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Thom Dunn is a Boston-based writer, musician, and utterly terrible dancer. He is the singer/guitarist for the indie rock/power-pop the Roland High Life, as well as a staff writer for the New York Times’ Wirecutter and a regular contributor at BoingBoing.net. Thom enjoys Oxford commas, metaphysics, and romantic clichés (especially when they involve whiskey), and he firmly believes that Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" is the single greatest atrocity committed against mankind. He is a graduate of Clarion Writer's Workshop at UCSD ('13) & Emerson College ('08).

Brandon's Beard

This is for one of my fellow Clarionites, whose Samson-like status he believed was derived from the fuzz that lined his face. (I'm inclined to believe him)

Here's my latest post on 5x500, in which I explore the ancient art of writing a set list. You're welcome.

"It's never as bad as it seems. You're much stronger than you think you are."

Three years ago, I lost my oldest friend to suicide. It's something I still live with every day, even if he doesn't. I just wanted to take a moment In recognition of World Suicide Prevention Week to share an important truth spoken by one of our greatest heroes, to remind us all of the truth in the face of overwhelming emotional adversity:

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Never forget that.

Falling Behind

Oh jeez. Judging by the activity thing, you'd think that I'd done absolutely nothing worth a mention in the last month. But in fact, the opposite is quite true -- I've been too damn busy to post anything here. There's been weddings, there's been funerals, there's been travel, there's been sickness, and everything else in between (aka, ya know, actually doing stuff). So subscribers, I'm going to apologize here now first as I'm likely about to back-post some of the past month's activities for archival reasons. I swear, I will try to be more on top of this.

Smoked Kölsch Ale

Today's adventure in homebrewing: a smoked kölsch ale, made with genuine charred oak barrel pieces straight from the Jack Daniels distillery and soaked with whiskey for 5 years. The goal is to make it a light summer drinking beer, that's already been (deliciously) stained by the campfire around which you should probably be drinking it anyway, because we're coming up on prime latenight backyard campfire drinking season. I'll also be adding some liquid smoked oak essence at the end, to balance the flavor as needed (or as not needed, although probably needed). (For those of you unfamiliar with kölsch, it's kind of like a pilsner in color/hoppiness, except it's an ale, not a lager. Get it? Okay. Moving on)

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The Backyard Committee Review from the Hartford Courant

"Whatever ineffable attributes Sembos brings to the Alternate Routes, there's no mistaking what he has done with the Backyard Committee: He's made an inviting album of songs that linger after the last note fades. The guitarist and singer displays a knack for crafting solid pop songs shot through with bits of folk and country, for a warm, pleasingly worn-in sound."

The Hartford Courant, Jan. 11, 2011

Catch me playing keyboards with the Backyard Committee next Monday, January 17 at Daniel Street in Milford, CT, and don't forget to download the album for free before the show.

Upcoming Gigs with The Backyard Committee

My good friend Mike Sembos (of The Alternate Routes) has recently recorded and released a new full-length album under the name The Backyard Committee:

The Backyard Committee is a band based out of New Haven, Connecticut that blends genres ranging from Americana to punk rock into a jam-friendly framework. Singer/guitarist Mike Sembos (The Alternate Routes, superfallingstars, Kennesaw) writes the songs, and they’re played by a rotating cast of his musical friends. Each member of the “committee” is encouraged to bring his or her own unique voice to the project, be it on stage, on tape, in the artwork or in the crowd. The group’s debut self-titled album was released in December 2010, and it’s posted indefinitely for free download on their website below. All music ever released by the band will be made available for free in digital form in an attempt to make the band experience less of a business venture and more of an art collective.

The album is an excellent collection of indie/Americana tunes, and I'm excited to say that I'll be joining him onstage for a few gigs this winter on keyboards. Catch us at Daniel Street in Milford, CT on January 17, and then again at New Haven's own Cafe Nine on February 24.

And download the damn album! I mean, c'mon. It's free. Sheesh.

Welcome to ThomDunn.net!

Yup. That's right. I'm here*. It's kinda like Thom Dunn 2.0, only much better looking. This website is a way for me to consolidate and share the mass of things I do — from writing to brewing to music to film/video, now there's one stop for all your Thom Dunn needs. Some of the sections are still pretty sparse, but I'm working up towards a whole mess of content that I hope you'll enjoy. There will be scripts and plays and stories to read, videos to match, music to listen to, music to download, recipes to steal and use, and much more. So take a look around, check back often, and tell your friends to do the same!