Everyone is home from vacation finally, so it was "Back To School" day at the Birdcage yesterday. Maybe Brandt can explain better, but there's a film crew in his house and it has something to do with the Republican Convention (which I successfully avoided all week). B was supposed to protest and get arrested (i think for the movie) and had made arrangments with me to bail him out. Sadly this didn't trasnpire and he came by my apartment to add some music software for my computer. I was all excited to blog about bailing him out of jail...dang.
Anyway, that means the majority of the studio except our main space is filled with cameras and gear and people. However, this means EVERYTHING is crammed into the stuido to make room for the filmmakers. Also, the place is filled with TONS of vinyl, videos and box sets that B's mom has forced him to remove from her house in Chicago. This is quite a significant amount of stuff. The Birdcage now has every piece of vinyl Wax Trax ever released, including every white label, test pressing, promo tape, etc. as well as a massive collection of just rare insanity that would give even the hardered music fanatic (like me) goosebumps. And yes the first thing we threw on was the KMFDM white label from MONEY that was discussed in depth here. It was pretty cool!
Just as my 6 year old nephew has dropped the training wheels of his new bike in what seems like a few short days, my return to the Birdcage to resume work on the new Hypefactor album was just like riding a bike. I was there to work and work I did (though admittedly at a leisurely pace). My expertise lies in song arrangement and structure and our song CLEAN UP, which will be sung by Peter Saintface, needed to be edited before Peter makes his way downtown this coming week to sing his heart out in the name of Hypefactor. The original song was very long and even Peter contributed an edit sometime back, but he removed big chunks that I felt served as good pre-choruses. I knew somewhere there was a good middle ground to be reached. It took a bit, but by shortening those F-bass pre-choruses, removing a whole chorus, and shortening the intro, I was able to shave a good minute and a half and get the tune into the 4:30 range. I think we have a much better song. I actually wanted to shorten some of the verses, but I decided to wait until we see what Peter comes up with. If he sings as well as he has on the new Saintface album, we're gonna have ourselves one sweet Hypefactor record.
According to Brandt, we're supposedly in good shape with the record in terms of being ready to mix. There are a few drum edits left (If he's not bullshitting me) and on Wednesday, we're going to bring the rest of the crew in for some quick dubs just to make everything airtight.
Later, after meeting Irene in soho for some Vincent Gallo Chocolate (thanks for the tasty birthday present, B), we gathered with G, Lurch and Evan to check out the film GARDEN STATE. Now, I had heard nothing but raves for this movie, which always concerns me. It stars a sitcom actor called Zach Braff who is also the writer and director of this film. I won't get into the plot too much, but it's a journey of self-discovery about failed LA actor who comes home to Jersey for his mother's funeral. Now back in Jersey he re-connects with his childhood loser best friend (the excellent Peter Sarsgaard) and meets a girl, played by Natalie Portman, who changes everything. It's a very touching tragi-comedy that is supurbly acted and well directed for a first-timer. Braff is without a doubt a talented director and a good writer as well, but it's his acting, along with the other leads that brings this to a whole different level. Sarsgaard is great, but my old friend Nat steals this movie and never gives it back the second she appears on screen. She's Oscar worthy in this and it shows what she can do when directed properly (too late to take note Mr. Lucas). You fall in love with her long before the main character does. This movie had us laughing one minute and choked up the next. Lurch and Irene cried, that should say it all. See it. I'll own this one. It's this years LOST IN TRANSLATION. Excellent, moving filmmaking. Loved it.
Back to the NME.
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