What is MY 3 ADDICTIONS?

My 3 Addictions is a concept album by Elastic No-No Band, recorded and mixed by Major Matt Mason USA.

You can purchase it as a CD now from Olive Juice Music (the online music shop that Major Matt runs), Antifolk.net, CD Baby, or Amazon.com. If you prefer your music not to be attached to tangible objects, the album is also available for intangible, ethereal download from iTunes.

The album is streaming RIGHT NOW! from this blog called "My 3 Addictions: An interactive album. It started on September 3, beginning with only the first song on that day, and a new song was added every other day until September 23, and now all 11 songs will stream forever (or until we become too poor to pay for the server).

Who is Elastic No-No Band and why the fuck should I care that they're making a concept album?

Well, my name is Justin Remer and I am the leader of Elastic No-No Band.
We are a quirky acoustic pop band. We're part of the Antifolk scene in New York City. We make funny songs and serious songs, sometimes about famous people and sometimes about regular folks.
We have two other CD's available

and a website: http://www.elasticnonoband.com/

Yeah, but why a concept album? Isn't that something wanky prog bands make?

While admittedly the term "concept album" brings to mind double-albums that tell a story that makes no sense (like Genesis's Lamb Lies Down on Broadway or Pink Floyd's The Wall) or single albums that tell a story that makes no sense (like Styx's Kilroy Was Here) or albums that suck (like anything Insane Clown Posse has ever done -- The Dark Carnival???), My 3 Addictions is different.

My 3 Addictions is inspired by the far-less-shitty-than-ICP concept albums of Willie Nelson: Red Headed Stranger and most specifcally Phases and Stages. Phases and Stages was a uniquely 70s kind of album, in that its concept hinged on the split between sides one and two on the record. Listening to the album on CD these days doesn't completely wreck the concept, but it's less cool. You see, Phases and Stages is a break-up album. And side one is all songs from the woman's point of view, while side two (the slightly lengthier side, it's worth noting) is from the man's.

My 3 Addictions, in a similar vein, consists of three sections, as introduced by the title song:
Part 1: Food
Part 2: Movies
Part 3: Girls Who... (well, we don't want to wreck all the surprises)

Each section is introduced by a reprise of the theme song, kind of like the "Phases and Stages" theme that pops up again and again throughout that album.

Wow, that doesn't sound quite so awful after all. Why are you streaming the album on a blog?

My friend Zach thought it was a good idea. (He also thought I should just put the album up for free download here and call it a day, but I've spent a wad of dough on making this album -- and I also fetishize musical objects like CD's and records -- so there will be CD's, and they will be for sale.)

A blog, however, can be a much better experience than just a context-free CD. It can be an interactive, participatory experience (i.e., you can leave eloquent comments). You can add a lot of links and doodads, like this. A blog can give you a real narrative of the album, and I don't mean like the explanation of what the fuck The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is supposed to be about.

What's the deal with the bonus tracks?

I am a big fan of Elvis Costello (pictured [somewhat smarmily] left), and if there is anything that has defined his albums in the CD era is the inclusion of BONUS TRACKS.

For example, as I'm typing this, Elvis's first album, My Aim Is True (pictured right), has been issued four times on compact disc, and by the time My 3 Addictions is released, there will be a fifth version. What is it that makes hapless fans buy an album up to five times on CD (and who knows on how many other countless previous formats)? Besides losing them to your former spouse in the divorce, the number one answer is BONUS TRACKS.

Now, you might be saying, "Wait, you're not re-releasing your album. You're putting it out for the first time!"

Even so, I'm a fan of bonus tracks, and I leave the choice for you, whether or not you want to check out the early and alternate versions I'm including here online, as both curiosities and added value.

Where do all the sweet-ass pictures come from?

I'm not gonna lie. I scavenge the internet for images and just put them up when I find them. But some of the best snaps on this blog were taken by our piano player Herb Scher (self-portrait at left)

A freelance shooter for Urban Folk, Herb also currently has a show of Antifolk portraits up at the Sidewalk Cafe.

Which snaps are Herb's?

Blogger does not readily lend itself to captioning photos, and so, here is a handy guide to the key snaps on the blog:

01. My 3 Addictions: photo of Justin Remer by Herb Scher
02. Part 1: Food/03. Cheese Fries: photo of Elastic No-No Band by Herb Scher
06. Part 2: Movies/07. Woody Allen Surrogate (Kenneth Branagh's Blues): photo of Urban Barnyard by Herb Scher; Photo of John Houx by Eric Lippe

For more of Herb's snaps, check out his online collection of portraits and his Myspace page.

How can I get my own copy of My 3 Addictions?

You can pick up your own copy at any of our shows (check our Upcoming Gigs page for dates and locations).

Right now, the CD is available for purchase from Olive Juice Music (the online music shop run by Major Matt Mason USA, who produced this album), Antifolk.net, CD Baby, or Amazon.com.

Also, if you prefer instant gratification without the hassle of tangible CDs, you can download the album from iTunes.

Will I like MY 3 ADDICTIONS?

Gosh, I hope so.