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.