20 November 2010
19 November 2010
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!
Yes, Virginia, we have a Christmas song. It's called "Snow Is Falling" and it's up at Target.com/HolidayAlbum, and sooner than later you'll be able to free-download it too.
p.s. You'll be hearing more about this.
p.s. You'll be hearing more about this.
16 November 2010
It's not a big deal
Miniatures Lounge (or is Paramount Liquors?), Route 66, Gallup, New Mexico, Saturday night:
The barkeep at the lounge at the Best Western closed early, so she tells us the lounge down the street is still open, but "they'll really sock it to ya." Well, okay. So we walk 100 yards down the highway to what appears to be called Minatures Lounge, whose entry is marked with a stenciled sign reading "LOUNGE ENTRY." It's a little bit David Lynch, a little bit Pee-Wee's Big Adventure inside - turqouise walls, turquoise booths, 10 or so Native Americans (including one tranny), us 3 white man, and a guy that looks like he's hosting a karaoke night that nobody wants to bother with. Turns out he's just a DJ, introing every CD on a mic via some next-song-themed riddle e.g., "Hey Jay, is that a Dallas Cowboys hat you're wearing? Because you're looking like a real sharp-dressed man;" "Juan, is it 5 o'clock yet? No? Well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere." Etc.). He comes over and introduces himself (Rick), writes our names down on his notepad, and announces us to the other bar patrons, and then goes down the bar and introduces them all by name. Juan's the bouncer, and after a while he comes over and tells us about his years fronting metal band JP Rocks down in El Paso. But he mellowed out ("too much partying") and moved home. Then he tells us that in a few minutes, we're gonna sing "I Fought the Law," like it or not, just on the choruses, it's not a big deal. So we do it, and it's not a big deal.
The barkeep at the lounge at the Best Western closed early, so she tells us the lounge down the street is still open, but "they'll really sock it to ya." Well, okay. So we walk 100 yards down the highway to what appears to be called Minatures Lounge, whose entry is marked with a stenciled sign reading "LOUNGE ENTRY." It's a little bit David Lynch, a little bit Pee-Wee's Big Adventure inside - turqouise walls, turquoise booths, 10 or so Native Americans (including one tranny), us 3 white man, and a guy that looks like he's hosting a karaoke night that nobody wants to bother with. Turns out he's just a DJ, introing every CD on a mic via some next-song-themed riddle e.g., "Hey Jay, is that a Dallas Cowboys hat you're wearing? Because you're looking like a real sharp-dressed man;" "Juan, is it 5 o'clock yet? No? Well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere." Etc.). He comes over and introduces himself (Rick), writes our names down on his notepad, and announces us to the other bar patrons, and then goes down the bar and introduces them all by name. Juan's the bouncer, and after a while he comes over and tells us about his years fronting metal band JP Rocks down in El Paso. But he mellowed out ("too much partying") and moved home. Then he tells us that in a few minutes, we're gonna sing "I Fought the Law," like it or not, just on the choruses, it's not a big deal. So we do it, and it's not a big deal.
14 November 2010
05 November 2010
DML in ICT Magazine!!!
Awesome interview with Rob by JamBase's Brennan Lagasse in the new ICT Magazine, from when we played the Hellenic Theatre in Berkeley, in which he discusses the transcription of our newborn album. Highlights excerpted below:
* * * * *
"JamBase: You impact a pretty unequalled sound. What bands impact influenced you?
Rob Barbato: I conceive with the newborn achievement Evangelist Phillips from The Mamas and The Papas was a pretty bounteous influence, and apparently the Grateful Dead, CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) and clog aforementioned that. But also bands aforementioned Big Star were a pretty bounteous impact for us. Who added would you feature Will?
Will Canzoneri [organ/clavinet]: R.E.M.
Rob: Yeah, R.E.M. as a past sound.
JamBase: Well that’s pretty modify since there’s an R.E.M. calculate in your intermixture shack backstage.
What’s inspired your songwriting and penalization compositions beyond singable influences?
Rob: Friends and kinsfolk are Brobdingnagian inspirations, and also added friend’s music... That’s ever something that gets me rattling agog to create.
The achievement was transcribed in San Francisco at a flat where some added famous tracks impact been recorded. What prefabricated you opt that site?
Rob: Hyde Street was where CCR had the Cosmo’s Factory where they transcribed their prototypal digit or threesome records before they touched to Fantasy in Berkeley... All of Herbie Hancock’s depression records were finished there, and Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty were finished there.
JamBase: There’s awful interplay between you and your bandmates. Do you conceive that comes more from the instance you’ve locate in practicing, transcription or touring?
Rob: It’s mainly from touring.
JamBase: What do you wager in the forthcoming for DML?
Rob: Make added record, indite modify songs, that’s it. And impact recreation activity shows."
On drummer Dan Allaire:
"Yeah, Dan [Allaire] has totally denaturized the band. He’s an awful drummer. Andy [Ganelli] was an awful drummer, but Dan does clog differently... It’s a bounteous care and he’s an awful sheik and an awing drummer, so it’s rattling enthusiastic to impact him in the band."
On producer Nick Huntington:
"With Nick it was more of cooperation in the creation area, and he’s an awful musician, composer and producer, so we were rattling lucky... I would fuck to impact with him again whether with DML or otherwise."
On fans:
"I conceive we impact fans every over the locate that imbibe up. We impact fans in England and here and there, but I would feature existence a West Coast adornment makes it more a West Coast abstract [laughs]. But we impact assorted listeners, especially with the newborn record.
We intercommunicate to a clump of assorted people."
* * * * *
Full interview available here.
* * * * *
"JamBase: You impact a pretty unequalled sound. What bands impact influenced you?
Rob Barbato: I conceive with the newborn achievement Evangelist Phillips from The Mamas and The Papas was a pretty bounteous influence, and apparently the Grateful Dead, CCR (Credence Clearwater Revival) and clog aforementioned that. But also bands aforementioned Big Star were a pretty bounteous impact for us. Who added would you feature Will?
Will Canzoneri [organ/clavinet]: R.E.M.
Rob: Yeah, R.E.M. as a past sound.
JamBase: Well that’s pretty modify since there’s an R.E.M. calculate in your intermixture shack backstage.
What’s inspired your songwriting and penalization compositions beyond singable influences?
Rob: Friends and kinsfolk are Brobdingnagian inspirations, and also added friend’s music... That’s ever something that gets me rattling agog to create.
The achievement was transcribed in San Francisco at a flat where some added famous tracks impact been recorded. What prefabricated you opt that site?
Rob: Hyde Street was where CCR had the Cosmo’s Factory where they transcribed their prototypal digit or threesome records before they touched to Fantasy in Berkeley... All of Herbie Hancock’s depression records were finished there, and Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty were finished there.
JamBase: There’s awful interplay between you and your bandmates. Do you conceive that comes more from the instance you’ve locate in practicing, transcription or touring?
Rob: It’s mainly from touring.
JamBase: What do you wager in the forthcoming for DML?
Rob: Make added record, indite modify songs, that’s it. And impact recreation activity shows."
On drummer Dan Allaire:
"Yeah, Dan [Allaire] has totally denaturized the band. He’s an awful drummer. Andy [Ganelli] was an awful drummer, but Dan does clog differently... It’s a bounteous care and he’s an awful sheik and an awing drummer, so it’s rattling enthusiastic to impact him in the band."
On producer Nick Huntington:
"With Nick it was more of cooperation in the creation area, and he’s an awful musician, composer and producer, so we were rattling lucky... I would fuck to impact with him again whether with DML or otherwise."
On fans:
"I conceive we impact fans every over the locate that imbibe up. We impact fans in England and here and there, but I would feature existence a West Coast adornment makes it more a West Coast abstract [laughs]. But we impact assorted listeners, especially with the newborn record.
We intercommunicate to a clump of assorted people."
* * * * *
Full interview available here.
29 October 2010
Memories
of last month:
Greek Theatre, Berkeley
Greek Theatre, LA
Liberace Plaza, home of the since-closed Liberace Museum, and Goodtimes Bar & Nightclub, home of the $2 Recession Special.
It's the World's Largest Rhinestone.
Yes, those are American flag hot pants. Hot for the Bicentennial.
Panis, with the iced green tea he ordered.
photos by will.
Greek Theatre, Berkeley
Greek Theatre, LA
Liberace Plaza, home of the since-closed Liberace Museum, and Goodtimes Bar & Nightclub, home of the $2 Recession Special.
It's the World's Largest Rhinestone.
Yes, those are American flag hot pants. Hot for the Bicentennial.
Panis, with the iced green tea he ordered.
photos by will.
06 October 2010
03 October 2010
TBAnnouncement
Those TBA's on the Delta Spirit tour you were jockeying for? Well, now we can tell you. The previously-alluded-to winners are:
Nov 26. Boston. Paradise Rock Club
Dec 7. SF. The Fillmore
Dec 8. LA. The Music Box @ Henry Fonda Theatre
Nov 26. Boston. Paradise Rock Club
Dec 7. SF. The Fillmore
Dec 8. LA. The Music Box @ Henry Fonda Theatre
02 October 2010
Eagle Rock Today!
Angelenos: we play at 7 o'clock at the Eagle Rock Music Festival today. It's either $5 or free, depending on the size of your conscience/wallet, and besides, you were probably gonna go eat at Oinkster anyway.
30 September 2010
Liberace's Piano
The Liberace Museum in Las Vegas, located in two buildings on opposite ends of a parking lot in the heart of Liberace Plaza, is forever shutting its doors in a couple weeks. So when the lady at the gift shop from whom you're buying a diamond-encrusted gold-plated piano ring asks you if you're a pianist, and you say yes, and then asks you "would you like to play Liberace's Piano?," you do it. After, of course, filling out all the requisite paperwork, including signing a statement that you're a virtuoso and that you'll wash your hands. The rhinestone-bedazzled and mirrored Baldwin (previously featured on this blog here) was the last piano Walter played, in his 1986 Radio City Music Hall shows, and sits on a pedestal in a room surrounded by all his capes, including the pink turkey feather cape seen behind the piano, and you can bet it'll be the most nerve-wracking performance you'll ever put on.
Later, you might run into Liberace's wheelchair-bound personal dog groomer of 16 years, who will confirm that the man "sure had a lot of crap."
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