Wednesday, August 30, 2006
EVEN MORE FURTHERMORE
Okay, so I'm all busy building the new Smoke and Mirrors, so my posts have been brief. Fruitful - thanks Robbie, but light on content. So to get everyone caught up.....
I'm improving as a carpenter. I still hate it.
Brain Shivers is a record that was recorded by, written by, and produced by:
Chris Pace, Ted Wilson, George Vitray, and Rob Machold.
It took a long time. I like it alot.
Robbie likes horns.
I like Tom Petty.
Tony Alva is a dirty bastard for loading my avatar with false statements - except the supple ass bit.
Okay, so I'm all busy building the new Smoke and Mirrors, so my posts have been brief. Fruitful - thanks Robbie, but light on content. So to get everyone caught up.....
I'm improving as a carpenter. I still hate it.
Brain Shivers is a record that was recorded by, written by, and produced by:
Chris Pace, Ted Wilson, George Vitray, and Rob Machold.
It took a long time. I like it alot.
Robbie likes horns.
I like Tom Petty.
Tony Alva is a dirty bastard for loading my avatar with false statements - except the supple ass bit.
SMELL THE GLOVE IS HERE
E-mail me your shipping info, and you too can see yourself in both sides.
Friday, August 25, 2006
AND FURTHER MORE
Ok, saying that one group of musicians is 'the best' or 'greatest' or any other superlative is nonsense. I know that.
Having said that, it is my belief that the band known as the Heartbreakers who work with, and I feel include a gentleman named Tom, are one of the very best, if not the best, bands to be formed by a group of americans.
Why?
Glad you asked.
For thirty years the same guys have been doing the same thing. They have become trancendant of the process of making music. It's what they do, and when they do it, they enter a zone where they lock together on a plane we can't know, but we can feel it, because it's for us, and they do it for us.
Track record - undeniable.
It's fascinating to me that four of the five guys that moved to LA from Gainsville Florida in 1975 are still working together, and playing - sounding, better then ever.
Who can say that?
Booker T. and the MGs?
I'll buy that on priciple. Not long on hits of their own, but have played on so many that they stack up, at least in an honorary status.
For God's sake, I'm listening to the new Petty record (2006 - fairly current I'd say) right now. Do you know what it sound like? You should....
It sound like Tom Fucking Petty!
Figo rocks.
Ok, saying that one group of musicians is 'the best' or 'greatest' or any other superlative is nonsense. I know that.
Having said that, it is my belief that the band known as the Heartbreakers who work with, and I feel include a gentleman named Tom, are one of the very best, if not the best, bands to be formed by a group of americans.
Why?
Glad you asked.
For thirty years the same guys have been doing the same thing. They have become trancendant of the process of making music. It's what they do, and when they do it, they enter a zone where they lock together on a plane we can't know, but we can feel it, because it's for us, and they do it for us.
Track record - undeniable.
It's fascinating to me that four of the five guys that moved to LA from Gainsville Florida in 1975 are still working together, and playing - sounding, better then ever.
Who can say that?
Booker T. and the MGs?
I'll buy that on priciple. Not long on hits of their own, but have played on so many that they stack up, at least in an honorary status.
For God's sake, I'm listening to the new Petty record (2006 - fairly current I'd say) right now. Do you know what it sound like? You should....
It sound like Tom Fucking Petty!
Figo rocks.
Monday, August 21, 2006
JUST IN CASE
The Heartbreakers are the greatest american band - ever. The highlight was a cover of the Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green period) classic, 'Oh Well'. That and 'American Girl'.
Awesome.
The Heartbreakers are the greatest american band - ever. The highlight was a cover of the Fleetwood Mac (Peter Green period) classic, 'Oh Well'. That and 'American Girl'.
Awesome.
Friday, August 18, 2006
FIGO ROCKS THE FESTIVALS
What is the most important attribute a young band can have? Chops? Nope. Great Songs? Nope. Good looks? Sorry.
The most important quality a new group can have is the ability to network.
Figo, Tedstock allums, and good friends of mine are having a great summer playing festivals around the country. They played Lollapalooza in Chicago a few weeks back, and are playing the Amsterjam festival at Randall's Island here in NYC this weekend.
How did Figo achieve this success.
Work. Working rooms, parties, events, anything.
DJ-ing parties and events has been a huge factor. Unable to play on a stage at Coachella, Figo shows up to DJ some after parties. This, in turn, leads to connections, and gigs.
I will be at Randall's Island this saturday, and so will Tom Petty.
How cool is that?
What is the most important attribute a young band can have? Chops? Nope. Great Songs? Nope. Good looks? Sorry.
The most important quality a new group can have is the ability to network.
Figo, Tedstock allums, and good friends of mine are having a great summer playing festivals around the country. They played Lollapalooza in Chicago a few weeks back, and are playing the Amsterjam festival at Randall's Island here in NYC this weekend.
How did Figo achieve this success.
Work. Working rooms, parties, events, anything.
DJ-ing parties and events has been a huge factor. Unable to play on a stage at Coachella, Figo shows up to DJ some after parties. This, in turn, leads to connections, and gigs.
I will be at Randall's Island this saturday, and so will Tom Petty.
How cool is that?
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
IF YOU BUILD IT......
Okay, I'm breaking my silence on the Great Studio Buildout since some actual work got done. Yesterday our Job Foreman John came by, and we built two 8' x 8' frames. I'm expecting the scaffold to be delivered today.
Gotta buy rubber.....
and a ladder, or two...
Some day this war's gonna end.
Okay, I'm breaking my silence on the Great Studio Buildout since some actual work got done. Yesterday our Job Foreman John came by, and we built two 8' x 8' frames. I'm expecting the scaffold to be delivered today.
Gotta buy rubber.....
and a ladder, or two...
Some day this war's gonna end.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
..........AND WE SUCKED
Ah, the eighties, how thee sucked. Hell, the nineties sucked too, and there were even some suckdom during my beloved seventies, but the eighties, well, I guess that's superior suck.
What do you mean, Jackson?
The Hooters.
I know Mick sings "be bop baby at the union hall" in 'Rip This Joint', and I assume that he got it from a black man, but in the hands, or vocal chords, of The Hooters it sounds so lame.
I'm (not really) watching (again) VH1 Decades Classic Live - Cyndi Lauper.
I dig Cindy.
She's so unusual.
Really.
Unfortunately, I learned from this episode that the Hooters guys wrote a lot of her catalog.
Ugggg.
That's like finding out that Santa is your geeky cousin who you can't stand.
Props to Cindy for slagging it out these lo so many, many years.
Props for 'Shebop' - despite who wrote it, I gotta figure she had a hand in that one - DOH!
Props for doing 'Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2' at Roger's Berlin thing.
Props for the enduring deep New York drawl.
All props aside - the Heart episode rocked much harder, two words - No Hooters.
I never thought I'd say no hooters is a good thing.
I think that's part of the problem.
They called themselves the Hooters. I'd say you better have some, and nice ones too.
Ah the eighties, when bad ideas were so lucrative.
Scott Wieland is sort of unusual, but he thinks he's Bowie, wich isn't very unusual really. He likes Cindy, so I guess he's okay.
There's some haircut going 'ooh ooh' all over everything. He's in some popular band I can't think of because I don't care. He sucks worse than the Hooters guys. We should send him back to the eighties.
Oh shit - now there's one of these Dancehall Reggae guys, y'know the guys who don't really say anything, but they cram a zillion syllables into a phrase. He's fun. I like him much better than Haircuts and Hooters.
Ah, the eighties, how thee sucked. Hell, the nineties sucked too, and there were even some suckdom during my beloved seventies, but the eighties, well, I guess that's superior suck.
What do you mean, Jackson?
The Hooters.
I know Mick sings "be bop baby at the union hall" in 'Rip This Joint', and I assume that he got it from a black man, but in the hands, or vocal chords, of The Hooters it sounds so lame.
I'm (not really) watching (again) VH1 Decades Classic Live - Cyndi Lauper.
I dig Cindy.
She's so unusual.
Really.
Unfortunately, I learned from this episode that the Hooters guys wrote a lot of her catalog.
Ugggg.
That's like finding out that Santa is your geeky cousin who you can't stand.
Props to Cindy for slagging it out these lo so many, many years.
Props for 'Shebop' - despite who wrote it, I gotta figure she had a hand in that one - DOH!
Props for doing 'Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2' at Roger's Berlin thing.
Props for the enduring deep New York drawl.
All props aside - the Heart episode rocked much harder, two words - No Hooters.
I never thought I'd say no hooters is a good thing.
I think that's part of the problem.
They called themselves the Hooters. I'd say you better have some, and nice ones too.
Ah the eighties, when bad ideas were so lucrative.
Scott Wieland is sort of unusual, but he thinks he's Bowie, wich isn't very unusual really. He likes Cindy, so I guess he's okay.
There's some haircut going 'ooh ooh' all over everything. He's in some popular band I can't think of because I don't care. He sucks worse than the Hooters guys. We should send him back to the eighties.
Oh shit - now there's one of these Dancehall Reggae guys, y'know the guys who don't really say anything, but they cram a zillion syllables into a phrase. He's fun. I like him much better than Haircuts and Hooters.
Friday, August 04, 2006
ANN AND NANCY
I'm sorry. I love Heart.
Wait............I'm not sorry.
Yeah, I know....."These dreams....."
Yeah, the eighties had their lowpoints, and Heart joins Bowie and the Stones in letting us down massively during that decade.
Hell, Ann and Nancy deserved the sell-out. Gotta pay the fucking morgage.
Will I apply that logic to Genesis.
No.
You have to be greater and suck less.
Anywhoo....
I just watched the VH1 (I hear ya, enough with the Vh1 Jackson - suck it biaaatch, my blog, my obsession) Decades Rock Live with Heart (Ann and Nancy Wilson) featuring members of Alice Chains, Dave Navarro, Duff McKeagan, and others.
Those wenches rock.
Magical witch wenches with guitars.
oooooh Barracuda!
Yeah Ann got large. Like you'd get to fuck her anyway. That lady got pipes!
And then there's Nancy.
I can't remember a time that I wasn't in love with her.
Like I'd get to fuck her anyway.
SO......
Fucking Heart Rocks. Exept that lame eighties shit - which I didn't hear one song from.
I just eneded the last sentence with a preposition.
It was all Magic Fucking Man, Barricuda, Dog and Butterfly, Crazy On You, hell, you know the tunes - the good ones. The songs you like, that you turn up when they come on the radio.
You like Heart too. I know you do.
I'm sorry. I love Heart.
Wait............I'm not sorry.
Yeah, I know....."These dreams....."
Yeah, the eighties had their lowpoints, and Heart joins Bowie and the Stones in letting us down massively during that decade.
Hell, Ann and Nancy deserved the sell-out. Gotta pay the fucking morgage.
Will I apply that logic to Genesis.
No.
You have to be greater and suck less.
Anywhoo....
I just watched the VH1 (I hear ya, enough with the Vh1 Jackson - suck it biaaatch, my blog, my obsession) Decades Rock Live with Heart (Ann and Nancy Wilson) featuring members of Alice Chains, Dave Navarro, Duff McKeagan, and others.
Those wenches rock.
Magical witch wenches with guitars.
oooooh Barracuda!
Yeah Ann got large. Like you'd get to fuck her anyway. That lady got pipes!
And then there's Nancy.
I can't remember a time that I wasn't in love with her.
Like I'd get to fuck her anyway.
SO......
Fucking Heart Rocks. Exept that lame eighties shit - which I didn't hear one song from.
I just eneded the last sentence with a preposition.
It was all Magic Fucking Man, Barricuda, Dog and Butterfly, Crazy On You, hell, you know the tunes - the good ones. The songs you like, that you turn up when they come on the radio.
You like Heart too. I know you do.
NEIGHBOR OF THE BEAST
Those of you who have visited Smoke and Mirrors at our old facility know we waged a constant battle against bass originating from the studio next door. Moving away from that was one of the silver linings of our move this past week.
Well the war rages on.
Our new neighbor, who is also our landlord, is proving to be an evil of equivalent value.
We knew we were going to have to build, but it looks like we are going to have to do a lot more, in that work must be done to both rooms, his and ours.
Lovely time of year for this sort of work.
In the end, it will be well worth the expense and sweat, but jeez....a break? Just once?
I'm off to rent a big ass drill - HVAC sucks....almost as much as MTV.
Those of you who have visited Smoke and Mirrors at our old facility know we waged a constant battle against bass originating from the studio next door. Moving away from that was one of the silver linings of our move this past week.
Well the war rages on.
Our new neighbor, who is also our landlord, is proving to be an evil of equivalent value.
We knew we were going to have to build, but it looks like we are going to have to do a lot more, in that work must be done to both rooms, his and ours.
Lovely time of year for this sort of work.
In the end, it will be well worth the expense and sweat, but jeez....a break? Just once?
I'm off to rent a big ass drill - HVAC sucks....almost as much as MTV.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - YOU SUCK
25 years ago MTV began it's broadcast. VH1 Classics is playing all the videos from MTV Day 1. I love it. Anybody who had a video got played. Unfortunatley Rod Stewart and Styx had a buttload, but between those horrible videos there were some truly great acts, and some truly laughable ones as well.
I don't need to lament MTV's downfall, becuase VH1 Classics plays all the old videos on a regular basis. But MTV does indeed suck these days, and has ever since it spawned reality programming.
Thanks assholes.
25 years ago MTV began it's broadcast. VH1 Classics is playing all the videos from MTV Day 1. I love it. Anybody who had a video got played. Unfortunatley Rod Stewart and Styx had a buttload, but between those horrible videos there were some truly great acts, and some truly laughable ones as well.
I don't need to lament MTV's downfall, becuase VH1 Classics plays all the old videos on a regular basis. But MTV does indeed suck these days, and has ever since it spawned reality programming.
Thanks assholes.
