All songs composed, performed, produced by Max,
except (4) "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow", by STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK.

Recorded at Frumunda Studio, Shoreline, WA 2021
(c) 2021 Max Brody(P) 2021 Y.F.C. Musick/BMI
Artwork by P. Earwig (characters) with Max Brody (background).

1. MISS AUSTIN
2. SACHMO WILSON
3. THEY'RE KICKING IN
4. RAINY DAY MUSHROOM PILLOW
5. AUTO PILOT
6. WHEN YOU'RE HANDED SOME HAIR OF THE BULL THAT STARRED YOU

BULLSTAR! (standing on soapbox:)
I have had a love/hate relationship with Christmas for a long time. I know I shouldn't focus on the negative, but something about killing a bunch of trees to dress up like magical tree-zombies in your living room for a few weeks-per-year while also using them on all that wrapping paper-- as well as having to be all nice on a specific day -- and being obliged to buy presents all while being hounded by a zillion awful renditions of the same Christmas songs over and over--has always rubbed me the wrong way as not much more than a schlocky and gross grab at my money designed by the Coca-Cola company...but in the name of something spiritual. Ew. I'm an agnostic but can still be kinda grossed out by that.

Am I a cynical bastard yet? I love giving presents and I love to get together with my family or friends and have fun, so I don't think so. Back when I lived in Texas I was in a band called AREOLA 51 (with Jeff Pinkus and Brett Bradford). We decided to come up with our own Winter Holiday and called it BULLSTAR. Why? Because there was a bull skull on the wall and Pinkus had strung Christmas lights in a star shape around it. Bull + Star = BULLSTAR. Like many things AREOLA 51, it was a no-brainer! Plus, it sounded good.

We needed a few "non-traditions", sort of a framework, so here you go:
BULLSTAR takes place from the last full moon of the year, through to the 1st full moon of the new year. (that way there's plenty of time to celebrate. None of this single-day crap). Presents are swell, but whatever. Not mandatory. Mainly, hang out with your friends and party in your own way. Food is recommended. Also, Twinkie-peanut-butter-and-jelly-layer-cakes are the official dessert. Or not, just sayin!! Do your thing with your friends. Whiskey may be involved, so be forewarned. Bullstar is not necessarily safe.

Our gatherings generally consisted of crazed imbibing, gambling, loud shit, a potluck dinner, bon fires, and, of course, twinkie-layer-cakes. Sometimes it was like a competition to see who could make the best and most innovative! I'm not even kidding. I've seen some crazy twinkie-layer-cakes. Some of them soaked in booze. Peanut-Butter-and-Jelly-twinkie-layer-cake, which I declared "traditional" are my specialty and invention by the way. Just braggin. (1st goes a thin layer of jelly, then Twinkes, then a somewhat substantial layer of peanut butter, then twinkies again, then more jelly. I prefer blackberry or cherry but there's no rules. Oh, then whipped cream. Then refrigerate it overnight. Then try not to eat it before you get to the party. yup. So trashy and delicious. And no, I am still not sponsored by Twinkies). I digress. I moved back up to Washington in 2012, so it's been a while, but I went to a Bullstar party starting in 2001 every year for at least 10 years--and surely they're still going on-- so LONG LIVE BULLSTAR! You don't have to axe Xmas, just have another reason to party!

Anyway, short story long, over the course of writing songs for the last writing/recording cycles I've written a few 'pretty ones'. I decided to lump some together along with a STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK cover as a sentimental little 'WISHING YOU A HAPPY BULLSTAR' holiday EP. Aw! I miss all you turkeys, its true. And did you realize that what you have here is the VERY FIRST BULLSTAR HOLIDAY release EVER!!! (distant thunder sound)

CHEERS my friends, wherever you are now, spread out as we've become. Big cheers to my Austin peeps, but also to my Northwest friends and really, ANYONE reading this! I know its cheesy, but HAPPY BULLSTAR and Happy New Year. Ok, and Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah. Or, Killer Kwanzaa or something. Geez. And once again, big thanks to P. Earwig. Ok, back to making music that's not so schmaltzy.