TOTAL-ey

Next weekend, the boys and girl of the Jiggywatts will be piling into a gray Subaru, driving 200 miles and sweating on a bunch of people in Missoula at Total Fest. It will be the first time we've played Total Fest, and we're proud to be on of the first hip hop acts to grace its stages.

To prepare for our endeavor, James Two's been doing push ups. I mean lots. We've got a push-up-off set up for December 1 - which is about the time I feel I'm going to need to catch up to the man. And me? I've been watching Cash Cab every morning and thinking about the future, in the 'what should I have on my burrito today' sort of way. I also signed up for piano lessons.

Did I mention that we're going to play a gang of new tunes? Cool!

The Total Fest blog shouted us out the other day. Check it!

Average Homeboy

Aside from spending my days sleeping, making music, and trying to go swimming I waste my time looking for funny/dumb shit online.  My friend Dana Coppafeel from Milwaukee, WI turned me onto this site.  www.rappersthatsuck.com exposes all the real shitty rappers out there in this big ol world of hip hop.  From now on whenever I feel down about myself and my life choices, at least I'll always have the Average Homeboy to lift my spirits.  

What would Ralph Macchio do?

Lately I been feeling like I am at a crossroads.  The past few weeks I just been feeling sorta uneasy.  Not really sure why.  I've been playing shows that have been pretty good, i'm working on music that I am happy with, and I come to realize everyday that I have some of the best friends in the world.  But still, for whatever reason, I just feel like I'm swimming up current right now and if I could swim with the flow, then things would just be easier.  Maybe its the placement of the stars at this stage of life, or maybe I just need to suck it up and deal.  But whatever it is, I love the way that a certain song can just explain it so well.  I have three songs that I been feeling alot lately and all of em way different from each other.  

The first is by this dude Blu.  Blu is out of LA and has been getting all kinds of buzz lately.  He is a very good homie to my boy Jack Spade who really got me listening to him.  He dropped this record called Below the Heavens with producer Exile and it has really grown on me in the past few months.  He really speaks from a part of the soul that just hits me.  Like I know Blu be feeling the same way I feel right now.  This is a track I think says it perfect.  What the hell am I supposed to do?

Blu & Exile - First Things First

Next we have Elvis Costello.  To be completely honest I have never owned a Elvis Costello album.  But I was walking through the store today and this came on the radio.  I forgot about this song, not unlike many that played their own part in the soundtrack of your life.  You know those songs that you used to love when you were like 6 but completely forgot about.  And then when it comes on you just go back to that place.  Well this track did it for me today and maybe it can for you too.

Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write the Book

Finally, from a new band I discovered recently.  Every year I end up finding a song that just becomes a summertime anthem for me.  Those kinda songs that just make you smile and enjoy the sun warming your face just a little bit more when its playing on the box.  Last year for me it was MGMT "Kids."  Other summertime jams for me have been Common Market "Connect 4", Crown City Rockers "B-Boy", and Minus the Bear "Absinth Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse".  Well this summer the winner is Passion Pit "Little Secrets".  I love this song so much right now.  I really want the instrumental so that I can rap over it and lace it but still haven't found it yet.  I hope it makes you smile as much as it does me.

Passion Pit - Little Secrets

Vitamin Waters

Last night I drank three Vitamin Waters, all different flavors. My favorite was XXX, but I tried a new flavor - I think it was called Serene or Escape or Release or something like that. It was quite refreshing and crisp.

We also DJed at a little dance party called Awesome Nice! with our pal James Pants. Perhaps my favorite part of the evening was watching Pants walk it out to "A Milli" in front of the decks right before he slammed into "In Bloom" by ummmm, Nirvana? It was funtastic.

The New Jiggywatts Shirt!

As you can see, James Two looks handsome as hell in the brand new Jiggywatts shirt, designed by our buddy Chris Spriggs at Rage Studios. You can pick one up at any of our upcoming shows or at the online store.

Is this really how I do?

Blog world.  One must really love all of the stupid little ways we keep connected via cyberspace to people we think we sorta know.  I got my toes wet with Myspace, then slowly transitioned into Facebook before I fully jumped into Twitter, Flickster, Imeem, and every other social networking party I was told I needed to be a part of.  Is anyone actually gonna read this?  Maybe.  Will creating a blog give me something more to do with my endless amounts of free time?  Probably.  So this is what we have come to.  I am going to do my best to keep you entertained with my adventures in Spokane, Missoula, and the greater world.  You'll most likely get a play by play of all the achievements and mishaps owned by myself and some friends too.

Okay now that we have that over with.  I do music.  That's the only thing I have ever been sure of.  I love music in all shapes and forms.  Here is one.  I have this friend and his name is Dave.  A long time ago I thought I discovered him.  He was a funny ass hip hop dude from Chicago that could scratch like nobody I ever saw.  He started hanging out at the record store I worked at and before you knew it we became inseparable.  Kinda like Milo and Otis only less of a Dudley Moore accent.  Years past.  We had ups and downs.  We we always came back to one thing.  We both love beer and ribs.  Well now Dave is all grown up and is this completely awesome band who makes music I wish I could make.  We still geek out all the time via Skype.  Since we can't REALLY hang out we have these play dates/studio sessions where we usually just send each other links of cool lights, midi controllers, BBQ recipes and it usually ends up with us just dancing around like a bunch of jerks.  My group the Jiggywatts wrote this song "Moving to Space."  Its about wanting to get away from confines of Earth and just kickin it with some sweet alien peeps.  Well Dave and his crew Prepschool actually did move to space.  They got a gig and here is their first show.  Wish they woulda waited for me.

"Back On Track" Live from SPACE! from Prepschool on Vimeo.

Welcome to the Watts Blog!

Welcome internets to the Jiggywatts blog! Here you will find a digital trail of our crawl through urban decay and cheap beer. Here's to a healthy diagnosis!

PS, We're playing with my favorite band in Spokane tomorrow night: Belt of Vapor. Here's a rad song of theirs:

Belt of Vapor: Shy/Asshole Confusion

Rumor has it that one of the out of towners from Elkfest might be playing as well.