This review truly means a lot to me. <3

“’Racism Priest’ is a perfect exhibit that a song need not be loud or fast with shouted vocals to make pointed social commentary, and an indie pop song can be just as sharp in assessing the problems occurring in the world as any punk rock record. And if this is the first taste of the new album, I am really very excited to hear what else is in store.”

Rosey Overdrive reviewed “The Cocker Spaniels Are Still Alive, and So Are You” this week! I appreciate that the author considers my new album a FUN listen, even with the frequently heavy subject matter. <3

Mynameisblueskye, an artist whom I greatly respect and whose music I enjoy, wrote about my new album. I appreciate the love they’ve shown me and my music in this review. <3

I haven’t used this thing in four years, but I have big news:

THE COCKER SPANIELS ARE STILL ALIVE, AND SO ARE YOU My first full-length album of original material in 11 years Now available to stream, purchase, and download on Bandcamp https://cspaniels.bandcamp.com/album/the-cocker-spaniels-are-still-alive-and-so-are-you 20 songs in 60 minutes Please listen from start to finish I hope that you enjoy it, and that it helps you out somehow Cassette version coming soon c/o Evil Island Fortress T-shirts, CDs & vinyl coming later, God willing Thank you for your patience and your support ❤️ SPREAD THE WORD BECAUSE I DON’T HAVE PR (YET LOL)

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #10

This picture was taken yesterday morning, while Erica was at work. She’d just bought the dress the night before, while searching for something special to wear for her birthday. When I saw that dress among the stack that she carried into Forever 21’s dressing room, my face lit up, and I silently prayed to my deity of choice that it would meet her needs. My prayer must have worked, because it was the only dress that she bought from the stack. Setting aside how great she looks in it, I truly feel that the dress reflects her personality, in ways that stretch back to when we first met. One of the many reasons why I first fell in love with Erica was her generally sunny disposition. She was sweet in a way that didn’t feel fake, positive in a way that didn’t feel unrealistic; after years of surrounding myself with toxic people, her presence was a balm to my wounded spirit. Of course, her personality isn’t all sugar and spice, and I got to know other facets of it over time: the not-so-closet goth, the shade queen, the "social justice warrior," the “ride-or-die” goon. However, none of it changed or negated my initial impression of her. My wife is sweet, but she sets clear boundaries to preserve her sweetness, and woe betide you if you cross them. Her positivity is borne of the resilience that only people who have endured very dark times develop. Thus, it makes sense to me that Erica would choose a cute black dress with lemons on it...and whenever she wears it, I’ll develop a sudden, strong craving for lemonade. I love you, honey. <3 May we both live long enough to celebrate many more birthdays together!

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #9

This picture was taken on June 3rd, hours after Ezra was born. As obvious a choice as it may be, there was no way that I could exclude our best memory of the last year from this series. I could write a hundred posts about how Ezra’s arrival and presence has changed our lives for the better, but I’m keeping the focus on Erica. What I see in this picture is the face of someone who fought a war with anxiety, won, and now basks in the sweet relief of victory.

For those who don’t already know, Ezra is the result of our third attempt to have a biological child together. Our previous attempts ended in miscarriage: the first happened the weekend after Christmas, three weeks after we got married; the second happened the very next year, between Independence Day and Nate’s ninth birthday. I know marriages that have collapsed over less, so I never take for granted the fact that we responded by drawing nearer to each other. When we opened up to our community about our grief, we were able to commiserate with so many other people who faced similar losses, but had never really talked about it before.

After those experiences, deciding to try one more time was courageous enough on its own. Getting through the pregnancy itself was, in some ways, a psychological struggle. Even after seeing Ezra’s face through multiple ultrasounds, and receiving nothing but good news about him from our midwives, it was difficult for us not to treat every random ache or errant fluid as a harbinger of tragedy. This struggle was especially acute for Erica, who is vocal about living with anxiety on a daily basis.

However, when I see this picture, I think of every time I’ve seen Erica kick anxiety’s ass, in ways both big and small. Two days ago, she drove herself and Nate to the Belk Theater to watch Leslie Odom, Jr. perform, while I stayed home to watch Ezra. I do most of the driving in the household, and she wasn’t looking forward to going to the congested city center without me. She did it, though, had a great time, and came back home feeling like the boss that she is.

I love you, honey. ❤ Stay tuned for the final installment!

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #8

This picture was taken on October 21st at “BLA/ALT,” a festival created by local musician LeAnna Eden to showcase other local and regional Black alternative musicians. It was a free, all-day, all-ages outdoor event on a Saturday, which made it perfect for Erica and me to attend. It was also Ezra’s first-ever live music experience and, when he was awake, he enjoyed it just as much as we did. (Nate was with his biological father that weekend, but I think he’d have enjoyed it too.) Every band we saw was good and interesting; the attendees were friendly and welcoming; and we truly felt like we were among kindred spirits while we were there.

For those of you who don’t know, Erica and I met through a Facebook group created for Black people who enjoy rock music. However, as our relationship developed, Erica and I realized how little we had in common with the group as a whole, aside from our race and our taste in music. We eventually left the group, and we never looked back. If I could rank the things that hold our relationship together, rock music probably wouldn’t be near the top of the list. Even so, it’s good to be with someone who doesn’t think I’m any less Black for loving Guided by Voices; someone who loans me her clothes so that I can dress up as Jimi Hendrix for Halloween; someone who immediately thinks of me when she gets free tickets to see the Cure.

Hence, being at “BLA/ALT” with Erica and Ezra felt like a “full circle” moment for me. Ezra loves the sound of music: he already mimics me when I tap out rhythms on my knees, and he lights up when Erica sings to him. Regardless of whether Ezra decides to follow in our footsteps, we’ll do our best to ensure that he never feels alone or weird for being himself.

I love you, honey. <3 Stay tuned for the next installment!

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #7

This picture was taken on October 4th, after Nate showed Erica one of the letters that I wrote him before I moved to Charlotte. Until that day, he’d kept the letters to himself, stored away in a shoebox; Erica never asked about them, out of respect for his privacy. I don’t know what prompted Nate to mention them, but I wasn’t bothered by it at all. That letter came from a time when, because of the geographical distance between us, words were all I had, and our lives wouldn’t be where they are now if I hadn’t acted on them. I chose this picture because Erica has taught me, more than anyone else, that words mean things, that they should be used with care and backed up with action. I believe that reading is a great cultivator of empathy, imagination, and critical thinking; that writing is a great way to organize and refine one’s thoughts; and that knowing what words truly mean is crucial to being and recognizing a person of integrity. Erica has probably read more books in the last decade than I’ve read in my whole life. Her poems make me wonder why I haven’t yet made her my own Bernie Taupin. Last but not least, she says what she means, does what she says, and applies the same standard to everyone who is close to her. When my conversation is vague or imprecise, she pushes me to dig deeper until I find the right words; when my deeds don’t match those words, she holds me accountable until they do. When I wrote to Nate, “I promise to love and be nice to your mother for as long as I live,” I meant what I wrote, and I acted accordingly. I’m a better, happier person because of it. I love you, honey. <3 Stay tuned for the next installment!

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #6

This picture was taken on September 24th, after Erica made yet another delicious dinner, this one comprised of lemon pepper pasta with shrimp and grape tomatoes, along with an arugula salad topped with lemon juice, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. I think that I've written about my wife's cooking in a previous "10 Days" entry, so reiterating this feels like cheating, but she is still, and will always be, the best cook I've ever known. However, I'm repeating myself for a reason. This past weekend, I struggled to put on a newer pair of jeans, only to discover that they were suddenly too tight. Upon witnessing my struggle, Erica suggested that I weigh myself. When I did, I realized that I'd gained 15 pounds in the last year. Nothing like that has ever happened to this string bean before! I know that this development partially has to do with me getting older and not being as physically active as I once was. However, I'm also eating more frequently and more healthily than ever. I owe this not only to Erica's cooking, but also to her frequently reminding me to take breaks from the million other things I'm doing to eat. After noticing the extra pounds, I also noticed that I look and feel better physically than I did a year ago, let alone five years ago. When you have someone like Erica to love and take care of you, it can change you for the better in ways that you don't even notice until someone else points them out. One of my highest callings is to ensure that my love for Erica has the same effect on her. I love you, honey. ❤️ Stay tuned for the next installment!

10 DAYS OF ERICA (2017) - #5

This picture was taken on our wedding day, December 6, 2014. I could write post after post about why that day remains one of the best and most significant of my life, with many profound, romantic, and wholesome expressions of my love for Erica. However, I chose this picture of us for a different reason: it may be the only one of us in which my hand is clearly palming her butt, with only the barest acknowledgment of decorum keeping my hand from reaching even lower. You already know how much I love Erica as a person, but I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t also acknowledge that one of the many things that drew me to her is that I am an “ass man,” and she’s got lots of it. There have been many times when, while running some sort of family- or household-related errand with her, I’d linger behind her to enjoy the view, until she jolted me back into focus by telling me to hurry up. I’ve written tons about the respect, the friendship, and the love that we share, but rarely about the lust. Therefore, I'll end this post by posting a list of some of the songs that have popped into my head while “enjoying the view”:

1) Juvenile “Back That Azz Up” 2) Missy Elliott “Work It” 3) ZZ Top “Legs” 4) OutKast “The Way You Move” 5) Prince “U Got the Look” 6) Slave “Watching You” 7) A Tribe Called Quest “Bonita Applebum” 8) Stevie Wonder “Golden Lady” 9) Patra “Worker Man” 10) The Isley Brothers “Between the Sheets” 

I love you, honey. <3 Stay tuned for the next installment!