Since no one wants to put an actual video of Mike Doughty doing this song on YouTube…

You get this guy doing “Lorna Zauberberg”. Thankfully, he’s pretty good. I’ve been ever so in love with this song since Sad Man Happy Man came out. I’ve periodically checked YouTube since we saw Doughty live back in October, to no avail.

So, check out this guy, Bryce Arthur Hogland, according to his YouTube, covering Mike Doughty’s “Lorna Zauberberg”.


Wait for your train in my car by the station, on the wheel my hands are burning from the cold. What do you dream as you doze against the window and will you tell the dream when you come home?
Virility  is in the house of lesser than and in breakfast we get by on charm alone. The sun beats down on immaculate beige carpets and the plank of spoons bounce off the off-white walls.
I flipped through the music that you left, all the old cassettes that lean against the wall. I ate all the peaches off the shelf and I rearranged the cans into a poem.
Vicious mobs of candy-ravers stalk the night and Methadonians sleep right where they stand. A weeping tranny is cradling a steak knife and you’re happily slugging Rob Royswith your man. (Side note: Think Doughty’s lived in NYC too long?)
I fold all the sweaters in the drawer and I smelled your smell and I held one to my nose. Lay awake to the drizzle on window as the swan neck of the fan sweeps back and forth.

It’s almost the weekend, people. This is all I got.

Mike Doughty – Live at Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA – 10/8/09

I DID get to see Mike Doughty on Thursday and as always, it was a spectacularly fabulous show. This was my first time attending a question jar show and I’ll tell you what, Mike Doughty is one funny man.

And I don’t know what it is…whether it’s just Pittsburgh that makes him tell people to “shove it up their cunts” or if this is just a favorite phrase of Doughty’s, but it makes me laugh every time.

At this show, they also did a live recording that was available afterwards, it’s super fun! At the beginning of the first video, you get to hear the answer to one of our (read: Adam’s) questions, which was, “Why is well liquor always Banker’s Club? Who are these bankers and why do they drink such shitty liquor?” This was probably one of my favorite answers…here, watch!



Sorry for the poor quality BTW…

And…Mike Doughty has never fucked a Republican. Who knew?



“Tremendous Brunettes” I love how when he says that he will never perform naked you can hear me say an audible, “Damn…” haha. A girl can wish, I suppose.



Aaaaand…”Ossining”.



It was a really fantastic show, in case you couldn’t tell. He even played two Soul Coughing tracks! “Circles” and “True Dreams of Wichita”. My goddamn batteries died in the middle of it, of course, so that video’s not included. He did play a few songs from each solo album, including “Real Love” which I thought was badass. And man, I’ll tell you what…Andrew Howard “Scrap” Livingston is a goddamn animal on the cello. Absolutely phenomenal.

Club Cafe was a super sweet venue for this show, as well. I mean, it’s very dark and small, but it’s incredibly intimate and the sound was amazing. It was a huge change from Mr. Small’s Funhouse, where I’ve seen him twice before. No, I didn’t get to hear “King of Carrot Flowers”, but this was still an amazing fucking show. If you ever get a chance to see this man live, plugged or acoustic, you will not be disappointed. Make sure to check out his new album, Sad Man Happy Man, out now!

Mike Doughty – Sad Man Happy Man

Holy shit, you guys, Mike Doughty’s back. Like, for real back. His sophomore album, Sad Man Happy Man is much more Skittish/Rockity Roll than Golden Delicious (thank god!). Down to the DIY style with Doughty on the guitars, vocals, keyboards, and what he refers to as the “weird noise stuff.” There is no more “Bacon”. Look, I know, he was playing with his new toy, but that song became unbearable after hearing it live. He should save that stuff for Dubious Luxury, his upcoming electronic album (that I can’t wait for!).

This song is complete with Doughty styled witticism, his white boy rap (!!!), and basic acoustic jams to let those lyrics really take center stage. With just him and staple bassist, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, this album is all bare bones and heart.
As per Doughty, “I really went for the ‘na-na-na’s’ and the simple choruses and stuff on Golden,” he says. “The songs on Sad Man are more arcane and convoluted songwriting-wise, though they’re sparer in terms of instrumentation. Although my choruses are still simple — I love taking phrases and repeating them ad infinitum.”

I think it’s kind of odd for Doughty to be so concerned about fan reaction, but apparently he is. Regarding this uneasiness, he says, “Every time I put out a record, the audience seems to like what I did two years ago better. You’d think I could shrug it off because that’s what always happens, but it always gets to me.” That makes me so sad! Don’t let it get to you, Mike! Golden wasn’t a masterpiece, but it wasn’t bad. It was Mike Doughty, genius lyricist and former Soul Coughing front man. This album is so much better than Golden, or even Haughty Melodic (that one win’s best title though – it’s an anagram for Michael Doughty, in case you didn’t catch that).

I’m just so glad to hear Mike Doughty sound like Mike Doughty again, and not just some other radio hit.
Besides releasing this album, working on Dubious Luxury, maintaining his widely-read blog, and touring, Doughty is also writing a memoir, working on a photo compilation of Eritrea’s Capital, Asmara, and has recently published a play, Ray Slape Is Dead. When the fuck does this guy sleep?!

Anyway, enough about Mike Doughty…

This album really is reminiscent of Skittish/Rockity Roll. There’s definitely a few recycled melodies in there, but after the last couple of albums, it’s refreshing. I hear some “F Train” in there, and possibly some “Real Love”. He also reverts to those delightfully nonsensical, yet oh so relevant lyrics. You would swear that he’s back on heroin, but apparently inspiration just keeps rolling for Doughty.

This album has everything from broken hearts to sly drug references to the American economy and politics (which he touched on in “Fort Hood” on Golden). Mike’s been talking about this album non-stop, which is awesome. It’s always nice to see an artist excited for an album, even if he did suffer through it to make the fans happy. “Basically I’m trying to make stuff I want to listen to, and I mean that in a literal sense, not like, ‘Were I a listener, I would like this,’ but rather something I can listen to on the subway on headphones and really dig. This is my life, this is what I do. That sounds matter-of-fact, but I really do look at it as a sort of calling — and being an artist at its best is selfless. I’m working for the language, I’m working for the music, I’m working for the songs. I’m a happier guy when I’m conscious of that,” says Doughty.

This album kicks ass, and I have to admit that I was a little concerned as to where he would go musically after Golden. Keep your fingers crossed that I get to see him in Pittsburgh this Thursday. If I do, you get another live show review and pics! A!

Mike Doughty’s Site