Split with ZONA MEXICANA!

Hey, so we recorded a 7" with Zona. Mike Amacio and RJ Gordon produced it. It's fucking cool.
Track listing
Zona Mexicana
1. Rooting for the Asteroid
2. Vegetables Mixta

Elemeno
1. Savitri
2. Practice in Spontaneity - A Sincere Ode to the Internet

It will be pressed soon and available for sale (as soon as American Buffalo figures out how we want to do Vinyl pressing...)

Cant wait.

Also stay tuned for other American Buffalo splits by Weird Korea/Time Vampire and Trails/We Are Not Bears

Awesome show! Zs, Skeletons, Zona Mexicana... and Elemeno

December has been sweet.
On the 4th we played with Zs, Skeletons and Zona Mexicana at Whitsons in the Stood. Very cool, here's a video by Cameron Wisch



I really love Skeletons. When will they be on Adult Swim?
Ghostly International

November

November = Honey, sound & dance improv



See?

That was with RJ Gordon & Katie Vitarella. I just learned how to use a light mixer. There is a video somewhere, but I can't find it. I wish here were pictures from the performance I did with Scott Davis (Images, Drooling Pipe), Annie Rigney and Lucy Wilson. We opened for a show with Pillars & Tongues (that only about 6 people attended, bummer). The restriction on the dancers was to always maintain a point of contact. It was slow and pleasant. I liked it a lot, especially because it occurred in a completely red room with red lighting. It reminded me of being in the womb.

Also, I recorded a few new songs - Honey and Chapter One. I've been on an animal collective kick (aka - processed vocals)
Listen to these!
November 09 demo

playing in New Paltz is fun

when there is free beer and the bar saves the things you leave behind. Also when Cameron does a video comp for it.

Cameron Wisch makes these.

http://theloveschack.blogspot.com/2009/09/space-ghost-cowboys-release-party.html

Sweet.

Pictures

I played solo at Lotus Live. It was fun. Matt Butler has a nice dog.

Photo - http://www.getdropbox.com/gallery/1643083/1/Lotus%20Live%20%2709?h=01def9">Matt Ballard

Recorded with Mike Amacio (The Shakes, Space Ghost Cowboys) in a house without walls.
Pella Gago - Locke EP
1. Waiting
2. Bird Calls
3. Summertime Blues



Elemeno @ w/Trails, Time Vampire. That place was sweet. I wonder if I'll ever get to hear the recordings though.

Weston & Gaffney in a serious tournament in New Britain CT @ Monster Lab. Fun recording studio kegger with Trails, Time Vampire and We Are Not Bears

We played the Space Ghost Cowboys album release from Shack Attack Records. Fucking great.

Photo - Jess Lehrman

Photo - Milo Rayo

Laziness

is catching.
Lots of updates.
Elemeno is awesome now. Many new songs, recording a full length in october with Mike Amacio.
Tour was fun, and shorter than expected. I am glad the venues cancelled on us, because we would have been too broke to get there anyway.
Sucks, but I have lots of cool pictures from that.

Recorded an EP with Mike this summer in Locke, NY.
Pella Gago is the project. We might be getting a chance to open for Dark Dark Dark at the end of the month.

Last night was the Space Ghost Cowboys album release. Epic show, everyone was great. Thanks to Frank Graniero (moving mountains), Zona Mexicana, Nick Corbo, The Shakes, Shack Attack records, Milo Rayo, Jess Lehrman and Maya, Jeremy Aquilino, and generally everyone that came out to make this a great night.
My next post will be all pictures from places.

Locke

Sweet.
This last week Mike Amacio (Donner Party Picnic, The Shakes, White Blues & The Highway Shoes, Koala) went upstate to record. In 4 days we managed 3 full songs and recorded one of my younger brother's songs. You can hear one of them, Bird Brains, on my myspace
http://www.myspace.com/elemenomusiccompany

Flying Rat Party

Here is a brand spanking new tune. I wanted to try something more in depth as far as demos go, and while trying to show that through video, I may have gone a bit over the top. Still, please listen to the song.








Keep on coming back
to sick new organs of this body
wasted on bad blood
and antibodies
eating everything

Someday I will grow my teeth
and suck this city dry

Escape through open wounds
spit on the scab
dissolve the walls
doors on every corner
it will cost you just to leave

You don't owe me anything

Burn down
every block
Between the sidewalk cracks
a healing colored green

Blusher

A new tune I wrote today. I feel a little bad about it though. I missed seeing Sex God (Baron Shame) and No One and the Sombodies play at wespac. I drank beers with them instead and played my first ever game of guitarmageddon.

Until the evening ends
the fish said to the oyster in the bay
We'll dance and laugh and kiss
and both feel blessed that we are still alive
When the fishermen wake up
The skittish nature of our scaly friend
will make those hours crouch to minutes
and the waiting game begins
dare to leave the cave
stay by your bride
nets will descend to catch them both, but on their own
then bite the line

A menace maybe, more than likely
dreams are waking to walk about
put them back to bed and crawl ashore
Only a dream, only in dreams
Blushing, puffer fish.

Growing all the time
glowing like a star inside the brine
'I will swallow you'
The last thing she heard before she died

The cookpot bubbled over
the people couldn't watch
the fish had lept from ocean
to occupy their plates and thoughts
The oyster cooked to flame
and when they all were full
a phoenix rose, and took her flight with all his bones

Only a dream, only in dreams
Blushing, puffer fish.

Back of the book version

Cameron put this together from the show on tuesday.
He's so responsible.

Silent Barn

I played a sweet show at the Silent Barn on tuesday.
Matt Gaffney (Sharks Roar) drums, RJ Gordon (Trails)bass and Weston Minissali synth
We had Leah, Chess, Lucy, Annie, emma dancers. I forgot the box of tools I had for them, so they just destroyed everything during our set instead(RIP Glasses Gordon)

Something else cool - Cameron Wisch and Eric Drasin, who I've been lucky enough to perform with in Elemeno.
Cameron played without paint.
Instead Eric projected some sound responsive craziness, through the crowd on to Cameron. With a fog machine.
It was a very cool show, people were digging it. I'll try to find some pictures.

Ghost Mall is a mystery. I thought those guys were from New Paltz, but I can't tell. Maybe they're travelin ramblin minstrels. I'm glad I got to see them this time. We played together at the Fluxus event in the stood, but I was loading out while they played in another room. Cameron actually played that show also.

Data Dog closed the show. Check them out for being really cool.

Harry Katz & the Pistachios - jumped on last minute, was very cool to see them playing when I arrived. Surprised and happy.

Silent Barn = A+

New Dredg +
New Isis +
New Wilco -
New MewithoutYou =
New Dilla +

That is my review of new albums.

Did I mention I have stolen a huge amount of music lately?

Absolutely

A new song I wrote last night. I had to add the video effects because it sounded better with some reverb, but was really disconcerting to look at that way.

Outside the frame of sight, who can
See what's in the frame of mind, instinct
Here we are, aligned and close enough to bread and butter
The fat I've sucked has left me too slick for a lover
Hugged around my throat
A necklace made of fabric, beads and metal things
A token of my open heart, with all my blood and feelings
Pouring out, there will be rain
There will be drought

All my friends and enemies want to
Be rid of me, don't you
think that we should spend some time before we spend some time together
get to know each other better
I know I do, maybe I'm a fool
Depreciating every second leaves me neck deep
in a pool of insulation
all my flaws are bricks in walls
The doorway keystones are the baddest of them all

Back to where I have been, changed since
We were last in bed it seems living
Paved the way for calmer days, or maybe just less tension to break

I will take you in
To paint my favorite parts
When you're not in season anymore

Ostrich Feathers

I really like this video/song.



Guess what's on my mind
Ostrich feathers just like most of the time
excluding when I'm hopeful-
Read the news
Is it there to keep my feet firm to the sand
Or only so that I have somewhere soft to hide my head
It's hard to tell
I keep thinking for myself

Foxes in the yard
Like fire in the chicken coop, that's what they are
We could try to shoot them with our guns,
but that would take away from the spirit of the hunt

Lovers in a bed
Soaked in sweat and tears-
They've only just met
It seemed a scene at first until it clicked
now it seems they're siamese
Attached at the lips


Also, I'm really psyched for new Wilco and new Isis albums. I've been trying to get my hands on a leak, but I should just break down and order them. Oh to be not broke again, that would be great.

Psychedelic Toothache Tour '09

Check out this possibility for the end of the summer

Http://psychedelictoothache.blogspot.com



Going out with hopefully Trails, We Are Not Bears and Whiskey Education.

Many adventures - backlogs.

Hi everybody.
I have been lazy.
Sort of.
I have been busy.

I am the new Student Center Coordinator.
That is awesome.
Aaron Parsekian and I have some rad ideas for how to change the stood. So rad that I will make a new Stood blog tonight which you should check out often. I need a camera. And a video camera.

On the Thursday after Culture Shock, my master class had a showcase. Laurie-anne Creus, Matt Levy, Kelly Izzo and Joe Izzo


Thanks Jess Lehrman - http://glowinthedust.blogspot.com/

Hometown cab was kind of lame in a lot of ways, but it was also awesome. I never got to leave the mainstage for more than long enough to see Weston Minisalli's set at the co-op. I actually only saw the end of his last piece. It was music set to Bukowski. Pretty cool. Synth, voice, drums and one more instrument. I think originally it was for Crotales.

I played with the Disaster Piece for our first show. Thursday at 9, after Soul Voices on Mainstage. Beautiful birth.
Three songs, exhausting, awesome.
Disaster Piece is a slipknot song title I think. I don't know quite how I feel about that.
Only time will tell.
We also are recording a demo of the three songs. Vocals are the only thing left to go on.
It will be cool and I will talk all about it when the time comes.


Thanks Milo Rayo - http://funtimeusa.wordpress.com/

Elemeno played on Saturday at 11 at Hometown Cab, on the mainstage again.
Matt Gaffney, Weston, Cameron Wisch, Zach DeSorbo, Andrew Brown and myself played music.
Alliah Sophia Mousad projected video portraits. This is her Youtube, but the newest movies on there seem like the predecessors to what she projected. Here is her blog which is only maybe hers.
We also had dancers. 8 of them I think. Leah Katz helped so much by gathering all of these people into one place. Leah, Gilbert Small, Hayley Swinburn, Nina Hudson, Nicole Restani, Chess Lopez, Austin Jarred and Sarah Stanley.
Watch this



This is only more of the progression of what I hope this project will become. I wish that I had bothered to arrange for a recording of this, but it only keeps getting better.
The next monday we opened for Tera Melos at Whitson's. It has some awesome pictures. We played with Spencer Murphy on Bass instaed of Andrew and Booker Stardrum was back.


Thanks Jess Lehrman - http://glowinthedust.blogspot.com/

Free Hart

My friend Hart from Zona Mexicana was recently, unjustly, arrested for attempting to take a police officer's gun. This is a fabrication. Please look for any one with a Free Hart petition and show your support.

Facebook Group



“On The Conviction Of The Innocent”

What is it that allows the law, that is, the police- and their word, to have a much higher standing than my own, or your own? Why is it that one officer’s word can make null the words of the masses? I’ve been pondering this issue over the past week as I’ve watched a friend, a student here at Purchase College, go from top to bottom. We are always infatuated with the notion of the fall of people- we spend many hours watching those crime shows and reading novels that culminate in a grand court scene. The ultimate judgement. The final judgement. There is something so apocalyptic in the judge, the jury- deciding our fate. What is to come of me? Will they allow me my freedom, or will they throw me into a jail cell? Will they open the gates of heaven, or will they cast me into hell? When our freedom rests on the minds of the unaffected, surely hell is the most obvious option.
And hell is what the main character of my story is destined to experience. We shall call him Hart Seely: for that is his name in this story, and in real life as well. This is a story about the injustice of our court system, and to talk about this I have to adapt a new voice, that is, the voice of the court itself.
On the night of Friday, April 17th, Hart Seely was arrested. It was dark, it was chaotic- it was Culture Shock. We all know about Culture Shock. The once a year festival at our university where we get a chance to celebrate the spring, the upcoming summer, the completion of (hopefully) a successful semester of learning, thinking and working. We all want a celebration for a job well done, and this is what we hope to accomplish through this great music festival. Back to the narrative. It was during Streetlight Manifesto. It was wild celebration and there was a mosh pit. Emerging from this setting there are three stories: Hart’s story, the story of the police at the time of the arrest, and the story of the police the day after the arrest. We will examine Hart’s story first.
Hart was standing by the edge of the mosh pit during Streetlight Manifesto. The police kept stopping the band and telling the crowd that they must move back. “Take three steps back” was the catch phase of their set. The band was forced to stop playing multiple times in order for the cops to tell everybody to move back. Implied with this is that the crowd was too close to the barricades and the police that were positioned directly in front of the stage. Conversely, the police were too close to the crowd and needed some room- from the students, and from the mosh pit. Hart was pushed back by someone in the mosh pit, and accidentally hit into deputy King- a Westchester County police officer. More specifically, Hart’s hand hit into the officer’s hat. The officer immediately pulled Hart out of the crowd while he was pleading to know “What did I do?”, and the officer replied, “You know what you did”. Hart was arrested.
Now, just after this, that is, after he was pulled out of the crowd, I watched the arrest. Once Hart was put into a squad car, I walked up to the group of officers talking about what just happened. This is the story of the police of the night of the arrest. One officer, who I later found to be deputy King, was telling the other officers how Hart had hit into his hat, and it (that is, the hat) got pushed over his face. I caught the tail end of this story, so I asked another officer what happened. He conveyed the same story to me as I stood there in disbelief that Hart would do something like this on purpose. And yes, I know that if he had any drinks at all that night, he was not drunk enough to make a decision as dumb as that.
The next day, Hart gets back from jail. Yes, from jail. He accidentally hit into a person and spent the night at UPD, where he shared the facilities with a student who had taken psychedelics, and was vomiting all over himself for hours. In response to this, the a UPD officer came into the room, and told the student who was repeatedly vomiting on himself to “Get in the bathroom.” and threatened that if he didn’t, he would “break his neck”. These are the people who decide our fate- people who use physical intimidation and death to get their point across. I think maybe a word for this type of person is a “thug”. Listen, I’m not a scoundrel, I’m a student with rights.
Hart spent the next morning in jail cell in Valhalla. He was shipped to a cell outside of our humble campus at around 11:00 AM, where he was finally informed of what he was being accused of. Bear in mind, this is about twelve hours after he was dragged out of the crowd, while being told “You know what you did.” This cell was shared with a few people, some coming and some going. Among these were real criminals, you know, people who had actually done something wrong, such as being found with pounds of illegal drugs. And this is our Hart Seely, innocent and wrongfully accused. Now, overnight he became even more wrongfully accused, if you could imagine such a thing. Overnight, the police changed his story to not only purposefully hitting the cop’s hat, but added, yes in addition to this, that he was attempting to steal the officer’s gun. This new charge became so much the emphasis that the original offense, in which he was arrested for, has faded into the background.

“Hart Seely is accused of assault on a police officer, and attempted robbery of a police officer’s firearm”.

Hart Seely has been suspended from school. He is allowed to finish out his classes for this semester, but is not allowed in any residence area. He is not allowed to go into his room. This presents a large set of problems for someone whose home is in Syracuse and does not own a car. Next semester he is completely suspended from school. From this, what can we deduce? He is allowed on campus- and therefore is not a real threat. Even the administration knows that he is not a real threat, or else he would be never allowed at the university again. If Hart was someone who legitimately had criminal intentions, he would rightfully not be welcomed at a place where we advocate safe learning, and yet they still attempt to ruin his clean streak at Purchase College. At his hearing within the school, deputy King did not even show up. He has ultimately condemned a student, but does not care enough to come to his hearing and say “he is guilty”. Yet, with the lack of the accuser, or, the lack the police officer, the judicial board did not listen to my own story of the arrest, or the multiple character witnesses that included two professors. His criminal court case is on May 12th. Read that again- “His criminal court case.” Is Hart a criminal? You tell me. Tell them. Whether or not you are a detractor of the police- whether you are an anarchist or a fascist- surely you can see there is something wrong here. Something here is not right, something here is not just. As a student body, we can not let these charges stand. We must act, because it could be me who stumbles on the wrong person. Because next time it could be you who stumbles on the wrong person. I hope that when that happens you will be there for me, because I will be there for you. If we let the police get away with these false accusations, we are affectively letting them take a shit on us, as students and believers in justice, as a whole. This is the same justice that these police are installed in order to protect. Read this. Think about this. Do not let this story go, because it is more than a story, it is someone’s life. There has not been a moment in my time at this university that has been more urgent- and I can’t say for sure in yours, but I’m sure you can still see the importance. We are students. We are forward thinking. We are educated. We don’t just accept things, it is our tradition as students- from Europe in the mid 1800s to the United States in the mid 1900s, to Greece just a few months ago, to Purchase now? Only if you want it. Only if you care.

If you want to know what you can do, if you are dedicated, if you have an idea of what to do, no matter how large or how small, e-mail me. There is a petition that will be sent to our school’s president along with anyone else it should concern. Sign it.

alex.moskowitz@purchase.edu

-Alex Moskowitz

P.S. Reprint this. Give it to people. Tell the story. Make it your own note and tag as many people as possible. Slip it under doors. Spend $10 (of the printing account) at the library and make 500 copies. Do whatever you want with this. Spread the word. We wont let this stand.

Earthday lazy

I'm lazy, take an earth day quiz. It's pretty cool

http://earthday.net/footprint/flash.html

Battle of the Bands and other stuff

It was the best 6 minutes of my life, up there on the stage with all eyes on me.
It's like the most bizarre open mic I've ever been to.
I went to the studio this morning. We recorded tons of percussion with Matt Gaffney. He brought some cans and blocks and a concert bass drum and a waterphone which is the coolest shit.


tonight I have a show at WORK gallery in Red Hook, BK
it's outdoors and it's raining
but the girl on the phone seemed really nice.

Another successful open-mic for bands. Recording?

So tonight we had the following play songs for us.
Elemeno
Mike Amacio (of Donner Party Picnic)
Sam Valentine
Hill.And (Hillary Anderson)
Christopher Wojdak
Weird Korova
Charlie Phillips
Vince Vonnegut
Zona Mexicana

It was sweet.

Good vibes all around and a nice variety of music.


In other news, Dan Stringer and I have kept working on the acoustic business. It sounds great, but I don't want to even give you a taste until we have something on the next level. It's happening. The power of simple instruments and honest songs combined with studio magic and arranging is a great thing.

Zombie Prom, Data Dog, Kyle's recital

Been a few days.

Friday
Zombie Prom was great. It was a litttle rough on my sanity at times, but I never have to work sound for it again.
Donner Party Picnic plays their first show of the weekend. Probably my favorite act at Zombie Prom, but Skeleton Breath was pretty badass as well.
The 999 Eyes Freak Show did their thing.

999 EYES FREAKSHOW PROMO from laurent martin on Vimeo.

Saturday
Data Dog album release. This is so awesome, go to their site and buy it. 13 tracks of awesome. http://datadogmusic.com/
Twin Sister played a really great set. This band plays really nice music. I have their four song, you should get that at a show if you can.
Donner Party Picnic plays their second show.

Sunday
Kyle Pollard's junior recital. Studio Comp recital = throw an awesome show.
Kyle started playing solo on an acoustic guitar. Then he broke a string and distortefied the firebird. Good seqway
I played a solo set with the guitar and the effects and it was really fun. I like playing my acoustic songs with more texture. I should start playing like this with a band. Elemeno is awesome.
Now that is on the internet and I will self plug myself into fame.
Donner Party Picnic plays their third show.
We Are Not Bears played last. This is Kyles band, ex-koala, no audio on line to be found. They are finishing up their EP/demo right now. I like these guys. It's James and Will from Disaster Piece playing bass and drums. Kyle guitar/vocals.
When they put sopmething up, I'll let you know.

After all that, I hit the studio with Dan Stringer to start on the acoustic ep. We finished acoustic guitar and vox for the song Home. Check out the demo version on myspace
Tonight is cello, female vocals and percussion. Electric guitar is coming.

Recently, my ears are happy

It might be cool for me to tell you what I'm digging on right now. Maybe it will be a weekly/bi-weekly/once sort of thing.
You dig?

Just found this 5 minutes ago but it's killer

Drawing Trees
It reminds me a little of Data Dog and Pele at the same time. It's very cool, the debutt album "Grocery Store" comes out at the end of April.

This Town Needs Guns
Damiera & Anathallo lovechild. It has the easy to swallow characteristics of hopeful music, but it still sounds honest and is not strapped down to a single grid. Flowy music. I first heard their newest album Animals and upon inspecting their earlier material, I'm really happy.
The guitar work is nuts, the arrangements are comfortable. The vocals have me at odds. It has a lot of Anthony Green flavor. Suits the music well.

Curtis Mayfield - awesome. The soundtrack to walking like a total badass.



Algernon Cadwallader
Probably my favorite band right now. I get really stoked on life listening to this. I should get them to play at Purchase next year.


Tell me that wouldn't be an awesome basement to be in.

Open Mic is the best ever.

So tonight I was supposed to do sound for open mic. I did, but the open mic at the stood usually sucks recently (for no reasons I am willing to make enemies over)
Either way, I decided after last night that open mic in the stood should be about bands rather than poetry or solo singer song-writers.
Disaster Piece or Distaster played, depending on what our final name is (despite the fact that I haven't brought up Distaster yet, maybe it's only me that thinks Distaster is a sweet name for a band about how fucked up humans as a race are)
Then there was a single poet reciting a monologue about a character he invented.
Finally Weird Korea played which is a band with Matt Palmer and Nick Corbo (My Son Cool/Weird Korea)
Weird Korea played almost an entire set tonight thanks to the 3 performing entities total. It was great. Usually I hear them practicing single songs for a day or so constantly, but apparently it works because they have plenty of songs to play a set with currently.

I am torn, to play battle of the bands, which I will lose to a very ill funk band, or play an outdoor show in a parking lot for pratt kids.

Art school girls are super cute.
Purchase has some artsy women as well.
My decision is variable, but mostly solid,
Invite me to re-determine what I hold dear
Make me feel uncomfortable

Here's some Disaster Piece/Distaster audio of our song Germs -

Disaster Piece/Distaster - Germs
Naturally, I haven't talked to the guy that started the band about the name modification

Open Mic at the Co-Op

I have never gone before. It's pretty nice. WPSR does sound which is cool. Only 8 people or so performed, but there was a good crowd of people hanging out, drinking tea, listening, painting. All good stuff.
I played 3 songs, Driftwood, For a Wolf (which is called Great Blue Heron in the demo I have) and Trailer Trash.
I think maybe I'll play something loud and obnoxious tomorrow at Whitson's open mic. Maybe it should be a band centered open mic, with a backline. That would be fucking sweet.
The co-op makes more sense for an all acoustic open mic, though I would still want people to do that at the Whitson's open mic, but also invite sound artists, bands, rappers, djs, performance artists and whoever else to come rage for 10-15 minutes. Depends on how many people show up.

Cool, here's some videos of the songs from tonight

For a Wolf


I understand, my friend
the height of your confusion
You are a tower of flickering lights
Everytime I fall asleep you shine
You shine so bright.

Your love is just like mine
but you have the strength to remember
Maybe, that's how I know that you will live forever

Keep yourself alive
Keep howling at the moon
Someday she'll come down and find you

Trailer Trash


Where I'm from - deep south but close to canada
I got along for the ride, did my part,
sweat it out with a music maker at my throat
The speakers in my throat will see,
To make another speech, we'll see

I'm hopeful for the moment
I'm hopeful for some movement

The sun outcast by orange skies
obstructs my view and then collides
a siren calls but I've already died

We're hopeful for the moment
We're hopeful for a movement

I'm pulled out just to find
that I'm the wreckage left behind
The coroner proclaims an end and gathers up my husk
an organ rattles loosely as my body buzzes,
Ribs are split apart

Seems that I'm alive enough
Though crippled by my neck and pocketbook

Distaster? Disaster Piece? Sick new band

So there is a new band - Disaster Piece or Distaster depending on which you think is more convincing.
It is so much fun and I get to feel/pretend to be really destructive. I like having nothing but a mic. All I need is one mic.
I hope I don't fuck up my voice, but warming up and not drinking malt liquor and smoking cigs will probably minimize any adverse consequences I may suffer.

James Ryan - Guitar
Casey Chandler - Bass
Will Whatley - Dumms
Pete - Dinosaur

Here is a snippet of a new song we're working on.
Predator
I was in love
When we first hit the bed
I fell out
Feet first steps
I left
Please forgive me, Mary
Don't plan to marry me
Fuck.


Be ready for a 15 minute set sometime in April.
Pete

Also, check out Jessica Lehrman's blog.
There is a cool picture from the Elemeno set at Fluxus and a bunch of awesome pictures of Cameron looking like a space man.
Happy Neon Faces

Fluxus

Fluxus saturday was sweet. Long and sweet. The highlight was definitely Emily Rosen's installation. The floor had a speaker in it that was playing some ambient music Zebulon Idunnohislastname made and the floor had a nice black fabric over it.
No shoes in the womb.

The walls and ceiling were decorated with scarves and fabric hanging over christmas lights. I imagine if I were a baby and someone held lots of LEDs to mom's stomach, it would be sort of like that.

The Sellar is definitely awesome now too. Neil Fridd cleaned out everything inside save for black lights and 3 bands played there. Cameron Wisch, Landlords and Ghost Mall. I had to miss Ghost Mall so that I could tear down my equipment in Whitsons, but Cameron was awesome. Usually he brings his own black lights and gets crazy with flourescent paint. He got crazy with the paint (which smells like a fish market) but the whole room was illuminated in black lights. Landlords chose to use a single green bulb in place of black lights (I think they were bugged out by all the hepatitis yellow eyes). Instead everyone looked a little dead unnder the green. Very cool band, very loud band. Pat Lamonthe (Landlords drummer) had contact mics attatched to his kick and snare and a piece of sheet metal hanging from his crash. It gave it a very industrial vibe, but also allowed the band to really crank it.

Now for Elemeno - I had so much fun playing. Eric Drasin was doing some cool filtering of live footage of us playing, as we were playing? does that make sense? He disguised it well with all the filters and colors. It was a little loose overall, but lots of fun and a good experience for those around. I ended up with a new flag on my guitar when the tuners caught it off my mic stand. Now I get to be a standard bearer and play guitar at the same time - Just what I've always wished for.
We might be able to do some track with Dan Stringer next weekend, but first I need to make things more solid. It's fine live to jam out on psychadaelic minimalism (though it's not so minimal anymore, nor ever) but if all you have is the audio, it needs to hold interest or have more emotional impact, or at least be less long winded.

Everyone's a critic.

I also got to catch the end of Moving Mountains set and talk to Dave from Damiera for a bit. Good day overall.

I wrote this in the dining hall yesterday morning. I think it's funny

Collected at the center of a room, a human nucleus
The cell swells and fades when our time is up
Voices stir and bubble, shake the boiling pot
Stewing in our company
Came out tasting all the same

Heat away our blessing and our cures
heat away our health and sense of self
Heat away until our lives are blurred
The walking dead
The egg is cracked and dripping, yolk smooth into white
The shell is all I eat to keep my body at its peak

Eat away our blessing and our cures
Eat away our health and sense of self
Eat away until our our bodies break
and leave us fucking dead

At second thought, a second helping
Paves me towards the day
Where life would strive and struggle, I am unified by taste
A third or fourth or more
Until we clean our plates
I am not a human, I'm a vacuum.

New song - Driftwood

Hey everybody, I wrote this new song yesterday and I like it. It's about people.



For a day, to see, to hear, to feel alive at the same time
Two lives at the same time
Pull away
Eat the fruit from this tree,
triplets meander into three
Pull away

Keep connected, stretch to keep the tension
Fall back to sleep
Landscape or a picture frame
Graceful in its length
Landscape or a picture frame
Distracting, calling my attention
Pull away

I will drift, drift, drift onto your body
I will drift, drift, drift away

Woah

SXSW was the coolest fucking shit ever.
First of all, you only need a minimal amount of cash (once you make it to Austin, that is)
Free breakfast tacos, free pizza, free beer, free shows, etc... and then there are the showcases and the wristbands
I got one for going with Terror Pigeon and it gets you in to basically every single show happening, of which there are too many to count. In fact, you are guaranteed to miss something you want to see because 5 other things you want to do are happening at the same time. On the bright side, many of the bands play free shows and showcases so you get more than one chance.

Here is my list of best shows

1. Anathallo @ Mohawk

Yes, I love this band and I plug them hard, but it was awesome. They were so tight and true to the arrangements on record, but experiencing the performance in a packed room where everybody was singing along to a different harmony or melody is a really cool experience. Part of me also enjoyed just watching the interactions between band members as they scuttled around switching instruments. It was beautiful and everyone should go out and listen.


This was at a different show they played (where I saw Daniel Johnston & These Arms Are Snakes later)

2. Tera Melos @ The Music Gym

I saw TM about 45 minutes before Anathallo, and a short jog across town. Seeing them live explains so much to me about how they do what they do. The music is completely nuts and cerebrally on another level. They could go from a calculus-orgasm to shoegazey phase swirls and back again. I really like how the vocals are fitting into the music live. It gives a great energy and acts like a little crutch for those limping ahead/behind/distant from the beat. Thanks guys.

Nothing on youtube yet from this years sxsw for these guys. This has the new drummer in it at least and is a pretty awesome representation of what I saw.



3. Lucky Dragons @ Studio 501

I think this venue was some sort of video studio, with the bands playing on a soundstage. There were projections on the wall and floor that made me feel like I was inside the Predator's head. This set was short (maybe 10-15 minutes) with about 15 people sitting in a circle around the band (just two of them)
They started off playing kalimbas and tiny drums running through a laptop and a mixer and then started passing out treats. The show was about audience participation and I ended up with a big seed pod with an attached contact mic which I could shake, tap and generally just have fun with. There was also this awesome theremin like toy with a fixed arpeggio. The weird thing was, only the rocks they passed out seemed to work with it. It was super cool.



4. Dirty Projectors @ Parish

This was mindboggling. When I first heard their album Rise Above, I wanted to see it live before I decided if I liked it. Ironically, I traveled to Texas instead of Brooklyn to see them. Either way, it was amazing. They were doing things live that bands like Battles do with crazy effects and studio magic. Just watch some videos.



5. Nico Vega @ some bullshit myspace show

This show hapened for me by chance. I went to this venue to check out As Tall As Lions (You know that british trumpet player that droped out of Purchase? Yeah, he made the right decision)
I feel lucky to have seen this show with under 150 people around me. It was a really impressive performance and her stage presence is fucking huge. The band was Aja singing (like bjork and danzig had a baby) a guitarist with the right effects to play the bass too and a drummer. She should be famous now. This is awesome pop music that doesn't confine itself to what is already popular. Check it out before your friends.



Also, the VonBondies who were at this show were by far the worst performance I saw at SXSW.

6. Prince Rama of Ayodhya @ a cool thrift shop I forgot the name of but they're moving anyway, so I am told

This show was outside in the middle of the day way out on the east side of Austin. I saw most of my favorite free shows (and did the majority of my daytime hanging out in this area) but this one stood out. It was all drenched in reverb and really relaxing, but also engaging. There were four members, Taraka, Michael, Nimai and one other guy whose name isn't on their myspace (and the only member of the band I didn't talk to). Taraka handled most of the vocals, as well as auto harp, synth and being beautiful, with Michael playing synths and sequencers and vocals. Nimai and the unnamed dude played drums and kept everything moving along, almost hypnotically. At one point they blew the power and instead of just waiting until it was all turned back on, Taraka led the audience and band in a song about the ocean at an ice beach. I got to make ice cracking noises. They also passed out lots of little shakers and tambourines to us to play along with, which was awesome. I always want to play along, or in a band that I see and like and I got too. Plus, they were all super nice and gave me one of theyir amazing DIY EPs in exchange for one of my totally lame mixtape of my own songs.




There was lots of other stuff that was awesome, like drinking tallboys under bridges, getting free booze at the purevolume party, eating tacos, meeting travelers and bands, walking ten miles a day, JBCs, brick weed and other fun times.

I hope I get to play there next year.

SXSW

I'm going tomorrow. It will be sweet. Neil from Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt (http://www.myspace.com/theterrorpigeondancerevolt) asked me to drive when one of the rides on our caravan dropped off. We'l be stopping in Baltimore for a show with The Shakes ( http://www.myspace.com/throwupinmyhands) who are currently recording their de-butt album with Mike Amacio.
Throwing names left and right, woohoo

I''m psyched. I'll bring a guitar and try to strum songs in the street.

More updates about what I am and am not doing

Hey everybody,
lots of cool stuff has been going on lately. Last night I started the psych night at purchase. Its a live, free improv and performance where a group plays one or two original noise/psych/drone/whatever pieces and then whoever is in the room is free to join in as their band for a song. It allows both the audience to play with the performers and the performers to have a large ensemble at their disposal for about ten minutes. Then the next group starts.

I think there will be at least one more of these this year, then next year I'll try to host this as a monthly event called Bhang Day

Last night Images and Colour Buk played, and we ended with an elaboration on a sitar practice routine. I had a great time processing the sitar through a contact mic and my pedal board.
I think the guys from Colour Buk recorded the entire performance on a macbook, so when I get my hands on that, I'll post it here.

Also, Elemeno Recently performed with a bunch of great new musicians on some new, long winded, skeletons of songs.
We had myself on vocals, guitar and processing,
Weston Minissali - vox, synth
zach desorbo - signal processing and loops
matt Gaffney - drum kit
Cameron Wisch - jungle kit
Booker Stardrum - metal kit
Eric Drasin - video projection
Andrew Brown - bass

It was sweet and there are videos on my youtube channel of all four songs we played - this one is my favorite.


Also - Nirvana cover band? Sam Weissman (drums) Andrew Brown (bass) Brett Slater (vocals) and myself will be playing Dive, Sliver, Lithium, Aneurysm, Drain You and In Bloom on friday night at the Stood.

Nuts

I was at my parents house for a while last month and there are a lot of squirrels there. Big, overfed, eastern gray squirrels. There are flying squirrels too, and for flying squirrels they're probably fat too, but I've just never seen them anywhere else.
Pretty crazy right?

I've been working on a ton of stuff lately. I recently began working on Whitson's Memorial Greeting Hall in the Stood. SUNY Purchase students need to see what an awesome thing they have in that building. There is so much space that seems to go unused. A lot of it is for storage, and the Stood has a lot of stuff to store, but it would feel really rewarding to clean those spaces out and make them available for use to students.
Just a few days ago I found 2 pottery wheels in one room. I have no idea if they work. I should put them somewhere. Maybe in the Y.A.H! Gallery in case someone over there wants to use them. Or fix them. Or scrap them.
Anyway, it's awesome and Whitson's is looking pretty good. Soon we'll have it available for DIY shows on days that the General Programming Coordinator hasn't already booked.
To book a show, you have to wait until two weeks before the date you want. The GPC is expected to request Tech for a show at least 2 weeks in advance, after that, it's up to you guys to make something happen.
All the details will come out when it is at 100%

ELEMENO is moving strangely at the moment. We haven't played any of our old songs since we recorded and played the show at the Purchase Food Co-Op. It has been these long rough formations of songs. I think we're finding our feet after I decided to add more members.

Think about the difference between L M N O and ELEMENO

Oh My God.

is the name of a song from our album which you can hear at http://www.myspace.com/elemenopeteco
I wish I knew how to make one of those cool little players, but alas, I do not.
There are two songs over there, Oh My God and Celeste.
I have nothing interesting to say today.
Except that you should read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Woah! it's a new year

OK so lot's of updates. First off, I recorded an album with Dan Stringer. Andrew James Brown played bass and Sam Weissman played drums.
It's cool because we recorded to 24 track tape (which is oldschool)
For free (which is not)

There are lots of videos of elemeno up on youtube, live with Andrew and Sam. Ryan Mallen plays on a few songs too
Here is my youtube channel

This is my favorite song from that night.

In other news, Elemeno is going through some big changes. I have doubled the size of the band. I'll wait to give you all of their names and jobs until we have a)practiced together and b) have some sort of video or recording for you.
Be ready though, Elemeno just got like 10,0000,000,00000x3 better. Songs about ostrich feathers, foreign girls and my cat are on the horizon.

Also! I just got Anathallo's new album "Canopy Glow"
It is beautiful. Buy it from the band.