NME.com Blog Updates for Los Angeles, San Diego, Tempe

I've posted words for our time L.A., San Diego, and Tempe on my NME.com blog.

To read about our time in Los Angeles and San Diego, click HERE.

To read about the Tempe party, which was insane, click HERE.

Click them! Click it!

Los Angeles party:



Sandy Eggo party:








xxxooo,

Ben Lee Handler

ICE FACE CHALLENGE

For words to go along with these photos on my NME.com blog, click HERE.


Nathaniel vs. Franz of The Hold Steady. Victor: Nathaniel.


Dyan vs. Ian of Art Brut. Victor: Dyan.


Myself vs. Eddie of Art Brut. Victor: Myself.


Dyan vs. Jasper of Ar Brut. Victor: Dyan.


Zachary vs. Keith Boadwee. Victor: Zachary.



Oh, the spoils of victory.



I love you,


Ben Lee Handler

Hank Schmidt in der Beek: AWESOME -or- How We Landed Our Tour with The Hold Steady and Art Brut

Apologies for being silent all these years, or months, or however long it's been. I wish I could say my lack of current updates has been because I've been terribly busy, but I haven't. My absence probably has more to do with my recent discovery of YouPorn.com than anything. (YouPorn: It's like YouTube, but with pornography!) I probably wouldn't even be typing now had I not happened into Hank Schmidt in der Beek.

Meet Hank:


Hank is very important.

Take a moment to get a little better acquainted with him.





You know how you have your AWESOME days, where everything that happens is just TOTALLY AWESOME? Like, your hair is rockin', you got plenty of sleep the night before, you just did your laundry so you can wear your favorite pair of jeans with that Madonna t-shirt you finally rediscovered after years of thinking your mom had thrown it in the garbage but she had really just put in that drawer you never open, the rockabilly kid you always thought was cool but were slightly afraid of invites you to his party and you build up enough guts to ask your crush to come with you and she says yes... those kind of days? Those kind of days happen, like, once every four years for most people. Most of the time, an ordinary person's time on earth will fluctuate between slightly awesome and completely shitty, usually lingering somewhere in the gray area in-between.

Hank never lives in the gray area. Hank's days are AWESOME ALL THE TIME. If you're ever lucky enough to hang out with Hank, a little of his AWESOME will rub off on you, too.

Case in point: The very day we met Hank, The Blood Arm were flown to France to tape a performance on TARATATA with Anaïs and Babyshambles, and our upcoming stint on the U.S. leg of the NME's Rock 'n'Roll Riot Tour 2007 with The Hold Steady and Art Brut was announced. TOTALLY AWESOME, right?

And we owe it all to Hank Schmidt in der Beek.

I've missed you, but now that I've found my muse, we won't have to be apart for long. (Hank has also assumed the role of my muse.)

Love you always,

Ben Lee Handler