more studio updates and Daniel Ellsworth

we’re a few songs into the vocal parts, which we will finish today along with everything else. it’s been really good and i only expect it to continue. Rob Burrell (our producer and magic crafter) is amazing and really knows how to get the most out of a performance.

in other news, Daniel Ellsworth’s album just came out. i did the cover art for it, and he brought me a copy yesterday. it really looks good. sounds good too. be sure to check it out.

lowercase collective studio report

the first day of recording is done.  lowercase collective tracked 4 songs yesterday (not including vocals and overdubs), which is amazing, considering we only planned on getting 3 done and would have been pleased with 2.  for those keeping score, here are the songs we tracked:

fly around the room (new one)
long expected wait
listen to the bugs
swimming

today we track:

x’s on your eyes
concrete

then we launch into vocals and overdubs.  we’re extremely pleased with how it’s sounding.  hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Bedtime Stories by Thom Yorke vs. millions of unseen creatures.

eh. i think they put some sort of addictive drug, maybe crack, in my favorite cereal (Oatmeal Crisp : Rasin). sometimes i just crave it, and when i’m eating it i’m always thinking “this is so terribly delicious, i think there may be some sort of addictive drug in this.” i guess that makes Kroger my pusher.

bee. there are millions of unseen creatures living all over your body.

sea. i’m still reading Questionable Content, and i still love it. i kind of wish i could get into other web comics like i do this one, but in ways, due to my recent busy-ness, i’m glad i don’t. i also ate squash this week.

dee. Bedtime Stories by Thom Yorke.

ee.  i’m not exactly sure how to say “e”.  it’s still my favorite number.

eff. the name of the lead character in the novel i’m currently trying to write. i’m hoping to get back into writing that thing soon. refer back to sea.

gee. man cave update: doors arrive today. done by labor day? maybe.

ach. fatandy and i have been working on a mixtape. we should be posting that very soon.

eye. one of the songs we’re recording this weekend, “listen to the bugs”, was one of the songs i played the night my stepfather passed away, and often reminds me of him. this one’s for you, Joe.

jay. welcome back to the internets, you bloggers.

lowercase collective : studio time

thanks for all who made it to the show on saturday.

we’re heading into the studio this weekend to record 6 songs.  we’ve been practicing much to prepare, and we’re really looking forward to the time to record.  this week could be crazy, but i hope to post more soon.

here’s a poem to hold you over:

bacon
is delicious
unless you don’t eat pork
but i do
i like bbq too
i also like to ski
i’m glad that i’m not made of bacon
i enjoy eggs over medium
and in omlettes
i hope i’m not abducted
by eggs

thank you.

random : list

blueberries
Captain America
a sea of fish flavoring
the Nobel Peace Prize
cork flooring
joshandyeddiemartindadmarkleslieyou?
the great ostritch of the bluemine plains
leftover tacos
radiohead covering rhinestone cowboy
Carl Marx
how to make angels (shudder)
liquid nitrogen and toothpaste
Christy’s love of Taking Back Sunday
brown
a mouse wrist rester like a cow/panda
MuscleMen (Man)
hoping for Tiki
refreshment
a bad box of bumble bees eating barium
a head of lettuce in the shape of Pennywise the Clown
Turkish Delight
a foam noodle

who ate Leftnord Buxterworth?

acorns
taste nothing
like sausages
or eggo waffles

i bit my lip the other day
and it tasted nothing
like bitter fruit
or Italian jumpsuits

the forrest is not unlike
the many cold days
that remind us why we hate
summer

cashews
are my favorite condiment
next comes parmesian cheese
which tastes nothing

like acorns.

Talledega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

i made a grave error when going into this film.  it’s the same error i made when i watched Constantine: i thought it might be better than Anchorman.  When i saw Constantine, i thought it had the potential to be better than the Matrix.  Now, Anchorman is my favorite comedy, as the Matrix is my favorite movie, so to go into a movie with such high expectations is foolishness.

That said, Talledega Nights was really funny.  Many of the jokes in the trailer were some of the best, but there were many more nuggets of joy in the movie.  As expected, there were lots of over the top items that flowed in and out of the movie, especially how the children acted, but overall, it is a funny film worth watching.

My favorite parts of the film were when Ricky Bobby is praying/saying grace.  Comic genius.  The ending blooper reel is also amazing.

sh4wn rating: B+.

Fiona Apple : Live at the Ryman

Thanks to a good friend, i was able to score some seats to see Fiona Apple this past friday at the Ryman. These seats were in the balcony, second row, center. Amazing. The Ryman is one of my favorite places in the world to see shows. The warm sounds that fill the room, the way you can feel the bass in your seat, pretty much everything about it is unbelievable.

The opener this time for Fiona, David someone, was barely worth mentioning. He was by himself and sounded like many of us do in our bedrooms messing around on our guitars. His voice was decent, but his 20 min set felt like an hour.

Fiona took the stage with all of her angst and crooning, rarely disappointing us through the long set. Here are the songs she did, but not in the order she did them (thanks Richard):

1. Extraordinary Machine
2. Get Him Back
3. Better Version Of Me
4. Tymps (The Sick In The Head Song)
5. Oh Well
6. Red Red Red
7. Not About Love
8. Sleep To Dream
9. Shadow boxer
10. Criminal
11. On the Bound
12. Limp
13. Paper Bag
14. Fast as You Can
15. The Way Things Are
16. Get Gone
17. I Know
18. To Your Love

At several points during the show, her band (which was incredible) would play extended outros of certain songs while Fiona would either play along on the piano or flail about the stage. These moments were what made an amazing show an unforgetful one. My only complaint was when Fiona would start straying from the melody and start screaming/angry talking the words to the songs. It added a bit of emotion, but her melodies and voice are so good that i’d rather hear that.

Fiona at the Ryman: A

Had Damien Rice opened, like he did on the first leg of the tour, i don’t know that i could have graded the show.

climbing Darth Vader to reach Michael J. Fox

ok.  check this out. this is incredible.  i wish i could do this instead of merely being able to do the robot. (thanks to Eddie for the link).

and watch this Star Wars clip that’s really really funny.

also, i was thinking this morning about time along with cause and effect in life. on Wednesday evening, i was on the way to the mall with Leslie, and for unforseen reasons, we missed our exit, which put us at the mall about 7 minutes later than we would have been.  Obviously not a big deal.  A few hours later, we were walking through the mall as it was near closing, and i slipped on something wet on the floor of the mall, which sent me sprawling.  While this in itself is pretty funny, i write this to share a thought, with you, my dear friends.

What if we hadn’t missed the exit?  Would i have slipped?  Obviously, i wouldn’t be writing this post right now.  i know some of you are of the opinion that all of time is mapped out, with us merely puppets, but i am not of that belief, so that leads me to think about the idea of how every action affects everything else in the universe.  Some more substantial than others.  i think of this idea often, and of course, i reflect on the Back to the Future movies, where they go back in time and change everything.

This blog post sponsored by Michael J. Fox.

a quick summary

Several items of interest:

a. Tonight we head to the Belcourt for the awards ceremony for the 48 hour film project.  We don’t really expect to win anything, but we rejoice in the fact that our movie wasn’t the worst one.  i will point no fingers.

b. Leslie started her new job today.  Just paperwork, but it’s still a new era in our lives.

c. Currently listening to the band Mew.  Their name is almost like a cat sounds, but their music sounds nothing like what cats sound like when they make music.  This is my first time listening to Mew, and i’m enjoying it.

d. i’m going to see Fiona Apple at the Ryman tomorrow night, and i’m very happy about this.  It’s ok to be jealous, just don’t covet my seat because that’s wrong.

e. is my favorite letter in the alphabet.

f. i have a bobcat in the backseat of my vehicle.  This bobcat has scared my wife on numerous occasions.  As a matter of fact, it frightened her 4 times in one day, and it’s not even alive.

g. i don’t think i would put ranch dressing on a handful of raisins, but somehow ranch dressing on a salad with raisins in it is ok.  It’s fascinating to me what conversations my mouth and brain must have.

h. Taledega Nights comes out this weekend.  My excitement can hardly be contained.

i. love lamp.