Sunday - February 25, 2007
Entertainment tonight: Randi Russo show at The Annex.
Tracy Island: News
Friday - February 22, 2007
Excitement tonight: The Larch is playing at the Laila Lounge . 10pm. No cover. The promise of tightly rendered new and newish songs The Larch has been recording.
I've noticed this page has turned into more of a weekly-wrap-up than a day-to-day diary lately. That's just because so much is getting done. Here's the last week in review:
Last Saturday we were at the 'bat laying down the last two basic tracks for our third album. "Smug Ugly" took a few takes for us to settle in and be happy with the transition between the swampy rock-riffin' feel of the main part of the song into the prog-ish bridge section, but we definitely did it. After a dinner break we tackled our slow song "Take Us to the Stars." After months of joking about should we all drink cough syrup to record this song, or stay up until 5 in the morning, we actually got there the second time through, just listening to each other and the quiet spaces between the beats. Then we drank some jack. That was a nice session.
Sunday was our show at Kenny's, and wow it was a blast. My Mom came to town to see the show (How often do we play at 7pm? How family friendly is that?) and things worked out to where I was driving her car from Brooklyn to Bleecker street so as not to stress her with the city driving. Except who knew it was Chinese New Year? So instead I was completely red in the head sitting in traffic at 10 to 7. And I had to pee...
I actually drove up on the sidewalk (just a little) but I got us to Crosby Street and we made it to Kenny's around 7:05 (5 minutes before the sound man who as it turns out was also sitting in traffic except on a city bus).
Our previously mentioned crackerjack video team of James & Elisa were already there and setting up some flattering lighting for us (obviously I did something good in some former life to deserve those friends!), and the 5 minute pre-sound man interval was just enough to down a double-Jamesons as I decided to make it a devil may care kinda night (knowing Mom would leave at a reasonable hour and find her way back to Brooklyn - I just didn't want to send her on her own going to a place she'd never been).
So there was steam to be blown and blow it we did. I can't remember ever having more fun on stage, just really feeling relaxed and free to be ourselves. It turned out to be a very well documented show (including the in-house Kenny cam there were 3 video cameras...) so images etc. will be forthcoming.
Meanwhile the set we played was:
Meet the Animal (MEET THE ANIMAL)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Learning Lessons (UNRELEASED)
Where Is My Robot Maid? (UNRELEASED)
P-E-T-R-O-L-E-U-M (UNRELEASED)
Straight to the Body (UNRELEASED)
Smug Ugly (UNRELEASED)
The Hats (UNRELEASED)
Take Us to the Stars (UNRELEASED)
No Exceptions (UNRELEASED)
Eddie Come Down (MEET THE ANMAL)
---
Glam Jacket (AND THE WONDERWHEELS)
What I do for Payday (MEET THE ANIMAL)
Belle Michelle, who inspired Straight to the Body one night when we were hanging at the Continental (back when that bar used to be a music venue... remember that?) was there and heard her song for the first time. For the record, she started it with all that "I wish someone would write a song for me," and now we're both quite happy with the song she got.
This entry grows long, the hour late and still more happened last week:
Manitoba's got burned with a bullshit noise complaint fine and stopped the whopping 120 minutes of live music they were booking once a week on Monday evenings, and so another East Village tradition bites the dust. There's a rant to be written here about the lack of foresight in people who move to Ave. B and expect quiet nights, however since the live music there used to stop at 10pm anyway, let's all just say the new neighbors who moved in and complained totally suck and have accrued the bad karma of scuttling any number of fine band performances - including the one we had scheduled there for March 26. You'll see it's now off the calendar .
Meanwhile the Brooklyn Library - a public institution that receives funding from Target Corp. and has solicited funding from no less than the greedy Rat-man Ratner himself - is being accused of artistic censorship! Read all about the Footprint fracas here .
And guess who got to cover the opening of the "Salon des Refusés de la Bibliothèque de Brooklyn" show of the refused art at Freddy's for the Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse TV show? That's right! I love interviewing for that show. I met all the artists and man those were some cool people.
Speaking of cool people, our new pal Eartaste has done the following:
1) Posted a review of track 8 from MEET THE ANIMAL, We Are the Media .
2) Put We Are the Media on his February 16 taster podcast .
3) And even found time to acclaim our X-mas 2006 single "G-L-O-R-I-A" on his message board .
I've noticed this page has turned into more of a weekly-wrap-up than a day-to-day diary lately. That's just because so much is getting done. Here's the last week in review:
Last Saturday we were at the 'bat laying down the last two basic tracks for our third album. "Smug Ugly" took a few takes for us to settle in and be happy with the transition between the swampy rock-riffin' feel of the main part of the song into the prog-ish bridge section, but we definitely did it. After a dinner break we tackled our slow song "Take Us to the Stars." After months of joking about should we all drink cough syrup to record this song, or stay up until 5 in the morning, we actually got there the second time through, just listening to each other and the quiet spaces between the beats. Then we drank some jack. That was a nice session.
Sunday was our show at Kenny's, and wow it was a blast. My Mom came to town to see the show (How often do we play at 7pm? How family friendly is that?) and things worked out to where I was driving her car from Brooklyn to Bleecker street so as not to stress her with the city driving. Except who knew it was Chinese New Year? So instead I was completely red in the head sitting in traffic at 10 to 7. And I had to pee...
I actually drove up on the sidewalk (just a little) but I got us to Crosby Street and we made it to Kenny's around 7:05 (5 minutes before the sound man who as it turns out was also sitting in traffic except on a city bus).
Our previously mentioned crackerjack video team of James & Elisa were already there and setting up some flattering lighting for us (obviously I did something good in some former life to deserve those friends!), and the 5 minute pre-sound man interval was just enough to down a double-Jamesons as I decided to make it a devil may care kinda night (knowing Mom would leave at a reasonable hour and find her way back to Brooklyn - I just didn't want to send her on her own going to a place she'd never been).
So there was steam to be blown and blow it we did. I can't remember ever having more fun on stage, just really feeling relaxed and free to be ourselves. It turned out to be a very well documented show (including the in-house Kenny cam there were 3 video cameras...) so images etc. will be forthcoming.
Meanwhile the set we played was:
Meet the Animal (MEET THE ANIMAL)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Learning Lessons (UNRELEASED)
Where Is My Robot Maid? (UNRELEASED)
P-E-T-R-O-L-E-U-M (UNRELEASED)
Straight to the Body (UNRELEASED)
Smug Ugly (UNRELEASED)
The Hats (UNRELEASED)
Take Us to the Stars (UNRELEASED)
No Exceptions (UNRELEASED)
Eddie Come Down (MEET THE ANMAL)
---
Glam Jacket (AND THE WONDERWHEELS)
What I do for Payday (MEET THE ANIMAL)
Belle Michelle, who inspired Straight to the Body one night when we were hanging at the Continental (back when that bar used to be a music venue... remember that?) was there and heard her song for the first time. For the record, she started it with all that "I wish someone would write a song for me," and now we're both quite happy with the song she got.
This entry grows long, the hour late and still more happened last week:
Manitoba's got burned with a bullshit noise complaint fine and stopped the whopping 120 minutes of live music they were booking once a week on Monday evenings, and so another East Village tradition bites the dust. There's a rant to be written here about the lack of foresight in people who move to Ave. B and expect quiet nights, however since the live music there used to stop at 10pm anyway, let's all just say the new neighbors who moved in and complained totally suck and have accrued the bad karma of scuttling any number of fine band performances - including the one we had scheduled there for March 26. You'll see it's now off the calendar .
Meanwhile the Brooklyn Library - a public institution that receives funding from Target Corp. and has solicited funding from no less than the greedy Rat-man Ratner himself - is being accused of artistic censorship! Read all about the Footprint fracas here .
And guess who got to cover the opening of the "Salon des Refusés de la Bibliothèque de Brooklyn" show of the refused art at Freddy's for the Freddy's Brooklyn Roundhouse TV show? That's right! I love interviewing for that show. I met all the artists and man those were some cool people.
Speaking of cool people, our new pal Eartaste has done the following:
1) Posted a review of track 8 from MEET THE ANIMAL, We Are the Media .
2) Put We Are the Media on his February 16 taster podcast .
3) And even found time to acclaim our X-mas 2006 single "G-L-O-R-I-A" on his message board .
Friday - February 16, 2007
New link for photos from our February 3 show at the Laila Lounge. Thank you Elisa Zazzera for being our photographer! She and James Dean are working with us on a video for a song that will be on our third record. Have I mentioned this? We are very excited, in fact we may even be animated! They were shooting "B roll footage" at the Laila show which would seem to imply a number of exciting things including that there will be "A roll footage," and there will be: James and Elisa are planning to tape at our show this Sunday Feb. 18 at Kenny's Castaways on Bleecker Street.
Shout out to Rich who runs Eartaste out of Sabinal, Texas! He tasted Eddie Come Down (MEET THE ANIMAL) on Mon. Feb. 5 and put us on this tasty podcast sampler which has snips from the following playlist:
1. Arrested Development - It's Time
2. U2 - Window In The Skies
3. Liza & the WonderWheels - Eddie Come Down
4. The Red Button - She's Going Down
5. Jukebox The Ghost - Spiraling
6. Spocks Beard - Skeletons At The Feast
7. Plain White T's - Come Back to Me
You can also read what he wrote on our press page , and of course Eartaste is now tastefully linked on our growing list of drops of Liza & the WonderWheels press coverage in the saturated and superficial media bucket.
Speaking of which did you see the Grammy's?
Saturday we recorded the basic track for "No Exceptions" with two drummers. Yes, that explains why Tom Pope replaced Joe Filosa for that song at our show at Laila. I think we ended up with a kicking track! Although I'm sure plenty of people who don't read liner notes will comment that Joe's drums sound extra amazing on just that one track, if you can focus your listening you can start to hear the way the two drummers are talking to each other, and there's this one fill that just goes on and on - from one drum set right around the other - that's just perfection.
On Valentine's Day we had a band rehearsal because there is nothing like the love between a girl and her band. We had a good practice actually, especially as one of the two songs we're recording basic tracks on tomorrow finally slipped into place in terms of exactly how we want to approach it. Right under the wire. Lest you think us unromantic, Valentine's is being celebrated tonight - starting with a sushi supper, of course.
Also, going to a party on the Upper West Side last week, the Wombat and Ian & I were trapped in an elevator along with two other friends and a resident of the apartment building. We were rescued after about only 15 minutes by three firemen, and walked up stairs to the party where for the rest of the evening we had no problem mingling with lots of interesting people as everyone kept asking "oh you were the ones who got trapped in the elevator?" No matter how much you believe you have experienced, there's always still a first time left for something or other.
Shout out to Rich who runs Eartaste out of Sabinal, Texas! He tasted Eddie Come Down (MEET THE ANIMAL) on Mon. Feb. 5 and put us on this tasty podcast sampler which has snips from the following playlist:
1. Arrested Development - It's Time
2. U2 - Window In The Skies
3. Liza & the WonderWheels - Eddie Come Down
4. The Red Button - She's Going Down
5. Jukebox The Ghost - Spiraling
6. Spocks Beard - Skeletons At The Feast
7. Plain White T's - Come Back to Me
You can also read what he wrote on our press page , and of course Eartaste is now tastefully linked on our growing list of drops of Liza & the WonderWheels press coverage in the saturated and superficial media bucket.
Speaking of which did you see the Grammy's?
Saturday we recorded the basic track for "No Exceptions" with two drummers. Yes, that explains why Tom Pope replaced Joe Filosa for that song at our show at Laila. I think we ended up with a kicking track! Although I'm sure plenty of people who don't read liner notes will comment that Joe's drums sound extra amazing on just that one track, if you can focus your listening you can start to hear the way the two drummers are talking to each other, and there's this one fill that just goes on and on - from one drum set right around the other - that's just perfection.
On Valentine's Day we had a band rehearsal because there is nothing like the love between a girl and her band. We had a good practice actually, especially as one of the two songs we're recording basic tracks on tomorrow finally slipped into place in terms of exactly how we want to approach it. Right under the wire. Lest you think us unromantic, Valentine's is being celebrated tonight - starting with a sushi supper, of course.
Also, going to a party on the Upper West Side last week, the Wombat and Ian & I were trapped in an elevator along with two other friends and a resident of the apartment building. We were rescued after about only 15 minutes by three firemen, and walked up stairs to the party where for the rest of the evening we had no problem mingling with lots of interesting people as everyone kept asking "oh you were the ones who got trapped in the elevator?" No matter how much you believe you have experienced, there's always still a first time left for something or other.
Friday - February 9, 2007
Mesmerized by life's flow of experiences, overwhelmed sometimes at how much is getting done:
We have basic tracks with guitars on six songs for the new record, and vocals on four of those. I'm relieved to have my guitar tracked on "Straight to the Body," a delicate part, and I think we got all components into their right separate grooves. The studio high point of the last two weeks was recording Ian's guitar solo on "Where Is My Robot Maid" in a rubber-burning one-take explosion, although speaking of right separate grooves, The Larch have also resumed recording which means there's not a lot of:
- Show going (although I did buy Robyn Hitchcock [& the Venus 3] tickets)
- Record buying (thank goodness for Steph's gift of The Housemartins Live at the BBC to augment my vow to dispatch my tape collection)
- Writing. Ideas come along and get listed, truncated until time can be spent to give them flesh.
We played last Saturday at the Laila Lounge to a chill-resistant crowd. Rumor has it the vocals sounded good from the audience - we couldn't tell over a lot of crackling in the monitor - some kind of wiring problem, but seriously, Houston next time work that out before you clear us for lift-off. So we were content with playing a show to satisfy, resting the three songs we're prepping for drum and bass tracking, not yet addressing the new post-this-album material that's already up and out of the crib getting into trouble and running around.
The March 3 show in Rhinebeck has been cancelled by the venue, but just as that unexpected news was received, our friends in Skelter invited us to continue the tradition of playing each other's CD release parties, so we added a Manhattan show at Otto's for March 15. Ides say it's gonna rock!
Oh, and I got a haircut.
We have basic tracks with guitars on six songs for the new record, and vocals on four of those. I'm relieved to have my guitar tracked on "Straight to the Body," a delicate part, and I think we got all components into their right separate grooves. The studio high point of the last two weeks was recording Ian's guitar solo on "Where Is My Robot Maid" in a rubber-burning one-take explosion, although speaking of right separate grooves, The Larch have also resumed recording which means there's not a lot of:
- Show going (although I did buy Robyn Hitchcock [& the Venus 3] tickets)
- Record buying (thank goodness for Steph's gift of The Housemartins Live at the BBC to augment my vow to dispatch my tape collection)
- Writing. Ideas come along and get listed, truncated until time can be spent to give them flesh.
We played last Saturday at the Laila Lounge to a chill-resistant crowd. Rumor has it the vocals sounded good from the audience - we couldn't tell over a lot of crackling in the monitor - some kind of wiring problem, but seriously, Houston next time work that out before you clear us for lift-off. So we were content with playing a show to satisfy, resting the three songs we're prepping for drum and bass tracking, not yet addressing the new post-this-album material that's already up and out of the crib getting into trouble and running around.
The March 3 show in Rhinebeck has been cancelled by the venue, but just as that unexpected news was received, our friends in Skelter invited us to continue the tradition of playing each other's CD release parties, so we added a Manhattan show at Otto's for March 15. Ides say it's gonna rock!
Oh, and I got a haircut.
Monday - January 29, 2007
We finally got our link for MEET THE ANIMAL on iTunes . Time lag: about one year. Method: every indie's online mega-store CDBaby and their built in digital distribution. If anyone has any better ideas...
Thanks to Dan Herman of Radio Crystal Blue for playing "Hush Now Sweet Pea" (MEET THE ANIMAL) on his 1/28/07 show .
I gotta go now and compose a show announcement e-mail for our show this Saturday at the Laila Lounge . Three weeks in between live shows?! It must be January...
Thanks to Dan Herman of Radio Crystal Blue for playing "Hush Now Sweet Pea" (MEET THE ANIMAL) on his 1/28/07 show .
I gotta go now and compose a show announcement e-mail for our show this Saturday at the Laila Lounge . Three weeks in between live shows?! It must be January...
Friday - January 26, 2007
Updated the Self Portraits link with two new pics from this fall.
Booked another show for us at good old Freddy's on what will hopefully be a warm and spring-filled night in April, most unlike the lung-crinkling freeze blowing down from the tundra upon us today. As always, details on the shows page.
Last night was a festivus of YouTube discovery aided by our newer, faster Internet. We're up there with the video of "We Are the Media" (MEET THE ANIMAL) created by Steve de Seve for Brooklyn vs. Bush TV.
Life in the age of the World Wide Web: if you can think of it, you can search for it and probably find it.
Booked another show for us at good old Freddy's on what will hopefully be a warm and spring-filled night in April, most unlike the lung-crinkling freeze blowing down from the tundra upon us today. As always, details on the shows page.
Last night was a festivus of YouTube discovery aided by our newer, faster Internet. We're up there with the video of "We Are the Media" (MEET THE ANIMAL) created by Steve de Seve for Brooklyn vs. Bush TV.
Life in the age of the World Wide Web: if you can think of it, you can search for it and probably find it.
Thursday - January 25, 2007
Updated the Pictures of the Band link with three new silly photos from our Halloween show at Kenny's, and removed some old silly photos from the first night with the digital camera and before.
At the recording session on Tuesday, we did the Radio Promo simple and goofy in two minutes, and then worked my rhythm guitar part on "Where Is My Robot Maid?" After a plateau period, I think my guitar skills are improving again. I'm really enjoying playing rhythm guitar and thinking about the function of my part in conjunction with what everyone else is playing. The Wombat's feedback is also helping; he contributed a nice arrangement idea for the verses, and Ian said it may be the best guitar part I've ever recorded - ah, the maestro's praise!
Moods improved to make an exceptionally invigorating rehearsal last night. In the last week I've started thinking about song writing again, so I had a chord progression I've been toying with and we had a good jam around that one. Then, with all but three of the backing tracks recorded for our third record, we got some good work done on three new songs, and then had satisfying renditions of the remaining three.
At the recording session on Tuesday, we did the Radio Promo simple and goofy in two minutes, and then worked my rhythm guitar part on "Where Is My Robot Maid?" After a plateau period, I think my guitar skills are improving again. I'm really enjoying playing rhythm guitar and thinking about the function of my part in conjunction with what everyone else is playing. The Wombat's feedback is also helping; he contributed a nice arrangement idea for the verses, and Ian said it may be the best guitar part I've ever recorded - ah, the maestro's praise!
Moods improved to make an exceptionally invigorating rehearsal last night. In the last week I've started thinking about song writing again, so I had a chord progression I've been toying with and we had a good jam around that one. Then, with all but three of the backing tracks recorded for our third record, we got some good work done on three new songs, and then had satisfying renditions of the remaining three.
Monday - January 22, 2007
RadioMike played our X-mas single "G-L-O-R-I-A" on his 137th show and said nice stuff about us. I posted the nice stuff and did a little re-design to our press page .
I think I also forgot to brag that Liza & the WonderWheels ranked in the Radio Crystal Blue Best of 2006 , and Liza was individually recognized as an "all-star" keyboard player for her work with The Larch .
Of the nine new songs slated for our third record we now have basic tracks (drum + bass) on six. I was planning to record some rhythm guitar and vocals tomorrow night - which turns out to be good because that will be the easiest way to record the Radio Station ID tag that RadioMike asked if we could send to him. How cool is that?
A Radio Station ID tag is used between songs to identify the station or DJ. I've always wanted to be one of those fun goofballs in a band that's joking around and being really funny in their 10 second ID. I think it's because like most American kids I developed too much of my expectations of reality by watching television. Summer vacation re-runs of the Monkees (on weekday mornings at 10 am - perfect cereal watching) being a formative latent-rock period influence on me.
I thought one of the most fun parts of our August 2006 UK tour was the whole band staying together at our host's lovely country home and taking our trips out to do anything and to play shows, and all piling into the rental car, driving 'round the round-abouts, figuring out where to go and then stumbling out of the car. We kept cracking me up all around the Hampshire towns. And taking band shots: hey, hey we're the WonderWheels!
I think I also forgot to brag that Liza & the WonderWheels ranked in the Radio Crystal Blue Best of 2006 , and Liza was individually recognized as an "all-star" keyboard player for her work with The Larch .
Of the nine new songs slated for our third record we now have basic tracks (drum + bass) on six. I was planning to record some rhythm guitar and vocals tomorrow night - which turns out to be good because that will be the easiest way to record the Radio Station ID tag that RadioMike asked if we could send to him. How cool is that?
A Radio Station ID tag is used between songs to identify the station or DJ. I've always wanted to be one of those fun goofballs in a band that's joking around and being really funny in their 10 second ID. I think it's because like most American kids I developed too much of my expectations of reality by watching television. Summer vacation re-runs of the Monkees (on weekday mornings at 10 am - perfect cereal watching) being a formative latent-rock period influence on me.
I thought one of the most fun parts of our August 2006 UK tour was the whole band staying together at our host's lovely country home and taking our trips out to do anything and to play shows, and all piling into the rental car, driving 'round the round-abouts, figuring out where to go and then stumbling out of the car. We kept cracking me up all around the Hampshire towns. And taking band shots: hey, hey we're the WonderWheels!
Friday - January 19, 2007
A new link for photos from our set at Psychedelic Night at Freddy's back in September.
And Ryan's Smashing Life created a cool mix with "Eddie Come Down" on it. Inspired by, and posted with pictures from, a walk through under-snow Colorado.
While my computer was saying No-No-No with the repetitive insistence of a tantrum-throwing two-year-old I obsessively made a list of topics for future blogging:
*drum debut: Did you know I had my drum debut playing "Mrs. Claus", written by Andy Mattina, released on the Penny For the Guy records 2006 X-mas compilation? It was a studio track, and you may recall our Wombat of the studio was laid up after a bike accident this fall (much better now, thank you), so for the NO TWO FLAKES THE SAME album release party and subsequent PFTG records holiday party we included "Mrs. Claus" in our WonderWheels set and mostly swapped instruments so it was me on drums, Joe on bass, Andy fronting on vocals with only Ian remaining on his primary guitar.
I've been less and less secretly drumming, venturing on the kit at the end of various parties and jams when all the experienced drummers are tired and/or drunken, and man it's loud back there and FUN! I take naturally to the responsibility of holding the beat (insert double-entendre here about rhythmic girls and pockets), reliable fills, graceful endings, those would take some further practice.
*Fran x2: this refers to Fran, the man from Box of Crayons , FlakeMasterMind and his two holiday show-parties:
1) December 16 X-mas Cd release at Freddy's
Our set:
Mrs. Claus (track 6 by Andy Mattina)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Learning Lessons (UNRELEASED)
Meet the Animal (MEET THE ANIMAL)
No Exceptions (UNRELEASED)
I like Christmas (a Beer Vampire/WonderWheels conversation) <> G-L-O-R-I-A (track 7 by Liza & the WonderWheels) <> I like Christmas (reprise)
Where Is My Robot Maid? (encore UNRELEASED)
2) December 22 PFTG holiday party at Murray St.
Our set:
Mrs. Claus (by Andy Mattina)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Learning Lessons (UNRELEASED)
Petroleum (UNRELEASED)
Loops (MEET THE ANIMAL)
Smug Ugly (UNRELEASED)
Straight to the Body (UNRELEASED)
G-L-O-R-I-A (2006 X-mas single)
The Hats (encore UNRELEASED)
And Ryan's Smashing Life created a cool mix with "Eddie Come Down" on it. Inspired by, and posted with pictures from, a walk through under-snow Colorado.
While my computer was saying No-No-No with the repetitive insistence of a tantrum-throwing two-year-old I obsessively made a list of topics for future blogging:
*drum debut: Did you know I had my drum debut playing "Mrs. Claus", written by Andy Mattina, released on the Penny For the Guy records 2006 X-mas compilation? It was a studio track, and you may recall our Wombat of the studio was laid up after a bike accident this fall (much better now, thank you), so for the NO TWO FLAKES THE SAME album release party and subsequent PFTG records holiday party we included "Mrs. Claus" in our WonderWheels set and mostly swapped instruments so it was me on drums, Joe on bass, Andy fronting on vocals with only Ian remaining on his primary guitar.
I've been less and less secretly drumming, venturing on the kit at the end of various parties and jams when all the experienced drummers are tired and/or drunken, and man it's loud back there and FUN! I take naturally to the responsibility of holding the beat (insert double-entendre here about rhythmic girls and pockets), reliable fills, graceful endings, those would take some further practice.
*Fran x2: this refers to Fran, the man from Box of Crayons , FlakeMasterMind and his two holiday show-parties:
1) December 16 X-mas Cd release at Freddy's
Our set:
Mrs. Claus (track 6 by Andy Mattina)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Learning Lessons (UNRELEASED)
Meet the Animal (MEET THE ANIMAL)
No Exceptions (UNRELEASED)
I like Christmas (a Beer Vampire/WonderWheels conversation) <
Where Is My Robot Maid? (encore UNRELEASED)
2) December 22 PFTG holiday party at Murray St.
Our set:
Mrs. Claus (by Andy Mattina)
After Last Night (UNRELEASED)
Learning Lessons (UNRELEASED)
Petroleum (UNRELEASED)
Loops (MEET THE ANIMAL)
Smug Ugly (UNRELEASED)
Straight to the Body (UNRELEASED)
G-L-O-R-I-A (2006 X-mas single)
The Hats (encore UNRELEASED)
Wednesday - January 17, 2007
It's the end of the incommunicado!
(I mentioned computer problems; it was as if in the final days of 2006 the computer Furies* knew, they just knew, that although I had bling'ed out on a PowerBook in the final days of 2005, no greenbacks had been transacted for technology in 2006. And so something broke, or rather I broke the screen, and AppleCare did not care, and I was left the guilty breaker mad and sad and with a pile of computer options to con-fuzzle through. I did it though, the whole time feeling far behind on communications, replies and promotionals, and now we've got a bigger screen, oooh and a full size keyboard nicer to type on, ohhh, so bring on the photos and YouTube and sound files... the only thing that can hold back this organization now is disorganization!)
*[I love the disclaimer at the top of this page: "Hey, yo, buddy this article is about the characters from Greek myth. For shit about 'dat TV show click here 'kay?"]
Heard about a DJ in Japan that has our name a little wrong: Liza & the WondeeWhgeels. Maybe from the translation between western characters and the international keyboard?
Although, always looking forward, I feel that the best show is the next show, a mention must be made that Saturday's show at Freddy's was our best performance so far. I promise a write-up, but first I've got to add 10 new friends to our e-mail list.
(I mentioned computer problems; it was as if in the final days of 2006 the computer Furies* knew, they just knew, that although I had bling'ed out on a PowerBook in the final days of 2005, no greenbacks had been transacted for technology in 2006. And so something broke, or rather I broke the screen, and AppleCare did not care, and I was left the guilty breaker mad and sad and with a pile of computer options to con-fuzzle through. I did it though, the whole time feeling far behind on communications, replies and promotionals, and now we've got a bigger screen, oooh and a full size keyboard nicer to type on, ohhh, so bring on the photos and YouTube and sound files... the only thing that can hold back this organization now is disorganization!)
*[I love the disclaimer at the top of this page: "Hey, yo, buddy this article is about the characters from Greek myth. For shit about 'dat TV show click here 'kay?"]
Heard about a DJ in Japan that has our name a little wrong: Liza & the WondeeWhgeels. Maybe from the translation between western characters and the international keyboard?
Although, always looking forward, I feel that the best show is the next show, a mention must be made that Saturday's show at Freddy's was our best performance so far. I promise a write-up, but first I've got to add 10 new friends to our e-mail list.
Wednesday - January 3, 2007
Happy New Year!
Just updated our reviews page with a new review from Indie-Music.com, and changed the look of it so you can read our full reviews without having to click over to the reviewer’s site if you don’t feel like it.
Also falling under the category of By The Way: MFA 6 (Musicians Fight ALS - the benefit show we were part of at The Hook this past November) ended up raising a grand total of $1,020 - which has been contributed to ALS-NY, and will be used to fund research to find a cure for ALS (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease). Thanks again to the organizers of this event and to all who came and contributed. It was a pleasure to dedicate a night of what we do anyway – hang around, watch other bands, and then rock ourselves – to a worthwhile cause.
For us, 2006 ended in a pandemonium of shows, special X-mas shows & studio work on our third record. Fun!
I got to listen to recordings of our last three December shows back-to-back one night last week, and I have to immodestly say we are getting so really, very good. And, we’ve been listening to the bootleg of this Television live show, so if you want to know where our standards are at…
2007isgonnarock2007isgonnarock2007isgonnarock!
Just updated our reviews page with a new review from Indie-Music.com, and changed the look of it so you can read our full reviews without having to click over to the reviewer’s site if you don’t feel like it.
Also falling under the category of By The Way: MFA 6 (Musicians Fight ALS - the benefit show we were part of at The Hook this past November) ended up raising a grand total of $1,020 - which has been contributed to ALS-NY, and will be used to fund research to find a cure for ALS (a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease). Thanks again to the organizers of this event and to all who came and contributed. It was a pleasure to dedicate a night of what we do anyway – hang around, watch other bands, and then rock ourselves – to a worthwhile cause.
For us, 2006 ended in a pandemonium of shows, special X-mas shows & studio work on our third record. Fun!
I got to listen to recordings of our last three December shows back-to-back one night last week, and I have to immodestly say we are getting so really, very good. And, we’ve been listening to the bootleg of this Television live show, so if you want to know where our standards are at…
2007isgonnarock2007isgonnarock2007isgonnarock!
Wednesday - December 27, 2006
Don't you hate it when people blog about how computer problems are preventing them from blogging more? I wouldn't do that you...
Our shows page has been updated with the first crop of our 2007 performance dates.
Our shows page has been updated with the first crop of our 2007 performance dates.
Friday - December 22, 2006
Excitement tonight: we’re playing at the Penny For the Guy Records X-mas party, tonight at the Murray Street Grill in Manhattan. Rumor has it we’ll be on around 10, but we’re not first so come early, imbibe the holiday cheer, etc.
Excitement tomorrow: another recording session with the feelin’ the healin’ Wombat.
I owe you all a narrative news update for, or slightly after, Christmas.
Now go make some Merry!
Excitement tomorrow: another recording session with the feelin’ the healin’ Wombat.
I owe you all a narrative news update for, or slightly after, Christmas.
Now go make some Merry!
Monday - December 18, 2006
Excitement tonight: we play at 8pm sharp at Manitoba's with Stark after us at 9. No cover.
Wednesday - December 13, 2006
Right, well you heard it here first! G-L-O-R-I-A, our contribution to the Penny For the Guy Records' X-mas 2006 compilation extravaganza "No Two Flakes the Same."
22 other tracks on the CD including "Mrs. Claus" by the one and only Andy Mattina.
There are two shows scheduled, one to release the record (this Saturday 12/15 @ Freddy's) and one for the Penny For the Guy holiday party (Friday 12/22 on Murray St. in Manhattan), details on our shows page.
Folk-punk legend Fran Powers of Box of Crayons masterminded the project. We recorded our track back in April, the day after we saw Tom Pope drum with Ratdog at the Beacon theatre. It was one of the very first things I wrote about here, right after re-launching the Web site.
22 other tracks on the CD including "Mrs. Claus" by the one and only Andy Mattina.
There are two shows scheduled, one to release the record (this Saturday 12/15 @ Freddy's) and one for the Penny For the Guy holiday party (Friday 12/22 on Murray St. in Manhattan), details on our shows page.
Folk-punk legend Fran Powers of Box of Crayons masterminded the project. We recorded our track back in April, the day after we saw Tom Pope drum with Ratdog at the Beacon theatre. It was one of the very first things I wrote about here, right after re-launching the Web site.
Monday - December 11, 2006
New Music!
Our Christmas single 2006 is posted to our Listen! page. Just enjoy for now - it's available for free download. There's a story behind this track, which we'll post shortly.
Our Christmas single 2006 is posted to our Listen! page. Just enjoy for now - it's available for free download. There's a story behind this track, which we'll post shortly.
Wednesday - December 6, 2006
Posted to our images page, a new link for photos of my solo trip to play Songwriters in Mixed Company in Great Barrington, Mass. at the end of August. Plus a new self-portrait from the trip.
After my Nov. 21st Bukowski entry I read the rest of Tales of Ordinary Madness, and remembered that most of the way through "Animal Crackers In My Soup" redeems having the rest of the book. At last (on page 204) a crafted short story (artfully necessitating shocking sexual deviance to advance the plot), life affirming - although still dark and twisted - see Buk, you *can* do it when you want to.
Then I moved on to Notes of a Dirty Old Man which is a collection of Bukowski columns from the underground "Open City" newspaper in San Francisco, mid-through-late 60's. His writing is more focused in this form - sometimes there is even a sense of consideration for the reader - and of course it's packed with his trademark impossibly heavy binge drinking, yet there was some care in the description of his meeting Neal Cassady, and he hazards opinions, and let's his hard guard down a little bit like in this:
"once in a rare lifetime have you ever been in a roomful of people who only helped you when you looked at them, listened to them. this was one of those magic times. I knew it. I glowed like a fucking hot tamale. it didn't matter. o.k.
I smacked down another quarter pint out of embarrassment."
And I feel bad for the old jackass jackal. I'm in a good room every time the Wheels get together to rehearse or improvise, and that friendly fire is brought out with us for performances - we hold that positive space and unleash it. Thank goodness for collaborators and my musical sense or I'd probably be a distraught poet myself. Go ahead and say my standards are lower and I'll ask you who is happier, whose approach brings more fun.
Still, I have to respect the guy. I own his books; I got a lot out of re-reading them, and the sonofabitch is haunting me as you will see by this straight outta Bukowski anecdote from last weekend (*with some of the names changed just as he did them):
After the eggplant parmesan and delicious cake of not-too-sweet icing and separate layers of chocolate and banana puddings is all consumed, different bands start to play. Later with the children all taken home, the other bands stay to watch our long and last set. Two drum kits, Sharples playing on my songs for the first time ever. A new nic-name in our midst: Biggie Tea. Our players can't keep off the stage; it's a those who dare improv session. At times I turn around and wonder if we'll make the leap onto the bridge, for now it seems neither of the two drummers are usually in my band, so we negotiate it and play, and after the first hour slowly some of the other bands start to leave. The designated drivers from Jersey are looking more and more impatient. Eventually Billy starts taking the curtains down, although we continue to play for some time just for us as a few of the witnesses fall onto the floor and dance on their backs, squirming around and taking our bass player, still jamming, onto the floor with them for a while.
It's a birthday party with a Christmas tree and lights. The backdoor is secure, there's still leftover food on the buffet, the cups still on the tables, the gifts under the tree - we head through swinging doors to the bar.
I already had my shots of scotch and a couple of beers. Trying to cure this head cold, not drown it. One more scotch. It's a private club. Now that the open bar isn't open, members can come in. We all sit around buying drinks. They have satellite radio, set to "60's Hits Vibrations!" We talk about the Monkees, and how we played that night, and razz the ole man for turning 50. He says "Now I've really come into my own - nobody is ever telling me what to do again!" We tell our war stories and the war stories of people we've only heard about on television.
*John's been drinking beers all night, now adding shots of scotch on the rocks. He's pissed at his girlfriend - she's a moody unfathomable - and doesn't she see he's been working hard at this new job, how hard can he be expected to try, surely now it's Saturday night and his right to have a good time. The bar's a lighted blur, his fingers still buzzing from playing.
*Walter's a pretty boy, nearing 50 himself, working hard at the stress to keep from slowing down. He lives alone, runs some deals, does some real estate, keeps chasing the pussy. Hits the jackpot at tonight's party with a gorgeous petite thing wearing some dress wrapped around an amazing body. She seems ditzy, tipsy, he moves in and starts talking with her after she gets up from that wiggle dance in the middle of the dance floor. There's something not quite right, she's more beautiful, not a ditz, but absent and hard and he keeps talking to her, ordering drinks at the bar, stringing along to the pearl.
Either John leaned over to her, or maybe come to think of it now he bumped her gesturing, and now he's talking to a club regular, or maybe she's a regular because she has no place better to go at 3am. Her name is Maureen. She's old - at least 65 - but she's pulling down Buds which seem to be coming her way for about $1.50. There's a silent man, much younger, 30's wearing a rain slicker and camping backpack occupying the stool beside her. All night he says nothing.
John introduces Maureen to the end of the birthday party. She gets off her bar stool, smoothing down the back of her elastic waisted denim pants, pulling the turtleneck back down over her bubbling stomach under her Christmas sweater. She comes around behind John, talking, greeting, her dentures moving loosely about her mouth.
Walter takes a break on cracking the great wall of *Melissa. He's done this so many times before. This slam dunk would be obvious and boring if he wasn't always concerned about an upcoming dry spell. He takes to the men's room for a piss thinking not quite so many revelers would be coming out to celebrate his 50 years on the planet when it came to that in a frighteningly few number of years, not even if he paid for the booze to flow all night.
He's delayed on his way back to Mel's delicious bar stool of the high-crossed legs by the birthday man and pals. They talk about The Band, then someone mentions the Kinks and he's interested in the conversation for a minute. Besides, John's off-limit girlfriend is talking too and she's hot.
A few feet away Maureen asks John for a kiss. She reaches up around his neck as he unthinkingly bends forward to give her an "Auntie Goodnight." She aims for his mouth, reaching most of it and the corner, looking behind him he hears her say "Now that one is good-looking!"
As John stands in shock she moves behind the cluster at the corner of the bar, making straight for the target. She can tell a naughty-dirty boy when she sees one. She get Walter off guard. He's not much taller than her and she pulls his face towards hers. He thinks it's funny! He goes with it for one moment too long, feeling flattered, and she's got her arms locked behind his head now, working her lips against his, gets her tongue in his mouth!
He pushes her off, not gently, but not hard enough to hurt either. He's blushing and confused and revolted and what about Mel's delicious bar stool? He checks. YES she saw that, he's excited it will make the conquest a little less easy.
Andy says "Oh man you can use *that* one later!"
The birthday party is laughing, heads shaking, John's girlfriend is smiling uncomfortably, looking at the ground.
Melissa says "Whatever! I SAW you kissing that old woman!" He smiles, bends the foul mouth down to talk close to her again. A half hour later she leaves with him.
And Mr. 50's wife is telling him it's time to pack up the car and get some sleep.
After my Nov. 21st Bukowski entry I read the rest of Tales of Ordinary Madness, and remembered that most of the way through "Animal Crackers In My Soup" redeems having the rest of the book. At last (on page 204) a crafted short story (artfully necessitating shocking sexual deviance to advance the plot), life affirming - although still dark and twisted - see Buk, you *can* do it when you want to.
Then I moved on to Notes of a Dirty Old Man which is a collection of Bukowski columns from the underground "Open City" newspaper in San Francisco, mid-through-late 60's. His writing is more focused in this form - sometimes there is even a sense of consideration for the reader - and of course it's packed with his trademark impossibly heavy binge drinking, yet there was some care in the description of his meeting Neal Cassady, and he hazards opinions, and let's his hard guard down a little bit like in this:
"once in a rare lifetime have you ever been in a roomful of people who only helped you when you looked at them, listened to them. this was one of those magic times. I knew it. I glowed like a fucking hot tamale. it didn't matter. o.k.
I smacked down another quarter pint out of embarrassment."
And I feel bad for the old jackass jackal. I'm in a good room every time the Wheels get together to rehearse or improvise, and that friendly fire is brought out with us for performances - we hold that positive space and unleash it. Thank goodness for collaborators and my musical sense or I'd probably be a distraught poet myself. Go ahead and say my standards are lower and I'll ask you who is happier, whose approach brings more fun.
Still, I have to respect the guy. I own his books; I got a lot out of re-reading them, and the sonofabitch is haunting me as you will see by this straight outta Bukowski anecdote from last weekend (*with some of the names changed just as he did them):
After the eggplant parmesan and delicious cake of not-too-sweet icing and separate layers of chocolate and banana puddings is all consumed, different bands start to play. Later with the children all taken home, the other bands stay to watch our long and last set. Two drum kits, Sharples playing on my songs for the first time ever. A new nic-name in our midst: Biggie Tea. Our players can't keep off the stage; it's a those who dare improv session. At times I turn around and wonder if we'll make the leap onto the bridge, for now it seems neither of the two drummers are usually in my band, so we negotiate it and play, and after the first hour slowly some of the other bands start to leave. The designated drivers from Jersey are looking more and more impatient. Eventually Billy starts taking the curtains down, although we continue to play for some time just for us as a few of the witnesses fall onto the floor and dance on their backs, squirming around and taking our bass player, still jamming, onto the floor with them for a while.
It's a birthday party with a Christmas tree and lights. The backdoor is secure, there's still leftover food on the buffet, the cups still on the tables, the gifts under the tree - we head through swinging doors to the bar.
I already had my shots of scotch and a couple of beers. Trying to cure this head cold, not drown it. One more scotch. It's a private club. Now that the open bar isn't open, members can come in. We all sit around buying drinks. They have satellite radio, set to "60's Hits Vibrations!" We talk about the Monkees, and how we played that night, and razz the ole man for turning 50. He says "Now I've really come into my own - nobody is ever telling me what to do again!" We tell our war stories and the war stories of people we've only heard about on television.
*John's been drinking beers all night, now adding shots of scotch on the rocks. He's pissed at his girlfriend - she's a moody unfathomable - and doesn't she see he's been working hard at this new job, how hard can he be expected to try, surely now it's Saturday night and his right to have a good time. The bar's a lighted blur, his fingers still buzzing from playing.
*Walter's a pretty boy, nearing 50 himself, working hard at the stress to keep from slowing down. He lives alone, runs some deals, does some real estate, keeps chasing the pussy. Hits the jackpot at tonight's party with a gorgeous petite thing wearing some dress wrapped around an amazing body. She seems ditzy, tipsy, he moves in and starts talking with her after she gets up from that wiggle dance in the middle of the dance floor. There's something not quite right, she's more beautiful, not a ditz, but absent and hard and he keeps talking to her, ordering drinks at the bar, stringing along to the pearl.
Either John leaned over to her, or maybe come to think of it now he bumped her gesturing, and now he's talking to a club regular, or maybe she's a regular because she has no place better to go at 3am. Her name is Maureen. She's old - at least 65 - but she's pulling down Buds which seem to be coming her way for about $1.50. There's a silent man, much younger, 30's wearing a rain slicker and camping backpack occupying the stool beside her. All night he says nothing.
John introduces Maureen to the end of the birthday party. She gets off her bar stool, smoothing down the back of her elastic waisted denim pants, pulling the turtleneck back down over her bubbling stomach under her Christmas sweater. She comes around behind John, talking, greeting, her dentures moving loosely about her mouth.
Walter takes a break on cracking the great wall of *Melissa. He's done this so many times before. This slam dunk would be obvious and boring if he wasn't always concerned about an upcoming dry spell. He takes to the men's room for a piss thinking not quite so many revelers would be coming out to celebrate his 50 years on the planet when it came to that in a frighteningly few number of years, not even if he paid for the booze to flow all night.
He's delayed on his way back to Mel's delicious bar stool of the high-crossed legs by the birthday man and pals. They talk about The Band, then someone mentions the Kinks and he's interested in the conversation for a minute. Besides, John's off-limit girlfriend is talking too and she's hot.
A few feet away Maureen asks John for a kiss. She reaches up around his neck as he unthinkingly bends forward to give her an "Auntie Goodnight." She aims for his mouth, reaching most of it and the corner, looking behind him he hears her say "Now that one is good-looking!"
As John stands in shock she moves behind the cluster at the corner of the bar, making straight for the target. She can tell a naughty-dirty boy when she sees one. She get Walter off guard. He's not much taller than her and she pulls his face towards hers. He thinks it's funny! He goes with it for one moment too long, feeling flattered, and she's got her arms locked behind his head now, working her lips against his, gets her tongue in his mouth!
He pushes her off, not gently, but not hard enough to hurt either. He's blushing and confused and revolted and what about Mel's delicious bar stool? He checks. YES she saw that, he's excited it will make the conquest a little less easy.
Andy says "Oh man you can use *that* one later!"
The birthday party is laughing, heads shaking, John's girlfriend is smiling uncomfortably, looking at the ground.
Melissa says "Whatever! I SAW you kissing that old woman!" He smiles, bends the foul mouth down to talk close to her again. A half hour later she leaves with him.
And Mr. 50's wife is telling him it's time to pack up the car and get some sleep.
Monday - December 4, 2006
Entertainment last night: Kirsten Williams + Crash Course Karaoke at Kenny's Castaways.
Entertainment tonight: Swagg + Box of Crayons at Manitobas.
I'm adding CCK to the list of bands we like. They really rocked Joe's party, and it's such a great idea, giving people the chance to get up on the microphone with a little more structure than an open air jam session. And they're a tight band too, fun to watch, people get excited to come up and sing with them. They're turning every Sunday night into a party over at Kenny's. It's always a laugh to walk through that part of the village too. Kenny's is a good bar, but that neighborhood is such a gaudy tourist trap, there's something silly about walking purposefully into it. Nonetheless, you want to see something on a Sunday check it out. Last night we heard Springsteen sung in Japanese, and two boys from Jersey did that thing where one guy stands behind the other guy, with the front guy singing and the guy in back making all the hand-arm movements. Ian did Dylan. I sang an Edie Brickell song.
Kirsten was lovely, her voice beautiful, her songs sophisticated as usual. I love that her between-song personality hasn't really changed from the first time I saw her, but in the songs she's so confident and working the subtleties more and more.
Tonight is four for four in the four day weekend that starts the holiday season.
Friday The Larch played Laila Lounge. We had a decent turn out despite crazy weather, 70 degrees in December with 60mph winds bringing on the change to today's crisp and wintry air. We stayed late after our show again with DJ FatTony.
But that was just the warm-up for Joe's amazing birthday party. Billy put the Beefstock curtains up, changed the lighting to transform the old wood-panelled Gjoa club. Open bar, Patti's food. Them Filosa's know how to throw a party.
Entertainment tonight: Swagg + Box of Crayons at Manitobas.
I'm adding CCK to the list of bands we like. They really rocked Joe's party, and it's such a great idea, giving people the chance to get up on the microphone with a little more structure than an open air jam session. And they're a tight band too, fun to watch, people get excited to come up and sing with them. They're turning every Sunday night into a party over at Kenny's. It's always a laugh to walk through that part of the village too. Kenny's is a good bar, but that neighborhood is such a gaudy tourist trap, there's something silly about walking purposefully into it. Nonetheless, you want to see something on a Sunday check it out. Last night we heard Springsteen sung in Japanese, and two boys from Jersey did that thing where one guy stands behind the other guy, with the front guy singing and the guy in back making all the hand-arm movements. Ian did Dylan. I sang an Edie Brickell song.
Kirsten was lovely, her voice beautiful, her songs sophisticated as usual. I love that her between-song personality hasn't really changed from the first time I saw her, but in the songs she's so confident and working the subtleties more and more.
Tonight is four for four in the four day weekend that starts the holiday season.
Friday The Larch played Laila Lounge. We had a decent turn out despite crazy weather, 70 degrees in December with 60mph winds bringing on the change to today's crisp and wintry air. We stayed late after our show again with DJ FatTony.
But that was just the warm-up for Joe's amazing birthday party. Billy put the Beefstock curtains up, changed the lighting to transform the old wood-panelled Gjoa club. Open bar, Patti's food. Them Filosa's know how to throw a party.
Friday - December 1, 2006
Entertainment tonight: playing keys with The Larch at Laila Lounge. No cover. Drink specials. 9pm.
Something sad & frustrating: Astroland at Coney Island was sold this week to thundering Thor Equities - who plan to turn this authentic, charming, old New York landmark and tourist destination into a $1.5 billion dollar "sparkling new year-round resort."
Look for Summer 2007 to be the last time you can head to the end of the Q line on a hot summer's day with $10 in your pocket and still make a good time out of it. The days of walking up and down the boardwalk watching Brooklyn-ites dodge trash on the beach, rationing yourself to only one or two rides and still having $ left over for a cheap beer and some cheese fries at Nathan's - those days are ending.
I wouldn't mind the greedy Developers so much if it were also some kind of golden age of reconstruction, but these corporation-minded men can't see beautiful quirky-tacky, they don't understand art or craft, they will build horrible, new, cheap, buildings that will be big with bad architecture. In 30 years we will learn staying in these Hilton's make us sick.
Here's the supporting tabloid news article with a great photo of the WonderWheel (taken band shots from that angle more than once) but no mention of what will happen to our rockin' ride.
At this rate the inserts of our albums will be dated artwork of times gone by long before we perish in obscurity (to be subsequently recognized as genius). Wouldn't it be great if we could get some sort of lucky break and I could buy a big house for all our friends to live in somewhere on Shore Rd., someplace on the corner with a good yard, and then I could buy the WonderWheel and run it at parties?
Something glad & proud: one of my songs is being covered! As far as I know this has never happened before! Ian's going to sing "Learning Lessons" (UNRELEASED) at The Larch show tonight. Turns out this is a three-chord song... I had never analyzed it before. I do it in E, tonight it will be performed in D with me on keys and harmony.
Because the Wombat is temporarily broken, the show tonight will be the "Larch & the WonderWheels" line up (Andy on bass + Tom on drums - as we went to England this summer), although we're doing all Larch songs except for my one and one psychedelic cover. It's gonna be a great show, but they're predicting 60mph winds and possible rain storms here in NYC! I think Friday shows are tough enough for people who've worked all week, and it's one thing to keep the slap-happy buzz going when it's nice out, but to battle a windstorm when you're worn and tired... I hope you all come out and party anyway... I have a hotline to 1/2 price drink tickets!
Something sad & frustrating: Astroland at Coney Island was sold this week to thundering Thor Equities - who plan to turn this authentic, charming, old New York landmark and tourist destination into a $1.5 billion dollar "sparkling new year-round resort."
Look for Summer 2007 to be the last time you can head to the end of the Q line on a hot summer's day with $10 in your pocket and still make a good time out of it. The days of walking up and down the boardwalk watching Brooklyn-ites dodge trash on the beach, rationing yourself to only one or two rides and still having $ left over for a cheap beer and some cheese fries at Nathan's - those days are ending.
I wouldn't mind the greedy Developers so much if it were also some kind of golden age of reconstruction, but these corporation-minded men can't see beautiful quirky-tacky, they don't understand art or craft, they will build horrible, new, cheap, buildings that will be big with bad architecture. In 30 years we will learn staying in these Hilton's make us sick.
Here's the supporting tabloid news article with a great photo of the WonderWheel (taken band shots from that angle more than once) but no mention of what will happen to our rockin' ride.
At this rate the inserts of our albums will be dated artwork of times gone by long before we perish in obscurity (to be subsequently recognized as genius). Wouldn't it be great if we could get some sort of lucky break and I could buy a big house for all our friends to live in somewhere on Shore Rd., someplace on the corner with a good yard, and then I could buy the WonderWheel and run it at parties?
Something glad & proud: one of my songs is being covered! As far as I know this has never happened before! Ian's going to sing "Learning Lessons" (UNRELEASED) at The Larch show tonight. Turns out this is a three-chord song... I had never analyzed it before. I do it in E, tonight it will be performed in D with me on keys and harmony.
Because the Wombat is temporarily broken, the show tonight will be the "Larch & the WonderWheels" line up (Andy on bass + Tom on drums - as we went to England this summer), although we're doing all Larch songs except for my one and one psychedelic cover. It's gonna be a great show, but they're predicting 60mph winds and possible rain storms here in NYC! I think Friday shows are tough enough for people who've worked all week, and it's one thing to keep the slap-happy buzz going when it's nice out, but to battle a windstorm when you're worn and tired... I hope you all come out and party anyway... I have a hotline to 1/2 price drink tickets!
Thursday - November 30, 2006
H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y JOE FILOSA! You the man! Your party on Saturday is going to rock!
Monday - November 27, 2006
There's been a mysterious increase in people anonymously signing onto our e-mail list through this Web site in the past week, which makes us all extremely happy.
I hope that at least a few are the product of last week's kickin' show at The Hook. Huge bill benefit nights like MFA 6 are always social and fun, and our fifteen minutes on the stage felt glorious, but it can be hard to tell what the actual impact of participating might be. In the moment, right after being rocked by us, compliments (and a future show or two) are offered, but since the experience is about donating money and good will towards a charity and not about promoting our band cause in particular, the good feelings seem to be pretty much the end of it. Although, on the subject of compliments to swell the head this was a good one: "Tonight you guys sounded as good as any band ever, any big league band, The Stones, whatever!" So I said even the Fab Four? And he said "Well my favorite band is XTC. I love those guys! And you guys are just as good as them. You even sounded a bit like them in some parts." Which is Mighty High Praise! A smile skylarks at the mere remembrance!
Another probability for at least one or two of the new e-mails comes from a reunion with a branch of my family that started with a reconciliation of cold-warring factions back in June and culminated in Thanksgiving spent with "new" relatives in NJ. Men. Jeez. If sisters had been fighting there would have been words and words and stories going around behind everybody's backs, but at least there would have been talking.
The only positive I can think of is that these people did miss completely my surly teenage years (yes, me!) so my sister and I were able to skip directly to the adults table and re-meet these people as ourselves and not come up through the years as our parent's children.
I know I had a good time because I broke a streak of Thanksgivings On Which I Vomited. Gross, I know. I'm like that kid on South Park in that I have a fairly sensitive system and when my body wants to complain about a toxin, upchuck is the emergency exit of choice. The past several years there were some very strange T-giving tables blending families (that didn't stick) and that plus the expectation to gorge oneself plus other circumstances like the Year The Guests Brought Pink Wine have made for a very sad waste of stuffing and gravy indeed.
This year Thanksgiving was delightful. My new relations are warm and wonderful and conveniently located in New Jersey, and I sincerely hope Dear Readers that you all had nice T-day weekends too.
Saturday we returned to the Court House Bar & Grill - which supposedly operates during football games, although I have yet to see any body eat anything besides the 25 cent vending machine pistachios in that place. I had a bit of a head cold, so it was fortunate that we had pre-planned to play Plastic Beef style with special guest vocalist Ann Millerick. We opened and closed the night with several of my original tunes plus a bunch of covers. I felt in the zone musically despite the occasional small frog in my vocals.
We invited Rachel Got Arrested to join us again, and I learned the sad story behind this very talented band's detour away from focus and music, and received another nice compliment from their front man Roger Reverb who said he's been listening to MEET THE ANIMAL obsessively. My goal in making MTA was to create a smooth-seed record that would support the kind of repeated listenings I've given albums like "Bloodletting" (Concrete Blonde), "Flood" (They Might Be Giants), "Boys For Pele" (Tori Amos) + "Sergeant Peppers" and a Bowie greatest hits record, and I'm so gratified to know that at for at least a handful of people we've hit that mark.
I hope that at least a few are the product of last week's kickin' show at The Hook. Huge bill benefit nights like MFA 6 are always social and fun, and our fifteen minutes on the stage felt glorious, but it can be hard to tell what the actual impact of participating might be. In the moment, right after being rocked by us, compliments (and a future show or two) are offered, but since the experience is about donating money and good will towards a charity and not about promoting our band cause in particular, the good feelings seem to be pretty much the end of it. Although, on the subject of compliments to swell the head this was a good one: "Tonight you guys sounded as good as any band ever, any big league band, The Stones, whatever!" So I said even the Fab Four? And he said "Well my favorite band is XTC. I love those guys! And you guys are just as good as them. You even sounded a bit like them in some parts." Which is Mighty High Praise! A smile skylarks at the mere remembrance!
Another probability for at least one or two of the new e-mails comes from a reunion with a branch of my family that started with a reconciliation of cold-warring factions back in June and culminated in Thanksgiving spent with "new" relatives in NJ. Men. Jeez. If sisters had been fighting there would have been words and words and stories going around behind everybody's backs, but at least there would have been talking.
The only positive I can think of is that these people did miss completely my surly teenage years (yes, me!) so my sister and I were able to skip directly to the adults table and re-meet these people as ourselves and not come up through the years as our parent's children.
I know I had a good time because I broke a streak of Thanksgivings On Which I Vomited. Gross, I know. I'm like that kid on South Park in that I have a fairly sensitive system and when my body wants to complain about a toxin, upchuck is the emergency exit of choice. The past several years there were some very strange T-giving tables blending families (that didn't stick) and that plus the expectation to gorge oneself plus other circumstances like the Year The Guests Brought Pink Wine have made for a very sad waste of stuffing and gravy indeed.
This year Thanksgiving was delightful. My new relations are warm and wonderful and conveniently located in New Jersey, and I sincerely hope Dear Readers that you all had nice T-day weekends too.
Saturday we returned to the Court House Bar & Grill - which supposedly operates during football games, although I have yet to see any body eat anything besides the 25 cent vending machine pistachios in that place. I had a bit of a head cold, so it was fortunate that we had pre-planned to play Plastic Beef style with special guest vocalist Ann Millerick. We opened and closed the night with several of my original tunes plus a bunch of covers. I felt in the zone musically despite the occasional small frog in my vocals.
We invited Rachel Got Arrested to join us again, and I learned the sad story behind this very talented band's detour away from focus and music, and received another nice compliment from their front man Roger Reverb who said he's been listening to MEET THE ANIMAL obsessively. My goal in making MTA was to create a smooth-seed record that would support the kind of repeated listenings I've given albums like "Bloodletting" (Concrete Blonde), "Flood" (They Might Be Giants), "Boys For Pele" (Tori Amos) + "Sergeant Peppers" and a Bowie greatest hits record, and I'm so gratified to know that at for at least a handful of people we've hit that mark.
Tuesday - November 21, 2006
A smashing new review of MEET THE ANIMAL from Ryan's Smashing Life!
Fun MFA 6 show at The Hook on Saturday. Sure, things were running late, but I think it's always a good sign when the bartender, bouncer and other staff compliment your set. I mean those people hear literally hundreds of bands. We hope to play there again sometime.
I've been re-reading Bukowski, essays (Tales of Ordinary Madness), and while I continue to admire the flow of his writing and the way he embeds shreds of gritty philosophical wisdom, I can't believe I used to find his work so edgy and appealing. Now I believe that we all have eyes, it's up to us if we want to focus on the sky or on the toilet.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Fun MFA 6 show at The Hook on Saturday. Sure, things were running late, but I think it's always a good sign when the bartender, bouncer and other staff compliment your set. I mean those people hear literally hundreds of bands. We hope to play there again sometime.
I've been re-reading Bukowski, essays (Tales of Ordinary Madness), and while I continue to admire the flow of his writing and the way he embeds shreds of gritty philosophical wisdom, I can't believe I used to find his work so edgy and appealing. Now I believe that we all have eyes, it's up to us if we want to focus on the sky or on the toilet.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday - November 16, 2006
There will be a free shuttle bus going from the F/G Carroll Street subway stop (pick up at Smith and Second Streets) and going to The Hook running all night to take you to & from the MFA 6 show this Saturday night.
http://www.thehookmusic.com 18 Commerce Street
Red Hook, Brooklyn NY 11231
(718) 797-3007
MFA 6 - Musicians fight ALS (Lou Gehrig disease).
All money goes to ALS-NY. $10 donation requested
Saturday 11/18
14 bands!
8:00 Delayed Reaction
8:20 Idle Chatter
8:40 Brass Trax
9:00 The Hit List
9:20 The Shirts
9:45 John Pinamonti
10:05 Out of Order
10:25 Kitchenrocks
10:45 The Secrets
11:05 Zeke Carey Band
11:25 Liza & Wonder Wheels
11:45 iXnay
12:05 The Pintos
12:25 The Brians
We're looking forward to playing this bigger club with, rumor has it, a primo sound system. Should be a fun place to hang out with 13 other Brooklyn-based musical acts.
Also, the shuttle bus ain't exactly free - the bands are contributing the cash to make it happen. That's right - money *from* indie artists, I know. So please, use that bus!
http://www.thehookmusic.com 18 Commerce Street
Red Hook, Brooklyn NY 11231
(718) 797-3007
MFA 6 - Musicians fight ALS (Lou Gehrig disease).
All money goes to ALS-NY. $10 donation requested
Saturday 11/18
14 bands!
8:00 Delayed Reaction
8:20 Idle Chatter
8:40 Brass Trax
9:00 The Hit List
9:20 The Shirts
9:45 John Pinamonti
10:05 Out of Order
10:25 Kitchenrocks
10:45 The Secrets
11:05 Zeke Carey Band
11:25 Liza & Wonder Wheels
11:45 iXnay
12:05 The Pintos
12:25 The Brians
We're looking forward to playing this bigger club with, rumor has it, a primo sound system. Should be a fun place to hang out with 13 other Brooklyn-based musical acts.
Also, the shuttle bus ain't exactly free - the bands are contributing the cash to make it happen. That's right - money *from* indie artists, I know. So please, use that bus!
Tuesday - November 14, 2006
As you may recall, we've been working in the studio the last few weeks getting started on the third full-length Liza & the WonderWheels record. I have a vision for this album of working quickly and fluidly - and it jives with the title which Yes we have, and No I don't like to tell until closer to release. We're taking advantage of the precision and obsession a modern pro tools studio allows, but mostly trying to catch the lightening with energetic takes and a lot of fun in the sessions.
Things were going pretty well: I know the nine songs that will make up the album, and we've got very good basic tracks for four of them. One is all but finished until final mixing, and we were getting our momentum of working on recording, finding that space of concentration + wildness = rock.
Now, come to think of it, I've had about 95% of all my recording experiences, and both our first two records were done at Wombat Studios on Dean Street in Brooklyn. I don't feel stuck there, but definitely comfortable, and there's no better $ to ear quality ratio in all of NYC than with our friend the Wombat as engineer. As an owner-operated studio it's a small organization - sometimes we can't get the exact time or day we might want - but we're always able to make it work, and I know what the system there is capable of and that is goodness, yes indeed.
So yeah, things were going pretty well... until the unfortunate Wombat bike accident. That's right, poor ole Womat managed to wrap his bike around a pole, in the middle of the Manhattan bridge, no less, and now poor Wombat is broken! Broken, but not beyond repair, thankfully, although he has to have surgery on Friday to mend his broken collar-bone, so he's home and achy and if you want to cheer him up you can send him a get-well-soon message via here.
So imagine my surprise when I received a call from him last Friday - a mere six days post accident - saying that if we didn't mind coming in for just a few hours that he'd rather work on the 11th as we planned and take his mind off being broken and sprained and contused.
We had the honor of being his first session back at work, and we took it pretty easy: laying down my rhythm guitar part on "After Last Night" and getting started on some of Ian's guitar on that song. I'm really happy with the feel on this song. I'm playing more of an acoustic-strummy guitar part than you might expect, but I think it's going to work in the end.
Now I have to flash-freeze on the project, but just until after Thanksgiving. Then we've got lots of time reserved to dig into vocals and guitars and the rest of the songs for the album, and hopefully Wombat will be all better soon!
No chronicle of recent fun recording experiences would be complete without mentioning the "In This Life" sessions with Plastic Beef. They started out weird: embellishing a song that I wasn't feeling at first. Then we discovered a Grace Slick-ish counterpoint part for the choruses, and by the second evening working on the song we were in full-blown sillies, cracking up as we added what turned out to be an extremely cool backing part for around minute seven of the song: us four marching feet and chanting "The People, The People." A socialist prog-ballad!
Things were going pretty well: I know the nine songs that will make up the album, and we've got very good basic tracks for four of them. One is all but finished until final mixing, and we were getting our momentum of working on recording, finding that space of concentration + wildness = rock.
Now, come to think of it, I've had about 95% of all my recording experiences, and both our first two records were done at Wombat Studios on Dean Street in Brooklyn. I don't feel stuck there, but definitely comfortable, and there's no better $ to ear quality ratio in all of NYC than with our friend the Wombat as engineer. As an owner-operated studio it's a small organization - sometimes we can't get the exact time or day we might want - but we're always able to make it work, and I know what the system there is capable of and that is goodness, yes indeed.
So yeah, things were going pretty well... until the unfortunate Wombat bike accident. That's right, poor ole Womat managed to wrap his bike around a pole, in the middle of the Manhattan bridge, no less, and now poor Wombat is broken! Broken, but not beyond repair, thankfully, although he has to have surgery on Friday to mend his broken collar-bone, so he's home and achy and if you want to cheer him up you can send him a get-well-soon message via here.
So imagine my surprise when I received a call from him last Friday - a mere six days post accident - saying that if we didn't mind coming in for just a few hours that he'd rather work on the 11th as we planned and take his mind off being broken and sprained and contused.
We had the honor of being his first session back at work, and we took it pretty easy: laying down my rhythm guitar part on "After Last Night" and getting started on some of Ian's guitar on that song. I'm really happy with the feel on this song. I'm playing more of an acoustic-strummy guitar part than you might expect, but I think it's going to work in the end.
Now I have to flash-freeze on the project, but just until after Thanksgiving. Then we've got lots of time reserved to dig into vocals and guitars and the rest of the songs for the album, and hopefully Wombat will be all better soon!
No chronicle of recent fun recording experiences would be complete without mentioning the "In This Life" sessions with Plastic Beef. They started out weird: embellishing a song that I wasn't feeling at first. Then we discovered a Grace Slick-ish counterpoint part for the choruses, and by the second evening working on the song we were in full-blown sillies, cracking up as we added what turned out to be an extremely cool backing part for around minute seven of the song: us four marching feet and chanting "The People, The People." A socialist prog-ballad!