Back again from another Saintface gig last night, this time an early show at Mercury Lounge. Solid as always, and some of these new songs, including the set closer, are great dance tunes. However the gig was too early and quite, ahem, Frankly, I think they are playing around town too much. They should be out there less while their album is in progress. It will build anticpation and they would have better turn outs at the gigs. PLaying too much gives people the opportunity to skip a gig because they can always see them "next time". The aggression would play gigs like events so if you missed it, you were screwed (that doesnt always work either, but hey). As for the Saintface album, I predict this album will be quite good and worth the wait. Peter again is cryptic when asked about certain songs being on the album. He should be when I'm around, I guess!
I met with with both Peter Saintface and Michael Saintface tonight to discuss the new Hypefactor album. I also took the opportunity to finally give them the HF2 demos. Brandt got a bunch of songs into better shape so I could give them to the guys. They seem excited and Peter in particular seemed really keen on getting into it. I hope they can be a big part of this.
As mentioned above, new HF demos are now circulating amongst the core crew. I had purposely stayed away from listening to the tunes for a few weeks so I would be fresh eared when hearing these new roughs. I'm happy to report I am still loving this bitch and want very badly to get back into this record tomorrow. We're ready for live drums!
Ill be posting less mostly because Former High School Classmate turned College Roommate turned Magazine Writer got me the new Smackdown game for the PS2...what can I say other than THANKS!
three words: Cerati. Remix. Album. I ran straight to Ebay and got this 2cd bitch from Argentina. I cannot wait.
And the day begins....
31.10.03
29.10.03
"This was just like the Johnn Marr show, except GOOD!"
Been crazy working on Chemlab. Jared is off to Chicago today for the remaining details and then he is off on the Pigface tour. I've been sorting through the new mixes, dong notes and also doing some last minute sound design work for the EP. Fingers crossed no one at INV screws this up (no offense to everyone there, im just anti-labels today, keep reading). The mixes are dirty and more Chemlab than Chemlab. It's harsh and I like it. Luckily, the songwriting is really solid and the music itself is excellent, so its just a matter of mixing and getting it just right.
Mr. G and I caught Paul Weller the other night at Town Hall. It was an acoustic set and he was joined by Gem Archer of Oasis. I don't own any Paul Weller albums (mostly because G owned tons of it when we were roommates), but man do I want to now that I have seen him. The man is energetic and the songs were excellent. Gem is a shockingly good guitarist and really added a lot to it. Amazing. G's review of the gig can be found in the title heading above...
Today I received a fan letter from a guy, Timo, in Germany. He had heard the aggression on various comps and such and wanted to buy "everything", but Tinman hasn't returned ANY E-mails to him. Horrible. I am so furious that I wanted to give this kid every record I have ever done. Sadly, Tinman hasnt returned any of MY emails and I have no cd's either. So i pointed him in the right direction and he is very appreciative. Timo is dead psyched for Chemlab. Me too, pally.
The season premiere of 24 was last night and WOW did it deliver. Jack Bauer: Heroin addict!??!!! I can't handle how good this show is. I have the Kiefer Madness like there is no tomorrow. This is the best show on TV in the past 10 years i think. Since AMERICAN GOTHIC, a lost classic featuring Gary Cole.
Back to the grind, kids...
F
Mr. G and I caught Paul Weller the other night at Town Hall. It was an acoustic set and he was joined by Gem Archer of Oasis. I don't own any Paul Weller albums (mostly because G owned tons of it when we were roommates), but man do I want to now that I have seen him. The man is energetic and the songs were excellent. Gem is a shockingly good guitarist and really added a lot to it. Amazing. G's review of the gig can be found in the title heading above...
Today I received a fan letter from a guy, Timo, in Germany. He had heard the aggression on various comps and such and wanted to buy "everything", but Tinman hasn't returned ANY E-mails to him. Horrible. I am so furious that I wanted to give this kid every record I have ever done. Sadly, Tinman hasnt returned any of MY emails and I have no cd's either. So i pointed him in the right direction and he is very appreciative. Timo is dead psyched for Chemlab. Me too, pally.
The season premiere of 24 was last night and WOW did it deliver. Jack Bauer: Heroin addict!??!!! I can't handle how good this show is. I have the Kiefer Madness like there is no tomorrow. This is the best show on TV in the past 10 years i think. Since AMERICAN GOTHIC, a lost classic featuring Gary Cole.
Back to the grind, kids...
F
26.10.03
Fuck you... you heartless cunt
Hello again, everyone (all nine of you.) I know it has been some time since I posted here, and you have missed my impersonal musings terribly. You feel neglected. But I swear I will not let it happen again. There are simply too many thrills and wacky misadventures in my life at the moment, and I would be remiss were I to spare you any of the gory details. So here it goes:
hypefactor: part deux
I spent a fair amount of time working on the new hypefactor record during the past month, although I was distracted in recent weeks by school, real life shite and some other musical projects. Most of the guitars are tracked on nine songs, however, and I plan to wrap up writing, production and rough mixing on most of the material by the end of this week. There are also two new songs waiting in the wings - "Bitter Party Of One" and "Down To Brass Tacks" - that, for the most part, have yet to be tackled by the team. Both originated from guitar parts I wrote while messing about on other songs, and while they are shamelessly poppy and breezy, I am hoping they make the record. The plan now is to tackle them once we are well underway with tracking live drums, which everyone wants to see happen this month. My fingers are crossed.
We took a bit of a hiatus from work at the Birdcage in late October because F.J. was compelled to make one of his usual pilgrimages to Los Angeles. I gathered Ash and Robin for a session last Tuesday, however, where we reviewed some old parts (such as new guitars for the chaotic "Solar") and listened to some works in progress. But the bulk of our brief session was dedicated to "Two Basses Thin," which had become a thorn in my side as of late.
The song started during one of the June or July sessions with a basic acoustic/bass guitar motif jammed to inifinity, and was later expanded radically when Ash developed a slew of loops for a chorus. The result was somewhat messy in that we were left with two distinct sections that seemed incompatible, the tension between the two exacerbated by F's dense, seven-minute arrangement. The complexity of the thing had me both concerned and flummoxed for some time, and I found myself unable to write anything resembling a workable guitar structure, despite some excellent contributions from Robin and F.J. in the choruses.
The writer's block concerned me enough that I called in Robin and Ash to help me jam around the parts some more and see if the two sections could indeed be linked. At first, Ash also seemed put off by the arrangement, describing it as a "mess." I am not certain that he left the studio any less skeptical. But after an hour of playing, we tracked some lovely new E-Bow parts of Robin's and a new bass part of Ash's that seemed to make the transition more seamless. Having those two playing with me also gave me a much better handle on the chord structure, and I have now tracked a bunch of parts (on top of the 40 or so already there) that attempt to blend the verses and choruses melodically. I hope everything else thinks it works, because I still am not certain. We shall see at the end of this week after I have fleshed things out a bit more, assembled a working mix and circulated MP3s amongst the gang.
While I must leave now to write a paper about stress - in Portugese, no less - I will post again tomorrow in greater detail about some other recent work, including the hypefactor and Chemlab remixes, recent gigs (Spiritualized, Echo and The Bunnymen), record purchases (John Cale, Twilight Singers, Suede) and the continuing saga that is the hypefactor sessions. Until then, cheers.
hypefactor: part deux
I spent a fair amount of time working on the new hypefactor record during the past month, although I was distracted in recent weeks by school, real life shite and some other musical projects. Most of the guitars are tracked on nine songs, however, and I plan to wrap up writing, production and rough mixing on most of the material by the end of this week. There are also two new songs waiting in the wings - "Bitter Party Of One" and "Down To Brass Tacks" - that, for the most part, have yet to be tackled by the team. Both originated from guitar parts I wrote while messing about on other songs, and while they are shamelessly poppy and breezy, I am hoping they make the record. The plan now is to tackle them once we are well underway with tracking live drums, which everyone wants to see happen this month. My fingers are crossed.
We took a bit of a hiatus from work at the Birdcage in late October because F.J. was compelled to make one of his usual pilgrimages to Los Angeles. I gathered Ash and Robin for a session last Tuesday, however, where we reviewed some old parts (such as new guitars for the chaotic "Solar") and listened to some works in progress. But the bulk of our brief session was dedicated to "Two Basses Thin," which had become a thorn in my side as of late.
The song started during one of the June or July sessions with a basic acoustic/bass guitar motif jammed to inifinity, and was later expanded radically when Ash developed a slew of loops for a chorus. The result was somewhat messy in that we were left with two distinct sections that seemed incompatible, the tension between the two exacerbated by F's dense, seven-minute arrangement. The complexity of the thing had me both concerned and flummoxed for some time, and I found myself unable to write anything resembling a workable guitar structure, despite some excellent contributions from Robin and F.J. in the choruses.
The writer's block concerned me enough that I called in Robin and Ash to help me jam around the parts some more and see if the two sections could indeed be linked. At first, Ash also seemed put off by the arrangement, describing it as a "mess." I am not certain that he left the studio any less skeptical. But after an hour of playing, we tracked some lovely new E-Bow parts of Robin's and a new bass part of Ash's that seemed to make the transition more seamless. Having those two playing with me also gave me a much better handle on the chord structure, and I have now tracked a bunch of parts (on top of the 40 or so already there) that attempt to blend the verses and choruses melodically. I hope everything else thinks it works, because I still am not certain. We shall see at the end of this week after I have fleshed things out a bit more, assembled a working mix and circulated MP3s amongst the gang.
While I must leave now to write a paper about stress - in Portugese, no less - I will post again tomorrow in greater detail about some other recent work, including the hypefactor and Chemlab remixes, recent gigs (Spiritualized, Echo and The Bunnymen), record purchases (John Cale, Twilight Singers, Suede) and the continuing saga that is the hypefactor sessions. Until then, cheers.
The Machine Age...almost
Here I am. Been ill since my return from LA and have a houseguest in the form of Bradley J. Fox, so time is at a premium at the moment. We saw MYSTIC RIVER last night which was solid, but marred by a few flaws and an unncessary final 7 minutes. Also, Sean Penn has fallen into Pacino/DeNiro mode where he is starting to become a bit of a gimmick. Tim Robbins however, was quite good.
Anyhow, been using the sickly free time to just chill with S.O. and to also catch up on the mad rush of Chemwork that needs to be ready for the Pigface tour and the subsequent release of Oxidizer in January. Jared's been great in asking my opinion on things (like approving artwork and such) and I've been hectic doing the art for the new T-Shirts as well as for the new limited edition 'MACHINE AGE EP". I've been really hands on with this release, working with Jared on sutures for it as well as the aggression (remember them) contributing a remix to the project. I did the remix, but then had to run to LA, so Brandt really took the reign and really brought it home. so kudos to him cause he saved this one. It's hot and the only place you're going to get 5 of the 6 songs on this bitch. The final track listening has a new song called BLACK SNAKE VOODOO HISS, two sutures, two ESM demos, and the remix of BINARY NATION we did. Hopefully Invisible will get this ready in time for the Pigface tour. Speaking of which, make sure you go to the NYC show, you might see yours truly onstage if all goes as planned.
While I was gone, Brandt took the downtime to flesh out some remixes of DISTRACTED era HF tunes. Quite simply, they are AMAZING and when done, will be made available for all to hear. IN a perfect world, the new album would have a bonus disc with the DISTRACTED EP plus the remixes. A special edition if you will. Not light we ever signed a record deal for that anyways...
We have tickets to see Death Cab For Cutie tonight, but I might give my ticket to out friend from poontang who's apt went on fire and her ticket is now lost. She is a bigger fan than I am and I think this would make her happy.
Back to the grind this week. Now that the Lab stuff is just about out of the way, I'm aching to get back to the HF2 stuff.
F
Anyhow, been using the sickly free time to just chill with S.O. and to also catch up on the mad rush of Chemwork that needs to be ready for the Pigface tour and the subsequent release of Oxidizer in January. Jared's been great in asking my opinion on things (like approving artwork and such) and I've been hectic doing the art for the new T-Shirts as well as for the new limited edition 'MACHINE AGE EP". I've been really hands on with this release, working with Jared on sutures for it as well as the aggression (remember them) contributing a remix to the project. I did the remix, but then had to run to LA, so Brandt really took the reign and really brought it home. so kudos to him cause he saved this one. It's hot and the only place you're going to get 5 of the 6 songs on this bitch. The final track listening has a new song called BLACK SNAKE VOODOO HISS, two sutures, two ESM demos, and the remix of BINARY NATION we did. Hopefully Invisible will get this ready in time for the Pigface tour. Speaking of which, make sure you go to the NYC show, you might see yours truly onstage if all goes as planned.
While I was gone, Brandt took the downtime to flesh out some remixes of DISTRACTED era HF tunes. Quite simply, they are AMAZING and when done, will be made available for all to hear. IN a perfect world, the new album would have a bonus disc with the DISTRACTED EP plus the remixes. A special edition if you will. Not light we ever signed a record deal for that anyways...
We have tickets to see Death Cab For Cutie tonight, but I might give my ticket to out friend from poontang who's apt went on fire and her ticket is now lost. She is a bigger fan than I am and I think this would make her happy.
Back to the grind this week. Now that the Lab stuff is just about out of the way, I'm aching to get back to the HF2 stuff.
F
22.10.03
Kid Notorious
LA's been a whirlwind of early morning and late evenings. Despite what it seems like, it aint all glamour. Spent some time visiting the set of the movie we've been working on for years that features The One in his next big genre role and co-stars with My Current Favourite Female Actress Who Lives Near The Pub (who I paid money to see in her new movie this past weekend). I could watch her run out of an SUV and into a bowling alley for HOURS. And I did...
Meanwhile, my free moments are spent helping put together this Chemlab EP, which I am doing the artwork for and having my two cents as to what should go on it. I must say I am digging the artwork, I've been having some great bouts of inspiration. Lucky. Jared better keep the title I came up with for this. Also, if he has them ready in time, you'll be wearing Chemlab T-shirts of my design quite soon.
I have a sun tan. Horrible. Embarassing. Though I got it while doing the AIDSwalk here in LA this past weekend with S.O.'s sister. Nobody walks in LA, so this was quite entertaining and moving at the same time. But the tan. jesus.
I think I may have forgotten to mention that the night before I left, we saw Spiritualized. Thanks to G owning LET IT COME DOWN, I am a recent convert to Jason's music and I regret missing their last tour (which BRMC opened). I love the epic and orchestral aspects to the music and I think his lyrics are quite funny. They have a new album, AMAZING GRACE, which is their stripped down rock album, and while I like it, it lacks a lot of the things I love about his music. The live show, unfortnately, reflects that new album and while his band is tight, he sits to the side and just plays without emotion. This totally took me out of the show. I'm not saying the guy has to be a showman, but stand up for chrissake! You're not Robert Johnson. Dude, come on. Get up. lazy Sod.
The Factor Corp. minus the CEO gathered in NYC last night. Maybe B will get the courage to post what went down in the studio while I wasn't looking ;-)
Just get me home. Quick.
F
Meanwhile, my free moments are spent helping put together this Chemlab EP, which I am doing the artwork for and having my two cents as to what should go on it. I must say I am digging the artwork, I've been having some great bouts of inspiration. Lucky. Jared better keep the title I came up with for this. Also, if he has them ready in time, you'll be wearing Chemlab T-shirts of my design quite soon.
I have a sun tan. Horrible. Embarassing. Though I got it while doing the AIDSwalk here in LA this past weekend with S.O.'s sister. Nobody walks in LA, so this was quite entertaining and moving at the same time. But the tan. jesus.
I think I may have forgotten to mention that the night before I left, we saw Spiritualized. Thanks to G owning LET IT COME DOWN, I am a recent convert to Jason's music and I regret missing their last tour (which BRMC opened). I love the epic and orchestral aspects to the music and I think his lyrics are quite funny. They have a new album, AMAZING GRACE, which is their stripped down rock album, and while I like it, it lacks a lot of the things I love about his music. The live show, unfortnately, reflects that new album and while his band is tight, he sits to the side and just plays without emotion. This totally took me out of the show. I'm not saying the guy has to be a showman, but stand up for chrissake! You're not Robert Johnson. Dude, come on. Get up. lazy Sod.
The Factor Corp. minus the CEO gathered in NYC last night. Maybe B will get the courage to post what went down in the studio while I wasn't looking ;-)
Just get me home. Quick.
F
16.10.03
THE MORNING AFTER THE LIFE BEFORE
I haven't forgotten you, I've been in LA doing the things that I guess I do. I spent a lot of the plane ride here working on the lyrics for a song now entitled THE MORNING AFTER THE LIFE BEFORE. Meanwhile, I have music to work on, but there has been so much material recorded recently that it's jamming up my sweet laptop. Speaking of which, I've worn the battery down to the bone so I stopped by Apple to grab me a new one and doubled the RAM in this bitch so it moves a bit faster. Feels good.
Spent a lot of time here with my friend the Famous Comic Book Writer who just gets better and better and is doing amazing job writing my all time favorite title TEEN TITANS. He is so good and such a sweet guy. We spend every Wed I'm in LA buying comics and hopefully we will be collaborating on something big in the future. He also has a cool wife and a very cool office which he shares with another cool comic writer you all read.
Meanwhile...for Mark Mohtashemi and a few others who asked, here are your answers on THIS:
"Greetings, wireheads:
Jared here. This is just a quick posting to explain why the CHEMLAB record’s taking so damned long to hit the streets. Jason and Jamie and FJ and I (along with a few other key noisists) had a fantastic, spring-wound, deepcut-groove time writing and tearing apart the trax that make up OXIDIZER. It’s a great record, very much in the vein of BURN OUT, while not imitating it. It updates and mutates and at its heart is a detonator coil set to go.
I’m really proud of it and everything that’s brought it this far. I want to make sure that all of Jason, Jamie and FJ’s hard work gets shown off in the best possible way, with the most power. However, everyone on the project felt that it got rushed at the end and needed more than we could give it at the time. It was a tough call but we’ve decided to bring in a second producer, Julian Beeston, to work with us on finishing off the record. This means that the record won’t be coming out until January but when it hits the streets, it’s guaranteed to be a multi-layered sonic beast even more improved by a second drag through the mixing desk.
To compensate somewhat for this disappointing delay, I’ll have copies of a limited edition EP with me on the Pigface tour. It’ll have a few trax on it that you might be interested in - a couple of trax from OXIDIZER, as well as two from some EAST SIDE MILITIA demos which I came across recently. The demos feature Geno and the late great William Tucker - very different versions than on the album, and they sound amazing!
Also, the official CHEMLAB web site will be up and running by the time I start the Pigface tour on November 5th. Be warned, it’s going to be in a state of mutation and freak-out for quite a while, shifting a lot as new discolorations are revealed. Check it out at www.hydrogenbar.com
OXIDIZER couldn't have happened without Jason, Jamie and FJ, and come January, I hope you’ll all agree that it was well worth waiting for. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.
Now hold still: here it comes...
jared"
A lof this was news to me, though now I'm hoping the remix in progress (now in the hands of Ash) makes it to the new EP. Timing is an issue and we will bust ass to try and get it on there in time. For the record, we (as the aggression, remember them?) are remixing the track BINARY NATION, one I co-wrote and play on, and is quite in the vein of BURN OUT AT THE HYDROGEN BAR. You'll dig it. Here is my comment on the EP from the Cracknation website "The EP should be interesting. There's a ton of stuff from JCPS that they never used that I compiled for Jared some months ago off a beaten up old cassette that will be on this thing. I'm curious as to what he will pick as there is some crazy shit (and honestly, there is some stuff that would have REALLY made that album a lot better, including alternate takes and such, as well as tunes they never finished)"
Anyway, everything is cool and I am driving a convertable here in LA, which is another story in itself. Forgive me, but it's time to eat at C'Brea, my favorite place to eat in LA.
F
PS: Stu Hart, legendary patriarch of the famous wrestling family, passed away today. Owen, I'm sure is waiting in that ring in the sky waiting to thrown down with his pop again. Bless.
Spent a lot of time here with my friend the Famous Comic Book Writer who just gets better and better and is doing amazing job writing my all time favorite title TEEN TITANS. He is so good and such a sweet guy. We spend every Wed I'm in LA buying comics and hopefully we will be collaborating on something big in the future. He also has a cool wife and a very cool office which he shares with another cool comic writer you all read.
Meanwhile...for Mark Mohtashemi and a few others who asked, here are your answers on THIS:
"Greetings, wireheads:
Jared here. This is just a quick posting to explain why the CHEMLAB record’s taking so damned long to hit the streets. Jason and Jamie and FJ and I (along with a few other key noisists) had a fantastic, spring-wound, deepcut-groove time writing and tearing apart the trax that make up OXIDIZER. It’s a great record, very much in the vein of BURN OUT, while not imitating it. It updates and mutates and at its heart is a detonator coil set to go.
I’m really proud of it and everything that’s brought it this far. I want to make sure that all of Jason, Jamie and FJ’s hard work gets shown off in the best possible way, with the most power. However, everyone on the project felt that it got rushed at the end and needed more than we could give it at the time. It was a tough call but we’ve decided to bring in a second producer, Julian Beeston, to work with us on finishing off the record. This means that the record won’t be coming out until January but when it hits the streets, it’s guaranteed to be a multi-layered sonic beast even more improved by a second drag through the mixing desk.
To compensate somewhat for this disappointing delay, I’ll have copies of a limited edition EP with me on the Pigface tour. It’ll have a few trax on it that you might be interested in - a couple of trax from OXIDIZER, as well as two from some EAST SIDE MILITIA demos which I came across recently. The demos feature Geno and the late great William Tucker - very different versions than on the album, and they sound amazing!
Also, the official CHEMLAB web site will be up and running by the time I start the Pigface tour on November 5th. Be warned, it’s going to be in a state of mutation and freak-out for quite a while, shifting a lot as new discolorations are revealed. Check it out at www.hydrogenbar.com
OXIDIZER couldn't have happened without Jason, Jamie and FJ, and come January, I hope you’ll all agree that it was well worth waiting for. In the meantime, thanks for your patience.
Now hold still: here it comes...
jared"
A lof this was news to me, though now I'm hoping the remix in progress (now in the hands of Ash) makes it to the new EP. Timing is an issue and we will bust ass to try and get it on there in time. For the record, we (as the aggression, remember them?) are remixing the track BINARY NATION, one I co-wrote and play on, and is quite in the vein of BURN OUT AT THE HYDROGEN BAR. You'll dig it. Here is my comment on the EP from the Cracknation website "The EP should be interesting. There's a ton of stuff from JCPS that they never used that I compiled for Jared some months ago off a beaten up old cassette that will be on this thing. I'm curious as to what he will pick as there is some crazy shit (and honestly, there is some stuff that would have REALLY made that album a lot better, including alternate takes and such, as well as tunes they never finished)"
Anyway, everything is cool and I am driving a convertable here in LA, which is another story in itself. Forgive me, but it's time to eat at C'Brea, my favorite place to eat in LA.
F
PS: Stu Hart, legendary patriarch of the famous wrestling family, passed away today. Owen, I'm sure is waiting in that ring in the sky waiting to thrown down with his pop again. Bless.
12.10.03
"Maybe it is I who is penetrating YOU!"
So Mr. G and I reunited to see KILL BILL yesterday. While I think I liked what I watched, I have to say overall, the film was disappointing. It lacks the cleverness and wit of Tarantino's other work. What I have always liked about his movies was his ability to put a new twist on American pop culture and make it ironic. In fact, that was the framework of his films and I believe the key to his success. However, by using Asian Cinema as his template, he is unable to get you invested in the film. And as some of you may know, I'm a "bit" of a fan of Asian Cinema and let me tell you this, KILL BILL is more of an homage than it is a parody. It's not ironic, it's not clever, and there's really nothing cool about it. The ending blows too. I think if it had been one lone 3-4 hour movie, I could have been satisfied.
Then the rest of the day and evening became quite British and here's why...
1. G, S.O. and I had fish and chips for dinner from A Salt and Battery on Second Ave. This is quite possibly the best fish and chips in the City, though I am somewhat partial to the pub. Poor G had to miss the last crucial minutes of the Yankees so we can meet Matt and Jax and something called Dougie at...
2. The EDDIE IZZARD show. Holy shit is this guy a genius. For years I had no clue about him other than he dressed up like a chick and then one night in London Jared and his wife played me some of Izzard's videos and man is he a blast. Anyhow, this was our first time seeing him live (and matt's 50th time or so), and it was worth the hit. The man has an uncanny ability to seemingly make throaway jokes only to go back to them later and make them funny as hell. During his set he tackled everything from Racisim, cavemen, super heroes, transvestites, the planet mars, dentists, horses, fighting, air flight, did the worst yet funniest Christopher Walken impersonation ever and even made a funny joke about 9/11 (based on the fact that the rest of the world writes their dates with the DAY first and not the month, thus "everyone was wondering WHAT exactly happened on November 9th!). Brilliant. The vibe we left with was so good. I think I was beaming from the laughter!
After a quick pit stop at the Tom aggression Birthday gathering, G and I met up with the Kidd, Ian Broon, and poontang to check out...
3. Saintface. Live. Taking a break from doing their album, the lads put on an entertaining rock show featuring all the ass shaking hits we love. They had a few technical snafus, which is always expected, but this is band which much confidence and energy and the tunes to back it all up. Later, I spoke at length with Peter Saintface about the album and while he told me which rockers are going on the refuses to tell me which ballads are being recorded for fear that I will "pursade" and I am one of the few people who can "sway" him. I am honoured to say the least. Things are looking up for this band and hopefully the album will be in all our grubby hands sooner than later. He and Michael Saintface both asked about HF2 and wheels should be set in motion upon my return from LA.
And now, a lazy day
F
Then the rest of the day and evening became quite British and here's why...
1. G, S.O. and I had fish and chips for dinner from A Salt and Battery on Second Ave. This is quite possibly the best fish and chips in the City, though I am somewhat partial to the pub. Poor G had to miss the last crucial minutes of the Yankees so we can meet Matt and Jax and something called Dougie at...
2. The EDDIE IZZARD show. Holy shit is this guy a genius. For years I had no clue about him other than he dressed up like a chick and then one night in London Jared and his wife played me some of Izzard's videos and man is he a blast. Anyhow, this was our first time seeing him live (and matt's 50th time or so), and it was worth the hit. The man has an uncanny ability to seemingly make throaway jokes only to go back to them later and make them funny as hell. During his set he tackled everything from Racisim, cavemen, super heroes, transvestites, the planet mars, dentists, horses, fighting, air flight, did the worst yet funniest Christopher Walken impersonation ever and even made a funny joke about 9/11 (based on the fact that the rest of the world writes their dates with the DAY first and not the month, thus "everyone was wondering WHAT exactly happened on November 9th!). Brilliant. The vibe we left with was so good. I think I was beaming from the laughter!
After a quick pit stop at the Tom aggression Birthday gathering, G and I met up with the Kidd, Ian Broon, and poontang to check out...
3. Saintface. Live. Taking a break from doing their album, the lads put on an entertaining rock show featuring all the ass shaking hits we love. They had a few technical snafus, which is always expected, but this is band which much confidence and energy and the tunes to back it all up. Later, I spoke at length with Peter Saintface about the album and while he told me which rockers are going on the refuses to tell me which ballads are being recorded for fear that I will "pursade" and I am one of the few people who can "sway" him. I am honoured to say the least. Things are looking up for this band and hopefully the album will be in all our grubby hands sooner than later. He and Michael Saintface both asked about HF2 and wheels should be set in motion upon my return from LA.
And now, a lazy day
F
10.10.03
Whats The Score?
In the wake of the recent rythmn section shake ups in Ass Cobra, which I'm sure is going to lead to some nasty shit amongst the MOGpac, Ash and Robin made their return to the Birdcage last night. Ash was hyper, Robin was not, so I knew they were both in the proper frame of mind to work. On the way down to the studio, I played them the new versions of 1956 and TWOBASSESTHIN. Both were met with enthusiasm. Everyone seems pleased with the direction the album is taking, but we all realize there is still work to be done. Oh yeah, and for the 4,000th time, we listened to Ass Cobra's DETROIT, which has supposedly taken 6 months to do.
I was happy to see B's friend Kid Who Looks Like Kid From Witness All Grown Up in town and chilling. He is quite fey yet handsome and I think because of that he pulls in tons of chicks. I was happy to find he had bought some chocolate donuts. He is quite thin and can live on these things. He watched MR SHOW and realized it wasn't that funny after all...
B and I had an agenda for these two and we put it in effect immediately. The first big decision was to cut almost 3/4 out of SOLAR and start from scratch. No one was happy with the song, so instead of talking about it for hours, we decided to just get rid of everything that was problematic and go at it again. Even I, who normally is adamant about keeping things, felt this made sense. I think the crew were a little surprised how agreeable I was. I'm not sure yet what this means for Link's sax parts, which concerns me a bit
Robin has been playing too much guitar lately, so I felt she needed a bass in her hands. I challenged Ash to stop playing guitar like a jazz half ass and to rock out a little bit. B sat in the corner, I think with a guitar, its hard to tell when Bat-Ash needs the lights off everytime we work. Ash and Robin switched back and forth between bass and guitar and the results were awesome. It took a really long time, which is kinda uncharacteristic for us, but it was worth it as we got the necessary parts to work with. Thanks to these two, we have a good verse and a really nice melodic bridge that (and I didn't say this to Ash at the time) sounds like The Cure.
During all this, I sat with a laptop, checking E-Mail, talking to a few folks online and looking bored . In reality, I'm jotting down ideas for arrangements, occasionally a lyrical idea, and listening VERY closely. Sometimes I'll just spring up and say "THAT'S IT!" or "NO NO NO". Anyway, B will have to lay down his stuff (also quite good) and get all this to me before I leave for LA on Tuesday so I can hammer it into shape. After that, we'll figure out where this tune stands, but I think it's in really good shape.
It was late, but I wanted to flesh out EXIST because I just wasn't happy with the bass in the chorus. And you know its serious when it's ME playing the bassline I don't like it. At this point I was kinda tired, but I recall Robin laying down a lot of bass for me to play with. I also think Ash threw down some guitars.
Overall, it was a evening serious success. It wasn't like our usual sessions where the magic happens immediately. This was more about getting deep into the guts of two songs and mining the gold out of them. It's not easy. Robin referred to is as "unproductive", though I countered that it's quality, not quantity, and Hypefactor got some real serious quality out of the kids last night.
My immediate task ahead is to work with the new stuff discussed above and to tweak 1956. I have written some lyrics for the song, which are actually the first for this album and now changes need to be made accordingly. In the meantime, the decision has been made to not write any more for this album until we have the live drums over the tracks. When we have that, we will then make the next round of creative decisions. I am hoping we can spend November getting the drums into shape. Then we will assess what we have and then go from there. I'm not putting any time restraints on this one. I want it perfect.
And perfect it shall be...
F
I was happy to see B's friend Kid Who Looks Like Kid From Witness All Grown Up in town and chilling. He is quite fey yet handsome and I think because of that he pulls in tons of chicks. I was happy to find he had bought some chocolate donuts. He is quite thin and can live on these things. He watched MR SHOW and realized it wasn't that funny after all...
B and I had an agenda for these two and we put it in effect immediately. The first big decision was to cut almost 3/4 out of SOLAR and start from scratch. No one was happy with the song, so instead of talking about it for hours, we decided to just get rid of everything that was problematic and go at it again. Even I, who normally is adamant about keeping things, felt this made sense. I think the crew were a little surprised how agreeable I was. I'm not sure yet what this means for Link's sax parts, which concerns me a bit
Robin has been playing too much guitar lately, so I felt she needed a bass in her hands. I challenged Ash to stop playing guitar like a jazz half ass and to rock out a little bit. B sat in the corner, I think with a guitar, its hard to tell when Bat-Ash needs the lights off everytime we work. Ash and Robin switched back and forth between bass and guitar and the results were awesome. It took a really long time, which is kinda uncharacteristic for us, but it was worth it as we got the necessary parts to work with. Thanks to these two, we have a good verse and a really nice melodic bridge that (and I didn't say this to Ash at the time) sounds like The Cure.
During all this, I sat with a laptop, checking E-Mail, talking to a few folks online and looking bored . In reality, I'm jotting down ideas for arrangements, occasionally a lyrical idea, and listening VERY closely. Sometimes I'll just spring up and say "THAT'S IT!" or "NO NO NO". Anyway, B will have to lay down his stuff (also quite good) and get all this to me before I leave for LA on Tuesday so I can hammer it into shape. After that, we'll figure out where this tune stands, but I think it's in really good shape.
It was late, but I wanted to flesh out EXIST because I just wasn't happy with the bass in the chorus. And you know its serious when it's ME playing the bassline I don't like it. At this point I was kinda tired, but I recall Robin laying down a lot of bass for me to play with. I also think Ash threw down some guitars.
Overall, it was a evening serious success. It wasn't like our usual sessions where the magic happens immediately. This was more about getting deep into the guts of two songs and mining the gold out of them. It's not easy. Robin referred to is as "unproductive", though I countered that it's quality, not quantity, and Hypefactor got some real serious quality out of the kids last night.
My immediate task ahead is to work with the new stuff discussed above and to tweak 1956. I have written some lyrics for the song, which are actually the first for this album and now changes need to be made accordingly. In the meantime, the decision has been made to not write any more for this album until we have the live drums over the tracks. When we have that, we will then make the next round of creative decisions. I am hoping we can spend November getting the drums into shape. Then we will assess what we have and then go from there. I'm not putting any time restraints on this one. I want it perfect.
And perfect it shall be...
F
9.10.03
Where am I?
Hi Ashley:
After an early breakfast this morning with my old pal the famous Martial Arts Cinema historian/Author (who hated KILL BILL by the way), I decided to stroll through Times Square in search of inspiration for my mom's Birthday gift. I hadn't been up there since G, Matt and I spent an evening with Wrestling Superstar Who Used to Be Shinobi. Anyway, I am a die hard New Yorker, to the end hopefully, but there is some weird shit in Times Square. Based on my experience today, I would like to tell you that we live in a world in which:
1. Robert Evans has an animated series about his life (that's actually a plus).
2. Posh Spice shills for hip hop clothing. What the FUCK.
3. Why is my agent/lawyer/advisor spending money for me and my girlfriend to see "A Boy George musical" that is also a "Rosie O'Donnell production". This is BROADWAY? Where are the actors?
4. Jason Patric on Broadway. Nuff said. And no, he's not an actor, he's a method half ass.
5. And to make it worse, he is "acting" opposite Ashley Judd.
6. Bubba Gump Shirmp Company opens on December 6th. I'll be at Sardi's thanks.
This is all I can think of it. It was too much. I hate myself. Anyway, I ended up getting mom tickets to see Hugh Jackman looking crazy disco gay in THE BOY FROM OZ. and yes, I'm going too. Dan Hamill just told me "Moms love singing fags". I would have agreed with this, but Jackman IS Wolverine, so he's tops in my books.
My "celebrity" sighting was Robert Sean Leonard who looks like my relative who married a woman to cover the fact that he loved men. There's nothing wrong with that! Stop it! Gay is OK. Where the hell are the real stars!
Anyway, this sent me packing right into the Virgin Megastore where they expected me to spend 30 bucks on the new John Cale album. Luckily, Amazon UK has it for like 14 bucks. Screw you Branson. I ALMOST bought the new Interpol single cause it's the Arthur Baker remix, but its just two song. Lousy. Luckily I came to my senses and ran home, where I now have to go meet my former student, Edward, who is a nice guy.
Two more remixes have arrived: The first one comes all the way from Japan. SINO, who you can read about in the new Industrial Nation, took an interesting approach to DREAMS TO DEATH and made it a nasty machine dirge. It's very simple, but effective and fits in real nice on the EP. In the meantime, the lads in Cyanotic delivered their remix of THESE MILLION NIGHTS and have taken a drum n bass approach to it. Solid. I'm really happy with it and it gives us something we don't have yet on the record. One thing I have learned from all this is that Tom's vocals remix really well. Remixers love the smooth vocals.
Meanwhile I am working on a remix for a band you all know and love but are curious as to where their new album is. I am just as curious to be honest with you as I thought I would have it by now. Who knows. I'll get back to you on that. Also, I'll report back tonight or tomorrow after we get the crew together at the studio. Lots happening with HF. Till then...
F
After an early breakfast this morning with my old pal the famous Martial Arts Cinema historian/Author (who hated KILL BILL by the way), I decided to stroll through Times Square in search of inspiration for my mom's Birthday gift. I hadn't been up there since G, Matt and I spent an evening with Wrestling Superstar Who Used to Be Shinobi. Anyway, I am a die hard New Yorker, to the end hopefully, but there is some weird shit in Times Square. Based on my experience today, I would like to tell you that we live in a world in which:
1. Robert Evans has an animated series about his life (that's actually a plus).
2. Posh Spice shills for hip hop clothing. What the FUCK.
3. Why is my agent/lawyer/advisor spending money for me and my girlfriend to see "A Boy George musical" that is also a "Rosie O'Donnell production". This is BROADWAY? Where are the actors?
4. Jason Patric on Broadway. Nuff said. And no, he's not an actor, he's a method half ass.
5. And to make it worse, he is "acting" opposite Ashley Judd.
6. Bubba Gump Shirmp Company opens on December 6th. I'll be at Sardi's thanks.
This is all I can think of it. It was too much. I hate myself. Anyway, I ended up getting mom tickets to see Hugh Jackman looking crazy disco gay in THE BOY FROM OZ. and yes, I'm going too. Dan Hamill just told me "Moms love singing fags". I would have agreed with this, but Jackman IS Wolverine, so he's tops in my books.
My "celebrity" sighting was Robert Sean Leonard who looks like my relative who married a woman to cover the fact that he loved men. There's nothing wrong with that! Stop it! Gay is OK. Where the hell are the real stars!
Anyway, this sent me packing right into the Virgin Megastore where they expected me to spend 30 bucks on the new John Cale album. Luckily, Amazon UK has it for like 14 bucks. Screw you Branson. I ALMOST bought the new Interpol single cause it's the Arthur Baker remix, but its just two song. Lousy. Luckily I came to my senses and ran home, where I now have to go meet my former student, Edward, who is a nice guy.
Two more remixes have arrived: The first one comes all the way from Japan. SINO, who you can read about in the new Industrial Nation, took an interesting approach to DREAMS TO DEATH and made it a nasty machine dirge. It's very simple, but effective and fits in real nice on the EP. In the meantime, the lads in Cyanotic delivered their remix of THESE MILLION NIGHTS and have taken a drum n bass approach to it. Solid. I'm really happy with it and it gives us something we don't have yet on the record. One thing I have learned from all this is that Tom's vocals remix really well. Remixers love the smooth vocals.
Meanwhile I am working on a remix for a band you all know and love but are curious as to where their new album is. I am just as curious to be honest with you as I thought I would have it by now. Who knows. I'll get back to you on that. Also, I'll report back tonight or tomorrow after we get the crew together at the studio. Lots happening with HF. Till then...
F
5.10.03
The Plot Thickens...
Despite my being distracted by Dan Hamill's discovery of classic wrestling on channel 70, the vision of the new Hypefactor album became significantly clearer with a whirlwind editing/arranging sessions yesterday at the Birdcage. With this session, two songs, 1956 and TWOBASSES took massive shape and now have the structure and guts they need to become excellent songs. I heard B's new guitar parts for 1956 yesterday and was really happy with them. As usual, there was a lot to listen to, and this actually led to my editing new sections of the song just based on his new guitar parts. This song is a stormer. Meanwhile, he was really into my weird arrangement for TWOBASSES, which is basically two songs now, and I think we are going to treat it as such. the first half is acoustic/electro and the second half is a Stone Roses-esque dance jam. But each part uses elements from the other. I'm REALLY psyched.
If all goes well, we should have the album laid out and ready for live drums in the next few weeks. of course, Ash will come in this week and kill the buzz by wanting tons of stuff changed (I mean this in a good way).
Meanwhile, S.O. and I caught up with Mr. G and we saw SCHOOL OF ROCK featuring the genius that is Jack Black. This movie is hilarious and makes the best use of the Jack Black gimmick, taking it to new heights. What made it even more interesting was watching these kids rock out and they knew how to really play. I'd be curious to see how they cast this movie (something, I'm sure for the DVD). Then we met up with members of poontang and sang Verve and Robbie Williams songs till the wee hours at the original MOG hang out O'Hanolans.
And now the best news of the morning:
Revenge/Monaco album announced
LTM are pleased to announce a deluxe 2xCD reissue of the sole album by Revenge, the electro/hard rock hybrid fronted by New Order bass player Peter Hook between 1989 and 1992. Following the release of Technique in 1989, the four members of New Order spent time apart to pursue other ventures. Always intended as a proper band rather than a solo project, Hook was joined in Revenge by Chris Jones and Dave Hicks, and later by David Potts, who would remain with Hook as part of Monaco five years later. Indeed in some respects Revenge can be seen as a dry run for Monaco, who went on to deliver a top ten album and single in 1997. One True Passion was first released by Factory Records in June 1990 and spawned a trio of singles, 7 Reasons, Pineapple Face and Slave. Given free reign to indulge Hook’s leather-trousered rockist instincts, the OTP material welded hard rock to dance beats, with a lyrical focus on sin and redemption. The artwork was just as contradictory, combining sleek Peter Saville typography with softcore imagery by Suze Randall. The band toured like bastards, and in January 1992 delivered the excellent ep Gun World Porn, which offered a more laid back, intimate feel. Deleted after the messy collapse of Factory in late 1992, One True Passion has now been retooled and reconfigured by Hook and Potts, and comes with a full-length bonus disc of rare remixes and unreleased songs in demo form. Standout tracks include 7 Reasons, Deadbeat, Big Bang, State of Shock, Pineapple Face and Jesus I Love You. All material has been carefully digitally remastered. The set contains over two hours of music, and the booklet includes sleevenotes by Joy Division/New Order biographer Claude Flowers.
I feel it appropros that in the middle of my second CD exploring these very influences that this retrospective is announced. Mega!
F
If all goes well, we should have the album laid out and ready for live drums in the next few weeks. of course, Ash will come in this week and kill the buzz by wanting tons of stuff changed (I mean this in a good way).
Meanwhile, S.O. and I caught up with Mr. G and we saw SCHOOL OF ROCK featuring the genius that is Jack Black. This movie is hilarious and makes the best use of the Jack Black gimmick, taking it to new heights. What made it even more interesting was watching these kids rock out and they knew how to really play. I'd be curious to see how they cast this movie (something, I'm sure for the DVD). Then we met up with members of poontang and sang Verve and Robbie Williams songs till the wee hours at the original MOG hang out O'Hanolans.
And now the best news of the morning:
Revenge/Monaco album announced
LTM are pleased to announce a deluxe 2xCD reissue of the sole album by Revenge, the electro/hard rock hybrid fronted by New Order bass player Peter Hook between 1989 and 1992. Following the release of Technique in 1989, the four members of New Order spent time apart to pursue other ventures. Always intended as a proper band rather than a solo project, Hook was joined in Revenge by Chris Jones and Dave Hicks, and later by David Potts, who would remain with Hook as part of Monaco five years later. Indeed in some respects Revenge can be seen as a dry run for Monaco, who went on to deliver a top ten album and single in 1997. One True Passion was first released by Factory Records in June 1990 and spawned a trio of singles, 7 Reasons, Pineapple Face and Slave. Given free reign to indulge Hook’s leather-trousered rockist instincts, the OTP material welded hard rock to dance beats, with a lyrical focus on sin and redemption. The artwork was just as contradictory, combining sleek Peter Saville typography with softcore imagery by Suze Randall. The band toured like bastards, and in January 1992 delivered the excellent ep Gun World Porn, which offered a more laid back, intimate feel. Deleted after the messy collapse of Factory in late 1992, One True Passion has now been retooled and reconfigured by Hook and Potts, and comes with a full-length bonus disc of rare remixes and unreleased songs in demo form. Standout tracks include 7 Reasons, Deadbeat, Big Bang, State of Shock, Pineapple Face and Jesus I Love You. All material has been carefully digitally remastered. The set contains over two hours of music, and the booklet includes sleevenotes by Joy Division/New Order biographer Claude Flowers.
I feel it appropros that in the middle of my second CD exploring these very influences that this retrospective is announced. Mega!
F
3.10.03
Hailing From Our Nation's Capitol...
In DC for a few days. For the first time since S.O. lived here when we were wee kids in love, I took Amtrack down. However, thanks to some travel experience, was bumped up to first class, which was a delight. The tea was always handy, just like on Continental's first class flights, but the difference here is that a. you can use your cel phone and b. they have outlets for each seat, which for a guy like me who seemingly has become physically grafted to his laptop, is a blessing. This is a far cry from the last time I was on an extended train ride, which was in Mother Russia (see theaggression.com tour diary for details), however, the Russian dining cars are the BEST (right, Matt?).
Therefore, the 2 and a half hours on the Acela Train gave me time to work on the HF2 song TWOBASSES, which I have mentioned previously. It's a tough song with a lot of parts, so the bulk of my time was spent figuring out how to mesh the very fast part with the very slow part. NOT easy, but I made some headway and thus I am looking very forward to my train ride back to NYC (hopefully) this afternoon to get deeper into it. I think, and this is for those in the corp. reading it, I'm going to add little noises and such from the faster part and pepper them throughout the slower part for continuity. I sound like a chef.
Anyhow, I am staying at the Willard in DC. Fancy-ass hotel. Awesome. My lovely S.O. would dig the hell out of this place. But historically significant because it is the bar where Ulysses S. Grant would drink. All the politicians who wanted his ear would hang out in this lobby to wait for him to get him to sign off on things while he was wasted on rye. Hence, the term "lobbyists". How cool is that?! That's your history lesson of the day.
The kids in Cyaontic wrote me to say their remix for the aggression EP should be done today. I'll report on once they send me an MP3.
In the best news of the week, former aggression vocalist turned important screenwriter and his Mrs. have had their long-awaited baby, a girl, who's name, at the moment I don't know how to properly spell, so I will refrain from trying. Needless to say, it's not F.J. Everyone is in good health. The Mom called me and she sounded like she had just come back from shopping, while the Dad sounded like he just did 4 tours of duty in Iraq. Hilarious. Bless! I have no doubt that S.O. is currently shopping for MORE for this new child, as my lovely girilfriend has bought more clothes for this baby than I have in my closet. But hey, kids are awesome. I get my lil cuz's on Sunday!
On the run.
F
Therefore, the 2 and a half hours on the Acela Train gave me time to work on the HF2 song TWOBASSES, which I have mentioned previously. It's a tough song with a lot of parts, so the bulk of my time was spent figuring out how to mesh the very fast part with the very slow part. NOT easy, but I made some headway and thus I am looking very forward to my train ride back to NYC (hopefully) this afternoon to get deeper into it. I think, and this is for those in the corp. reading it, I'm going to add little noises and such from the faster part and pepper them throughout the slower part for continuity. I sound like a chef.
Anyhow, I am staying at the Willard in DC. Fancy-ass hotel. Awesome. My lovely S.O. would dig the hell out of this place. But historically significant because it is the bar where Ulysses S. Grant would drink. All the politicians who wanted his ear would hang out in this lobby to wait for him to get him to sign off on things while he was wasted on rye. Hence, the term "lobbyists". How cool is that?! That's your history lesson of the day.
The kids in Cyaontic wrote me to say their remix for the aggression EP should be done today. I'll report on once they send me an MP3.
In the best news of the week, former aggression vocalist turned important screenwriter and his Mrs. have had their long-awaited baby, a girl, who's name, at the moment I don't know how to properly spell, so I will refrain from trying. Needless to say, it's not F.J. Everyone is in good health. The Mom called me and she sounded like she had just come back from shopping, while the Dad sounded like he just did 4 tours of duty in Iraq. Hilarious. Bless! I have no doubt that S.O. is currently shopping for MORE for this new child, as my lovely girilfriend has bought more clothes for this baby than I have in my closet. But hey, kids are awesome. I get my lil cuz's on Sunday!
On the run.
F