Nic Offer’s artist/album recommendation: I’ve never listened Brother in Arms by Dire Straits, but it’s probably alright. We’re in Spain right now and a certain member of this band hooked up with 2 girls this week who both liked Dire Straits. The Spanish have good taste, I mean they like us, sooooo. I always really liked Sultans Of Swing, but that’s not even on this record. It has Walk Of Life which would probably be good if somebody covered it, maybe roughed it up a bit or something. Money For Nothing is the big hit which is hard to understand just why it was but whatever, they bought houses and I still rent. But the reason u know this is probably a good record is cuz some archaeologists listened to it a lot when they were on a dig and decided to name the dinosaur they discovered Masiakasaurus Knopfleri. And that’s true. U can google that. I’ve also been listening to a lot of Lou Reed lately.

About our guest author, Nic Offer: When Nic isn’t busy authoring one of the more interesting-slash-confusing-slash-interesting again posts on Rock Torch, he serves as the front man for !!! (pronounced “chk chk chk”), which he formed in Sacremento, CA in 1996. In 1997, the band got wide exposure when they opened for The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The group, which is made up of former members of The Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Popesmashers, make dance music for rock fans – there’s no ‘baby, baby, baby’ here. Instead, the records are full of throbbing beats and bass, snarling guitar and Offer’s dynamic vocals. The band is touring now behind their 2013 release, Thr!!!er and a new remix album. The live shows are some of the most energetic you’ll see, with Offer teetering between full out dance and recklessness. After all, this is a guy who pushed a piano into New York’s East River in return for cash to pay for a rave up outside an deserted warehouse. Of course, we’re still trying to figure out if Offer digs Dire Straits or not, but we’re guessing that he kinda likes ’em. If he didn’t, the dude would be pretty direct, as he was in this must-be-read analysis of The Animals’ House of the Rising Son where he wrote, “When you hear the opening arpeggio chords, it’s like, “Are we done yet? Are we there?” Instantly, I’m ready for it to be over. I don’t know what it is that I hate about it; it’s just exhausting.” Mark Knopfler, you got off easy, my man.