mrfuriousrecords.com – DARKER DIMENSIONS crossover event happening now!

  • Welcome Home, ScoMo

    Last Friday I picked Scott up from the airport.  He’s back in Nebraska now, after six months-ish playing music on cruise ships.  His cell number and email are the same, so welcome him home, see his photos, and hear his stories if you can!

    I played a bunch of new CDs for him, he played me some South American music, and he heard h&s’ “Snow is a Bear” from XMAS for the first time (weird!).  I had only given him written instructions to record a lesser-known carol in A minor, and anything else he thought might fit my description of the tune (which is where is mini-fantasia on “Ukrainian Bell Carol” came from.  You can hear it during the song’s bridge).

    Are you guys ready for another recipe?  I’ll try to post one (or more?!) this weekend.  -h

    h

  • 50B Practice Tape

    Update – Thursday, 9:43 AM – The new jams are UP at myspace.com/fiftybearsinafight 

    Hey all – just quick – Fifty Bears in a Fight, including Drew, made a five-song practice tape tonight just so we can hear what the hell we’ve been up to. I’m dropping it into ProTools as I type, and will have it up at our myspace this weekend. It’s pretty rough and out of control.

    In a few spare minutes, I’ve also started tracking bass and keys for my upcoming There is Something and not nothing. That’s pretty wild, too, I think. I’ll probably have to do an acoustic version, just to prove it’s me.

    5*Matt told me that 5*Joel has a gig this weekend playing guitar in the studio for a girl who’s going on America’s Got Talent! or some such show (I have a TV now, but no cable or even bunny ears, just DVDs). So he’s had to learn a bunch of Hannah Montana songs, but he’s getting *paid*! How rad is that?

    Speaking of Hannah Montana, I’ve been arguing with my cube-mate at work about whether her music is great art or not. In the process, I’ve come up with a new way to talk about how I think aesthetic value works. Remind me to tell you next week; tonight I’m not feeling well, so I’m going to bed and read “The Golden Compass” while the practice tape continues to play through. -h

    h

  • Best Records We Heard in 2007

    Thanks for the link, Caretaker!

    AND NOW, THE BEST RECORDS WE HEARD IN 2007*, BY CORY AND HOWIE

    *They did not necessarily come out in 2007, which is what makes our list unique

    HONORABLE MENTION:

    Depeche Mode, Songs of Faith and Devotion

    Early in 2007, my band Five Star Crush arrived in a place where I knew I needed to understand Depeche Mode. All I knew going in was that Mrs. Stasny, CHS‘ high school art teacher, allowed three kinds of sound in the room while we were working: herself reading “The Hobbit,” Loreena McKennitt, and Violator. I found Songs of Faith and Devotion and Playing the Angel one night at Half-Price Books, and haven’t been the same since. -h

    Mastodon, Blood Mountain

    Riffs from most every sub-style of metal you’d care to mention, songs about weird creatures and epic battles, superb production; Mastodon may not have broken virgin soil with Blood Mountain, but they mercilessly hit on all twelve cylinders throughout. -h

    Ideal Cleaners, Muchacho

    A solid second LP from Lincoln, NE indie-grunge heroes. The record is raw, short, and tight. It rocks from start to finish, and is more complex rhythmically and thematically than it lets on. Also, there’s always a caustic sense of humor in IC’s lyrics, especially in “Hey, Foxy Network”, my personal fav. off the album. -Cory

    Flobots, Fight With Tools

    This is the first LP from Denver, CO hip-hop group. They are comprised of a full band (bass, viola, guitar, drums, trumpet, and 2 MCs) and put on one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen. They’re pretty political and progressive, and deal with race relations, poverty, foreign policy, and of course, ass-shaking. -Cory

    Neil Young, Harvest

    It’s just an awesome folk record. “Harvest Moon” is one of the best folk songs ever, it’s just one of many on this record. I just recently got re-into Neil Young (my dad blasted him when I was a kid), so it’s fun rediscovering. -Cory

    Band of Horses, Cease To Begin

    It’s ambient, reverby, catchy, and the lead singer has the same Neil Young/Doug Martsch/even sort of Tom DeLonge thing going on, but the music is big and epic and great. Think crazy echoey anthems. -Cory

    Ha Ha Tonka (formerly Amsterband), Buckle in the Bible Belt

    At an end-of-the-year show for Bethany College in tiny Lindsborg, Kansas (Swedes rock), I was treated to a thoroughly enjoyable set of southern-tinged indie rock by these fine young men. Imagine my surprise as they’ve showed up in the pages of SPIN and Paste since! -h

    Snowden, Anti-Anti

    Snowden’s singer and bassist have a gentle two-step, front-and-back dance move that I found myself emulating about a third of the way through their set at KC’s RecordBar. Dark, chilled dance grooves, subtle hooks, and a pervasive sense of small-scale mystery kept me listening all year. -h

    MIA, Kala

    When your one Timbaland track is buried in the order, you’ve got a hell of an album on your hands. MIA brought the color, sound, and ambiguity of the developing world into my house and car with a healthy dose of self-awareness and her completely unique beat production. 4/4 stars. -h

    Clipse, Hell Hath No Fury

    Just a great, great, great hip hop record; it’s got some “gangster” themes (lots of drug-selling rapped about, but it’s autobiographical), but they also touch on other stuff; once in a while they get profound, and the lyrics are always brilliant. Add that to great beats produced by the Neptunes, and wowie! Clipse was also the best act at Pitchfork Music Fest this year! -Cory

    The Shins, Wincing The Night Away

    A totally different record production-wise from the shins, and the songs aren’t as completely strong and awesome as they are on Chutes Too Narrow, but this is still years better than most other pop being put out. I hope they go back to being more folky, but that’s a selfish thing :) -Cory

    Led Zeppelin, IV

    I say we take Led Z out and just file it under “records that Cory should have been listening at least 5 years ago but never got around to” because this record is OOOOOOOLD! Classically awesome and I’m glad I was ready for it. -Cory

    No way!  If you discovered it this year, it goes on the list!  See # 10! -h

    The Hold Steady, Boys And Girls In America

    What a refreshing experience to listen to a “hip” band that is as earnest as Bruce Springsteen, as nerdy as Weezer and as rocking as 38 Special! -Cory

    TOP TEN:

    10) Elvis Costello, This Year’s Model

    Costello’s first record with the Attractions, produced by Nick Lowe, is my paragon of quirky song-pop. There is NO STOPPING “Lipstick Vogue.” I can’t believe I waited until 2007 to find out. -h

    9) Of Montreal, Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer?

    This album is fucking awesome in every way and I am SO GLAD that I bought it. It’s really flamboyant and weird, but it’s also really accessible somehow. I mean, there’s a lot of crazy programming and beeps and boops, but the pop melodies are SO strong! Every song is a hit! And it is one of those great albums that are best listened to whole. -Cory

    8) Kanye West, Graduation

    I like it better than Late Registration but not as much as College Dropout. I guess every Kanye record is super different, and this one is just different in another way that I really like. It’s slicker, I think, but not in a bad way. -Cory

    7) The Good Life, Help Wanted Nights

    I like this record the best out of anything Kasher has made, besides probably The Ugly Organ. It’s REALLY bare, and tells the story of a guy who gets trapped in a small town on the way to CA. The songs are somehow really folky but also really pop-catchy (especially “Heartbroke”). -Cory

    6) Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

    Somehow they bested themselves, even with all of the hype surrounding Funeral.  Neon Bible is just a better pop record, and out of all the bands out there channeling The Boss these days, I think these guys do it the best.  And at the same time, it’s a weird, dark, beautiful record.  It’s epic like Funeral but more to-the-point.  “Ocean Of Noise” is this big drippy reverb-backed ballad monster-piece.  -Cory

    5) Radiohead, In Rainbows

    -h 

    4) Feist, The Reminder

    I haven’t been this in-love with a record since Common’s Be two years ago. -h

    I have been listening to this record over and over and over, and I finally get it; it’s beautiful, but I still have yet to connect with it on a personal level. – Cory

    3) Elliott Smith, New Moon

    A double-disc collection of b-sides and rarities from my favorite songwriter. The songs on this record are ghosts that remind us of Smith’s genius. The songs are vulnerable, creepy, breathtaking, beautiful, sad, and optimistic. It’s amazing that a b-side collection can be this good all the way throughout. I was a tiny bit bummed on his last official record (From A Basement On A Hill), and this collection of songs completely negates any disappointment I had about Basement and has become one of my favorite Elliott Smith CDs. It’s a shame that most people won’t hear “Angel In The Snow”, because it’s one of my favorite songs ever, and it’s certainly one of Smith’s best. -Cory

    2) The Return, The Arsonist Plays The Architect

    If Danger Danger Silent Stranger was The Return’s identity statement, fulfilling every promise implied in their earlier work, Arsonist… is a leap into an alternate universe where the rock is harder, the skronk is skronkier, the soul is deeper, and the melodies are even more incisive. Derek & Co. are masters of the monster they’ve created, letting it rampage and reining it in with perfect purpose. -h

    What Howie said. Also, I love “Divisionism” SO MUCH. – Cory.

    1) Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

    It’s Spoon’s perfect pop record. I can’t understand why “The Underdog” or “Finer Feelings” or “You Got Yr Cherry Bomb” didn’t sweep the Grammies. OR THE NATION. -Cory

    MR FURIOUS FAVORITES:

    Sally Ride, It’s A Trap, and Cory Kibler, The Silent Woods. -Cory

    Katherine Lindhart, The Humble Antiphon, and The Combine, (Upcoming EP). I love that MFR’s music is getting more diverse, with our first art song and hip-hop releases in late 07 / early 08. -h

    h

  • Byrne and Yorke on the Music Biz

    See WIRED mag’s article “David Byrne’s Survival Strategies for Emerging Artists,” with links to his interview with Thom Yorke.

    What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that’s not bad news for music, and it’s certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists…

    …So where do artists fit into this changing landscape? We find new options, new models.

    Where there was one, now there are six: Six possible music distribution models, ranging from one in which the artist is pretty much hands-off to one where the artist does nearly everything. Not surprisingly, the more involved the artist is, the more he or she can often make per unit sold. The totally DIY model is certainly not for everyone — but that’s the point. Now there’s choice.

    Byrne maps out the territory of the post-CD music business, and his six possibilities range from Madonna’s new deal at one end of the spectrum to the fully DIY at the other. All pop (in the broad sense) artists should be thinking consciously about where they’re trying to fit on the spectrum.

    ~

    As I’ve distributed burned copies of XMAS this year, several people have tried to pay me for the discs. “It’s not like that,” I explain with some difficulty. “We give our music away.”

    But in the interview with Byrne, Thom Yorke said something that’s nagged my memory since the start of Mr. Furious Records. He’s talking about Radiohead’s recent decision to let people name their own price, including zero, for downloading In Rainbows (my emphasis); “…it was really good. It released us from something. It wasn’t nihilistic, implying that the music’s not worth anything at all. It was the total opposite. And people took it as it was meant. Maybe that’s just people having a little faith in what we’re doing.

    I’ve always been concern that the implication of Mr. Furious’ distribution model is that our music is worthless. In a consumerist culture, where price largely determines value, what is free is often understood as something that can’t be sold.

    Radiohead (and, to be fair, other artists who pioneered the model in the past couple years) have found a way around this conundrum, creating a model that is both a critique of consumerism (you can choose to have the album for free) and allows for an expression of value in a way that is understandable in the wider culture (you can pay what you want).

    So the question is;

    Assuming the technical and person-hour obstacles can be overcome, would it be a good idea for MFR to release albums this way?

    h

  • AV's Best of the Year, Archive, Fifty Bears, Something, and a Message from ScoMo

    The Onion AV Club’s Best-of-2007 list is the… best… one I’ve seen around the web. Since I don’t hear *everything* like journalists do, and many of my greatest listens this year have been older stuff I’m getting into (Depeche Mode & Spoon are notable), I feel unqualified to offer a list. I’m sure Cory and I will cobble something together under a header other than “Best of 2007,” though.

    I was mildly surprised by the presence of Low’s record in the # 17 slot because it hasn’t been on a lot of other lists. Same with Jesu at # 12, Bloc Party at # 10, and Band of Horses all the way up at # 5. But that’s why I like the AV Club’s list; they seemed to step back and take the year as a whole, seriously considering who made great music this year (as opposed to what has been fashionable (Pfork) or indie-popular (everyone else) in 2007).

    The AV Club’s flexible points-based rating system is also a cut above the standard procedure; they explain their methodology in the article.

    \\\\

    Archive.org has been slow this week, making it hard for some folks to download or stream XMAS. We apologize. Archive.org does us a giant kindness – makes MFR possible, really – so please be patient with them!

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    In project-news Matt and I rocked with Drew as Fifty Bears in a Fight last night, and that was exciting. You may know Drew from such Lincoln bands as Rent Money Big. We are now seeking a singer with some kind of Big Rock Voice; a howl, growl, bark, or wail. This someone may or may not be influenced by metal or blues music, and may certainly be of any age, gender identity or orientation, cultural background, etc; voice is all that matters to us. Some singers we would have taken if they were available include Lemmy from Motorhead, Ozzy, Dave Grohl, the guy from Ladyfinger (ne)…

    \\\\

    This week I also finished writing a new record called There is Something and not nothing. It’s different, it’s catchy, and Matt will play drums on it. Beyond that, I don’t know what to say yet.

    \\\\

    Scott sent this message from south of the equator.  “These tracks” are his horn and flute parts in “Snow is a Bear.”

    Yo h, It’s probably too late, but I checked and I recorded these tracks in the Atlantic at approximately

    Lat: 25* 31′ S

    Long: 44* 11.70′ W

    I repeat…

    Lat: 25* 31′ S

    Long: 44* 11.70′ W.. wait I guess you don’t have to repeat over e-mail. Hope the holiday season is treating you well. Good to hear from you. Can’t wait to see you. Merry Christmas

    sm

    h

  • Nov/Dec Project Update

    XMAS – It will be ready, in one week; same bat-time, same bat-channel. My new original song, “Snow is a Bear,” is nearly mixed and sounding pretty good. It’s nice to hear the sound quality and production improve from 2005. Not that I’m down on that stuff; but I’m happy for concrete evidence I’m not in aesthetic stasis. Cory may also have a new song – TBD.

    5*C – I’ve started mastering for a new CD release that will combine our two EPs, and maybe another track or two. The Red EP has been criminally underheard; our own fault. But we aim to correct it in big way. We have also received our original sessions and stem mixes from Westend Studios, and we’ll be experimenting with re-recording some parts of songs (keys/guitars), without any expectations for what the results will be. At the very least, the new disc will bring together the original mixes from Sleepless Nights and Red, and that will be fantastic in itself. Anything more is pure frosting.

    The Combine – Two more hours in the lab will knock out mastering on The Combine’s debut, and its banging. The guys are in the planning stages for a CD release. MFR will release an EP from the Combine simultaneously with their album; the EP will contain 2-3 album tracks and 2-3 exclusive songs. We are very excited to add The Combine’s considerable talent, and their status as our first hip-hop artist, to the MFR catalog.

    I’m also writing/demo-ing a new record. It might be done before Boots, depending on the Boots cast. I don’t know what band-umbrella it’s going to fall under.

    See my recipe for Sweet and Sour Winter Veggie Soup, as promised, below!  Fury gots to eat.

    h

  • Sweet and Sour Winter Veggie Soup

    Chopped or sliced:

    • Parsnips
    • Turnips
    • Carrots
    • White onion
    • Snow peas
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Radishes

    (Use any combination and any amount, to your taste)

    Throw the chopped/sliced veggies in a B.A.P.*; cover with vegetable broth and a good shot of olive oil.

    Season with fresh rosemary and equal parts balsamic vinegar and maple syrup (use plenty!), and salt if necessary.

    Simmer until cooked; about an hour. I like to add chopped mushrooms at the end.

    *Big Ass Pot

    h

  • 50 Bears, Rap Humor, and

    Three great links this week.

    http://www.myspace.com/fiftybearsinafight – The other weekend, Matt and I laid down a practice tape for ourselves and for prospective singers. I think you can hear pretty well what Fifty Bears in a Fight is all about!

    http://www.jamphat.com/rap/??/ – Rap represented in mathematical charts and graphs. You can see the positive arithmetic correlation between money and problems.

    http://www.cracked.com/article_15699_
    9-most-badass-bible-verses.html     – Cory’s pick.

    Sorry for the delayed post this week; next week, I’ll give you a new recipe AND a blog, OK? -h

    h

  • Guest List: Cory Kibler

    Welcome to the MFR edition of Pitchfork’s Guest List. This week, I asked Cory to fill you in on what he’s been up to lately: which tracks he can’t stop spinning, what books he can’t put down, and what new bands he’s caught on tour.

    >> Favorite New Songs of the Past Year:

    “Finer Feelings” and “The Underdog” off of the newest Spoon record Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga are both huge favorites. Hmmm… “Divisionism” by The Return off of The Arsonist (Plays the Architect). “New Slow Sea” by Sally Ride! Was that more than a year ago? I don’t give a crap! “Angel In The Snow” off of New Moon by Elliott Smith, which is an old song but the record is new, so I think it counts.

    >> Favorite Older Songs at the Moment:

    I just got Revolver and Abbey Road for my wedding, and my favorite songs off of those guys are “For No One”, “Here, There, and Everywhere”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Something”, “Here Comes The Sun”, “Because”, and “Come Together”. I’ve heard both these records before I officially owned them, but I love getting new Beatles records because you just know it’s going to be awesome no matter what.

    >> Favorite New Band:

    My new band, The Sleepover! And, what else… new bands to ME include Led Zeppelin, Centro-Matic, and Neil Young. And I like these a bunch.

    >> Best Recent Concert:

    Ladyfinger (ne), Ideal Cleaners, Her Flyaway Manner and Paper People at Box Awesome this last weekend. I wasn’t able to actually see Paper People, but I heard they rocked. You read my mind, Muchacho.

    >> Favorite Song Ever:

    “Say Yes” by Elliott Smith is up there. “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” by Neutral Milk Hotel is as well. A lot of songs off of The Photo Album by Death Cab for Cutie are favorites. My favorite MFR song lately has been “The Picture Song” by tape/echoes HOWIE BABY BOY-NASTY! I love that song. Out of all the songs Howie has written, this song is the song I wish I wrote the most. Or at least, it’s probably the one I could have written the most, if that makes sense.

    >> Last Great Film I Saw:

    Um, I saw “The Darjeeling Limited” and I liked that a lot. It’s much more of a drama than Wes Anderson’s other movies; it doesn’t have the same inane silliness. So it was hard to get used to. But I really liked it. I’ll be able to say more after I’ve seen it a few more times.

    >> Last Great Book I Read:

    “Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates” by Tom Robbins! I read this while in Jamaica on my Honeymoon and then finished it up just recently. Excellent book. I like reading Robbins at a slow pace because there’s so much literary awesomeness to appreciate.

    >> Favorite Piece of Musical Equipment:

    Um, my iPod or guitar? I don’t really have anything that cool.

    >> Favorite Record Shop:

    Salzer’s Records in Ventura, CA does the trick. And not just because I worked there; it’s AWESOME. Amoeba Records in Hollywood and Berkeley is probably the best place to records, though. Cheap, and they have EVERYTHING.

    >> Best Purchase of the Past Year:

    My guitar, I think? I bet that’s it. It’s a red Ovation fiber-glass backed job. It sounds great, especially since my old guitar (a learner’s guitar) kind of suuuuucked. But I feel bad saying that, since it was my first guitar that I owned. But yeah, it buzzed and didn’t say in tune.

    >> Best Thing I Did This Year:

    I got MARRIED, ladies! It was awesome!

    >> Favorite Music Venue:

    The Zoo Bar, Duffy’s and Box Awesome are pretty rad! The Orpheum in Omaha isn’t too bad, either; I’m going to The Slowdown this weekend though, so I’ll be able to tell you if that’s as awesome as everyone says it is. www.theslowdown.com is the link, I think!

    >> Favorite TV Show at the Moment:

    Grey’s Anatomy is always pretty good. Campus Ladies is awesome, but I haven’t seen it in forever. Is it still on? There’s some other show that’s awesome that I can’t remember. Maybe that’s it?

    >> Favorite Radio Show:

    None! NPR? UNL’s radio station, 90.3?

    >> My Ringtone:

    “AAANSWER YOUR PHOOOOOONE!” It’s me singing it! Over and over!

    h

  • REAL AWFUL, REAL QUICK / Robot, Creep Closer!

    Download all via .zip from archive.org

    MFR022RealAwful184.jpg 1- Clockblocking
    2- Totally Out of Control
    3- Sexy Survival
    4- Why Don’t You Go Ahead And Have Yourself A Summer While You’re At It?

    Cory

  • Antiphon, Blogged in Japanese

    http://blog.goo.ne.jp/warp50cd/e/
    143d57b2c7ed0f4cb0f42bfdcff97bbe

    Congrats, Katy! and Thanks, Music Forest!

    h

  • Boots Session

    Cory came down to KC last weekend, and we held sessions for his songs for Sally Ride’s upcoming record You Have To Wear the Boots.  Friday night he tracked vocals and guitar in one live take for “Easy Kill” and “Into the Fire” – Saturday he did “Cracked Piece of Sky” and together we played “Harvest Moon.”

    The main tracks for the album are now complete; next steps are adding the cast and company vocals, and adding some additional instrumentation (light drums, bass, and keys on various parts of various songs).

    I’ve listened to it all once in the car, and am pretty durn happy with it all.  The extra vocals will add a lot, too.

    We’re looking forward to a release in the spring.

    Robot, Creep Closer!’s farewell EP, Real Awful, Real Quick will be released one week from today; same furious-time, same furious-station.

    Cory, you left your toothbrush at my house!

    Cory and I continue to improve our in-studio rapport; I hope this one was basically painless for the little guy!  Seriously, I used to stress him out while recording.  Now we have a pretty good time, including songs, jokes, salsa, babes, Mastodon, and walks to the pastry shop around the corner.

    Artists out there; you should consider recording at my place, if only for the Boulevard Pastries!

    -h

    h