D. Striker Reflects on a Milestone in '44' [Fresh Track]

It's been a while since we've heard anything new from D. Striker. Of course that's partly because it's been more than a year since we've had a Friday the 13th, which the golden-hued perpetually aspiring country star has claimed as his holiday since 1998. If you don't know, Striker is the alter ego of music biz professional Jeff Meltesen, who has created the delightful tradition of publishing a fanzine called RR — an earnest and intentionally over-the-top look at what it means to love country music — each time the 13th of the month falls on a Friday. Meltesen also celebrates each new RR with a release show featuring some acts he loves plus a set of D. Striker's original music, performed (and recorded) with friends and members of longtime local alt-country ensemble Ole Mossy Face.

Today is a special day for Meltesen, who celebrates his 45th birthday. In an email to the Scene, he explains that his 44th year was a very eventful one, and he wrote a Striker song about what went down. Some not-so-great things happened — as he sings, he lost a job as well as a tooth. (He now has a gig at The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn., home of the Bluegrass Underground concert series among many other shows; no word on the tooth.) He confronted his mortality a little bit, and it gave him some useful perspective, as he sings: "The years keep getting faster / And I’m finally figuring out why / You see, each one is a smaller part of your life."

He also got one hell of a rocking song out of the experience, and you can check out the lyric video above. Also, make plans for the next RR party. On Sept. 13, you can catch up with Striker at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge in Madison, where he'll be joined by Annie Neeley and Hello June. Keep up with Striker on Facebook for updates. (One you can definitely look for: The year's second and RR party is slated for Dec. 13.)