Probably the most single significant act that Mod Media worked with during the early 2000s was The Residents. The longest running musical avant garde art project in contemporary American musics, the still-unnamed and unmasked Residents have been their own temporary autonomous zone since the early 1970s. Mod Media worked on several projects with the Residents, including the 30th Anniversary tour, CD and release ("Demon's Dance Alone"), the "Icky Flix" collection of videos and some re-issue projects. Now signed to Mute, we wish them the best. 

The last couple of years have been two of the best for Mod Media. I have handled all the tour and CD press for the fabulously talented and always entertaining Asylum St. Spankers. Clearly one of the premier live acts in the country, the Austin, TX based Spankers released several super-fine CDs over the last 10 years as well as wowing crowds around the world. I was also fortunate to work with the Seattle based Alien Crime Syndicate, a top-flight rock-n-roll combo fronted by ex-Meices guy Joe Reineke. ACS toured with ex-Replacements and Guns & Roses bass player Tommy Stinson in 2004. I've also recently worked with the multi-talented Nick Luca Trio, set to tour doing double duty as both back-up band and opening act for John Doe in 2005. As a player, producer and engineer Nick has worked with an amazing array of talent over the years, including Neko Case, Giant Sand, Calexico, Steve Wynn, Richard Buckner and Iron & Wine. And most recently, I've been working with two acts whose management (Honkytonk Hacienda) is based here in Tucson, Billy Bacon & The Forbidden Pigs and the Hacienda Brothers. For 20 years now Billy Bacon has been a road warrior, showcasing his mix of Tex Mex, rockabilly, country, blues and zydeco to literally thousands of audiences around the world. And the Hacienda Brothers (Dave Gonzalez from The Paladins and Chris Gaffney from Dave Alvin's Guilty Men and his own Cold Hard Facts + 3 more stellar players) are set to be one of the break-out acts of 2005. Their debut CD was produced by the legendary Memphis and Muscle Shoals producer and songwriter Dan Penn, and was reviewed in USA Today the week it was released. 

Finally, I want to give a shout out to the Pander Brothers and Devin Sarno. I worked in several projects with the Pander Bros., including the epic, near- futuristic graphic novel "Triple X International" and the "Secret Broadcast" CD and comic book that celebrates the underworld of pirate radio. Mod Media also worked closely with the Pander Bros. on the 32 minute video for "Suck It And See," Howie B's musical and visual tribute to early 70s soft core porn. Devin Sarno ran the much-missed, L.A. based W.I.N. Records, which was home to an amazing extended family of musical eccentrics. Devin gave me my first regular gig as an independent publicist and really got me started down this road. His own projects--solo electric bass as Crib, a duo with Nels Cline (now playing w/Wilco)--helped jump-start my enthusiasm for talking about music to total strangers over the phone when I realized that as an independent publicist I could CHOOSE who I wanted to work with. It's been an invaluable lesson.

Please see "Artists" for a complete list of Mod Media acts and "What's Cooking" for updates on current projects.