With The Heaviest Heart...

January 6, 2012

It is with the heaviest heart that I write this. One of the absolute most fantastic people I have had the privilege of knowing, Ms. Esmeralda Barrera, was senselessly, tragically murdered in the early hours of New Years Day in Austin, Texas.

We called her Esme and miss her with every ounce of soul we got.

I was in Australia when I got the news and I got home to our gang as quick as I could because our gang is the best and she was our captain of good times. Some of us are sitting around my kitchen as I write this and telling stories about Esme.

Sweet, Sweet Esme

I chose this photo because it made me laugh. She always made me laugh.

She had a ton of catch phrases we are all laughing about. here is a couple-

“This is the best song…EVER!!!”
She loved music as much as anyone I have ever known. Nobody else could justify every song being the best ever, but she could. She is one of the reasons bands have careers. She bought albums, made other people buy albums, went to a zillion shows, made epic mix tapes that we all love more now than we did before.

“Do you see how he was falling in love with me!”
On a trip to NYC she met a bunch of friends of Jose and Cynthia and after every boy walked away she would say that- she loved the idea of love and friendship and good times and had the upmost confidence being herself. It was absolutely contagious! We were just saying that it was unheard of to not be in a good mood when she was around.

A whole ton of people are coming in to El Paso from all over the world to lay her to rest. That was her power. She was unforgettable and we would go to the end of the world for her.

It is hard. I can’t imagine how hard this is for her family. I hope they find some comfort in how much we all love her. The level of grief and joy combined is unprecedented.

Here is a link that will allow you to donate money to Esme’s family for these difficult times and unexpected expenses. We are in the process of figuring out some scholarships that will remind us continuously of how great she was and will make sure that money gets to the right place.

I ask you all to send a couple dollars.

I miss you Esme- we had a lot of fun and it is hard to imagine ever playing Austin again without you directing the fun and the playlist. Always the playlist. Love you.

To donate go to this page please-

http://forouresmeb.blogspot.com/

Good Times For Good Reasons

December 5, 2011

Hi Everyone-
Hope and Anchor has a deep connection with the El Paso music scene. From the owners to the staffers, we have tried to help foster a better and stronger music scene in El Paso- that being said, some of our own need a hand.

The Lusitania are an incredibly talented and hard working band from El Paso. The have been carving out a fan base over the last few years both in town and on the road. The road is a tough place for young bands. There is no lack of challenges and these young guys just met with one of the toughest.

In the first few days of their fall tour, the boys hit a bad stretch of road and totalled their tour vehicle. All of them are safe and home now, but are left with some sizable bills and frustrations.

We offered to help, and never wanting a hand out, the boys figured they would play some acoustic songs, bbq some food, and we will pass the hat. We want to cover as much of their bills as we can because we love local bands and want them to get back out and represent our town as soon as they can.

So, I am personally asking that anyone who loves El Paso, loves music, loves Hope and Anchor, loves The Lusitania come by Sunday, December 11, 2011, from 7 pm til whenever and bring a couple bucks- buy their CD, donate $5 or more and show these guys that coming home to El Paso will always take care of them.

If you can’t make the show, you can also donate online by clicking on the Donate button below.

Thanks a million- see you Sunday
Jim

The Lusitania plays Sunday at Hope and Anchor

Howdy!

October 20, 2011

Hi-
I feel like it has been ages since I have sat down and written anything on here and for that I apologize. I seemed to have over estimated how much time I would have and how much initiative I would have to do things like my blog.

We have been working hard to get the new bar/theater up and running and it has gone pretty good so far. Please check out the facebook pages if you haven’t yet.

www.facebook.com/bowiefeathers
www.facebook.com/trickyfalls

There has been some confusion on the names and spaces and I can break it down quickly right here-

Bowie Feathers is the bar on the second floor of the theater- 209 S El Paso St. – it is open Tuesday through Friday 4 pm-2 am and Saturday 8 pm – 2 am

Tricky Falls is the big part of the theater and it is open only for shows or special events- although if Bowie is open you will see the beautiful Tricky Falls neon sign on and glowing.

So please come see us on facebook and for a cocktail or a show!

Speaking of Tricky Falls- my band Sparta will be playing Tricky Falls on November 17th- we have been off for a while and are super excited to play our home town- tickets are almost gone- make sure and pick them up at trickyfalls.com or at Maria’s Closet (314 S El Paso St).

Keeley’s killer poster for the show

Before I step on stage at TF though, my other project (simply billed as Jim Ward) that has been touring around North America and Australia is playing the final US show at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on November 4th at 1:40 pm. The night before our other band Sleepercar will play at ND in Austin (501 Brushy St, Austin, TX 78702 www.ndvenue.com) about 12:30 am-

line up for the fff fest

Yesterday I was sat down and watched one of the funniest/best films I have seen in a long time- it is called Submarine. I got it on netflix so I know you can as well- it is awesome and I highly recommend it-

submarine movie poster

I took some photos on tour but I think it is time to retire my silly little digital camera and move on- none of the photos even look good enough to share anymore. Hopefully, I will get something soon as we have some fun stuff coming up around here.

Last but not least, thanks to everyone who came out to the Chalk the Block show we played last week and signed up on the Tembloroso email list, bought art from us, supported us, came to the after party at Bowie Feathers, and generally helped us have a great night!!!

See you soon-

day one of the rest of my life

August 5, 2011

so i am going to get back in the habit of writing as much as i used to back in the day.

so today is day one. i am done with capitalizing letters, that is step one of day one. i reserve the right to change my mind on that at any moment.

i still will do the twitter/facebook stuff, but this is my home, this is my digital home and this is where i feel comfortable. my very smart better half says to keep this blog short because no one wants to read a super long ramble daily. so i will take that advice and keep it short and to the point.

we have been hard at work on Tricky Falls which is the new venue we are doing in downtown el paso and Bowie Feathers which is the 2nd floor bar at Tricky Falls. it was all a big secret until a few days ago, so now everything is out and i am happy. and yes, both places are named after my super cool cats.

the view from the balcony of our new spot downtown elps

this is what i was working on during my month off in july, remodeling a bar

super long day yesterday and i want to say how much i enjoyed the crew at the 12th fairway bar/grill who kept me entertained while southwest tried to get their planes in order after a civilian plane broke down on the el paso airport runway. the southwest staff was awesome as always and everyone was relatively civil. which almost never happens in airports.

i ran into tony rancich at the airport, we were both on the delayed la flight. tony owns sonic ranch studios where world class records are made. he has been a good friend to me and my bands for years and i really had a nice time catching up with him.

me and tony rancich wasting time in the elps airport

i came to la to play a little show in a backyard and do press stuff before i fly to australia. so far so good. it’s good to work.

hello echo park, it’s been awhile

i am sure i will have something good to eat and i am sure i will show you a picture of it.

have a nice day.

-jim

SPARTA

August 3, 2011

Hi everyone-
here is the official word from the sparta headquarters-

“Sparta, awake!

After a three-year “nap,” Sparta will play their first show since 2008 this November in their hometown of El Paso, TX. They’re confirmed to perform on November 17th at Tricky Falls, the newly renovated venue co-owned by frontman Jim Ward. The band – Ward, drummer Tony Hajjar, bassist Matt Miller, and guitarist Keeley Davis – will also head into the studio this fall to begin work on their fourth LP, the follow-up to 2006’s Threes. More information coming soon; in the meantime, tickets for the 11/17 El Paso show are available beginning today (8/4) at 10 am MST here: http://holdmyticket.com/event/27335

We will continue to update as we go…

Thanks everyone
-jim

Sparta

a month in isolation... and some thanks.

July 31, 2011

Howdy-
It feels like I have been in isolation this month. I feel like I have been working in a secret bunker in the desert. I have been working on some stuff and it will all be public on Wednesday August 3rd in What’s Up Magazine in El Paso. I think that the article goes up online at the same time, on Wednesday- if not, the full details of everything will be posted here at 12 am August 4th. I know there is some speculation and maybe some false rumors going around as to what is going to be announced, but let me tell you this… it is not just one thing, it is a multitude of things and it’s going to be awesome.

I tend to only get a few shots a year at the press in my hometown, so I decided this time to give everything I had in the cooker to Ryan Martinez from What’s Up. It was a fun interview and my first time on the cover as a solo artist and Tim V. took a very nice photo for the cover (as always). I am excited. I am excited for the next few months. I am a little nervous about the record coming out on Tuesday and going back out on the road, but I am ready.

I haven’t been able to write as much as I would like to, but you know once I am back out on the old highway, I will be posting photos of good food and landmarks as usual.

I spent awhile yesterday signing all the posters for preorders and I was overwhelmed by the response and genuine things people had to say in their emails. I want to thank Brandon and Armando for being so awesome and supportive. They have joined me on this adventure, not just with Tembloroso.com, but now with Tembloroso Recordings.

As most of you know Gabriel Gonzalez is the back bone of a lot of this stuff. He has been along for so much of the ride, from ATDI through Sparta to Sleepercar and now the solo record which he produced some of, played on a lot of, and mixed entirely- he is usually with me and if you see him at a show and you like the record, please make sure to tell him so… he never gets the attention he really deserves. He is also part of Tembloroso Records and I am indebted to him for the guidance and support…

I guess I just wanted to write a little note and say thanks to those around me for all the help and love and support… I am a lucky guy and this is not lost on me. See you guys soon.

-jim

tour pt 1

June 29, 2011

here is some photos… i will get back up to speed soon i hope and post a lot more. i am looking forward to all this being out and in your hands. even though i know some people have one, or two, or even all three ep’s- no one has the electric six! yet- all the pieces have come together to more than i could have expected, i am over joyed honestly-

the video is done, we are coordinating its premiere as we speak, finding the right spots for it to show on- we are figuring out where we will stream the full record release week, we are figuring out the release show… it will be in el paso, and it will be small… we will have a party. it is all exciting to me, but a ton of work and i am learning as i go, so be patient with me, please… thanks for support gang- it was a blast playing these first shows, we will make some adjustments and see you all soon- tour announcements for US will be late next week- they are all confirmed and ready to go- until then friends here are a few pics-

-j

this is what I stare at...

Zach Passero, the fantastic film maker in charge of Broken Songs (electric) video...

Tools of the trade on a video shoot... coffee, bottle of beer, water, black berry...

you'll see... it will make sense later...

not even a day in to the tour and the pool sharks swim...

the boys in the van, ready to go...

leaving Denver in the shadows of the clouds...

Mr Gregg Sosa capturing the scenery...

a few Lusitania boys and an endless scene...

fish and chips... yes, it was good...

the rivers up north are dangerously full- this is in casper, wy, inches from the bridge... it is powerful to see that in person, scary for a desert boy...

next to the hotel in casper was this full on mini golf course, i almost got to play but decided on leaving town early, and ended up being late to the next show anyhow... so i guess it was a good move, next time mini golf, next time...

gigantic skies up there. gigantic mountains. gigantic fields. everything is gigantic...

seriously, around every corner was something like this...

this dog just hung out on these steps in calgary, didn't care what else was going on, just hanging out...

Jim Ward on Spinner.com

June 21, 2011

The fine folks at spinner.com featured Jim on their homepage today and have a great write-up about his new album (available August 2nd.) Jim’s first single off the new album, “Broken Songs”, features Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara. Click here to read the article and listen to the single.

From spinner.com – “Jim Ward, the understated singer and guitarist of At the Drive-In, Sparta and Sleepercar, completed his trilogy of solo EPs, ending with the contemplative, acoustic album ‘The End Begins’ in February. Now, Ward’s three EPs are being packaged as one in ‘Quiet in the Valley, On the Shores the End Begins’ with bonus EP ‘The Electric Six’ to be self-released physically and digitally Aug. 2.”

Yay Jim!

New Stuff in the Store

May 28, 2011

Hey gang-
We have added some good stuff to the store-

Hope and Anchor shirts…

A fantastic 7" by Grand Tarantula from San Diego with proceeds going to Keep a Breast Foundation and art work by the fantastic Kelsey Brookes… you get a download code the minute you buy it as well so you can jam it now and collect some gorgeous picture vinyl in a few days…

Also an awesome EP from El Paso’s The DA that will blow your socks off, they are an up and coming dance/rock outfit from our hometown that is really raising some eyebrows- check it out folks- buy it, support the artists, and find some new music to make your day better.

We got some stuff in the pipeline as well so keep checking in- have a good weekend everyone!

-jim

On The Road Again

May 25, 2011

howdy- we are adding June tour dates as well as introducing www.facebook.com/itsnotjimward as the official solo record facebook thingy… also you can follow the fun @itsnotjimward on twitter- here’s the tour dates

w/ The Lusitania
June 19- Denver, CO- Larimer Lounge Day Show 3 pm
June 20- Fort Collins, CO- Surf 7 8 pm
June 22- Bozeman, MT- Filling Station 8 pm
June 25- Sled ISland Festival in Calgary, AB
Ship and Anchor (Day Show)
Marquee Room (Night Show) without The Lusitania

Step One

May 17, 2011

Hi-
So, we have been hard at work and can at least announce a few things here at Tembloroso Creative Labs- we have remixed and remastered all 14 songs that have made up the 5 year adventure in acooustic-ish EP’s…

It makes one album now, 5 years in the making… it is called

Quiet in the Valley, On the Shores the End Begins

It will be released physically and digitally August 2, 2011 in North America.

Gabe Gonzalez has retouched all the songs and they sound beautiful.

On top of that we have made 6 of those songs electric with Gabe producing and playing along side Sleepercar bassist Gregg Sosa and The Lusitania’s Charles Berry on drums. So, the album will come with a bonus EP called The Electric Six. We will make a full track listing available later today.

The cover was a photo taken by Tim Valencia and painted over by Kelsey Brookes and we are honored to have such talent helping us out.

Our good friend Toby Ryan at 101X in Austin, Texas, will debut the electric version of Broken Songs, which will be the single, today at 3 pm- tune in… we hope you enjoy… more news and tour announcements soon.

-jim

Quiet In the Valley, On the Shores the End Begins

So close...

May 13, 2011

We are just a few days or hours away form being able to fully explain what we have been up to in the old Tembloroso Creative Labs… you can guess from the photos below that it involves me and some singing… other than that I want to wait until we have the whole picture together to explain, because I have managed to make it as complicated as possible, made it simpler, made it complicated again… either way, we are close and will have the full release hopefully by this afternoon or tomorrow… or Monday.

On the project front- I referred to not having a CATastrophe the other day as worked away at something. I have the photos to show you now and am totally done- I made a CATIO for my cats. This way they can go outside but they can’t run away- it is essentially a screened in porch, but CATIO sounds a lot funnier- google catio and see what people are building, mine is amateur at best.

my trusty bag of tools and my rain boots, the boots were bought for the European festival season, it doesn’t rain much here, but if it does… I am ready…

garden wire, it is supposed to keep the animals out, or in… depending on the situation…

2×4 frame painted green, ready for screen and wire…

the door, it does not work very well, I will be honest… I have some stuff to learn about properly building an operational door…

a close up of the screen, wire, staple combo that is the key to the whole thing…

frame, screen, wire, and the spot where the clothes line will go through…

the saw, the wood, and if you look closely, the Zebra F-301… my favorite pen, the only pen I write with and the only pen I construct with…

the door for the hole where the clothes line will run through, under construction…

what is this? and why is it outside my house? or why am I outside its’ house?

We went down to Neon Desert to see a few friends play- all the night time shots did not come out. I know my camera is terrible.

The Royalty at Neon Desert…

Through the Trees at Neon Desert…

We have continued on our finding-recipes-on-the-internet-and-cooking-at-home kick- here is a few examples…

some red cabbage, some quinoa/millet stuff, some mushroom gravy…

some cheese sandwich with onion jam…

some yogurt cake with strained berry sauce… yeah, it was good…

Gabe Gonzalez should be eligible for sainthood after dealing with me the last few months on this project we will address later today or tomorrow or someday- he has had his hands full at Clap of Thunder (our studio) with me and singing and playing and what not- Charles from The Lusitania has chipped in some drums and ole’ Gregg Sosa playing the bass as well as Gabe taking on multiple duties from engineering to mixing to guitar to back up vocals… he is a champ and we love him loads.

lots of looking at this thing, singing and singing and singing…

the supplies in the singing booth… watch, sharpie, water, blackberry, notebook…

I will post as soon as we are ready to announce the full story…

The Last Few Weeks

April 30, 2011

Hi there-
Things have been busy around here. We got the bar ready for the summer and are about to add the Hope and Anchor shirts to this site so you can order them from anywhere in the world. The shirts are the Ray Wallace drawn logo, hand screened in Gold or Pink on Black organic cotton shirts- they are delightful. They should be up any day now, just adjusting a few things on the technical end.

I have been on a blood donating kick lately- DO IT!!!

Call your Blood Bank and go give blood, it is easy and seriously important…

It is also a good reason to eat Honey Buns and drink Capri Suns, on the house!!!

I have also been in the studio finishing up a little EP I will tell you more about in a few weeks with some tour date announcements as well-

On the home front I have under taken a project that I will blog about in a few days- it has been a bit of a challenge for me, but so far no CATastrophes have happened…

I am on the board of directors for a super cool program called the Border Art Residency, http://borderartresidency.com, and we had a fund raiser the other day at the residency- we had a good time and I got to hang out with a miniature goat-

They call him Chewy- the other option was Horny…

After the fund raiser I hung out at a friend’s house in the Upper Valley for a little BBQ- I always think about getting land out there and building my dream compound, but the allergies and mosquitos keep me away.

We burned these very badly, but they look awesome here…

The view of the mountains from the Upper Valley…

Horse!!!

The moon came up and though I have a terrible little camera, it still looks amazing to me…

Anyhow- just a quick hello and some photos- today is the Neon Desert Festival in El Paso and I am headed down to see some old friends- have a good weekend-

Home Again

April 13, 2011

When a tour starts it takes me a few weeks to get my sea legs. I never really have felt comfortable until the end of the third week. I don’t know why that is, but it is pretty consistent. When I look back on my touring life, the time away from home seems impossibly long. We used to look at a month of dates and shrug it off, it was nothing.

I don’t know if it is the time I have spent around home the last few years or the fact I wasn’t playing shows, but the last weeks of traveling have left me totally spent. No shrugging from me. I feel like my eye are drooping to my shoes. Not that the travels weren’t great, they were… I am just adjusting to a different phase of life I guess.

I started out towards New York for a friends wedding celebration on Southwest Airlines (as usual), made 3 stops (as usual), 8 hours later got on a train from Long Island to Manhattan and into snow… The weather was great when I left El Paso and miserable when I got to the East Coast. It had just been nice the week before, but I guess one last little bit of winter weather is ok.

Welcome to Southwest Airlines, the almost only airline I fly, open seating… I always rock the back row, always

Southwest Airlines, a ton of layovers… this is in Houston, they have a giant model of the Space Shuttle- I like that

The train from Long Island to Manhattan leaves now…

I had a few meetings on the city, but in between I caught up with some old friends, went to the New Museum downtown, and had a beer or two at McSorleys which has been open since 1854. There are two choices at McSorleys, you can order a light beer or a dark beer. I decided on dark and was brought 2 small mugs of some delicious mid day beer. The place is amazing and right near my favorite hat store in NY- perfect.

Manhattan

beer…

I ended going to see my old friends Queens of the Stone Age play a show while I was in NY as well. The next day I took a tour of the Brooklyn Brewery. It wasn’t much of a tour but a very interesting speech about the history of the company and then some tastings, all in the name of research for our bar!

Queens of the Stone Age at Terminal 5, blurry… sorry, I have a not so good camera

I headed down the coast a bit after the wedding dinner and leisurely arrived in Baltimore in time for dinner and show. My best friend Brooks Harlan has a punk rock, female fronted band called War on Women. His girlfriend Shawna is the singer and they were fantastic. Brooks and I both grew up playing in punk bands and it was so cool to see him in that style once again. Check them out on this live video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSXRdaipCk0

Streets of Baltimore, no more Wire jokes!

The next day I went a little further down into Virginia to see my Sparta band mate Keeley Davis, his wife Colleen, and their baby Ari (I never put photos of kids in my blogs, but trust me she is beautiful). We had dinner and caught up. I had not spent more than a few minutes with Keeley since the last show of the last Sparta tour which was years ago it seems. I was great to see him.

I drove to Norfolk in my rental car and headed back on Southwest for another set of flights home.

Hey it’s Southwest again!

After a few days of trying to catch up at home I was driving East towards Austin for a week of radio. Usually when I am on the radio it is for a few minutes to promote a show or a record. This time my buddy Toby at 101X in Austin needed fill in DJs while he was running for city council. The election rules forbid him from being on the air while he runs.

Driving out of West Texas, we got big skies out here

He asked if I would take a week and I was more than happy to. He has been playing my records since At the Drive-In, so I owe him for sure. It was fun as well. I know I tell a lot of stories of the years I have spent in rock and roll and my friends are tired of it, but here was a chance to put those stories to use.

my radio workspace… no natural light but lots of good jams…

The station format is a mix rock from Nirvana to brand new bands I didn’t know much about. I learned a ton and found a few bands I really like. I am sure I am late to the party on these kids, but Young the Giant is fantastic. I also got to play a track from El Pasoans The DA and the new City and Colour single as well.

a park, a piano, a skyline…

the river and the city

I finished up early one day and caught up with Chopper for a beer and we ended up going over to see Lady Gaga. We only stayed about 30 minutes, enough time to see the production and the fans. It was interesting. I traveled a lot with Chopper over the years and I miss him a ton, so just to walk around and eat at the food trucks and see a show was great. It reminded me of being on festival tours with him.

hey look I found Chopper!!!

the food carts on east 6th

Lady Gaga…

After my job was all done I spent some time with some friends who are having or just had babies… must be the age. Everyone around me is having kids. I was in 2nd grade when my dad was my age. That makes me feel like I am old.

I am back now and trying to catch up. It took leaving town for a few weeks to realize how deep my roots have gotten here in El Paso. It isn’t a bad thing but it took me by surprise a little bit.

hello america

April 4, 2011

I have been a little absent lately. It has been more of a challenge than I ever imagined to balance all this stuff that I got myself into. This web site has taken off more than I imagined it would and I am more than excited about it. The bar I co-own, Hope and Anchor, is getting busier and busier as the Summer weather returns to El Paso, and we are gearing up for a release of a record that I am crazy excited about… and I have been traveling so, I am sorry the blog has been neglected… but here we go again.

We have some new stuff on the site for your pleasure, the Tembloroso prints are amazing and I can’t wait to get my framed and up on a wall- one of the partners here, Armando Alvarez, is responsible for these beautiful prints and he knocked it out of the park. Also, we have the Hope and Anchor shirts in stock now and available for purchase- they are all hand screened on organic cotton and feel super nice!

I have a ton of photos that I will post over the next few days from the latest travels but I just wanted to say hey, things are good here and we have some exciting stuff coming up… if you are around Austin or the internet- I am here in Austin to take over the 101X 6 pm- 10 pm DJ slot for my great friend Toby, who is running for City Council and can’t be on the air for political fairness- today is the first day and I am not sure how much talking I will do or if I just introduce etc- we’ll see, but I am happy to help out Toby who has been a huge supporter and friend to me for years, and I love Austin, so I am off to find some good food and good times.

I am reintroducing myself to this place

sick days...

March 8, 2011

Well, I was off to a good start when we re-launched this site but I was fully tackled by some sort of flu/mystery illness and it has thrown off my game.

I spent most of a week holed up in my house sleeping and drinking 7-Up and watching TV. I almost never watch TV unless it is for a specific show like 30 Rock. I don’t have very many stations at my disposal, so I spent most of the time going through the channels over and over again… it was a total waste of time, but I wasn’t really up for much so it was fine, whatever.

My point of all of this is this though- there is a few things that are being advertised on TV that I found really funny, even sick-

ULTRA RARE!!!

The “Ultra Rare” $2 bill painted for National Parks. They are selling a $2 bill with a painting of Yellowstone or The Grand Canyon- which is fine, it is neither here nor there, but they refer to the $2 as the rarest of Us currency. I thought that was awesome- you can get both for $10, but usually it would set you back $60 I think- this is not a good deal, just in case you were wondering.

FOREVER LAZY!!!

The Forever Lazy Snuggie Thing- ok, I just want to point out when some of our more patriotic citizens are going on and on about the laurels of America and our greatness, etc… this is one of those things that will forever come to my mind from now on. It is essentially a giant polyester cocoon that you lounge around in, I actually wish I had a non-polyester version of it while Iw as sick… it did seem cozy. My problem is that is called THE FOREVER LAZY!!! What message is this sending the rest of the world, or our youth, or us for that matter. It just makes me wonder why our country is ranked 25th in the world in math and 21st in science in the top 30 industrialized countries.

One of the highlights of my sick time television adventure was a channel that sneaks through my more than basic cable package, The Travel Channel- I watched Andrew Zimmer consume some amazing food in a 300 year old, continually running restaurant in Spain. What he was eating was not for me, as a vegetarian I would not eat suckling pig brain… even if I wasn’t a vegetarian I wouldn’t eat a brain, I think… I don’t know. It made my wanderlust kick into high gear though- I am ready for some adventure. At least for a few hours I could live vicariously through Zimmer.

YO!!! Also please check out the Tembloroso store to see Matt Poe’s silk screened print Cactus House from the Fwd: Society Collective of artists. I have seen this in person and it is beautiful, I will be buying one as well, just so you know, so take that!

Today Was A Good Day (so was yesterday)

February 25, 2011

Without being on tour and without playing shows, and now that I am done making the EP- things have slowly started to revolve around food- yesterday I went to Gorditas Jaun Carlos, which is my absolute favorite, and ate the chile con queso (my absolute favorite)- so I took photos- that’s what I do.

If you aren’t familiar with Ojo de Dios- it is wrapping yarn around popsicle sticks- Gabe Gonzalez decided he wanted to make one out of the colors we painted the studio- so he made a huge one- it is so awesome- he said he wanted a hobby and that was it- ha!

Last night my dad took me to go see an incredible guitar player that I had actually never heard of- Joe Banamassa. My dad is probably the single biggest reason I play music (he had guitars laying around and I used to watch him play all the time) so when he called and invited me I was stoked. He hyped it up pretty big, but I will say this- I almost never sit through whole shows and I watched this guy play for 2 hours- it was insane. I couldn’t decide i I wanted to go home and play guitar for hours or just quit- the jury is out on that one. I forgot my camera so I got no photos to show you- it was cool though, thanks dad!

Today I went by The International Deli to grab a sandwich and decided that I wanted a grilled cheese but I wanted it with sauerkraut and mustard- it was GOOOOOD!!!

Some family came in town and we went to Chope’s out on highway 28 which is famous for their chile rellenos- which you may know is my all time favorite food- so photos!!!

I am full.

I am going to bed.

We had to run to the other side of town yesterday, so that meant gorditas!!!

Chile con Queso is my favorite...

Chile con Queso close up!!!

We had to run by the studio to pick up some records for shipping and Gabe G had finished his gigantic Ojo de Dios, it is probably 3 feet by 3 feet- so awesome!

International Deli and I made a new grilled cheese sandwich with sauerkraut- wunderbar!!!

Chope's is an institution around here...

Chile Rellenos at Chope's...

Chile Relleno close-up!!!

Home Made Meals

February 21, 2011

One of my favorite things about traveling around is going to eat at various restaurants, and thanks to the internet and loads of food blogs there is plenty of info out there to find. Then on the other side of the coin is how great is to come home and cook on your own, in your own kitchen… then you know what exactly is going into the food… what is organic and fresh, etc…

Once again the internet plays a key role in the discovery and education when it comes to food at home. Here in our house we like to find recipes on-line, hit the store 2 or 3 or 4 times in an afternoon and get to it. Two nights ago we tackled Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi and Fennel, Green Apple, Arugula Salad.

Gnocchi are soft boiled dumplings. It was pretty easy, a little messy, but pretty easy. We found the recipe here http://www.fresh365online.com/recipes/2011/2/15/ricotta-spinach-gnocchi.html

The recipe calls for the gnocchi to lay on a bed of arugula, so we thought we would knock out a salad that could use the same green- that brings us to this recipe http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/03/dinner-tonight-fennel-arugula-and-green-apple-salad-recipe.html

They dinner was awesome- it was even better the next day- which is the bonus to making food at home. All and all this dinner was a few bucks in groceries and an hour of time- and it lasted for 2 meals. We have been working to eat better and be a little nicer to the world around us around here- which is why we built a kitchen at the studio as well- so we can avoid so many late night pizza runs and soda-pop-belly-aches!

Also, on a side note I would really like to thank everyone who has been writing in since the new EP came out with such kind words. It is very rewarding to read emails from people who appreciate the approach we are taking around here.

I feel like we are building something real and something lasting and we couldn’t do a lick of it without you.

Here are some photos of my meal-

I'm getting spoiled by eating home made meals...

Here is our version of the Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi up close, on a bed of arugula

Fennel, Green Apple, and Arugula Salad with toasted walnuts...

and the close-up... I really like the close up function on my little camera

Back In the Saddle

February 20, 2011

I promised some photos of the party and I can not deliver. I ended up running all over the west side of El Paso getting all the food and treats together for the party on Friday afternoon. By the time people showed up at the bar I was knee deep in tamales, salsa, and chile con queso. I never even pulled my camera out of my bag- by the time the food was up and everyone was having fun it seemed like it was over and needed to be cleaned up so the bar could have its usual Friday night craziness.

I went home and fell asleep.

I am trying to get back in the saddle with writing the blog and carrying my little camera around. I kept forgetting to charge the battery, I am an amateur and have no trouble admitting that. It will get better and before you know it I will post 12 photos of a chile relleno burrito in all its glory.

I made sure to have it all charged and ready when I went down to the University to watch the UTEP Miners Basketball team beat up on the Houston Cougars. We got season tickets this year and haven’t missed a game yet! It was always a treat when my Grandfather would take me to a game as a kid. When he passed away, one of the only things I wanted to be passed down to me was his UTEP jacket he wore to every game. I wear it now.

I can’t imagine not having season tickets from now on. I love it so much. I love watching the kids on the team grow and mature as players. We have a new coach this year, Tim Floyd, who used to coach under Don Haskins and has made our city so happy by returning. He is doing an incredible job this year. The way he paces back and forth reminds me a lot of Haskins.

I took a few photos but I have a little camera and the quality is of course, not the best- but if you an ex-pat somewhere out there in the world, it may make you a little warm and fuzzy to see them-

There is two things that always bring a smile to my face during a game- one is when they play the “everybody clap your hands” song (I don’t know why, but it does) and the other is when the cheerleaders bring out the GIANT UTEP flag and everyone gasps like we have never seen it before- these may seem like small things, but in the grand scheme of the chaos of life, when things that seem so small make you stop and smile, you have to appreciate it- so I do.

Saturday Night at the Don Haskins Center- UTEP Basketball

My man Claude Britten shooting a free throw- I love watching him play

The GIANT flag

Party Tonight

February 18, 2011

Hey everyone in El Paso!!!! We’re having a launch party for the new site tonight at Hope and Anchor at 7 pm- we will have treats and drinks- (21+ tonight, sorry, it’s a bar… we’ll do some fun all ages stuff soon, I promise-

We have been busy bees at Tembloroso HQ- shipping and handling and what not- Mando finished up the Tembloroso T-Shirt which we will be selling tonight at the party and on-line starting tomorrow.

I will post some fun photos of the party tonight or tomorrow- see you there!

Part of Team Tembloroso (Amanda and Brandon) shipping some gear!!!

Off and Running

February 16, 2011

This is just a quick note sent from the old Blackberry to say we are off and running- to be honest the reaction has been so good to the new site and products available that we are running about a day behind shipping your orders- so thanks for that! We are hard at work in lab and hoping to drop some new stuff by this weekend. Stay tuned in and we’ll give the word when we have new stuff- make sure and sign up for email alerts, as a lot of what we will bring will be limited edition art and will go quickly- thanks again!

Thank You!!!

February 14, 2011

Everyone here at Team Tembloroso is super grateful for a killer first day of our new site- we have had orders from all over the world and are really excited about the coming months as we unveil new ideas, new art, new records… Thanks for all the encouraging feedback, and special thanks to those of you who joined me on the El Paso Times chat this morning!

So, here at home (El Paso) we had a contest through the newspaper. If you signed up you could be eligible for a gift basket filled with Tembloroso gear form our various artists- We got loads of entries and randomly selected a winner. Her name is Erica Hanlon and I delivered her a dozen balloons and a bag full of goodies.

I think we are all a little spaced out after the last week of getting the final touches on the site- we will sleep well tonight- and again, thanks for the support. We think this will be a fun journey-

Erica Hanlon won our contest for a basket full of Tembloroso gear and a big balloon bouquet delivered by me

Hi- Welcome to the future

February 14, 2011

Welcome to the new and vastly improved tembloroso.com- we’ve got Ray Wallace as our first Artist Profile, we’ve got loads of his art, his music (Secret Life of Sparrows), some tattoo flash sets, and a shirt for sale. Marina Monsisvais wrote the story and Tim Valencia took the photos.

We are also releasing to the world my brand new EP named The End Begins- it is the third and final episode of the acoustic EP trilogy I have been chipping away at for a few years-

Thanks for all the support. We hope you enjoy the site-

This will usually be the spot where I talk about music, food, booze, adventures, travels, recording, etc etc- if you followed the sleepercar website/blog… this is the new home, and may I add, the permanent home for my ramblings, pictures of food, and other fun, fun things-

Because the new EP that I just finished, literally a few hours ago, is only digital- I wanted to make some notes about things for your info-

Jim Ward- The End Begins

01 Lake Travis
02 Waves In Spanish
03 Decades
04 The Beginning of the End

I wrote all the songs over the last few months, I recorded off and on over the last few months at Clap of Thunder Recording in El Paso. Gabe González produced, engineered, mixed, mastered, and played on the record. Nicole Smith, the talented singer from El Paso’s The Royalty, sang back ups and played piano. Joel Quintana, drummer of Metatron and Sleepercar, played drums and percussion here and there. Chad Morris played trumpet. Armando Alvarez continues to do all things design.

Lake Travis is an instrumental track.
Waves in Spanish is a narrative.
Decades is a love song for the love of my life.
The Beginning of the End is a thank you to you reading this.

I can’t thank you enough for following me around this career I have had. I have had a blast hanging around El Paso the last few years and enjoyed being a part of a business start up, or a couple of businesses I guess. This is the beginning of the end of that hiatus. We are going full steam ahead now and will start announcing tour plans and more recordings in the very near future through my new home of homes

WWW.TEMBLOROSO.COM

This is me and Gabe as we finished the record- 3 hours before it is released to the world. Thank you technology.