Thursday, September 24, 2009

Mix #7, Fela Reissued, etc.

So things have been busy with school, work and all the other things that keep us from doing what we really want to do, but there is a lot of exciting stuff going on in our world as well.

Nothing has truly materialized yet, but we're starting to have ideas of where we're going to record and mix (maybe different places) album 3. Whenever this stage comes about there is a little spark of excitement because all the ideas that are in different stages of completion have a foreseeable end. You can write a song to the ground but until it's recorded there is something (in my mind) that is unfinished about it. The studio is the final instrument and it's a major one.

Today I got really excited when I saw on the new version of itunes that you could post mixes on itunes for others to listen to. As I looked into how exactly this was done I became disappointed, finding out that the mixes could only be comprised of songs you've purchased from itunes. Makes sense, but it also sucks. So needless to say, I'll be posting mixes in the same format that I've been doing these last few months. Link to the mix bellow.

Along with the greatness of The Beatles being reissued I just found out the a couple days ago that all of Fela Kuti's (the great Nigerian bandleader, singer, saxophonist, keyboardist and songwriter who was one of the main entry-points for the three of us to get into African music) Albums (many of which were unavailable in the states) are going to be reissued in the coming year and a half. Yippee!

Also.....if you feel like it, come check us out at The Tradewinds in Cotati on Oct 1st and/or 27th


1. In My Room - The Beach Boys
2. Havana Affair - The Ramones
3. Não Vá Se Perder por Aí - Os Mutantes
4. Save Me - Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
5. Leki Santchi - Napo De Mi Amor Et Ses Black Devils
6. Stay Hungry (live) - Talking Heads
7. My Kingdom - Echo & The Bunnymen
8. Caroline Goodbye - Colin Blunstone
9. Never Going Back Again - Fleetwood Mac
10. Møljekalas - Bjørn Torsk

Friday, September 11, 2009

So a couple things:

1) Rob and I have commenced recording for Cowabunga. We're definitely at the beginning stages, but it's never the less going well. For those that like our music in The Buttercream Gang, but don't want to have to contemplate "to dance or not to dance?" and would rather be hit over the head with it, your day will soon be here.

2) I've been in a bit of a fervor for The Beatles, which actually started a few weeks ago at a time when it somehow hadn't come upon me that all their albums where being reissued this last Wednesday. I bought the book Revolution in the Head by Ian MacDonald, which chronicles The Beatles career in relation to each of their songs and for anyone who is interested in them that much, I haven't been able to go to bed at night without reading at least about a few songs. It's great because you could, in essence, read it start to finish, but jumping at any random song works great to. It offers a good look at the culture (how the song "Tomorrow Never Knows" helped bring about acid culture to the masses) the lyrics (Lennon's cynical, self-referential songs and so-forth) and the mood in the studio at the time (Ringo throwing his drums sticks across the studio and yelling "I've got blisters on my fingers" after a ton of takes of "Helter Skelter"). Anyways, it's nothing new, the books been around for a while, but I've just now been getting into and going even farther down the rabbit hole that is The Beatles' music. Some would say that it's pretty extreme to say this, but I just can't see a band ever being this good. My musical tastes change and expand and I've been turned on to some crazy good shit, but they still hold the number one position for me (if one has to rank).

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

This song is doing it for me right now in a big way. Thought some of you might also like it. The band has the audacious name of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich. They apparently were much more popular in Britain than over here, but this is a jam that can be enjoyed as a fun little pop jem

provedrecording@yahoo.com