This is Old artwork is at the CD manufacturer, now I’m just waiting for the discs to arrive! I can’t wait to get this out there, it’s been way too long since my last album. Here’s a little preview of the artwork.
6panelartwork.jpg
cdprinting.jpg
Well it ended up being too cold to camp, which means too cold to record any new songs while camping! I guess I’ll have to try out the State Shirt back country mobile recording studio some other day.
Today I made it all the way out to Massachusetts. Traveled along some windy back roads and came across a couple beautiful family farms and took some more photos. Will be working on some new music next week, and working to getting This is Old released!
nice farm
curious
fuzzy ears
friends
running 1
running 2
see you later
Ok, so I’m not exactly on tour, but I am driving across the US, taking some photos and recording some music along the way. Today I drove for a while along Route 66 in California, and spent some quality time with a few dilapidated houses and buildings. The setting sun was providing some perfect lighting, so it seemed like a good opportunity to shoot some new photos, some of which for my bio.
Tonight I’m keeping it classy, spending a night in the lovely roadway inn in flagstaff, arizona. I’m currently accompanied by the sounds of trains raging by every half hour. A bit too tired to work on any songs today. If I hit a campground tomorrow evening, I’ll see if I can start (and finish) a SongFight song. Here are some photos, more tomorrow.
i like beer
thirsty
my new house
empty house
charred cafe
gas station
train 1
train 2
not open
where am i
Going to be taking a little road trip to NYC and Massachusetts, see some friends, record some new music. Will see if it’s possible to record a SongFight song from a campsite somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I’ve got this laptop, a guitar, some effects, a microphone and a power inverter for my car. And I might just stop off of Route 66 in the desert somewhere to play a show on the side of the road. Come on by. Hoping to take a shitload of pictures, and update my site from any unsecured wireless connections I can find! Check back for some updates along the road.
The release of This Is Old is near. Mastering went well (it sounds great) and all of the artwork is off at the duplicators. Hoping to have final discs in my hand in about two weeks. Preordering will start soon, stay tuned!
So there is a lot going on right now. Final mixes are off to Don C. Tyler for mastering. Looking forward to checking out his handiwork, since he has mastered a few albums that I love (Elliot Smith: XO, Figure 8, Hot Snakes Suicide Invoice). I know mastering is a subtle art, but if he can subtly find a way to make my album as great as those that would be super.
Apart from mastering I’m trying to keep everything else pretty DIY, I just finished designing the artwork for This is Old… I’m excited, it will be a 6-panel digipak, and features a bunch of photos I took on a soggy spring morning on the back roads of western Massachusetts, including one inquisitive cow.
I’m hoping to start online pre-ordering of the album in a few weeks. After I figure out how to make these interwebs work.
So the last few years have not been very kind to me musically. Life has been incredibly droning, wasting away in the San Fernando valley, doing the full time job and feeling fully beaten down. But I have found some precious spare moments to write and record. This Is Old is really about how I’m not going to be able to take life along this path much longer. New song This Is Old available for download now. New album coming 11.11.08. Thanks for listening.
New State Shirt album will be titled This is Old. Release date will be chosen very soon. Working on obtaining amazing photography for the album artwork. Had a sick fucking dream last night, hoping I can scrounge up enough money to turn it into a music video. More soon.
Ok, i know this song isn’t exactly new. But we recently completed a music video for the song. Here it is, the official debut of the “Straw Man” music video. Hope you like it!
Slightly higher res version is here!
I’ve made a muxtape of some of my favorite songs.
:::: Listen to my muxtape here
Here’s what’s up there now.
I think I’ll update with a new theme every few weeks:
- The Helio Sequence - Nothing’s Ok : Everything’s Fine
- Unkle - Rabbit In Your Headlights
- R.E.M. - Walk Unafraid
- Hayden - Dynamite Walls
- Sebadoh - Careful
- Nick Drake - Things Behind The Sun
- Elliott Smith - Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud
- Crowded House - Fall At Your Feet
- Josh Clayton-Felt - Too Cool For This World
- Neil Young - Old Man
- Toad The Wet Sprocket - Always Changing Probably
- Radiohead - Let Down
If you have a muxtape, comment on my blog post so I can listen!
I’ve been rehearsing a bunch lately and figured I’d set up a couple cameras. Here is a video of me playing my new song ‘Computer’. It’s all live looping, no prerecorded audio.
So I’m ramping up to get my new album finished and out into the world. The thing is I’m not sure exactly how I should do it. I really like the idea of a CD and album artwork and something that you tangible that you can hold onto, and the full-length album experience. Maybe I’m just nostalgic. Ever since the first time I heard OK Computer, I had to listen all the way through. 
And remembering back to high school driving around in my Ford Econoline listening to Helmet Meantime album on infinite repeat. I love the idea of the album, but I’m not sure anyone else does anymore.
Should I even release a CD at all? Does anyone buy CDs anymore? Or are you happy buying tracks as digital downloads from artist websites, iTunes, eMusic, etc? Should music just be free? Or would you feel bad taking music without paying for it? Should I offer the album on a USB thumb drive? Or put together a book of art, photos and illustration that goes along with the music?
I read a good blog post by Scott Andrew, who had some similar questions last year when he was getting his new album together. It does kinda suck to have so many songs just sitting there, waiting for me to get the whole album done. I could just release them one by one on my site– as I spend random evenings working on new music. So, should I dump the whole album idea? Or really find a new and interesting way to make it work?
Had a great time playing with the SongFight.org regulars down at the Spot Cafe and Lounge this past Friday. Got to see a bunch of fighters that I haven’t seen in a while as well as meet a few new shiny happy faces. Got to hear a bunch of classics and some new songs by The Seamus Collective, Merisan, Ross Durand, Minty Handy, Ken’s Super Duper Band ‘n Stuff, and Evil E. I played a few newer unreleased songs, ‘Computer’, ‘This is Old’ and an yet-to-be-titled song, which I currently call ‘Edison hates this song’ because my dog Edison howls like crazy when I play it. Below are some photos courtesy of Ross Durand. I’m trying to get back into the swing of things and play more shows and get this album finished, and SongFight always seems to help me get going again.
Evil E
Minty Handy
State Shirt
State Shirt
Pray For Mojo
The website that really helped me actually finish songs is having a show in Culver City, CA tonight. Come on out. Here are the details:
:::: Friday March 28, 2008 - 7:00pm
:::: SONG FIGHT! Show!
:::: Spot Cafe and Lounge
:::: 4455 Overland Ave.
:::: Culver City, CA 90230
And the lineup:
The Seamus Collective
Merisan
Ross Durand
State Shirt
Minty Handy
Ken’s Super Duper Band ‘n Stuff
Evil E
Thanks to everyone that came out to the show at Crane’s Tavern this past Sunday. Played a few new songs and a few songs from Don’t Die. I’ll post some of the new songs up on the site soon. HalfMonk did a very cool set complete with about 30 effects pedals and even a toy reverb/spring microphone.
I can’t believe that Don’t Die came out nearly 4 years ago. I have been working on new songs and writing and recording but sometimes the shit in my life piles up and I can’t quite get everything finished. But I’m finally there, 10 songs recorded and almost ready to go. Still putting the final touches on some vocals, and then it’s off to meet with producer Chris Fudurich (Nada Surf, Jimmy Eat World) to provide his expertise with mixing and production. I like the sound I get in my little 8′x8′ bedroom studio but it’s nice to have someone that I trust stick their ears to it.
I’ll be playing some of the new songs at Crane’s Tavern in Hollywood, CA on Sunday March 16. I think I’ve finally worked the glitches out of my gear setup. Two digital Echoplexes and a bunch of pedals. No more acoustic guitar, I’ll be kicking it with my $150 Fender Toronado. Come on out and see some live loop versions of the songs and have a $3 Pabst Blue Ribbon.
A few weeks back c.layne asked me to remix one of his songs off his new album Shark Week. I was really struck by the first song on the album “You Think You’re So Clever” so I figured that would be a good one to rip apart and reconstruct! If you haven’t already heard it, check out his new album, it’s very good. Listen to the original track and the remix below:
The original: click here
The State Shirt remix: click here
Look out for a new State Shirt album coming in early 2008. I have about 15 tracks in the works, most of which were recorded here in my Los Angeles bedroom studio… although I did do a few overdubs with friends out in Massachusetts. I hope to have a few more guest stars as well, some of them will be announced here. Lastly, if I can make it happen I will have an amazing producer make it all sound shiny. And hopefully if I can get my shit together, there just might be a limited-edition EP coming in late ‘07 as well. Stay tuned!
