Mau Mau Starter (and I)

Scratching Under the Surface

2009-07-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

Unable to post some of my more lurid thoughts on my traveling alter-ego, I place them here:
Traveling for an extended period of time lends itself to some discomforts, most prominently bug bites. I'll start by saying that my fair western European skin must smell delicious to all the blood suckling vermin out there, and when compared with fellow travelers, I have the bumps to prove it.

Its also funny what small revelations are capable of yielding high mental satisfaction: I've noticed a related symptom of increased grit beneath my fingernails in conjunction with the increased application of sun tan lotion, heat related body oil excretion, and insect related irritation relief.

Digging for music while traveling has been very rewarding as well, much more satisfying than the purchase of a foreign musical instrument I'm incapable of playing. Its interesting to me what type of music is peddled to travelers. The tourist music is rarely very interesting. Local populations generally listen to music because it is enjoyable. Unless its Southeast Asian pop or South America's Cumbia (OK, I'll admit to liking Peru's Grupo Cinco), I would rather let the locals guide my taste than the local tourist operators. Typically the world music, Westerners associate with a region is very different from what the region actually listens to.

In the Peruvian Andes the bus drivers and many of the locals listen to a very exotic harp driven type of pop. I spent quite a few conversations with bus drivers and CD sellers to figure out what the music is called: Huyano Peruano. At one point I got thrown out of a local bar in Cusco because I heard the music from the street and I went inside to try to suss out what it was. In Lima, I found out that black slave populations contributed to a local creole music combining classical guitar and African Rhythms called predictably Afro-Peruvian or Creolia. Nicomedes Santa Cruz and his sister Victoria Santa Cruz are good starting points.

In Southeast Asia there are many musical styles, traditional and more pop oriented. I've enjoyed taking field recordings of the various types of tourist and court based (gamelan) music I've heard. In Cambodia I spent some time in a local market picking through a poor kids hard drive to get some old music that predates the Khmer Rouge and some traditional party music. Buses seem to be a great source of music. The buses in Cambodia and Laos had karaoke machines where they would play local pop videos. A lot of it was pretty bad, but some of the more traditional stuff is infectious and the videos of happy drunk people dancing are pretty fun to watch. I'm looking forward to digging through the unlabled MP3 cds I burned to find some gems.

In Saigon I went through a stack of records in an antique shops. The thing that intrigues me about them were not so much the cover, but the record pressing itself. The primary record labels are Vietnam Records or Ho Chi Minh records. The Vietnam Records label is very cool and the pressing is a brown marbelized plastic. Because I haven't heard any of the music, I'm pretty excited about what might be on them. I only picked up a few because they were expensive and most of them were scratched or cracked and looked unplayable.

Musical traveling is pretty fun, and someday I hope to do more of it, especially since most Starbucks oriented world music CDs barely scratch the surface of what's out there and there is a lot still to be discovered.

China Does Not Like Dan Deacon

2009-06-16T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is not a confirmed fact. I never actually asked anyone in China if they liked Dan Deacon, and in fact their are probably people who would like Dan Deacon if they perchance heard his music. Its just that the majority of music listened to by young people is horrendous. We're not talking American, Britney Spears horrendous, we're talking Creed/overproduced bad indie rock peddled by Clear Channel in order to reach out their youth audience horrendous.

However, when we were in De Hang, a tiny minority village in the Hunan province (with some pretty sweet rice patties and some of the most phallic karst terrain mother nature can create), we passed a house that was blaring some sort of loud heavy metal type of music at the beginning of one of our hikes. On our way back down, we saw a girl, rather short, dressed in crazy rocker type clothing, exit the house with the loud heavy metal type music. I think she might at least give Dan Deacon a fair listen.

Dan Deacon is Big in China?

2009-05-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night which was pretty funny. I'm in China right now and I just loaded the cheap HoneyBee MP3 (it has a cute little honeybee character on the front) player I purchased in the Shanghai subway with music I stored on a flash memory drive prior to arriving... so Dan Deacon was on my mind. I dreamed that every citizen in China was required to make a small mistake and a big mistake everyday. As a visitor I was bound by the same rules. For some reason, the big mistake I made was to leak Dan Deacon's new album Bromst to China. In my dream China loved Dan Deacon.

The End.

Nonagon Update

2009-03-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Good friend Nonagon is producing a real live CD. Get yours while they are available

Nonagon

2008 Mau Mau Ender

2009-01-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

All the Clouds Turn to Words
All the Words Float in Sequence
No One Knows What They Mean
Everyone Just Ignores Them

Mau Mau Starter Ching Ching Dad Da
Daughter Daughter Dumpling Data
Pack and Pick the Ping Pong Starter
Carter Carter Go Get Carter
Perigeeeeeeeee
Open Stick and Delphic Doldrums
Open Click and Quantum Data

Another year come and gone. Another sequence of seamingly sequenced seamless events sliced together candorously. 365 events, seamingly seamlessly sequenced and sliced into 24 sub seamless sequenced events. Come and gone. In the end I have laughingly learned 365 times 24 times 60 lurid little lessons of life and lie here panting languidly. But learning is good, and it was a great year.

Now I'm off for Peru for 2.5 months. Perhaps when I get back I will have gathered some wonderful Peruvian samples that I may be able to grace your ears with. Hopefully I'll have a few things to say while I'm there. I'll be back to making art and music soon, so stay tuned.

Waterless Sky CDs

2008-12-23T10:04:00.001-08:00

If you remember, back about 8 months ago, I went to SXSW armed with a bunch of Waterless Sky CDs replete with custom artwork. I'm wondering if anybody might want one. I'm still mulling the idea of putting together a book of sorts with Shark's Waterless Sky lyrics, some related doodles, and packaging it all up nicely. They'd cost maybe $10-$20, depending on what sort of production goes into them. My girlfriend and I leave for Peru in less than a month, so the orders would have to be filled out after I get back, but that gives me time to doodle. The cds themselves will still all have custom artwork unique to each one. Drop me a line if you're interested:

a{dot}pet{dot}rock{at}gmail{dot}com

Best of 2008: El Guincho

2008-12-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

I can't remember if El Guincho's album came out in 2007 or not, but I first heard it in 2008. I saw him at SXSW and he sort of blew my mind: This one guy was making so much sound.

Best of 2008: Holy Fuck Buttons

2008-12-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

Holy Fuck: LP

Fuck Buttons: Street Horsing

Holy Fuck, Fuck Buttons... there are differences, but who cares. And yes, LP came out in 2007, but again, who really cares.

Best of 2008: No Age

2008-12-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

No Age: Nouns

They made #3 on Pitchfork this year. I nearly forgot about them, actually, and how could I with a girlfriedn so obsessed with their music as to make me jealous.

Best of 2008: Nico Muhly

2008-12-18T18:48:00.000-08:00

Nico Muhly - Mothertongue

Really beautiful music.

Best of 2008: Crystal Castles

2008-12-18T15:43:00.000-08:00

Crystal Castle Crimewave
Uploaded by Differentrecordings

I'm sure that all the kids are listening to this. I have no idea. I don't talk to the kids. But I was a kid once, or still am. Let's play some Mario Brothers?

Best of 2008: High Places

2008-12-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

I don't like writing trite little blurbs, nor do I want to write long drawn out reviews that betray my illiteracy. I like them a lot.

Best of 2008: Marnie Stern

2008-12-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That. This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.

Best of 2008: Babe, Terror

2008-12-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Imagine being in a pew of a South American Colonial Cathedral, but instead of listening to a preacher, you see a soccer game, playing out around you in very very slow motion.

Babe, Terror

Mau Mau Starter's Guide to the Best of 2008: Gang Gang Dance

2008-12-18T14:08:00.001-08:00

Gang Gang Dance - St. Dymphna

Tribal dance music. Hits the floor sweaty and with abandon associated with dogmatic ullulations. Dance and forget where you are.

The Things They Keep From Kids These Days

2008-12-17T15:49:00.001-08:00

Demo Reel Version 2

2008-12-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here it is revision 2! Perhaps there will be one more just to clear up some of the choppy animation.

Platform to the Ocean

2008-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

Well the years almost over. Its been an exciting one. Still haven't played any shows, BUT Waterless Sky is still on peoples' minds as they make their year end lists:

I must of course confess that these are all friends of mine, but still I'm happy to have made music that they like.

They should have more year end wrap up musical coverage as the year plays out. Stay tuned.

De o Re l

2008-11-16T22:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

And They're Printed...

2008-09-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

I'll add a nice picture of the goods when I get the time...

And Here's the Proof

2008-09-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

...print from the Screener.

The colors are darker and slightly more contrasty than what I had initially done, due to the difference in ink colors available to the screener, but I'm pretty damned happy with the result. Any bands out there want designs? Anything I do will be free as in beer.

And Its done

2008-09-09T13:29:00.001-07:00

And here's how it turned out. I think its pretty decent. I spent a fair amount of time on it, so in order to get the most mileage out of the design, I'm going to modify it and submit it to threadleass. On the modified version there will be a hill behind the city, and a dam around the hill. I think the buildings will be changed to be a small hillside suburb. So the beavers are plotting to build a giant dam and destroy the habitat of the humans.

Imagination

2008-09-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

My firm is starting a volunteer program and there was a contest to design the T-Shirt for it. The "When I grow up I want to be an architect" entry won, and here is the follow up final mockup: Imagination and Engineering. It doesn't have that much to do with volunteering, but I couldn't think of much along those lines. I'll put up the final design when its done. It should be in 3 or four colors, It also has to be done by monday...

From Mau Mau Starter (and I)

Hiatus

2008-08-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'll be on a brief hiatus while i read Moby Dick. Feel free to follow along and join in the fun: http://readingmobydickisnottehghey.blogspot.com/

This should be followed by a drawing of a whale...

Robots

2008-08-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Posting for the sake of posting. Doodling for the sake of doodling. Robots for the sake of robots.

Kelp

2008-08-14T10:44:00.001-07:00

When I Grow Up I Want to be an Architect

2008-08-12T08:00:00.001-07:00

I just started...

2008-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

...reading the Watchmen.
Highly recommended.

When the Odds are Stacked

2008-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some things are More Fun Than Walking

2008-08-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

This was an outtake from my earlier Mechanical House series, but considering how badly some of those turned out, I thought I would post this anyway.

I've got a Pink Castle...

2008-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

...on a cloud
Excerpt from the musical, Les Miserables Technicolores.

Mario and Bowser

2008-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Julia, Mike, Bryce, Shauna, John, Drew...

2008-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Mork, York, and Roger

2008-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Tagging along for the Ride

2008-07-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

Holding on to Convention

2008-07-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not too concerned with deep meenings here.

Looping #1

2008-06-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Who Needs a Home

2008-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Too Big for this Place

2008-06-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Leafhopper or Leafcutter?

2008-06-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Leafcutter
Leafhopper
Leafcutter ants are pretty fascinating.

The Leafcutter and the Vole

2008-06-19T13:29:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a new project as of late. It will be called the Leafcutter and the Vole. Details are minimal at this point. Songs should be naturalistic and organic, less quantized than Waterless Sky, but still digital... which probably means more work. I won't be singing, either. I'll try to post about 3 songs at a time, or so.

No time

2008-06-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

Coffee Jitters

2008-06-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

Flying Thing 1

2008-06-12T18:04:00.001-07:00

We'll see where this stuff goes.

When there is nothing to doodle...

2008-06-12T08:31:00.000-07:00

...doodle nothing.

Piero Scaruffi

2008-06-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

One of the most interesting Top 100s of all time I've seen... Not that I've seen that many.
Piero Scaruffi

I Don't Know Why There's a Flying Saucer

2008-06-10T18:13:00.001-07:00

Or why there's a bunch of Dinosaurs, but it started with the saucer and ended with the dinosaurs. Maybe its a metaphor or something.

Good Fortune

2008-06-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

I considered clovers, but giant falling clovers seem less threatening to me. The fortune is in the upper left hand corner.

Its 80 Degrees in San Francisco

2008-06-09T16:28:00.000-07:00

But it feels rainy. It must be monday.

No, Buildings for Breakfast

2008-06-05T18:21:00.001-07:00

Some days you don't got it

2008-06-04T13:23:00.001-07:00

ignore the date. drawn today during company meeting.

couple of...

2008-06-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

...songs in the works, stay tuned.

Lunchtime meetings are good for...

2008-06-03T13:18:00.000-07:00

a) donating your time for company profit
b) drawing pictures of giant skinny legged monsters attacking cities.

No insignificant little doodles to share today, but...

2008-06-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

... there is a fucking big ass dirt analyzing robot on Mars... MARS!

Keeping things different

2008-05-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

worthwhile read

And of course...

2008-05-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

...Dan Deacon

a trio of interiews

2008-05-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

grizzly bear
animal collective
neutral milk hotel (jeff mangum)

2008-05-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

A screen is in the works of this image. With the screen, I should be able to print this on just about anything that is of cottony origin. Its about 11" x 17".

On Sunday May 18th...

2008-05-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

A many handed dragon found his way into my work notebook. I don't know how he got there, or what he plans on doing in there.

They all Happily Fall

2008-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

Our Newest Band Member

2008-04-23T12:28:00.001-07:00

We are a LOLBand

Away with the fluff: Mau Mau Starter Gets Srius and Joins Band

2008-04-23T12:18:00.001-07:00

So my friend JB of JB's big adventure link on the right are in a band-like situation we've been playing and practicing and writing songs. Moreover, we're cool. Check us out we have a couple of upcoming shows...

...well we don't yet. We're too busy futzing around with electronics and circuits to actually write and play music, but we'll get there, too, in time.

Moleskin Art

2008-04-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

Record Store Day

2008-04-16T16:16:00.001-07:00

I thought that this was pretty pertinent:

Everybody should go out and support their local record store, even
though, given the current musical climate, they are getting sucked dry. I went into Amoeba a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday, and was surprised at how empty it was compared to three or four years ago. I still believe in record stores, and think they are cool. If I weren't going to be miles away from an independent records store this weekend, I would go make a couple of hours of it at least, then walk over to Murio's Trophy Room, next door, and get a few drinks, then maybe toss the frisbee in the park.

Asatang Onapig

2008-04-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

I like these guys.

Duct Tree

2008-04-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

There will be more creatures playing made up instruments next week.

Floating

2008-04-10T11:41:00.000-07:00

I would like to make this a worthwhile space to visit on a regular basis. The first music project is finished. I don't have shows (yet) can't talk about that. Give me suggestions if you've got'em, all seven of you, that is. What is worth your two and a half minutes a day?

In Search for the Elusive Pulse

2008-04-10T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Fyert

2008-04-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

The fyert had its roots in pre-cassedonian attical fugues. It makes its first formal appearance in a composition by Broregurd. With the advent of spatz music, the Fyert was co-opted and adapted to become one of the penultimate solo instruments in modern yitzak music. Due to the highly specialized nature of the fyert, Years of training are required to master the harmonic its intricacies and most fyertists pass away shortly after becoming proficient enough to play yitzak ensemble. Thus actual recordings of master fyertists are rare. Concerts featuring the fyert are often seen as sad, but jubilant occasions, marking the maturation of a yitzak musician's career.

Depicted here is actually a truble fyert, which can be distinguished from a typical attical fyert by its presence of eight rather than twelve fyorens.

The Automergan

2008-04-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

The Automergan was made famous by yitzak legend Fornabar the Mildly Unpleasant on his yitzak spatz crossover hit The Fries Among Smoogs. Fornabar is seen here spatzing out on the Automergan.

The Snitzersnoozle...

2008-04-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

...goes squeaka squeak squeak squeak.

If you can't tell...

2008-04-04T17:27:00.001-07:00

...I have nothing really to write about. That's why I am making a dedication to offer a doodle a day. It keeps me on my toes and forces me to draw, while I contemplate my next career move. Stay tuned.

Gretta and the Flublesnark

2008-04-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Better monsters have been designed... but how about that Flublesnark? Its a Reimgain, designed by Urlgan the Key Destroyer.

SDD -Thursday

2008-04-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

The first in an upcoming series of made up creatures playing made up instruments

SDD

2008-04-02T08:50:00.001-07:00

Really Happy

Semi Daily Doodle

2008-04-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

happy

Semi- Daily Doodle

2008-03-31T18:08:00.001-07:00

Matt Furie is a great happy inducing artist, and worth a tribute:

I could use brushing up on my bicycles, though.

BMK12000, Will You Take a Solo On My Next Album?

2008-03-27T12:21:00.001-07:00

The Noble Kiwi

2008-03-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

In a previous life I wanted to become an animator. This is one of my favorites that I've come across.

Helpful

2008-03-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Looks like I should look into playing live.

Chinese Democracy brought to you by Dr. Pepper

2008-03-26T16:03:00.000-07:00

Developing and album from start to finish is a daunting task for sure, its a lot of work and a fare amount of sacrifice. Ten Years and $13 million of sacrifice for Axl Rose. Well good the old Cadbury/Schweppes corporation is here to step in by offering everybody in America a free Dr. Pepper if Rose finishes CD sometime in 2008.

The Fork has more details here
The Press Release here

Not a big fan of Dr. Pepper. Not a big fan of post Use Your Illusion GNR, but hey, this is funny news brought to you in an unfunny way, cuz I'm not feeling particularly funny right now.

Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, and Link

2008-03-26T09:31:00.000-07:00

Gourmet on 99 cents
Squid Sex
Carrotmob
Elephant Cam
i am a scientist i seek to understand me

Look Right

2008-03-25T13:24:00.001-07:00

and notice the friends of Mau Mau Starter. JB has been working on his music project for the past year, and is a Mau Mau Starter collaborator. Check him out, his the shit!

Amie Street

2008-03-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

There is an Amie Street link on my sidebar. If you download my song from Amie Street, I will give you a cookies.

When I get a final CD together, I'll probably go ahead sell a physical copy on Etsie, and give all my music for free, digitally. Until then I might as well see where Amie Street goes.

Hung

2008-03-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

"Hung"
(lyrics by Mark D'argenio, music by Mau Mau Starter)

Five inside the morning light on the ground
Pondering the crushed smell all around
My face just turns over in sleep sun

Find your four sheets twisted to the going day
Someone like Hawkeye chasing a deer into the fray
The fire prepare by the

Finally three means your feet on the floor
And bright yellow, water, morning no more
You're thinking about laah-ah-ah from sometime last night when you must have smoked a cigarette with your fingers

First two voices prepare food down in the hall
The smell of stumble talk and PJ drawl
Brings back something in the next room like a
Spoonful

Then one foot back to soft jeans, hair matted
Face staring back into the mirror never mattered
Just limp away like a screaming frog, pampered
In this privileged, disposable last day ever.

Is Good Today

2008-03-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

man man - rabbit habits is good
60 watt kid - s/t is good

Macho Pez

2008-03-24T10:29:00.001-07:00

Ex PFC Stan Wintergreen Please Stand Up

2008-03-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

"Like Nothing Wait"

(Mark D'Argenio)

The small details of papers, one barring its corner
From the line of the stack, an employee
Spinning through the air like a some worker
Turning on the leather of his chair not be-
Ing productive.

Like nothing wait, your somewhere dragon
Back outside, half slain breathing and
Half recovered, tomorrow morning in its lair
For when you get right back to the beginning.

Touching the door again, as if through the metal
You were just here and now you're here
Something that is not here won't let you settle
But driving you just watch the lights and steer
Back home and wait for the trouble to dissolve in the ice next to your bed where finally you lay down to give up.

The Brief and Momentary Rise of Man Man Starter

2008-03-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

It would appear that SXSW was a moderate success

2008-03-23T12:45:00.001-07:00

The Viscious Breakfast Triangle

2008-03-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Bagels with Tobasco compliment each other
Bagels and coffee compliment each other
Tobasco and coffee do not compliment each other

Waterless Sky is finished.

At first glance

2008-03-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

A look inside my bag would seem to indicated that I am well read, it would also indicate that i am well cerealed.

I wouldn't consider myself either, at this point...

Semi daily doodle

2008-03-21T14:18:00.000-07:00

Distribution?

2008-03-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Lame idea for distribution? Yea. Lame.

A Sampling of SXSW Album Covers

2008-03-20T10:36:00.001-07:00

Click to make it bigger

List of People at SXSW who have my demo

2008-03-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

in no particular order

1) Guy in Oakland band I met at Emo's. He was on the same plane flight as us getting in. He plays standup bass and for the life of me I can't remember their band name. They sounded good.

2) Lead Singer of Phosphorescent as he was rushing into his van.

3) Lead Singer/Drummer of No Age

4) Langhorne Slim Himself

5) Some dude with a (Creed) Nickelback shirt. I told him that I thought his shirt was awesome, then handed him my album.

Him: What does it sound like.
Me: Kind of like (Creed) Nickelback.
Him: Really? I hate (Creed) Nickelback.
Me: No it really doesn't sound like (Creed) Nickelbackat all.

6) Some dudes from Sweden in a Band. I explained to them that I really like moogs.

7) A few random people who had badges

8) The lead singer of Solyoni. Their CD the Princess Market is great.

9) The lead singer of Plants and Animals shortly after his show while he was in a poncho laden drunken state sitting on a curb eating a hot dog.

10) The keyboard player of the Little Ones while they were having technical difficulties.

11) A random nice guy from New York with whom I talked about Fuck Buttons and the lack of experimental music at SXSW (my opinion, not his). Apparently I didn't make it to Emo's enough.

12) I gave out two copies to the SF local internet radio station Soma.FM at Beauty Bar during the Bay Area Takeover.

I gave out more, but those were the more memorable experiences.

Waterless Sky Final Polishing

2008-03-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm putting the finishing touches on the project now and should have it up on last.fm for your listening pleasure before weeks end. SXSW was definitely fun, and it was fun handing out the DEMO to all sorts of people. Its also pretty interesting to see this blog showing up on Google now with 2 total hits from Google directly, and twenty direct hits... those are probably all from me. If you visit for whatever purpose, stay a moment and drop me a line.

Waterless Sky: SXSW TRACKLISTING

2008-03-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is the tentative tracklisting:

Live Indie Rock Pre-Release
Turnstyle Bridge
Welcome Seargents Daughter
Book of the Dead
:the Place
Natty Bumppbo Morning
And For Moment Geometry
sometimes I'm prone
uptowards
Hung
Like Nothing Wait

Let me know what you think. Its still a draft and some of the vocals and guitar work needs some tweeking.

Mau Mau!

SXSW 1: Mau Mau Starter 0

2008-03-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Score one for SXSW, it has defeated me today. An event this big is very much like traveling in a foreign country. The first day/week is always wasted because of jet lag from the red eye the night before and an inability get your bearings in a new country.

That said the awesomeness of the SXSW festival, with 50,000 attendees, about 1000 or so bands, and a fair amount of street level strangeness going on, SXSW is like a totally different country run by music. Its strange that with all the free booze and young hipsters running around, there doesn't seem to be too much drunken antics. Everybody here seems to be pretty motivated about seeing the music. Its like that engineering conference I went to in Denver, except, I can't get work to pay for any of it (not that they paid for the engineering conference) except the speakers at this conference are making my ears ring.

A few things I noticed:
1. In the land of the beards, the mustached man is not king
2. Emo's is not an emo bar
3. Beer is cheap, especially home brew, but beer with your music will cost ya

Day:
Emo's: Saw the Blow and El Guincho. El guincho was rad

Night:
Maggie Maes: Dolorean (eh) and Frightened Rabbit (good)

Frightened Rabbit reminded of Frog Eyes:
Red bike:
White bike:

Excite bike (I had not motorcylce picturs to finish the joke):

Of course there was Rock Band:

And there were Furries: