Everything Is Pretty Much Totally Forecasted

The folks at Polyvinyl records have had my back in this rap game (huh?) since 2002. Working with PV was my first foray into understanding how independent record labels and the whole music scene in general can work. We've worked together on a bunch of projects and recently they've done up a really nice page on their site dedicated to all my noise, of which there is a ton! It's a really sweet mini-archive, and they've got digital and physical media for sale of a bunch of stuff that I don't even have copies of anymore, as well as some sale stuff, etc. You can check it all out right here.

My Dog Loves BBQ

You have probably heard "After Laughter Comes Tears", a sick and oft-sampled Northern Soul joint from 1964 by Memphis house-shaker Wendy Rene. She's one of those artists who has an approach and vibe of almost reggae-like consistency. Meaning so many of her jams have the same feel and almost sound alike (dour, woeful and tormented someone-done-me-wrong soul laments) but you can still listen all day. Then some others are just fun and nuts (see "Bar B Q", below)... I assembled this best of today from a bunch of other online 45 rips, comp tracks, etc. Hope you dig it!

"MY DOG LOVES BBQ", The Absolute Best of Wendy Rene
1.Bar B-Q
2.What Will Tomorrow Bring
3.After Laughter Comes Tears
4.I Wish I Were That Girl
5.Give You What I Got
6.Can't Stay Away
7.Crying All By Myself
8.He Hasn't Failed Me Yet
9.Last Love
10.Love At First Sight
11.Young & Foolish
12.The Same Guy

Before and After The Goldrush

This post right here tells the whole story and gives a place/zone to the photo above, which turned into the cover of one of the first records I listened to as a kid, and love so much to this day. I'm really into having a better sense of the surroundings outside of the iconography, the bigger picture that's always there. Also was pretty stoked to learn that this photo was taken right around my old hood when I was working in Manhattan.

Powdered Animal Gabble

Just put out a tape for my friend Adam's band Mother Whale, and I've been working on a new collection of City Center stuff for his label. It's coming together, probably will be done by September. Here's a song I did yesterday for it, sneak preview style.

City Center "Powdered Animal Wig"
Someday I'll be as bored with my problems as my potential
Someday soon I'll feel the pull of all those past diplomas staring holes through me
Someday soon I'll fade into a broken place like you've been telling me
Someday we will run it all out
Oh primitive feelings, are you reading me?

Swimsuit LP is HERE!

I am beside myself with joy to report that the debut LP from Swimsuit, the band of myself, Dina, Amber & Shelley is here! A self-titled full-length out on Speakertree Records from Virginia includes ten songs recorded by the band with help from Ryan. This set of songs kinda represents our first, brightest creations, and comes off like a sweet, sunblinded capsule of memory or haze, depending on the moment. Surfy guitar and washy reverb pops, but also some clouds and dark powerlines buried underground. There are 500 copies of the LP with a free download, and you can listen to the whole thing at our bandcamp over here. Order your copy directly from the label here while possible.

Sand & Roses

For the Swimsuit/Secret Twins/City Center tour earlier this spring, all four members of Swimsuit made solo recordings for a three-cassette box set. My solo thing was, of course City Center, even though Ryan showed up on a couple of the tracks anyway. We made 50 copies and sold them all on tour. Here's a download for the CC tracks, though the rest of the box is really where it's at. The sides by Skinny Wrists, Avery Feral and Shelley just under her own name are all worthy of gatefold high-gloss vinyl release. For now, here's 5 songs, including one about Amber's dog Kuma, who actually inspired some of her solo tape jams as well!!!

City Center "Box Of Sand" tape side
1.Timelife 2.Channie 3.Grayson 4.In The Water 5.Sugar Cookie
Total time: 24min 38sec
Swimsuit jamming with me on drums and Shell on guitar, Kent Ohio, May 2011.

Plain Plane

I was working on this beat on the flight from Chicago to Portland since Ryan gave me a way more portabe Pro-Tools set up. It sounds insane and unfocused, but you know, the altitude makes things kinda bubbly and strange. There's also a lot of natural sidechain compression at 30,000 feet!

City Center "Plane Beat"