Friday, December 9, 2011
Crooked Man release in one week.. and more!!!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Crooked Man and Coextinction
It is officially official.. Crooked Man will be recording in the end of October with Andrew Schneider once again. This time, we will be recording for a Crooked Man / Coextinction release.
We are very happy to be added as one of the bands on the roster and we would like to thank Andrew, Dave and all at Coextinction for welcoming us. We will be recording four songs. Two instrumental and two vocal songs. This will also be our first official release so this is a very important recording session for us!!
While we are sharing great news I'd like to take the time to introduce two new members to the band. Michael Shaw, our new and trusty bass player.
And, our newest member Sabrina Ellie, singing harmonies, playing keys and rhythm guitar.
This is a very exciting time for Crooked Man! We are making great progress, meeting new friends and fans, making connections and building a great repertoire of songs and compositions to perform for you.
In the meantime, please add us on Facebook HERE and please spread the word about the band!!!
Thanks, C. Man
We are very happy to be added as one of the bands on the roster and we would like to thank Andrew, Dave and all at Coextinction for welcoming us. We will be recording four songs. Two instrumental and two vocal songs. This will also be our first official release so this is a very important recording session for us!!
While we are sharing great news I'd like to take the time to introduce two new members to the band. Michael Shaw, our new and trusty bass player.
And, our newest member Sabrina Ellie, singing harmonies, playing keys and rhythm guitar.
This is a very exciting time for Crooked Man! We are making great progress, meeting new friends and fans, making connections and building a great repertoire of songs and compositions to perform for you.
In the meantime, please add us on Facebook HERE and please spread the word about the band!!!
Thanks, C. Man
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Pizza Pizza Pizza
About a month ago I had an idea. I love Pizza and I wanted to do something fun and interesting and maybe even learn a little bit about my city along the way. So, I decided I was going to do a piece about one of my favorite things in the world to eat. PIZZA!!!! First off, let me just say this before I go any further. This blog post is based on some very simple and basic research. I am not a chef, so it is not to be taken too seriously and if you are a pizza lover or a food lover in general I hope you enjoy what I have put together here.
Now that we got that out of the way, lets talk about Pizza.
It all started when I was sitting down at one of my favorite neighborhood pizzeria's, enjoying a Square slice, fresh out of the oven. I was thinking to myself "If I had to, I could eat at this pizzeria for the rest of my life." I then texted one of my x girlfriends a very simple but very difficult question to answer. "If you had to choose one New York City pizzeria to eat at for the rest of your life, which would it be?" As soon as she answered I knew I wanted to survey as many people as possible and find out who loves what pizza, where that place is and why haven't I had a slice there yet!! So that was the question I began asking everyone I ran into. "If you had to choose one New York City Pizza joint to eat at for the rest of your life, which would it be?"
Some people didn't even let me finish the question before answering, some people asked me fifty questions about the question itself like "What type of pizza? Thin Crust, Round, Square?" Or; "Can I pick two?" Some people cursed me out because they became so frustrated with the idea of having to decide. Some people didn't really understand why I was asking. Some people couldn't answer right away and told me that they needed some time to think about it. Then days later I'd receive a text message or an email or a message on Facebook with an answer and a smiley emoticon or something to that effect. Some would answer quickly then later on would tell me they wanted to change their answer. Most people however, would get so passionate about how the pizza joint that they picked was by far the very best of the best and anyone who didn't agree was a complete idiot and didn't know their ass from their elbow when it came to pizza or good food in general!! I would start full on debates if I asked a group of people at the same time. Friends and relatives would raise their voices at each other and the argument would go on and on about the sauce at this place and the crust at that place, what atmosphere was the best or how long you had to wait for a pie if you went to a particular location. All these factors effect your final decision on what pizzeria you would choose. So it was all very important. What good fun it was and what an interesting month it's been gathering all this information.
So now, I am left with putting all of this information to good use. I was a bit startled to learn what the most popular pizzeria was based on the survey and the people that were asked. I was also very surprised that some pizzerias or restaurants were not even mentioned or brought up even once. However I only covered so much ground and the question part of the survey could have went on much longer. It should also be mentioned that I live, work and play in Brooklyn. I never go to Queens, The Bronx or Staten Island. So if it seems that some boroughs are hardly mentioned it doesn't in any way mean that there are no good pizzerias or pizza serving restaurants in those boroughs.
So lets get to it shall we!! Based on this survey, over 200 hundred people were asked.. The Four most popular pizzerias are ...
The Fourth most popular pizzeria in New York is
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, 19 Old Fulton St , Brooklyn , NY
Grimaldi's Pizzeria has been making some of the best thin crust pizza in the world for many years now.. that's right I said it... the world. This family friendly pizza joint keeps it simple and classic and will definitely satisfy the pizza lover that likes it traditional and tasty. There are actually three Grimaldi's pizzerias in New York City and a bunch of other locations all over the country. So they definitely get a lot of love. If your'e ever down by the Brooklyn Bridge, stop in for a pie.
The third most popular Pizzeria in New York City is
Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano, 1524 Neptune Ave., Brooklyn, NY
"A medieval crust, a sloppy splash of sauce, and the sweetest, freshest mozzarella make the pie at this famous pizza shack the best of its coal-oven kind by a wide margin" -Taken from NYmag.com. It's actually very accurate. Totonno's Pizzeria is by far one of the very best of it's kind.
This family run business has an "open until the dough runs out policy" and you better get there quick because they really go fast! This place happens to be my father Bosco's pick. He was one of the people I asked that didn't even let me finish the question before he answered "Totonno's, Coney Island!!" My father and I definitely need to make a trip over there soon. They keep weird hours though so make sure they are open before making the trip out to Coney Island.
The second most popular Pizzeria in New York City is
Di Fara Pizza, 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY
Di Fara Pizza is legendary. Serving up a lovely thin crust pizza donned with only the freshest and finest ingredients. People line up outside the door of this pizzeria and wait as long as they have to to get a slice. Beware though, Di Fara pizza is not cheap and I must say I am not a fan of this pizzeria at all because of it. Di Fara charges a lofty $5.00 a slice and $25.00 for a pie. That is outrageous!!! For those of you who do not know, pizza is extremely cheap to make, even with very expensive ingredients. The prices here are way too high and the danger of charging such a high price is that all other pizzerias can and may follow suite. Raising prices if not to $5.00 a slice to $3.50 or $4.00.
I personally feel that it is near criminal to serve such delicious food and then charge double the price for it. That's just a terrible thing to do to us pizza lovers and I will probably never step foot in Di Fara in fear that I may love it and then I'm stuck on it, paying $5.00 a slice.. DISGRAZIATA!!!
Finally .. the most popular pizzeria, based on this survey and based on the question; If you had to choose one pizzeria to eat at for the rest of your life, what would it be? is...
L n B Spumoni Gardens, 2725 86th Street, Brooklyn, NY
L n B Spumoni Gardens is a Brooklyn staple!! This place is so famous and it was chosen so many times that I knew after the first week of the survey that it was going to be the winner. Out of the first one hundred people that took part in the survey, 20% chose LnB... Wow!!! I was personally shocked simply because LnB would not be even close to my top pick but I prefer something different than what LnB serves up.
First off, LnB serves their oh, so famous and delicious, Sicilian slice with the cheese underneath the sauce which is as we all know, not the traditional way to serve pizza. This obviously has a major effect on the pizzas flavor, the consistency and what is also very important, the appearance.
Lastly, I will mention Anna Maria in Williamsburg on Bedford avenue. Anna Maria does not serve the best pizza by any means but they serve a very large selection of different kinds of pizza, they are open late and the prices are very reasonable. I think that with the survey question in mind, If you had to choose one pizzeria to eat at for the rest of your life.. Anna Maria really hits the mark. They offer delicious pizza at a decent price with lot's of variety and that is extremely important when it's the only pizzeria you got!!
Well that's it folks. I thank you for reading and if you took part in the survey I thank you once again. I love pizza and this was really fun to do. Maybe I will do another survey on pasta or maybe burgers. Any suggestions? I'd love to hear from you. Please follow this blog!!!
I should also mention my band Crooked Man is playing at the Charleston on Bedford Ave. (literally across the street from Anna Maria) on September 16th. We go on around 1030pm or so. Please come out it's $6 and Strangely enough the Charleston serves one dollar personal pizzas with the purchase of a drink :) take that Di Fara!!!We are also playing the next weekend at Cha Chas on the boardwalk down in Coney Island, September 24th. Its a free show with a bunch of cool bands. Maybe you can make a trip over to Totonno's or LnB Spumoni Gardnes, then swing on over to Cha Chas!!
Now that we got that out of the way, lets talk about Pizza.
It all started when I was sitting down at one of my favorite neighborhood pizzeria's, enjoying a Square slice, fresh out of the oven. I was thinking to myself "If I had to, I could eat at this pizzeria for the rest of my life." I then texted one of my x girlfriends a very simple but very difficult question to answer. "If you had to choose one New York City pizzeria to eat at for the rest of your life, which would it be?" As soon as she answered I knew I wanted to survey as many people as possible and find out who loves what pizza, where that place is and why haven't I had a slice there yet!! So that was the question I began asking everyone I ran into. "If you had to choose one New York City Pizza joint to eat at for the rest of your life, which would it be?"
Some people didn't even let me finish the question before answering, some people asked me fifty questions about the question itself like "What type of pizza? Thin Crust, Round, Square?" Or; "Can I pick two?" Some people cursed me out because they became so frustrated with the idea of having to decide. Some people didn't really understand why I was asking. Some people couldn't answer right away and told me that they needed some time to think about it. Then days later I'd receive a text message or an email or a message on Facebook with an answer and a smiley emoticon or something to that effect. Some would answer quickly then later on would tell me they wanted to change their answer. Most people however, would get so passionate about how the pizza joint that they picked was by far the very best of the best and anyone who didn't agree was a complete idiot and didn't know their ass from their elbow when it came to pizza or good food in general!! I would start full on debates if I asked a group of people at the same time. Friends and relatives would raise their voices at each other and the argument would go on and on about the sauce at this place and the crust at that place, what atmosphere was the best or how long you had to wait for a pie if you went to a particular location. All these factors effect your final decision on what pizzeria you would choose. So it was all very important. What good fun it was and what an interesting month it's been gathering all this information.
So now, I am left with putting all of this information to good use. I was a bit startled to learn what the most popular pizzeria was based on the survey and the people that were asked. I was also very surprised that some pizzerias or restaurants were not even mentioned or brought up even once. However I only covered so much ground and the question part of the survey could have went on much longer. It should also be mentioned that I live, work and play in Brooklyn. I never go to Queens, The Bronx or Staten Island. So if it seems that some boroughs are hardly mentioned it doesn't in any way mean that there are no good pizzerias or pizza serving restaurants in those boroughs.
So lets get to it shall we!! Based on this survey, over 200 hundred people were asked.. The Four most popular pizzerias are ...
The Fourth most popular pizzeria in New York is
Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, 19 Old Fulton St , Brooklyn , NY
The third most popular Pizzeria in New York City is
Totonno's Pizzeria Napolitano, 1524 Neptune Ave., Brooklyn, NY
The second most popular Pizzeria in New York City is
Di Fara Pizza, 1424 Avenue J, Brooklyn, NY
I personally feel that it is near criminal to serve such delicious food and then charge double the price for it. That's just a terrible thing to do to us pizza lovers and I will probably never step foot in Di Fara in fear that I may love it and then I'm stuck on it, paying $5.00 a slice.. DISGRAZIATA!!!
Finally .. the most popular pizzeria, based on this survey and based on the question; If you had to choose one pizzeria to eat at for the rest of your life, what would it be? is...
L n B Spumoni Gardens, 2725 86th Street, Brooklyn, NY
L n B Spumoni Gardens is a Brooklyn staple!! This place is so famous and it was chosen so many times that I knew after the first week of the survey that it was going to be the winner. Out of the first one hundred people that took part in the survey, 20% chose LnB... Wow!!! I was personally shocked simply because LnB would not be even close to my top pick but I prefer something different than what LnB serves up.
First off, LnB serves their oh, so famous and delicious, Sicilian slice with the cheese underneath the sauce which is as we all know, not the traditional way to serve pizza. This obviously has a major effect on the pizzas flavor, the consistency and what is also very important, the appearance.
LnB Spumoni gardens is a stones throw away from my apt in Gravesend. You would think I would be there a few times a week but it's the type of pizzeria I like to eat at on special occasions. If you have never had a slice at LnB, you must make a trip down to Bensonhurst and experience the robust flavors and authentic vibe that this Brooklyn classic has to offer, it's a must! I must not forget to mention another noteworthy reason why this place is so special. They are also famous for serving the best Spumoni ice cream, well it's not really ice cream but it's not italian ice either.. Anyway... It is the very best of its kind. As a matter of fact, it's so good, other pizzerias carry Spumoni from Spumoni Gardens and even go so far as to tell you it's Spumoni from Spumoni Gardens. Now that's pretty awesome!!
Well their you have it!! I hope you use this information wisely and make sure you check out these spots if they seem appetizing to you. I am definitely going to be making a trip to Totonno's as soon as I can.
I also wanted to mention a few other noteworthy pizzeria's that I think you would love as well!! My personal pick is a real great place that I have been eating at for well over a decade. Lil' Frankies on 1st avenue between 1st and 2nd streets in the East Village.This place serves amazing brick oven pizza with authentic and fresh ingredients. My personal favorite is the pizza polpetine pictured below. It just hits the spot every time. The service at Lil' Frankie's is warm and welcoming. The ambiance and mood of the place are perfect for me. Low light, dark and moody. The memorabilia hanging on the walls might as well be images and pictures of my family and my relatives that I used to see so often, growing up. I think that's the reason I love this place so much. I feel right at home every time I am there. So, next time you're in the East Village, stop by Lil' Frankies and try the pizza, it will surely satisfy. If you are still hungry, try the pizza burger, it's cooked parmagian style, served on a crusted Italian bread, with an Arugula salad. MAGNIFICO!!
Some other places I should mention are Artichoke on 14th St. in Union Square. They serve an Artichoke slice with a cream sauce that will knock your socks off. Italia Pizza on the corner of kings Highway and West 6 st. They serve excellent food, most noteworthy, the vodka sauce slice is the very best I've ever had.
Another place I should mention is Lucali pizza in Carroll Gardens. The menu is short and sweet. Pizza and Calzone, that's it. The wait to sit is always a bit of a thorn in my side every time I go there but it's worth it. Delicious food made with lots of love.The atmosphere is just how I like it, low light in a cozy and warm home style environment. The service is quite nice too. 
Well that's it folks. I thank you for reading and if you took part in the survey I thank you once again. I love pizza and this was really fun to do. Maybe I will do another survey on pasta or maybe burgers. Any suggestions? I'd love to hear from you. Please follow this blog!!!
I should also mention my band Crooked Man is playing at the Charleston on Bedford Ave. (literally across the street from Anna Maria) on September 16th. We go on around 1030pm or so. Please come out it's $6 and Strangely enough the Charleston serves one dollar personal pizzas with the purchase of a drink :) take that Di Fara!!!We are also playing the next weekend at Cha Chas on the boardwalk down in Coney Island, September 24th. Its a free show with a bunch of cool bands. Maybe you can make a trip over to Totonno's or LnB Spumoni Gardnes, then swing on over to Cha Chas!!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
John Lamacchia VS Fuzzrocious Pedals
It's been quite some time since my last blog entry. Guess I was saving it for something super cool. Well there's lots of cool stuff happening right now at this very moment.
First and foremost. I got picked up by a sweet ass Effects Pedal Company called, Fuzzrocious Pedals. They totally rawwwwwkkk!! As a matter of fact. A bunch of my buddies from some other cool bands are also rockin' Fuzzrocious pedals as well. Caleb Scofield and Steven Brodsky of Cave In, Dave Ed of the mighty Neurosis and Jeff Tuttle of The Dillinger Escape Plan to name just a few. The first pedal they sent me is the Tremolso.. I am so psyched to get to work with this thing. Here's what they say about it on their site.
"The TREMORSLO is a tremolo...duh. What makes this sweeter than your average trem is that we added a hi/lo pass filter to the circuit to make tremming even weirder! On top of that, you can switch between two speeds via a momentary footswitch...Go from fast to slow or vice versa! The volume is set internally at unity gain. No fuss, no muss. Melvin not included".
You can check out Fuzzrocious Pedals HERE. Check out some of the sound bytes they have posted to get a taste of what these guys (and gals) can do. Fuzzrocious is by the way, owned and operated by husband and wife Ryan and Shannon Ratajski. You gotta love that!!!
Next up on the news front, If you dont already know it, Jeff Caxide of Isis has officially released his first CD/Digital release. Crone "Endless Midnight", It totally rules. What a disturbingly beautiful journey of sound. If you are a fan of Isis, Brian Eno, Stars Of The Lid, Labradford or all of the above do not, I repeat do not sleep on this one. Yeah I'm partial to it because I played on it a little and I recorded some of it but this CD, from the sounds to the packaging is so well worth the couple of bucks it will run you. As a matter of fact, I am selling Endless Midnight through my label, Rising Pulse Records. So you can swing by my site and pick it up at this link CRONE ENDLESS MIDNIGHT.
Next up, my newest project Crooked Man is picking up momentum. We have a couple of shows coming up. The very first will be our debut performance at Roots Cafe in Park Slope, an extremely intimate space. This is happening today July 15th, promptly at 8:45. Also on the bill is Cloudedhed and Tommy Lombardozzi. This should be real interesting. So far I am only accompanied by my trusty drummer Wayne D. Schneiderman. So it will be just vocals, guitar and drums. In August we will be performing at The Acheron in Buschwick. That will be on the 13th of August to be more precise. We were originally going to cancel all dates due to line up changes but this is a very special day for a very special friend and we wanted to show our support and be a part of this one. Also on the bill are Inswarm, Tournament, James plotkin and more TBA.
Lastly, Julie Christmas fans, check it out!! We have two really sweet lookin' tee shirts printed on soft style 100% cotton just waiting to be rocked for the summer time!!! Can you guess who the model is for the sample pictures used on the Rising Pulse site?Click one of these links to check em out.. Julie Tee one and Julie Tee two. OK that's all for now guys and gals, thank you so very much for all of your support. Stay tuned for news on the new Candiria album that's in the works. Stay cool, J.L.
"The TREMORSLO is a tremolo...duh. What makes this sweeter than your average trem is that we added a hi/lo pass filter to the circuit to make tremming even weirder! On top of that, you can switch between two speeds via a momentary footswitch...Go from fast to slow or vice versa! The volume is set internally at unity gain. No fuss, no muss. Melvin not included".
You can check out Fuzzrocious Pedals HERE. Check out some of the sound bytes they have posted to get a taste of what these guys (and gals) can do. Fuzzrocious is by the way, owned and operated by husband and wife Ryan and Shannon Ratajski. You gotta love that!!!
Next up on the news front, If you dont already know it, Jeff Caxide of Isis has officially released his first CD/Digital release. Crone "Endless Midnight", It totally rules. What a disturbingly beautiful journey of sound. If you are a fan of Isis, Brian Eno, Stars Of The Lid, Labradford or all of the above do not, I repeat do not sleep on this one. Yeah I'm partial to it because I played on it a little and I recorded some of it but this CD, from the sounds to the packaging is so well worth the couple of bucks it will run you. As a matter of fact, I am selling Endless Midnight through my label, Rising Pulse Records. So you can swing by my site and pick it up at this link CRONE ENDLESS MIDNIGHT.
Next up, my newest project Crooked Man is picking up momentum. We have a couple of shows coming up. The very first will be our debut performance at Roots Cafe in Park Slope, an extremely intimate space. This is happening today July 15th, promptly at 8:45. Also on the bill is Cloudedhed and Tommy Lombardozzi. This should be real interesting. So far I am only accompanied by my trusty drummer Wayne D. Schneiderman. So it will be just vocals, guitar and drums. In August we will be performing at The Acheron in Buschwick. That will be on the 13th of August to be more precise. We were originally going to cancel all dates due to line up changes but this is a very special day for a very special friend and we wanted to show our support and be a part of this one. Also on the bill are Inswarm, Tournament, James plotkin and more TBA.
Lastly, Julie Christmas fans, check it out!! We have two really sweet lookin' tee shirts printed on soft style 100% cotton just waiting to be rocked for the summer time!!! Can you guess who the model is for the sample pictures used on the Rising Pulse site?Click one of these links to check em out.. Julie Tee one and Julie Tee two. OK that's all for now guys and gals, thank you so very much for all of your support. Stay tuned for news on the new Candiria album that's in the works. Stay cool, J.L.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Kids Stuff
After over a decade of writing doomy, psychadelic love/hate songs, I am finally putting out a record. The name I have chosen as the catalyst for this material as some of you may already know is Crooked Man. (Please find us HERE on facebook and like the band!!) At this point Crooked Man consists of myself, Wayne Daren Schneiderman (Black Pig, A Family Plot) on the drum set and our newest addition to the band, guitarist, Tommy Tripi. Me and Tom grew up together. When we were kids we played hockey, roamed the streets of Southern Brooklyn, skated, road dirt bikes, listened to Metal, Punk, Hardcore and every other type of extreme music we could get our hands on. Most importantly though, Tommy taught me how to play my first few "guitar licks". Bending a string, playing power chords, vibrato, all kinds of cool things a young guitar player wants to learn given the opportunity.
After a couple of years of taking guitar lessons from the same teachers, me Tom and our close friends Michael Scondotto (Inhuman, Confusion) and oddly enough Wayne D. Schneiderman formed a band. Although I was reluctant to play hardcore at first, it was the type of music my best friends wanted to play so we formed Close Call. We played cross over hard core in the vein of Token Entry, Judge, Crumbsuckers, Cro Mags and Bad Brains. We played a couple of local shows and did some recordings with Don Fury which was cool but we were too young to take it serious and the band broke up after a couple of years.
We were just kids I guess and we wanted to do kid stuff.
Check out the artwork for the 1989 demos!! I was 16 haha.
I continued to play in bands with Wayne until later on when I joined Candiria. Everyone remained friends though and life has a funny way of putting things in its proper place because I'm playing in a band with the guys I grew up with again and it sounds great!! I'm very excited to start playing some shows with Crooked Man. We have one coming up, August 13th. It's my friend Lee's birthday party, it should be a packed show. We are playing with the infamous, James Plotkin (Scorn, Atomsmasher), my buddy Josh's band, Inswarm, Lee Bartow's, Theologian + Tournament and one other act. Its going to be at The Acheron in Buschwick. I'm totally psyched!! OK that's all for now. Thank you all for your support <3
After a couple of years of taking guitar lessons from the same teachers, me Tom and our close friends Michael Scondotto (Inhuman, Confusion) and oddly enough Wayne D. Schneiderman formed a band. Although I was reluctant to play hardcore at first, it was the type of music my best friends wanted to play so we formed Close Call. We played cross over hard core in the vein of Token Entry, Judge, Crumbsuckers, Cro Mags and Bad Brains. We played a couple of local shows and did some recordings with Don Fury which was cool but we were too young to take it serious and the band broke up after a couple of years.
We were just kids I guess and we wanted to do kid stuff.
Check out the artwork for the 1989 demos!! I was 16 haha.
I continued to play in bands with Wayne until later on when I joined Candiria. Everyone remained friends though and life has a funny way of putting things in its proper place because I'm playing in a band with the guys I grew up with again and it sounds great!! I'm very excited to start playing some shows with Crooked Man. We have one coming up, August 13th. It's my friend Lee's birthday party, it should be a packed show. We are playing with the infamous, James Plotkin (Scorn, Atomsmasher), my buddy Josh's band, Inswarm, Lee Bartow's, Theologian + Tournament and one other act. Its going to be at The Acheron in Buschwick. I'm totally psyched!! OK that's all for now. Thank you all for your support <3
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Endless Midnight
Waylon Records has announced the release date of Crone's "Endless Midnight". The Debut album from Isis bass player Jeff Caxide. The album features musical contributions from myself and a few other fantastic musicians. Check out all the details here.
http://waylonrecordings.blogspot.com/2011/05/crone-endless-midnight.html?spref=fb
http://waylonrecordings.blogspot.com/2011/05/crone-endless-midnight.html?spref=fb
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Candiria, in the wake of total destruction
Candiria is in the process of recording its seventh official full length release to date. It has been a very strange and extraordinarily difficult journey for the band. Most of you know just how close we all came to passing on from this life on September 9th in 2002.
And that it is an absolute miracle that we are all still not only alive but able to continue playing music. Every one of us including our driver and ever faithful tour manager Kevin McCormack still suffers from some form of cronic pain or a limitation of motion or a herniation of some sort.
And every one of us is mentally scarred for life with the memory of the impact and the van flipping several times before coming to a complete hault upside down on its roof. Well except me, I was knocked unconscious on impact and did not come to until hours later, in the hospital, with a doctor shoving a tube up my nose and down my throat, with Ken yelling from the other room at me to man up and deal with it because he had to deal with it too. I must have been crying or screaming or something to that effect but it's really all a blur. I only remember brief moments that faded in and out for several hours after the initial impact.
Apart from that horrific incident there were other major hurdles for us like contractual obligations with dead beat record labels, musical differences (which led to my departure from the band for a period of time) and then their were the basic pressures of life we were faced with such as paying bills and feeding new born babies. Another notable disappointment was a Candiria documentary that we all agreed to take part in which was finished but never released for reasons unknown to us. Each of us spent hours and hours answering questions that spanned the entire history of the band, opening up and unraveling truths in great detail. Maybe that documentary would have made all of what we went through somewhat understandable. Maybe it would have softended the memory of some of those horrors and hardships we faced. But no, epic failure once again.
But there is light at the end of that very long and dark tunnel. Four fifths of what made Candiria the band we were known to be are working together again. Ken Schalk, Carley Coma, Michael MacIvor and I are all working to make the next Candiria album the very best album we've ever made. Drums for six songs are tracked, and several other songs are being written. In the past few weeks Michael MacIvor has been writing bass lines for the first 3 or 4 pieces and I personally feel that it is some of the very best he has ever written to this date, hands down.
The band plans on going back into the studio to track drums for another 3 or 4 songs and after that, completing all of the music and art and prepare it for manufacturing. We are gearing up for an early 2012 release and with the release, 2 headlining dates in NYC and then who knows, maybe even a tour.
And that it is an absolute miracle that we are all still not only alive but able to continue playing music. Every one of us including our driver and ever faithful tour manager Kevin McCormack still suffers from some form of cronic pain or a limitation of motion or a herniation of some sort. And every one of us is mentally scarred for life with the memory of the impact and the van flipping several times before coming to a complete hault upside down on its roof. Well except me, I was knocked unconscious on impact and did not come to until hours later, in the hospital, with a doctor shoving a tube up my nose and down my throat, with Ken yelling from the other room at me to man up and deal with it because he had to deal with it too. I must have been crying or screaming or something to that effect but it's really all a blur. I only remember brief moments that faded in and out for several hours after the initial impact.
Apart from that horrific incident there were other major hurdles for us like contractual obligations with dead beat record labels, musical differences (which led to my departure from the band for a period of time) and then their were the basic pressures of life we were faced with such as paying bills and feeding new born babies. Another notable disappointment was a Candiria documentary that we all agreed to take part in which was finished but never released for reasons unknown to us. Each of us spent hours and hours answering questions that spanned the entire history of the band, opening up and unraveling truths in great detail. Maybe that documentary would have made all of what we went through somewhat understandable. Maybe it would have softended the memory of some of those horrors and hardships we faced. But no, epic failure once again.
But there is light at the end of that very long and dark tunnel. Four fifths of what made Candiria the band we were known to be are working together again. Ken Schalk, Carley Coma, Michael MacIvor and I are all working to make the next Candiria album the very best album we've ever made. Drums for six songs are tracked, and several other songs are being written. In the past few weeks Michael MacIvor has been writing bass lines for the first 3 or 4 pieces and I personally feel that it is some of the very best he has ever written to this date, hands down.
The band plans on going back into the studio to track drums for another 3 or 4 songs and after that, completing all of the music and art and prepare it for manufacturing. We are gearing up for an early 2012 release and with the release, 2 headlining dates in NYC and then who knows, maybe even a tour.Sunday, April 3, 2011
I Love my job
This is a photo I took today of the vinyl we have available at my label RISING PULSE RECORDS . I really do love my label. I love the work and of course I love the music. I am very fortunate to be able to do this and I appreciate all of the many supporters all over the world who have made a purchase!!! thank you.
This will be an exceptional year. Candiria, Spylacopa, Julie Christmas and now my own, Crooked Man are all working on new releases.
This will be an exceptional year. Candiria, Spylacopa, Julie Christmas and now my own, Crooked Man are all working on new releases.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
2011 and Beyond
A busy year indeed!! There are 3 releases out this year or scheduled for release that I have contributed to. First off, Julie Christmas (Made Out Of Babies, Battle Of Mice, Spylacopa) released an EP titled "Coextinction Recordings 5". This is the 5th release on Andrew Schneider's Coextinction Records hence the title. Other releases on Coextinction include music by Shrinebuilder, Unsane and Pigs to cite a few. The EP features the usual suspects from Christmas' critically acclaimed full length "The Bad Wife" (Rising Pulse Records). For CR5, Andrew Schneider engineered, supplied bass and produced. I co-wrote the tunes along with the lovely lady herself and performed all guitars. Finally, new recruit Wayne Daren Schneiderman stepped up to the plate and delivered in spades on the drums. You can purchase the EP here. JULIE CHRISTMAS EP
Next up, with no official release date set Lee Bartow's, Love Is Nothing will be dropping its first official full length release titled "Without Me" sometime in the second half of 2011. With contributions from myself on guitar, Mike Hill (Tombs), Carrie Ingber (ex-Zambri) and many others, Bartow is stepping away from what he is known for (Navicon Torture Technologies) and pounding out something completely different. Fans of Joy Division, The Cure, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine and Jesu take note. Click this link to check out the first single. ABUSE
Finally, Jeff Caxide of the mighty Isis' new project, Crone, will be releasing his debut full length 'Endless Midnight' in the late spring. With no official release date set, it includes contributions from Isis members Aaron Harris and Bryant Clifford Meyers. The first recording session for Endless Midnight was actually done in my home studio on a stand alone 16-track recording unit where I recorded and engineered Caxide laying down a series of brilliant bass performances using a Music Man Sting Ray and an arsenal of effects pedals. We then layed down some overdubs and loops, and that set Jeff Caxide and Crone on its path. Not all of the first session will make it to the full length, but the best of it will.
Just about a year has past since the first session and Endless Midnight is in the process of being mastered. Aaron Turner (Isis, Mammifer) is also in the process of designing the packaging for the CD, which will put the finishing touches on it and then its off to the manufacturing plant. A Facebook page will be created and a Crone track will be available for preview soon. That's all for now!!! Stay tuned for updates regarding Candiria, Spylacopa, Rising Pulse Records and my latest endeavor, Crooked Man.
Finally, Jeff Caxide of the mighty Isis' new project, Crone, will be releasing his debut full length 'Endless Midnight' in the late spring. With no official release date set, it includes contributions from Isis members Aaron Harris and Bryant Clifford Meyers. The first recording session for Endless Midnight was actually done in my home studio on a stand alone 16-track recording unit where I recorded and engineered Caxide laying down a series of brilliant bass performances using a Music Man Sting Ray and an arsenal of effects pedals. We then layed down some overdubs and loops, and that set Jeff Caxide and Crone on its path. Not all of the first session will make it to the full length, but the best of it will.Just about a year has past since the first session and Endless Midnight is in the process of being mastered. Aaron Turner (Isis, Mammifer) is also in the process of designing the packaging for the CD, which will put the finishing touches on it and then its off to the manufacturing plant. A Facebook page will be created and a Crone track will be available for preview soon. That's all for now!!! Stay tuned for updates regarding Candiria, Spylacopa, Rising Pulse Records and my latest endeavor, Crooked Man.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
This is my blog
I've done this before. I created a personal blog and then let it drift off into cyberspace, forgetting the user names and passwords and eventually giving up on trying to remember them. My intention has always been the same with each and every one I have created. To document and post about my music(al) and artistic endeavors. Also to post subject matter, video and imagery of things that interest and move me on a personal level. Here's a few random photos I took on my journeys in the last couple of years. Lets use them to get this blog started.
 |
| Bklyn Ny, 10 |
 | ||||
| Vanessa Twyford, Bklyn, Ny '08 |
 |
| Sweetfire Studios, Bklyn Ny '07 |
 |
| Vanessa Twyford, Bklyn Ny '08 |
 |
| Miami Fl, '09 |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)