Welcome to Hiss Golden Messenger’s first news and blues telegraph of 2010! Huzzah!

Root Work, a live album recorded for broadcast on WFMU by radio hero Irene Trudel, is done, and is making the rounds. Hell, it even appeared in John Mulvey’s great “Wild Mercury Sound” column for Uncut Magazine, alongside articles about HGM inspirations Ronnie Lane, Mighty Baby, Jack Rose, and Dennis Hopper (rest in peace, brothers).

Root Work is available digitally, and in a highly limited edition of 100 copies on vinyl. Every piece of vinyl has been handled by yours truly, and each copy is hand numbered. You can order yours HERE. Get them while they’re hot. And to those of you that ordered well over a month ago– thank you for your patience.

Okay. There is going to be a last minute solo Hiss Golden Messenger show at the Makeout Room in San Francisco on Tuesday, June 29th, at 8 PM. This is a free show, and will be done no later than 10 PM. Also playing is guitarist and songwriter extraordinaire Tom Heyman, a man who has forgotten more music than I’ll ever know. The address is 3225 22nd Street (between Mission and Valencia). Be there.

Also, there is a sweet HGM hookup with London/Tokyo-based record and book press Black Maps on the near horizon. I met Maps architect Stuart several years ago when he and Voice of the Seven Thunders’ Rick Tomlinson (along with brother Paul) stumbled drunk into my house, and then proceeded to wreck San Francisco for a good week. Stuart has now straightened up and is flying right– and is putting some truly amazing work out by all kinds of killer artists. We are psyched to be working together! More about this forthcoming collaboration soon.

And then– look at these amazing bags. Abby Martin, my partner in crime in our woodland chateau, makes these by hand. Aren’t they killer? No two are alike. Do yourself a favor and buy one.

And what are you into these days? Me, I like some Jimmie Spheeris (Isle of View is a holy mackerel of a record), some Mickey Jupp, some Wings. Ronnie Lane, of course. Gene Wolfe’s metaphysical torture rambles. And that latest Voice of the Seven Thunders platter is a goddamn doozy.

With love,

Slim Diamond, Hiss Golden Messenger