As a Rock Fiction author, I sometimes think I have an image to maintain. A rep to protect, as the famous line from Grease goes.

Here’s some help.

It’s called Wear Your Music.

Now, maybe the site’s not so well-named. I mean, this doesn’t really fly as clothing, now does it?

Still, clothing or not, I’ve longed to have one. Maybe one day, for my birthday, someone will surprise me.

There are other lovely surprises on the site, as well. How many of you remember this Thursday Thirteen post I wrote back in 2007? Maybe that’s where the inspiration for guitar string bracelets came from. Wear Your Music even has bass string bracelets.

They also have something I hit on in that Thirteen post from almost five years ago: real-life guitarists have donated used strings to the site. They are then turned into bracelets, with a portion of the proceeds going to a charity designated by the artist — and the range of charities is interesting. Prices range from $50 to $500 for Eric Clapton‘s strings. $500! Wow!

In between, there’s members of Breaking Benjamin, Avril Lavigne, Carlos Santana, lots of folk you may not have heard of before (although you may recognize band names) … and two dudes named Hetfield and Hammett.

Honestly? I’d be happy with the original, non-star-used bracelets. You know what I’m gonna say… buy books. Let me afford it…

No fiction again this week; it’s been another hectic one. Hopefully, writing time will resume in the immediate future.

You guys know I like to find all sorts of crazy, creative ways for people to express themselves.

But heavy metal bellydancing?

Why not?

MOONHOAR is a metal bellydance duo featuring Hairy The Beast and Warta The Destroyer. Formed in New Orleans, MOONHOAR fuses various styles of bellydance with their own experimental moves to one of the most intricate and heavy music genres… metal. All of their pieces are based on dark themes found in history, mythology, or the occult. They state, “We don’t do restaurants, but we will do funerals!’

Seriously… why NOT??

(and can I learn??)

**quote from Blabbermouth.

Yeah, okay. Lame post title.

You don’t think? Read on.

Alex Lifeson, the guitar virtuoso of rock legends Rush, is the latest musician to expand into visual arts. The Kidney Foundation of Canada is offering limited-edition copies of his artwork. And I do mean limited — only 250 are being printed!

It’s pricey, too, as befits a special print for a special cause — $275 Canadian for us here in the States (shipping to the US included). The prints have an original autograph from Alex, but they do NOT come with a frame. You’ve got that expense on top of the cost of the print.

Still… I think collecting art from musicians is a cool thing to do. Go buy my books so I can, eh?

Here’s more info, from the official site.

I’m lousy with jokes of this sort, so if you can think of one about the one-armed drummer who begins making gorgeous art, let me have it.

I don’t have much info on this, other than to think that on the surface, it’s not that different from what Matt Sorum is doing.

Here’s from the press release, or the article posted at Brave Words, or wherever this originated from (it’s posted on Allen’s website and is credited to Blabbermouth, so… clear as mud. Which could be another art form, I know):

DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen\\\’ collection of visual art, “Electric Hand: Rhythm + Change”, is set for release on April 18 exclusively at RickAllenArt.com. Allen is translating rhythm into a visual art medium through an extensive process involving drumbeat, light, photography, and graphic design. The result is a collection of abstract imagery built directly from Allen’s rhythmic prowess. And as one of the pioneers in this new medium, Allen is holding true to a lifetime of breaking barriers and new ground.

Jokes aside, even though I’m too lame to make them, I met Rick Allen once, way back, not long after the whole arm thing and his triumphant return to the stage. He was a nice enough bloke. Very NOT a rock star, you know?

He’s gone on to form the Raven Drum Foundation and other cool things that are changing the world.

So… check out the art. It comes out a mere six days after King Trevor, so you should budget accordingly (King Trevor, of course, being a book and not one-of-a-kind art that makes Susan drool, will be significantly less money, so if you have to choose…).

Let me know what you think!