RM64 Artists Record

Doing vocals my way. Check out this beach cruiser yall! So I have been finding new and interesting ways to use our rode mic by combining good old fashioned exercise with modern home studio technology. In other words, another Friday night.
This morning I am heading into the studio with Amy to actually jam and have some fun playing music!! Usually we are working, rehearsing, recording, figuring out new technology, the internet, videos, blogging, editing, promoting, organizing, etc. and I literally cannot remember the last time we just rocked out like retards…which is how this whole thing got started. Then later this eve we have another rehearsal for our upcoming Monday show, which we will make you a part of via video connection. Off to play. Enjoy your day.

Here is a long overdue video entry of stuff that Tomas is doing:

A crude photographic depiction of last night: BEACH HOUSE @ Sundance////Park City, UTAH(!!!)

This past week featured the arrival of Sundance and the departure of Conan O’Brien. I have stronger feelings about one event than the other, the funny thing being the one I DO care about doesn’t affect me in the least and the one I don’t care about takes place in my own backyard.

But let’s talk about Conan’s departure for a minute. And not to get carried away feeling sorry for—or being able to relate to, for that matter—a guy who just voluntarily left a job w/ a $45M severance, but man, what a send-off. As much as I was hoping for the entertainment that an hour of the Masturbating Bear and a complete annihilation of the studio would have provided, I found myself being pleasantly surprised by the unexpected turn of him taking the normally boring high road.

What about this final gem from O’Brien : “All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

I haven’t owned a TV in about five years, so I wasn’t able to watch the drama unfold live. Instead, I watched it via Hulu on Sunday morning in a coffee shop and found myself nearly choking up as he delivered his parting words. It’s kind of crazy how candid people can become when they know the end is near.

And then we have Sundance. An event I have successfully avoided altogether–other than a handful of times–in my nine winters here in Utah. Holding a film festival in a town the size of Park City is like trying on a boot three sizes too small. If this post were written in the vernacular of “Fantastic Mr. Fox”, Sundance would be described as a “cluster-cuss.”

But here’s the thing. Because of Sundance, I saw BEACH HOUSE perform last night, in a small room. And Holy Moses. It was amazing. To quote my friend Anna who was standing next to me when they opened w/ “Zebra”, “I can’t believe that voice is actually coming from her.” She couldn’t have sounded better. Thanks to bit torrent, I’ve been enjoying their new record for a few weeks now. As of tomorrow, I’ll be able to purchase the real deal. And what a good one it is. I highly highly recommend.

But other than last night’s show and ODDSAC (“an experimental film featuring psychedelic visuals and music by Animal Collective”), I shall steer clear of the fray, and my only knowledge of the goings-on will be via the twitter feeds of Questlove and Levar Burton. That’s as close as I’ll get.

Runaway people. Let’s go home tonight. Bye bye bye.

Love,Brinton

This is going to be a short one, because frankly I am EXHAUSTED.

We’ve had a busy past couple of days practicing our cute little Narrative hearts out in part due to preparation for our up and coming February 8th show, and partly in preparation for our up and coming year of touring we’re planning on.

We’ve got 13 songs (probably!) on our up and coming (I’m trying to win a bet where I have to put the phrase “up and coming” in my blog enough times that it becomes obnoxious) record, and we haven’t played 9 of those live ever… but we want to!  This being the case, a large part of practices have been dedicated to nailing those new songs down.

It’s one thing to have a song written, step into a studio, and do a bunch of takes to piece together a great sounding version of the song.  It’s a totally different thing to be able to pull that song off together with your bandmates in one “take” and have it sound great, and for a handful of the songs we never really got a chance to be able to get that far before stepping into the studio… but now that we have some up and coming time (ok, that doesn’t even make sense), it’s pressing business!

You didn’t hear this from me, but, we’ll probably play one or two brand new ones on the up and coming 8th.

Outside of the music world, I just finished re-reading J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” for the first time in about 12 years, and it is still an awesome book.  If your school neglected you of this literature masterpiece growing up, rebel against the man and go pick up a copy now.  And if you’re like me and haven’t read it in forever, remedy that.  Seriously.

Currently, I am reading “The History of God” by Karen Armstrong which is an insightful text attempting to explain monotheism, its history, and how it has come to be in its current state.  I’m also making my way through the seventh edition of “The Maya” by Michael D. Coe, which basically reads like a palatable history book about the ancient Mayan civilization.  If you’ve any interest in history in general, I’d recommend both of these books.  Even if you don’t have any interest in history, they’re really enjoyable reads.  If you’re not hooked on “The History of God” by the close of the introduction, I’ll give you a hug next time I see you and whisper seductively in your ear, “I’m sorry”.

Ok, I’m out.. we’ve got another marathon practice tomorrow and I deserve a glass of scotch.

-Jesse

P.S. Can anyone teach me how to skateboard?  I suck.

P.P.S.  Up and coming!  Bam!

Hello Citizens

It’s a great day when you have’nt been able to get on the internet for like 2 weeks and on your first day back in cyberspace you find this waiting for you on your facebook wall. 

zepplin vs pterodactyls

Ok before you get too excited, this is a fake movie poster that my cousin Dave made.  I was totally honored that he felt that I was capable of producing a soundtrack capable of accompanying a film of such epic magnatude.  Score!

So whats been going on with me? 

The Bud Carroll band has started recording an ep, we cut all the basics live for 4 songs on saturday and are finishing up the overdubs this week.  We recorded it at Trackside with my good friend Ryan Weaver producing and engineering.  It was a ton of fun and is shaping up too be one of the best things I’ve ever been a part of in the studio!  I’ll be posting some footage in the upcoming how to make a record video this week.

Keep it real out there, and remember, “fuck the click”

Bud

Damn! Isn’t technology crazy. Here is some video from the show last week. Also just took one of the space because it was special. Documentation is a strange beast. The whole world is voyeuristic I realize…but video and audio together…big beast. Anyway, when I am not posing as a video director, editor, and post production house, I am learning how to engineer my own vocals on record without blowing up Amy’s computer. She just left for San Francisco and I am once again sitting with coffee in the clothes I slept in staring at the multiple wires and cables that have wound themselves into a musical matrix all over the table. This is literally what ‘behind the music’ looks like. Today I plan to do vocals until the neighbors break the door down. Sorry guys.

Also it is raining like a mother in L.A. and I couldn’t be happier. Change is good, weather is inspirational, and humidity makes for really good hair. Plus, soup tastes better.

I compiled some footage from our trip to Chicago last weekend. We had a grand ol’ time as usual and got to play a bar with some metal bands!

so after a few weeks of everyone traveling and doing their own thing, we’re all in one place and ready to take 2010 by storm. but first things first. gotta get some business taken care of.

One of the more immediate effects of
our society’s understanding of artistic value is the expectations,
for better or for worse, that are put on the process
of cultivating a career or lifestyle around art (music in this case).

For example, being a member of a band that has
a few releases and some moderate experience as a regional act,
I get questions like this all the time:
“What’s the next step?”
“What plans do you have now?”
“When are you going to try and ‘make it big?’”

(Yes, they use quotations inside of quotations)

These inquisitions into my future as a player in the music business
really have nothing to do with my ability to create or perform, etc.
They are frankly just measures of ambition, drive, or sheer willpower
to succeed through self-promotion, ladder climbing, and strategic investment.

In other words, play this song that I just created in RECORD
with my new Automapping Novation 25SL MkII
and pretend you are a giant robot stomping down the streets
of your local city/town of choice blasting everything in your path
with lazereyes or any other means necessary.

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That is what reaching the next step in the music business is like.

Follow the rest of the story after the jump

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