Month: May 2006

The two really interesting things about Saturday’s show with 5*C didn’t happen during our set.

I rolled down all three blocks of downtown W-burg early and popped in to the used CD store.  Purchased The Lemonheads It’s A Shame About Ray and Dead Prez Revolutionary But Gangsta.  But something in the “H” section shocked me; a copy of near and far.  I don’t know anyone in Warrensburg or who might have gone to Central Missouri State; it’s a mystery.  An ego boost mystery that made me feel like a rock star!

Freaky occurance # 2 was that I had actually played at the Setlist before, three years ago or more, with Shacker.  James had booked the gig and rented a minivan for it (why Warrensburg?!  We forget!) and we listened to Speakerboxxx/The Love Below on the way down.  We got there super early and ate across the street, James changed clothes in the van.  After a weird shoegaze band, we played a short set because the owner/sound guy told us we had one song left after only 20 minutes.  Nobody was there.  And we drove all the way back home that night, rocking out to The Colour and The Shape to feel better.

Funny thing; nobody was there for our set this time either.  We played OK, and introduced a rad new song we wrote just Friday at practice.

But if you need a used copy of one of my old records, I can tell you where to find it.  -h

I’m going to sneak this in under the wire before midnight.  You guys probably don’t realize how much motivation it provides to have a weekly update or thought or MUSIC, but it’s a good bit.

It’s no secret that Robot, Creep Closer! is talking with Lone Prairie Records about putting out an album (way to go, robots!).  However, it was news to me last week when talking with Cory that Eric at LPR is also compiling a disc (or maybe double-disc) of murder ballads.  After hearing about it, and hearing Cory play the killer tune he wrote for it, I thought… “Hey… I wrote a murder ballad once…”  A song called “Set You Ablaze” that is at least a couple years old (older… from college sometime…) that I’ve never really played except for myself and definitely not recorded.

“Killer” tune!

So Cory talked to Eric, and we all talked, and now my tune will also be on the comp., and I get to do the mastering for the whole thing.  That’s what I’ve been working on for a week now.  “Set You Ablaze” is a slow, sparse waltz about a cowboy whose woman betrays him in love, and when he finds out she leaves town and he takes off after her.  Somebody is not going to make it.  It’s basically acoustic guitar and voice, and I’m playing with other sounds to blend with it.  I’m recording in my one tiny closet in my apartment, so the clothes are all over everywhere else and if anyone is hearing anything I’m sure they’re confused.

Over the weekend Cory and I also worked out the final details on Ventura demos, so I will be fixing those up and begging one friend after another (haven’t decided on the order yet) to let me invade their space for a couple weeks and bang on a ton of drums.  When I’m not doing murder ballads.  -h

…is not a boy band!

You may or may not have heard that I joined a rock band in… February… or so. Now that we’ve established a bit of a groove, and things are bopping, here’s a bit of the story.

Starting to feel at home in KC and managing the wave-surfing that is work, I started looking at classifieds and Craigslist for drummer jobs. I wanted something Shacker-ish, where I could play along and contribute to someone else’s artistic vision. I fired off some emails, and on a whim answered a call for a keyboard player (!). Starting with BP’s Creepy Eepy, and then with Be A Ska Rat, I’d been playing some keys and enjoying that. I didn’t own a synth though; I had to borrow, first from Katy, then from Missy/Jody.

I learned a couple songs from the band’s myspace, auditioned, and joined what was then The Farewell. Several gigs and a name-change later, we are a fully functioning band unit; Five Star Crush. Details for the time being are at http://myspace.com/thefarewell and http://www.mrfuriousrecords.com/fivestarcrush/intro.html We’re playing often in KC, and in the area too. The sound is something like a crash between other-side-of-the-pond stuff (U2, Radiohead), New York bands (French Kicks, Longwave, Interpol) and surprisingly, some classic American rock (Tom Petty). At least, that’s what I hear.

My instrument is an Alesis Micron, which is tiny but has a ton of powerful sounds and programmable “setups” with patches/rhythms/effects/layers. I’m digging it. It’s my third one though; the first two were broken out of the box, so if you are interested in one make SURE you test it thoroughly at the store! Don’t order it online.

5*C is not connected to Mr. Furious Records. Also, I am not slowing down on MFR stuff (in case you haven’t noticed all the new music last month, plus upcoming Bike, Ventura, and 27 other echoes projects).

Peep our pages and catch up with us soon! -h

Visit the Museum of Bad Album Covers.  Click around.  Enjoy!

While I was there, I picked out some covers that I thought would be appropriate for Mr. Furious bands to pay homage to on future releases:

Sally Ride – Sing Out For Motorcycles

D-Rockets – By Request Only

Benjamin Axeface – Los Indios Taba-Jaras

Gilmo – What’s Next?

echoes – God’s Power

Bike – Reborn

Robot, Creep Closer! – Stuffparty!