No video games. No movies. No other people’s music. No religion. No floods or loss of dear friends or reality shows or Old Gods… Nope. Not this time, baby. This time, it’s all about me. My music. My band mates. My new album.
GWA HA HA HA!!!
Wow. It’s been a minute since I’ve gotten to tell you about some new music, hasn’t it? Well, guess what, Oh Lovely Reader? I’ve got new music! Well, I’m recording new music. I am back in the studio and I have to say (like a rotund gentleman at McDonald’s) I’m loving it. I’m recording new material for an EP (extended play) which should be out early fall. I am not going to give away too much, but I can tell you that the sound is already HUGE. We barely have rhythm tracks done and it’s already an ass-mover and a foot stomper (and a head nodder if that’s how you bang, Dawg). I brought it home after laying only the drum tracks and Gangsta Vicki was throwing up hand signs and rolling with the homies, ya feel me? Yeah… It’s coming along nicely.
It’s a lot different from recording “Working On My Soul” (my first album–which you can download for free at my website; so get to it and tell your friends!) because I recorded that in the house I grew up in when we moved to Nashville. I’m recording this in an honest-to-god, real life studio–Mommy WOW! I’m a big kid now! Not that there was anything wrong with recording in a home studio–hell, I think we did a pretty damn good job, if I do say so, myself–but there’s really something to be said for having multiple recording rooms, a dedicated professional engineer and glorious, wondrous, fabulous mics. Oh Neumann Mics… How do I love, thee?
Yes, indeed… I am hooked on working in the studio. To be fair, I always was; but I never had the luxury of all the options available in the real deal, ya know? Oh, I’ve recorded in pro studios before–quite a few times as a drummer–but never with my music and me playing anything other than drums or percussion, ya know? No, being the actual impetus and reason for the session is a whole new ball of wax, me hearties… And yer ole pal is fucking hooked. Real talk.
Of course, anyone can have a phat studio with phat mics and all that jazz; but let me give a quick shout out to the owner and my Brosephus Sean Giovanni and his studio The Record Shop Nashville. It’s a nice quiet, well-outfitted, comfortable studio located in Nashville–look it up on the link, I’m not mapquest, bitches. (yeah, it’s still me, you’re talking to here) But seriously, Giovanni and his partner John Constable are just fantastic at what they do. You really couldn’t ask for a more pressure free, accommodating, friendly environment in which to work on your music–yep, affordable too (I figured you’d ask). But enough of the Record Shop Nashville bros for awhile–they’ll have a dedicated blog when the work is done; for now let me continue to bragging about how good my new shit sounds.
So my new shit sounds great! (Thanks Giovanni!)
Seriously though… My new music is fucking off the hook. There’s the normal genre-bouncing (meaning you get a different flavor with each track as you’ve come to expect from me). There’s the normal fat-ass, crunchy groove–though the grooves are far and beyond crunchier than the grooves on Soul. I touched on some styles/genres that I didn’t touch on Soul and I find these tunes far more accessible and catchy. Maturity as a songwriter? Lucky picks from the tons of material I have written? Who can say? All I know is the tunes get in your noodle and they’re loath to leave–but it’s a good thing. I really can’t wait to see what you all think. Soon… Soon…
-finger pyramid of evil-
Now, we shall take a short break so I may imbibe some blogging wine and you may enjoy the following comic strips that I have created for your enjoyment. (courtesy of memebase, cheezburger.com, rage builder, rage comics)
MR. BIG STUFF, WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
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OKAY, TAKE IT FROM THE TOP…
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Now, on to the other cool bit of news…
I have assembled a band, my friends and I must say… WOW. Really no other words for it, honestly. My band will also receive their own blog shortly; but for now let me just tell you… Holy shit, dude!
We played together for the first time on Tuesday and it was one of those, “Oh hell yeah” moments. Vicki was wishing she had a camera to record the practice as opposed to just her trusty One by Apogee–so she could have used the footage for booking. Within a bar or two of the first song we ever played together the band completely synced and starting making space for the groove. Oh, the elusive groove… So impossible to explain, so utterly overlooked when in place, so terribly apparent in its absence, so elusive yet so effortlessly found at times–this, my friends, was one of those times.
With that lovely intro, I’d like to introduce you briefly to Jonathan Quintero and Ken Buono…
Jonathan I call Q and Ken I call Ken. Q plays bass guitar and guitar and Ken plays drums and percussion and guitar. I can’t go into great detail because it’s early yet and we’ve yet to play in front of anyone other than Gangsta Vicki–though, she was waving her Nine rhythmically and throwing her hands in the air like the true playa she is… I can only take this to be a good thing. But I digress…
These guys played my music like they’d been playing it for years. They get it and they get me and it was a helluva good experience and the beauty of it is you’re going to get to experience it too. Oh yes, we’ll be playing shows all around Nashville and within 300 miles or so of Nashville (on the weekends) and maybe further depending on the gig and if it’s doable in a day or two time period. Don’t worry far away people, hopefully the word will start spreading and we can come play for you too! Until then, just know that it won’t be near as long between albums–I intend to release two new EP’s every year (one EP and one album); so make sure to keep listening and help spread the word.
That being said, I shall bring this very happy (for me and hopefully for you) blog to a close. It’s been great getting to write about me and my music instead of warcraft or something like that–it’s not an ego thing; but you have to remember, I’m a musician… Not a writer. Blogging is all well and good and helps give my creative monster an outlet but it’s never quite as satisfying as recording or performing music. I guess I’m just gonna have to live with the fact that I’m a musician. Oh well… Better go find some smack and get to work on some misunderstood lyrics if I ever intend to get famous…
You know… It just hit me… How come they don’t have THOSE kinds of artists on American Idol? You know, the tortured smack head kind of artist? It’d be interesting hearing Simon start in on how bad they suck and the dude just knife’s Simon for his pocket money.
Or maybe I’m just a sick bastard…
On that note… MORE CARTOONS! PEACE!
THE BAND AUDITION
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Vicki
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Mac
