Dispatch 21: El Pipe in studio with Solar Maximum!

El Pipe, Sammy and Heather after the session.

Dispatch 21:We had a great time in the (home) studio when El Pipe (Zoe') came by to hang out and add drums to some previously recorded Solar Max. A really great way to cap off 2015.
 After rolling thru a few times and then lunch, Heather and I strapped on the basses, Pipe climbed behind the kit (thanks Steve M.) for a Solar Maximum event. Epic! Felt good to jam with my old pal. Heather was in classic form.
 Look for these recordings to become available later this year at our Bandcamp page and all the usual digital music stores.

El Pipe and Heather laying it down at MCLscreenworks.

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Dispatch 20: HMS "Sight Unseen" and "Advice for Young People" Videos are off the Hook!!

Dispatch 20: Not recommended for those with weak hearts or those weak at heart! Her Majesty theE Spleen making it intense with "Sight Unseen" and "Advice for Young People", a couple of psychedelic romps thru the nether worlds of our consciousness. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. (Repeat 4x then repeat).
Watch in HD for full effect...
 HMS is a music and art collective based in Oakland Ca., more specifically, at ACME House of Music. Spleen metamorphed in 2012  with myself, John Middle, Steve Moriarty and Ronzoni Calzone. Nowadays, Walter Nix inhabits most Spleen sessions. We record most of our open jams and then pull the "nuggets." John then takes those mixes and "spleens "them or processes them to become the HMS sound. We had one of the largest soundcloud uploaded track count last year, resulting in over a gig of music!
2016 is gonna be a fun year for HMS and MCL with plans in the works for a release or two! -Sammy

Dispatch 19: SOLAR MAX on DroningEarth #73 Compilation album!

Dispatch 19: We are really excited to be included on the DroningEarth blog's yearly compilation of doom metal, ambient, experimental et al bands from around the world called DroningEarth #73. The moment is called A Large White Bird Bearing a Message. Its available at the DroningEarth Bandcamp page as a free download! Thanks to Vesa for inviting us to include a song. Our album "Event I:uranian fire" also got a nice mention on the blog, "...enchanting improvised minimalism, 2 bass guitars crawling sweetly."

 DroningEarth, based in Northern Europe, is a really cool blog that really has a finger on the pulse of heavy, dark music from all over the lands. Check them out when you get a chance. Humanity will be better for it.

Dispatch 18: "event I: uranian fire" Gets reviewed at FIBERGLASSJACKET Blog!

Dispatch 18: The reviews for the new album are starting to come back and we could'nt be happier! Here's a nice one from Becca over at the fiberglassjacket blog.

Dispatch 17: "Frosty the Snowdude" a new holiday single from Solar Max

Dispatch 17: Riding high on the fact that "event I: uranian fire" was finally made available this week ( check our bandcamp as well as iTunes, Amazon and Spotify for that), we thought we would drop a new holiday song on your brains! "Frosty the Snowdude." Its available for free download at our soundcloud page. Also available for free download are our other two singles Inner Minute and Circular Logic. So drink up on the eggnog, sit back and relax as we take you on a...anyway, enjoy!

Dispatch 15: SOLAR MAX EVENT I: URANIAN FIRE out this Tues Dec 8th!

Dispatch 15: The first Leather Pills video. Live photos shot by Steve Armstrong at Bourbon Street Bar and Brill in Concord, Ca in about 2001.
**Remember, Solar Max event I: uranian fire is out this Tues Dec 8th at our bandcamp and usual digital music stores.**

Dispatch 13: LEATHER PILLS - "I Just Wanna Die" video

Dispatch 13: I Just Wanna Die from the band's debut output called "Rats ep" (MCL2001). The vid was shot by a friend of Jed's(roomate to Mark, old friend to our old friend Bernie) at the historic Al's Bar in DT Los Angeles, Ca. in 2001. (It really was a west coast punk mecca. It was awesome).  The guys had a really nice digital camera and amongst alot of major league slackin' or as they called it "working on their screenplay,"  they decided to come along and film the gig. I edited it in 2015 from the only remaining copy available on VHS! Epic!
 We also did a gig in Ventura Ca.(a Pills stronghold in the southland) for Cornboy at a cafe that did all ages shows punk shows. We we're a few minutes late getting to the venue which allowed time for Candy's Ma to get all hepped up on good coffee! ("That's heavy sh*t, man!") We sold ALL the remaining merch we had in a matter of moments aftr that gig. We pulled an all-niter and partied with some of Ventura's finest til morning aftr that one!! Memorable mini-tour.
Come by and check out our YouTube channel for other cool Leather Pills, solar maximum and closetLames vids.

Dispatch 12: NEW for Turkeys! "Given-Grabbed" video by HMSpleen and More!

Dispatch 12:  Happy Thanksgiving. In the next couple weeks we will be announcing the availability of a new Her Majesty theE Spleen digital (possibly physical) release at our bandcamp. Super excited about it.  Until then, here's a brand new jam and video from Her Majesty TheE Spleen. It was recorded on Sun Nov. 22, 2015 at ACME House of Music in Oakland Ca. All improv. All the time. We play for the orbs.
Sammy plays bass, Phonic theE Bomber sings and plays with the gtr, Steve Moriarty beats, Walter is playin gtr on this one.
 All Audio/video production by Phonic theE Bomber aka Phonic theE Hombre aka John Middle aka...for more HMS videos from Mr. Phonic as well as lots more interesting stuff check out his Youtube page.

Dispatch 11: El Pipe's Back to the Business!

El Pipe(far left and fuzzy) with Zoe' at the Fox Theater in Oakland, Ca. Fri Nov.20, 2015

Dispatch 11: We were really stoked last Fri night to head out to see our old pal and fellow rhythm man Felipe El Pipe Ceballos and Zoe' play to a sold out house at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Great to see a few old faces (Rob, Danny) and a few new ones (Leticia, Greg). Niiiicely played!
  We are also stoked to be making available in early 2016 a new 3 song closetLames EP produced by El Pipe! Best part is he plays la bateria (drums) on it too.  The rocker Back to the Business, the so moody Dreamin' (not the Blondie tune) and Using You (a true story about you know who) are the cuts slated for that one! Look and listen for it soooon!! Let's go!

Dispatch 10: SOLAR MAX moment "E11M1" exclusive at YouTube

Dispatch 10: check out a video we made for a moment simply called Event 11, Moment 1 or E11M1. Only place to hear this track is on this video at our youtube channel and this embed (so far).

Dispatch 9: SOLAR MAX super cool collabo with DS Peligro!

Dispatch 9:(From Oct.12,2015) We are really excited to get our Collaborations Series of tracks with some of our friends and fellow artists off the ground.
We have wanted to do this for a long while and finally we have our first offering. We sent a song down to lofi nofi experimentalist David Spero, aka DS Peligro in LA. We met on soundcloud, found his sonic art to be really really cool and offered up a track and he agreed. The above track is the result. UFOs Are Real! The first in many. Hope you dig, we sure do!

Dispatch 8: Her Majesty TheE Spleen "Head Master" Freakout!!

Dispatch 8:(From Nov.20,2015)  Her Majesty TheE Spleen is a music co-op based outta ACME House of Music in Oakland Ca. Sammy plays bass in this thing. Some heavy sh*t, man...

Dispatch 4: We also screen print! MCLscreenworks is us.

Dispatch 4:  When I'm not busy - according to the kids, "making weird music"- I'm busy in our indie screen print shop called MCLscreenworks, printing for music and  non-music related clients.
 We started designing and printing t-shirts, stickers and fliers for our band Leather Pills in 1999 and soon began to doing it for friends and associates. Nowadays we also have our BigCartel store called HANDPRINTED! where you can find our band tees and more. Come by and check it out sometime. Here are a couple examples of designs you can find there.

Dispatch 3: SOLAR MAXIMUM now at Bandcamp!

Dispatch 3: (from Nov.13.2015)We are pleased to announce that our solar maximum tracks called Circular Logic and Inner Minute, both for listen at soundcloud, are now available for purchase and download at our bandcamp page. These two tracks are really great examples of the space that Heather and I are inhabiting thru our music. Experimental Psychedelia Sammy and Heather style. This is great driving music, or music to ward off evil spirits. Its your call.

Dispatch 2: We Got the Airwaves! SOLAR MAX on SineFM 102.6

Dispatch 2: (from Nov.11,2015)  Simon Thomas will be spinning us TOMORROW Nov.12 , 2015 on his radio show called Electronic on England's SineFM 102.6 radio in Doncaster, So.Yorkshire, England! The show is broadcast live and online Thursdays at 10pm ( UK winter time), which is 2pm Pacific time.  Simon spun our track called No Horizon last thursday and gave us a really nice plug! There is a listen again function at the website to hear that show anytime you want. But if you can, listen in tomorrow at work, school, nursing home, prison or wherever! Today the UK, tomorrow the world! Thanks!