Nova Social

Nova Social is a sweet band with an 80's-retro vibe. Their lyrics can be amusingly hostile. You'll love them.
They started their set with a song called "Laptop Rock" which cracked me up. Especially because they are ultimately, you know, a 9-piece with two violins, a cello, keyboardist and backup/descant singer.

I've seen them twice now at Joe's Pub.

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They are related to the band Balthrop Alabama which I recorded once on a Sunday (I believe) at Manhattan Theatre Source for my buddy Blair Johnson. Very different music. Also very groovy.

Cavallo Passages

I really dig Cavallo. They have a new record out.

Hurry2

The Hurry Brothers talk about their new album, and about the dumb movie producers who keep them from mixing it!

V-Blog Episode 2 - Making the LIFE AFTER LIFE album from Hurry Hurry on Vimeo.

Warm Day in April

The Delicate Cutters in this brilliant little single-take video.


What causes their drummer to be so handsome?

It Means "Horse" in Italian

My buddy Mike Kessell (who designed and built much of Millennium Crisis) plays drums for Cavallo.
They rock.
No, I mean they freakin' rock.
The above link is to their Bandcamp page. And the recordings sound great (I even own their vinyl!) But live?
Live they rock.
I mean they freakin' ROK.
This is the kind of band that's so dynamic that really it's all about hearing them live.
And they're an instrumental band. There need to be more instrumental bands.

The Ghost of Arthur James

Groove to The Ghost of Arthur James.
I own the vinyl.

Because I am so cool.

How's Your Sight Reading?

Dig Jonathan Newman's Blow it Up, Start Again.

(Click through to embiggen, make sure you watch clear through to the last frames).

Benevolence

Nikolai Kachanov, the director of the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York, wrote these amazing pieces. We recorded them nigh on 6 years ago.

All the vocal performances were done (as far as I remember) at the Interfaith Center up near Columbia University. It was a while ago, so I don't exactly remember. I'm going to guess that we were using Neve 1272 preamps with AKG 460 mics with CK1 capsules. But we may have been using Rode NT1 large diaphragm microphones. Or a mix of those. I vaguely recall recording straight into Samplitude through an Apogee converter.

The music is brilliant. Check it out. Buy the CD.

Delicate Cutters at the Roots Cafe in Brooklyn

What an amazing time and an amazing venue.

It was Standing Room Only when the Delicate Cutters performed at the intimate cafe venue in South Slope.
And look, they borrowed a T-Mouse guitar. That's my Martin.
The very groovy Rabbi Darkside was master of ceremonies and I have it on good faith that the grilled cheese is excellent. What a lovely group of people.

Zabristical

Zambri is grooving to a kind of Siouxie and the Banshees sound in Hundred Hearts for You.


It's partly the Prophet-like sound of the synth and partly the voice which maketh the '80's.
They have a new album called House of Baasa.

Sky Grealis

Dig this show in San Francisco that Sky is playing at! 

Oh, I am so envious.

Chien Noir

A dog from the Internet.

Listen to and look at the score for Jonathan Newman's orchestral version of Led Zeppelin's Black Dog. I just love that the first tempo marking is "Presto". Yup. It sure is.

I don't know, but I been told, a big-legged woman ain't got no soul.

I've learned all I know about women from the lyrics to Led Zeppelin songs.

Delicate Cutters

You know, a lot of reviews point out the "folk"-ish-ness of the Delicate Cutters. To me they're more of that REM-ish in-specifically influenced band.
There's a fantastic sense of space in their arrangements. Yet they also sound big. That can be hard to do.

Azania Triad

Azania is performing at Triad on February 4th.

My Favorite Zambri Song

Here's my favorite Zambri song (so far) "Too Keep Back".

Chance Hill Zambri

Tyrannosaurus Mouse

Chance Shirley's notes on music.
+++++
Erin Hill was, I believe, the first sound designer of the Estrogenius Festival. And she's playing at the Bitter End:
Erin Hill & her Psychedelic Harp
Monday, October 10th at 7 PM
one set, 7:00 to 7:45 PM, $5 cover
The Bitter End 147 Bleecker St., NYC
+++++
Zambri is doing a vinyl release. I ordered mine!

Coolness

The Delicate Cutters are cool. Their record company, Skybucket Records, is cool. I'm really enjoying this album.
+++++
I can't figure out how to intelligently record Electric Sheep. Neither, apparently, can anyone else. CamStudio seems to be my best bet. But I'm making uncompressed .avi's only to have to transcode them to ProRes files (at least I think that's what I'm going to do.)
+++++
I saw Azania Steady last week. She has an amazing voice. Plus, bonus points! She's Maduka's sister!

American Ambulance

American Ambulance is Pete Cenedella's band. I went to high school with Pete. He was the first one to play the Dead Kennedys, Talking Heads, and the Residents to me.

We also played a one-time concert at our school. We played one song. Ask me about it sometime.

Do you like your music concrete?

Then you're gonna love Zambri!

Zambri : Glossolalia 11/8 Kanine Records (Long Version) from Johnny Woods on Vimeo.

People Ask, I Answer

People ask me "Drew, what is about you that is just sooooo sexy?"
And I tell them.
"It's my Delicate Cutters T-shirt".

The Delicate Cutters

Then they nod knowingly and walk away.