RM64 Artists Record

You mind if I do a J?

I’ve been learning the bass line to “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5, which isn’t the most difficult bass line in the world, but is super duper nasty.

It’s interesting how learning to a play a song on an instrument can create new love or re-invented love for that song.  I’ve probably heard “I Want You Back” over a hundred times in my life, and always dug it, but never grooved so hard to it while listening.  It’s a completely new found love for a song I’ve always loved, and has inspired me to go grab the entire Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson catalogue.

Another way to re-discover music you’ve known and loved before:  Don’t listen to it for multiple years and then come back to it.  Not just because sometimes it’s good to take a break from the music you really love, but also because you’ll be a totally different person when you come back around to it, and you’ll benefit from that new listening experience.  I haven’t listened to Michael Jackson (and I mean really listened – like a dedicated kind of listening where you’re married to it for better or for worse) since I was about 7 years old and was rocking my “Black or White” cassette over and over.

One of these days I’ll get back to Sublime, who guided the better part of ages 13-20 for me… but for now, Michael will do just fine.

As for new(er) music, the following two bands have been in heavy rotation lately:

1) Manchester Orchestra — Their new record, Mean Everything to Nothing, has some of my favorite tracks of the last couple of years on it for sure.  I’m finding it very difficult not to let this record influence my own writing too much.  I’d say the whole way through the record has something to offer, though I’m currently head over heels for “Tony the Tiger”.

2) Bon Iver — this is one of those artists I really didn’t want to like.  I heard way too much hype prior to listening (which was really around the time they released For Emma), and I got a little snobby over it and was like “yea, whatever… I’m sure it’s fucking awesome“.  In my own defense, I really dislike quite a bit of hyped bands (who I guess I’d personally classify as overhyped, but who am I?!), so it wouldn’t have been too far off of an assumption… except that Bon Iver is fucking awesome.  Justin Vernon is an incredibly talented lyricist, which might be the main selling point for me… but overall I just love the production on these tracks.  They’re super original sounding recordings, and they’re filled with raw emotion.  I don’t love all the tracks, but I love MOST of them, and I love those ones quite a great deal.

So what’s up with THE NARRATIIIIIIIVVVEEE?!

We just bought a VAN!  I’m pretty broke, but at least we have somewhere to put out gear when we head out on TOUR!

WHAT?

Yes, we’re leaving for a short tour in just 2 days… heading down to SXSW and back.  We’re super pumped.  We’ve got these sweet limited edition tour CDs we’ll be selling which are all hand crafted.  We’re road testing a lot of new songs.  We’re playing as a 3 piece for the first time, and that’s exciting and also frightening because I’m sure it’ll be a new challenge.

The tour CD will feature our Brand New cover as well as our demo of Fade (a song off our up coming full length) and an acoustic version of Castling.

For those of you not in a city we’re touring in, we’re going to be making a “wait list” which will be first come first serve as far as what we’ve got left over (if any) when we’re done.  We love to do things for our fans, so I’m sure this will not be the last time we do something like this!  If you miss out, please don’t sweat it too much… We really appreciate everything you do for us and we will pay you back eventually, I promise.

Anyway, “Smooth Criminal” just came on, and I’ve gotta go dance… later!

-Jesse