Three years ago today was my last day at the "day job". That's when I became a full-time musician. While I am thankful that UT Austin gave me the job that guided me to my musical career. I can't say that I miss it a moment. I love recording music, playing it, podcasting, and getting to know people.

-- Quote of the Week: "Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." Jeff Valdez.

-- Marrus Art. Last Fall, my friend Marrus, a brilliant fantasy artist, made the funniest sketch for the cat lover who doesn't sleep much. She called it "Furry Sandbag Torture Chamber". I begged her to put something on Cafepress. She finally did. Get your copy now.

-- Ringtones available on iTunes. I was just surfing iTunes and noticed that several songs had Ringtones. So if you're looking for any. Check it out.

-- CD of the Week: Irish to the Core by The Wolfe Tones. This is the album that started all for me. Someone lent me a cassette copy when Andrew and I used to play on the South Mall at UT. I loved. Really quirky voices and fun music. "Rock on Rockall" is one of my favorites. I keep meaning to learn that song. Hmm... Need to work on that.

-- Still working on the Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. I got side track by the next item on this list. But the magazine is still coming together. In fact, I'm transferring all the old CD reviews to one blog, the Free Irish Music Downloads blog. You can now sign up to get email updates. This will be CD reviews and free MP3s as soon as they are posted! It's a cool service from Feedburner. So check it out.

Now the reason for my sidetracking...

-- What Color Is Your Dragon? Folk Music with Delusions of Grandeur. The album is done. I'm sending it off to the printers any day now. W00t! You can listen and download "The Lusty Young Sith" via the MarcSongs Podcast. Different from the pre-sales of other CDs, this one is not yet on sale. Hope to have it out next month.

Also, don't forget...

-- Mark Your Calendar - Cat CD Release Party in Austin and New Orleans. One of the first things I did upon feeling better was to secure some CD release parties for Whiskers in the Jar: Irish Songs for Cat Lovers. The CD is now on CD Baby and iTunes.

• Austin CD Release. Right now, I have an Austin release at the Cactus Cafe on Weds, July 30th. Please note, that this was not the original date reported. But it is the correct date! I really need a LOT of help getting the word out about this gig. It's a benefit for Thundering Paws. So please tell your friends and make sure you head out there for this gig.
  
  
• New Orleans CD Release. No sooner had I solidified the Cactus, when my friend Jamie helped me score a CD release in New Orleans at the Saltwater Grill on Sat, July 26 in the afternoon. It benefits the LSPCA. There's also a house concert up in Robert, LA for those who want a more intimate show.
  
  
• Please consider posting a review if you own Whiskers in the Jar.
  

-- Check me out on Myspace, SoundClick, Demand a Show on Eventful, Wikipedia, Facebook, Livejournal, Sonicbids, and DeviantArt. And if you'd like a CD...

---

Originally published at Marc Gunn .com. Read. Interact. Breathe. It's easy; it's free.