I’ve had my head buried in Band Slam copy lately. It’s always an interesting proposition, cobbling together many pages of the musings of Valley musicians. (I know this isn’t politics, but when I’m not in this ten gallon hat, I’m the Advocate arts editor, wearing, I don’t know, maybe a Homburg or something.) The tenor of their commentary ranges from the expected rock band posturing about excess and overripe smells to the nearly surreal. It’s been a lot of fun this year, thanks to the particular mix of bands that our readers conjured.

As a musician myself, I like to listen to and champion the folks who bring a healthy dose of the inventive to musical proceedings. So I’m writing to point out that so far, the top prize for most succinctly hilarious answer goes to Mark Schwaber, whose songs have always been a reliable place to find plenty of musical intrigue and sophistication. In reply to a question about the smell of his bandmates on tour, Schwaber says: "We’re like beagles. Scentless."

I think I like his songwriting a little more just because of that.

you can (and should) check out the rest of this fine copy next week when the Grand Band Slam issue hits the streets.