Some random quotes...

"Believing there is no God gives me more room for belief in family, people, love, truth, beauty, sex, Jell-O and all the other things I can prove and that make this life the best life I will ever have."

~Penn Jillette

"When I was a baby my feet didn't touch the ground for 3 years. Ladies kept passing me around, that's why I'm so confident"
~Ron Bennington

"You don't know what pressure is until you've played for five dollars a hole with only two in your pocket."
-Lee Trevino

"The fundamental problem with golf is that every so often, no matter how lacking you may be in the essential virtues required of a steady player, the odds are that one day you will hit the ball straight, hard, and out of sight. This is the essential frustration of this excruciating sport. For when you've done it once, you make the fundamental error of asking yourself why you can't do this all the time."
-Colin Bowles

Ryan's Winter Solo Shows

Jimmy and John will be hibernating for December, but I'll be heading out for a series of solo shows. I'll be playing a bunch of new songs from our upcoming record, The Oak and the Acorn. Most of these songs we've never played out before. I'll also be playing a very special holiday cover. Here're the details:

Wednesday, 3 December
Ryan solo
The Burlap and Bean
with Tommy Murray
204 South Newtown Street Rd
Newtown Square, PA 19073
burlapandbean.com
484-427-4547
7p; free; all ages

Saturday, 20 December
Ryan solo
Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
myspace.com/goodbyebluemondayinc
718-453-6343
8p; pay what you wish; 21+

Friday, 26 December
Ryan solo
Overnight Sensations
88.7 WRSU
New Brunswick, NJ
Listen live: wrsu.org
10p

Friday, 27 December
Ryan solo with Mike Hunchback and friends
The Parlor
Call or email for address
New Brunswick, NJ
973-747-8998
6p; pay what you wish; all ages

Sunday, 28 December
Ryan solo
The Shepherd and The Knucklehead Pub
with Junkyard John and In Ribbons
529 Belmont Ave.
Haledon, NJ
myspace.com/shepherd_knucklehead
973-942-8666
9p; free; 21+

Friday, 2 January 2009
Ryan solo with Fillmore and friends
Fillmore house
Call or email for exact address
New Brunswick, NJ
973-747-8998
6p; $3; all ages; coffee and snacks

Saturday, 3 January 2009
Ryan solo and friends
Octopus Studios
Call or email for exact address
New Brunswick, NJ
973-747-8998
6p; pay what you wish; all ages

Thanksgiven

Thanks be to Brunswick, indeed. This was our second show there in two weeks, plus two days after Thanksgiving, so I was a little worried about how many people would show. I should have known better than to doubt the Hub City, though.

Thanks very much to everyone who came out to The Breadbox last night. Playing was a ton of fun for me, and I got to meet a lot of new people last night. Thanks especially to John Terry for putting the show on, everybody who lives at the Breadbox for having us, and the other bands we got to play with.

Also thanks to Disarmor for letting me play through their stack. I'd never played through a stack before (except in Guitar Hero), and this one was taller than me.

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.

-Ryan

Friendly Bears

Good times, good tunes, good folks! There's no show like a New Brunswick show. For me, feeling the energy coming back from the people in the audience makes all the difference when we're playing, and this was one of those nights. Thank you very much! The impromptu dance party after was rad, too.

For more pics and more info, check out our gracious and radical hosts, Bear City!

Thanks very much...

...to everybody who came out to the show at Goodbye Blue Monday last Saturday. I think that was the first show they'd ever had in that particular space, and I hope you had as much fun as I did. Always fun for me to be part of something new.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of the performance going on on the front stage, since we were playing the back space. It seemed like a good time up front, though, too. If you were able to catch what they all got up to, please hit up the comments section and fill me in. Thanks!

-Ryan

Congratulations...

...to Lilli Feninger of Pforzheim, Germany for winning the T shirt give-away. Thanks very much to everyone who entered. Keep an eye on your inbox, we'll be doing plenty more give-aways through the mailing list. If you're not on the list and would like to be, please drop me a line at:

Ryan@Glad-Hearts.com

November Shows

Friday, 14 November
Ryan solo
The Little Big Show in the Small Wonder
1139 West 7th Street (at the corner of North Harrison Street)
Wilmington, DE 19805
6p; free; all ages

This is a monthly acoustic show I host. It's a super small room (about 20 people max), so show up on time to get good seats.

Saturday, 15 November
Goodbye Blue Monday
with Tape and Wire and more
1087 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
myspace.com/goodbyebluemondayinc
718-453-6343
8p; free; 21+

I am super excited about this show. Tape and Wire is Jimmy's old band. They recorded a great album, played two shows, then broke up. This is a one-time get-back-together for them. Sure, it will bring back all those old feelings, and maybe they'll regret it in the morning, but for that one night, why not?

As if that wasn't enough, Goodbye Blue Monday now has two stages, and a bona-fide circus will be performing on one while we play on the other. I am totally not kidding about this. I don't even know exactly what they're going to be doing, but I'm totally psyched.

Saturday, 22 November
Insouciant, Lark Hill, The Sloppy Horse, Half Brother, and Glad Hearts
at Bear City
28 Delafield St
New Brunswick, NJ
$5; all ages; 7p

This is only the second show ever at Bear City. Always fun to be part of something new. The flier Steve from Lark Hill made for this show is totally rad. Even if you can't come to the show you should go to their My Space and check it out.

Saturday, 29 November
Glad Hearts, Lady Bright, Disarmor, and friends
New Brunswick, NJ
Venue TBA (house show)
$5 suggested donation; all ages; 6p

John Terry from Rapid Cities put this one together for us, and we're very grateful. Unfortunately, Rapid Cities won't be playing this one, but they do have a record coming out soon called Machinery Saints. I got to hear three tracks off it when John came down and played in Delaware, and I think you're going to like it.

And speaking of things I hope you'll like. I think this show will be a ton of fun. You can check out the folks we'll be sharing the basement with on MySpace.

Wednesday, 3 December
Ryan solo
The Burlap and Bean
with Tommy Murray
204 South Newtown Street Rd
Newtown Square, PA 19073
burlapandbean.com
484-427-4547
7p; free; all ages

Creep Records fans might remember Tommy from his time in The Crash. He's also an excellent songwriter in his own right, and it's always fun to share a stage with him. I've only recently started drinking coffee, but I've quickly seen what I've been missing all these years, and I'm trying to make up for lost time. I saw a sticker once that said "Art is war; coffee is blood." Come on out and have a cup or two with me.

Rest In Pieces: Hunchback

Live, they would frighten you immediately, then melt your face off with a savage guitar solo. Or, they might first get your foot stomping in a solid grove, then rock your face off with a full band assault. Either way, your face was coming off, but that was the point. With your brain fully exposed and that layer of pretense stripped away you were better prepared to appreciate what they were doing.

Sadly, they won't be doing it much longer. Hunchback is calling it quits after almost ten years. They'll be playing three more shows in November, and that will be it. Their last show will be especially sad, since it will also be The Ergs' last show. That will be a sorry night for the Garden State, and when the last shriek of feedback fades the Jersey Devil will no doubt wail for hours before he passes out drunk on a pile of pine needles.

If you don't know who these bands are, you should find out. We were lucky to have them while we did.

I'll remember Mike pushing his glasses back into place in the middle of a guitar solo. I'll remember Miranda killing it with no toms. I'll remember Jay and Mike doing the intro to "Respect for the Dead" together at double speed. I'll remember Craig screaming, hitting his head on something, bleeding all over his keyboard, then blasting out the harmonica on their version of "Heart of Gold."

That's just me, though. Like any live show, you had to be there. Find a way to make it to one of their last three shows. If you absolutely can't, they came as close as anybody to recording it on "Step into My Parlor," the closing track of Ugly on the Outside. In a moment sure to make any punk (past or present) smile, the distinction between the band and the crowd breaks down near-perfectly into a screaming chorus of "I like spiders."

Sometimes other people say it better. Sometimes other people say it better and I can't remember exactly what they said, but I still know they said it better. I read an article about Hunchback where the writer said something like, "Music and art are not supposed to be all easy, and you can tell Hunchback gets that. You can tell they suffered for their music." I know for a fact that they did, too. But when I'd go to see them live, whatever might have been worrying me would get pushed aside. I hope playing live was as liberating for them as seeing them play was cathartic for me.

On a personal level, if there was no Hunchback, there'd be no Glad Hearts, and I'd still be very confused about what to do with my life. While I was croaking into a handheld tape recorder in my dorm room and piling up tapes I was sure no one else would ever hear, they were out playing shows, writing great songs, and making great records. When I'd get discouraged, their example would help me along. When I played some of my first demos to Craig, recordings which were definitely not "fucking awesome," he said they were anyway, and that kept me going and excited about writing more songs.

On an even more personal level, I consider Craig, Mike, Jay, and Miranda my friends. Craig and Mike took me to see Dawn of the Dead for the first time. Miranda and Jay were at my first vegan barbecue. I'm lucky to have such friends, I was lucky to get to see them play together, and I'm lucky I'll have their music for the rest of my life. Thank you all very much.

Hunchback is dead; Long live Hunchback!

http://www.myspace.com/hunchback

Thanks!

Thanks very much to everybody at the Millcreek Tavern and Wilmington Urban Bike Project shows. We had a great time, and I hope you did, too! -Ryan

October and November shows

Here we come again! Brooklyn, Philly, and Wilmington, we're headed your way!

Friday, 24 October
The Millcreek Tavern
with Kettle Pot Black and more
4200 Chester Ave
Philadelphia, PA
millcreektavernphilly.com
215-222-1255
9p; $8; 21+

This is our first time playing here. It looks rad, and they'll have $6 pitchers. $6 pitchers! At that price, you could just get one for yourself and drink straight from it like you're Jack in the giant's castle at the top of the beanstalk.

Saturday, 25 October
Wilmington Urban Bike Project
Benefit show and Open House
with Backwards Breathing and Deaf Not Dead
1908 N. Market St
Wilmington, DE
urbanbikeproject.org
973-747-8998
7p; $10 (all proceeds go to the project); all ages

This is a benefit show for a great organization in Wilmington. They work towards making bicycles available to people from all walks of life, and they just teamed up with the city of Wilmington to help get replacement bikes for kids who get their bikes stolen. There will be a raffle with prizes (including a Glad Hearts T shirt), bike demos, and an open house, Bike Project style.

Friday, 14 November
Ryan solo
The Little Big Show in the Small Wonder
7 Arts Studio
1139 West 7th Street (at the corner of North Harrison Street)
Wilmington, DE 19805
6p; free; all ages

This is a regular show I've been putting together at 7 Arts Studio. It's a small room, so get there early.

Saturday, 15 November
Goodbye Blue Monday
with Tape and Wire and more
1087 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
myspace.com/goodbyebluemondayinc
718-453-6343
8p; free; 21+

This should be a blast. We're playing with a bunch of old friends, including Jimmy's old band, Tape and Wire. Plus, there's going to be a literal circus going on while we play! Like juggling and all that. For real.

Octopus Studios Show

A friend of mine once had an idea for a restaurant called "Octopie" where they would serve a rotating line-up of 8 different pies. On the wall would be a sculpture of an octopus holding all the pies, and coffee would come out the center where ink should come out. This wasn't that, but was a lot of fun all the same.

Big thanks to Joe and the Delfields for hosting us, and thanks also to Half Brother and Fun Machine for playing with us.

-Ryan

Well, here we are, my first post on my first September 14th as a married man.

N+ is finally out for the DS. Not as slick as the XBox 360 version, but addicting nonetheless.



If you're the type to purchase games, you can find it for under $20 most places.

The Ergs are calling it quits. Too bad. Good guys and a truly amazing band. Final show dates on the myspace page, notables include The Fest 7 and the final show November 15th @ Asbury Lanes.

For you still lingering Sicko fans out there, Josh has put up some videos for you:

Escalator video
The rest of em

Two New Shows

Tour was so much fun, I started booking more shows as soon as we got back. We have two coming up in the next two month. We'll be in New Brunswick in September and Philly in October. Here are all the details:

Friday, 19 September
Octopus Studios
8 Seaman Street
New Brunswick, NJ
w/The Delfields, Fun Machine, and Half Brother
6:30 PM
973-975-2215
All ages
Pay what you wish

Friday, 24 October
Millcreek Tavern,
4200 Chester Avenue,
University City, Philadelphia, PA
215-222-1255
millcreektavernphilly.com
21+

Hope to see you there.

Thanks,
Ryan

Summer Tour 2008: We love you

We didn't give this tour a name, but, looking back on it, maybe we should have. It certainly took on a life of its own. If I had to chose a name now, it would probably be a tie between "Super Fun" and "Totally Rad." I can't wait to go out again. Huge thanks to all the people along the way who made the tour what it was.

John put up Kevin's photos in the post below this one, and you know what they say about a picture and 1,000 words. But, if you're interested, I also kept a short tour diary, so here's some of that with Kevin's photos mixed in:

The people in the van

Kevin

My brother and traveling companion extrodinaire. Maker of kick-ass sandwiches, late night driver, and champion of Wu-Tang on the van stereo. Tour wouldn't have been half as fun without him.

John

Scourge of keyboards, destroyer of tambourines, kicker of drums. We filled a van with instruments, but I only played two of them for the entire tour. John played all the rest.

Me

Me

Day 1: New Brunswick, New Jersey

New Brunswick=Always fun. We got to play live on Jared and Geoff's show "Overnight Sensations" on WRSU. I used to DJ on that station, so it's always a kick for me to play there. We got to go on the air after and take prank calls from my brother, Greg, and his roommate, Dave, who were also nice enough to let us crash at their house that night.

Day 2: The Brunze again: Junkyard Palace

During the day, Kevin and I went to the Route 18 flea market to get Greg some Nunchucks as a thank-you gift for letting us sleep over. If you've never been to the Route 18 flea market, it is totally worth your while. They have basically any sword you could want.

That night, we played at Junkyard Palace with Communipaw and Half Brother. The show was a great time, and I was totally flattered that people at the show knew some of the words and sung along to "Hub City."

Unfortunately, that was one of the last shows they'll be having there, since their landlord is getting foreclosed on. Thanks, Countrywide and Co. Also, real, non-sarcastic thanks to John, Cass, Mal, and everybody else at the Palace for all their work to help make New Brunswick what it is. Best of luck in your new homes.

Day 3: Trenton, New Jersey

Last time we played there was a few months ago, and Samara from Vibe Cafe was just getting started booking Sunday night shows. Since then, it seems like they've built up quite an audience because we played to a full house. Both times were crazy nights and a lot of fun. Samara is totally awesome, very supportive, and working hard to build up a scene in Trenton. Look up Vibe Cafe on MySpace to find out more.

Speaking of Trenton, before the show we had a few hours of daylight to walk the Philipsburg levees. It was cool. I also learned about a special restaurant in Trenton called the Mates Inn. It's sponsored by the NJ Department of Corrections to give incarcerated youth a chance to learn job skills by running their own restaurant. The directions to the place include the phrase, "Don't be deterred by the guardhouse, just tell them you're going to the Mates Inn, and they will wave you through." We didn't get a chance to go there this time, but next time for sure.

Day 4: Providence

We played at a place called Jesus Camp, which is definitely in my top ten of show house names. This was our first long drive. Gas is expensive, but I think the picture above alone proves Providence was totally worth it.

Jesus Camp was real cool. They'd had an art show a few days before, and a lot of the work was still hanging. It was amazing and you can see pictures of a lot of it in the online photo album in the post below this one. One in particular stands out in my mind, though. It was an 11x17 crayon drawing of a family standing in front of a house, but the sky was all huge clumps of red glitter. The tag next to it read, "I found this in the garbage on my street. This was obviously made in some kind of institution, because no one has this much red glitter in their home."

Before the show, Kevin and Kyle from Jesus camp went to the liquor store to stock up for the evening. As they were walking in, Kyle says to Kevin, "Look, this place can be kind of rough. If anybody asks you anything, no matter what, your answer is 'No!'"

At that point, there were only about 5 people at the house, including us. Kyle asked Kevin if he thought 40 beers would be enough, and Kevin said, "For the 5 people at the house, yeah, I think 40 will be enough." To which Kyle said, "Oh, you've never been to Providence before."

Sure enough, people started showing up, and the show was awesome. For the first part we sat outside in a circle on cinder blocks and milk crates, while Kyle and Derek played in their yard. For our set we moved inside and played in one of their bedrooms with everybody who could fit and everybody else in the kitchen. The show was a ton of fun, everybody was really close, and people listening started grabbed John's tambourine and hitting the drums to play along. For our last song, they shot fireworks out the window behind us while we were playing. It was rad.

Day 5: Brooklyn

This show meant a lot to me because so many of my friends and family came out. This was also the first time I've played for my parents. I really can't say how much it meant to me that so many people came out to the show. I hope you all had a good time.

We played at Goodbye Blue Monday, which was great. It was really nice mixed bill, and we played after Suzy Almond from the UK and a free jazz band.

I don't know, but I had heard getting a show in New York City can be sort of a pain, but everybody at GBM was great. Very supportive and helpful. Thanks a ton to Drew for the drinks, Matt for the sound, and everybody else at GBM for everything else.

Day 6: Wilmington, Delaware

We played at Stoney's Pub in Wilmington. We had a good time, and everybody there was very nice. I actually got to meet Stoney after our set, too.

After we played, a keyboardist got up and played, among other things, this hilarious song called, "She Made a Monkey Out of Me," the chorus of which was, "Ooh ooh ooh ooh ohh (or however you'd spell the noise monkeys make)."

We also shared the stage with a comedian, and I always like it when shows mix it up a bit like that. As Jim Munroe at No Media Kings said something like, "People need more than music in their indie diet."

Day 7: Frederick, Maryland

This was another show I booked strictly through MySpace that turned out awesome. On the way there, we drove into a thunderstorm, then out the other side, and for whatever reason, that always says, "Road trip" to me.

David Krasner hosted us in his awesome basement and cooked delicious pasta for us. We got to hear a bunch of very talented singer songwriters from Fredrick. A very cool scene. Also, they all rolled their own cigarettes. I know it's bad to romanticize smoking, but I have to admit I find that just a little bad-ass.

Day 8: Philly

Ryan vs. Ryan in Philly. Ryan McShane hosted us on her show "Tarantella Ora" on WKDU. It was great, and they have a super cool studio, complete with old school Nintendo and a huge army man battle scene glued to the ceiling. They even have the Power Pad, although we didn't bust it out this time around.

Ryan was very gracious and let us play a full set on air. Also, a very talented folk band from Indiana called Wilson's Reservoir played on air that day, too. We got to chat with those guys a bit, and they are super cool.

Kevin had to leave us here to catch a plane to San Francisco. He was much missed, but John's girlfriend Sharon joined us here, as did my girlfriend, Alex, so the party continued apace.

Day 9: Wilmington (again)

The original plan was for us to play in Newark, DE this day, but when our hosts' landlord caught word of that plan, he apparently threatened to evict them if they had live music in the house. I had no idea we were such a threat to property owners, but so it goes, I suppose.

At fist I was very bummed, but all ended well. Almost everybody who was going to play the show ended up playing live on my front porch for a few close friends. We got to enjoy the music of Mason Barto and Kyle Swartzwelder; no evictions necessary.

Not the end

We will be out on the road again as soon as we can. I feel like I can't adequately describe how great tour was, nor can I adequately thank the people who made it so great. Still, one more try:

Huge thank yous to:

My bandmates, for rocking, Kevin for coming along with us, my Dad for loaning us his van, all our parents, families, and friends for supporting us, everybody who let us play in their place or sleep on their floor, everyone we played with, everyone who came to see us, all the people we met along the way, and you for reading this.

xoxo,
Ryan

Summer '08 Tour Pics - (Everybody's Gotta Love Em!)

Most, if not all, of these totally radical pictures were taken by Kevin Bing ... recognize.

(Click any of these pics below to view the full photo album)

Back to finishing the album + Thanks for the help on tour

We're done with tour so now it's back to finishing up our record which we hope to have out by October [earlier actually but we'll play it safe and say October]. It's been delayed a little but I've been listening to what we have so far and I think it's damn good - worth the wait. I'm excited to finally have other people hear it.

Thanks to everyone who helped us out on tour. Including:
-Jared and Geoff at WRSU [New Brunswick, NJ]
-All the people at Junkyard Palace (Cass, Mallory, John) [New Brunswick, NJ]
-Samara at the Mill Hill Saloon/Vibe Cafe [Trenton, NJ]
-All the people at Jesus Camp (Monstery, Milo Greene) [Providence, RI]
-All the people at Goodbye Blue Monday [Brooklyn, NY]
-Stoney's Pub [Wilmington, DE]
-David Krasner and the whole Frederick community [Frederick, MD]
-Ryan (Tarantella Ora) and everyone at 91.7 WKDU Philly [Philadelphia, PA]
-Mason Barto and Kyle Swartzwelder [Wilmington, DE]

Thanks also to all the other artists/bands we got to play with and everyone who gave us a listen. We had a blast. Hope to see you again next time around.

BTW, *MONSTER* thanks to Kevin Bing for joining us on tour and helping us out immensely. There's a chance things could've sucked without you, broadie.

-JV

Summer Tour!

Summer Tour 2008
Here we come! See you out there in the great wide world.

New Brunswick, NJ
Fri, 1 Aug
Overnight Sensations, 88.7 WRSU
Listen live online: www.wrsu.org
10p

We kick off tour by playing live on Jared Migden’s Overnight Sensations! First we play, then spin records with Jared. Call in and say hey: 732-932-8800

New Brunswick, NJ
Sat, 2 Aug
Junkyard Palace,
331 Somerset St
all ages; Pay what you wish.
w/Communipaw
6p

Sadly, one of the last shows at this excellent house. Come out and help us say thanks to John, Cass, Mal, and everyone else who made this place a home for DIY art.

Trenton, NJ
Sun, 3 Aug
The Mill Hill Saloon
300 S. Broad Street (on the corner of Market & Broad Streets)
21+; No cover; cheap drinks
9p

Samarra, from the Vibe Cafe is helping us out with this one. Last time we played here, the bartenders had to spray people in the crowd with water, then the bartenders themselves started fighting behind the bar. We fully expect, at least, a repeat of this level of antics. Check their MySpace: "We all have demons, just drink the whiskey."

http://www.myspace.com/millhillmusic

Providence, RI
Mon, 4 Aug
Jesus Camp
Call or email for address (house show)
7p

Easily among the top ten best show house names. This one will be outside. Should be lovely.

Brooklyn, NY
Tues, 5 Aug
Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway
(718) 453-6343
21+
Pay what you wish
8p

Brooklyn is beautiful in summer. Come join us for a drink or two.

http://www.goodbye-blue-monday.com/

Wilmington, DE
Wed, 6 Aug
Stoney's Pub
Open mic night
3007 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803
Free; 21+
9p

Frederick, MD
Thurs, 7 Aug
Krasner's Basement
9413 Bridgewater Court West
Frederick, MD 21701
All ages, pay what you wish
1:30p

This will be my first time in Frederick, MD. Looking forward to it.

Philadelphia, PA
Fri, 8 Aug
Tarantella Ora with Ryan McShane
Live on 91.7 WKDU
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
4-6p

Listen online: http://www.wkdu.org/
Call and say hey: 215-895-5917
or
IM: RequestWKDU

Last time we played Philly was a blast. The bar we played in was also a polling place for the primary election. They pushed all the voting machines to one corner (after the polls closed) for us to play. Rock, democracy, and ridiculously cheap drinks. Hopefully those three things will continue for us in Philly this summer.

Also, the symbol of Drexel University is a fucking dragon. 'nuff said.

Newark, DE
Sat, 9 Aug
125 House
125 West Main Street, Newark, DE;
973-747-8998
all ages
pay what you wish
6p

A house show in the Small Wonder. With: Mason Barto, Kyle Swartzwelder, and Patrick Hannon. I put this one together, so I'm extra excited about it. This place is right downtown and an easy walk/bike from most of Newark. It'll start on time, and trust me, you won't want to miss anybody.

Last Weekend

This past weekend was our last weekend in the studio for the new record. We put in some long hours and got a lot done. We also took a break on the Fourth long enough to climb up to the roof of the studio for a killer view of the NYC fireworks. They were totally sweet, and I'm very excited about how the record's turning out, so, all in all, a very good weekend.

A few friends dropped by during the sessions and were nice enough to play, sing, and shout on the record, so you can look forward to hearing from Craig Hunchback and Marcellus Hall when all is done and mixed. Thanks, guys.

In the coming week, me and a microphone will be traveling all over the tri-state area collecting contributions from some other very special guests. More on that later, though.

Almost there...

After a month of recording during pretty much every spare moment we collectively had, we're almost there. It has been a lot of work and money, but also a lot of fun and very satisfying. I've wanted to make a record since I realized it was possible when I was 13, and now it's finally happening. I'm really proud of how the record is coming out, and how hard we all worked on it.

We'll be going into the studio one more time this weekend (Yes, Fourth of July), and by the end of the weekend we should have all the tracking done!

I'd like to thank all of you who've helped and encouraged us through the writing and recording of this record. It has meant a lot to me, and I am very excited to share the record with you all when it's done.

OK. Back to work for me!

Recording Pics from Melody Lanes 06-14-08

Here are some new pics from our recent session recording drums at Melody Lanes, an awesome studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, run by my friend Jay Braun and a few of his buddies. Great place, great session and the best vending machine in town! Try the The Big Bopper. All pics taken by the amazing Mike Violago.

BTW, if you would like to hire Jimmy as a male model please contact us via email @ HandsomeJimmyV@Glad-Hearts.com. Jimmy's under strict contract with Glad Hearts, which besides being a band also doubles as his modeling agency. Warning: His rates aren't cheap.

Video Clips from Recording Day - 2

Recording Day - 2

Another night in NYC where I get home at 7am asking why I agreed to play drums when I have no idea how!

June = National Glad Hearts Recording Month

Last year we recorded our first EP in June. This year we're again doing a bulk of the recording for our first full length in June. So I've called my brosza "W", as I like to tenderly refer to him, and he's declared June to be National Glad Hearts Recording Month. Hooray for us! In preparation/celebration of this glorious month we're having our last weekend of practice (that's right, screw you Memorial Day) before diving head first into the making of the album in June. As mentioned before, we got a small head start in the studio and already have the drums tracked for one the new songs.

We're gonna try our damnest to keep this blog updated with pics and videos of the recording process. So check back with us periodically in June to see pics of what Jimmy looks like naked behind a drum kit OR video of Ryan going all crazy diva-style ala Mariah Carey and walking out on the session because we got him the wrong bottled water. It'll be a laugh riot.

My Other Bike is a Pipe Bomb

As these guys clearly already know, May is Bike Month. See you on the road.

A Mad and Faithful Telling

I got to see Devotchka in Philly last night. Holy crap. I'll be very lucky if I'm ever able to be a tenth of the musician every person in that band seems to be. I read a post on the Tape Op message board that said when people pay to see live music, one of the things they're secretly going for is to see and feel a group of people vibrating simultaneously and sympathetically. Whether that sounds New Age-y to you or not, that was definitely the case last night. They were super tight. I don't get to go to shows as often as I'd like, so I'm doubly glad I got to go to that one.

Even better than the show, though, my two old and dear friends, Joe and Ann, made the trip down from Brooklyn to hang out and go to the show with Alex and I. Best weekend ever!

Speaking of Brooklyn, I'm also very excited because our first show for summer tour just got confirmed in Brooklyn. More details soon...

My (imaginary) Letter to Sen. Hillary Clinton by John Valencia

[I by no means speak for Ryan and Jimmy on this subject. This post is only a reflection of my views and my views alone. -John Valencia]

Hi Hill,

Congrats on making it this far into the Democratic Primary. This primary has shown that America has made some serious progress as a nation considering that the 2 candidates left on the Democratic bill are an African American male and a white female. I honestly didn't think something like this would happen until about 2050 but I'm really happy it did.

Now, though, if you really care about our country at all you'll pull out of the race and back Barack Obama. Please put your ego aside - along with your posturing for another possible run in 4 or 8 years - do the right thing. Please stop wasting your own money and the money of those donating to your campaigning and let it go. These reports of some of the Democratic voters being split between McCain and either one of the Democratic candidates have got me - and a whole lot of other people - worried that we're gonna have to endure another 4 years sliding down the same awful slope Bush put us on.

Hillary, please do our country right and stop dividing the votes we might need to be rid of the same terrible policies we've been dealing with for the past 8 years - the policies that have led us into a bogus never-ending war, a recession, a gross mishandling of a natural disaster like hurricane Katrina, etc., etc. Please drop out of the race now and back Sen. Obama so that we might try to secure a victory against another 4 years of "Bush" and start changing this country around.

Sincerely,
A concerned American,
John Valencia

The Hub City

We were recently included on a New Brunswick round-up CD put out by the Rutgers Review, and I don't think I have adequately expressed how happy that makes me. I love New Brunswick. Love it.

But first, a little background. I've had to move around a lot in my life, and a while back I had to leave New Brunswick to live in Delaware for a bit. I get back to the Brunze pretty regularly to play shows, visit my brother, or other stuff (we used to practice in Joe's basement on Delavan Street every Sunday).

But there was a time there I was worried I was loosing my connection with the place. Being on that Review comp really made me feel a lot better about that not happening. Thanks very much to Dave Rothstad and the Review editors.

If you're reading this, chances are I don't have to tell you why I have this love for New Brunswick. You've probably stood next to me in a basement as we had our heads handed to us by a band we'd never heard of before that night. We've probably split a cigarette on the porch of a house five of our friends have lived in at different times, watched the sun go down, and talked about the potential on, and under, every street here. I could go on, but I think you already know what I mean...

Fresh Tracks

Friday night was our first night in the studio for the new record. It was a ton of fun to start, after all the months of getting ready. On top of that, this is my first time in a studio that's not my parents' basement. I think part of me never thought I'd get to record in a studio as nice as this one, so I'm really excited.

As always, I'm totally impressed by John and his crazy technical studio knowledge. He looked a little like Captain Kirk behind the mixing board, and if we form like Voltron in the studio, then he just happens to be the head. Jimmy knows his way around a condenser mic, too, and I always enjoy hearing them talk shop.

We didn't get out until 7 in the morning; I can't wait to go back.

Art

Here is some art

Early Start: Recording Starts This Friday

So we fell into some incredible luck and it looks like we're gonna get a nice head start on the recording of the new album. This Friday night we're gonna spend our first few hours in the studio and to say I'm excited would be understatement. More like pissing myself - in a good way of course. As Ryan said below, we're all pretty proud of our first EP came out considering it never left our hands from beginning to end but for this record we're reaching out to a bunch of friends and trying to make it more of a family affair. I'm particularly excited about the new batch of songs and all the crazy stuff we're gonna try recording this time around. If you're curious as to how the new songs are gonna sound, think Steak 'Em theme meets Smell Yo Dick while on the way to Korn concert. Are you excited yet? Do I need to ask?

Out of Print

I gave away the last copy of "A Year in a Circle" last weekend, which I guess means that record is finally done. I first thought the record was pretty much done when John finished mastering it, but I very quickly learned there is a big difference between the songs being done and the record being done.

There was all sorts of stuff I hadn't really thought too much about, from reproducing the cover art to putting together the jewel cases. But most importantly, I realized a record isn't done until it gets to people who want to hear it. Looking back on it, I'm glad we did those things ourselves. I'm very proud of what we ended up with, and I think we learned a lot from doing it.

At the time, it was a little frustrating to have to hand-assemble every jewel case and spend hours trying to line up the album art on the 10 cent photocopy machine at the office store, when we would have much rather been writing new songs and practicing. But, being able to hand people a finished CD and honestly say "this is the best we can do" was totally worth it.

If you didn't get one of those CDs and wanted to, thank you, and I apologize. You can still get the songs for free at the web site. I hope you enjoy them.

DIY analog delay

Dude pops open 2...Walkmen, Walkmans?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xelent/2455014579/in/pool-make/

Spotted via the Make Magazine blog

Overnight Sensations

Last Friday night, John and I got the chance to play live on Jared Migden's radio show, "Overnight Sensations" on WRSU. It was a great time, and especially fun for me to be back in the RSU studios.

A way while ago, Jared and I used to have back to back Wednesday morning radio shows (prime listening hours for a college station...). I loved doing the show, and it was a real kick to be back in the same studios with Jared again the other night.

I love college radio, and I once heard this hilarious WPRB promo done by The Dismemberment Plan. It went something like this:

"Hey, this is Steve and Mike from The Dismemberment Plan. You're listening to WPRB out of Princeton, and we have a message for all those people who say college radio is a waste of money because no one listens. Screw you. Screw you, OK. We can't wait to listen to WPRB every time we drive up 95, and we weep gently when the signal goes out of range, so screw you."

A Ode to Steak 'Em (A Poem)

You can Steak 'Em in the North
You can Steak 'Em in the South
But the best part of all
Is when you Steak 'Em in your mouth

(a single tear falls from my eye)

Happy May Day!

A very happy "From each according to his or her abilities; to each according to his or her needs," and a turn around the Maypole to you all.

Wilmington

I grew up in New Jersey, but for the past two years I've lived in Wilmington, DE. You can take the boy out of Jersey, but you can't take Jersey out of the boy. Still, I've tried my best to fit in on this bank of the river, and in my time here I've put together a Delaware scene report for interested bands.

I know most bands will skip the small wonder in favor of Philly, but the diamond state would love to have you, and if you know where to look, you can have yourself a good time for cheap.

If you're interested, drop me a line at: Ryan@Glad-Hearts.com

Booking (You)

I recently started booking shows down in Wilmington, Delaware, and I'd probably love to have you come play. Before this recent spat of shows, it had been a (too) long time since I booked a show, and it's very nice to be back doing it again.

From playing in a band, I know how much I appreciate getting a show, and it's great to be able to turn around and give that chance to another band. Plus, I get to play with some great people and hear a lot of great music.

If you're interested, please drop me line at: Ryan@Glad-Hearts.com

Some fliers for past shows

These already happened, but they were fun, and I like the fliers. Enjoy:

Another Successful Band Practice

Even in the middle of playing two shows in a weekend, we make the time for a little practice:

Ag Field Day