A weekend of sickness and altered time ... former comrade and eternal brother Ramirez made the scene this past Saturday to perform with his outsider psych-folk outfit Ex-Cocaine and along with bandmate Mike C. stayed with Lori and I while in Seattle. Unfortunately, Ramirez was deathly ill, afflicted with a ravaged respiratory system that had plagued him since Ex-Cocaine's SXSW gigs a few days before. Despite cursing his wretched luck, the bearded wonder was in good spirits and we caught up while relaxing in the plush domain of the "Monstersorri House" (ouch!), a very comfy home on Beacon Hill that holds occasional experimental sound shows in a basement bike repair shop and requests all visitors to remove their shoes at the door -- this made for a very laid-back party, as you can imagine.

Ramirez's rebelling body briefly soothed with bourbon and Thera-Flu, Ex-Cocaine took off on a stumbling, somnambulent journey through thickets and brambles, occasionally emerging into a clearing to witness an epic battle between powerful nations, then back into the safety of the dark woods again ... Mike's electric bongo slapping kept our hero from miring himself too deeply in the bleak fuzz, and the overall effect was of two autistic Desert Storm vets playing Neil Young covers that only exist in their minds. According to Ramrod, gigs have been steadily increasing in intensity as the tour progresses, so my bet is that those who catch Ex-C in San Francisco on Wednesday will witness the apex of their psychic meanderings. Somebody oughta tape that show. Get more info on Ramirez's noisy offerings through Killertree Records.