New Project: THE SONG. Time to get out the sand box, because I’m going to spend the next while working on only one song. But it’s going to be the best song of…well, 2008 hopefully, but I’ll accept 2002 or even 1997. I’m thinking “Good Vibrations” meets “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” for dinner where “Jesus Of Suburbia” is the sommelier and “Sowing the Seeds of Love” is the overly-jolly restaurant owner. If you can make any sense out of that, you’re probably thinking, “Oh it’s going to be one of THOSE songs.” But no, it’s not going to be “epic,” prog or pretentious at all. It probably won’t even be any longer than 5 minutes tops. The project is more of a method thing than anything, but it should have a cut-up kind of sound like the aforementioned “Good Vibrations” and “Happiness Is A Warm Gun.” I kind of already did that with “McCain Campaign,” but this time it’ll be more developed, as well as being an ACTUAL SONG. I just thought it would be interesting to see what happens when I make one song in the amount of time I’d normally spend writing and recording an album. The end result will be on Public Domain Rainbow, which is otherwise finished now. I started writing THE SONG on August 8 and I’ve come up with a handful of killer melodies so far, so get ready and fearful for THE SONG.
Last Thursday Mayhaw Hoons and I went to the KINK studio and recorded two songs for broadcast at a later date (Sept. 2 and 3 I believe). It’s to promote their new Plug In Portland sampler that I’m on. We recorded “Coldplay Got Eaten By Piranhas” and “Not Salman Rushdie.” Mayhaw’s bassing was exquisite. We were in and out of there so fast that it makes My Aim Is True look like Chinese Democracy. It was a total musical invasion of South Ossetia.
The Library of Congress presentation featuring “Bomb Iran” is now online. The little segment about it is at 43:40, which is where this video should start playing. The whole video is really interesting though, you should watch it. It’s an hour long, but worth it.
Also, don’t forget that I’m going to be on KPSU tomorrow at 9 pm. You can stream it for free from kpsu.org. Listen with ears.
Next Wednesday July 30, I’m going to play on the KPSU program “That Sound.” It’s on @ 9 pm and you can stream it for free from kpsu.org. Host Dave Cusick also releases his shows in podcast form every week, which you can get from thatsoundradio.com. Mayhaw Hoons will also be in tow, providing the necessary “second instrument” in whatever form it might take from song to song. See also: “second vocal cord.”
I haven’t mentioned anything about my new album for a while have I? Well it seems like a while anyway. I’m done recording it, and mostly done mixing it, too. So basically, it’s just about finished. But finishing an album is kind of like that math/physics anomaly where you can never actually touch anything, you can only just get infinitely closer and closer. It seems like every time I’m done, some other thing pops up that needs to be fixed, or remixed, or whatever. I’ll consider it done when I can listen to it and not need to fix anything. Seems like a no-brainer, but it’s harder than it sounds. Even when it’s done, it’ll still probably lay around for a while before I have the money to get it mastered and pressed/printed. Unless you know — or are — a wealthy label that wants to spend YOUR money on such a thing.
The KINK 102 local music sampler is now OUT! It’s called Plug In Portland and my song “The Zaps” is on it, along with other Portland-scented songs. I’ll also be recording a couple songs in KINK’s Live Performance Lounge in a few weeks, so watch out for that as well (you’ll know more once that happens).
Also, don’t forget about my show at Mt. Tabor Legacy this Sunday, the 20th. $5, 9 pm, 21+. I’ll be wearing scrubs. Come.
Last month I recorded an in-studio interview and some songs at KPSU for Dave Cusick’s Post Modern Rock Show (or, as I like to call it, PO-MO-RO-SHO). Well it was broadcast last Friday and is available NOW as an mp3 at postmodernrock.com. Download it to hear me babble about the late 90s and how I used to try to sing like Robert Smith. It’s a stone cold JOY. Thanks to Dave for having me on there — it was rad, as going on KPSU always is.
I recorded an in-studio interview and performance for Dave Cusick’s Post Modern Rock Show today. It was lots of fun. We bonded over They Might Be Giants. It should be broadcast soon, possibly Friday of next week. It will also be avilable to download as a podcast on his website.
Don’t forget to appear at my show at Lewis and Clark College this Thursday! It’s at the co-op there. It’s cozy times twelve. Come and spread your wild oatmeal.
