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the deal with
nixon nixoff

formerly smack daniels, the illustrious two-piece band of the dual guitarists Gabe and D-Rock is tentatively adopting the moniker of nixon nixoff

[history: the song slingin' smack daniels] Named after a certain Mr. Daniels' bowling nickname, SD started when chronic songster Gabe was hanging with college crony Derrek (interchangeable with the nickname). They had been discussing the latest episode of Invader Zim when Derrek showed Gabe some lyrics he had just written. Gabe, full of licks and out of lyrics, pounced. As it turns out, D-Rock can write lyrics in no time flat and Gabe can put them to music with almost as much celeritas. 15 minutes or so later, they had enough material to think about recording an album.  [while-u-wait] SD did some shows, Gabe on acoustic and lead vocals and D-Rock on electric or bass and doing some background... noises. (It sounded more like bird mating calls than vocals.) Their trademark trick was to write a song onstage "while-u-wait." When Gabe was singing one of the standards, Derrek would be writing new lyrics. Then Gabe would squint at them for a minute and, presto, start singing a new song. [genres defied] Sometimes avant-garde, sometimes just silly or quirky, SD never thought to accept a standard formula for songwriting. Lyrics ranged from sappy and ironic to quirky and nonsensical. Musical styles ranged from slap happy blues to mopey punk, from ska and reggae inpired odes to Brit-rock-ish ballads. "Everything" was an angstful song about unrequited desire to mow a neighbor's lawn. "Yeah, our friend Lauren Moore liked that song a lot," commented Gabe, "but she's from Alabama. Try pronouncing Lauren Moore with a southern drawl and you'll understand why she associated with a lawn mower." "Song About Nothing," an ironic, romantic waltz, became a fan favorite, and was even played at one northern Virginia hoe-down. Other songs, including a song about doppler radar paranoia and another about a man meditating in the park, rounded out SD's sets, creating smug, faux situation humor. Crowds, never sure if the joke was on them or the world, just laughed and waved lighters. [cult class] SD created a cult following amongst the audiences of the few gigs they played. They became demi-legend in microscopically small circles of mostly high school and college students scattered over the eastern United States. If you say you've heard of Smack Daniels, you're probably lying. But there was great outcry amongst those in the know for an album and t-shirts. SD disappeared cryptically in 2003, not to be heard of again. Till now. 

[to nixon nixoff, or not to nixon nixoff?] Nixon Nixoff represents the rethinking of SD. While Gabe and D-Rock live on different coasts at the moment, they are honing their craft quietly in search of a chance to return to the microcosm of what Smack Daniels would have been. No promises, Smack Daniels fans, but keep watching.

[likely changes, in the case of a reunion] 
[] THE NAME: to Nixon Nixoff, or something as quirky.
[] NUMBER O' PIECES: t'd be nice to have a drummer & a bassist, keyboard and/or some brass or woodwind. Rumor has it Gabe would also like bassist and saxophinist Aaron Noble to at least be on stage with the band if not play.
[] CREATIVE METHODS: Gabe has started writing more lyrics, and Derrek more music.
[] COVERS:Smack Daniels never did covers. Perchance Nixon Nixoff will. Gabe's had his eye on some Townes Van Zandt stuff for a while.
[] COLLABORATION: They're also thinking about asking Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page or Jack Black to contribute their talents to an album.