Mike Hudson, who fronted Cleveland '70s punk pioneers the Pagans, collects 32 years of fact and fiction in Jetsam, a new anthology of short stories, investigative journalism and liner notes. Hudson, a career journalist and editor of The Niagara Falls Reporter, says the pieces are about "punk rock, domestic life, rural buccolia, bear hunting, literature, a very little politics, death, bullfighting, etc."
Two short stories, "The Last Hot Day" and "All the Wrong People Are Dying," appeared previously as spoken-word recordings. Like much of Hudson's fiction, they're based on episodes from his time in Cleveland.
Essays include a reprint of Cle magazine's "God Bless the Damned and Demonic Dead Boys" from 1996. "Youthful Bliss Ruined by Infielder" looks at Gus Gil, whom Hudson calls "the most truly awful hitter in Indians history."
Zero Defex bassist and Buddhist monk Brad Warner has teamed with Japanese Zen teacher Gudo Nishijima for Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika, a new English translation of the classic Buddhist text.
Dead Boys/Rocket From the Tombs guitarist Cheetah Chrome has a new supergroup with New York Dolls guitarist Syl Sylvain and the Blackhearts (Joan Jett) rhythm section of Thommy Price and Enzo Penizzotto. The band, currently nameless, enters the studio this month. Former Wilco/Uncle Tupelo drummer Ken Coomer is producing three songs, which are planned as a vinyl single release, slated for 2010.
Chrome is also working on an autobiography, tentatively titled Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy's Tale From the Frontline of Punk Rock. The U.K.'s Voyageur Press is aiming for an August 2010 release.
Chargers Street Gang will reunite for a Christmas night show at the Grog Shop. Sun God, Self Destruct Button and Founding Fathers open.
Electro-industrial trio Encoder play their first live show of the year on Friday, November 6, at the Phantasy, opening for Informatik — the San Francisco keyboard/dance vets' first Cleveland show. Encoder will use live guitars for the first time. Filament 38 opens the night. Doors 8 p.m.; tickets $10. Encoder programmer Cable has remixed the track "The Siren" for industrial group Aesthetic Perfection.
