Big news. The How Scandinavian debut album Dolorous is out right now. I'm promoting the hell out of it by posting it in god knows where. So please give it a listen and give us some feedback. This is my first real big release and I hope that everyone enjoys it. You can go download it and pay what you want for it (free!) right on this widget thing...
I can't relax just yet though, some big plans are underway for the remainder of the year. The first annual Chief Tizo Thanksgiving Extra Stuffing Eat-You-Out November Festival Extravaganza 2011 is due to happen and much planning is in the works. I hope to make it a big occasion just like Festizo 2011 was this year in the summer.
Also How Scandinavian is going to release a split EP with the post-punk/lo-fi band The Latecomers (check them out at http://breadonbread.bandcamp.com) next month! It's going to be called Narcissists and should be an awesome collaboration. It will contain two songs by each band and will be out on November 1st!
A new EP is also in the works for possible December release or early 2012 from How Scandinavian. Our next Chief Tizo release will be a new compilation of Ghost Time songs, which I've delayed long enough. So stick around for that in November as well!
Thanks for reading (any of you who do!)
- Bryan
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Micheal Gira in the Bathroom
Oh man dem two chords. Dude this guy can make a interesting song in a bathroom with just cowboy boots and a guitar, what are you doing with your life?
Rant coming soon!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
untitled 3
Here I sit after much hours of Wikipedia reading and listening to both the lush claustrophobia of Blonde Redhead's 'Misery is a Butterfly' and More Than Life's aggressive and depressing 'Love Let Me Go'. I describe what I listened to because that will 'probably' be the only links of musical relevance in this post (they're both excellent albums too).
Things have been going great lately, perhaps surprisingly. My own cynicism usually is the first layer of doubt in classifying anything as a success but I can't help but feel as if everything is... nice.
I'm a tad impatient at myself for a number of reasons though. First, there's 'Dolorous', yes perhaps it's not going to be the album of the year or decade but I have personal expectations and feel that perhaps I DON'T have enough time to finish the album in time by next week. I don't like rushing work and when it happens it declines in quality.
Second, I want to perform live much more, the problem is getting shows in this local area is very hard and without having a friend in the booking business, it's discouraging. But I hate to use that terminology because it only proves to show that one doesn't have the capacity or effort to succeed in this. So I have to fix this whole thing by the end of the month and hopefully find a balance between being a slacking college student and music.
Lately I've found myself to have been repressing something peculiar, a thought and idea that I'd have for the longest time. You see, there's this romantic view of what life is like for the idols and the musicians whom I adore. Life under that lens is not to say extravagant but rather there is a substance that is more than my own in the everyday life. With all the realities of quasi-adulthood, I had forgotten about that sort of thought process.
I approach this cautiously because I don't want to be left vulnerable to a shock. But perhaps living with this fantasy as a result of working hard and mild optimism is what awaits? I don't know. If it were as easy as saying whatever happens, happens, I'd be good to go.
P.S. Oh the motherfucking STONE ROSES reunited AND Radiohead announced their 2012 tour. Next year will be a good year, let's hope it's for this and ourselves as well.
Things have been going great lately, perhaps surprisingly. My own cynicism usually is the first layer of doubt in classifying anything as a success but I can't help but feel as if everything is... nice.
I'm a tad impatient at myself for a number of reasons though. First, there's 'Dolorous', yes perhaps it's not going to be the album of the year or decade but I have personal expectations and feel that perhaps I DON'T have enough time to finish the album in time by next week. I don't like rushing work and when it happens it declines in quality.
Second, I want to perform live much more, the problem is getting shows in this local area is very hard and without having a friend in the booking business, it's discouraging. But I hate to use that terminology because it only proves to show that one doesn't have the capacity or effort to succeed in this. So I have to fix this whole thing by the end of the month and hopefully find a balance between being a slacking college student and music.
Lately I've found myself to have been repressing something peculiar, a thought and idea that I'd have for the longest time. You see, there's this romantic view of what life is like for the idols and the musicians whom I adore. Life under that lens is not to say extravagant but rather there is a substance that is more than my own in the everyday life. With all the realities of quasi-adulthood, I had forgotten about that sort of thought process.
I approach this cautiously because I don't want to be left vulnerable to a shock. But perhaps living with this fantasy as a result of working hard and mild optimism is what awaits? I don't know. If it were as easy as saying whatever happens, happens, I'd be good to go.
P.S. Oh the motherfucking STONE ROSES reunited AND Radiohead announced their 2012 tour. Next year will be a good year, let's hope it's for this and ourselves as well.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Cool Finds! The Speed of Sound in Seawater!
Because I am very lazy right now, instead of a full review of Joyce Manor I will just write a few things about this little know math pop group called The Speed of Sound in Seawater.
The Speed of Sound in Seawater is a unique band. They have a math rock sound which they mix with pop delivery. They have successfully found a appropriate balance between hard and soft which has became a important part of their sound later on in their small discography. With each EP they have released and they have quickly became a very special part of my library. The Speed of Sound in Seawater accomplished something that many other artist have failed at and that is making catchy math pop without sacrificing speed or skill.
All of The Speed of Sound in Seawater's are available for free here. You can listen below before downloading.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
untitled 2
This isn't the acclaimed sequel to 'untitled 1' but rather a whole other story altogether. I can only hope that whomever reads this at least tries to understand I've made an effort towards that.
Regardless there are some cool things that have been happening lately. The work on 'Dolorous' is starting to come together and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting more visible. Songs like 'The Bloodless' and 'Winter Leaves' were really starting to get on my nerves but I've managed to pin down how I want them to sound and I think they'll be ready for release sooner than I thought.
Work on 'The Bloodless' initially began as in exercise in trying to record something concrete as quickly as possible but after leaving it aside for a few months I felt it fit with the rest of the material and worked on it. I was initially confused on how to approach such a basic track and decided that just piling as much shit into it would be the best course.
Much to my surprise I could actually take out the main guitar track and it would be an entirely different song altogether. I liked both so I'm a bit at odds at what to do but I think I'm simply going to release it with everything on top of it.
'Winter Leaves' is even older and had it's basic track recorded a year ago in a period of Mark Kozelek worship (still do) and was my perverse take on a RHP song if they decided to go into a shoegaze direction. It was pretty weird as it has this very uncharacteristic chorus because something about how it sounds is so dissonant. Despite that I enjoyed it at the time and kept it in the pile for later. I rediscovered it a few weeks ago and have re-recorded the drums just this past week. I like it but I'm not sure how I'll sing on it; I have lyrics just no real delivery idea.
Aside from album stuff I've been making some new material alongside this and will probably see the light in an EP next year when I can get some time to settle down. I'd really like to take a step back from the intricate arrangements of the 'Dolorous' era and make some more simple material. I don't think this will happen in actuality but I'd love to make an EP like 'A Stranger Danger' again.
I'm also waiting for a response on an advertisement I made about a new drummer for 'How Scandinavian' in a live setting. Let's hope someone answers as it would be best for everyone if this happened. Starlon and I already had a year long discussion on the rise and fall of drummers last Friday and I'm sure we'll have more as this week comes into fruition.
Besides boring music I was happy to spend the entire weekend with Nancy, my girlfriend. I hadn't seen her for about three weeks and it was a real happy and fun time to be with her after so long. I hope to be with her again soon as the days are much easier to bear with her than without.
Later this week I'll be hosting a live music listening chat room over at http://listeningroom.net/. Anyone can join and you can upload your favorite songs so we can all listen to them together. I don't think many people will join but hopefully some of you will. I'll be uploading my favorite songs and hopefully someone will get something out of it.
Here's to a good week.
Regardless there are some cool things that have been happening lately. The work on 'Dolorous' is starting to come together and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting more visible. Songs like 'The Bloodless' and 'Winter Leaves' were really starting to get on my nerves but I've managed to pin down how I want them to sound and I think they'll be ready for release sooner than I thought.
Work on 'The Bloodless' initially began as in exercise in trying to record something concrete as quickly as possible but after leaving it aside for a few months I felt it fit with the rest of the material and worked on it. I was initially confused on how to approach such a basic track and decided that just piling as much shit into it would be the best course.
Much to my surprise I could actually take out the main guitar track and it would be an entirely different song altogether. I liked both so I'm a bit at odds at what to do but I think I'm simply going to release it with everything on top of it.
'Winter Leaves' is even older and had it's basic track recorded a year ago in a period of Mark Kozelek worship (still do) and was my perverse take on a RHP song if they decided to go into a shoegaze direction. It was pretty weird as it has this very uncharacteristic chorus because something about how it sounds is so dissonant. Despite that I enjoyed it at the time and kept it in the pile for later. I rediscovered it a few weeks ago and have re-recorded the drums just this past week. I like it but I'm not sure how I'll sing on it; I have lyrics just no real delivery idea.
Aside from album stuff I've been making some new material alongside this and will probably see the light in an EP next year when I can get some time to settle down. I'd really like to take a step back from the intricate arrangements of the 'Dolorous' era and make some more simple material. I don't think this will happen in actuality but I'd love to make an EP like 'A Stranger Danger' again.
I'm also waiting for a response on an advertisement I made about a new drummer for 'How Scandinavian' in a live setting. Let's hope someone answers as it would be best for everyone if this happened. Starlon and I already had a year long discussion on the rise and fall of drummers last Friday and I'm sure we'll have more as this week comes into fruition.
Besides boring music I was happy to spend the entire weekend with Nancy, my girlfriend. I hadn't seen her for about three weeks and it was a real happy and fun time to be with her after so long. I hope to be with her again soon as the days are much easier to bear with her than without.
Later this week I'll be hosting a live music listening chat room over at http://listeningroom.net/. Anyone can join and you can upload your favorite songs so we can all listen to them together. I don't think many people will join but hopefully some of you will. I'll be uploading my favorite songs and hopefully someone will get something out of it.
Here's to a good week.
Gloomy October Sunday
Here's a couple of songs I've been listening to in the wake of the new season.
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Your Funeral My Trial
2. Radiohead - Dollars & Cents
3. Polvo - Bridesmaid Blues
4. Failure - Bernie
5. Slint - Nosferatu Man (LIKE A BAT I FLUSHED THE GIRL!)
5. The National - Sin-Eaters
6. Slowdive - Melon Yellow
7. Sun Kil Moon - Sam Wong Hotel
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Your Funeral My Trial
2. Radiohead - Dollars & Cents
3. Polvo - Bridesmaid Blues
4. Failure - Bernie
5. Slint - Nosferatu Man (LIKE A BAT I FLUSHED THE GIRL!)
5. The National - Sin-Eaters
6. Slowdive - Melon Yellow
7. Sun Kil Moon - Sam Wong Hotel
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